2 | Chapter 1: Just Like Old Times

The memories come rushing back to Blake as her and the golden-haired beauty next to her both dash through a forests decorated by bloodshot leaves falling from the trees with bark as dark as night with no stars; Forever Fall Forest.

With Blake, is her most trusted and closest friend Yang Xiao Long; the girl with a burning passion for cracking bad puns while always looking out for her friends and making sure they always have a good time. Well... at least that's what the old Yang did.

Blake knew there was something off about her. Is it the fact she hasn't seen Yang in a long time? Or is it just her maturing and shedding her fun-loving personality? Whatever it is, she has changed a lot since they last saw each other. Especially her new arm, which Blake still feels guilty about. She blames herself for Yang losing her arm. If only I could have stood up to Adam, she thinks to herself constantly.

They have been awfully quiet for the trip. This makes Blake nervous; she doesn't even know a thing about the new Yang. Not to mention the fact that she hasn't said anything to Blake since they set off makes it worse. They continue to walk in silence until they reach a hill going steeply downward with a set of train tracks at the base.

Blake glances over the ledge, "Guess the only way is down."

Yang looks over at Blake for the first time in what feels like years. Blake's heart skips a beat when she realizes that it's been far too long since she has stared into the sparkling amethyst color of Yang's eyes. Yang looks over the edge again, nods, then leaps off. Blake follows, careful not to slip and crash into Yang, for fear of getting her friend angry.

The jump turns into a slide. She adores Yangs enthusiasm, and yet she still feels… distant, even in that brief moment of contact. Once more, silence hangs in the air between the two, only being filled with the rush of wind and scraping of boots on grass.

Time seems to slow, and now Blake is left to her own thoughts. She thinks about Ruby, and how much she's grown as a person and how she's become more bearable. Blake loves Ruby Rose just as much as the next person, but when she was younger and at Beacon, she was a bit of a nuisance. Blake's mind soon started to shift towards Weiss Schnee. The Heirheress as well has changed. Besides the fact that she's become a lot nicer and friendlier to be around, she's also gotten new scars and hopefully stories that Blake is excited to hear. I'm just glad me and her are bette-

"Blake! Jump!" Yang yells abruptly. "Whoa!" Blake bareilly connects her jump as the hill comes to an abrupt stop. "Jeez that was a close call." Blake states as she recovers from the landing. "Ya think?" Yang says sarcastically.

"Well I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"Maybe if you weren't absorbed in thought that wouldn't have happened!"

"What is your problem Yang! We haven't spoke at all on are way here!"

"That's my problem Blake! You haven't even talked to me at all its as if you weren't even here!"

Blake stairs with blank eyes, tears form in the corners of her eyes, "Yang…"

"Well come on Blake! You haven't asked me how I felt about you leaving like you did! I could have needed you when I was in a dark place!"

"Yang… I'm Sor-"

"Sorry isn't gonna cut it, Blake!" Yang's eyes lit up in the crimson red like they do when she's enraged,

"Yang please…"

"Is that all you're gonna say Blake! What are you gonna tell me lies and hide the truth! Or tell me how you really feel!?"

"Yang why are you so fired up?"

"Why! Because you left while I was down in out in bed with only my thoughts and no one else! Ruby left with who was left of team JNPR and went to Haven! I didn't even have my own sister with me!"

"YANG! I WAS SCARED!"

The whole damn forest could hear Blakes plead for silence.

"Blake... that's no reason to runaway…"

"I ran because of fear… I couldn't bare to see you in that state…"

"Blake… I... "

"Its fine… you didn't know." Yang was regretting her confrontation, only if she had known.

"Blake come here...:" Blake approaches hesitantly with her ears folded down. Yang opens her arms for a hug. Blake leaps into her arms as Yang lets out a sigh of relief.

"Im sorry Yang I missed you so much…"

"I… I missed you too Blake…"

"I shouldn't have left you Yang"

"Blake… thank you for telling the truth."

"Yang, I didn't want to argue with you, I care too much to argue."

"Me too Blake its just… I needed you, I don't want you to run, I'll always be here for you." Yang smiles at Blake, her cat like ears now up right.

"I think we should get moving."

"Agreed."

The two start following the train tracks that curve with the mountain. Blake wonders… what did Yang go through while shes been out of the picture, well, other than her new arm. Absorbed in thought again she gets interrupted,

"Blake!"

"Hmm, oh." Apart of the mountain happened to have collapsed onto the tracks blocking their path. The other side of the tracks weren't even visible.

"What now?"

"Lets jump down to the forest floor and try to see if we can find the other side of the tracks." Yang nods in agreement, as they both jump off the tracks. Their landing on the ground causes a couple of cherry leaves to fly up. Blake follows Yang while intently watching the way her hips move back and forth, this kept her entertained for awhile, then she decided to pounce on her back,

"Ahh… what are you doing Blake."

"Just playing with you." as she pokes her on the nose,

"So? What have you been doing all this time?"

"Well I got this new arm, you gotta hand it to me it's pretty cool, right?"

"Ugh" Blake rolls her eyes while laughing to herself.

"What about you Blake?"

"Well… when I was home the population was on Adams side, they wouldn't listen to reason, are home was attack and Ilia joined us and eventually the entire population of Menagerie." Yangs face light up as she was telling her story, obviously intrigued in what she had to say,

"Wow! That's amazing."

"Mmhmm"

"So you were able to turn the whole population against Adam?"

"Yep, it wasn't easy but I did it." Yang and Blake spent the rest of the time catching up to speed and having a few laughs.

"Haha, oh man I'm going to pee myself!" Blake laughs uncontrollably

"Eww! Not on me!" Yang's statement makes Blake laugh even harder, she even blushed a little at the embarrassing thought.

"Hahaha, oh my god stop for real! Hahaha!" This is the happiest Yang has

scene Blake in what feels like a forever,

"I'm glad to see you like this Blake." Yang shoots her a smile, Blake's heart

starts to beat at a faster pace and blood rushes to her cheeks with warmth.

"I am too Yang… it's just like old times, huh?"

"Yea… just like old times Blake." They continue on their merry way laughing and enjoying each others company while strolling through the cherry colored forest. There was almost something romantic about it all…