-A few days later-

  Yang waved goodbye to Axle as she left the bar, the hour now growing late. She pulled her jacket over her as the autumn wind blew coldly through thee street. The leaves had just started to fall off the trees, those that were left behind turning a deep red. Around her people walked the city in search of food and entertainment, laughing with friends or moving from shop to shop. She smiled as she thought back to her first date with Nix and how crazy that night had gotten. His ability to go from cheery to serious in a heartbeat was a quality she admired and really missed. Even though she had moved on as best she could she desperately wanted him back. She pulled out her Scroll and checked her messages, finding one from Ruby. Yang groaned as she read it. "Man, I forgot all about game night! She took off at a jog to meet up with the rest of her friends, her thoughts of Nix already fading from her mind.

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  Game night was great, with Ruby and her team playing their favorite board game Remnant. It was a strategy game that she and Yang excelled at and would play quite often. Weiss on the other hand wasn't very good and usually ended up getting all her troops destroyed in one turn. The girl laughed to herself as she sat in the dining hall, recollecting how Weiss had looked when she had fallen into Yang's trap. The rest of her team sat around her, talking among themselves over some cups of coffee. Ruby looked over at her sister and saw her deep in tought. "Everything alright?"

  Yang looked up. "Hm? Oh, yeah..just thinking."

  Ruby scooted a little closer, her voice soft. "About Nix?"

  Yang took a sip and smiled. "He would have liked this..."

  "Yeah, he would have..you feeling OK?"

  Yang smiled. "I'm Good. He's just on my mind recently." She sighed. "I don't know why, but I havent been able to get him off my mind, although things have been getting easier.

  Ruby put her hand on her arm. "Its OK. I know you miss him, its nothing to be ashamed of."

  Her sister smiled softly. "I know. I'm just glad things are getting back to normal."

  Just then a male voice Spoke up from behind them. "Well well, looks like Goldilocks decided to show her face in public again."

  Yang's face turns to a scowl and she leans back to look at the newcomer. Cardin Winchester walked over with his arms folded, a cocky smirk on his face. His team members stood behind him wearing the same facial expression. Ruby and her team mates all glared at the boy. "What do you want, red head?" Yang said with some menace.

  "What? Did I interrupt girl time?" He sneered. "Shame."

  Ruby rolled her eyes. Ever since Yang had humiliated him in combat class a few weeks ago he had always been harassing them. Weiss gave him one of her signature death glares. "Don't you have some studying to do, if you can actually read that is."

  Cardin glared right back, although her cold stare made the others hesitate. "You mind your own business Ice Queen."

  "Why don't you go train some more, maybe you could talk tough then?" Yang shot back with a cocky smile.

  Cardin growled, Yang hitting a nerve. He smirked and leaned in close. "All that training didn't save your little boyfriend though, did it?"

  Yang shot out of her seat before Ruby could stop her, her eyes immediately burning in anger. "Don't you dare mention him!"

  "Oh, did I hit a nerve? What are you gonna do, run off and cry like you do every time someone says 'Nix?' " He laughed and put emphases on Nix's name, drawing it out and lacing it with venom. Yang's face contorted with fury an she socked him hard on the nose, hearing a slight crack from the impact. Cardin staggered back and his hand flew to his nose, blood beginning to trickle from behind his fingers. The other girls stood and Ruby held her sister back as she yelled at him. "Don't you ever say his name! Ever!"

  Cardin's team mates started to move in but Weiss shot them another look, causing them to freeze in their tracks. The boy put his arm out to stop them. "Forget it, let's just get out of here." He turned and stormed out of the room with his team following close behind.
Ruby took her sisters arm and tried to calm her. "Yang, let it go. He's just being a jerk."

  The golden haired girl looked at her sister with sad eyes, tears starting to form. "I..I thought I could handle this sort of thing..I just need to be alone for a bit." She slowly drew her arm away and walked off, wiping away the stray tears that began to fall. Her friends only watched as she left, Ruby herself feeling crushed by her breakdown. She sighed and stirred her drink sadly. Weiss put her hand on her shoulder. "You OK?"

  "Yeah, I'll be alright. I just wished that Yang could get better already..."

  Blake smiled softly. "I know, but the truth is you can't really get back to your old self after something like that. You just have to try your best to move on. That's not easy for most people. Give her some time."

  The younger girl nodded and stood. "Better give her some space. I'm going to head to the library for a bit, so I'll see you back at the dorm." She smiled at her friends but the sadness in her eyes was still visible as she left, leaving them to their worries.

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  The library was quiet at this time of day, with most other students out enjoying free time. Some had stayed behind to study or just relax and they paid the young girl no mind as she sat at an empty table. Ruby pulled out a book on Grimm species but couldn't really focus on the words, her mind drifting to other things.

  "Feeling down?" A friendly voice asked from behind her.

  Ruby looked up to see her a young boy around her age walk up to her. He wore a friendly smile and had light blond hair buzzed short with soft blue eyes. His jacket was hung over his shoulder exposing his athletic shirt, tight against his toned build. He smiled as he sat next to her, and Ruby have him a small wave. "Hey Terry. Just getting some reading done."

  He gave her one of his 'I know you're lying' looks. "Come on Red Hood, I know something's bothering you." The boy leaned his arms on the table. "Is it Yang again?"

  Ruby sighed and nodded. "Cardin pushed her to far.."

  Terry's eyes went soft and he nodded in understanding. "Cardin's just a jerk, he got what he had coming." He smiled a little. "Yang'll be back to herself in a little while, just let her deal with things. She'll come around, I know she will."

  Ruby smiled at his support and kind words. She had met Terry and his team shortly after their battle with the Grimm Walker and have had a few hunts in the Emerald Forest together. His team, named T-REX, was made up of all first years, so he was only a bit older than her. Terry and his team mates were great to be around, always laughing and enjoying their new roles as hunters. Ruby had taken an immediate likening to the group and had grown especially close with Terry, who always knew just what to say to cheer her up. That's probably one of the main reasons she had started dating him in the first place. She smiled at him and placed a small kiss on his cheek. "Thanks Terr Bear, that means a lot."

  The boy blushed lightly and rubbed where she had kissed him. "Now there ya go again, makin me blush." He teased.

  The girl giggled and gave him a hug. "What can I say? I'm not the only one who looks good in red."

  Terry laughed and kissed her back. "You drive me nuts, you know that?

  "Of course I do, dork."

  The two laughed and Terry put an arm around her shoulder, the two of them going back to her studies. "Now, lets see if I cant help you a bit..

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  Yang lay in her dorm room alone, the others not wanting to boher her. She stared up at the celing deep in thought.

  "I though I was over this.." She thought to herself, still thinking about Cardins words. "I was doing so well, just to break down again.." She made a pouting face as she scolded herself. Sittng here in self pity wasn't going to do her any good. What she really wanted to do is talk to someone, but she didnt want to bother her friends with it again. They had put up with her copeing for long enough, and they all had to deal with their own problems. Yang pulled out her Scroll and dialed a contact. Whenever she was feeling down, she could aways talk to him.

  After a few rings the other line picked up and Axles voice came through. "Hey, Golden Girl! How you doing?"

  "Hey Axle." She greated him with a light laugh, already happy she called. "Just..needed to talk. Got a second?"

  The boy could hear the sadness in her voice as she spoke. "Uh, yeah, whats on your mind?"

  Yang hesitated a bit before speaking. She hadnt really opened up about Nix to him before, all he knew was that he had died, but no details. She sighed and figured it was about time to tell someone how she felt. How she really felt. She opened her mouth and the story flew out of her like water breaking through a dam, about the Grimm Walkers, about how he had saved Jaune and in the process doomed himself. She knew she was taking a risk telling all this to him, but she couldn't hold it back anymore. She wiped away a few tears as she spoke. "...I just dont know what to do. I've tried again and again to move on but he just wont go away. I smile and laugh and spend time with Ruby and the others but he's still there in the back of my mind." She sniffed soflty. "...I dream about him you know? That one day he just..shows up. Its always the same, I open the door and there he is, staning there with that goofy smile of his." She paused to take a breath. "And it always ends the same. I go to hug him and he's just gone again. And I wake up. Reliving the same dream over and over again...I cant keep going on like this Axle..What do I do?"

  The other line was silent for a long time as Axle took in all he had just heard. Yang was about to apologise for dumping so much on him at once when he finally spoke up.

  "Yang..I know moving on is hard. It is for everyone. But it's something that we all have to do at some point in our lives, and it's something that some have to do more that others as well. I can see how much you miss Nix, and no one can blame you for that. You shouldn't feel ashamed for thinking of him because in a way, its whats keeping him from truly dying. No one truly dies until they are forgoton because they live on in peoples memories. I know that given some time and work you can get through this, and know that you're not alone in it either. If you ever need to talk again call me, OK?"

  Yang smiled softly and nodded even though he couldnt see her. "Thanks Ax, I will."

  The boy gave a light laugh. "Goodnight Yang."

  "Goodnight Axle."

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  It was late into the night when the knock came. Yang sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, looking around the room. Her team mates had long sence come back and were all asleep, the sounds of their breathing lightly comming thorugh the room. Yang lay her head on back on her pillow when the knock came again, a little tap sounding on the other side. She got up and walked to the door slowly, yawning. "Hello?" She asked in a sleepy voice, her own words sounding slow in her ears. The knock simply came again and she opepnd the door. "Look, do you know what time it is-" Her words caught in her throat as she saw the person at the door, her hands flying to her mouth. He was covered in cuts and scars, his armor chipped and damaged. His dark hair was messily done, and he had a familiar scar running down his cheek. The boy smiled weakly, his voice calm and sweet to her ears.

  "Hey Goldilocks, miss me?"

  Yang stared at Nix, holding back tears. "Im dreaming again." She thought sadily. "Its always a dream." She held her arms out and moved to hug him. "As soon as I touch him, I'll wake up. Like always." She wrapped her arms around him and shut her eyes, waiting for him to fade away into nothing. A second went by. Then three. Then five.

  "Is that a yes..?" Nix asked sofly.

  Yangs eyes went wide in shock and she held Nix tighter, her tears now flowing freely. She couldnt form the words she so deeply wanted to say, sobs of relief coming out instead. Nix hugged her back tightly. "Im here Yang..Im back.."