"The Catalyst" : A Yang Xiao Long AU! #RWBYWATTYS

Vol.3 / Chapter 3 : "The Grave"

"Hey guys, what's up?" Yang asked, smiling brightly as she entered Rei's hospital room. She suddenly noticed their solemn expressions, a lackluster feel to the room.

"Something wrong?" The clueless blonde asked. Blake looked to Weiss, her eyes softening as she did so.

"You want to tell her?" The cat Faunus asked. Weiss nodded her head, gulping as she did so.

"Hey, don't talk like that. You guys are making me think Rei's dead." Yang joked, laughing nervously.

"Yang....." Weiss began, the tone of her voice saying it all. Yang's eyes widened as she slowly backed out of the room.

"No.... he's not dead....." Yang said in disbelief.

"He isn't dead. He's just....." Weiss led off, sighing to herself as the words eluded her. Her older sister noticed, and being the 'headstrong' woman she was, she took the initiative.

"The way his 'otherworldly' friend told us, Rei's spirit is being lured away from his body. If his friend doesn't manage to bring him back, then I'm afraid he will never wake again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must quickly return to my post. I have been gone far too long. Weiss, do tell Rei to see me when he wakes. I have left him my scroll contact." Winter said before curtly bowing and leaving. As soon as she said the words, Yang let out a breath of relief, much to her surprise. She hadn't thought that that would be the situation.

"She's so....." Blake started.

"Formal?" Yang finished, waving uneasily as Winter smiled at them from the elevator.

"Yes, its how we were raised." Weiss responded blankly.

"So how come you aren't like that?" Blake shot back. Weiss immediately began stuttering. 

"W-well.... you see..... It's.... It's just that....." The poor heiress' words continued to elude her. 

"Awww, don't tell me Weiss has grown used to us!" Yang gasped in her playful manner. She suddenly cast her arm around Weiss' neck, tilting her head downwards.

"The world's going to end!!" 

"It is not!" The heiress shouted back, her cheeks reddening. 

"It's just... I never really had a friend after Rei left...." Weiss said, looking back towards Rei's unconscious body. 

---

Rei suddenly attempted to draw his sword, spinning around as he felt the presence of someone behind him. As it turned out, no one was behind him and his weapon was missing. He calmed down and turned around again, still following the familiar stone trail that lead to a place that held his most treasured memory. Again, he felt like someone was calling him from behind. This time, he felt a warm hand placed on his shoulder. He quickly swat the hand away before turning around again, facing his hidden adversary. 

"Who the hell are you?" He asked once he spotted the shadowy figure behind him. 

"Rei... it's time to return. You've been gone for too long now, your friends are beginning to worry." a voice said. He knew that voice so well, to well in fact. 

"I'll.... I'll be back soon, Master Curse. I just.... I have a bad feeling about this." Rei said, gesturing to the area he was walking too. 

"I see.... so that's where..... Very well. I will have to stay with you in order to guard your soul." Curse stated, walking beside Rei as Rei nodded and continued. They walked for a mere few seconds before Curse's arm flew out and blocked his way. 

"Ahead.... I sense..... anger. Hatred. Pain..... and....... Rei, you should not proceed forward. It is far too dangerous." Curse suddenly began wavering, his shadowy image suddenly becoming transparent. 

"It's.... something is trying to expel me from this area. It does not want me here." Rei smiled. 

"Of course she doesn't want you here." Rei replied, walking forward. Curse attempted to move forward, but he was stopped by a sudden force. What could possibly stop him, a Dragon Spirit who'd far surpassed his predecessors, from advancing forward? Was it some godly force, some otherworldly being that far surpassed his own strength? 

And did Rei just say 'her'?

"Carla..... what happened that you've become so..... morphed." Rei asked, still smiling as the demonic form made itself visible. Black smoke with red eyes suddenly appeared in the shape of a woman, glaring intently at Rei. The small gravestone stood, erected by Rei himself. Surrounding the stone were beds of flowers, all different kinds of them. Trees outlined the edges, adding a cerebral feel to the grave site. 

"So.... you've finally come to see me, after 5 fucking months." the demonic voice asked. 

"Yeah.... I've been busy." Rei replied as the shadows before suddenly expanded and began wrapping around him, encircling him and preventing escape. Rei merely continued smiling at the source, acknowledging that he soon would not be able to escape. His white hair soon was lost from vision, his blue eyes still turned away from Curse.

"Busy!? Too busy to see me!?" the demonic Carla asked again, threateningly. 

"Yeah. I'm moving on, just like you said." Rei simply replied. The shadows suddenly wrapped around him, swallowing him up entirely. 

But still, he smiled. 

"This is great." Rei said happily. 

"Oh? And why is it great?" the demon stalled. 

"Because, you're not the real Carla." Rei suddenly raised his right arm, and with one flick of his wrist, he expelled the smoke from around him. 

"You're just some demon that dares to disturb my Carla's grave." Rei said giving the demon a vicious look and transforming from his white haired form into the much more powerful dark haired version.

"Leave now and live, or stay and die."