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Crimson Baptism

Chapter 18: Willow

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(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

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Blake squatted in the shade of a large tree, closing her eyes. She felt around as far as she could, searching through the surrounding area for any remaining grimm. Her clones spread out from her teammates, growing her vision immensely. 

“We’re clear. Time to head back.” 

Weiss nodded and sheathed Myrtenaster. “It has been a long day. We won’t make it back to Beacon until late at night...we should stop for food - perhaps at Foxfire.”

“Good idea.” Blake yawned, leaning to stretch her back. “I’m starving.” 

“You still have some of the bottle left. Do you want it?” 

“There’s no need - I’ve got enough in me for the trip back.” The faunus took off at a jog back toward campus. 

For a while the two ran in silence, Weiss following Blake along the path to Beacon. She admired the faunus’s long wavy black hair that flowed with the wind. It wasn’t as wild as Yang’s, but they were certainly similar in that way. 

“By the way,” Weiss said conversationally. “You mentioned before that you had something to talk to me about?” 

It was a few moments before Blake replied. “Yes...I did. I learned something while away with Yukina, but I’m not sure how you’ll feel about it.”

“Do you think I’d rather you not tell me, to spare my feelings? That I would prefer a lie or silence over the truth?” 

Blake laughed ruefully, slowing to a stop. “I know, Weiss. Ok. I can’t do it right now, not without exhausting myself, but I figured it out - I can summon.”

“You can summon...her?”

“Yes.”

Weiss looked at the ground for some time, silently thinking. “I can’t even use the semblance I was born with to summon, but you’ve figured it out after such a short time...I need to train harder.”

Blake shook her head. “Weiss, I had help with it. Someone familiar with how to use abilities acquired from the sanguine’s offering.”

“Thank you for telling me, Blake. When there is time, I’d like to see your summon.” She paused a moment. “If you took some from me, could you show me now?”

“Can you make it back to campus?”

“I think so...you might have to carry me for the last bit…”

“Ok,” she said. “I can do that.” 

Weiss approached and tilted her head to the side, wiping a section of her neck with her sleeve. “I’m a little dirty right now, so I apologize.” 

Blake kissed her neck and took a quick mouthful. “I don’t think any of us are grossed out by your sweat. But I think you’re too young to know about that.”

The faunus ignored Weiss’ glare and turned away toward a small clearing in the trees. “Okay...here goes.” A pool of black grew on the ground, the edges flickering like small flames. A darkened form stood from the center. As Blake released her semblance, the darkness pulled away from the summon, revealing a woman with white hair and pale skin. She wore fancy Atlesian wear, a vest and blouse above a long flowing skirt, and had her hair tied loosely to one side, draped over a shoulder. 

“Mother,” Weiss whispered. 

Willow looked upon Weiss with eyes that showed no recognition. After a moment, she looked at Blake expectantly. 

“Can she talk? Does she have memories of her life?” Weiss asked. 

“Can you?” Blake directed at her summon.

“Yes…” Willow answered quietly, her voice coming as a whisper. “And my memories are hazy. But I know you are Blake, my master.”

“And me? What about me? Do you recognize me?”

Willow frowned at Weiss. She glanced at Blake, who nodded. “Clearly a Schnee. Beyond that, no.”

“Do you know the name ‘Weiss’?” Blake asked. 

“My youngest daughter was named Weiss. Is that you?” 

“Yes, I’m Weiss!” She stepped toward the summon. “I’m your daughter!”

“I see.” She looked at Blake and fell silent, waiting.

“She’s not her own person...she’s my summon,” Blake explained. “I don’t know how much I can do to give her freedom but…” 

“You can’t let her be herself at all?” Weiss asked, unable to take her eyes off her summoned mother.

“I don’t know. Weiss, I don’t want to get your hopes up. I just wanted to show that I’ve made the first step in figuring this out.”

Weiss’ eyes shined with tears, her fists clenched. “This is like the mirage of an oasis in a Vacuo desert.” 

Blake took one of the heiress’s hands and turned her head to look into her eyes. “Weiss, this is just the start...but I will respect your wishes if you don’t want me to use this.” 

Tears rolled down the woman’s face. She turned away and pulled her hand free, wiping her face with a sleeve. Emotions warred within Weiss. “I knew what could happen when I asked for this. But I still haven’t accepted it. She’s a doll in the shape of my mother...that Blake killed.” 

The silence was interrupted. “If you truly are my daughter...then keep your chin up, my little snowbird.”

Weiss whipped around to look at Willow. The summon continued, “This doesn’t seem to be Atlas and we’re out in the wilds, which means you’ve pursued your own interests away from Jacques and are becoming a huntress. I’m glad. The worst outcome of my death hasn’t come to pass. No child of mine should be held in a tower as a puppet of a greedy, bloodthirsty man.”

The summon started to disintegrate, fading into ashes. “I hope we meet again,” she whispered before the last of her blew away in the wind. 

“I’m sorry, any longer and we won’t make it back to Vale,” Blake said. She looked at her teammate, chest filled with tension. 

The heiress took a few deep breaths. There would be more time. “I’m sorry for reacting like that Blake, I-”

She was cut off by the faunus, pulling her into a hug. Weiss smiled sadly and sighed. “You’re not responsible for killing her. She passed away a long time ago and this is all just extra. Thank you, Blake.”


Red lights filled Ozpin’s clocktower office, brightening the darkened room. The headmaster sighed as he was pulled away from his thoughts, turning back to his desk - away from staring out into the night sky. It seemed that team RWBY returned to campus earlier than he expected. With a few taps on his scroll, he dismissed the alert and reset the sensors. Before he could return to his thoughts, the side door to his office opened for General Ironwood, trailed by Qrow and Goodwitch. 

“How did it go?” He asked, slightly annoyed by the sudden intrusion.

Qrow sat heavily and groaned. “We got nothing from him. Lips sealed tighter than a-” 

“He was resistant to our interrogation,” Goodwitch interrupted, giving Qrow a dirty look. “And James, you can’t just barge into the Headmaster’s office like that. I’m certain you wouldn’t accept such a thing at your school.”

“My apologies,” he said shortly.

“Well...this isn’t unexpected. He wouldn’t be a big name in the criminal world if he spilled his secrets so easily.” Ozpin sighed and took a sip from his mug. “He might not know it, but he’s certainly working for Salem.” 

Ironwood stepped forward. “If you’d just let me, I could get answers out of him.” 

“By torturing him,” Qrow growled, looking back over his shoulder at him. “Yeah, we’re not doing that.”

“We’re talking about the lives of every single person in the Kingdoms. One life weighed against-”

“Enough, James.” Ozpin rested his head in his hands. “We cannot do that. He probably doesn’t know anything useful. Salem knows he has been captured; whatever plan that was in motion will have certainly changed.”

“You all are too naive. This silly idea that you have of not killing will end with the deaths of the innocent. How many Valen citizens are you willing to sacrifice bef-”

“James.” Ozpin rose from his chair. eyes flashing dangerously. “You think I am naive? Have you forgotten who I am? I have gone down that path, as I’ve told you before. It cost me almost all of humanity and an entire race of people.”

The general stepped back, clasping his hands behind his back. “I think you should have gone further.” 

“Then you’re a fool,” Goodwitch said, shaking her head. She looked at Ozpin. “We should meet with Miss Nikos soon.

“Yeah,” Qrow growled. “You said we’d talk to her ages ago...what’s been taking so long?”

“I’m sorry, Qrow. I’ve been having trouble with the Vytal Festival...Glynda, please schedule her in an open spot on my schedule before the end of the week. I’d like for you to be there as well, as her teacher - a familiar face.”

“I need to be there too,” said Ironwood. 

Qrow stood and growled. “Why? What good will that do?”

“This involves all of us.”

“Do you want to freak her out? The fewer people, the better - and only people she knows. Plus, it’s not like you invited us to your selection party.” 

“The circumstances have changed; things are much more serious now. We should all be there.” 

Qrow looked back at Ozpin, an eyebrow raised. 

The headmaster sighed and nodded. “Fine. We will all be there, you too Qrow. Remember, James, your candidate must not know who we have chosen.” 

“Of course. You can trust me, Oz.”


The hallway outside of the weapons training classroom was empty when Weiss arrived. 10 minutes early for class, it was expected. She sat on a bench across the hall and began reading through news articles on her scroll. 

“The White Fang has been suspiciously silent these past few days...so has father. I wonder if he’ll be watching the festival w-”

The small heiress flinched hard when two people sat on either side of her. Blake and Yang stifled their laughter, squishing Weiss between them. 

“Maidens! Blake! Yang! Don’t do that!”

“Sorry Princess. Just practicing being like Blake. You didn’t hear me at all, did you?” 

She frowned. “No...I didn’t. Great, now there are two of you. Excuse me for thinking I could read the news in peace.” 

Blake laughed. “It’s Yang. She has to try pretty hard to stay quiet. You don’t have to worry about her too much.”

The heiress huffed and returned to her scroll, pointedly ignoring her teammates. Yang stretched her arms, yawning widely. She dropped her arm across Blake’s shoulders - around Weiss, too. The cat faunus leaned into it, pressing against Weiss. 

Heat grew in the small woman’s face as she determinedly reread the same line of an article about the upcoming festival. She took slow steady breaths, knowing that both of her tormentors could hear her clear as day.

“Must you two sit so close to me?” 

“Do you not want us to?” Blake asked with a tilt of her head.

“It’s...just a little warm. What are you even doing here, Yang?”

“I figure I should know more about Blake’s weapon. Gotta be a good partner, right?”

“Also, she’s tired right now. She needs to be with me or else she won’t be awake for any of her classes later.”

“It’s horrible,” Yang groused. “I’m just so tired all the time. I can’t wait for it to get better, as much as I like having my hands all over Blake.” She tilted her head to rest it on Weiss.

“Well, fine. I just...I’m not ready for public affection.”

Yang thought for a moment and pulled away from Weiss slightly and linked an arm around hers.

“It’s not PDA. See? We’re just teammates sitting close to each other. No one needs to know you’re gay.”

“I’m not…gay. Not fully.”

“I meant gay in a general sense. I’m bi. Blake probably is too. It’s whatever girl.”

Blake wrapped an arm around the heiress’ waist, hidden from sight. 

The blush grew on Weiss’ face. “Okay, that’s far enough for now.”

They fell silent as a group entered the building. Team CFVY strolled down the hall, led by Coco. The woman stopped in front of Weiss, Blake, and Yang. She surveyed them over the rims of her sunglasses. “I recognize this. So which of you is getting fingered?” 

“What?!” Weiss exclaimed. 

Fox laughed. “Ok, so it’s Weiss then. Look how red she is.”

“No one is getting…none of us would be doing such a thing.” 

Velvet smiled apologetically. “Sorry Weiss, don’t mind them. A little affection from your...good friends...is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“The best of friends,” Coco remarked, grabbing Velvet from behind. “This conversation has put me in a good mood, let’s get back to the dorms immediately.” 

The team of upperclassmen disappeared as fast as they came, Velvet giving a wave of farewell as she was dragged away.

Yang watched them go, popping open a can of pineapple juice. “I wonder how Yatsuhashi feels about all this. I get the feeling he’s a real freak in the sheets, a quiet type like that.”

“You need to pay attention to your nose more,” Blake remarked.

Yang shrugged and returned her attention to Weiss. “So what kind of men do you like?” She asked with a sly grin. 

Weiss blinked. “I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it much. There just aren’t any attractive men among the Atlesian upper class.”

“Can’t think of any? Darn. Well, who is your favorite famous person in general?” 

“Pyrrha Nikos, of course! I’ve been following her career ever since she started participating in tournaments. She is a true champion who moves with incredible grace and power. I’ve always aspired to look as smooth and fluid when I fight. Her most recent combat gear wonderfully complements her figure and fighting style. Her general theme is taken from the series of fictional stories about a society of women warriors.”

Blake nodded. “And not a single man existed among them.”

“Yes that’s true. Pyrrha has an impeccable record as a fighter and…”

Yang glanced over Weiss’ head as she continued on, giving Blake an amused look. 

“Don’t push it, Yang.” 

“Fine, fine…but when is she going to cuddle with me?”

The weapons training glass proceeded as it usually did. Professor Goodwitch walked through the assigned chapter - heavy/long swords. She showed several techniques on the massive display scroll that hung from the wall. Yatsuhashi squared off against a smaller opponent that danced around him, taking shots with daggers. Ever patient, the giant man blocked as best he could, waiting for his moment to strike. 

His opponent’s center of gravity shifted an inch too far forward, trying to get under Yatsuhashi’s guard - the opening he had been waiting for. He grabbed the fighter’s arm and pulled him off balance, tossing him to the floor. He swung his massive sword with a practiced eye, slamming it down on his opponent. The buzzer sounded, declaring him winner by aura loss. 

Goodwitch blanked the scroll and turned to the class. “As you can see, this is one example of sword use. He is much more suited for grimm extermination, as they’re far more predictable than a person, however with the right technique and strategy he is a formidable fighter. Had he not held back at the end of the fight, he very well could have killed his opponent. Now, we have time for a quick sparring match. We shall pick a sword user and a non-sword fighter to have a bout.”

She consulted her scroll. “Russel Thrush. You shall fight someone from this list.” The display on the wall showed the students of the class that used the subject sword type.

Russel groaned and looked up at the list. Noticing a name, he frowned. “I want to fight the faunus.” 

Goodwitch raised and eyebrow. “Faunus? We don’t have one in this class.”

“Her.”

Blake met Russel’s eyes over his pointed finger. “I shouldn’t have called him ‘human’,” she mused. 

“What else would you call him? How about ‘blood bag’?”

“No,” Goodwitch said. “You should pick someone else. Unfortunately for you, Miss Belladonna is at a skill level where you would learn nothing from fighting her.”

“Ah she’s too weak and scared. Got it. I mean, she is a faunus so what can ya expect?” 

“Even if she were a faunus, that would not imply a weakness, by any means. If you paid attention in any of your classes, you would know that. Choose someone else.”

Cardin stood beside his teammate. “I will report that you are discriminating against Russel. My father takes gender based discrimination very seriously.” 

“Gender based discrimination, hm?” Goodwitch’s crop tapped rapidly against her leg as she stared back at Cardin. “Miss Belladonna, please do try not to hurt him. Make it educational...if possible. Gambol Shroud should remain sheathed.” 

Blake descended from the raised seating onto the small fighting area. With a flick of her crop, Goodwitch retrieved their weapons, floating them over to a table. “Please describe your weapon,” she said to Blake.

“Gambol Shroud is a Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe. Without separating into its parts, she functions as a bastard sword with a cleaver blade, channels aura...and is also a gun.” 

“Very well, Mr. Thrush dual wields two daggers - so we shall see if he has learned anything about countering a sword like Gambol Shroud.” She gave Blake a cautioning look, and lined them up on opposite sides of the mini-arena.

“Ready? Allez!”

Blake immediately swung Gambol Shroud through the air, shooting aura blades at Russel. The man tried to block them with his daggers, forming an X in front of him. The large crescent shaped projectiles slammed into him, splashing over his guard and burning into his aura. He grunted and dove aside, realizing that the blades weren’t solid.

He rolled to his feet and pointed a dagger at Blake. He flicked the dust revolver to red and launched a barrage of firebolts across the arena. Using that as cover, he closed the gap between him and Blake. 

The faunus woman blocked the firebolts with the flat of her sword. In a second, Russel was on her. His forte was in close quarters combat so he pushed in hard, kicking and slashing at Blake as fast as he could. Each of his hits were blocked until he spun and kicked her in the chest. 

He laughed in victory as he dove after the flying huntress, preparing to land a final blow. However, the body faded before it hit the ground, leaving Russel vulnerable in the air. The false edge of Gambol Shroud met the side of his head, landing with a dull thud that sent him into a midair tumble. Pain exploded in his head, spreading into the rest of his body when he landed in a heap. 

Russel scrambled to his feet to see Blake waiting patiently for him to return to his feet. His blood boiled at the sight of the smug grin on the woman’s face. 

“Are you okay? Do you need a moment?” 

“Shut the fuck up you faunus. If you were actually a good fighter, your teammate wouldn’t have almost gotten killed. Or were you looking to make her a slave from the start?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You shouldn’t spread rumors.”  

“You know what we do with humans that know about us.”

She dashed forward and raised Gambol Shroud above her head. Russel panicked and raised his daggers to block, again crossing the blades to catch the large sword. She cut down with her full strength, easily breaking through Russel’s guard. His wrists gave under the full strength of the two handed blow, the backs of his daggers digging into his hands, drawing blood.

With Russel’s attention focused upward, Blake brought her knee up into his groin with enough force to knock him into the air. She grabbed him by the neck and threw him into the floor at her feet, cratering him into the concrete. She raised her sword once more, but felt her arm being held in place by an invisible force.

“Match!” Goodwitch shouted. The scroll on the wall showed Russel’s aura well below the limit for victor. “Back to your seat, Miss Belladonna.”

Goodwitch took Gambol Shroud from Blake and waited for her to return to her seat. “Mr. Thrush, you made the correct call in choosing to fight close quarters, as it is your strength and a potential weakness for your foe. However, blocking such a strong blow in that way is dangerous, especially with your hands so far apart. The weak point, your wrists, gave way and would have spelled your demise. The correct play is to deflect the blade, not stop it. I hope you all learned something here. Everyone is dismissed.” 

“Wow...I’ve never seen you fight like that, Blake. That was so brutal, that final move,” Yang commented, resting her chin on Weiss’ head to look at Blake. “Pretty badass.” 

The faunus woman looked down at her hands, a dark expression overtaking her face. “I shouldn’t have done it...Adam always told us to treat humans like that. I just wanted to hurt him.”

“He deserves it,” Weiss muttered. “They shouldn’t even be at this school.” She took Blake’s hand. 

“Still…” 

Weiss squeezed her hand gently. “He was insulting Yang. You know that I would have been much angrier than that.”

“I woulda hit him in the nuts too. Repeatedly.” Yang snickered and took Weiss’ other hand. “I was thinking ‘hit him in the dick!’ just before you did it - I really felt our connection as partners there. I love you both so much.”


“Hi, I’m here to see Professor Ozpin,” Pyrrha said, giving Goodwitch a polite smile. Being asked to see the headmaster of a school was rarely a good thing, but the huntress tried to stay positive. 

“Yes, he is expecting you. Follow me.” Goodwitch stood and brought her to an elevator at the back of the entry hall. They entered and ascended rapidly to the headmaster’s office. Pyrrha focused on keeping her breathing even - there’s no reason to worry. 

The elevator door opened into the office. 

“Miss. Nikos, thank you for meeting with me.”

“Of course, Professor Ozpin. What can I do for you?” 

The man smiled at that and paused a moment, gathering his thoughts. “You’re here because I have a request for you. But before I do that, I must ask you a question - what is your favorite fairy tale?”

Ignoring the strangeness of the question - this was fairly normal for the eccentric headmaster - she answered, “The story of the four maidens. Four women who help a man lost to depression and directionlessness. They helped him rediscover his purpose and inspired him to not give up on his goals. In thanks, the man bestowed magical powers upon the 4 women, transforming them into four maidens that represent the four seasons - spring, summer, fall, winter.”

“Yes...an excellent story. Now...what if I told you the story of the four maidens is true? That four women wield incredible power without the need for dust?” 

Pyrrha sat opposite Ozpin at his strange clockwork desk, the amber afternoon sun shining in through the panoramic windows. “I-”

“Yeah,” Qrow interrupted from behind her. He leaned against a pillar nearby the elevator. “First time hearing it, it sounds crazy. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.”

“You’re serious?” Pyrrha looked between the two men, laughing nervously. 

Ozpin leaned forward. “Does it look like I am joking?” 

“I...I suppose not.” 

The elevator opened, revealing General Ironwood and Goodwitch. They exited and stood nearby Qrow. 

“Why are you telling me this?” Pyrrha asked. 

“Because I think you should be the one to receive the powers of the Fall Maiden.” 

“How- Who are you people?” 

“The same people we’ve always been,” Goodwitch assured. 

“We are protectors of this world from the forces of darkness.” Ozpin stood and gestured to the elevator. “And we’d like for you to help us.” 

Pyrrha stood silently in the descending elevator, surrounded by the four huntsmen. The cramped box blew past the ground level and continued on for some time toward a basement she didn’t know existed. 

“Where are we going?” She asked after some time. 

“The vault, under the school.”

She thought for a moment. “Does every huntsman school have a vault? Four academies, four maidens?”

Ozpin smiled. “Very astute, Ms. Nikos. We seek to protect the world and the maidens.” The door opened into a dimly lit hall that seemed to have no end. 

Pyrrha followed the group down the hall in silence. 

“You must have many questions,” prompted Goodwitch.

“Maybe a few…” She laughed nervously. “You said that I would receive the power of the maidens...what do you mean by that?” 

“The maidens have existed for thousands of years. Just like in nature, the seasons change; the power is passed on from one maiden to the next, so that no one can wield the power forever.” 

“How is it passed on? And who is chosen?” 

“The power seeks a new host, and it chooses-”

“Through a series of stupid rules,” Qrow growled. 

“Qrow,” Goodwitch warned. “Pyrrha, as we understand it now, when a Maiden dies, the one who was in her final thoughts is the first candidate to inherit her power.” 

“Unless it’s a dude or some old hag,” Qrow added. “Then the power goes to someone random. So fucking stupid.”

Ozpin looked back at Pyrrha. “Ideally, we would wait until you were a fully trained huntress, but we are running out of time.”

They reached the end of the hall, where a strange machine stood. Two pods sat side by side, connected by a sprawling mass of wires and cabling. One pod held an unconscious woman, with a scar crossing her face like a web.

“Is that-?” 

“The current Fall Maiden,” Ozpin confirmed. “She was attacked, and half of her power was stolen.”

“Something that we’ve never seen happen before,” Qrow said darkly. 

“It isn’t uncommon for a Maiden’s attacker to be the last person in her thoughts,” Goodwitch explained. “But it seems likely that the power would simply seek out its other half.” 

“And that would not bode well for any of us. Which is why we have this machine.” Ozpin gestured at the pods. “It keeps her alive, for now.”

“Through the power of Atlas’ most complex technology, we designed this machine for the purpose of transferring a person’s aura,” said the General. 

“Our plan is to transfer the Fall Maiden’s aura to you, to prevent the power from falling into the wrong hands.”

“At least not more than it already has,” Qrow growled. 

“Her aura? But wouldn’t that-” 

 Ozpin glanced away. “We don’t know what it will do to you…but her life will become intertwined with yours.”

“That’s...that’s wrong!” 

“Some of us feel the same way,” Goodwitch agreed. “But desperate times call for desperate measures. 

“You have a difficult choice before you, Ms. Nikos. There’s no guarantee this transfer will work, and there is no telling if you will be the same person if it does.” He sighed and walked closer to the pod, looking at the woman within. “Take your time to decide. But we will need your answer before the end of the Vytal Festival.” 


Night fell over Beacon Academy on what would have been an average school night, had the Vytal festival not been scheduled to begin the next day. Team RWBY wasn’t set to fight until a few days into the tournament. Blake sat on top of the first year’s dorm, looking out toward Vale. The city stood out against the dark background of the uninhabited wilds. 

A year prior, the faunus would be sitting high in a tree with a book. On this particular night, she simply sat and stared into the distance. Memories swirled in her head, as they usually did around this time of night. 

“What is she doing right now? Sitting around the fire with the others…” The faunus shifted her position, laying back and looking up at the moon. “I should have told her.” 

A part of her brain heard footsteps approaching. The confident gait of the Schnee Heiress. She could smell Weiss’ freshly washed hair, which would be flowing down her back, free of its usual off-center ponytail.

“Blake?”

The fanus sat up and looked toward the rooftop access door. “Weiss... What are you doing up here?” 

“It’s way too cold to just be sitting up here like this. It may be spring, but it’s still nowhere near warm enough.” She unfolded a blanket and wrapped it around her. “Don’t stay up here too long, okay?” 

“Thank you,” she said quietly. 

“Is everything okay?” 

“Our match will be broadcasted across the kingdoms. I’m just starting to worry about it a bit.” 

“Who are you worried about? The White Fang already knows about you at this point - thanks to the Mountain Glenn incident.” 

“My parents...and even if the Fang knows, I don’t know how they’ll react to seeing me out there like that. It just makes me think about them all. My parents and the people I was closest to in the Fang.”

Weiss took a seat next to Blake. “I see. No matter what happens, you’ll have us to support you.” 

The faunus smiled sadly. “I’ve heard that said to me. And I’ve said that to others.”

Weiss pulled the blanket around her shoulders and leaned against her teammate. “Blake…”

“Sorry. I just had a friend in the White Fang, Ilia. She and I were very close, but when I left, I hadn’t said a word to her. I hadn’t even seen her since I left on my last mission. We were in my tent, relaxing on my bunk. She was asleep when Adam came to get me...so when she woke up, I was gone.”

“You didn’t tell her about how you felt?”

“No. She was too close to Adam. On top of that, I didn’t find my resolve until….until he said that we were going to kill all the innocent people on the train. Your father likes to use passenger trains to transfer expensive dust. We can’t just destroy it. And if any passenger gets hurt, they get to demonize us ever more. Adam wanted to blow up the train anyway.”

The Schnee heiress nodded, listening carefully. “Do you think she could change her mind?”

“I don’t know…. I hurt her, by leaving like that. She must hate me.”

Weiss pressed her cheek against Blake’s warm arm. “Do you remember the last time you said that?” The faunus remained silent. “Did that turn out as badly as you expected?” 

“Well...you weren’t who I thought you were. I just didn’t know you well enough. Ilia...I know her well.” She shook her head. “There’s nothing to do right now...let’s just sleep.” She stood and offered a hand to Weiss.

Weiss took Blake’s hand and got to her feet. “The most you can do is be honest with her, when the time comes.” 

Inside, Blake hopped in bed while Weiss finished her nightly routine. She exited the bathroom and felt her way toward the bed. The blush on her face was easily visible in the dark to faunus eyes, and it was a look she recognized on the woman dawdling at the edge of the bed. 

“Do you think we could- Would it be alright if we spooned again? Maybe it is too soon or I’m overstepping but-”

Blake held the blankets up. “Get in, it’s cold. We spooned before, why would you think we can’t do it again?”

“Well...I mean...” She got it but remained at the edge of the bed. 

“If you’re scared of affection, that’s ok, I get it-”

“What- I’m not scared!” She whispered angrily. “Here.”

The heiress grabbed the faunus around the waist and held her close. She positioned her head right below her chin and sighed grumpily. 

“Good choice, any higher or lower and you might be a little embarrassed.”

She could hear the smirk in Blake’s comment, but answered anyway. “Fine. Which way do you want - up or down?”

She pulled Weiss up to eye-level, resting their foreheads together. “How’s this?” 

Weiss defiantly looked back into Blake’s eyes. “Okay, fine then.” 

The faunus gave Weiss a small peck on the lips. “You’re so cute.”

Weiss blushed. “You call that a kiss?”

Blake raised an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge? If so, I accept…”


Yukina walked slowly through Forever Fall, passing between the trees. She had left the path a long time ago, moving deeper in toward the mountains. An alpha creep tried its luck at the woman’s back. She turned and raised a hand, engulfing the creature of grimm in flames. The beast ran off in blind agony as faunus continued on.

The destination was a small shrine deep in the woods. A seer floated from the darkness as she neared, beginning to glow red. Misty insides of the seer head resolved into an image of Salem. 

Yukina dipped her head. “My Queen.”

“This will have drawn Ironwood’s attention, he’ll surely act soon. Send your little cat to retrieve Blake for a meeting at your cafe.”

“If he makes a move, everyone surrounding the Foxfire will be in danger. He’ll surely notice if I do anything to protect them...unless I use-” 

“Yes, that’s fine. Between those two, you’ll be able to keep your people safe. I know you don’t like this, but we can try to keep them safe. It is a dangerous time and there is much at stake. This attack will only be step one - you know that this is an important first move.”

“I understand. I have no doubt he will act exactly as you have predicted. I will meet with Blake after her first match. It’s time for her to know everything.”

Notes:

I got laid off so I finished this chapter lol. i was stuck on it for a while tbh but i think i know where to go now.

anyway i hope you enjoy. hit me with your criticisms. have a good thanksgiving. next chapter should come quicker since i have more time now.