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Crimson Baptism

Summary:

Humanity fears the faunus for many reasons - better hearing, sight, strength...not to mention the animal parts. However, what is truly frightening is one who has tasted human blood - a Sanguine Faunus.

Vampire-Faunus AU. Pollination - No Enabler, Monochrome Focus.

Notes:

So I was watching Hellsing Ultimate when I had an idea...I'll admit, I'm a fan of the whole vampire thing, particularly the whole...conversion bit.

So take the faunus, add vampire lore, add xmen-esque mutant story bits and...here you go.

I hope you enjoy! -IzettaVonEylstadt

-8sept2019- renamed from "Sunuaf Belladonna" to "Crimson Baptism"

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: What did she just say?

Chapter Text

“Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!”

 

Weiss recoiled from her teammate, stumbling over herself and falling to the floor. Blake’s expression quickly morphed from one of anger to horror and regret. “I....I..” she stuttered. What could the faunus woman possibly say here? Everything she had built up over the last year was destroyed in an instant.

 

The stunned faunus belatedly realized that Weiss had scrambled to her feet and was halfway across the room. She ripped Myrtenaster from its case and leveled it at Blake, trying to calm her breathing and steady her shivering arm. “Don’t you dare move, Belladonna.” What now – call the police? Call Ozpin? Make a citizen’s arrest and tie her up?

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by Yang, who roughly disarmed Weiss and pinned her arm behind her back. “Cool it, Ice Queen,” Yang growled, eyes red. “That’s my partner you’re threatening.”

 

“Partner?! You mean FAUNUS,” Weiss screeched. “Don’t you know what that means??”

 

“Weiss…please calm down…” Ruby begged. “Calm down and I’m sure Blake can explain everything, right Blake?” Ruby turned to look at the motionless woman. “Blake…?”

 

The faunus dissolved – it was just a clone. The trio looked around the room, trying to figure out where she was. The slightly ajar door told them everything they needed to know – Blake was gone.

 

Weiss pulled herself free and rounded on Yang. “Look what you did! You let her escape! I’m going to call Vale Police.” Weiss sat on her bed and pulled out her scroll.

 

“Weiss! Why did…why are you so angry??” Ruby asked, grabbing her partner’s arms.

 

“Don’t you understand what she said? She’s a faunus! A member of the White Fang!”

 

Yang slammed her fist into the wall, nearly knocking straight though into JNPR’s room. “You don’t know what it meant, you ignorant bitch! You freaked out and scared her away before she could even explain herself!”

 

“Bitch? H-how dare you!?”

 

Yang pushed herself nose to nose with the offended woman. “Yeah, that’s right. You’re a bit-"

 

A deafening blast went off in the room, prompting both women to hit the deck. Crescent Rose’s barrel smoked in the aftermath of being fired into the ceiling. “Both of you, stop it. Please!” Ruby begged. She hated getting serious but this was clearly time for Adult Ruby. “Weiss. Please explain. What’s wrong with the faunus? Who cares if she’s a faunus?”

 

Weiss dusted herself off with an indignant huff. “How do neither of you know anything about the faunus?”

 

“We grew up on Patch…there aren’t many people there to begin with. There were a few faunus at Signal but no one ever reacted like….like that!” Ruby gestured vaguely at Myrtenaster on the floor. “Velvet seems to get along well with her team! She and Coco seem to be very good friends...”

 

“The faunus are dangerous and violent,” Weiss began, earning herself a glare from Yang. “They’re mutated humans. Eons ago, a village of humans near a dust mine suffered a major accident. A massive earthquake destroyed most of the mine and village, opening a fissure deep into the earth. Supposedly, a special kind of dust existed below. When it billowed out, the villagers were altered, changed down to their DNA.

 

“What came out was a group of mutants. Improved eyesight, hearing, reflexes, and strength. They even grew animal parts. But worst of all, they thirst for human blood.”

 

Ruby and Yang stared dumbfounded at Weiss. Yang spoke up first. “Are you insane? What are they, vampires? None of the faunus we’ve seen are….supernatural monsters!”

 

“Seriously, how do you not know this? I’m not making this up!” Weiss threw her arms up in the air – did these two live under a rock? “All faunus are stronger and have many advantages over humans, but they don’t unlock their true power....until they’ve drained a human of their blood. Once they do that, they become an even stronger being - a Sanguine Faunus.”

 

“Weiss is actually correct,” said a voice. Pyrrha hesitantly poked her head into team RWBY’s room. “They are technically mutants. And they can drink blood, but most of them don’t.”

 

“AND they can turn you into one of them!” Again, Ruby and Yang couldn’t believe their ears. They quickly turned to look back at Pyrrha, who nodded.

 

“Yes, Sanguine Faunus can create a faunus thrall. However, faunus are no particular danger to humans, in general,” Pyrrha noted.

 

Ren appeared behind the champion warrior. “Nora and I lived beside faunus for years. They took us in after...when we were young.”

 

“Yeah! They’re great!” Nora added, vibrating with excitement as usual. “They could actually keep up with my hyperness!”

 

“They didn’t ‘turn’ us, they didn’t subjugate us, and they didn’t hurt us.” Ren calmly returned Weiss’ glare. “Faunus are no more dangerous than any human. There are almost none who have become a full fledged Sanguine Faunus, outside a handful in the White Fang. Most have been killed by hunters and huntresses.”

 

Weiss turned away from the rest of the room. “You don’t know what they’re capable of. They’ve been hurting me and my family for my entire life. The White Fang has killed my relatives, one by one. Dust shipments - hijacked. Employees and board members: slaughtered. SDC buildings: bombed! Father would come home furious after every White Fang attack….and it made for a very. difficult. childhood. I’ve lived my entire life in fear of the faunus...they’ve been a greater threat to my life than any grimm could ever be.”

 

Ruby tentatively placed her hand on Weiss’ shoulder. “Weiss…you’ve lived with...slept in the same room with Blake for the entire year. She’s done nothing to hurt you or any of us! She’s been there for us, and has put her life on the line to keep us safe. If faunus are as dangerous as you think…why would Blake do all that?”

 

“I don’t…I don’t know Ruby. But the White Fang is an organization that seeks to subjugate us all! They want us to be their slaves! Sanguine Faunus are basically magical beings . Their aura is twice as strong as ours, supernatural healing – they’re almost impossible to kill…” Weiss shook her head. “They’re terrifying, honestly. The White Fang wants to bring out this full potential of all faunus, and rule over humanity. We’d be nothing more than cattle.”

 

Pyrrha placed her hand on Weiss’ shoulder, trying to comfort the agitated woman. She could understand that the faunus were certainly intimidating beings. But after growing up around faunus in Mistral, it had been a long time since she had seen this kind of fear. “The Human-Faunus War only made things worse and radicalized the White Fang. We pushed them off to a far corner of Remnant, to dangerous and undesirable land. Elsewhere, they’re persecuted by our governments and people. Hatred of humanity is, frankly, understandable. The Schnee Dust Company is a logical target...for a number of reasons. But, Blake has been around us and supported us through hard times. Most faunus just want to live as freely as any human. Don’t make a judgement about her just yet.”

 

“Tomorrow, we’ll go out to find her. We’ll bring her back and we can talk this over as a team,” Ruby suggested.

 

“Erm..if you like, team JNPR can help look too,” Jaune offered, the rest of the team nodding eagerly. “Since all of us have experience living around faunus…we might be able to ’translate’.”

 

Weiss snatched Myrtenaster off the floor and roughly returned it to its case. “Fine,” she responded, keep her back to the group. “We’ll find her. And we’ll get an answer out of her.”

 

The group let out a slight sigh of relief - there was a chance of repairing the situation.

 

“Ahem. Team RWBY. Team JNPR,” said a cold voice at the door. Everyone in the room stiffened, bracing themselves to face the music. “Would any of you like to explain why there is a hole in your ceiling and a crack in your wall? And why you are making a racket at this hour of the night?”

 

Ruby was the first to respond. “H-hi! Professor Goodwitch! What- How- ...Lovely evening isn’t it? You look...lovely...uh….” she trailed off, withering under her intense gaze. “Ohhh...boy...we’re in trouble…”


Blake sped across the rooftops, quickly crossing the full Beacon campus, leaving a mist of tears in her wake. Gaining momentum, she took a full speed leap. For a few freeing moments, all she could hear was the roar of air around her and feel the wind in her hair. The citizens of Vale were unaware of the black clad shadow flying by overhead, occasionally using Gambol Shroud to alter her trajectory. She wasn’t entirely sure where she was going to go, but simply needed to put space between her and Beacon.

 

“I’ve ruined everything…and my past has caught up to me.” Blake thought to herself. “What kind of future can I have now…?” Maybe it was time for Blake to return home, beg her parents for forgiveness, and take whatever punishment they saw fit. “But would they ever forgive me after all I’ve done?”

 

She landed silently on a tall building near the edge of the city. Dangling her feet off the side of the roof, she gazed up absently at the shattered moon.

 

Deep in her thoughts, Blake rid herself of her ever-present bow to reveal a pair of cat ears. Not only did she have to hide the two ears perched atop her head, but she also had to conceal the fact that she lacked ears on the sides of her head – she just counted herself lucky that she didn’t need glasses. “I suppose there really aren’t any faunus out there that would need glasses…our vision doesn’t degrade.”

 

She laid back onto the roof and shut her eyes, thinking back to the turning point in her life.

 

Blake slid down the hill, leaving a billowing trail of red leaves in her wake. Adam led the way forward, launching into the air and landing heavily on the train passing below - the target for this mission. Get in, destroy the dust, leave the White Fang calling card, and exfil covertly.

Adam struck the heavy lock on the emergency hatch, easily breaking the hardened steel. The pair dropped into the train car, their eyes quickly adjusting to reveal...a battalion of Atlesian Military bots.

“Looks like we’re going to be doing this the hard way,” Adam grumbled.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Blake quiped.

“INTRUDER, IDENTIFY YOURSELF,” warbled one bot.

Adam launched Wilt from Blush, denting the headpiece of the noisy bot. He flashed to catch Wilt midair, rending the soldier in two with a cross-body slash. Blake used her semblance to leave a clone and throw herself backward, whipping Gambol Shroud from its place on her back. The blind cut beheaded the enemy advancing behind her, allowing her to kick the headless body into the crowd. Before the torso projectile finished its destructive path through its mates, the cat faunus dashed forward, sliding low into the group. Separating Gambol Shroud into cleaver and katana, she made short work of the remaining foes. Adam cleared the way out of the car by kicking a knight clear though the door.

She and Adam exited the darkened train car, leaving nothing but a mess of worthless, broken mechanical parts. Alerted to their presence, another squad blocked their way forward. Fitting with his bull faunus nature, Adam charged forward, drawing their fire. Blake rolled her eyes, transforming her katana into ballistic kusarigama form. She deftly swung it around her partner, delivering bullet-propelled death blows left and right. Seconds later, she tugged her blade from the skull of the last Atlesian knight; the two were free to proceed once more.

They entered the armored car - the most expensive dust would be stored there. The crept forward quietly, expecting resistance. However, the car appeared to hold nothing more than the typical transportation crates bearing the Schnee crest.

Adam opened the lid of the nearest crate. “Perfect. Move up to the next car - I’ll set the charges.”

Blake nodded, but before she could respond, her sensitive ears picked up on the faint sound of servos turning. “Adam!”

A large mech dropped from the darkness, pointing four cannons at the two faunus. “Buy me some time!” Adam shouted, dashing backward.

“But-”

“Just do it!”

Blake sighed and activated her semblance, letting her power loose. Three clones of Blake stepped out from behind her - three perfect copies of Blake, except dark as the void. The giant mech jumped forward, bringing its massive leg down to crush the comparatively tiny faunus women. The three shadow Blakes soundlessly met the mech midair, kicking its center of mass. It stumbled back, fighting to keep its balance. Blake sighed and reached over to touch a shadow on the wall, melting into the darkness. From the shadows, she watched her clones bat the mech around like a toy. “This must have been created specifically to fight faunus...probably a prototype. Of course the Schnees are working on something like this.”

Sensing that Adam’s semblance was nearly ready, Blake quickly hid behind him. Her shadow doppelgangers took up position around him, taunting the mech. Seeing its foes grouped together, the mechanical creation brought its arms together to form an absurdly large cannon. Dust gathered in the barrel, letting lose a devastating ray toward the group of faunus. The Blakes faded away, leaving Adam standing alone, Wilt half drawn from Blush. The beam slammed into Wilt, pushing Adam several meters back. The white column of light disappeared into Wilt, fully absorbed by Adam’s semblance. The air around him crackled and his skin seemed to glow.

Confused by the disappearance of its strongest attack, the paladin switched to physical attacks, once again charging forward to crush Adam. He waited a beat for optimal range...before turning its power against it. The single slash left no trace of the mech, dust crates, and entire top half of the car.

Blake drew herself out of Adam’s shadow, listening intently for signs of incoming backup. While she heard nothing other than the rumbling of the train, there was no way the destruction of the armored car would go unnoticed. “Adam...we should bug out now. I think this might have been a set-up…”

“No Blake, our work isn’t done here. We’re going to drain every passenger on this train. The world needs to understand that we won’t stop, even if Schnee uses innocents as his shield. Humanity will not stand between us and our goals.” It was a common tactic of the Schnees to shield their cargo with innocent lives. “We need to silence everyone on this train. I could use a drink.”

“Adam, this will only hurt our cause! This won’t serve equality!”

“Humans are beneath us! They’re nothing but animals for us to eat. We’re stronger and better than humans in every way, yet they step all over us, murder and enslave our brothers and sisters. It is time for us to be in power now. The humans have had their time, the future belongs to the faunus. Hang them from racks, slit their necks, and bleed them dry. Equality isn’t enough, my darling, you know this.”

 “I wish I had realized sooner that I was on the wrong path...that Adam wasn’t the man I thought he was…”

 

The sound of approaching footsteps caught her attention. Based on the sound of the footfalls, it was someone she had met once before.

 

“I knew you’d look better without that bow.” The blonde monkey faunus from before leapt onto the rooftop beside her. “I was surprised to see a fellow faunus hanging around the Schnee heiress! ...I could hear her insulting me as I ran by.”

 

Blake scoffed. “Really? I’m surprised you heard it, it looked like you were too busy winking at me,” she joked. “What’s your name?”

 

“Sun. Sun Wukong.” He reached out to shake hands.

 

“Blake…Belladonna. Your name sounds familiar…You’re a Sanguine Faunus aren’t you? How old are you?”

 

“Hmm pretty old…I think I lost track ages ago. You’re probably recognizing me from the Monkey King myths? I mean, it’s not like I’ve changed my name.” He shrugged, plopping down on the edge beside Blake. “How old are you?”

 

“About as old as I look,” she responded.

 

Sun carefully observed Blake’s reaction, and chose to move on from this topic.

 

“So what are you doing out here? I saw you fly by - you’re super fast! Tell me about yourself,” he suggested.

 

“My team, those three girls that were with me...found out that I’m a faunus...a faunus of the White Fang.”

 

Sun sat stunned for a moment. “Wow...let me guess, Schnee didn’t take that well?”

 

“...no. She didn’t. She must hate me now.” Blake wiped a tear from her eye. “My team won’t want to have anything to do with me anymore.”

 

Sun gently patted Blake on the back, searching for the right words to say. “Things will turn out okay, Blake...don’t worry.”


Weiss stirred in her bed, slowly waking up after a difficult night. She suffered nightmare after nightmare, of being murdered by Blake. She sluggishly sat up, dropping her head into her trembling hands. “Blake wouldn't do that, right?” Weiss searched for a way to reconcile her feelings toward Blake and everything Father had told her about the faunus.

 

The most quiet and reserved member of team RWBY….observant and thoughtful...had a strong sense of justice...a valued teammate.

 

“The faunus have an unquenchable bloodlust. They won’t hesitate to drain you of your blood.”

“But Blake hasn’t done anything like that...and she had every chance to…”

 

“At best they want us to be their slaves. At worst, we’ll be their cattle.”

“Blake has fiercely spoken out against slavery, of both humans and faunus...she would never be okay with any of  that.”

 

“They are disgusting, ugly creatures.”

“Blake isn’t ugly...far from it…”

 

“All faunus are scum, liars, backstabbers, and criminals. You cannot trust these animals.”

“And yet...somehow I do trust Blake. I trust her with my life….”

 

“Stay away from them. Be a good girl and listen to your father. Remember - you’re nothing without me.”

“I came to Beacon to make my own path...and yet here I am, being made a fool for the ideas he indoctrinated me with. Will I ever be free of his influence?”

 

She raised her head, looking across the room at Blake’s bed, surprised to see Yang sitting on it. The blone’s lilac eyes observed the heiress with a guarded expression. Weiss shifted uncomfortably under her stoic gaze.

 

“Yang…” Weiss began, hoping her brain would supply the right words. “Any sign of her yet?”

“No,” Yang replied simply.

 

“Look...Yang. I… I don’t think I did the right thing last night. I think I let my prejudice blind me, to the point I drew my weapon on our teammate. And I...I’m sorry.”

 

Yang looked taken aback, staring at Weiss like she grew a pair of fox ears. Ruby’s head popped into view over the edge of her suspended bed. “Oh my gosh Weiss, did you just apologize for something??!?”

 

She blinked surprised. “What? No...I was only trying to say….I mean to say that…”

 

Ruby crashed into Weiss with a flurry of rose petals. “Awwwww Weissss!”

 

She flailed her arms “Augh get off me this instant you dolt!”

 

Ruby let herself be thrown off Weiss’ bed onto the floor. “Okay! Let’s go find Blake!”

Chapter 2: Invite her in

Chapter Text

Blake and Sun talked through the night, chatting about Vale and Vacuo. When morning came, they wandered their way into the faunus-friendly area of town, ending up at a small coffee shop. This particular shop was one of Blake’s favorite places to go; it was cozy and warm, the bookshelves that lined the walls were packed full of books, and the tea was imported from Menagerie.

Sun was attending Haven Academy of Mistral to fill his time. In his early days he was revered by the people of his homeland as a deity, but he lost interest in that life fairly quickly. As his existence quickly became legend, he chose to spend most of his days protecting people from various threats - grimm and more. Hanging around a huntsman academy seemed like the ideal place for him.

“So you’re going to participate in the tournament?”

“Yeah! That’s the plan, anyway. My boyfriends aren’t keen on fighting other people,” Sun shrugged. “They’re a bunch of divas,” he added fondly. “I’ll be hanging back mostly, to keep things fair.”

“And they know you’re a sanguine faunus? They’re okay with that?”

“Well...yeah! I asked them about it before we all started dating. I sort of figured that I should, by that point.”

Blake sipped her tea, deep in thought. She had yet to see a human respond well to a sanguine faunus - people were simply too afraid of them. There just might be a chance for her to salvage her relationship with her team. But, even with that small glimmer of hope, there was still a vast shadow looming over her chance at reconciliation.

“So do you think that the White Fang is behind all these dust robberies? The local cops chased me down because they thought I robbed those stores! But I literally just arrived in Vale!”

Blake shook her head. “They were arresting any faunus they saw near the store...they have no leads, no evidence that a faunus was involved at all. When Ruby stopped a recent dust robbery, there wasn’t a single faunus among them! It was just Roman Torchwick and a bunch of thugs.”

“So, it’s likely the same group of people,” Sun concluded.

“That would make sense to me. The White Fang has never needed that much dust before. Usually, we simply intercepted Schnee Dust Company shipments, to hurt the company. But, if the White Fang were involved in something this big...it can’t be good.”

Blake stared deep into her cup of tea. “The White Fang are here in Vale. An operation this big, he’ll be there. He’s coming for me. He’s coming for me. He’s-” The glass in Blake’s hands shattered, dousing the table is hot tea. Sun shouted in surprise, toppling his chair over backwards. The shadows around Blake writhed, the edges of her body blurred.

“Blake!” Sun rushed to her side, hovering anxiously. “Are you okay?” He grabbed her by the shoulders and wrapped his tail around her waist. “No idea what’s going on but it looks like she’s going to split apart!” He thought to himself.

At the contact, Blake instinctively threw Sun off of her and dove into the nearest shadow, dissolving into the darkness. The rest of the faunus patronage backed fearfully away from the commotion, realizing immediately what these faunus were.

Sun raised his hands in the air and declared “Woah woah, don’t worry everyone! She’s just a little scared, don’t worry. We’re new to the area, from Menagerie - not the White Fang!”

Most of the faunus visibly relaxed - Sanguine faunus mostly lived on the island, away from humans who might act out of fear. Sun walked over the the chair that Blake disappeared under and awkwardly squatted next to the unnaturally dark shadow and whispered, “It’s okay, Blake! Sorry for touching you, I shouldn’t have done that without asking.”

Blake forced herself to breathe, going through an exercise she learned. She crawled out of the shadow and returned to her seat, her hands and face sweaty. “And now everyone knows about me.”

The cafe owner emerged from the back of the cafe and walked over. “Hi, Blake. Are you okay?”

“Yes..sorry Yukina, I was having a bit of a panic attack...if you’d like me to leave, I will.”

She gently shook her head. “Don’t worry Blake, no one here is going to share your secret. Most of us...could tell from the start.” She gestured around at the customers who continued on as normal. “But we know that here in Vale, we need to look out for our own. Anyone who gets to know you can tell you’re a good person.” She gave Blake a short smile and turned. “Come to the office for a bit. Someone will clean the table.”

Blake stood slowly, following the white-haired faunus through the narrow spaces between seats and tables. The squeezed around a stack of books and a large cabinet to reveal a door to a small office. Inside, there was a cat faunus sitting at the desk, typing away at a scroll.

“Blake, this is my wife Haruka.” The brown-haired cat faunus looked up, her feline ears flicking curiously.

“Hello! Nice to meet you!” She stood and leaned over the table to shake their hands. A short brown tail flicked out to help her balance when she tried to right herself.

Blake’s eyebrows shot up. “You…!”

Haruka laughed nervously. “Ah..yeah. I am hers.” She nodded to the fox faunus.

Yukina raised her hands preemptively. “I assure you it was her choice. I did not turn her into a thrall against her will. I make it no secret what we are, at least when it comes to other faunus.”

Blake chewed on her lip. “Why would you choose to become a thrall?”

“It wasn’t a hard choice. She would long outlive me...I love her too much to leave her behind like that,” she responded easily.

“If you need any help from us, don’t hesitate to ask. You’re clearly new to...this.” Yukina accompanied the statement with a vague gesture of her hand.

Blake and Sun returned to their table, cleaned with a new cup of tea waiting. She sat and returned to staring down into the amber liquid.

Sun looked around awkwardly, fiddling with his napkin. “I’ve never created a thrall...it never seemed like the right thing to do.”

“It was always considered a taboo. The laws of Menagerie explicitly disallow it. The restrictions on us as sanguine faunus are numerous.”

“Well...those laws didn’t always exist. And they don’t exist outside of Menagerie. In the other kingdoms, we’re dealt with off the books. Our numbers are actually incredibly small, less than 35. Most people don’t even know that we exist! To most humans, we’re nothing but a legend...only the huntsmen schools teach about us. Frankly, it’s for the best that so few people know about it.”

Blake sighed and sat back, closing her eyes. 

I think it’s time to thin the herd, Blake. 
It would be so easy. We would have all the blood we need, my love.
It is only natural for the faunus to ascend above humanity. The vermin will die out.

“If he is planning something...I have to stop him. I’m the only one that can.” “I need to find out if the White Fang is involved in these dust robberies.” “I’ll figure out my place after.”

”Well, the only way to prove that the White Fang isn’t behind this, is to go where they’d be if they were behind this….and not find them there!” Sun rubbed his head. “Woah..thinking that hard hurts.”

Blake stood, dropping a few lien on the table. “Let’s go.”

***

Team RWY and JNPR sat quietly around a table in the dining hall, finishing their breakfast. The teams were determined to find their lost friend. Even Nora’s typically bubbly personality seemed muted. They all yawned and rubbed their tired eyes, the consequence of their being made to clean the residence hall floors the night before.

Velvet observed the table full of her underclassmen, noting the missing girl. It was obvious to her what Blake was and understood why she hid herself. With her rabbit ears, she never had the option to hide herself - she often wondered if she would, given the chance to. She gave Coco a quick kiss on the cheek, whispering, “I’ll be back in a bit. Going to talk to our kiddos.”

Coco grinned and squeezed her hand. “Good luck.”

Velvet quickly crossed the rows of tables and approached the group. She took a seat next to Pyrrha and across from Weiss. Weiss looked up at her, but quickly dropped her eyes to her bowl of yogurt when she realized who it was. “Hi Velvet,” she murmured.

“Hello Weiss. Hello everyone. How are you all?” The group grumbled a range of responses and vague gestures. “Where’s Blake?”

Weiss visibly wilted and set her spoon down. Yang scratched her arm and answered, “She ran out last night...not sure where she is right now. Or if she’s coming back.”

“Let me guess...you found out?”

Yang sat up straighter. “How did y- is there a way for faunus to recognize other faunus? What kind of faunus is she?”

“There’s a number of ways, usually small cues. I’m not comfortable revealing her faunus trait, but I did want to encourage you all. If she’s hiding herself, it’s because she’s afraid of how you’ll react.” Again, Weiss flinched hard. “You just need to find her and let her know how you feel about her.”

“Is she sanguine?” Weiss blurted. Velvet fixed her with a look. Weiss could see Yang’s eyes blur red from the corner of her vision. “I mean..I...never mind. Sorry.” She vigorously shook her head. “If you’re willing, could we meet later? I’m afraid I don’t know what’s true about the faunus anymore.”

“Of course, Weiss. I would love to help you.”

Ruby leaned forward to look past the others at Velvet. “We’ll find her, Velvet. Thank you for the encouragement!”

“Good luck.”

***

“Blakeeeeee! Bllllaaaaake!”
“Where could she have gone? Is this because I wasn’t a good enough leader?”

 

“Blake? Blake?”
“Please...give me a second chance…”

 

“Blakey! Where are you?”
“Not you too, Blake...don’t leave me…”

 

RWY and JNPR wandered through Vale, asking passersby if they’d seen their friend. Weiss trailed at the back of the group, an uncharacteristic slouch in her posture.

“Don’t worry, Weiss! We’ll find her-oof!” Ruby was knocked onto her butt, by a familiar redhead.

“Salutations, Ruby!” Penny said, in her uniquely strange way. “I’m happy to see you!”

“It’s nice to see you too...Penny!”

“What are you doing here?”

“We’re looking for our friend, Blake. She ran away yesterday...and we’re worried about her.”

“Oh, you mean the faunus girl,” Penny realized.

The rest of the group of young huntresses stared blankly at this bizarre redhead, all asking themselves the same question.

“How...did you know that?”

“Uh, the cat ears?” she responded, pointing to the top of her head.

“What cat ears? She always wears… a...bow…oh.”
“Kitty ears?”
“She does like tuna a lot.”

“I would love to assist you in your search!”

“Oh! No thank you Penny, we can find her ourselves! It’s more of a...team thing, I think.”

“I understand. Until next time friend!”

***

Night had fallen on the Valen SDC Docks, which were completely deserted for the day. SDC hired security sparsely patrolled the edges of the property. “They really didn’t hire many, despite the string of thefts…” Blake thought to herself, peeking over the edge of a building. “Why wouldn’t they have more security...or hire hunters…” A group of middle aged security guards slowly passed below her hiding place, chatting blithely about their wives. “I bet Schnee has insured these shipments against loss...if the dust is stolen here in Vale, they get paid anyway. Demand for dust rises due to the shortage...win-win for the SDC…”

SDC dust was an incredibly enticing target of the criminal underworld and, in these racially tense times, it was easy to blame the loss on faunus. Many bought into the easy accusation thrown at the distrusted mutants.

Sun leapt to the roof, joining Blake in watching over the shipyard. “Did I miss anything?”

She sighed. “Not really. They’ve offloaded the crates from the boat...that’s about it.”

He offered an apple. “I stole us some food!”

“Do you always break the law so carelessly?”

“Weren’t you in a cult or something?” Blake’s eyes narrowed.”Sorry...too soon I guess.”

“You kn-” Blake tried, but was interrupted by an approaching vehicle. She held up a hand to indicate that Sun should keep silent as well, not exactly trusting her companion to take the hint otherwise.

An unmarked bullhead hovered by, engines running on low. The wing doors opened, revealing a squad of soldiers in white grimm masks - the White Fang.

“No…” Blake murmured. “Please no…”

“Is that them?”

“Yes...that’s them.”

“You really didn’t think it was them, did you..” Sun rose to a half crouch, before Blake grabbed his arm. She continued to intently watch the crowd of faunus spread out across the shipyard, examining the containers.

“Alright, you animals! Let’s get this over with.” The man’s voice was as distinctive as his silly hat. Roman Torchwick strolled out of the bullhead, shouting orders at the White Fang grunts.

“Torchwick? What is he doing here with the White Fang? They would never work with humans.” Despite herself, she let out a sigh of relief - there was no sign of Adam. The White Fang moved quickly to load up the SDC crates onto the bullhead.

“Blake what are we going to do?”

“We need to stop them. Wait here until the fighting starts.”

“Okay…” Sun responded uneasily. His tail swished around agitatedly, but he sat back and readied his staff.

Roman stood with a hand on his hip, smoking a cigar and keeping watch over the operation. He was too busy grumbling to himself to notice Blake morphing out of the shadows behind him. She slipped Gambol Shroud’s katana around his arm and rested it firmly on his throat.

“Woah! What the fuck!?” Roman sputtered. A group of nearby Fang members leveled their weapons at the intruder.

Blake reached up and undid the bow on her head, revealing her cat ears. “Brothers and sisters of the White Fang. Why are you aiding this human scum?”

The group of revolutionaries lowered their weapons, noticing the feline ears perched on Blake’s head.

Roman chucked. “Haven’t you heard? The White Fang and I have joined forces for a joint venture.”

“What do you need all this dust for? Tell me or I’ll put an end to your little operation right now!” she hissed, increasing the pressure against his throat. The dark blade pressed into his aura, causing it to flare and spark.

He grunted, feeling his aura rapidly drain. “Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘little’,” he managed to respond. Almost as if on cue, three more bullheads came in low and fast.

Taking advantage of her distraction, Roman fired his cane at Blake’s feet. The explosion sent her tumbling through the air, landing her a short distance away. She groaned and got to her feet, realizing she had lost her weapon. Roman stalked toward her, doing his best evil laugh. His advance was rudely interrupted by a banana peel smacking his face.

~~~

The explosions and sounds of fighting sounded through the air five blocks away. Ruby turned toward the noise, spotting a rising cloud of black smoke. “Oh no…let’s go everyone.” RWY and JNPR ran toward the fading smoke, pulling out their weapons. The reached the shipyard within a minute.

“Docks...there was likely a dust shipment today,” Weiss thought out loud.

“Dust? Torchwick!” Ruby growled. The orange man had slipped her once before, she wasn’t going to let that happen again.

“Do you think Blake is here?” Pyrrha asked.

In response, the familiar sound of Gambol Shroud barked over the din, firing faster than they had ever heard before. “Yep, she’s here,” Yang decided.

Pyrrha squeezed Ruby’s shoulder. “We’ll watch the perimeter and make sure no one escapes. If you need help, just call us.” JNPR knew that this was something they should stay out of, if possible. The future of team RWBY would be determined here.

Ruby nodded slowly. “Thanks Pyrrha. Weiss and Yang, you two go straight in and get to Blake. Help her with whatever is going on. I’ll be on overwatch.” She disappeared into her red tornado and sped through the air to the top of the nearest warehouse.

~~~

Sun leapt through the air and kicked Roman in the face, knocking him back into a group of faunus. Roman shouted in annoyance, the faunus joining ranks around him. He looked to his sides laughing - a ten-on-one fight. “You’re not the brightest banana in the bunch are you?”

Sun grinned and shrugged in response. “They’d need a few more for this to be a fair fight,” he laughed internally. He pulled out his weapon, Ruyi Jingu Bang in staff form. Roman stood back and let the White Fang charge in first, waiting to see what this monkey could do.

At first, Sun didn’t even bother to use his weapon, baiting each WF member to attack. A simple dodge, an elbow to the head, maybe a flip or two - 5 faunus down and unconscious. The others rushed in all at once, swinging their swords at him. He ducked and spun his staff behind his back, sweeping the legs from the three behind him. The momentum launched him into a back spin, kicking the last faunus to the ground. Spun to his feet and slammed the butt of his staff into the ground, using the burst of energy to knock them out.

Roman groaned and pointed his cane at Sun’s head. The monkey faunus easily blocked the explosive bolt and grinned mockingly at the gangster. “This fucking monkey,” he grumbled.

Blake started to run towards the fight, before realizing that Sun could handle himself - she needed to stop the others from taking the dust. She sprinted through the shadows of the crates toward the waiting bullheads. “No need to hold back here…” she thought, drawing four clones from the shadows. The sensitive hearing of the faunus loading the expensive dust tipped them off to the approaching black blur.

Blake and her clones dove from shadow to shadow, a tide of amber-eyed demons, overrunning the group of faunus before they could react. She ripped through the pack and knocked them out with gut-punches and head-kicks. The aircraft started to lift off, trying to escape the one woman army. One of her shadows pressed her retrieved weapon into her hand, which she pointed into the air and feathered her fingers on the trigger. The rapid fire tore through the engine closest to her, explosions chaining through the fuel tanks set in the wing. The unbalanced hunk of aluminum flipped and spun into the pitch black water beyond the docks.

Just barely, thanks to her incredibly sensitive ears, Blake could hear the approach of footsteps that she could identify in her sleep. “...I can’t have them seeing me like this..not when they already hate me..” She dispelled her shadows, dimming the intense glow of her eyes that accompanied all of her sanguine powers. Her teammates might accept her as a faunus, but her hands shook at the thought of revealing further.

~~~

Weiss and Yang cautiously jogged down a dark alley between warehouses. They glanced at each other, realizing they’d be going in together. “Weiss...sorry for reacting so harshly to you yesterday. You’re not the princess we all met on our first day here.”

Weiss shook her head. “I might have done the same thing if someone pointed their weapon at Ruby. I may...I might have a bit of a temper.”

Yang laughed. “So do I!”

The pair nodded to each other and took off silently down a row of crates toward the sounds of fighting. It was hard to tell who was winning, but they could hear the frequent and familiar sound of Gambol Shroud. From her sniper’s perch, Ruby opened her scroll to communicate with her team. “Weiss, Yang! Blake is straight ahead, she’s surrounded by a bunch of White Fang! And...huh...there’s that faunus from earlier, with the monkey tail. He seems to be fighting against Torchwick! Ugh Torchwick is here! We need to capture him!”

“We’ve got it, sis. I’ll head for Roman. Weiss, you help Blake.” Yang gave the heiress one last look, before peeling off down another row.

Weiss could hear the sounds of fighting drawing closer. She wanted, she needed to be beside Blake. She skated forward on a glyph, around the corner of the final crate. She flew into the clearing, knocking White Fang grunts aside. “This is my teammate - I would fight beside her….and die for her, faunus or not.” She cleared the area behind Blake and took a defensive position behind her.

“Weiss…”

“We’re here to help, Blake. Yang is fighting Torchwick. Ruby’s on backup. What’s going on?”

Blake blasted a few more henchmen away. “They’re trying to take a dust shipment. I don’t know what for, but it’s a lot of it.”

Weiss looked past the group of faunus that pointed their weapons at her. “Those are bulk shipments - they’re usually split into smaller ones here. They’re expensive so they’re usually shipped unlisted.”

“We’ll figure it out later, first we need to try to stop them.”

Weiss formed a large glyph below Blake, powering her up with a bit of time dilation. Blake let loose a barrage of slashes by pulsing her aura. The flurry of time-altered energy split apart the second of the three bullheads in the area, crashing to the ground in four pieces.

Ruby watched through her scope at the crowds of White Fang at the last aircraft. She fired Crescent Rose as fast as she could clear the chamber, ripping the aura away from the crowd of grunts. Only a few managed to hide behind the box they were loading, escaping unseen sniper fire. She grinned happily, finally getting to use her heavy gravity rounds. She put one of them into the side of the bullhead, caving in the wall of the aircraft hold. “Oooh that is so satisfying.” She hit it with one more, just to be safe. With the final aircraft nothing but a crumpled wreckage, the White Fang could no longer escape with the dust.

~~~

If Sun was being entirely truthful, he was playing with his food. Roman may be an excellent fighter, but he wasn’t better than Sun. Roman barely managed to hang on, frantically blocking blow after blow. Deciding it was best to end things at this point, Sun feinted at his left and slipped under his block.

 

Roman doubled over as Sun’s staff struck hard at his stomach, causing his aura to flicker faintly - he was reaching his limit. Suddenly, one of the mutts friends with yellow hair came barreling out of nowhere, blasting Roman’s chest in with a mighty punch to the sternum.

With the air knocked out of his lungs, Torchwick couldn’t groan in pain as he soared through the air into a metal container. “These fucking kids...keep getting weirder.” The sound of sniper fire and destroyed escape options grabbed his attention. His eyes were easily drawn to the red hooded figure and scythe perched on a nearby warehouse. “Red…” He laboriously got to his feet and hit the emergency evac button on his scroll. “Oh hi Red! Isn’t it past your bedtime?” he managed to wheeze.

 

Three more bullheads drifted to a stop above the shipyard, the thrum of the engines almost deafening. The hatches opened, revealing more White Fang - who immediately opened fire on the little red figure on the roof. Ruby gritted her teeth, multiple bullets hitting her aura, causing it to drop into the red. “He sure does hate me….”

Pyrrha vaulted the edge of the building and dove to Ruby. She wrapped her in a hug, covering both their bodies with Akoúo̱. “Are you okay Ruby?”

Ruby blushed slightly, feeling Pyrrha’s muscled arms around her as she pulled the shorter girl into her chest. “Y-yeah, thanks Pyrrha! Here, I’ll speed us out of here.” She turned around in Pyrrha’s hold and activated her semblance, zipping away with her fellow leader.

~~~

Yang regarded the shirtless monkey faunus. “I’m Yang. I think we saw you earlier yesterday?”

“Yeah! I’m Sun.”

They wordlessly turned back to the now-rasping Torchwick. Two more squads of faunus descended to his side. “Get them!”

Yang raised her gauntlets. Sun separated Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang. The blondes filled the air with a wall of buckshot. Roman grabbed a faunus grunt and used him as a shield. Instantly, the ground was full of aura-depleted faunus.

Ruby flew like a rocket through the air and landed next to her sister. Weiss and Blake came around the corner, weapons ready. The remaining White Fang backed away from the menacing group of young huntresses.  

“Ice Bouquet!” Ruby cried.

Ruby, flanked by Blake and Yang on each side, stood in front of Weiss and aimed their guns downrange. Weiss flicked her dust revolver to azure, forming three glyphs in front of her teammates. The three opened fire, shooting through Weiss’ ice-forming glyphs. The grunts screamed as they were hit repeatedly, ice crystals rapidly forming on their bodies until they could move no longer. They turned their fire on the nearest bullhead until it dropped from the sky, weighted down with ice.

The remaining two aircraft opened fire on them, but Sun and Weiss were able to block off their assault. Roman slipped away under the cover of the attack and stepped aboard the bullhead that swooped down to pick him up. “Let’s go!” Smoke bombs dropped from the open bays, filling the air with acrid and blinding smog.

Eventually, the smoke cleared enough for them to get their bearings, but not before the sound of the bullhead turbines had long faded.

Ruby checked her scroll - all of them were uninjured with plenty of aura to spare. “Yay! Good work team!” Ruby cheered. “Well..I mean they got away, but still.”

Blake drop her head and turned to face her team. “I’m sor-”

Ruby and Yang tackled Blake, Ruby latching on around her waist, Yang with her arms wrapped around her, hoisting them in the air. Blake felt herself tearing up. “I’m sorry for running. I shouldn’t have...I didn’t think you’d want to be around me anymore.”

“Blake…” Weiss started, approaching hesitantly. “Of course we want you back. I want to apologize for earlier. I’ve had some time to think about it and I realized that I might have been wrong...about the faunus. I’m sorry for the way that I treated you and...I will try to learn more. With your help, if you are willing.”

Blake mirrored the look that the sisters gave her earlier - Did Weiss Schnee just apologize for something? “Weiss...thank you...I’d be happy to help you. And I want you to know that I’m no longer associated with the W-”

Weiss held up her hand. “You don’t have to tell me now. We can all talk when you’re ready.”

Blake’s eyes immediately started to tear up. She poked Yang until she let her down and slowly stepped forward and embraced Weiss, squeezing her gently. The heiress closed her eyes and returned the hug, thinking “I really do care about her...father is wrong about the faunus.”

Chapter 3: Black and White

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Professor Port gesticulated wildly, reaching the conclusion of today’s unbelievable story. Ruby was flat on her face, sleeping. Weiss sat up straight, seemingly giving Port her full attention - but her glazed over eyes told the real story. Blake was reading a suspiciously unmarked book. Yang doodled absently in her notebook, something vaguely looking like a motorcycle. The bell rang, drawing the girls out of their daze.

“And now you know how to use a latrine shovel to kill two king tajitu! Write me an essay on how to kill tajitus before next class!”

Together, team RWBY rose from their seats and filed out of the room. Yang stretched and groaned loudly from the back of their group. “Does anybody actually learn anything in that class? Because all I get is a free nap period.”

Weiss fixed Yang with a look. “Yang-”

“Yeah yeah Ice Queen, I know. I’m trying okay?” She shrugged and draped herself over Blake’s shoulders and hopped on her back. Without breaking stride, Blake continued her path back to their next class, smiling slightly when Yang pressed her cheek to hers.

She waited for Ruby to turn to Weiss (“Hey give me a piggyback ride Weiss pleaseeeeee~”), to murmur, “You seem extra distracted Blake, is everything okay?”

Blake was thankful that things had returned to its normal monotony, but she simply couldn’t ignore the White Fang activity in Vale. What could they be using all the dust for? What is their plan? Why are they working with a criminal, a human, like Roman Torchwick? She sighed heavily. “I’m just worried Yang...how can the rest of you be so calm? The White Fang is gathering huge amounts of dust...something big is coming. Bigger than anything the White Fang has ever been involved in.”

“It’ll be okay, Blakey. We can do some investigating this weekend, okay?”

She slipped her arms around Yang’s thighs to support her. “Alright…. Thank you, Yang.” She took a steadying breath. “You’ve been really affectionate lately - is there something you want to tell me?”

Yang giggled. “No, my kitty partner, this is just perfectly innocent partner love!!”

“And here I was, thinking the show you put on after you shower was for me.” Blake shook her head. “And don’t call me that.”

“No cat puns? No cute nicknames? Blake, you know I see you as more than just a faunus. It’s like joking about my hair color, or calling me ‘firecracker’ because of my semblance.”

Blake silently lamented her weakness to Yang’s pleading lilac eyes, especially so close up. “Regardless, there is a greater context behind those words that can’t just be ignored. If you feel you must...just don’t do it in public. When it’s just the team, you can make all the silly jokes you want.” She could feel Yang’s smile against her cheek, sending a tingling down her neck. The team had finally trudged their way to the sparring hall for their weekly dueling class. Ruby had latched onto Weiss’ waist, leaving the heiress to drag their childish leader along.

Realizing they had reached the room, Ruby unglued her face from the small of Weiss’ back and peeked up at the grumbling woman.

“I swear I’ve never had this much physical contact with people before,” Weiss groused, leading the way up the stairs to their assigned seats. “I’m not quite sure how to feel about that just yet.” The rest of her team shared a look behind her back, grinning at each other.

Goodwitch ran the class as usual, pulling random people to fight one-on-one. There was a notable exception of Pyrrha taking on team CRDL, all four at once.

“But really, they’re half a brain when you put them together,” Blake grumbled internally, taking great satisfaction at every heavy blow the bullies took from Pyrrha. She swore that she saw those clear green eyes flick to her, accompanied by a small grin. The battle concluded, ended by a brutal kick to Cardin’s face. “I don’t know how he even got accepted at this school, he’s inept and a racist.”

 

Of course, my darling. He’s only human.

 

Blake vigorously shook her head and clenched her fists, nails biting into her palms.

“Well done, Ms. Nikos. Everyone should take note of how she uses her opponent's strength against them, turning a blow to her shield into a stronger kick. Mr. Winchester, you and you team are well on your way to receiving failing marks in this class. I suggest you work together to become more of a cohesive unit. At least that way, you can fight grimm.” She dismissed the losers with a wave of her riding crop and tapped at her scroll.

“Next...do we have any volunteers?” Surprisingly, one of the visiting students from Haven requested to fight Pyrrha. He put up a good show, fighting only with his legs. Despite putting her on the defense at times, he ultimately surrendered to Pyrrha with a smirk on his face that caught Blake’s sharp eyes. “What was his goal in fighting Pyrrha? He makes me feel uneasy…does he have something to do with the White Fang plot? Or just scouting Pyrrha for the tournament? There’s no way whatever the Fang is planning won’t involve Beacon. A bombing at the Vytal Festival? Is he a-”

“Ms. Belladonna, shall I take your clear lack of attention to mean you would like to fight next?” Goodwitch’s voice snapped her out of her thought spiral. “You shall fight...Ms. Schnee. We haven’t seen the two of you face off yet, have we?”

Blake swallowed hard, but stood nonetheless. Her soon-to-be opponent followed her to the antechamber that held student weapons lockers. She quickly pulled her weapon from its place in her otherwise empty locker and waited by the door.

Weiss glanced over her shoulder at Blake, choosing to load only a few dust capsules. “I never realized we actually haven’t had to fight each other yet,” Weiss said conversationally. She snapped Myrtenaster up, locking the revolver in place. “Don’t go easy on me, okay?”

Blake responded with a smile, hoping that would be answer enough. “Sorry Weiss...but I will be going easy on you.”

Goodwitch set the combatants into place on opposite ends of the cavernous hall. Unlike with the rest of the battles that took place that day, she held her weapon at the ready. Weiss and Blake nervously eyed the slim black rod.

“What is she worried about? Are we that dangerous? Blake and I are the most level-headed members of RWBY! Does..she know that Blake is a faunus? Does she think I’m going to hurt her because of that? ...would I do that?”

“She didn’t do this even when Nora and Yang fought. Does...she know about me?”

“Ready?” Blake and Weiss set aside their thoughts and nodded. Blake gave Weiss a small bow. Weiss saluted Blake with her sword.

“Allez!”

Blake left her weapon on her back and sprinted to her right, circling around her small opponent. Weiss watched her move, throwing ice spikes to intercept the black blur. Blake dove and leapt around them, deftly sidestepping the projectiles, and turned to run directly at Weiss. She hopped back and clamped her finger on Myrtenaster’s trigger. A shaped explosion of ice surged from the ground in front of her at the coming faunus.

Blake snaked around the blooming icicles until she crested the top, exposing a smooth ramp that led straight to Weiss. She dropped into a slide and swept Weiss’ legs.

She yelped in surprise and landed on her back. In an instant her wrists were trapped in Blake’s hands.

She smiled sheepishly down at Weiss, sitting astride her with her full weight. “Yield?”

Weiss felt a shiver down her spine. She tried to free her hands. Failing that, she started to make a glyph to knock Blake away.

“Don’t make me headbutt you.” She felt Weiss freeze beneath her.

Weiss eyed the grinning faunus’ teeth. “Okay. I yield.”

“Ms. Belladonna wins by forfeit. Good use of your wide range of abilities as a fighter. However, I wouldn’t rely on the element of surprise - this only worked because you know your teammate’s specific limitations. Ms. Schnee, keep in mind that knowing your opponents tactics and fighting style intimately can work against you if make assumptions about what they’ll do - especially if they unexpectedly target an area in which you are particularly weak. That concludes today’s class. Behave yourselves weekend, everyone.”

Blake stood and pulled Weiss to her feet. “Sorry...that was a little dirty.”

Weiss dusted herself off and kept her flushed face averted from Blake. “I’m too inflexible. In many ways. It’s something I need to work on.” She gave Blake a short reassuring smile. “Let’s get back to the others.”

They locked away Myrtenaster and Gambol Shroud in their lockers and quickly returned to Ruby and Yang.

“You’ll get her next time partner! I’m going to put together a training plan to hit our weaknesses, okay?”

“I see what you did there Blakey, acting out a scene from one of your lewd-” Blake cut Yang off with her hand. She rolled her eyes.

Ruby laughed and said, “You should move your hand before she-”

Blake whipped her hand away from Yang’s mouth with a disgusted groan. “Ugh don’t lick me that’s gross.” She wiped her hand on her partner’s sleeve and marched outside.

“It’s your own fault for reading all those dirty books!” she called after her.

Ruby and Yang trailed behind Weiss and Blake as they walked back to the dorms.The sisters planned the team’s evening, unbeknownst to their partners while they chatted.

“You wouldn’t have really headbutted me, would you?”

“I didn’t want to. I don’t like hurting people I care about...” Blake coughed and picked up her pace. “I just didn’t want to do that to a teammate. Not interested in fighting people anyway - this is my least favorite class.”

Weiss huffed. “I’m not that delicate, you know. It took a giant knight to give me this scar. And that was years ago - I’m more skilled with my aura now.” She glanced up at the innocent black bow on her head. “And you say you don’t like it...but you’re probably one of the best in the class. It’s painful to admit it...but you didn’t even use your weapon. Goodwitch didn’t need to say it but we all knew you just took the record for fastest victory.” “Against me. Weiss Schnee. Faunus defeats Schnee in record time…” Weiss unlocked the door to the shared RWBY dorm and trudged across the threshold. “But why should I care about that?” Her father’s voice echoed in her head, admonishing her for her failures.

She let out a hard sigh and walked to her bed and shrugged off her jacket, revealing her bare arms and back. Blake was the first to tear her eyes away from the mesmerizing sight of her well toned back muscles flexing as she pulled drawers open for something more casual to wear. She glanced left and right at the sisters, both equally dumbstruck, with the same silly, glazed-over expression. She swatted them both in the stomach, mentally taking a note to buy a spray bottle, and threw her bag down. Yang stumbled beside her, muttering something about being stepped on. Her sensitive ears could hear Ruby repeatedly licking her lips. Blake also shrugged off her formal clothes, into a simple black top and shorts, and fell back onto her bed.

She tried to go through her normal post-school day meditation, but improper thoughts invaded her mind. A dimly lit room, Weiss pinned between her and the sheets, her slender wrists captured by her hands. The heiress’ usually composed face flushed, as she whispered her name...

Blake’s brain eventually caught up and realized that Weiss had asked her a question. She watched Blake’s expression carefully, noting the vacant expression and lips that seemed to mouth her name. “Um, did you hear me?”

“Sorry Weiss, I was a bit lost in my head. What was your question?”

“I was asking if you wanted to go study in the library?”

Ruby and Yang shared an amused glance. “Okay, that sounds good. I need to do more research on what the White Fang might be up to.”

Weiss nodded and turned to change into comfortable clothes for studying. Blake stood from her bed and reached for her bag. Ruby and Yang, with their strange sisterly connection, simultaneously grabbed their partners and pinned them to their beds.

“Hey! What are you doing!? Get your hands off me!”
“Yang…”

“Yang and I have been worried about you two. Weiss - Blake is back, but you’ve been so stiff around her...I think there’s something you still need to work out with her!”

“And you,” Yang started, nose to nose with Blake, “have been obsessed with the White Fang. I know you’re worried, but you need to think clearly. We’ll do some investigation tomorrow, okay? Fridays are for relaxin’!”

Weiss looked away guiltily, staring at the wall opposite Blake. “I haven’t been stiff! That’s just...how I am. I just asked her to come with me and study in the library, didn’t I?”

Blake closed her eyes. “They’re out there...planning something….”

“Here’s what we’re going to do, Ruby and I are going to hang out with JNPR while you two spend some quality time together. We’ll bring you some food and I want you two to just talk.”

“You’re not going to take ‘no’ for an answer are you….”
“Fine…”

Yang nodded with finality and whipped out her scroll. “I already ordered the food; it should be here in a few minutes. Took a guess at what you might want.”

Weiss’ scroll chimed, drawing her over to her desk. The screen showed a message received from Velvet. Her pulse instantly quickened, heart pounding loud enough to draw Blake’s attention. The message was short - “Weiss, I’ve got time tonight if you want to have that talk.”

“Is everything okay, Weiss?”

Weiss looked up from her phone, but avoided Blake’s eyes. “Velvet said that she has time to talk to me tonight - I’ll go see her after we eat, if that’s okay…?”

Ruby and Yang nodded in understanding. Blake raised an eyebrow. “Talk to Velvet? About what?”

Weiss spoke slowly, hoping the right words would come. “She said she would help me...learn more about the faunus. ”

Blake held onto the question that was at the tip of her tongue, feeling the weight of disappointment in her chest. “Oh...I see.”

Weiss finally looked into Blake’s eyes, slightly shocked by the expression on her friend’s face. “I-”

It was Yang’s turn for her scroll to ring. She answered it quickly. “Hello? Oh yeah I’m sorry I’ll be down in a second.” She ended the call and smiled apologetically. “The food is here, be right back.” She ran over to the window and leapt through it.

Weiss clucked her tongue. “Goodwitch keeps telling her not to do that...after that detention we had last week, I thought she’d wait a little longer before carelessly ignoring the rules again.”

Yang returned the way she left, laden with a few bags and a tray of drinks. “Whew! It’s not a problem as long as she doesn’t see me do it, right?” She dropped the food on the floor at the center of the room. “Have at it kiddos. Don’t do anything I would do, okay? We’ll be right next door in case things get too wild. Oh and Weiss, I made sure to ask them for utensils, so you can be a fancy weirdo.”

“Okay, okay. You can go now,” Weiss said, with a dismissive hand wave. She peeked into her disconcertingly unlabeled bag of food. “I suppose I should say thanks…”

Ruby led Yang out the door, both waving back at their monochromatic partners. Yang stopped closing the door halfway and poked her head back into the room. “When Weiss gets spirited away to the CFVY dimension, message me - okay?”

The room fell into silence as Weiss wordlessly set out the food. She gave Blake what seemed to be a salmon burger and took the other for herself - a burger made of some kind of white meat. Blake pulled the bag from her hands and ripped it down the center, exposing a mess of fries.

Weiss watched Blake sniff at the greasy burger before shrugging and taking a bite. She looked down at her own and started to eat as well, taking a mental note to eat a salad tomorrow. Blake wordlessly offered her a vanilla shake, taking the chocolate for herself.

They ate in silence for a time, choosing to focus on their hunger and avoid each other's eyes. Blake finished off the last bite of her burger and licked her fingers clean, drawing a rush of heat to Weiss’ face. “What was that…?” She mentally bookmarked this moment for further examination later. She felt Blake’s gaze on her. She met her eyes, those tired amber pools that were far too piercing for comfort.

“So...Velvet?”

“I asked her while you were...away. I would have asked you, but I’m afraid that I’m going to say something offensive to you.”

Blake nodded, popping a few fries into her mouth. “That seems possible.”

“Interestingly, I was acquainted with Coco before she left to attend Beacon. Gossip spread around that she was dating a faunus girl - a ‘velvet rabbit’. I remember not being able to believe that she would do something so dangerous. We always knew she was a daredevil, though, so it somewhat made sense.

“It was assumed that she was never coming back to Atlas, giving up her position amongst the Atlesian elite; unthinkable that her girlfriend could make it there. Now that I’ve met her, Velvet is clearly very educated and respectable. I must admit I was surprised.”

Blake closed her eyes and took a steadying breath. “Why would you think she wasn’t educated and respectable?”

“Well, obviously since she- ...hm. Well we thought that she- I don’t know why we thought that.”

“I see.” Blake returned to her food. Normally, she’d never allow this to slide, but she expected way worse from someone who lived and breathed racism.

Weiss dipped her head and fell silent.

Blake spoke up next. “We still haven’t talked about us, yet.”

“Us?”

“Well, I mean...about the fact that I’m a faunus.” She undid the neat little bow that hid her ears.

Weiss thought carefully, watching those strangely captivating ears. “I am still in the dark about a considerable number of things, some of which will hopefully be rectified tonight. I’ve grown up learning a lot of wrong things - I’m doing my best to undo them. I...am clearly still at the beginning of this journey.”

“Again...I’m sorry for running away like that.”

“I was just shocked and scared...scared enough to draw my weapon.” Weiss paused and took a breath. “But the next time something big comes up, promise you’ll come to your team first.”

“Of course.” Blake smiled, remembering the hug Weiss gave her.

Weiss squished a fry between her fingers. “You mentioned the White Fang - what was your connection to them?”

Blake’s smile faded. “I was with them for as long as I could remember, basically born into it. I attended every rally I could. We were attacked at every gathering, tear-gassed and blasted by sonic weapons...I couldn’t hear for days after.

“Eventually, people started to fight back when we got attacked. That was the beginning of the end of our peaceful activist group. The leadership changed. Protest signs were replaced by bats and weapons. We were told to attack humans if they got too close.

“I would only use violence in self defense, only when attacked. When I realized that had changed, I left the White Fang.”

Weiss carefully observed Blake’s face. “I’m sorry - I shouldn’t have asked. I even said that we’d talk only when you’re ready.”

“It’s okay. I know your relationship with the faunus has been tense.”

“That is an understatement. Most of my extended family was killed when I was young. We would find their bodies, one by one, all drained of their blood with bite marks on their necks. There would be claw marks across the face, as a calling card.

“Father was sure to show all of us, my sister and brother, the dead bodies. If not in person, then pictures from the autopsy. Warned us that this is what would happen if we were ever near a faunus, if we ever let the faunus have power. That this was why we needed to keep you all oppressed.

“This went on and on until finally, mother was killed.” Weiss bowed her head. “But, I don’t like to think about that.”

“I’m so sorry, Weiss…” Blake’s mind buzzed with questions, none of which she dared to ask.

“Thank you Blake. I’ve come to terms with it. I never thought I’d be sitting beside a faunus, sharing a meal.” She gave Blake a small smile.

Blake had to ask one. “You don’t blame me? For what has happened to you?”

“Did you have anything to do with it? With the attacks on my family?”

“Other than stealing dust shipments...no.”

“Then I don’t blame you for anything,” she responded simply. Her scroll chimed, showing a message from Velvet. “I’ve got to go.”

“Why?”

Weiss went into the bathroom and washed her hands while a somewhat stunned Blake cleared away the remains of their messy fast food meal. Weiss stopped at the door and turned back to Blake. “Thank you, Blake.”

“How can you not blame me?”

Blake gave her a firm hug. “Thank you Weiss...I'm here for you. I hope it goes well with Velvet.”

Blake maintained her composure until the door snapped closed. Sighing, she dropped back onto her bed and dragged a hand over her face. “But what will she think when she finds out about me?”

Something gnawed at the back of her brain. The beginnings of the White Fang didn’t involve terrorism or assassination. “Those assassinations couldn’t have happened so early...at least not by the Fang. Who was killing Schnees? I’m sorry, Yang...but I need to do a little research.”

Blake flew out the dorm window and darted toward the library. Her ears told her she wasn’t alone.

“Hiya Blake!”

Annoyance edged into her voice. “What do you want, Sun?”

“Just wanted to hang out! Anything I can help you with?” Blake slowed to a stop and turned to face him. “You look really troubled.”

She regarded him briefly and relented with a sigh. “I talked to Weiss. Some of the things she said didn’t make sense. Need to use the library scrolls.”

“Lead on,” he responded, bouncing excitedly.

They entered the silent library, empty at this time of night on Friday - except the occasional couple hiding in the shadows. She settled herself at one of the research scrolls and typed in a search for Willow Schnee’s death.

“Weiss said her family members were killed by faunus. The claw marks on their faces implies White Fang, but we were still a peaceful organization in those days.”

“How do you know that? I mean, there wasn’t some kind of clear line that was crossed when the White Fang suddenly became violent, was there?”

She shook her head. “No. There was one specific incident that was the turning point. The leader of the White Fang was attacked. They were just travelling when villagers opened fire on them. One of the faunus in the caravan killed a human - the first human killed by the White Fang.”

Only a handful of articles showed on screen. She scanned through them, but they lacked any real information. Jacques Schnee had apparently tried to be very secretive about his wife’s passing. “‘Apparent White Fang attack’ he says...based on what?” There were notes about her being drained of blood, puncture marks on her neck, and claw marks across the face. No autopsy. No pictures.

“There’s no way the White Fang could kill a Schnee at the manor. It is filled with security cameras. There isn’t a single square inch of the place not recorded.” She recalled the various Fang meetings where strategies for accessing the main Schnee manor were discussed. They had always reached one conclusion, that attack there was impossible.

“So how did they know it’s a faunus? Or the White Fang? Or-”

“I don’t know. If it was a faunus, they could only succeed with inside help. Someone highly trusted in the family.” She found a small article by a now-defunct newspaper. Much of the information was the same, save for one detail -  Willow Schnee’s hair seemed to been removed and taken as a trophy.

Blake leapt out of her seat, knocking her chair over. She could picture it, a shaved head poking out of a sack offered to her. The woman’s body was so pale, almost snow white.

The dull, cold weight of dread settled over her body. “Four years ago...that’s around the right time.”

 

Don’t you trust me, Blake? Do you want me to be alone forever? To have to watch you die, someday? Here, they got hit in the spine while we were fleeing the Atlesian Military. Nothing we can do for them, they're going to die anyway! Trust me, my darling. You still believe in me, don’t you?

 

“Good Evening, Ms. Belladonna, Mr. Wukong.”

Blake whipped around and inadvertently activated her Blood Semblance in surprise. Ozpin stood calmly, his glasses reflecting the glow from Blake’s eyes.

“Professor!” Blake’s skin prickled all over. “How did he-”

“How did I sneak up on you? Well, I have my ways.” He pulled out a chair from a nearby desk and sat.

Blake shook her head and relaxed her aura. “I guess...if you didn’t know about me before, you do now.”

“Well of course I knew. I’m certainly not all knowing, but given that a huntsman’s job does include rogue sanguine faunus - it would be terrible at my job if I couldn’t tell.”

Blake righted her chair and sat. “So why did you let me attend your school?”

“Are you here to make trouble?”

“No! ...I just want to be a huntress.”

“Much like Mr. Wukong, then.” Ozpin nodded at the unusually quiet faunus.

Blake blinked. “Of course you know about him too, then.”

“Indeed.”

Sun laughed awkwardly and shrugged. “Ah well.”

Ozpin tilted his head to the side, looking at the screen behind her. “So...Willow Schnee’s death. It was quite a tragedy. What is your interest in it?”

“He didn’t exactly answer my question…” Blake cleared her throat before answering. “I was talking with Weiss and it came up. I wanted to know more about it.”

Professor Ozpin stood and walked to look out the window. “Wanted to know more. Just a simple curiosity, then?”

Blake pinned her ears back on her head, straining against the fabric of the bow. Ozpin’s presence was heavy and foreboding. “Her death times with the crimson baptism of...someone I know.”

“Do you know who is in control of the camera system in the Schnee Manor?” Ozpin turned back to face her. “It’s all controlled by Jacques himself. His scroll accesses them all. Only he has the ability to delete anything from the system.”

Blake stood abruptly, an expression of horror across her face. “So…! He must have been involved. But there is no way he would want to create another sanguine faunus - or work with a faunus at all!”

“Certainly that is true. It really makes you think.” He tapped his cane on the ground firmly. The scroll that Blake sat at winked off. “Why don’t you return to your dorm rooms - I believe Ms. Xiao Long is waiting for you. I’m sure you’ve learned quite enough here for one night. Do try not to use any of your sanguine abilities while on campus - it sets off quite a few alarms that Glynda has to manage. I fear that she’ll quit if she’s rudely awoken at midnight again.”


Velvet relaxed back on the plush couch, drinking her latte. Across the coffee table from her, Weiss found herself relaxing as well - the upperclassmen had a disarming aura that affected even someone as tense as her. She had a decaf mocha cradled in her hands, that she sipped while looking around the decorated dorm room.

“So, Weiss. What would you like to know? Hold nothing back - I’ll answer anything. If it’s offensive, I’ll tell you.”

Weiss nodded and took a gulp of her drink, which was surprisingly sweet. “Thank you, Velvet, for doing this. I suppose I’ll start from the basics: are faunus mutant humans?”

“From what we understand, yes. Same evolutionary branch, but differ with our improved reflexes, stronger senses, potent aura, animal aspect, complex semblances, and so on. Similar mentally, different physically - is the simple version.” She set her drink down and pulled out her scroll. She turned it to play a video of CFVY in combat. “I doubt you’ve seen me fight before but I don’t often use my weapon - I rely on my strengths as a faunus.” On the little screen, Coco mowed down waves of beowolves with her minigun. Velvet hovered behind her, watching her back. Two tajitu snaked out of the forest behind them. Yatsuhashi and Fox took one, Velvet waited for the other to get closer. As it came in to swallow her whole, she darted forward into a handspring and kicked the underside of the snake’s head. The tajitu’s entire body exploded and died instantly. “My legs are pretty strong,” Velvet commented, giggling at Weiss’ wide eyes.

“Maidens….”

“It is partially because I’m a rabbit faunus - not all of us get the same kinds of effects related to our aspect, but I happen to have this.” She set her scroll back down and relaxed back into the couch again. “Next?”

Weiss shook her head to clear her mind. “Are faunus vampiric?”

“We have the capability - as do humans, technically - to drink blood. The difference is that should a faunus drink enough blood to kill a person, the faunus will undergo hematomorphosis - sometimes called the Crimson Baptism.”

“How are sanguine faunus different from the average faunus?”

“Everything about them is improved in every way. Their semblances are powered up to supernatural levels. Additionally, they can create a thrall through a process called the embrace. It doesn’t matter where the bite is, the sanguine faunus would simply drink some blood and inject some of their essence. It’s hard to explain and I don’t fully understand it myself - I’m not sure anyone does, but a sanguine faunus naturally knows how to do it.”

“And what happens to the thrall?”

“They become somewhat like a faunus. Stronger than your standard faunus, but weaker than a sanguine. Additionally, they have two animal aspects - from the same animal. For example, dog ears and a tail.”

Weiss reached her final question. “Should I be afraid of the faunus?”

Velvet locked eyes with her. “I’ll be honest with you. As a Schnee? Probably. Simply because the White Fang would love to get their hands on you. The average faunus in the street might lash out and attack. A sanguine faunus? Well, everyone should be wary of them.

“However, the average human has nothing to fear from the faunus in the street. They’re just like anyone else.”

Weiss set her drink down and looked at her calloused hands. “What can someone like me, a Schnee, do to help the faunus. To make it so that someone I pass by in Vale won’t want to attack me?”

“I’m not sure there is anything you can do - your snowflake emblem makes you a target. Older faunus see it as a symbol that accompanied torture and death. The image on every bomb dropped on them during the war. Others see it simply as a the loudest voice opposing our existence. The faunus are culturally very wary of forced gestures. If you try to do something just to get us on your side, you’ll only have the opposite effect. Just be yourself, Weiss. People will get to know you eventually.”

Weiss sighed and put her head in her hands. “Maybe I should just change my name.”

“Would you do that?”

“No! Of course not! I’m going to make a difference - as a Schnee. I was just...making a joke.”

Velvet giggled. “I was just teasing! You know, it’s a common fear of the faunus that we’ll be kidnapped in the night, forced to work in a dust mine against our will. It was a story told to us as kids - to keep us from staying out late at night. Seeing you is still a little scary for me sometimes. We have the same kinds of worries about each other.”

Weiss hummed. “I suppose you’re right. I never thought about that.”

“You don’t eat faunus children do you?”

“No!”

Notes:

I've had a hard time figuring out where exactly I want this story to go - prolly should have made a better outline. referenced something by lycanheiress heh. anyway hope you enjoyed

Chapter 4: Distant Trouble

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Weiss watched Velvet laugh, eyes drawn to her pointed canines. "You'd think a rabbit faunus wouldn't have such sharp teeth..." The door clicked softly, unlocked by Coco’s scroll. “Hey Velv. Weiss.”

 “Coco.”

The ever-fashionable woman shifted her weight to one leg and looked appraisingly at Weiss, hands on her hips. “So. How many offensive things did she say?”

 “Don’t be mean, Coco. She-” 

Coco sauntered over to Velvet and pulled her into a rough kiss. She moaned slightly when Coco pushed her tongue into her mouth, getting a taste of her sweet latte. Dazed, the rabbit faunus fell into the couch cushions. 

Coco sat and observed Weiss’ flushed face. “What’d you think?” 

Weiss blinked. “About what?? Your shamelessness?” 

She laughed in response and pulled Velvet’s head into her lap. “Well you didn't throw up or anything, which I can’t say about my dad. I thought you’d look away in disgust, rather than watch with wide eyes.” 

“I did no such thing.”

Coco rolled her eyes. “You know, I’ve heard what the other richies say about me and Velv. I know many want her head stuffed on their wall.” She frowned and caressed her (still) stunned girlfriend’s cheek. “Interesting you weren’t that offended by the kiss. We have a sex tape, you want to see it?” 

“No! You really do have no shame, do you.”

“No, I do not.” Coco slipped her sunglasses off and set them on the table. “It’s nice to see that you’re not like the others. You can count on us for whatever you need. If you’re going to be dating a faunus like Blake, there’s a whole bunch of customs you need-”

“Dating? Who said I was courting a faunus?? Or a girl, even?”

Coco laughed and shook her head. “Alright Weiss, whatever you say.”


Blake numbly dragged her feet back to the dorms, accompanied by a fidgety Sun. He held it in as long as he could, until he finally broached the subject. “You were talking about yourself, weren’t you? It was your Baptism that happened around mommy Schnee’s death.” 

“Yes.” Blake slowed to a stop and stared out toward the horizon. “I can’t bear to think about the possibility. I never knew anything about my offering. I was told...that it was a dying villager, that’s it.” 

“My closest friend was mortally wounded by grimm. We ran across a town that was under attack.” Sun sniffed quietly. “Sorry, not trying to make this about me.” 

“I don’t know if there is a good way to become a sanguine faunus, but that doesn’t sound terrible. I would have preferred that, I think.” 

“I think about her all the time. I like to think she's always with me now.” He stretched his arms and tipped forward into a handstand. “I better let you go, your partner is waiting, right?” 

“Thanks Sun.” She allowed herself a smile, watching Sun wobble off into the darkness, tail flicking wildly.

She stared off into the darkness a while longer, but soon departed for her dorm room. As she approached, she could smell toasted marshmallows on the wind so she wasn’t surprised to see Yang sitting on the window sill, legs dangling outside. 

“There you are. I told you to come get me!” She spoke softly, knowing Blake could hear her easily. She moved back into the room to give Blake space to jump to her side. 

“Sorry Yang. I needed to do some thinking.” 

Yang closed the window and sat on Blake’s bed. “You’ve been stressed so I wanted to help you relax. I have a stupid movie for us to watch and hands made for massaging.” 

Blake walked to the bathroom and hesitated by the door. “Are you sure?” she asked softly.

“Of course. You’re my partner.”

She bobbed her head slowly and disappeared through the door, emerging a moment later in her sleeping clothes with her ears free. She joined Yang on the bed, curling up in her arms. 

“You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong now, but I’m here for you.” Yang saw turmoil hiding in Blake’s eyes, more agitated than earlier. She could only hope that this wasn’t her fault for forcing the issue between Blake and Weiss.

‘Thank you, Yang.” A kiss between her ears melted Blake’s worries away for the night, but they’d be back soon enough. 


Weiss tiptoed down the darkened hallway, swaying slightly with fatigue. Her scroll showed a time well past midnight when she took it out and unlocked the team room door. She kept light on her feet and felt her way around in the darkness.

“Shameless...shameless…!” Weiss thought to herself not for the first time that night. She hung the designer jacket that Coco had pressed on her and slipped into the bathroom. A full bath was in order after a long day that included sparring. 

As she sat in the steamy water, her scattered thoughts faded in and out of focus. “Not only is Coco gay, she’s got multiple lovers…goodness, I thought I was rebellious...” She drained the tub and dressed in her robe, looking at her lone reflection in the mirror. “Why would she think I’m a homosexual?”

By the time she exited the bathroom, her eyes were accustomed to darkness, which made finding her bed easy. She snuck a look at Blake’s bed, expecting to see the faunus woman deep asleep. Instead, Blake was mostly buried under Yang, her head nestled under the larger woman’s chin. Ruby was on her back, tangled up in their legs like a big dog. 

She watched them sleep for a time, trying to roll her eyes at Ruby’s goofy expression. It was late, however, so she fell onto her cold bed and did her best to sleep. 


A loud yawn directly into her ear roused Blake from sleep. Groaning she pushed Yang away. “Oww….my ears are sensitive Yang!” 

Yang patted her head in apology and shrugged. “Sorry, forgot where I was.” She positioned her foot on her sister’s hip and pushed her off the end of the bed.

Ruby landed with a loud thump and a yelp. “Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!”

“Time to wakey wakey, little sister.”

She hopped to her feet and looked around. “Where is Weiss?”

“Right here,” came the heiress’ voice from outside the room. She opened the door with an elbow and backed into the room with a tray of drinks. “I swear you always talk so loud, Ruby. We’re running out of daylight if we want to do any investigation.”

“Here,” she said, setting the tray down. “Hot chocolate, tea, and a double shot energy drink. What’s our plan?” 

Ruby eagerly drained half of her drink. “Well, I was thinking I could go and check with the police. See if they have info on the baddies.” 

“I’ll go visit the CCT tower and access the SDC database. I should be able to get records for all dust shipments to Vale.”

“There’s usually White Fang recruitment meetings on the weekends. I’ll attend one, see what they’re saying inside.” 

Sun swung into view at the window. “Mind if I join?” It was a mystery how his tail supported his whole body, but there he was, upside-down. 

“Sun! What are you doing here?” Blake marched over to the window and crossed her arms. 

“Hey, I just want to help! What, I can’t help a friend out?” 

Sun peeked over Blake’s shoulder at Weiss, who shrugged in response. “I don’t mind if he helps.”

“Fine...come with me to the meeting then.”  

Yang chuckled to herself. “I’ll hit up Junior’s club. He might have some info about what’s going on here.”  

“Okay, team RWBY (and Sun), let’s goooooo!” 

***

Ruby jogged down the street to the Vale PD industrial district precinct. “Torchwick...White Fang...Blake is right to be worried. The dust from that one shop I protected is enough to do real damage to the city. They’ve hit a handful of stores already so they’re-” 

Ruby ran headlong into a very unyielding body and bounced flat onto her back. “Ouchhh….”

“Salutations, Ruby!”

“Oh, Penny! Hi! How are you?” 

“I am doing well, my friend. You look very determined, is there anything I can assist you with?” 

“I’m trying to find any info about the dust robberies that have been happening lately.” 

“Oh yes, I’ve heard about those. General Ironwood has brought in a number of troops and other armaments to help protect these stores.” She gestured to a nearby square, where there was a row of shiny new robots. “Those are the new Atlesian Knights. I do not think Professor Ozpin was very happy for their presence, but the General insisted.” 

Ruby squinted to look at the weird robots. “They look kinda fragile...can they actually do anything?” 

“They have high caliber guns set into their arms and are capable of taking small arms fire for a short period. An improvement over their last iteration, and better than-”

The sound of a truck horn blared from right behind them on the street. A large delivery truck hurtled down the road at the two women. Before Ruby could activate her semblance, Penny ran forward and braced herself. 

“PENNY!” 

The truck collided with her, coming to a violent stop. The front of the truck crumpled and almost wrapped itself around Penny. 

“Woah...that was amazing Penny! How did you do that??” Penny pulled herself free and looked at her hands, keeping her back to Ruby. “Penny?” 

She took off down a nearby alley, running away from Ruby as fast as she could. With her semblance, Ruby caught up In an instant. “Penny what’s wrong!?” 

Realizing the futility of running, Penny slowed to a stop and kept her hands in fists. “I’m not what you think I am, Ruby...I’m not a real girl.” Tears dripped down her face as she looked up at Ruby, opening her hands to reveal metal exposed where the skin had been torn away. 

Ruby looked blankly at her hands. “What? Do you have prosthetic arms? Like that General guy?”

“No! I’m a robot! I’m not a...a real person.” Penny watched Ruby’s bewildered expression. 

“But why would that make you less of a person? You have an aura, Penny. That should tell you everything you need to know, right?” 

Penny blinked. “I do have an aura, but no heart...I’m just a machine!”

“To have an aura, you need a soul. You. Are. A. Person. Whether your body runs on a battery or by eating cookies doesn’t matter.” Ruby took Penny’s hands and squeezed them. “I mean, have you ever heard of a robot crying?” 

Penny laughed and freed a hand to wipe her eyes. “You’re a good friend, Ruby. Thank you.” She pulled Ruby into a tight hug. 

“Hrk- Penny….dying…”

“Oh! My apologies!” She giggled and let the small girl go. The sound of multiple people running sounded from further down the alley.

“I think she went down this way!”

“Oh no! I need to go back to the airship. If they find out that you know about me, you’ll be in trouble! Here.” Penny picked up Ruby and tossed her into a nearby dumpster. “Thank you again, Ruby.” 

“Heh heh...no problem Penny.” Thankfully the dumpster seemed to be full of empty cardboard boxes. She peeked out of her hiding place at the squad of Atlas soldiers that surrounded Penny. 

“There you are. What are you doing out here? Where is the other girl you were with?” 

“Other girl? I don’t know what you mean. I was just walking away from the crowd by the truck. Is the driver okay?”

“He’s fine. Apparently the floor mat got stuck under the accelerator. Your father is looking for you, let’s go.” 

Penny followed the men away, stealing a look back at Ruby. She gave a covert wave and hurried off. 

Ruby waited a minute before jumping out and dusting herself off. “Well...that was a surprise,” she mused to herself. “But I still need to get to the precinct and-” Her scroll rang loudly, startling her with the team emergency ringtone. 

“Guys, if you can hear me, we need some-” “HELPPP!” 

*** 

Weiss entered the CCT tower and walked to the bank of elevators. She entered one and scanned her scroll at a reader. It pinged in confirmation and immediately began to move. She watched the warm, sunset-colored ground fall away though a large glass window. 

She reached the top of the tower in seconds. The receptionist looked up expectantly at Weiss. “Hello, how may I help you?”

“I’d like to make a call to Atlas.” 

“Please use the terminals to your right.” 

She marched over to a terminal and sat, connecting to the SDC executive CCT system. An operator appeared on screen. “Miss Schnee! How may I help you? Shall I connect you to your father?” 

“No! No, that’s quite all right. I’d like a copy of all records of Schnee Dust Company shipments to Vale for the past two months transferred to my scroll, please.” 

The receptionist hesitated. “I’m not sure I’m authorized to give that information out without reason.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’m working a small project while I’m here in Vale, I know to follow all the proprietary data protection requirements. I’ve connected my scroll on my end here, ready to receive.” 

“O-okay Miss Schnee. One moment please.” 

Her scroll chimed. “Thank you for your assistance.” Before she could tap the “end call” button, the secretary quickly spoke up.

“Miss Schnee, wait! There’s actually a message for you from your sister. She’d like you to call her.” 

“Winter? Really?” “Okay, can you redirect this call to her?” 

“Certainly, one moment please.” The screen blackened as the call was transferred. Weiss used the reflective surface to straighten her jacket and adjust her bangs.

A beep announced that the call had connected. “Sister. It is lovely to see you.” 

“Likewise, Winter.” 

“How have you been? How is school?”

“It has been an adjustment, getting used to living with others and working in a team. Our headmaster is quite eccentric - his initiation test was quite unorthodox. We were tossed into a grimm infested forest to collect chess pieces, of all things.”

“I’ve dealt with him before, eccentric is indeed an accurate term. Who are your teammates?” 

“Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long.” Winter’s face seemed to stiffen with each name. “Is something the matter?” 

Winter pinched the bridge of her nose. “Rose and Xiao Long are related to an incredibly unpleasant fellow, a thorn in my side that refuses to budge. But Belladonna, is she giving you any trouble?” 

“Trouble? Certainly at first, but I think we have come to be fairly close. She felt a little distant this morning though…” 

“To think you would be teamed up with a faunus…a surprise that you’re getting along with her, little sister.” 

Weiss blinked. “Pardon?”

“Blake Belladonna is a feline-type faunus, is she not?” 

“Yes but why- how did you know that?” 

Winter thought for a moment. “I suppose I didn’t learn about the faunus of Menagerie until I had left for the Academy. I know he liked to keep the faunus as a broad general threat to us. At any rate, Ghira Belladonna is the Chieftain of Menagerie. He and his wife Kali have an estranged daughter, Blake. Be cautious around her - she is a member of the White Fang, a high-ranking member at that. Given her position, it is likely that she is a sanguine faunus; it is almost a requirement for anyone of that rank. I can’t believe Ozpin would allow someone like that into Beacon - I must talk to Ironwood about this.” 

“Wait! She said she is no longer a member, that she left the group prior to applying for Beacon. She certainly hasn’t shown any signs of being any danger to me. I've seen nothing to indicate that she is a vampire.” 

“And you believe her?” 

“I do. We have gone on countless small missions together and has only been supportive. We sleep in the same room, even. She has proven herself many times over. However, it is...a surprise that she has such a significant connection and didn’t mention it.”

“I’ll be the judge of whether or not she is a danger. I shall be visiting soon, sister. Keep your guard up around her. Farewell.” 

“Goodbye, Winter.” 

Weiss walked slowly back to the elevators, stomach churning with worry. As the glass box brought her back to the ground, a disturbance in the distance caught her eye. “What...is that?”  

***

Blake and Sun had easily found the White Fang meeting - still held in one of the hideouts from when she was still a member. They crawled over the rooftops until they found a pair of sentries walking around back. Under Blake’s control, the shadows that lined the building roiled and snaked around the two faunus. She choked them out and plucked their masks away. The black tide washed the unconscious bodies away, tossing them into a nearby dumpster. 

Sun turned the mask over in his hands, tracing his fingers over the sharp edges. “Why grimm? If you believe what you’re doing is right, why would you hide who you are?” 

“Humans made us out to be monsters, so we donned the faces of monsters.” 

“That’s...kinda dark.” 

She shook her head ruefully. “So was the guy that started it.”

She led Sun into the cramped space, finding a small spot toward the back. The stage at the front was mostly concealed by a black curtain. Despite her reasons for being there, Blake found herself relaxing. She never felt comfortable around humans, never safe - but here, amongst her brothers and sisters, she could breathe for the first time in a long while. 

"You see how the humans treat us! You're only safe when you're with me, my love."

Sun, sensing Blake’s inner turmoil, put a hand on her shoulder. 

“Don’t worry,” she replied. “I might miss it, but I know I can’t go back.” 

“I get it.” Sun sighed deeply. “I haven’t been around this many faunus for such a long time...not since before I changed. I totally get why so many join the Fang now.” 

A handful of faunus climbed onto the stage, the largest shouting out to the audience. “Brothers and Sisters! Thank you for joining the White Fang. We’re family now; you’ll never be alone again. You all have a chance to help make Vale a safer place for faunus. Now, allow me to introduce a very special comrade of ours.”

The distinctive form of Roman Torchwick stepped through the curtains followed by a small girl, dressed in a mix of pink, brown, and white. Immediately, angry murmurs passed through the crowd.

“A human!” “What is a human doing here?”

“I may be a human, sure. But, I am on your side! The humans have oppressed you for too long - I’m just here to provide you with the tools of your liberation.” Roman slammed his cane on the ground. “You’ve seen the new bots that Atlas has been producing. You’ve seen the weapons they’re making. Here they are, callously advertising their products in Vale. Have any of you seen anything so disgusting? So brazen?” The crowd roared in anger. 

“That’s right, they’ve come to your town. They’ve come here, brandishing their weapons at us! How many of you saw that Atlesian Knight demonstration they had? Who do they think they are, marching through the streets with guns!?

“Well, I’m here to help you teach these humans a lesson. Teach them a lesson, with the very weapons they intend to use on you!” 

He caught the curtain in the hook of his cane and ripped the dark fabric away. On the stage stood two hulking Atlesian Paladin mecha suits.

Blake grabbed Sun’s arm. “How did they get those? We can’t let them-”

Roman scanned the crowd with satisfaction. His eyes widened when they landed on Blake and Sun.

“Shit, he sees us.” Sun ducked behind a horned faunus. “What do we do?” 

“Well...he can’t see in the dark. Let’s go.” Blake drew Gambol Shroud at a large electrical breaker on the wall and pulled the trigger.

***

Yang sat on a stool at the bar and nodded at Junior. Reluctantly, he walked over and crossed his arms. “What do you want, Blondie. You better not be here to start trouble again.”

“There was only a problem because you were leering at me.” She shrugged. “I just want some information about the White Fang or Roman Torchwick. What are they up to in Vale?” 

“You know I can’t just tell you something like that. I’d lose my business.” 

“What can I get from you then?” 

He frowned and studied Yang’s face. “What do you want to drink.”

“Virgin screwdriver.” 

Junior grunted but still poured out a glass of orange juice for her. “They’re working together. The White Fang and Torchwick. There’s one more group too - I don’t know anything about them, they came out of nowhere.” He set the glass in front of her. “They’re bad news. And whoever it is, they’re calling the shots.” 

Yang took a sip. “Know anything about this boss?”

“No. Always sends a delegate. I get the feeling there’s someone even bigger behind them too.” 

Yang downed the rest of the juice and slapped a handful of lien on the counter for her drink. “Shit… Thanks Junior. What’s the price?” 

Junior shook his head and laughed. “You know if there was a price, I’d get you to pay up first. Just do me a favor and try to be nice to me. A friendly huntress is always a good thing.” 

“I don’t do favors, Junior.” 

He raised his hands. “I know. Why don’t you take the twins out then, you know they like you.” 

Yang waved over her shoulder and left the bar, mulling over the info in her head. “This must be huge…”

The sound of explosions passed behind her. She turned in time to see a huge machine go charging by, easily recognizing the slender form dodging the missiles it launched. “What the fuck?” She started her bike and peeled out after them. 

***

Blake and Sun jumped from car to car, just barely keeping out of range of the Paladin that charged after them. Weiss’ voice sounded in her ear. “I’m in position, Blake.” She shouted at Sun to get his attention and nodded toward an under-construction area off the highway. Sun gave her a small salute and pulled out his staff. Further down the road, a pool of ice grew around Weiss, creating a slick surface.

Ruyi Jingu Bang flew from Sun’s hands, weaving around cars and spinning rapidly. Torchwick barely noticed the tiny warning light, not expecting assault by a flying staff. Sun guided the deceptively heavy weapon around and batted the hulking machine off the icy elevated road. The programming automatically righted the mech before it landed, roughly jostling Roman around. 

He keyed on the external speakers. “Lucky shot, monkey boy.” The paladin swapped to its heavy cannons. “But your luck has run out.” Sun set the tip of his staff on the ground and balanced on the end, gesturing rudely. 

Irked, he immediately charged up a shot. Just as it fired, Blake used Gambol Shroud to pull one of the mech legs aside, pivoting the gun toward the sky. 

Sun hopped off his staff and waved at Blake. “I’ll let you guys handle this part!” 

Blake rolled her eyes, but she could hear her team arriving. Yang was first. “What’s up partner? Having fun?” 

Ruby and Weiss appeared together in a red and white tornado. “Let’s go team! Dangerous criminal in a mecha suit, destroy it!”

Weiss stumbled a bit, shaking off her dizziness from Ruby’s crazy semblance. “I’ll never get used to that ...urgh.” 

“Checkmate!” 

Blake fell in behind Weiss to face the coming Paladin. Weiss flew forward and stabbed at the joints of the mech, hoping to do some damage where the armor was weakest. Blake danced around her, timing her own strikes to hit the same joint with Weiss. Torchwick tried to make a grab at the small heiress, but was blocked each time by Blake. Weiss managed to get her sword into each of the cameras she could see on the body, hopefully decreasing the weapon’s effectiveness. Thankfully she did, as a panel opened over a row of missiles, right in her face. Hopping back, she pulled Blake away with her. Most of the first explosives missed, except one that sent Weiss flying into the air. 

Sensing where Blake was, she grew a time dilation glyph below her. Blake's body glowed from the accelerated time effect. She threw a hundred aura blades, intercepting each rocket before they could reach any target. Weiss hurtled toward the ground, prepared for a hard landing, but was surprised instead by a pair of gentle arms at the last moment. She looked up to see a grinning Blake clone melt away - dropping her a short distance onto her butt. “Oof! ...rude.”

“Ladybug!”

Blake huffed and followed Ruby in. Each attacked a leg, slashing back and forth, causing the mech to stumble backward. Yang saw an opening and latched onto the back of the paladin and blasting the exhaust port with her shotgun. Blake found a spot for her sword and ripped one of the paladin’s arms off. Ruby hooked Crescent Rose on the other and took it off with a heavy dust round. 

Torchwich shouted in frustration and reversed the paladin into a nearby brick wall, crushing Yang into it. He pivoted the mech around at the waist and kicked the huntress straight through the thick wall. 

“Hah! You’re next, Red.” 

Ruby grinned and turned to Blake and Weiss. “We need to stop him from moving.” 

Weiss spun the revolver on Myrtenaster. “Ice flowers?” 

“You read my mind!” 

“It’s your favorite move, dolt.” She set off the azure dust and infused it into a glyph. 

“I mean how cool is this though?” She watched glee as chunks of ice exploded on the paladin, locking the legs in place. “Bumbleby!”

The mound of rubble that remained from the brick wall exploded. Yang’s aura visibly surged around her like a flame. She blasted herself away from the paladin with her gauntlets, gaining speed. Blake threw Gambol Shroud in kusarigama form, landing it straight in Yang’s awaiting hand. She dug her heels in and spun Yang around in a circle, throwing her right at the helpless criminal. All he could see was the glow of her red eyes in the roaring yellow aura.  

“Shit.”

Yang’s fist connected, blowing the high-tech machine to pieces. Roman landed with the broken fragments, bouncing and rolling, cursing all the way. When he finally stopped, his suit was torn with bloody skin showing through the ripped fabric. 

Team RWBY charged toward Torchwick, weapons out. He felt around for his cane, apparently lost in the fight. 

“Fuck! Neo, get out here!” 

In a flash of light, a small woman appeared between Team RWBY and Torchwick. She tossed Roman his cane, waggling her finger at him. Turning back to the huntresses, she bowed courteously, umbrella on her shoulder. She looked over each huntress carefully, finally settling on Yang, giving her a smug smirk. 

“Ladies,” called Roman. “Ice Queen.” 

“Hey!”

“Until next time.” 

Yang, with her aura still at full power, reacted first. But, when her fist met the tiny woman’s face, they shattered into pieces - apparently just an afterimage. Blake breathed deep, hoping to detect their presence somewhere, but could find nothing other than her team and the smoldering wreckage. “Wait..where is Sun? Did he actually just leave us?” 

Across the town, Sun and Neptune sat at a small noodle stand. Neptune sipped his drink, “Are you sure they’ll be alright without you?”

“They’ll be fine.” He dumped the rest of the bowl into his mouth and leaned against Neptune. “I haven’t been so active in years. Carry me home?” 

Neptune snapped off a few lien for the meal and rolled his eyes. “Alright my Sun.” He lifted the faunus over his shoulder. “Ancient monkey god here, unable to walk home. My life is nuts.” 

“I think you mean ‘bananas’.”

“...shuddup.”

Notes:

New chapter a bit quicker than I usually do. I think I'm going to focus this story for now...hopefully build it up into something good. Next chapter should be non-canon. Anyway I hope you enjoyed!

Chapter 5: Blood, for Blood

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sunday blew by in a blur of worry for Blake. Atlas tech in the hands of the White Fang - unthinkable to Weiss, horrifying to Blake. None of the SDC records had any sign of the lost paladins. The recent dust thefts proved to be entirely profitable for the SDC, just as Weiss suspected. 

Ultimately, the investigation left Blake without a clear path. “The Fang must have more than just the two paladins we saw at the meeting, stored somewhere safe from Beacon Academy and Ozpin.”

“Then I suppose we’ll have to search all locations associated with the White Fang? There must be a base of operations, somewhere to store the dust and stolen weaponry. There is no place in the city of Vale is they could remain hidden.” Weiss set her scroll aside, rubbing her eyes. “Do they have a base outside of the city? I’m certain they could set up a location they could defend from grimm.” 

Blake stretched her legs and lay back on the floor. “Situationally, we did. Nothing permanent, but when there was too much heat we would move out into the wilds for a while.” 

Yang also reclined on her bed, stifling a yawn. “Where’d you guys stay? Maybe they’ll reuse a place.”

“In the forests southeast of Vale. Or abandoned settlements.” 

Ruby looked down from her swaying bed. “They wouldn’t store dust out in the forest, would they? Same with a paladin. They’ve got to be in a settlement, right?” 

“A big one, considering how much dust they’ve stolen.” 

Blake sat up quickly and pulled out her scroll. She flicked quickly through her map murmuring to herself. She gasped, ears perking up. “Mountain Glenn. It’s only a short distance from Vale. It’s perfect!” 

“But how are we going to investigate out there?” Ruby asked. “There’s no way we can go out there on a weekend or something. Maybe we can just ask Ozpin to let us check it out?” 

Weiss scowled. “Did no one else pay attention in class? We start going on missions soon. All we need to do is pick a location that is close to or in Mountain Glenn.” 

The rest of the team stared blankly at Weiss. Of course none of them were paying attention in class, what was Weiss thinking? “Oh, good idea partner!” 

She face-palmed and released a long suffering sigh. Blake looked back at her exasperated teammate with an amused smile. The sun had grown low outside the window, its light glinting off Weiss’ eyes. “At any rate, it looks like we have our next move planned. We’ll figure out what they’re doing soon enough.”

Blake fell back into her bed. “Thank you, everyone.”

“Cuddle party!” Ruby hopped from her swinging death contraption and picked up Weiss. 

“Hey! We can’t all fit on there! I’m not a cuddler y-” 

“Oh shush, you fit right between Yang and Blake.” 

Before Weiss knew it she was on top of Blake, breathing in her faintly sweet scent. “Do faunus use less scented body wash because of their heightened s-” 

“Are you okay with this?” Blake looked at Weiss with concern. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. It was a pretty common thing, in the White Fang. I used to cuddle with my friends all the time.”

She adjusted her position, finding a comfy spot on Blake. With her head nestled right against Blake’s chest, she could hear both her heartbeat and slow breathing. She distantly heard Yang clear her throat.

“I...I can’t,” she said slowly. “I’m sorry.”

Blake promptly helped Weiss off her. “It’s okay. If we move your bed closer, would that be alright?”

She bit her lip and looked down at her feet. “That would be acceptable.” 

Blake and Yang lifted her bed and moved it a few inches away from Blake’s. She relaxed into her bed and looked over at the others. They were positioned like they were the previous night, comfy and at ease. 

Weiss rolled onto her side, facing away from them. “Goodnight.”

Blake’s amber eyes lingered on Weiss’ as she got comfortable. Her pure white hair cascaded over her shoulders and seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. She must have been staring a while, because Yang nudged her shoulder with her chin. With a raised eyebrow, she nodded at the sleeping heiress. Such a vague gesture could mean anything - but Blake had a feeling she knew what the question was. Playing dumb, she cocked her head to the side. 

Yang rolled her eyes and freed her hands, forming a heart with them. Blake shrugged non-committedly and settled her head on the pillow. Yang stifled a short laugh and rolled Blake over to face her. She pointed again, this time at herself. 

Blake stared into Yang’s eyes for a long while. “I do...but…” She took Yang’s hand and kissed it, snuggling against her chest. Yang raised an eyebrow but curled an arm around her partner’s head, gently caressing a feline ear. Like the night before, she softly kissed Blake on the head and promptly fell asleep.


The shadows whispered softly in the darkness as the time neared midnight. Blake woke instantly at the low murmuring and slipped from Yang’s embrace. A prickling feeling lingered at her neck, an unpleasant feeling that quickly cut through her waking disorientation. Gambol Shroud’s handle peeked out from under her bed invitingly, but after a moment of thought she chose to remain weaponless. She rushed out the window, distracted enough to be unaware of the pale blue eyes that watched her.

She sprinted through the campus, following the path of her shadows. She moved at her natural top speed, Ozpin’s warning fresh in her mind. As she grew closer to the training center, she could hear voices that set rage ablaze in her chest. 

Team CRDL stood around Velvet, who was on the ground clutching her ear. Cardin rested his mace on a shoulder, guffawing at the fallen faunus. “Don’t you know that your kind shouldn’t be out after sundown? No one around to protect you from being treated like you deserve.” 

Blake finally reached the building and burst through the door. Her hair billowed behind her, black smoke rising from her aura. Her eyes instantly narrowed in on Velvet, on the steadily growing red spot at the base of her ear. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked through gritted teeth. 

Cardin whipped around in surprise. “Oh, nothing to concern yourself with. Just putting an animal back in line - it's got a couple growths that need to be taken care of. You better move along before something bad happens to you too.” 

Velvet shifted her hands, momentarily exposing the base of her ear, blood weeping from an inch long cut into the light brown fur. All rational thought in Blake’s mind ended. 

“Blood...for blood.” 

“Did you hear me, bitch? I said get lost!” Cardin stepped closer, getting into Blake’s face. 

“Big mistake, human.” 

“The fuck? You’re a human too, dumba-” 

She’d heard enough. Blake’s uppercut snapped Cardin’s head back and threw him into the wall. His body rebounded and began to fall. She spun and kicked him in the chest, catching him right in the space between his armor’s chest piece. The wall cracked as his body smashed into it again. She grabbed the neck of his armor and lifted him into the air, crushing the metal around his throat.

“Hey!” Russel shouted. He managed to take a few steps toward Blake before she threw Cardin’s limp body into him. 

Dove took a swing at Blake’s exposed back with his sword. The blade ripped apart Blake’s clone, the lack of resistance sending his arm wide. Blake caught his hand and threw her weight into the back of his elbow, breaking his arm with a sickening crunch. 

Just over the sound of Dove’s screaming, she could hear Sky making his move. 

“Slow, aren’t they? Humans.” 

She easily ducked under his halberd, spinning around his back. “Wide open. Too easy.” She kidney punched him, breaking straight through his unfocused and unprepared aura. She followed with a restrained rabbit punch and Sky collapsed next to his other teammates. Her eyes found Russel. He cowered behind his team leader’s body. 

Blake took a threatening step forward. “Get out of here. Don’t let me see you touching a faunus again.”  

Russel nodded frantically and scrambled into action.  She watched Russel drag his incapacitated teammates out the door, breathing deeply to calm herself. The sound of movement reminded her that she wasn’t alone. She turned to face Velvet, who sat meekly on the ground. 

“They’ve never gone that far before…” she said shakily. 

It made no sense to Blake. “Why don’t you fight back?” she asked, moving to her side. She examined the hacked flesh at the base of her right ear. It cut almost halfway through.

“Whenever we fight back, no matter how justified, people pretend that we’re violent and dangerous. It always comes back to hurt us more. And even then, they might get upset if you fight back and take it even further. Lose an ear. Or die.” 

Unable to exactly refute what she said, she focused on her ear. She cupped a hand around the long rabbit ear and poured her aura into it. Typically, only people with a specific semblance could share their aura or use it to heal others, but all sanguine faunus had the ability - which only worked on faunus or thralls. 

Velvet’s eyes widened. “You’re...Nyx.” 

“I always hated that name. And I just met the real Sun Wukong - what if there is a real primordial Goddess Nyx? She might not like people calling me that.” 

Velvet blinked. She laughed nervously. “Maybe. We already have the God of Darkness, though… Either way, I’m sure she’d forgive us.” She gently felt around her ear, sighing in relief. “Thank you, Blake. I don’t know how far they would have gone if you hadn’t been watching.” 

“I haven’t been until recently. I was trying to hide myself from Ozpin, but he knows. I’ll be watching from now on.” 

She picked up her bag and slid it over a shoulder. “You saved me before, you know. I was cornered in an alleyway by some men. I should start bringing you offerings.” 

Blake shook her head ruefully. “I could never accept anything like that.” 

Their sensitive faunus ears heard a slight sound, of a man walking with a cane. Blake gently pushed Velvet toward a door. “I’m sure he’s here for me. Go back to your dorm, okay?” 

She nodded slowly. “Thanks,” she whispered, giving Blake a tight hug. She scurried out of sight down the hall. 

“Well, Ms. Belladonna, you’re really not doing yourself any favors here. Glynda already has you on her naughty list.” 

A flash of anger cut through her. “A faunus student being maimed? You sleep soundly. I beat up a few bigots and here you are.” 

Ozpin hummed. “Well, what you did to Mr. Bronzewing - his arm will never be the same.” 

She kicked Dove’s fallen sword toward the headmaster. It clattered to a stop at his feet. Velvet's dried blood stained the metal.

“Ah...I see.” He observed Blake over the rims of his glasses. “I recognize that we haven’t been as vigilant on this issue as we should have been. I only want to ask: Did you not leave the White Fang because you could not abide the violence?” 

“Preemptive violence. Seeking to subjugate humans. Killing for fun. Torture. Not because we defend ourselves when attacked.”

“I see.” An uncomfortable silence followed. “Do you think this has changed team CRDL’s opinion of faunus for the better?” 

“What should I have done? Let Velvet get her ear cut off? We are literal animals to them.” 

“Look. The human defends his own kind. He’d rather let a faunus get cut to pieces than allow us to act in self defense.” 

Ozpin sighed heavily. “Very well. Hurry back to your dorm room please. Before Glynda arrives.”

***

Blake slowly climbed through the window back into the team RWBY dorm. She stood still, listening to the sounds of her sleeping team. Well, except for one.

Blake traipsed closer to the heiress’ bed and slowly moved her face closer and closer. They were nose to nose. Yet, Weiss continued to feign sleep, eyes closed tight. Blake sighed and slowly poked a tuft of her hair into Weiss’ nostril.

“Hey!” she whisper-shouted, slapping Blake’s hand away. “What do you think you’re doing?!” 

“I knew you were awake.” 

Weiss’ eyes widened. “Damn your ears,” she muttered. “Fine, you got me. I was awake. Where did you go?”

Blake dropped to the ground and rested her chin on the bed. “Team CRDL was attacking Velvet. They...they were trying to cut her ear off.”

She let out a soft gasp, reaching out to take Blake’s hand. “Is she okay?”

“They cut halfway through before I got there.”

Weiss’ grip was firm but shaky, eyes wide. “I can’t believe- how could th- why would they do something like that?! To Velvet!” 

The faunus’ face darkened. “We’re not people to them.”

“I’m so sorry Blake…” She closed her eyes and hugged Blake’s hand to her chest. “I can’t believe someone could do something like that.” 

“Don’t worry about it, Weiss.” She squeezed her hand and pulled free, setting about preparing to return to bed. After touching people as disgusting as team CRDL, she needed a shower and clean clothes. She kept it quick and Yang’s arms readily welcomed a freshly-showered Blake back. 

She tossed and turned for an hour. How could she possibly sleep? Her blood still roiled, heart still pounded. “I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight...am I…” 

She felt a hand gently take hers. Weiss’ eyes were half closed and sleepy, but they watched her with concern. Her hand was soft and cool, small in Blake’s grip. Immediately, she followed Weiss to sleep. 


Weiss’ pen danced across her notebook, amazingly keeping up with the professor’s speedy lecture. Typically she’d be taking notes for the whole team, but today, Blake knew the material better than the professor. 

“And so! Unwilling to accept the ongoing oppression of their species, the faunus took up arms against the kingdoms. Atlas and Vale deployed their armies in the night to forcibly uproot all faunus and confine them to the island of Menagerie.

“Unfortunately for the kingdoms, they underestimated the faunus to an incredible degree! The armies were entirely trounced once an organized resistance was formed. After the war, this organization became the original White Fang - founded by the Chieftain Belladonna of Menagerie.”

Blake stiffened in her seat. Oobleck met her eye for a brief moment before continuing. 

“The chieftain, Gh-”

“Why didn’t we just annihilate them all?” Cardin asked from the corner of the room. Dove was noticeably missing from his side, and the others were various levels of bandaged. “We outnumber them.”

“Well! Mr. Winchester. You should pay more attention to Professor Port! Tactics! Tactics tactics tactics! Humans tried to uproot a collective resistance, not an easy task. Additionally, big mistakes were made during key points in the war.

“For example! General Lagune, attempting to surprise the enemy, mounted a nighttime attack. Mr. Winchester! Do you know why his much larger army was utterly destroyed by a small group of faunus?”

Cardin shrugged. “Because they fight like animals. Honorless.” 

Oobleck took a fast sip of coffee. “Incorrect! Ignorance like this is what caused their loss! Does anyone know?” 

Pyrrha raised her hand. “Faunus can see exceptionally well in the dark. It is one of their many advantages. General Lagune’s forces were at an incredible disadvantage and all his forces were lost. Including himself.”

“Exactly! Additionally, there are the Sanguine Faunus... Now! Sanguine faunus are the result of vampirism. It is one of our many duties as huntsman and huntresses to combat any out-of-control sanguine faunus. Their existence isn’t a crime, however the Crimson Baptism requires a blood sacrifice. Typically an unwitting victim or the sacrifice of a dying friend.

“There are very few alive. Sanguine faunus are culturally worshiped and given names, often relating to legends, myths, or gods. The Nine Tailed Fox, Monkey King, Lady Nyx...but that is not a lesson for today! Your homework is to read the next five chapters of your textbook. Class dismissed!” 

Ruby and Yang automatically stood and began filing out of the room. Blake waited for the heiress to finish packing up, lost in her thoughts about the war. “What should I say when people ask about my last name? I should have given a fake name…” 

“Say…” Weiss began. “He said ‘monkey king’, was he talking about Sun? He has the same name! That’s too much of a similarity to be coincidence.” She set her bag in place and turned back to Blake. “Would you be willing to tell me about the sanguine faunus legends?” 

The cat faunus looked mournfully down at her. “Of course, Weiss,” she mumbled. “Can..can we set aside some time to talk? We need to talk.” 

“Oh…” She straightened up. “About what?” 

“There are things you need to know about me.” 

“Okay,” she whispered, thinking about her conversation with Winter. She gave her head a little shake. “I trust you, Blake. I want you to trust me, trust me with whatever it is you’ve been worried about.” 

“I...I’m scared, Weiss…I-”

“Hey, are you guys coming? Goodwitch isn’t going to be happy if we’re late!”

Ruby and Yang stood in the doorway of the classroom, looking up at their partners. Blake and Weiss looked back at each other, wordlessly promising to talk later and exited the room.

“Did we interrupt a confession of love?” Yang asked, elbowing Weiss in the side. 

Weiss pointedly ignored her and marched at the head of their group. Next class was their Practical Training class with Goodwitch. The room was buzzing with excitement when they arrived - their weapons lockers were waiting at the front of the large classroom. 

“Students, please take your seats,” Goodwitch began. “Today’s lesson is going to be a bit different. We will be doing a practical exercise, a test, if you will. Retrieve your weapon and follow me.” 

Ruby hopped excitedly. “Oooh yes! This is going to be awesome!” 

The class followed the teacher to the small aircraft launching pad, and onto an airship. The last student had barely boarded when the engines powered up. The windows of the airship were darkened, keeping them from seeing where they would be going. 

“So like, did we fail you and now you’re taking us out to the woods to put us down or…?” 

Goodwitch gave Sun a withering glare. “Today, we are testing your survival abilities. I’ve provided you with a pack of basic supplies and a small supply of food. You will be dropped into the wilds outside of Vale. Your mission is to make it back to Beacon. Alive. I will be monitoring your progress. Points will be docked for injuries. The trek should take approximately three days.” 

Jaune raised his hand. “But, how will we know which way Beacon is? We’ve got no idea of where we’re landing!” 

The experienced huntress silently marched up to Jaune, somehow towering over the team leader. “Mr. Arc,” she said, each word laced with venom. “This is a test of what has been taught to you during your time at Beacon. I do hope you were paying attention. You’ll be dropped in different areas - Team JNPR first, in five minutes. And yes, you need your own landing strategy.” 

Jaune backed slowly way and sidled behind Pyrrha. “Thank you, Professor Goodwitch,” he squeaked.

“Oh boy, do you think he’ll be okay?” Ruby whispered.

“The rest of the team will get him through it,” Weiss responded, not bothering to look up from her rapier. “Like usual,” she muttered. 

The airship’s aft door slowly opened, filling the interior with the roaring sound of dust turbines and wind. Team JNPR glowed purple from Goodwitch’s semblance - she flicked her crop and sent them tumbling out of the aircraft.

She tried to hide it but Blake could see the satisfied smirk that crossed Goodwitch’s face.

Team SSSN and RWBY were the last to be deployed. Blake and Sun shared a glance when Goodwitch turned to address the teams. “I want to encourage you to not go overboard. Keep yourselves in check. Understood?” 

“Yes ma’am,” they chorused.

Team SSSN was let out first, Sun flashing Blake a grin and a thumbs up, the only calm one on his team - his boyfriends screamed the whole way down. 

“Team RWBY, you’re up in a few minutes. Prepare yourselves.” 

Ruby stretched her arms and legs. Weiss checked her bun, pushing her tiara clip in place. Blake tightened her pack and ensured that Gambol Shroud was securely magnetized to her back. Yang loaded Ember Celica and slid them on. 

“It’s time.” The aft door opened once more. 

Before they knew it, Goodwitch launched them from the airship into the dizzying airstream, plummeting toward the ground.

Notes:

hope you're enjoying the fic

honestly I'm feeling a little lost with it. hopefully i'm not adding too much weird stuff in here heh

Next chapter will cover the survival training mission.

Chapter 6: Sanguine

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Blake gritted her teeth and squinted through the rushing air. Spotting Ruby, she floated toward her. The team fell into a loose formation and scanned the ground for a landing spot. The largest landmark was a lake, a pool of blue that stood out against the green of the forest. Ruby put up her pointer finger and circled it in the air and pointed at the water. 

Yang split off first, blasting her way through the air with her gauntlets. Blake threw herself with a clone and headed in the direction of tall trees. Weiss formed a series of weak glyphs that slowed her fall when she fell through them. Ruby pointed Crescent Rose at the ground and fired repeatedly. She landed first, right at the edge of the lake and folded her scythe. Weiss drifted to her side and alighted gently on a flat rock. Yang tanked the last of her skydive with her aura - sending a spray of mud and rocks. 

Blake kicked off of multiple clones and reached her targeted tree. The thinning trunk flexed under her weight when she caught onto it with her legs. The midday sun shone overhead, uncomfortably hot against her skin. She quickly surveyed the area, a section of forest she had traveled many times before - everything was as she remembered it; not much seemed to have change d in the past year. 

“Goodwitch is being serious here - she didn’t even slow down or descend, even a little. Launchpads into the forest is one thing but….this is a whole different ball game.” Yang looked around the lake shore. “Where’s Blake? I saw her break off but didn’t see past that.”

Blake jumped through the trees, smiling to herself, listening to her partner’s voice. 

Ruby shrugged and said, “She’ll probably be here in a sec. She is good at this kind of thing, right?” 

The subject of their conversation burst through the leaves and hurtled toward Yang. She grinned widely and caught Blake bridal style. “Hey, sexy. Come here often?” 

Blake rolled her eyes at Yang’s aggressively waggling eyebrows and hopped out of her arms. “I got some height to get an idea of where we are.” 

Ruby clapped her hands. “Ohh, that’s a good idea! So, where are we?” 

The experienced faunus looked at each of her teammates. “Everyone. I’ve lived in these forests. But, none of you three have much training, do you?”

Weiss looked at her feet and shook her head. “I admit, our entrance exam was the first time I had been in the wilderness.” 

“Ruby and I have gone camping and...well...yeah, not much experience.” 

“We can get some practical experience out here. I’ll teach what I can, but I’m not going to do everything, okay?” 

“But…! Fine, Blakeeeeee,” Ruby groaned. “Ok lesson one, where are we?!” 

“Based on the angle of the sun, North is that way,” she said, pointing across the lake. “To our left is a large body of water, and our right - mountains.” 

“So, we must be south of Beacon - we would see Forever Fall if we were north. That must be the Sea of Souls, then. If we keep it to our left, we’ll be going the correct direction,” Weiss concluded. 

“Ohhhh wow, you’re so smart Weiss!” Ruby pointed across the water. “Onward, team!” 

Blake smiled approvingly at Weiss, bringing a small blush to her pale cheeks. Her eyes were drawn to the kitty ears perked with excitement on Blake’s h-

“Wait! Blake! Where is your bow!?” Weiss looked around frantically - maybe it had fallen nearby. 

“I took it off. It’s too dangerous out here to be handicapping myself - the bow makes it harder to hear.”

“I didn’t know it was such a hindrance to you…”

“The sound of the fabric rubbing is pretty loud...it’s generally uncomfortable. We should focus on getting moving.” She gestured for Ruby to lead on. 

The team walked through the forest until the sun grew low in the sky. Blake rattled off relevant tips while they walked - also quickly slapping a poisonous berry from Yang’s hand.

“Poisonous? But we eat those all the time on Patch!”

“Really? Hmm...does it have a hard pit?”

“No it has a couple small seeds, I think? Definitely not a pit.” 

She crushed the berry under her boot, revealing a small black pit inside the fruit. “And it looks identical? That’s...dangerous.” 

Yang silently looked down at the purple mess. She resumed walking north. “Thanks Blake, I’ll have to be more careful,”  she said over her shoulder, forcing a chuckle. 

Weiss stayed close to Blake, taking mental note of every move she took. Her faunus teammate seemed to be totally at home in the wild- “Wait...is that racist? That’s entirely racist, isn’t it.” She shook her head and jumped over a large root in the ground. 

Blake turned around and raised an eyebrow. “Do you want me to write you a study guide for this?” 

Weiss scowled and crossed her arms. “No… Well maybe. Please don’t tease me on this.”

Blake sighed. “You’re right, I’m sorry Weiss.” 

The team marched on until they reached a small set of mountains, marking their journey one-third over. With the sunset upon them, Blake nodded to a gap in the rocks. “There’s an enclosed area here, partially covered. We can rest here for the night.” 

Ruby and Yang wordlessly slipped between the rocks, exhausted from the full day of walking. A small rocky clearing was concealed by boulders, mostly covered by a large rock slab. 

“So you stayed here before?” Weiss asked, claiming a small corner as her own, plopping down on a padded mat. 

Blake climbed a wall to an elevated shelf. “We did. We put the rocks here ourselves.” She reclined and ripped open a ration bar. “There’s a number of places like this along the way, safe areas for the White Fang. Tomorrow, we’ll find our own shelter - this is supposed to be a learning experience, right?” 

Yang stretched out and yawned. “I think Weiss is rubbing off on you. Being all goody-goody.” 

“Maybe she is,” Blake responded with a giggle. “But I just want my teammates to know how to be safe out here. I’ve lived like this for years - outside the city, danger is everywhere.” 

Yang’s grin faded. She sat stiffly while the others prepared for bed. “I’ll take the first watch.” 

“Let’s do it in pairs. Me and you, Blake and Weiss.” Ruby hopped up and took Yang by the shoulders. “No arguments.”

“...fine.” 

Yang trudged out of sight. Ruby gave Blake a look and pointed at her ears and pretended to plug her own. She pulled a towel from her pack and set it on her head. 

“Thank you!” she mouthed, before following Yang. 

Weiss nervously eyed Blake, who was leisurely taking bites out of her rations and reading a book. “Blake? Can you hear me?” 

“I can hear you fine.” She set down her book and fixed her amber eyes on Weiss. 

“If these are White Fang rest spots, what if they come here?” 

“I’m counting on us being right about Mountain Glenn. Otherwise, we’ll spot them while on watch.” "I'll sense them coming."

“I see… that makes sense. I’ve also been wanting to learn more about Sanguine Faunus...”

Worry gnawed at Blake’s insides - but she ’d promised to be up-front with the heiress. “What do you want to know?” 

“What are these legends Oobleck mentioned?”

“We honor some sanguine faunus. Give them names. Celebrate their existence. The Nine Tailed Fox heals the sick and injured. The Monkey King punishes the power-hungry and tricks the prideful. Nyx watches from the shadows at night and protects the weak.”

“That’s amazing. So...some sanguine faunus do good.”

“Well the ones that don’t, those get hunted.”

“But they’re too strong! How are we supposed to stop a sanguine faunus?” 

A tough question to answer, for a sanguine faunus. “They have weaknesses. There are times when they're not at full power. Their blood semblance is weaker during the daytime and the longer it has been since a feeding. Being in the sun in general is more tiring.” 

“Blood semblance?” 

“Oh...you get a second set of powers after your Crimson Baptism. They’re usually related to your existing semblance and the semblance of your offering. When a sanguine faunus uses it, their eyes will glow - or some other part of them, like their hair or tail, for example.” 

“I see. And ‘feeding’? So they do hunger for blood!” 

“Maybe...I shouldn’t have said that.” “We don’t exactly like humans to know about it, because it makes them worry, right? There is a slight hunger...from what I hear. Typically, you’d only feed for the power.” 

“What does the blood do for them? Human blood only?”

“Why are you so interested?” 

Weiss frowned and sat back. “I just want to know! For the sake of knowing...knowing how much father has lied to me.”

Blake nodded slowly. “Human blood works best. Then thrall blood. Then faunus. Stronger semblance and blood semblance, senses, strength, and speed. And all of this is the same for thralls, but much weaker. And the downsides are worse - especially being outside during the day.” “Probably why Haruka is always in the cafe office…” 

“My skin isn’t made for the sun already, could you imagine it being worse?” Weiss laughed to herself. “I’ve gotten quite a bit stronger since I was a child, though.” 

Blake dangled her legs off her elevated cubby and smiled at Weiss. “I may have kicked your butt last class but you’re far from weak,” she teased. 

The heiress rolled her eyes and laid back on her cushioned mat. “You know, my semblance is hereditary. My sister and I got it from our mother, unchanged through the generations. It took me a long time to get where I am now, and yet there are still parts of my semblance I can’t use. Glyphs - dust-infused, time dilation, hard light, repulsion, attraction…but I just can’t summon.” 

Blake stiffened in her seat. “Summons?” 

“We can summon defeated enemies to fight with us. But I just can’t do it. I want Winter to be proud of me, but I’m still limited. Still not good enough.” 

“Weiss...you’ve changed so much in the short time that I’ve known you. I thought I hated you, and everything you stood for. But you’ v e shown me that’s not who you are. You are someone that I love. I’m absolutely sure that you’ll master it with time.” 

Weiss turned away from Blake to hide the tears welling in her eyes. “Thank you, Blake. Wake me when it’s our shift.” 

***

Ruby followed Yang to an easy to climb portion of the mountain and found a good vantage point for their watch. Her older sister was silent, keeping her eyes away from her. “Yang...you need to stop blaming yourself.” 

“I’m not blaming myself, Ruby.” She crouched between two rocks and looked down at their shelter. She could see Weiss’ shadow moving slightly against the wall. 

“What’s wrong then?” 

“It’s...just hard being out here. I still have nightmares of those red eyes. Of the time that I was almost responsible for our deaths. I still don’t know enough to be safe out here.” 

“You don’t have to do everything on your own, though. We’re a team, each with something to bring to the table.” 

Yang fell silent and continued to look out into the night. Ruby sat beside her and leaned against her sister, resting her head on Yang’s shoulder. Eventually, Yang wrapped her arm around Ruby held her close.

***

Blake dozed lightly, as she always did. Her presence spread through the darkness in the surrounding area. She was always the alarm system of the White Fang. Whether it was a human, grimm, or stray mouse, Blake would know it was around. 

Unlike the night when Velvet was attacked, Blake jerked awake as if shocked. “Incoming!” she shouted, grabbing at Gambol Shroud.

Weiss bolted up and staggered into a wall, disoriented from sleep. “What’s happening?!” 

“Three Neverm-”

A nevermore soared into view overhead, crashing through the mountain with its beak. The nevermore’s scream echoed through the air, along with a deep rumbling. The sky was blocked out by a massive rockslide, threatening to crush their hideout and surrounding area. 

Blake closed her eyes and felt around her. Yang and Ruby jumped from their hiding spot and ran toward safety - they would be okay. She and Weiss, however, would not get out of their shelter fast enough. There was no time to make a plan, so she grabbed her weapon and tackled Weiss to the ground and reached for her Blood semblance. 

Weiss found herself on her back, looking up over Blake’s shoulder through a gap in the ceiling. The mass of falling rock would be too much for her glyphs, but she had to try. She created as many glyphs as she could and squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the collapse. She felt her glyphs shatter and her ears were filled with a deafening crash. All she could feel was Blake’s arms around her when everything went dark. 

When the rockslide finally ended, her ears were filled with a ringing in the silence. She peeked through her eyes and had to squint to see two shining amber orbs. Amber eyes. Blake’s glowing amber eyes.

 

“Blake...is a sanguine faunus.” 

Notes:

thanks to everyone who left me a comment, they're super helpful! c:

Chapter 7: Blue Eyes

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Yang watched, frozen in horror as the mountain collapsed on her teammates, but Ruby grabbed her arm and dashed with her semblance. 

“They’ll be okay! If we try to go in there we’ll get caught too, even with my semblance,” Ruby shouted. The nevermore destroyed a large section of the mountain’s upper ridge, bringing down a landslide that spilled far out among the trees. 

She took a few last steps and slowed her pace just as the wave of rocks and dirt landed on the ground with an ear splitting crash, a few feet behind them. Ruby spared a few moments to glance back at the pile. “I hope I made the right decision...I believe in you Weiss...Blake.” She took Yang by the shoulders. “I can try to take the nevermores on my own for a bit, go check on them. I won’t be able to stop them for long so be quick!” 

***

Panic flooded Weiss’ mind. Glowing eyes that haunted her nightmares shone onto her. She hastily felt around the dirty ground for Myrtenaster in the dark, unable to tear her eyes away from the terrifying amber light. The second she wrapped her fingers around her sword’s handle, panic gave way to crushing regret. 

“I...I’m so sorry Weiss,” Blake cried. “I...I should have told you earlier, but I did it again.”

Weiss’ face was blank. “Blake…”

“There’s no time, we’re running out of air and I can’t hold this weight for much longer. I have- I need to- I need some of your blood, Weiss!” Her arms began to shake from exhaustion, and her breathing became heavy. “Just a mouthful, and I can get us out of this. It won’t hurt or have lasting effects on you, I promise.” She winced, remembering what good her promises were. 

“It’s...our only option.” Weiss tilted her head to the side. “Take what you need, then.” 

Blake wasted no time and leaned in, gently piercing Weiss’ delicate skin. Blood quickly welled up in her mouth, hurried by Weiss’ hammering heart. She tried not to think about how delicious it tasted, how long it had been since she last fed, how beautiful a sight her slender neck was... Heat filled her body and her strength surged. “Brace yourself.” 

***

Yang sprinted up the mound of dirt, air thick with dust, and looked for any sign of her teammates. “Blake! Weiss! Can you hear me?” A few steps later she felt a tremor pass through the ground, enough of a warning to shield her face in time. 

A section of the landslide blasted into the air, hurled sky-high by a whirlwind of what seemed like black flames. Debris rained around the newly created crater as Yang ran to the edge. “Blake! Weiss!” Down in the newly formed crater, a strange, black , Blake-shaped figure supporting Weiss. 

“Weiss! Are you okay?” Yang picked up the dizzy heiress and carried her bridal style. The noir-Blake disappeared, leaving the two alone. 

“Just woozy...I am low on aura. And some blood loss.” 

She looked Weiss over. “At least you’re alive, thank Maidens. What about Blake?” 

Weiss wordlessly pointed into the sky. It was still the middle of the night, but the moonlight brightened the sky enough for Yang to see the Nevermores circling a short distance away, diving down at what was probably Ruby. There was one other figure among them. 

Blake flew through the air on wings made of the same dark flame as her clone, a strange otherworldly substance. She cut through the air and snuck up on the grimm beasts. She flicked her wing and sliced through the neck of the first nevermore and crashed into the second. Her feet found purchase against the feathered neck. Ruby, below, was finishing off the third nevermore with Crescent Rose, a single shot into the beast’s eye. 

The power Weiss’ blood had given her was almost at its end. Blake ripped the nevermore’s wing off and kicked it to the ground where it joined the headless body of its friend. 

Further away, Yang sighed a breath of relief - the grimm threat was over. “My teammates are the best!” She jogged over to Ruby, taking care not to jostle the heiress, and called her name. 

“Yang! Weiss! You’re okay!” Ignoring her partner’s frown, she took Weiss from Yang. 

“Of course I’m fine. Stop passing me around like a child.” She swatted at Yang’s hand that tried to pet her on the head.

“Where is Blake?”

“Yang, did you see her!? It was amazing! Did you know she could fly?” 

She shrugged in response and looked up into the sky. Blake hovered above them, seeming to look off into the distance. Ruby and Yang tilted their heads in identical signs of confusion, but Weiss knew what was in Blake’s head, knew where she was looking. 

“Blake Belladonna.” 

Weiss’ voice pierced through the air, sending a shiver up Blake’s spine. There was a moment of hesitation, but her wings began to dissipate slowly. Those strange, almost immaterial, wings faded slowly, gradually losing shape as she drifted toward the ground. When her form disappeared below the treetops, Weiss freed herself from Ruby’s arms. 

Her knees immediately buckled under her, threatening to throw her face-first onto the ground. Ruby and Yang each caught an arm and carefully lowered her into a sitting position.

It was a miracle that they survived an attack by three nevermores. Unlike beowolves, nevermores always lived on their own, never travelling in packs or groups. “That was weird,” Yang commented. “I’ve never heard of three nevermores attacking at once. Crazy.”

“Wasn’t there some news this week that there were strange encounters with grimm? ‘Unusual grimm activity’ or something like that.” Ruby reloaded Crescent Rose and racked the slide with a satisfying ‘clack’. She keyed the safety and looked off in the direction they last saw Blake. 

The faunus slowly walked out of the darkness at the edge of the trees into the more sparsely covered area in which the rest of her team waited. With slow, deliberate movements only, Blake sat quietly and set Gambol Shroud beside her. Ruby and Yang exchanged a perplexed look, and immediately began to cross the distance to Blake. 

“Blake, that was amazing! Why didn’t you tell me that you could fly?!” 

Yang tackle-hugged her partner. “I’m so glad you’re okay…A mountain fell on you both, we’re so relieved you’re alive.” 

They both looked expectantly at the silent faunus, but her attention was fixed on one person. 

“Oh!” Ruby hopped up and ran back to Weiss, lifting her into her arms. “We forgot Weiss back here!” She jogged back and settled her down facing Blake. 

Feeling the moment, Yang pulled them all into a group hug. “We’re never staying at the foot of a mountain again.”

“Sorry,” said Blake, dryly. “Didn’t think the grimm were smart enough to drop a mountain on us.”

Ruby felt more than saw Weiss’ discomfort. The stiffness in her shoulders, her unusual stillness. “Weiss? Is everything okay?” 

No immediate answer came from Weiss. 

“Um. What’s going on Weiss?” Yang asked with trepidation. “Why is she being so weird?” 

Blake spoke up abruptly. “I’m a sanguine faunus.”

Ruby and Yang’s faces showed no recognition. “A what now?” 

“Um. We just had a lesson on them? A faunus that has become a vampire by drinking enough blood to kill a person.”

“Oh!” Ruby shifted uncomfortably. “So you’ve killed someone...” 

“Yes...I have. I’ve killed more than one person,” Blake confessed. “Mostly in self-defense…”

Not the most convincing answer to Ruby, but the Blake she knew wasn’t some crazy murderer. “Ohh and Weiss, you’re...upset because ... because… wait why are you upset?” 

“I’m not upset,” she snapped. “Not with Blake, anyway. It was a surprise, but what does it matter to me? What business is it to me if Blake is a sanguine faunus?” 

Blake couldn’t believe her ears. “You’re not mad at me? How? I lied to you. Again!” 

Weiss looked up into the sky. “I never asked you if you were a sanguine faunus, did I?” 

“True...she didn’t…” “But I-”

“I panicked, Blake. I went for my sword, again. Again.”

“Well...I mean we are pretty dangerous so-”

“No, Blake.” Weiss sighed heavily. “It’s obvious - you’re Nyx. The sanguine faunus that protects the weak. Am I wrong?” 

Blake nodded silently. Yang looked back and forth between them. “Wait. So you’re like, a vampire goddess thing? Like you suck blood? That’s...kinda hot.” 

The comment drew a laugh from Blake. “Oh? Sanguine faunus do have a tradition of having concubines to feed on.” 

“Holy fuck…” Yang whispered. 

Blake giggled. It was a nice moment of relief, but she sobered quickly. “Weiss. There’s something I need to ask you.” Her eyes slowly met Weiss’. “How did your mom die?” 

Dread. There could be no good outcome from this. “Mother was shot in the back and drained of her blood. Her hair was taken as a prize.”

“Where was she bitten?”

“Right here,” she responded, indicating the crook of her arm. “There is a large vein that runs by here.” 

It wasn’t a surprising answer to her, but it was a kick to the stomach for Blake nonetheless. It was time for a story that Blake never thought she would tell her teammates. A story she’d intended to keep a secret for the rest of her life. “When I was with the White Fang, I was the second-in-command to the leader of the Vale branch. A very old sanguine faunus. I...don’t think I know exactly how old, but at least a century. We were...together. I believed in what he was fighting for.”

Yang clenched her fists. “How old were you?” 

Blake closed her eyes. “Fourteen.” 

Yang’s aura shimmered around her, flaring dangerously. “Fourteen,” she repeated. 

"My love."

“He always wanted me to make the change. He talked about it often, no matter what I said. Eventually, he came to me with a body. He said they were collateral damage of a fight with the Atlesian Military - shot in the crossfire...in the back. They had a shaved head...and very pale skin. He said he couldn’t handle the thought of me dying before him, leaving him to mourn my death for the rest of his endless life. There was no time to think, the victim was dying - I had to make a choice.

“I did it. Next thing I knew, I could feel everything around me. Part of me was in every shadow for miles. Clones I made were pitch black with glowing eyes. They moved and lasted for as long as I wanted, not like the dead stand-ins of my normal semblance.

“I thought that was all, but there was a time that I tried to make a clone. Instead, it was a tall woman with shining blue eyes, instead of amber. Blue, like yours Weiss.” 

“The Schnee semblance allows us to summon those we have killed. Our summons are formed by strong emotions,” Weiss supplied robotically. 

Her story finished, Blake wept silently. Weiss was frozen, staring numbly in the distance. “You killed my mother,” she mumbled. “I need to be alone.” 

Weiss stood and stumbled off into the darkness. Ruby made to follow, but Blake grabbed her arm. “I’ll make sure she’s safe…let’s get her stuff from the campsite.” 

The mountains loomed ahead, unrecognizable thanks to the nevermore-induced landslide. Large boulders dotted the area. Fallen trees pointed away from the mountains. The large crater, created by Blake, was fifty feet deep with sloped walls. Ruby slid down into the pit and pulled Weiss’ pack free from the dirt. “I wonder if other team leaders have to deal with stuff like this…” 

Yang was at her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Ruby.” She glanced up at Blake. “I’m sure Weiss’ll be okay. We’ll get through this and then we’ll graduate from Beacon and hunt down Blake’s piece of shit abuser.”

That caused an uncomfortable twinge in Blake’s stomach. “I don’t know if-” she cut her thought short. “Guys, I’ll be right back. Stay here.” 

***

Weiss walked as far as her tired legs would carry her, ending up at a small stream. She sat on a rock and stared into the water. Clear thoughts refused to form in her head, except one - Blake killed her mother. Could it be that her father was telling the truth about something? “He’d sooner die than tell the truth about anything. Monster.” It wasn’t doing her any good to think alone. 

She spoke into the darkness. “Blake? Come here please.” She waited only a minute before she heard approaching footsteps. It registered in her mind that Blake was never that loud - she was still navigating Weiss' prejudice. 

“I...wasn’t totally watching you or anything just enough to know where you were and that you were safe and-”

“It’s okay Blake, I didn’t think you were watching me closely.” 

Blake relaxed slightly. “What did you want to talk about?”

“You said your partner brought my mother to you; where were you and how did he get her there?”

“We were in Atlas to spy on military weapons development. We heard that they were creating weapons to use on us. I don’t know how exactly he did it. He brought her to me just as we were about to leave.”

“He didn’t say how he managed to get the Schnee matriarch to you?”

“I didn’t know it was her...he told me that it was just some random innocent person that got hit by the crossfire. I would never have even thought that it could possibly be someone like your mom - it was nearly impossible to get to her.” 

Weiss blinked. “Was that something...you assessed?” 

Blake lowered her gaze. “Of course it was. Any Schnee was always a high priority target. I even know the layout of your bedroom.” She laughed awkwardly. 

“Lovely,” Weiss deadpanned. She thought for a moment and added, “To be fair, the SDC has a registry of all faunus in Atlas.” 

Blake sighed. “Well...you shouldn’t be comparing your company to a terrorist organization.”

“I suppose so.” Weiss smiled sadly. “My mother is your summon now. What am I supposed to do with that?” 

“If I ever figure out how to use summoning, I won’t…” 

“Would it be like I’m fighting alongside my mother?”

“We can try, eventually, if that’s what you want,” Blake responded, daring to believe that Weiss still wanted to be on her team. “You...you don’t hate me?” 

Weiss looked back into the stream. “I don’t think so. But I need time.” 

“Of course…” Blake took Weiss’ hand. “If you want...we can look into how my partner did it. It should have been impossible. Your father had to be involved.” 

A flash of anger crossed Weiss’ face. “He’s involved, I know it.” No other words would come from her anger, so she fell silent for a time. “What was your partner’s name?”

 

“Adam Taurus.”

Notes:

im having a rough time with this haha but im still going...

changed the name because....idk the original one was stupid lol

Chapter 8: Thrall

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Morning came sooner than any member of team RWBY wanted. As the last person on watch, Blake gently shook each teammate awake. Ruby and Yang grumbled, insisting on a few more minutes of precious sleep. Weiss woke without a word and was ready to resume their journey before the sisters had even opened their eyes. 

“Blake...why do we have to leave so early?” Ruby sat up laboriously, rubbing her eyes. 

“The sooner we get moving, the sooner we’ll be back at Beacon. Less sun, cool air - it’s just better to get moving early.” 

“Ugh, Blake. Are you sure this isn’t because your vampire booty doesn’t like the sun?” Yang asked, making lewd grabbing motions. 

“Don’t start with this ‘Bellabooty’ thing again, Yang. Get up.”

Blake walked over to where Weiss stood looking vacantly off into the distance, and spoke softly. “Weiss.”

The short girl jumped in shock. “Jesus Blake, don’t sneak up on me.” 

She frowned. “Sorry…I just wanted to see if you were doing okay.”

“I’m fine. Ready to head out.” 

Blake nodded approvingly and went back to corralling the sisters. Once they were all packed up, the team huddled together. “So, which direction do we go?” Blake quizzed. 

Weiss pointed off around the mountain. “That way. There’s a pass with a stream. Then slightly northwest for Beacon.” 

“According to the textbook, you’re right. However, that’s the main road - travelers are often attacked by grimm there. There’s also raiders and the like, looking to ambush anyone with money.” 

Weiss nodded, squeezing the grip of her sword. “That’s a choke point. I see what you mean. What’s the alternative?” 

“There’s paths over low elevation portions of the mountain. If we just take those, we’ll be safer.” 

Ruby scratched her head. “Aren’t there like, dangerous animals in the mountain? Mountain lions, I think.” 

Yang elbowed her sister. “Are you kidding? We could take on a whole pack of mountain lions, no problem.” 

“But..! They’re cute…fine. I’m sure Crescent Rose would scare them away.” She set a fist on her hip and pointed into the trees. “Onward! Team RWBY!”

The team fell into line behind Blake, hiking along the path around the mountain. It was a shame that the grimm made much of the area uninhabitable. The White Fang managed itself in the Wilds, but there could never be a larger settlement of people who weren’t fighters. She stayed in enough failed settlements to know that, with only a few exceptions, they inevitably fell. 

The team walked mostly in silence, cutting up the side of the mountain on a worn path. She timed their departure to be over the mountain, back into the cover of the trees before midday. Blake smiled to herself in satisfaction, she still knew her way around after living in the cushy Beacon dorm rooms. She listened back to her teammates, remembering to check in on them. Ruby was quiet, likely thinking about something - worrying about Weiss, probably. Weiss’ gait was slightly uneven - a blister on her right foot? She’ll have to make changes to those shoes. Yang walked stiffly, checking the area around them frequently as she brought up the rear. 

Uneasiness grew in Blake more and more as the day passed by. Not a single grimm had confronted them during this test so far, save for the nevermore incident. It simply wasn’t normal, especially not with last night’s revelations weighing on everyone’s mind. 

As Weiss’ limp grew more exaggerated and the team made it further away from the mountain, Blake slowed to a stop. “Let’s take a break.” 

Ruby sighed in relief, immediately shrugging off her pack and falling spread-eagle onto her back. Weiss made a show of carefully setting down her things and taking a seat daintily on her cushion. Yang joined Ruby on the ground and promptly fell asleep. Blake sat cross-legged next to Weiss and pulled out a roll of gauze and a squirt bottle of iodine. 

“Here,” she said, offering the roll and bottle to Weiss. 

She responded with a raised eyebrow. “What do I need that for?” 

“Your blister.” 

Her eyes widened. “How…?”

She flicked an ear pointedly and offered the gauze again. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that I’m a faunus?” 

Weiss frowned at her furry ear and accepted the gauze. “No...I just try to forget how little I can hide from you.” 

A touch of guilt cut into Blake. “Sorry. I’m not trying to invade your privacy.” 

“It’s like you’re in my head. Nothing is safe.”

“Nothing is safe,” Blake repeated softly. “I’ll let you take care of your blister.” She stood and joined the sisters.

Internally, Weiss winced as she watched Blake. As much as she tried not to look at them, Blake’s ears clearly communicated her emotions. The slight droop right at the tips said enough for Weiss’ chest to be filled with regret, not for the first time in the past 24 hours. 

Silently cursing herself, she gingerly pulled off her boot and looked over the bloody spot on her foot. Noticing her partner’s pain, Ruby leapt up and grabbed her leg. “Weiss! Are you okay??” 

Yang craned her neck to see her foot. “Tsk tsk. You need to buy better shoes. Maybe boots with a shorter heel.” 

“Blake has heels though!” 

Blake guiltily scratched the back of her head. “Well..that’s because I use my aura for protection.” 

“You keep your aura on all the time? Covering your feet, even? That’s crazy!”

Blake let out a sigh. “I spent a long time fighting, living in the wilds. I’ve had my aura up for years at this point.”

“Are you that committed to having great legs all the time? I mean, I like it, but still…” Yang trailed out. 

“No...I guess it was just something I wore all the time. My partner said it looked nice. It doesn’t change that my aura is always on guard.”

A flash of recognition passed through Yang, immediately changing her amusement to fury. “Right...I’m sure you were expected to look nice,” she said through gritted teeth. 

Ruby hopped to her feet and grabbed Blake’s arm. “Can we talk?” 

She didn’t wait for an answer before pulling her off behind a tree. “Yes, Ruby. I suppose we can talk,” she said bemusedly. 

“Sorry. Yang needs a minute to cool off with our ice queen. That guy you talk about really makes her mad.” Her shoulders slumped. “Hey...Blake. Why didn’t Ozpin make you team leader? You know everything. You’re strong and smart. I can’t-”

“Ruby,” she said, stalling her spiral. Ruby’s hand was trembling slightly when Blake took it. It was not quite as small as Weiss’, but petite compared to her own. “I’m not a leader. I...can’t be a leader. Stop doubting yourself. I’m just a powerful monster of the night.” 

Ruby giggled and wiped at her eyes. “A monster with cute ears.” She turned and pounced on Blake, cupping each feline ear in a hand. She hummed contently, rubbing her fingers against the soft fur. 

Blake sighed, but didn’t resist, putting her arms around her. “I’m only allowing this because I don’t think you see me as an animal. Otherwise, I might make a snack out of you.” She nipped at her arm for emphasis. 

She giggled in response. “I’ll be your snack.” 

“Yang has been a bad influence on you, I see…. But have some confidence Ruby, you’ve done a great job so far.”

Ruby rested her forehead against Blake’s left collarbone. “Just my luck I’ve got a team comprised of: 1 - my older sister. 2 - Schnee Dust Company princess. And 3 - former White Fang baddie. Someone set my Beacon experience to Ultra-Nightmare Mode when I wasn’t looking!” 

Blake chuckled and cuddled Ruby closer. “It’ll be all the more satisfying when you beat it, right?”

“Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Cheat codes please!”

***

Yang plucked the gauze out of Weiss hand. “Let me get that for you. Just lean back.” 

“But-” Weiss tried, but Yang was already pulling her leg onto her lap. “Fine.” 

With a practiced eye, Yang looked over Weiss’ foot. The angry spot of red stood out against her fair skin. “Just relax, this is one of the things I’m actually good at. I took care of Ruby after mom died, and she got herself injured a lot.”  

With a little flare of her aura, she pierced the blister and cleaned the area with some iodine. She wound the gauze snugly around her petite foot and tied off the ends. “I hope you’re not mad at Blake.” 

“I’m not.” 

“I can barely keep my cool, thinking about it. If I ever find her abuser, I’m going to kill him.” 

“Abuser? What are you talking about?” 

“I can tell by the way she talks about him. This guy she was with while she was in the White Fang...I can’t bear to think about how he treated her.” 

Weiss watched red bleed into Yang’s eyes, flickering as she tried to stay calm. “You think he hurt her?” 

“I’m absolutely sure he has. You can’t blame her entirely for what happened to your mother - she was tricked into it. Forced into it.” She kissed Weiss on the ankle and stood. “Anyway he’s on my shit-list. Your dad too. No one hurts the people I love.”

Weiss looked down at her bandaged foot, silently sliding it back into her boot. “Thank you, Yang,” she mumbled. 

“Let’s keep moving. Where’d they go?” She pounced on Weiss and picked her up in her arms. 

“Hey!”

“You need to stay off that foot for a bit,” she said, a smirk casting doubt on her intentions. “It’s been a rough day for you. My hugs can cure anything, trust me.”

Weiss relaxed in Yang's admittedly comforting arms and rested her head against her chest, thinking about the ache growing in her own.

***

As the sun began to dip in the sky, Blake let Ruby lead, prompting her to choose a camping spot. 

“O-okay. I’ll find us a spot.” She disappeared in a cloud of roses, zipping up a nearby tree. She was back before any of them took another step. “There’s a nice spot ahead! Near a stream, small clearing, good elevation!” 

They found the spot Ruby saw and dropped their things. Weiss looked around at the suspiciously ideal camping spot. “This was a White Fang stop, wasn’t it?” 

Blake nodded, impressed. “Yes, it was. A smaller spot, only used by squads.”

Ruby stretched and groaned loudly. “Ok, so I'll go get some water. Blake, firewood. Yang, set up camp.” 

Tired murmurs of assent came from Blake and Yang but Weiss shifted uncomfortably. “What about me? I can set up camp, my foot isn’t that bad.” 

Ruby looked at the others and nodded. “Okay, Weiss. Yang you help Blake.” Ruby hugged Weiss around the shoulders before they all departed for their tasks.

The area they stopped in was a small wooded area at the top of a hill, providing a nice view of the surrounding forests. She pulled out her teammates bedding, laying them out in a semicircle. She made a small firepit, lined with stones. Looking up at the tree she stood by, Weiss remembered something she saw in a book. She rummaged through her bag and found a length of thick rope. She wrapped it between two branches, creating a small watch spot for her to sit and recline in. 

She settled in and relaxed, rubbing her temples. “I’ve had a headache all day...hopefully I can actually get some sleep tonight…”

“Oh, you must be the Schnee.”

Weiss flinched hard, almost falling from her perch. She fumbled slightly with Myrtenaster, grabbing it from her lap. Over the tip of her sword she could see a short cat faunus, just her head poking out of a nearby bush. 

“Twitchy, aren’t ya?” She extricated herself from the bush and dusted herself off. She had small, brown cat ears, a shortsword low on her back, and set of throwing knives on her thigh that glistened with the telltale glow of dust. “Wow you’re short too - almost as small as me! That’s rare.” 

Weiss lowered her sword. “Sorry, but who are you?” 

The faunus jumped all the way up to Weiss’ hammock, with a warning flash of silver. Weiss blocked the quick attack and kicked the faunus in the gut, knocking her away from her perch. The faunus flipped in the air and landed on her feet, rubbing the place she was struck. 

“Wow, nice hit,” she said, laughing slightly. She reared back and inhaled deeply. Aura shimmered around the girl’s body in response to her semblance. Blue flames shot from the faunus’ mouth, surging into the tree where Weiss stood.

The flames splashed against a glyph she quickly made, heat singeing at her face. Under the cover of the blinding attack, she made three repulsion glyphs to circle her attacker. She bounced off the series of pads and landed behind the cat faunus, slipping Myrtenaster against her neck. “Don’t move.” 

The little faunus dropped her sword and raised her hands. “I’m Haruka. I know Blake.” 

A faunus knowing Blake, a former White Fang leader, was concerning to hear. “How vague. Why did you attack me?”

Haruka rolled her eyes. “Just wanted to see how good you are, princess.” She wrapped her tail around Weiss’ leg and tickled her inner thigh with the tip. “I think I like you, Schnee.” 

An unexpected flash of disgust flared in her. “Stop referring to me like that,” Weiss snapped, trapping the wandering tail between her knees. “Be more specific - how do you know Blake? Are you White Fang?” 

“She comes to my coffeeshop a lot, relax.” She exhaled slowly, cutting her aura off from the errant fires her attack started. 

“You have two faunus aspects. You’re a thrall.”

“Yep, undying thrall, right here.” 

“Whose?”

“Hey. I barely know you, that’s a little intimate.” She scratched behind her feline ear. “But, I’ll tell you it’s not Blake, since that’s clearly what you’re asking.”

The indirect reprimand caused a twinge in her chest. “Sorry. I didn’t realize it was something private.” She released the girl and put some space between her. 

She shrugged it off and plucked her sword off the ground and shoved it into its sheath. “I must say, you’re far more calm than I thought you’d be.” She sniffed the air a few times. “And you’ve let Blake feed on you? Wow.”

There was no mark left on her neck from the incident, just like Blake said - but the faunus somehow knew. She rubbed the spot on her neck; she wouldn’t soon forget the feeling of her lips, the feeling of closeness that she hardly knew. “It was a life or death situation.” 

“Still.” She shrugged. “I would have guessed that you’d rather die.”

Weiss frowned at the laughing faunus. “Perhaps your conception of me isn’t accurate.” 

“Perhaps not,” she snarked back. “Verily! The intellectual visualization of the female specimen before me, potentially ist not congruent wi-” 

Weiss roughly returned Myrtenster to her hip and hopped back into her tree bunk, looking around at the slight fire damage. “Great,” she muttered. “Stop talking like that.” 

She laughed and climbed into an adjacent tree, lounging on a branch. “Did you ask Blake not to watch you, or something? She should have noticed I’m here already.” 

“She may have understood that I wanted to be alone…”

Haruka leaned back, taking in a deep breath. “BLAAAAKEEEE!” 

Half a second later, a certain faunus burst out of a shadow on the ground with her sword out. Spotting Haruka, she instantly relaxed, twisting in the air to avoid crashing headlong into her fellow feline faunus. “Oh, Haruka…! You scared me,” she said, landing safely behind her.

Looking down from the tree, Weiss’ eyes peered over the edge of a branch. “Did you just...travel through a shadow?”

“Uhh. Yes, did I forget to mention that? I was trying to give you some space so I had closed myself off- I travel faster through sh- Yes it’s one of my abilities,” Blake rambled.

A huffing and panting could be heard until Yang appeared through a gap in the trees. “Jesus, fuck! Blake, what the hell!?” 

“Sorry...I thought Weiss was in danger.” 

“Did you just-”

“Yes.”

“How does that even work? What if the shadow you’re in goes away? Like a flash-bomb or something?”

“I get shoved into the nearest shadow. I can fit into a square foot of shadow, minimum.” 

“Woahh….” Yang said, jaw dropped. “Blake, you are just the coolest partner in the world.” 

“Thanks,” Blake said sarcastically. “Haruka, what are you doing here?” 

She adjusted her position, propping her legs up in the air against the tree trunk. “Lots of weird grimm activity lately, so I’ve been clearing out the area. There was this huge nest of nevermores, seven of them.”

“Did you let three go? They dropped a mountain on us.” 

“Oh, shit. Well I didn’t let them go! They got away…sorry.” She shrugged and rolled out of the tree and landed on her feet. “No cat jokes,” she preempted, pointing at Weiss. 

“I wasn’t going to say anything!” 

“Anyway,” Haruka continued. “I smelled you were in the area and wanted to recharge.”

“Oh! Okay, I can do that.” 

Ruby returned and cocked her head at the sight of their new companion. “Who is this?” 

“This is Haruka. She’s a friend from a coffeeshop I go to.” 

“Oh...ok? Wait - why does she have ears and a tail? That’s sooo cute. ” 

Haruka studied Ruby. “Thanks. I like your eyes.” 

“I’ll...explain later. She’s a thrall.” Blake settled into her sleeping bag, leaning against the tree, and got comfortable. 

Haruka jumped onto her lap and wrapped herself around the larger cat faunus. “Former human turned into a sex slave for my hot, big tiddy fox vampire wife.” 

“Sex slave?” Yang burst out.

“It’s terrible! She makes me stay under her desk all day with my head-”

Blake clapped her hand over Haruka’s mouth. “If you keep this up she won’t be able to sleep,” she grumbled, hiding her blush with Haruka’s head. She felt Weiss’ eyes on her. “Thralls get energy from being near a sanguine faunus,” she said in response to her unasked question. 

Weiss ohhh ’d quietly and lay back on her sleeping bag. 

 

“Disgusting animals. They’re only good for manual labor.”

 

She willed her mind to go blank, eventually falling into a fitful sleep. It felt like she had just closed her eyes when Yang was shaking her awake.

“Your turn,” she said, yawning widely. She dove into Weiss’ bed the second she vacated it, groaning with pleasure. 

“Hey!” 

“Mmmmmm it’s warm in hereee leave me alone.” She flapped her hand at Weiss, shooing her away. 

Watch was unbearably dull, unnaturally calm. It was her first time in the wilds, but the textbook outlined how terrible it would be out here - grimm everywhere, dangerous animals, thorny plants. Maybe it was just that Blake knew the most peaceful areas.

“Blake…” 

She looked over at the feline faunus cuddle ball. She felt disgust rising in her again, like bile in her throat. Disgust, and envy. She shook her head and pinched her arm. The Schnee emblem glinted in the moonlight on her sword, her face reflected in the tiny facets. As if they were magnetic, the faunus pair drew Weiss’ eyes again. “Maidens...I wish that were me.” 

Wind whispered through the trees, reminding her of her watch duty. Scan the area, listen for threats, keep the fire fed but low. Nothing. She sighed and looked up at the shattered moon. The white pieces combined with the blue glow they emanated reminded her of one person.

“Mother…”

A burst of anger coursed through her. Pressure grew in her head and frustration tightened her chest. Myrtenaster was in her hand. She roughly slashed it through a nearby tree, slicing clean through. All the anger evaporated, leaving her empty. 

The treetop rustled as the severed end tipped sideways. Weiss braced for the ear splitting result of her anger, but the shadows around her rippled unnaturally, moving like a mass of tar, sticking to the tree. Guided to the ground, the fir landed quietly.

From behind the branches, Blake slowly stepped into view. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Her hands were clammy on the grip of her sword. “I don’t know.”

Blake held Haruka in her arms, who was dead to the rest of the world, looking utterly content in the sanguine faunus’ arms. She waited for Weiss to continue. 

“I know I shouldn’t blame you. I don’t blame you.”

“But you do blame me.” 

“I don’t know! I don’t know, Blake!” Weiss stabbed Myrtenaster into the dirt. “It just...hurts!” She fell to her knees and stared numbly at the ground.

The cat faunus gently placed the small thrall on their thin bed of blankets and turned back to Weiss, kneeling before her. She wrapped her arms around Weiss, around her trembling shoulders, resting her chin on her head. “I'm so sorry Weiss...If it takes the rest of my long life, I will atone for this...” she murmured. She slowly ran her fingers through Weiss’ hair, humming tunelessly. “In a way, I’m glad that I know who my offering was. I wanted to forget...let her be anonymous, but now I know. And now I can try to make it better.” 

Through the fog in Weiss’ mind, Blake’s humming was muted and muffled. It took her back to her childhood, when Winter was still heiress. A time when her mother could freely show her affection. She would happily sit on her mother’s lap and listen to her humming, as the soft stroke of her fingertips through her hair lulled her to sleep - the exact same way Blake did to her now.

Notes:

As I get further in this story, I feel that I should clarify that team RWBY is canon age + 3yrs. R 18, WBY 20.

I've come to realize my OCs Yukina and Haruka are basically Ayaka and Ai Shindou from knk...lol oh well

Hope you're enjoying!

Chapter 9: Touch

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Weiss jerked awake, hours later, when the mountains in the distance began to glow with light from the upcoming sunrise. Blake’s arms held her firmly, cradling her against her chest. Her eyes scanned the distance, ears perked.

“Don’t worry, I covered your watch shift. It’s time to go - could you help me wake the others?”

“Thank you, Blake,” Weiss murmured apologetically, thankful that she didn’t wake up with a pack of beowolves at her neck. She got up and walked around the fallen tree, back toward Ruby and Yang. The sisters had the same silly look in their sleep, looking enviably cozy. With some pleasure, Weiss woke them with a shake each. 

“Get up, it’s time to go. Yang, you better fold up my sleeping bag nicely.”

Something warm and furry rubbed up against Weiss’ leg, drawing her attention down. A brown cat with white furred paws wound itself around her legs, purring loudly. She frowned at it, thinking, “That’s not...it wouldn’t be possible, right?” 

Blake was at her side in a flash, picking the cat up around the belly. “Sorry Weiss. Haruka, stop that.” 

“H-Haruka?” 

Blake her at head-height. “Her sire is known for her transformation abilities - in addition to her healing powers, of course.” 

Haruka meowed sadly and tried to paw at Weiss. She wiggled herself free and morphed back into her usual shape, in a flash of white light. “Way to ruin my fun,” she grumbled. “Well, I’m going to head back, as fun as it is being around Ms. Anger Issues over here.” She hopped onto the fallen tree. “At any rate, if I’m late, mistress will punish me! Last time, I couldn’t walk for a few days after...you know, maybe I’ll be a little late. Anyway, bye!” 

She returned to cat form and quickly disappeared into the forest, leaving most of the team stunned. 

“I’m going to need some alone time when we get back,” Yang said into the silence. 

Ruby made retching noises, somewhat covered up by Weiss’ groan of disgust. “Must you be so uncouth?” 

“Hey, it’s not good for you to suppress your feelings and natural urges. I won’t hide my love.” She leaned against Blake and gave her a little side hug. 

Ruby frowned and looked back and forth between Yang and Blake. “Wait. Are you two dating?” 

Yang shrugged. “No, but she knows how I feel.”

Blake looked coyly over her shoulder. “I’m not ready yet.” 

“Yet,” she repeated, grinning. 

Ruby looked down at her feet. “Oh, I see.” 

Sensitive cat ears confirmed what any attentive friend could see. “Ruby, do you know what ‘polyamory’ is?” 

“Homosexual degeneracy!” the heiress exclaimed.

Yang rounded on their smallest teammate and put a hand on her shoulder. “Is that your dad speaking with your mouth again?” 

Weiss blinked, her thoughts grinding to a halt. 

“That’s what I thought.” She put her arm around her and sighed. “It’s okay Weiss.”

“Sorry,” she whispered. 

“We’ll draw his poison out of you one day at a time,” she said, Blake nodding sympathetically behind her.

Ruby offered her shoulder for her partner’s head. “So...what is that?” 

“Basically, having more than one romantic or sexual partner.” She trailed off into her explanation, the team in a row together, walking slowly toward Beacon. 


The walls of Vale loomed ahead after half a day’s walk, just like Blake said. When quizzed, Weiss was the only one to know where the entry gates were, so she led the way there. 

“I mean, couldn’t we have just jumped over?” 

“Yeah! I could easily get over that wall, no problem.”

“And how exactly do you think Professor Goodwitch would react to that?” 

“You two can try. Weiss and I will think of you when you’re in detention.” 

Goodwitch waited at the gates, looking as humorless as ever. She narrowed her eyes at Blake when they drew close. “You broke the rules.” 

“It was to save our lives, professor...three nevermores isn’t normal.” 

She stared at Blake for a few more moments. “Your team is the first to return. You’re excused from classes for the rest of the day.” 

Ruby was first through the door into the dorm room, landing on her back on the carpet. Yang stretched and groaned loudly. Weiss set her bag on her desk and started to clean Myrtenaster. Blake kicked off her shoes and began to disrobe. 

“I’m going to take a shower, unless anyone really wants to go first.”

Yang’s head snapped around. “I’ll join you. If that’s alright?” 

“Of course,” Blake answered, rolling her eyes. 

Ruby sat up. “What about me?” 

“Not enough space,” Yang teased, sticking out her tongue.

“Just join us in the tub after.” Blake glanced at Weiss before entering the bathroom - her body was too still, eyes unmoving. “Weiss. You can join us as well, I think there is space.” 

“No...no thank you. Please tell me when the shower is free.”

Weiss focused on her weapon, popping out each dust cartridge and refilling each. She purged the blade’s nanotube system with a pressurized cleaner. It hissed loudly, clearing out any remaining dust residue. Giggling echoed out of the cracked bathroom door with the slight hint of steam.

“Are you sure..you don’t want to join me in the shower?”

Ruby hesitantly stood by the bathroom door watching Weiss. “No...just tell me when it’s free. Thank you.” 

She stared back down at Myrtenaster, once again looking back at her reflection in the blade. Time must have passed her by - that or Ruby took terribly short showers. “Weisss, I’m doneee!” 

Thankfully the dorm was well stocked with dust, making running out of hot water a non-issue. Three days of the outdoors took a bit of time to scrub off. She could see motion from the corner of her eye through the frosted glass shower walls. The tub sat beside the shower, a fancy setup that had Ruby, Blake, and Yang gaping in surprise on their first night at Beacon. Thinking back on it, there was no way that Blake didn’t notice Weiss’ less-than-impressed reaction to the facilities. 

She rinsed the conditioner out of her hair and turned off the water. She carefully wrapped a towel around herself and made to leave the bathroom. 

“Weiss. Are you sure you don’t want to join us? There’s space for you.” 

She looked back at them over her shoulder. “I’m quite alright, thank you.” 

Blake was sandwiched between Ruby and Yang, both seeming to have fallen asleep. They were all reclined, one on the other’s lap, with Yang as the base. “Take a quick soak, it feels good. Nothing wrong with that, right?” 

Weiss sighed and hesitantly approached the tub. There wasn’t much space with three occupants, but she managed to find a small space to sit opposite her teammate pile. Somehow the water was still hot, the slight hint of steam tickling her cheeks. With a sigh, she relaxed down until the water was just below her nose. 

Details jumped out at her - Blake’s hands on Ruby’s waist, the way their legs intertwined, Yang’s arms around Blake’s chest. “You three are quite...physically familiar with each other,” she commented, sitting up a bit. 

Blake resisted rolling her eyes. “Ruby was a little embarrassed at first, but she is very cuddly.”

“...is this like a sanguine faunus luring technique, where you collect humans to-”

“Weiss.” 

The young heiress fell silent and smiled to herself. “I was trying to be funny…” 

Blake grinned slightly. “Well, is that like a sex fantasy of yours? Would you like to be part of my collection?” 

Weiss’ face flushed with heat that had nothing to do with the hot water. “I have no sexual fantasies, Blake. I am not a sexual person.”

Blake’s attentive eyes were trained on Weiss. “I respect that answer, and would like to suggest that you suppress your emotions a lot - try to be open if your feelings on that change at some point.”

Weiss tilted her head, perplexed. “What?” 

“Would you like to get more comfortable?” She shifted Ruby over slightly, making space for Weiss. 

“I couldn’t,” she responded quickly. “It would be improper.” 

“Improper?” 

“I...don’t know.” 

Blake waited patiently, coaxing Ruby’s legs out of the way. 

Weiss shook her head. “I can’t bear to think about this…”

“We love you, Weiss.”

“You shouldn’t love me.” Her voice was pinched by the tightness in her chest. “What does that even mean, anyway?” 

Blake smiled sadly. “I’m not sure I know anymore, either. But, this feels right.” She hugged Ruby closer and squeezed Yang’s hand. “And it hurts to think of anything happening to you three.” 

“Hurts” was an understatement to Blake, and she hoped Weiss would understand that. Team RWBY had only been together for a relatively short part of Blake’s life, but her partnership with Adam, in the beginning, couldn’t compare.

“You would love a Schnee? A Schnee that reacted violently toward you?”

“The Schnee heiress that had nothing to do with company? Yes. Could you love a faunus? The one that killed your mother?” 

Pain grew in her as it had multiple times in the past few days, though duller than before. “You didn’t kill her.” 

Before Blake could speak, Weiss shushed her and stood, covering herself with a towel. “I’m not going to jump into a naked orgy. But, if you’re all sleeping together again, perhaps I’ll join. Y-you know, I mean look! Ruby’s buttocks are on your lap!” 

Blake kept a straight face. “Yes. Her buttocks are on me. And mine are on Yang. It feels nice.”

“Oh Maidens, Blake,” she said, rushing out of the bathroom to hide her blush. 

She had just finished combing her hair when Ruby, Blake, and Yang exited the bathroom. Yang fell face first into Weiss’ bed, still positioned next to Blake’s.

“Hey!” 

“Mmph. Immh slmmph mhhhhh.”

Blake picked Yang up and made space for Weiss. She plopped Yang down and climbed into her arms. Ruby took her place on Blake’s other side, sitting low to hug Blake around the waist. Weiss carefully got into bed and slipped under the covers. She got as close to the edge of the bed, lying on her back like a stiff plank. 

Yang looked over Blake at Weiss and snorted. “Don’t blame us if you fall in your sleep. You know you can scoot closer right?” 

“Good night,” she answered frostily. 

She rolled her eyes and let it go - this was a big step...no need to push too hard. 

If it weren’t for the fatigue of being out in the wilds for three days, Weiss would have stayed up all night, mind focused on the slight bit of warmth she could feel coming off the bodies of her teammates. But, she was out only minutes after Blake finally succumbed to sleep. 

***

The sensation of falling woke Weiss roughly later that night. She barely managed to catch herself as she fell, with a foot hooked around a bed post, hands out to keep herself from landing on her face. Getting to her feet, she peeked over the edge of the bed at Yang. “She’d never stop talking about this if she found out.” 

Looking over her teammates, she could see the culprit - Yang’s leg was outstretched to where she had slept. Time slipped by while she stared down at the trio. Despite the fatigue, she found herself unable to return to sleep. She paid particular attention to Blake, searching for any sign that she was awake. “A light-sleeper like her must have heard…no matter.” She slipped into her normal clothes and carefully opened the door. 

***

Yukina sat in a chair behind the counter, reading a book. The coffeeshop only had a handful of visitors, but she never expected a crowd during the late hours. Students chipping away at writing assignments. Nocturnal faunus having lunch. And, tonight, apparently an heiress that couldn’t sleep. 

Weiss walked through the empty outdoor tables, the legs of the upside-down stored chairs like tall wild grass. The door made no noise as she entered, but she drew the eyes of a number of the late night faunus patrons. She adjusted the black, borrowed hoodie she wore, hoping that her white hair was hidden from sight. Ruby was closer to her size, but she told herself that the red would draw more attention than Blake’s dark wardrobe.

This was the largest cafe in the faunus side of town, according to her scroll. “Why am I here…” she mused as she approached the counter. “‘Suicidal heiress of faunus-abusing company intrudes on faunus community late at night’ would be an unfortunate headline for father.” She didn’t feel like that mattered too much to her right now, but the effect of her actions on the SDC image was always in her thoughts. 

“Welcome. What would you like, miss?” 

The faunus behind the counter towered over her, tall and thin, long white hair, and an elegant movement about her. She would have guessed she was a long lost relative, if it weren’t for the light gray, almost white eyes. “Ah...what kinds of herbal tea do you have?”

“We have quite a few, are you having a hard time sleeping? I can pick one for that, if you would like.” 

Maybe all faunus were attentive to the point of being mind-readers. “Yes, please.” 

“Have a seat; it will be ready in a moment.” 

Weiss found a spot near the back, tucked away between two tall bookshelves. Between the soft cushion and Blake’s soft, sweet-scented hoodie, Weiss felt more comfortable than she ever before. “But why does it feel...wrong?” 

“Thank you for waiting.” The woman set down two cups of tea and a small plate of strawberry shortcake with two forks. “Do you mind if I join you?” 

“No, please do.” 

The knowing smile that played across the woman’s lips wasn’t a surprise to Weiss. She slid a cup of tea toward the heiress. “So. Why don’t you let me have a good look at your face, Weiss.” 

The tea was a blend of floral flavors Weiss couldn’t put a finger on. “I don’t want to draw more attention than I have to.” 

“No one’s going to bother you. Not in my shop. Not even within a few blocks of Foxfire .” 

Reluctantly, she pulled the hood down and shook out her hair. “And you are Yukina, correct?” 

“Yes,” she answered simply, and took a bite of cake and a sip from her own cup. 

“And you could smell Blake and your...wife, on me.”

“Certainly.” She took another bite of cake and pushed the plate toward her. 

Weiss obliged and took a bite. It wasn’t as sweet as she was expecting, but she supposed the tea wasn’t bitter enough for something sweeter. “Klein would love a conversation with this woman.” In a mansion full of coffee drinkers, the family butler’s tea expertise was underappreciated. 

A familiar cat drowsily padded into view behind Yukina, mewing quietly. She hopped onto the table and fell on her side, already fast asleep.  

“She doesn’t like to sleep too far away from me,” she explained, running her fingers through her fur. 

“So, you are...a fox faunus.” 

“Yes.” A large white tail waved into view behind her, almost as thick as her body. “The tail is my faunus aspect, but I can have ears too, if that is something you like.” 

Weiss scowled at the long white ears that grew atop her head. “Right...what is this secret that everyone knows about how I feel for Blake?! Everyone seems to think I’m wild for her, or something.” 

“Perhaps we all think you’d be good together? Try not to let it bother you,” she responded airily. “Feel free to pet her, it’s not demeaning for her.” 

She hesitantly joined Yukina in petting the faunus in animal form. “How isn’t this demeaning? We’re treating her like a pet, an animal…”

“Is she an animal?”

“No! She’s an...a frustrating, snarky, rude person.”

“And I love every bit of her, for all the ways she isn’t like me.” She smiled and took a sip of tea. “So, what is on your mind, little one?” 

She bristled at the comment, but only slightly. “I..don’t know. You know it’s weird, talking to a legend.”

“I find it hard to believe that your family teaches the sanguine faunus legends.” 

“True...but I’ve always loved those kinds of things - maidens...goddesses...Blake gave me an overview - what is interesting is that sanguine faunus fit the myths of Mantle. I’m going to guess that faunus were simply erased from their stories in our kingdom.” 

“How perceptive; you’re exactly right. As the paragon of wisdom, what knowledge do you seek from me?” She grinned mischievously at Weiss, white eyes glinting noticeably.

“Don’t I need an offering for that?” she asked, only half joking. 

“As much as I would love a taste of Weiss Schnee, I’ll let you off easy this time.”

She managed to keep her blush to a minimum. “How lewd…” “I don’t really have a question I’m looking for an answer to...unless you can tell me what love is, I suppose.” 

Yukina laughed softly. “Oh you don’t need me to find the answer to that, little one.” She stood and carefully cradled Haruka in her arms. “Enjoy the cake and tea, then hurry back to your girlfriends. Fall asleep in their arms. If that’s too much, then sleep with your back against them or hold Blake’s hand. Remember, another person’s touch can feel good.” She held Haruka out to her. “Say goodbye to my wife.” 

Weiss couldn’t help but giggle and relent, scratching the fast-asleep Haruka between the ears. “See you next time, Haruka.” 

“We’ll both see you again soon, I’m sure.”

Notes:

hope you're enjoying my trashy vampire fic lol

where am i going with it? no one knows!

Chapter 10: Development

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Weiss relaxed in her usual secluded spot in the Foxfire Cafe, sipping at her hot chocolate. An abhorrently sweet drink, to be sure, but Ruby pressed it into her hands enough times - she came to view it as acceptable for an occasional treat. Just as Yukina promised, no one reacted negatively to her presence. She supposed it was that if the sanguine faunus proprietor of the shop accepted her, then none would object. 

On top of that, Haruka took to sleeping on her lap whenever she visited. Was it weird that a person was sleeping on her? Well, the cat faunus insisted, so that was that. The warm little ball was appreciated as time progressed further into winter. 

A month had passed since the wilderness challenge. Team JNPR had arrived second. Other than Jaune, who somehow lost half his gear, the team completed the challenge without difficulty. Last to arrive was Team SSSN - who got lost for a day thanks to one of Sun’s pranks. 

Weiss wrote quickly, hoping to finish her research paper on the faunus before the sun began to set. Oobleck had just completed the section on the Human-Faunus War and assigned a large research paper on the effects of the war on the faunus. Her scroll was turned to a first hand account of post-war Menagerie. She flicked through the long page of text and found a recording of some kind of annual ceremony from 18 years ago. 

A winged faunus of some kind walked the room with a camera in tow, interviewing a number of the guests before arriving at a man that towered over everyone in the room, with piercing yellow eyes that she instantly recognized.

“Hello Chieftain, congratulations on another successful year!” the subtitles read, translating the Menagerian native language. 

“Thank you. I keep saying that we don’t need to have an annual event for the Chieftain, but the people insist. I’m glad to see everyone having a good time.” 

“No wonder Blake is so tall...I wonder if she’ll-” Weiss’ breath caught in her throat. A young Blake peeked into view and affectionately nuzzled her head against her father’s arm, darting around to his other side when he looked. She butted her head against his arm again, giggling quietly. Ghira whipped around and caught her in a bear hug.

“Gotcha!” he said, lifting her into the air. She wore a light green yukata robe, standing out against his black, gold, and purple theme. “Come now sweetie, we need to take our seat.” 

“Okay!” Blake straightened the grass-toned yukata and hurried after Ghira to the large table at the head of the room. 

She couldn’t take her eyes off the giggling child. “Blake…you were so happy...”

A woman, clearly Blake’s mother, gave her a tight hug, nipping at her ears. She fussed with Blake’s hair, coaxing the shoulder length waves to frame her face. "Your mother is beautiful too..."

A familiar white haired fox faunus, looking no different than she did today, walked up to the Chieftain’s table and greeted the family. The camera moved away at that point, the reporter continuing around the room.

Her focus was broken by a cold hand on her cheek, shocking her out of her daze. “I don’t know if Blake would like you seeing that, little one.” 

Yukina appeared, magically as usual, at her side. She lifted her chin and rubbed her cheek with a thumb. The sanguine faunus was always very hands-on with Weiss, initially to her irritation. By now, it was an unremarkable occurrence. 

“You might be right about that...I just couldn’t get over how different she was. You knew her as a child?” 

“We had met a few times. I helped Ghira establish the livable area of Menagerie, so I was around him and his family during the early days.”

“Hmm, perhaps I should have asked you to help me write this research paper…” 

“I’m certain most of what you’ve been taught is wrong, but what else could human sources provide?” 

“Well...the Beacon database only has human sources…and translations are hard to come by...”

“All the huntsman schools use the same human sources. Remember, they’re training you to kill ‘bad’ faunus. I’m glad to see you found that site, however. Video from those days is so rare.”

Weiss looked down at her carefully written, and apparently mostly inaccurate paper. “I see.” 

“Don’t worry about it, you already know more than most.” She reached down and relieved her of Haruka and handed her a little box of food. “Head on back to your dorms now.”

“Thank you, Yukina. Are you sure I can’t-”

“Keep your money, little one. Say ‘hi’ to Blake for me.” 

***

“Ok so I’ll just wear my sports bra and shorts, maybe with my hair up.”

“It’s too cold for this…”

“Well I’m fine, obviously. Rubes is too flat for a sports bra to look good.”

“Hey!”

“What about a v-neck, no bra, and no pants?” 

“Yeah, do that Ruby, that’ll work. What about you Blake?” 

“Aren’t my normal sleeping clothes revealing enough? 

“Ok but you gotta show them leggys off okay?” 

“Yang this isn’t going to work.” 

“Shhhh don’t be a downer, Blake. Why don’t we get Pyrrha in on this as well? Her shower is broken! Let me tell her to use ours. Call me when you hear her coming.” 

Blake facepalmed and fell face-first onto her bed while Yang darted out of the room to JNPR. She listened to Yang’s hasty explanation which Pyrrha, of course, happily agreed to. 

The redhead poked into the room, with her customary “Hello! Thanks for letting me borrow your shower. If you think this will help her understand herself, then I would be glad to help.”

Blake shook her head and sighed heavily. “I didn’t know you were so open, Pyrrha.” 

“I wasn’t before Beacon. A lot of my life was consumed by my fighting career. Nora really opened my eyes here. Let me know when Weiss is coming, I’ll be ready.” 

***

“Oh, awesome! I don’t have to go down to the cafeteria!” Yang shouted, grabbing a stack of small sandwiches from the box. “Mmm she really likes you, doesn’t she.” 

“She is strangely attached to our team in general, I think.” Weiss discreetly glanced at Yang’s well defined abs. “Put some clothes on, Yang.”

“I mean, only you and Blake have met her, Ruby and I still don’t know this lady at all.”

“Then come with me next time.”

“But it’s so far….” she moaned, Ruby nodding in agreement. 

“Ruby, you semblance is speed. It would take you barely 5 minutes to get there.” No one missed how Weiss’ eyes dropped to Ruby’s chest and down to her legs.

“Stillll….” She grabbed a small cake and shoved it into her mouth. “Oh, I finished my paper, Weiss! Are you proud of me?”

She gave her a sly grin. “How much did Blake help you?” 

“Not thaaat much. She translated a whole bunch of stuff for us!” 

Weiss blinked. “Why...didn’t I think of asking her? Why didn’t I ask Yukina, for that matter… that feels like cheating, doesn’t it?” 

“It’s not cheating!” Ruby said preemptively, reading her partner’s face.

“Yeah, Weiss,” Yang added. “You’re just jealous that you didn’t think of it.” 

Weiss sighed heavily and slapped her hand over her face. “I...shall admit - I didn’t think of doing that.” She glanced back at Ruby again. “Ruby where are your pants?!” 

Blake entered the room from the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. “It’s okay Weiss, we know you like doing school work on your own.” 

“Is the shower free?” she asked grumpily. “I’m going to get ready for bed.” 

She opened the door to the bathroom and froze in place. Pyrrha was at the sink applying lotion to her nude body, with a towel casually draped across her shoulders. Her back muscles rippled as she rubbed her legs. She turned to face Weiss.

“Pyrrha! Why- What are you doing here?!”

Pyrrha pulled the towel from her shoulders and used it to wipe her hands. “Hello Weiss! The JNPR bathroom is nonfunctional right now. Nora broke the shower.” 

Weiss only half heard her, Pyrrha’s voice coming to her as if underwater. Where Yang was buff and muscular from lifting weights, Pyrrha’s body was tight and built for endurance from her career as a fighter.

“Are you okay? You’re getting quite red.” 

“I...um…” Weiss took a step back and tried to corral her eyes into staying above the collarbone and ignore the rush of pleasure that filled her core. “Yes, I’m fine.” 

“Well, I’ll get out of your way then. Thank you!” She wrapped her towel around herself and calmly left the room. 

Weiss closed the bathroom door the second she left and leaned back against it. “Maidens…! What was that?” She gingerly felt between her legs, slipping her hand beneath her underwear and traced her fingers around the spot where Pyrrha’s body evoked a reaction.

Outside, Blake listened to Weiss’ small gasps of pleasure and choked moans. Her sensitive ears could hear her fingers entering her body, shakily plunging in and out. Her other hand joined in, a finger drawing circles on her clit. Her scent slowly leaked through the door and consumed her mind. It was all too much for Blake to bear, so she tried to block it out with a pillow over her head and a blanket around her face. Yang and Ruby looked at her expectantly, both grinning from ear to ear. Reluctantly, Blake nodded, setting the sisters off into a silent celebratory dance. 

“This is going to haunt my dreams,” Blake thought ruefully. 


Blake woke early the next day, sensing the approach of an unusual visitor. At the window, cat-Haruka was perched on the snowy ledge, pressing her belly against the warm glass and letting out a prolonged, agonized yowl.

“What are you doing?” she hissed, opening the window and pulling her in. 

Haruka meowed loudly and dropped a small piece of paper, promptly jumping back out the window. 

“Wus goin on?” Yang rolled out of bed and drowsily stumbled to her side.

Blake quickly scanned the note and started to grab her things. “I need to go into Vale.”

“Then let’s go, partner,” Yang said, taking Blake’s hand.

She hesitated “...okay. Leave a note for the others.”

***

Blake and Yang arrived outside of “Tukson’s Book Trade” and walked up as close as the crime scene tape would allow. The glass was darkened but, through the open door, Blake could see books strewn across the store and clear signs of struggle.

“Do you recognize the name?” Yukina approached from behind. “Tukson?”

“Yes...a bit. A White Fang runner.” 

“He came to me, looking for a way out. Haruka was keeping watch over him for me. She didn’t see anything.”

“How is that possible?” Blake looked across the street, where she could smell the spot Haruka had watched from - a ledge high up on a building. 

“There’s a few options. An illusion of some sort. An ability to conceal one’s presence. Anything to control the senses.” 

Yang leaned over and nudged Blake. “What about that little kid that was with Torchwick? She seems like she could do something like that.” 

“There was an assassin that was able to teleport or use frozen images...I don’t know the full extent of her semblance, but she took Roman Torchwick and disappeared right before our eyes like a shattering glass image.”

Further down the street, Neo hid behind her semblance and watched the sanguine faunuses talk. Emerald hovered behind her, fidgeting nervously.

“Let’s go Neo. Merc isn’t going to wait for us much longer.” She rifled through a stolen wallet and pulled the lien. “The longer we’re here, the more likely we’re going to get caught.” 

“Fine,” she signed. “Let’s get some ice cream on the way back!”

“Just what I want...ice cream right after a murder.” 

Neo shrugged. “Maybe it’ll make you feel better?” 

“Whatever. Why’d you drag me along to this? It was your boss that told us to do it. I’m not supposed to draw attention to myself.” 

“How am I supposed to know? I do what he says and he pays me.” Neo shrugged and started skipping down the street, signing over her shoulder. “Forget Mercury, there’s a crepe place down the street!” 

***

Weiss read Yang’s cryptic message - “Kitty-ka messaged Blake we back later.” She crumpled the paper into a ball. “What on Remnant is that supposed to mean, Yang?” 

She looked at the clock, groaning inwardly at the late time. “My team is bad for my sleep schedule...it’s already almost sunset…” She pushed the thought of her shameful hour long shower from her mind.

Ruby turned over in her sleep and snuggled into the warm spot left by Weiss, sighing happily. 

“Ruby wake up. It’s already 3p.m., you know.” She poked her partner in the side, searching for the spot that- 

“Bwahahahaaha stop that Weiss!” She giggled madly and rolled off the bed onto the floor with a loud thump. “Ack, help Weiss. Helpppp.” She struggled against the tangled blankets and rolled futilely. 

Weiss carefully unwrapped Ruby and pulled her to her feet. “There you go, dolt.” 

“Thanks Weiss!” She grabbed her partner and hugged her tightly, snuggling up against her neck. 

Weiss’ blush wasn’t as bright as it used to be, just a light pink flush on her cheeks. She planted a kiss on the top of her head. “What would you do without me?” 

“Oh! That reminds me - I finished all my homework! Can we go on a date?” 

“I- What?” Shocked by her forwardness, Weiss’ mind was blank. 

“Date! Let’s go eat some food! Look at the stars!” Her silver eyes sparkled with hope. 

“My weakness… Maidens…” “Okay, Ruby. We can spend some time together. Nothing too serious, okay?”

Ruby giggled. “Okie doki Weiss, thank you! Gal pal date!” 

“Let’s get some food. And I know you wanted to visit the new weapon store?” 

“Yeah!” Ruby pulled her hooded cape on with a flourish.

Weiss looked around and ducked below Blake’s bed and found her weapon kit. She took a few Gambol Shroud ammo clips and stuck them in her belt pouch. “I wanted to get something for Blake,” she explained.

She and Ruby made their way down into Vale and found a small diner. Weiss looked with disgust at the hole-in-the-wall eatery and tried to march Ruby away.

“C’mon Weiss! The food is good here - if you’re worried, your aura will take care of it!”

Weiss looked worriedly at the nondescript noodle shop and sighed heavily. “I suppose you’re right Ruby.” 

Ruby ordered via a machine by the door, slotting a few lien in and pressing a button. When the number on the ticket was called, Ruby returned in a flash with two steaming bowls. 

“We had a place like this back on Patch, Yang and I would eat there all the time on the way back from Signal.” Ruby dumped a bunch of chili powder into her bowl and licked her lips excitedly. “Dad would get mad with us that we’d spend all our allowance there and end up asking for more lien.”

Weiss tried the noodles hesitantly - salty but oddly comforting. “Are you close to your parents?”

“Yeah! Dad is always there for us. He works at Signal. Uncle Qrow taught me how to use my scythe!”

“What about your mother?” 

Ruby paused her noisy eating. “She died when I was little.” 

“Oh...I’m sorry Ruby.”

“She is why I wear a cape. She had a white one… She went on a mission one day and never came back.”

“I see...is that why I’ve never heard you or Yang talk about your mother?”

“Yang and I are half-sisters, same dad. Her mom is a different story. Uncle Qrow is actually her mom’s brother.” Ruby fell silent and returned to eating. 

“Thank you for telling me this, Ruby. I’m sure it’s not easy to talk about.” 

She sniffed quietly. “I always visit my mom's grave. My cape reminds me of how great a huntress she was and the type of person I want to be.”

Weiss swallowed thickly and hesitantly took Ruby’s hand. “She sounds like a wonderful person.”

“Thank you, Weiss.” She wiped her eyes and gave Weiss a small smile. 

The partner duo finished their food and made their way out into the streets, heading down toward the new weapons shop that had caught Ruby’s weapon fanatic eye. It was a fairly large store that focused on serving huntresses, offering weapons of all types and workshop spaces. Weiss settled down at one and began to work, etching a connection line on the empty clips she took from Gambol Shroud. She filled the groove with a special alloy wire to provide a path to channel aura. Myrtenaster was made largely of this material, allowing her to connect with the dust in the revolver. Theoretically, this would allow Blake to use dust rounds to change her semblance.

Ruby looked over Crescent Rose, pondering what she could change. She was proud of her weapon, having created it herself. It was versatile and reliable, it would work even when dunked in a vat of wet concrete. Weiss poked her head around and offered a small dust crystal.

“Why not have an option to infuse the scythe blade with dust?” 

Ruby shrugged. “It’s too expensive. You need the high quality dust to make that work.” 

Weiss blinked. “Oh…right.” She returned to her gift for Blake and packed everything away. “So, what now? Did you see anything you liked here?”

Ruby returned Crescent Rose to her back. “No..I haven’t had any ideas for my weapon lately. I need to find inspiration!” She rubbed her eyes and sighed, leaning against Weiss. “All this school work drains my brains.” 

Weiss patted her head sympathetically. “You’ve been doing well, Ruby. I’m proud of you.” 

The partners shared a hug and departed the store. It was already past sunset, but the streets were still bustling with a weekend crowd. Ruby took Weiss’ hand and led her off toward a more quiet side of town. “Let’s go sit together and look at the stars!” 

Stars were easily visible near the CCT tower, which had closed earlier in the day. Benches lined the walkways there, well lit by streetlights. Ruby sat and kicked her feet happily, looking up into the sky. 

An idea jumped to Weiss’ mind. “Give me a moment, Ruby. I must make a quick call.” She moved out of earshot of Ruby and opened up her scroll, calling a number she wasn’t sure she’d ever use. 

“Oh, hey Weiss. Wait - is this the late night booty call I’ve been waiting for?”

“Haruka, no, please why are you like this- I need a favor. I’m at the CCT tower with Ruby...we’re on a date and-”

“Holy crap you’re on a date? Woo! Wooooo-”

She continued to speak over her lengthy celebration. “And I was wondering if you could bring us some hot chocolate and a blanket.” She held her breath waiting for an answer.

“Sure, I’ll be there in a bit. This is the girl with the silver eyes right?”

“Yes, Ruby. Wait...really?”

“If I can be serious for one sec, I only live because I love Yukina. I will absolutely help you drink hot chocolate, wrapped in a blanket under a starry sky with your girlfriend. Dude, I live for that sh-”

“Thank you, Haruka...really.” 

“Give me 10 minutes.”

Just as Weiss ended the call, she heard Crescent Rose in the distance. She fumbled with her scroll and called her weapon locker. In the tense 15 seconds it took for the locker to arrive, the sounds of fighting grew louder, seeming to come from somewhere high in the tower. The silver locker crashed into the ground in front of her. She wasted no time in ripping Myrtenaster free and sprinted off toward the fighting. 

***

As Weiss scurried off to make her call, Ruby anxiously paced. “Am I doing okay? I hope she’s having fun...oh maidens is this like when your date ditches you? I should have asked Yang for advice…” She wandered toward the CCT main entrance, figuring that she’d wait under the floodlights around the tower. 

When she drew close to the doors, she spotted a foot poking out of the low decorative bushes that lined the path. “A drunk guy, maybe?” 

She walked over peered down into the planter, spotting the lower half of an Atlesian soldier. The body’s severed upper half dumped upside down with it. Ruby felt a chill over her entire body. She leapt back and looked around, expecting some kind of attack. Nothing came in the next few heart-pounding moments, but she noticed the CTT tower door was very slightly open. 

She called Weiss, but was sent straight to voicemail - she must have been on a call. She whipped her weapon off her back and dashed into the CCT lobby. 

The bank of elevators was to her right. All the elevators were at the lobby except for one, which was on the 24th floor - long range communications. She punched the up button and jumped through the sliding doors that parted for her. She shakily tapped out a message to Weiss. “Found a dead body outside CCT I’m going to check it out 24th floor get help.” 

A chime announced her arrival on the 24th floor. She stepped out into the darkened room and unfolded Crescent Rose. The elevator doors slid closed, plunging the room into darkness to Ruby’s unadjusted eyes. She could only see the light blue glow that showed from each comm station, but movement across the regular pattern of blue squares caught her attention. 

Ruby stalked toward it, doing her best to keep her giant scythe silent. Crescent Rose was not made for stealth. The movement of her clothes, clinking of internal mechanisms, shifting of spare mags on her belt - all were deafening in her ears while she scurried after the dark figure moving around the comm stations. 

From the darkness came two blinding balls of light. Ruby swung Crescent Rose and blocked the firebolts, and leveled her rifle at the source. The blob grew in visibility slowly. 

Clearly a woman, the intruder threw a few more fireballs and fled toward the elevators. 

“Wait!” She fired at the woman, striking her twice. Her aura crackled dark red around her. The sneaky lady spun and blocked the rest of Ruby’s fire with blades made of a strange black substance. 

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” 

The intruder backed away, remaining silent. Ruby shot forward and swung her scythe at her, narrowly missing when she jumped away. The woman’s eyes and body glowed orange, materializing a bow in hand. The black arrows were barely visible in the dark room so Ruby simply jumped away, landing with her back to the elevators. 

The doors slid open suddenly, elevator lights blazing out into the dark room. Ruby whipped around and was halfway through bringing Crescent Rose along, when she realized who it was. General Ironwood frowned at the little huntress and glanced around the room. Ruby turned back and scanned the room for her opponent. 

“Where’d she go?”

Ironwood loomed behind her. “You better have a good explanation for being up here, Miss Rose.” 

“I- uh well….” 

***

Ozpin didn’t glance up from his scroll when the door to his tower opened. Ironwood marched Ruby in by the arm. 

“Miss Rose. This reminds me of the first time we met.”

“Professor Ozpin! I’m telling the truth! There was some kind of intruder there, a lady in a catsuit! I didn’t-” 

Ozpin held his hands up to silence Ruby. “Miss Rose, I understand - I don’t think you’re involved in this. Please tell me what you saw.” 

“It wasn’t much, there was a lady. She didn’t seem to have a weapon, she created a bow out of dust, I think. I don’t know what she was doing there...oh! And her eyes glowed every time she used her weapon!”

Ozpin and Ironwood shared a look. “Thank you, Miss Rose. That will be all. Please go back to your dorm and try to calm your partner. I’d prefer we not get sued by the SDC for taking you into custody.” 

***

Ruby braced herself outside her dorm room, realizing at the last moment that one of her teammates would already know she was there. The door burst open, almost hitting her in the face. Blake stood there framed in the door, staring hard at Ruby. She bear hugged Ruby and dragged her into the room. 

“Are you okay? Who attacked you? What did Ozpin say to you?” 

“I don’t know! It was some kind of assassin lady. Ozpin just asked me what happened! Ironwood was the one who was angry… I think that floor of the CCT was dedicated to the Atlas Military or something.” 

Yang was restraining Weiss behind Blake, holding her fast around the waist. “Ice Queen here was going to go down there and tear Ozpin and Ironwood a new one.” 

“How dare they treat her like a criminal?! We wasted our time talking to those fools when we could have been searching for the attacker!" She craned her neck around to look up at her captor. "Let me go, I’m calm now.” Yang shrugged and set their smallest teammate on the floor. She promptly went to her desk and returned with a Foxfire cup.

“I had Haruka deliver this to us, but then you were assaulted by some criminal. It’s cold.”

Ruby sipped at the stone cold hot chocolate and grinned at her partner. “Aww thanks Weiss, that’s so nice of you!” 

“The Ice Queen has a soft and thoughtful side, who knew,” Yang joked. She walked over and took Weiss’ cup. “Do you mind if I drink yours?”

“Sure,” she said, sitting down with a deep breath. 

Ruby wriggled free of Blake’s grasp and sat on the bed cross-legged, downing the rest of her drink. Yang chuckled. “Blake heard you coming from a mile away - I know you don’t like this Blake, but the way you were just sitting and staring at the door, ready to pounce, was just too cute.” 

She rolled her eyes in response. “Whatever.” She leaned toward Ruby and sniffed at her. “I’ll try to keep an eye out for anything that I can smell on you now… but you were around too many people, it’s all too muddy.” 

“Yeah, I mean- Weiss are you okay?”

Weiss had abruptly stood, a growing expression of horror filling her face, somehow becoming more pale.

“Are you okay?” Blake asked.

Weiss’ color reversed directions, flushing her face with pink. “Blake, tell me you didn’t.”

“Didn’t what?” Blake asked, perplexed.

“Yesterday, after Pyrrha left...” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Blake responded, a little too quickly, her ears too still. 

Weiss’ knees gave out. She collapsed on the floor and moaned in despair. “I need a new team, I can’t show my face in front of them again!” 

***

Cinder waited in the corner until Ironwood had pulled the little red huntress into the elevator. She rolled her eyes - these fools would be too easy to beat if they didn’t have a mind to even inspect the room for the intruder or for tampering. She quickly tapped out a message to Roman. “Ready for the next phase.” “These damn fools...Ozpin won’t even know what hit him.” 


“Students. Today, you take another step forward in your huntsman and huntress careers. Your first mission.” Ozpin gestured at the glowing displays that lined the walls. “These are mission boards. Licensed huntsmen receive missions, synchronized with their scrolls. You all will choose a mission from one of these boards. You will be accompanied by one of our professors - to keep you safe.” He scanned the crowd. Eyes landing on Ruby. “Good luck, students.”

Team RWBY excitedly looked at each other. Blake nodded her head at a board in the corner of the room. They clustered around the bright blue screen.

“Mountain Glenn, this is it!” Ruby tapped her scroll against the screen. An angry beep answered her. She frowned at it and tried again, repeatedly getting rejected. “Wha…”

The hair on Blake’s neck stood up. She snapped her head around, unsurprised to see Professor Ozpin standing behind her. He calmly looked back into Blake’s narrowed eyes. “Team RWBY. Have you selected a mission?” 

Ruby weaved her way to the front of the group, getting between Blake and Ozpin. “Yes! Professor! But, it won’t let us select it…” 

He tilted his head to read the board text. “That mission is for second years and above. I’m not certain your team is ready for a mission of that difficulty. Unless there’s some specific reason you’re after this particular mission?” 

“Well...we just wanted some experience with settlements...and...uhhh.”

“Investigate White Fang activity in the area.” 

Ruby’s utter lack of a poker face instantly gave it away. “White Fang? No- I mean th- what White Fang?” 

He smiled at Ruby. “You can take this mission. I expect a full report out on what you find.” 

“Oh...okay? Thanks?” 

“Of course. Good luck, Team RWBY.”

Notes:

ended up stuffing a lot in this one... hopefully it came together alright.

let me know what you think!

Chapter 11: No Brakes

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Weiss sat on her bed, leaning against the headboard. There wasn’t anything particularly interesting about the wall opposite her, but she stared at it nonetheless, lost in thought. The door cracked open, revealing an amber eye.

“Is it okay for me to come in?” 

“Of course. It’s your room too, isn’t it?” 

Blake eased her way into the room and closed the door. “Well...I know that I really disrespected your privacy the other day. I want you to know how sorry I am about that.” 

“It’s fine. Just, please, never mention that incident to me ever again. Please.” 

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it a little bit?” She hesitantly approached Weiss’ bed and sat by her feet. “I know you’re embarrassed but there’s really nothing to be ashamed of.” 

“It’s disgusting.” She covered her eyes with her hands and sunk further down into her bed. “I can’t believe I did that.” 

“I’m not surprised that you think that...given your upbringing. It’s a totally normal thing to do, you know.” 

“Is it? You mean all the others do it?” 

“Well...yes...” Blake answered hesitantly. “I do my best to give everyone their privacy, but sometimes I can just tell.” She shook her head to clear her mind. “Anyway, it’s totally normal, whatever your dad told you about it.” 

Weiss swallowed thickly. “It still feels wrong.” 

It wasn’t surprising that she didn’t convince her immediately, but it was worth trying. “It’s natural for us to have sexual desires and feelings. Repressing and holding that in…it will probably come out in some other twisted, unhealthy way.” 

“Really? Is that true?” Weiss looked down and fiddled with her hands. “I see. I shall take that into consideration.” 

Blake smiled and scooted closer. “Let me show you something.” 

She held out her scroll to Weiss. On it was a picture of young Blake and her family. She was posed between her parents, each dressed in their finest outfits. “Me and my parents.” 

Weiss took the scroll and looked closely at the picture. Blake’s mother wasn’t as visible as her father in the video she saw, so she looked especially closely at her. “What is your mother’s name?” 

Blake averted her eyes. “Kali.” 

“Ah, right, Kali. You look so much like her. She’s beautiful. Long hair suits you, though.”

Blake’s ears perked slightly in response, but she sobered quickly. “I betrayed them both. Insulted my father. Ran away from home.”

“I must confess...when I was researching for Oobleck’s paper, I found a short clip of you and your family. Why- why did you run away?” 

Blake raised her eyebrows. “Wow. I’m surprised that you found something like that. I thought my father wasn’t doing enough to fight for us. I called him a coward. I left to follow...Adam.” 

“Your old partner. A sanguine faunus.” 

“Yes. I did a lot of terrible things, with him. You know about some of that.”

Weiss nodded slowly and sat back up. “Right.”

“Anyway I wanted to share this with you so that we’d be even, in a way. But, I guess you already knew.” 

“Thank you, Blake. I know your past is painful for you.” Blake made to stand up, but Weiss grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back to the bed, turning her face to look in her eyes. “Really, Blake. Thank you. Could you lie with me a bit?” 

Concealing some surprise, Blake responded, “Yeah, of course.”

Weiss settled in with Blake curled around her. She interlaced her fingers with Blake’s. “Those feelings are normal, are they?” “You know, for a second I thought you were going to show me...pornography, or something!” 

“I prefer erotica, personally. I can probably get Yang to give us a little show, if that’s what you’d like to see.” 

Weiss sighed loudly. “No…”

“I know you’ve been avoiding seeing us naked, since then.”

“I...I don’t know what’s wrong with me! Since then, I have had these incredibly inappropriate feelings…”

“You’ve had your gay awakening, congratulations.” 

Weiss wiggled around to look Blake in the face. “I don’t like you being so casual about this! I’m doing so many things that I believed were wrong! I...it’s hard to tell what’s right or wrong anymore. I’m dating my teammates. Who are women. I can’t even begin to tell you how incredible that is.” 

“Teammate s ? Did you go on a date with Yang or something? When am I going to get a date with you?” 

Weiss blinked. “Oh...I...hm.” 

Blake grinned widely and pulled her small teammate onto her, pressing their bodies together. “Does this feel right?” Blake could feel the shuddery breath pass from her lips. 

“Yes,” she whispered. “I apologize for my presumptuousness. I think Yukina and Haruka have gotten into my head...and I’ve assumed that I’m courting you all.” 

“I’m ready to be courted Weiss.”

“You’re making fun of me.” 

“No…well, a little. It’s a weird word to use, just say ‘dating’ okay? But, we all want you, don’t worry.” 

“I just don’t want to ruin anything.” Weiss relaxed into Blake and sighed heavily. 

“I’ve been trying to keep myself from ruining things my whole life. If you figure out how to do that, let me know.” 


Blake snapped Gambol Shroud onto her back and stood by the door. “You know, it’s a little strange that Ozpin is allowing us on this mission. I don’t feel comfortable around him...I think he’s using us.”

“Well we’re getting what we want too, aren’t we?” Yang shrugged.

Weiss frowned and turned away from her packing. “Blake is right. He’s sending first year huntresses out to investigate a dangerous group of criminals.”

“But, it’s what we wanted, isn’t it?” Ruby finished her prep and joined Blake at the door. “We’ll have a professor with us. And! We’ve got Blake!” 

Weiss glanced over at Blake. “Would you like a blood donation for the weekend? It would last even if I gave it to you now, right? Until you used it?” 

Yang grinned. “Yeah, why not have a bit of Weiss’ blood? You’ll be able to handle anything we run into! Virgin blood is stronger right?” 

She elbowed Yang in the ribs. “Virginity doesn’t matter. I don’t want you guys to rely on me like this. Using my powers doesn’t feel good. It reminds me of things I don’t want to remember.” 

“Is it guilt?” Weiss asked. 

“Yeah…I don’t know how to make this right.”

“I don’t want you to feel guilty. It’s hard for me to put this into words, but not using the power you received from my mother’s life isn’t going to bring her back. I, um, have done a bit of research into it...and you should have a special connection to my blood.” 

Blake nodded slowly. “Yes, your blood is stronger to me than anyone else’s.”  

“And it could potentially link you with her. Maybe I could have a chance to connect with her, some of her may still exist in you. And...and…” She took a steadying breath. “What’s done is done. I’m offering you blood in case we find what we’re looking for - a group of armed faunus vs our 4 person team and professor.” 

Blake sighed heavily. “Are you sure, Weiss?” 

“Blake Belladonna. How many times do I have to say it is okay? That I don’t blame you?” She moved close to Blake and tilted her head. 

“Thank you Weiss.” Blake murmured, leaning down and kissing her neck lightly. “I never thought you’d offer…you’ve changed a lot.” 

“Yeah Blake, c’mon, suck her blood,” Yang said mischievously. “Weissy is just trying to help and it has nothing to do with a sexual fantasy and-” 

Weiss glared at Yang over Blake’s shoulder. Ruby cut Yang off with jab to the gut. She spun and tip-toed to get a good look at Blake’s teeth on her partner’s fair skin. She watched the exchange with wide eyes. “Oooooh. Oh, if you’re worried about Ozpin, I’ll trust your instincts Blake. I saw how you reacted to him yesterday.” 

“Yeah, I’ve never seen you so on edge Blakey.” 

The glow from Blake’s eyes filled the room. Weiss sagged in her arms. “I don’t know why. He just bothers me. Thank you, Weiss.”

“Of course.” She righted herself and pulled on her bag. “Well, shall we go?”

***

The airship deposited team RWBY and Professor Oobleck on the outskirts of Mountain Glenn. Weiss was the first off the ship. After a long flight with their talkative teacher, she was ready to blow. Blake joined her and pulled off her bow - Oobleck certainly already knew, no need to hide it out here. 

Oobleck zipped to the front of the group and pointed into the destroyed city. “Ladies! Ahead is the failed city of Mountain Glenn. We’re here to investigate strange grimm activity. First! Let’s find a spot for base camp.”

The veteren huntsman stood back, letting the huntresses clear the area around a small, fairly intact building near the landing zone. They continued to push inward, killing grimm as they encountered them. Yang paused to wipe the sweat from her face and turned to look back at the professor. “You know, I had hoped to get to see a real huntsman in action during this trip.”

“But I am in action! With my brain!” 

Yang sighed and rolled her eyes. “Oh, great.” 

“For example! We’ve encountered far more grimm than would be typical for a place like this. Also notable, is the lack of larger, stronger grim that usually take residence. A ghast, perhaps, would find a spot like this a good abode. Now, Ms. Xiao Long, why would that be?”

She punched out a beowolf. “Gee, I don’t know. Maybe a criminal organization cleared out the more dangerous grimm before setting up shop.” 

“Very good! I suspect that is exactly the case!” 

They spent the rest of the daylight available clearing half the city. Exhausted, the huntresses returned to their prepared shelter and settled in for the night. Crowded around the fire, Oobleck turned his rounded glasses on Blake. 

“Ms. Belladonna. Where would the White Fang be concealing themselves in a place like this?” 

Blake frowned at the professor. “If they were operating normally, we would have found them already. We used these buildings as a hideout at times - but it’s too close to Vale, too obvious a choice to be safe. It’s a lightning rod for grimm.” 

Oobleck rubbed his chin in thought. “Understandable! Is this less or more grimm than usual?” 

The faunus shrugged. “I never stayed here. Compared to other places like Kuroyuri, this is less.”

Yang piped up. “So they’re here then? Where are they hiding?” 

“Ladies! Tomorrow we shall complete our search of the city. For now - rest! I shall take first shift.”

***

Ruby had second shift. The professor raised an eyebrow at the sleeping arrangement - Weiss was in Blake’s arms, face planted firmly in her chest. Yang was big spoon to Blake’s little spoon. Ruby used all three as a mattress. He sat opposite the pile and slept sitting up. The building they hid in was several stories tall. She chose the highest intact floor for her watch shift.

Halfway through her shift, she spotted a lone boarbatusk wandering through the street toward their hideout. “Must be left over from the pack we killed earlier.” Ruby jumped from the window and landed on the street below. Not wanting to fire and draw more attention to herself, she unfolded her scythe and ran down the street. The boarbatusk noticed her at the last moment, too late to do anything as she lopped it in half. 

As she made to walk back to their camp, she heard a burst of radio static in the distance. Indistinct chatter seemed to come from a block away. She peeked around a statue of some kind of goddess and found a pair of White Fang faunus standing around, chatting. “We were right! They are here!” 

She backed away, with the intention of returning to her teammates, when the rotted ground beneath her feet cracked, giving way. The statue she hid behind tipped over, unbalanced by the broken ground, and crashed into her, knocking her through the pitch black hole. 

Ruby flailed her arms as she fell into the darkness. She landed hard on her back, far sooner than she expected. The statue crashed into her, knocking the air from her lungs. Thankfully, the bulk of the weight seemed to miss whatever surface she was on, whipping the bust off her, disappearing into the darkness. Groaning, she rolled over and looked around. Her eyes adjusted slowly, revealing a large underground city. “Woah…” 

“Hey! What are you doing here?” 

“Uh oh.” She rolled over and reached for her weapon. Which wasn’t there. She could see the end of Crescent Rose’s handle poking over the edge of the hole she fell through. “Ah shoot.” 

“Hands up!” 

Two White Fang goons levelled their guns at Ruby, advancing on her slowly. She laughed nervously and raised her hands. “What am I going to do now?” 

***

Roman Torchwick walked alongside the train that was the center of his plan. Neo trailed behind him, checking off each bomb as they passed. “I’d like at least one operation to go off without a hitch. These White Fang temps have been less than helpful.” 

Cinder looked up at Roman from his scroll. “They provide the manpower. If there’s a problem, perhaps you should have planned better.” 

He bit his lip. All manner of snide responses ran through his head, waiting at the tip of his tongue. “You know-”

“Hey, Torchwick!” 

“Everything is fine. Preparations are on their way. Don’t worry.” He hastily ended the call and spun around. “Perry,” he growled. “You better have some good news for me.” Seeing Ruby, his expression turned around. “Well well well! Look at this! Red! How’ve you been?” 

Ruby fixed him with her meanest look, which only made him laugh. 

“I need a little payback from last time, ya know. So-” He kicked Ruby in the face, sending her flying into the tunnel wall. She landed on all fours and felt at her nose. She thickened her aura as much as she could, coming away with what felt like a terrible bruise. “Blake!” she whispered. “Blake, help!” 

One of the WF goons walked up and kicked her in the side. “Hey. Shut up.” 

“Oh man! That felt good!” He groaned in pleasure and sighed happily. “What shall we do with you now… ransom? A bit of sport? The options are endless!”

Her teammate’s voice whispered in her ear. “I heard you fall. I’m bringing the others.” 

Ruby sighed in relief. “Thank maidens, Blake. Grab Crescent Rose for me.”

The faunus on her right grabbed her by the hair. “What did I just say? Shut it!” He looked her over for a comm device. “Who were you talking to?” 

Ruby grinned and grabbed the guy’s arm. She jumped her semblance into her highest gear and took off, ramming the poor faunus into every hard object she passed at max speed. When he finally let go of her hair, she stopped, leaving him starfished on the side of the train car. 

Roman cursed loudly and pointed her cane at the giggling huntress. “Damn that’s cold, Red. You have a taste for blood now? Who knew you were so violent - I blame the video games.” 

She looked the faunus over. “He’s fine. Just knocked out. I’m happy about the progress I’ve made on my semblance. I couldn’t even go that fast without a passenger before Beacon. Anyway, tell me what you’re doing here! And tell me what you’re doing with all the dust you stole!”

A bunch of White Fang reinforcements showed up, surrounding Ruby. 

“Um. Blake…? Help?”

Blake’s laugh whispered in her ear. “Here.” Blake’s particular brand of black cloaked her in robes, giving her the likeness of a reaper. 

“Woah, Blake, this feels amazing!” 

“I can block the bullets and strengthen your arms. Use your speed and punch away.” 

Ruby laughed happily and crashed into the next goon, sending him flying into a pile of rocks. Three others tried their luck and attacked her back. Their swords clanged off of her. 

“Why the fuck am I allied with the White Fang if my enemies seem to be the only ones with a sanguine faunus?” Roman threw his arm in the air. “Don’t we have one?” 

Neo poked her head out of the last train car and signed, “You didn’t want to pay his price, remember?” 

“Oh. Right. Well. Pack up, let’s go!” He hopped onto the train and marched toward the front car. 

Neo elbowed him in the side. “Cinder’s not expecting this for another few days. What if she’s not ready?” 

“Look, even if she doesn’t infiltrate the sanctum or whatever - what a pretentious word - we can still spin this. You know that Ironwood is going to bring in more of his army to ‘keep everyone safe’.” 

“You better message her then.” 

“...no, I don’t think I will. She’ll figure it out.” 

***

Ruby caught up to and landed on the end of the train after she broke away from the 50 on 1 fight. The rest of team RWBY and Oobleck waited there. “Thanks Blake! You saved my life.” 

The faunus smiled back at her and released her semblance from Ruby’s body. Her shining amber eyes dimmed back to normal. “I’m so glad I found you in time. Oh, and try not to drop this next time.” She handed her Crescent Rose.

Weiss grabbed her and looked her over. “Your nose! What did they do to you?” Her grip turned vice-like. “Who did this.” 

Yang put her hand on Weiss’ shoulder. “Weiss. We’ll deal with this later. Didn’t you just hear what Blake said earlier?”

“This train is full of bombs,” she explained for Ruby. “I don’t know what his plan exactly is but they’re all armed.” 

Oobleck pointed toward the front of the train. “Ladies! Our enemies approach! Ms. Schnee, Ms. Belladonna, Ms. Xiao Long, go down into the cars and get to the front. Ms. Rose and I shall progress from the top. Understood? We must stop this train!” 

“Yes, Professor,” they chorused. 

“Doctor!” he corrected. He turned to face the front of the train and jumped to the next car. As he jumped, the connection between the cars unlinked. The rest of the team jumped to the next car before the gap became uncrossable. 

The car trailed into the distance until it exploded with an ear-ringing pressure blast. Grimm poured into the destroyed tunnel and charged toward the train. 

Blake closed her eyes and felt down the tunnel as far as she could. “What’s at the end? I can only see a wall.” 

Oobleck consulted his scroll and gasped. “This tunnel leads to Vale! They’re going to take a grimm stampede to the city! We must stop the train!”

Weiss and Ruby shared a look before the team separated into two groups. Blake was the first into the car, using her superior night vision to make sure the coast was clear. “I used most of Weiss’ blood protecting Ruby, so we can’t rely on me too much. Be on your guard, okay?” 

Weiss nodded and felt around in her belt. She brought out the dust ammo clips she created earlier in the week. “Here. You might find these useful.”

Blake accepted the gift. “Thank you, Weiss. I...this is so thoughtful.” 

Yang grinned and threw her arms around their shoulders and pulled them into a big hug. “We got this guys.”

Blake jumped forward and stopped Yang and Weiss. Roman’s short friend was waiting for them in the darkness. She waved at them and cheerily blew a kiss at Yang. 

Yang’s eyes instantly turned red. “I’ll take this one, you two go ahead.” 

She tried to fire Ember Celica at the girl, but Weiss grabbed her arm. “No, I’ll take her. Blake, you two go ahead.” 

Blake understood the look in Weiss’ eyes, so she pulled Yang ahead and circling around the small woman. 

Neo shrugged and let them pass, grinning at Yang the whole way. 

Blake and Yang kept running through the train. When Yang started to complain, she silenced her with a look, hoping that she would listen. As they reached about halfway through the train, their way was blocked once more. 

A hulking White Fang member waited for them, wielding a large chainsaw. “Well well well. A huntress wannabe and a traitor.”

Blake clenched her hands into fists. “You don’t know anything about me.” 

Yang stepped forward. “I’ll take care of this one. You go ahead, Blake.” 

Recognizing the same circumstance that Weiss saw in Yang, she walked stiffly towards the next car. 

“Arrogant bitch.” He punched though Blake, knocking her semblance clone away. 

Blake looked back at him from the next door, trying to remember who he was. “Adam must have told everyone.” She pushed the thought out of her mind and ran ahead. 

Finally, only a handful of cars behind the front, Roman Torchwick waited. 


Weiss stared back at the mismatched eyes of her similarly-sized opponent. Her blood boiled at the sight of her smug grin, although it was a small consolation that her opponent was somehow shorter than her. She narrowed her eyes and drew Myrtenaster, spinning the revolver to azure. Neo opened her umbrella and settled it on her shoulder. 

“That’s her weapon, right? It doesn’t look particularly dangerous but I can’t let my guard down.” “Why are you doing this?”

The girl shrugged, smile fading for a moment. She made a few hand gestures at her, waiting to see if she understood. Realizing that Weiss didn’t know sign language, the ice cream colored girl started strutting toward Weiss. Weiss retreated back, summoning glyphs to cage the girl in. The revolving Schnee crests shot spikes of ice down at Neo. She reacted quickly, deftly blocking most with graceful sweeps of her umbrella. The rest she dodged by leaping and twisting in the air, maneuvering her lithe form around the projectiles. 

Spotting an opening, Weiss darted forward, thrusting her rapier at Neo’s torso, but found herself flying through a glass-like illusion of the small assassin. She managed to roll and avoid the kick Neo aimed at her head. More cautious, Weiss glided away from Neo. “It’s like fighting Blake - any strike I make might be on a substitute.” 

Neo winked, advancing on Weiss again - it was her turn to strike. She started with a series of kicks to Weiss’ left side, sweeping her umbrella at head level as she spun around. Weiss barely dodged the bludgeon after parrying each kick. Neo flipped away, floating beyond Weiss’ blind retaliatory slash. Their fighting continued as a dance, Neo an untouchable pink, white, and brown blur with Weiss in hot pursuit or retreat. 

Neo’s smirk grew as her strikes began landing - starting with a sharp rap against Weiss’ wrist, almost disarming her. Her kicks seemed to magically evade all Weiss’ parries, knocking the wind out of her. 

With a final vicious swing, Neo knocked Weiss off her feet, throwing her against the car wall. Neo sauntered up to the heap on the floor that was Weiss, drawing a sharp blade from the handle of her umbrella. 

Weiss’ eyes widened, seeing the deadly weapon - she knew there must be something more deadly on her opponent than an umbrella. The short reprieve allowed Weiss the chance to use her glyphs again. She quickly layered three glyphs: time dilation, attraction, and azure dust. Neo hastily tried to jump away, but found herself glued to a black glyph and her movements slowed. Panicking, Neo activated her semblance and tried to warp away, but was still held in place by the strange, semblance-produced snowflakes. Finally, the dust infused glyph materialized an ice block, fully encasing the woman to her chin.

With the fight over, Weiss cut off her semblance and slumped her shoulders. “Three different types of glyphs at once...I’m improving,” she thought happily, despite her heavy breathing. Sobering up, she frowned at the wiggling assassin, placing the tip of her rapier against her neck. “Give up, you’ve lost.” Neo squirmed a bit more, before sighing and dropping her head. “Now...how am I going to restrain her…?” She used a bit more dust to seal the ice in rock, fusing it with the side of the car. “I think the ice will last long enough for us to come back for her once we sort this mess out.” “Stay here,” she said bemusedly. Neo huffed at her and rolled her eyes.

“Woah!” 

Ruby came tumbling through a hole in the roof. Crescent Rose wedged itself in the small square hole, freeing itself from Ruby’s hand. 

“Ruby! Are you okay?”

“Oh! Weiss, how’s it goin?”

She gestured at the captured villain. “Alright, I suppose. What are you doing?” 

“I was fighting up there, and I fell thru that hole, now I’m talking to you!”

She sighed heavily. “Thanks dolt. Should I come up there to help, or see how Yang and Blake are doing? They went ahead.”

Ruby thought for a moment. “There's a paladin up there, and now the grim have started catching up. I think we could use your help. As we move up, we’ll check each car - if either of them need help, we’ll jump in. Sound good?”

“Let’s go.”

***

Yang squared off against the White Fang faunus, circling him slowly. 

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Yang.” 

“Call me Chainsaw.” 

She snorted loudly. “Chainsaw? Wow.” 

“You’re going to pay for being friends with that traitor. Prepare yourself for a painful death.”

Yang had heard enough - she fired repeatedly at Chainsaw to test the waters. He easily blocked each shot. She jumped forward at him and punched at his knees, catching him off guard. His leg twisted under his weight. She jumped over his angry swing, taking care that her hair stayed clear of the spinning chain. 

She pointed her arm and fired her right gauntlet. The shot sent her body spinning like a tornado. These sorts of moves were the most difficult for Yang, since it was a difficult task to keep her equilibrium. She smirked as the results of her training showed - she caught Chainsaw in the side of the head with her heel. Based on the sound, his jaw was dislocated by the impact. 

“This is a little too easy...he must be planning something.” With that thought, she jumped back and put space between her and the wounded faunus. 

He staggered to his feet, standing unevenly on his sprained leg. He revved his chainsaw, straining his aura to its max. His red aura was barely visible over his body, but his muscles bulked unnaturally. “You fool,” he slurred through his broken jaw. “My semblance turns damage into power. You’re done for.” 

Yang laughed and facepalmed. “Really? What a perfect match-up then!” 

Chainsaw charged forward attacked again, faster this time. Yang ducked and dodged around the hits, weaving around the chainsaw like a boxer. Each time she saw the opportunity, she used Ember Celica to shoot at his wounded leg. 

“Keep trying, you little mouse. Every attack you do makes me stronger!” 

 “You know,” she said between dodges. “You need a better teacher. My dad taught me better than that.” 

She tripped and fell onto her butt. He laughed victoriously and took his chainsaw into both hands, and swung hard. Yang grinned and used Ember Celica to blast herself out of the way. The overpowered overhand blow went straight through the bottom of the train floor, blowing a hole clear through the metal panels. 

Chainsaw disappeared through the hole. His screams quickly faded into the distance, left to the mercy of either the train wheels or the grimm. She dusted off her hands and chuckled. “And it’s just that easy. Time to catch up to Blake.” 

She made to walk forward when there was a strange tugging sensation at her chest. Looking down, the end of a sword protruded from her body. Her arms wouldn’t move when she tried to reach up and touch the blade, which appeared red underneath her blood. The surreal moment ended. The blade was pulled from her body, bringing forward an explosion of pain.

She crumpled to the ground, barely able to move. She slowly rolled over to look behind her. Though her dimming vision, she could see a woman in a grimm mask look back over her shoulder at her. She shook her head and disappeared though a swirling black and red portal. 

***

“Hey there kitty cat. You look lost.” 

“Stop the train.”

“Hmm, I’m going to go with ‘no’.” He swung his Cudgel at Blake. 

It was the perfect chance to try out Weiss’ gift. When she pulled the trigger, instead of the usual clone Blake, a flaming clone stood in her place. The second the cane touched the image, it exploded. Roman crashed into the opposite end of the car. "Oh wow...I should try this with my blood semblance some time."

He groaned and returned to his feet. “You think that bow is enough to make people forget what you really are?”

“The people that matter already know.” She separated Gambol Shroud and dashed forward, hacking and slashing at Roman.

A seasoned criminal, Roman blocked her attacks quickly and struck at Blake’s chest. Using ice dust, Blake trapped Melodic Cudgel in a Blake-shaped ice sculpture. He tugged futilely at his cane. 

With Gambol Shroud returned to its default, she cut through the air with her aura. The purple blade slammed into Torchwick and threw him back. Every part of Roman’s body ached with the loss of aura, but he tried to sit up anyway. Blake stomped on his chest and pinned him to the deck. 

The smell of Yang’s blood filled the air, slowly bleeding into the train car. Noticing her slight lapse in concentration, Roman tried to sneak in an attack at her legs. His cane struck her ankle, but the faunus was unmoved. She simply reached down and plucked the weapon out of his hand, and promptly threw it out of the train through one of the small ventilation grates that lined the top of each wall. 

“Hey! You-” 

Blake returned Gambol Shroud to her back and kicked Roman in the side of the head, knocking him out cold. A quick look told her he’d be out for a while - likely with a bad concussion, but she couldn’t care. 

She returned to the car she had left Yang in. No sign of her opponent remained, but she guessed that the hole in the floor had something to do with that.

“YANG,” she screamed when she saw her partner’s collapsed form. She ran over to Yang. Much of her blood had left her body; she was barely alive. “What happened? I can’t let you go...you’re the partner I always needed.” Hot tears poured down her face onto the body in her arms. “It wouldn’t be right. I shouldn’t.” Sobs violently shook her body. “If I turn you now...I could still give you the option to go back later.”

She gently touched her lips to Yang’s. “She’s lost so much blood...I have to do it here.” She pulled down the neck of Yang’s shirt. Ignoring the heat rising in her face, she sank her teeth into her chest, right over the heart. 

***

Yang walked through a foggy void, unsure of how she had gotten there. Thoughts slipped from her mind when she tried to focus on them. She seemed to be naked, not that she could remember why. “What...happened?” 

In the distance, movement drew her attention. A giant cat prowled slowly toward her, so large that she was barely taller than its deep violet paw. Amber eyes left her no doubts as to who it was. 

“Blake…”

The cat drew near and sat facing her, resting its head on its paws. Memories trickled back to her. “I’m...dead, aren’t I? And the maidens gave me a chance to see you one last time.” 

She strode forward and hugged as much of Blake as she could get her arms around. She buried her face in the soft fur. Her purr vibrated through Yang’s body, drawing giggles from her. 

Her arms felt fuzzy, as if radio static was being channeled through them. Pulling her face away from Blake’s fur, she could see her arm was fading. “I guess this is goodbye.”

The giant cat blurred, shrinking down and changing shape. In a blink, she was a dark form, like one of her blood semblance clones. She wordlessly held out a hand to her. 

Immediately, Yang reached forward to take her hand. But she hesitated. There was something heavy in the air, a weight to the action. The second their hands touched, a bite mark appeared on the center of her chest, spreading a bright amber color over her body until it was all she could see. 


Ruby and Weiss ran along the train cars, fighting their way toward the forward car. Weiss used a well placed glyph to send the stolen paladin tumbling off the side of the train. Ahead, Weiss thought she could see the end of the tracks approaching. “Professor Oobleck!”

“Doctor!”

No time to roll her eyes. “I think we’re running out of time! I don’t think we can stop it!”

“I think you’re right! We only have moments now!” 

“What about bumbleby?”

“Here.” Weiss turned around to see Blake, covered in blood. 

Ruby was at her side in a flash. “Blake! ...where is Yang.” 

Blake opened and closed her mouth a couple times, searching for the words. 

Weiss grabbed Blake’s shoulders. “Is there anything we can do right now?” 

“...no.”

“Let’s handle this situation first then, okay?” Heat seared behind her eyes, but she held it back. “Ruby, we need to stay focused on the mission..”

Ruby stared blankly back, silver eyes seeming to dull. Oobleck ran back to them in a panic.

“Ladies! The train has reached the end of the tunnel! It’s going to crash, wemustprepare!!!” 

Weiss pulled the others close and turned Myrtenaster to azure. She formed an ice cocoon and held onto her partner tight.

Notes:

Here we go boys and girls and other kiddos, it's thrall time.

Let me know what you think!

Chapter 12: Tiger

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The bone-rattling crash pulled Ruby back into reality. All she could see was Weiss’ back as they flew through the air. Just over her partner’s shoulder, she could see the rapidly approaching ground. 

She wrapped her arms around Weiss’ slender waist and boosted herself with her semblance. They crashed back-first into some very stabby bushes, shielding her partner best she could. “At least I could save you, Weiss,” she thought, before everything went black. 

Vale was barely recognizable through the cloud of debris. Sirens began to wail in the distance. When the ice shell broke apart around team RWBY, Blake twisted around and jumped free. “Ruby has Weiss, we’re fine.” She landed on a nearby building and watched the train crater into the stairs that surrounded the courtyard. It crumpled into a zig-zaged snake. 

However, the real threat was still on the way. Perched high on a building, Blake quickly tied her bow on her head and turned back to the newly re-formed tunnel exit and aimed Gambol Shroud into the dark hole. There’s no way it would be enough, but she fired at the grimm stampede that began to pour into the courtyard anyway. Down below, a small white-clad figure stepped forward.

Myrtenaster could only hold so much dust, but Weiss burned it all. Going through each color until her sword was empty, she created 7 glyphs in a firing line. Barrage after barrage of fireballs, icicles, high voltage chaining bolts, hard light spikes - the heiress didn’t let a single grimm through the broken tunnel entrance for two whole minutes. Her nose bled from exertion, her arms and legs shook. When her aura depleted, she dropped her sword and collapsed. With the last of Weiss’ offering, Blake rushed through the shadows to her side in an instant. She plucked the huntress and her sword off the ground and jumped to safety. 

Thankfully, help arrived before long. “You’re amazing, Weiss,” she murmured, holding her close to her chest as a Beacon airship swooped into the courtyard with both doors open. Inside the airship bay was team CFVY and team SSSN. Coco and Velvet jumped and landed together. 

“Well, this is exactly what I created my weapon for.” She whipped out her minigun and mowed down every ursa and beowolf in sight. Velvet stood back to back with her and held her hand out. The small box on her back lit up and printed a hard light replica of Coco’s gun in her hand. 

Between the two of them, they cleared out the escaping grimm and began to focus on the tunnel exit. Team SSSN caught the few that managed to slip through, all the while flashing their junior cop badges they got from their mission. What seemed like a catastrophe was over before much damage could happen. 

Coco looked over the rim of her glasses at the destruction. “Well, there’s a fair bit of damage to the surrounding buildings, but hey, crisis averted.” Her gun chewed up much of the courtyard area, destroying all the planters, benches, and stairs. 

Velvet snuck up behind Coco and rested her chin on her shoulder. “How is it that I’m better than you at handling your gun?” Her half of the courtyard was considerably more intact.

“Velv, you handle my gun every night under the blankets - of course you’re a pro.” 

“Wait- no- I-” Velvet face-palmed. “I walked right into that.” 

A loud beeping filled the sky. Large bird-like airships floated casually toward the courtyard and let out drop lines. Blake watched faceless bots fill the courtyard. “‘Too late to help, early enough to take credit’ should be their motto.” She jumped from her perch and landed nearby Ruby’s unconscious form.

Atlesian Paladins marched around the damaged area and blocked off the destroyed tunnel exit. Events of this long day began to catch up to Blake when her knees gave out. Exhaustion blurred her vision - or was it tears? She was unsurprised when General Ironwood jumped from an airship and landed in front of her. His gun was out, at his side. The message was clear. “Belladonna, you need to come with me.”

***

Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald discreetly watched the chaos from a nearby building.

“That fucking moron. Useless.”

“Do we even get anything from Roman? He’s been stopped by those little huntresses every time something big happens. When can I kill him? My legs are stiff with boredom.”

“It’ll be okay, right Cinder?” 

“We can use this, get out there and help. We’ll need a different distraction, this one was clearly not enough. The train was supposed to attract more grimm into the city - the huntress response was too quick. We know how Ironwood is going to react.” She pulled out her scroll and tapped the screen. “Let’s go.”

***

Neo felt sick watching the world spin around her. Encased in her icy rock prison, she wasn’t sure if the chaining explosions from the bombs and crash would be her end. One head-jostling landing later, she lay still on the concrete with a pounding in her head - somehow alive.

“Well, that was fun. Now what?” She dusted herself off and looked around. Her umbrella was nowhere to be seen, but she sure could see the Atlesian Military floating menacingly toward her, so she used her semblance to skirt the edge of the courtyard and leave through an alleyway. 

***

Weiss paced agitatedly by the window, clenching and unclenching her hands. Hours had passed since the attack. Still caked in dirt, grimm gore, and dust residue, she couldn’t relax enough to take the time to bathe. All she could feel was anger, an anger that burned away all other feeling. 

Ruby was in Yang’s bed, staring up at the ceiling. She hadn’t spoken a single word since the attack ended. Unlike Weiss, she did clean herself, spending almost two hours in the bathtub, long after the water had gone cold. 

At long last, Goodwitch came for them.

“Professor Ozpin would like to speak to you two immediately. We need to talk about what happened during your mission.” 

“Tell me where Blake is.”

“You can ask Professor Ozpin yourself, Miss Schnee.”

Ruby silently slid off the bed and took her partner’s hand. “Let’s go,” she mumbled, her voice crackly from disuse. 

They walked silently across the darkened campus to Ozpin’s tower and rode the elevator to the top. The team leader was silent the whole way, looking down at the ground beneath her feet.

The headmaster sat behind his desk and gestured at the seats in front of him. “Please, sit, we have a lot to talk about. Goodwitch stood to his side and slightly behind him. Oobleck sat on a sofa under one of the large windows that overlooked Beacon. The couch looked like it had been dragged up from the lobby, quite out of place. An equally odd sight was the professor himself, who was disheveled from the fighting earlier that day. General Ironwood looked out toward his airships, at parade rest as usual. 

“There is a lot to discuss. I have heard most of the details of the mission from Doctor Oobleck, at least what he had seen. What remains unknown is what happened inside the train. Now, I-” 

The elevator bell rang, interrupting the meeting. Yukina and Haruka entered the room. Immediately obvious to Weiss was their attire. Haruka wore the combat outfit that Weiss had met her in. Yukina looked much the same, however there was a sword added to her Menagerian robes. 

Ozpin stood quickly. “To what do I owe this pleasure, Yukina?” 

“Professor Ozpin. I’ve come seeking the release of Blake Belladonna. It was brought to my attention that you are detaining her. Bring her out to me, now.” Her voice was polite and her expression was serene, but the tension in the air was immense. Haruka’s grin was positively demonic.

“She is being held for creating a thrall. She will be released once we’ve had a chance to speak with her on this matter.”

“This breaks the treaty between Vale and Menagerie. Unless you’re looking for another war between faunus and humans, release her. Now.”

“We don’t know if she had permission from the victim, nor how many thralls she-” 

“That is not within your purview.” She rested her hand on the hilt of her sword. “And I am tired of repeating myself.” Intense white light filled the room, shining from the faunus’ eyes and hair. 

Ironwood and Goodwitch both grabbed at their weapons, but Ozpin raised his hands. “Very well. We will get her now.”

Goodwitch nodded and went to the elevator, taking a wide berth around the glowing faunus, and descended from the tower. 

Haruka hopped over to Weiss and took her hand and placed it in Ruby’s. “There, that’s better. How are ya doin?” 

Weiss frowned and let go of Ruby’s hand, much to her disappointment. “Wait.” She stood and turned to face Yukina. “When you said Blake created a thrall...what were you talking about?”

“Your teammate, Yang Xiao Long, of course. I suppose these humans didn’t bother to tell her distraught teammates that she was alive. I’m not surprised.”

Life returned to Ruby as she bolted up. “She’s alive? Thank Maidens...” Tears poured down her face. “Thank the Maidens.”

Weiss grabbed Ruby and hugged her tightly. “She...turned her?” Warring emotions played on her face before settling on relief. “At least she is alive.”

“You must be Ruby Rose. I am Yukina, this is Haruka. I assume you’ve heard of us through Blake or Weiss.” 

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you. Thanks for all the food!” she said between sniffles. 

“Of course.”

Goodwitch returned to the room with Blake in tow. The faunus hesitated after exiting the elevator, gauging the reactions in the room. Without hesitation, Ruby ran over and jumped into her arms. “Is it true? You saved Yang?” 

Blake returned the hug with trepidation. “She...isn’t dead.” Ruby buried her face in Blake’s chest and began soaking her shirt with tears.

“I didn’t know what I’d do without her. I can’t lose her too,” she wailed. Despite herself, Blake smiled down at her and cradled her in her arms. 

Yukina came to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know you have guilt from your time with the White Fang, but you must be willing to stand up for yourself, my little cub. You’ve done nothing wrong.” 

“But I didn’t ask her or-” 

Haruka sighed loudly. “You did it to save her life. You probably don’t know this, but in this scenario there is a way to revoke that choice. She would die though. And I don’t mean that we kill her.” 

“But, it’s illegal to-”

“Times are changing. Menagerie has strengthened their treaties with the kingdoms - they must be in on all decisions regarding the faunus. I...used a different name for you in my message to your parents. They’ve declared this acceptable; no action can be taken against you by any kingdom or huntsman academy. You’re required to spend some time with me. And Yang with Haruka. You will be monitored jointly by me and Beacon - nothing invasive, just to ensure you’re not attacking people.” 

“But, Adam said…I-” Blake swallowed hard. “Dad made changes to protect faunus?” 

“He did. Be proud, Blake. Huntsmen are no longer judge, jury, and executioner.” 

Ozpin cleared his throat. “We’ve done as you asked. I need to speak with my students about what happened. Please set up a meeting time with me, if you need to speak further.” 

Yukina looked back dismissively. “There are no second chances with me, human. If you do something like this again, you can expect that I won’t be politely asking you anything.” She gracefully swept from the room. 

Haruka jumped into cat-form and landed smack on Weiss’ face, giving her a faceful of belly fur. Sputtering, Weiss pulled Haruka off and tossed her roughly into her wife’s arms. The sanguine faunus gave the team a small wave with her fingers before the elevator doors closed. 

“Ugh! Haruka!”

“I thought you were exaggerating about her. She really does like you.” Ruby dragged Blake over so she could latch onto Weiss’ arm as well. “I’m so glad you’re both okay. And you saved Yang...thank you Blake. I love you both.” 

The adults in the room waited in silence, presumably until the keen faunus senses wouldn’t overhear anything further. Goodwitch rounded on Ironwood. “I told you that was a bad idea,” she grumbled. 

“It doesn’t hurt to be cautious,” he answered easily, but a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. 

Oobleck pushed his glasses onto the bridge of his nose. “I do believe that, while unofficial, that particular sanguine faunus was single-handedly responsible for some of the largest, most ruthless victories during the war. Battlefields full of people burned alive...”

Ironwood blinked. “Well, I wish you had told me that before...perhaps something must be done about one that strong.”

Weiss frowned. “What do you mean? She’s clearly not a threat.”

“She’s more than just a threat. The three of us couldn’t beat her and the thrall. She could easily take over Atlas...take over the world.” 

Ruby jumped in. “What makes you think she would do that? If you treat her like an enemy when all she does is run a coffee shop and hug her cat wife...aren’t you just creating the problem you’re scared of?”

“She just threatened us-”

“Because you did something illegal! You’re stepping on the rights of the faunus!” Weiss shouted. “You detained Blake and now you're creating an enemy-”

“That’s enough,” Ozpin said firmly. “This isn’t an argument to have at this moment.” 

Blake didn’t miss the way Ironwood glanced at her. “What do you need to know that Oobleck couldn’t tell you?”

“What happened to Ms. Xiao Long? How did she die?” 

“She’s not dead,” Blake corrected. “I don’t know who attacked her. The man she was fighting used a chainsaw, not a sword.” 

“So, you don’t know who did it? No evidence of who it was?” 

“I was distracted by my injured partner. I didn’t think to survey the area.” 

Ozpin sighed. “I see. Very well. What about you two?” He turned to Ruby and Weiss.

“I joined Ruby on the roof of the train after defeating Roman’s little assistant.”

“None of my men could find this pink and brown girl you told us about. She must have gotten away.” He consulted his scroll. “We’ve explored the length of the tunnel and found a chainsaw - based on what you’ve told us, it must belong to her opponent. Their body must be lost to the grimm. We retrieved Ms. Xiao Long’s body but could no evidence of who attacked her.” 

“I suppose we shall ask her when she wakes. Ms. Belladonna, per the Menagerian Treaty, you must be at her side when she awakes. If she hurts anyone, you’ll be held responsible.”

“And you’ll just be waiting for that to happen.” “Yes, professor.”

***

Once the young huntresses were a suitable distance from the tower, Ozpin relaxed. “So. They didn’t see anything.”

“Raven tried to kill her?”

“I have no doubt it was her. The question is whether Raven told them anything. I need to talk to Qrow about this.”

“More of my fleet is on the way to Beacon. This has become serious Oz. Raven is in the mix. You know she knows too much...”

“James that won’t help us. The city is already on edge with the forces you have here now.”

“Trust me, Oz. We need as much help as we can get right now. We need to make the transfer soon. We need a new candidate; we cannot use a thrall.” 

“I have someone in mind.” 

***

Yang woke slowly in an unfamiliar room. The lights were off but she could tell it was a hospital. No IVs or monitors were attached to her - she was just sleeping in a bed. 

“Don’t move too much, okay?” Blake moved to the side of her bed and took her hand. “Do you feel alright?”

“Yeah, I think so?” 

Blake lifted Yang’s hand. “Tense your fingertips.” 

Perplexed, she flexed her hand. Her nails extended into claws, almost an inch long. “Woah...better be careful during sex, huh.” 

Blake sighed and closed her eyes. “I suppose so.” With a quick motion, she slapped her hand onto the bed next to her. 

A jolt of shock ran up her spine. “Ow! What the hell!” 

“Looks like tiger, I think.” In her hands was a tan and white furred tail, with intermittent black stripes. 

“Woah! A tail!?” She made to grab it, but Blake stopped her. 

“Put your claws away first.” 

“Oh.” With a little difficulty, her claws retracted into her fingers. She felt the weird fur worm attached to her butt. “This...is weird.” She put it under her nose like a mustache. “But there are benefits.” 

Blake laughed softly and bowed her head.. “I’m sorry. For doing this to you.” 

Yang tried to find Blake’s eyes, but she looked down at her hands. “My mind is still a little foggy but I’m pretty sure you’re not the one who stabbed me.” Her expression darkened. “In fact, I know exactly who did it.” 

“You do? Who? I’ll find them and-”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now, okay?” A tight spot grew in her chest. She could feel nothing left from the attack, no scar from the sword that would have killed her. “If it weren’t for Blake.” “So...I’m one of those faunus babies or something, right?” 

“Yes...you are. There is a way to undo it, but you’d die. Is that something you-”

“Blake, stop. As far as I can tell, this is fine. I-” An itchy feeling in her throat cut her off with a coughing fit. “Is there water? I’m super thirsty.” 

“In the old days there would be ceremonies for things like this...but here.” She handed her a cup. “Don’t look at it, just drink it.” 

She took a big gulp. “Oh thank maidens I was so thirsty. This tastes really good.” She paused. “Wait.” 

“Yes, it is. A donation from Weiss.” 

“Oh. That’s kinda weird.” She smacked her lips. “Tastes good though.”

“That’s why I said not to look at it.” 

“She really seems to like giving her blood away...sounds like a kink…so this is what it’s like to have her inside me? Ayyy-” The room was filled with the yellow glow from Yang’s hair, with an intensity that hurt her eyes. “Agh, why is my hair glowing? That only happens with my semblance usually.” 

“For me, it’s my eyes. For Yukina, it’s her hair and eyes. For you, it’s your hair.” 

“What if like- could it be something weird? Like just the left tiddy or something.” 

“I- Why- I don’t know, Yang. It’s usually eyes or hair. If you had horns, maybe those would glow or something.” 

“Do I get cool powers? When do I get to make copies of myself? Because I have a lot of fantasies that I could use those for. We could have like, clone sex, a crazy orgy-” 

“Yang...we can’t be together anymore. It would be irresponsible.”

She blinked. “What? Why?”

“I could make you do anything. I could control you completely. I could read your mind. See from your eyes. Everything! You belong to me now.” She grabbed Yang by the neck for emphasis. “I own you.”

“Woah…That’s kinda hot.”

“Take this seriously Yang! I could make you tear your own arm off! Make your lungs stop breathing! I could abuse you!”

Yang sighed and sat back in her bed, looking up at the ceiling. “I am taking this seriously. I’m on borrowed time now. Being silly about it...just helps, ok?” She got to her feet. “There’s a few downsides to this, I’m sure. As far as I can tell right now, I’m just glad to be alive. You’d never do anything to hurt me, would you?”

“Of course I wouldn’t.” 

“Unless I asked, right?” she said with a wink. “Thank you, though, really. You saved my life.” She hugged Blake tightly.

“Keep those claws off me until I know you can control them,” she warned, peeling her fingers away from her sides. “There’s no way I could let you go, Yang.” 

Yang nuzzled closer and whispered, “I love you, Blake.”

***

Qrow hunted alone. It was for everyone’s good. He had seen far too many of his friends hurt because of him. Tai, Raven...Summer. All had been victims of his semblance many times, until one of them died. 

The experienced hunter sat alone at a bar on the outskirts of Mistral. Despite being cheap, vodka was the best partner he could wish for. Always there for him, made him feel warm, never complained, and couldn’t be tortured to death in front of his eyes.

A glass of whisky was placed in front of him by the bartender. “This is for you. The lady up there said to get you our cheapest whisky, but I gave you our top shelf.” She winked and walked away with a smile. 

He took his free drink and slowly walked upstairs to the table the bartender indicated. “This is some good whisky. Thanks, Raven.” 

Qrow’s sister grinned at him. Her eyes were an identical shade of crimson, a color he had come to see as a curse. 

“I should have asked the guy bartender. But I suppose your bad luck doesn’t seem to extend to people finding you attractive, even men.” 

“What can I say? The guys and girls love me.” He downed the rest of his free drink. “What do you want?”

“What is Ozpin doing with my daughter?” 

“I’m not sure if you've got any right to call her your daughter,” he growled. 

“Don’t you dare lecture me. What is he doing with her, tell me Qrow.” 

“Not much. He’s just their headmaster.”

“Just like he was with us? Like that kind of headmaster?” 

“The first years are getting their first missions soon. Otherwise she likes to get in trouble, just like you did. Just like we did.” 

“Is he going to use her? Like he used Summer?” 

“You can’t blame him for Summer.”

“The hell I can’t.”

“If anyone is to blame, it’s me. You know that, Raven.”

“I’m happy to see he still has you brainwashed.” She took a sip of her drink. “She’s with the Belladonna girl.”

“She seems nice. It’s got Oz and James on edge though.” 

“I’m warning you. I won’t let him take her like he took us - like he took Summer. I’ll do anything to stop him. Anything.”

Notes:

Bit of a shorter chapter but i busy and stressed from work aaa

moving the story along a specific direction now so I guess we'll see how that goes

Chapter 13: First Test

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Pyrrha breathed deeply while she ran through her pre-workout stretching routine. She’d never been in Goodwitch’s colosseum-like classroom outside of her regularly scheduled sparring class. Could you imagine Pyrrha Nikos in remedial lessons or detention? A few odd guests sat high up in the stadium seating, one watching her intently over his small round glasses. 

Opposite the tournament champion was the brawler from Patch, newly returned to outdoor life. 

“Can I get a darker tint on these sunglasses or what?” Yang grumbled, squinting through dim light in the room. “How do you stand this Blake?” 

Blake helped Yang loosen up, pushing her into a deeper stretch. “I’ve been a faunus my whole life. A fair number of years in my blood. Besides, things are harder for you...it’ll be better eventually, you’ve seen Haruka.” 

She had gone through the explanation a number of times but it didn’t seem to stick. “Ok ok fine. I get the feeling this is about more than just helping me get back on my feet. I don’t even know how to do anything I couldn’t do before. And I don't like how he's looking at me.” 

Blake looked up at Ozpin. “I think you’re right. Take it easy, okay? You might hurt yourself.”

“Blake, I tried arm wrestling Ruby yesterday, I’m not any stronger than I was before.” 

“Just wait until your blood starts pumping,” she responded cryptically. “Pull your punches. Try half power for now.” 

A beep from her scroll distracted Blake. Despite responding with a frosty “I refuse to be any part of this.” Weiss messaged to see how Yang was doing.

> “How is the oaf?”

> “We’re starting soon.”

> “Tell Ozpin if Yang gets hurt, I’ll be suing. Thank you.” 

The faunus rolled her eyes and returned her scroll to her pocket and returned to massaging Yang. Last week saw several lessons with the experienced sanguine faunus Yukina, lessons that lasted several hours - the most recent of which would be useful in today’s experiment.

“So, controlling your thrall,” Yukina had said to start the lesson. The older woman set up chairs to sit in, with Haruka on her knees before them. 

“Is this...necessary?” 

“Well, why not? It’ll get us in the mood.” She poured two glasses of wine, handed one to her junior, and leaned back. “I know what you’re going to say - that you don’t need to know it since you never want to do it. Well let me tell you this: I’ve seen what happens when a sanguine doesn’t know, and kills their thrall by accident. Knowing how to do it means knowing how not to.” 

The white-haired faunus took a long sip of her wine and crossed her legs. Immediately, her cat thrall dipped her head and kissed Yukina’s raised foot.

Blake averted her eyes and swallowed a mouthful of red wine. “This seems like something she would do on her own, isn’t it?” 

“Certainly,” she allowed, watching Haruka with a grin. “Try and resist.” There was no change - the thrall simply continued to worship her mistress, unphased. “You see, if she tried her absolute hardest, she could stop herself. It would be a considerable amount of exertion, enough to cause internal hemorrhaging. She could maybe resist for a half minute.” 

“So...really there’s not much she could do…”

“No. So, the obvious question: How do you do it? Think of it like your blood semblance. It will be as if you’ve gained a new ability - which is why it is so dangerous. You must be careful not to use it unintentionally during a fight.”

Returning her mind to the present, she prepared to reign Yang in, if the situation called for it. Given the nature of her explosive semblance, there’s no telling how it might manifest itself now. “I’ll be in your shadow the whole time.” She squeezed Yang’s hand and disappeared into the pool of black that grew from her partner’s feet.

Pyrrha watched the strange occurrence with interest. One moment Blake was there, the next she melted away with a flash of yellow. Although she immediately agreed to help Yang, she certainly had her misgivings about this sparring session. Ironwood and Ozpin wouldn’t take their eyes off of her, scrutinizing her. It was a tense atmosphere that wasn’t like anything she experienced as a fighter. She decided a chat with her opponent might help. 

“How are you feeling Yang?” 

“My eyes hurt. Walking here through the sun made me feel super tired. It’s Saturday and I could be sleeping. Other than that, great!” 

Pyrrha turned Yang around and started to massage her back. “Just walking here? Wow.” 

“I don’t know how Haru-cat makes it work.”

“Let’s just feel you out, see how it goes. Do you know the Mistrali sparring sequence? I’ll run us through the first four hand-to-hand forms, then jump into sparring.”

Yang nodded. “Dad is from Mistral, he taught me all of those. You could tell?” 

“Of course,” she answered, with a small smile. “Watching you fight reminds me of a few of my coaches back home.” 

“Oh man, you’re gonna be hard to beat. Take it easy on me ok?” 

“I will. I don’t think Blake would forgive me if I didn’t.” 

“I’ll haunt you in the night,” she whispered. “You’ll hear strange noises. Things will move on their own. You’ll wake up in a pool of sweat, feeling watched. You-”

Yang burst out laughing. “Damn Blake! Relax yo.”

“I’m just kidding….or am I…?”

Ozpin’s voice echoed through the room. “Let’s get started.” 

Goodwitch took up her usual position in the center of the arena and gestured to both fighters. “Are you ready?” After both nodded, she continued, “Same rules as usual. Miss Belladonna, please do not interfere unless they’re in danger.”

With a gesture of her hands, Goodwitch started the match. Yang followed Pyrrha through the standard sparring sequences, jabbing and blocking as each series dictated. A grin slowly spread over Yang’s face, settling into a rhythm. Despite being completely healed after her conversion, Ozpin was adamant that she remain mostly bedridden. 

Finally freed, Yang pushed the tempo and ramped back up to a speed she was used to. With each strike, her blood got pumping and she was raring to go. “I’m not meant to be inactive, I need to fight!” 

It was the final form of the series and excitement grew in Yang. She shared a look with Pyrrha on the last strike and nodded - the real fight was on. The rules of the match were certainly not in her favor, something she internally grumbled about once again as she watched Pyrrha remove Miló and Akoúo̱ from her back. 

“How am I supposed to fight against a spear, gun, and shield with my bare hands?” She looked down at her hands. "Well...I don't have bare hands anymore." With a flex of her hands, she extended her claws. "And...the tail...my tail..." She didn't pay much mind to it for the most part, keeping it wrapped around her waist for convenience. She pulled it free and returned her gaze to her opponent.

Pyrrha, unsurprising to anyone who knew her, hesitated and returned Miló to her back and resolved to use her shield until the situation called for something more. Yang jumped forward and punched with both fists, knocking her opponent back. 

There was still nothing out of the ordinary about her body, as far as Yang could tell. Her punches were easily stopped by Akoúo̱ and her kicks dodged like usual. Frustration grew in her as she couldn’t land a single hit on her red-headed foe. Her claws screeched along the metal shield. Her tail flicked wildly as her center of gravity shifted. 

“Nikos.” Ironwood’s voice boomed from the bleachers, interrupting the flow of the fight. Pyrrha frowned, but pulled her rifle from her back and started to fire. 

“Woah!” she shouted, dashing around erratically. Despite her best efforts, she could feel her aura taking hits. The rifle packed a surprising punch that could only have been delivered by dust enhanced rounds. 

“Oh man, I thought she was going to go easy on me…” She watched Pyrrha slowly rotate to track her, gun up and aimed down sights. “But I suppose Ironwood has other ideas…” 

Pyrrha watched carefully over the sights of Miló. Ironwood wanted a test - was there a way to do that without hurting her friend? She fired more at Yang, gaging the response of her aura. With every shot, she felt a growing unease, a prickling across her skin. She dashed forward and struck at Yang. 

The brawler blocked the bladed spear by the haft, grabbing and pulling Pyrrha off balance. She flowed with the movement and dove over the clawed slash waiting for her. With a quick spin, she kicked Yang in the back and sent her flying into the opposite wall. In that moment she realized what was making her uneasy - was it just her, or were the shadows in the room getting...darker? 

Even her own shadow seemed darker at her feet. “Is it larger too?” The shadows cast by the walls extended well past their natural path. The dark pools seemed to slowly sap at her strength, leadening her arms and legs. 

Yang slowly crawled out of the crater in the wall and got to her feet. She felt her power growing as her semblance always did, but there was something different. Standing in the darkened shadow of the wall, her aura felt strengthened. 

When her semblance was maxed out, Yang was at her strongest and most vulnerable. By this point in her life, she was pretty used to it - her eyes changed color, her hair glowed, her body felt hot, and things she punched blew up. So it was a surprise to her when part of her body burst into flames. Her hair glowed bright in the darkness as yellow flames sparked into life and gathered at her hands, slowly spreading up her arms. 

In the stands, Ozpin shielded his face against the heat. Ironwood made a small note on his scroll and left the room without a word. Pyrrha’s aura glowed around her in response to the burning pressure coming off Yang. 

The confused former-human flapped her arms, trying to put out the fire. “Well that’s new...feels warm but nothing too bad.” The flames did nothing to reduce the shadows at her feet, like a pool of black ink. She jumped at Pyrrha and scored a few hits, sneaking her punches under Akoúo̱, using the blind spot created by the shield. The blow knocked the wind out of Pyrrha and took a chunk out of her aura.

Pyrrha tried to disengage and make some distance, but Yang got in close and grabbed her dominant arm to keep Miló out of the way. Her skin burned painfully under the strange flames, seeming to ignore her armor and burn at her aura directly. 

Noticing this, Yang backed off and looked down at her hands. Her claws, previously black, glowed her familiar brand of yellow. "Wait...I've seen Blake do something like this." She swiped her hand through the air, sending fiery blades into Pyrrha's shield. "Ooh..." In a final test of the session, Pyrrha darted forward and cut into her opponent’s arm. No aura blocked her attack and the tip of her spear easily bit into Yang’s arm. Rage filled the thrall’s chest at the injury, just like it had the first few times she activated her semblance as a child. A mind-blanking, violent rage.

With an angry roar, the faunus thrall grabbed Miló and violently pulled Pyrrha off her feet, faster than before. Before Yang’s fiery lariat could connect, Blake stepped in. The flames vanished and she fell unconscious into Pyrrha’s arms. At the same time, there was a confused squawk at the edge of the arena within the unnaturally dark shadows. Sprawled in a heap, was a very confused Weiss. 

A rushing sound filled the room as the lighting returned to normal. The morning sun shined through the windows, returning a light orange glow to the sparring area. Weiss was in her casual clothes, clearly interrupted during her typical morning homework session - she even had a pencil in hand. 

“I...I wha...why am I here?” The heiress was totally disoriented, unable to keep her balance. 

Blake crouched next to Weiss and pulled her into a sitting position. “Are you okay? What happened to you?” 

“I’m fine. I don’t know what happened! I was asking you that!” 

Blake sighed and gave Weiss a reassuring hug. “You’re probably pretty confused right now. Did you see some unnatural lighting in the room? Anything out of the ordinary?” 

“I...I was doing my homework and I think I heard a strange sound. Next thing I know, I’m on the ground of this disgusting room!” 

Pyrrha set Yang down next to the couple. “Whew, that was quite a fight. She has gained an interesting power. A combination of her enmity and your shadowkinesis.” 

“And teleportation, apparently.” Using her connection with Yang, she gently roused her from unconsciousness.

The exhausted huntress slowly opened her eyes and groaned. “Ugh...what happened.” 

“I had to stop you...I’m sorry.” 

“Aw that’s ok. I’m sure you had a good- hey Weiss, what are you doing here? I thought you weren’t going to come?”

Blake glanced back at Weiss. “I think...you might have brought her here.”

Perplexed, she raised an eyebrow. “How would I do that? Hmm...well I admit I was thinking about you during the fight.” 

“I’m supposing I don’t want to know the exact context of which you were thinking about me.” 

“Yeah,” she answered with a grin. “Sometimes my thoughts wander when the blood gets pumping. But, even then how would I do that? That’s not really related to your abilities at all, Blake.” 

“It doesn’t seem like it, but the fact is that you teleported someone to you. We’ll have to do some exploring.” 

“Like with a portal,” Yang said abruptly. “I made a portal.” 

Blake watched her closely. “Yeah, I guess so...is everything okay?” 

“Yeah. I’m fine. Let’s get out of here.” She stood, picked up her bag, and made for the door. 

With a shared look, Blake and Weiss followed. “What..was that about?” 

***

As the team neared the dorms, a flash of gold caught Blake’s eye. Sun’s blonde head poked out above the building rooftop. Clearly caught in the act of preparing to surprise them in the RWBY team room, he guiltily waved. 

“I’ll catch up with you guys in the room, I need to talk to Sun.” 

Weiss raised an eyebrow, following Blake’s gaze up to the roof. “Oh...him. Don’t take too long, I ordered some food. I suppose he could join, if he must.” 

Blake shook her head with a laugh. “Wow, you’ve come so far, Weiss. I’m proud of you.” 

“Hey! I’m very polite and hospitable, I’ll have you know. He clearly cares about you so-”

Yang snorted. “Oh please, you’d always stand as far away from him as possible and you get this look on your face whenever you talk to people you hate, like you’re trying to smile but-”

“Okay! Okay, I’m going back to the room. Enjoy your chat with him. Ruby is probably wondering what on Remnant happened to me.” She stormed off with Yang in tow, shaking her head.

Sun sat with his legs dangling off the building, waving at Blake with his tail. 

“Hey, Blake.” 

“Hey.” 

“How are you doing?” 

“Fine, I guess." She sat next to Sun with a sigh. "Testing out Yang’s inherited powers...with an unusual audience.” 

“Ozpin?”

“And Ironwood.” 

“Ah...that’s not cool. It should be an intimate experience between the two of you, not...a show or something.”

Blake looked over at him. “You said before that making a thrall wasn’t the right thing to do...I-”

“She was going to die, right? I’m not going to judge you for that, Blake. Don’t be silly. Actually, that’s what I came here to talk about. Yukina and I were on a CCT meeting with the kingdoms. They demanded that we show up and make all kinds of statements, promises, and other crap.” 

Blake winced. “I’m sorry for putting this on you. I wasn’t thinking about how it might affect others.”

With a wave of his hand, Sun continued, “I already said it’s fine. I’m here for you, remember that.” He grinned and nudged her side with an elbow. “But anyway, your parents were there too. The kingdoms, especially Atlas, were super angry about how little info there was. They wanted to know your name, birthday, favorite color, all this junk. They wouldn’t listen to me and Yukina at all.”

“Maybe I should just tell them...It isn’t worth all this extra effort. Even if they let this go, they’ll hold it over dad’s head forever. They’ll say he’s hiding an army of sanguine faunus and slave thralls.”

“You’re not a known sanguine...this would put you on the radar of every kingdom. You’ll be a target, especially since you’re so young. You know they’ve tried to assassinate Yukina, right? She’s native to Atlas and they’ve been trying to kill her for ages.” 

“But I’m just making things worse for the faunus...for my parents. I’ve done enough to them.” 

Sun sighed heavily. “I get how you feel. I don’t want you to worry too much. We smoothed things over, real easy. It just took...a few hours. We testified for you - whatever that means - so they let it go for now. I dunno how the heck they’d try to hold us accountable, but, ya know..” He shrugged casually. “Did I tell you about the time that I stole the Mistrali crown? It was a long time ago, but they just couldn’t catch me! I took them on a long chase all the way to Vacuo. Eventually they gave up. So. If it comes to that, I’m a pro.”

Blake chuckled. “And you never returned the crown, right?”

“Nah, I buried it somewhere...can’t remember where.” He grinned widely and shrugged again, holding up a fist. “But, yeah, don’t worry. I’ve got your back.”

“Thank you, Sun.” She knocked her fist against his with a smile. “C’mon. Weiss said you can eat with us. Not sure what she ordered b-”

“Free food? Hell yeah!”

Notes:

ugh god this took forever. i thought with this quarantine thing I'd have more time to right (<-- edit see look what the fuck man it is write u idiot) but I feel like my brain died. Managed to put together this smaller chapter...hope it's good enough.

Chapter 14: The Witch

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It was several hours before sunrise when a light scratching on the RWBY room door woke Blake. She opened the door a crack to allow the team’s favorite brown cat to squeeze through. Haruka dropped a note on the floor and promptly curled up on her pillow and fell asleep. 

“Tell your team you’ll be gone for the day. Meet me at the gates. Bring your weapon.”  

Blake frowned at the note from the fox faunus. “Why?” 

She turned and poked Haruka in the side until she grumpily turned her head to her. “What is going on?” 

She hopped off the bed to transform quickly. “You’re being called. I guess you’re still too young to hear it, but it hasn’t happened since your birth...it’s a meeting. Yukina says not to worry - he hasn’t ever shown up.” 

“Who is calling us?” 

“You’ll see. No thralls, just the Sanguines. You’ll be out there overnight, probably. You should take as much of Yang or Weiss as possible. None from Ruby. ”

There was no complaint from Yang, who gladly took a reason not to do any homework that day. Weiss, on the other hand, had many questions about where she was going and what she was going to do there. 

“I don’t understand why the secrecy!” 

“This matter has nothing to do with humans.” Haruka returned to cat form, putting a period on the conversation. Yang happily draped her over her face, using her as a warm eye cover.

“But….” she sighed and sat back. “Fine. I want to be able to study, so not too much, okay? And not too fast.” 

She started as she always did, with a gentle kiss to her neck. She’d swipe her tongue across the spot on her neck and bite gently. She was always careful to never harm her perfect, fair skin. The heiress frowned and remained silent while Blake gathered her things. 

"Be safe, okay?" Weiss finally said, just before Blake left the room. "Wherever you're going..." She scooted down until her eyes peered over the covers. 

"Thanks, Weiss. With this much help from you guys...it would take a lot to hurt us." She gave her a quick smile and left her team. She hurried off to the main gate that led to the airships. Yukina waited for her, looking elegant as ever, armed with her sword. 

Yukina glanced back at her and nodded off into the distance. “Follow me. We’ll be going out into the wilds.” She darted off, leaping across Vale until they reached the city wall. Blake followed, trailing a few paces behind her. Once they passed through the city walls, the two ran for around an hour without pause. They traversed far into the forest, reaching the halfway point between Vale and Vacuo. Trees were getting sparser and the air drier as they moved close to the desert environment.

“We’re here.” Yukina moved toward a large pile of boulders. A small gap led down into a cavern with markings on the walls. The faded red marks reminded her of something, but she couldn’t place her finger on it. The fox faunus moved over to a wall and bit into her hand, between the thumb and index finger. 

Blood welled up and dripped down her hand, splattering on the floor. The markings on the wall responded, fluorescing an intense red. Bubbles formed on the wall before Yukina as it slowly melted away, turning into a shimmering dark void. 

“Through here.” She stepped through and vanished. 

Blake followed cautiously, gathering her bearings when the darkness resolved into a land unfamiliar to her. The sky was scarlet above a purple landscape, as if the ground were bruised. Grimm prowled around in packs, more of them slowly climbing out of pools of black liquid. Blake readied her weapon but Yukina shook her head. 

“You don’t need to worry about the grimm.”

She raised an eyebrow and returned Gambol Shroud to her back and continued to follow. Yukina calmly walked through packs of beowolves and ursa toward a mansion on a nearby hill. At the door, the fox faunus pushed the large double doors open and entered without hesitation. 

A grand, but empty hallway followed. One side was covered floor to ceiling in windows, lined with candles to light the way. The two walked the entire length of the mansion to a final set of doors. Yukina’s light knock echoed loudly. 

“Come in.”

They entered into a dining room as grand as the rest of the mansion. There were a number of people standing around, a few by the windows, others sitting around the table. Yukina immediately walked to the head of the table and greeted the woman there. 

“Yukina, it is good to see you. It has been too long.” 

“Thank you. I always look forward to the opportunity to visit you.” She turned and gestured to Blake. “This is our newest.” 

“Come closer, my child.” The woman stood and waited for Blake to near. “I hear you have been given the name Nyx. What should I call you?” 

“Blake Belladonna.” She took the woman’s outstretched hand. She was tall and regal, with hair as white as Yukina’s. The sclera of her eyes was black, with red irises. Dark red veins crossed her face, crawling down her arms like an infection. 

“Belladonna...I see.” She reached up and touched her cheek. “I see...quite an interesting birth as well.”

Blake pulled away at that. “Who are you?” 

“I will explain that shortly, I know this must be confusing for you. Have a seat next to your friends. Let’s get started.”

Looking around, she could see an open spot between Yukina and Sun - who apparently had arrived earlier than they had. He waved cheerily and pulled out the chair for her. 

She took her spot and looked around the room at the others. There were six others at the table - a rabbit faunus, a bear faunus, a reptile faunus, a dog faunus, a tiger faunus, and a bird faunus

“Thank you everyone for making the journey here. I know your lives are busy - but I felt that we needed to greet our newest addition.” She turned her eyes to Blake. “Nyx...Blake. Welcome. These are the other Sanguine faunuses of Remnant. There are a handful of others - but they are...the disobedient ones.

“You can consider me to be the mother of all faunus. The powers of the sanguine faunus originated with me. After many years, I decided that I needed to connect with my sanguines. We’re stronger together. I won’t force you to follow my rules, but go out on your own - and you’ll be a target for the humans.

“There are events in motion… But let us enjoy some food and conversation.” She raised her glass. The others joined in. “To us.” 

Blake looked at the fancy wine glass, filled with a red liquid that her nose recognized the second she had entered the room. Seeing Yukina take a sizable mouthful from her glass, she joined in, savoring the taste of it. 

A food was served throughout the evening. Introductions were quick, mostly focused on Blake. 

“Ghira and Kali’s daughter? I see a lot of your mother in you,” the rabbit faunus noted. 

Yukina leaned over. “I mentioned before that I helped Ghira establish Menagerie as the home for faunus - many members of this group helped.” 

The woman at the head of the table nodded. “Yukina came to us after she received the request. Chieftain Belladonna was very grateful.” 

Blake cleared her throat and looked at her. “I don’t think I caught your name. What should I call you?” 

“People call me ‘Queen’, ‘Mistress’, ‘Master’, ‘Goddess’ - things like that. However, my name? Is Salem.”

Notes:

Pretty short chapter here. I spent a while writing a different chapter but I feel like I needed something a little more focused on the direction for the story here. idk im going crazy. hope you enjoyed. let me know your thoughts.

Chapter 15: A Step

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Is she dead?” 

“No, you dolt. You can see she’s breathing.” 

“You use that word too much, Weiss. There’s something wrong with her!” 

“I’ll call the pest and ask her what’s going on.” Weiss pulled out her scroll and tapped at the screen. 

“Sup homie.” 

“Haruka, Yang won’t wake up...I think there’s something wrong. She slept all day yesterday after Blake left and is still passed out.” 

“Oh. Nah she’s fine. Well, as long as Blake comes back, she’ll be fine. I probably should have said something about this. But we all have flaws.”

“She won’t wake until Blake returns?! How could you not tell us this?” Weiss shouted. 

“Let’s not get bogged down in the details of who didn’t say what - she’s fine. This will happen the first handful of times they are separated. Blake’ll be back by the end of the day.” 

“Ugh, that’s so irresponsible! How could you do this?! This is how animals behave.”

Ruby’s jaw dropped. The silence from her scroll was deafening. “...what’d you just say?” 

Weiss blinked. “It’s just a saying! I wasn’t calling you an actual animal. Don’t be so sensitive.”

Ruby facepalmed and went back to poking Yang’s face. She pinched a cheek and pulled until the skin snapped back into place. 

“Bitch I’m gonna sneak into your room at night and shred all your clothes and-”

“Okay, okay, sorry! I don’t know what’s so wrong with what I said but-” 

“Sleep with one eye open, Schnee.” The call ended abruptly.

With a heavy sigh, Weiss set her scroll down and sat beside Yang’s slumbering form, making sure she didn’t accidentally squish her tail. Feeling silver eyes on her, she said, “Look, I won’t say it again, I just don’t know what’s wrong with using a phrase!” 

Ruby sighed and sat at her desk. “People treat the faunus like animals. They call them animals. I’ve heard you call them animals during the first few weeks of coming to Beacon! You can’t just tell me that she should be ok with you saying she’s ‘acting like an animal.’ Plus...that phrase made no sense here.” 

She fell silent and fussed with their bed sheets, tucking them snugly around Yang. “I suppose you’re right. I’m trying, okay?”

“We know you are, Weiss. You should probably tell Haruka that so she doesn’t destroy our stuff.” She hugged Weiss and rested her chin on her shoulder. “You can’t just undo all that bad stuff you learned instantly. It’ll take a while.” 

“I know I’m slow at all this.” 

Ruby pulled back from the hug and studied her face. “You still get all stiff when I hug you. Should I not?” 

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about that. Hugging is fine.” 

Ruby cocked her head to the side. “It’s fine?” 

“It’s fine,” she repeated. “Say something nice to her. Something a girlfriend would say.” “Um. And you’re fine. Hot stuff.” 

Ruby snorted loudly and burst into laughter. “Weiss! Even Yang would say that’s terrible!” She fell off the bed with a thud, continuing to cackle.

A groan escaped her. “No...that was exactly something she would say...and I think that’s worse.” 


An overnight stay in the strange underworld served only to make Blake more uneasy. Thankfully she had Sun to keep her company, as many of the other Sanguines chatted late into the night, catching up after an apparent century without contact. She retired early in the night, escorted to a lavish room deep in the mansion. The night slipped by in a blink when she was woken by a servant and taken to Salem’s office once more.

“Ah, Blake. Come in. I thought we might chat - you must have many questions.” 

She nodded slowly, looking around Salem’s study. The walls were lined with bookshelves that held many tomes with titles in a language she didn’t recognize. Bay windows behind her desk looked out over the barren landscape. 

“Yes...this is all a bit confusing.” 

“Of course. Come with me.” She took a wine bottle and two glasses from her desk and led her onto a balcony outside the office. “I thought we could have a drink as well. I saw how much you enjoyed it last night. Someone like you, I’m sure you never get to partake.” 

“Yes...I don’t like to do it.” She accepted the glass and waited as Salem filled it to the brim. 

“Shame and guilt are powerful emotions, aren’t they? I’m disappointed to see that Adam is still lost. Clearly lost forever.” She filled her own glass and took a small sip. “I can see the births of all my children when I come into contact with them, so I can see that yours….well yours is certainly one of the most interesting.” 

“Is it that strange? I think the only part that makes it different is my connection to Weiss.”

“Every single faunus that you saw last night knew who their offering was. Abuse and manipulation were at the center of yours. I regret not taking action against Adam, but there was really nothing I could do at the time.” 

“What exactly do you even do?” 

Salem chuckled. “That is a good question. Drink up.” She gestured at her untouched drink. “I have a group of worshipers who give themselves to me. A lovely virgin harem that regularly donates.”

“That sounds nice,” Blake grumbled. “I’ve never had so much in my life.” She joined Salem in sipping virgin blood. 

“Yes...it’s a good thing that women having sex with women doesn't count toward virginity. Makes things convenient for me.” 

She raised an eyebrow. “That can’t be true.”

Salem smirked. “I tested it.” 

“That’s good to know. I guess I’m in luck,” she mumbled into her glass. 

“That aside, your question - what do I do. Well, that’s complicated. I was once a mage, studying various forms of magic. But, that was a long time ago. Now? I mainly look out for the interests of the faunus. There is a fight brewing between me and a very old enemy. Things have begun to move on their side, and I have plans in motion as well. A fight for our very existence is on the horizon. 

“In order to win, I need as many of my children as possible. Without you all, we don’t stand a chance.” She looked out at the rising sun. “I know that it won’t be easy to get you onto my side - considering your past with groups of faunus. On top of that, you can’t tell any of your friends about this.”

Blake’s eyes flicked over to Salem. “Why can’t I tell my friends? I’ve kept too many secrets from them. Secrets that ended up hurting them.” 

“Yes...I can see that. However, as long as your friends remain human, they are a risk to us.” 

“A risk how?” She looked down into her empty glass, a few trickles of red flowing down the side. “They’re not going to do anything to hurt the faunus. Weiss is still a little rough around the edges, but she’s working on it.” 

She smiled sadly and refilled her glass. “All humans are a risk. What I tell you can’t be shared with any of them. You must pledge to me.”

“Pledge yourself to me, my love. I am your master.” 

The glass in Blake’s hands shattered, raining shards over the railing. “I-”

Salem placed her hands on Blake’s. “I understand, my child.”

“I have no reason to trust you. I know nothing about you. You claim to be some kind of goddess, Mother to all faunus. How can I believe any of this?” 

“Here.” She held out her hands in front of her, palms upward. Clouds grew above the mansion, darkening the reddish sky. Her eyes gleamed red in the darkness, drawing Blake in. She couldn’t break away from those red orbs. She cupped her hands around Blake’s cheeks and spoke in a low voice. “Awaken, my child.” Blake’s eyes lit in response, feeling power surging into her from the strange woman. 

“Interesting. You’ve already developed many of your abilities. You are strong.” She smiled and stood back. “You’ve been holding yourself back from the last of it. Try it now.” 

“I...I don’t know if I’m ready.” 

“You are. I can see it.” 

She sighed and activated her semblance. A swirling pool of black flames grew before her. A woman grew from the center, fair skinned with glowing white hair. The blue eyes were identical to the ones she saw every day in her teammate. It was her summon, Willow Schnee.


Yukina slowly walked down the hall, staring out through the windows. It had been years since she had seen Salem. Her little wife, as usual, behaved inappropriately - she wasn’t sure how happy the queen would be to see her, especially with the questions on the tip of her tongue. 

She reached her destination and entered quietly. Rather than waiting at her desk, Salem relaxed on a couch by the bookshelves, looking into a hovering seer. 

“Yukina. It’s always wonderful to see you.”

“Salem. Were you behind the attack on Vale?” 

The woman frowned at her and leaned back. “Yes, but not intentionally.” 

“I have no love for humans. But you know that if the grimm had overrun the city, the huntsmen would have turtled around Beacon. And you can’t control anywhere near that many grimm. There wouldn’t have been a single faunus left.” 

“I delegated poorly. She will be punished.” 

“Whoever it is has been using the White Fang. How do you think this makes the faunus look?” 

“Yukina,” Salem warned, her eyes flashing dangerously. 

“I apologize Mistress. I think you can understand my anger.” 

“Cinder has been operating independent of me. She isn’t a sanguine - I have no secure way of contacting her.”

“Why are you using her then?” 

“You know he is watching us. He knows we’re meeting right now. I needed someone who could be outside of his radar. A human who can receive the power of the Maidens.” 

“But she involved the White Fang…”

Salem scowled. “Yes. She did.”

“You explained that you were trying to avoid detection, right?” 

“I did. But she involved a criminal, who hired the White Fang. I expected her to manage this competently.” She swiped her hand angrily through the seer that floated beside her, killing it instantly. “If I reach out to her, Ozma will know. He will increase protection on the relics. And the maidens.” 

“He already knows about the maidens.” 

Salem’s eyes narrowed. “What happened?” 

“Cinder, was it? She failed to kill the Fall Maiden. She is wounded, but alive. I could sense her when I visited Beacon.” 

The sky darkened outside the mansion. “She was supposed to make her disappear. Take her power. So Ozma must be keeping her in his sanctum now. Perhaps the subterfuge was futile to begin with. If he lost a pencil he would suspect I was behind it.” She stood and moved to her desk. “I need to get a message to her, but he will be watching you and Blake when you return.”

Yukina laughed softly, shaking her head. “Do you remember what my powers are?” 

“Healing.”

“And transformation - I’ll find a way to get her your message.” 


“Blake, she hasn’t woken up since you left! Do you know how to wake her?” 

“Yukina told me this might happen on the way back.” She stood over Yang and rolled her over. In a sweeping motion, lifted her and kissed her deeply. The thrall’s eyes flew open. Without a moment's hesitation, she returned the kiss with equal intensity. 

Weiss looked away from the couple, feeling uncomfortably warm. “Thank goodness Blake is back.” 

Blake turned to Ruby and Weiss. “I’m glad to be back. This...is going to be a weird thing to ask, but I’d like to have the room to just me and Yang for tonight.” 

Yang’s head perked up, eyebrows disappearing behind her messy hair. “Oh? Is this- are we-” Blake bent down and whispered into her ear, caressing a cheek with her hand. A lewd grin grew on Yang’s face. “Yes absolutely, you didn’t need to ask.” 

She turned back again. “I’ve asked team CFVY to let you guys sleep over - Velvet kinda owed me one. She said they’re fine with this happening more though.” 

“So are we all going to get a chance to have the room with you...?” Ruby burst out. 

“I hope so,” she answered, with a slight smile on her face. 

“Ha! I get her first!” Yang shouted triumphantly. 

“Kicked out of my own room? Well that’s nice.” Weiss grumbled. “How was your little trip?” 

Blake paused, looking down at her pack. “I...I can’t tell you and Ruby about what happened.” 

“What about Yang? Is this faunus only?” 

“It’s complicated.” She took Ruby and Weiss’ hands. “I...this is really big, but I can’t tell either of you. I know I said no secrets, but...” 

“You’ll tell us if something is going to hurt us, right?” Ruby squeezed Blake’s hand. “I’ll trust you.” 

“I don’t like this...” Weiss sighed hard. “I was hoping for a few relaxing weeks, but when does our team get what we want.”

“I don’t like this either. I need to talk with you later, Weiss...it’s about your semblance.”

The heiress stiffened. “Okay…”

“What on Remnant is going on…?”

***

“Professor Ozpin. How are you?” 

“I’m doing well, Ruby. Thank you for asking. Team RWBY and SSSN, you’re all probably wondering why I called you into my office on a weekend. Well, as you are likely aware, the Vytal Festival is approaching and preparations are well underway. Now, a big part of the festival is, of course, the tournament.

“I’ll just jump straight into it. Your teams won’t be allowed to participate.”

A flurry of protests erupted from the assembled teams. Sun leaned back in his seat and shrugged. “Why don’t you let us participate in the first few rounds?”

“Any team you defeat will have been unfairly eliminated. We simply can’t allow that.” 

“Without blood, Blake and I aren’t much stronger than a human. Not sure what the big deal is. We even glow when we’re using our powers - it’s not like we could hide it. I feel like you think we’re way stronger than we are.” 

“Yang will be at a disadvantage. The tournament is during the day and in the sunlight...she’s going to tire twice as fast.” Blake shook her head and glared at Ozpin. “I’m not sure what’s fair about this.” 

“Miss Belladonna, this decision isn’t solely mine. You know that all kingdoms participate in the tournament, everyone must agree to the rules.” 

“Except Menagerie.” 

“They don’t have an academy and it is technically not a kingdom. Please try to understand. This is a unique situation for the kingdoms.”

“Was there a single representative for the faunus at this rule-making meeting?” 

“Yes, Professor Lionheart of Haven was there.” 

Sun laughed, sharing a look with his teammates. “Leo? Sure. Blake and I will just go talk to Yukina and see what she thinks about all this.” 

Ruby stepped forward. “Please Professor. We’d like to participate. You know that we wouldn’t cheat or anything like that. Isn’t there something you could do for us? I will take responsibility for my team.” 

Yang rested her weight against Weiss, yawning loudly. “How about this - let us be in the first round. If we win the first round, then Sun and Blake can’t be in the next round. And I’ll be in all the rounds we have to play, since I’m at a disadvantage.” 

“You’re not at a disadvantage if you-”

“Obviously, Blake won’t let me.” Weiss elbowed her in the side. “Oh. Sorry that was rude. But, Blake will keep me from cheating.” She wrapped her tail around the small heiress and returned to her half-asleep state. 

“Ugh you oaf.” Weiss tried to hide her slight blush and put an arm around Yang’s waist to hold her teammate. 

“I will ask the others at the committee meeting tomorrow.” 

“Remember you’re not supposed to share anything about Blake’s identity,” Sun warned. “There’s literally no reason to keep us out.”

“Except bigotry,” Weiss added. 

Ozpin stared at Weiss for a long time. “We will involve Menagerie,” he finally said. “It would be against the ideals of the Vytal Festival not to. However.” He turned to Blake. “What will you do when your parents see you?” 

“Then they’ll know that I’m attending Beacon. It won’t be a problem unless you tell them something you shouldn’t.” 

“I see...I suppose you’re right, Miss Belladonna. Well I won’t promise anything, but will do my best.”

***

Qrow rode the elevator in silence, taking a long pull from his flask. He didn’t need to look at her to know the look of disappointment Goodwitch was giving him. Reconsidering a second gulp, he stowed the small, oddly shaped bottle into his coat and gave her a look that said “There, ok?“

Goodwitch cleared her throat. “Do what you want, Qrow.”

The elevator reached the top, opening to Ozpin’s clocktower. Qrow marched over to the large desk and slammed his fists onto the hardwood. 

“Oz,” he growled into the man’s face. “What the hell happened? Why didn’t you tell me that you were thinking she could be a candidate? Why did I have to hear it from my fucking sister!” He swiped a hand across the desk, knocking a full coffee mug to the floor. 

“She was one of many on our list - you know we hadn’t narrowed anything down. She is a Branwen; she is highly compatible with the maiden’s powers. That’s all.” 

Qrow stared at him hard, before pulling back and throwing himself down into a seat. He drained the remainder of his flask. 

“I never imagined your sister would find out...and take such drastic action.” 

“If I had known, Oz, I would have tried to stop her.”

“Qrow...there’s know way we could have known when she would strike. With her semblance, she could attack at any time.” 

“You can’t keep things from me,” he spat. 

“I apologize, Qrow.” He leaned forward and rested his chin on his interlaced fingers. “Please tell me what you saw.” 

Qrow’s expression remained dark. “Yeah, they met. All of ‘em. I couldn’t get close enough to know much more - but I saw Belladonna talking with the Witch. She helped her with a new power. Looks like summoning.” 

Ozpin nodded slowly. “Exactly like we expected. We need to assume Salem knows everything. The attack on the Fall Maiden must have been her. Selection needs to happen now.” 

“You said the list is long. How are you going to choose?” 

“We’ve narrowed it down since then. You’ll meet them tomorrow.” 

“What are you going to do about the Sanguines?”

Ozpin rubbed his temples wearily. “I don’t know yet, Qrow. I just met with Belladonna and Wukong...there may still be a chance to get them on our side.” 

Qrow got to his feet. “Fine. Then I’m going to go see my nieces.”

Notes:

hnggggldalkskdj here's a chapter i hope u like it
been watchin some worldbuilding youtube videos lol, ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh anyway tryna make this better so enjoy!

Chapter 16: Catching Up

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Ruby watched with wide eyes from the side of the training room. She could barely track the folded form of Gambol Shroud as it swung around at the end of its silk ribbon. Blake twisted in the air at the center, with the end of the ribbon clenched in hand. The horde of holographic targets around her exploded into wisps of light. Blake landed on one foot and kicked the bladed gun into the final target’s head. With a small twitch of the ribbon, she set off the gun, disintegrating an ursa’s head. She snatched her weapon from the air and returned it to her back in one smooth move. 

“Well? What do you think?” Blake asked, giving the applauding Ruby a small bow. 

“How the heck are you keeping track of it?”

“I’ve caught the bladed end more than a few times at first. I used to always double the aura on my hands when doing this.” 

“Well that was amazing!”

“Not as amazing as doing it with a heavy scythe,” she returned, nodding at the folded Crescent Rose sitting beside her. 

“Well the sharp side is on the end of a stick - it’s not flying around on the end of a string.” 

Blake sat next to her and turned Crescent Rose over in her hands. “So, did you get any ideas?” Ruby clung to her arm and hummed in thought. 

“Normally ideas pop into my head but I just can’t think right now.” She rubbed her head tiredly. 

“Maybe this helps - I can keep a safe area, right behind me, above, or below me.” She set the red and black Crescent Rose behind her and sighed heavily. “In the past, I would be in sync with my partner. He would need to return his sword to its sheath after every few hits. Together, we’d be an unrelenting attack.”

Ruby looked up at Blake’s grim expression. “Would it bring back bad memories if we figured out some kind of-”

“It’s fine, Ruby. Let’s try something.”

A few minutes later, another series of targets programmed, ready for a practice run. Ruby charged forward and swung her scythe around her, slicing a pair of approaching beowolves in half. As she reversed the momentum on Crescent Rose, a crowd of attacking humans surrounded and jumped at her. Blake appeared in a flash, slicing through the airborne targets. Ruby used her semblance to dash from below the faunus. She slashed through more targets, losing track of Blake. Her clones slipped around Ruby, providing a foothold to jump from or knocking others into the path of her scythe, even plucking a clip from her belt and inserting it into Crescent Rose. 

The last wave of ursas charged from a distance. Ruby used her speed semblance to close the distance, exiting from her rose-petal tornado in a spin with her scythe at her waist, blade hinged  out. She passed through half the pack, leaving a trail of severed limbs. She landed and turned to find the rest of the ursas disintegrating. 

Ruby laughed happily. “That was so fun! I’m pretty bad at area defense... It’s really cool how you’re like a second shadow.”

“Shadows - that’s my thing.” Blake sat down and leaned back. “I’m glad you asked for us to practice - this is a good start. I shouldn’t only have combos with Yang. I can throw her around usually, but you’re a different challenge with all that speed. You’re so light compared to me, so I want to try something like that later.”

“Ok! Just trying to do the captain thing. Also, I wanted some alone time with you.” 

Ruby hopped onto Blake’s lap, straddling her legs. Blake rested her head on her smaller teammate, circling her arms under the red hooded cape she always wore. 

Ruby sighed happily. “You’ve been more open about your past with us,” she commented.

Blake leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. I’ve been trying to be.” 

“Is this a bad time?” a low voice growled. “I can come back later.”

Ruby jumped. “UNCLE QROW!” She latched herself to the man’s arm and laughed happily. 

“Hey pipsqueak, good to see you. Where’s your sister?”

***

Qrow squinted at the tail he had pinched between his fingers. “Wow, that looks….really weird. Lots of prank material here.” He chuckled to himself and sat beside his niece. “Glad to see you’re ok. How’s life as a faunus?”

“It’s not too different I guess. I have to make sure I don’t hurt the tail.” Yang flexed her claws at her uncle. “Want to arm wrestle like we used to?” 

“Nah kid, I’m good. I like my hands the way they are.” He turned to Blake. “I guess I should be thanking you.” 

The faunus shifted uncomfortably. “You probably shouldn’t.” 

Qrow laughed and looked at Yang. “Let’s go for a little walk, just me and you.” 

Yang raised an eyebrow but agreed, following him out the door. The rest of the team shared a look, but said nothing as they left the room. Qrow led Yang to the roof, taking a seat on a flat section, looking out at the sunset. 

“So. What kind of powers have you got?” 

“I can make the shadows in the area stronger as I take damage. Standing in them makes me stronger and my opponent weaker. It works really well with Blake.”

“That’s usually how it works. The thrall is a tool of the sanguine faunus.” 

Yang frowned. “She’s not-”

“Sorry kiddo, I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. You’d be dead without her.” He sighed and shook his head. “I’ve only faced a handful of sanguines… and killed one. They’re a strong enemy. But this one saved your life. Weird to be in a room with someone who could kill you if you let your guard down. She could make you fight against me too.”

“Blake isn’t a bad person. She’d never hurt anyone.” 

“I hope you’re right.”

Red tinted Yang’s lilac eyes. “Why do you all treat her like she’s some threat to all life on Remnant? Like a homicidal maniac that could snap at any moment? You all assume she’s a villain!” 

“I hate to break it to ya, but she is morally grey, at best. She has killed in the past.” 

“She-”

“Yang, I don’t want to argue about this. I haven’t seen you in such a long time. I don’t think she’s a bad person.” 

Yang fell silent and tried to calm herself. “Fine.” They lapsed into silence, looking out at the setting sun. “I’m dating her,” she said, finally. “And Weiss.” 

Qrow chuckled. “They seem like your type. I’m glad to hear it. The Schnee though...be glad she’s not like her sister.” 

Yang snorted. “She can't be worse than Weiss was at first. Oh yeah, also, when I was testing out my new stuff, I somehow teleported Weiss to me.” 

The huntsman slowly looked up. “Like with a portal?”

“Yeah.”

Qrow shook his head and took out his flask, taking a long pull. “Shit. Did Raven say anything to you?”

“No. She stabbed me in the back out of nowhere.” Yang frowned. “Why- do you know why she did it?” 

“Not really…”

“You’re not surprised. Did you already know it was her?” She stood. “What do you know?” 

Qrow sighed and rubbed the back of his head. “I talked with her a few days before it happened. She said some worrying stuff…then you got attacked.” 

“What did she say? You could have warned me!”

He fiddled with his flask, loosening and tightening the cap. “She was concerned about you. She thinks you’re in danger. I didn’t think she would go so far.” 

“Concerned about me?! Why the fuck would she kill me then? That makes no sense.” 

“She sees it differently. Better to die without suffering. Die before you’re used by someone to hurt people you love.”

“Did she think I would be captured by the White Fang or something?” 

“I don’t know. I just connected the dots when I finally heard what happened.” 

Yang paused her agitated pacing. “‘Finally’?” 

“I was out doing missions at the time. No one contacted me.” 

“Dad doesn’t even know yet. Ozpin said not to contact him.” 

Qrow froze. “Tai doesn’t know?” He clenched his flask in a fist. “Did Oz say why?” 

“No…but he said it was extremely important. Normally I don’t give a crap about the rules, but he’s been watching me and Blake like a hawk. It’s crazy how much more I notice now - I can see him looking down at us from his tower. I can hear the teachers following us.” 

Qrow grunted. “Let’s meet up tomorrow, firecracker. Oz and I need to have a chat.”


Cinder walked down the hall, casually checking the placards positioned beside each door. Behind her trailed Mercury and Emerald. She wasn’t exactly sure what room number she was looking for, but this was the building and the floor. Of course, it turned out it was the last room they checked. The door was plain like the others but the little sign read “JNPR”. 

“This is nowhere near our room. That eliminates a few options.” Mercury commented. 

“It’s a slight hindrance, but we will make it work. Poor girl.” Emerald looked around furtively, ensuring no one was listening in. She realized that the door beside them read “RWBY”. Faint sounds could be heard through the door. A gruff voice and a woman’s, apparently playing video games. 

“We should go.”

They turned to leave, but ran straight into someone coming down the hall with an armful of snacks. 

“Oof!”

Cinder’s eyes flashed with recognition - this could ruin all of her plans. The stranger sprang to her feet, pulling her red hood free of her face. 

“Sorry about that! I was a little excited so I was running and- Oh! Are you looking for someone? Are you guys new?” 

“No...we just got turned around. We’re Haven students visiting for the festival.” 

“Oh cool! Well I’m Ruby.” Emerald handed her an armful of the snacks she dropped. “Thanks!” 

“I’m Cinder. This is Mercury and Emerald.” 

“Feel free to ask me or my team if you need help with anything!” 

“Thank you Ruby, will do.” They skirted around the little huntress and left the floor. 

The walked in silence down the stairs until they reached their floor. Emerald groaned. “Ugh, how can people be so happy? It’s irritating.” She pulled out a small chocolate bar she pocketed and popped it in her mouth.

“You just wish you were that happy.” 

“Yeah, too bad I’m not like you, Mercury - just too cool to be happy.” 

“Exactly.” He laughed smugly and tapped his scroll to their room door. They filed into their temporary room. 

“Cinder Fall.” 

At the window stood a tall faunus with white hair and a large fox tail. She held an unconscious Neo over her shoulder. Her heavy presence filled the room, despite seeming totally at ease. The door snapped shut behind them, closed by a short cat faunus. 

Mercury was the first to act, using his boots to shoot at the intruder, using the momentum to swing around to kick the smaller faunus. The woman simply let the projectiles spark off of her aura, shifting slightly to keep Neo from getting hit. Emerald tried to use her semblance, but the cat faunus dodged Mercury’s hasty kick and latched onto her back, holding a small dust infused throwing knife to her neck. 

“Don’t you dare, child,” she purred into her ear. “I’d hate to kill someone so useful.” 

“Wait!” Cinder shouted, her mind putting together the pieces. “White haired fox faunus...an aura that strong.” “Everyone calm down. Who are you and what do you want?” 

“You have a lot to answer to our Queen for.” 

The little color in Cinder’s face drained from it. “She sent you?” 

“I am Yukina. That is Haruka.” She approached and placed her hand on Cinder’s shoulder. The touch of the smiling faunus prickled at her skin. “I brought a gift. Try not to lose your teammates.” She threw Neo onto one of the beds.

“She is Roman’s assassin, not mine. She-” 

“Well she is yours now. Roman is in Atlas Military custody.” 

“Useless fool…” she hissed. The faunus’ hand tensed almost imperceptibly, sending a shock down her spine.  “I- I will make it work.” 

“Good,” she whispered back. “Now, tell me. Was endangering every faunus in Vale part of your plan?” 

“I needed a distraction- it wasn’t supposed to happen at that time- I would h-” 

In a flash, Yukina drew her sword from her side and swiped clear through Cinder’s body, from her waist up through the opposite side of her neck, and returned it to its sheathe. Cinder flinched and felt around her body, but found no sign of injury. 

“What-” she gasped, stumbling back from the faunus.

“I have a message from Salem. I'm here to help you.” She pulled a chair from the desk and sat, crossing one leg over the other. “Tell me everything you have in motion. Be truthful, okay?” She smiled serenely. “Otherwise, the actions of my sword will become real. And it would be a pain to clean up all that blood.” 


Weiss hurried down the brick pathway across campus, heading toward the far corner where the backup airship landing pads were. Currently, the large asphalt square was empty. Weiss looked around, checking her appearance in a window of the training facility next door. She took a deep breath and went through her posture checklist… “Head up...shoulders back…” 

Her thoughts ground to a halt when the low hum of an airship sounded in the air. An Atlesian Military airship glided in gently, slowly setting down neatly inside the yellow markings. Weiss squinted against the storm of dust kicked up by the baffled engines.

Just as she managed to brush the dirt from her clothes, the aircraft bay door pushed outward, deploying a fancy airstair. At the top, stood Winter Schnee.

“Winter!” she said excitedly, running up to the descending military specialist. “It is so good to see you!” 

Winter looked down at her, standing nearly a head and a half taller than her younger sister. “Weiss, try to contain yourself, I’m on duty,” she reprimanded. 

“Oh. My apologies.” She stepped back. “It is good to see you, Winter,” she tried again. 

Winter nodded approvingly. She looked around the area and frowned. “Such a disorganized place. You should show me your quarters later, I’d like to see how my sister is living.” 

“Certainly, I’d be happy to-” 

"How are your classes? Are you eating well?"

"I have been performing well - we even went on a mission meant for upperclassmen. I-"

Winter raised a hand. "It seems there is a matter I must attend to.” She turned toward the training facility. A figure stood in the shadowy archway at the entrance. Winter pulled her sword free of her belt and leveled at the person. “Come out.”

After a beat, Blake stepped into view. “Blake! What are you doing here?” Weiss hissed. “I thought you were busy with Sun...” 

“Hey.” Sun poked his head out of one of the training room windows. “I’m here too!” 

“Well...I know you were trying to be sneaky earlier, but Sun and I just came here to train. I heard what was happening. I thought I’d come out here to get this over with.” 

Winter narrowed her eyes at the faunus. “What are your intentions with my sister? How did you get on a team with her? Why did you come to this school?” 

“I want to be a huntress. And I didn’t choose to be on her team.” She glanced at Weiss. “Actually. We would have been partners, but I avoided you... “ 

Weiss blinked. “You avoided me? Wait. Did you throw something at me?” She rubbed the back of her head, remembering the sharp smack when she was pushing through the bushes after landing. 

“Maybe,” she said, looking around shiftily. “Sorry.” 

“Why Beacon?” Winter interrupted. “Your terrorist cell is based around Vale. It would be foolish to stay.” 

Blake laughed. “It must be nice that your terrorist group is state-funded and sanctioned. I bet it feels righteous to command legions of robots to perform unwarranted searches on faunus people.” She looked at Weiss. “I didn’t think I would be involved much outside the school. I thought I’d just be on campus, learning. Then missions to fight grimm - well the Fang wouldn’t be around there. I didn’t think it through entirely...I just wanted out.”

Winter bristled at Blake’s comments, tensing her legs. She shot forward and slashed the faunus across the chest. Blake’s shocked face faded away with the two halves of her clone. Sun jumped out of the building window, carrying his and Blake’s weapons. 

“Oh do you want to spar?” Sun joked. Blake appeared behind him and took Gambol Shroud.

The faunus woman circled Winter, taking position further down the walkway. “The Atlas Military is well known for unprovoked attacks, so this isn’t surprising.” 

Winter lunged, crossing the distance in the blink of an eye. Blake blocked the tip of her rapier with the flat side of Gambol Shroud. With a flick of her wrist, she deflected the sword and rolled around Winter, kicking off her side. The Atlesian soldier flipped her sword around and activated her semblance, sending a barrage of bat-like grimm at the airborne faunus. Blake used a clone to throw herself out of the way of the attack. 

Winter was on her before her feet could land on the concrete path. The faunus dodged around the sword and it stabbed and slashed at her. Weiss watched the one-sided exchange anxiously from the side, wondering if she should call someone. Sun watched the fight with a relaxed expression, but the tight grip on his staff and the stillness of his tail painted a different picture. 

As she continued the assault on Blake, Winter used her hereditary semblance to form a glyph behind her opponent. A large white beowolf emerged from the spinning Schnee crest. 

“Blake-” Weiss warned. 

The faunus pulled Gambol Shroud apart and continued to block with the large sheath. Without looking, she shot the beowolf between the eyes with her gun. Winter feinted with her sword, baiting a block, and kicked Blake in the chest. The faunus was knocked through the disintegrating remains of the summon, twisting to land on her feet. She adjusted her grip on her sword, waiting for Winter to continue the attack. 

Instead, the huntress touched the tip of her sword to the ground, spawning a glyph at her feet. Her sword glowed intensely, filling the area with a blinding light. Blake staggered sideways, clutching her ears. Off to the side, Sun also fell to a knee, holding his head. Winter walked over and held her sword to Blake’s neck, letting up on her semblance. 

“If you do anything to my sister, I won’t hesitate to eliminate you.”

Blake glared back at the woman. She stood, pressing against the blade at her throat, held away from the delicate skin by her aura. She simply stared intensely into Winter's eyes.

“Schnee!” A voice boomed. General Ironwood stood at a crossroads from another landing pad. “We have a meeting.” 

”Yes, sir.” She turned back to find Blake gone. She frowned and sheathed her sword. To her sister, she said, “I will contact you later, Weiss.”

Weiss remained silent and nodded, not moving until her sister had disappeared around the gentle curve of the walkway. She turned on her heel and briskly walked around the back of the building opposite the training facility, where she saw Blake disappear. For a time all she could hear were the quiet clatter of her heels on the ground, until the sound of low voices caught her attention. Turning right, she found Blake and Sun kneeling around someone’s unconscious form. Approaching, she realized it was Velvet. 

Her clothes were stained with coffee that she must have been holding. A slow trickle of blood crawled down the side of her face from her nose. Neither sanguine faunus acknowledged her presence as she approached. 

“What happened to her?” she asked in a hushed voice.

“Your sister,” Blake answered simply. She cupped a hand around Velvet’s cheek and placed the other between the limp rabbit ears on her head. The steady glow of aura flowed from her into the unconscious faunus. 

Sun leaned back in his squat and looked over at Weiss. “Your sister used an anti-faunus attack. Velvet just got caught in it.” 

“What was that? When her sword was glowing?”

“Yeah. It’s an ultrasonic attack. The blinding light messes with you hard, too. Pretty easy way to fight a sanguine faunus without hurting humans.” 

Velvet groaned and opened her eyes. “Blake...what happened?” 

“Let’s get you back to your room first, ok?” With that, she picked up Velvet, motioning for Sun to take her bags.

“Should...I come with you?” Weiss asked quietly. “Could I?”

Blake sighed and looked back at her. “You don’t have to - you didn’t do it to her. Don’t worry about it. Once we’ve got her set up, we’ll meet your back in the room to talk.” She took off with Velvet, dashing across rooftops toward the upperclassmen dorms. Sun grinned apologetically and disappeared as well.

Notes:

god why is it so hard to write? I'm not good to begin with so this is just too difficult lol look im an engineer ok.

give me your commentssss they help me a lot if I know what you're liking/not! I've definitely changed the story based on some of you. hopefully improved some things too.

anyway, i hope this chapter is as cool as it seems in my head haha...

Chapter 17: Her power

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Focus, Weiss.” 

Weiss narrowed her eyes at the swirling glyph she was producing, tightening her grip on Myrtenaster. Winter circled her, hands clasped behind her back. 

“I am.” 

“What are you trying to summon?” 

“The geist-possessed armor from father’s test.” 

Winter nodded approvingly. “Remember your feelings from that moment. It’s not as simple as our dust-utilization glyph.”

The heiress sighed in frustration and forced more aura into her semblance. The glyph spun faster, its hum raising in pitch. Winter sat at a small table in the gazebo where they were training. “You’re going to burn the ground, if you keep that up. Anger will not make your semblance work for you.”

Weiss sheathed Myrtenaster, dispelling her glyph. “I just can’t get a grasp on this part of our semblance.” She sat opposite her sister and stared down into her cup of tea.

“It will come to you eventually. Keep training. We form these strong connections with the opponents we’ve had to overcome, the ones that come to us at pivotal moments in our lives.” She summoned her beowolf, which bumped its nose into Winter’s hand affectionately. “You must find that within you, my sister.”

Weiss nodded silently. “Thank you for your help, Winter. I missed being able to train with you.” 

Winter smiled and dismissed her summon with a wave of her hand. “Of course, sister. I have something else to teach you, an ultrasonic attack to be used against a sanguine faunus.” She watched Weiss stiffen with a sigh. “I can tell this has been bothering you.”

“You didn’t need to attack my friend.” 

“I’m just trying to protect you, Weiss. Perhaps that was inappropriate of me, but I felt that I should impress upon your girlfriend that-”

“Girlfriend? What?”

“General Ironwood informed me that you were in a relationship with one of the people at the top of our threat list.” 

“Does father know?” 

“No, not yet. Do not worry, he will not hear it from the General nor myself.” 

“I didn’t realize that General Ironwood was spreading information on my personal relationships,” she said stiffly. 

“Your relationship to this sanguine will never be private, Weiss… You know how dangerous they are. She is one of three suspects in mother’s assassination.” 

Weiss froze. “Who are the other two?” 

“Adam Taurus and Sienna Khan. Two White Fang leaders.”

“I see…” Weiss took a sip of her tea, hoping to appear calm.

“Has Belladonna said anything to you about our mother?” 

“Adam Taurus is responsible for our mother’s death,” she answered carefully.

“How do you know that? How did he do it? Belladonna must have been involved - Taurus was never truly skilled at infiltration without her at his side.”

“I...I don’t know, Winter. She isn’t responsible, and I believe her.”

Winter sat back with a frown. “I can’t say I approve of your connection to her, but I will respect your judgement, Weiss. I was never as close to mother as you were; if you trust this faunus, then I won’t press you further.”


Later that night, Weiss found herself alone in the team room. Ruby was visiting with Coco and Velvet to talk about guns. Blake and Yang went out for food. 

“Why didn’t I just go with them...” She sighed heavily and looked down at the essay she was writing. “This isn’t due for a month.”

She finished the rough draft of an essay on the applications of dust and set it aside for later. Her eyes felt dry with fatigue and her back was stiff from laboring over reference books and 2500 written words. She sighed with pleasure as she lay back on the bed, rubbing her eyes. She held her hands above her, producing a glyph. “Maybe if I try to produce a smaller version, it will be easier…”

A knock at the door gave her a short warning before Blake let herself into the room. The faunus still insisted on at least knocking before entering - presumably because Weiss still got surprised by the team's quietest member. With her concentration broken, the glyph disintegrated.

Blake raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Did you finish the essay?”

“I did,” she answered, groaning slightly as a small twinge of pain shot through her back. “Where is Yang?”

“We ran into Coco and the others on the way back - she decided to continue partying. My ears had enough for one night.” She undid her bow and wiggled her ears. 

Weiss stared up at the ceiling, listening to Blake get ready for bed. Her mind wandered around until she returned, wearing her usual Menagerian bedwear. She eyed her exposed legs and the appearance of her teammate in the moonlight - a part of Weiss’ brain wondered if Blake did this on purpose. 

Blake got comfortable next to her in the team bed, piling pillows on herself. She pulled out her favorite book and began to reread it for what was likely the hundredth time. A few pages in, she felt Weiss’ eyes on her, so she closed her book and rolled to face her. “Is everything ok?” 

Weiss blinked and looked away. “Sorry...I was just lost in thought. It was a stressful day.” She could feel her heart beating hard - she had no doubt that Blake could hear it. “Screw it all.” “Blake, I’ve been doing some research.” The heiress showed Blake her scroll. “You see, there’s this activity called spooning. Since you’re bigger, you’d be what is referred to as the ‘Big Spoon’. I mean, I suppose what I’ve read indicates that the larger partner need not always be the ‘Big Spoon’, but there’s another term for that, quite a silly term, ‘Jetpacking’.”

The faunus nodded along, praying that her stoic facade wouldn’t crack. 

“I would have thought this sort of thing to be all too soon in the process of…’dating’, as you call it. But, from what I’ve seen, it isn’t that strange.” 

She knew her ears were giving her away, but Blake remained calm. “Hugging and cuddling is pretty normal. We haven’t really been dating that long...and you’ve been fairly physically distant, but...this isn’t exactly traditional.” 

“It’s just...hard. I grew up in a very cold household.”

“I know.” Blake scooted closer to Weiss, pulling her closer. “Let me know if you feel uncomfortable at all.” She carefully kept her hands clasped together around the small heiress’s waist and tucked her head beneath her chin. After a while, she could feel Weiss shaking slightly, quietly sniffling. Blake held her tighter, staying with her until hours later when her breathing evened out. “Oh Weiss…”


It was a routine for the team to visit Foxfire on the weekends, for Yang’s training. Ruby would relax in her corner of the cafe, shoveling sweets into her face. On this particular occasion, Weiss decided to walk around town and try to learn more about the culture of her reserved teammate. 

Time had slowly crawled through winter, with spring right around the corner. Yang was thankful for the weakened sun and shorter days, especially as they made their way down to the cafe. 

Weiss had gotten used to the muttering as she walked the streets, the unfriendly faces. It felt like these cold expressions had thawed somewhat over the weeks as the novelty wore off. Reactions were varied - there were shopkeepers who raised prices for her, some that greeted her with a nod as she passed. 

This particular weekend, she absentmindedly munched on a  tray of noodles from a vendor she had come to like. “No matter how hard I think about it, I don’t know how I can make them like me. I suppose I should be happy with the progress I’ve had already...if only I could fully understand Blake...”

A faunus pushed past her, going down an alleyway that she had not explored yet. She discarded the empty tray and ventured down the narrow street. On the other side was a cluster of shops. The names were in the native Menagerian language, so she took a guess and entered the middle shop, hoping it wasn’t a brothel, or something like that. 

The store was dimly lit, forcing her to dawdle at the entrance, waiting for her eyes to adjust. She realized that a faunus man stood in her way. He towered over her, with horns adding to the intimidating picture. He roughly asked her a question. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” 

“Of course you don’t, Schnee. What are you doing in my shop?” 

“My name is Weiss. I’ve been visiting as many parts of the area I could.” 

“Huh. I heard you were doing something like that. Didn’t believe it. But here you are. A white eyesore.” 

“I can leave, if you wish.” 

“Whatever. Just don’t break anything.” He turned away and squeezed through the cramped space to sit behind the counter. 

The store seemed to be filled with religious trinkets. A large painting adorned the wall depicted a beautiful woman in a black dress, with cat ears and yellow eyes. “Wait…” As she suspected, the placard below the painting read-

“Nyx?!” 

“This store is dedicated to the sanguine faunus. The powerful that protect us from humans.” He tilted his head to the side. “Er- well, threats in general.” 

Weiss looked back at the image. “I won’t challenge you on the threat humans have posed. However...how long has she been around? I thought she was relatively young...I wouldn’t have imagined she would have such a following...enough to have depictions of her.” 

“It’s been like 20 years since we first heard of her...maybe 18. Still, she has done a lot. She’s loved by women especially.”

“Is this what she looks like?” She raised an eyebrow at the pictured woman, who decidedly didn’t look much like her teammate.

He turned and frowned at her. “We’ve had a few people say they know what she looks like, but they’re all different. Probably because she usually appears as a black shape. This is just an artistic depiction of her.” He shifted uncomfortably. “We’ve heard some disturbing rumors about her lately...but, eh.” 

“Rumors?” 

He chuckled. “Well the White Fang said she’s a Schnee lover. And that she had betrayed the faunus and is now sided with the humans.” 

“Oh…”

“But, our Nine Tailed Fox keeps telling us you’re not bad. So that part is not so much a problem.” Behind his desk sat a photo of him and Yukina. The big goofy smile the man had in the picture made her giggle internally. “Does that mean you know what she looks like? What’s your relationship to her?”

“Hmm I really can’t say that I know her - I’ve not met anyone going by the name Nyx. At any rate, I heard recently that she saved a rabbit faunus from having her ear cut off by some guys - so I’m not sure she is sided with humans against faunus.” She continued to circle the shop. She found another picture, aged and worn. The monkey faunus could only be one person. “Sun?” 

“We haven’t seen him in quite a while. He disappeared after playing a little trick on a king. He’s probably laying low until he’s got a good reason to show up.”

The last area of the store was red, in comparison to Sun’s yellow, Blake’s black, or Yukina’s white. The imagery here showed a man in a grim mask, with two horns protruding from his head. “Who is this?” 

“Adam Taurus. He’s another pretty old one. Very militant, but he’s usually trying to help us.” 

Weiss stared into the mask, barely hearing the faunus man continue to talk. The name that never left her mind after that night in the woods with Blake. “You worship this man?” 

The guy scratched his head. “Me? I don’t, but there’s a fair number of people who do. It’s hard to say, we don’t take polls on this kind of thing. He’s with the White Fang so...if you like one, you like the other. They aren't bad, they still do good things.” 

“What good things do they do?” 

“They keep anti-faunus groups from organizing. They don’t dare to do anything when the White Fang has threatened their events.” He laughed. “Buncha cowards.”

The man studied Weiss’ face. “You don’t like that, do ya? What else, do you hate it when the faunus protest in a way that is inconvenient to you?”

“I suppose I do have a negative reaction to threats of violence.”

The man scoffed. “Course ya do.” 

“They’ve threatened me with violence since I was born. Killed my family members.” She crossed her arms and stepped toward the man. “The first attempt on my life was before I could walk.”

The man opened and closed his mouth. “Huh. Fair enough.”

“Pardon me, if I hate the White Fang for that. I have no issue with protest, inconvenient or not.” She tore her eyes away from the image of Adam Taurus and put as much space as she could between her and the red, rose covered corner. Forcing herself to breath evenly, she slowly calmed herself. An amber sparkle caught her eye. She plucked a necklace from a display. It was a black flower with an amber crystal at the center. 

The door of the shop burst open. Framed in the white light, was Blake. “Why aren’t you answering your scroll?” She marched over to Weiss and hugged her tight. “I thought something happened to you.” 

“I didn’t get any messages from you…” She looked down at her scroll - noticing that she had no signal. 

The faunus shopkeeper spoke up. “Oh it’s pretty hard to get reception here. You have to be, like, right here to have a signal.” 

“I followed your scent here. Maidens, you scared me.” 

Weiss returned the hug, sinking further into Blake’s arms. “Sorry...I’ll try to keep an eye on my scroll.” 

The man’s eyes flicked between the portrait of Nyx on the wall and Blake, growing wider by the second. “You can have that necklace, for free if you’d like.” 

Weiss pulled her face away from Blake and looked at the price tag. She pulled a few lien from her belt and set it on the shelf beside her. “No, I can pay for it.” She wrapped the thin chain around her wrist and secured the clasp. 

Blake looked at the man and narrowed her eyes. She spoke a few words to him in the Menagerian language. 

He bowed his head. “I understand. Do not worry.” 

Her eyes flicked over toward the dark red corner of the room, her grip growing tighter on Weiss. “Good. Let’s go.” She took Weiss by the shoulders and guided her out the door. She remained silent as she briskly walked back to the cafe. 

“I’m sorry Blake...” 

“It’s fine.” Her clipped answer told Weiss to be silent.

She didn’t slow her pace until they were back in the warm interior of the cafe. She went straight into the back office and fell back into the small sofa there. Yang and Haruka were in a pile on the floor, seemingly unconscious. 

Yukina looked up from her papers. “He’s not here, Blake. You’re fine.” She stood and retrieved a cup of tea, and pressed it into the cat faunus’ hands. As she sat beside Blake, she noticed the small necklace around Weiss’ wrist. “Hmm...I’m going to be insulted if you don’t wear something to honor me.” 

Weiss quietly laughed, but continued to hover anxiously over Blake. “I’ll have to think about that one.” 

A smile ghosted her face before her eyes began to glow. The glistening white light seemed to spread over her hair, slowly extending down to the tips. She placed her hand on Blake’s cheek and concentrated.

Very slowly, Blake’s chest loosened, her breath returning to normal. With a sigh, Yukina stood and returned to her desk. The glow that filled her hair dimmed slowly, seeming to disperse into the air. “I’ve recently been training myself to heal injuries that aren’t physical,” she explained to Weiss. “I can’t erase trauma, of course. But, I can help.” 

Blake rubbed her head wearily. “Thank you...he has been in my head lately. Seeing him again...especially after I was worried about Weiss...”

“Don’t worry about me, Blake. If someone was going to attack me, I think they would have done it to me already. Look, I don’t know if you got a good look at this.” She showed off her new necklace turned bracelet. “Should I become an acolyte of Nyx?” 

“What is this?” She shook her head, looking over the little flower. “I wouldn’t ever want people to worship me or wear my symbol...or do things to honor me. This isn’t even my flower.” 

Yang rolled over on the floor and squinted at the flower. “Yeah don’t wear that. Just wait for the wedding ring.” She lapsed into giggles and passed out again. 

Weiss blushed slightly and turned away. “Th-that isn’t- don’t get ahead of yourselves.”

Blake sighed and patted her on the back. “Yeah, you still haven’t gone on a date with me or Yang.” 

“I have a busy schedule, you know! And does last night not count?”

“I’ll get with your assistant to get a spot on your calendar, Miss Schnee.”

“Ugh!” 

***

The team walked back to the academy as the sun began to set. Weiss was silent through the walk, deep in thought. As they rode the airship, she finally spoke up. 

“Could I ask you something?”

“Yeah, Weiss, of course.”

“Do you approve of the White Fang when they threaten anti-faunus groups with violence?”

Blake didn’t answer immediately, staring into Weiss’ eyes. Eventually she nodded. “Yes, there are times where violence or intimidation is warranted. I’ve cut the power to their meetings, tear gassed them, bomb threats… there are people who won’t be won over by nonviolence. Who will use our nonviolence to subjugate us. They would come to our protests and start riots. I left the Fang because we were killing people indiscriminately.”

Blake looked out through the window back at the city. “I won’t hesitate to kill someone who is organizing people to hurt the faunus, if intimidation or disruption doesn’t work.” 


“Team RWBY, Team SSSN, thank you for coming in.” Ozpin rubbed his temples wearily, addressing the two teams in his office. “All my upperclassmen teams are busy at the moment and we have a growing situation around us. With the approaching Vytal festival, there has been an increase in grimm activity in the surrounding wilds. Team JNPR is already clearing out Forever Fall; we need two teams to cover the area to the south.”

Ruby and Sun nodded. “We can do that,” Ruby answered. 

“I know it’s late notice, but you need to head out today. Clear 20 miles out from Vale.” He looked between Blake and Sun. “No limits on what powers you use.” 

Ruby pointed at the map on the headmaster’s desk. “We’ll catch the inland half, your team can clear the half near the coast.”

“Sounds good to me!” 

***

The team quickly returned to the dorm and packed hastily for their sudden mission. Ruby finished packing the fastest and got to planning. 

“Blake has her power limiters removed! Tell me how you want to do this, how should we support you?” 

The faunus sighed and closed her pack. “I’ve been pretty vague about what I can do, I know. But, the best thing for this situation are my clones. Normally, they’re pretty weak, but with blood I can make them much stronger. Nowhere near as strong as Sun’s, but I can make a bunch. He can do maybe 5.” 

“Ok so you can just turn us from a 4 huntress team to, like, 20?” 

“With Yang’s help, yes.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a wine bottle. “I...I have a bit of a stockpile of blood, so this should be pretty simple.” 

Yang stretched out on the floor and yawned. “Blake’ll make this easy.”

Ruby’s eyes practically sparkled. “It’s so cool!” 

Blake shook her head. “My powers are gruesome. There’s a reason you’ve never seen me fight anyone as a sanguine faunus. Adam taught me many ways to use my blood semblance...many, many ways.”

Team RWBY’s smallest member shifted uncomfortably, her ice-blue eyes fixed on Blake. 

Memories hazily rose to the surface. Ilia’s demure smile, luring a man into a darkened alley. The man’s muffled scream when black spikes pierced his chest from within. Ilia’s passionate kiss after. Two others stopped them further down the hall. They tried to point their guns at her, but their arms trembled as they turned toward each other, bodies frozen in place as they fired repeatedly. 

“Shadow and darkness exist in many places we don’t think about. If I’m close enough, I can use it...rip people apart...crush their bodies...make things move...” She sighed and shook her head. “Yang and I can cover the most area. You and Weiss can be on either side of us.”

“We’ll run in quads, 3 clones with each of us. Let’s do this, Team RWBY!”

***

An hour later, the two teams were departing into the wilds. Half a wine bottle of blood stronger, Blake’s eyes gleamed in the shade of the trees, mirrored by the multiple clones that waited there. 

Yang casually grabbed the butt of one of the clones and grinned. “So can you feel this?” 

“No.”

“Darn...I was getting some ideas.” 

Weiss groaned. “Could you not?” 

“If it were only one or two, then I can.”

“Ooh, ideas are back on...” Yang laughed and ran off with her Blake posse. Ruby giggled and flitted away in her semblance, clones stowed-away in her shadow. 

“Now that the others are away,” Blake said. “I can feel that.” 

The faunus turned to find Weiss guiltily pulling her hand away from one of her Blake bodyguards. “Oh! Sorry...I thought- I mean, I wasn’t doing anything.”

Blake grinned. “I’m joking, the clones are made already, so I still can’t feel them. But I could hear you.”

“Sorry. That was inappropriate of me.” Weiss sighed. “Yang got into my head, I suppose. Now, why do I only have two of you?”

“I’m your third,” she answered simply. “The grimm’s hide protects them but if you cut them open, I can finish them off. Let’s go, we’re falling behind. ”

Weiss followed Blake through the trees, landing in front of a pack of ursa. She danced around the beasts, cutting and slashing into their tough hides. Just like Blake said, the second a drop of the grimm’s strange black gore was exposed to the air, the ursa’s body exploded. She continued on until they reached the designated rest point, leaving a path of massacred grim.

The heiress stretched and sat beside Blake, handing her a bottle of water. “I feel like you did most of the work.” 

Blake sighed and took a bite out of her fruit bar. “I’ve got some help.” She nodded back at her bag. 

“Ah.” She took a swig of water and sat on the felled tree behind the faunus. She gently massaged her shoulders, humming softly. “Does it take a lot of concentration?” 

She nodded. “But the blood also helps me think. I don’t have to manage all the clones but it is better if I do.”

Weiss pulled the wine bottle from the bag and handed it to her. “It’s incredible how much more powerful it makes you.” She began to massage the base of the feline ears that sat before her. “Maidens they’re so cute and soft I just-”

“Do you wish you were a faunus now?” Blake joked. “I think Yang is enjoying it.”

Weiss smiled. “I’m glad you’re recognizing that you haven’t doomed her to some hellish existence.” 

“I only said she’s enjoying it, not that it hasn’t entirely ruined her life.” 

“You saved her life,” she quietly reminded her. “Don’t forget that.” 


Ruby remembered how powerful she felt at Mountain Glenn, with Blake helping her. With 3 Blakes, she felt unstoppable. She gleefully sped through packs of grim, making quick work of every beast in sight. She stopped at a pack of particularly large beowolves. Slicing through one, Crescent Rose lodged deep into the rock, giving a beowolf a clear shot at Ruby’s back. A clone of Blake threw itself in the way. The body lost form when the claws cut into it, engulfing the grimm. Ruby watched with a mixture of amazement and revulsion as the beast was crushed into a black pulp.

“Ohhh wow that’s so gross!” 

The shadow Blake slowly reformed, shedding the remainder of the grimm. It stood closer and motioned to point the rifle forward at the next wave of monsters. It placed a hand in front of the muzzle pointed at the beowolf leading the pack. 

“Fire? Ok.” She pulled the trigger and shot the beast in the center of the chest. It exploded like a grenade, sending fragments of black material into the surrounding grimm. Each of the impacted grimm seemed to become infected, slowly losing form and falling behind the pack, until no more remained.  

She reached her rest point and dropped her gear and stretched. She turned back to find her clones sitting side by side. “Ooh!” She laid down across their thighs and sighed happily. One handed her a bottle of water, another passed a ration bar. “I could get used to this…”


The sun reached its peak in the sky, shining down on the wilds south of Vale. A large group of various grimm made their way toward the city, drawn by the swell of emotion around the Vytal Festival.

Shadows on the ground grew in size, joining into a dark mat that covered the entire forest floor in a large radius. The ursa looked around in confusion. Intermittent shotgun blasts could be heard approaching, until a yellow blur flew by, the epicenter of the pool of shadows. The ursa turned and growled, trying to pursue. It took a single step before its head was speared by black spike that grew from the ground. When the shadows slowly returned to normal, only wisps of disintegrating grimm remained. 

Yang plopped down onto the rocks surrounding the small lake she took her break at, dipping her feet into the water. “This might be too easy, why train to be a huntress if we’re already good enough to cut hundreds of grimm down ourselves?” 

“Are you not paying attention in class? We’re killing the small stuff,” Blake answered over their connection. “There are huge and powerful grimm out there.” 

“Well alright, I guess. I’m just surprised how easy that was. You could get Weiss to just give us blood all the time - I’m 99% sure she is into it.” 

“If we were powered up all the time, we’d start getting attention from other huntsmen academies. Ozpin may seem to be accepting right now, but other schools will not like it. Especially Atlas.” 

Yang laughed. “Ironwood is going to tell the Schnee man that you’re having a taste of his daughter. Could you imagine how he’d react?” 

“Let’s not find out, Yang. At least not for now...”

Notes:

beep boop another chapter of my garbo trash fic

we're getting closer to the festival! how will that turn out? what is mommy salami's plan? what is pyrrha up to? Is Blake actually evil? Will Ruby or Weiss join her thrall harem? yes of course they will but when? tune in next time on "terrible at writing but I like vampires but is this fic really vampire enough? I should add more of that shit"! Out next month. probably.

hope everyone is feeling camJAM during these shitty times. hope you enjoyed the chapter, let me know what you think.

edit: i feel like the bit where the faunus guy is talking about inconvenient protest makes him seem more like a bad guy than I'm intending, and potentially sending a negative message about protesters or oppressed people. Which, needless to say, is not good. It's more that he's just being presumptuous about weiss. His point is good, generally speaking lol. Most of these ppl whining about irl protests aren't having family members assassinated or w/e...unless they're nazis etc, which, like, ya know, heh. wow that was messy I hope you get what I'm saying, which is: black lives matter.

Chapter 18: Willow

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

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.

Chapter 19: The Ends

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Team RWBY of Beacon having a strong start here against Team ABRN of Haven - Blake Belladonna has eliminated Reese Chloris by ring out and aura level!” 

“Yes, excellent use of her semblance to trick her opponent into a vulnerable position and hitting them with an attack they didn’t even see coming!”

“She is sure to feel that kick in the morning. Oho! And now what’s this? Ruby Rose has pushed two opponents into a tight spot- And Weiss Schnee has captured them in ice, using her semblance and masterful control over dust.”

“Arslan Altan has only one option now; a 4-on-1 against such strong huntresses is quite out of the question! How will she free her teammates?” 

“Excellent use of her aura to strengthen her arms, she makes breaking a giant ice ball look easy! I recall a time when I was on a hunt and-”

“What’s this!? A daring move by Team RWBY to use their teammate as a projectile. They’ve caught their opponents in a vulnerable situation!” 

“...And that’s the match! With a final triple knock-out punch, Team RWBY of Beacon Academy is victorious!” 

“Woo!” Yang cheered, punching her fist into the air. Ember Celica ejected its empty, smoking shells, spent from the final blow against their opponents. She jogged over to the defeated opponents and helped them to their feet. Arslan groaned, dusting herself off.

“That was a fun match,” Yang said. “Good fight.”

“You guys are strong, your fists really pack a punch,” Arslan said. She shook Yang’s hand and gave her a smile. The rest of Team RWBY crowded behind their teammate. “And your sniper scythe is scary...which do you take, the high caliber fire or commit to blocking your giant blade. What a dangerous weapon...”

Reese looked down at Yang’s happily flicking tail. “We only saw a couple faunus on the teams here. I’m glad we got to go against you. My father is a faunus who had to move from Vale because things got bad...I hope you’re doing okay.” 

Before Yang could answer, Professor Goodwitch appeared and shooed them from the field. “The stage needs to be prepared. No time for dawdling.”

Ruby led her team through the many stalls that lined the Beacon fairground, looking for a good place to eat. 

“These food stalls hardly seem safe to eat food from. Does Vale not employ food safety inspectors? This would never fly in Atl-”

“Let’s do this one,” Yang said, steering Weiss by the shoulders to what appeared to be a noodle joint. “You’ve got your aura, nothing to worry about.” 

The heiress quietly sulked as orders were taken, looking around at the fairgrounds. Many foreigners milled about, slowly passing by each booth to look at the items for sale. She saw few visibly Atlesian people around, but that wasn’t much of a surprise to her. 

Weiss’ eyes landed on a familiar redhead in the crowd - Pyrrha who was already waving at her. As she drew nearer she called out, “Hello there!” 

“Hey guys,” Jaune said. “Mind if we join you?” Team JNPR joined team RWBY for food, taking the row of seats beside them. “Congrats on the win, what a wild way to end it.” 

Weiss frowned. “Isn’t your match soon? Should you be eating so soon before?” 

“Sure why not? There’s never a wrong time to eat!” Nora shouted. 

“I...I am not sure about that…” 

“Hey guys!” a voice came from behind. The group looked around to see Emerald pushing through the crowd. “How’s it going?”

Rather than joining in the conversation with Emerald, Blake’s attention was elsewhere. Across the road was a small woman wearing a black frilly dress, with bright green eyes. The faunus slipped away quietly while the others were distracted. 

The small woman had no time to react before Blake’s hand was around her throat. “Explain yourself. I know your smell from the train.” 

Neo remained still, silently choking. She slowly held up her scroll. “I’m on your side.”  

“I can smell Yukina has marked you - that’s the only reason I didn’t immediately kill you. Why did you attack Vale?”

The assassin’s thumb swiped rapidly around on the screen of her scroll. “Yukina will explain. Haruka was supposed to get you but she almost got caught on her way in. Security is too” 

Blake released Neo and sighed. “She wants to meet?”

“Yes, tomorrow. Noon. Foxfire.” She stepped back and disappeared in a small flash of light. 

“Is Ozpin not letting Haruka on campus anymore? What is happening…” She quietly slipped back into her seat and started in on her food. 

The conversation had moved around apparently as Ruby chatted with Pyrrha. “Have you tried using your semblance to do electricity stuff?” 

Pyrrha frowned. “Electricity? My semblance is polarity.” 

Ruby cocked her head. “Yeah, those are related. Electromagnetics! A time rate change of magnetic field will induce an electric field.” 

“Huh.” Pyrrha thought for a moment. “Is that where all that static keeps coming from? My belt would sometimes get warm and shock me after using my semblance a lot.” 

“Yeah yeah yeah I bet that means your semblance channels polarity through your body and you tune it with your hands. Your belt would develop a current and unless it was copper or silver or something it would be like sticking a ring in a microwave and- ooh I bet you could think of some way to use that! Oh you need to ground yourself too if you want to keep the static away, they have these special shoe straps for manufacturing sensitive electronics-” Ruby took a deep breath. “Anyway here.” 

Ruby produced a coil of wire from somewhere and set it on the counter in front of them. “Fluctuate your polarity semblance through the center of the coil, like you’re sticking a magnet through it.” She attached clamps at the ends to a meter in her hand. “Ok go!” 

Pyrrha pulsated her semblance as if she were moving her spear back and forth through the air. The small hooded huntress excitedly bounced, watching the numbers climb on her ammeter. Suddenly, there was a snap and the small yellow meter began emitting smoke. “Woah! You overloaded it! I mean that makes sense, your semblance is strong enough to move your shield around easily. Hey...have you heard of a railgun?” 

Weiss tapped Blake’s arm. “Is everything okay? Who was that you were talking to?” 

The heiress was as observant as ever. “A message from our cafe-owning friends. I have to go meet them tomorrow.” 

Weiss frowned at the strange wording. “Okay...should I come? Do you want company?”

“No...you and Yang need to be preparing - you had a whole set of training prepared, right? I’ll be okay. Not really sure what they want.” 

“Are you feeling okay? About the tournament?” 

Blake laughed softly. “Somehow I feel less worried than before. Whatever happens, happens. I can’t keep trying to run away from my past - as you keep reminding me.”

“I thought Yang was the one with the thick skull but I guess there’s a reason you’re partners.”

“Excuse me, heiress, but I’m working on it. Ok?”


Blake woke early in the morning - early for a Saturday morning, anyway. Her scroll vibrated on her chest, something she started doing to avoid waking her sleeping teammates. She silenced her scroll and set about unentangling herself from her bedmates. First, she pulled her leg free from Ruby’s arms. Yang was easy despite her entwined cuddling position - she slept like a dead person. Weiss slept on her side, clinging to the faunus's side. 

“She’s come very far from sleeping at the edge of the bed but I still want her to sleep on me…but that's still too sexual for her.” 

With that thought, she slipped free and crawled over the heiress to freedom. She picked out her clothes and prepared to leave. Whatever it was that Yukina wanted to talk about - she had a lot to answer for, being associated with someone who was part of the attack. 

“Let’s bring Gambol Shroud, just in case.” She tapped her scroll a few times to call her weapons locker and turned to the door. She barely took one step before Ruby sprang from the bed and blocked the door.

“Where are you going Blake? Give me a second to get ready. Weiss and Yang are going to be busy all day, I don’t want to be lonely.” 

Blake thought for a moment. “Will you take ‘no’ for an answer?” 

“No. Unless you reaaaaaally don’t want me to come…” 

“Ok fine,” she said with a sigh. “I’m going to the Foxfire.” 

“Ooh it has been a while.” She tightened the last strap on her boot and dashed out the door. “I missed her cookies!” 


Ozpin sat back in his desk chair and waited for the intrusion he knew would be coming. The intercom beeped. “Professor, he’s-”

The elevator opened for General Ironwood, who exited quickly and approached the headmaster. “She left campus, she must be going to meet Salem’s accomplices. I have my men prepared to strike.” 

Ozpin observed the agitated man over the rim of his coffee mug. “How do you know where she is going? What do you think attacking them would do now? You should know that this doesn’t work against her.” 

“Salem knows you well, Oz. She knows your principles. What you will and won’t do. You’ve entertained this fantasy long enough. You can’t win a sanguine over to your side! Or are you going to lie to her about what will happen to her?”

“There may still be an option...I haven’t asked the right person yet; she's still asleep. They may still yet be fixed.” 

Ironwood put a hand up to massage his temples. “The Ninetails went out into Forever Fall, into the most grimm infested area.” 

Ozpin closed his eyes and bowed his head. “I see. So she has talked to Salem.”

“Something is happening; we cannot allow them to meet today. If she’s contacting that fox this blatantly, it must be incredibly important.” 

“Or intended to provoke a reaction from us. James you must think this through. She deals in manipulation, and this is likely to play right into her hands.” 

“The last time you said this was just before the Fall Maiden was attacked. If you had listened to me, we could have protected her properly. She just does what she wants because she knows you won't move unless you're absolutely certain.” Ironwood clenched a fist. “If we can just keep two sanguines out of the picture, that keeps the odds in our favor.”

“What makes you think that you’ll be able to convince them to go along with your plan and ‘stay out of the picture’?”

“If Belladonna is as friendly as you believe she is, then we’ll only have to handle one - and the new Atlesian technology we have brought gives us the upper hand. Penny will give us air support.” 

“Penny would never...ah, I see. You have some way to-”

“She understands the dangers of a sanguine faunus. Our forces have been disguised. We need to remove a pawn from the board. Oz, you know the history of the Belladonnas and the White Fang. Their daughter will never side with you when she finds out the truth.” 

“James...I-”

“My forces are already on the move. You need to trust me just this one time.” 

“Take Qrow with you. And listen to him if he tells you to stop. I would attend myself but I cannot leave the school grounds like this. So many of us gone...we would be too vulnerable.”

“Thank you Oz. I’ll make it work.”


Yukina nodded at Blake when she entered the shop. Her eyebrows raised when she saw Ruby. After a moment, she quickly pulled an assortment of cookies onto a plate and poured a large glass of milk. She glided over to the back table where Ruby usually sat and met the pair there. 

“Hello Blake, Ruby. Thank you for coming.” She placed the food in front of Ruby and gently patted her on the head. “I must talk to Blake privately, but I will have my wife keep you company, okay?” 

Ruby made a muffled sound of assent through her cookie-stuffed cheeks. She accepted the small brown cat into her arms after Haruka dashed over. 

The fox faunus then led Blake back into the office. She sat at her desk and crossed one leg over the other. She eyed the weapon on her back. “I see you are being cautious. Understandable, with your history. Now...how should I explain myself?”

“Why are you involved with the assassin from the attack on Vale? What is her connection to you? Were you involved with that train? Was Salem?”

“Her name is Neo. Believe me, I was as upset as you are now, when I found out what had happened.” She glanced around her office for a moment. “I promise to explain it all. But first, what is your favorite fairy tale?”

***

“And you want my help? My team’s help?”

“Yes, Blake. We need you and your team.”

“To help you kill someone.”

“It will involve death, yes. I’m not simply seeking to kill someone for the sport. Ozpin and his group cannot be allowed to continue to hold the power of the maidens and relics. Some of his powers can only be fully used once in a lifetime...and that time is coming. He tried to destroy Salem many times for a millenia. That is why she looks the way she does today...and why the grimm are the way they are now.”

Uncertainty gnawed at Blake. “And he would need to kill us as well... I need to talk to Ruby about this. And the rest of my team.”

“Ruby...that is complicated. She is part of Ozpin’s plan.”

“She’s part- How?”

“Her eyes-” 

The two sanguine faunuses turned toward the door of the office. Yukina sighed. “I believe we’re out of time. Blake, you can try to leave if you wish, but do not reveal anything we’ve spoken about here.” 

Blake shook her head ruefully. “It’s already too late. Depending on how this goes, I may be forced to take your side. Did you know this would happen?”

Yukina laughed. “No...but I thought it was likely. Ironwood’s mounting insecurity around us even meeting was bound to reach its breaking point, but this conversation needed to happen now. Ozpin hoped to win you over when you joined his school. Has he won you over?”

“I guess we’ll see.”

The door to the office burst in, filling the small office with shrapnel and smoke. Aura kept them safe from the worst of it. Atlesian bots pushed into the office, guns pointed into Blake and Yukina’s faces. The cat faunus’s blood boiled at the sight of the military hardware, all disguised in grimm masks and typical White Fang attire.

Ironwood’s voice sounded from all the knights. “Yukina Akiyama and Blake Belladonna. You are to be arrested and detained. Do not resist.”

Yukina stepped in front of Blake. “What are we being accused of?”

“You must surrender and come with us.” 

Blake’s ears could hear that the surrounding area was filled with paladins, dropped from airships. Soldiers positioned around them in firing lines. 

Yukina sighed and looked back at Blake. “Okay, I didn’t expect him to bring this many.”

“If you make a scene, this fight will certainly harm many of the faunus you care so much about,” he continued.

“You are threatening innocent lives. You have not told me what I am accused of.” 

“You are suspected of criminal activity.” 

“How vague. I will not submit myself to the Atlas Military here in Vale. I-” 

Blake could smell the ignition of dust - she immediately activated her semblance and melted back into the shadows of the couch. The room was filled with automatic fire and elemental dust attacks. Yukina vanished as the first bullet hit her. 

As the deafening barrage of fire continued, only one thought was in Blake’s mind - “Is Ruby okay?” She thought she could hear the small huntress calling her name. But as she gritted her teeth to make a break for the main cafe area, a green beam flashed through the building, setting off a chain of explosions. There were simply too many bodies to profile them all, but a detail shouted out to her. She could smell Ruby’s blood.

***

Ruby crammed cookies into her mouth happily, watching people walk past the cafe. These new cookies had small chocolates embedded in the dough, chocolates with a candied shell. Haru-cat napped on her lap, purring quietly when she pet her with a free hand.

Her sketchbook was laid out on the table before her, showing a half finished sketch for an electrical device to enhance Pyrrha’s semblance. “All that electric potential, gone to waste…”

In a moment, the calm scenery around the cafe was broken. Several airships entered the area at high speed, dangerously descending between the buildings at high speed. The ships flared and landed roughly, disgorging a legion of armed White Fang soldiers that stormed into the building. 

Haruka dashed off her lap and disappeared into the office. Ruby cursed herself for leaving her weapon behind after seeing Blake taking hers, and readied herself for a fight. “But why would the White Fang attack here? Of all places?” She blinked in confusion when she saw a familiar face.

Qrow charged into the cafe, crashing through the chairs and tables. “Ruby you need to leave.” A second wave of ships arrived with numerous armored Paladins. He grabbed her arm and started to drag her toward the door. “Let’s go kiddo.”

Ruby flinched as all the robots simultaneously opened fire into the back of the cafe. “Blake!” she screamed. “What are you doing? Stop!” She pulled her arm free of Qrow’s grasp and jumped toward the nearest soldier. “Remember what Yang taught you.” Making a fist was easy, but using it was not her strength. So, she grabbed the gun of the Knight and pointed it at its nearest mate. “With my speed, I can get in there and save Blake,” she thought as the automatic fire destroyed a handful of Knights.

“Ruby NO!”

She jumped into her semblance and shot toward the office. She grabbed bots as she passed them, using her speed and rotation to behead or disarm them. Just before she reached the door of the office, the Paladins launched rockets. Time slowed for her as she twisted and aimed the borrowed gun. She managed to shoot a handful of rockets before realizing the full weight of the situation. Her vision narrowed under the explosive pressure of a green laser that cut through the cafe, until everything went black. 


Ruby woke to a rhythmic sound, roused gently from her sleep by the subtle movement beneath her. She struggled to move, her body ached like after a day of fierce grimm extermination. 

Her arms felt heavy, but it didn’t matter that much to her. She was on a large beast, running through a dark gray void. She felt sleepiness creeping up on her. 

The fur was comfortable and warm. She felt so tired. 

“Mmm this is so nice...this fur smells so familiar.” She forced her head up, looking forward at the animal she rode.

“It’s a cat…” The cat turned its head enough for an amber eye to stare back at her. 

“Blake…? Wait, we were at the cafe, weren’t we? Explosions...why would they attack us like that? Did the White Fang steal more Atlas tech?” 

A low rumble passed through the cat as she looked away, dipping her head. 

“Aw it’s okay. We can figure it out.” She gave Blake a hug, rubbing her face in her fur. “So, where are we going? Toward that light ahead?” 

Blake slowed to a stop, dropping to the floor. She gestured with her head.

“Get off? No, why would I leave you? Let’s go!”

The cat made a few annoyed noises and again pointed with her nose.

“Nope. You’re not going to get rid of me that easily. I won’t let you isolate yourself again. Also, I think I’m naked...so unless you’re going to bring me clothes, I’m staying up here.”

The cat huffed and hesitantly returned to its feet, slowly moving forward once more. Ruby cheered as Blake picked up the pace, charging forward toward the small light on the horizon. “Onward!” 


“Professor, we haven’t seen Blake or my sister for a full day now! We can’t continue the tournament like this!” 

“Miss Xiao Long, I do not know where they are but you and Miss Schnee are up to fight today - we cannot stop the Vytal Festival now.” Ozpin stood and turned away, looking out over the campus. The Amity Colosseum hovered in the distance. He rubbed his forehead wearily. “We are looking for them. They were caught up in an attack on the Foxfire Cafe. I will let you know when we know something.” 

Yang paced, keeping her breathing even. “How are we supposed to fight when half our team is missing!” Her tail thrashed, knocking a few papers from Ozpin’s desk. 

Weiss quietly picked up the falling bits of paper and returned them to their place. “I asked Winter if she could help search, make use of Atlas technology. She refused…”

General Ironwood finally made eye contact with Yang. “Can you feel out where the faunus is?” 

The huntress glared daggers back at Ironwood. “You people keep going on about how I’m a mindless slave bitch to her, what makes you think I’d be able to find her if she doesn’t want to be found?”

“Then there is no further information about where your teammates are,” the General replied coolly. 

“I’m sorry, we will contact you the moment we know anything.” Ozpin returned to his seat and sighed heavily. “Your match is soon, you’d best get over to the Coliseum to prepare.”

Ozpin, Ironwood, and Goodwitch watched the two huntresses leave. When the elevator doors sealed, the headmaster gave the others a look and led the way to a side door. The darkened corridor opened to a set of elevators that sent them down to an airpad. The airship there took them up to where Ironwood’s command ship hovered. 

“James…” Ozpin started. 

“Wait until we’re secure,” he answered.

Ironwood took the lead and entered his credentials through many locked doors until they reached the brig, where a certain cell waited. When the doors to the brig sealed with a slight hiss, the General let out a short sigh.

In the cell was Qrow. His clothes were singed and had multiple openly bleeding cuts on his face and torso. The red-stained towel in his hands had become soaked and useless long ago. “I’m gonna kill you James.” 

“What am I supposed to do, Qrow? You destroyed very expensive Atlas Military hardware.”

“You killed my niece!” he shouted, punching the energy field that contained his cell. “You son of a bitch she's all I had left of Summer!”

“This has gone on long enough.” Goodwitch pushed Qrow to the back of the cell. “He shouldn’t be locked up like this.” 

Ozpin sighed. “I agree but if we let him out, you know what he will do. You were supposed to listen to him. You have a lot to explain for James.”

“She shouldn’t have interfered. I didn't think that the faunus would use Ruby as a shield.”

“Who would use enough explosives to level an entire building?! Are you stupid? Both of those sanguines have protective blood semblances!” 

“Penny’s offense systems have special anti-faunus armaments - I’m certain we’ve mortally wounded one of them. This is a big improvement of our situation. Even when we noticed she was present, I did not expect Miss Rose to jump directly into danger. How could I have predicted that, Qrow?” 

“If you knew ANYTHING about Ruby you’d know. You should have listened to me when I said to let me get her away first!” 

“The element of surprise is the only thing that allowed this to work. I’m sorry Qrow but there was no other way. Based on the damage and blood we’ve found - the Ninetails has been taken care of.”

Goodwitch closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. “At the price of an incredibly promising huntress.”

"We removed one of her strongest assets. And what do you think would have happened if the faunus delivered Miss Rose to Salem?"

Ozpin fingered a switch on his cane. "That could have been disastrous. If it is true that Yukina has been killed, then there is some solace to be found in this tragedy."

"Whatever plan she had for the Vytal Festival has certainly been impacted. With continued vigilance, we shall prevail."

Notes:

Uh oh, two dead! Or are they dead?

konpeko mogu mogu la-lion ahoy konyappi nyahello konrushi kikkerikiiii konban-dododo hellobooo oh god can u guess where my time has been lol but here's a chapter! let me know what you thought.

I found a new job thankfully so this chapter took longer than I thought it would anyway hope you enjoyed!

Chapter 20: Cheetah

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Blake ran. She ran for almost half an hour, out of Vale and into the wilderness. Despite being encumbered by two bodies, one on each shoulder, there was no difficulty in navigating through the dense trees. On one shoulder was a stabilized Ruby, unconscious and covered in serious burns. Opposite her was Neopolitan, stirring faintly, with a trickle of blood running from her nose. The little criminal expended all her aura concealing their escape from Vale, allowing their escape from the leveled Foxfire Cafe - right under the Atlas Military’s nose.

Following shortly behind was Yukina. She put on a relaxed face, but half her torso was missing, an angry red cauterized wound that extended from her shoulder, down through her left lung, ending by her hip. 

Blake glanced back at her, wondering how she moved so gracefully with her remaining arm holding Haruka in her cat form. The red-stained ball of fur showed no signs of movement. 

“Let’s stop there,” Blake said, pointing toward a rest spot from her White Fang days. They entered through a gap between trees into a small clearing. The trees around the space were packed unusually tight together, the space between built up with dirt and vegetation to conceal the area. 

She wasted no time in setting Ruby down on her back to heal her injuries. Her transformation had clearly made progress, keeping her alive despite her injuries. The bite itself did not begin the process of healing - only forcing a living being into an undead state. If she willed it, she could force Ruby into consciousness in a barely functional body, and feel all the pain those wounds would cause. 

A bright light filled the clearing. Squinting her eyes, she could see Yukina through the blinding glow from her hair and eyes. Slowly, the damaged parts of her body shifted unnaturally, pushing and growing outward until the missing flesh was restored. The fox faunus slumped back against a tree trunk with her eyes closed. 

“I had heard your semblance was amazing, but that…”

Yukina opened an eye. “That was a once-in-a-decade ability you just witnessed.” She pulled Haruka onto her lap, poising a hand over her. Blake watched Haruka’s aura return, a light haze solidifying into a weak film over her body. “And with that...we’ve somehow survived.” 

Returning her focus to Ruby, Blake watched the charred skin slowly heal. The young girl was covered entirely in major burns, entirely unrecognizable. Yukina had taken the brunt of the laser, kicking Ruby out of the line of the attack. It missed her by a hair’s breadth, searing large portions of her skin off. 

Now that Ruby had been changed, her skin returned rapidly under the steady flow of Blake’s aura into her body. Ten minutes later, Ruby had returned to her former appearance, with two exceptions: small, rounded feline ears and a long spotted tail.

“I have a surprising amount of aura left after all this,” she thought to herself. She glanced over at Neo, who had been unceremoniously dumped by the entrance to the hidden clearing. Noticing Blake’s gaze, she showed her middle finger and frowned exaggeratedly. 

“Ah, sorry. Thanks for getting us out of there.” 

Neapolitan pointedly turned her back to Blake and produced a snack from somewhere, proceeding to focus solely on eating. 

Blake returned her attention to Ruby. Her team leader’s face was serene, without a single trace of the lethal damage she took. Just as she began to have the thought to wake her, those silver eyes popped open. 

“Blake!” she shouted, before she vanished from sight. 


Round 2 of the Vytal Festival Tournament. Facing off against her and Yang was Team FNKI’s Flynt Coal and Neon Katt, from Atlas Academy. They stood across from each other at the center of the multiple-themed stage. 

“Your family put my dad out of business. Terrorized him. Made his life hell.” Flynt’s eyes coldly bored into Weiss over his dark glasses. 

The Schnee Heiress kept her head high and returned his gaze. “I am not my father, if you couldn’t tell by looking.” 

“Hm. Gaudy snowflake emblem. White hair. Upturned nose. It’s hard to see a difference.”

“It is unfortunate that you can see so little. You might get blindsided.” 

With those words, the battle had begun. Immediately, the fight split off into two - a fight between Weiss and Flynt, and Yang and Neon. Weiss faced off against the exceedingly smug man, scoring a few quick early hits using ice dust. The man shook off the impact of the ice chunks and blew into his trumpet. 

The amplified blast of sound knocked Weiss from her feet and sent her across the arena. She quickly used a few glyphs to keep herself from flying out-of-bounds. With gritted teeth, she took slow steps toward the man, wondering just how long he would keep this up. A rainbow-colored blur entered her vision, boosted by the Flynt’s attack. Neon’s glowstick nunchuck smashed into her face, launching her toward the edge once again. 

The sound of repeated shotgun blasts came from her side. Yang soared through the air caught Weiss and guided her to safety. 

“Don’t forget this is a 2 vs 2, Weiss.” 

“I know,” she growled at Yang. “What a stupid weapon.” 

“Let’s use my semblance. I am your shield, milady.” 

“Ugh. No.” She let out a groan of disgust and formed a time dilation glyph on her teammate. 

Yang cocked her arm back and let loose a wall of buckshot, emptying both magazines that circled around the inside of Ember Celica. Abandoned buildings, glaciers, and large boulders were reduced to rubble under the heavy fire. 

Their opponents had avoided most of the attack, protected by Neon’s weapon which apparently contained dust. Taking this opportunity, Weiss opened many glyphs around them, firing projectiles from all directions. Pelted by fireballs and icicles, the Atlas team split up once more. 

Neon slipped in from the side, landing a hit on Yang with her weapon, which glowed blue. Ember Celica was encased in ice, jamming up the weapons inner workings. The faunus darted back and forth, locking up Yang’s feet with further ice blocks. 

Flynt took a knee and pointed his trumpet at Weiss, the low blast kicking up a storm of sand. The heiress’ face stung and her vision was blinded, unable to see the attack from Neon coming. She was knocked from her feet once more, crashing through rock after rock until landing heavily on the scalding ground of the volcanic area of the arena. Her aura was at its limit.

Flynt stood over her. “Now stay there, Schnee. We’ll finish you off last.” He turned and began to blast his trumpet at Yang, who had just freed herself from the ice. Caught off guard, she was thrown off her feet into Neon, who swung her nunchuck into Yang’s ribs. Yang could feel her aura getting low, but the rapidly approaching out-of-bounds wall was her main concern. She grasped desperately around until she managed to get her claws into the ground. 

Meanwhile, Weiss’ blood boiled at the disrespect of her opponent. She kicked off her shoes and flicked Myrtenaster’s dust revolver open. Red dust cartridge in hand, she took off toward Flynt’s back, moving as quietly as she could. Her low aura didn’t completely protect her feet, but the scalding ground was barely noticeable over her rage. She crossed half the distance without being noticed-

“Oho! What’s this? Miss Schnee is making a move, hoping to catch Mr. Coal unawares!” Port’s voice boomed over the loudspeakers. 

“Oh you f-” 

Flynt spun around and turned his weapon on her. The heiress threw herself aside, narrowly avoiding the deafening blast from his silly trumpet weapon. She rolled and darted at him, scabbling at the ground with her hands, trying to keep her balance. With a shout, she crashed into him, and drove her elbow into his chest. 

Flynt staggered back, gasping for breath. Weiss smirked wickedly and tossed the dust cartridge, using the last bit of her aura to set it off in his face. 

“And with that, both Weiss Schnee of Beacon Academy and Flynt Coal of Atlas Academy are knocked out by aura level!” 

Meanwhile, Neon backed away slowly from Yang, who was getting to her feet now that Flynt was down. “You...you have two…” 

“What?” Yang asked, irritated with her opponent, who taunted her the whole match. 

“You’ve got claws and a tail…you’re not a faunus...”

“Oh...so what?” Her semblance was fully charged, she could feel her hair billowing behind her, blazing like a wildfire. “Was I not supposed to show the claws?” She shrugged internally and punched the ground at her feet, sending a shockwave at Neon Katt. 

The faunus deftly skated around the oncoming fissure and debris, erratically zipping around to find an opening. Yang watched the panicked movement and jogged toward the volcano themed portion of the arena. She plucked Myrtenaster off the ground, taking care to arm the revolver without dropping all the cartridges - such a flimsy and delicate weapon it was.

“Thanks Weiss,” she whispered, switching to green wind dust. “Please look away.” She pulled the trigger and cut horizontally through the air, her semblance turning the narrow whirlwind that came from the tip into a wind storm that tore through the arena. 

“And that’s the match! Neon Katt of Atlas Academy is eliminated by ring out!” As the storm cleared away, Yang barely spotted the faunus cratered into the wall surrounding the arena. Suddenly Myrtenaster was torn from her hand. 

“How dare you hold my sword like that?! The grip is Atlesian style you oaf- it’s not a bat!” 

Yang put an arm around Weiss’ shoulders and sighed. “Yes yes, I’m sorry. We won, ok?” 

“We did...but it feels quite empty.”

With a sigh, Yang looked up into the sky. “I’m sure they’re fine. You said so yourself - they can handle themselves.” 

“Has Blake-”

“No...I can’t feel anything.” 

Flynt and Neon slowly approached, leaning against each other for support.

“I underestimated you Weiss. Those were some gutsy moves. Never thought I’d see a Schnee do that.” He nodded up toward the large screen suspended above the arena seats. 

Weiss cringed at the replay of her shown on a loop. “Oh...oh maidens, I look like…” 

“Some type of feral beast!” Flynt finished, laughing loudly. “Imagine, Weiss Schnee scampering around barefoot like some kind of wild child...”

Neon nodded and offered a grin. “I had a blast. C’mon Flynt, we need to meet up with the others.” The two waved and set off to the locker rooms. 

Weiss looked over her shoulder at the retreating duo. “What’s up with Neon? I thought she would be more excited, considering how she was before the match…”

“Hey, was I supposed to hide the claws? Like am I not supposed to use them?” 

Weiss looked back at Yang in disbelief. “No! No you’re not supposed to use them around other people!”

“When was I told that?! I don’t remember being told not to do that!” 

“Yang, use your head. If you have two faunus traits - what does that mean? It means you’re a thrall. There’s a sanguine pulling your strings!” She sighed and looked over at her teammate. “Maybe growing up on Patch made you less worried about Sanguines but the Kingdoms mobilize entire armies of huntsmen to exterminate one. No wonder Neon is so freaked out...and now everyone watching the tournament knows.”

“What? Who’d be paying such close attention? You could barely see it! No one will know!”


Qrow leaned back against the buzzing field separating him from freedom and looked up at the ceiling. “I need to get out of here before I dry out.” A commotion from the hall bled through the thick prison doors, grabbing the huntsman’s attention. The doors actuated open, revealing a squad of Atlas operatives. They pushed a yellow haired monkey faunus into the room, weapons trained on him. 

“Guys, I came peacefully. Can you chill out?” 

A large woman pushed him into a cell and activated the barrier. The group left without another word. The faunus sighed and pointed at the door. “Rude. So rude.” He walked over to the thin barrier between his cell and Qrow’s, leaning casually against it. “Sup.”

“Hey.”

“So you’re Ruby’s dad?”

Qrow’s expression darkened. “Uncle.” 

“Really? But the two of you look just like each other. Huh.” Sun stretched and groaned loudly.

He looked over at the faunus. “Did Salem send you to kill me?” 

Sun blinked. “Uh no? Ruby sent me to come get you.”

“Ruby?!” 

“So...how about we get out of here, huh?” The faunus held his hand up and closed his eyes. His hair and tail glowed gold, brightening the darkened room. “Oh. You should move. Like over there.” He nodded his head to the side. 

Qrow stepped aside, barely avoiding a large projectile that smashed through the cell walls. Sun caught and spun his staff, clearing away the remaining restraining barriers. “Atlas can make a nice anti-faunus barrier, sure. But can it stop a fifteen thousand pound rod flying just under the speed of sound?” Sun laughed and rested his staff across his shoulders. “Well, let’s go. Uncle.”

Notes:

konnichi-what's up homies. Oh boy...I...I'm back. Decided to take a break from dropping $400 on vampire Rice Shower and playing suisei's blue rose on repeat. Let's hope I haven't lost the plot. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, although it is a bit short.

Chapter 21: The Eve

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Sister Ilia.”

Ilia looked up from her scroll at the approaching faunus. “What do you want?” she snapped.

The low-ranked grunt abruptly stopped and took a step back. “Leader Adam is looking for you. He said- he said that- to tell you to ‘stop wasting time watching that clip.’”

“It’s my damn free time, I can do what I want,” she said, pocketing her scroll. The stink of fear came off the messenger. She sighed internally. “Where is he then, the command tent?”

“His personal tent, sister.” 

She walked past him, lazily gesturing her thanks. “I’m not that scary, why freak out like that?” She worked through the tightly packed camp, slipping between the various tents. As she passed by a particularly loud group of faunus, a wolf faunus was knocked from the circle into her. 

“Gah! Sorry, Sister Ilia.” 

Ilia pulled him back to his feet and sent him back into the ring with a shove. “Lune, are you going to let Rodney beat you? Get his ass!” 

She smiled to herself as she moved away from the brawl, continuing toward her destination. A gentle breeze carried the scent of meat to her, changing the direction of her footsteps. 

 

“Hey keep your hands off my shit! It’s my turn to work the grill, keep your grubby paws off!” 

“You don’t know what you’re doing! You’ll mess these up like you did last time - Adam will have your head if you serve undercooked m-”

“I know what I’m doing! Shut up!” 

 

Ilia marched up to the arguing faunus pair unnoticed. She slipped her dagger from her belt and used the tip to flip a steak. “These are going to burn if you guys don’t stop screwing around.” 

The pair started. “S-sister Ilia! Sorry, right away!” The cook snatched his tongs back from his brother and adjusted the row of roasting food. “I hope that knife is clean, captain. I don’t think the fellas are a fan of grimm flavoring.” 

She scowled. “Of course it’s clean. Is there any jerky left from yesterday?” 

“Oh, sure.” He elbowed his brother, who scurried away. “One sec.” 

“Is anything done? I’m going to see the Leader...”

The faunus straightened slightly and pulled over a covered tray. “There’s some musubi here - well, more like beef fried rice shaped into a ball.”

“That’s fine.” She plucked one of the foil covered balls from the bunch and tossed it into the air, catching it in her other hand. 

“Anddd here’s the jerky. Is that all…?”

“Great, thanks guys.”

 

The sounds of camp slowly diminished as she reached Adam’s tent. There was no need to announce herself, he would have known she was coming well in advance. Her faunus eyes required no time to adjust to the darkened interior of the tent. Adam sat reclined in a chair, feet up on a trunk. 

“I got some food if you want.” She tossed the rice ball into his outstretched hand. 

The bull faunus grunted in thanks. After a few bites, he swung his legs down and fixed his gaze on Ilia. “The time for our attack has arrived. We move on Vale and Beacon tomorrow.” 

She swallowed the bit of jerky she was gnawing on. “We are ready. All that’s needed is the order. Did the human have anything to say?” 

“Nothing new. She and her little minions have their secret task on the academy grounds. We just need to keep everyone's eyes on us and try not to attract the attention of the grimm. Have everyone prepared to depart at sunrise.”

“Aye, copy,” Ilia responded. She continued working through her piece of jerky. Silence lingered in the tent for a little too long. “And what about Blake?”

“I may have missed my chance by waiting so long,” Adam growled. “She has powerful friends now…but if the opportunity presents itself, I will take it. I can’t believe how brazen she has become, showing her face like that on an inter-kingdom broadcast. But, there is no point dwelling on it - I will take her back eventually. It is inevitable.”

“Unless the Schnee takes care of her. What’ll happen if we just leak it to her that she’s the one who killed her dear mother?” 

Adam’s head tilted to the side. “Perhaps that’s an option, but would you really want to leave this in someone else’s hands? You’d let Schnee have the satisfaction?”

“No…I guess not.” She clenched her hands. “Fuck…I don’t want that.” 

“I will get my hands on her. And punish her.”

Ilia nodded silently. “Hey, speaking of which…isn’t this the perfect chance for me to become a sanguine? I’m your second-in-command, it would only be appropriate!” 

“Ilia...do you think it is as simple as just drinking blood from a human?” 

The chameleon faunus blinked and raised an eyebrow. “Yes…? I’ve never heard of some other requirement.” 

“Ah…” He sighed and rested his elbows on his knees, stretching his neck side to side. “Well there isn’t a lot of information out there about it. Becoming a sanguine isn’t something you can just do on your own. It is allowed . There’s a reason it is called an ‘offering’. If it were as simple as killing a human, our kind would have taken over the world.” 

“Allowed? By who?”

“By…The Witch.” 

***

The night was slowly setting on the Beacon campus, the buzz of the Vytal Festival Finals on the air. The tournament finalist herself was walking the darkened path behind the dorms, her footsteps echoing off the trees. “Blake….Blake…” No amount of shouting the name in her mind brought an answer, no feeling of connection between her and the woman who owned her tether to life. 

“Will you come if I use that Blood Semblance?” Whatever method that transported Weiss from the dorms to the training area still escaped Yang’s grasp. However, all signs pointed to it requiring her semblance to be fully charged - making it an extremely inconvenient ability. 

Thoughts about the upcoming finals brought no excitement to her. Under normal circumstances, she would be finishing up at the gym and heading out to get a hearty dinner. “Why bother? What am I doing, wasting my time on a tournament? I should go to her, no matter what the cost.”  

The sound of heels announced the presence of Glynda Goodwitch, walking down an intersecting path. She was looking intently at her scroll, reading some sort of message. Noticing her student, the teacher pocketed the device and slowed her pace. “Miss Xiao Long.” 

“Professor Goodwitch.” 

“Wonderful performance during today’s match. Not a single competitor in this tournament has thought to use a teammate’s weapon to cover a weakness - specifically Ember Celica’s lack of effective wide area attacks to take out a highly agile target. I suppose the prideful nature of many huntsmen get in the way of the most effective combat decisions.” Goodwitch seemed to smile to herself. “I must say, you’re probably the most reasonable Branwen; Miss Katt’s taunting would have certainly made Raven blind with rage, when she was a student here.” 

“Thanks, Professor.”

She studied her for a moment. “Sorry for bringing that up. Your uncle has been on my mind now that James... How are you feeling about tomorrow?” 

“Are you trying to piss me off?”

Goodwitch sighed and lowered her head. “I...I apologize, I-”

“Where is my Uncle? Where is Blake? Where is Ruby?” She clenched her fists. “What aren’t you people telling me?” The shadows around her started to deepen and flicker menacingly. 

“There’s no new information about them. Nothing I can talk about, at least.” She studied Yang calmly. “However, I just got a message about a jailbreak aboard one of the Atlas airships. I must excuse myself to look into this matter. Have a good night, Miss Xiao Long.” 

Yang watched the retreating form of the veteran huntress, taking deep breaths. “Is she talking about Uncle Qrow then? They locked him up?” She turned to storm off back to her room so that she wouldn’t do anything foolish, but her thoughts were ended by a red and black swirling portal. It slowly opened, easing into view behind a bush. From the portal stepped Raven, her mother, the woman that killed her. 

***

Ruby opened her eyes. Her head swam, accompanied by a dull ache at her forehead. “Oof....what happened…” She tried to sit up, triggering a strange sensation as her consciousness was wrenched from her body. Panic licked at the edges of her awareness as her emotions were forcibly smothered. 

“Ruby, calm down.”

“B-blake? I-I can’t move! It-” The grip on her emotions grew tighter and her voice flattened in response. “What is happening.” 

“You knocked yourself out the first time you woke up...be careful okay? You can’t do things on instinct, for now. You need to relearn your body...so move slowly.” 

The invisible hand released its grip, bit by bit. Immediately, she flexed her fingers and toes, breathing a sigh of relief. “I guess that’s why my head hurts...but what were you doing to me, Blake?” 

The faunus looked down at her team leader, frowning at the hurt clear in her voice. “Sorry Ruby. I was trying to make sure you wouldn’t hurt yourself. You hit that tree with so much force...” 

Ruby followed Blake’s line of sight to a nearby tree. It was tilted away from the clearing, a number of thick roots torn from the ground. “Ah…”

“You moved so fast, my eyes couldn’t keep up.” The tired faunus crouched next to Ruby and took her hand. 

“I thought it was hilarious.” Haruka’s tired voice drifted across the rest stop. One eye was half open, peering at them. “I woke up just in time to see it. Your speed is crazy.” 

“What happened? Last thing I remember was being attacked by the White Fang! Then, Uncle Qrow showed up and was trying to get me to leave...it didn’t make sense at all.” 

“That wasn’t the White Fang. That was the Atlesian Military.”

“They’ve been developing a new weapon to use against the faunus,” Yukina explained. “It’s a type of android with quite a range of abilities. The ability I used to heal myself, [Death Veil], can resurrect someone if used within 30 seconds of death, no matter the condition of the body. But now, it was barely enough to heal this damage. There’s clearly some sort of inhibiting effect at play.” 

“An android? Different from those knights? Then they could put that weapon on any of those…” 

“No, it’s a special android that has an aura. The orange hair and green/black color scheme is very different from that of those drones. Its semblance must be the source of this. It is an extremely dangerous weapon-” 

“She’s not a weapon, she is a person!” Ruby got to her feet, wiping tears from her eyes. “Are you saying that Penny did this? She almost killed us?” 

“Almost?” Haruka’s laugh turned into a short fit of pained coughs. “She took off half of Yukina and fried you up, extra crispy. You’re only breathing now thanks to the ears and tail Blake attached to you. Which wouldn’t have even been an option if Yukina didn’t knock you out of the way - you would have been straight up disintegrated...”

Yukina sighed and put a hand over Haruka’s face, knocking her out. “So her name is Penny? And she’s sentient?” 

“Penny Polendina. There’s no way she would ever attack someone like this...she wouldn’t...”

Blake took Ruby and pushed her back to the ground. “Don’t move so much, you’ll hurt yourself again. Maybe she didn’t know it was you?” 

Yukina shook her head. “The answer is obvious, Blake. Her will can be overridden. Your friend might be a bit naïve but I don’t think she’d be so off on reading someone - for such a change, she must be controlled somehow.”

Ruby’s face fell. She looked down at her hands and remained silent for a while. “That’s horrible,” she whispered. 

Yukina raised an eyebrow. “Would it be better if Penny didn’t exist?“

Ruby’s mouth opened and closed. Silent, she lay down and closed her eyes.

“What now, then?” Blake asked. “They tried to kill us...maybe I should just get Yang, and get out. Back to Menagerie. Maybe Weiss would be willing to come too - although I’m not sure how she’d do in Menagerie.”

“Actually, Blake, that is what Salem wants of you, after the tournament is over. You can’t stay here; you’ve made another thrall - you need to return to Menagerie or else you’ll be a target. I’m sure you’ll be required to present yourself to the Chieftain for judgement - it is the law negotiated between the Kingdoms and Menagerie. It’ll take a bit for the word to get to them. 

In the meantime, our hands will be full. The White Fang is going to attack tomorrow, following the plans coordinated with Roman Torchwick and Cinder Fall. Cinder is one of Salem’s agents - but she has betrayed us.

“She was behind the train attack from Mountain Glenn, coordinating with the White Fang. She was supposed to create a distraction to infiltrate Beacon’s secret bunker, which Ozpin calls the ‘sanctum’. It is there that the Fall Maiden is hidden, left incapacitated after being confronted by Cinder - where she stole half of the Maiden’s power. I believe I told you about that just before we were attacked.

“However, for some reason, she decided to contract the White Fang to stage an attack on the city, dumping thousands of Grimm onto the streets. Your team thwarted that - thankfully.” 

“What was she supposed to do then? How could she do something so reckless and endanger-”

“Yes, Blake. I had this conversation with Salem...apparently she had left too much unsaid between them. Cinder has failed in many ways in such a short period of time... The White Fang is not an ally to our cause at the moment. They are on their own side - now with Cinder.” 

“For the Fall Maiden’s power, then?” 

Yukina nodded. “Yes, that’s what I suspect. I had her under an ability, which is broken when the subject’s will deviates from mine.” She partially unsheathed her sword, showing the translucent blade. “This sword doesn’t deal damage directly. People that I cut through with this cannot lie to me or else the cut becomes real. The blind spot of this is in the case where they tell me the truth, and then change their mind later.”

“...that seems like a pretty big flaw.” 

“I don’t know what her plan is anymore,” Yukina continued, pointedly ignoring her. “But I am certain that it will happen tomorrow. I was supposed to take control of the situation with Cinder...it is not often that I fail so spectacularly, and now I can’t do anything about it.” She tentatively stretched her newly recreated arm. 

“Salem said it is preferable to let Ozpin keep the maiden rather than allow Cinder to steal the remainder of the power. We don’t need to increase our number of powerful enemies. This way, both Cinder and the Fall Maiden will only have half the power each.”

“So, we need to protect the headmaster’s tower.”

You need to help protect the tower and the rest of campus - I don’t know if there are any other entrances to the underground, but you should be able to keep tabs on the whole campus. You’ll take as much blood as possible from Neo before going. She, Haruka, and I are out. Ruby...I’m not sure if she can help or not. Perhaps she can be responsible for getting to Yang.” 

“And we don’t know who will inherit Ozpin’s half of the Fall Maiden’s power? There’s too much unknown...”

“The best you can do is just protect the campus. If they target the city, I’ll have Sun ready to take care of protection there. He should be coming here, shortly.” 

“Okay,” Blake sighed. “Then we should just rest up for now.” A clone of Blake grew out of her shadow and darted out of the clearing. “I’ll try to hunt for some food. In the meantime, Ruby...” 

Blake took the silent Ruby’s hands into hers. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I guess. I don’t know what’s going on and I just found out that my friend tried to- my friend killed me.” 

“We’ll see if we can figure out what’s going on with Penny. Sounds like she’s being controlled somehow - it’s probably not her fault, but Ironwood’s.”

Ruby slowly nodded and leaned into Blake. 

“Try to meditate a bit, you should feel a connection to me. It would be easier for me to fill you in that way...it’s a lot to explain.” 

“Okay…?” Ruby said uncertainty, closing her eyes to think. 

“By the way, Blake,” Yukina said. “Do you feel any different now? With two thralls so close to your heart, you might have become awakened. Try your Blood Semblance.” 

After a moment, dark wisps of energy overflowed from Blake’s hands, dissipating before they reached the ground. Blake’s frown deepened as she watched the familiar aura ooze from her body. 

“Yukina...what- why is this happening?” She looked up at the older faunus. 

A sad smile lifted the corners of her lips. “Well, your aura is quite strong now. There isn’t a specific term for it, but I’m sure you can feel how your power has gone through quite an increase. Maybe you could call us Sanguine Lords. If you create thralls, particularly strong ones that are connected to your soul, you get a power-up. The conditions aren’t well known, Salem won’t tell us much about it.”

“But this...this is the aura of a grimm.”

“Darkness...is tied deeply with your powers...it’s not a surprise that your aura can take a form similar to a grimm’s. They are creatures born from darkness, after all.”

“So were the humans right? We are monsters? Created from grimm?”

“No Blake, not grimm. And not monsters, not all faunus anyway.”

“Just us then?” 

Yukina let out a soft laugh. “Well, I am a monster, Blake. During my original life, I was very poor. I lived off the streets in Mantle, an area that is now up in Atlas. I watched my parents die, starved to death to give the only food they had to me. There was a mansion that housed one of the richest families in the Kingdom - not the Schnees, mind you. They weren’t a big name just yet. I’d steal from their trash, whatever food I could find. But I got sick. I was going to die, I could feel it. Likely within a day. 

“I saw the youngest daughter of the family run out into the back yard. She was rarely let outside, she had some type of genetic disease. I hated her. I hated how happy she was. I watched her happily play with the snow. She wasn’t supposed to be outside, I could tell - she kept looking around nervously.

“I didn’t just drink her blood, Blake. I ate her.” Yukina leaned back and closed her eyes, hands raising up into the air. “I had never felt as warm as I did at that moment, covered in her blood.”

“From a certain perspective, you could say that she has seen more of the world than she ever would have as a trophy wife in an arranged marriage, assuming she didn’t succumb to her genetic disease first. But that’s just selfish romanticism - she was brutally slaughtered. Torn apart and forced to live on within her murderer.”

Blake remained silent for a moment, before grasping at another thought to avoid the horrible picture Yukina painted. “Didn’t Salem say that everyone knew who their offering was?”

“Yes? I knew her name. I’d seen her a good few times. You, on the other hand, knew absolutely nothing at all about yours.

“But to my point, we’re just as monstrous as the maidens. So don’t underestimate how strong they are. We are mirrors of each other, Salem and Ozpin, Sanguines and Maidens. A fight against an enemy that wields powerful magic, with a leader who does not stay dead. It is hard to say what Ozpin plans to do...but if you want the truth about the faunus, then you should ask Salem.”

A voice whispered in her ear. “Blake…” The cat faunus straightened in alarm. “Use your Semblance…” 

Blake held out a hand, her palm pointing toward an open patch of grass within the clearing. A pool of black grew from a small pinpoint, until it covered several meters in diameter. From the center grew a pale form, ascending slowly from the darkened portal. Before them stood Salem. 

“My children…Blake. I would be happy to enlighten you on the events of the past and more about the fight we face. I was surprised when I felt you approach awakening; I look forward to seeing you grow further.” She smiled and placed a hand on Blake’s shoulder. After a moment she turned and looked around the clearing. “Now, you may doubt what I will share with you, as much of it is quite unbelievable with how much the rules of the world have changed since…but you may have a chance to confront the good headmaster with what I share.” Salem’s eyes returned to Blake. “Ask if he dares to refute any of it.”

Blake returned her gaze. “Then tell me: what are the faunus?”

Notes:

Happy New Year. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Apologies for the long delay.

I've gotten caught up in obsessively reading an Overlord fic called Valkyrie's Shadow, which has left me quite inspired to return to writing. If you can call any of this shit I do "writing" KEKW

Ah and I guess I changed my name on here, but that's kinda unimportant. Thought I should acknowledge it.

Chapter 22: Final Round

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

A loud clang filled the air as Yang's claws made contact with Raven’s sword. Yang’s eyes blazed red, the glow reflected off the mask that Raven wore. Fingers closing around the blade, Yang pulled her opponent forward and sent her flying with a punch. 

Rage filled her mind, sending her semblance into max output. Despite this, part of her felt oddly calm. “Hmm I guess my hands are protected when my claws are out, that’s helpful.” 

Trees and bushes gave way under Raven as she landed and rolled to her feet. She seemed to look down at the sword in Yang’s hand. 

“What do you want, Raven?” Yang asked. She chucked the sword over her shoulder. With her semblance-enhanced strength, the red sword soared over several buildings. “Are you here to finish the job?” 

“Can’t a mother visit her daughter?” She pulled a handle from her belt and inserted it into the large scabbard at her waist. “Or is that somehow a problem?”

Her claws started to glow in response to her emotions. “You aren’t anyone’s mother.” 

“I’m not here to fight you, Yang. I can’t believe how much stronger you are after your rebirth. Sanguines are incredible…and dangerous.” Raven moved back onto the walkway, taking off her mask. “I doubt you’ll be able to hear this right now, but I did what I did to make sure you didn’t choose the wrong side. Maybe you don’t view me as your mother, but I saw my daughter about to make a huge mistake and I just couldn’t let that happen.” 

“What ‘mistake’, huh? I was just on a mission to clear out some grimm from Mountain Glenn.” She lashed a hand out at Raven, sending a storm of aura blades at her. A strange sight stopped her next attack. 

Her mother’s form flickered a moment, before transforming into a bird. The small creature deftly flew a tight arc around the swirling blades, before morphing back into a woman. “Well,” she sighed, bending down to pick up her dropped mask. “It was the perfect time, considering how vulnerable you were. As for right now, Ozpin has eased the protection around you on campus after you were turned, so here I am. I’ve come to talk, not fight.” 

“Then cut the crap.” She flexed her hands threateningly. “I dunno what you can possibly say that’ll stop me.”

“There’s an impossible amount of things to fill you in on…but the important bit to know is that Ozpin was thinking of using you for a purpose. You just saw me turn into a bird - that is the result of his powers. After spinning a long tale filled with self-righteousness, he would have transferred someone else’s aura into you.”

Yang frowned. “What’s wrong with being able to turn into a bird? I know someone who turns into a cat. Is it a curse or something? Would I be forced to obey?”

Raven threw her hands up in the air. “The bird part isn’t the important bit! He would have transferred someone’s aura into you!” 

“That’s not even possible. And if it was - you think someone’s aura can overpower a Branwen’s?”

“Well…probably not.”

“So what’s the problem then? Would he have controlled me somehow? Blake can literally turn me into a puppet - not that she would - but if you were worried about that sorta shit then how does that make sense?”

“It would be worse than being controlled: you’d believe he was right. You wouldn’t be forced to do anything, just an eager lackey. He would have manipulated you with his fairy tales…and with Qrow on his side, I don’t doubt that you would have been taken in. It took me forever to break away.” Raven fell silent, looking down at a clenched fist. “I felt trusted - this prestigious headmaster trusted me with his power…I couldn’t let him down. It wasn’t until Summer was taken from us...that I realized my mistake.”

The former human frowned at her tone, but relaxed her stance slightly. “How can you say that Ozpin is a bad guy? Who is he fighting - isn’t it just the grimm?” 

“Ultimately, it’s all the same to him.” Raven sighed before continuing. “I have no side in this fight - I’m on my own side now and I’ll do what I can for my family. If he got his hands on you, assuming you were still yourself - what could have happened would be worse than death.”

She seemed to shake herself. “Whatever. I’m not here to give excuses. It may have been extreme, but I won’t apologize for what I did. What you need to know is th-”

Blood exploded from Raven’s chest, splattering over Yang’s front. Before she could recoil in shock, something slammed into her chest, almost knocking her off her feet. A millisecond later, a gunshot rang out, echoing off the surrounding buildings. “Wha-?!” Yang struggled to regain her balance while covering her ringing ears. 

General Ironwood stood silently behind Raven, outstretched arm holding his smoking revolver. The young huntress quickly checked her body over - no injuries. At her feet was a smashed hunk of metal - the bullet stopped by her aura. “How did he sneak up on us? …And what the hell kind of bullets does this guy use?”  

“Ghhhk.” Raven fell to a knee clutching at a jagged gaping hole through her heart. 

“Raven Branwen. I told you I’d kill you the next time we met. You’ve taken the wrong side.” 

Raven’s eyes met Yang’s. Her pained expression morphed into a grim smile for a moment. Black and red haze swallowed her body.

“Tch. She could still portal in that state? The vitality of you Branwens is simply ridiculous.” Ironwood turned his eyes to Yang. “Are you alright, Miss Xiao-Long? I’m glad I made it here before something horrible happened. You don’t need to worry about Raven anymore; now you’re safe.” 

She eyed his gun. “Yeah. Thanks.”


“Jaune…could you just sit with me?” Why was he always like this? How could someone be so dense? Pyrrha often asked herself these questions. One could only wonder how the captain of team JNPR was so unaware of Pyrrha’s feelings. Clearly, everyone on campus knew except him. 

What Pyrrha didn’t know was that everyone had one question: ‘Why Jaune?!?’”

“With me? Are you sure?” He wilted under Pyrrha’s tired stare, slowly sitting down beside her. “Ok sorry, I just-” 

“Jaune…I just wanted to talk.”

“Is everything alright?” Jaune fiddled with his gloves, pulling them tight over his fingers. 

“There’s just so much going on right now. Don’t you feel stressed too?” 

“Well…no, not really? I understand if you’re feeling it - you’re the one fighting.” 

Pyrrha opened her mouth. Then closed it. “I see.”

Silence stretched between the two of them. Pyrrha could practically hear Jaune’s pounding heart and darting eyes, the gears turning in his head as he frantically sought something appropriate to say. 

“If you had to do something you thought was right, but could mean your end - would you do it?”

“Pyrrha, if there’s one thing I know about you, is that you will always strive to do the right thing. You’re upright and trustworthy, stalwart and reliable. You’re an inspiration…I feel like I have to stand a little taller when I’m around you.” 

The darkness of the sky filled Pyrrha’s vision as she stared blankly upward. “There’s no need to have such a high opinion of me, Jaune.”

He made a sound of confusion. “Huh? But…I mean, ok…?”

“I’m going for a little walk, I’ll see you back in our room later.” Without waiting for a response, she pushed herself to her feet and started off aimlessly down one of the many paths that crossed over campus. 

After some time, the sound of another’s footsteps joined the sound of hers. Raising her vision from the darkened concrete, she spotted Yang. 

“Greetings, Yang. How are you doing…is that blood?” 

***

“Is it a good idea to be drinking right now?” 

“It’s not a lot - and I think we deserve it.” 

Pyrrha tapped her cup against Yang’s and took a sip. The fruity drink went down smoothly, followed by a pleasant warmth spreading through her chest. She leaned back against the bed behind them, linking an arm with Yang. 

“Okay, you were right. This is pretty good.” She took another sip. “Where’s Weiss?” 

“I’m not sure…she disappears like that sometimes - I’m guessing she’s out somewhere secluded, practicing her semblance thing. If she doesn’t come back in the next hour I’ll go out there and find her…can’t be losing her too.” 

“I feel a bit silly venting to you right now, considering how things are right now.” 

Yang snorted. “Don’t worry about it. What’s life without being able to whine about shit with friends? And maybe my situation is looking bad, but it’s mostly out of my hands. I’m just being thrown around by shit I don’t understand. I don’t know why you don’t just close those hands arounds his throat and keep shaking until-”

“Don’t you care about winning your fight?” 

 

She slowly lowered her hands from their neck-wringing demonstration. “I don’t give a fuck about that. I’m just waiting for it to end so I can go find Ruby and Blake - I can’t stop worrying about them. I might have cared about the tournament before, but…things have changed.” She tilted her head back and emptied her cup. “What about your stuff? Besides the trouble with vomit boy.”

“I’m not supposed to talk about it…I’ve just got a heavy decision to make.” 

“Not supposed to…does it have something to do with Ozpin or Ironwood?” 

“...maybe. Why do you think that?” 

“Just a hunch - sounds exactly like them. It’d be easier to barehand wrestle an ursa than get a proper explanation from them. Everything is a ‘secret’ or ‘classified’.”

“I see…”

“I think that’s what Raven was trying to tell me. There’s something dirty about them. My uncle told me that Ozpin wouldn’t let him tell dad about what happened to me. Like why? Why not? Why would you trust someone who is hiding information from you?”

“So maybe they weren’t telling me the truth…?” 

“Whatever the hell they told you, I bet it wasn’t the whole truth. What sort of ‘heavy decision’ is this?”

“They need me to do something for the good of the world, but it is very dangerous and comes with serious risks.”

“Dangerous…like transferring someone’s aura into you?”

Pyrrha’s eyes widened. “What? How did... Um. That’s crazy. No- I mean-” 

Yang sighed and slapped a hand over her face. “Raven wasn’t lying…” 

Pyrrha downed the rest of her drink, searching for some way to cover up her reaction. “Ahaha w-well, whatever they want of me, it’s for the greater good! I should be willing to take such a risk-” 

“What?” Yang turned and grabbed Pyrrha’s face. “Don’t you dare say something like that. Self-sacrificing dummies like you, I swear…Don’t you dare do a single thing for them unless you know what you're getting into.” 

She turned her eyes away from Yang’s intense gaze. “You don’t understand, Yang! I have to do this. There is a lot at stake!” 

“I don’t care. There’s no reason that you have to do it alone. Promise me that you’ll talk with your team.” 

Pyrrha freed her face from Yang’s grip. “Well I was trying to talk to Jaune about it earlier…” 

“Whatever stupid thing he said to you, there’s no way any of them would be ok with you risking your life. You don’t owe those old dudes anything. Raven told me that whatever story they told you, it’s bullshit.” 

“But…I feel like this is something I was born for. I’ve always been a prodigy when it came to fighting. I can put that to good use now, why wouldn’t I?” 

“Pyrrha…one day we’re going to figure out how to draw the real you out. You’re more than just a good fighter or someone who can follow orders. You’re not a tool to be taken advantage of.”

The door opened, revealing a slightly sweaty Weiss. “Oh! Pyrrha! Wh- …are you two drinking alcohol?” 


“Salutations, Yang! Best of luck to you! I have been so looking forward to this!” She held out a hand.

“Hey Penny. I’m sure this’ll be a fun match.” She gave Penny a lazy grin, shaking the proffered hand. 

The volume in the stadium jumped a decibel. Even from the arena ring, it was far too loud for faunus ears. “This must be unbearable, Yang. Are you going to be okay?” 

“I’ll be alright,” she said, waving a hand. “Don’t worry about me.” 

“Say…have you seen Ruby?” Penny asked tentatively. “I have been looking everywhere during my free time. But I’ve not found a single thing.” 

“I haven’t heard anything either. Half my team is MIA and I’m supposed to fight a tournament final…”

Penny’s eyes widened. “You are quite right, this is entirely inappropriate! How could you possibly have an enjoyable fight under these conditions…? I should ask the General if-”

“I wouldn’t count on it, Penny.” Yang sighed and stretched. “Let’s just do our best.” 

Professor Goodwitch walked up from the side of the arena. “Combatants - are you ready?” 

 

“Yeah.” 

“Yes, ma’am!”

 

“Then, return to your positions. The fight begins on my mark.” The professor retreated to her place on the side.

“The final battle of the Vytal Festival Tournament, between Penny Polendina of Atlas Academy and Yang Xiao Long of Beacon Academy, begins…..NOW!” 

Penny danced backward, waving her arms through the air. In response, a set of swords arced through the air, circling around her body. Yang’s hands came up, cocking Ember Celica in preparation. A ranged fight with Penny wouldn’t end well for Yang, she had seen enough of her fighting style during White Fang incident at the docks. 

Then again, it’s not like it would be safe closer to Penny, either. Yang tested a few shots at Penny, trying to aim around the dancing blades. The probing attacks turned into an intense exchange. With the near constant attacks from her array of swords, Penny had Yang on her backfoot for much of it. The brawler needed to figure out how to punch her way through, and fast. 

Before a solution came to mind, the sound of feedback in Yang’s sensitive hearing ruined her train of thought. She glanced around, unsure of where the oddly loud sound came from. When she returned her searching gaze to Penny, the woman had stilled. Her neck twitched oddly, a little spasm shooting its way through her body. Her eyes dilated, staring unblinkingly at Yang. 

“What is this feeling…?” Yang stepped back, just in time to avoid a whirling storm of blades. The glowing green swords swirled around Penny, rapidly launching out randomly at Yang. The thrall darted side to side, barely avoiding each. A whistling sound behind her alerted Yang to the swords as they returned to their owner. 

Keeping her breathing even, Yang arched her back around the returning sword and pivoted around the next oncoming attack. Like this, she managed to dodge for a time until ten swords came at once. Cocking her arm back, she used slug rounds from Ember Celica to alter the trajectory of half. She contorted to dodge two more and knocked two more aside by hand. The final sword caught her in the side. 

Pain filled her body, an unnatural searing pain. Ignoring her aura, the blade cut into her effortlessly as it passed by. 

“Wh-” Yang staggered aside and struggled to keep her rage in check. “What the hell? How is that possible?”

More swords unfolded from the compartment at Penny’s back. “Screw this.” She dodged a few more, receiving more wounds all the while. “Are they just going to allow this? It’s a tournament, not a deathmatch!” 

Summoning all her strength, including the tournament-forbidden faunus power, she launched herself out of bounds, landing roughly into a slightly uncontrolled tumble. 

“Oh! And with that Yang Xiao Long of Beacon is disqualified, the winner is-” 

Just as Yang got back to her feet, she spotted Penny advancing toward her. Swords filled her vision. “She’s not going to stop.”  

Claws out, Yang didn’t hold back anymore. She sent scores of aura blades to fill the space in front of her, knocking the swords aside. In the hole that she cleared, she could see Penny preparing the laser attack that took down the bullhead above the shipyard.

Below their feet, the shadows spread to cover the floor at Yang’s direction.  With the debuffing effect of the shadow, Penny faltered slightly, the glowing green laser reducing in size. 

“Penny, stop!” Yang shouted. “What are you doing?”

No answer came from the stone-faced android. The laser grew once more. She pulled her arms back and launched it at Yang. Cries of shock came from the audience, the low rumble of the people turning to an angry buzz.

Steeling herself, she reached out and blocked the laser with her claws. Both hands held up before her, Yang was pushed back slowly by the searing hot attack. Beams refracted off her glowing hands, up into the stands. Screams rang out from the audience. Yang could only hope that no one was seriously hurt. 

Seconds passed, she began to wonder if the attack would ever let up. Her arms shook under the pressure, her face stung from the heat. Energy rapidly left her, drawn from her by the strange beam of green energy. Suddenly, the attack ceased. 

In Yang’s narrowing vision, she could see red and gold armor. A shield held aloft, now bearing the brunt of the attack. Someone’s arms wrapped around her and hauled her away toward the tunnels below the stands. Through the darkness, Nora’s voice came from above her, “I’ve got you Yang, you’ll be ok!”

Notes:

Hmm Pyrrha really makes me think of Adora... I wanted to include her more in the story so we get a bit more of her here. Anyway I hope you enjoyed.

Chapter 23: Something is coming

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The sounds of the crowd were almost unbearable to Gris, even as a faunus without an ear-related aspect. He held on tight to his father’s tail as he strode through the throngs of people occupying the walkway that circled Amity Arena. His mother followed close behind, keeping a hand on his shoulder, absently patting his head with the other. 

“Are you excited, sweetie?” 

“Yes, mama! That faunus neesan is gonna win!” 

His parents laughed and turned down the hall into the seats. Gris’ senses weren’t as attuned but he knew that his parents would find their way as usual. Climbing further up into the stands, the mass of people slowly thinned out. A group of familiar faces waited for them. 

“Ah there you guys are! We knew little Gris was dying to see the final event, but we thought you’d be here way before us. Checked around the entire arena twice, thinking ya were here somewhere.” 

“Ah…sorry guys. It’s that explosion the other day. Still trying to clean up, and we’re in the worst of it.” Gris’ father looked back at him. “My boy was going crazy while we were waiting for a few trucks to clear rubble out.” 

A few others shook their heads, murmuring in understanding. “I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to go for an event after that attack, but we need this.” 

The group hugged the new arrivals and they settled in for the fight. Gris jumped over rows of seats to join the other kids, hurriedly pulling out his scroll to join their group game. The adults chuckled and returned to their conversation. 

“So…you’ve been involved in the clean up? What did you see?” 

“Barely involved. The Atlas Military has only allowed us to cart away the rubble. We can’t get in too close, but there’s no sign of the White Fang being involved. What faunus in their right mind would believe that they’d have attacked our Protector? Taurus is extreme but there’s nothing to gain…” 

“Only proof they’ve got is a few masks. Wow, like that’s super convincing. Has anyone seen Yukina-sama?” 

“No…And Haruka used to come over every day to knock over a few of my flower pots. She hasn’t been around - something happened to her, for sure.”

The adults quieted and looked at the large screen hovering on one end of the arena as an introduction video of the competitors played. Muscles bulged on the woman’s arms as she flexed on screen, grinning broadly. Shots of her dramatically mid-attack played with a cheesy rock tune in the background. 

“So…did anyone figure out whose she is?” 

“Maybe it’s another of Yukina-sama’s-” 

“Can you quit it with that shit? That tail is feline; it cannot be hers. Why do you want it to be her so bad?” 

“I- I’m just a fan…”

“That shrine in your house is crazy, Brad. If she saw it she would end you.” 

“W-well she won't see it! Anyway why can’t a feline aspect be from a f-”

“Foxes are canines, dumbass.” 

A collective sigh met the clueless faunus, who fell silent under their combined stare. 

A tall dark-skinned faunus spoke up. “You seen the earlier matches? That girl on her team with the black hair?” 

“That girl, isn’t she…um.” The woman’s voice lowered into a whisper meant for faunus. “The chieftain’s daughter?” 

“That wasn’t a faunus though?” 

“Yeah, she just wears a big bow on her head. Not conspicuous at all.” 

“The bow? Oh…I guess those could be hiding ears.”

“If you’re even half paying attention, you can see the thing move on its own. Hmm. Must be uncomfortable,” the rabbit faunus said, rubbing her ears. 

“It’s her, I just know it’s her,” a short squirrel faunus said breathlessly. “I’d recognize those eyes anywhere. She’s even hotter than I ever imagined. Just from her darkened form I realized things about myself that day, when she saved me.” 

The men all shifted uncomfortably at the woman’s ardor. She licked her lips. “I’d let her kick me like she did to that blue-haired girl, any day of the week.” 

“Oh for crying out loud, control yourself Ayu! Osk, are you okay with this?” All eyes shifted over to the woman’s husband. 

The man shrugged. “I think she’s hot too.” 

“That’s- you- dammit whatever. You guys are so…” 

Fortunately, the tournament match was about to begin. Everyone clapped and shouted as the two women on-stage shook hands. It was time for a fight. 

“I still can’t tell what the heck is moving those swords around, you think it’s her aura?” 

“Must be something like that. Or wires? It’s a bad match-up for our girl though.” 

“Yeah- woah! How is she supposed to get around all those?!” 

“Oh my goodness…she did it somehow…”

“...! How many swords do she got in that back of hers? Fucking hell!” 

The group gasped together as the ground behind the Beacon student was splattered red. 

“H-hey! That just cut through her aura! That can’t be legal can it?” 

“Stop the match! This is insane, she’s trying to kill her!” 

Gris cringed away from the bloody scene, looking off to the side. He flinched as the loudspeakers announced Yang Xiao Long’s defeat. Peeking through his fingers, he noticed a number of students running on the walkway below. 

Gris’ father grunted. “Good move, I guess. What the heck is with that girl’s weapons? It- What is she doing!?” His voice rose in anger as the Atlas fighter continued to press the attack.

The skin of every faunus in the area prickled as a green ball of energy grew before Penny Polendina. Shadows beneath the blank-faced woman rippled strangely beneath the light. The plasma writhed as it became more and more compact, until it was unleashed toward the tiny target standing in the ring around the arena stage.

The laser slammed into the woman’s hands, splitting off into beams that arced toward the audience. Before Gris could even react to throw his hands in front of his face, a hovering circle appeared to intercept the attack. The thin projection impossibly stopped the beam in its tracks. Multiple others spun into existence at the direction of a student from the group he saw earlier, protecting the audience from the wayward attacks. He peered over the seats at his savior. 

The woman was barely taller than he was, in great contrast with her bearing. She seemed to bristle with rage but something caught the little boy’s eye. The snowflake emblem on her back - he, and all faunus, could recognize anywhere. 

Trembling legs crumpled beneath Gris. It was a Schnee. A Schnee had finally come to steal him from his parents and work him until his hands bled in a mine deep underground. He barely noticed as his mother picked him up and started down the stairs behind his father. 

His life was over. 


“Just what on Remnant do they think they’re doing? She’s hurting Yang!” Weiss shouted, storming down the walkway, pushing and squeezing her way through the crowd. 

“Weiss, wait!” Jaune called after her as he and his team struggled to keep up. 

They all arrived in the stands directly behind Yang. They were several sections high since they were late in getting to the event - Nora’s fault. Weiss’ nails dug into her palms at the sight of Yang’s spilled blood. “This cannot continue.” 

She let out a sigh of relief as the big oaf decided not to ram her head into a brick wall. Her pale blue eyes tracked Yang’s trajectory out-of-bounds. “Thank goodness, Yang.” 

Pyrrha grabbed Weiss’ shoulder. “Penny isn’t stopping.” 

Weiss’ eyes widened as she recognized the attack from the shipyard. “We need to get down there!” 

Before she could make a move, Penny’s strongest attack lanced through the air into her partner. “YANG!”

The green light split to reveal Yang, claws out. Refracted beams of energy raced toward Weiss and the audience. “I'll handle this, go help Yang!” 

Pyrrha was the only one armed, in preparation for her match. She nodded and immediately jumped down toward the arena stage, followed by Nora and Ren. 

“Wh-what can I do?” Jaune asked. 

Weiss rapidly spawned glyphs to catch each arc of green energy. The stands around her rumbled as onlookers scrambled for safety. “Everyone, stay calm!” she shouted. 

“Everyone this way! Don’t push, you’ll be okay!” Jaune moved back to guide the panicked crowd. 

She watched Pyrrha’s shield take the full brunt of the attack. “She’ll be okay…Nora has her.” Keeping an eye on the stage she turned to help the people behind her. A faunus man was shoved into her. Unmoved, she grabbed his arm to steady him. “Hmm, I’ve gotten quite a bit stronger…” 

A cry pulled her out of self-assessment. “Papa no!” A little boy latched onto the man she had helped to his feet. Tear-filled eyes wide with fear, the faunus boy held a hand up defensively, baring his claws at her. The man regained his bearings and murmured his thanks before guiding the boy away. 

She heaved a sigh, watching the faunus family go, regret gnawing at her insides. The sound of fighting came from the stage. Pyrrha’s shield caught a storm of swords, her spear swept arcs through the air batting away attacks from her blind spots. She seemed to be trying to communicate with Penny throughout, to no avail. Weiss flashed her fingers across her scroll, calling her weapon’s locker. 

Before she could begin to jump down into the lower section of stands, her breath caught in her throat. A dark figure burst from the tunnels below the stands and joined Pyrrha. 

Her heart soared. “BLAKE!”

Notes:

Wow... it has been a long time. Sorry for the wait. Hopefully you're all still interested in the story I've got here!

This and the next few chapters have overlapping timelines, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Thanks for reading c:

Chapter 24: Adam

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Adam Taurus stepped onto the empty streets of Vale, inhaling deeply. He frowned; the scent he was looking for was not present. If he were a different type of faunus, perhaps he could track the remnants lingering around the city from her travels. It mattered little, he told himself. After all, they would be reunited soon.

Not a single person was around to see the masked man walking through the streets of the city outskirts toward Beacon campus. Faunus ears could easily hear people inside their homes watching the broadcast of the Vytal Festival tournament. The residential area gave way to the crowded buildings of the city. Spotting a small restaurant, Adam entered. 

He was greeted by a slight jingle of a bell as he stepped in. It seemed that the establishment had temporarily set up a projector, showing the tournament on the far wall. He half drew his sword. A waitress realized he was there once the red glow of his mask grew bright. Screams filled the small room. 

Several children nearby the bull faunus slumped back in their seats, blood bursting from their mouth and eyes. The liquid streamed through the air into his sword, a red torrent that disappeared into the strange metal. 

Adam grunted. “Still not strong enough to get through an aura. Well, it’d be no fun if it were that easy. Ilia - anything?” 

“No activity here. I told you there’s no way. The wilds around Vale were cleared out recently by…someone. It’s going to take a lot more.” 

“It wasn’t impossible - things were pretty tense in town; maybe we only needed one last vial of dust to break the SDC cart. I’ll keep escalating.” 

“Copy. I’ll let you know when something happens. Over.” 

Minutes later Adam exited the building and continued forward. He saw two men come around the corner, talking animatedly. Energy pulsed in Adam’s body, a feeling that he relished. Wilt effortlessly passed through the nearest man’s aura, severing an arm right above the elbow. 

He moved on. Another human crawled away, desperately trying to stem the flow of blood from her neck. Yet another found their knee destroyed by Blush. Before the victim’s unbalanced form toppled over, Adam was already walking past. It took a few blocks of mutilated people before a shiver passed through the night air. 

“Adam! That did it! We’re heading over now.” 

“Good. Tonight is our night. I will tolerate no failures. By this time tomorrow, a kingdom will have fallen.”

Wilt and Blush was heavy in his hand, full of energy reflected by the red glow cast by his glowing hair. The Amity Arena was distant in the sky, hanging just below the clouds. 

“Disgusting.” He dropped his stance and brought Wilt and Blush to his side. Leaves on the ground were stirred up around him, caught in gusts created by his focusing aura. Minutes passed in this pose. Winds raged around him, creating an impassable storm with him in its eye. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. “[Tsuki-giri],” he murmured, and drew his blade. 


Information trickled into Ruby’s mind, filling in the details of the attack and their escape into the wilds. Her bodily senses distant and muted, her consciousness pushed up against Blake’s, a massive existence that seemed to eclipse hers many times over. “Just how powerful is she…?” 

She cracked an eye open, slowly returning to her senses. Nuzzled in Blake’s arms, she could distantly hear her teammates' tense conversation with the extremely evil-looking lady that showed up. A wave of fatigue pushed her back down into her mind.

It was very rare that Ruby was this silent, this still, so her thoughts wandered instead. 

“Blake…do you really want to be in a relationship with me?” 

“Of course I do…why are you asking that?” 

“We just haven’t really talked about it that much. You’ve been so busy with Yang, I feel like things between us haven’t moved very far. And now…” 

“I’ll say the same thing to you, that I said to Yang: it isn’t a good idea for us to be in a relationship.” 

“Do you not want to be?” 

Distantly, she could feel Blake’s arms tighten around her. “Of course I do. Yang…is a perfect partner for me. We complement each other in so many ways; she’s everything I could hope for. More than I could have ever hoped for, after Adam…

“But Adam was not only my partner, he was also the leader of the White Fang - someone I thought I could trust and follow, someone I could believe in. Again…I could have never hoped to find someone to love…now in two different people.” 

“Oh…”

“Sometimes when people are very compatible, relationships can skip a few steps and things end up being confusing…it happened with Weiss earlier. We can talk about this later, I’ll give you the same promise I gave Yang - but you are taking a huge risk.” 

“I can take a risk on you, Blakey.”

A short sigh came from Blake before Ruby felt herself again returning to her body. She tested her arms by wrapping them around Blake, hugging her tightly. 

“Ruby, I have to head into Vale. Can you wait here for me?” 

“I thought I was going to help get Yang?” 

“You can’t be separate from your sire. Not for a while.”

“Ugh that’s so dumb, why is that a thing?” 

The woman’s black eyes drifted down to her. “So that her thrall cannot run from her. It takes some time for the personality to be taken over. So if they attempt to flee, there is nowhere for them to go. They’ll sleep and never wake as themself again.”

The answer sent a shiver through Ruby. 

“Of course, Blake isn’t making that sort of thrall, but the defense remains,” Salem added. 

“W-well isn’t there something that she could do? To keep me from sleeping?”

“Of course she could - it just wouldn’t be very pleasant for you.” Salem scanned the young huntress. “It could change you forever, even. I would never allow my children to be hindered by the tools I created for them.

“You are Blake’s plaything. It would be trivial for her to wipe your mind, replace your personality with one she preferred. Even your body could be altered as she wished. With enough time your faunus aspects could be changed - perhaps Blake would wish for you to have claws, or a hawk’s eyes. It could be that a different animal would suit a fetish. Everything you see could be an illusion created for you, totally unaware of the unspeakable actions your body was committing.”

“And I would never do anything like that to Ruby,” Blake growled.

“I thought not.Time is running short. Leave her here with Yukina.” 

“She could do all that…?” Ruby shook her head and pushed her worries aside. “You’ve consistently said that we’re different because we love Blake.” She got to her feet. “What about now?”

A slow breeze passed through the clearing as the unfathomably ancient woman looked into the sky. She beckoned Blake over. Palm up, the witch took her hand and pressed a finger into her flesh. Pulling away, a long spike of blood drew from Blake’s skin. Three times, she repeated the process and inserted each spike into a small leather pouch. She paused for a moment before taking one more. 

“Each of these will buy you between 30 minutes to an hour of time away from your sire.” Salem fixed Blake with a look. “I assume I don’t need to tell you what will happen if you abuse this?” 

Blake shook her head and accepted the spikes. 

“What am I supposed to do with those?” Ruby asked.

“Stab it into your leg. Or butt.” 

“Like…into the cheek right? Not, uh…the hole or…” 

Salem frowned. “...yes, the cheek. When you start to feel sleepy, you need to use another.” 

“This conversation isn’t over, Salem. There’s no choice but to trust you for now…but I will need more answers soon.”

“Time is running short. Dwelling on the past in this moment is meaningless. I’ve asked for you to do what you were planning to do regardless. Our goals are aligned. Is there further reason to hesitate?” She sighed. “Now, the lost child will be there, Blake. Will you be okay?” 

She grimaced. “My teammates won’t stand a chance against him. But I’ll keep them safe. I know when to run,” she said, shaking her head. “Let’s head out then, I hope we can make it in time.” 

“Don’t be silly,” she said with a laugh. “You’re going to run there? Have this child run there; it may waste some of her time but she needs to get a feel for her body. It won’t take her long, considering her speed earlier.”

Blake raised an eyebrow. “How else would I get there?” 

“My, my. The stress must be getting to you. I can practically hear her screaming for you from here. Surely you can rely on your team?” 

After a moment, she could hear it. She berated herself silently; how could she have forgotten her partner?

Notes:

hi. hope you enjoyed that chapter. I'm trying to be more consistent, sorry for the long wait. more to come soon!

Chapter 25: Blake

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Bustling crowds of the faunus district were dying down as the afternoon shadows grew longer. Faunus pressed toward their favorite bars and restaurants to view the finals of the Vytal Festival. The lucky ones already left to attend the tournament in person. Among the people walking the streets were two men walking in an awkward silence. 

“So, uh. Mr. Branwen. Mr. Ruby’s Uncle.” 

“Qrow. Just call me Qrow. I already told you that…” The huntsman followed after the blonde faunus as he walked through town. “So Ruby is alive? Where is she? I want to see her.”

Sun glanced back at him. “No time for that, Qrow. Blake did her thing - last I heard she was still unconscious.” 

Qrow’s steps slowed. “You said she asked you to free me.” He reached for his weapon. Or he would have, if it wasn’t still on Ironwood’s ship. 

“Yeah? Blake told me.” 

“How would she know if Ruby is unconscious?” 

Sun raised an eyebrow. “You think Blake doesn’t know what Ruby wants? She could feel that she was worried about you. I guess you were there when the Foxfire was attacked.” He stopped and turned to face Qrow. “Look. I’m just doing what I’m told, ok? All this stuff goin’ on is too complicated for me. Us himbos have to stick together for safety, right?” 

“...himbos?” 

“Yeah, like I’m sure it’s the same for you - you don’t understand what Ozpin is thinking, why he does whatever things he’s doing up there in his tower. And I don’t know what Salem does most of the time. Doesn’t help that she’s so different lately, too. Now Cinder is out there being all rebellious for some reason. Why is she doing that? Like, what is her end game? Goals? Shit I don’t know. She has problems, clearly.” 

“People don’t need a particular reason to want power. Might makes right and only the strong survive.”

“Well that’s just a terrible mindset…. Anyway my point is that we should stick together. What else are you going to do? Return to the pigs and get thrown back in jail? Ironwood clearly doesn’t trust you. I freed you cuz Ruby was worried. Like it or not, you kinda have to stick with me, at least for now. If you want to split off later once the chaos begins, I’m sure their hands will be too full to try and arrest you again.” 

Qrow sighed deeply. “I can probably reason with Ozpin. Getting to campus without getting caught is the problem. I just want to see Ruby first.” 

“Great! So here’s the deal: we’re going to evacuate the faunus side of town. Something big is going down tonight and we need to make sure the people are safe.” 

“Evac- what?” 

“Yeah. Evacuate the faunus part of Vale.” 

“...why just the faunus. What about the humans? Do you not help them?” 

Sun scratched the back of his head. “Look I understand where you’re coming from, but this isn’t some faunus supremacy thing. Ugh this is the stuff that makes my head hurt. The security is centered around the Beacon Campus, but the faunus are out here?” He gestured at the surrounding buildings. “The protection offered to us is minimal. We band together here because we’re treated bad by many humans. Who wants to live in an unfriendly neighborhood? 

“Part of the reason the faunus cluster up like this is for protection. Now I’d never do this, but all those other responsible sanguines, they provide protection to the normal faunus people. Could you imagine all that responsibility?” 

“Isn’t that a bit…doesn’t that seem like a dictatorship? You are kind of relying on a single person; what if they decide to make crazy demands?”

“What’s the difference between this and the kingdoms? I know you guys have some kind of council back there with Ozpin at the head. There’s just a bit more frosting on your cake.”

Qrow made a noncommittal noise. “You might have a point.” 

“The humans will be protected - all those Atlas tin cans got it. The faunus, on the other hand…now that I think about it, are those robot things smart enough to tell the difference between the average faunus and a White Fang member? Geh, it would be a total shitshow. Can you tell me that those paladins wouldn’t just execute half the faunus around?” 

“I don’t know. James keeps his technology close to the chest. I guess he had some major hacking incident a while back.” Qrow felt the empty inner pocket of his suit jacket, wishing he had something to help his growing headache. “But…I’d say there's a 30/70 chance of that happening.”

“And there’s no real reason for a sanguine to mistreat people, anyway. It’s good stuff for both sides! They love us, we take care of them, solve their problems, we get free blood, comfy living, we take care of threats for them, and-” 

“Ok ok,” Qrow grumbled, raising a hand. “I got it. I got it. Let’s get this done then.” 

Sun looked ahead toward the destroyed Foxfire . “We know that an attack is coming - and this isn’t the first time that Taurus has done this…the biggest businesses are run by humans, and the huntsmen will be deployed to protect them. There’s nothing more radicalizing than that,” he muttered. 

“Beacon wouldn’t turn away any faunus that sought shelter on campus. It is for all of Vale. But I understand what you are saying. I guess I’ve never really thought about it. So where are we evacuating all these people? Is there a saferoom somewhere?” 

“We called Ghira earlier, he chartered us a few boats. Already in the harbor. He also agreed to give them a place to stay for a little while until things settle back down, he's such a good guy.” Passersby milled around, splitting around them as they stood in the middle of a busy intersection. “Hmm…I guess this would work?” 

Sun’s hair began to glow. Movement around the area ceased. In a single motion, all faunus nearby stepped closer. Many covered their mouths in shock, others pressed a hand against their chest in awe. “Hey,” he said into the silence. Qrow glanced sideways at him as he slipped into Menagerian. 

As he spoke, an initial shock dissipated and agreement spread around the gathered faunus. “You have an hour!” Sun concluded. A storm of action began. 

Qrow shook his head as he watched a number of faunus men walk into a bakery, shortly exiting with arms full of food. Next door, they cleared out stacks of what looked like towels. “What are they doing? Looting?” 

“What?” Sun gave him a look. “They’re grabbing stuff for the trip?” A few elderly faunus shuffled by with a group of kids, offering the sanguine a small bow. “I told them all to get ready.” 

Now that he looked closer, the masses seemed to be moving systematically. Word clearly spread rapidly, along with determination and decisiveness. “This seems…I mean doesn’t it seem a bit cult-like?” A group of men marched by with boxes of essentials. “It’s just too organized. Do you even need my help?” 

Sun scratched the top of his head, glancing left and right. “Well. Maybe. I’m sure Ozpin could do this too. He just needs to send an announcement to each person’s scroll.”

“Right…but it’s not like you gave each person a task.”

“It’s just how things are done. People see us as the pillars of the faunus community. A warm bonfire to gather around. You just get a feeling of a good place to fit in. We’re sensitive to each other’s needs. Yukina keeps everyone safe, resolves conflicts, ensures stuff gets to people who need it, provides guidance - all that good stuff. In return, she gets stronger, lives a pretty comfortable life, and things are good!”

“A single person with all that power…is just dangerous.” 

“Ok, Qrow, this is getting a little awkward. How many times do I gotta say you’re describing Ozpin too? We’re going in circles, can’t you see?” 

“But he… Oz is…” He released a long suffering sigh. “He just wants to build up the world and fight back against chaos, against the grimm.”

“And what exactly do you think we want to do? Not that?” Sun crossed his arms. “I know the history between humans and faunus has not been great, and there are more than a few Sanguines that crossed the line… but I think you know that wasn’t exactly one-sided.” 

Regardless of Qrow’s history with the faunus, it was hard to deny the cheerful man. “…no point in arguing about this. Sorry, it’s hard to stay focused with so much going on. What can I do to help?” 

A grin spread across Sun’s face. “Now that’s what I want to hear - let’s head on over to the ships and get things figured out.”


Nora huff and puffed, hauling Yang’s limp body through the tunnels toward the medic station. Thundering footsteps could be heard above, where the audience was making their way through the emergency passages.

“...!!” Nora skidded to a stop. The way forward was blocked. 

“Yo.” Mercury stretched his neck, sighing loudly. “What’s going on out there? You need help with her?”

Calm and casual, he stepped forward. Nora retreated a step as well. Another step forward. Another step back. 

“What’s wrong?” Mercury spread his hands. “I’m just a fellow student trying to help, sheesh…” 

“You can’t fool me. I may not be the best at school, but I know how to read people.” Without taking her eyes off him, Nora slowly let Yang down. “And you…you’ve been creeping me out since your team showed up at Beacon.” They stood facing each other. “So who are you really?”

With a flick of his foot, Mercury fired an attack at Nora’s legs. She dashed to the side, slowing and increasing her speed erratically. Follow up attacks narrowly missed her, peppering the wall behind her with shotgun fire. Mercury’s leg came up to meet her as she closed in. She ducked the kick and grabbed his standing leg. From her planted stance, she pivoted and threw him into the wall. 

Aggressive as ever, Nora was immediately on him again. Before he could land and regain his footing, she drew her fist back and struck at Mercury’s chest, aiming for the diaphragm. 

Twisting slightly, Mercury deflected the attack with a circle kick. Nora immediately pulled away, narrowly dodging his spinning hook kick. Mercury laughed. 

“Not bad, not bad.” Over the short engagement, the two combatants had swapped sides. Looking down to his side at Yang, he smirked. “But it seems you’ve made a mistake.” 

Raising his foot, Mercury dropped his weight bringing a hammer kick down upon the unconscious woman. 

Inches from landing, his leg was struck from the side. Sent off balance, Mercury clucked his tongue. He dodged away, but was unable to avoid Ren’s follow-up attack. The open palmed strike snapped the gray haired man’s head to the side. Mercury’s disoriented vision resolved momentarily into the shape of Nora’s fist. 

Nora cheered, powering her fist into the man's face. “Not a mistake! Trust in teammates!” 

The supposed visiting Haven Academy student’s body skidded to a stop on the ground - where it promptly disappeared. 

Mercury’s voice whispered in Ren’s ear. “...and I have teammates too.” 

Ren was sent sprawling across the floor, sliding until crashing into a wall. On instinct, Nora threw her arms up defensively - only to get struck solidly on the back of her head. She was thrown forward, landing on her face. She struggled to look behind her - Mercury’s teammate Emerald had shown up out of nowhere.

Laughter echoed in the hallway. “Ah haha it’s always hilarious, no matter how many times we do it.” The man’s form blurred and warped as he multiplied until there was a crowd of scowling men. “Now, I- what...!” 

“Uwah-mmmh!” Emerald’s shriek was cut short and the illusion was dispersed. Pitch blackness emanating from Yang coated the floor, climbing up Emerald’s body until it wrapped around her mouth and nose. Looking for salvation, her bulging eyes turned toward Mercury - or at least where she last saw him. The sound of running footsteps growing fainter was all that was left of him. 

Emerald’s struggles slowed when she noticed an amber glow growing from the depths of the shadows right in front of her. Blake Belladonna ascended from the darkness. Without sparing a glance at the suffocating, horrified woman, Blake went to Yang. 

Nora and Ren got to their feet and moved to detain Emerald. Her struggles had ceased and she hung limp in the restraining shadows. 

Blake knelt down beside her thrall. Her eyes snapped open immediately. “Blake…” she murmured, her lilac eyes fixed on Blake’s. “Where have you been this whole time?” 

“I’m sorry…I came as soon as I could.” She placed a hand on Yang’s cheek. 

Yang placed her hand over Blake’s, releasing a long breath. “I’m so happy to see you again. What about Ruby? She’s ok too right?” 

Blake looked around. “Yeah. She just…give her a second she’s almost here.” 

Yang looked toward the door that Blake was staring at. “She’s…she’s where?” 

Ruby blurred into existence, followed by a storm of air. Her hair was thrown all over her elated face. “That. Was. AWESOME!” She caught her breath for a moment. “But part of the way here there was this super loud sound - there’s no way that was a sonic boom was it?” 

Blake and Yang shared a look. “I don’t think either of us know about any of that, Ruby.” 

“There’s no way…right?” Ruby said to herself. 

“We can figure it out later, how are you feeling?” 

“Still good, but I’m standing right next to you. I’ll handle it when the time comes. Yang, what’s the situation?”

“Penny…Penny went out of control! Something went wrong, she wasn’t herself, but she was trying to kill me.” 

Nora piped up. “Pyrrha ran out to defend Yang, she’s probably still out there fighting! We need to go help her.” She turned to Ren. “What should we do with this girl?” 

Ren looked closely at her. “She’s too dangerous. I think her semblance has some kind of mind affecting ability.” He produced a rope from somewhere and started to truss her up.

Ruby turned to her teammates. “Yang, stay here with me; we will see what we can do about the attack. Blake, go help Pyrrha right now - we need to figure out what’s going on with Penny.” 

Nora and Ren, finished with Emerald, walked over. “What attack? Penny’s attack?”

“The alarms should be going off soon but there’s a horde of grimm on its way here. The White Fang will be attacking too.” 

“We should tell Ozpin. He’ll know what to do,” Nora said confidently. 

Ren shook his head. “How do we get into contact with him though? I didn’t see him here in the Arena. The alarm will go off with enough notice and we can follow the orders we receive.” 

“Yang and I will keep an eye on Emerald and wait for orders from Ozpin. We can’t do anything against Penny. So please try to get her out of this safely.” 

Blake nodded and dashed off toward where she could hear fighting, followed by Nora and Ren. Ruby sat next to Yang and leaned against her. 

Yang hugged her tight. “So…I guess we ended up in the same situation, huh.” Now that she was near, Yang could easily feel that Ruby was also taken by Blake. It was a strange sensation. “What on Remnant happened?” 

“We were at the Foxfire and Uncle Qrow suddenly showed up - he was shouting something about needing to leave. But then! Then the Atlas military attacked us, disguised as the White Fang!” 

A growl escaped Yang’s clenched teeth. “That liar…General Asshole.” 

“I think Penny…she has some kind of special anti-faunus attack that she used on the café. I tried to get to Blake but the whole building got blown up. Blake saved me and we ran out into the wilds.” 

“She’s a real danger to us…I know she’s your friend but whatever is going on with her weapons - there was nothing I could do. If you end up fighting her, make sure you run. Who knows what else she’s got going on there…”

“Oh! That reminds me, I think I know how to snap her out of this.” She closed her eyes and connected with Blake. 

Yang looked over her half-sister while she was passing on whatever probably complicated engineer-y solution she had. “These are so cute…” She poked at an ear. It flicked in response. “Gotcha!” she said, nabbing it between her index finger and thumb. 

“Ow! Stop that!” Ruby grabbed Yang’s wrist and slapped a hand down on the blonde striped tail sitting behind Yang. 

“Ack! Stop that!” 

They wrestled for a short while, ending with Yang’s bear hug, lifting Ruby’s feet off the ground. They laughed together - some things may change, but there were things that absolutely would never. 


Ironwood stood aboard his flagship hovering alongside the Amity Arena. Other airships slowly drifted toward and away from the ring of docks around the floating stadium. Dr. Polendina’s worried face filled one of his displays. 

Beacon Academy campus was easily visible, its clocktower silhouetted against the moonrise as the sun set. Seeing that far would be impossible, but Ironwood knew that Ozpin was standing just like he was, staring out through the panoramic window behind his desk. 

“I sent you the isolated virus sample, see if you can make something of it. Urgently. We need to regain control of Penny, and ensure it never happens again.” 

“If you make a loophole, an entry, it’s impossible to stop all attacks. You forced me to give you a control option…this is all your fault.” The doctor’s fists clenched on the handrests of his wheelchair.

“Doctor…it was necessary. To spare Penny from the guilt and suffering,” he said. 

“Sir.” A lieutenant stepped up beside him. “The rescue mission is complete. All citizens are being transported to Beacon, as ordered.” 

“Good. Unload them double time and have the ships ready for combat. All airships validate armory and munitions stock. All hands at full battle readiness - complete Combat Class 1A checklists and report back to me. The Penny situation cannot be a coincidence; there is more going on and we must be prepared.” 

“Yes, sir!” 

“Dr. Polendina, inform me as soon as you have a solution.” The screen blanked. “The best we can do at this moment is retreat and leave it all up to the Kingdom’s PR…” An Atlesian competitor broke the rules of the Vytal Festival to violently attack a Valen Faunus woman. There’d be no end to the accusations against Atlas now. “But there is no time to dwell on that now. Show your face…Salem.”  

An aural alert sounded. He turned to the sensor operator. “Sir, Blood Semblance alert. Origin - somewhere on the southern side of Vale. Narrowing down locations now…” 

“Combat stations. Prepare to deploy squads A through F to location. Make sure Ozpin is kept in the loop.” 

“Sir, our systems are under attack. Failure of all systems is imminent.” The operator barely finished her sentence before all lights on the bridge of his ship went dark, except for a single screen displaying a black chess piece. 

Time seemed to slow as all his ships lost flight power and began to fall. Red light filled his viewports as the ship next to him was split in two. A red blade of energy continued through and struck the Amity Arena.

Notes:

hey look i'm back sooner than a year, wow amazing right

hope you enjoyed the chapter, let me know what you thought!

Chapter 26: Crash

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Penny disengaged to a safe distance away from the Mistrali champion fighter, returning most of her swords to the compartment in her back. Eight core swords for her high power laser remained in play. Pyrrha was too skilled for the primary fire to be effective. Powering up her jets, she hovered off the ground and circled around her. Pulses of energy probed Pyrrha’s defenses, searching for a way in, but she unerringly deflected them all. Was her defense perfect? Impenetrable?

Alerts flashed across her vision - Sanguine Incoming. 

Pyrrha’s semblance announced Blake’s arrival well before she ran up to her. Only after her discussion with Ruby did she come to a slight understanding of how she knew. Metal responded to the magnetic field created by her semblance, forming eddy currents within conductive materials that, in turn, produced an opposing magnetic field - giving her a full view of anything in motion relative to her. Even these little energy blasts from Penny’s guns gave off a little magnetic field of their own.

The little huntress had gone into far more detail than Pyrrha could understand, something about cross products and laws. Truly a gifted child. 

“Pyrrha, use your semblance in the area around Penny. It needs to be as strong as you can make it. Ruby says your shield can be used as an antenna…or something like that…” 

“Copy that. It’s good to see you Blake.” She pointed Akoúo̱ at Penny, who had retreated further at the sight of Blake. Picturing a large block of metal to rotate, she pushed with her semblance as hard as she could. 

Penny stumbled backward, looking around in disorientation. Her movements slowed. She blinked once. Twice. “Oh my goodness! I almost damaged myself!” Unseen ports in her arms snapped open and ejected superheated air. “My safety protocols were overridden for some reason…how dangerous! I seem to have lost consciousness there, momentarily. Salutations Pyrrha, Blake! Oh, Ren and Nora too!” 

Blake jumped forward. “Penny, first, do you have any sort of ‘isolation protocols’ or something like that?” 

“I do!”

“Ruby says you need to use those, now!” 

She cocked her head to the side. “Ruby said? Okay!” Her eyes unfocused for a moment. “Done!” 

“Good, ok. Pyrrha you can stop now.” 

Pyrrha relaxed and cautiously stowed her weapons. “It’s good to have you back with us, Penny. Are you feeling okay?” 

“I am 40% operational. I seem to have almost critically overheated. This is quite concerning.” 

Ren tried to step closer, but cringed away from the scorching air. “This can’t be a safe level of heat…are you sure there’s no problem?” 

“No permanent damage detected. Air cooling is acceptable for recovery - oil or water cooling could cause sudden deformation of my body structure which would be quite serious. Blake, is everything okay?” 

The group turned to the faunus woman who stood frozen, staring off toward one side of the stadium. The color had drained from her skin and her breathing turned shallow. 

“Heyyy!” Weiss’ voice sounded faintly, growing louder. The petite girl leapt from glyph to glyph, descending rapidly into the arena. Her feet barely touched the ground beside Blake when an explosion rumbled through the arena. “Wah!” Weiss fell unsteadily into her teammate. 

Blake, seemingly awoken by the contact, wrapped an arm around Weiss. “The White Fang is attacking.” 

The lights in the arena snapped off with a loud bang. The low hum resonating from below their feet pitched down, accompanied by a lurch in their stomachs. 

“It appears that the Amity Arena has lost all power. Sensors indicate we have yet to completely lose flight power in the engines. Dust cycles into an accumulator to regulate the-” 

“How long until it runs out?!” 

“In a couple of seconds.” 

Everyone’s feet left the floor as they drifted upward in the freefalling arena. Before they could separate too far, tendrils of shadow snagged each of the young huntresses, helping them regain their footing on the arena floor.

“Doesn’t this thing have emergency generators? Safety stuff?” 

“I expect they are all offline, but I cannot confirm without reconnecting to the network.” 

“No! Don’t do that.” Pyrrha said. 

A very manly scream echoed from the nearby stands. Velvet leapt into sight, dragging Jaune along with her. Pyrrha used her semblance to grab them and pull them down. 

“Velvet, what are you doing here??” 

“I wanted to help Blake…the others are aiding the evacuation. Everyone’s away safely so no need to worry.”

Ruby and Yang appeared next to Blake amidst a sprinkling of rose petals. Yang blinked. “What the fuck just happened? You can move that fast? Holy shit…” 

Weiss grabbed Ruby’s arm. “Ruby…you’re okay!” She blinked rapidly to keep her moistening eyes clear. “Where on Remnant have you been! And those ears…and tail…”

“We can ask that later! Amity Arena! Falling!” 

“Blake can do it.” Velvet’s eyes shined with fervor as she stared at the cat faunus. “You have feats much greater than this, and you have a…” 

“That’s not me anymore,” Blake said. Her voice was barely audible. 

Yang floated closer and put her hands on her shoulders. “We can do it, can’t we? You won’t need anyone other than me.” 

The two stared into each other's eyes for a time. The silence stretched on. 

Jaune decided to open his mouth. “Um…should we…”

Blake whipped Gambol Shroud from its sheath and plunged it into Yang’s abdomen. 

The moan that came from the stabbed woman elicited a number of reactions from the surrounding huntresses. Her hair and Blake’s eyes blazed in the dimmed arena. Darkness closed in from all around until they could only see each other. 


From the streets, Cinder watched the Atlas fleet fall. Their machines turned against them, they would be beyond helpless. Readouts from her scroll indicated the virus successfully deployed. Now, the second stage would begin soon.

“That attack, it must have been Taurus. Perfect - they all go down together.” 

Her confident steps slowed. Lights flashed on in the Atlas flagship. Across the fleet, the ships were regaining power and slowing their descent, well before reaching the rooftops of Vale. Her fists clenched, nails digging into her palms. 

Her eyes turned to the Amity Arena. Taurus’ attack bisected the power source and destroyed the lower half of the stadium, severing critical infrastructure in the base. The massive colosseum plunged toward the ground. Hundreds of black tendrils unfurled from each facet of the Arena walls and reached for the ground. The wispy tentacles contacted the streets first.

More and more made contact, each slowing the descent of the Amity Arena. Screams and gasps came from the crowds around Cinder, all watching the incredible sight. Thicker shadows made contact with buildings as the inevitable drew closer. Unable to completely stop, the arena base slammed onto a block of buildings, collapsing roofs as it landed.

Slowly and gradually, the massive arena tipped sideways and came to a rest against many buildings, precariously nestled above the ground. Like smoke, the black tendrils faded and were whisked off by the wind. 

A primal scream came from Cinder before she even realized it, sending the people around her into a panic. It took several tries for her fingers to properly make a call on her scroll. 

“Watts! Tell me what’s going on! If you’ve betrayed me I swear upon all of-” 

“Calm down, calm down,” the voice on the other side said easily. “Looks like you weren’t entirely correct that they didn’t detect you. Most of the virus is neutralized, but there’s still a connection available. I’ll work on getting those knights under our control. You’ll have your gory footage yet.” 

“Good.” Her eyes turned toward the Beacon Campus - there was something she needed to do  before the night was over.

Notes:

Umu umu here's another. so sike it looks like ironwood wasn't as stupid as he was in the show (wow someone sus broke into the cct im sure they did nothing ahaha), at least in this particular situation. or was he. I guess we'll see.

Velvet is a huge Blake stan, just like me frfr, not a self insert. oh also I put some PHYS204 knowledge to use here, I'm a big fan of mutual inductance

Oh, uh, so I started a new fic for tower of fantasy, um, in case anyone is interested~

anyway thanks for reading <3 see u next chapter

Chapter 27: Breach

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The distant sound of alarms echoed across campus, bouncing off the clocktower, bleeding through the thick glass into the headmaster’s office. The sound of Ozpin’s thumb tapping on his cane filled the room. 

“How could this happen…” 

“Headmaster.” Glynda Goodwitch stood behind him with a large scroll. “The anger created by Penny will have perked the ears of every grimm beast on this continent. The smallest and fastest ones will arrive soon. The stronger ones will catch up shortly after. Amity Colosseum has fallen, reports say there should be minimal damage. White Fang airships detected. Looking back will do us no good.”

Ozpin, of course, knew this. He knew very well why there was a stampede of grimm on his doorstep. Why the White Fang was attacking. Why Penny was hacked and made to set the stage for an international conflict. Amity Colosseum destroyed. Fall Maiden incapacitated. 

No matter how many times he tried to avoid it, he always found himself in the jaws of a trap, closing in on all sides. Razor sharp teeth would tear through his being, only to find himself waking in the body of another. 

“Headmaster,” she repeated.

“Yes, sorry…call James. Have him return with Ms. Nikos. We will do the transfer now. I leave the defense of Vale and Beacon campus to you. Emergency authority. Make use of all present huntsmen and huntresses. Work with Winter Schnee to coordinate Atlas forces; James will have his hands full with this.” 

“Understood. Evacuation is already underway.” 

“Where is Mr. Wukong? Ms. Belladonna?” 

“Wukong is by the docks, and appears to be leading an evacuation of faunus. Belladonna is in the wreckage of the Amity Colosseum.” 

“That’s why there was minimal damage,” he deduced. “I’m glad. Mr. Wukong…the faunus would have been difficult to protect, such a distance from campus - we’re lucky to have him. See if you can get Ms. Belladonna to help with defense. This will be a contest of endurance; she will be instrumental against the grimm.” 

“Defense where?” 

Ozpin turned to meet Glynda’s eyes. “Wherever she is needed…but it would be safer, perhaps, for her to not come closer than the border of campus.”

With that he walked to the elevator. Stepping through the door, he kept his back to his office. The doors closed and he began his descent to the vault.  


Salem floated silently above the forest, feet just clear of the treetops. Below, creatures of grimm charged toward Vale, with a single minded focus. Paying them little mind, she mulled over her decisions. 

“My sanguines used to be so obedient…what happened to me…?”

No resources were available to her, at least none that would do what needed to be done. The few that could were busy on other missions, far away and out of contact. All of this caused by a single out-of-control asset. Blake would never steal the power of the Maiden, and there was no lie she could spin for the skeptical woman. For her to accept that she should kill the Fall Maiden…impossible. 

“It may be time for me to be directly involved. I could turn this fight - his maidens are not a factor …why did I not consider this earlier?” 

She blinked. Whose thoughts were these? Salem had lived a long life, filled with hedonistic pleasure. Millenia of drawing delicious suffering out of Ozma to ease the pain of her undying imprisonment and punish him for his unforgivable act of hubris. This wasn’t her. 

A passing mammoth sized grimm noticed her and altered its path, heading her way. Frowning, she reached into its mind, attempting to turn it away. Lowering its head, it continued to charge, striking at her with its tusks. 

“What…?” She swiped her hand through the air and obliterated the beast’s head. Looking across the rest of the mass of grimm, she flew higher into the air. 

“That one. And that one too… approximately one out of twenty?” 

She turned and flew back to the little clearing, sending a message back to the land of darkness. 

“Yukina. Let us depart. I…have encountered something concerning.” Pausing, she looked up at the shattered moon. “Or perhaps this is good news…” 

The fox faunus struggled to her feet. “Mistress?”

“One of the grimm attacked me.” 

Her eyebrows disappeared behind her white bangs. “Is that possible? Would they let you be free? Release you? Or worse...” 

“Impossible. I need to think.” A portal opened beside her. 

Yukina gestured at the portal. “You are still able to control Seers and portals?” 

“It seems so. I must investigate this. I will have to entrust this Vale situation to our youngest. May she find a good solution.”

“If I am to be forced to live, then I shall not walk the path they intended for me. Every ounce of my being will resist their wishes.” 

Salem turned and looked at Neopolitan. The little woman stilled as her dark gaze looked down upon her. “Are you able to make your way to Vale and assist Sun?” 

She blinked and looked around, gesturing helplessly. The air was filled by sounds of the grimm stampede. 

“Hmm. I should have had Blake take you with her. I will see if I can give you some assistance.” 

With that, she and Yukina disappeared through the dark circle. Neo watched the portal expectantly. Finally, a Nevermore squeezed its way through. The assassin drew back defensively, preparing to use her semblance for a quick escape. 

However, the beast simply lowered itself to the ground, waiting. 

“Well…I guess this is my ride…” 

Hopping aboard, the grimm took flight at top speed toward Vale. 


Blake was on her back looking up…at the opposite wall of the overturned arena. Her muscles burned and her aura felt thin. She flexed her hand: Gambol Shroud was there, luckily. 

Belatedly, she realized there was a pile on top of her. Yang’s arm was across her chest. Weiss was limp, face planted against her belly. Ruby was tangled with her legs. Team JNPR was in a pile of their own.

A chill ran down her spine. “Adam. Adam is here.” The attack that hit the colosseum was undoubtedly Adam’s Moonslice. “That one takes quite a lot of blood…the attack must already be happening.” 

Sirens began to sound from outside. Their scrolls followed suit. Ruby groaned and staggered to her feet. “Is everyone ok?” 

Everyone murmured various levels of functionality. Checking the aura readout, Blake’s was the lowest, with Yang not much better. The rest of the team was at full strength. Beyond a few big bruises, everyone made it out largely unscathed. Penny sat silently, looking down at her hands.

“Weapons…we have me, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Pyrrha. Call your lockers, you three.” 

“I’ve got it,” Jaune groaned, calling for his team’s lockers. 

“Velvet, what will you do?” 

“I’ll meet my team, I know where they are.”

A chorus of beeps sounded from their scrolls - orders in. 

“Team RWBY, deploy immediately to noted area of Vale. Eliminate all grimm and attackers seeking to enter campus. Report suspicious or powerful individuals when encountered. Team JNPR, Scarlatina, clear a path to campus from current location - guide any civilians to safety. Nikos and Polendina, standby for extraction to campus, no delay.” 

“What? They need you somewhere else?” Jaune cried. 

“Y-yeah. They need my help with a specific mission. I can’t say too m-”

Yang reached up and grabbed her arm. “Don’t you dare,” she said, voice slow from exhaustion. “You tell your team, NOW.” 

Pyrrha hesitated, looking for the right words. A massive explosion sounded from the far end of the colosseum. A hole was blasted through, large enough for a dropship to enter. Two filed in and made a beeline for them. Jet blast washed over the young huntresses as the Atlas dropships swung around and found spots to set down, opening their boarding ramps to them. 

From one, Ironwood exited. “Nikos. Polendina. With me.” 

Winter leaned out of the other. “Team RWBY, with me.” 

Yang shook her head. “No. Jaune, you need to go with her, at least. And please, for the love of dust, listen to her. Actually listen to her.” 

“But this much grimm…Nora and Ren could easily end up in a bad spot!” 

Velvet patted the weapon at her side. “Trust your upperclassman. The three of us can make it work.” 

A couple Atlas soldiers ran out of the transports, carrying weapons lockers. “We intercepted your weapons. Move out!” Ironwood turned on his heel and returned to his dropship. 

"Penny, will you be ok?" Ruby shifted side-to-side, looking her friend over. "We need to find some way to keep whatever it is out of your head!"

"I think I'll be okay. I've been examining my internal logs - someone took control of me and I was completely unaware. What if I hurt someone?" 

Yang scratched the back of her head. "Yeah...that'd be bad..."

"My father will know what to do," Penny said confidently. 

Ruby tilted her head. "Your father...?" 

"Move out!" Ironwood called again. "Now!" 

Everyone started at his voice. Exchanging glances around the group, all eyes landed on Ruby. “Give it your all, everyone,” she said, putting a hand to her chest. “Let’s make it through this.” 

The teams broke off to their assignments. Velvet dashed off with Ren and Nora on her heels. Pyrrha and Penny marched onto Ironwood’s dropship with Jaune bringing up the rear. Team RWBY climbed the ramp into the brightly lit interior of Winter’s dropship. The ramp folded up and sealed the back of the troop bay. 

“Belladonna. Xiao Long. Here.” Winter was alone with them, gesturing at a handful of field blood transfusion kits. “A couple people volunteered to donate. No matter my feelings about you, I need you to be at full fighting strength.” 

Blake looked down at one of the blood bags. “This is…hm.” 

Winter’s sharp gaze was upon her. “Yes. Mine. It should be more effective, correct?” 

The chill in her voice raised the hairs on Blake’s arms. Time slowly ticked by. “Yes,” she admitted. “It is.” 

Hand resting on the pommel of her sword, Winter turned to fully face her. She made to take a step forward but Weiss jumped between them. “Now isn’t the time, Winter.” 

“So you knew, my sister.” She crossed her arms and continued to coolly regard Blake. “It should go without saying - I, of course, understand our situation. We will revisit this, if we have the good fortune of making it through our current crisis. I have no doubt you have an explanation for this, Weiss.” 

“Winter…”

The ship hummed beneath their feet as Winter returned to the cockpit and prepared to take off. Now was not the time for drama, they all knew. Weiss grabbed Blake’s trembling hand and squeezed it tight. A long fight was ahead. 

Notes:

hello we meet again.

i'll try to stop hopping around so much now that things are colliding, i think i'm getting myself lost here...anyway, hope you enjoyed~!

Feel free to let me know your ~interpretation~ of these good friends! Hm I guess they haven't been doing much interpretable stuff in this story lately I should fix that ahahaa

Notes:

I appreciate any comments!