The color of freedom
One-shot
Summary: Someone's hopes can be a burden, but the memories are indestructible chains that can drag a person to perdition. When it comes to bounds, is friendship a difficulty or a liberation for a troubled soul? Will win the path to vengeance or the one for redemption?
Warning: This One-Shot contains violence and death.
A/N: Hello once more! This time I came up with this One-shot that I had in mind since the Blake character short came out. Although this fits the latest Volume 5 episodes (currently episode 5), there are no spoilers on this fanfic.
Enjoy!
Blake got to her room immediately, avoiding any questions from her parents. She found Sun taking a nap in her bed, shirtless and snoring. He was exhausted after chasing White Fang members these days on Menagerie. She walked slowly and carefully to not wake him up and got out to the terrace. She closed the glass door and sat on the table, cleaning Gambol Shroud and trying to figure things out. Then read the direction on the paper Ilia gave her and left it in the pocket of her black pants.
This morning on the market she had found her while she was trying to recruit faunus to go and help Haven Academy. She told her that they needed to talk. Blake immediately thought that she was looking for redemption and forgiveness so she accepted to meet her on the place she had written on the paper she was holding.
The guilt was killing her and she felt the urge to solve things with Ilia. There was the possibility that the meeting could be a trap but she was disposed to fall into it if it was for Ilia. She would do anything for her, the first friend she had on the White Fang and dorm partner. She also would try to convince her to leave the organization and come with her to stop their atrocities. She knew that Ilia didn't like to hurt her, she avoided any conflict so Blake hoped that this time would happen the same.
Wukong got up when heard the sound of Blake's weapon being charged with dust. The sound was unconsciously assimilated to danger and that triggered him. She was peacefully on the terrace, sitting while her ebony hair was flowing with the wind, resting behind the shadow of an umbrella. He got up and walked outside, the sunset painting the sky with orange and yellow tones.
"What are you doing?" He asked standing on a side. "Is something wrong?"
Sun knew Blake better than everyone else, he could tell when she was worried about something or have any trouble. He also detected when she was lying.
"It's nothing, don't worry." She answered faking a smile and standing from her seat.
Wukong pulled her closer, holding her waist and putting her weapon on the table. Belladonna put her hands on his chest and then tangled them behind his neck.
"Do you want to come and take a nap with me?" Proposed Sun moving his tail cheerfully.
Blake looked away to the floor.
"I w-will go for a walk." Sun was about to propose to go together but she spoke: "alone. I need some time, I still don't get used to company."
"Please, please, pretty…" He begged.
Sun leaned forward closing his deep blue eyes. Luckily, that time Blake acceded to kiss him, she was reserved for that kind of things end more while staying at her parent's house. They let their tongues dance in each other's mouth for a while until they felt the urge to breathe.
She was going to step back but Wukong pulled her closer and embraced her, with his tail on her waist, one hand on her wrist and another on the back of her head. He was always yearning for caresses and touch, no lustful, only tenderness.
He reminded her of a dependant puppy. That was a thing she kept to herself but it was adorable and funny to see how attached Sun was to her, especially now that they were in a formal relationship. It was alright for her, always willing to return the affection he showed. At first, it seemed weird because she only had shared a similar bound with a cold and merciless terrorist and this kind of things were not his style. She put her free hand on his back and leaned her head on his chest with a slight sadness, but Sun had his eyes closed and a wide grin so he couldn't notice it.
"Oh, come on, stay." He pouted.
"I need to go." She insisted.
"Then you must pay for leaving me."
And said that, he grabbed her buttock and squished it. Blake let out a yelp in surprise and unconsciously smiled.
"Sun!" She protested with a slight blush on her cheeks.
After a slight slap on Sun's shoulder, the cat faunus put the jacket on and Gambol Shroud on her back. Before leaving the room she turned and glanced one last time at Wukong who whispered love words to her from the distance.
"Love you too." She answered moving only her lips.
When the monkey faunus felt she wouldn't return and was safe alone, he took out from his pocket what he stole from Blake. It was a piece of paper with a meeting point written on it.
Blake wouldn't go on her own in her mission to take back the White Fang. But she would if she felt the need to solve things with some of her former friends. The first person he thought about was the chameleon girl. He obviously didn't trust her.
Sun did the same Blake did five minutes ago. He opened the closet and put on his white shirt, then hid his weapon behind it. He was willing to follow her just for her safety. The White Fang slaughtered people and couldn't care less to add another corpse to the graveyard.
And for Blake, she surely knew he would follow her. It was predictable and soon would notice that the paper in the pocket of the trousers was missing. He borrowed it while tightening her skin, a perfect distraction that would keep her mind occupied for a while. Unless there was something else to keep her concerned.
From the balcony, he saw Blake entering into the desert. What a suspicious place to meet, with more reason distrusting. Wukong knew she was going to a trap but the cat faunus was blinded by her emotions and past.
He waited for a few minutes and then jumped into a palm, willing to watch her from the high palms. That until she entered the cave, then he would have to act riskier.
After a long walk, Blake arrived at the third cave of the desert mountains. Ilia told her to enter and find a big space illuminated by dust crystals on the inside of a lake. A beautiful place that not very people knew or even could go since there were Grimm creatures along the way.
The cat fauns stood before the darkest entrance, the wind was blowing from inside, probably there was another way to go out inside. She unleashed Gambol Shroud and entered in, fearless but worried and trembling on the inside.
Due to her faunus heritage and abilities, she had night vision. The dark dominating the gold on her eyes and making it disappear until she faced her demons.
Soon, a light blue light enhanced Blake, showing her the way to the promised place of the meeting. She followed it, her pupils getting used to the dust natural light and time by time, a beautiful landscape was in front of the cat faunus.
The lake was at the bottom of the big space inside the cave. The water was sliding from one of the stone walls, that ended inside of the dust lake. Thanks to that, the fireflies and the crystallized columns of dust formed naturally in some parts of the cave, the place seemed magical.
Unluckily she got distracted by the small fantasy paradise, hypnotized by the clear water, kneeling to drink some since she was tired and the heat made her sweat on her way there. Belladonna left Gambol Shroud besides her while leaned into the lake with both hands cupped to taste the water. Feeling the liquid sliding down her throat, she closed her eyes and washed her face, wiping off the sweat.
Her cat ears perked as she heard the sound of someone walking towards her. The steps were heavy, not light and stealth like Ilia's. She tried to reach discreetly for Gambol Shroud, pretending that she didn't notice the presence behind her. And suddenly, her weapon fell into the water due to a kick the unknown person did.
Blake looked at the reflection of the clear water and saw a very familiar Grimm mask on it.
"My love." Adam said passing his fingers through locks of her hair.
Belladonna did a shadow clone of herself and ran, getting on her feet a few meters away from the bull faunus. She couldn't believe Ilia tent her a trap. Speaking of which, she was standing between her and the exit to the cave.
"No running away, darling. You came here to meet an old friend, didn't you?" Smirked Taurus.
Ilia had her mask on and glanced down at the ground. Blake knew perfectly how the White Fang worked, she had to obey all orders or she could be killed for treason to the organization. The cat faunus didn't blame her, Amitola was lost and didn't have any other place to go, the White Fang was her home.
Adam made a step forward towards Blake. He had Wilt and Blush with him, Ilia had her weapon too, Belladonna was at a clear disadvantage. The cat faunus looked around and searched for another way to go out but Ilia was blocking the only one.
"What do you want, Adam?" She asked firmly.
He chuckled evilly as if she said the funniest joke ever.
"Do you think you could leave the White Fang, leave me, without paying the consequences?" He said suddenly angry.
"You told me that before… I believe you." She accepted the blame thinking about Yang and their last encounter at Beacon.
"I thought you would come with some company, but seeing as you are alone and helpless…" He started circling her slowly. "Maybe I can make you suffer for a while."
He achieved to scare her and make her believe she was powerless against his will. It resulted as easy as he thought to corner her vulnerable.
"As long as you leave my family and friends alone, I will let you make me pay the consequences." Declared firmly.
Blake knew he was stronger, he was the one who taught each skill she used in combat. He would win a fight in a wink of eyes. She just accepted her fate and luckily that could grant her loved ones a better future.
"That's so considerate of you, my love. It only grows my anger. You didn't seem to care about hurting me in the past."
Adam slammed his fist against the wall just a few centimeters away from the cat faunus' face. Belladonna searched for support as she spoke to the chameleon girl:
"Ilia, I wasn't-..." Taurus slapped her cheek, cutting her words.
"Amitola, your friends, your family, your beloved boyfriend… But what about me?!" He yelled putting an emphasis on the last word and slamming her back against the wall, shaking her by the shoulders violently.
Blake whimpered and tried to reach for Ilia, who was staying silent near the exit. Adam cupped her cheeks and squished them between his fingers.
"Now, hold still. I don't want to kill you… yet."
Sun had been waiting on top of a palm, vigilant and on his guard. Blake had been inside the cave for ten minutes and he didn't see someone else coming in after she entered. He didn't even dare to blink.
Finally, he decided to come down the palm and walk near the entrance to sneak into the cave. First, he didn't hear anything but then, slowly could hear echoes of voices.
He remained quiet until suddenly heard the echo of Blake yelling in pain. Sun took off Ruyi Bang & Jingu Bang and without thinking twice ran into the depth and the darkness of the cave. He didn't care about being stealthy, discreet or even protect himself with his aura. The light of the dust showed him the way and allowed him to see the scene.
Blake was on the floor, bleeding, her former mentor stabbed her leg in order to prevent her from escaping. Wukong ran to them screaming in rage but didn't see Ilia, who managed to hunt him down and restrain him.
"Sun…" Whispered Blake with tears in her eyes, didn't want to repeat what happened with Yang.
Adam chuckled and ordered his subordinate to keep immobilizing the monkey boy. Blake dragged her body and weight trying to stand on her foot, but it was useless, Taurus knew exactly where to strike to cause the wished damage.
She was kicked by Adam's boot on the face, sending her face away, burying it with her ebony hair.
"Amitola brought me as a guest and you brought him, what a nice reunion." Smirked Adam thinking of all the suffering he would cause. He kneeled and held Blake's face up. "Don't you think, my love?"
Belladonna spat blood and saliva on Adam's mask, he whipped it away and kicked her in the stomach. She flinched and shield herself from his hits. Uselessly, now he was stepping on Blake's face, threatening to crush her skull.
Meanwhile, Sun was struggling with the spy, finally managing to put his hands together to use his semblance. He created three clones, the first two went to Adam, keeping him away from the cat faunus and even achieving some damage on him. The last one lifted Blake and tried to bring her to the exit of the cave, but Ilia managed to break his concentration and the touch of his hands, at the same time his aura vanished.
Belladonna fell to the floor on the other extreme of the lake near some columns of blue dust. She saw Ilia and Sun fighting and Adam getting up with this mask broken. She couldn't walk but wouldn't stay doing anything.
Blake broke a dust crystal from the wall.
"Sun, run!" Yelled the cat faunus as she threw the agitated dust to the chameleon girl.
Sun managed to jump aside and the dust exploded near Ilia, creating an icy wall that divided the big square of the cave.
Unluckily, Sun went to the other side with Adam and Blake stayed on the other with a hurt Ilia with no aura left. Amitola wasn't in danger, Blake wasn't a hazard because she was hurt too and couldn't walk and less attack her. Wukong instead had no protection because wasted all his aura with his semblance.
Adam kept his scratched Grimm mask on his face, chuckling to himself. The situation was positive, he had his weapons and all his aura and Blake's boyfriend had no aura left and struggled to stand on his feet.
"This is between you and me, ruffian." Said Blake's former partner.
"You are the cause of Blake's regrets and suffering..." Replied the monkey faunus grabbing Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang. "I will turn all the damage you caused to her."
There were no more words needed when the two faunus started fighting.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ice wall, Blake and Ilia were arguing. The chameleon girl was pointing at her with her weapon but wouldn't dare to hurt her.
"Adam is just manipulating you, and the White Fang too!" Insisted Blake. "They are using your sorrow to-...!"
"You don't understand, you are no longer one of us." Interrupted Amitola.
"I may not be in the White Fang anymore but I've seen what they have done! This isn't normal, Ilia!"
Both looked at the other side of the icy wall when heard Sun screaming. He had his right arm bleeding, Adam had cut deep his skin. Now, Wukong would be more slow with his nunchakus and the speed was Taurus' advantage in combat.
Luckily, the ice was melting and it was getting thinner and thinner, the cold water sliding down the wall. Belladonna had the hope that her aura would make her heal soon and stop the fight between the faunus. She crawled across the cave but Ilia stepped in front of her and didn't allow her to keep crawling forward.
"Adam is gonna kill him!" Yelled Blake. "Let me pass!"
But Amitola wasn't blocking the pass to prevent her from saving Sun. She was blocking the way because feared that Taurus would hurt and kill Blake too.
"Why did you have to leave, Blake?" Whispered Ilia but due to her cat ears, the faunus could hear it perfectly.
"I didn't want to hurt innocent people anymore."
"You hurt Adam and he turned into a monster when you left."
"He was a monster before I even thought of leaving." Replied Blake. "What did I have to do? Stay chained by his side and be his puppet? A broken doll? A plaything?"
Ilia made a step back. It was true, Taurus did hit her. She remembered the nights Blake would come to her room trembling, asking for comfort and a place to sleep. Sometimes she wouldn't ask because was scared to say something inappropriate or argue with Belladonna. Even though he hit and abused her, mentally and physically, Blake was still attached to him. It was like a Stockholm syndrome. An abusive relationship that started consuming her, turning off the sparks in her golden eyes.
It was Ilia who one day dared to argue with her and tell that Adam wasn't the knight in shining armor she saw. She was blinded, in love with the beast who murdered and everything that he touched, died. That night Amitola implied that he would end killing her and Blake left.
But, fortunately, a few days after she returned to her side and told her that maybe she was right about Adam. She helped her open her eyes. She made her leave.
"I-I…" Amitola was speechless.
"If I didn't leave, he would have hurt you." Confessed the cat faunus.
"What?"
"He knew that I was acting cold with him because you warned me about his true self. He was jealous of you and threatened me that if-..."
Adam had Sun grabbed by the neck against the ice wall and made it crack slightly. Sun shirt was no longer white, now it was bloody red. Blake managed to get in all four knees and went to punch the wall uselessly, damaging her knuckles in the process.
"Sun!" She cried. "Sun!" Yelled once more hitting the obstacle between them.
Wukong was almost unconscious, struggled to breath when Adam threw him to the hard floor, nailing some rocks on his back.
Adam chuckled to himself and grabbed Wilt to prepare Moonslice. He would end with Sun's life if Blake didn't do something.
Amitola saw her friend's tears sliding down her cheeks, desperate yells and kicks. She was destroying herself in the useless process to break the dust ice wall.
"You shouldn't have brought your boyfriend along with you." Commented Ilia remembering that a few weeks ago she did hurt him too.
"I didn't ask him to come!" Cried the cat faunus desperately.
If Blake managed to break the wall meanwhile Adam was charging Moonslice, he would kill her for she had no aura left. Ilia otherwise…
Amitola used her whip to crash the wall, making Blake fall because was leaning into it with all his forces. The cat faunus hears fast steps and a scream and when she managed to hold her head up again, saw Moonslice striking Ilia on her stomach.
"Ilia?!" Yelled the cat faunus.
The chameleon faunus fell to the floor and her blood ended falling inside the crystal lake, tainting the water with pure red.
Adam had used his semblance and was weak but not less than Sun and Blake who was severely hurt.
"Traitors doesn't deserve life." Hissed Adam watching IIia struggling to breathe and staring at Belladonna.
As he started walking towards her, Sun jumped before Blake, protecting her from Taurus. He slowed down the pace and stared at them for several seconds.
"You will have to kill me first if you want to touch her." Said Wukong.
The cat faunus was in shock for the death of her former friend who died to protect the one she loved. She felt Sun embracing her as she trembled while he was defying the bull faunus.
"A quick death would be too kind. I hope you have fun rotting down here." He said preparing Blush. "Farewell, my love."
He got out from the cave and the couple of faunus heard how he had shot the entrance and the rocks fell. They were trapped and both critically damaged.
Sun rubbed his girlfriend's back and kissed her ebony hair. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. The monkey faunus wiped them off.
"Don't worry, we'll make it." He said with a fake smile to comfort her.
Ilia coughed, she was still alive. Belladonna crawled and reached for her. Sun helped her and both sat beside the almost dead faunus.
"Ilia! Ilia! Say something!" Begged Blake rubbing the chameleon girl hand. "Why?!"
Amitola opened her eyes slightly and saw her former friend crying for her.
"I had n-nothing t-to lose… you i-instead…" She spoke weakly.
"You have me!" Replied the cat faunus.
"No longer… when you left-t…"
Ilia started coughing, choking on her own blood. Her eyes turned crystal and stared at Sun.
"Behind the wat-terfall…" She started but couldn't end.
She saw her time was arriving and used her last breath to express her only wish:
"T-take care of h-her…"
Ilia splintered more blood from her mouth and her face fell to the other side.
She was dead.
Wukong embraced Blake as she cried into his arms. Despite hurting him in the past, Amitola had sacrificed herself to save him only because her former friend loved him. The White Fang could not break their friendship despite the violent and conflictive situations they had been involved.
"I'm so sorry…" Started whispering Blake while the grief took control of her.
Her sobs and crying broke Sun's heart, who was holding her still in his arms and trying to comfort the small crystal heart shattered into uncountable pieces. Deep in his mind, Wukong promised himself that Adam would pay for all the pain he caused to Blake and the faunus kind. He knew Blake in time would have the same promise, for Ilia.
"We have to go, Blake." Finally, he warned.
Belladonna held her head high with her eyes tearing up but didn't drop a tear. She stared at Ilia's corpse.
"What should we do with her?" Asked Sun.
"We will make a proper burial. But not now." Blake seemed to recover some strength.
Sun helped Blake get up and both found an exit behind the waterfall as Ilia tried to say before he died. The journey back to the Belladonna manor lasted several hours and with pain and effort finally, they managed to arrive. The guard of the chieftain brought the two faunus to their room and gave him the appropriate cures. Kali made soup as a late dinner and kept by her daughter's side.
Blake had her legs injured but Sun luckily could walk perfectly. That's when an unexpected call made him wake up from the bed that was sharing with his girlfriend. It was Ghira.
He brought Sun to the terrace on the roof of the house, a private and secret place to talk with calm.
"Sun, I want you to know that I appreciate what you did today." Spoke the head of the family and chieftain of the faunus island.
Wukong opened his eyes in surprise, he expected some reward and recognition but no so soon and straight to the point.
"Blake told Kali what happened. You did well following her. And not only today in the cave, accompanying her to Menagerie too."
"I only did what I felt I was right, Sir."
"You are welcomed on this house and the Belladonna family owes you a lot." Ghira continued.
He finally earned the approvement he searched from Blake's father. The first person he had ever been worried to earn his respect.
"I will never leave Blake's side. We will take back the White Fang and end with Adam's leadership and terrorism acts that only damage the faunus kind."
"I'm… proud."
No more words were required for the two of them. Ghira left and Sun stayed for a while staring at the canvas of the sky.
The nightfall arrived and the two faunus, dressed in dark colors, went to the most private beach of the island. The chieftains guards had gone in search of the corpse in order to proceed with a proper burial.
As Ilia had no family, they were the only assistants at the burial. No White Fang traces, they just used her as a peon for their plans.
Blake was hurt but some sort of temperance kept her on her ground. Sun could only show gratitude to the corpse by throwing flowers into the water as the small wood burning boat was turning Ilia into ashes on the ocean.
The faunus couple sat on the sand until they could see no sign of the fire on the water. They would fight for her, for the ones that were left behind, for a better tomorrow.
They would find the color of freedom.
All reviews are welcomed, appreciated and answered!
If you ship Tauradonna or/and Blacksun, like in my case, I have more fanfics with this ships on my profile that you can read if you haven't. Some of them are completed and others are still in progress (I update every week).
I also have more projects in mind (and most of them are in a document which I'm working on). If you keep tuned, soon you will find more One-shots and new stories about Blake, her family, friends and… Adam.
Frozenheart7