So Long as They Both Shall Live
Blake was more terrified than any time she had ever been in her entire life. She had fought against criminal organizations, soulless monsters, god-like beings and even the demons of her past, and nothing scared her more than the thought of what she was about to do; marrying the love of her life.
The two of them had been together since their second semester at Beacon, and had been through a lot together. So much suffering and loss, so much love and adventure, so much of everything. Even after the time we spent apart after The Fall, she still loved me the same, she thought.
She was fully dressed in her simple, yet beautiful white wedding gown, that defined her curves and made her seem to simply be floating along when she moved and was sitting down in her dressing room, nearly curled into a ball in fright.
"Nervous?" came a voice from the doorway.
"A little," she replied turning to face her mother, Kali, who was dressed in a black kimono with a complimenting floral pattern, "Maybe, a lot."
"Sounds about right. I think most women feel the same way during their wedding day."
"Did you?"
"You have no idea. It's not everyday you marry the chieftain of an entire island."
"Do you think the she feels the same way?"
"Probably, but from what I've seen of her, she has enough confidence to hide her anxiety."
"Think she has some to spare?" Blake asked, grinning at her weak attempt at a joke.
"Just wait until you get out there, I'm sure she has more than enough to spare."
"We're ready to start when you are, Blake," came her father's voice from the hallway.
Blake took a final deep breath, did her best to push her fears to the back of her mind, got up and walked out into the hallway. She met her father there, who was dressed in a more western style, wearing a black suit, a white undershirt, and a dark purple tie.
"You look absolutely stunning dear," he said as she walked into the hall, "You remind me of your mother on our wedding day."
"I still think you would have looked better in my old kimono," Kali said.
"Mom," Blake said retorted, a hint of warning in her tone, "We've been over this. We decided on a western theme since the whole thing is happening on Patch. A kimono would have just been out of place."
"I know, I'm just saying," she said with a grin, eliciting a laugh from her daughter.
"Okay," Blake said, "Let's do this."
They walked together to the ceremony hall, stopping at the closed double doors. Kali went through, trying to open the door as little as possible as she did so, indicating to everyone they were starting before taking her seat. Blake took her fathers' arm and signaled for the doors to open. When they opened, a piano began playing, and a single voice began to sing.
Hush your cries, close your eyes,
Stay with me
Let's just dream,
Quietly
Of what might be
As she walked down the aisle, Blake looked over to see Weiss standing off to the side of the aisle near a piano, eyes closed, singing. Blake had asked her to sing something along with being one of her bride's maids. She didn't recognize the song. Weiss must have written it special for the occasion.
Calm your fear
I'll be near.
To you I'll cling
Rest my friend
Time can mend
Many things
I don't know the answers
Tomorrow's still unknown
But I can make this promise
You won't be alone.
Blake turned her attention to her side of the altar. The people there were extremely close to her. On the right was Nora, dressed in a pink strapless dress bearing her hammer insignia, in the middle was a gap where Weiss would be after her performance, and on the left, was Ilia, her maid of honor. She and Blake had reconnected after the events at Haven Academy, and they had grown to understand one another. Blake had recognized Ilia's feelings for her and Ilia had accepted that there was only one person in Blake's life whom she truly loved romantically, and that was not her. Ilia had also added that even though she understood and accepted that fact, that didn't mean she liked it.
I don't know
Where we should go
Just feeling further from our goal
Blake looked over to the other side of the altar and saw her intended, standing there in a black tuxedo (one of us should wear one, she had insisted) and a yellow bow tie, her normally flowing golden hair tied up in a ponytail with a black ribbon, one that seemed familiar somehow. Yang Xiao Long had never looked so good. To her right, stood Ruby, her best woman, who was dressed similarly, only her bow tie was red and she had on her signature hood and cape. Then she saw the two men standing next to Ruby and internally facepalmed. Apparently, Yang had a theme going. Sun and Jaune, her two bridesmen, instead of wearing tuxedos, were wearing dresses; Jaune in what appeared to be the same dress he wore to their first dance at Beacon and Sun in a pale yellow strapless that complimented his hair. Seeing her look of embarrassment, he flashed her one of his goofy grins.
I don't know
What path we will be shown
But I know that when I'm with you I'm at home.
Yes, I know that when I'm with you I'm at home.
Weiss' song ended when Blake reached the altar, right on cue. After she took her place between Ilia and Nora, the priest approached the couple.
"On this day, in the sight of Oum and Luna, we are here to witness the union of Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna. Before the exchange of the rings and the vows, is there anyone here who believes these two should not be wed?" He allowed his words to hang in silence before continuing, "Very well. Will the fathers please step forward with the rings?"
Ghira and Taiyang rose near simultaneously and reached into their jacket pockets, pulling out a ring and handing it to their respective daughters.
"This is the ring I gave to Summer," Tai said, handing Yang a silver band set with small rubies, "I know how much you and Ruby loved her, so thought it appropriate that you give to the only woman you love as much as her."
"And this," Ghira said, handing Blake a gold band set with a small black pearl, "Belonged to my mother. She passed when I was young and made me swear to give this to my daughter, if I should have one."
"Thank you," said the priest, "And now, the vows. First, Miss Xiao Long."
Yang took a step forward and took Blake's hand, "I, Yang Xiao Long, take this Beautiful Woman to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, in living and in dying, so long as we both shall live." She slid the ring onto Blake's finger, looked into those deep pools of amber she called eyes and smiled, "And when Death should claim us both, I swear that I will fight Death Himself to be with you in the next life, whatever form that may take."
"And now Miss Belladonna."
Blake took a step forward and took Yang's' hand, "I, Blake Belladonna, take this Sunny Little Dragon to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, in living and in dying, so long as we both shall live." She slid the ring onto Yang's finger and looked up into those beautiful lilac orbs and smiled back, "And when Death should claim us both, I swear that I will find her in the next life and boombox Careless Whisper outside her house," referencing both one of her favorite romance movies and one of her favorite superhero movies.
"And so," the priest declared, "by the power granted me by Oum the Creator and Luna the Uniter, I hereby pronounce these two bonded for life in matrimony. You may now kiss your bride."
Blake turned to Ilia and offered her the bouquet of flowers she was holding before jumping into Yang's arms laying a passionate kiss upon her lips and wrapping her arms around her neck. Yang returned the kiss, wrapping her arms about Blake's waist. The church erupted in thunderous applause and cat calls could be heard from Sun and Nora.
The priest raised his arms wide above his head and proclaimed, "Those the Gods have brought together, let no man tear asunder!"
Yang and Blake finally separated, their lungs crying out for air. Over the roar of applause and congratulations, Blake heard Yang say, "Have I said that I love it when your feisty?" She looked up at her wife (That's going to take some getting used to, she thought) "Once or twice," she replied and planted another kiss on her lips.
30 minutes later, at a small pavilion on the outskirts of Patch
The reception dinner was in full swing and Yang Xiao Long-Belladonna couldn't have been happier. After everything she had endured, the Fall of Beacon, the loss of her natural arm, Haven, the Grimm and Salem, she had finally found a small time of peace to do something she had wanted to do for years; marry Blake. The dinner was taking place in a large pavilion situated in a clearing between a nearby forest and a cliff that overlooked the ocean. She and Blake were sitting at a small table with their families at one end and several larger tables scattered on the other side of a large dance floor that sat before the main table. The side nearest the ocean was dominated by a long buffet table that had been planned by Weiss and Ilia. Yang was glad the two had become such good friends since they had met after Haven.
She looked over at her bride, who was busy devouring a massive sushi platter, pure joy visible in her eyes. She then looked out into the sea of people and smiled. So many of her friends were here. She saw Team RNJR hanging out with Team CFVY. Weiss was busy catching up with her sister, Winter, and her brother Whitley, who had recently taken over as the head of the Schnee Dust Company. Ilia was talking with Sun. Oscar (or more likely Ozpin, she couldn't really tell) was talking to a group of teachers from Beacon along with General Ironwood.
"Hey, Yang," Blake said with a partially full mouth of fish, "Question."
"Answer," she replied.
"At the ceremony, I noticed that Oscar was seated at the end of a bench and that next to the bench were four or five empty folding chairs. What was the about?"
"That was Ruby's idea," she replied with a smile, "We've lost so many people we care about in over the years, and she figured, if those people really are watching over us, we should at least give them somewhere to sit down if they happened to be there. The chairs were for Pyrrha, Penny, Ozpin,… and our mom."
"Blake!"
The newlyweds turned to see Ruby running up to them. "Where's the fire, Rubes?"
"You're not going to believe this. Weiss just introduced Ilia to Whitley and the two started talking. Apparently, he heard about her deal with Atlas and what happened to her parents. He just apologized on behalf of the entire company and offered her a JOB."
"What job?" Blake asked. Ilia held a major grudge against the SDC, so a Schnee offering her a position within the very object of her hatred was a bad idea, at best.
"Get this; he offered to make her the President of the Schnee Dust Company's new Faunus Workers Rights Union! From what Weiss told me, she would hold a major position within the company and would be involved in all decision making that would effect Faunus workers in any way."
Blake was in shock. This decision, in her opinion, went against everything the Schnee Dust Corporation had stood for when Weiss's father, Jaques, had been in control.
"So what did she say?" Yang asked.
"Nothing. She kinda fainted," Ruby said with a half-grin.
"Better go check on her," said Blake.
"Go get 'em Kitty!" Yang said, playfully nudging her along with a pat to the butt.
"Hey," she responded with a grin, "Save it for the honeymoon."
"So, where are you guys honeymooning? You never said."
"Dad and Belladaddy somehow managed to get us a two-week reservation at a really nice resort in Vacuo. Beach-side cottage, room service, the works."
"I guess it helps when your new wifey comes from money," Ruby said with a sly grin.
"Does that mean I should take the funds I've been saving for your wedding and turn them into booze and ammo?" asked a male voice from behind them.
Turning around, they saw someone they hadn't expected to show up.
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby cried, jumping onto her uncle's arm.
"I thought you weren't gonna be able to make it. You weren't at the ceremony."
"Course I was. Didn't you see me up in the rafters?"
"Oh. God damn shapeshifting."
"So, how're ya doing Firecracker?" he laughed.
"Fantastic, and before you ask, yes, there is an open bar."
"You know me too well. Now, not that I'm not happy to see you on cloud nine, but you wouldn't happen to know where Ice Queen the Elder is, would you?"
"Winter?" Ruby chimed in, "I think I saw her floating towards the buffet after Ilia went down."
"Got it. Thanks kiddo, and Yang, congratulations. I know your mom would be proud of you."
"Meh, doesn't matter much to me what Raven thinks."
Qrow gave his niece an intense look, "Raven may have been your mother, Yang, but she wasn't your mom," he said.
"What?" she asked, confused before her eyes widened in realization, "Oooooh."
Qrow grinned at her and walked over towards the buffet.
"How long do you think it'll be before she either shoots him down or he starts a fight," Ruby joked.
"Knowing him, about ten minutes, give or take."
"I don't know. I didn't smell any booze on him when I was hugging him and his outfit is either freshly laundered or fresh from the store. He might actually have a chance this time."
"Well, I guess that's a win. In any case, it's time we got this party started! Hey Jaune! How about you and Team JNR do us a favor and perform your signature dance routine?"
"What do you say guys?" turning to Ren and Nora, "One more time for the newlyweds?"
"Only if you two think you can keep up," said Nora.
"Please, Nora. Seven sisters, remember?"
And with that, Team JNR, without missing a beat kicked off the party the same way they had so long ago.
From the tree line, Adam Taurus stared at the gathered humans and Faunus traitors. The years since Haven had not been kind to him or his White Fang. Everyday more Faunus abandoned his crusade against humanity, leaving him with only a few hundred followers who were absolutely devoted to him alone and, according to the doctors, his physical and mental states weren't exactly in top shape. He didn't care. His only concern at the moment was his promise to Blake.
"I told you, Blake," he said to himself with a malicious grin, "I told you that I would destroy everything and everyone you ever loved and now your weakness has given me the perfect opportunity."
"Really?" said a raspy voice from behind him. He turned around and saw a tall, lithe man wearing a grey shirt with black pants, a red tie, and a tattered red cape. In one hand he held a massive scythe, "Because I know a few people who would disagree with you on that point, me chief amongst them."
"And who exactly are you supposed to be?"
"Blake Belladonna's newest uncle," he replied, taking a swig from a flask, "Now, if you don't mind, I have a niece to welcome into my family and a date to get back to, so let's make this quick."
"Well then, if you are who you say you are, might as well start with you."
"Oh, sorry, that last bit wasn't directed at you."
"Wha-?" was all Adam managed to get out before a red and black armored figure dropped from the branches above him and knocked him out with the pommel of her katana.
"You do realize I could have taken him, right?" Qrow said.
The woman stood and sheathed her sword. "Didn't do it for you, did it for my daughter," Raven said, keeping her eyes on Adam and pulling out a length of rope.
"I thought Yang had used up her credit with you," Qrow said as Raven began tying up Adam.
"I meant my new daughter-in-law, little brother," she said, trying to redirect the conversation.
"Are you really going there?" he groaned, "You do realize you're only four minutes older than me, right?"
"Whatever. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got plans for this one," she said with a dark grin.
"I'm surprised you didn't kill him."
"Like I said, I've got plans for him."
"Care to elaborate? I really hoping you're not gonna try something akin to that stunt you pulled at Haven."
"No, Yang made a very convincing argument back at the Vault against what I did. No, I plan to take him hog-tied back to his followers, and after that, the tribe and I plan to make his life a living hell. I will make him fear the Branwen name until his last breath."
"I guess there are worse ways to fight Salem, but what about Yang and Blake? They both have business with him and I doubt he'll give up his little revenge quest just 'cause you and the tribe have become a new thorn in his side."
"If they get to him first, they can have him. I just want him to suffer.'
"Alright, fine," Qrow said, turning to return to the reception.
"That's it? You're okay with me taking a known terrorist back to his followers, just so that I can terrorize him back? You're not even going to try and stop me?"
"Why bother? You're obviously set in your goals, so there's no use trying to dissuade you and since you have control over the power of a Maiden, I'd have no chance at stopping you. Just get out of here and go back to your little gang. After all, you only came here, to the celebration of your own daughter's wedding to the love of her life, just to settle some perceived debt."
"You know, I always did hate it when you two fought," came an ethereal voice that neither Raven or Qrow could ever forget. They turned to face the source of the voice and found that it came from a figure in pure white clothes, with a matching hooded cape. The only thing about her that seems out of place was her shoulder-length red-tipped black hair.
"Summer," said Raven.
"Summer," Qrow said, as dumbfounded as Raven, "How are you even here?"
"Good to see you again too, Qrow. As for your question, it was Ruby's idea."
"So, wait, her little extra chair idea back during the ceremony actually worked?"
"No, but if she sees me somehow, at least she'll have an explanation," Summer said with a grin, "Look, I don't have much time. Qrow, please let Yang know how much I love her and how proud I am that she finally found someone to spend her life with, especially someone like Blake."
"Got it," he said, knowing that there was no way he could force her to stay longer.
"Also, if you really want to make things work with Winter, maybe ease up on the booze a bit. Don't drop it completely, just don't be drunk when you show up for a date."
"No promises," he grinned.
She turned to Raven, who was on her knees, tears in her eyes, "Summer…" she said, clearly on the verge of crying.
"Hey partner."
"Summer, I'm sorry," she said, finally breaking down, "I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry for forcing you to raise a child as if she were your own, even though she wasn't. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me. I'm sorry that I couldn't be the person you knew I could be. I let you down. I let Yang and Tai down. I failed everyone I ever cared for and all because I was too much of a coward to even try."
There was a long silence as Summer regarded Raven, broken only by the sounds of Raven's sobs. "Rae," she said. Raven looked into her silver eyes which were filled with compassion, "It's okay. I never blamed you for what you did. You don't need to keep torturing yourself, praying for my forgiveness. Only one person can forgive you for what you've done; and that's you," and with that, she disappeared in a swirl of white rose petals.
Over at the party, Yang was conversing with her team, laughing and loving life, when a wind blew past them. It was strong, causing her to grab her hair and shield her eyes, but for a split second, she could swear that she saw her mom standing among the crowd, smiling at her and Ruby. And just as quickly as the wind appeared, so too did it disappear, taking Summer along with it.
"Hey, you okay?" Blake said, shaking her gently.
She looked down at Blake, smiled and kissed her on the forehead, rubbing behind one of her cat ears, "Yeah. Everything's amazing."
Fin