A/N: This is something I have been slaving over for a long time to get right. It will be updated ONCE EVERY OTHER MONTH. I need time to work on so many other things, and with the holidays in the states coming up fast, I have too much other stuff to focus on to do this constantly. And honestly? Having there be a posting schedule that isn't horribly demanding means I don't get as stressed out and reduces writers block. The chapter titles will be chess moves, Roman as the white pieces and Ozpin as the black ones; if you read it through, you actually can play out an entire game of chess between the two of them. This is AU.
How is this AU: The Faunus are all weres. Werewolves, werebulls, werecats, wererabbits, you get the idea. Every full moon, they shift into their animal forms, and try not to get lynched by humans. In their human forms, they have NO physical animal traits. No ears for Blake or Velvet, no tail for Sun. They look completely normal, but may carry personality traits/quirks.
WARNING: Contains blood, gore, violence, language, and bigotry/racism. WILL contain all of that and sex, sexual themes, sexual situations, and sexy time. Please, for the love of all that is holy, don't be a douche if you don't enjoy this. I have little tolerance for jerks.
With love,
Korrupted.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RWBY OR THE CHARACTERS. Well, aside from the random side characters used to help the story flow.
Yang yawned and stretched lazily, the four year old rubbing at her eyes as the full moon peeked through her windows. The soft light illuminated the slumbering Ruby in her own bed, but the blonde child gasped at the glowing white orb. It was a full moon! That black kitten always came around on full moons, and even though she was fully aware of the danger on these nights, she still had to go find the tiny kitten. As quietly as a lumbering bull, the child tripped over her sheets, then shoes, then toys, and finally on the window sill as she face-planted onto the soil only a scant three inches below when she climbed through. Rubbing her face, Yang Xiao Long got to her feet and hurried through the garden, her ears straining for any sounds that could indicate a need to shriek for her mother and father for help. The moon was full, and the Were creatures were about.
She could recall all of her lessons on the beasts; weres were huge monsters, creatures of the night that became blood-thirsty animals under a full moon. Dangerous, deadly, and something to be feared. As humans, they were typically rough, aloof, and sociopathic. Yang had never actually met a Were, but they sounded terrible. Her mother had to contend with them on top of the creatures of Grimm, making for even more of a frightening beast to imagine; anything that put Summer Rose on her guard was surely something to be properly feared.
A tiny mewl broke through her thoughts, lilac eyes turning to meet golden-amber tones in black fur. A smile grew on her lips, the kitten walking closer as the child knelt to the ground, her hand extended. Soft fur was brushed against her palm, watching as the feline nuzzled her hand happily, a hearty purr rumbling in the tiny frame. "Hiya kitty." Yang whispered as the young animal nudged her coat pocket with it's nose, locating the tuna she had smuggled out for the occasion.
With a wide grin, the pigtailed girl pulled free the can, taking off the lid as the animal half pranced around her knees in excitement. When the tin was placed on the grass, the black cat instantly began to happily eat the contents as Yang scratched along it's spine, taking a moment to check the gender of the feline. "Well girl, I think I'll call you Shroud." She cheerfully muttered, amber eyes glancing up before a happy mewl was the answer. "Shroud it is."
Shroud finished her meal before licking her black paw, washing her face before nuzzling her cheek along the human girl's. It seemed that the kitten liked her, the Xiao Long girl decided, and she was more than happy with that. A rough texture grazed along her eyebrow; Shroud was apparently trying to bathe her. "I fell on my face coming out tonight. Graceful me, huh?"
A tiny meow interjected, more purrs rumbling as the dainty creature continued to lick her face. The kitten began marking her face heavily before curling up in her lap happily, the child stroking the soft fur with cautious care. She loved seeing the kitten, and had spent a few months trying to see her other nights of the month only to be disappointed. The first time had been seven or so months ago, and it had been for a moment when the kitten crossed her path. The next time, it had been for a few minutes from afar, as if it was studying her. This trend had continued until last month, when she had opted to sneak out a can of tuna, sitting several feet away to watch her eat before she gained a nuzzle and soft mewl of thanks before she fled. This time, Shroud seemed to be content to spend time with her, and to the nearly five year old girl, it felt like a massive victory.
However, the kitten's black ears perked up, looking into the trees before huffing irritably. Golden eyes met lilac, and the feline stood with her front paws braced on the child's shoulders, nuzzling her face affectionately until she scampered away. "Awwww... Bye, Shroud!" Yang called after her. "See ya next month!" And after a moment of watching where the cat had gone off to, the girl turned and began her trek home.
Her paws were moving quickly across the leaves, her eyes carefully tracking everything as she fled through the underbrush. Blake knew that her mother had warned her about humans, but this one seemed so nice to her, and she looked about her age! For a werecat, she was a bit of a runt, her younger twin bigger than she, which irritated her to no end. Finally, she reached the clearing her family used to shift in, skidding to a halt in front of her clearly angry mother. The tortoiseshell werecat was huge, standing as tall as a single story house and barely hidden by the trees, her golden eyes angry moments before a large paw swiped out to cuff her. "Blake Belladonna! You know it's dangerous to go roaming the woods alone!" She scolded, the hissing and yowling clear words to other weres. "I had half a mind to go after you myself."
Blake glowered at Gambol from her splayed out position, the black and white marked were watching her rather smugly. Of course he would have ratted her out to mother. "But, there was this girl. And she was really nice-" The young child began.
"And being around humans! Blake, you must be more careful! Humans are mean, vicious creatures who will kill our kind as soon as look at us." The massive feline growled loudly. "Come, Gambol. Blake. We are moving locations. And next month, we will not be returning to Patch to change."
The tiny bundle of black fur scrambled to her feet, rushing after her mother. "But, Mommy! She's nice to me! She fed me! Maybe she's different!"
Golden eyes locked with hers. "Humans are all the same. They killed your father."
"Maybe you think they are, but I like this one!"
The argument was quickly escalating, and young Gambol wormed between them. "Mom, Blake, please stop!" He pleaded, "Maybe the younger humans don't know we're weres, so they like us."
Yolanda huffed slightly, looking at her son warily. "All humans hate us, Gambol. Your father was killed when he tried to help a human."
The tiny bundle of fur puffed himself up, trying to be as brave as his twin. "What if we can prove their kids don't? Then can we at least keep coming here to change?"
The adult were sat, thinking. If she agreed and they proved her wrong, then it would be a start, she supposed. And if they proved her right, then she might have to kill a human to keep her kittens safe. Should she do this? The were cat looked at the sky, noting that it was likely only nine or ten at latest; humans would probably think the twins were just strays at this hour, keeping them safer. "Only if I choose the human." Yolanda relented at long last, seeing both of her offspring brighten instantly.
With her long tail flicking softly, the large were lumbered carefully though the woods, halting when she noticed a pale child with ice blue eyes and hair as white as snow. She looked soft, so if she did anything to hurt her children, the changed woman could easily bite the child in half. "This one. If you can show that she is different, then we will continue coming to Patch on the full moons."
Weiss hadn't meant to get so separated from her family when they had returned home from their late dinner out, but her hat had gone off with a gust of wind and without thinking, she had given chase. Now, the young Schnee was scared and alone in the Howling Woods on a full moon; her father was going to be furious when he found her. Weres were out and about as well as the creatures of Grimm, and so when a bush rustled the white haired four year old screamed in terror.
Until she noticed two kittens padding out towards her, their gold-amber and green eyes blinking up at her blue. She exhaled and tried to calm her racing heart, trembling as she lowered herself to her knees. She, Weiss Schnee of Schnee Dust Company, had been scared by kittens? It was comical. Reaching one hand out shakily, the kittens hesitantly walked closer, sniffing her fingertips delicately before purring softly. The gentle sound soothed the young heiress, a smile slowly finding it's way onto her lips. "H-hi there..." She crooned softly, watching the kittens carefully. "What are you two doing out in the woods this late? Did you get separated from your family too?"
Yolanda watched the girl as she remained low to the ground, her golden eyes softening as the human child relaxed more with her kittens. Maybe Blake and Gambol were right, and humans were changing how they thought about weres. Neatly tucking her front paws under her, the werecat settled into the dense brush to keep a watch over her children, and the girl; she might as well look after her until her parents found her.
Weiss giggled happily as the two kitten nuzzled her skin and purred, feeling far less alone and afraid now that she was distracted. The black and white kitten sneezed so hard at one point that it flopped onto it's rump, blinking in surprise while the black one chirped at it. She liked these two cats very much, and she might as well wait with them until either their family came for them, or her parents found her; at that point, she would totally have to beg her father to adopt them. Winter may still be an infant, but she would probably like them too.
A low barking in the distance drew all three of their attention to the direction it had come, the blue eyed child feeling nervous once more. Had that been a dog, or a canine were? She didn't know, but she didn't want to find out. Another round of rabid barks, this time snarling and clearly aggressive made her shudder, but the piercing scream that followed them made her blood run cold. "MOTHER!" She cried out, standing quickly. She had to go help her mother, to fight somehow. She had a few vials of dust, surely that would do the trick.
However, a black blur stood from the brush, moving to tower over her and stare down at her. Ice blue eyes were wide at the soft fur, the orange, cream, and fawn tones, the huge golden eyes. It was an adult werecat, and the young Schnee was frozen in absolute terror at it. The gigantic muzzle leaned down, nuzzling the kittens who mewled in voices high with worry before looking back at the human once more. 'Watch them until I return' the feline's gaze seemed to demand before dashing off in the direction of the scream.
Weiss looked down at the two kittens, realization hitting her that they were the offspring of that werecat, but they looked just as scared as she felt. Now that she knew what they were, she reached out only to see them cower, as if afraid to be hurt, and that bothered the child deeply. "I didn't hurt you before, so why would I hurt you now?" She questioned sternly, seeing them relax slowly.
The branches tore at her fur as she ran, but she had to get to the woman. Weredogs were highly territorial, and it could only end with one party dead; and Yolanda had little faith in the human coming out as the victor. She skid into a less wooded section, spotting the huge dog snarling down at the woman, drool hanging from his jowls. "Human, die!" He barked at her, the white haired female groping around her belt for something.
As much as the werecat hated humans, she didn't find it within herself to attack unprovoked, let alone kill. It would only serve to give humans more reasons to hunt them along the Grimm. With a yowl of anger, Yolanda raced at the other were, knocking him aside and slashing at him viciously. Large jaws snapped at her clawed paws, hissing and barking echoing through the forest. She slashed the dog across from muzzle, ruining his eyes in the process as it bit her paw painfully.
A click behind her alerted the large feline to possible danger, a blast of fire dust narrowly missing her fur to set the canine ablaze. Golden eyes turned to look at the human as the dog crumbled to the ground, seeing the white haired woman lower her revolver and panting. "Th-thanks."
Yolanda bowed her head and limped over, the sound of howls echoing through the forest now. Of course the wolves would help the dogs, if for no other reason than to frustrate a werecat. She growled, facing where the smoldering corpse of the other were lay, trying to prevent any more bloodshed. A werewolf snarled at her from the shadows, leaping at her and attempting to kill the cat, Yolanda doing all she could to kill the female wolf instead. "Stop this! You're giving them excu- AHHHHH!" She yowled as a lucky bite sank into her shoulder.
Flashing her own teeth out, the changed woman clamped down on canine's windpipe moments before she heard the strangled cry of pain from the human. She turned, seeing a young werewolf tearing into her body violently, the poor woman still alive. Limping, she threw herself at her new target, biting her throat mercilessly until the smaller form sank lifeless to the grass below. Slinking in a pained gait, she looked down at the dying woman, her eyes full of sadness. She would not live, and if she left her to die on her own, it would be several long, excruciating minutes before she was even unconscious.
"K-k... Ki...ll me..." The blue eyed woman pleaded.
Yolanda bowed her head down, gently lining up one of her enormous canines with her throat, and biting hard. A quick death, the death that otherwise would never have come. She could hear small footsteps running towards her, and also large ones, looking up to see a male with a dark beard and white hair all but crash onto the scene. "Aurora..." He whispered as his sapphire hues took in the bloody corpse of the woman, then the blood on the were's muzzle. "Murderer!"
She couldn't explain, unable to inform him of her innocence as a large gun was leveled at her. This was it. She would die because another human jumped to conclusions and kill her just as they had killed her husband. They really were a cruel lot.
However, a small black and white form dashed between her and the man, mewling desperately at him. "Wait! Mom had only come when she heard the lady screaming! Mom would never kill a human! This can't b-"
Gambol's words were cut short as the trigger was pulled, a hail of bullets raining down upon both mother and son. A shrill screech punctuated the air as both fur covered forms dropped to the bloody dirt, the man turning to see his daughter staring on in horror.
"MOMMY!"
"Weiss, stay back!" He shouted, unloading another dust enhanced round into the creatures when the larger body twitched.
The girl was sobbing, staring on in pure shock and disbelief at the three bodies. When the black kitten darted out to mewl pathetically at her mother, trying to use her muzzle to rouse the unmoving form, she watched her father once again lift the weapon. He was truly talented with Glacier Kiss, and she only had a sparse moment before her killed the last one. The child quickly raced out to plant herself between the young were and her father, still crying. "No! Daddy, please no!" She begged.
Adler Schnee had to use every ounce of reflex to pull his finger away from the trigger, his face wet with his own tears. "Weiss, sweetie, please move aside so I may destroy that monster." He demanded in a voice thick with sorrow.
But the child remained steadfast, her arms outstretched to appear a larger shield as she shook with sobs. "Please, Daddy. D-don't. Just please... Please, no more, please..." She begged. "The c-cat tried to help Mother... The kittens ke-kept me com-ompan-n-ney. Don't... Don't..."
His lower lip quivered, his deep sapphire hues still spilling over with tears as they looked from his daughter, to the final were, to the dead felines, and finally to the werecanine corpses. His hand trembled as he lowered Glacier to his side, rage and sorrow painted across his features."If I ever see that creature again, I will not let it live a second time." He stated in a voice choked with anguish.
Weiss turned to the small creature when a loud snort sounded off to her far left, the kitten snapping to attention through it's sadness. The sound repeated, followed by a bull grunting anxiously, and the black werecat stalked off with a final look at the humans and dead weres, then scampering towards the source of the bullish noises. Against her better judgement, the young Schnee ignored her father and followed the kitten, staring in wonder at a strawberry roan bull the height of her father standing before the tiny kitten. Silently, the child stood there, watching his brown eyes soften while the werebull nodded, as if agreeing sadly with the mewling kit; changed weres could speak to others not of their kind? She never knew that!
At long last, the duo walked away, the young werecat looking utterly lost next to the larger one. Weiss returned to her father, and broke down completely, Alder pulling her into a firm embrace as he too wept over the loss of his beloved Aurora. Winter would be raised without a mother, but he swore to keep both of his children close to his side to protect them. The moment Weiss ever managed to produce an aura, he would have her learn to use it properly, and doubly so for her sister. He couldn't lose all he had left of the woman he loved to those monsters.
After using his scroll to call several guards to the Howling Wood, he turned the now slumbering child over to them. "Get her home and under guard. If any were come within a thousand yards of our house, kill them." He instructed, a second guard speaking up.
"Sir? What will we do about the bodies?" The female questioned.
Adler turned to face the dead weres, looking over the lot of them with cold hate in his eyes. "Burn them. Burn them all." His fists shook with heartache and rage. "Especially the damn werecats. Not a trace of them may remain, do I make myself clear?"
A quick nod. "Yes sir. Crystal clear."
When the feeble rays of morning struck the child, she was already panting from the combined pain of changing back to her human self and exhaustion. Naked, alone, cold, and full of despair, Blake began crying aloud in the woods, blaming everything on herself. Knees drawn to her chest, the girl wailed and sobbed, tears both burning and freezing on her skin. If only she hadn't gone off to see that blonde girl. If only she had told Gambol that their mother was right. If only...
A gentle hand touched her shoulder, amber toned eyes looking up to see a boy of roughly fourteen standing beside her, his brown hues full of concern. He was already dressed in clothing that the child had no idea the origin of, his red hair marked by a streak of chestnut brown along his forehead above each eye. "Hey... Blake. I know it hurts, but we need to get you dressed, okay?" His voice was only slightly rough, but kind, full of concern.
Sniffling wetly, the young were nodded, standing shakily as the teen picked through what appeared to be a pile of children's clothing. Where had he gotten such a collection? Slowly, they located underwear, pants, a shirt, socks, and shoes for her, all the while Blake struggling to recall his name. "Excuse me?" She spoke in a voice cracked from crying. "What was your name again?"
The werebull boy smiled at her softly, finding a comb amid the clothing to fix her hair. "My name is Adam. Adam Taurus. I can't remember your last name, though. Sorry." He apologized.
"Belladonna."
His gaze was gentle, which seemed absurd considering his were nature. He seemed to be taking extreme care with her, and it was nice. "Nice to meet you, Blake Belladonna. Pretty sure I'll need you to tell me a few more times before it sticks." She giggled. "Let's get you to the camp, then. It's on the mainland, and a good three days walk."
Her amber eyes blinked in confusion. "But... I wanna go home." Her eyes watered back up. "I want Mommy, and Gambol, and Daddy... I wanna go home!"
Adam knelt and embraced the crying child firmly, his own gaze burning with tears. He knew this pain, the pain of being alone, and scared. He could help Blake, though. "Shhh... It's okay, the camp is for weres. The White Fang will help us out, and we can even learn a trade skill. I have an aura, so I learned how to fight."
Her eyes went wide. "But... I don't see a weapon!"
The werebull snorted softly as he smirked. "Had to leave it at camp. We have a few trusted weres watch our camp, but we have to leave the weapons so we don't hurt anyone by accident." Adam took her tiny hand in his, standing and leading his new charge through the woods. "If you have an aura, I'll train you myself. So, let me tell you about the White Fang."
As they wandered, Adam told the child all about the peaceful group, how they were working with the humans to get the equal rights, and prevent the slaughter of their kind. Amber eyes were wide wonder, asking questions as he cooked what they could scavenge, telling him about her now shattered life and dead family. At night, he held her as she cried, rocking her to sleep with a softly hummed lullaby, drying her face as she slept. In Blake, Adam saw much of himself, and he swore he would keep her safe.
Even if it cost him everything.
-TEN YEARS LATER-
Blake was struggling to free herself from Adam's hold, her amber eyes wide in her olive toned face. The mask he had worn for the last three years hid his expression from her, obscuring his eyes from her sight; she missed seeing those brown eyes terribly, and the boy who they had belonged to. Again, she tried to wrench free as he snorted, planting his feet more. "Blake... Stop it." He hissed to her.
It was the day before the full moon, and her strength was at it's peak, but so was his. She had to escape, to flee what the White Fang had become. Now they were no better than the humans who sought to murder them; they targeted humans who were known to be violent to weres or refused to do business with them, their families also used for leverage if they didn't kill that at that time. The young teen had only gone on theft raids and small vandalism jobs, but it was enough to disillusion her of what they were doing was still the right thing. Once upon a time, they had tried to reason with humans, to earn respect and equality through education, protests, and boycotts. The werecat didn't want to hurt Adam, she wanted him to change his mind, let her go, and run with her to freedom. He was her only friend, the one who had always kept her safe, who never tried to hurt her at all.
To the fourteen year old, it was cruel to be in this position; they were at this stalemate only a few yards from the compound gate. He could run with her, and she knew they could make it past all the sentries, to the forest, and out of this nightmare. Instead, Blake could hear shouting in the distance, watching as her friend and partner turned his masked face towards the others, yelling back, "I've got her!"
Offering up a silent apology to her friend, the young were took advantage of his distraction to yank her arm free, grab her weapon, and strike him hard across his head with the flat of Gambol Shroud. The man dropped to the ground unconscious as she fled, using her semblance twice to help her leap over the fences, minding the bow that was still tied in her hair; it had been a gift from Adam on her tenth birthday, and she refused to leave it behind. With a heavy heart and nothing left to lose, the were ran as fast as she possibly could to a place she had only heard of and barely remembered from the previous leader of the White Fang.
Vacuo, and hopefully, a place that even a were could belong.
Roman/white pieces-
Queen side rook: Mercury
Queen side knight: White Fang lieutenant
Queen side bishop: Emerald
Queen: Cinder Fall
King: Roman Torchwick
King side bishop: Neo
King side knight: Junior
King side rook: Adam
Ozpin/black pieces-
Queen side rook: Ruby
Queen side knight: Weiss
Queen side bishop: Jaune/team JNPR
Queen: Glynda Goodwitch
King: Professor Ozpin
King side bishop: Blake
King side knight: Yang
King side rook: Coco/team CFVY
