Protect Her
Vale, One Year After the Fall of Beacon
The cold. She could feel it. Not only from the outside, with the rigorous winter that was happening in Vale. Her soul was cold. Blake could feel it the same way she felt Adam's blade deep itself into her stomach that fatidic day. But what caused her pain was not the scar left in her gut. No. It was her selfishness. She could've stayed with Adam, following the White Fang until the end of her existence. But of course she wouldn't. It was of her nature to run like a scared cat and put more people in danger. She had to go to Beacon, to pretend to be a human, to act like an ally to justice. And because of that, Yang was hurt now. And she had been selfish again, leaving her partner behind even knowing of the blonde's abandonment problems.
"Bravo, Blake. Congratulations for being the worst monster to cross her path…", Blake thought as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop of the abandoned houses of Vale, aiming to get to her objective: Beacon. She needed to get there. Blake needed to get Ember Celica back, so she could finally go to Patch. She knew a single little object could not guarantee Yang's forgiveness, but maybe she was the one who needed it. And after what Yang had done for her... "If only she had left Adam kill you… Damn it, Yang, why do you have to be so selfless?!". As this thought crossed her mind, a raven landed in front of her, blocking her way. When she tried to walk past it, the bird flew in her direction and attacked her in the face.
"Get out of here, bird.", Blake said, an annoyed tone in her voice. Then, she watched in horror as the raven turned itself in a masked tall woman with pitch spiked and long hair. The woman removed her mask, and it caused Blake's yes to widen. The woman's face looked exactly like Yang's.
"Blake Belladonna", the woman smiled wryly. "We have a lot to talk about…"
Patch, 1 A.M
Yang Xiao Long breathed frantically as she attacked a punching bag with her left arm. It wouldn't be another way, since she had lost her arm trying to save her partner. Or should she say… traitor? Blake ran. Yang was tired of searching for a reason. She was tired of having nightmares and waking up late at night. She was tired of thinking Blake could have died. She was tired of thinking about her traitor of a partner. She was tired of her own existence. And she was tired of not being able to live without Blake by her side.
"Blake.."
*punch*
"Why did you leave?"
*punch*
"We could've gotten through this together, but you had to fucking leave!"
As these thoughts crossed Yang's mind, her punches' force increased. Tears started to roll down her face, falling on the ground of her house's particular training room. With the force and the frequency of the punches, wounds started to open and bleed on her hand.
"I hate you, Blake Belladonna! I hate you with every inch of my soul! I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU!", Yang yelled as she threw punches at the poor object, not caring if her agonized screams would wake her father up. Yang dropped to her knees and started to cry loudly, her sobs echoing through the entire room. "D-Damn it, B-Blake… Why did I have to l-love you so much?"
Yang heard her father enter the room and rush to her. He hugged her tightly to his chest, saying everything would be okay. "He knows it won't be okay. He was abandoned just like me… But he has to lie to make me feel better. He's my father after all…", Yang thought to herself as she hugged him back.
"Daddy… Why did she do this to me? Am I not enough? Am I weak? Why did she leave me? She was my everything… I gave up going after my sister for her and she just leaves me! Why? She's just like mom… Just l-like… mom…", Yang erupted in sobs again. Her comments took Taiyang aback. He pulled away from her and forced her to look into his eyes.
"Yang, I can't change the past. And I regret every day of my life for not going after your mother. Then, if Blake is so important to you, you must go after her. You must find her and make things work out. I was able to move on, but Raven was still my first love… And I can't let you just sit around and loose yours!", Tai said with a determination Yang had never seen in her entire life.
"B-but how? I'm still, you know…", Yang lifted up the remaining part of her arm. Taiyang sighed and closed his eyes, making Yang look at him with curiosity. "Dad?"
Taiyang walked to one of the lockers where they kept their things. The man took out a white fancy box that read her name in golden letters. Under her name, there was a written that said "from the Schnee Dust Company and the Atlesian Army. And Weiss.". Yang smiled a little bit, knowing what it must be. Of course Weiss would use her privileges to help a friend in need. After getting to know the heiress better, Yang knew somehow she wouldn't let her loss of arm pass in blank.
"I was planning on giving you this in the morning, because when it arrived, you were already sleeping. But the circumstances made me decide that it's better giving it to you now…", Taiyang smiled excitedly, giving the box to his daughter. "Go on, open it!"
Yang opened the box slowly, as if she were afraid of what was inside. When she finally removed the cover, her eyes widened. Yang touched the object. The prosthetic arm looked like a real arm. The synthetic skin was soft to the touch and it looked like it was made with her exact measures. There was a little piece of paper. She got it and started to read.
"Hello there, you oaf.
This arm was designed to be compatible with your aura. It receives you neural transmissions, obeying any order you give it. The thing is able to connect itself with your bloodstream, so you can actually feel it. Fireproof, waterproof, bladeproof, but it's obviously not Yangproof. So don't you break it, because it took me an entire year and basically made my dad get his shit all over me to make it. If you break it, I'll hunt you down and rip you other arm out.
Love,
Weiss Schnee."
Yang laughed at the note. Weiss was the same as always. Cold, but with a warm heart. At last she hadn't changed. At least she still had a friend…
Yang put on her new arm. At first, she screamed out in pain as it connected to her stump. Her aura started to flow through the newly added arm. Before some seconds of pain, Yang finally was able to move it. She closed the artificial hand into a fist, and threw punches in the air. She jumped to her feet and started to punch the red punching bag. She could feel it. She could feel the blood running through the artificial veins. She could feel her fist connecting to the punching bag. She could feel everything. She turned to her dad, smiling.
"Let's go find Blake!"
Back to Vale
Blake looked into the taller figure's eyes, shock and fear making their way into her mind. "I have to run. I have to get out of here. RUN, BLAKE! BE THE SCARED LITTLE KITTEN YOU'VE ALLWAYS BEEN!", Blake's mind yelled those cruel words at her, but she couldn't move.
"Who are you?", Blake asked. "What do you want from me?"
"Well, my dear. I'm Raven Branwen. And as I said, I want to talk."
"Branwen… But that's…"
"Qrow's last name. What makes me Yang's mother. Bravo, Blake! You really are a clever girl!", Raven said in a mocking tone. She clapped as an ironic laugh left her lips. Blake clenched her teeth as she reached for Gambol Shroud.
"So you are the bitch who left Yang when she was only a baby?"
"And you are the bitch who left her when she lost her arm?", Raven replied, and Blake was taken aback by that. "Sincerely, I expected more from you…" With that said, Raven sat on the rooftop and patted the place beside her. Blake looked around and then walked to Raven's side and sited.
"What do you mean, 'you expected more from me'?", Raven sighed at Blake's question.
"Blake, I didn't leave Yang and Tai for no reason. I was assigned to a mission. A dangerous one. I had to infiltrate myself in the White Fang and find out if they were really a peaceful organization or if they were up for something big. And for that, I had to leave my friends, my family, my own daughter. As I got deeper and deeper into the Fang's secrets, I found out a greater source of power, the mother of all Grimm and all evil in this world. Salem. I thought I could hunt her down, but she predicted my actions. She turned me into her slave, her pawn. She said that if anyone ever found her location, she would kill the ones I loved. I couldn't let this happen. Then, I hided myself into the shadows and watched over my family. Meanwhile, I convinced Black Taurus to train you alongside with his son. I never said anything, but my real intentions were to create some kind of protector for my child. I influenced everything in my favor. Until… Until Summer decided to go after me. She told everybody she was going on a mission to find Grimm, but her true intentions were to bring me back to my old home. I didn't notice her presence… And then, she jumped into on of my portals with me…", at this point, tears began to run down th older woman's sad face, shocking Blake.
"What happened?"
"She died!", Raven screamed at Blake's face, making the Faunus' ears twitch. "Sum did because of me… I still remember her screaming in pain as Salem attacked her. I still remember her running her bloodied fingers through my face as I got her dying body in my arms… She was my partner. My everything. And I lost her. Then, I started to trail out of my way. I accompanied Yang with my bird form, too afraid she would end up just like Sum did. Until I saw you with her. I told Qrow that I wouldn't save her again. In a really harsh way, to keep her far from me. I trusted in your skills and in your consideration for my daughter to keep her away from danger. But, well, you met up with something… Someone, who was not under you or anybody else's control. Adam Taurus. The fruit of a raped young girl. My older son."
Shock took Blake on more time. This explained how Adam and Yang had so much in common. Their semblance, their temper, even their way of act sometimes. Even though Yang was gentler and, well, nicer to her, they acted the same way towards Blake sometimes, wanting to protect her and being able to kill or be killed if it would keep her with them. When Blake was going deeper in thought, Raven took her attention again.
"Well, he almost killed the both of you that night. I'm not here to say it was your fault or anything. I'm here to say I still count on you. Yang's not doing well. I've been watching over her, and she's in a deep depression. Blake, I trust you to bring my daughter back to who she used to be. And to protect her. Can you do it? Please? I'm begging you. I can't protect her while I'm Salem's slave. You're my only and last option…"
"I will… Try.", was the only answer Blake managed to give.
"That's enough for me.", Raven smiled and threw a golden object at her. Blake caught it before it fell. It was… Ember Celica! "Farewell, Blake Belladona. Your parents would've been proud of you." And with that, Raven disappeared into a portal. Blake smiled and looked to the golden weapon.
"Thank you, Raven…"
Two days later
"Blaaaaaaaaake! Damn it, you stupid cat, I know you're here!", Yang yelled angrily, making Blake frozen in her place in the rooftop "How…How did she find me?". Then, a wry little smile crossed her lips. "Maybe she just decided to take a cat nap and isn't listening to me."
Blake groaned at her partner's pun. She took sometime analyzing the figure. Yang was different from the time they had last seen each other. She was wearing black jeans that showed off perfectly her toned legs and her usual brown boots. The unzipped black jacket revealed a yellow shirt that carried the blonde's symbol right in the middle. The blonde mess of hair was contained in a ponytail. It wasn't a normal thing for Yang, and it scared Blake a lot, even though it revealed a lot more of her neck and…"Stop, Blake. It's not time to think about your desires".
As the Faunus cat's eyes moved to the girl's face, she winced. Yang's eyes were covered by dark circles, revealing she hadn't slept for a long time. Yang's expression was sad, and Blake felt something fall in her stomach. Then, her eyes went to the point she didn't want to see and found… Yang's full right arm? But how was that possible? She saw…
Blake's confusion was interrupted when she heard growls. Grimm. An Ursa, to be more specific. It was making it's way to Yang's undefended back. Without hesitation, Blake jumped in the monster's back as Yang turned her head to look at it. As the Ursa fell to the ground, Blake looked down.
"Blake…?", Yang trailed off. She analyzed her partner's look. Blake looked terrible. She had cuts all over her uncovered skin, and Yang feared she had even more under her remaining dirty clothes. The bow that used to hide her ears was nowhere to be found and Blake's face looked tired and had some cuts too.
Yang felt sorry for judging Blake, but it didn't last long, as rage filled her chest and ran through her body.
"Why did you leave me?", Yang screamed as loud as she could manage. "We were partners! Teammates! Friends! And it all fell apart because of you! So tell me Blake! Was it worth it?!"
"Yang, I…", Blake couldn't find words. She felt guilt make it's way into her heart. She felt like she was going to cry. But she had cried so much throughout this year that she wasn't sure if she still had tears. She watched a red eyed Yang walk to her.
"Oh, you are wordless? As wordless as the day you left me alone?"
"You weren't alone. You had Ruby"
"Oh, yeah.", Yang laughed in irony. "Ruby. She left with the remaining members of JNPR. She left me like my mother did. Like you did. Like everybody else did. So tell me, Blake Belladona. Why. Did. You. Leave me?
"…You didn't need me." And that was what made Yang lose it. She concentrated all her strength at her robotic arm and slapped Blake, making the brunette fall to the ground. She touched her mouth, seeing blood when she looked at it. Blake traveled her eyes to Yang's face and flinched when she saw the saddest and angriest expression she had ever seen. Yang had her jaw set and tears rolling out of her red eyes. And right in the middle of it all, Blake saw disappointment. And it hurts. Damn, it hurts.
"How could I not need you, Blake? All I've been dreaming about all these months is you. All I wanted was to have you by my side again. Shit, Blake, every single night I dream of how you could have died! Of how many different ways that bastard could've killed you! Now tell me Blake, how could I not need you?"
"You don't need a person who will always put you in danger and hurt you. You need someone who will keep you safe, who won't leave you, and who doesn't have an psycho of an ex boyfriend!", Blake yelled as she pulled herself up and looked straight into Yang's eyes. "You need someone better than me."
"Blake, I'm honestly disappointed. After all we've been through, after I followed you into your darkness and pulled you out of there when you were obsessed with fighting against Torchwick and the Fang, after I trusted you with one of my biggest and darkest secrets and fears, after we fought together, after we turned and partners, and after I lost my arm for you, do you really think that there would be someone I'd want more than you? That I'd value more than you? Blake, I'd lose my other arm and even my own life if it means I'd be able to keep you safe. And I would not give a fuck!"
Blake tensed up at the mention of Yang's lost arm, and a question crossed her mind, but before she could say anything, Yang interrupted her thoughts.
"Blake, please. Tell me why you left me. Am I not strong enough for you? Is that the reason everybody leaves me? Am I a burden for you? Blake… Please… Why…?", Yang asked, her sobs getting louder and louder as she hit a wall with her back to it. The blond slid until she was sitting in the dirty ground, her head buried in her knees. "Please…"
Blake couldn't take it anymore. Seeing Yang in such a condition killed her and the cold dagger that she felt cutting through her heart deepened itself even more, eating her soul. She couldn't let Yang stay like this. Blake needed her sunshine back.
Blake knelt and took Yang's hands on her own, bringing her partner's attention to her. She smiled sadly and helped Yang to her feet.
"Come with me, Yang. It's not safe to talk here." A Grimm's roar echoed from a parallel street to prove her point. Blake guided Yang in a walk of five minutes until they found themselves in front of a half demolished house. They entered it as Yang's eyes traveled all over the place. The construction looked like those old haunted houses that she used to see in the terror movies she used to watch with Ruby and Uncle Qrow when they were younger. Cobwebs were placed everywhere and black spiders walked through the walls. That was bad. Yang hated spiders. And Blake knew it. "Fuck, Blake. Why must you do this to me?".
"Don't worry. We're staying on the second floor. I've been hiding here for a while. I was heading to Beacon to get you weapon back, so when you got a prosthetic arm, you'd already have it. So, here it is." With it, Blake threw Ember at Yang. The brawler looked at Blake with questioning eyes.
"H-How…?"
"I was almost getting to the school when a bird crossed my way and gave it to me." Yang laughed at the cat's answer, and when Blake gave her a cold glare, she knew it was true and that she had no right to go against it. They walked silently in the stairs that gave access to the second floor of the house. It was in a better condition, with an almost clean bed, no spiders and a clean floor.
Blake sited on the bed and patted the space beside her, giving Yang permission to take it. The blond obeyed, sitting beside her partner, but maintaining a certain distance so Blake would feel comfortable enough.
"So…?", Yang said eagerly, making Blake sigh. "Why did you leave?"
"When I was fighting Adam, my old partner and the man who stabbed me and cut your arm off, he told m that my dream of equality and peace was impossible, and that he understood, because all h wanted was, well, me." Blake said, disgusted. "And he told m that he would destroy everything I lov… Everything I cared about, and then you appeared. Damn, Yang. He said he would start with you. It scared the hell out of me..."
Blake turned her face away, not wanting Yang to see the tears that started rolling down her face.
"I saw it all in slow motion. He stabbed me. I screamed in pain. You saw us. And then… Then you…", a sob escaped the Faunus' lips as her voice cracked. Yang wanted to comfort Blake, but she didn't find the strength to move her arms as Blake turned to her, those golden, beautiful pools shedding tears of pure sorrow. "I-It was a-all my fault! If I-I hadn't left the Fang, if I hadn't gone to B-Beacon, if I hadn't been born, none of this w-would have happened! I had to leave, Yang! If Adam thinks I don't care about Ruby, about Weiss, about you, he will leave you alone! I-I have to p-protect you, Yang… I need to protect you… Please, please let me protect you…" Blake's shoulders heaved with her sobs and agonized, hitched breaths. Yang hugged her tightly to her chest, burring Blake's head into her shoulder with one hand and rubbing the trembling girl's back with the other. "Shit, Blake… Is this all you've been through on your own? Blaming yourself for my reckless act? Being away only to protect me and the others? Oh, Blake…"
"Shh…", Yang whispered in the cat ears. "I'm here, I'm okay. We're okay. It's not your fault, don't cry. Don't blame yourself…"
"H-How can I-I not blame m-myself? You lost your arm, you lost your happiness, you almost lost y-your sanity because of m-my selfishness. I-It's a-all my f-fault and-"
Blake's self loathing speech was interrupted by soft lips touching hers hardly, making her shut up immediately and pull away in shock. Yang looked to the ground, her face a dark shade of red, matching her ears.
"Sorry. My dad always told me the best way to shut someone up when they're saying shit is to kiss them…" Yang's blush darkened and Blake couldn't help but think it was tremendously cute. "Damn, Yang, you'll kill me someday. But I think it's a better time than any to tell you my feelings."
"Yang, I…"
"Blake…!", Yang looked awkwardly to the ground as they spoke together. "You, um… You can say it first."
"No, Yang. It can wait." Yang breathed hardly and began speaking.
"Blake, all of our time at Beacon, I've admired you. Even if I called you a lost cause back at our first night at the Academy, I developed a great admiration for you. And as we turned into partners and friends, I started to see you from a different angle. You always were much more than a cat Faunus for me, Blake. Even if I made bad puns or tried to annoy you with them, what I was doing was not to get the others to burst out into loud laughter. No. It was the small smile that you would let appear involuntarily and that I never failed to get. I thought about it as just a simple friendship act, but as the days and weeks passed, I felt a force dragging me to you. And every time I saw you with Sun, it hurt me so much. But I forced a smile for you. Because I wanted you to be happy. I still remember our dance, Blake. It flt so good to have you in my arms, but then I had to let you go. I tried to convince myself it was nothing. That we were friends. But I couldn't. And when I saw you there, lying in the ground and with a creep red haired man pulling a sword out of you, I felt numb. I couldn't listen to anything, I couldn't see anything. The only thing I knew was that I had to save you. And you ended up saving me. And I felt so empty these last months without you that I forgot what it was like to actually feel something. I tried to hate you. I tried hard not to care about you, but I couldn't. Because I love you, Blake Belladonna. And fuck Adam, fuck Sun, fuck anybody else. I just love you with every inch of my being! And even if you don't love me ba- mnph"
Yang was interrupted by Blake's hands cupping her cheeks and lips being pressed to hers. Initially, shock filled her, but as Blake started to deepen the kiss, Yang gave in, wrapping her arms around the other Huntress' waist. Blake felt her partner's tongue asking, begging for permission as it pressed itself in her teeth. The brunette gladly accepted, melting even more into Yang's arms as they fought for dominance. Yang was nothing like Adam. She was love. She was the light. She was Blake's safe spot. Her beacon of hope. "Guess she's the Yang to my Yin", Blake smiled in the kiss as she thought of this little pun. After some minutes, they finally pulled away, their lungs begging for a little of oxygen.
"I hope… That action spoke more than words…", Blake said as she buried her head into Yang's chest to hide her blush. Yang smiled at the cat's cuteness and petted her ears.
"Absolutely, kitten."
"Don't call me that."
"Okay…Kitten." Blake sighed, knowing that now that Yang had created this nickname, she would never let go of it.
"So, Yang…" The Faunus called and looked at Yang's eyes. "Can you forgive me?"
"Well, Blake. I still feel a little down that you didn't stay with me. But I can and I will forgive you. Just… Give a little time to me."
"I… See.", Blake said as she sadly pulled away and started to get up. Yang immediately grabbed her wrist and gave her a quick kiss.
"You silly cat, I told you to give a little time for me to forgive you completely, not to be my girlfriend."
"So you… I… We…?"
"Yes, Blake. We're dating.", Yang looked to the ground. "Well, only if you want to, because if you don't, there's no problem with that and-" Yang felt Blake's lips pressing against hers one more time.
"Of course I want to date you, my sunshine."
"Geez, Blake. Already giving me cheesy couple nicknames?", Yang smiled mockingly to her, making Blake blush and slap her right arm. "Ow, Blake! Only because it's robotic doesn't mean your slaps don't hurt!"
"Sorry", Blake muttered under her breath and pouted. "Oh, that's a one in a lifetime thing. Must keep it in the memory of Yang teasing system…". "And you were the one who called me 'kitten', so I have my rights!"
"Okay, okay. I surrender." Yang lifted her arms in defeat. "What do you think about getting some sleep? I guess the both of us need it…
Blake's yawn was enough to Yang assume she agreed. She led her girlfriend to the bed and laid first, kicking off her shoes and getting under the covers. Yang lifted them with one arm so Blake could join her. The cat entered the empty space in front of her partner, accepting the loving embrace of the blonde's strong arms, pressing her head deeper into Yang's chest.
"I always thought you liked Sun…", Yang whispered.
"I did. But I also liked you. And after almost losing you, I realized Sun was only a schoolgirl crush and you were much deeper.", Blake confessed. "I love you, Yang."
"And I love you, Blake." Yang smiled as she pressed her face into Blake's head. "Good night, Blakey"
"Hhmm", was Blake's answer. It didn't last long until Yang was snoring peacefully, bringing a smile to Blake's lips. Her ears twitched as she heard a raven's crawl outside, making her smile widen.
Don't worry, Raven. I will protect our sunshine.
The End