Blake picked at her breakfast sadly. She had returned to the dorm room the previous night to find her teammates all up waiting for her worriedly. She had avoided their questions once more, not wanting to try explaining what was wrong. It wasn't that she didn't trust them or that she thought they wouldn't understand. She just wasn't ready to talk about it.
Moving the cereal around in the bowl, she lifted the spoon and watched the white liquid drip off before going back to swirling it. She was still replaying the same questions as before with no answers and it was beginning to give her a headache. I just want to understand what I did wrong! She finally shouted to herself, standing angrily.
A hand came down on her shoulder and forced her to sit back down. Glancing up, the cat-Faunus found Yang giving her a hard look and shaking her head. Blake huffed and turned back to her food, beginning to swirl it around once more.
"Blake, you need to eat." Weiss told her, watching the motion of the spoon. "Your strength will decline and so will your health."
"I'm just not really hungry." Blake retorted.
"Hungry or not, you should still eat." Jaune piped up, glancing between the four women opposite his team.
"Please, Blake." Pyrrha said softly, reaching across the table to place a gentle hand on the one spinning the spoon. "We are worried about you. You may not want to tell us what's going on and we don't need to know, but please don't let it affect you this way."
Blake stared around at all of her friends, seeing the concern on their faces. Concern for me. She thought, feeling a small bit of warmth flicker in her chest. Sighing, she nodded and lifted the spoon to her mouth, finally beginning to eat. The two teams gave soft sighs of relief, thankful that something they had done had worked.
The rest of the day was spent with the combined RWYJNPR convincing Blake to pay attention in class, fight during combat class and eat during lunch and dinner. Weiss neared her breaking point with the number of times Blake zoned out during Ruby's scheduled Team Study Session, not wanting the brunette's grades to suffer. Blake finally sighed and set down her textbook, unable to focus on anything. Glancing over to the calendar, she felt her chest tighten at how close it was. A hand rose to her bow and untied it, amber eyes staring down at the black ribbon sadly.
Did you truly not care, Mother? A tear streaked down her cheek, leaving a scorching wet path that others quickly used to follow. Even then, did you never care about me? Why not give me to the Faunus orphanage when I was a baby? Why leave when… when I already had a connection with you? Standing, Blake hurried from the dorm room, not wanting to break down in front of her teammates.
Yang, Weiss and Ruby watched after her, the team leader eyeing the door glumly. "She still won't talk to us." Ruby sighed, laying her head on her arms.
"She was breaking down, sis." Yang pointed out, worry coloring her tone and visage. Her partner was hiding something painful. It had to do with her bow, of that, Yang was certain. Where did she get it? The brawler wondered.
"Perhaps it's too painful for her to talk about right now?" Weiss suggested uncertainly. She had no experience with understanding the emotions of others, so she was out of her element. However, as Blake was a team member and a friend, Weiss would still try to help any way she could.
"Maybe we should give her time." Yang told them, placing an arm around her sister's shoulders. "If it's a painful memory, then it would be hard for her to even think about. She'll tell us when she's ready." Her companions agreed and went back to their study session, pushing the pull in their chests to the side for now.
…
Cinder stared at the images on her scroll speculatively, examining every aspect of the one team that seemed to defy her each time she tried anything. There had been several Dust robberies since she, Emerald and Mercury had arrived on Beacon's grounds, but somehow, those four women always managed to interrupt it. And the hired goons Roman continued getting from the moron, Junior, were proving useless. Granted, the White Fang lackeys were hardly better, but at least they managed to work efficiently.
Sighing, the amber-eyed woman went back to the pictures, looking to the most recent Dust raid from last week. Many of the pictures were blurry due to the speed with which the women moved and Cinder had yet to have cameras installed. Motion cameras could be traced back to their owners and that simply wouldn't do for her plan. Gazing at an image of a brunette with a black blur atop her head, Cinder felt something familiar about the girl… something interesting…
Ah! Cinder thought triumphantly. That must have been where I recognized that girl yesterday from. She was part of the team of trainees that stopped Roman's last massive Dust raid. Hm, she certainly didn't look very big and strong from the way she was crouching the day before…
Shaking the thoughts loose, Cinder continued going through her scroll, checking over each image studiously as she looked over possible ways to get through the fighting of those trainees just in case they decided to interrupt once more. From the images, there was something off about the girl the day before. Her fighting was quite sloppy and a little slow.
Perhaps she is having trouble because of her emotions? Cinder wondered, noticing the blurred image with narrowed eyes. It infuriated her that the fighting had been so fast-paced that she hadn't gotten very many clear pictures and the camera hadn't been close enough to get a clear enough picture when the girl had been holding her blade to Roman's throat. Sighing, the amber-eyed woman continued her perusing, noticing that the blonde had quite an affinity for fire.
I wonder if that means that water will counter whatever-oh. She spotted an image of the imbecile, Junior, holding a piece of hair and the blonde's subsequent reaction. Perhaps water is not the best course of action then. She's very touchy about her hair…
Giving another sigh, the fire powered woman set her scroll aside and moved to the window, looking out over the campus. Nearly eleven years… she thought wistfully. If only I hadn't left her at home. Then I could have prevented that fire from spreading to her, hurting her… taking her from me.
A perfectly manicured hand closed and the resulting fist slammed into the windowsill. I was such a fool! I can't believe I left her at home for a protest. What kind of mother, no matter how young, leaves their child home alone?
Yellow eyes burned, but no tears fell, Cinder stopping them. No! It's not my fault. She was… she wasn't taken from me because of my neglect. The word brought a scoff as Cinder remembered just how protective she used to be. No, this was caused by someone else. Well, I wonder how Qrow will feel when I take his precious nieces from him. I'll be sure to make him feel every ounce of pain… After all, I've already taken Ozpin's family. General Ironwood didn't keep his family close enough, but I'll find his weak spot somehow. And Glynda…
Cinder snickered cruelly at the thought of the blonde Huntress who's life she had wreaked havoc on two years prior. She will continue to pursue me for what I did to her husband, but I refuse to be caught before my plan is finished. Soon, the king will understand why, though he is the most important piece, the queen is the most powerful. I'll show him my power. He'll pay, even if I have to take down that pretty little redhead to do it.
Ah, a bit of the past, one bit at a time being revealed. What do you think of this, alligators? Drop me a review and tell me what you think!
