Chapter Four: Embrace
Kali wasn't sure exactly how long she slept… she was grateful she'd had the chance to sleep at all after the night she'd had. She was still quite exhausted, but whatever time she'd spent in the comfortable bed asleep had resuscitated her, if only slightly. Though she wasn't quite sure what she should devote her attention to now, save helping to repair the damage to the house and taking stock of their supplies, depending on how long Blake and her friends would be pursuing their chase.
Though first she'd have to find some way out from under the arms holding her in place now… assuming, of course, she actually wanted to.
Kali could turn herself only slightly to look at Yang, who as near as Kali could tell had fallen asleep at some point too. It had been a very sweet gesture on the younger woman's part, and had provided exactly the help Kali had needed at the time. Though with the way Yang had embraced her, Kali did… wonder about a few things.
Yang had seemed noticeably affectionate with her sister Ruby and their teammate Weiss. When Blake went to rejoin her friends after the Battle of Haven, there'd been a brief moment's hesitation before she knelt down to embrace her friends. Kali couldn't help but observe, noting to how many sets of eyes moved to Yang and waited for her to render a judgment before Blake could join in their group hug. And while Yang hadn't seemed noticeably distant with Blake after Adam's return –with her vitriol mostly directed at the green-eyed farm boy and the weird drunk huntsman- Blake's decision to leave Yang behind had seemed…
Kali assumed then it was because Yang hadn't been able to stop Adam from killing Ghira; that Blake blamed her for it, for not arriving in time. And perhaps Yang had made such an effort on Kali's behalf to quell her own feelings of guilt. Whatever reconciliation Yang and Blake had made seemed undone less than a day later. If they had actually, truly reconciled in the first place.
Blake was so full of guilt upon her return to Menagerie, and Kali thought –as was corroborated by Sun- it was simply because she'd left her friends. It was understandable she felt guilty because she'd left her friends behind in dire straits. It was a terrible burden to bear.
But between what she'd seen, what tiny hint she'd discerned in their body language and the time that passed between their actions –and now how Yang's arms tightly slung over her- Kali was beginning to wonder if perhaps it wasn't friendship that had been damaged by Blake's actions before. She was starting to think there may have been more to it.
She thought… no, she knew Sun was interested in her daughter. He hadn't disguised his intentions at all, and Kali was quite fond of his direct and blunt nature. But he also hadn't pushed his feelings to the surface, hadn't brought them up to Kali nor expressed them to Blake -while staying at the Belladonna home and on the boat trip over- beyond attempts to be supportive and helpful. Kali had thought he was simply taking things slowly, or perhaps saving his feelings for a better time and place, after Adam had been repelled and Haven saved from his aggression. Now Kali was beginning to suspect that he may have been holding back –at least since they arrived in Mistral- not only because of circumstance, but because he wasn't the only one who may have had more complex feelings for her daughter. And Sun had done everything he could to prod Blake back towards her teammates, so perhaps he was content with not having those feelings returned.
And perhaps Yang was the same, if she'd never brought it up…
Though those thoughts soon gave way to another thing Kali noticed: Yang was quite warm. Really warm. Save for the cold metal of her right arm, Yang's body was burning hot pressed up against her. Kali soon started looking for a method of sliding out from under Yang's grip that wouldn't wake the poor girl, but Yang's grip was very tight. That had been quite comforting and reassuring when Kali had tried to get to sleep, but now it was quite an impediment to her escaping the comfortable bed. She tried to use her smaller frame and wiggle her way out from Yang's grasp, but without even waking Yang simply pulled Kali closer.
Ghira had often done the same, without ever waking. And Kali in turn often put an arm over her husband without ever waking up. Kali didn't think people did such things unconsciously when it wasn't done for someone they… at the least, cared enough about to cradle in their arms in the first place.
Still, a question for later. Kali shifted herself back to face Yang, reaching a hand over to wake her, pausing abruptly with her palm before Yang's face, inches from brushing her skin.
Where should she touch? How should she try and wake the girl? What should she say?
Kali eventually moved her hand to Yang's left shoulder, gently prodding her there. The blonde slowly stirred, blinking a few times as her lilac eyes met Kali's yellow ones. For several seconds they just looked at each other.
Eventually, however, Yang did relax her grip and withdraw her arms from Kali, rolling onto her back and putting some distance between them. Yang looked up towards the ceiling and inquired: "You doing any better?"
"Much, thank you," Kali assured her.
Yang reached into her pocket and took out her Scroll. She took a glance at the time and abruptly sat up, sliding off the mattress. "I should go and relieve Weiss. I'm sure she hasn't had much fun waiting around by herself."
"Yes… of course," was all Kali managed to say in reply as she watched Yang depart. Kali waited a few moments before she sat up, stepping to the door to peek back into the house. Yang stepped out into the front room and started talking to Weiss with the same ease as before, transitioning straight back into the chummy, caring girl she was around her teammates.
And once more Kali had to wonder… why exactly Yang wasn't quite the same person around Blake.
"Well, that was a bust," Oscar mused, Qrow still fuming and using some of his favorite four letter words in rapid succession.
"I thought these guys would do anything for money," Qrow blithely muttered. "They really think trying to travel to Atlas is so dangerous?"
"Well, with so many of their huntsmen dead, General Ironwood closing the borders, and rumblings of war reaching everywhere in the kingdom, I'm sure even smugglers are looking for somewhere else to flee to," Oscar suggested, mostly relaying Ozpin's thoughts rather than expressing his own. "Let me guess: he balked when you told him how many he'd be shipping."
"Never even got that far," Qrow replied, pulling out his flask and interrupting his recounting for a stiff (and prolonged) drink. "I told him 'Atlas' and that was that. I thought I could bring him in when I started flashing a few of my Lien cards at him, but no dice."
"Well, there are doubtlessly others who'll be easier for us to sway," Oscar suggested. "I'm sure there are some criminals reckless enough to take their ships towards a war zone…if we pay them well enough."
"Or remind them things aren't going to be much better around here in a good few weeks," Qrow added between shots from his flask.
"While we should certainly… be aware of the possibility, I'm not sure we should raise that idea to them," Oscar replied, again speaking for Ozpin. "It might cause undue panic, given how quickly word has spread already."
"And will again once they know what's going on with the White Fang," Qrow agreed. "I wish we'd known about that kid Adam before, so we wouldn't be in this mess… I should've taken him out myself after what he did to Yang."
"It would seem the prudent course," Oscar nodded, Ozpin more or less speaking through the boy's mouth without quite asserting control. "But then again, the boy could also distract Salem… make her believe the relic has remained in this kingdom and make her waste resources here just as she has at Beacon."
"You don't think Ruby and her friends will find him?" Qrow inquired.
"I hope they do, and that they're able to resolve things quickly," Oscar answered. "I hope they capture him or incapacitate him and we don't have to be concerned about the White Fang's internal power struggle any longer. But if they don't we should allow ourselves to see an upside."
"Yeah, you are pretty good about that," Qrow conceded. "Guess we'll have to take what victories we can get."
"We have the advantage at the moment and we should continue to press it," Oscar replied. "I don't want us getting bogged down in internal kingdom politics when so much more is at stake. Surely we can agree that preventing war between Atlas and Mistral and securing the relic from Salem is a higher priority than avenging one man's murder."
"You really think you can convince Jimmy to take his finger off the button?" Qrow asked.
"I think if I can't we will have far bigger problems than Adam Taurus and the White Fang," was Oscar's dry response.
"Anything?" Blake asked her Scroll.
"Nope," was Ruby's response from somewhere in the forested regions outside the kingdom walls. "But it's been slow going. We've had to be wary about a small herd of Grimm and we kept our heads down for about half an hour. If this guy is half as bad as he seems to be, we thought the Grimm would be drawn right to him."
That would make things too easy. No matter how terrible Adam's spite, his fury was no doubt cold and focused enough to not be the raw emotion that would draw the Grimm. As reckless as his actions may have seemed the previous night, he'd still been rational enough to retreat after he struck. He was still abiding by his usual tactics.
"Keep looking," Blake replied. "We're still a ways off from the Mistral headquarters. I'll call you again when we get there."
She looked over at Ilia and Sun out ahead of her, deliberately moving at a slow pace. They didn't want to leave too much of a gap between themselves and Blake, traveling in a tight formation in case Adam decided to intervene and pick one of them off.
Ilia had the best sense of his tactics after Blake, and Sun had deferred to her judgment. Whatever power Adam may have gained, if he was observing their approach he hadn't decided it was worth his time to fight all three of them at once.
Blake didn't want to be away any longer than necessary. Much as she was not looking forward to meeting with Adam again, Blake wanted to stop him and put an end to his rampage once and for all so no one else could be hurt.
She'd seen him hurt enough. She'd allowed it to happen often enough to keep her up at night, and wondering if her father might've been spared if she'd simply invested her efforts into capturing him during the Battle of Haven…
Blake shook her head and pressed ahead, every bit as cold in her focus as her quarry.
Kali tried not to disturb Yang while she was actively guarding the lamp she'd retrieved from Haven, instead shifting her focus to Weiss Schnee and making inroads there, so they could at least have a cordial relationship. She initiated conversation by expressing her surprise at her daughter's friendship with the (she later learned former) heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, and it didn't take long for Weiss to open up a bit more, creating a clearer picture of the dynamics between the four girls and their team.
Kali was quite the practiced conversationalist –after hosting nearly everyone in Menagerie who needed the Chieftain's ear at one time or another- and expertly transitioned into a different topic, offering her assistance in fixing Weiss's top and patching the hole left from her recent wound. While slowly sewing the fabric back together, Kali shifted the conversation back to Team RWBY and their adventures at Beacon, with a particular emphasis on Blake.
Blake and Weiss had clashed during their first semester after Blake unintentionally revealed her former membership in the White Fang but the two were able to work past their issues quickly enough, eventually working together quite well in battle, most notably when they fought on the ground during the fall of Beacon. But that was getting ahead and Kali gently transitioned Weiss back to the interim during the second semester, where Blake had been dealing with some more personal issues regarding herself, the White Fang, the Faunus, and her growing obsession with a Vale criminal named Roman Torchwick.
Weiss was an intelligent and socially capable girl; she recognized that Kali was probing her for information. But she didn't gleam much past that and seemed understanding why Kali wanted to hear more about her daughter and whatever troubles she'd suffered through. Weiss hadn't caught on to what Kali was digging for, and seemed only too happy to enlighten her about the girls' friendship with Blake.
Unfortunately, Weiss didn't share anything to confirm Kali's suspicion. She did however mention that Yang had persuaded Blake to go to a dance Yang and Weiss had organized after having a long talk with her, which may have been relevant… except Blake went to that dance with Sun instead. But then, Blake had also insisted her first dance should be with Yang, so maybe…
Kali compared what Weiss had told her with what Sun had told her. She wished she had a chance to talk to Ruby as well, or maybe their other three friends who'd been staying in the next dorm. But the more Kali thought on it, the clearer it became who she needed to talk to.
Yang was just sitting by the open hole in the wall in what had once been Oscar's room, staring outside at the occasional passerby in the street. Weiss had seemed to prefer leaving up a tarp, but Yang was letting the afternoon light in. Her blonde hair seemed to shine brightly with the sun pouring through her locks, her whole head blazing and aflame in the light of day.
She wasn't sure how best to broach the subject. Or if she really had as good a reason to ask as she thought.
Kali took a moment to think things through. She was in a very malleable emotional state after what happened to her husband, and could have easily misinterpreted Yang's gesture –affectionate as it may have been- and seen something the poor girl never intended. And Yang being upset with her partner leaving in her time of need didn't have to be any more complicated than it sounded. She may have been looking for something that simply wasn't there.
Then she looked back at Yang and the distant, forlorn look in her eyes and wondered if… maybe…
Kali shifted her attention to Yang's hair. It had been hard to see with so much sunlight, but she still had a few split ends left that Kali hadn't had time to properly attend to before they went out to deliver tea to the guards… it'd give them both something to do to pass the time and a chance to talk to her again.
Later. When she wasn't so dedicated to working and switched off with Weiss again.
Kali finished her stitching, acknowledging Weiss might have a slightly tighter fit now but at least wouldn't be walking around with two big holes in her outfit. Weiss was more than grateful, and the two spent some time discussing the adventures of Team RWBY at Beacon, as Weiss explained how they had originally considered sending Blake ahead to the doubles round of the Vytal Festival tournament in recognition of her defeat of Roman Torchwick, but Blake had modestly declined and suggested Weiss go in her place.
Kali would've loved to see her daughter participate in the festival a second time, but that quiet deflection sounded like Blake to her. Though it did make Kali wonder why she didn't want to fight another battle at her partner's side…
Adam hadn't had much time to savor Sienna's throne. The fact he still considered it Sienna's rather than his own was proof enough of that. Still, he could sit it and enjoy knowing he reigned over the White Fang, even if at the moment it seemed all he commanded was a dark and empty room.
His most loyal followers had already been captured by the Mistral police. Adam considered breaking them out and inviting them to assist him, but they had already faltered during the attack on Haven. To release them now and invite them back into the fold would be to reward their failure, and logical as it may have been to bolster his numbers before inviting Blake and her friends into his trap, he was confident that others would answer their leader's call.
Word had undoubtedly spread of his retreat, and there were many witnesses who would corroborate that particular ignominious moment. But there were many more who would speak of him slaying Ghira Belladonna in single combat, and that would quickly overwhelm any other piece of news the Faunus would share with each other.
That might put a few in opposition to him, of course. He certainly hadn't expected so many from Menagerie to back the Belladonnas, nor accept their claim he'd killed Sienna Khan… but then, part of his own credibility, part of the reason Adam had been named a regional leader in Vale was because Blake Belladonna fought beside him. He wasn't such a fool as to think people followed him because they liked him: many even in his own inner circle thought him a bloodthirsty madman, but one they shared enough ideology with to tolerate and fight alongside.
But those who'd answer his call… it wasn't warriors he needed now. It was fast runners and clear speakers who'd change the fate of the White Fang and ensure that the right message spread across the continent and reached the Faunus.
A human huntsman who'd requested a meeting with Sienna Khan the same day she'd been killed had later been present for the Battle of Haven and for some reason had decided not to fight against Ghira Belladonna and the army he brought with him from Menagerie. He left Adam and his small force of White Fang to bravely face down long odds… while their plan was undone by a defector from his inner circle working on behalf of the Belladonnas.
He'd have to frame things carefully, pointing out how Ghira Belladonna had no apparent difficulty fighting against his fellow Faunus despite his insistence on peaceful protest when dealing with humans actively oppressing them, and that Adam had attempted to complete his mission even at the cost of his own life as well as sacrifice the seven soldiers he'd brought along with him… that the new High Leader would always lead from the front rather than sit behind the lines like Sienna Khan or hide away, content to rule over an island like Ghira Belladonna.
This would create confusion in the short term, and he'd lose weeks or months putting his house in order tracking down every last traitor and failure, eliminating every weak link in the chain…
But it wouldn't matter if he had Blake again. The struggle would not be so difficult if he could have the missing piece of his soul she'd stolen on her way out. She'd never love him again, but once she was broken completely she'd relinquish what she'd taken from him and he'd be whole again and once he'd conquered the Belladonnas and grown beyond their name no one would challenge his rule again.
He didn't need to kill all of Blake's little friends. He only really needed to kill two others…
Ilia Amitola, for betraying him and robbing his mission of success. Even those opposed to Adam's rule as High Leader would agree he had to rid himself of the traitor and punish her for that defiance.
And Kali Belladonna, so there'd never again rise another with her name. Blake would be the last of her line and in thrall to him, and no one would dare hope for the founders of the White Fang to reclaim the throne they passed to Sienna and he now sat upon.
He heard them approach from the darkness… many of them wretches, some with nowhere else to go, several who followed Adam to sate their own vices and knowing Ghira's peace loving rhetoric would deny them their pleasures.
Murderers, opportunists, zealots, and discarded fodder… a motley collection returning to him because he was the only choice they had.
They'd do well enough in spreading the word. And those who served him well would see the glorious destiny he had in mind for the Faunus and for Mistral…
War was on the horizon, he heard. And if it wasn't as close as people whispered, the White Fang could easily bring it closer.
When Yang and Weiss switched off again the former used the opportunity to clean herself up. She'd woken late in the night from a bad dream, then chased after Adam, then slept on a mattress for a few hours all without ever stopping to shower. Her hair was a mess of sweat and matted strands and split ends and Yang very much wanted to rectify that. Once Weiss settled into guard duty, Yang made a beeline for the washroom and set at once to a refreshing bit of water.
She detached her arm and set to work. Even though the Atlas tech had proven itself water safe, she'd gotten into the habit of going through her motions one-handed. That was her new muscle memory, and what she set to do cleaning herself.
It made for a relaxing change, to simply shower and not think on all that had been troubling her recently. It also finally gave her a chance to fix all the little issues she was having with her hair, so there was another crisis that would be averted by her diligent efforts. She'd rather be out with Ruby and the others doing something useful, but she didn't mind the little indulgence fate had presented her with.
She stepped out from the shower after several minutes and set to the real work that awaited her. This would require two hands to get right without having to tie her hair up, and after selecting a suitable brush Yang went to collect her prosthetic arm.
She heard a tapping at the entrance to the bathroom. Yang whirled her head around as the door slowly creaked open, a familiar pair of dark furry ears poking through and then almost immediately retracting. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"
Yang wasn't usually one for modesty… she had never bothered to cover herself very much even when she barely knew her dorm mates at Beacon. But she was self-conscious about one aspect of herself in particular: she moved her towel to cover her right arm and the metal bolt that would connect the prosthetic. Yang cared far less about anything else that might've been seen, but for the sake of decency put her arm in place quickly and covered up a few other key areas. "It's okay. I'm just finishing up. Come on in."
Kali did eventually step through, clad in just a black towel. Yang had gained a pretty good sense of her form when she slept beside the older Faunus, but now without her baggy hakama and shrug and only a towel to conceal herself, Yang took in much more of her figure. She was a little shorter than Blake, but noticeably curvier. Yang suspected Blake would look quite similar… and she'd be lucky to age so gracefully.
Yang shook her head and tried not to think such thoughts. Instead she refocused her attention on her hair. Now that her prosthetic was back in place Yang set to work brushing, knowing she'd need several minutes before she was done… but hopefully Kali wouldn't be bothered sharing the space for a while, because the finishing touches were bound to keep Yang occupied a while.
Fortunately, Kali didn't seem to mind and stepped past Yang to the shower stall. She couldn't help but notice seeing Kali from behind in the reflection of the mirror, watching her bare back and shoulders exposed for a moment before quickly –and quite deliberately- returning her attention to her hair.
Yang hoped Kali was in the mood to treat herself so she could be finished before the Faunus woman reemerged. Unfortunately, her hair must've been worse off than she realized… or she just wasn't trying hard enough because no matter how frantically she brushed she didn't seem to be making much appreciable difference, and only became sloppier in her motions the more her frustration built.
She heard the water cease in the stall. Yang determinedly focused on her hair, but when Kali emerged Yang's eyes did briefly catch her reflection in the mirror. Yang tried to blame this hyperawareness on her Huntress training… or maybe her ongoing issues after her trauma. It'd make for a convenient excuse.
Yang remembered how she felt when she saw Blake for the first time, as she'd been when she first appeared in the world. She knew the feeling, the fluttery weightlessness in her chest. She knew it well because she was feeling it again.
Yang kept at it, brushing frantically, watching as a few strands fell from her head –normally an unforgiveable crime- but she needed to think of something besides the woman standing behind her and what she'd thought seeing that same woman's daughter. Kali was in the process of drying off and covering up, but that didn't make it any easier to look away, only easier to keep glancing back.
And then Yang felt a gentle hand reach over and grasp her wrist, a warm hand taking hold of cold metal. She couldn't blame those sharp Huntress instincts now – she'd been caught completely unaware.
Kali reached up and coaxed the brush from Yang's hand. Kali set to work in a two-pronged motion, holding the wet blonde strands with one hand and gently pruning the rest with Yang's brush, eradicating the split ends with a one-two punch. Yang stood stiff, just watching as Kali easily solved the problem that had assailed her, the older woman humming to herself as she fixed Yang's hair with ease.
Yang had been surprised at Kali's boldness before when the problem assailed her late in the night, and was still quite unused to letting someone else touch her precious hair. She'd known Kali for less than a single day, and already she was comfortable enough to entrust in her something Yang's teammates hadn't earned the right to do for months on end?
Well, no, clearly not comfortable, because she was still feeling so very off. But the longer she listened to Kali hum, the more she felt those fingers run through her hair, the easier it was for Yang to process… the less she focused on a beautiful woman who looked disturbingly similar to her ex-lover emerging from the shower.
That wasn't the memory haunting Yang's thoughts at all. The caress of those fingers and the gentle hum… it was a very different memory playing for her now.
If you won't let me cut it, the least you can do is let me fix it.
She'd been much smaller then. The mane of hair wasn't so wild, and the fingers running over her head were much larger. The woman fixing her hair was not tall, but she dwarfed Yang quite easily, and Yang loved to sit on her knee while she did her work.
There you are, my pretty little girl. You're lucky you can wear it so long.
Yang kicked her feet up and down, pleased that she approved. Yang turned to look back at her silver eyes and her smile as gentle as the fingers tending to her hair.
Now, what do you think of two tails? All the best dragons have tails.
Yang nodded and left her mother to her work, Summer slowly pulling the hair apart and finding a style that would fit for her daughter…
Yang snapped back to the present and Kali still hard at work. Kali seemed to be enjoying herself just as Summer had, and Yang was uncomfortably reminded of the night before… when the same thought passed her mind.
She was in need of a maternal influence. The time spent with her actual mother–no, her birth mother- had been quite personally devastating, and the way Kali tended to her now reminded Yang of better times and a better person reaching out to show her this kindness and affection.
But then, of course, were those thoughts about Blake, and how she'd longed to be held again, and someone who looked very much like Blake had been around to provide just that.
When Kali lowered her hands, apparently content with the work she'd done, Yang turned to meet her eye. At the time she meant to say a word of thanks, to express sincere gratitude for the efforts Kali had made on her behalf while having grace enough to avoid pointing out how Yang had made a fool of herself.
No words left her mouth. All she did was meet those eyes, a brighter yellow than Blake's… weathered by age, perhaps, but no less intense. No less entrancing.
Yang leaned closer. She felt Kali's breathing on her chin.
Then she drew back, stopping herself before instinct took over. Kali's eyes widened as she realized what Yang had very nearly done… and what her action –or inaction- had just revealed.
Yang tried to speak again. But all she could do was stare into those eyes. Blake's widened the same way when Yang leaned in to kiss her for the first time.
This was wrong; Kali had just lost her husband. She may have played up her strength to everyone else, but Yang had seen her vulnerability firsthand and shielded it from prying eyes. Yang wasn't the only one longing to be held. Kali may well have had something more innocent in mind, but she wasn't shunning the opportunity before her. She wasn't running from what fate had put in her path.
She should turn away, she should stop before she did something that would cost her… especially when for the briefest moment Kali had reminded Yang of the mother she'd wished to have, rather than the lover she'd lost.
She should… just…
Kali knew what she wanted now. What was the worst that could happen? That Kali never helped her with her split ends again?
Yang drew nearer again. She wouldn't force it to happen. But she wouldn't hesitate. She'd wait to see if Kali would run as her daughter had.
She held firm and did not retreat. Her eyes still held Yang's.
Yang leaned forward and embraced her, pushing her up to the bathroom wall. Kali was taken aback by her strength and fervor, but made no effort to stop Yang's push.
So Yang pushed things one step further.
She reached her left hand to Kali's cheek. Kali reached up and placed her palm flat against the back of Yang's hand.
Yang took one last lingering look into Kali's eyes, searching for any hesitation. Any doubt. She found none.
Yang leaned in close and kissed her, finally closing her eyes.
When they arrived they knew someone occupied the headquarters. The torches were lit, illuminating the throne room. They glanced around, searching in the shadows for him, expecting to be attacked from every side.
Blake saw him first, sitting brazenly upon Sienna's –upon his- throne. She narrowed her eyes and drew Gambol Shroud.
She'd brought two friends with her, including the traitor he needed to execute. As he expected, she'd done most of the work for him.
Adam stood up from his seat and smiled. "Welcome home, my love."