Weiss reached out and took Blake's hand, and it was like someone exploded a trainful of Dust in Blake's brain. An incredible warmth spread across Blake's body, starting from that first contact and spreading over every fiber of her being, down to her fingers and toes. Something snapped into place somewhere in her soul, and Blake knew that she'd never face the world alone again, that there was one person who'd always be by her side. The effect faded, and Blake opened eyes she didn't remember closing to find Weiss looking back at her. "That was, that was..." Blake stammered; mere words couldn't describe the sensation.
"Yes," Weiss replied, just as much at a loss for words as Blake. The two of them stood there, grinning at each other like fools until Blake's father cleared his throat.
"I think these two need to spend some time getting to know each other. And I would suggest that this isn't the most private place to do it," Ghira added, looking around at the mixed reactions of the crowd.
"There's no way I'm letting my daughter-" Jacques began, only to have Weiss cut him off with a laugh.
"If you think I'm staying here after the way you treated me-"
"Mister Schnee, I don't know how you handle things here in Atlas, but in Menagerie, we have a healthy respect for the soulmate bond," Ghira rumbled, his arms crossed as he stared down Weiss's father. "Back. Off." He shook himself as he turned to smile at his daughter's new soulmate. "Weiss—may I call you Weiss?—I'd like to invite you to stay with us, at least for tonight. I imagine you and Blake have a lifetime of catching up to do."
"If it's okay..." Weiss glanced at Blake, hesitation in her voice. Blake nodded her agreement, and Weiss picked up her case. "Then, shall we?"
Ghira, Kali, Blake, and Weiss started down the hallway, Ilia coming up behind. "Sienna Khan wanted me to tag along with you, in case there's trouble. She also says the White Fang has weapons in the car, including my whip," the chameleon Faunus said as quietly as she could manage while jogging to catch up. "Nice to meet you. Weiss, right? Hopefully, you don't live up to your family's reputation."
"Ilia!" Blake hissed, even as Weiss shook her head. "It's fine. I think we're both going to have to deal with worst than that. And we'll talk about my father's opinions later. Not here."
No-one barred their path as they made their way quickly and quietly. Even the security guards stood out of their way, one of them going so far as to toss off a quick, "Good luck, miss," in Weiss's direction. Some of the other staff even waved and smiled in Weiss's direction. "You're popular," Ilia said with a frown, as one of the maids bowed in Weiss's direction, the white-haired girl nodding in return.
"I'm not the nicest person, but I'm better than my father or brother. You'd be amazed what simply saying 'Thank you,' on a regular basis will do. These are people, not property, no matter what my father thinks."
"And Faunus...?" Ilia asked, challengingly.
"Later, I said." Blake glanced at Ilia. Why was her friend being so hostile towards Weiss?
They reached the rented limousine without significant incident. Two men wearing White Fang masks were waiting next to the car. One of them handed Ilia her weapon, asking "Any trouble?" under her breath. Ilia shook her head even as she settled the whip into place on her back.
"None. The staff sure likes our little princess, though. What are Sienna Khan's orders?"
"Stay with them until you reach the Belladonna's townhouse. Proceed at your discretion after that."
Once they were safe within the car, Blake watched as Weiss visibly collapsed. She couldn't imagine the stress her soulmate had been under the past two days. Having to hide her soulfire, fearing her father's reaction? Planning an escape on no notice? Fighting her way through her own home to reach someone who might be an ally? Blake reached over and gave Weiss's hand a comforting squeeze, Weiss turning her head to regard Blake with a weak smile. "Thank you," Weiss whispered softly.
"So about that awkward conversation you said we'd have?" Ilia didn't turn her eyes from the window, watching for danger. "Considering you're sitting in a car with four Faunus, including your soulmate, you might want to figure out where you stand on that pretty quick?"
"Four?" Weiss asked, puzzled, making Ilia turn to face her as the chameleon girl shifted her skin, first to green, then red, black, and then back to her normal skin tone. "Oh. My apologies, I didn't realize."
"It's okay, sometimes it's pretty handy, being able to pass for human. Blake can hide her ears with a bow in her hair. That came in handy when we were in the White Fang together." Ilia gave Weiss a menacing grin before turning back to the window.
"I see." Weiss paused to consider her words carefully before continuing. "My family's company has been the target of White Fang attacks for years. I've seen our employees murdered, our facilities bombed, and our shipments stolen. Often, my father would come home furious. You can imagine this made for a very difficult childhood."
"Good," Ilia said, Blake shooting her a glare.
"So yes, I was raised to hate and fear Faunus, and the White Fang. But over the past couple of years, I've started to question that. My father's behavior, his treatment of me, has gotten worse." Unconsciously, one of Weiss's hands crept up to touch her cheek. "It led me to question a lot of things, including why the White Fang hated my family so much."
"That's it? Daddy smacks you around, so you start thinking he's wrong about things? That's all you have?"
"Ilia, there's no reason treat Weiss like that." Blake was getting more and more annoyed with her friend.
"No, she doesn't get it. For years, her family's been cheating Faunus workers out of their pay, cutting corners on safety and endangering our lives. My parents died because your daddy wanted to make an extra Lien, princess. And now you say you've seen the light? You're going to have to prove that, before I believe you, before a lot of Faunus believe you."
"She's not wrong." Weiss's voice was soft in the wake of Ilia's words. "You've got no real reason to trust me, any more than I have to trust you. But right now, I'm choosing to trust Blake, and I'm hoping she'll trust me. I'm not blind to my father's actions, and how they could ruin lives, but I also didn't have any control over them. But right here, right now, I'm matching my words with action.
"Blake, there are things you need to know. Because you're my soulmate, you have specific rights under Atlas law. For example, if I wanted to get married, you could deny me permission."
"What?" Now Ilia was staring at Weiss, her mouth open. "All she has to do is say no, and the wedding's off?"
"Yes. I am also legally required to give her sufficient notice before getting married, and if I got married without telling her, or giving her a chance to object, she can have it annulled on her word alone."
"That's crazy."
"That's ancient tradition, rewritten into modern law. Until recently, once we found each other, were practically married, at least legally." Weiss turned her head from Ilia to look at Blake. "Also, legally, you could have demanded access to the Schnee property to search for your soulmate. Of course, you would have needed a warrant from a magistrate and a police escort, not to mention my father could stall or pull other dirty tricks, but you had the legal right to come looking for me."
Blake nodded as she pulled Gambol Shroud from its hiding place and secured it on her back. "Because denying someone access to their soulmate is against the law, right?"
"Correct. In some ways, it's more legally protected than marriage, because you can choose who you marry, but you can't choose your soulmate." Weiss's eyes flickered between Ilia and Blake for a moment before settling back on Blake. Time to show some trust. "This next thing is rather important. Since our bond is publicly acknowledged and complete, you cannot be barred from visiting me. So if, if, I am compelled for some reason to return to the Schnee home, you have the right to visit me."
"So if your dad gets you back, Blake's your lifeline." Ilia gave a low whistle. "No wonder he was trying to keep you two apart, even without knowing who your soulmate was."
Weiss nodded sadly, turning her head away to look out the window. "She has the right to see me, and if he claims I don't want to see her, she can insist on meeting me anyway, to hear it from me directly, in person."
Ghira's face grew grim. "You've put us in a very difficult position, Weiss. I'd like to help you, but my greater concern is the negotiations with the government of Atlas. Your father could make things very difficult for us if he wants too."
"I know." Weiss shuddered, still looking out the window, not daring to look at the others. "I just... I couldn't stand being here anymore, under his control. When the soulfire started, all I could think about was how to use it to get away from him. I didn't expect..." Now Weiss turned to look at Blake, hesitantly meeting her soulmate's eyes. "I didn't expect you. And now, now the only thing I'm really sure that I want is you."
Blake opened her mouth to speak, then stopped as she realized she wasn't quite sure what to say. "I... understand being in a bad situation, wanting desperately to escape. So I'm willing to help you. But as for you and me... I'm not sure about that yet."
By the time their limo pulled up to the townhouse, it was swarming with reporters. As soon as Blake stepped out and reached back to help Weiss out, the press surged in like a tidal wave, shoving microphones and cameras at the monochrome pair shouting questions too close together to make them out or even try to answer any of them. Finally, Ghira's booming voice erupted from the car. "That's enough!" he bellowed. "These two have just found each other, and I will admit the circumstances are a bit unusual, but life often is. Everyone, let's give them some space. We'll have more to say in the morning."
Most of the crowd pulled back some, leaving a man in a suit and a white-haired woman standing in front of the guards. "Winter," Weiss whispered, a smile spreading across he face. It was the first time Blake had seen a smile that big on Weiss's face, and she decided then and there that she liked seeing Weiss smile like that."
"Weiss." As always, Winter's voice and manner were cool and reserved in public. Her sister wasn't given to public displays of emotion. "I hear you've had an exciting evening. Is it true?"
The white-haired girl nodded, reaching out to take Blake's hand. "Depending on what you heard, yes. This is my soulmate, Blake Belladonna."
"I heard directly from General Ironwood. There is much to discuss, it seems." Winter's eyes turned to Blake, giving her an appraising look. Then, before anyone could object, Winter pulled Blake into an embrace, hugging the cat-eared girl. Blake returned the hug, surprised. "Thank you," Winter whispered in Blake's ear before pulling away. "Please, try to keep my sister from being so lonely."
"I-I'll try," Blake stammered, blushing.
Behind Winter, the man who'd been waiting with her cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but I think I need to introduce myself at this point. I'm Richard Cobalt, with Atlas Child Services. Since Weiss is only sixteen and given that the situation with her family seems to be... complicated, we felt we needed to involve ourselves immediately."
"You're here rather quickly, aren't you?" Kali asked with a frown.
"General Ironwood called in a favor. I was with my wife for our anniversary dinner. She's rather upset but understands. Shall we step inside?"
Cobalt nodded as Kali handed him a cup of tea. "Thank you. Now, Weiss, I've seen a video of your meeting with Blake and your confrontation with your father. When did the soulfire start? How long had you been looking for Blake?"
"It started late the day before yesterday. I first noticed when Klein, that's Klein Sabine, he works for my family, came to get me for dinner. I... wasn't actively looking for her yet. I was keeping the soulfire a secret because I was afraid of my father's reaction."
"With good reason, I think. The video of you and Blake's meeting, including your father's reaction, was rather telling. Now, in the video, you allege that your father struck you and kept you a prisoner to prevent you from seeking out your soulmate. Is there anything you can offer to substantiate that?"
Weiss nodded and pulled out her scroll. "There's an audio recording of my father's discovery of my soulfire. I'm sorry," she whispered before playing it.
Everyone sat in stony silence as the recording played. When the first slap rang out, Blake hissed, her hands clenched so tightly her fingernails dug into her palms. After the second slap, Winter's face was murderous.
Cobalt spoke first. "Well, I think that speaks for itself. I'll have the mansion staff sequestered immediately, including the security staff. We can't have your father interfering with their testimony." He tapped out a brief message on his scroll before continuing. "Send me a copy of that recording if you can, Weiss. Now I've got some other questions..."
After Cobalt had finished his questions and left, Ilia sighed. "I hereby take back what I said earlier. Your dad's an asshole, Weiss. He really set armed guards on your room, with orders to stun you?"
Weiss nodded. "I had to fight my way past them to reach Blake. My entrance to the ballroom was not for show. But I think it was worth it, in more ways than one." She smiled at Blake, who returned her smile and wrapped an arm around Weiss. "I'm here for you," Blake said.
Winter nodded. "I'll speak with General Ironwood about taking some personal leave immediately. Given the circumstances, I think he'll grant it."
Ghira cleared his throat. "I think that's enough for now. Weiss, you are welcome to stay with us for the time being. We'll put you in one of the spare bedrooms, and tomorrow you and Blake can see about getting you some more clothes." There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he continued. "Everyone, let's clear out and give these two some space to get to know each other better. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Blake."
"Dad!"
"...and that's when I left, ma'am."
Sienna Khan leaned back in her chair, her chin propped up on one hand. "So what do you make of Weiss Schnee, overall?"
Ilia considered carefully before responding. "She's definitely a spoiled rich girl, but there's a fighter inside her. She takes more after what I've read about her grandfather than her father, it seems. We might be able to use her against her father and his company."
"And Blake Belladonna? How is she reacting to this?"
"She seems... confused. Like she's not sure how to react to Weiss. Whoever she was expecting to find when she went looking for her soulmate, it wasn't Weiss Schnee, that's for sure. One minute, she's lovey-dovey with Weiss, the next she's keeping her at arm's length."
"A natural reaction, I think. The soulmate bond doesn't make you fall in love with the other person, but it does give you a push in that direction. Let them decide for themselves about their bond. And what about you, Ilia? How are you holding up? I know Blake was... special to you."
"I... I'm not sure. I'm happy that Blake found her soulmate, but I'm worried about her getting involved with a Schnee, even if Weiss and her father don't get along."
"Mm. I think the best thing for you to to do would be just to support Blake, stand by her and be her friend. I may still need you here for various things, but I'll keep your duties as light as I can. Get some rest."
After Ilia had left, Sienna Khan sat in thought for a while. "So what do you make of this, Adam?"
Adam Taurus stepped out from behind the decorative screen he'd been using to conceal himself. "I think this is a great opportunity to take care of a traitor and do some real damage to the Schnees all in one blow."
Enter the edgelord! Thank you for reading, everyone. Please, favorite, follow, and review, it's what keeps the monkeys banging away at their keyboards.