6. Reaching Anima

"This place has no airships or bullheads and the possibility of someone driving all the way to Mistral is very small. And I don't think they would take two teens with them. Especially two faunus." Sun commented.

Their ship arrived near noon at the port in a small town in Anima. Since then the faunus friends planned how to continue their journey.

"That means we have to go by foot." It wasn't a question.

"Looks like it." He grumbled.

Even thought he never said so, Blake knew that Sun missed his team. He spent months apart from them. He didn't want to stay longer away from his team than necessary. And they didn't have too much time. The sooner they got to Haven the better.

The two faunus walked through the small village getting their provisions until Sun suddenly stopped. He lightened up instantly.

"I think we got really lucky!" The blonde cheered and pointed at something.

Blake's eyes followed his outstretched hand. A black motorcycle stood in an ally. On it was a sign.

'For Sale

5000 Lien'

And a number to call if someone was interested.

It was an older model but in good shape. It wasn't Bumblebee, of course, but still a powerful machine.

"This is exactly what we need right now!" The monkey faunus declared, far too happy.

"I don't know, Sun…"

"It'll probably takes us months to get to Haven by foot. With this we'd be so much faster. And we have the money to buy it. We totally should do that!"

Blake sighed. He was right, as much as she disliked the fact in this particular situation.

"It would be better if we had a car. It's more comfortable and it wouldn't be a problem if the weather gets worse. And it's not as dangerous."

"What are the chances of us finding a car? We're lucky to find this." He argued.

And again he was right. "Okay. We'll do it."

"Awesome!" He cheered but his enthusiasm fell a little. "Eh hehe, you don't actually know how to drive by chance, do you? Because I don't."

Blake nearly facepalmed. Instead she sighed and rolled her eyes. This guy.

"Actually, I do."

"Great! Then let's call this guy. Local calls work, right?" He didn't need an answer. Sun already had his scroll out and dialed the number.

"Hello?"

"Yeah, hello. I call because of the bike you're selling."

"You're interested? Wait a moment, I'm coming down." The man on the other end said before hanging up.

Just a few minutes after an older man came up to them. "You want to buy my machine? I've been trying to sell it for some time now, but nobody in this village has much use for it."

He clearly wasn't the best businessman. That made it so much easier for Blake and Sun to bargain.

They got the bike for nearly half the price. Not that Blake was happy to rip off the man, but even though her parents gave them some extra money, they should still be as cheap as possible.

After the man left, Sun turned to her. "So you can drive that thing?"

"If I couldn't I wouldn't have let you by it. But we still need helmets. His didn't fit."

"I think I saw a shop where we could buy them over there." He pointed over his shoulder.

"Then let's go. No need to waste more time." Blake said and went in said direction.

"Where did you learn to drive a motorcycle? And can you drive a car?"

The noirette sighed. Of course he would ask questions. It was Sun. She couldn't expect him to be quiet.

"I can." She only answered his second question.

"Anything else you can drive?"

"About any kind of car and some boats and ships. Noting too big, though. And I can fly bullheads and smaller airships."

He jumped in front of her, making them stop. "That's awesome! Where did you learn all that?"

The cat faunus sighed again. She had hopped he wouldn't ask again. But she knew he would. "In the White Fang."

She continued walking.

Sun knew it was a sensitive subject for her but his curiosity was stronger. So he asked, this time calmer and cautiously. "Why did they teach you all this?"

The noirette suppressed another sigh. "When I was still in the Fang they hadn't nearly as much equipment and recourses as they have now. We had only one bullhead which made it really valuable for us.
We were on a mission to steal dust and the pilot got shot but we couldn't leave the bullhead there. So someone tried to fly it back. He nearly crashed it and it was decided that I should take over. I wasn't much better but still somehow managed to bring us back. Afterwards they decided to teach some of us to control many different vehicles. The Fang realized it was better if more could do so in case something happened to the driver."

They had reached the store and went inside.

"And you still don't like riding a motorcycle?" Sun asked while trying on some helmets.

"No. Don't expect me to get on such a deathtrap if it isn't necessary. I saw too often how bad it can end."

Blake saw too many faunus die that way on their escapes. Saw and experienced too many injuries caused by the fall or crash of a motorcycle.

After they got their helmets, Blake had a black one with extra space for her ears and Sun a blue one, they went back to the bike.

Even though Blake said she didn't like driving them she wasn't completely honest. While she knew what could happened and had a respect for these machines she couldn't deny the adrenaline rush and the feeling of freedom driving a motorcycle gave her. But only if she was the one in control.

They stored their things in the bags at the side of the motorcycle, which they got at the store too. Blake sat on the bike and started the engine before looking over her shoulder to Sun. "Get on. We still have a long way to go and I want to cover as much ground as we can today."

Sun mounted the bike behind Blake and wrapped his hands around her.

"Sun!" She hissed, barely audible over the noise, and glared at him. "Move your hands down!"

He chuckled sheepishly while moving his hands from barely brushing her bosom to a safer height. No need to risk getting thrown off the bike and left behind. The ninja didn't wait longer before driving off.

They sped along the road until night came. Blake wasn't kidding about covering as much ground as possible. Sun set up camp and Blake took a look around, making sure there were no Grimm nearby and taking care of the few that were.

Then they both sat by the fire and eat. Sun couldn't stand the silence.

"Have you ever been to Mistral before?"

"Yes." But he was clearly the only one who couldn't bear it, if Blake's curt response was anything to go by. It didn't stop him.

"How long ago?"

Blake had been in Mistral often. And each time it had been because of the White Fang.

She was born on Menagerie but even when she was younger she had traveled often. Her father was the leader of the Fang and fought for equality long before he even married. He went to Menagerie with his pregnant wife. But even after Blake was born he wanted to continue fighting. But there was only so much you could do being away from the real problem. And as soon as Blake was old enough Ghira and Kali took her with them. Since then she was always there. If it was in Mistral, Vale or even Atlas, she was present in every rally and every boycott she could. Between them she and her family went back home to Menagerie when they could. That was until her father stepped down and she left them to continue fighting. Blake still regretted the things she shouted at her parents back then.

After that she still went to the three kingdoms but what she did then wasn't as harmless anymore. Not with how things went with the new leader.

Most time was spent in the big cities because the government didn't care much about what happened out in the countryside. Blake even was in Vacuo a few times. But they didn't treat faunus differently from humans so the Fang only went there for special meetings, getting supplies or recruiting.

But the last time Blake was in Mistral had been somewhere before the mission to hijack the train in Vale. It was also before Adam became the leader of the Vale branch. It felt like an eternity had passed since then. So much had changed since. She had changed.

"Over two years, maybe even three." The noirette answered.

"A lot can change in that time. Luckily you have the perfect guide with you!" He proudly pointed with his thumb at himself. "I can show you around when we're there. I know every corner of the city."

"That could be useful." That was the only answer he got. Blake really didn't felt like talking. Instead she looked at the map they got together with the food and other things for the journey. She had done so since they finished putting up camp.

"With how you look at the map I'm surprised you haven't memorized it yet." Sun joked.

"That's the idea." Blake didn't plan on stopping every now and then to look at it. And while the way to the city was pointed out they where so far out in the countryside that they couldn't be sure if the guideposts were still readable or even there.

She had the map memorized some time ago but was making sure she knew every part of it. She was used to it. Learning escape routs, memorizing blueprints of building, the streets and alleys of cities. It had become necessary for her with the White Fang missions.

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense."

"After we make it far enough we can ditch the bike and take the train. That should be much faster and safer." She said.

The boy pouted a little. "But where is the fun with traveling by train? Bikes are so much cooler!"

"That's not the point, Sun." Blake sighed. "We still have some time to make a decision. Get some sleep. I take the first watch."

Though not exactly happy, Sun complied.

Blake sat there looking into the night. She was ready in case of an ambush. Grimm or bandits or even the White Fang, the forests of Mistral weren't safe.

But her mind started to wander.

She did change. Especially in the last one and a half year or so. Since she went to Beacon and meet Weiss and the two sisters. But the most of her changes were because of Yang. Blake became more open and trusting. She wasn't able to let loose like she did in Beacon for years. With the exception of the whole Torchwick and Whit Fang thing Blake had been at peace. At least until everything came crushing down.

Apparently those changes were not enough, though. She still was a coward and ran from her problems. Her trip to Menagerie was proof of that. And even though she was going against the White Fang now she still hadn't the courage to face her old team, her old partner and her own feelings.

But she was getting there. She already changed so much she could change that too. She could stop being a coward and become stronger.

And she would start by facing one of her greatest fears. Adam.

He once meant so much to her. He was always there, supporting her. He taught her many things. But then Adam started to change. He wasn't the caring boy fighting for equality anymore. He slowly but surly became the human hating monster he was now.

Adam started to use her for his plans. To manipulate her while she still believed in him. He used her trust and admiration, and later fear, to make Blake obey him. And she let him. This fact still weighted heavily on her and she still hated herself for letting him do this to herself. After Blake thought she was finally free from him, he came back. And not only in her nightmares. He came and hurt her again.

Her right hand went under her coat and traced the scar there.

Adam knew how to kill. He also knew how to keep someone alive to torture them more. And he went and hurt Blake in the most painful way possible. He hurt the person she loved most. Yang.

And he would pay for that. He would pay for everything he did to her and her friends. Blake would make sure he would never be able to do something like that again. To hurt anyone ever again.

Blake shook herself out of her thoughts, loosening her jaw and her grip on Gamble Shroud, she straightened again, keeping alert in case something happened.