Happy New Year! It's been a while, sorry about that. I didn't realize that "inconsistent updates" would actually turn out to be "nonexistent updates." But from now on, some semblance of consistency should return.

Thanks as always for reading, reviewing, following, and for leaving favorites!

Blake ran. She ran until the cold air drove sharp pain into her lungs, until she was gasping for breath and her vision began turning grey around the edges. She ran to escape her responsibility, her fears. The crimson landscape blurred around her, the red slowly replaced with stony browns and the occasional patch of grass. The ground became more rocky the further she went, slowly sloping upward until she was sprinting up a steadily growing incline. Her run eventually slowed, the fight suddenly leaving her limbs when she tripped over a rock and skidded into the ground, facefirst. She didn't have time to catch herself, the ground rushed to meet her.

She lay on the dirt gasping in pain and exhaustion. The tears and sadness that had abated during the run sprung back, staining the dry earth. Her rugged breaths and a slight breeze were all that could be heard. Miserable, she sat up, slowly looking around and taking in her surroundings.

She had run far to the North, and had begun scaling the beaten mountains. If she had gone farther in that direction, she would've come across the cliffs, and far below, the ocean. Forever Fall laid out like a blanket below her, stretching into the distance. Vale looked like a mishmash of multiple colors, the only discernable landmark was the Schnee Spire. And far to the left, the grey and ruined husk of Beacon Academy stood in it's half-destroyed state.

Memories flooded back, unabated, and Blake let her head sink to her knees, arms shielding her from the depressing view. The clearest one was of Yang, during their excursion to Mountain Glenn, almost one year ago. They had been gathered around the campfire, each of them except for Ruby unable to sleep. That had been the first time Blake had mentioned Adam to her teammates. She had told them that she left the White Fang to make the world a better place, and being a Huntress would be the best way for her to do that. But thanks to Dr. Oobleck's questions, her mind had been covered with a shade of doubt. "When I leave the Academy," she had said, "how can I endure so many years of hate? What will I do?"

Yang was the one who had responded. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're not one to back down from a challenge, Blake."

She had disagreed then, but a small spark of hope had been lit in her. She told Yang that she was wrong, that she had run away before from her problems, and that yes, she would run away again. But the faith Yang had in her warmed her.

She had been naive. To think that her teammates had placed so much faith in her to be strong and courageous. To think that she placed so much faith in herself to not be a coward. Looking back, those happier times seemed so long ago. How far have I fallen? How far will I continue to fall? The sunny sky offered no answer.

Thinking back, she realized she had spent a majority of her life with Adam. They had grown up together, fought together. Cried together. Slept together, once or twice. They hadn't shared romance; their bond had been based on unconditional physical and emotional support. When two people grow up with their lives intertwined like that, they came to know each other intimately, inside and out. There were no secrets between them. The only thing Blake had ever hid from Adam was her self-doubt, and when he finally, saw it, it was too late. She had run by that point.

"How different are Adam and I really?" she asked herself, speaking solemnly to the wind. "Up until recently, my whole life has been built around his presence. Even the choices I've made have all been started because of something he did, or could potentially do. Even one of the main reasons I trusted Ruby, Weiss, and Yang, is because they were not Adam. They were his opposite. They are his opposite," she reminded herself, forcing the sudden image of them dead out of her mind. "And that basis of that judgment only proves how deeply ingrained his presence is within me. I can't help but compare him to everything I do or see. How separate can I be if he's so. . . there, all the time?"

She raised her head and let the gentle breeze caress her face, leaving the trails her tears had left slightly colder.

"Can I really stop somebody who has that much power over me and my choices, my personality? At what point am I a separate person from him?"

She stood up, preferring the ache of her muscles to the damning feeling that accompanied not moving. If she could just walk, maybe her head would clear. She began picking her way down the mountain much more carefully, making sure to avoid falling like she had earlier. As she descended, her thoughts wandered slowly away from Adam.

May. The incredibly talented sniper had become a staple part of her life in the last two weeks; she couldn't imagine how impossible her search would've been if it weren't for her help.

"I'm such a terrible person, I can't believe I let her down like that. I should never have let that whole situation happen in the first place." And even when it counted, I froze up. I couldn't protect her from him. The regret pooled heavy in her stomach, giving her feel sick with something akin to nausea. She walked faster, hoping to dispel the feeling.

She deserves better.

The hours slowly wore on, the cold air becoming first lukewarm, then almost hot. It cooled immediately once more as she walked under the leafy canopy of Forever Fall.

She continued to walk.

The canopy of Forever Fall became more and more sparse, until she was suddenly hit with the full unbridled brilliance of the sun. She shielded her eyes until they adjusted to the harshness, but it was the echoless sound of the wind that clued her in as to where she was. The buildings of Vale became etched out in detail as her eyes focused, confirming what she heard. She had wandered aimlessly for some time, and had just now returned to the cliffs overlooking Vale.

Despite everything wrong with it, the White Fang, the fall of Beacon, and the looting during the night, Vale looked no less the picture of peace, at least from a distance. The skyline remained as it had for the many years before; Schnee Spire still stood tall, the skyscrapers of the Commercial District were unchanged, and the wheat fields still grew on the outskirts. The only real change to the city was the remaining destruction at Beacon Academy. And those ruins, if they weren't rebuilt, would remain there forever. A reminder that the evils of Remnant were a lot closer and more real than just the creatures of Grimm.

Blake sighed. "Here I am, running away again." The city of Vale offered no response to her words. She sighed yet again, expelling all the air from her lungs, then refilling them, hoping to capture the essence of rebirth, renewal. Filling her lungs to the point of bursting, she held onto that air, trying to keep it as fresh as possible. When it finally became stale she let it out, replacing it with another.

Without allowing herself any more time to decide against it, she turned and walked back along the cliffs, back in May's direction. Her mind had cleared a little bit; she finally felt as though she could begin to analyze the situation from a distance.

Blake frowned in thought as she walked, suddenly curious about what Adam had said in regards to May. He had referred to her in much the same way that he had referred to Yang during the fall of Beacon. "I will take everyone you love."

Yang and Blake has shared a close bond during their two years together at Beacon, growing both as friends and partners until their bond became akin to that of sisters. The occasional glance the two got from classmates did little to drive them apart. There had been rumors floating around of course, "Blake and Yang are dating," or, "those two are too close to just be friends," but their relationship hadn't evolved into anything besides a close platonic bond. Blake wasn't sure if it could have, or if she would've been against the idea. But that was in the past; she was more than certain that she'd burned that bridge. She'd be lucky to get even friendship from Yang now that she'd left her.

I loved you Blake, and you'll never replace my affections with that of another. The words sprung into her head, unbidden. She shuddered. Her memory was something she cursed from time to time; she was able to recall the exact tone of Adam's voice in nearly everything he said. Had Adam deliberately insinuated a relationship between the two just to confuse her? If so, she couldn't deny that it was working.

Why did you put it that way. . . she thought to herself, absentmindedly turning in her walk so that she was heading toward the clearing in which the two had spent the night. Or did you see something I don't?

She couldn't deny that she felt strongly about May. Her being literally the only other person she could rely on at the moment almost made it impossible for her not to at least feel something. Especially now, since it was specifically Blake's fault that she had gotten hurt. But besides friendship and mutual reliance, how far did their relationship extend?

Blake recalled the slow dance they had shared. May had been blushing at the time, and her own face was far from its usual pale hue. Was it the lights, the dancing, the music? Or had it been the girl she held in her arms, sharing a romantic dance?

Blake emerged from the trees. May leaned against the bottom of one of them, dozing lightly in the sun, her hat drooping over her face. Blake took in her frame, her red hair. In contrast to her usual driven expression, May's sleeping face was quite peaceful, her hard looks now gave way to a much more relaxed look. Blake's gaze settled on her light pink lips. Although her lower lip had cracked and was lined with a small dab of dried blood, Blake found that it took nothing away from the girl's overall appearance. In fact, May looked positively strange, wrapped as she was in Blake's bloodsoaked jacket, missing pant leg, beanie-covered face. If anyone else saw her, they would be prompted to think What's this girl's story?

But May's strange mix of circumstantial apparel was the least of Blake's concern. Instead, she stood still, trying to carefully analyze her feelings. Could it be that she was falling for May? Her heart didn't flutter in excitement when May was close, their relationship built more around mutual goals. But perhaps that was bound to change over time? When she woke up, would May's voice suddenly sound more attractive, her movements become more eye-catching?

Blake, far from having extensive experience with romance, was scared by the idea. What am I even doing, she thought, shaking her head. I don't even know what real romance is like, and here I am, staring at a sleeping girl I only just met a couple weeks ago. It's not like I slept with her or anything. Well, not technically, I wouldn't necessarily - she shook her head. Shut up, Blake.

She sat down next to May, carefully placing a few feet of distance between them. She did her best to settle into a nap, but her whirling thoughts prevented sleep from taking her easily. Was she beginning to fall for her?

This is silly. Go to sleep.

A clap of thunder jolted her awake. The light was waning; they had apparently slept for most of the day. Blake checked on May, only to find her laying on her side on the ground. She immediately felt bad for not having been closer, so that the girl would've fallen into her lap. A moot point, though, she thought. May was out like a light, soft snores accompanying each breath.

She gently placed her hand on May's shoulder and shook it. "May, wake up."

May grunted, her eyes fluttering open. "Ugh. Wow." She slowly focused her vision on the storm clouds, flinching when a raindrop landed in her eye. "Oh! It's raining."

"Yeah, we should probably think about finding a better shelter, or getting back into town. Good afternoon, by the way."

May shared her smile. "Yeah, good afternoon." She got up from the forest floor, dusting leaves and dirt from Blake's jacket, which was still wrapped around her. Although she turned up her nose at the scent of blood, Blake accepted the garment and threw it around her shoulders in order to protect from the drizzle, which was slowly picking up in intensity.

"I got a text from Yurie while I was passed out," May said.

"Any news?"

"She says she can't talk right now because she doesn't want to seem suspicious to the White Fang. But apparently there's an old hiking trail that goes straight up the cliffs, which would make getting down very easy."

"Oh, that's great news!" Blake exclaimed. "Where is it?" May swiveled until she was facing the same direction they had walked from.

"That way, a few hours past the gondola."

"Well then, we'd better start walking."

As they walked the drizzle turned into rain. Considering the heavy look of the clouds, they were surprised that only rain and lightning were present. It was a perfectly windless storm, a fact for which Blake was thankful. Cold wind would only make the walk more miserable.

The rain turned the leaves and dirt underneath their feet into mush as they plodded along. Somewhere during the walk May began shivering. When Blake tried to offer her jacket for extra warmth, she was declined. "Keep it," she said. "We're both equally wet, no sense in doing useless things." May's leg didn't seem to be giving her a huge amount of trouble, but they moved slowly anyway. Although Blake figured May wouldn't say anything even if it hurt, she didn't want to put her in that position in the first place. They continued on.

In the distance ahead of them the ruins of Beacon loomed, a stark monument to the ruined past they both shared. They wouldn't be able to enter even if they tried, thanks to the Atlas Military security, but it was enough to make Blake uncomfortable. She frowned, sighing. "May, I think I owe you an apology," she began.

"Blake."

"No, I know what you mean," she interrupted. "I know it's not my fault. But I kind of want to talk about. . . Beacon. Beacon, and the events leading up to everything that happened."

May hesitated. "If you're sure. . ."

"Besides," Blake continued, "some stories might keep away the cold." May didn't seem inclined to argue.

"True enough," she laughed. Blake stayed silent for another minute before beginning to speak.

"Adam and I grew up together, as members of the White Fang. Both of us didn't have any parents worth mentioning, so the organization became our family. From as early as I can remember, our lives have been. . . intertwined. Just the idea that somebody exists that knows so much about me is frightening. There isn't much he doesn't know, in fact. But even scarier is the fact that he's a horrible person, a savage killer. I hate to admit it, but he has a lot of power over me.

"I've. . . got a problem with running away. I always have. So, when Adam suddenly showed up out of the blue and ruined nearly everything I had tried to build, I panicked. I left my team and ran. Of course I made sure they were okay first, but that's just an excuse to make what I did seem less horrible.

"I think. . . well, in the end, I think I ran from my team because I felt I had failed them. That my own inaction had caused Beacon to be destroyed and Yang to lose her arm. It's something I still blame myself for."

May stayed silent, the sound of Blake's soft voice replaced by the patter of rain on the mud and leaves. "I don't want to be rude, but can I ask a few questions? I'd like to better understand what you're going through."

"Go ahead, I'll do my best to explain."

"How real is the danger that Adam may find your teammates?"

Blake froze midstep. "I-" she stuttered. "I suppose. . . it's not very likely. . ." She hung her head. Rain ran down her face, her hair obscuring her eyes. "It might not be far from the truth to say that I'm really just scared of seeing them. I'm scared to see how they might react to seeing me."

"I'm sure they would want to see you, Blake," May said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know I would want to see my team, no matter how badly they thought they had messed up. Especially if they did their best to explain everything."

Blake sighed, shrugging off May's hand. "I'm not. . . too good at talking about my feelings."

"Maybe it's time to learn," she replied with a wistful smile. "Besides, you've done a good job around me."

Blake didn't have a response. The silence between them returned as each walked, buried in their own thoughts. May had been right, however, the talking had certainly helped keep away the bone-chilling cold.

"This is where the trail begins," May suddenly said, pointing off to the left. Sure enough, a small trail marker stuck out of the ground at an angle, barely kept dry by a freestanding roof in need of repair. They huddled underneath it; the sudden absence of rain made them realize how cold they truly were. Blake began shivering, rubbing her arms to try to get warmth back into them.

"We should probably wait to descend until it stops raining. I don't want to risk slipping of the edge."

"Alright," May responded, crouching down slowly and pulling her jacket off. Blake thanked the windless storm for not making the air cold; she would be able to remove her jacket without fear of freezing. Now it was only a matter of waiting out the cold.

"How's your leg?" Blake asked.

"It's alright, I can feel my aura slowly beginning to mend it. Still hurts like hell though, the rain numbed it for a while but once it's dry I won't be having such a good time. The descent is gonna be slow," she warned.

"We can take as long as we like, there's no hurry," Blake assured. "Honestly, not going back is sounding like a better idea the more I think about it."

"I feel ya," May sighed. "But we both have goals that need fulfilling before we can move on. You want to tie up loose ends, and I want to make sure the White Fang doesn't hurt anybody ever again."

Blake nodded in agreement. "This may sound strange, but I'm glad we found each other. This would be so much harder if I didn't have your support." May gave her a strange look as she said that, as if she was trying to parse through a layered message and find the true meaning. She turned away a second later though, cupping her hands around her mouth and breathing warm air into them.

"Agreed. Thanks for your help, Blake."