Chapter 28
POV: Omniscient
Blake walked down the steps of her house. She turned back to Sun.
Blake: Okay. You ready?
Sun: Well, I've beaten up giant robots more than once, and fought against a massive dragon grimm. I think I can handle getting a few signatures.
He opened his scroll, revealing the screen they were opened to. It was an easy way for people to put their names down for something. The "something" they had today, was titled "Haven's Defence"
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Blake stepped up to the wooden podium. It was normally used for advertisement and could be rented out for any purpose. They had rented it for a few hours. She realized people were looking at her, going against the entire reason she had signed up for that position. People normally ignored the advertisers and speakers that stood on the platform. She took a deep breath, before throwing her hesitation to the wind.
Blake: Your chieftain needs you! Your people need you! Please! Join the fight and help us save Haven Academy!
No one walked up to her to sign up. They just continued on with their day. Blake was pushed to the background and ignored for the rest of the day.
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While Blake was unsuccessfully trying to get people to sign up from the advertisement platform, Sun was roaming the streets, looking for people who were interested.
Sun: We'd love to have someone with your skills on our side!
?: uh…
Then, the door of a nearby house opened up, and an elderly woman stepped out.
?: Mata! Get back inside! You have dishes to wash!
He shrugged to Sun and walked back inside.
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Next, Sun tried asking anyone who was nearby. First, he angled himself on a tree and hung down, startling the person he was trying to ask, and destroying any chance he had of signing them up. He was quickly taken out of the tree, as it fell, being part of the lumber mill.
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Finally, after many more unsuccessful attempts at chasing down signatures, they met back up at a table, overlooking the bay for a midday snack, also known as lunch.
Sun: I just don't get it! How can they do nothing but watch as the white fang kills innocent people, apparently in their name?!
Blake: Well, not everyone is like you and me. That's kind of just the type of people they are. The faunas that weren't born here came because they were tired of fighting and struggling. They just wanted to be left alone. But here we are. Asking them to sign up for a fight; to put the rest of the world before themselves.
Sun: I guess that kind of makes sense…
Blake: What they don't see, is that Haven is going to affect them, whether they like it or not. If Haven falls and Adam gets his way, the people here won't just be left alone anymore. They have to get involved to not be involved.
Sun: Adam… He's the guy you used to… work with…?
He said those last words almost with a visible question mark. He began nervously stirring his coconut milk.
Blake: Yes.
She said it so sharply, he could almost feel rigidness of her words.
Sun: Sorry… forget I brought it up.
Blake: No… it's fine.
She took a deep breath, and gathered her thoughts. Sun recognized it from when she had talked about her connection with the white fang.
Blake: Have you… ever met someone and thought, "This person is the exact embodiment of 'blank'"?
Sun: Um…
Blake: For example. I remember meeting Ruby, and thinking she is the embodiment of 'Purity' or 'kindness'. After a while, I saw Weiss was 'Defiance'. Yang was 'Strength'.
Sun: What am I?
She grabbed the coconut with his tail and sipped while the rest of his body held a position of absolute attention.
Blake: Jury is still out on that one, but I'm leaning towards 'Earnest'.
He rearranged himself into a different position that was a bit more comfortable and sipped his drink again.
Blake: At first, I thought Adam was 'Justice'. Then, 'Passion'. Next, he shifted more to 'Vengeance". And now, I see I was wrong in all of those. Adam is spite. Not hatred or rage, but spite. He isn't trying to get even... He's only trying to inflict as much suffering as possible, after what he feels the world did to him. His thinking is dangerously contagious. That's what has me worried about Ilia. She's not like Adam, at least not yet. The thing is, I don't know how long that will last.
Sun: She was your friend, huh?
Blake: She was. Her chameleon traits meant she could pass as human, but she still fought. She could have lived a normal life if she wanted, but she didn't. I always admired that. She lost her family in a mining accident and joined the White Fang. Like me, she was trained on the road. We learned to survive, to defend ourselves. But, as people like Sienna and Adam gained more of a following, she became more dangerous. I guess I did too. My parents tried to get me to leave with them, but I refused. I had Adam and Ilia, after all.
Sun: You know we're going to have to face her eventually.
Blake: I know…
Sun: So what are you going to do?
Blake: I'm going to try to help her the way you helped me.
Sun stiffened, almost dropping his drink.
Sun: Hm?
Blake: You showed me that sometimes, you need to be there for a friend, even when they don't want you to be. I was drowning in guilt and fear. I tried to push you away, but you came back every time. You never gave up on me, so I can't give up on Ilia! It's about time I saved my friends.
