A/N: Well, it's certainly been a while, huh? Sorry for the long wait but if you've been keeping up with my profile updates you'd know why. Anyways tons of news but... I'll let you read it on my profile so you guys can get straight to the chapter.

Also I'm sorry but I didn't include the combat scene I had been promising in this chapter. I didn't trust myself to write it yet as I've been out of writing for a while now. This chapter was typed over the course of the past months, a little bit every other week so it may flow a little roughly.

Anyways also more information on my original story. Some changes as well... But yeah, back to why you're here.

Enjoy the chapter all. Until next time!

"Up and down, round and round, back and forth… It never ends, does it? Ugh… I think I'm going to be sick again…"

Yang glanced over at Ren who proceeded to flop back down on his bunk while groaning in pain. She would never have guessed that the always cool and collected Ren would suffer from seasickness. Ever since the first day on their voyage to Atlas, the boy had been a little greener than usual until he narrowed it down to being on the ship.

"But it's sooo fun!" Nora shouted out as she hopped onto Ren's bunk while patting him on the back. "It's like riding a horse!"

Ren however only groaned in response, and Yang wasn't sure if it was from his sickness or from Nora beating him on the back while yelling happily.

"Yes, except the horse is on fire and I'm on fire, and the horse is actually riding me." The pink eyed boy muttered out painfully as he attempted to cover his head with a pillow.

"Does that mean you're giving away free piggyback rides?" The eccentric girl bellowed just as she jumped onto Ren's back as the poor boy was only trying to lie down.

"Whoo, giddy up!" Nora screamed out just as Ren howled in surprise and tried to buck the girl off his back, much to Nora's amusement who proved to be quite the wrangler.

From where Yang sat on her own bunk though, she only chuckled before getting up and leaving their shared hold. She decided to get up on deck for some fresh air. Ever since she and the rest of the Vanguard embarked on this trip, Yang thought it would be a nice change of pace before they were forced back into war yet again. She had noticed that Ruby was absolutely joyous during their time at sea and she couldn't be happier for her little sister.

Though as the days have gone by, she noticed that Ruby spent more and more time with Blake as the two looked like they were always reading a book or something together. Ruby always loved reading and studying when they were younger, and seeing as Blake shared the same hobby; those two would become inseparable soon enough. But in the back of her mind however, Yang couldn't help but feel as if she was being replaced by Blake somehow.

'No, I can't think like that…'

'But it's true, isn't it? The things Ruby and I used to do all the time; it seems like she only does them with Blake now.'

'No. You should be happy for your sister! After all she's been through. It's nice for her to make a good friend who will be there for her… When you can't.'

'That's… true? I mean… I know I've let her down in the past but…'

'Now is not the time for self-wallowing! Speaking of new people to get close to though… How about you try to talk to Weiss again today?'

Weiss.

Just thinking the name sent a shiver down Yang's back and brought a smile to her face. Ever since their… "Spirited" night together, the blonde had seen the usually rigid General in a whole new light. What they shared that night was nothing short of spectacular. Yang herself had no idea that she harbored such feelings for the other girl, but in that moment it seemed like Weiss was all Yang ever wanted.

She comforted her when she needed it most and showed her that she didn't need to shoulder her own burdens alone anymore. She made her feel as if she truly belonged to something great now, not to mention the girl actually trusted her enough to give her her own men and women to lead into battle. It made Yang want to only try that much harder for Weiss.

Gone were the days of her rebellious attitude towards the other girl. She knew that Weiss was a pure hearted woman who had her own set of problems and hurdles to overcome. She was quick to judge her for all the wrong reasons. In fact all Yang wanted to do now was to press her lips to Weiss' own once more, just like the night they shared together. She wanted to express how she really felt towards her, and how grateful she was for her.

But Yang knew she was awful at expressing her true feelings to someone. Even that night when she tried, she only ended up crying. It was mortifying to say the least, Yang hadn't even cried in front of anyone, the last time being in front of Ruby when they were children. So to cry in front of Weiss, who was her commanding officer at that, was something Yang never would have pictured herself doing. But it just felt nice to let it all out in front of her.

That and Weiss didn't judge her for it. Instead, she held her. She held her and comforted her. It had reminded her of the countless times she would get into trouble when she was younger, her mother used to do the same thing. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in ages.

Sighing to herself though, Yang walked upstairs and outside into the bright open sky. Looking around the deck of the ship now, she noticed that there weren't many sailors working this afternoon. Most of them seemed to be lazing about, drinking rum, or just playing cards. Her time on the ship made Yang quickly realize that life on the open sea was something completely foreign to her. She didn't know how or what to do to help out but usually every time she offered she was shot down regardless due to her rank.

It was pretty boring honestly, and the usual way she passed time was to train with her weapon but there just wasn't enough room to do so unless it was at night. Granted she was starting to get the hang of her new blade that Weiss had given her but not yet in battle. She knew that she'd be meeting a particular girl in battle once more, and the blonde wanted to make sure she was more than ready for their next encounter.

Feeling the salty air on her skin now made Yang close her eyes for just a moment. The weather out here at sea was extremely cold now but the cold never really bothered her much, but what she really liked about being out at the sea was how peaceful it was. All around her she was surrounded on all sides by ocean. She had always lived in the city or in her old village, so times when she was never surrounded by the hustle and bustle of everyday life was quite enjoyable to her. Contrary to what Ruby thinks, Yang herself quite enjoyed her time away from people.

But as she stood there with her head tilted upwards with eyes still shut, Yang picked up on two distinct voices that seemed to be speaking somewhere above her. Glancing up now, she noticed that the wooden overhead was a part of one of the grand rooms where Weiss and Admiral Port stayed. It was originally where Yang was thinking about heading to, as that's where Weiss spent most of her time, and the blonde wanted to talk to the General.

But for now, the blonde continued listening in on the two voices…

"All I'm saying Admiral is that judging by the map, traveling through the Perle Isles would let us reach Atlas much quicker instead of traveling around them!" Weiss urged as she tried her best to not sound confrontational towards the older man, though he was making it extremely difficult with how stubborn he was being about this matter.

"While this is true young Weiss, there is a reason why every ship in the sea dares not travel through or even close to the Perle Islands. A reason enough to make me even not want as well." Port answered back neutrally as he continued looking over the map the two of them were currently hunched over.

Weiss bit her lip in anger and glanced up at the man. She could see his eyes still focused on the maps as if trying to trace an equally quick but different route, though she knew that no other route would be quite as fast as traveling through the Perle Isles. She just didn't understand the man's fascination with the so called "legend" of the Perle Isles. And quite frankly she found it extremely unprofessional that he could still believe in children's tales at his age and position.

"I do not have time for silly legends out at sea; I have a mission to complete, issued by my father… the King I might add." Weiss cut in once more, now finally letting her anger seep into her voice.

"Do not lecture me on matters I know already, Weiss. You are a General; a leader on land. Out on the open sea, this here is my domain; you'd best be wise to remember that." She heard the elder man grunt out as he finally met her eyes with a look of a father sternly telling his child no.

Weiss felt an angry haze flash through her mind momentarily before she took in a deep breathe to calm herself. She honestly couldn't believe how someone who was tasked with such an important mission would disregard the urgency of it by not taking the most direct route to their destination. She truly could not comprehend it.

"Let us take a break for now though." She heard Admiral Port say in a reserved voice before he sighed tiredly. "It seems as if emotions are starting to flare. We will meet back in a half hour, Weiss."

Weiss herself only nodded towards him before promptly making her way towards the door of the planning room and out into the open air outside. Feeling the cool air on her body caused her relax a bit. Coupled with the muted warmth of the sun in the sky that was flanked by dark looking clouds, it caused Weiss' earlier anger to subside a bit. The day was by no means beautiful looking but she quite enjoyed the cold air, just like most of her family did.

Closing the door behind her with a little extra force than necessary, she stalked towards the side of the ship and leaned against the railed with her forearms. Her vision was instantly filled with the deep blue seawater underneath her which in itself was a wondrous sight. She always liked going out to sea; the last time being years ago with her father when she was but only seven or eight years old. But the memory and fondness for it was nowhere to be seen or felt as her thoughts once again drifted back to the meeting.

She was truly trying to figure out why her father sent her out here instead of an envoy. Sure, his daughter would probably show General Ironwood the severity of their situation but Weiss knew she could be doing more back in Vale than being on a diplomatic mission to Atlas. Coupled with how Admiral Port didn't want to hurry to finish matters in a timely manner…

"I'm tired…" Was all the General mumbled under her breath as she shut her eyes.

"Tired of what?"

Weiss flinched as she jerked her head to look over towards the other voice, quickly spotting Yang who also was leaning against the railing. The blonde gave her a small smile before shrugging her shoulders as if stating she didn't mean to startle her.

Weiss felt herself calm down for a moment before feeling her face flush a bit. She didn't like knowing that Yang had seen her in a moment of weakness… but then she recalled their previous night together and how they both showed the other their inner most feelings. It caused Weiss to shrink away even more from the blonde before Yang spoke up once again.

"You looked like you were really angry at the ocean so I just came over to see if you were alright." The blonde explained as her smirk faded.

It took Weiss a moment to understand what Yang was saying before she understood. She had been scowling down at the water while deep in her thoughts. How Yang thought she was in fact angry at the ocean for some reason only caused Weiss to shake her head slowly while she felt her lips turn upwards a bit.

"Ah, there's that rare Schnee smile!" Yang exclaimed happily as she turned her eyes up at Weiss.

Weiss however quickly fought against the growing smile on her face; willing it to turn into a scowl and failing. She attempted to purse her lips but her cheeks wouldn't obey and she knew her face was in a mix of smiling and frowning just as Yang burst out in a loud and obnoxious laughter.

"S- Shut up, Yang." The white haired General muttered as she couldn't help but glance at Yang's face.

The girl was how she usually is, which of course was happy. The blonde was laughing and just her entire persona radiated positive vibes. Vibes that Weiss herself could use right now, but no. She had to resist the temptations of getting closer than necessary to Yang. That girl just made it so hard however for Weiss; everything she had known her whole life, Yang seemed to represent the opposite of it. She was the fun to her seriousness, the carefree to her strict, and the positive to her negative.

But that gave her all the more reason to focus on what she had to say to the other girl. She had to let Yang know that what they shared together that night couldn't go on. Weiss knew she was anything but a coward, in fact she despised cowards… but she had been putting this off for days now. She had been selfishly blowing Yang off anytime the girl even so much as approached her and she knew it wasn't fair.

But that didn't make it any easier.

She continued to watch the blonde as Yang's laughter quietly died down. Weiss could spot the girl's lilac eyes turn serious after the two of them dissolved into silence and she knew what was on Yang's mind. The girl wanted answers as to why Weiss was acting the way she was towards her.

She could feel her stomach tying itself into a knot at the thought of what she was about to tell her. She felt nervous suddenly before a new thought flashed into her mind. One that felt so right yet so wrong.

'Why deny her?'

The only reasons she could come up with was because she had to put her duty and country first. But Weiss knew it was only an excuse. The truth was that she was scared.

She was terrified of opening up to someone. But not just any someone; she was afraid of opening up to Yang.

She knew the other girl thought of her fondly now, it was blatantly obvious, though she wanted to know why and even how. Although she had to admit she had taken quite a liking to the rambunctious blonde as well. Even more so after discovering such a delicate and emotional side to her, she wanted to comfort those fears for her. To be a shoulder to lean on in those dark times for her, to help her come through with her doubts and terrors… but…

"So… General." Yang's voice cut in, interrupting Weiss' inner turmoil and causing her to meet the blonde's worried gaze.

Again the two descended into a momentary silence as the only sounds heard were the hustle and bustle of the sailors around them and the crashing of the rough waters into the hull. But all of that didn't matter now; all Weiss saw was the sadness lining Yang's eyes as she held her stare. She could see the unspoken questions in the girl's eyes and that made it all the harder.

It soon became too much for her as Weiss felt her gaze shift towards the open sea, breaking their eye contact. She could feel herself getting sick suddenly, and the urge to walk away from the situation just as she's been doing before rose in her mind.

Gripping a hold on the railings but keeping her eyes drawn to the open sea, Weiss pushed herself to stand straighter and took in a deep breath…

This was it.

It was now or never, Weiss.

"Yang."

She watched the blonde turn her eyes back towards her, though it almost seemed like time was moving much more slowly than usual, but still she continued.

"Regarding… the other ni-" She continued but without warning the blonde started laughing.

Weiss felt her jaw close instinctively as she watched Yang continue to chuckle loudly as if she had said something funny. Weiss however felt a cold anger and embarrassment rising in her now. She didn't understand what was so funny in this moment. But just as quick did Yang begin laughing, did the girl quiet down with a serious expression crossing her face once more.

"I already know what you're going to say, Weiss." Yang uttered quietly as she leaned against the railing of the ship facing away from her. "So you don't have to bother finishing."

A part of the white haired general was relived but another part of her was also curious. Just how did Yang know what she was going to say? Is she even sure she's assuming the correct thing? She knew just how wrong Yang could be in certain scenarios and she didn't want the girl to get the wrong idea about this one.

"And just what do you think I was about to say?" Weiss asked as calmly as she could, still staring at the blonde who now had her back towards her.

She heard what sounded like a snort come from the other girl before she chuckled lowly, although this time there seemed to be no humor in the sound. Quickly then though, Yang spun around and flashed her usual smile suddenly towards Weiss, but it was obvious that this one wasn't as genuine as all the other times she'd show off her cheery smile.

But just as the blonde was going to open her mouth to say something, another loud and deep voice called out to her suddenly, breaking the feeling of guilt and sadness that was forming deep down in Weiss' stomach.

"I've considered your plan, Weiss." Admiral Port called out from the doorway of the room she had occupied not even ten minutes ago.

Weiss turned her attention to the older man and took a deep breath in an attempt to refocus back at her original task at hand and appear angry once more, though with some hesitation thanks in no small part to Yang.

"And?" Was all Weiss replied back with, trying her best to gauge Port's body language to see what he was going to say but failing. The man had a great poker face when he wanted to.

It felt like a stalemate between the two once more. Just as if they had never left the room. What was only seconds passing felt like entire minutes until the older man finally sighed to himself.

"And… I decided that you are in fact correct." He said in a low voice with a worried expression, almost seemingly as if in pain. "We'll divert from our original course and sail through the Pearl Isles right now. Time is of the essence I suppose."

Weiss finally let herself exhale a breathe of relief at that. Sailing through the Pearl islands would cut their travel time by a few days instead of sailing around the entire island as they currently were. Admiral Port's worries about how the island was haunted by some rumor were nothing but rubbish to her. She was no longer a little girl who believed in fairytales. She had a job to do and she wanted to finish it as quickly as possible to head back onto the front lines with her soldiers.

"Thank you Admiral." Weiss called out towards the older man as he slowly walked towards the stern of the ship, no doubt to tell the crew of their new destination.

But as the man shuffled away from her, Weiss heard him mutter one last thing…

"May the Gods have mercy on our souls."

Smiling to herself in victory now, Weiss turned back towards Yang who watched the whole encounter unfold with a somber look on her face. As soon as their eyes met though, the blonde forced another fake smile before starting to walk away from the railing.

"I'll inform the Vanguard of the change of plans."

Weiss couldn't help but feel as if it was Yang who was running away now. Almost like the girl actually did know what she was going to say before.

Just as Yang started to walk away though, Weiss felt herself extend her arm to stop her…

But she stopped herself inches away from grabbing the blonde's shoulder.

She hesitated.

She watched Yang walk away without another word… The girl's back retreating down the stairs away from her.

And she was gone.

She knew it wasn't fair but… Weiss wasn't ready for that. She just couldn't do it. And the worst part about it was she couldn't even explain it to Yang either.

"I'm such a coward…"

It hurt.

It hurt knowing when you finally decide to let someone in but they don't want to be let in hurt.

She had to get out of there, but she had no idea where to go. Ren and Nora would still be in the shared room so she couldn't go back there… Maybe on the lower main deck of the ship towards the back?

Turning around the corner and now definitely out of sight of Weiss, Yang took in a deep breath. The stinging sensation of repressed tears burned her eyes but she wouldn't let them fall. She wouldn't show her weakness to anyone anymore. She had to keep it in… alone… just as she'd always had.

Some things never changed it seemed.

Quickening her pace towards the rear of the ship, she caught sight of Ruby and Blake walking towards her while both of them smiling.

A part of her wanted to turn the other way quickly so they didn't see her, another part wanted to scream in anger at the sudden cold feeling of jealousy she felt towards her younger sister, and the last part wanted to just hug Ruby.

But she did no one of those and adopted her mask once more, smiling just as both girls spotted her nearing them.

It really was getting easier to hide behind a mask of her feelings…

Yang watched as Ruby's smile widened at the sight of her. The blonde felt a small ping of happiness at that, seeing as her sister still was always happy to see her, even when she was with Blake.

The smaller girl jogged up to her and buried her face into Yang's chest, with the older sister returning the hug loosely.

"Hey Rubes." Yang offered weakly.

She could already feel her smile wavering for some reason though and she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold it together for.

Glancing down she spotted Ruby smile towards her before the girl cocked her head to the side the way she usually does when she questioned something.

The slight gesture alarmed Yang. She knew Ruby was adept at picking up even the slightest emotion she felt.

Detaching herself from Ruby though, Yang flashed another faltering smile towards the girl and continued her walk towards the end of the ship, leaving a curious Ruby and Blake behind. As she neared the end of the ship though, Yang felt a small joy in seeing that there was no one around. She leaned her arms on the railing and sighed heavily while closing her eyes.

For the first time in a while now, she felt exhausted. She hadn't felt this way since she escaped from her hometown of Beacon all those months ago now. So much time has passed then and she'd never thought she'd see herself in this position right now.

Sighing deeply again though, Yang felt herself chuckle sadly.

Lately she had been letting herself feel happy about the night she and Weiss had spent together. Their relationship had improved greatly and Yang for the first time in her life felt a strong attraction to the General. Even in that moment of weakness when she confided in the white haired girl. She thought you could let it all go… Entrust herself to someone.

But it seemed as if that wasn't going to be the case.

Though Yang couldn't help but wonder why.

Why couldn't Weiss return her feelings? Or even give her a reason why. She was sure the other girl at least felt something towards her. It was obvious, especially with how much she's changed.

But… why did it turn out like this?

What did she do wrong?

…

But as Yang prepared to slump even lower onto the railing in depression, a sound as much as a shockwave pierced the air around her.

"W- What the…?"

The hustle and bustle of the ship was drowned out by what could only be described as an ear-splitting screech as if a hundred people were grinding their blades against a marble floor…

Just as she lifted her head to glance around though, she caught sight of a large black figure flying towards her from an island off to their south.

Too big to be a bird and too black to be a rain cloud, Yang felt her body go rigid as she watched the thing flap what she thought to be its wings as it veered towards the ship she was currently on at an alarming speed.

"What the hell is that?!"

It was only until the painful screech was heard once more that Yang pinpointed that it was indeed coming from… whatever the hell was flying right towards her now. But a new sound rang out not a moment after…

The sound of the ship's alarm bell ringing…

And not even a second later was the war horn sounded.

"All hands prepare for combat!"