Hey new story! This was a prompt asked of me by BraveVesperia with their OC. I plan on it being around 5 chapters long, but we'll see what happens. As I mentioned in the summary Blake is a futa and will be romantically involved with an OC named Josie. With the mention of this, there will be adult themes and a lemon that will be available on AO3 when that chapter comes out. More on that later.
This is a bit on the short side for a chapter of mine, but I felt that was a good place to stop considering what shall take place in the next chapter. Speaking of which, I will be working on my first story The Burning Rose Bush before continuing this story. It's been like two years since I last updated that and I don't want to wait any longer.
Now without further ado, here is the first chapter. Reunion...
Chapter 1: Reunion
Her legs began to quake as the hand reached out towards her from the other train car. The guilt the lonesome gesture caused her began to well up, making her feel so small under his pleading gaze behind the mask. But it wasn't real. She knew that now. After his cruel disregard for the civilian passengers, it became crystal clear that the person she fell in love with was now a monster. Was this new though? For how long had she remained blind to his spitefulness? How many red flags did she need to see before the rose tented glasses were removed to show the abomination of hatred he always was?
Blake shook her head from the memory as she kept walking with her book to hide her face. She tried burying the past, but the wounds were so fresh that she still second guessed her choice to leave Adam. Not because she reconsidered his transgressions, but because she was afraid. Truly and deeply afraid of him and what he would do once he found her. The hopeful thought that he would forgive her for betraying him entered her mind as she continued her slow pace through the Beacon Academy courtyard, but was forced out the very next moment as the book became heavier in her trembling hand. She had experienced personally what crossing Adam got in the later years of their partnership.
Her free hand went to her side, where the bruises lingered only in her mind and heart. But that's when a fire began to burn away at herself. It was exactly what he wanted. For her to be afraid. To be under his thumb as she came crawling back in hopes that he would go easy on her, and she was sick of it. Sick of being a coward who constantly ran from her problems.
Blake's self-demeaning thoughts were put on hold however, as a colorful explosion went off directly in front of her. Sparks of electricity jolted out from a deep crater in every which way like a spider web that had also caught on fire. Two girls stood at the epicenter of it all. One horrified and younger looking than most students at this academy, the other blistering mad and distastefully familiar.
"You dolt! Do you have any idea what you're doing?!" Berating the younger looking girl still on the ground helped make the connection within Blake's mind as the angered one whipped her long white ponytail over her shoulder.
"Wh-ME?! This was your fault just as much as it was mine, princess!"
"It's heiress, actually. Weiss Schnee. Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company…" The secretive cat faunus jumped in, smirking to herself as she heard an uppity hum of approval from the Schnee heiress. Her ribbon then lowered in aggression along with a glare at the same girl, ready to let her have it. "…The same company infamous for controversial labor forces and the shadiest of business partners. Tell me. How much is that dust worth to you, Schnee? Because I can guarantee the miners who poured their blood sweat and tears into finding it for you would rather appreciate you not wasting it like it's some kind of salt shaker!"
Blake basked in the view of the high and mighty Schnee repetitively opening and closing her mouth without a word to come out. The smirk then widened as Weiss' snow white head lowered in defeat. Unaware of the turmoil inside the heiress, amber eyes never caught sight of the bottle of dust shaking, grasped tightly in the small hand of Weiss. She was too focused on watching the shorter girl spin around and stomp away in what she thought was embarrassment. Blake still wasn't left alone, though…
"Uh, thanks for helping me with her, I guess? I mean, she was being a real jerk, but maybe that was a little-…Hey! Where are you going?!"
Blake ignored the red caped little girl's call. Adam had always tried limiting Blake's time with others, manipulating her into thinking that he was all she needed and that was how things should be. Her relationships with others were few and far between and no one else should ever be trusted with her thoughts other than him. She was foolish for thinking that he only wanted to protect her. And while his mind games were hard to shake even a month after cutting ties with him, this wasn't why she ignored the girl's gratitude.
Amber eyes narrowed towards the giant forest on the border of the school. It was only for a second, but she caught a glimpse of a figure too far away to make out details. A shadow that disappeared into the dark foliage just as quickly as it had showed itself.
Her instincts screamed at her that it was a trap. That Adam had tracked her down. Yet she found herself stomping forward in the direction of the shadow's last location. There was that familiar fire burning within again. It craved answers, a resolution. To be done with Adam's ruling over her life once and for all. She didn't know if this really was Adam or even someone she knew. She didn't know what she was going to do when she found them. But they were clearly up to no good, stalking around the school like this.
A lone, cloaked figure sat on a toppled tree that had been overgrown through many years with vines and moss. They waited, facing towards the academy shielded from view by the dense forest foliage. Something alerted them. A soft thump on the forest floor behind them. It was too late however, as a slim blade was put to their concealed throat before they even had the chance to turn around.
"Who are you? And what do you want?" Blake's voice was heated, with an edge of mistrust.
As the figure reached up towards her hood, the amber eyed faunus dug the blade deeper into the cloak's wool fabric, warning them. It was then that the unknown entity spoke.
"I can't remove my hood if you don't let me…" The feminine voice was unnatural. Not hostile, but strained from Gambol Shroud nearly penetrating the limited protection of the cloak. Blake hesitated from the hiss, second-guessing not her actions, but the voice she made out to be familiar.
"Josie…?" Her ribbon bent forward as the word came from her mouth, confused and scared. But Blake didn't relinquish the blade at her throat.
Slowly, the empty hands made their way to the edges of the hood to show as little threat as possible. Sensing no more pressure being added to their throat, the figure saw that as their que and lowered the hood to reveal shoulder length brown hair. It was messy and unwashed. And peeking out from the disheveled locks were two round spotted cat ears that twitched with a newfound freedom.
"Please, Blake. I'm not here to fight you." The other cat faunus girl tried, but still didn't move a muscle, as Gambol had never left the right side of her throat.
"Then what are you here for, exactly? Have you been following me?!" Blake didn't allow herself to drop her guard. Fearing that this girl had been hunting her since she left the White Fang and Adam.
Josie tried turning to face Blake, but couldn't as the blade still pressed against her cloak. "I-I didn't know who to turn to! After you left, things got so much worse. So far out of hand…" Her hands clenched the log underneath as she explained the aftermath. "…Adam began taking charge of the Vale White Fang branch! Anyone who disagreed with him…went missing. Some of us began to see what you had seen. The horrible turns the White Fang was heading in with him at the lead. And…" The spotted, round ears twitched atop her head. "…When we tried confronting him…I happened to be one of the lucky ones…" Her voice was icy and lifeless.
A moment passed as Gambol lost some of its pressure to the girl's throat. The relief was brief however, as Blake pushed it back in place. "You still haven't answered my question…" Blake returned with an air of mistrust from the dodged question.
In a flash of unexpected speed, Josie brought up her forearm and pushed the blade away from her throat revealing the silver plate gauntlet she wore on her right arm underneath the black cloak. Twirling around on her feet, the smaller faunus girl now stood in front of Blake with the concealing cape having faltered in her quick movements.
As the black material fell to rest at her back, what was once kept hidden was now placed on display. Light blue leather armors covered the girl from neck to toe as the basis of her protection. Atop her right shoulder, and in a matching style to the full silver plate sleeve below it, was a two layered pauldron with a rolling wave filigree etched into its face. At her abdomen was a silver plated corset that stopped at her chest, giving her access to the lacing of her leather armor across her cleavage. Below that, a series of silver plate spaulds protected her hips and upper legs in the shape of feathers. And finally, at her back, beneath the cloak, was a sheathed sword strapped around her waist and shoulder. Josie made no move to draw it however, as two pleading hazel orbs reached out to Blake.
Daring amber eyes and the sword that had once been at her throat were the only things Blake cared to level at the armored faunus.
Letting her head fall in sadness at the mistrust, Josie whispered once more trying to get through to her old sister of the White Fang. "I'm not your enemy! And I'm not here to hurt you! I…I left the White Fang because I want to help people. Just as you're doing! Let me help too!"
Concern, skepticism, self-doubt. These were all things written on Blake's own face as she contemplated hearing out her former friend. "…Josie…How could I trust you again…?" The words hurt her as she voiced them, but not nearly as much as it showed on Josie's soft face. "…I tried telling you about him. I wanted you to come with me that night! But you…You chose Adam and pushed me out!"
"I know, Blake! And I'm sor-…!" With a panicked voice, Josie tried apologizing for being just as blinded by Adam's lies as Blake was. But she wasn't given the chance.
Blake's tone softened. Like a whisper of pain. "You called me a liar. A coward! You told me I had betrayed our kind… The person I thought of as my best friend wanted nothing to do with me anymore…" The flame of ridicule came back in those amber eyes, ready to lay into the one before her. "And now here we are again, roles switched, and you expect, what? A helping hand? I was left alone! So why shouldn't you be too?!"
Josie shut her eyes as if a great weight was set on her shoulders. She deserved no such mercy. She had thought of nothing but this moment ever since she left the White Fang in search of Blake. But it still couldn't prepare her for those furious, damning eyes. Hope was all she had. Hope that Blake still retained some form of forgiveness within her heart. She just needed a chance to redeem herself. A way to show her former sister of the White Fang that she was regretful and wanted to make amends for shunning her. "H-How…How can I make it up to you…?"
Blake heard the pitiful whisper, and thought about ignoring it. Like she had once been ignored. "Make it up to me… Josie! You have no idea, do you? How badly that hurt to lose not one, but two of the closest people in my life in the same day! You were like a little sister to me!" Amber eyes softened above a pained frown.
"Blake…" Through tears, Josie whimpered out her name from the bittersweet confession. It wasn't enough. She knew. But all she could offer was a tearful apology. "…I'm so sorry!" The heavy words came out like a gust of wind propelling the sails of ship. The shorter girl fell at Blake's feet, like a criminal awaiting their sentencing. Tears fell silently as she anxiously gripped the light blue leather armor at her legs tight enough to turn her knuckles white. "I-I didn't know who to believe! I'm sorry, Blake!"
With the final cry of guilt, Josie waited. And waited and waited with tears burning at her cheeks. And it was soul crushing. Was Blake milking this? Getting some joy out of watching her squirm in her regret and self-pity? Or was there a silver lining that maybe Blake was actually contemplating letting her make it up somehow?
"…I'm sorry too…"
The words carried a weight with them, but their true meaning unknown. Curiosity getting the better of her, Josie finally looked up for Blake, only to see the black cat faunus disappear into the darkness of the forest.
"Blake!?" Josie shouted, bolting up to chase after the taller girl. Sprinting towards the edge of the small clearing, the younger cat faunus pushed through to the other side only to find no trace of her former friend who was long gone.
It hurt. The pang in Josie's chest as she knew Blake no longer trusted her. And yet seeing her again for but a moment made the many solitary nights of anticipation for this conversation suddenly bearable in her mind. Especially now that she knew where she stood with the raven haired girl. It was a start. And that was all she really wanted when she found out Blake had been telling the truth about Adam. A chance to start over and earn a mutual respect between them. Now she just needed a way to prove to Blake that she meant well…
Chatter filled the spacious gathering of potential Beacon students as Blake, along with the rest, waited for some kind of introduction to their new lives within the enormous chamber. The secret faunus however had her mind elsewhere than in an interest of starting random conversation with the people around her. With her back up against the far wall, Blake's brow began to furrow from both the noise around her and her thoughts of the surprise from her past blatantly showing up at the worst possible time.
Just when she thought she could relax within the protection of the school's walls, a threat showed its face right outside as if to disprove her. 'Josie…A threat…?' Blake's shoulders sagged and the frown lowered after the thought. Before, that thought never would have entered her mind. She knew Josie as such a sweet girl. She kept to herself mostly, but for those that did know her, knew her to be soft spoken, caring, and truthful. And yet, after that night when she returned from the train to talk Josie into running away with her, a different side of the hazel eyed girl had shown itself. It made her question if that had been the real Josie all along.
Blake's nails dug into her arms as she wrestled with the idea that once again she was being lied to and manipulated by someone she had once cherished. Thankfully, the storm in her head was halted by a calm, but assertive voice transmitted throughout the grand room.
"Attention everyone. I'll try and keep this simple and to the point…" Upon the stage stood Ozpin with his deputy headmistress Glynda Goodwitch. He cleared his throat once before continuing, now feeling all eyes on him. "…You all have been selected as promising future huntsmen and huntresses from all around Remnant. This however does not make you so, just yet. Each and every one of you have what it takes, yes. But the strides you must make before reaching that point are nothing short of vast. I do hope you are ready for the trials ahead…"
With his final words, the bespectacled man stepped away and his trusted colleague quickly took his place. "Tomorrow, you all will be participating in an initiation to test your abilities not only as a capable fighter, but also the merit of your heart as a hero. You will be faced with difficult choices throughout your career as a huntsman or huntress. To save others…Or save yourself…" The crowd filled with hushed whispers before Glynda finished her announcement. "You all will be staying in the ball room tonight. I recommend you get some rest for the following trials in the morning. You are dismissed."
With an easy push away from the wall, Blake began making her way towards the exit. 'Hero?' Blake scoffed internally. They were purely fictional in her mind. Blake simply wanted to write the wrongs she was the cause of. The White Fang had become poisoned. And she felt she was a part of it. Something had to be done. That had been her thought's conclusion, until a familiar figure met her at the doorway and halted all previous mental cognition.
Hood pulled back up to cover her faunus identity, Josie stood there nervously until her eyes met Blake's. She opened her mouth to speak, but the black cat faunus sped past her. The only acknowledgement was a pointed glare that didn't break her stride even for an instant before she was out the door with Josie scrambling to follow.
Several calls of the amber eyed girl's name left Josie in an effort to get her to stop, before Blake finally relented. But not before she led them to a secluded corner of the courtyard.
Spinning on her heel, Blake crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, ready to judge the next words out of Josie's mouth. "Why are you still here?!" The words slipped out through grit teeth, trying not to yell.
"I told you I left the White Fang-…" Blake hushed Josie, fearing their former affiliation could be found out with a slip-up like that. "…I-I left them just like you did!"
"Yes, but you can't stay here Josie! You have to be accepted to gain admittance, and you're too young to take the entrance exams!" Blake berated, worried that she might get in trouble for being involved with someone hiding within the school.
"I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference of one year, Blake. And for your information, I was accepted! The headmaster told me himself!" With crossed arms, the 16 year old argued. She was tired of being treated like a kid just because she was a little on the short side. So Josie was thankful that headmaster Ozpin only seemed to see her for her skills against the Grimm.
"Wh-What…?" Blake's bow lowered in shock. "…You can't be serious…" Her thoughts became external as she realized she couldn't get away from the White Fang like she had foolishly hoped. She was stuck with her at this school.
"Blake…?" Sensing the despair, Josie reached out with a hand only for Blake to flinch and back away.
"No! Just stay away from me, Josie! You think you can just show up and everything will go back to the way it used to be?! To the way things were before that night…" With a derisive shake of her black tresses, Blake glared to the side as the words from her former friend replayed in her head.
"Blake, I said I was sorr-…"
With a snap, Blake was glaring once again into Josie before she had a chance to finish her apology. "And how am I supposed to believe anything you say anymore?!..."
"…After you turned your back on me when I needed you to be there…" Her voice sounded wounded, but Blake stepped forward. Eyes up, and brimming with contempt as they were face to face with inches between them. "This school may have accepted you, but I haven't!"
Faced with the cruel words, Josie blinked down. Unable to stare into the convicting gaze of her former sister of the Fang. She felt so insignificant under that stare. Her shaking hand clutched at the end of her cloak, seeking some kind of warmth with the temperature dropping wherever Blake's chilling sightline was pointed.
For a moment, Blake took in the pitiful demeanor with a look of recognition and almost regret. But she steeled herself and pushed past the smaller faunus. Having to remind herself that it was Josie that brought this upon herself.
Rejected once again, Josie stood, petrified, as Blake walked away. It seemed like with every encounter, they were drifting further and further apart. But in spite of this, it only made Josie that much more motivated to find a way to prove to Blake that she could be trusted like before. And now knowing of the initiation tomorrow, a few scenarios began to play out in Josie's head. 'I will be there for you, Blake. I promise…'
Aww...She means well. But Blake's not having it. The next chapter is the initiation, which can only go well for everyone...Though there is a fairly good chance that you'll be able to see Josie in action with that 'totally bland' sword on her back. XD
Questions are welcome in a review, but don't expect spoiler answers!
Until next time, peace!