A Different Way Down: A RWBY fanfiction, by NotScot

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A/N: Yeah, I know I said weekly uploads, but this one practically wrote itself. So here you go, an early upload. Enjoy!


Kali Belladonna exited her husband's study, sliding the door shut behind her. Sighing, she made her way towards the kitchen, her pace slow and tired.

Ghira had looked tired as well. His haggard expression and dull eyes spoke volumes of his exhaustion, and Kali knew very well that it had nothing to do with his paperwork. Neither had been sleeping well these past few months, and Kali strongly suspected that they were not the only parents to be struggling.

Very little news regarding the situation in Vale had reached Kuo Kuana, save for what the occasional merchant sailor could provide. All they had managed to glean so far was that the Kingdom itself was still standing, and that reconstruction efforts were coming along steadily, but slowly. A lot of people were still missing… and included in that particular figure was Blake.

No news is good news. That had been the thought which had kept Kali and Ghira going for the first few days. But then days became weeks. Then weeks became months. The silence from Vale dragged on, and that hopeful thought soured and transformed into maddening worry.

Kali slid open the door to the kitchen. Moving on autopilot, she pulled out the teapot and two sets of cups, then went to the pantry to retrieve the tea.

Bang!

Kali set the box of tea back on the shelf with another sigh as the sound of the door knocker echoed through the house. It seemed Corsac and Fennec had arrived early. Again.

So much for taking a break.

Kali made her way to the front door. Taking a moment to school her expression into a neutral one, she pulled the door open, ready to ask the pair if they could come back a bit later. Failing that, she supposed she could invite them in to join them for-

Kali's eyes widened, and her ears perked up as she saw who was standing on the porch.

"Blake?"

Blake raised one arm and gave her a small wave, her own ears pressed flat against her head and her expression nervous. "Hi, mom."

Kali did not hesitate for even a second. She quickly stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around her daughter. It was really her. Her daughter, her only child, was right there. She was back. She was home.

"My baby girl." Kali's voice shook with emotion as she tightened her hold on Blake. When she felt her daughter finally return her embrace, Kali couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"Kali?" called Ghira. "Who is it?"

Kali pulled slightly away from Blake and stepped to one side, turning to face her husband. She watched as his expression shifted from tired, to stunned, to overjoyed. Striding forwards, he stepped out onto the porch and swiftly pulled both Blake and Kali into a hug of his own.

"It's so good to see you again, Blake."

"It's… good to see you to, dad, mom."

The wood of the porch creaked slightly as someone shifted their footing, and Kali was reminded of the presence of the other two people who were standing with them. Pulling away from her husband's arms, she turned to face who she assumed were friends of Blake, perhaps even her teammates.

"Hello there," Kali greeted the pair with a smile and a wave.

The long-haired girl gave her a small wave and smile of her own, albeit a rather strained one, not quite making eye contact with Kali. The boy, meanwhile, gave her a wide grin.


Yang was not socially awkward. Ruby was socially awkward, but Yang was most definitely not. She was outgoing, wore her heart on her sleeve, and was never shy about speaking her mind. She was, in every sense of the word, an extrovert, confident in her every interaction with other people.

So when she found herself sat in the living room of Blake's parents' house, cup of tea in hand as she listened to the reunited family catch up with one another, she was rather perplexed to realize just how out-of-place she felt. She wasn't keeping silent out of courtesy, she genuinely had no idea what to say or do in this situation.

So Yang simply sat there in silence, occasionally sipping at her tea that Blake's mother - Kali, she told me to call her Kali - had made for them all.

"We were horrified when we heard the news. Vale is far from perfect, but it didn't deserve to suffer any of that." Kali placed a hand on Blake's shoulder as she spoke. "Oh, your father and I were both so worried about you!"

Blake's father - Mr Belladonna. I get the feeling he wouldn't appreciate Sun and I being too informal with him - snorted at that, a smirk on his face. "Please, dear. I knew she'd be fine!"

"That is not the slightest bit true," Kali scoffed. "He was pacing up and down for days."

Sun, seemingly much more at ease than Yang herself felt, let out a chuckle that drew everyone's attention to him. "You guys have nothing to worry about. I've seen your daughter in action before! Trust me, she's got some serious moves!"

Blake choked slightly on her tea, while Yang could only stare mutely at Sun, who was wearing the stupidest grin on his face while making finger-guns at Kali.

Mr Belladonna glared at Sun, looking very unamused at the boy's choice of words. "And what, exactly, do you mean by that Mr Wukong?"

Yang didn't know whether she should laugh or cringe as Sun, smiling a decidedly more nervous smile, slowly turned to face the imposing man and began to frantically try and explain himself.

"… and as a fellow fighter, I have a lot of respect for her, and her fighting. But also for her, because of her fighting. Not her looks. I mean, not to say she's not good-looking, she is! Or, uh, I mean-"

Yang knew she should probably say something to help bail him out before he could finish digging his own grave, but she had to admit, watching him flounder for excuses was making her feel better.

"I mean, she's definitely above average! Uh…" Sun stopped talking, having seemingly finally realized that he was just making things worse for himself. Instead, he simply poured himself another cup of tea with his tail and took a big gulp.

"This tea is great, by the way! Thank-you!"

Yang couldn't help herself. She tried, and failed, to stifle her giggles behind her hand, only for them to grow into full-blown laughter that had her hunched forwards and holding her stomach.

For a good minute or so, she laughed heartily and felt all of her worry and tension melt away as she did so. She would have to thank Sun later for this, she thought through her amusement. She felt a lot better than she had felt in a long time.

The journey to Menagerie had not been a pleasant one, even aside from the Grimm attacks. Plural. The Sea Feilong had not been the only Grimm they had needed to deal with before arriving at their destination, just the biggest one. Several errant Griffons had also decided to try their luck at attacking the ship the next morning, and a lone Nevermore had likewise shown up the day after that. They had been easy enough to take out compared to the massive serpent, but it had made for a less-than-relaxing voyage.

And the whole entire time, Yang and Blake had not exchanged a single word with each other after their initial 'talk'. Yang had only left her cabin to get food, and to fight off Grimm, before retiring as soon as the job was done. She even went out of her way to avoid Sun as much as she could.

She had been acting incredibly childish, she was well aware, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Blake had been avoiding her too it seemed, or so Sun had implied at one point. So if Blake didn't want to talk, then Yang wasn't going to make her. She was sick of trying so hard.

All she has to do is talk to me, but if Blake wants to stew in her own feelings, then she can go ahead.

The hypocrisy of that particular line of thought was not lost on Yang, but again, she just couldn't bring herself to care. So alone she had sat in her cabin, and silent she had been as Blake led them all off the ship and into Kuo Kuana towards her house. Sun was the one asking all the questions when they arrived, which Blake had answered well enough.

Yang had felt a pang of jealousy as she had watched Sun talk so easily with Blake when she could not, but she had quickly quashed that thought. After all, what did she have to feel jealous of?

The guilt, however, was much harder to ignore, and had continued to eat away at her as they had made their way up to the large house that Blake had pointed out to them.

All of that, all the negativity and self-pity, were now far from Yang's mind as she began to calm back down, reigning in her laughter and wiping a few tears of mirth from the corners of her eyes.

She then realized that the room was dead silent, and gulped as she opened her eyes to find that both Kali and Mr Belladonna were looking at her like she had sprouted a second head.

Well, now I feel awkward again.

Yang cleared her throat as she reached for her own cup. Taking a sip, she felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment.

"Uh, sorry."

No-one said anything for a few seconds, and Yang felt the increasing desire to sink into the floor and vanish from sight.

Bang bang! The front door knocker's loud sound echoed, jolting everyone out of their daze.

Whoever you are mystery visitor, thank-you!

"Darn it," grumbled Mr Belladonna. "I completely forgot about the meeting!" He slammed a fist down on the table, which startled Yang slightly. He looked angry.

"Ghira," Kali said, placing a hand over her husband's. "Just tell them to come back later, I'm sure they'll understand."

Mr Belladonna rose from his seat. "I'll just be a moment." With a sigh, he made his way out of the living room.

"Mom, is everything OK?" asked Blake worriedly.

Kali nodded, reaching for the teapot to pour herself another cup. "Yes, dear. It's just poor timing, that's all. It's been a little hard dealing with them lately."

"Dealing with who?" Blake's frown deepened.

"The White Fang."

"WHAT!?"

Yang was not alone in her shock. Blake and Sun had likewise yelled out as they shot to their feet.

Kali had sounded so nonchalant, and looked very taken aback by everyone's reactions to what she had just said. As the three of them ran out of the room, she called after them, asking them what was wrong.

What's wrong!? Is she serious right now!?

Blake was slightly ahead of her and Sun as they rounded the corner, and the door came into view. Mr Belladonna had turned to face them as they ran towards him, stepping to one side as he did so, revealing two strangely-dressed Faunus standing on the porch.

"Miss Belladonna," said the one with a tail.

"We had no idea you'd returned," said the one with fox ears.

They didn't look like White Fang to Yang. They were wearing red hoods that looked rather old-fashioned, and neither had a mask.

Nonetheless, the way Blake reacted at the sight of them spoke volumes.

"Dad! What are you doing talking to these people!?"

Mr Belladonna looked just as confused as his wife had been at Blake's shout. "This is Corsac and Fennec Albain," he said, gesturing to the two Faunus in turn as he did so. "They represent the White Fang here in Menagerie now."

Yang brought her arms up in front of her and deployed her gauntlets.

"If you don't want me to punch your heads off, you'd better get out of here now!"

"Miss Xiao Long!" Mr Belladonna interposed himself in between Yang and the White Fang members "What are you doing!? Lower your weapons, now!"

Yang turned her gaze up towards his face. He towered above her, but Yang stood her ground. If he wanted to defend these people, then she would happily go through him!

"Yang, stop!"

Yang blinked. She turned her head and saw Blake staring at her with wide eyes, one hand on the handle of her own sword.

"Young lady." The one with fox ears, Fennec, spoke to her in a calm voice. "I'm not sure what you may have heard about our organization, but I can assure you that we are not nearly as ferocious as the media would have you believe."

"What we've heard?" Blake turned back towards the hooded pair, lowering her hand back to her side. "We've seen first-hand. Your fanatics slaughtered people!

Yang saw Mr Belladonna's eyes widen at that, then narrow as he turned around himself. "What is she talking about?" he asked slowly, voice dangerously low.

Yang lowered her own arms, but kept her gauntlets deployed. It seemed that Mr Belladonna was genuinely taken by surprise at what Blake had just said.

"That is precisely what we have come here to discuss with you, Your Grace." The tailed man, Corsac, bowed as he spoke.

"Is everything alright?"

Yang didn't turn to acknowledge Kali as she spoke. She didn't seem to be addressing anyone specific anyway.

"Wait, you seriously don't know?" Sun asked incredulously.

"Know what?" asked Mr Belladonna.

He really doesn't know. How can he not know?

"The Fall of Beacon," said Yang. "The White Fang were there. They were the ones who brought down the CCT, they were the ones who released Grimm into the school. People died because of them! Hundreds!"

Yang saw Fennec and Corsac exchange a look with one another that had her raising her arms again.

"Your Grace, I'm afraid what the young lady has said is indeed true." Fennec bowed his head as he spoke, just like his brother had done so before.

Yang glanced at Mr Belladonna, and saw that his expression had darkened considerably. "Explain yourselves."

Corsac was the one who spoke next. "Though it pains us to admit, it has become apparent that the Vale branch is no longer operating under the leadership of High Leader Khan. Rather, they have chosen to follow the rule of Adam Taurus. I believe you are all familiar with his… extreme beliefs."

Yang saw Blake's whole body tense up when Corsac mentioned that name. Adam Taurus. Yang had a vague feeling that she had heard that name somewhere before.

"The High Council had been suspicious of a splinter group forming," added Fennec. "But they could prove nothing until this latest incident."

"You seriously expect us to believe that?" Yang spat.

"An 'incident'? People died!" Sun likewise did not sound happy with their explanation.

"Your Grace." Fennec continued speaking as if he had not heard them. "We came to assure you that Brother Taurus and his followers do not represent the will of the White Fang."

Mr Belladonna folded his arms purposefully. "And how can I be sure of that?"

Corsac took the lead speaking again. "We fully understand if you are sceptical of our words. The White Fang's tactics are, admittedly, more aggressive ever since you stepped down as High Leader. But this…" Corsac shook his head. "This is no way to make our message heard."

Yang barely heard that last part, as she was reeling from what Corsac had just revealed.

Blake's dad used to be their leader!?

"We have ample documentation from the council meeting." Fennec was speaking now. "As well as several strategies to apprehend and punish these strays if you care to review them." He drew a Scroll from his sleeve and held it out towards Mr Belladonna.

Mr Belladonna did not take the Scroll. "I will, but another day." He placed a hand on Blake's shoulder. "I'd like some time to reconnect with my daughter."

Both Corsac and Fennec bowed their heads. "Of course, Your Grace. We completely understand." The two turned, and began to descend the porch steps as they left.

"Young Blake." Fennec paused at the bottom of the steps and turned back to face them. "If you ever wish to return to us, you need merely come and find us. Sister Ilia would be elated." With that parting word, the fox-eared Faunus followed after his brother.

Mr Belladonna firmly closed the door. He sagged slightly against it as he did so. Yang could tell he was tired as Kali moved to stand by his side.

Yang finally let her arms drop to her sides properly, her gauntlets collapsing back into their bracelet forms at last. She was feeling pretty drained herself, although her thoughts were racing.

Blake's dad used to lead the White Fang. Yang had suspected that Blake's family may have been members like her once upon a time, but this was something else entirely.

You wouldn't understand.

Yang was beginning to understand why Blake was so keen to shut them out.

That understanding did nothing to quell her anger that rose up once again.

"I really don't know you at all, do I?" Yang's voice was level, but only just.

Yang saw Blake flinch at her words, saw tears begin to well up in her partner's eyes. Guilt and regret began to push her anger aside, but not by much.

"Blake, dear-" Kali reached out a hand towards Blake, but she turned and walked away, head down to hide her expression.

"Blake!" Mr Belladonna followed after Blake, and Kali likewise went after her. Yang and Sun were left alone in the hallway.

Sun rounded on Yang, looking genuinely angry for the first time she could remember. "What is wrong with you!? Why are you being like that towards her?"

Yang looked Sun straight in the eye, but quickly averted her gaze. "I… I don't know." Yang's voice sounded defeated. Her anger had disappeared as quickly as it had reared up, and she was now left feeling rather empty.

I shouldn't have said that to her.

But she had said it. Practically spat it at her. Yang slumped against the wall, head hanging in shame.

I really don't know her at all. I have no idea what's going on with her, what she's thinking or feeling. I'm supposed to be her partner, her friend, and I don't know anything about her.

Yang felt the beginnings of tears begin to sting her eyes, and lifted a hand to rub them away before they could fall.

What is wrong with me?

A hand on her shoulder made Yang lift her head. Sun's furious expression had been replaced with one of concern.

"Look," Sun began. "I know you and I aren't exactly close. We haven't really known each other all that long, and I'm not your teammate or your partner. But if you can't talk to her, why not try talking to me?"

Yang chewed her bottom lip as she wrestled with her thoughts. Sun was right that they weren't all that close, but strangely, she did trust him.

"Well, I guess it would be pretty hypocritical of me to turn you down after yelling at Blake so much." Yang managed a small smile as she wiped the last of the tears from her eyes and met Sun's gaze properly.

Sun smiled back at her, taking his hand off her shoulder and taking a small step back to give her some space. "Then tell me what's going on inside your head, Yang Xiao Long."


Blake buried her face in her pillow, trying as hard as she could to hold back her sobs.

She hates me. She hates me. She hates me. She hates me she hates me she hates me…

A soft knock on her door briefly brought Blake out of her spiral.

"Blake, can I come in?" Her father sounded worried.

No, not now. Not when I'm like this. I don't want you to see me like this.

Swallowing, Blake lifted her head slightly and faced the screen door to her room. She could see her father's shadow on the other side, as well as her mother's.

"I just…" Blake took a steadying breath. "I just need a few minutes. Please?"

Her father's silhouette seemed to hesitate, reaching to slide open the screen, but stopping short.

"Blake, your mother and I are here for you. I hope you know that."

Blake felt her chest tighten. "I'll be OK, dad. I just need a minute."

Blake watched as her father left, followed a moment later by her mother.

Blake rolled over on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She felt awful. Her chest was painfully tight, and her eyes stung. Her throat was hurting from the strain of holding everything back.

The way Yang had looked at her, the way her voice had sounded, her words, all of it was even worse than she had imagined.

I really don't know you at all, do I?

If Yang had shouted at her, she could have taken it. It would have been unpleasant, but she at least would have been able to endure that. But what had happened instead hurt. The utter contempt Yang had for her was now as clear as day.

Blake's vision grew even more blurry as more tears began to well up. She was fighting a losing battle against her emotions.

Rolling back onto her stomach, she once again buried her face into her pillow. The soft fabric muffled her sobs as she finally stopped holding them back and began to cry.


Sun's expression was neutral as Yang spoke. He didn't interrupt her, or try to butt in when she stuttered or hesitated, which she did quite a bit as she tried to explain her thoughts to herself as much as to him. She really did appreciate him staying silent as she unloaded all her thoughts onto him.

"I want to help her, Sun. I want to be there for her. I want her to trust me."

Yang stopped talking, taking a deep breath.

Sun nodded his head, seeing that she was done. "Then let's help." He said it like he was stating the obvious. Which, Yang supposed, he was. "We just need to figure out how."

Yang resisted the urge to groan in frustration. "How can we help her if she won't let us? I don't even really understand what she's dealing with!"

Yang said that, but she did have some idea that had come together in her head as she talked to Sun. She may not have the entire picture just yet, but what she did have gave her some sense of what was really going on.

It was a picture that did not bode well at all.

"Well, I think I have a good idea of where to start."

Yang leaned forwards slightly. "I'm listening."

Sun's expression turned serious. "I think we should pay those two guys a little visit."

Yang blinked. "You mean those weird, hooded guys?"

"No, I mean the other guys in creepy hooded cloaks we met," said Sun sarcastically.

Yang smirked at that. "Alright, but why? I mean, I'm down for a little interrogation if that's what you're thinking."

"Actually," said Sun quickly. "I was thinking of a more subtle approach."

Yang lifted an eyebrow at that. "Subtlety isn't really my thing, Sun. And I'm pretty sure it's not your thing either."

Sun shrugged. "Well, I figure it can't be that hard, so long as we keep a low profile."

"But what would we even be looking for?" Yang pointed out.

Sun gave her another shrug. "I'm sure we'll know it when we see it."

Yang pushed herself off the wall and stood upright, cracking her knuckles as she did so. "Well, once we do find it, I know exactly what we do next."

Sun folded his arms and leaned against the wall, taking the same pose Yang had just been in. "And that is?"

Yang gave him a dark smile. "We get in the way, and we ruin everything."


This particular bulkhead wasn't really designed for long journeys. The one back at the camp was more suited to such trips, but the others had needed that one for their own travels, since it was large enough to carry them all. The fuel gauge needle was hovering above empty. He needed to land soon, or he would be landing harder than he intended.

I really should put aside some time to learn how to fly this thing properly. I can't always rely on the Lieutenant to fly me around all the time.

Adam tilted the wheel and made the bulkhead descend down below the treeline. The landing zone was quite a ways away from Kuo Kuana proper, but that was out of necessity. He wasn't exactly welcome in Menagerie, after all.

The bulkhead touched down, and Adam killed the engines. The sounds of the jungle were now the only sounds he could hear.

Unbuckling his seatbelt, Adam grabbed his mask from the console and moved to put it back on, before stopping himself. With a sigh, he shoved the mask into his pocket before pulling up the hood on the cloak he was wearing over his clothes.

Inconspicuous, remember? I can't afford to be spotted. Not yet at least.

Adam carefully made sure that Wilt and Blush was concealed by the cloak. His weapon was almost as recognisable as he was, so he needed to make sure that it was well hidden.

The Lieutenant had suggested he take a different weapon on this particular mission, but Adam had shot down that idea quickly. Wilt was more than just a sword to him, after all.

Such a statement was true of most fighters in Remnant. One's weapon was, after all, just as much of an extension of who you were as your aura or your Semblance. A constant, reliable companion that was always by your side no matter what. Some forged their own weapons, others used weapons that were gifted but nonetheless modified to suit the user's own needs, and christened with a name all of its own to solidify the bond between the two.

Adam had been gifted Wilt by his mentor. It had been called something else when he first received it from her, but he had changed that after he built Blush to compliment it, joining them together and making them his.

He had no idea what had happened to her since then. He was fairly confident that she was still alive, though. A pity, really. He should remedy that at some point.

It wasn't that he was ungrateful for all she had done for him. The fact that he still treasured her gift was a sign of his enduring respect for her. But she was an obstacle that he would have to deal with eventually. She had made that very clear to him when they parted ways all those years ago.

But that would have to wait. He had more pressing matters to attend to.

Disembarking the bulkhead, Adam began to make his way through the jungle. His destination was about an hour's walk away, although he would need to find somewhere to lay low until the cover of darkness before he could actually do what he came to do.

The sound of a branch snapping caused Adam to turn on his heel. In one fluid motion, he drew Wilt and swung it in a horizontal arc, bisecting the Grimm with his slash. It disintegrated before he could even make out what species it was.

Now much more conscious of where he was, Adam began to make his way through the jungle at a more cautious pace.

Wilt and Blush, ever the reliable companions, would serve Adam well in his mission to come.

They were the only ones who had never let him down.


Author's Note:

In my opinion, Adam is one of the more interesting characters to write for. There is an abundance of additional context surrounding him that just begs to be fleshed out, and there are also plenty of blank spaces that can be filled in to give him more layers without contradicting his canon characterization too much.

Well, this is the halfway point of the Menagerie Arc. As I said up top, this one came to me a lot easier that I had expected it to... probably because a lot of it was re-treading what happens in canon, at least up until the last third of the chapter. Next chapter will be a lot more... well, you'll see. But as has now become standard for this fic, here is a little preview:

Sun's aura broke, and he fell to his knees, gasping for breath. His clones likewise fizzled out of existence as his Semblance stopped working.

He was wide open and defenceless, and in no condition to escape on his own. He could only stare ahead as the fireball hurtled towards him.

Next chapter will not be coming as fast as this one did, as I want to have both it and the final chapter of the arc both written fully before I upload it. All going to plan, you should be seeing it by Friday, and then the Menagerie Arc finale will follow it a week later (because I like cliff-hangers, so you'll be getting one).

A big thank-you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited or followed this fic so far. It puts a big smile on my face every time I see an alert ping from any of those.

Until next time,

NotScot.


P.S: Who is Adam's mysterious mentor? Oh who am I kidding, you've already figured it out.