Blake looked over at the other refugees gathered inside Haven. Yang and Weiss's many summoned allies were desperately trying to hold the massive doors of the academy shut as their enemy continued to try and force their way in.
She could hear the sounds of explosions and gunfire. Atlesian soldiers continued their suicidal charge even as the Mistrali bombarded their flank and the lingering White Fang loyalists were somehow even more fanatical than Blake recalled.
Their zealotry couldn't compare to General Ironwood, however... he was throwing wave after wave after wave of his own foot soldiers into the bloody grinder outside -real men rather than Atlesian knights- all so he could capture a prize of war, no matter how vulnerable it'd make him.
And while Blake herself felt immense guilt, it was nothing compared to her mother, who alternated between trying to offer some words of comfort to the displaced refugees and huddling close to her husband. She blamed herself for all this...
Blake wanted to offer reassurance, but no words left her mouth. She knew she was at fault but couldn't quite bring herself to vocalize it.
She tried to focus on the sounds of battle outside as men continued to try and force the doors open. She tried to anchor herself to the present and focus on the situation at hand, rather than stew in her guilt.
Unfortunately... she couldn't move past it. She could only dwell on what she'd done and what it had cost them.
Previously
Kali's maternal instincts quickly asserted themselves over Team RWBY and she set to work ingratiating with her daughters' friends; two of whom lacked a mother in their lives and another removed from her family's line of succession. She liked all three members of Blake's team and quickly began to bond with them, because she knew she wouldn't have long with them before she and Ghira returned to Menagerie with their civilian corps. She savored every moment spent with her daughter and three new children to add.
She was helping Team RWBY pack for their own journey to Atlas when she came across them in Blake's supplies. "Oh, what are these?"
Thin, tight fabric... something far removed from Kali's usual day-to-day attire. "Yoga pants," Blake explained. "When I was at Beacon I'd occasionally do morning routines to keep fit."
Kali continued to inspect them, curious. Blake was accustomed to wearing tight pants, but her mother's hakama was much fluffier. No wonder the exercise getup so fascinated her.
Blake paused from packing to join her mother in observation. "Have you ever tried Yoga?"
"No," Kali admitted. "I mean, I've had the time at home these days but never really thought on how to use all those spare moments."
That wasn't quite true but Kali thought she'd spare her daughter the details. She didn't imagine Blake wanted to hear about some of her parents' habits while they had a big, empty house to themselves.
"Well, you should give them a try," Blake suggested. "I'll show you a few stretches that really help me stay loose."
It started with good intentions; a way for mother and daughter to bond.
It seems the most terrible of actions often begin with good intentions.
Sun was the first. Exposed to the sight and already familiar with Kali's warm and nurturing demeanor, he degenerated from a loyal friend to an obsessed madman. When he saw at last what Kali kept hidden under an unflattering and obscuring shroud he became consumed with base intent.
Oscar followed. Ozpin at first tried to temper the boy's surge of instinct, but the nature of their blended soul led to the wizard succumbing to hormones just as the boy had. He too was now enslaved by the need to possess Kali. Their greatest hope for stopping Salem was now seeking to collect her once the fighting ceased and he could capitalize on opportunity.
Qrow had only interacted with her briefly before...but seeing her tightly-clad backside stirred his very worst habits and soon he was pitted against his own family solely to possess the Faunus woman.
Yang resisted only because of the trauma she went through. But she also unintentionally caused the war raging outside by taking a photo with her Scroll, and that image finding its way to a variety of others monitoring the CCT and mining data for information. That was how Ironwood laid eyes upon Kali and committed his military to attacking Mistral long before they were ready to fight, solely in pursuit of Kali Belladonna.
But the worst of all... the worst possible innocence lost and the greatest source of Kali's guilt...
While Yang and Weiss braced the front door, the back way was forced open and she emerged to claim her query. Blake could only look on in despair.
Ruby, lust burning in her silver eyes, raised her fist in bold proclamation. "Mrs. Belladonna! Your butt will be mine!"