The streets were drenched in shadow, the occasional lamp post flickering to life and offering up some respite from the strain in Weiss's eyes. The moon hung above, casting only a pale light, enough to guide the two humans' uncertain steps and follow in the faunus's wake.

Weiss kept her eyes on Olivia alone, unwavering in their gaze. Not only because she was the sole person capable of escorting them, but because Weiss had steadily realized at least one of the secrets Olivia held so dearly. It was a secret that she couldn't help but reflect on, despite the pressing issues at hand.

'Olivia was a member of the White Fang.'

The thought refused to vacate her mind. In retrospect, Weiss didn't know why she hadn't figured it out so many weeks before. The pure contempt that Olivia had shown her when they first met, the fervor with which she'd defended the organization, the pedestal on which she'd raised them. Even her story about being saved should have clued her in. Who wouldn't have felt obligated to repay their debts after such an act?

'Maybe I just never wanted to know…' Weiss pondered silently. Acknowledging it made it real. She'd enjoyed being blissfully unaware.

Given time to think about it during their long trek through the desolate city though, Weiss also realized another important fact on the matter, a fact about herself. It gave her hope, and let the earlier warmth she'd felt rekindle into a raging inferno inside her chest.

Weiss didn't care.

Despite how adamant Olivia was to the contrary, Weiss could tell that deep down, she was a good person. Beneath the anger and the contempt hid a girl that was afraid. Terrified of being alone, or rejected by those she was close to. Olivia was just too proud to admit it. Weiss had long since seen with her own eyes the lengths Olivia would go to keep those walls intact. To keep others from seeing that, even though she was strong, there were parts of her that were also fragile, and weak.

If there were more secrets yet to come, more challenges she needed to face in order to be with her… Weiss resolved herself to take them in stride. She didn't want to lose this feeling, didn't want to return to how they'd once been. Weiss cared for Olivia deeply, in a way she never had for someone outside of her family. She made her feel wanted, like she wasn't merely an inconvenience in someone else's life.

If all it took for them to be together was a little acceptance…

"I'm sorry we went behind your back, Weiss…"

The heiress was pulled from her thoughts by the younger girl beside her. She shifted her focus, looking away from Olivia's back to gaze into silver eyes. Ruby's shoulders were sagging, her feet dragging across the pavement while she guiltily fretted with the cloak in her hands. She looked pitiful. Overwhelmed by what had happened, by what she and Blake had done, for having to leave their teammate to the metaphorical wolves.

Weiss raised a hand to wrap it around her leader's shoulders. Ruby tensed for a moment, but relaxed as the heiress began to rub up and down, doing her best to relieve some of her leader's tension. "You don't have to apologize to me, Ruby. You and Blake were trying to help me. Sure, your plan was a little crazy… and I never would have agreed to it, but... you both put yourselves on the line just so that I could feel better. I couldn't ask for better friends."

Ruby's eyes widened, a ripple of relief that brought a smile to her lips. "You really mean that?"

"With all of my heart." Weiss pulled Ruby in for a sideways hug, hoping the action would assuage any doubts she might still have. Ruby let go of her cape and hugged Weiss in return, smothering her face into the heiress's shoulder.

"Thank you, Weiss. Thank you so much."

Weiss laughed, resting her head against Ruby's for the brief moment that they were connected. "Don't sweat it. All we need to do is focus on saving Blake, alright? We'll pull her out of the White Fang's clutches, and be laughing about this soon enough, safe and sound back in the dorm."

Ruby nodded, pulling away to walk with a more confident skip in her step. She lost it a moment later though, as Olivia looked over her shoulder and gestured for them to turn down another street.

"So, umm… Weiss… have you…?" Ruby struggled to speak, glancing nervously between the heiress and Olivia. She seemed afraid to continue, as if whatever she wanted to say might end Weiss's previously voiced desires. Ruby was being cautious, knowing that if Weiss hadn't already put two and two together, she would once the question was asked.

Weiss flashed her a weak smile. "Yes, Ruby. I know, and I don't care. Whether Olivia was in the White Fang or not, she's still our teammate. She's still our friend. Nothing about that changes who she is now."

Ruby's eyes widened once more. She stared at Weiss in surprise, mouth twitching while her mind processed what the heiress had just confessed. "You… you really don't care? Then… Do you believe her? About the White Fang not being after you?"

Weiss frowned in thought. She hadn't quite considered that yet.

"Well… Olivia is from Mistral, not Vale. She might know how the White Fang operated there, but who's to say if the one's here aren't different? It seems like too much of a coincidence that they would attack a random bar that just so happened to have the Schnee heiress in it."

"O-Oh…" Ruby glanced away nervously. "So… you really don't care that Olivia was in the White Fang? You aren't just saying that? You don't hold any grudges? You aren't going to treat her differently because of what you know...?"

"No, I won't," Weiss reassured her. "You don't have to worry about the team, Ruby. This isn't going to change anything between us."

Ruby looked at her closely, considering the truth of her words. Her hands fretted with her cloak once more, and her eyes darted away while she worked up the courage to speak.

"T-then I feel like… I feel like it's safe to tell you…"

Weiss's eyebrows raised in surprise, "Tell me what?"

"B…" Ruby managed to speak the single sound before hesitating. Weiss let her face soften, hoping to reassure her leader that whatever she needed to say, things would be okay. Ruby calmed after a few seconds, and took a deep breath before opening her mouth to speak again.

"Blake was in the White Fang, too."

'Wha-...?' Weiss's feet jarred to a halt, body frozen in place while staring into the fearful eyes of her leader. 'Blake was…?'

Weiss started laughing. She threw a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound, but couldn't quite reign in her emotions. It was ridiculous, absurd, so astronomically unlikely that a Schnee of all people would end up with two White Fang members on her team. Weiss couldn't help herself, and bent over double while fighting to stay quiet.

"Weiss!?" Ruby whispered in bewilderment, confused by how the heiress was reacting. Olivia had stopped ahead of them and was staring back with equal confusion, not privy to the conversation that had been taking place.

Weiss finally managed to suppress her mirth. Her laughter dwindled down into short giggles, a hand still over her mouth to try and quell the sound she produced. "I'm sorry, Ruby, it's just…" She shook her head, incapable of accurately voicing exactly why such a serious topic had left her shaking with laughter. "I don't care if Blake was, either. I'm happy you told me."

"Really?" Ruby's pent up anxiety was expelled in one long exhale. She gathered herself, motioning for the confused Olivia to continue onward while both of them followed behind. "I guess there's nothing else keeping us from telling you the truth, then. The White Fang really wasn't after you, Weiss. Blake told me about it. About what Olivia did."

Weiss frowned, waiting for Ruby to continue.

"The day the three of you went to the cafe? The um…"

"The Daily Grind?"

"Yeah!" Ruby nodded fervently, "The day you went there, the White Fang showed up outside. Olivia pretended like she needed to make a call or something, then went to confront them. She beat them up, and told them to stay away from you."

Weiss's eyes returned to Olivia's back. 'Even then…?' Doubt still stirred in her mind.

"How are you so sure they would keep their word, though? They could have just pretended like they wouldn't, only to come back for me at the club." Weiss's heart sank a little in her chest, "Maybe… maybe they brought so many because they knew it was going to be a tough fight?"

Ruby shook her head. "The man that attacked me and Blake in the alleyway? He was their leader. Blake told him that Olivia was our teammate. She threatened him, saying Olivia would-... would kill him if he hurt us, especially if he hurt you." She fretted for a moment, glancing up to Olivia as well. "He seemed really reluctant to attack us after that. They attacked the club because they were trying to send a message or something… They wanted to prove that the White Fang should be feared. They really weren't after you, Weiss."

A mixture of emotions coursed through Weiss's body. Relief that she really hadn't been responsible, happiness that even back then, Olivia had chosen to keep her safe. A glimmer of unease was born as well. If the leader of the White Fang in Vale considered Olivia a threat… then what might she truly be capable of? What sort of renown must she have among them, to be feared by someone so strong?

It was unsettling, but simultaneously managed to create a feeling of… pride? It was comforting, knowing that Olivia was so protective of her. Weiss Schnee. The person who could have ended up being her mortal enemy in different circumstances. If she'd stayed with her father. If she'd never come to Beacon, and still believed all of his heinous lies.

Weiss pulled herself from her own thoughts long enough to pat her leader on the shoulder. "Thank you for telling me, Ruby. That's a big weight off my chest…"

Ruby smiled, "We wanted to tell you before, but Blake was afraid of you finding out about her. Now that you know, there's no more secrets between us! We can all move on, and grow even closer as a team!"

Weiss opened her mouth to agree, but held it in as Olivia's voice carried quietly back to them.

"Hey!"

Both of them looked up to see Olivia crouched at the corner of a building. Her eyes were wide, a finger on her lips urging them to be silent. Nerves stabbed at Weiss's chest. She crouched low next to Ruby, both making their way over to Olivia as quietly as they could, careful not to disturb any of the refuse littering the ground.

Ruby's eyes were wide. She looked at their surroundings, seeming to finally recognize where they were despite the low light. She leaned a little past Olivia, glancing around the corner before retreating quickly.

"This is it. This is definitely it," Ruby whispered. Her hand was on her scythe, feet poised to rush from cover while she shook nervously.

"Wait," Olivia placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from doing anything rash. "Let me go first."

"But-!" Both Weiss and Ruby began to protest before Olivia flashed them a warning glance.

"I won't go in without you, but I need you to stay here while I take care of the guards outside. There's light in the safehouse, but neither of you can see very well out here. If you trip over something or make noise, you'll just alert the people inside and make saving Blake a whole lot harder."

Weiss shared a look with Ruby. While it wasn't ideal, Olivia did have a point. Weiss was struggling to see much of her surroundings, most details being varying levels of indistinct at the very least. She couldn't imagine Ruby was faring much better, not unless she was secretly a faunus too. If they only ended up jeopardizing Blake by being stubborn…

"Alright, Olivia. We'll stay here for now," Weiss agreed. She stared fiercely into the faunus's eyes the next moment, surprising Olivia and holding her there with an icy glare, "If you even think about going inside without us though…"

Olivia nodded, "I won't. I promise."

Weiss held her gaze for a few moments, judging how sincere the faunus was being. Olivia had suggested she go in alone before, but now she appeared to have caved to their demands. Blake was their teammate too. Weiss would be damned if she was going to sit back and not help save their friend. Ruby seemed to agree, as she was currently staring at Olivia just as fiercely.

Olivia raised her hands, motioning for them to relax. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Whatever you hear, don't leave until then, okay?"

Ruby finally gave up with a sigh, choosing to trust that Olivia wouldn't go back on her word. "Okay. Just… be safe?"

Olivia let out a quiet laugh, "Who do you think you're talking to here? This'll be a piece of cake."

Olivia shot Weiss once last wink before turning away. She peeked out from around the corner of the building, staring off into the distance. In one sudden burst, she sprinted in a low crouch across the street and vanished from sight.

Weiss let out an anxious sigh, crouching next to Ruby and sharing a glance with her leader. They were both too nervous to speak, and chose to silently await Olivia's return. A minute passed, the seconds ticking away while they remained hidden in their temporary cover. Weiss's concern grew with each moment that passed, doubt creasing her forehead as she wondered if Olivia really was going to come back for them, or if she'd tricked them in order to brave it alone.

Weiss was just beginning to shift closer to the edge of the building when a hand fell over her mouth from behind. She gasped into it, body trying to dislodge the hand and turn on her attacker, ready to fight. Her heart pounded in her chest, thoughts straying to what their captors might do to a Schnee once she was within their clutches.

"Ssshhh, guys. It's me," Olivia's voice reassured them. Only then did Weiss noticed that Ruby was similarly held, Olivia having snuck up behind them to hold their mouths shut. The heiress's body slumped, breaths coming out in short, quick pants.

"Sorry, I don't know how good your sight is right now so I didn't want to risk coming from the front. If you couldn't tell it was me and shouted…" Olivia shrugged, "I didn't want to take that risk."

Weiss huffed, standing to regain some modicum of dignity. "It might be prudent for us to come up with a signal, then. So that on any future occasions, you won't have to resort to such tactics."

Olivia rubbed a hand against the back of her neck, smiling apologetically. "Yeah, that might be a good idea. Who knows what kind of missions we might go on? I just uh… haven't needed anything like that before, you know? My previous partner… well…" She shook her head, eyes downcast, "Time for that later. For now, let's get in there and save Blake."

Weiss and Ruby promptly nodded their acceptance, Ruby rising as well to prepare to follow Olivia. Instead of attempting to sneak further, the faunus instead stepped out into the open. Weiss and Ruby shared a concerned glance, but followed her out into the street all the same.

It was tough to make out many details, but as they approached, Weiss started noticing the bodies lying outside the warehouse. There was a man slumped from the roof, barely suspended by his own weight against the railing. Two more were knocked out in front of the door, laid to rest as if relaxing against the wall behind them. The last was further off, sprawled out near the corner of the building.

"You took all of them out that fast?" Weiss whispered incredulously, awed by Olivia's handiwork.

Olivia shrugged, a touch of pride gracing her lips. "There's a couple more around the sides. I was careful not to hurt them too badly, but it's tough to say when they might wake up. I didn't exactly bring anything to tie them up with, so we're going to have to make this fast. We don't want them waking and coming in behind us while we're still busy inside."

The pair of humans nodded acceptance, following Olivia to the main entryway. She slowed as she approached, crouching lower and taking care not to disturb anything along the way. Weiss mimicked her as well as she could, Ruby doing the same next to her.

Olivia stopped with her back almost touching the wall and raised a finger to her lips. She focused for a moment, then gave them a brief nod. "I can sense five of them in the next room. It's big, and they're pretty spread out. I don't feel Blake yet either, so she's probably deeper inside."

"You don't think they might have taken her somewhere else?" Weiss whispered fearfully, wishing she could sense the same things as Olivia.

Olivia shook her head, "No, I don't think they would." Her eyes turned to their leader, "Any ideas, Ruby? You and Blake already scoped this place out earlier."

Ruby thought for a moment, "The office that Blake dropped into was at the back of the building. We probably just aren't close enough for you to sense it." She bit her lip, and tried to force herself to sound confident, "Blake has to still be here. She just has to be…"

"She will be," Olivia replied calmly, turning to face the door.

"How can you be so sure?" Weiss asked, hoping to gain the same assurity as her teammate.

Olivia paused, looking back over her shoulder. "Because… I know who took her. She would have left Blake here so that I could find her. At least…" a shadow of doubt crossed her face, "I hope so. If not…"

Olivia didn't finish her sentence. She turned to grasp the doorknob firmly, then spared them one final look in preparation. "Ruby, use your semblance to get deeper into the building. Don't go for Blake yet, just attack the White Fang member that's furthest back in the room. Weiss, you go left. There's two on your side. I'll take the right."

Weiss nodded and pulled out Myrtenaster, taking a moment to inspect the Dust chambers. She'd used only a small amount of gravity Dust earlier. There was still plenty left, each type within the cylinders on display. Ruby prepared herself as well, extending Crescent Rose and giving it a skillful flourish. The heiress was breathing heavily, but after taking a few seconds to psych herself up, nodded to Olivia all the same.

Olivia raised her hand, three fingers up. She began to count down, lowering each of them slowly until all that was left was a closed fist. With one quick spin of her wrist, Weiss heard the lock snap. Olivia threw the door open, stepping aside for Ruby to blur in first. The young reaper disappeared into the building, followed by sudden shouts of surprise by those inside.

Weiss ran in next, eyes momentarily blinded when introduced to bright lights once more. She headed to the left all the same, vision adjusting to see the two White Fang members Olivia had warned her about. Both were taken off guard, still flat footed and ill prepared for the attack being orchestrated against them.

Weiss wasn't about to show them any courtesies. They were already reaching for their weapons, one carrying a standard Dust rifle slung around his shoulders while the other reached for a simple sword on his hip. The room itself was fairly open, leaving a straight shot between herself and the faunus. Weiss glared at the one reaching for the sword first, and cast a white glyph beneath her feet to propel herself forward.

Not expecting the sudden burst of speed, the sword wielding faunus was caught in the middle of drawing his weapon. Myrtenaster slammed into his chest, eliciting a large ripple of dark green aura and launching him back into the wall. He crashed into it with a gasp of pain, still not down for the count. Out of the corner of her eye, Weiss could see him struggling back to his feet.

The second faunus managed to pull his gun up. He was sloppy, though, inexperienced in the use of the firearm he held. Weiss cast a glyph to protect herself, only for the gun's safety to click repeatedly. His eyes widened and his mouth opened to swear. While he was reaching for it, Weiss darted across the intervening space. The point of her rapier slashed across the gun, knocking the barrel away from herself and further delaying his attempts to shoot.

The cylinders within Myrtenaster spun into place. Weiss ducked beneath the man's wild swing and stabbed the ground at his feet. Ice erupted from the point she'd touched, spreading out in a thick column that froze him in place. His head was left untouched, eyes free to widen while he stared in open-mouthed shock.

Weiss turned back to the other man just in time to deflect his wild swing. The sword whistled past her head, set off course by a loud clang of steel from her own weapon contacting his. Weiss slashed him across the chest, sidestepped his next attack, then repeated what she'd done to the first. Another column of ice appeared, trapping him within it's clutches.

Weiss breathed heavily from nerves alone. She spun to regard the rest of the room, ready to assist wherever she was needed.

"Oh…"

Ruby had just finished her foe as well. She glanced up and shot Weiss a thumbs up, glad to see she'd also managed to take care of her opponents. Olivia was dusting her hands off, already walking away from the three White Fang she'd sprawled out across the floor.

Olivia froze on her way towards the back of the building. From the awkward angle she was at, Weiss could see her eyes narrow into furious slits. Olivia's shoulders raised, and she stalked towards the back of the building with a fierce determination in her step.

Ruby and Weiss shared a concerned glance, then quickly followed after. Olivia arrived at the back of the building, standing in front of a door that must have led into the office. Weiss stepped up next to her, while Ruby took up the other side. Olivia stared through the door, hand on the knob while hesitating to open it. Weiss could see her struggling internally, anger, doubt, and concern flashing across her face in equal measure.

"Olivia, what's wrong?" Weiss whispered cautiously, looking between the door and her teammate.

Olivia's lip quivered, fighting to hold back her fury while her voice came out in a low, clipped growl. "There's one more inside with Blake. Her aura is gone. He's got her tied to a chair and is hiding behind her." Olivia's voice dropped further, sending a nervous tremor up Weiss's spine. "He's holding a gun to her head."

Ruby gasped fearfully, "What do we do?"

Olivia continued to stare through the door. Her hand clenched and unclenched at her side, seeming to be having a silent debate.

Weiss raised a hand and placed it on her shoulder. "Whatever we do, we do it together."

Olivia looked back at her. For a moment, Weiss was afraid of the rage she saw boiling behind Olivia's eyes. The longer she looked at Weiss though, the more that anger relaxed. Olivia slowly calmed down, and raised a hand to lay it across Weiss's own. After a few more long seconds and one final deep breath, she nodded her acceptance.

"It's your time to shine, Princess."

Weiss's heart dropped in fear. "M-me?" Could she carry that burden? Blake's… Blake's life, in her hands?

Olivia gently squeezed her hand, "I need you to use time dilation. I can feel how afraid he is. His hand is swaying, his body is shaking, and he's staring more towards the door than anything. I don't think he'll shoot immediately if we open it. In that moment… Ruby will strike."

Ruby flinched nervously, "I-I'm going to do it? Why me?"

"Because, between Weiss's time dilation and your speed…? I don't think there's anything that could be faster."

Ruby swallowed, nervously glancing to Weiss to see if she agreed. After taking a moment to think it over… it was their best chance. They didn't know if the man inside could be reasoned with, if he might panic and pull the trigger. With her glyphs, Ruby's speed, and Olivia's sixth sense to guide them? They had a very real chance of pulling it off.

"Okay," Weiss exhaled slowly. "Tell us what to do."

Olivia waited for Ruby to nod as well before taking a moment to hold each of their hands. She grasped them tightly and smiled, trying to instill all of the confidence she could through the contact.

"Listen to me, Ruby, Weiss… I know you're nervous. I know you're scared. You've never done anything like this. Blake's life hangs in the balance, and this is the first time you've had so much responsibility on your shoulders. It's the first time the stakes have ever been this high for you... Even so… I know you can do this."

She turned to stare into the heiress's eyes. "Weiss… you won't fail to control your glyph. We practiced it for so long, and you gained so much control over it. All Ruby needs is a couple seconds. That's it. You managed a lot longer than that when we were training."

Olivia's eyes left her, turning to their leader instead, "And Ruby… you just have to believe in yourself. You're one of the most skilled huntresses I've ever seen. If you can't do this, nobody can. I trust you both, and I know Blake does, too. Right now, she's scared and alone. She needs her teammates to save her. She needs her leader to save her."

Olivia eyed them both, "So what do you say, Rainbow? Don't you think it's time we got the band back together again?"

Despite their nerves, Ruby and Weiss both smiled. Ruby spoke in a light laugh, eyes looking at Olivia fondly, "That's the first time you've ever called us Rainbow without cringing."

Olivia smiled back, gaze falling to the floor in mild embarrassment, "Yeah, well… I guess I just figured out what's more important."

Weiss squeezed Olivia's hand, pulling her eyes back to her. "Alright… let's do this."

Olivia nodded and let go. Ruby moved to stand in front of the door, Crescent Rose at the ready. Weiss raised Myrtenaster, focusing her aura through the lightning Dust within to begin casting her glyph. It spun to life beneath Ruby's feet, clock hands increasing in speed until it was ready to be unleashed, ready to give Ruby the burst of dilated time she'd need.

Olivia grasped the door handle, ready to pull it open.

"Okay, Ruby. Listen carefully. Blake is around ten feet back, directly in front of you. The man behind her is watching the door from over Blake's left shoulder. The gun is on her right side, pointing at her head. He isn't holding it very steady, so it keeps drifting off target. And… his aura is pretty weak, so if you're going to hit him, do it with the blunt end of your weapon."

Ruby nodded and spun Crescent Rose in her hands, ready to do as Olivia suggested.

"When I open the door, no matter what you see, don't talk. Don't do anything else. Just go…" Olivia's hand flexed on the doorknob, preparing to open it. She looked at them both, flashing one last smile in the hopes of inspiring confidence.

"Are you ready?"

Weiss and Ruby both turned to each other, mutual trust shared in their eyes. Together, they turned back to focus on the task at hand.

Olivia exhaled slowly, "Okay. On three."

"One."

Weiss and Ruby both tensed.

"Two."

The glyph spun even faster beneath Ruby's feet, the light growing as it was charged to max capacity. Olivia gave them one final glance, her hand beginning to spin the knob in preparation.

"Three."

The door was ripped open.

Weiss didn't even see Ruby move. One moment she was there, and the next…

Blake watched the door being ripped open. She only had time to register a brief instance of surprise to see Ruby standing there instead of Olivia before the girl in red vanished.

No more thoughts managed to pass through her mind between then and the loud crash that erupted behind her. There was only the impression of a red blur in her eyes, an after image of the shocking speed that Ruby had attained, and a gust of wind that ruffled her clothes. The gun that had been held against her head clattered to the ground, and only a muttered groan followed in its wake. It was Ruby's voice, Ruby's groan.

Olivia and Weiss charged through in the next moment. Weiss's rapier was drawn, her eyes wide with shock at what they'd all just seen. Olivia was no better. She shakily entered the room, staring past Blake at the muffled groans emanating behind her.

"You didn't tell me it was going to make me that fast!" Ruby muttered angrily. She winced in the next instant, sounding as if she'd just struggled back to her feet. "The guy is fine, by the way… He's gonna have one hell of a headache when he wakes up, though."

Blake's heart skipped. 'Ruby…'

"Mmfmfmfm," Blake called out, trying to draw their attention back to her current predicament. Olivia blinked out of her stupor and rushed over, hands reaching down to tear the straps off her ankles, followed by the bindings around her wrists.

Blake raised her hands and uncinched the leather from around the back of her neck. She gingerly pulled it out of her mouth and groaned, feeling how sore her jaw was after being stuck open for so long.

Ruby came back into view with a wide grin, eyes on Blake alone. "Blake! I'm so glad you're o-"

Ruby didn't manage to speak further. The breath was forcefully expelled from her lungs, Blake having rushed forward to wrap her leader in a desperate hug. Fresh tears fell down her face, and her body shook while she clutched her friend tightly.

"Ruby, I'm glad you're okay! I thought they… that you…" Blake struggled to continue. Relief crashed over her in waves, to have Ruby in her arms, to know that she was safe. She was drowning beneath the depths, overcome with a mixture of emotions too powerful to contain.

Ruby was frozen in shock for a few seconds, but her arms wrapped around Blake before long. One hand raised, stroking from the top of her head, down through her long black hair. Ruby accidentally grazed an ear beneath her bow and flinched away, but Blake nuzzled into the contact. Her gentle caress was soothing beyond belief, and as long as it was Ruby touching her ears, she didn't mind so much.

Ruby held her tight and whispered to her that everything would be okay. Her hand returned to stroking through her hair before long, and tentatively rubbed against her ears on occasion. Blake let out a soft sigh to show her appreciation each time, steadily overcoming her turbulent emotions. Once her chest stopped heaving, and her tears had dried, she pulled away with a weak smile.

"What happened, Blake?" Ruby asked worriedly, hands still on her shoulders to offer up whatever comfort she could.

Blake sniffed, trying to relieve herself of the last vestiges of tears. She glanced back towards Olivia, and felt herself choking up for a moment longer before speaking. "It- It was Widow. She captured me. She… she wanted to know what I'd overheard."

"Widow? Who's Widow?" Weiss asked cautiously, glancing back and forth between the two.

A fire had lit behind Olivia's eyes. She had finally noticed the cut on Blake's throat, and the dribble of dried blood running down her chest. Olivia's tone was low, reminding Blake of the older woman that had tormented her. "Widow is… was…" She sighed, "It's complicated... Did she hurt you, Blake? I swear if she did…"

Blake shook her head, suppressing a sob as she recalled the sounds she'd heard. "No, not directly… She used her… her semblance, I guess? She made me think…" Her eyes returned to Ruby's for a moment before falling sadly to the floor, "She made me think Ruby was captured too. She asked me questions, and every time she didn't like one of my answers…"

Blake wiped a sleeve across her face and raised her eyes once more, staring worriedly at the girl in front of her. "It sounded like she was hurting you. I begged her to stop. I told her I was sorry, that I'd told her the truth, but..."

Ruby paled. She pulled Blake forward, back into their hug to hold the faunus while she trembled. "It's okay, Blake. I'm okay. She didn't hurt me. You have nothing to worry about. I'm safe, and now you're safe, and we can all just go home."

Blake nodded acceptance. She wanted to go back to Beacon, to lie down and do her best to forget this day ever happened. Only her time with Ruby was worth remembering. Everything else was just a nightmare waiting to happen.

As they pulled apart to leave, Blake took a moment to look back at the man that had held her hostage. She froze in shock, eyes taking in the damage Ruby had caused. The man was unconscious, suspended off the floor due to his body being sunk so deeply into the wall. There was another imprint next to his, that of a much shorter girl that had slammed into it at the same speed, if not faster.

"Wow…"

Ruby grinned smugly and put her arm around Blake's shoulders, guiding her out. Olivia and Weiss followed in their wake, the two awkwardly silent while they trailed behind. Blake was just glad to have Ruby safe at her side, and accepted her help without complaint.

It was a long walk back. Out of the warehouse, through the slums, and back through the city that had finally grown blessedly quiet in the late hours of the night. Their group steered clear of the few midnight pub crawlers that remained, and eventually found their way to the tarmac. One quick Bullhead ride returned them to the top of Beacon cliff, and soon enough, they were opening their bedroom door. All of them breathed a quiet sigh of relief when they entered, shuffling to various spots to sit down and breathe.

"What a day…" Ruby sighed heavily. She sat down on Weiss's bed instead of jumping up into her own, too tired to make the effort when she wasn't going to sleep quite yet. Her hands reached down and stripped the boots from her feet. The socks came next, all of which were unceremoniously tossed into the corner next to the bookshelf.

Blake did the same on Olivia's bed, letting out a small groan with each shoe she removed. Taking a note from Ruby and figuring they'd earned it, she tossed her shoes into the opposite corner next to the bookshelf. The two shared a glance, both smiling at their brief camaraderie.

"You can say that again," Olivia agreed, stretching her arms out above her head. Weiss caught her eye, and the two exchanged a few meaningful glances before the faunus turned back to her teammates.

"Hey, so… Weiss and I are going to head out. Not far, we aren't leaving Beacon or anything, but… there's something we needed to discuss. Ruby sort of called us in the middle of it and, well, obviously we put it off to help Blake first. Unless you want us to stay here, Blake? Would you be uncomfortable with us leaving, or…?"

Blake was curious as to what the two might need to talk about, but shook her head all the same. "No, I'll be fine. It was just a shock is all, and then when I saw Ruby again…" she shrugged timidly, "All those fears came rushing back. I'll be fine once I get some sleep."

"Ruby?"

"No, you're alright. Just don't stay out too late."

Olivia smiled, "We won't. If you aren't still up by the time we get back… goodnight."

"Goodnight, Olivia," Ruby replied happily.

Weiss opened the door and stepped out into the hall, gesturing for Olivia to follow. The faunus did for a few steps, then paused in thought. She held a hand up for Weiss to wait, then walked to her desk. Blake watched Olivia open up a drawer and pull out a stack of papers. She held them down at her side, and finally exited out into the hall.

The room was quiet for a few moments after they left. Blake stared at the door, unable to quench her curiosity completely. The brief idea to stalk them and find out what they were doing flickered through her mind, but she dismissed it just as readily. Blake didn't want to trample on their trust, nor did she want to invade their privacy. She would ask later, if it came down to it.

"Hey, Blake?" Ruby spoke up timidly. Blake turned to see her fretting with her skirt, eyes raising, but not quite meeting her own.

"Yeah, Ruby? What's up?" Blake asked worriedly.

"Um… so, about earlier… I'm sorry if I, um… shouldn't have been... touching your ears like that. I… I don't know how faunus, umm... culture? Works or anything, so if I crossed a line… I didn't mean to, and I'm really sorry."

Blake laughed lightly, "You're fine, Ruby. There isn't much of a culture or taboo when it comes to that sort of thing, just like there isn't really one concerning human ears. Although I guess… if I had to compare, it does feel nicer when my cat ears are touched. You actually helped me calm down a lot faster because of that. I should be thanking you."

Ruby raised her eyes, "Really? So you didn't mind?"

Blake smiled affectionately, "No, not at all."

Ruby nodded gladly. She looked back down at her hand, staring at it for a moment while flexing her fingers. "I liked it, too. They felt really soft, and the sounds you were making-"

The younger girl froze. Her eyes widened and her cheeks grew bright red. Clearly panicking, she darted her eyes away and jumped up, blurring over to her dresser with a quick burst of her semblance. "I'm-gonna-go-get-ready-for-bed-mind-if-I-use-the-bathroom-first-okay-cool-see-ya-in-a-few-byyyeee!"

Before Blake could respond to the garbled mess of words, Ruby had snagged an arm full of clothes and blurred once more. The bathroom door slammed shut behind her, and Blake was left starring after. The words she'd said finally clicked in her mind, and she felt her own cheeks beginning to heat.

'They're… soft…?'

'...'

'Sounds…?'

Blake smothered her face in her hands.

Olivia exhaled nervously, following Weiss as the heiress led her back downstairs and out onto the campus grounds. She stopped once they were outside, gazing back and forth while wondering where they should go. Weiss's eyes caught on to something in the distance, and she set off once more with Olivia on her heels.

The faunus stared at the ground, working up her earlier courage once more. Having some time to come to terms with what she was going to do had helped, but even so, her heart pounded a frenetic beat inside her chest. Olivia could feel her hands shaking slightly, an overabundance of adrenaline coursing through her system. The faunus's fight or flight instincts had kicked in, but she was adamant to do neither. She would sit down with Weiss, with her friend, and reveal her darkest secrets.

Weiss slowed as she approached their destination. After a long walk across the grass, they were both greeted by a bench set beneath one of Beacon's many trees. Small, white flowers bloomed in the grass around them. A light wind blew across the plateau, quietly shaking the leaves above. Now further away from the lights of the city, the stars were even out in full force, pin pricks of light sparkling in the blackened sky.

Weiss gestured for Olivia to sit, then took the place next to her. They didn't hold hands. Weiss didn't offer, and Olivia wasn't sure whether or not she'd accept. She needed to get it all out first, and hope that by some miracle, Weiss could look past all her faults. Past all of her mistakes.

Olivia held her hands together instead, fingers idly rubbing against each other while she thought about what to say. Where should she begin?

"So…" Weiss was the first to speak. Her voice was breathless, just as nervous as the faunus next to her. She paused for a moment, considering how best to ask her question. In a way, that simple act gave Olivia a little more confidence. She wasn't the only one struggling. Wasn't the only one nervous.

"So, was that all you were hiding? Olivia Mandevilla, member of the infamous White Fang?" Weiss spoke with a glimmer of hope in her tone.

Olivia sighed, "Not quite." She reached down to grab the rolled up application from her pocket, and handed it to Weiss with one, shaky hand. "I used to be a member, but… I haven't been for a long time. Not since I was thirteen… That was the year everything was supposed to change. The year everything did change, just... not for the better..."

Weiss accepted the application. She looked down at it, staring at the words on the page while not quite sure what to make of them. "What happened? You were accepted into Sanctum, so why didn't you go?"

Olivia stared down into her hands, "Because Widow didn't want me to…"

Weiss's eyes perked up at that. She looked to Olivia, fingers tightening around the application in her hands, "That was the woman that tortured Blake, wasn't it? Did she talk you out of going? Did she…" Weiss paled slightly, "Did she force you not to go?"

Olivia shook her head, "That isn't Widow's style. At least, not where I'm concerned." She let her eyes stray to the paper, memories of her faction washing over her. Olivia's voice choked up for a moment, but she coughed into her hand to clear it, "I know you might not believe me, Weiss. I know you might not want to believe that anyone in the White Fang could be a good person, but… the people in my faction? The ones that took me in, gave me a home, fed me, and trained me to help make a difference in the world…? They were good people. When I told them I was going to apply to Sanctum, they were all so proud of me. When the application came back, and we all gathered around to read it, to find out I'd been accepted? I'd never been happier..."

"It sounds like you cared about them…"

"I did..." Olivia agreed sadly. "But, like I said, Widow didn't want me to go. She saw me as a replacement for the daughter she never had… Do you know what her solution was? How she planned on keeping me around so that she wouldn't lose me?"

Weiss could only shake her head.

"She went to the SDC. She betrayed the White Fang. They hired Hunters to capture them, but she used her semblance to turn it into a blood bath instead... Widow had talked everyone into letting me go on one last mission so that I wouldn't be there, but when I got back… They were all dead. Crim, July… Jace… every last one of the people I'd grown to see as my new family..."

Weiss inhaled sharply, eyes widening at the admission. Olivia had spoken of Jace before, if only in passing. She knew Weiss would have some inkling as to how much he meant to her, how much they all must have meant.

"Why… why would she do that?" Weiss asked in confusion.

"To make me stay with her… I didn't know she was the one that betrayed us at the time. The only ones I had to blame were the SDC, and the Hunters that helped them…" Olivia glanced in Weiss's direction, not quite able to meet her eyes. "The idea of still going to Sanctum never even crossed my mind. How could it? I stayed with Widow, and together… We set out to get revenge on the ones responsible…"

Weiss's hand moved closer on the bench. Her fingers twitched, wanting to comfort, but hesitant to reach. Olivia's implications were clear enough, and for the moment, Weiss chose to continue listening.

"Did you?"

Olivia nodded. "It wasn't as easy as I hoped it was going to be. I wanted to get revenge so that I could move on with my life, but… we couldn't get information on the Hunters by ourselves. Widow and I went to a woman in the slums. Little Miss Malachite… She ran a gang, and had the resources to find out what we needed. Unfortunately, we didn't have any lien to pay her. We had to find… alternative methods, to get what we wanted in exchange."

Weiss frowned, "Alternative methods?"

Olivia shuddered, taking a moment to force herself to speak. It was the first, big admission of many. "We offered up our services. Widow and I both had a particular skill set from our time in the White Fang, one that made us very useful to a Malachite… We… we killed people for her, Weiss."

Weiss's hand pulled away, hesitantly returning to her own lap. "Killed…? Olivia… how could you do that? Why did you think that was okay? Even if you'd grown up in the slums, around so much… so much death…"

Olivia trembled, "It was just… the way things were for us. I let Widow make all of our big decisions. She was the only one I had left, the only one that wasn't dead. I was so afraid of disappointing her, terrified of her leaving me… I would've done anything for her." She shrugged weakly, letting out a shaky sigh, "...And that's exactly what I did. We worked for Malachite, and in exchange… she gave us the information we needed."

"Things progressed slower than I'd hoped, though. Looking back… maybe Malachite was lying to get the most out of us. Delaying to keep us around for as long as possible, on her payroll. It wasn't much of a secret that I didn't like what we were doing." Olivia's mouth twinged in a brief grimace, "Malachite even took pity on me in the early days. When I wasn't with Widow, she sent me on missions where I didn't need to kill people."

"D...Did you get them all, eventually? The Hunters, I mean…" Weiss asked nervously.

Olivia's hands fretted with each other in her lap, "Most of them. It took a couple years. I was fifteen by the time we'd finally worked our way down to only one person on the list. Malachite said she was having trouble finding him though, and it wasn't until someone else came along that I found out where Nicholas Arc was."

Olivia raised her eyes, looking through the treeline towards where she knew Beacon cliff resided. Beyond it, all of Vale would be stretched out beneath them. "He was here. In a little town named Arcus. I was so excited to finally know, to be so close to finishing what I'd started. And that same day…" A soft smile touched her lips, and she was able to glance into Weiss's eyes. "I met Nora and Ren again. We'd met once before then, when I was still just another orphan living on the streets. I helped them get their lien back after they were robbed, and we bonded a bit when I let them stay at my home."

Olivia felt tears gathering in her eyes. She blinked them away, not ready to break down quite yet. There was more to say, more that Weiss needed to know. She took a moment to let out a shuddering breath, reaffirming her resolve.

"We spent some time together. They told me what they'd been up to, and their plans for the future. They were going to go to Beacon when they were old enough, and when I admitted I was a faunus... when I asked if I could come…" Olivia couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face, "They were so happy to know I wanted to go with them. Things were finally looking up. I had one name left, and that would bring me to Vale too! After working so many jobs, I had more than enough lien saved up to hire an airship. I could get away from Mistral, get away from the life I detested so much…"

Weiss's hand bridged the gap. She reached out, placing her own over Olivia's. They weren't holding each other's yet, merely one resting overtop the other. Olivia felt comforted all the same, and let out a shaky sigh before continuing.

"It wasn't meant to be, though…" Olivia's expression darkened sadly, reliving her memories of what happened that day. It was the worst act she'd ever done, caught up in her own happiness after finally having her wishes come true, not caring what she did for her last mission when freedom was whispering her name.

"I-" Olivia paused, but not because she was too afraid to continue. She'd made it this far. It was all or nothing. Instead, she'd stopped because her mind had finally reconsidered what happened that day. She didn't like thinking about it, one of the brightest days that had ended the darkest. But now, with the knowledge of Widow's schemes at the forefront of her mind…

Olivia glared at the ground, and her fist clenched tightly, certain her nails would be drawing blood if not for her aura getting in the way. "Widow betrayed me again. She knew I wanted to leave, knew I'd found out about our last target being in Vale… We attacked members of the Mistral council, and she… she left the camera on. The one camera that would let the police pin it on me! They put up wanted posters at every exit to the city, and a bounty on my head, denying me any chance I had to get out of that hell hole!"

Olivia's fury was ablaze. "I was stuck there for two more years because of her! I lost all hope. I didn't know what else to do, so I just- just kept working for Malachite. As long as I was with her, as long as I couldn't leave… Widow didn't care about my happiness." Wetness returned to Olivia's eyes, her body shaking as all her memories were washed in a new light. The times they'd spent together, the birthdays celebrated, the comforting days spent off, spent with each other. All that time, all of the hopelessness she'd struggled with, still struggled with to this very day…

Olivia broke. Her body quaked, chest heaving as she fought to breath. She tore her hand away from Weiss's, raising both of her own to put her head in her hands, to hide her face from the world. Tears poured unabated, a river of grief washing away every happy moment she'd ever spent with her adoptive mother. It was all fake. It had all been a lie. Widow had only ever cared about her if it meant getting what she wanted. Olivia's happiness had always been an afterthought. Always secondary. Just a ploy to make sure she stayed in line.

Olivia flinched when she felt Weiss's hand on her back. The heiress was trying to comfort her, but was still hesitant due to Olivia's admissions. She could feel Weiss's confused expression, struggling with her desires to help Olivia, and her knowledge of what the faunus had done.

Olivia fought to control herself, but the emotions coursing through her veins were far too rampant. For several long minutes they sat there, Olivia inconsolable, while Weiss struggled to put her best foot forward. The faunus's sleeves were stained with tears before long, incapable of holding back the tides crashing against her brittle shore. Her walls crumbled into dust.

Olivia wasn't loved. Not by anyone. She was truly alone in the world. She shook uncontrollably, incapable of reigning her emotions back in. Her greatest fear had finally been realized, and it was her own fault for admitting the truth.

Now that Weiss knew… knew about the things she'd done… The heiress would leave her, too. Olivia felt like a fool for ever believing anything different. How could any of her friends accept her? They were too pure, too good for the likes of a monster like herself. Olivia would only pull them down with her in time, staining them with her mere presence, until that innocence was lost forever.

"Y-You don't have to say anything, Weiss. I know how you must feel. I'm- I'm a… I'm a terrible person. I don't deserve any of you. I don't deserve this team. These… these friends. I've killed so many people, and-... and I need to pay for what I've done."

Olivia's tears finally started to quell. She refused to look at Weiss, instead rubbing a sleeve across her face. "You don't have to worry about me sticking around. I know you don't want me… Widow was right… It was just a fantasy, believing anyone would ever accept me… I'll leave. I'll leave Beacon, and Vale… It might be tough to only have three members in a team, but... Rainbow will be better off without me…"

Olivia moved as if to stand, to run away and never return. She froze as she was held in place. Trembling nervously, she looked back. Weiss's hand gripped her sleeve tightly, keeping her from moving away, keeping her from leaving. Olivia's shoulders raised, knowing what was coming next. Of course Weiss wouldn't let her go without giving her a piece of her mind. She must feel so angry, so betrayed by Olivia's lies. The faunus's heart fell even deeper in her chest.

"W-Weiss… I'm-"

Olivia cut off as Weiss pulled sharply on her sleeve. The heiress's head raised in the same instant, tears in her eyes and a ferocity in her gaze. Olivia was caught off guard, off balance. She couldn't help but fall towards Weiss, back onto the bench and into her arms.

Before Olivia could voice any protests, her surprised gasp was cut short by a heated mashing of lips against her own. It was rough, clumsy, and wet from the tears staining their cheeks. Olivia was too shocked to reciprocate, and could only sit there in stunned silence while Weiss's soft lips pressed against her own for the first time.

'What… what is…?' Olivia was confused. Stunned beyond belief. What was Weiss doing? There was no way she could… would ever…?

After a few seconds, Weiss pulled away, relinquishing her lips from Olivia's own. Her eyes were downcast once more, struggling to speak, struggling to lend a voice to her own feelings. Only her hand remained, still desperately holding on to Olivia's sleeve so that she couldn't leave.

"You're… you're not a bad person, Olivia…"

Olivia's body functions ceased. Her heart stopped in her chest. Her breath caught, and her mind went blank, refusing to believe what Weiss had just said. She could only stare in silence, watching as the heiress worked up her courage.

Weiss's eyes raised back to her own. Two beautiful gems, lighter than a clear blue sky. They sent a weak flutter of life back through Olivia's chest.

"I won't let you go. I won't let Widow win. Don't you see what she's done to you? Do you really want to give her the satisfaction of being right? Do you want to let her tear away another chance to change your life, to move on and become a better person?"

Olivia's breath hitched, "O-Of course not, but… Weiss… there's no way you could accept the things I've done… How… Why would you ever...?" She didn't know how to continue. Her mind was still struggling to form thoughts, so surprised by the current turn of events. Deep down, a warmth was beginning to grow. The tiniest spark of hope kindling within, sending small flames licking up towards her frigid heart.

Weiss glared, "And who gets to decide how I feel? You? Widow?" Her hand twisted deeper into Olivia's sleeve, body trembling as she came to a decision. "I still care about you, Olivia. Nothing… nothing's changed that…"

Olivia was dumbstruck. It was too good to be true. Could Weiss really mean what she was saying? Could she… really accept her for who she was…?

"I know… I know it might sound ridiculous, like I'm letting my heart make all of my decisions for me, but…" Weiss stared deeply into Olivia's eyes, trying to convey the truth in her words. One hand raised, pressing softly against her cheek and wiping away the tears that stained it, "You told me once that I shouldn't judge someone until I walked a mile in their shoes… I don't think I could ever bear to walk a mile in yours, Olivia. But… if you'll have me…" Her cheeks tinged red, breath faltering nervously. "I'd… I'd like to walk the next mile beside you…"

'Weiss…'

Warmth spread through Olivia's body. An unimaginable heat, starting in her chest and leaking out to all her limbs. Her hands moved of their own accord, raising slowly, trailing hesitantly up Weiss's sides, and down her arms to gently grasp both her hands. In that moment, she didn't have the words to explain how she felt. An overwhelming happiness was building inside her. She needed to convey it somehow, needed to show Weiss what she really meant to her.

Olivia leaned in slowly, nerves holding her back. Was this really okay? Would Weiss want to again? The heiress squeezed Olivia's hands, eyes lowering to the lips moving closer to her own. She leaned forward just as slowly, meeting Olivia in the middle.

They only brushed against each other lightly at first, a timid caress before both of their desires were ignited. Moist lips pressed together. Olivia took her time, hesitantly feeling Weiss out, making sure that what they were doing was what she wanted, too. The heiress reciprocated readily, pushing back against Olivia. A soft sigh escaped Weiss's lips, her hands clutching Olivia's more tightly, pulling her in so that their bodies pressed together.

One of Olivia's hands slipped free. She reached behind, placing it against Weiss's back to hold her, to better control the heated embrace of lips taking place. After a minute, her lips parted open, and Olivia took her chances by carefully exploring out with a delicate tongue.

Weiss flinched at the feeling for a moment, then gradually, slowly, opened her mouth to accept the warm intrusion. Olivia took her time, knowing the heiress was inexperienced and nervous. Everything they were doing was new to her, and the last thing she wanted was to take things too quickly.

When Olivia's tongue began to explore though, Weiss let out a moan of pure satisfaction. Her body relaxed, becoming putty in Olivia's hands. They continued to kiss, tongues dancing back and forth while Weiss confessed her pleasure. Every needy moan sent a vibration through them both, and Olivia found herself reciprocating in kind.

Eventually, they pulled away with a gasp. A thin trail of saliva connected them for just a moment longer. They were both breathing heavily, neither knowing exactly how long the kiss had gone on for, but knowing they needed air. They held each other close, blue eyes staring passionately into magenta while their foreheads pressed together.

Olivia caught her breath first, finally finding the words that she couldn't before. "Weiss… I want you at my side too… For as long as you'll have me. You're the smartest, kindest, most beautiful girl I've ever met. I don't think that'll ever change. Not until the day I die."

Weiss smiled happily, and pulled Olivia in for a hug. The faunus held her just as tightly, struggling to piece together her shattered reality and come to terms with her feelings.

'Have I… have I ever felt this… whole?' Olivia finally found a word to describe it. The pit that had existed inside her since the day her family died was steadily filling, Weiss's love and acceptance drowning out her sorrows. Olivia couldn't help but bury her face in the nape of Weiss's neck, feeling tears of joy beginning to run down her face.

Olivia needed Weiss to understand what this meant to her, needed her to know that she cherished the heiress, trusted her more than anyone else in the world. One thought did come to mind, one secret still kept, that she had always held in reserve. She didn't need to hide anything from Weiss, did she? The heiress was willing to accept her completely. Every dark secret, every moment of anguish from her past.

Olivia wanted her to know everything. To know all of her.

Olivia pulled away, looking back into Weiss's eyes once more. "Can I show you one more thing? It's… one of the secrets I've held the closest. One that I was too afraid to show anyone, that I only ever used against my enemies… You could never be my enemy, Weiss, but I still want you to know... To know all of me… I would never hurt you… so just… please, don't be afraid?"

Weiss bit her lip. She leaned away, nodding nervously, but trusting Olivia all the same.

With a deep breath, Olivia summoned her semblance. She held only one appendage out, moving it near Weiss so that the heiress was close enough to touch it. Olivia grabbed her hand, and ever so slowly lifted it so that it would rest against the invisible limb.

Weiss's eyes widened. When Olivia let go, the heiress's hand began to gently trail across it. Fingers dipped into the cracks of the chitinous mass, feeling across the hard carapace for herself. Olivia struggled to speak, only able to watch with bated breath as Weiss caressed the appendage.

Weiss was still confused by the feeling beneath her hand. She flashed the faunus a reassuring smile, and slowly reached down to her rapier. Olivia flinched all the same, but the heiress didn't pull it free. Her hand only grasped the handle, the chambers within spinning to life while Weiss concentrated momentarily.

A glyph bloomed into being above them, it's form familiar, yet slightly different to the ones Olivia had seen before. Mist coiled around its edges, the air itself freezing as it came into contact with the silvery white disk. Before long, moisture began to coalesce, and Olivia was shocked to see snow drifting lazily down from above.

Weiss smiled lightly at the surprise on Olivia's face, "I've been practicing like you told me, trying to figure out everything I could do with my semblance. I didn't think this one would ever be useful, but for an occasion like this…?"

Olivia smiled proudly. They both fell into silence as the snow drifted down around them. It began to land on Olivia's appendages, accumulating ever so slowly, revealing them to the heiress's eyes. After a few minutes, each was on display in all their glory. Four massive spider legs held aloft, fifteen feet long and curled around them both so that Weiss could see their true form in their entirety.

Olivia grew scared with Weiss's continued silence. She gave a nervous laugh, and let her eyes fall down to the snow on the ground. "This is what my semblance really is. I can make them cover my limbs instead to make myself stronger, but…" Her shoulders shook, wondering if this had been too much, if the heiress would reject this part of her. Olivia's voice came out in only a whisper, "They're hideous... aren't they...?"

A hand raised to graze against Olivia's cheek. Weiss used it to raise the faunus's chin, eyes locking with the reassuring smile that stared back at her. "They could never be hideous if they're a part of you, Olivia."

Olivia's heart skipped. Relief washed over her, and she pulled Weiss into a fierce hug once more. Her appendages curled around them both, the second time in her life where she wanted more than anything to protect the current moment.

"W-Weiss?"

"Yes?" the heiress hummed, holding Olivia more tightly when she heard the nervousness in the faunus's voice.

"Can I be… just a little bit selfish? When we were at the carnival, you promised to do one thing for me by the end of the night…"

Weiss's breath caught, and she let out a quiet giggle. "I guess I did. Did you want to make your request~?"

"Yes…" Olivia whispered softly, "If you don't mind, can we just… stay like this for a while? This… this is the best moment of my life. I want to cherish it for as long as I can…"

Olivia could feel the smile growing on Weiss's face. She nodded, nuzzling deeper against her and sighing contentedly.

"As you wish. A promise is a promise, and nothing could make me happier."

Always nice to see a ship set sail on its maiden voyage… Who's got the bottle?

And what about that other ship, still lurking in the shallows?

Like I mentioned before about the cliffhanger, I knew it was going to ruffle some feathers. I thought it was important for Weiss to get a real idea for what Olivia was up against first, though. She needed to see the effect Widow had on Blake, to see what the woman was capable of. It helped her to be more empathetic with Olivia, despite the things that were revealed. Being told how awful someone is only gets you so far. But actually seeing it for yourself?

Now that Olivia has gained acceptance, things aren't looking good for Widow's overall plans. What could possibly tear the two girls apart now? How can Cinder follow through on her promise to get Widow's daughter back? Will Olivia take the plunge and tell more people?

Going to slow down a little bit after this chapter. I ran myself pretty ragged to get them all out. In total, I wrote around… 40,000 words in 9 days? I definitely want to keep up the work ethic, but moving back to weekly uploads instead will give me more time to think about each chapter in detail. I wouldn't want my plot points to be rushed or stale.

As always, thanks for reading, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it.

- Sybaen