Chapter 5

Homeward Bound

There's silence in the air, except for the waves crashing into the ship. I stand at the bow staring forward across the blue waters. Ember Celica is active, the gauntlet protecting my forearm. I'm focused on breathing. We should be on top of the Grimm any second. What better way to come out of retirement? I chuckle at the thought. I take a quick glance back and confirm that the heavy cannon is prepared to fire. Satisfied with the large piece of equipment, I return my attention to the water ahead.

There's an explosive splash as the Sea Feilong bursts out of the water. The massive Grimm serpent stares at the ship with golden eyes. The red glowing gills on the side of its body fluctuate slowly. Terror claws at the edges of my mind. I take a moment to regulate my breathing.

Alright, let's get this show started.

Bang! I launch myself through the air with a shot from Celica. The Grimm's eyes follow me and a blast of lightning charges in its now open mouth. As it fires the breath weapon I dodge to the left. I fire again gaining speed as I hurtle towards the beast. It breathes out another beam of crackling energy. The air smells heavily of chlorine. I roll through the air to the left. I meet the beast with a prosthetic fist to its armored face. I fire another blast and back flip through the air. The Grimm's whiskers lash angrily and it leaps out of the water snapping at me. I land on the tip of its snout and wink.

"Sup ugly!"

I jump off as it attempts another breath attack, barely avoiding a shock. The serpent hisses and spins into a wheel before lashing at me with its tail. I activate my semblance and tank the blow with my armored hands. I'm sent hundreds of feet into the air, but I can feel the kinetic energy storing in my aura. It was a strong blow. I laugh with a mixture of terror and joy when the free fall sets in. The creature starts firing blast after blast of lightning energy. I dodge around the storm of lightning as I struggle to hold in the power coursing through my aura. My hair must look like a beacon of flame.

The creature forces out its wings flies at me like a scaly arrow. I pull back my prosthetic arm for a punch and start firing Celica to gain momentum. It only takes a second before the distance is covered and my fist meets with the massive creatures nose. There's an explosion as the stored energy releases. The armored bone of the Grimm's face breaks with a loud crack. Spiderweb cracks appear across the length of it. The hit stuns the serpent and it falls back towards the water. I somersault through the air and land with a boom on the deck of the ship. I can hear the wood crack under my feet.

Silence fills the air once more.

"Be ready to fire!" I shout as loudly as I can, "It's not dead!"

I glance up to the window of the cabin and see the captain's nod of acknowledgment.

A shower of water explodes from the sea as the creature rises violently. I can see the hatred glowing in its massive eyes. It roars and charges up another golden beam of electricity. I taunt the massive creature with a mocking face. Just as I think it's going to let loose the awesome blast, I hear an explosion behind me. In an instant, the Grimm is split in two. The electric beam fizzles out in the Feilong's maw. Then the thing fades away into nonexistence, the fate of all dead Grimm. Now that, is what I call divide and conquer.

There are cheers from the upper deck as the crew rushes out to watch the Grimm fade. I grab my left arm to ease the shaking. Out of the heat of battle, fear threatens to consume me once more. Panic claws at my throat, constricting my wind pipe. I close my eyes and focus on breathing. In and out, slow measured breaths help to calm my pounding heart.

"Hey Blondie!"

I look just in time to see Ash sailing through the air. She lands against me and sends me stumbling a few paces. She has me trapped in a tight embrace. I can see many of the passengers and crew gathering around me. I can hear many praises and cheers in the gathering crowd.

"That was amazing!"

"You saved all of our lives!"

"Yeah! That was so cool!"

"Can I get your autograph?"

"You looked like a fireball miss!"

Ash releases me from the embrace after I pat her back awkwardly. She chuckles before disappearing into the gathered crowd. I look out at the crowd. A warmth starts to spread in my chest. I can't wait to get my license.

The ship horn blares loudly as the ship slows to a stop. I'm standing with Ash near the back of the ship. We'd been standing in silence, watching the island continent of Menagerie approach. Finally, we'd made it to the dock of Kuo Kuana. My blood is cold in my veins. I finally made it... Blake is here somewhere. Oh gods... am I ready to see her?

A gentle hand on my forearm draws me out of my thoughts. I glance over at the faunus next to me.

"Hey Blondie. You're shaking again... do you want a cloak? We can get you to my aunts inn unseen. I think you're gonna be pretty popular after your show earlier."

I put on a gentle smile and nod, "Yeah... Thank you."

Ash returns the smile and pulls a thin black cloak out of the suitcase at her side. She drapes it over my shoulders and pulls the hood low over my eyes. I draw it tightly around me.

"Just stay close alright? Everything is going to be okay."

I nod and follow close behind her. We walk off the ship and down the gangplank. We linger with the crowd as it disperses into the beach side market place. Ash's head is on a swivel.

"Who are you looking for?" I ask skimming through the crowd. There are so many people hugging and reuniting with their families. "Is your aunt supposed to be here?"

"Yup, she said she'd meet me when the boat arrived. I'm having trouble picking her out of this crowd though. She can be pretty flighty though. Wanna grab a snack?"

"Nah, but I could definitely go for a drink. We could just head to your aunt's place right? I'm sure she'd figure it out pretty quick."

"Ya know, that sounds like a pretty good idea. Let's get moving," Ash grabs my cloak and starts leading me down what looks like a main road away from the beach. It's a few minutes walk up a slow hill. As we reach the top, the sight that spreads out before me stops me in my tracks. The sprawling tropical city of Kuo Kuana.

There are miles of sprawling houses and palm trees. Thousands of people going about their daily lives. It all seems so serene and peaceful. The main path we are on is larger than any street in Vale. It leads all the way down to a large eastern style mansion.

"Wow, this place is amazing," I exclaim letting the breath caught in my chest free.

"I thought the same thing the first time I visited Menagerie," Ash chuckles, "You see that building at the end of the road down there? That's the home of Chief Ghira. Have you heard about him?"

"Y- Yeah... something like that."

"Hey Blondie are you alright?"

I feel panic clawing at my chest. His face passes behind my eyes. Blake on the ground, the sword piercing her abdomen. The sound of the sword cutting through the air. Sharp pain as my arm is severed. I feel my lungs tightening. I can't breathe. Vaguely, in the distance, I can hear shouting. Ash is above me, I can see her lips moving. Darkness fills my vision and my consciousness fades.

Soft music fills my ears as the dance continues. I'm standing on the balcony that over looks the dance floor. Pride swelling in my chest as I take in all the people enjoying themselves. Knowing that I had such a huge hand in this is pretty awesome. I glance to my right, catching sight of Ruby wandering up next to me.

"Y'know, I think we really needed this." I glance over at my little sis as she looks around the dance.

"Yeah, and you did a great job planning it, too."

"Aw, thanks!" I reach over and wrap an arm around her neck for a tight hug. I can feel her flailing. "It wasn't all me, though. Weiss did a lot too."

We watch Neptune walk up and exchange a few words with the heiress. She offers him a seat and they start conversing.

I let Ruby out of the hug with a sigh, "So, tomorrow it's back to work."

"Well," Ruby shrugs, "I'm sure we can handle whatever gets thrown at us."

Laughter begins ringing out in the dance hall and we look down from the balcony.

"Except for that," Ruby states.

Jaune has returned wearing a simple, strapless white dress... with black sneakers on. He walks up to Pyrrha and they start talking. I grin and catch the DJ's eye. I nod and he winks turning up a pop song. Jaune takes Pyrrah's hand and they head out to the dance floor. In a flash, Nora and Ren have joined them and they've broke out into a killer dance routine. I look over and notice that Ruby's wandered off.

I glance back around the room and spot Blake hanging out with Sun. A pang of worry hits my chest. She had come in and almost completely ignored me. I shouldn't have been so forward yesterday. Of course she'd be mad at me. I'm mad at me. She catches my eye and I feel a flushed heat in my cheeks. I offer a small wave and leave my perch quickly. The room suddenly feels way too small. I find an open door and wander on to an outside balcony. I take a deep breath letting the cool air fill my lungs. The chill does little to ease the fire in my stomach.

There's a chair by the edge of the overhang. I take my seat and look out, taking in the sight. The entrance to Beacon, the square, and the city of Vale in the distance fill the horizon. In the center of it all, the night sky bounces off the water. Lights pierce the night across the world before me. It's truly beautiful.

I jump at the sound of a closing door. I look back and my heart falls into my stomach. Blake is standing in front of the door as the curtain falls obscuring the inside of the building. She's turned away from me. Her black dress blends in with the curtain partially obscuring her form. I'm on my feet in a flash.

"Blake, what are you doing out here?" I ask trying to mask the nervousness in my voice, "You should be in there enjoying the party."

"So should you," She turns around meeting my eyes with an unreadable expression, "Didn't you bring a date?"

I chuckle softly and rub the back of my neck, "Nah, y'know... I was too, uh... busy planning the party. I didn't really think about it."

Blake wanders up to my side and rests her hands on the balcony edge. I can't bring myself to look at her. The pounding in my chest is too distracting.

"Yesterday," Blake begins still gazing across the sea of lights, "When you came to talk to me. Thank you. I definitely needed the rest and tonight has been... wonderful."

Piercing golden eyes find their way to mine. There must be something in the air because I feel like I'm going to melt.

"You know... I remember back at the docks after the fight with Torchwick and the Fang... You looked so exhausted. I got to thinking earlier, and I have a question," The dark haired faunus steps closer, and I feel a light hand rest on top of mine. "Why didn't you sleep Yang? It wasn't until this morning after I had some rest that I realized it. You were as exhausted then as I was yesterday. Why did it bother you so much that I was missing?" I can feel nails pressing into the back of my hand. There's a confused and frustrated look on the other girl's face. "Then, when you found out I was a faunus, that I had lied to you all for so long. You just accepted it without question. Why? You know what I am! Why do you care?! I lied to you!" Tears drip from Blake's eyes.

I reach up and wipe away the tears with a gentle touch.

"You're my partner Blake. It was you, I met first back then, during initiation. You were so cool. Then we got a team together, team RWBY. So much has happened since then and... I only admire you more every day. You're so driven and dedicated. When you set your mind to something, you pursue it relentlessly. Your passion is just... I think you're amazing Blake." I brush my thumb across her cheekbone. "I know that it was hard, but you trusted us with the truth when you were ready. I'm just grateful that you were able to trust us like that. I treasure that trust. I-" Just say it already Yang! "I treasure you, Blake."

Tears flow freely out of the smaller girl in front of me. Her arms wrap around my midriff and she buries her face in my shoulder. I place a hand on her back and another lightly on the back of her head. Her tears are warm on my exposed shoulder. I stroke her hair gently. After a few minutes her tears dry. She leans back, looking into my eyes. Her makeup is surprisingly resili-

"Yang," Blakes voice is soft, a look I've never seen is in her eye. "I want to kiss you."

All coherent thought pulls to a screeching halt. My heart skips a beat before it begins pounding faster than I thought possible. Butterflies swirl in my stomach. A melting pot of emotion swirls like a fire in my chest. Her lips part and her eyes seem to glow with golden fire. My hands find themselves, as if with a life their own, grasping at her hips. Slender arms wrap around my neck as I stare, spell bound into the all consuming molten gold. Warm, lavender breath dances like fire across my skin. My knees feel weak as her slender form is pressed tightly against me. In that dreadful, wonderful moment, her lips find mine.

Time loses meaning. The world ceases to exist. All that is, is us. When she pulls away for breath, there's only the slightest of pauses. Her hands rest against my neck, thumbs caressing my jawline. She pulls me back down for another kiss. Each time its like a burst of color, each just as vibrant and different as the last. My fingers tangle themselves loosely in her hair. The other presses into the small of her back, holding her fast against me. I can feel slight trembles in her body. The kisses continue with heated passion for an uncountable time.

Consciousness comes slowly. My eyes slowly drift open and I find myself looking at a wooden ceiling. My thoughts are scattered but I faintly remember the panic attack that knocked me out. I rise slowly and use the headboard of the bed I'm in to lean against. I look down and am still dressed in my day clothes. My prosthetic is still attached too. I look up and take in my surroundings.

The room is lit with a single electric bulb that hangs from the ceiling. The room is made of palm wood and is about eight feet wide and ten feet long. Moonlight shines through a small window. There's a wooden storage chest at the foot of the bed, and a wardrobe on the opposite end of the room. A small table is in the corner across from the door with two small wooden chairs. At the side of the bed is a nightstand. Ember Celica and a glass of water sit on top of the stand. The blankets on the bed are a plain gray wool.

I take the glass and sip at it. I'm surprised by the sweet liquid. Coconut water, what a treat. I rise out of the bed and stretch out. My fingers graze the ceiling as the bones in my spine give a satisfying crack. My favorite gray jacket is hanging off the back of a chair. I slip into it and pull open the door. I find myself greeted with a long hallway lined with doors, four on each side. Down one end of the hall is a window and the other, a staircase leading down.

I take quiet steps towards the stairs and peak over the edge of the railing. There's a tavern hall that the stairs over look. Six different tables litter the floor and a fire dances in the hearth across the room from the stairs. A bar takes up the space across from the entrance door. The seats are mostly empty, excepting a few faunus dotting a couple of tables. The hall is filled with quiet conversation. A silence takes over the room as my presence is noted by the patrons.

I clear my throat and do my best to ignore the stares of the people in the room. I wander towards the currently unmanned bar and take a seat on a stool. There are a few more moments of silence before the conversation in the room picks back up.

"I heard she's a spy from Atlas."

"No way, she's a huntress from Beacon."

"Really?"

"Yeah I heard she took down a Leviathan all on her own."

"You're just hearing rumors."

"Nope, my cousin was on the ship that came in earlier today. He saw it all."

I tune out the conversation and tap at the counter. I can feel my leg bouncing with impatience. Suddenly, the swinging door swings open and a familiar face comes out of the back room. Ash catches sight of me and a grin spreads across her face.

"Well, look who's up and about. You had me real worried ya know?" She's cleaning a shot glass with a towel. "You just passed out in the middle of the street Blondie. It caused quite the commotion." She sets it down and fills it with liquor Luckily, there were a couple of nice fellows who helped me get you back to the inn." She slides across the bar to me. "On the house, consider it thanks for saving us on that boat. You're the talk of the town Blondie."

I sigh and lift the glass. I raise it as a gesture of thanks a down the fiery liquid in a quick gulp. The burn is pleasant as it goes down.

"So much for keeping a low profile I guess," I slide the glass back to her. "Thanks for the drink. You said I was the talk of the town right? Heard anything that I may find interesting?"

Ash walks closer and leans across the bar, her voice is a whisper, "I've heard the White Fang has been asking questions. You seem to have more popular fans than I'd thought."

I feel the blood drain from my face. I grip the bar tightly.

"Ash, please tell me that Adam is not here," My knuckles are milky white. Her gaze is searching, and after a moments pause she shakes her head.

"No, there was an announcement that he had been apart of the attack on Beacon. There's no way he'd be here. The Albain brothers head the Menagerie sect of the Fang, they claim no relation."

A wave of relief washes across me like a blanket. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I grip my prosthetic thoughtfully.

"There's another interesting rumor floating around though. The Belladonna's have a strange boy living with them. A blonde trouble maker. He's been asking a couple of discrete questions about you. You know him?"

I curse under my breath, "Yeah I know him. How do you know all of this? We've been in town for what, like... eight hours?"

Ash smirks and pats my cheek, "I have my ways Blondie. I grew up with my aunt you know. She taught me quite a bit. She's a retired huntress ya know." With a wink, Ash turns away after another shot of liquor appears in my hand.

"So where is she anyway? You said she owned this place." I shrug and throw back the liquid. That burn is so good.

"She's out in town right now. She's doing a little... night shopping. She'll be back later."

The front door opens it up and Ash peaks over her shoulder. A shadow passes her face. I glance back and almost crush the glass in my hand. Two White Fang members stroll through the door. They look around the room, before their masked gaze settles on me. I see their lips move and whispers get traded. I turn back towards the bar and Ash catches my eye. She winks and fills up the glass in my hand. My shoulders shake with a soft chuckle.

"I told you Ash. Trouble loves my company." the joke comes out in a low voice.

"So it would seem Blondie. Try not to mess up my aunt's bar alright? You'll be the one cleaning the mess."

"Duly noted," I reply as the stools to either side of me are pulled back and the Fang members each take a seat.

I look at each of them, "Can I help you?"

There's a moment of silence and I can feel the eyes of the bar on us. The air hangs heavy with anticipation.

"Yes. The Fang find it to be their business when a human Huntress arrives in our city. We're just... curious, you could say."

"Yeah, we're just curious. Our leaders sent us in to ask a few questions. I do think it'd be in your best interest to answer."

A hand slams down on the counter and Ash leans in towards us, "This isn't the White Fang's city. This is the home of all faunus. If anyone, this town belongs to the Belladonna's... and this inn belongs to Lizza. You don't get to stroll in here and threaten her patrons. Now you boys can do me a favor and make yourselves scarce."

"The Belladonna's huh?" The Fang member to my left scoffs. "What a bunch of cowards. They won't be in charge for much longer."

The pair get up and the one to my right leans in close, "We'll be seeing you later... Blondie."

Silence fills the bar but for the crackling fire and the boot steps of the pair. It remains until the door falls shut behind their exit. I meet Ash's eyes and she just shakes her head.

"Ya know... I got this funny feeling that things are gonna be real interesting around here for a while." Ash leans on the bar giving me a side ways glare.

I sigh and reply with a shrug, "Can't say I didn't warn you."