Chapter XXIV: Confessions in the Dark

While Weiss had told Blake to sleep on the matter, it was an entirely different affair to actually fall asleep. Blake lay in her bed, trying to get some rest, but found that no matter how much she willed it, sleep would not come. She changed positions several times, tried rereading her favourite novels in her mind, and even tried not thinking at all, but each of these attempts failed. She finally opened her eyes and stared out the window, and saw it was a moonless night, as the overcast skies had not broken during the evening. She opened her Scroll and mentally groaned that it was only six past midnight, confirming that she had been lying sleeplessly for several hours. Blake knew that she would not get an ounce of rest, as the guilt kept her awake, and the words of her friends pounded in her mind like giant drums. She had known this would happen of course, and it was not as if she had been sleeping well as late either. In fact, Blake had been a light sleeper ever since she joined the White Fang. Being part of the world's most wanted terrorist group required one to be ready to bug-out at a moment's notice, and that had been the case before moving into Atlassian territory. This was the opposite as a Huntress-in-training, as students were required to get as much sleep as possible to replenish their Aura. There would be plenty of time to sleep lightly on the Hunt, but while training at an academy such as this, students were expected to grow up properly. There was nowhere in the Kingdom that was safer than within the hallowed halls of a Huntsmen Academy.

But Blake hadn't felt safe. The truth of the matter was that she hadn't felt safe since the attack on the White City, even after successfully falsifying her enrollment into Beacon. Sleep hadn't come naturally either, grabbing only a few hours a night, which she had gotten used to during her time with the White Fang. Unfortunately, it had begun to catch up with her, especially when learning that Adam himself had arrived in Vale. Blake had finally begun to relax over the past several weeks with the White Fang going dormant, but it was only the night of the BBQ, where she had truly gotten a full night's rest. Perhaps she could have found peace at last then, but Weiss revealing that Adam had been planning another attack, and hearing her voice the pain that had been caused by the White Fang, brought Blake once again into turmoil. She could run as much as she wanted, but the world was not as big as it once was, and her past was always at her heels. Try as she might to hide it all from her friends, she had entirely failed, and their worry had culminated into her team having to sit her down.

As reluctant as she was to admit it, there was only one path should could walk. She had been avoiding it for a long time, and as much as she tried to deny it, Weiss had been entirely right. Blake was very aware of her hypocrisy throughout her time at Beacon, and as the year went on, her pride gave way to guilt and shame. At last she was at the end of her rope, and she needed to either put her money where her mouth was, or give up completely. With great hesitation, she opened her Scroll once again, tapped her contacts, and selected the entry labelled "Sun".

She sent him a message asking if he was awake, and like every other time she had texted him, he very quickly replied. Slowly, and with a heavy hand, she typed the words that would set everything into motion, before pressing the send key. His reply caused her heart to clench in guilt, for it was full of his usual energy and positivity. Without wasting any time, she slipped out of bed, descended the newly made steps of her bunk, which made not even the smallest creak, something she mentally thanked Jaune for. She changed out of her pyjamas into her combat clothes, and like a cat in the night, snuck out of the dorm room, and out of the dormitory.

Blake arrived at the garden she and the others had visited a few days ago, one for its reclusive position, and two that it would be easy for Sun to find. She was the first to reach it, which left her to her own thoughts once more, and she went over what she planned to say to him, which she had hastily come up with as she made her way to the garden. She hoped she would have more time to properly construct her sentences, as well as calm herself, but one of her cat ears twitched and swivelled behind her, hearing someone approaching at a very fast pace. She looked up to see someone jump out of the closest tree and land a couple yards in front of her, revealing itself to be Sun. Even in the dark, his eyes and smile shone brightly, and both were brighter than they had ever been.

"Hey" he said eagerly. "What's up?"

Blake felt her stomach tie itself in a knot, for the tone of his voice and the smile on his face, was the antithetical opposite to herself. With great effort, she answered him.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Yeah, I know—about what?"

She paused. "About us."

"Yeah?"

Her stomach tightened further, as his eyes and smile brightened even more, displaying he was fully expecting to hear the good news he had been patiently waiting for since the Dance. How she hated herself for having to give him the exact opposite of what he wanted to hear.

"I think we should stop seeing each other" she said heavily, far more quietly than she thought she mustered. She then saw the light in his face go dim.

"What?" he asked weakly, totally at a loss.

Blake felt the knotting in her stomach pounce into her heart, like a viper striking out of nowhere, and pumping its venom into its prey. She knew that telling him this would break his heart, but now seeing his true reaction, she realized that she wasn't breaking it; she was ripping it out.

"I'm sorry" she said, swallowing with great difficulty, and fighting back her tears. "I should have told you sooner, but I've been thinking about it, and I don't think that us dating would work. It's been really great the past few months, it really has, but I know that becoming an actual couple isn't possible. I'm sorry."

Sun stared at her, unable to speak or even think, something that Blake could see as clearly as his love for her, which he showed in every grin, wink, and gaze. Finally the Monkey Faunus managed to get a grip on his voice, and asked the questions she expected him to.

"Why? Did I do something wrong, or say something I shouldn't have?" he asked, desperately trying to make sense of what was going on, and having a great deal of trouble believing it was real.

"No no, you've done nothing wrong—nothing at all. You've done everything right. You're a really great guy, Sun."

"Then why?" he pleaded, his voice and expression causing more venom to be injected into Blake's heart. Hesitantly, she answered, trying to steady her now trembling voice.

"You don't deserve someone like me." Instantly she realized just how cold that phrase was, and she desperately tried to clarify, especially as the look on Sun's face was that of a man who might as well have been stabbed. "I didn't mean what that sounded like! It's not you, it's me. I know that's the worst and most overused line, but it's true." Her voice then fell to a whisper. "I don't deserve someone as good as you."

The Vacuan was stunned, but for only a moment, and began to regain his bold character.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded. "You're amazing! I'm the guy who's lucky to have your attention, and being your boyfriend would be the greatest thing I've ever achieved."

Blake tried and failed to stop her wounded heart from fighting back against the venom, and beat with joy at his words, feeling genuine happiness from them.

"It's really sweet of you to say that, and I know you mean it, but it's wasted on someone like me. I'm sure you'll find someone far better, and one that lives closer to Paraíso–"

"Is this because you used to be a member of the White Fang?" Sun pressed, his eyes sharply focused on the raven-haired girl's face. "It is, isn't it? You changed back to how you were when you first turned me down before the Dance. Yes I hate the White Fang, but that doesn't mean I hate you! It doesn't matter that you used to be with them—you left and now you're training to be a Huntress. People can change, Blake, and you're a clear example of that. I don't care about your past. I like you, Blake, more than I've ever liked anyone before."

'No' she begged, biting her bottom lip. Hearing him say it aloud hurt more than she could have imagined, and her guilt was now warring with her happiness, tearing her heart in two. "I-It's not just that" she stammered, unable to look him in the eye. "You don't know anything about my past—if you did, you wouldn't like me."

"Tell me then" Sun insisted, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"No!" she cried, pulling away from him, knowing his touch would break the will she had so hastily built, and reveal its fragility. "I can't!"

"I won't tell anyone" he vowed, forcing himself not to try and hold her. "If this really is the end, then you have to tell me exactly why the most beautiful girl I've ever seen is actually some sort of monster. I know you aren't, so tell me the truth."

Blake looked up at him, and saw a new light in his eyes. It wasn't the passion she had seen since she first met him, nor was it anger for leading him on for so long just to tear his heart out. Instead, it was an eerily familiar fire of determination and seriousness, very much like that of Weiss', which she saw only a few hours before. The heiress had been right that Sun was more mature than he let on, and he would stop pursuing her, if and only if she provided him with a valid reason. Blake recognized that she had no choice but to tell him the truth, and it would be one of the hardest endeavours she had ever undergone.

"I-I've spent my whole life in the shadow of the White Fang" she began, her voice trembling, as she couldn't recount her past and hold back her emotions at the same time, resulting in her grip on her voice to falter. "I grew up in Menagerie, and between living a normal life there, was surrounded by former White Fang members who fought against Bolto Silver. I would hear stories of them fighting against Silver's radicals, liberating captured Faunus civilians, and how G-Ghira Noir led them into battle without fear. It's what led me to want to join up with the current White Fang, and join in their fight for Faunus rights, wanting to take part in something bigger than myself. I felt...that I had to fight..." She paused, swallowing again, the words she knew she needed to say, and had kept hidden for so long, rose painfully in her throat. "M-My past with the White Fang, isn't just because I felt their cause was right, but because it was in my b-blood." Tears began to fall down her cheeks, as she looked up at the blond with pain painted across her face. "M-My father is Ghira Noir...I'm not just an ex-member of the White Fang...I am the White Fang..."

Sun gaped at her stunned, never expecting this to be the secret she was harbouring. It wasn't even in the top ten. However, he wasn't dazed for long, as he remembered everything that had been shared during their long conversation a few days prior. It all collided with the truth of Blake's parentage, forcing a torrent of questions to roar through him like a hurricane.

"W-Wait-what-how?" he stuttered, completely flabbergasted by this revelation. "You're Ghira Noir's daughter?! How's that possible? Yeah, everyone knows he has a wife and kid, but how did you leave Menagerie without anyone knowing? Screw that, how long have you been away from home?"

"About t-two years..."

"Two-!" Sun cried, clutching at his temples for a moment, before holding his hands out in disbelief. "How could you get away with that? The White Fang would of showed you off as propaganda—that the former leader's daughter supported them. And how did you enter Beacon? And how hasn't your dad-"

"I-I stowed away on a ship for the Mistralese port city of Akrotiri" Blake managed, cutting him off, swallowing deeply. "I then made my way north to the capital, and secretly entered the White Fang citadel. H-High Leader Khan was shocked to see me, but she quickly welcomed me into the organization. She decided it would be better to hide that I was with them, so I had to wear a mask at all times. N-No one within the Mistralese White Fang knew I was ever there."

That certainly answered that question, though it still left the burning controversy of how the Chieftain of Menagerie had allowed his daughter to roam free.

"OK, but how did you get into Beacon? Huntmaster Ozpin is on the Council. He has to know who you are—the other Councilmen too!"

"D-Dad always tried to keep me out of the public eye. I-I guess it was enough, since I made a fake transcript and hid that I was a Faunus..."

"But you're the daughter of a world leader, Blake!"

Sun was right to be so livid about her explanation, given the status of the Councilmen in the world of Remnant. The state would provide personal security for each member of the Council, as well as their families. It was also required that each state would provide additional security for visiting Councilmen, as well as accommodations, though it was rather uncommon for Councilmen to travel internationally. The Chieftain of Menagerie however, was a horse of a different colour. The island state of Menagerie operated differently than the other Kingdoms, where he was the head of state, and each province was governed with an elected governor. It was only Noir that left Menagerie for political reasons, and even then it was rare, preferring to communicate through private calls and ambassadors. If he were to visit a foreign Kingdom however, he would be granted twenty-four hour protection, especially given the current actions of the White Fang. Noir was not only a powerful politician, but a hero to many, thus commanded great reverence and protection when traveling. This would require weeks of planning, forbidding any politician to simply take off without notice, and that went a hundredfold for Chieftains. Menagerie's defenses were humble, which was why the Royal Mistralese Army had always been stationed on the island, though they had slowly been decreasing their presence as Menagerie developed their forces.

Another major factor at play was the current racial tensions thanks to the White Fang. If something were to happen to the former High Leader and current sitting Chieftain of the only independent Faunus state on foreign soil, the political upheaval would be a quagmire beyond imagination. It wasn't surprising in the slightest that Sun was reacting to this news as he was, regardless of his feelings for Blake and his great admiration for Ghira. Despite her current emotional state, Blake could see how serious the Vacuan was taking this, again displaying his maturity. Then again, any sane person would be beside themselves at the decisions Blake had made during the past two years.

"Even I know you have to let people know where you're going or what you're doing! How can Chieftain Noir not call up the other Councils to find y–"

"Because my father has disowned me..."

"What? There's no way he would–"

Sun instantly stopped. Losing his cool was a rare thing indeed, something he greatly prided himself on, so now that he had, it caused him not to notice how Blake would flinch and recoil from the mention of her father. At last he had, and that recoil combined with her tears, was an image that halted him in his tracks. Guilt swelled in his gut, and he cursed himself for flying off the rails. She didn't need this right now. Taking a deep breath, he stood straight and shifted gears back to how he had been before learning of Blake's parentage.

"So you're the daughter of Ghira Noir. That's major, but just because you're the daughter of the White Fang's founder, doesn't mean you have to feel tied to them. Your dad left because the White Fang turned on him. You just got caught up in old war stories and wanted to do something great because of what great things your dad did. How many kids want to become Huntsmen because of their parents? That's totally normal, Blake, and you learned that it was a mistake. Why would you think I or your dad would hate you just for that?"

He thought that his words would help, but Blake shook her head, tears still flowing.

"That's only the start. M-My father also hates the White Fang. Not just because he was betrayed, but because he hated what they had so quickly become—because it wasn't what he f-fought for. He saw that I was spending so much time with his former men, and h-he told them to stop openly talking about the past, and he never answered my questions, no matter how much I asked him or my uncles. H-He didn't want me to hear about the past, and everything he could to deter me from walking down the same path. But it didn't work. It only fueled my desire to join, and it finally made us f-fight." Blake bit her bottom lip again, and she gazed up into the blackness of the clouded skies, trying to blink away the tears, but knew that many more were to come. "I-I said such horrible things to him. I called him a c-coward, I called him a fool, I said that he had forgotten about how much the world hated our race, and that sooner or later, w-we would be attacked again. I-If he wanted to stand by and let that happen, then s-stay here on the beach, far away from the suffering of our people."

Admitting this aloud was more painful to the Cat Faunus than she could have imagined, and her tears stung in her eyes before wetting her already damp cheeks. She caught a glimpse of Sun's face, who looked at her with such sympathy, and even pangs of pains, that she wanted to run from him. However, she misread the reason for his expression, for it was not of distaste for her actions, but of his hate of seeing her in such agony and self-loathing. He truly hated to see her cry like this, and it had been his secret mission to make her smile as much as possible. When he had succeeded in doing so weeks ago, seeing her beauty grow a thousand fold, he knew that he would not rest until he could free her from whatever had its grip on her. That grip was more than he had expected, by a long shot in fact, but he would not give up so easily.

"It was a mistake" he said, calm and steady. "You're right, those weren't nice things to say to your dad, but we've all said things to our parents in moments of passion that we almost always regret. Teenagers running on pure hormones are always a recipe for arguments, especially with your parents, who you think are always wrong and you're always right. You're not a monster for that, Blake—not even close. If you're dad is as good of a man as I've heard, then if you call him and apologize, I bet he'll forget any of it ever happened, and forgive you with open arms."

He then tried to take a step forward, but Blake flinched and hugged herself, as if fearful she would burst apart at the seams.

"No he won't" she replied weakly, looking down at the cold stone tiles beneath her feet. "I h-haven't spoken to him in over two years, and not only did I betray his wishes by joining the White Fang, I became a h-high ranking member in the organization..." Blake then squeezed, as if bracing herself from a bitterly cold win. "I-I was Adam Taurus' second-in-command. I took part in planning raids and sabotage attacks, and personally built the b-bombs used in most of them...including those used at the M-Mantle Attack..." She had braced herself, but she began to visibly shake, which Sun could clearly see, and for the first time in his life, felt a lump grow in his throat. "I-I was the one that put the bombs on the train..." she cried. "Th-The plan was to rig the boxcars at the back of the train—the one's with Dust—then b-blow them up after the last patch of p-passengers disembarked—when the train got out of city limits. B-But then we got caught right as I was finishing. I a-armed them, and then I made my way back to Adam, wh-who was overlooking the area. W-We weren't supposed to get caught, but somehow we did, and now we had h-hostages to deal with that we hadn't planned for. I turned to look at A-Adam, to ask him if he knew what we needed to do, and just as I did, I-I s-saw him push the detonator. I felt the e-explosion before I heard it, and saw his face glow red from the f-fire, his wicked smile making him look like a d-demon out of H-Hell."

With shaking hands, Blake then covered her ears, pressing them against her head, as if thunder had boomed above, and she were a child experiencing a storm for the first time, terrified by the ordeal.

"I can s-still hear their s-screams..." she sobbed, having no strength to hold back her fear and self-loathing any longer. "Those poor innocent men, women, and c-children...they never should have been there...it wasn't supposed to happen...they s-shouldn't have been on the train. I see it in my nightmares, that horror, again and again. They were finally going away, but now they're back. Adam was here! He was here, and he was going to k-kill more innocent people. Everyone's right...w-we have become just like Silver, and I didn't see it until it was too late..."

Sun was beside himself. This wasn't even remotely close to what he thought was eating at her, and he cursed himself for not having any real tact. He desperately wanted to hold her, tell her the truth that he knew she wouldn't accept, that it wasn't her fault, but her recoiling at both of his attempts to comfort her with his touch, kept him rooted to the ground.

"It's not your fault" he said honestly, unable to think of anything else to say, and winced when she shook her head again. "You didn't think he was capable of that. He never purposely hurt innocent people before, so I get that you didn't see it comin–"

"I loved him..." she moaned, halting Sun in his tracks. "I-I fell for his charisma, the way he talked about revolution, and opposing tyrants wherever they may lie. Khan i-introduced me to him, and asked him to be my mentor. I-I remembered his name being mentioned before I joined, that he had been a child-soldier during the war against Silver, and I felt h-honoured to meet someone who'd been fighting since he was a child. H-He was mature and disciplined, treating me with respect, and always willing to lend an ear, but was also strict with my training, pushing me to be a better fighter. I awoke my Semblance because of him. H-He even built Gambol Shroud for me, and how to use it. When he thought I was good enough, he made me his second, telling me he trusted me more than anyone. After so many days together, I f-fell in l-love with him. I never loved anyone before, and it blinded me from seeing his cruelty and e-evil. It took hours to recover from the shock, before it hit me what really happened that night. My world was crashing around me, and I didn't know what to do or think. All I could see is the b-burning wreckage of the train and the fire in Adam's eyes. I started vomiting from it all, and kept dry heaving until I fainted. I only came too when I heard Adam's voice outside my tent. I started to panic, terrified that he'd k-kill me, and I ran away. I-I didn't have a plan—only to get to the furthest place from Atlas, Mistral, and Menagerie I could get to.

When I finally calmed down, I had to think of what to do. I-If I showed my face in Atlas or Mistral ever again, I would be arrested or killed. If I went h-home, I would just be thrown out, as my f-father wouldn't accept me back—not after what I did. I finally made the decision to atone for my sins by becoming a Huntress. If I couldn't atone, then better a monster fight monsters—and if I died, then fine. I disguised myself, created a fake paper trail, used my f-father's real name, and entered Beacon. I n-never said a word, scared of what would happen to me if my identity was discovered. I thought about running away when I was on the same team as W-Weiss, but I was tired of running. I started to like my team, along with Team JNPR, and I felt that maybe I was finally free. When I blurted out that I was a Faunus to Weiss, I-I thought it was over. And when she f-forgave me, I felt as much relief as I had hate for myself. All these Humans that I was told for so long that couldn't stand my kind, were willing to spill their blood for me. It scared me, but gave me hope that I could do some real good to make up for the evil I've caused. But the White Fang was here, and with them, A-Adam, so I tried to stop them without telling the truth. I wanted to protect everyone, but the more I think about it, I-I was just trying to protect myself..."

Blake finally looked up at the silent blond with her eyes bloodshot and her cheeks soaked from her tears. She allowed her arms to fall to her sides, feeling exhausted from telling him the truth.

"Can you still like someone like me, Sun?" she asked, sniffing and swallowing. "Someone who's responsible for the d-death of innocent people, betrayed her family, lied to you, her friends, and her peers? If I really wanted to help stop A-Adam, I could have told General Ironwood the truth, and let him try me for war crimes in Mantle. Just because the White Army managed to chase him out of Vale, doesn't mean I'm guiltless or paid my dues. Do you think that W-Weiss will forgive me again, after what she said the other day? Who could trust someone who keeps lying about who and what she is? Every day was an act—a big lie to h-hide the truth and keep me safe. I knew that I might have to l-leave, and it looks like I'll have to in the end. I can't keep this a secret anymore, even though you said you wouldn't say a word. I'll l-leave at the end of the school year..."

Sun had stood there in silence, listening to every agony laced word with growing pain in his chest. However, those final words, that Blake might leave and throw away all the progress she had made after everything she had undergone, was the last straw. Without a moment's hesitation, he stepped forward, and placed his hands on her shoulders once again. He felt her resist, but with much less strength this time, and he was determined not to let her escape.

"You don't need to keep spending your life in the shadows, Blake" he said in a strong but tender tone, causing the girl to stop resisting and look up at him. Her breath was caught in her throat, as she saw once again the bright and warm light in his eyes, and his gentle smile causing her heart to skip a beat. Sun placed his right hand on her cheek, so tenderly and compassionately, that she could swear that she felt that warmth transfer into her chest. "You're not on your own anymore. Your friends care about you, I care about you, and I know despite what you've said and done, your parents care about you too. You call yourself a monster, but since when do monsters cry over what they've done, regret their actions, and try to atone? And I know when people are lying. From the beginning I've known you've been hiding things; and each time you showed more of the real you, I still saw there was more holding you back. I waited, knowing you'd tell me or your friends soon enough, but I never guessed it was this. That doesn't mean you've lost me yet—or your friends. The way you've laughed and smiled the last couple of weeks weren't fake, so don't try to deny it. After the talk we all had about the White Fang, I saw how sad it made you, and how much you needed to think on everything. So I let you, and I'll be honest, Blake, I'm a little disappointed in your conclusions. You're what, seventeen? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life like this? I can't let you do that to yourself. You don't deserve that punishment, and if you do run, I'll go after you—and so will your friends, I bet. Please don't throw away your life when you have this second chance to build a better one. You aren't protecting us by keeping these secrets and running away so that Taurus chases after you where we can't help you; you just hurt us."

Blake stared at the blond, his words striking her heart like a battering ram, and her tears began once again. He wiped them away with his thumb, hating to see them on her face, but felt better that she wasn't recoiling as she had before.

"You need to tell them all the truth" he said.

"No" she cried quietly. "They'll hate me."

"No they won't."

"Yes they will" Blake moaned, sniffing. "If not them, then W-Weiss certainly will. Me being a Faunus and a random member of the White Fang is one thing, me being Adam's second and bombmaker, who was responsible for the horror at Mantle...s-she'll kill me."

"It wasn't your fault, Blake, and she will know that when you tell her what you told me. Trust me; and you have to do it now before she and the others go home. I'll be right there with you, I promise" he assured. Blake bit her bottom lip, and her eyes dropped, but Sun placed his right index finger under her chin, and gently lifted her head up again. "I know you're scared" he said softly. "But ask yourself, do you want to keep living in fear when you can take back your old life, surrounded by friends and family?"

He was right, of course he was, and Blake knew it. Her fear had not lessened, but she forced herself to shake her head, causing the blond to smile further.

"The best things in life are worth the stress, and this'll all be in the past the sooner you get it over with." He then bit the inside of his cheek, as he now had to address something that was both awkward and unsavory given the situation. "And I'm sorry. I didn't know about you and Adam—in both ways. Me chasing after you probably wasn't something you wanted or needed. I don't like you any less, and I want to help you in any way I can, but if you want to draw the line at friends, I can–"

"No!" she exclaimed suddenly, grabbing onto his jacket with both hands, taking the Vacuan boy by surprise. He looked down at her bowed head, her ears pointed backward, and though what she said next was in a quiet voice, to him, it sounded as loud as a clap of thunder. "I like you too. You're nothing like Adam. You're kind, funny, charming, patient, loyal...everything he wasn't. I've never had anyone like you in my life. I've never had friends like Ruby, Yang, Weiss or the others before. I'm so tired of lying...but I don't want to lose any of you..."

Sun felt his heart swell in his chest, and his iconic grin returned and grew across his face.

"Even a dirty half-breed like me?" he asked, recalling what some of the members of the short-lived Vacuan Branch of the White Fang had shouted. Blake remained quiet for a moment, before replying, slowly looking up at him with wet eyes.

"You're half Faunus, but you're a thousand times the man he is" she said quietly. Though exhausted and emotionally taxed, Blake made it clear that she meant what she was saying. "You and everyone else are such good people, that losing any of you, scares me more that anyth–"

Unable to contain himself, he wrapped his arms around her like he had wanted to for so long, and pulled her into a warm hug.

"We aren't going anywhere" he assured. "If you'll stand by us, we'll stand by you—through thick and thin, hail and storm, blood, sweat, and tears. That's what friends do. You're worth it, Blake."

He ended his proclamation with a gentle kiss on her forehead, like a definitive point at the end of a sentence. All of this had taken Blake by surprise. However, what caught her truly off guard, was just how much she needed it. All the resistance, the walling around her heart, the denying of her feelings and desires, were all torn down as swiftly as a candle in the wind. She melted into his hug, pressing her face into his bare chest, and began to cry. For the first time in longer than she could remember, Blake felt something she had been too scared to allow herself to feel. She now felt it at last in the arms of the boy that had been the largest rebuttal to the life she had lived: safe.

λΛλ

As gently as possible, Blake turned the knob of the dorm room at nearly twenty past three. She and Sun had remained in that hug for a long time, and even when they began to speak again, the hug was never broken. They had discussed what was to be done, and had come to a conclusion that would not be easy, but was necessary. Reluctantly, they ended their embrace and left the garden, knowing that the sun would soon rise, and they would need some sleep for the coming day. Sun walked Blake back to her dorm, wanting to make sure that she was safe, as well as be the support she needed. After one final goodbye and hug, he headed back to the Vacuan lodging, and allowed Blake to return to her dorm, which she was now entering as quiet as a mouse. The cloud cover had not broken during the night, so there was still no moon or starlight to pour into the room to guide her. Of course, as a Faunus, and a Cat Faunus at that, she did not need much light to see.

Unfortunately, despite her natural abilities, she failed to see what was waiting for her, and the moment she stepped into the room, it instantly filled with light. Her pupils had been fully dilated, allowing as much light as possible to enter her amber eyes, which was why she now shut them, wincing in pain. After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes, her pupils contracting to appropriate levels, and saw that standing before her were her teammates, all awake, and gazing at her with varying degrees of expectation. Ruby was more neutral, though nervous, whereas her sister was more optimistic. Weiss, as expected, was cold and focused, her arms folded and her tongue sharp.

"Well?" she asked, expecting a plain answer from the Faunus, and nothing less. It was clear to Blake that Weiss had correctly guessed that she had snuck out to speak to Sun, and pretending otherwise would be pointless.

Blake remained silent for a few moments, feeling the weight of her lieutenant's gaze, and knowing that any answer would displease her. She took a breath to steady herself, and spoke as calmly as she could muster.

"What Sun and I talked about is private, and I'll share it with you when it's right to." That was not the reply the heiress wanted to hear, and she filled her lungs with air to unload onto the raven-haired girl, when Blake spoke again, cutting her off. "I know you want to know because you care, Weiss, and that means a lot, but you also said that I need to be an adult and handle this. That's what I did, and that's what I'm doing now. Please let me sleep on it, or as much as I can given how late it is. I want to do this right. I promise we'll talk about it tomorrow—no more secrets or running away."

To her relief, this response was more to Weiss' liking, but she only showed this by a silent nod, and promptly returned to bed. Ruby gave Blake a small but hopeful smile, and climbed up the steps to her bunk, which Blake herself began to do, before stopping for a moment on the second step. Yang was looking at her carefully, as if trying to read her mind, but said nothing to her friend. Then, as if finding what she was looking for, gave Blake a smirk, and turned to her own bed. Blake could feel her cheeks turn slightly pink, suspecting she knew what was going on in the blonde's mind, which was never difficult to decipher, as the gears in her head were always on full display. Blake removed her clothes and changed back into her pyjamas, before finally turning in. It took several minutes before she could relax, but finally, she drifted off to sleep, knowing that tomorrow would be the day she would step onto a new and very long road.

Author's Note:

So here we are at last. A tad short as chapters go with DDCT, but I stand by that this needed its own chapter to breathe, and having it at the end of chapter XXIII, was just too much. Hel, I think it would have been disrespectful in all honesty. I hope it nevertheless entertained you, and some author's notes will help make up for it.

Blake having to confront Sun was a long time coming. Like the show, Blake dragged him along without giving Sun a clear answer, but unlike the show, Blake's friends keep her accountable. To be fully transparent, I was never a BlackSun shipper until V4, when I saw that Blake actually return Sun's feelings (somewhat). It was then after rewatching the previous volumes, did I begin to notice every time Blake reacted positively to Sun's advances. I don't know why, but I never noticed it was mutual, which is why I never shipped them; if Blake isn't interested, then too bad. When I noticed that she was interested, I was all for it, and as the years went by, I've come to love the ship, creating many sweet moments for them. What CRWBY have done in the series to Blake, to Sun, and their relationship is beyond disgusting, and I wanted to show them both some respect and dignity.

To be even more transparent, like Weiss, I wasn't a fan of Blake. Not much going on with the character, and the racial allegory pretty much killed any potential I saw in Blake (especially in comparison with her parents). And yet, despite not liking the character, I ended up doing some of the most character work on her. As I've said before, DDCT is based on a full rewrite, and I did a lot of work to tell Blake's story. When Blake first arrives at Beacon in my rewrite, she's cut her hair short (pixie cut; long enough to cover where her Human ears would be), dyed it blond, hid her cat ears in a French beret, wore contacts, and tucked her tail in her clothes. The name "Noir" that I gave Ghira in DDCT, is the false name Blake uses, for I actually wanted Blake to be competent and try to hide her identity properly. As I said during chapter XVIII, Blake has a long road ahead of her, and even two years into her journey with Team RWBY, has demons to confront, and lessons to learn.

One thing she has to face is the consequences of creating a national security issue by running away from home. I haven't run into that criticism of Blake all that much, but it is entirely valid. As much as CRWBY like to get political, they truly are incapable of writing it correctly. The scene with Sun freaking out when learning the truth is (as usual) based of my rewrite, when he addresses Kali as "Mrs. Noir", where he's is then correct by a confused Kali that her name is "Belladonna". Sun then drags Blake into the hall, and starts to grill her over hiding the truth of her family. Then right on cue, Ghira comes home from work and makes his grand entrance. Just like the show screws the pooch on the reality of Blake being the daughter of the White Fang's founder and Chieftain of Menagerie, they screwed Sun, making him an idiot. It's why I made sure to show him respect and portray him as a wild but wiser young man, allowing him to even grill Blake for making such a dangerous and stupid decision. Part of his dialogue is from the same speech given by Blake's squad leader, which I think works in Sun saying. I do hope you all found it consistent with his character.

And that brings us to Blake's confession. I wasn't kidding that I put a lot of work on her. Just like I wanted Blake to truly want to hide her identity, I wanted her to have a real reason to be so paranoid. For her to act as she has, needs her to have a LOT of issues compounding onto one another. Guilt, regret, shame, having a direct hand in the current White Fang's sins, having legit fear of Adam, missing her parents, family, and friends, not wanting to lose Sun and her new friends. All must be in play, and all consequences must be brought to bear (it's also why I've always thought she was a better candidate to have PTSD than Yang, but that's a conversation for another time). I honestly have no clue what Blake did in the show with Adam, but I knew years ago it needed to be changed into something direr. What I have learned was that Blake ran from home FIVE years before the start of V1; which if true makes Ghira and Kali the worst parents in the show (even more than Jacques and Willow, since at least Jacques had Weiss sent home when Beacon was attacked). There is a lot in play thanks to the complicated logistics with Blake being the daughter of a world leader, getting involved with a terrorist organization that's technically working for Salem, the politics and the politicians, the Schnee Dust Company, the list goes on. However, I hope that, as a start, my handling of it is satisfactory. Despite what I feel for Blake now in the show, (who is—if I can be blunt—a lying whore) I want this Blake to want redemption, and do whatever it takes to find a path to it.

I apologize again that this is such a short chapter (the shortest of the story by far). It was originally part of chapter XXIII, but as I said previously, it would have been far too much to include it. The subject matter needed time to itself, as well as making good cliff-hangers. As for how well I handled it, I fully expect for you all to let me know in your reviews. I also apologize for taking this long, as I had planned to have it done by last Sunday, but I just kept wanting to reread and tweak.

What I can promise you is that the next three chapters will be the longest chapters by far. That good news means you'll have more to sink your teeth into, but that also means it will take longer to edit and release. I really want to get chapter XXV out by the end of June, but with my schedule constantly changing, there are no guaranties.

Thank you all once again for reading my work, and see you all next time.