Here it is, chapter fourteen, and man is it a long one. It's by far the longest chapter of the story and it's likely to remain so. I swear I don't plan to keep giving Weiss such enormous chapters, it just keeps happening. I always feel that characters have a certain autonomy, and in this chapter they just kept taking me along for the ride. You'll notice some parallels to Season 4 of the series here, but keep in mind: The characters you see, even if they have the same name and occasionally same dialogue, are not the exact ones from the show. This is a timeline split after Season 2 and some things blatantly contradict canon. Well, I've rambled on long enough. Please Read and Review. Your thoughts, both positive and negative, are welcomed.

Chapter Fourteen: Menagerie

Seagulls were wheeling overhead, looking for scraps of fish and the fries of unwary travelers, as we walked into the harbor where the ferry to Menagerie docked. We'd gotten up extremely early in the morning and while I'm normally fine with that, this time I had a bit of a harder time with it. Regardless, right now I considered my bad mood this morning worth it one hundred percent. The smell of the ocean was unmistakable and while the breeze was getting slightly chilly in the evening air I preferred it greatly to the endless forests we'd spent our time in almost exclusively while we traveled here. The vastness of the ocean and the infinite expanse of the sky above it, dark blue where it met the water but slightly lighter as it got closer to us, looked so open and welcoming it made me smile.

"You know, I heard that every time Weiss smiles, a puppy dies somewhere," Yang said to Blake and Ruby.

So much for my better mood. "Can you please not ruin this moment, you utter philistine?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"I'll consider it the moment you stop making up words," Yang replied.

"I am not making up words! A philistine is a…"

"Yeah, whatever, bored now," Yang interrupted me.

I knew I shouldn't get into an argument with her. I knew she was just trying to rile me up, but that damn girl knew exactly how to get to me.

"Now listen here, you vulgarian, and maybe you'll learn something," I began, but Ruby stepped between us and said, "Look, I know it's fun to insult each other with words that may or may not exist, but shouldn't we get tickets for the boat first?"

I sputtered incoherently while Yang wrapped an arm around Ruby and said, "Look at you acting all grown up. You're starting to become responsible, sis."

Ruby beamed so widely that I almost got my smile back, but of course Yang once again had to ruin things. "So I assume that you, as our responsible leader, are going to buy us all tickets?"

Ruby's smile froze on her face. "Well, um, I don't exactly have any money," she said sheepishly.

Yang sighed and feigned disappointment. "And you were doing so well earlier. Now who will we turn to? Perhaps…our heiress can get us tickets?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I'm sure these Faunus will bend over backwards to accommodate the daughter of someone they hate," I said.

Before Yang could make another remark, Blake spoke up. "I can get the tickets."

"That's great!" Ruby said.

"Yeah, Blakey, I knew we could count on you," Yang said.

Blake didn't smile. "It's probably better if you wait outside. Friendly or not, it's not very common for Humans to go to Menagerie."

The way she said that sent a chill through my body. The implied threat was clear. These were the Faunus us Humans had essentially shipped away after the Great War. They lived outside of the protection of the kingdoms. It wouldn't be unthinkable for them to still hold a grudge even now, years later. Was making this trip really the smart idea? I took a deep breath. There wasn't any point in worrying about this now. If we ran into trouble, we'd deal with it then.

As Blake headed into the sole building that lined the dock, which seemed strangely small for a ferry's dock, I realized that despite Blake's warning about Humans only rarely venturing out to Menagerie, no one was giving us the time of day. The four of us were filthy from weeks of travel without any gear but our weapons and three of us were Humans, but the Faunus milling around the dock, passengers and staff alike, didn't seem to notice or care.

When I looked closer, I began to see why. Many of the Faunus were just as disheveled as we were, and despite the good state of the building and the docks it was obvious that living out here, even just coming here for the ferry, was a perilous undertaking at best.

"Man, I'll be so glad to take a shower. It's a miracle mushrooms haven't started growing in my…"

"Yang!" Ruby interrupted her sharply.

"What? I was going to say pits…"

Yang sounded incredibly unconvincing, and I was grateful Ruby had cut her off when she did.

"Despite your boorish way of phrasing it, I agree with you," I said. "I'm pretty sure this outfit is ripe for the incinerator after this is over."

"I think that would officially count as an environmental hazard…although come to think of it, your family was never too bothered about that," Yang replied with a smirk.

Despite myself, I chuckled. "If you'd use your intelligence to pay attention in Port's classes instead of coming up with jokes you wouldn't have so much remedial work," I said.

Yang grinned widely. "But there's no enjoyment to be had in that. I think I'll stick with the jokes, especially since you're just such an easy target."

I rolled my eyes at her, but I kept quiet since Blake returned. She quietly handed us tickets. Something immediately stood out on them, and that was the stylish golden lettering which said 'Gold Class'.

"Gold Class?! Blake, how did you…?" I asked, my mouth dropping opening in astonishment.

"I'll…tell you later," Blake said evasively. "For now, we have forty minutes left until the ferry arrives, so we could go and check out the trading post while we wait."

I wondered why she was so eager to change the subject, but going by my own experiences I guessed simply being here was difficult for her. Still, there was a time and place for everything. Blake said she'd tell us more later and ever since we'd gone on this journey she hadn't yet failed to give us any relevant information.

In response to Blake's suggestion, I said, "Checking out the trading post sounds fine. Let's be sure to be here at least ten minutes in advance, though. It wouldn't do for us to have to wait for the morning ferry."

Blake smiled. "Don't worry. The ferry will be docked for half an hour to give everyone time to get aboard and it's not uncommon for it to be a bit longer than that if there are rows."

I gave a nod to show my satisfaction, and said, "Well, let's go then."


Half an hour later, we were back outside in the docking area, which was now beginning to fill up with Faunus getting ready to board. Many of them carried suitcases and backpacks, but an equally large number had nothing more than a small duffel bag with them. We sat on a bench, watching the coming and going of the passengers and the crew members preparing for the arrival of the ferry, which was visible on the horizon as an ever-growing speck of light.

I was surprised at the apparent lack of guards at this dock. The surrounding paths had been suspiciously bare of guard towers as well. I had expected a higher concentration of Grimm here, and apparently Blake noticed me scanning the area, because she said, "There are more guards here than you can see. Some of these crew members have had at least partial Huntsman training and the trading post has machine gun ports on the upper floor."

She pointed at the green corrugated steel wall of the hangar that housed the trading post and ticket booths. In the harsh light of the floodlights, I could see faint outlines in it, confirming Blake's story.

"They keep the weapons hidden as much as possible to ease the minds of the passengers. If the weapons are not in sight, then even if the people know they're there, they will still be less prone to fear of attack and so attract fewer Grimm. It's something the White Fang came up with back when…back when they were still standing up for the Faunus," she went on with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

I nodded, impressed at the forethought the White Fang had once had. From what I had seen of them, and from the stories I had heard in my youth about the atrocities they committed against my family, I had begun to assume at some point that they were all brutes who could think of nothing but violence. This small thing reminded me that I had once believed them to be just looking out for their comrades and trying to save lives, and that that notion, which I had grown to dismiss as laughably naïve, hadn't always been wrong.

I looked at the horizon and saw that the ferry was now almost here. It was smaller than I had expected it to be, but I could still see the rows of small, circular windows behind which lay the passenger cabins. It had two decks of passenger cabins, beneath which were obvious gun hatches. Along the flank of the ship, at regular intervals, there was a small, green light. On the bow of the ship, rather than a sun deck there was a massive, double-barreled cannon. The bridge towered high above the cannon to get a clear view of the ocean ahead.

All in all, this ship looked more like a military frigate than a civilian ferry, but I knew that aquatic Grimm were regularly much larger than their terrestrial counterparts and that these guns were probably the bare necessities to deal with them. Slowly, the ship slid into its dock.

The four of us watched in silence as the crew members both on and off the ship were attaching the heavy mooring chains to their posts amidst much yelling and gesturing. Eventually, two gangplanks were lowered. To my surprise, no people were getting off the boat on either one of them. Instead, I saw a stream of people emerging from the second pier, which lay behind the ship from where we were sitting.

Only a short time later a Faunus with prominent tusks and a moustache which would put Professor Port to shame bellowed into a megaphone that boarding was now commencing. Gold Class passengers were to line up at the fore gangplank, everyone else at the aft one. I knew just enough about nautical terms to know it meant we would be boarding at the front of the ship. We queued up with the other Gold Class passengers.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a bit nervous. Despite my current appearance, I still wore the Schnee family crest on my back. It was a miracle that no one had mentioned it so far and I dearly hoped my luck would hold.

Slowly, we advanced up the gangplank. It was strange that all four of us were so quiet. All of us were lost in our own thoughts. I could imagine why Blake was silent, but it was unusual for Ruby and Yang to be this subdued, especially since Ruby was in the presence of guns big enough to satisfy any gun nut. Then again, maybe that was the very reason she was quiet. It wasn't every day you saw old-fashioned shipborne cannons rather than the more high tech armaments on airships.

The Faunus in front of us were now being cleared and I readied my ticket. Blake turned to the rest of us and said, "Let me do the talking." She then turned to the purser and said, "Four of us, all under Belladonna."

The purser's eyes widened briefly, but then he nodded slowly and beckoned us to come closer. He inspected the tickets and let his eyes wander over the rest of us, occasionally shooting a glance at Blake. His eyes narrowed when they met mine and I felt a drop of sweat rolling down my neck under his scrutiny. Eventually, though, he nodded.

"Welcome aboard. Your cabin is portside, second deck. At the top of the stairs turn left. Cabin fifteen is yours."

Blake thanked him and we headed over the other side of the ship.

"So Blake, what did he mean by cabin, singular? Didn't we have Gold Class tickets?" Yang asked as we walked.

Blake nodded. "Yes, and that means we have a room with just the four of us. Other people have to share their cabins with as many as twelve people. Gold Class members have two bunk beds and a shower and toilet to themselves. The ship might be large, but it's not a cruise ship. It's meant to ferry people across to Menagerie and the mainland, so some comforts have to be sacrificed on the trip."

Yang whistled between her teeth. "And despite that you managed to get us the top seats on this ship? You never cease to amaze me."

"Here it is, cabin fifteen," Blake said, giving no acknowledgment of Yang's remark.

Again, I recognized it as an attempt to quickly change the subject. Fortunately, Yang did as well and she didn't press the issue. For all her lack of manners she was by no means stupid. Blake opened the door and we entered into the room. It was sparsely equipped, with just two basic bunk beds with a small reading light above each of the beds, two racks on which to hang clothing, and a door I presumed led to the shower. That door suddenly began to exert a magnetic pull on me as I fantasized about being clean for even the shortest amount of time before I had to get back into my horribly dirty clothes.

"Not yet, Weiss," Blake warned me when she saw me drifting towards the shower. "The water won't come on until we're underway. When the ship is stationary it runs on low power to conserve fuel. It's not easy for the Faunus to get hold of enough Dust to keep the ferries running, after all."

I felt a pang of guilt when she said that. It was my father's business practice that left this ferry service undersupplied and I resolved that once I had control of the company, I'd bring change to that.

Ruby, meanwhile, had pulled herself up onto the top left bunk bed, the same spot she occupied at Beacon.

"Beds are amazing!" she exclaimed as she lay spread-eagled on it. "I will never underestimate this gift of the gods again," she went on, wrapping herself in the sheets and burying her face in the pillow.

Yang followed her lead and pulled herself up into her own bunk bed. "I have a feeling these beds are just about as hard as the one in that outpost in Vale," she said, "But this just might be the most comfortable bed I've ever been in."

I walked over to the beds as well. "Come on, I know we've been living rough lately, but how good can these beds possibly…"

I was silenced as I felt the colds sheets beneath me. Yes, the mattress was hard, but it was absolutely divine. "Forget I said anything…" I mumbled as I lay down.

I could feel every muscle in my body as I lay there. How could anything feel this good? All my life I'd slept in the best beds Remnant had to offer, but this rickety bed on an old ferry had them all beat.

A heavy rumble went through the ship and the lights in the cabin flickered briefly as the engines came back on and the ship was getting ready to depart.

"The trip will take about eighteen hours," Blake said. "We can get food in the mess hall downstairs. Our Gold Class tickets will give us access to the more luxurious part of the hall so it shouldn't be too crowded there. Still, just for safety, you should all stay close to me. It may not look it, but again, Humans going to Menagerie are rare. The other Faunus will leave you alone when I'm there, but I don't want any of us to get in trouble on board of this ship."

Another vibration ran through the ship and I felt how it slowly began to move. "I suggest we first get a shower, and then some food and proper sleep," Blake went on.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Yang agreed.

"It sounds perfect to me," Ruby said sleepily. She hadn't moved since she'd wrapped herself up in her blanket and I was surprised she was still awake.

"I think that sounds great as well. So…who gets to shower first?" I asked hesitantly.

I didn't want to ask at all, in fact I'd intended to just get up and claim the bathroom for the next three hours, but I knew that Yang would make more stupid Schnee jokes if I did. I hoped my diplomatic gesture would work out for me.

"Dibs!"

So much for diplomacy. "Yang…" I pleaded.

She grinned widely at me. "I'm just pulling your leg, Weiss. I saw you eyeing that shower from the moment we got here. Not even I am cruel enough to keep it from you. But I warn you, if the warm water runs out because of you there will be hell to pay."

I was too grateful to her for letting me go first that I ignored her threat entirely as I got up and turned around to take a shower. Part of me was slightly ashamed that my heart was pounding faster at the notion of being able to shower again, but a far larger part of me stared at the door as I walked towards it, completely entranced. I opened the door as if it was the door to a temple and flicked the small light switch on the right of the entrance.

The light flickered to life and revealed the bathroom. The whole room was covered in sickly green tiles. It had a shower with an old curtain, which was suspiciously yellow on the bottom. There was a toilet which, while clean, looked to be dated sometime before the Great War and a sink with a small, flaky mirror above it. The sink had a large crack in it. On a towel rack hung four towels of differing colors, but at least they had the same size. A bath rug which had seen better days finished off the picture. In short, it was heaven. I locked the door behind me and as I turned on the hot water I was fully prepared to face Yang's wrath if I had to. I wasn't going to come out of this shower for a long time.


With a sigh, I lay back on my bed. I felt better than I had in weeks. Despite the fact that I was again clad in clothes that were probably a health hazard all on their own by now, I felt clean. The food from the mess hall, prepared with actual utensils rather than being spiked on a sharp stick and held over a fire for ten minutes, filled my stomach and gave me an actually satisfied feeling instead of pangs of hunger and a bad aftertaste. Best of all, I had covers to keep me warm. I didn't feel the bizarre experience of being cooked on one side by the campfire and freezing my backside off on the other.

Aside from the rumblings of the ship, everything was quiet. None of us were really in the mood for talking, not with the possibility of a good night's sleep for once. We wouldn't have to rotate sleep schedules, wouldn't have to worry about a sneak attack by any Grimm.

I lay in the dark with open eyes, staring at the bed above me which I could only faintly make out in the little bit of light that came into the cabin through its small, curtain-less windows. It was almost like we were back at Beacon for one night.

When I closed my eyes, I recalled the little moment I'd had with Ruby the evening before, while we were gathering firewood. Even now, feeling dead tired, something stirred within in me at the thought of it. Over the past weeks, I'd begun looking at Ruby in a different way. I hadn't had much time to think about it, but when I'd agreed to be Ruby's girlfriend that had been a decision based mostly on emotions. Only now, having had four weeks to observe her more openly than I'd ever done, I had begun to also become very much attracted to her physically.

Obviously, there are certain desires that go along with that. Now, we weren't really in a position to have much physical contact beyond the occasional hug or kiss, but there was an alternative. I believe Yang once referred to it as 'self-service'. Over the past weeks, I'd seen the chance to indulge in it once or twice, but having to watch out for both your teammates and sudden attacks of horrible monsters of darkness tends to put a bit of a damper on things. Now, however… Still visualizing Ruby and me in the woods, I moved my hand downwards.


I woke up in a position that would have been compromising if I hadn't been covered. Realizing I'd fallen asleep without getting anything done was rather annoying, but it couldn't be helped. Judging by the light level in the cabin, the sun had been up for quite some time already before I woke up.

I glanced over at the other bed to see that my teammates were still asleep. I stretched and decided to go for another shower before everyone else woke up and tried to claim it. Just like the night before, showering was amazing. Even after just one night, the grime from my clothes had already managed to stick to my body again and washing it off, however temporarily, was blissful.

I exited the bathroom refreshed and much more awake than I'd been before. The others had also begun to wake up, and they sat on the edges of the lower beds talking.

"Good morning, Weiss," Ruby said as I approached.

"Good morning," I replied. I sat down next to her and she gave me a quick kiss, blushing lightly when Yang smirked at her.

"We'll be arriving in a little under an hour," Blake said. "They just announced it over the intercom while you were in the shower."

That meant that it was already past noon. Given that I went to bed at ten, max, I must have been a lot more tired than I'd realized for me to sleep that long.

"So, shower, breakfast, and then hang around on deck until we arrive?" Yang suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Ruby agreed.

Blake just nodded. I got the feeling that now, this close to Menagerie, she would become more and more withdrawn until we'd spoken to her parents and hopefully gotten a new lead to go on. Even then, though, we'd have to stay on Menagerie until Dr. Oobleck would rejoin us. I had no idea if he had even managed to get back to Beacon yet, let alone if he'd talked to Headmaster Ozpin or Qrow. I hoped for Blake's sake he'd managed to bring the news across and that he would be waiting for us on Menagerie.


After a large breakfast, we headed onto the front deck of the ferry. We walked past the enormous cannon, which thankfully hadn't seen any action through the night, or if it did I hadn't noticed it. Ahead of us, we saw Menagerie. I'd only ever seen it on maps and it had never really occurred to me until this very moment how big it really was.

"Straight ahead is the port of Kuo Kuana," Blake said, pointing at the town in the distance.

The lands around the town seemed to be mostly green. All in all it gave off an 'island paradise' vibe from here.

"This is the town I was born in. It's Menagerie's largest and most important town, though it's nothing like Vale or Mistral," Blake went on. "Most people here are very nice, but anti-Human sentiments are strong here. Try not to draw too much attention to yourself when we get there."

She turned to look at me. "They might insult you for your family. Please, don't argue with them. I know you'll want to tear into them, but we can't use a brawl right now."

I nodded slowly. It wouldn't be the first time people made assumptions about me based on who I was, but it wasn't often that I couldn't retaliate at all. Still, I agreed with Blake that we should avoid unnecessary hostilities, so even though I'd probably have to bite my tongue a couple of times I was sure I'd manage.

Ruby grabbed my hand and gave it a little squeeze. I gave her a sideways look and she smiled brightly at me. Knowing she'd have my back no matter what was a reassuring thought.

We'd by now approached the dock and the ship had already started slowing down. Sailors were running all over the deck, barking orders and preparing for the ferry's arrival. An announcement over the intercom reminded us to take care of our belongings and to leave the ship via the portside ramps.

Blake's mouth was nothing more than a thin line when the ferry began its docking procedure in earnest and her shoulders were tense, very much unlike her usual grace. I stood next to Blake and whispered, "It's going to be fine, Blake. Your parents aren't going to judge you."

She gave me a grim stare, but she nodded almost imperceptibly. "Deep breaths. You can do it," I told her.

Blake closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. When she opened her eyes again, she whispered, "Thanks, Weiss."

I smiled at her and hoped my words would help her a bit. I honestly didn't know what else I could do to make this easier for her. While I knew, sort of, what she was going through I was by no means an expert at dealing with it. The gangplanks were now being dropped and an announcement came over the intercom telling us we were free to disembark.

Blake took the lead as we descended the ramp and finally set foot on Menagerie after four weeks. The docks themselves had a small marketplace behind them, beyond which the town proper began. The houses were made of wood and mostly built on short poles, possibly to allow for springtides. Unlike the buildings in Vale and Mistral, here the houses were built in a loose gathering. Palm trees dotted the landscape. In the distance, there was a huge house that looked like it would belong to the…mayor? Chieftain? King? To my embarrassment, I didn't really know how society worked here on Menagerie. For all I knew that building served some kind of public function.

"So, where are we going?" Yang asked Blake.

Blake took a deep breath and pointed in the direction of the huge building.

"Wait, your parents live there?" Yang asked incredulously.

Blake nodded, almost embarrassed. "My father is the chieftain of Kuo Kuana," she said, "And he was the previous leader of the White Fang."

My blood ran cold. So this was it. This was the reason Blake had kept her past hidden the way she had. I'd known that her parents used to be part of the White Fang, but I never would have guessed that they were the leaders of it. Now, her reluctance to come back here began to make more sense to me as well. Her parents had stepped down when the White Fang became more militant, but Blake had stayed. Their daughter had gone against their ideals, and that was something I knew well. My father had been apocalyptically angry when I announced my intention to attend Beacon, and I expected that Blake's decision to stay in the White Fang after its change of leaders wouldn't have sat well with her parents either.

Judging by the Ruby and Yang's silence, this had come completely out of the blue for them as well. "Wha…leader…what?!" Yang eventually managed.

Blake looked away. "It was different then. When the White Fang's sentiment began to go to terrorism rather than peaceful protest, my father was forced to step down. He did so without complaint because he didn't want to shed blood when he advocated peace and understanding. I…didn't leave with them."

Blake stopped talking and took a couple of deep breaths. When she resumed her story, her voice had grown incredibly strained. "At the time, I thought the militants were right," she nearly whispered. "Peaceful protest wasn't enough; we had to make our voices heard and if holding up signs wasn't going to do it, we'd use weapons."

She laughed bitterly, still not looking at us. "Look how well that turned out. I never wanted things to go as far as they did, but anyone with eyes could have told you this is where we were heading. I was just too blind to see it."

Finally, she faced us again. Her eyes were full of tears. "I've fought with my parents over this. They tried to make me see reason but I just wouldn't listen and Adam…Adam just egged me on. I thought he cared about me. I thought that he, too, wanted eventual peace even if we had to resort to violence to be heard now, but all he ever cared about was himself and the destruction of all Humans."

She shook her head angrily. "How could I not see any of this?! How can I face my parents now…?"

Before Blake could beat herself up even more, Yang had wrapped her arms around her. She didn't say anything, she just held Blake, who now stood there as if she'd been struck by lightning. Ruby and I just stared, both of us completely lost for words. I'd known that Blake had been a part of the White Fang, of course, and I knew that the White Fang had become more militant, but I'd never realized that at one point, she had agreed with the violent faction. Maybe I should have. Even so, I couldn't bring myself to be angry at her. How could I? She was so wracked with guilt over it now that there was no way anyone could hold this against her.

Eventually, Yang let go of Blake and looked into her eyes.

"Blake, what you did in the past doesn't matter anymore," she said. "You've more than made up for the things you did in the White Fang."

"But I..."

"Who cares?!" Yang shouted, her Semblance flaring to life as she lost her temper. Seeing Blake torturing herself obviously made her livid. "Who cares that you agreed with them then?! You don't now, and that's all that matters to me! Do you seriously believe that some old skeletons in your closet could make me think otherwise?"

Yang's Semblance faded out and her eyes returned to their normal colors. "I care about you, Blake. We've all done stupid things in our past and I don't want you to keep torturing yourself over it. I won't let you destroy yourself with guilt. You have your teammates with you, you always will. You'll always have me," she finished softly, looking more earnest and vulnerable than I'd ever seen her before.

This time it was Blake who threw her arms around Yang, and Yang gently held her as Blake buried her face in Yang's hair.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered with a choked voice.

"It'll be alright," Yang said gently. "And believe me, I'm sure your parents will say the same thing."

Blake let go of Yang and looked at her. Yang replied with a small smile.

"Thank you," Blake said. Then she turned to face Ruby and me. "And thank you too, for being here with me. Yang…all of you…I can do this thanks to you," she said.

"And we wouldn't want to do this without you," Ruby replied with a wide smile.

"I haven't been through the same things as you have," I said, "But I can relate to you. You're one of the bravest people I know and I'll have your back any time you need me to."

Yes, that sounded incredibly dorky. I honestly didn't care right then, because it was just about all I felt I could say without making a complete fool of myself. At that very moment, there wasn't anyone alive I admired more than Blake. Scared or not, she was going to face the parents she left on bad terms, and that was something I still didn't dare.

Blake took a deep breath and looked at all of us. "Come on. Let's go meet my parents."


We arrived at the mansion and with every step we took toward the door, I got more nervous. I was pretty sure my father would disown me if he knew where I was now. He might not be evil, he certainly wouldn't appreciate me visiting one of his worst enemies. Then again, Blake's parents didn't condone terrorism. But how would they react to a Schnee suddenly standing on their doorstep?

We reached the massive, wooden doorway. It had a large, bronze knocker on it, shaped like an animal that resembled a wolf. Blake knocked twice and then took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She wasn't the only one.

After a short moment, the door was opened by a woman with black hair and cat ears. She looked like an older Blake. She let her eyes wander over our group, confusion plain in her eyes until her eyes fell on Blake.

"Blake!"

Without giving her a chance to respond, Blake's mother had wrapped her arms around her.

"It's been so long," she said emotionally. She let go of Blake and looked at the rest of us. "You must be Blake's friends. My name is Kali Belladonna. I'm Blake's mother. Why don't you follow me inside and you can meet Ghira, my husband, and we can get acquainted."

She looked back at Blake and smiled widely. She kissed her forehead and said, "It's so good to have you back here."

Through all of it, Blake had just stood there with her eyes full of tears. Now, she dried her eyes with the back of her hand and returned her mother's smile.

We followed Mrs. Belladonna inside and were led to a circular room with a low table.

"Why don't you take a seat here? I'll make some tea and get Ghira. He's in his study right now, but he'll definitely want to see you, Blake. And meet your friends, of course," Mrs. Belladonna added with a warm smile to the rest of us.

We sat down and Mrs. Belladonna left the room. "I told you you had nothing to worry about," Yang said.

Blake shook her head. "It just feels so unreal to be back here, you know? In all my dreams, I never thought…"

She fell silent, but there was still a smile on her face.

"Your mom seems like a great person," Ruby said. I thought I heard a very slight undertone of sadness in her voice, but maybe I was just imagining that because I knew about her situation.

I thought back to the grave on Patch and how I'd promised Ruby's mother I'd keep her safe. I hoped that I could keep my word.

"She is," Blake simply replied.

I wondered if Mrs. Belladonna had simply not recognized me or if she really didn't care that I was a Schnee, but I hoped her father would react the same way. Mrs. Belladonna returned with a tray of cups and a pot of tea.

As she was pouring everyone a drink, a massive man entered the room. He had black hair, yellow eyes, an enormous beard, and he wore an open, purple coat which looked regal and displayed his chest, which looked wide enough to fill up our room back at Beacon.

Just like Mrs. Belladonna had done, he scanned our group first before resting his eyes on Blake, who got up and approached him. He drew her into an embrace and said, "I'm so happy to see you again." His voice was deep, but kind.

"I'm happy too," Blake said. She looked from one parent to the other. "I was afraid that after last time…"

Her father held up a hand that dwarfed any shovel I'd ever seen. "We never held anything against you, and I never feared you would fail. The only thing I ever feared was that you would fall down the wrong path, and I am so proud to see you haven't."

He gently led Blake back to her seat and sat down next to his wife.

"So," he began, "You are Blake's friends?"

We all nodded.

"My name is Ghira Belladonna. I'm the chieftain of Kuo Kuana, and I am also Blake's father. Now, who are you?"

Ruby spoke up first. "My name is Ruby Rose. I'm a student at Beacon Academy in Vale, and my dream is to become a Huntress to make the world a better place. I'm Blake's teammate and her friend."

Yang was the next one to speak up. I didn't mind at all, because I wanted to keep the atmosphere light for as long as I could.

"I'm Yang Xiao Long. I'm Ruby's sister and teammate at Beacon. Blake is my partner there."

Of course Yang would keep it short. So at last it was my turn. I took a deep breath and said, "My name is Weiss Schnee." I saw Mr. Belladonna's eyes narrow at that, but I kept going. "I'm in a team with Ruby, Yang, and Blake at Beacon Academy."

I fell silent, unsure of what else to say.

"A Schnee, huh? I never thought I'd have someone from that particular family over for tea," Mr. Belladonna said.

I was getting more nervous by the second, but then he said, "Well, if you're a friend of Blake's you're welcome here. It would not do for me to hold the transgressions of your family against you personally. That is not and will never be my way of doing things."

I nearly fell over out of gratitude. Unlike Qrow, who'd begun to heckle me immediately, Mr. Belladonna was willing to look past his first impressions and give me a fair chance. How could Blake have feared that such a man would reject her?

"So, Blake, how is life at Beacon?" Mrs. Belladonna asked her.

"It's great. There are a lot of nice people there aside from my teammates and Headmaster Ozpin never made any fuss about who I am," Blake replied.

"That's good to hear. So, what brings you to Menagerie?" her mother asked her.

Blake's face fell. "The White Fang," she said bitterly.

"The White Fang? I thought you had left them," Mr. Belladonna said with a raised eyebrow.

"I have," Blake assured him. "They are our enemies right now."

Mr. Belladonna's eyes widened. "Have things gotten so bad that you need to raise your weapon against your brothers now?"

Blake cocked her head. "You mean you don't know? The White Fang has been working with a Human criminal called Roman Torchwick for months. We don't know what they're planning, but they suddenly seem to have access to high-grade military hardware."

Mr. Belladonna growled. "Fennec and Corsac assured me that the most militant part of the White Fang was a rogue group," he said through gritted teeth.

Blake shook her head. "Adam Taurus is one of the leaders of the White Fang now. He's apparently working with Redhorn as well, over in Vacuo, and they've already pulled off operations in Vale and Mistral. I don't know about Atlas." Mr. Belladonna sighed. "This sounds like it could be a long story. Tell me everything," he said.

Blake nodded and began to tell the story. Everything that had happened, from the first time we confronted Torchwick and the White Fang to the mission we were currently on was mentioned. Officially, we were supposed to keep our true goals a secret, but since we had come here hoping to gain a lead it made no sense to hold back any information.

When Blake reached the part where we had been captured by Adam, Mr. Belladonna looked positively murderous. His wife put a hand on his arm and whispered, "Let Blake continue her story, Ghira."

Mr. Belladonna nodded, but he still looked angry. Blake explained how we'd escaped only to realize that Adam had actually let us go in order to send us on another wild goose chase.

"…and that's why we came here," Blake finished. "We were hoping you might have any information on what the White Fang are doing right now."

Mr. Belladonna nodded slowly. "I see." He thought for a moment and then said, "Right now, I don't know what the White Fang is up to. Evidently, the people who were supposed to keep me informed are either misinformed themselves or outright lying. I will not stand for innocent victims made in the White Fang's name, so I will do what I can in order to help you. I will make some calls to friends of mine on other continents. You and your friends are welcome to spend the night here, because I'm sure it will take me some time to explain the situation to them without revealing your involvement. I don't want Adam getting wind of your presence here, so I have to tread carefully." He smiled. "Good thing we cats are good at that."

Mrs. Belladonna smiled in a really creepy way at her husband's 'joke', while Blake just covered her face with her hands. Yang, though, reached out with her hand for a high five, which Mr. Belladonna returned with an amused look. Ruby shot me an uncertain look. She clearly didn't know whether to laugh out of politeness, or just not react at all. I gave noncommittal shrug for an answer. Before any more awkward jokes could be made, Mr. Belladonna got up.

"I'll get to work on getting you a lead immediately." He paused and looked at us intently. "In the meantime, why don't you head out to the market and purchase some new gear? I know you lost everything in the swamp base, so I'll give you some money."

"Sir, that's very kind of you," I began, "But I'd feel really guilty accepting that considering who I am."

Mr. Belladonna shrugged. "From what I just heard you are a true friend to Blake and that is all that matters to me. I want to see my daughter happy, and that means I can't just turn my back on their friends. You all watch Blake's back on a daily basis, and for that a bit of money is more than worth it to ensure you can keep doing so."

I was honestly touched by his generosity. This man had met us only a few hours ago and now he was already using his own money to help us. It really made me wish the White Fang was still under his command. I bowed my head and thanked Mr. Belladonna for his help, and then the four of us began to head for the door.

"Blake, if you make sure you're back at eight, we'll have dinner together," Mrs. Belladonna said.

Blake smiled at her. "Alright, mom. See you in a bit!"


It was strange to shop for clothes on Menagerie. I was used to high-class and silent boutiques where an impeccably dressed member of the staff would help me find what I wanted, but here it was utterly chaotic. The market had a surprising variety of clothes, but it was hard to find things that matched with each other.

In the end, though, we all managed to pick up backpacks, sleeping bags, and some sets of clothing for the rest of our trip. Mr. Belladonna had given us a truly staggering amount of money, especially considering the prices on the market, so we were fully equipped when we began to head back to the mansion.

Despite Blake's warnings before we came here, no one bothered us for being Human, although I did suspect at least one of the salesmen tried to pull the wool over our eyes, at least until he recognized Blake.

The main new outfit I'd bought consisted of a very light blue combat skirt and a jacket in a shade of blue that was just a little bit darker but still close enough to be pleasing to the eye. Ruby had managed to find a black corset with red laces, as well as an anthracite combat skirt and some new leggings, Yang had gotten herself some new shorts, a yellow shirt that seemed to outshine the sun, and a short, black jacket.

Blake had only purchased new traveling gear, explaining that she still had clothes at home so she didn't need to buy any. "It's really weird to be able to say that," she reflected as we walked back.

Ever since we'd met her parents her mood had improved considerably, and to be honest I shared her happiness somewhat. Ghira was not one of Adam's goons, and so any information he would be able to find on any White Fang activities would most likely be worth checking out. Sure, there was a chance his informants were dishonest, but even if they were anything was better than following Adam's false trail.

When we arrived back at the mansion, Mrs. Belladonna was waiting for us. "Ah, you're back. Did you all find the supplies you need?" she asked.

When we all answered to the affirmative, she smiled widely. "That's good to hear. I just received a call from the inn down at the docks. Someone has checked in who said he would be waiting for you there, but he declined to come over for dinner."

"That must have been Dr. Oobleck, our teacher," Blake said.

"Ah, the one who went back to Vale to warn the Headmaster," Mrs. Belladonna said. "Well, you should probably go meet him there first thing in the morning, then. I'm sure he won't mind if you spend the night here. After all, it's probably safer for you here."

"About that," I said hesitantly, "Blake said that there was reasonably strong anti-Human sentiment here, but we haven't noticed anything so far."

Mrs. Belladonna looked grim. "They wouldn't show themselves during the day. Most people here are very friendly, and the ones who want to destroy all Humans, both White Fang members and unaffiliated Faunus, are outnumbered. There have been many reports of incidents happening during the night, however. That's why I think it would be better for you to stay here. Your teacher is a fully-qualified Huntsman, but my conscience won't allow my daughter or her friends to get hurt if it's not necessary."

I smiled at her. "Thank you for taking such great care of us," I said sincerely. I was fairly certain my mother would have done the same thing, but my father probably wouldn't.

Mrs. Belladonna waved away my compliment. "It's nothing, dear. I do it with love. Now, let's eat some dinner."

We followed her back into the circular room we'd been in earlier and shortly after we sat down, Mrs. Belladonna brought in a wide variety of sushi rolls on a large plate. I saw Blake almost beginning to drool just watching it. She wasn't the only one, however. Both Ruby and Yang were looking at the food with a manic hunger on their faces. I had to admit, the food looked absolutely amazing. Even Mr. Belladonna seemed impressed by it. He shot his wife a questioning look.

"It's a special occasion," Mrs. Belladonna said simply. "Not only is Blake back with us, she even made great friends at Beacon."

Mr. Belladonna smiled. "Yes, that's true." He picked up his glass of water and raised it up. "To Blake's return, and to her friends."

We all raised our glasses in response and then dug into the food. In all my life, I'd never tasted sushi this good. I guess that, being cats, Blake's family's standards for seafood were higher than those of any Human or non-feline Faunus.

"This is so good," Ruby squealed as she loaded her plate up with rolls of every variety of roll and then began inhaling them. It was a disgusting sight, yet utterly mesmerizing.

"You know, sis, you should try it with some wasabi," Yang said innocently.

To my surprise, Ruby shuddered and shot her sister a death glare. "It wasn't funny then and it isn't funny now," she with a pout and rice all around her mouth.

Blake and I looked at each other in complete confusion. "Dare I ask what happened?" I asked Ruby.

Before Ruby could reply, however, Yang had already launched into the story. "When Ruby was about ten, we went for sushi in Vale one time with dad. It was Ruby's first time eating real sushi, and I'd convinced her that the proper way of eating sushi was to richly coat it in wasabi. Of course she knew me, so she suspected a trick. Then I told her…" Yang had to stifle her own laughter, while Ruby stared at her plate so intently I feared she might pierce through it. "I told her that since wasabi is green, there was no way it could be spicy, and she believed me." Yang doubled over laughing. "She put an entire tube of wasabi on one sushi roll and ate it. I've never seen anyone going from happy to screaming in abject horror so quickly before or since."

"And your father said nothing?" I asked, equal parts amused and horrified.

Yang shook her head, tears streaming down her face as she recalled the moment. "He likes a joke as much as I do. His words after Ruby accused him of betrayal – you know, after she had regained her voice and drunk half the ocean to dull the pain – were 'she has to learn somehow'. Dad of the year award, right there," she said.

Mr. Belladonna looked at Ruby's dejected look and burst out laughing, while Mrs. Belladonna just looked concerned.

"It gets even better, you know," Yang went on.

"Yang!" Ruby interrupted her. To my surprise, she was actually angry now.

Yang looked at Ruby, saw how angry she was, and immediately put her hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright, I won't tell." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Rubes. I was just joking, honestly."

Ruby smiled at her. It surprised me how quickly Ruby could go from 'radiating murderous intent' to 'regular happy' in what seemed like microseconds. "Thanks," she just said, and then she went on wolfing down sushi rolls.

Blake's parents had looked at the sudden double mood swing with amazement.

"Is this normal for you?" Mr. Belladonna asked Blake.

Blake simply nodded. "This is quite tame, really," she said. "We once had a food fight with another team that destroyed the entire cafeteria. I think Yang was airborne for about two minutes," she went on with a grin.

Yang returned her grin and said, "Only a minute and a half, but man Nora hits hard. I can't wait for the rematch." She cracked her knuckles.

We spent the rest of the night telling stories of our life at Beacon and the things we'd seen and done. Blake's parents were very interested in Beacon's curriculum and asked many questions about the teachers and our subjects.

Eventually, Mrs. Belladonna stood up and said, "I don't want to cut this conversation short, but I think it's best for the four of you to get some sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow. I've prepared the guest room for you. I understand that at Beacon, teams share a room, so I prepared a single room for the four of you. Unless, of course, you prefer your own rooms?"

We simultaneously declined. After spending so long together, I had to admit I'd feel strange if I didn't have at least Ruby with me. We entered our room, where four futons had been laid out for us. Just like we'd done on the ferry, we went for our standard Beacon sleeping arrangements. Ruby had the left-most futon, I was next to her, Blake next to me, and Yang next to Blake.

Not much later, the lights were out. Not even thirty seconds later, I head shuffling sounds on my right and I soon felt Ruby's futon touching mine.

"Ruby?" I whispered. "We haven't done this since our first kiss," Ruby explained.

That was true. After that one night we'd spent cuddled up, we hadn't had much chance to do it again because during our gear-less travels, everyone wanted a place next to the fire to stay warm. I threw my comforter open and Ruby did the same. She wrapped herself around me and I felt her warmth through our clothes. It felt very calming to have her there, and with a smile on my face I fell asleep.

And with that, nearly 9000 words are done. This chapter is three times the length of what I would usually write for this fic, and with the author's notes included I've gone OVER 9000. Might be a record across all my fics, actually. In any case, I hope you still enjoyed it despite the length. Please let me know what you think, and I'll hopefully see you in chapter fifteen.