Chapter 1 - you push me away (but i'm not going anywhere)

After at least a month of traveling, the path to Port Averia lay ahead. Situated snugly on the coast of Vale, it was one of the smaller ports in Sanus and tended to not see as much traffic as some of its competitors. This was probably in part because it wasn't located near any major cities or settlements, and as such its patrons tended to be either wanderers treading off the beaten path or those who didn't want to be found.

It had taken months for Blake to get here, weeks and weeks of false trails and doubling back designed to confuse anyone trying to follow her. With a bit of tinkering she'd even managed, with reasonable certainty, to disable her scroll's tracking function. For the first few weeks after she'd left, the device had lit up with dozens of calls: Sun, Nora, Weiss, Ruby. She'd let them all go to voicemail.

Yang never called.

Blake took the foot trail into town, noting with detached interest the very few vehicles that traversed the road. She passed a few fellow pedestrians, some who gave her the odd look, but an armed Faunus woman wasn't completely out of the ordinary. At least they didn't scream racial slurs or accuse her of being a terrorist.

The town itself was little more than a few stores situated around the docks, though houses dotted the side of the pier and at least explained who kept everyone in business. There was no terminal sign like the larger ports she'd visited, but there at least looked to be a kiosk manned by a uniformed employee. With luck, she wouldn't have to wait too long for a ship to Menagerie. She started out for the kiosk, then frowned as one of her ears flicked.

A sound - like the gentle rolling of waves, or the rush of a river - and the sudden, sharp scent of roses.

"Hi, Blake."

Blake closed her eyes briefly, then turned around.

Ruby didn't look well. She was extremely pale; her complexion almost matched the white of her sleeves. Crescent Rose was driven butt-first into the dirt and it was obvious Ruby was leaning on it. Yet her voice was calmer than Blake had ever heard it.

The older girl swallowed nervously. It was hard for her to meet Ruby's gaze.

"Ruby."

"You left without saying anything." Ruby swayed gently, but her eyes remained clear. "You didn't take our calls."

Blake fought the urge to look away. Her ears twitched. "It's better for all of you that way."

"So tell me why. You owe us that much."

It all came out unbidden, bursting forth from her throat in a hoarse shout. "You didn't see what happened to Yang back at Beacon! She tried to help me, and he hurt her! I couldn't stop him, and he said he'd kill everyone I loved!" Something moist trickled down her cheek, and she swiped stubbornly at it. "I didn't have a choice!"

Her team leader studied her for a long moment, still clutching the monstrous scythe for support.

"You're right, I didn't see it happen. But I walked into my sister's room and saw her missing an arm," here Ruby's voice wobbled slightly, but she soldiered on, "and that wasn't the thing that hurt her the most. We're family, Blake. You don't get to run out on us like that."

Shame mixed with anger. Of course Ruby wouldn't get it, she wouldn't understand that some things couldn't be fought.

"I'd rather you all hate me if you were still alive to do it!"

They were starting to get worried glances from the people passing by, two heavily-armed girls arguing in the middle of a town.

"That's not your choice to make!" Agitation colored Ruby's voice even as she struggled to stay upright. Her chest heaved - whether from exertion or emotion Blake couldn't be sure. "That's why Yang did what she did, because she cared about you! And even after he - even after what happened, everything would have been ok if you had just stayed! You hurt her more than he did!"

And wasn't that the truth, Blake thought bitterly. No matter how hard she tried, no matter what she did, everyone who cared about her always paid the price. Well, no more.

"I'm not coming back, Ruby. Hate me all you want, but she's better off- all of you are better off -without me. You'll see." If a little spite crept into her tone, Blake found it too difficult to care. Why couldn't they understand that she ruined everything good she touched? That this was all for their good?
The silver in Ruby's eyes turned hard as steel. Despite being a few inches taller and clearly not exhausted, Blake felt a chill run down her spine. The younger girl took one step forward, Crescent Rose dragging against the stone. Blake tensed, muscles ready to react -

And moved just in time to catch Ruby as her teammate almost face-planted into the ground. Crescent Rose clattered against the paving thunderously.

"Ruby - Ruby!" There was no response. Carefully, Blake turned her friend over as she lowered her to the ground. Ruby's eyes were shut tight. Blake laid a hand on her forehead; her skin was clammy to the touch, but her breaths came slowly and clearly.

Suddenly conscious of the entire square staring at her, Blake looked up.

"Er, is anyone here a doctor?"

Several hours later, Blake was sitting in a hotel room cursing her misfortune.

Across from her, her team leader lay ensconced beneath a bundle of blankets. The town physician had pronounced her as "suffering from a serious case of Aura depletion, but otherwise healthy". Blake had a pretty good idea of how Ruby had managed that, but had kept it to herself and instead simply tucked the covers under the younger girl's chin. After instructing her to ensure Ruby got plenty of fluids and food when she woke up, the physician had departed, leaving Blake alone with her thoughts.

There was a ship departing for Menagerie tonight, and Blake fully intended to be on it. It would be child's play to duck out of the hotel room and be out of the port in no time. Ruby wouldn't be able to follow her.

Except Ruby shouldn't have been able to catch up with her so quickly in the first place. Blake had a week's headstart and she'd deliberately taken paths that were difficult to follow, or weren't friendly to vehicles just in case Yang tried to tail her on Bumblebee. To eat up that kind of distance, Ruby had to have been using her Semblance, and not sparingly either. That was a special kind of recklessness that bordered on suicidal.

If Blake left, Ruby would follow her. And probably keep following her until she literally dropped dead of exhaustion. Her eyes stung. Why did they have to care so much?

"You're thinking too loud."

Blake lifted her gaze from the floor. Ruby was sitting up in bed, still paler than normal, but with a wry grin on her face.

"You shouldn't be so reckless," Blake let a bit of anger color her tone, rising to her feet. "You exhausted yourself in an unfamiliar region with no teammates or allies to support you and left yourself at any stranger's mercy. What would Ozpin say?"

Normally, a hint of Blake's irritation was enough to reduce Ruby to an apologetic mess, the few times she had needed to do so. Maybe it was underhanded, doing that to someone who clearly admired her, but if Blake could embarrass her maybe she could get Ruby to leave her alone.

To her chagrin, Ruby simply grinned at her. "But I wasn't alone, was I? Somebody brought me to this nice hotel room and was kind enough to spend at least-" Here she sneaked a glance out the window - the blinds were open, and the sun was beginning to come down. "Three hours watching over me, when she could have run for that lovely ship down by the port." Silver eyes flashed with mirth. "I think Professor Ozpin would say that I have good teammates."

Blake pointedly ignored the sudden heat in her cheeks. "I meant what I said, Ruby. You're better off without me."

Ruby's smile vanished, and in its place was the most serious look Blake had ever seen on her usually joyous, exuberant teammate. "Can I ask you something, Blake?"

"You already did, but feel free."

Ruby snorted, but sobered up. "You know what happened on top of the school, right?"

Blake's throat tightened. She had heard firsthand from Jaune about Pyrrha's desperate last stand against Cinder Fall, and her heart ached for him, but also for Ruby, who had to watch.

"Cinder killed Pyrrha and all I could do was get there in time to see it happen." The younger girl's breath hitched, and her face crumpled. "If only I had been faster, maybe I could have drawn Cinder's attention away, and if I had… maybe Pyrrha would have made it."

Blake had read too many novels not to know when she was being played. It was classic emotional manipulation, and she was almost impressed...but the grief on Ruby's face was real, and Blake wasn't heartless enough to leave her hanging.

Slowly, Blake moved to sit on the bed beside Ruby. She wrapped one arm tentatively around the younger girl's shoulders. "It wasn't your fault," she murmured, "and even if you somehow made it there in time, Cinder would have just killed you both."

Ruby's silver gaze swiveled to meet hers, somehow looking steady even as tears threatened to drip down her cheeks. "Yeah, you're right. And if you had stayed around long enough to talk to Yang, she would have told you the same thing."

Knowing exactly how the story would unfold wasn't enough to keep Blake's heart from clenching. She looked down, fighting back tears of her own, and then Ruby's arms were around her, returning the embrace.

"We're supposed to be there for each other," Ruby whispered gently into her ear. "That's what teammates are for: so that nobody ever has to fight alone."

Blake didn't know how long they spent holding each other, but eventually her scroll beeped, reminding her that the boat to Menagerie left in half an hour. Reluctantly, she let go of Ruby.

"I have to go."

Ruby whined; it sounded like a dog who saw her owner putting away the treats. "But I just got here! Come on, Blake! We had the whole heart-to-heart and stuff!"

It was a struggle not to smile, but Blake managed it because she was a calm and collected Huntress-in-training who used to be part of the White Fang, and she hadn't gotten this far without learning how to conceal her facial expressions.

"Blaaaakeee-"

Blake shrugged her coat back over her shoulders.

"Blaaaaakeeee!"

Gambol Shroud clicked onto its sheath at her back.

"Blake…"

Blake risked a glance backwards. Ruby was sitting on the bed, all humor gone from her face.

"Ruby, I'm not ready yet. Yang-"

"She's not mad at you for her arm!" There was an angry glint in Ruby's silver eyes. It looked very out of place. "She's mad at you for leaving! If you came back-"

"It wouldn't change anything because I already left. She has every right to be angry with me...and I have to sort some things out. I'm not coming back." Blake stared Ruby down, maintaining eye contact long enough for her point to be made. The younger girl looked like she wanted to say something as emotions warred across her face. Once the silence had stretched out long enough for it to be awkward, Blake broke it.

"The room's paid for two nights, you should get some rest." The Faunus girl turned to go.

Once again, the smell of roses filled the air and Ruby was standing in front of her, face drawn yet determined. Blake was only half-surprised.

"I don't have time for this, Ruby. I'm leaving whether you like it or not." Getting past Ruby wouldn't be difficult, especially not in the shape she was in.. A shadow clone would do the trick - get Ruby to talk, spawn one and get past her in the middle of a sentence -

"And I'm coming with you."

"No you're not." Blake's denial was reflexive, but her mind spun to a halt. This was not the way this conversation was supposed to go.

"You can't stop me." Like a pendulum, Ruby's mood had swung back the other way and her smile was blinding.

"I will tie you to this bed."

"And when I get out, I'll follow you."

"You don't even know where I'm going."

"Easy, I'll just ask everyone which ship the pretty Faunus girl got on." Ruby's face reddened as soon as she said it, and Blake raised an eyebrow.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Ruby." It was getting very hard to keep a straight face. Blake tried to summon anger or irritation - why wouldn't Ruby just leave her alone, didn't she understand the pain Blake had caused Yang - but all she could feel was the treacherous spark of joy that she might not have to be alone.

"Blake…" Ruby stepped forward and suddenly her hands were around Blake's, "I'm not going to pretend you didn't hurt us, cause you did. But it doesn't have to be this way. We - I can help you, because I know you didn't want to leave us. Maybe you left to protect us, but who's going to protect you?"

Blake almost snapped that she didn't need protection, but the horrible memory of Yang's scream, and the sound Wilt made as it slashed through steel and bone, silenced her. Maybe she was about to make a terrible mistake...but it didn't feel like a mistake.

"Fine."

Ruby's eyes lit up. "Yes! I promise you won't regret it!" She wiggled with excitement.

"It's not going to be that exciting," Blake warned. "We'll be on a ship for a month."

"Where are we going?" Ruby bounced with barely-contained exuberance, and Blake fought back a smile.

"Menagerie. Home."

Ruby stopped bouncing and stared at her. "Does - does this mean I get to meet your parents?!"

"Only if you don't embarrass me."

"I won't! I pinky promise!" With all the dignity of a judge, Ruby held out her pinky expectantly. Blake stared at it.

"...you're not serious."

"Blaaakeee…" Ruby drew out her name pleadingly, "it's a solemn vow!"

Blake let out a put-upon sigh, and reached out to link pinkies. "I'm going to regret this."

Ruby's pinkie tightened around hers. "No, you won't! I promise!"

Blake let the faintest hint of a smile curve her lips, and watched Ruby's own smile triple in size. "Well, if you promise."