PRISONERS

Blake was true to her word. Upon landing on Menagerie's docks, she immediately alerted the authorities. I was practically arrested in a comfortable hotel room with guards standing by my door, and down at the hotel entrance. But I don't think anybody seriously thought that they'd be able to keep me here. Sneaking out at night was easy enough, and in hindsight, staying in the hotel room for a night or two to formulate a proper plan to approach the Belladonnas was probably the best move.

Needless to say, I regret simply sneaking out and knocking on Blake's front door. Though I have to admit, I really can't see any outcome any different than the one I'm in now: the inside of an underground jail cell.

"And today marks day number seven."

At least they're feeding me decent food consistently. Cell was surprisingly clean too, even had a barricaded window. It was small, and we were so low to the ground that all I ever saw were footsteps from people passing through. At least it was enough to see the outside world. I guess when your entire race has dealt with captivity their entire existence, you learn how to be a little sympathetic to captives such as myself. Still...

"I gotta figure out a way to talk to the Belladonnas."

While I was deep in my thoughts, the aroma of a freshly cooked fish bombarded my nose. It must be meal time, but judging from the smell alone, today's lunch is a little bit more posh than usual. It was all admittedly tempting and mouthwatering, forcing me to turn around while I try my best to hide my excitement.

"That's a bit of an exotic lunch, wouldn't you say-"

I was surprised to see not the usual faunus guard standing on the other side of the jail cell, but an older woman wearing a black hakama with golden linings embroidered all over her clothing. Her short hair was fluffy and lively for someone her age, and though her cat ears are slightly larger than Blake's, there's no mistaking that this woman is none other than Kali Belladonna.

She held in her hand, a plate with two slices of what I can deduce from the aroma as tuna meat. Kali elegantly raised it above her shoulders, as she pulled out a fork and began eating in front of me.

"Oh, you thought this was yours?"

What a cruel woman. This ain't exactly topping any 'best ways to torture a prisoner' chart, but I still consider this evil. To be caught off guard by food is a bit embarrassing.

"Mrs. Belladonna."

She smiled nodded.

"It's nice to meet you, Ezra. If that is your real name."

This has got be one of the more popular accusations people have thrown at me after the Fall of Beacon, but I can hardly blame them.

"It is, Ezra Snow is my real name..."

Unimpressed, Kali smirked then proceeded to slowly eat through her tuna.

"One would imagine they wouldn't use their real name if they were going to infiltrate Beacon."

I sigh at her calling the obvious out.

"I mean, I wasn't expecting to stay in Beacon for as long as I had. Long story, anyways, what's with the tuna?"

Kali smiled at me and rolled her eyes.

"Me and Blake went fishing earlier today in a near by island and caught this massive tuna. The people here in Menagerie call it the 'Big One' not very original I know, very elusive, but we got lucky, and now I'm testing a new recipe to cook the rest tonight."

She scooped a small piece of tuna with her fork and gently shoved it in her mouth.

"I've answered your question, now answer mine. I don't care how long it is, I have all day."

At this point, I was starting to get annoyed at her passive aggressiveness. She clearly wants something from me, but she wouldn't just tell me. Crazy how food has kept me under her spell all this time. Whatever the case may be, I have no intentions of reliving the events that happened at Beacon, so I retreated to the corner of the jail cell in hopes that I can get away from the topic... and the smell.

"You should have heard everything from Blake already. Torchwick, The White Fang, Cinder... Adam... me."

Kali pulled the small wooden stool that was usually reserved for the guards towards my cell and sat on it. She crossed her leg on top of the other and carefully wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"Well I want to hear your side, Mr. Snow."

I raised my head and shifted my gaze to her, trying to see if she meant what she just said.

"Why? Will anything I say be even heard? Will it even matter?"

Kali sighed and leaned forward.

"Those are the same questions we faunus ask a lot. Do you wanna know what I think?"

It was rhetorical, she didn't even wait for me to respond before she started talking again.

"You're an international criminal, crossing international borders and in doing so, increasing the risk of getting caught. Everyone in Remnant is in a panic because of what that woman did. You might be pushed to the side, but people are still looking for you, bounties placed on your capture. Why risk all that, I don't know."

She leaned back, tilting the stool on one leg, expertly balancing herself without even breaking eye contact.

"If you wanted to harm my family, harm the people that know your secret to keep them silent, your opportunity already came and went. You were alone with Blake in a ship, the most isolated one can get in this world with another person. Thousands and thousands of miles of ocean separating you from any civilization that can incriminate you if killed her, yet you didn't."

Kali tilted her head and squinted her eyes.

"You've been here for seven days and have been a model prisoner, despite having the semblance to escape at any moment. I know our jail isn't exactly up to date, and yet you remain. Which can only mean one thing: you have a purpose here Ezra Snow, and I can't put my finger on what it is, so help me out will you? I just want the truth."

This woman is shrewd. Dangerously so, but still, I'm being offered an opportunity here, and I can't afford to miss it.

"Fair enough, Mrs. Belladonna. I'm here to stop the White Fang. They won't listen to me, so I came here to talk to you and your husb-"

Kali growled and cut me off.

"I said the truth, Ezra."

I was in shock. Her tone went from motherly to threatening in a blink of an eye, though her aggression is not without reason. She squinted her eyes at me, and I can feel my opportunity slowly starting to slip away. If I were to make the most out of this, then I have to throw away any fear and hesitation holding me back.

"About a hundred thousand lien. Give or take, not including bonuses."

She took a deep breath, and scowled at me.

"Mr. Snow, you are in no position to negotiate-

But I cut her off right away.

"That was payment for the deal I accepted to infiltrate Beacon."

She straightened her back, and quickly composed herself, urging me to continue.

"A hundred thousand lien was enough to feed my family for a year, maybe longer if we ration. Inflation in Vale is absolutely terrible. The job itself was simple, infiltrate Beacon and ensure nothing gets in the way of Cinder's arrival. If anybody interfered, I just shove them out of the way."

"Like my daughter..."

I wanted to defend myself, but in doing so, I'd be lying to her and to myself.

"Yes, like Blake..."

An awkward silence followed after that, but Kali wasn't done with me yet, so she pushed on.

"Okay, that part makes sense... you doing your job, but from what I heard from Blake, some of the moves you made were questionable. Not in her eyes, she's still blinded by her emotions so she can't think very rationally, and she has every right to do so."

Again, Kali scooped a piece of tuna off her plate. She gaze at me with legitimate curiosity in her eyes before taking a bite.

"But to an outsider like me... Why did you help stop the runaway train? Why did you help my daughter beat this Torchwick's Paladin? This Yang girl... was she part of your plan?"

A thousand thoughts ran through my head, but I couldn't find the answer. Kali herself would have to yank me back to reality.

"Or was Yang the reason why you started to have doubts?"

Hearing her name out loud was still painful, so painful that I couldn't even stand to look at Kali. I quickly stood up and turned around, staring out of the barricaded window. All I could see were dirt and the footstep of the hundreds of faunus walking around the streets of Kuo Kuana.

I clenched my teeth, forcing myself to tell Kali everything I felt during that time. That time that was so blissful, that time that I wished lasted forever.

"Yang... Yang was a major part of it. I love her like I've never loved anyone before. She was carefree, happy, adventurous, passionate and headstrong all at once. She was a bundle of joy that would always make my heart so full."

"But it would be unfair to everyone else to say that Yang was the only reason. Ruby was kind and gentle. A bit naive, but she was determined. Always saw the best in everyone, even in me. Weiss was annoying... but she tried her best to belong, to grow, and be better and she eventually did all of it. She found a family in us, and I- I took it from her."

My breathing began to speed up, but Kali's voice was too soothing for my anxiety to take over.

"What about Blake?"

She asks.

"Blake... was an enigma. She didn't trust anybody at first, but when she did, I was immediately intoxicated by how driven she was in the things she to believed in, a vision so vivid that no one else in that school can ever think to compete with. Her drive was unbelievable, and she held on to her beliefs like her life depended on it. It was inspiring."

Kali began to spin her fork in her plate while she stared at it blankly.

"I see."

She whispered to herself.

"So why are you really here then, Ezra?"

Now comes the hard part of the test. My answer here would determine whether or not this opportunity that I got would pay off. I began to rack my brain for an answer, only realize that the answer I was looking for was the one thing everyone was looking for from me since the beginning.

The truth.

"I- that night, during the Fall of Beacon. I broke everyone's heart. Starting with my friend Pyrrha, who lost her life that day. She used to own the shield that you confiscated from me. Then Yang, her reaction was to be expected, she was devastated and cried all through the night, but I know her, Yang's tough, she would have been able to pick herself up just fine, and she would have fought like hell to defend her friends and family."

"Ruby, I don't know why, but she believed in me still... even after all I've done. Weiss... Weiss was angry too, but a part of her understood the circumstances and gave me a chance to escape, to right my wrongs. But Blake..."

I can see it all too clearly...

"The anger in her eyes... it was intense. She was ambushed by Adam, so I tried to save her, but didn't wanna be saved by me. She would have rather died by Adam's hand than to be saved by me. After the fight, Blake told me that she hated me... I've never seen anyone give out so much animosity with such passion, I was scared."

I looked up at Kali, who was partly concerned too.

"That night, no one resented me more than Blake."

I look at Kali straight in the eye.

"Mrs. Belladonna, you wanted to know why I'm here, the truth. Here it is, I want to stop the White Fang, that much is true, but really, I don't care. I'm here to talk to Blake. To make amends and repent, even if she denies me forgiveness, I want her to give me the chance to say sorry, and atone for all that I've done."

I had more to say, but voicing all of it was too much. What I said was exhausting enough already, but thankfully, that was enough for Kali.

"The truth huh? Okay."

She paused for a second then smiled.

"I believe you."

The joy I felt, I could never describe. I almost forgot what this sort of happiness felt like. For a stranger to believe in me, after all that happened.

"Good. That's a start... that's a start..."

I whispered to myself. Kali leaned closer, and finally began to divulge what it is she truly came for.

"Me and my husband have always had our suspicions even before Blake came back. If I'm being perfectly honest, since the moment we enlisted Adam to join our ranks, we had our doubts. My daughter's arrival here all but confirmed all that."

She stood up and handed me her plate. In it was a clean slice of freshly cooked tuna, untouched from her recent feasting of the other half. On to top of the fish was a clean and pristine fork.

"I think this turned out pretty well. Here, have a taste."

I pretended to hesitate, but deep down, I knew I really wanted it. Badly.

"Thank you. So why not act then Mrs. Belladonna?"

Kali gave an exasperated sigh as a response.

"We are essentially in charge of Kuo Kuana. We cannot advocate for violence, not when our people have suffered so much already. Especially if all we have are suspicions. So I'm hiring you, OWL."

I began to cough the tuna out of my mouth as soon as I heard what Kali said last.

"E-excuse me!?"

But she only raised an eyebrow at me, like there was nothing eccentric at all with her request.

"Why not?"

I rubbed the chunks of saliva stained fish off my cheeks, and looked at her embarrassed and curious.

"With all due respect, I'm trying to leave that life behind. I- I don't do that kind of stuff anymore."

Hypocritical, I know seeing as how I hacked Jaune's party an airship ticket recently. Yup, leaving the life of crime alright.

"Again, why?"

Kali's expression never wavered, up until the point where she saw my confused and perplexed face.

"Listen, I know you're trying to do your best to turn things around, and it's honestly admirable considering some of the sins you've done are arguably un-redeemable, and I think you know that, and yet here you are still trying. But, the skills you've learned and the experiences you've gathered doesn't have to be excluded from your uh... 'rebirth' you can always use it for good. Ezra is OWL and OWL is Ezra. Especially after what happened to Beacon, that sadly will never change."

With a tender smile, Kali urge me to look at her.

"I can see Ezra's efforts to change things, but unless you turn around and accept your other half then your journey to atonement was lost before it even began."

There's something about the way she said all of this that feels different. Everything she said should have cut me deep, but somehow, I feel mellow and calm, like her soothing voice was caressing my damaged ego. This must be what having a mother feels like.

"You have a way with words, Kali. Alright then, Mrs. Belladonna. What do you need me to do?"

Kali nodded her head. In her face was a smile full of pride, not for me, but for her being able to convince me to change my mind. She pulled from her pocket two sets of keys, one of them I'm assuming for my cell, and the other for the lock where my gear was kept.

"Corsac and Fennec Albain. The ambassadors of the White Fang from the outside world. Those two have always been loyal to the White Fang doctrines, too loyal to the point that it's almost creepy. For all I know, they might be innocent, but I have a hunch that you'll find the proof of the Fang's involvement with Beacon with them. Don't hang your hat on it, the Fang don't even wear masks here... we never did when we started."

I reached out my hand and placed the keys firmly in hand.

"What if I don't find any."

Kali gently wrapped her hands over mine and held on tightly. Her face soften and her voice sounded a tad bit somber than what it was a second ago.

"Ezra, if you can't find anything, then there's nothing for you here in Menagerie. You are to leave, and never to bother Blake and the rest of my family ever again. I'm only giving you one shot. You best hope you find something."

With one final handshake, Kali left, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again.

"Wait, did she just say they don't wear masks? I could have sworn I saw a passerby wearing one earlier."

It was but a glimpsed, but I could have sworn...

Later that night...

Blake

A week have passed since me and my unwanted visitor arrived here in Kuo Kuana. Explaining why I left the White Fang, everything that happened in Beacon, and incarcerating Ezra were all a bit too much for my parents to digest in one go. So much so that it kinda pushed all the things that we wanted to talk to them about to the side.

"Seriously, why did Ezra have to show up?"

I wanted to talk to my parents, dad especially, but with all this commotion with the White Fang, I've barely had the chance to do so... but who am I kidding, it's not the White Fang and it's not Ezra, it's me! I'm the reason why I haven't talked to dad yet. I simply haven't found the courage to do so.

But all that changes tonight.

I've been pacing back and forth outside my parents room for the last twenty minutes, repeatedly rehearsing over and over in my head what I had to say to my dad. Back then when I joined Adam, I said horrible things to them, questioned their convictions, raised my voice at the people that raised me and gave me a good life, and ran away.

"Blake."

I was so lost in thought that I felt like I was spiraling out of control. It wasn't until mom's voice rang through my ears that I was able to stop myself from pacing. She looked at me with a face that's as gentle as the clear night sky. She slowly walked towards me and softly wrapped her hands around mine.

"Blake, it's okay. Go talk to your dad, he's been waiting for a while now."

Does that mean he knows I've been outside this whole time?

"If he knows I'm out here, why didn't he come out and talk to me?"

Mom smiled back.

"Honey, your feelings about the Fang, and the things you've told us in the past never really hurt us. Everything you're feeling right now is your suffering, and we can't cure it for you. Only you can do that, but only when you're ready. That's why dad hasn't come out and spoken to you."

I sighed at how easy she sees right through me.

"But I know you're ready Blake, you were able to talk to me about everything during our fishing trip after all. Dad's not any different."

I curl my brows in frustration.

"Mom, that was different. You cornered me with myths about the faunus and catching 'the big one'-"

"Which turned out to be true, don't forget!"

She cut me off and sternly reminded me.

"Such a good fish, mom."

But despite her insistence, I still have my doubts. I looked at the doors of my parent's room, the light brightly shining from within, then I looked at mom with a face that carried the same hesitation I had since I first got here in the balcony.

"I don't know mom, I appreciate you saying that the things I've done never really hurt you, but that doesn't make it any better. Just cause it didn't affect you doesn't mean it's not wrong. All those things I said to you when I joined the Fang... I don't think I deserve forgiveness."

Mom held me tighter as she ran her hands over my head.

"Yet here you are, Blake. You wanna know what I think? You're hesitating because this whole dilemma of yours remind you of a certain someone?"

Certain someone? Ezra? The fact that she would even bring that up made my blood boil. Not wanting to hurt my mom's feelings, I quickly pushed myself away from her and turned around.

"That's not fair mom, my actions didn't lead to people getting..."

Hurt... but it did. My actions while I was with the White Fang and Adam did cause pain, a lot of it. STILL! I'm not like him! The sins Ezra committed crossed a sacred line that lead to hurting the people he cared about the most.

He hurt the people that was closest to him, the people that trusted him, people that loved him... kind of like how I hurt my parents. Wait. No. I'm not like Ezra! Or am I?

"The context is different, but it's all the same isn't it?"

Seemingly knowing what I was thinking about, mom spoke and interrupted my train of thought.

"Blake..."

She continued.

"You're not hesitating to talk to your dad because you're scared, or lack the courage. It's because you're afraid that once you talk to dad and he forgives you for the things you've done, it'd be synonymous to forgiving your friend. In a way, you two are the same- prisoners of your own fate."

Am I? No! I just can't accept that!

"No mom, you're wrong. I'm nothing like him!"

Mom leaned in closer and placed her hand on my shoulder, while I try my best to look away.

"Blake. I didn't say you two are the same, I'm just saying that-"

Before mom could finish, I was able to a catch glimpse out of the corner of my eye, a small bright flash that resembled a muzzle flash. A loud bang wasn't far behind after that. Somebody has shot a gun, but not even I am fast enough to push mom away. It was but a split second, but it felt like the moment was stretch all the way to eternity, waiting endlessly for the bullet to pierce my mother.

"MOM!"

I wrapped my hands around mom, as the two of us fall to our knees. I could here the door behind us violently slide open, followed by dad's heavy footsteps soon after.

"What happened!?"

Dad yelled. Tears flooded my eyes, as I frantically run my hands all over mom's body.

"Mom's been shot!"

I run my hands all over sides, then her back, I checked her head, her legs, her arms, but no trace of any wound or blood.

"Blake. Blake... I'm okay honey!"

I didn't realized it at first, but mom was calling out to me the whole time I was panicking.

"M-mom? MOM!"

I hugged mom as tight as I could then pulled away, curious as to why she wasn't hurt at all.

"HOW! I saw a flash, and then a bang... did the attacker miss?"

Mom scratched the back of her head, while she laughed awkwardly.

"No, no, the attacker's aim was fine."

"Then how!?"

She didn't say a word, but she did look up with a smirk on her face. Left with no other choice, I turned my head to follow her gaze, only to be met by somebody I wasn't expecting at all.

"Culprit's too far to chase now Mrs. Belladonna. You want me to go investigate?"

"Yes please."

Mom casually responded back.

"Hold on, what's going on?"

It took me a second for me to focus my eyesight and doublecheck that the person standing in front of us was no illusion. It was Ezra, wearing his OWL uniform. His whole body hidden inside his gray and tattered cape, only his right arm that had a trail of smoke coming from his gauntlet was exposed. The armor in his arm had a black mark and a huge dent that had a bullet lodged in the middle of it.

"Y-you saved mom?"

Ezra sighed, as his helmet folded back to his hood.

"What is this criminal doing here!"

After making sure mom was okay, dad joined and started yelling, all the while Ezra never broke eye contact with me.

"Answer me young man! How did you get out of your cell? And how dare you step foot in my house!?"

I share dad's anger, in fact, I already had gambol shroud tightly gripped in my hand. The more I stared at him, the more I lost control of my breathing. Before I knew it, I was already pointing my gun straight at his forehead, my finger my inches away from pulling the trigger.

"BLAKE! GHIRA! STOP!"

But again, mom intervened. She rushed to Ezra's side who now had a somber look in his eyes. Me and dad watched in shock as mom stood side by side with this traitor.

"Stop both of you! He saved us!"

"How did he even get out of his cell!?"

Dad furiously asked.

"Because I hired him, Ghira!"

Excuse me?

In a modest house in the middle of Patch...

Yang

What was it that people say? You never really know what you have till you lose it? I think... or something like that. I never really pay attention to that kind of stuff, cause the moment I do, I lose sight of what's happening right in front of me. The joy, the thrill, the sadness, all of it.

Maybe I should have paid attention a little harder. Cause if I did, I'd probably still have my arm.

Braiding my hair, tying my shoelaces, grabbing on to a coffee mug, flipping the pages on THIS STUPID BOOK!

"AAAAHH!"

Calm down, Yang. Calm down... but how can I when can never be me again, never be whole. How do I find myself again after all that happened. Every turn I take, every dark corner, and every little I noise I hear all I can think about is Adam, lurking in the shadows. How he... took away my ability to do even the smallest of things with a single stroke of his blade.

The Man with Two Souls was the name of the book that's been sitting in my bed side table, on my lap occasionally though I never really read it. I dreaded touching this thing since it's nothing but a reminder that I only have one hand. I can always set it down and read that way, but the fact that I can no longer enjoy reading slouched down on my bed, while I casually flip through the pages without this damn thing falling on my face is absolutely devastating emotionally and mentally exhausting.

Funny thing is, that's not even the worst of it. Losing my arm was painful, for sure, but what's even more crushing is the fact that I poured everything I had, my entire soul into loving a man, only for him to betray you. That by far, is the most painful thing that came out of all of this.

So why...

Why can't I get rid of this necklace?