RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

Well, this is definitely going to be one of the hardest chapters I'll had to write. *sigh* And the worst part is: I'm sure some of the next ones will be even harder.

*inhale* *exhale* Okay. Let's do this.

Skipping Chapter 7 because ~there ain't no chapter for the wicked~ and this chapter will be for BOTH Chapters 8 and 9 since Chapter 9 doesn't have much to offer me in terms of altering the story.

Volume 3, Chapter 8, 'Destiny'


The dorm hallway was silent, save for the tapping of General Ironwood's feet as he paced back and forth through the center of Team RWBY's dorm room. None of the four girls spoke, each staring down at their own feet.

Ruby was latched to her sister's arm, unwilling to let go since she'd reached her after the match. Her cheeks were still wet and her hair had become disheveled; she looked absolutely miserable.

Not as miserable as her sister, of course.

The blonde had barely moved, barely breathed since she'd plopped down on the heiress's bed. Lilac eyes that were once so full of life and joy seemed empty now, nothing able to break through the clouds of confusion and pain evident within them.

Though Yang said nothing, her thoughts seemed to radiate off of her like her semblance.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt him. I don't know what happened.

Across from the sisters sat their partners. Blake's stone expression didn't betray her thoughts, as usual. Her mind, however, couldn't possibly piece together what was going on, or at least it couldn't do so without drawing into darker times.

She searched through her memories over the year with the blonde. All the jokes they shared, all the times they'd fought together. All of that… that had to mean something.

Something more than hurting an innocent kid?

And finally, Weiss. Unlike her teammates, her face was crutched up with annoyance.

General Ironwood is reasonable; Winter is always happy to work for him, after all. He should be able to see Yang's side of the story.

"…so it is, with great pain, that I must inform you that you've been disqualified from the tournament."

So why not now?!

Yang barely flinched at the words, only bowing her head lower to signify she'd heard them. Ruby's hold on the brawler's arm tightened.

Looking around for only a moment longer, the general sighed and moved towards the door. He stopped at the frame, straying a look back and leaving when none of them bothered to move.

"…you guys believe me, right?"

The voice that squeaked out was heart-wrenching; it wasn't something that the others thought possible from their boisterous blonde friend.

"Duh!"

Her sister's words came without a pause as she pushed away a golden lock that had fallen over her elder sister's forehead.

The simmering anger in the heiress's expression had already faded, quickly replaced with worry. "We know you better than that, Yang."

Silence encompassed the room once more, as three gazes turned to the only occupant of the room that had yet to speak.

Amber peered up slowly, still shielding the Faunus's thoughts from the rest of her team. She took a second, looking back into the three pairs of inquiring looks, carefully choosing her words.

"I… I don't know if I-"

Her words vanished at the clattering of heels against the ground. Turning slowly, eyes tracing up the slender form until they met their opposite. Azure, shimmering with shock and betrayal that seemed more fit for the blonde girl sitting across from her.

"How could you say that, Blake?!"

"Weiss, it isn't-"

"You're really telling me that the girl you were praising only an hour ago could be lying about this? You think you actually know what was going through her mind at the time?"

"Do you?"

"I'm sure I have a better idea than what you would suggest."

The brunette's hair bristled. "You can't just-"

"Look at this, Blake."

The girl in question froze, her words caught in her throat. Weiss was stringing her hand through her ponytail, lacing yellow fabric between her fingers.

"These might just be pieces of cloth, but we wear them because of what they MEAN. I know it can be easier or safer to just acknowledge that Yang could've done something wrong and that she might end up doing something else down the line, but we're a team! We have to put our trust in each other, to trust our backs to others because we care about them just as they care about us!"

Blake curled into herself, trying not to shake too hard as her eyes glossed. Her breaths came out in small shudders before she started again, her voice coming out as a small warble.

"Y-you're right. I'm… sorry, Yang. I shouldn't have said that."

Her partner wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye, offering a small smile despite the cloudiness still present in the lilac.

"I just… I haven't always had the best experience with trusting others. Back when I was in the White Fang, I-" She stopped for a second before continuing, though her murmurs became more strained, "I knew someone, somebody that I held very dearly, that took a similar path. He always said that he was doing the right thing, that everyone else was in the wrong."

A dry laugh escaped her throat, ragged and forced. "Boy, do I feel stupid for overlooking it for so long. His words never matched what he claimed. He never gave me proof that he was following what he preached."

Finally, she returned her friend's gaze again. "But you AREN'T him. You've done nothing else that should make me believe that you're going to follow the same path he did. It was stupid of me to compare you two and I don't know how I can apologize for that."

As her voice faded once again, the pitch cracked. The white bow laid flat atop her head.

Slowly, Yang rose to her feet, Ruby's grip finally falling away. Crossing the same distance between them, she brought her hands around the brunette and drew her into a light hug. After a few seconds, Blake's hands drew up around her friend and returned it.

Only a few feet away, Weiss's mind was whirling.

Wait, but that's… she told me about that… his name was Adam, wasn't it? Back when she…

Images from earlier in the year flooded into her thoughts. She watched as the girl she'd come to fall for broke down in front of her, trying and failing to maintain her composure as she relayed broken words about an almost fairytale-like betrayal. About a man who cared little for his morals and nothing for the lives that he felt stood in the ways of his goals.

Even as her mind sang for Yang's innocence, guilt clutched her heart.

'How could you say that, Blake?!"

No. How could I say that?

I should have known better.

Her arms immediately shot to her head.

WHY CAN'T I EVER DO THIS RIGH-

"Guys? Can you… give me some space for a little bit? I got a lot on my mind."

Yang's words cut through her plight.

-no, now's not the time for this.

"Sure, sis." Their leader agreed, moving to draw herself around her elder sibling one last time. Weiss quickly followed, ruffling the back of the blonde's mane as the brawler sniffled, shifting the wrapped ponytail back over her teammate's shoulder.

As Weiss kept the embrace closed, glazed amber eyes peered over Yang's shoulder, tracing along silver and golden strands with a lack of focus.


Somehow, the air in the hallway seemed even tenser than it had been back in their dorm room.

Ruby shifted as she watched her two remaining teammates avoid each other's gazes over her shoulder. Before, their lack of cohesion was somewhat frustrating, but after the whole charade just before, the situation was practically suffocating.

Not just because it was frustrating, but because she knew it didn't have to be this way.

At the very least, Pyrrha had seemed excited about her match.

…kinda.

I mean, if Jaune's that confident in her, she should be totally fine.

As their leader mused over their allies' team, the heiress and the Faunus followed behind her, walking side by side but keeping their gazes fixed on the hallway ahead of them.

Lightning shot through the brunette's hand as nails carefully stroked against them.

"Blake, can we talk?"

Weiss was trying her hardest to keep her complexion pale, while Blake herself calmed her voice so that it rolled off her tongue with ease.

"Sure. …i-if you want."

Well, relative ease.

If the heiress held any confusion over the awkward wording, it didn't show in her expression. "Listen. I just… I shouldn't have said that before. It wasn't right."

"Weiss-"

"STOP. You told me about Adam already. You entrusted me with something personal and I have a responsibility as your teammate, your friend, and someone who cares deeply about you to hold you high because of that trust. So… umm… what I'm trying to say is this: Let me make it up to you."

An eyebrow rose.

"Let's go get something to drink together. Out in Vale. My treat, okay?"

And its twin jumped up to meet it.

Something to drink TOGETHER? Out in Vale? It's… that's… that's practically a-

"Y-you mean, like, a date?"

Weiss's words came out with as much grace as one would expect from a completely flustered teenager. "I-I mean, s-sure. If…" She lifted her head despite her glowing blush. "If you want to think of it that way, then yes. A… date."

Somehow, she managed to suppress the squeak that climbed her throat as her fingers were taken by a sturdy hand.

Blake enjoyed the feeling of being able to smile naturally. "That sounds nice." She hummed. "After everything else today."


Despite being so close to the school and the tournament, the café wasn't as crowded as they'd expected. Maybe everyone was just heading to the arena to see the next match in person. Maybe it was the fact that the sun was setting soon. Maybe it was just the size of Vale itself. Or perhaps some combination of the three.

Whatever it was, it was certainly keeping Weiss's mind off of the fact that she was on a DATE with her crush. Because any stray thought into that territory could easily end in her spilling her coffee all over herself and ruining her evening.

And this was not an evening she could afford to ruin.

…okay, so maybe she HAD to think about that particular fact if this was going to work.

Cupping her mug between her hands, she spared one last glance at Blake. The girl was sitting just to her right at the bar, sipping her latte, her eyes fluttering closed as she let the drink overtake her senses. The heiress bit her lip, rubbing the ceramic of her own cup.

The Faunus girl set her drink back down on the counter, stringing her fingers back through her hair and tugging at the small black bow tied on the ponytail behind her head. Her feline ears only moved slightly under their wrapping at the sound of the heiress's breaths becoming deeper.

She stared down at her reflection in her drink, looking into the sharp eyes staring back at her. One glance at the white ribbon atop her head. Then back to the burning amber.

She let darkness overtake her sight once more.

"Listen, Weiss…"

"BLAKE, I THINK I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU."

Well, that went better than I expected.

Words failed to form in her throat as the brunette looked on, paralyzed and mouth gaping as she watched her white-haired teammate slowly collapse into herself, somehow holding herself up on the stool with impressive posture for someone who looked ready to shatter into a million pieces.

One of the nice things about the bar being so empty was that Weiss wasn't embarrassing herself in front of too many people.

Just the one that matters the most.

"I… no, there's no 'think'. I'm definitely in love with you. I- I don't know how to tell you this but ever since… since the dance, at the very latest, my thoughts about you have been… of the romantic kind."

I'm screwing this up. I'm DEFINITELY screwing this up.

"Whether I'm looking up at you from in your arms or holding you in my arms, I… I don't know what I want from 'us', but I do know that I want to be with you."

Finally, she managed to lift her head and look at the brunette.

The amber staring back at her was filled with surprise, though what kind, she wasn't skilled enough to decipher. As Blake sat in total shock, Weiss drew in another lung-full of breath as she realized that the girl in front of her wasn't going to respond quite yet.

"I… can't say I know what it is, or rather, I can't name what it started with. Forgive me for saying this, but it might have been your ears. I know it doesn't sound right, but I think they're cute- no, beautiful. I…"

Her voice faded again, hands settling in her lap as she tried to keep her face from catching fire.

"-YOU'RE beautiful, Blake."

The static filling the brunette's brain lifted at the sharp pang she felt in her chest.

The last time I heard that was…

But as harsh memories tried to take hold, a shimmering broke through. The shimmering of the blue eyes looking at her. Completely and utterly embarrassed, but sincere and so full of hope. More than glowing; they SHONE.

Is this really the spoiled heiress I met on my first day at Beacon?

"…so, that's it. I wanted to tell you because I felt I owed it to you to let you know. I'm sorry if I-mmMM?!"

Blake didn't give her a chance to finish as a pair of lips caught hers.

It was messy.

And wet.

And of the two, Weiss clearly didn't know what she was doing.

But when they broke apart, their foreheads meeting as they caught their breath and their eyes met again, there was no more fear. No more bad memories or regrets or worry of what's to come or pain in either of their expressions.

The confused looks they got from other patrons was blocked out. The cheering on the television as the next match was selected mattered little.

For now, it was just the two of them. And the bond between them.

And they closed the distance once more.


Halfway through their third kiss, Blake started purring quietly.

It was an odd sensation, but the vibration made Weiss feel lightheaded. She hummed lightly, almost trying to mimic the sound as her hand drew back around Blake's neck. The brunette responded in kind, sliding her hand down and ready to lift the heiress up closer to her.

"Uh, excuse me, ladies."

The two girls broke apart in surprise and looked up at the barista. The young man didn't look disgusted, but rather gestured towards a small sign reading "No Excessive Public Displays of Affection".

"I'm afraid I have to ask you to take this outside."

"Well, I guess it is much nicer out here in the breeze."

"Yeah, less, uh, hot."

Weiss looked out at the distant lights of the city. She sighed as the wind picked up her silvery strands, dancing through the air as the colored ribbons flapped lightly.

She turned her head upwards. "Say, Blake?"

"Hmmm?"

"You think they'll be upset with us sitting on their roof?"

"Well, the guy said 'outside', didn't he?"

Blue eyes rolled. "You're something else."

A small smirk broke across the Faunus girl's face. "Am I now? I hope I'm more enjoyable than whatever this original 'something' was."

For a second, Weiss focused on nothing in particular, looking back out towards the taller skyscrapers in Vale's business sector. After it had passed, she settled into Blake's neck, taking a bit of satisfaction in knowing that the heat she felt on the girl's skin was because of her.

"Definitely."

A few more seconds passed, the only noise above the low wind coming from the lowered sound of Pyrrha and Penny's battle on Blake's scroll.

The heiress closed her eyes as she felt her girlfriend curl around her, raven locks sliding along the side of her face. "We should take this slow, Weiss."

"R-right. Slow…"

"Hey Blake?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you… think I could practice with Gambol Shroud?"

"…any specific reason why?"

"Well, it's just… I always thought that your cleaver was really cool and all. I wanted to learn how to use a katana and, well… never mind. It's stupid."

Her cheeks burned as Blake let out a light chuckle. "I suppose that's fine. We could swap weapons during the next break so that we have something t-"

Her words were cut off when the horrible sound of metal creaking assaulted her upper ears. The pained sound that escaped her throat caused Weiss to look up, just in time catch a glimpse of Penny as the Atlesian girl's limbs were torn from her body, revealing a mess of wires and cables.

Neither girl could find the words to speak as a large chess piece appeared on the screen and a voice (a rather familiar voice, one that they had heard from one of their colleagues) overtook the intercom.

"This is not a tragedy. This was not an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our Academies' Headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both. They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference. And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First a dismemberment, now this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither. Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the Tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves. As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is... equally undesirable. Our Kingdoms are on the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So I ask you: When the first shots are fired... who do you think you can trust?"

As the screen faded to black, Weiss felt the grip around her loosen as Blake took to her feet.

"Well, that was the most disjointed and misleading speech I've ever heard."

The heiress shifted her arms down, pushing herself onto her knees. "Do you think millions of panicking civilians realized that?"

As the Faunus girl leaned out over the small wall on top of the café, her ears flicked. Off in the distance, she could already hear terrified screams and the roars of enraged Grimm.

Amber flickered closed.

"No, I don't."


MONOCHROME DATE RUINED!

AGAIN!

Goodness. The confession chapter. And the kisses. SO hard to write, so much doubt that it would be readable. Hope it wasn't too bad.

Or too satisfying. Remember, we still have a few more chapters to go.

;)