The steady drone of familiar voices awoke Blake. Her ears twitched freely in the warm air, brushing against silky fabric. The rest of her skin pressed against a rougher, but still oddly comfortable cloth, and she felt the heavy weight of the blanket resting upon her chest.

Bird's song flitted through the open window, bringing with it the smell of freshly bloomed flowers and early morning dew. Cool air tickled her face, goosebumps rising in response.

Her hand drifted towards her stomach, but stopped far before it reached her skin. For it found that, instead of her combat outfit, she was wearing her sleep wear.

Blake pushed herself up, eyes darting around the room. Instead of some hospital or ruin, it was a comfortable, clean, bedroom. Books lined the walls, shelves sagging under the weight. A closet stood against the far wall, shoulder to shoulder with an old desk, where a computer sat snugly on its surface. A hammock was slung from it to an open door.

There was nothing odd about the door, beyond its cream colouration, yet her eyes were locked on its knotted surface.

Without thought, her legs slid off the surface of the bed, planting themselves gently upon the floor. Her arms pushed behind her, and then she was up. Her jaw clenched in preparation for the pain to follow, but there was none.

Again, her hand went to her stomach, this time not slowed by her unusual clothing. It dived under the fabric, and pulled at the skin beneath. She ran her thumb around her front, brushing it against her ribs and her waist, but felt nothing but smooth skin. No dried blood, no scab, no scarring.

She pulled the black fabric away, head tilted downwards, and searched for a sign, any sign, of Adam's attack. Her eyes flew from the bottom of her chest to her very toes, but still she saw nothing. Not even a pale white mark.

A shaky breath passed through her lips, delving into the room with the same tepidness of the girl it had left.

What is going on?

More voices crashed through the wooden door. Blake crouched, hands reaching for a weapon that was not there.

"No, I—I haven't seen her since… since Adam. I…" It was Yang's voice.

It was Yang's voice.

A genuine smile came to Blake's lips, joy rushing through her veins and bouncing into her heart.

Yang was alive.

Yang was alive!

Part of her wanted to rush out through the door, and pull her partner into a hug she would never escape from. The other, more rational part, warned her to stay back. It could be a trap, it argued. Whoever screwed with Yang's head might be trying to get her now.

(She might not want to see you)

Pressing her teeth tightly together, Blake crept towards the door. Her feet barely brushed against the wood, leaving a sound that even she struggled to hear.

Ruby's voice was the next to come to her ears. "Well, we gotta find her. If she… if she remembers, than… I don't know, but we have to find her."

Remember? Remember what?

Remember how Adam cut off Yang's arm because of her? Remember how her stupid obsession with Torchwick helped nothing?

Her feet slowed her to a halt.

It was all her fault, wasn't it? Adam attacked Yang to get to her. If she hadn't been there, if Blake hadn't gotten her caught up in her stupid crusade, then maybe she wouldn't have lost her arm.

Now… now she was still in danger, wasn't she? Wherever they were, whatever had happened to them since Beacon, Adam was still out there. He still wanted her to suffer, and would attack her teammates to do so.

Attack Yang.

Blake backed away from the door. She stumbled to the closet, and gently tore the doors open. Her clothes were stacked there, neat as could be, and the sheer oddness made her pause.

"I'll go get dressed, and then… then we'll figure something out, alright?"

Ice ran through her veins, and she threw the first clean set of clothes on. It was an old hoodie and sweatpants combo, and there was no sign of her weapon or ribbon, but there wasn't time to worry about that. She had to get out, get out before Yang came through that door.

Before she convinced her to stay.

The open window provided an easy exit point. It was a bit of a drop, but for a huntress, it might has well have been a foam pit. Her feet kicked up small clouds of dirt, reaching her eyes and earning a few drops of salty liquid.

Standing up, Blake shot one last look at the window, and ran off into the forest.

It didn't take her long to realise she was on an island.

There was the smell, of course, salty brine mixed with rot. It sank deep into her bones, and it would take weeks for her to stop smelling of it.

More conclusively, when she climbed a tree to gain her bearings, she could see ocean for miles around, and a small town a short distance away. (And a house, but she didn't look at that)

Letting out a sigh, Blake slid down the worn trunk. The grass ruffled under her feet as she landed, earning a pause as she strained her ears for any sign of trouble.

She hated this. Hated being out here, unarmed and lacking any knowledge of where she was. Part of her wanted to go back, at least so that she could get a map, but that would mean talking to, or at least seeing Yang and Ruby again.

Blake didn't think she could do that.

Nothing moved in the forest, and she set off at a brisk walk. Trees leered at her, branches draped in greenery and shadows. The forest was almost as dark as a cave, nearly all of the sunlight trapped by the leaves above. She had night-vision, yes, but even a faunus required some light to see.

Still, the darkness unnerved her. The leaves that created it were still fresh and green, even though they were well into fall. Birds flew from tree to tree, including some she knew were migratory. The air felt warm against her skin, and the sun moved at a lazy trot, not with the growing haste of the past few weeks.

It didn't make sense. Unless the island was on the equator, there was no reason for it to be like this. There could be some kind of underwater volcano screwing with the weather, but she hadn't heard of anything like that, at least not in Vale.

Assuming she was still in Vale.

Something snapped, deep within the darkness.

Blake picked up the pace.

When she reached the town, and saw the weathered sign proudly declaring it to be 'Patch', Blake began to put the pieces together.

She was on Patch; the island Yang and Ruby said they were from. She had awoken in a house. Yang and Ruby were in that house. Ergo, she had been in Yang's house.

Now all she had to do was figure out why and how.

Someone clearly must have taken her from the school, but why wouldn't they—whoever they were—deliver her to a hospital? Unless the hospital was overrun, or damaged beyond repair.

A shudder ran through her. That was a thought she did not want to think about.

Regardless of why, whoever it was must have been familiar with Yang's family. That struck most of the people she knew off the list, except one.

Qrow Branwen, their uncle.

Blake herself had never actually met him, but she knew he was at the school. She heard about the fight between Winter and him, and of course, Ruby had told her. Still, somehow they never crossed paths.

So why would he bring her here? Did he do it for Yang? Did he think that she would want her there? Didn't he understand the danger to his niece? Maybe he didn't know about Adam. Maybe all he knew was that she was with Yang, clutching her hand like a lifeline just before she passed out.

A ships horn drew her from her thoughts. Her head whipped upwards, staring into the quiet streets of Patch. A quiet sigh fell from her lips, and she began to walk forward.

It didn't matter how she got here.

She knew she couldn't stay.

The issue with being on an island is that there is very few options to get off one. Either you fly, which wasn't a choice for Patch, or you take a boat.

And in order to get on a boat, you need a ticket.

To get a ticket, you have to talk to people.

And she didn't have her ribbon.

Blake was standing on the very edge of the town proper, hidden behind a wall. Her head darted out, glimpsing at the writhing mass of people.

Human. All of them.

Panic settled in, her heart thrashing wildly. She couldn't do this, couldn't go out there, ears uncovered. Said appendages huddled to her skull, clearly in agreement.

So then what? Did she go back, risk Adam finding her partner?

A chill spread through her. No, no she couldn't do that.

Blake took a deep breath, and slowly rounded the corner. Every step was like grinding nails with her teeth, with the shadowing cover of the buildings beckoning her towards them. Still, she pressed on.

Her muscles clenched, poised for the looks, the harassment, perhaps even violence. If they did attack, she was confident in her ability to fight them off, but it would create unnecessary complications.

She waited, and waited, yet nothing happened.

There was a few looks, yes, but they were barely more a few seconds long, the viewers identifying her, and, satisfied with their conclusion, turned away. No one started shouting "Filthy Faunus!" or any of the other many colourful titles people like her had.

Blake continued walking, but she was in a daze. Perhaps recent events made her a little jaded, but nothing? Not a single sneer, or out-stretched leg, just… nothing.

Impossibly, she blended in.

Her breath thundered in her ears, palms growing wet. Her hands took shelter within the pockets of her hoodie, huddling together like penguins.

Up ahead was a small building, two windows and a door, sitting next to the docks. Seagulls swarmed above the ground, chewing at half-eaten food and old garbage. A ship was parked, sailors unloading large boxes of food and Dust from its depths.

She had to be able to get tickets there. Blake walked faster, arriving at the building within seconds.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee greeted her the moment Blake opened the door. Her eyes landed on peeling paint and a heavily scuffed floor, but as the door swung shut behind her, it made no noise, beyond the ringing of a bell.

Blake swallowed down her apprehension, and walked up to the counter. Maps and brochures littered the surface, and she moved to pick one up before something stirred.

To the right, a door swung open, revealing a portly man, a large box pressed against his head. He walked past her, carrying the box to the front, where he set it down with a large crash.

Another lump swelled in her throat. Blake let out a cough, and said, "E—excuse me, sir? I—I need to speak with you about—"

"Just a minute, Blake."

…Did he just say her name?

Blake's eyes remained locked on his back as he tore into the box, and pulled out a large poster. He pushed it against the windows, sticking tape against each corner.

When he was done, he turned to her and broke out in a large smile. "Good morning, young lady. Getting an early start?"

Something was terribly, terribly wrong, but all Blake could do was say, "Uh—yeah, early start. I… I need a ticket." Before I go any crazier than I already am.

His grin grew wider, if that was even possible. "Not a problem. Heading to Vale?"

Her stomach performing cartwheels, Blake nodded.

"Ah, getting an early start on Beacon? Great school, never been there myself, but…" his voice continued to ramble, but she couldn't understand a word he said.

Her eyes wide open, Blake leaned forward. "Did—did you say Beacon?"

"Hm?" He looked up. "Yes, of course. You're enrolling there, aren't you? It's been the talk of the town!"

Now her stomach felt like it was attached to Ruby's scythe, and she was spinning fast enough to blur. She gripped the counter hard enough to peel off the paint, her legs rooting themselves to the floor.

He never noticed her reaction, as he had bent down, beneath the counter. "Not many locals ever make it that far, especially not two at once. Make us proud, alright?"

Beacon? Going to? Local? What? What was happening? Her head spinning, all Blake could do was offer a light nod. He couldn't see it, but that didn't seem to matter.

He rose back into view, and placed three small slips of paper in front of her. "Here you are. Figured the other two would be joining you, so I got extra's. Don't worry about paying me back, you just remember little old me, alright?"

She didn't think she could promise anything right now, but her head lowered. "Uh, sure. I'll—I'll remember. Um, what's your—what's your name? Again?"

He let out a deep, booming laugh, slapping his knee and letting his hand rest. A quiet, unsteady chuckle fell from Blake's lips, sounding fake even to her own ears.

"Ah! Good one!" He wiped away tears and regarded her with crinkled eyes. "Well, Miss Belladonna, it's Hai. Think you can remember that this time, or should I write it down?"

Another chuckle passed by dry lips. Blake pushed off the counter, hands clenching in on themselves. "Um, no, I'm… I'm good, thanks. I… I should be going."

Still grinning, he—Hai picked up the tickets and held them out. "Don't forget these!"

Trying, and failing to mimic his expression, Blake ripped the tickets from his hands and jammed them into her pocket. Trying to keep her panic from showing, she turned and walked—albeit quickly—out the door.

Behind a dumpster a few blocks away, Blake let it out. She crashed against the metal walls, completely ignoring the substances sticking to her hoodie.

What just happened? What was he talking about? None of it made sense. Beacon was gone, wasn't it? Destroyed, reduced to rubble, ruined. Yet Hai… Hai talked about it like it was still standing, like she was still a student there.

Except… she wasn't. He… he talked like she hadn't been there yet, but that was… impossible, wasn't it?

Ice ran through her veins. Blake stumbled to her feet, arms reaching out to brace herself. Her mind drifted back, hauling up each detail of the conversation.

Local.

Beacon.

Two.

If… if this was what she was fearing it was, then he wouldn't know Ruby would be going to Beacon. Which left Yang, and…

Her.

The alleyway spun, Blake barely managed to keep her footing. That… that couldn't be right. She wasn't from Patch, had never even been to Patch before. How could she possibly be a local? She—she needed answers, needed to find out what was going on. But… how?

A quick check to her pockets confirmed what she already suspected—she didn't have any money on her. Her fingers came out vibrating, shaking like a leaf caught in a storm. Without money, without Beacon, without the White Fang, she had no hope of surviving within the city. Starvation, police, all would kill her long before Adam got his claws into her.

Which… which only left one option.

One, single option.

Her stomach heaved at the thought, but she grit her teeth and stood, pushing herself away from the dumpster. The buzz of the town returned to her ears, crashing into her like an alarm clock.

Her eyes darted around the streets, and landed on a small dirt path. Taking in a deep breath, Blake set out, and started walking back to Yang's house.

Looking at it from the outside, Yang actually had a nice house. It looked like a log cabin, but Blake could see the mortar between the brown, and the windows would require framing that simple logs couldn't provide. Light danced through said windows, throwing small patches of orange upon the grass.

It looked peaceful, warm, homey.

And utterly terrifying.

Blake stood, hidden by the trees, for what felt like hours. Despite the warm air, she felt like she was in a freezer. Her hands dug into the nearest trunk, bark burrowing under her nails.

She let out a shaking breath. This… this was a bad idea. She shouldn't have come back. The tickets were still in her pocket, she could have left, easily.

But she hadn't. She hadn't, and now she had to face her team. Blake's eyes shifted from the house to her arm, resting on her elbow.

Or what was left of them, at any rate.

Her breath evened out, and Blake moved towards the door with a fast trot. Dread set in on her mind with the subtlety of a grenade, and she battled the impulse to run back towards the forest. She was a huntress; her own team wasn't going to scare her.

The door came up, and before she could lose her nerve, Blake rapped her hand against the smooth wood three times. The sound crashed through her ears, earning a wince.

For a moment, there was nothing. Blake resisted the urge to knock again, keeping her hands rigid at her side. Were Yang and Ruby even home? Or had they gone out? What if they were looking for her?

Blake's thoughts were interrupted by a crack as the door swung open. The smell of syrup and frying meat slammed into her, reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything that day.

Yet, somehow, she didn't care. Her mouth dropped open, eyes landing on a brilliant circle of violet.

Slowly, other parts came into focus. Cheeks with just the smallest hint of red, and a lightly pointed chin, and blonde hair that could only belong to her partner.

Yang's hand drifted up, brushing against Blake's arm like she wasn't sure she was real. "Blake?"

Tears welling in her eyes, Blake gave a nod. "H-hey, Yang."

Blake's hands started shaking. "I—I'm so, so sorry, for—for everything. I—"

She was cut off when Yang wrapped her arms around her, and pulled her tightly against her body. "You remember," she breathed, placing her head on Blake's shoulder. "You remember, and you're here, and—I was so worried—"

Blake pushed away from her partner, staring at her with wet eyes. "Worried? Yang, I—it's my fault. It's my fault Adam—"

Yang's lips broke out in a large grin, and she lifted her arms, placing them on her shoulders.

She lifted her arms.

Arms.

Both of them.

Her heart thundering in her chest, Blake stared wide-eyed at Yang's arm. She brought a finger up, and pressed it into the skin. "It's—it's still—"

Yang pulled her back in, her arms threading under Blake's arms. "I'm fine, Blake. I'm… I'm so, so glad you're here."

It… it was too much. Blake couldn't respond, couldn't speak, could barely think. Her head fell on Yang's shoulder, soaking her shirt with tears. She wrapped her arms around her chest; confirming that, yes, she was still here.

Yang was okay.

Yang was okay.

A squeal rang out from farther within the house, just before Ruby crashed into the two huntresses with the force of a truck. Blake felt another pair of arms wrap themselves around her. "Blake!" Ruby shouted, squeezing tight enough to crack ribs. "Blake! Blake! You're here!"

A laugh ripped itself from Blake's lips. She brought her arms away from Yang, and curled them around Ruby. "Yeah, I… I guess I am."

Ruby pulled away, vibrating with barely contained joy. Yang let out a laugh, and pulled her sister and Blake in, enveloping both in a giant bear hug.

Blake's face felt like an overused elastic, but the grin wouldn't leave her. Her eyes slid shut as she drank in their glee, her heart hammering away within her chest.

There was nowhere on the planet she would rather be.

Ruby drained the rest of the glass, her eyes locked on its transparent depths. "So… yeah. Then you showed up, and Yang hugged you, and I hugged you—"

The table shifted as Yang kicked her sister under the table. "Pretty sure she knows about that."

Ruby blushed, even as she winced in pain. "Y-yeah, sorry. Wasn't thinking—"

"It's fine," Blake said. Her eyes glanced around the kitchen, sweeping around the table they were seated at. "Should we be worried about your dad?"

Yang shook her head. "Nah, he's in the bathroom. He'll… he'll be there for a while."

Ruby gave her sister a cold look. "What did you do…?"

Yang held her hands up, palms outward. "Nothing! He's just shaving."

Another laugh bubbled up in Blake's chest. A smile still plastered on her lips, she brought her glass up and took a sip. She brought it down, and gave a small cough. "So… we all just…- woke up here?"

Ruby frowned, and nodded. "Pretty much, yeah. Weiss… I don't know what's going on with her, but I got a message from her this morning, and I kinda think she knows, but…" She looked down and let out a sigh.

Yang frowned, and placed a hand on her arm. "Hey, don't worry about it. You remember, I remember, Blake remembers, that's three already."

Ruby smiled, and grabbed her sister.

Blake felt a small shard of envy bury its way into her heart, but smiled, and said, "It'll be fine, Ruby. Don't worry about it."

"Yeah…" Ruby drew her chest in, and brought her head up. "Yeah, you're right. She's got to. I mean, she's my partner, of course she does."

Frowning, Blake leaned forward. "Do we have any idea what's happened? Or why it seems to only be affecting us, or why… why things have changed?"

Startled, Yang looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Changed? How?"

Her throat suddenly dry, Blake took another sip of water before she answered. "When… when I was… out, I talked to a guy, and… he… he kinda sounded like he knew me. Like I… Like I lived here."

Silence reigned as what she said sank in. Violet and silver eyes remained locked on Blake, and she felt the urge to hide. Instead, she looked down, staring at her fidgeting feet.

Yang leaned forward, hands going up in front of her like a wrecking ball. "For how long?"

Blake swallowed, and gave Yang a long look. "He didn't say, but… A long time. A few years, at least."

Yang tilted her head, eyes narrowed. "A… A few years? That… that doesn't make sense."

Blake closed her eyes, and rested her head against the table. "I know," she admitted. "I know. Even if… even if it's what we think, then…"

"How'd it change that?" Ruby finished, leaning back in her chair. "None of this makes sense."

Yang reached over, wrapping her arm around Ruby's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Rubes." She turned her head, and flashed a brilliant smile towards Blake. "I mean, it's not exactly a bad thing."

Warmth spread through Blake's chest. Her lips curved upwards, and she fought to supress a blush.

Ruby frowned. "Still, we need to find out what changed. If… if it goes back far enough, maybe… maybe Mom's…"

Yang looked away, biting her lip. "I… maybe, Rubes. Maybe."

She let out a sigh, and looked upwards.

"Think I know where to start."

They searched through her room—not Blake's, not the Blake skimming through her favorite books, but the Blake who had lived here. The Blake who seemingly lived with Ruby and Yang.

It wasn't easy. Blake's "help" didn't provide much, as they had never learned how to conduct a proper search. Or how to survive one. Ruby did an admirable job on the computer, as in she had deduced that the password was not "tun f1sH", "C t3ars" or "C tf1$h". Yang tore through the closet, and managed to find Blake's weapon.

Admittedly, that was very helpful.

Mostly, what they did was keep her distracted. Ruby was unusually quiet, leaving her sister to provide small talk. It wasn't terribly captivating, but her running commentary on activities in Patch the three of them could do kept her from thinking. All she had to do was read book titles, flip pages, and carry on.

It lasted like that until something forced her hands to a screeching halt. It was a black book, vinyl cover with a plastic wrapping, and a thick layer of dust sitting on its surface.

It also had a picture of the four of them, standing against a blue sky. Yang had one arm around Ruby, and the other making bunny ears at her front. Behind Ruby stood Weiss, hands behind her back and very pleased with herself.

And then… she was there. Behind Yang, dressed in her combat outfit and looking like she was half asleep. But it was her. It was her, and a little date in the bottom right hand corner said the photo was almost a year old.

A year old.

A year old.

It hadn't felt real yet. It still didn't, really, like Blake was still expecting to wake up in a hospital and discover this was all some pleasant but impossible dream. But the photo, the photo was real. It was there, she couldn't deny that.

This was real.

Blake's grip on the book grew tighter, the spine crackling under the strain. Her eyes grew unfocused. She tried to speak, but her voice broke apart into the air. She tried again, "I…I think you should see this."

Yang turned her head from the closet, pulling away from the wooden depths. "Yeah? Something good?"

A lump blocked Blake's throat. She gave a nod.

Ruby leapt from the chair and to her side, flinging rose petals across the bed. She spewed out words almost faster than Blake could hear. "Really? What is it?"

Blake took in a quick breath, and lifted the book. "It's a… I think it's a diary or something. It's… it has us on the front."

"Really?" Yang said, and then stretched out her arms. "Can I have a look?"

Blake nodded again, and dropped the book into her partner's arms. Yang flipped it, and took a long look. Ruby ran to her side, staring at the same space.

Yang brought the book down, and stared at Blake with wide eyes. "I remember this place," she said, her finger dancing on the photo. "Way back, we went to some dumb Vytal festival celebration thing, and… Dad took pictures of me and Rubes."

Ruby let out a soft gasp, and leaned even closer towards the photo. "I remember that day! I won a stuffed Ursa, and you… you tried to win something…"

Yang let out a soft chuckle, her lips curving upwards at the memory. "Yeah, some kind of weird toy." Her head turned, and landed on Blake.

"But you weren't there."

Blake's throat suddenly felt dry, her heart pulsating with a cold beat that pushed goosebumps through her skin. She wanted to run, to hide, to laugh, to cry, to scream, to never speak another word again.

So she did nothing. Just stayed there, catatonic, as Ruby and Yang's eyes filled with worry.

Nothing she knew was the same. Her whole life, as full of regrets and anger and hate as it was, gone. Destroyed, demolished, like it had never existed. In return, a different Blake, a Blake that went to a festival, and posed with Yang and Ruby for a picture, was gone.

Dead.

Ruby's eyes glimmered as she laid a hand on Blake's shoulder, and slowly shook. "Blake? You… okay?"

A spark roared through Blake's limbs, waking her from her stupor. She blinked, slowly, then faster, and her mind reconnected with the present. Her head bobbed. "Y-yeah, yeah I'm good. Just… a little shocked."

Yang let out a strained laugh, like a violin's last note before it snapped. "Really? Never would have guessed."

Blake mirrored her laugh, adding the screech of an amateur. She moved a hand to her head, trying brush her hair, but it got caught halfway through. She didn't feel like moving it, so she didn't.

Ruby's scroll dinged before Blake started ripping her hair out. She shot them both an apologetic look before pulling the device out, and tapping a quick number on its screen. "It's Weiss," she said, as if that explained everything.

Apparently, it did for her sister, who immediately gained an enviable level of focus and calm. "What'd she say?"

Ruby kept her eyes on the machine as she replied, "Uh… she wants to meet us at a restaurant somewhere in Vale… uh… at fiveish?"

Yang let out a sigh. "Where is this mystical restaurant?"

Ruby rolled her eyes, even as her skin turned pink. "Not sure. She sent the address though."

"Good enough," Yang said, and then shot up so fast that she must have gotten whiplash. She stuck out a hand towards Blake. "Come on, we… we should get moving."

Ruby followed her sister's lead, albeit at a slower pace. She gave Yang a quizzical stare, eyes flickering between apps on her scroll. "I don't think it's that far—"

"Do you have a car that can fit all three of us?"

Ruby's glued lips and darting eyes served as an answer.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

Hearing Yang's teasing tone helped ground Blake. It was amazing how she managed to slip back into a normal conversation, a normal problem when the giant elephant was resting on the floor. Far better than her method.

Blake grabbed the offered hand and pulled herself up.

Yang's hand lingered a moment longer than was necessary. Her thumb rubbed the back of Blake's palm, like she still couldn't believe that it was real.

Then she sharply drew away, sucking in a breath before speaking. "So, uh… probably going to walk, so… if you need different clothes…"

Blake brought a hand to her hoodie, frowning at the thin fabric. "Probably not a bad idea."

"Right, so… meet us downstairs?"

Blake nodded.

Yang gave her a soft smile, and then walked out, dragging Ruby behind her. She closed the door, and brought silence to the room.

Blake let out a long breath, and went to get changed.