Valence

by Cowjump

With the end of their first year at Beacon Academy having come to pass, Team RWBY must contend with the next three months of their summer break. Follow this eclectic bunch as they are thrown into a situation that utilizes neither their combined combat prowess nor their acquired knowledge on all things battle-related during their adventures in the city of Vale.

10. Chapter 10: Sierra

To begin, I apologize for the length of this chapter. I said in a previous author's note that chapter two would be the longest chapter in the novel. As you can see, this chapter is longer. I will say that this chapter has a reason for being as long as it is, but I cannot excuse the lie I told. I am sorry.

Moving on to matters more grateful than apologetic, I must thank you all for your support of the last chapter and the introduction of Blake's parents. The feedback I received was encouraging and let me know I was able to establish these characters' existences in a way that was at least agreeable and intriguing rather than them being shoehorned in suddenly as I originally feared they would. If you have any remaining doubts about the parents' inclusion in the story, this chapter should be able to give you enough information to either accept or reject their existence.

Finally, thank you all for reading. It is consistently amazing to see feedback in the forms of both views and reactions. At the end of this chapter, there will be an elaboration for this particular gratitude, but before that, the chapter must come.

I encourage you to pace yourself with this. Chapter ten of Valence is a long road to travel.

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Chapter 10: Sierra

With a weary sigh, Blake placed her suitcase on the ground. What had been a brief and admittedly awkward phone conversation only a week prior had now amounted to this. "Excited" was a word she would not use to describe her current mood when "nervous" was a far more appropriate description. Her thoughts rapidly shifted between travel that was to come, preparation for said travel, her parents, her parents' reaction, and Yang. Further burdening her erratic thoughts were the physical detriments of early morning fatigue and hair that she had been in too much of a rush in to completely dry. Yet there was no singular thought that took precedence over another in her haste; all were equal in terms of priority and stressfulness. This was the cause of her sigh. She needed to breathe to collect her thoughts and reorient herself.

She had spoken to both of her parents numerous times since the initial call. At first, the conversations were more than a little emotional for both parties but eventually came to be altogether level-headed. The result of these calls and the cause of her current stress was an open invitation to return "home." Rather, her parents had implored her to visit them at least once during her summer break. She didn't completely know why she had accepted; visiting would only amount to seeing first-hand the strife she had caused by running away. They would undoubtedly berate her and expect apologies en mass for the pain she had caused. However, they did deserve apologies and she did want to see them again. This conflict coupled with the uncertainty of seeing such important people after so long was enough to make the calm, reserved Faunus nervous and afraid.

What caused even further stress was the sudden timing of her now scheduled visit. This pressure began when, during one of their more recent conversations, her father mentioned that she should, "come 'home' for Mistral's Independence Day festival." She couldn't bring herself to say no or that she needed a bit more time to prepare, causing her to accept almost immediately. Though, she couldn't say that she wasn't excited about this turn of events; she remembered enjoying the festivities when she was younger despite living on Vale's side of the border. Yet even this nostalgic opportunity could not break the inner turmoil that kept her from seeing the trip as a long-awaited homecoming. She saw the hours ahead as obligatory pain.

Blake stood in the living room of the sisters' house—her home, it began to feel like—as she checked over her internal list of preparations that needed to be taken care of and her itinerary of where she needed to go. However, due to the mounting anxiety over these past few days and the time she was required to depart, she had hardly slept at all last night, leaving her mental state almost entirely drained. An instrument on the entertainment center in the adjacent room read "4:25." This was early even for her and the light from the lamp in the corner of the room could only add to the dizziness she felt from tiredness. But she had to make sure everything was taken care of; if not for herself, then for Yang.

"Will you need a driver when you arrive?" Unsurprisingly, Weiss was up and alert with the prospect of planning and deliberation. Although she wore her regular sleepwear, she did not seem fatigued in the least. Rather, she had an energy about her was more akin to Ruby's own despite her metered composure. She was enthusiastic about helping to ensure that travel would go as smoothly as possible. While the action did seem to Blake as though an ulterior motive was in play, she brushed the thought off, thinking that this was simply tiredness making her delusional.

Blake groaned and shook her head in the negative. "A cab will do fine." At any other time, eloquence in speech would have been a priority for the young Faunus; however, exhaustion was the present champion in this sleep-deprived state.

Weiss hummed in disgust. "Suit yourself."

All that remained in the room was a cold, restless silence that begged Blake to continue her mental checklist. She could not. The compounded stress, fatigue, and anxiety was enough to make her unable to bring herself to do much of anything more than simply stand still and take as much time as she could to relax. However, a commotion from the hallway allowed a small, prideful smile to grace her features and cast aside these lethargic sensations for a moment.

When she turned to the source of the noise, Blake saw her girlfriend with one arm carrying her own luggage and the other slung over Ruby's shoulder as the two ambled into the living room. While Blake thought that she, herself, had been tired, seeing Yang's fatigued expression put her own to shame. Everything about her appearance told the Faunus that she was ready to leave except for her slumped posture and reddened eyes. It is to say that Yang's eyes were not only red from waking up at an uncharacteristic hour, but her irises fluctuated between lilac and scarlet, showing clearly her indignation. This seething emotion was focused on Ruby when the young girl yawned, "'Morning, Blake."

She did her best to smile back. "'Morning, Ruby. Sleep well?" Because she had initiated a conversation, she captured the unamused glare of the blonde. However, this was her intent; in her mildly delirious state, Blake wanted to tease Yang and make sure this entire morning wasn't completely dreary.

"Yeah, I guess. I was having this dream where there was this giant Grimm and me and…Actually, I'm kinda tired right now and wanna get back to that." Blake had a good idea of whose name Ruby nearly mentioned and she felt that Weiss had made the same connection, judging by her almost invisible change in sitting position.

She then looked to the girl who sent her an unblinking glare. "Hey, Yang," she tried to smile warmly but felt as though she lacked the energy to do the action adequately, "ready to go?"

There were many reasons why Blake had invited Yang to come with her, chiefly among them being that the blonde had proven to be a source of strength she could draw from in uncertain situations. Blake figured that if there was any time she needed this strength, it was during the coming trip. Furthermore, she didn't want to spend the next few days away from her and wanted to return the favor of being invited to the sisters' house for her summer break. She not only felt that the inclusion of Yang would be advantageous in just about every regard, but she felt that the trip would simply be more enjoyable if she came along. Yang seemed to think much the same even if her current demeanor told a different story.

Yang winced, possibly at the light, but more than likely it was the required thinking that evoked this response. "Yeah, sure, I guess. Why are we up, again? The sun's not even out yet." Blake was about to answer, but Yang continued. "Actually, forget that. Why didn't we book a later flight?"

"To be honest, I'm starting to wonder that myself," Blake groused.

"Isn't it obvious?" Weiss sounded as though she could laugh at any second. Of course, nobody else in the room would have treated such an action with anything but contempt and she doubtlessly knew this. Her attention was focused solely on Yang. "Leaving this early would allow you to arrive at a convenient hour. But you wouldn't know that, now would you? You don't look like you could think much of anything right now."

"Weiss…" Ruby pleaded. However, the young girl's voice was overpowered by Yang's.

"I'm not in the mood to play this game, Weiss. Say one more thing I don't like and I'm going straight for the death threats." To Yang's credit, Blake thought this reaction was relatively tame for her current state. Weiss simply gave an indifferent shrug in response. The fluctuating, annoyed gaze then turned to Blake. "Yeah, I think I'm good to go. You have the tickets and everything?"

Blake nodded. "Yeah."

"And the hotel? We got a room, right?"

Again she nodded.

"Great," Yang sighed, "then I guess we're set. You ready?"

Blake was prepared for the travel ahead of them, but was hesitant about what lied at their destination. Now was her last chance to back out. She could spare herself the pain of realizing how much suffering she had forced upon her parents. They probably hated her and had every right to feel that way. She ran away to join an organization that she would eventually find inopportune for her as well—she was a coward. Even after the pleasantries they had exchanged over the phone, she still believed they hated her. What was one more instance of running away when added to all the others?

No. She was done with running. She had a home and she had a family now. On top of that, she had a mother and father who didn't know who she was anymore and she would not tolerate that. They weren't the enemies in the first place; they did nothing more than ask her not to join the White Fang. They didn't deserve her wrath, her scorn. No. They were family too and they deserved reconciliation. She spoke bravely and with no hindrance to her voice other than the groggy pitch that had yet to escape her. "Yes."

Suddenly, Weiss clapped twice in quick succession, drawing Yang's glare and Blake's distant gaze her way. She needed not explain her reason for doing this as it quickly became evident when a personal assistant to the Schnee family briskly entered the room. The couple looked towards each other and Blake saw Yang's raised brow that seemed to silently ask, "Does she really want us gone this badly?" A response came in the form of an eye roll that said simply, "I'm too tired to care."

The man made his way to Yang's luggage first, showing signs of mental preparation as he stared intently at the suitcase. He stopped before it and didn't say anything as he firmly gripped the handle with both hands. He pulled hard and fast and was startled by how relatively light the case was compared to when the blonde left Beacon. This allowed Yang to smirk somewhat. "Don't strain yourself, little man." Blake sent her a reprimanding look for her impoliteness but she wouldn't have cared at this hour. As he shifted Yang's case to a single hand, he walked over to Blake, completely devoid of any indication of being upset at the comment. She stepped aside and allowed him to take her belongings. As quickly as he arrived, he left, presumably heading out to place their bags in the car.

With her valuables taken care of, Blake moved from her position, no longer needing to guard anything. Ruby looked as though she could pass out at any second, so the young Faunus decided she would transfer the burden of a tired Yang to herself. She moved to the sisters and relieved Ruby of the girl who, for some reason, continued to wear her heavier jacket when the less-armored variant was open for use. Taking the arm that wasn't draped over the young girl's shoulders, Blake pulled Yang into her own one arm carry, allowing Ruby to relax and make her way over to Weiss.

As the couple adjusted to their new hold, Yang quietly said, "I am so sleeping on the way there."

"Yeah, that's sounds nice right now."

"You know this is your fault, right?" Blake knew the words were teasing, but some bitter part of her mind truly did see this early morning hour as something she could fault herself for. Regardless, she sent a teasing remark back.

"You agreed to come."

"How could I not? I'd be stuck here with the kids." Weiss must have overheard, because she sent a furious glare the blonde's way. However, Yang didn't react to this; her eyes were locked on Blake. "And besides," thankfully, her irises returned to their brilliant, lilac hue, "I wouldn't trade time spent with you for the world."

In her worn state, Blake could not escape the blush that had spread across her cheeks. The half-lidded look Yang gave her only intensified this effect even though she was fairly certain that the cause of this look was the blonde verging on sleep. She smiled back as best she could, letting her know the sentiments were reciprocated. Yang's grin widened in acknowledgement for but a second before she turned a serious look on Ruby and Weiss.

"Okay, listen up," she said firmly, drawing the attention of the room's shorter occupants. She was tired, but she didn't seem as though she was going to bow to the feeling when precautions needed to be taken. "Me and Blake are only going to be gone for a few days at most. When we come back, I don't want to see the house burnt to the ground, all right?" Ruby nodded. The lilac glare was sent Weiss' way. "And I don't want any funny business going on while we're out." The heiress seemed appalled at the accusation. "Stay out of my room, stay out of Blake's room, and stay in your own beds. If I find anything at all that makes me think that you two didn't follow my rules, somebody's sleeping in the garage for the rest of the summer and I've got a pretty good idea of who that somebody is going to be." Her gaze then turned back to Ruby. "Just don't get yourself hurt, okay? We'll be back soon."

Ruby rubbed one eye and yawned. "Okay, I get it. You'll miss us. Can I go back to sleep now?"

This response caused Yang to chuckle lightly. "Yeah, sure." At this, Ruby sighed and sauntered back to her room. "You ready?" Blake turned and saw her weary teammate smiling lazily at her.

She was not ready and she doubted she would ever be. She was prepared adequately in the physical sense, but her emotional state caused trepidation. Still, she took a calming breath and nodded before looking at the subtly excited eyes of her partner.

In their current position, Yang was not able to pull Blake along due to her dependence on the Faunus for remaining upright. Because this was the case, both girls put forth effort toward leaving the room. As they did, Blake saw the slight nod Weiss gave her that seemed to wish her well and returned the gesture in kind before exiting the room and moving towards the front door outside of which the heiress' driver was surely waiting. As they neared the wooden entryway, Blake noticed a very slight grin that forewarned her about the volume that was to come from the blonde.

"Hey, Ruby!" Yang shouted. "Take care of the house, all right? You're in charge while I'm gone!" When Ruby acknowledged the information with an unenthusiastic "Yay", Blake opened the door and led her partner outside. She happened to close the door right as Weiss ascertained the implications of this, causing the heiress' shout of, "Wait! No!"

Blake wanted to laugh at the reaction, but found that couldn't bring herself to do so for the muggy atmosphere of this pre-dawn morning in Vale reminded her of how tired she was. The air was thick and only added to her apprehension of the impending meeting. She wanted to return to her bed, sleep through the day, and forget about the reunion entirely but knew she could not. Instead, she stared out at the horizon, into the midnight abyss that mocked them still. The fearful point was so very near—it was today and Blake still had trouble accepting this fact—yet it lay on the opposite end of extensive, exhausting travel.

Never one for taking offence at observations considered in the end to be trivial, Yang pushed on, finding strength she had lost in her fatigue. They took the steps more slowly than usual, but once Blake stepped foot on the dirt path, she knew that there was no turning back. They were moving thanks to Yang's will and because of this, Blake knew that the only way to go now was forward. As they neared the car, the same man who had taken their luggage silently greeted the two and held open the door. Blake was grateful enough to verbally communicate a "Thank you." In her mind, this man had been the most abiding person she had come in contact with this morning, being that he was professional and made things convenient for the couple. He had been the only one to not show anger or annoyance.

She allowed Yang to enter first, seeing as how she was barely standing as it was. The resulting fall into the limousine was somewhat pitiful, but in a way also humorous. Yang immediately gripped the seat nearest herself and proceeded to pull and crawl her way into the darkest corner of the cabin. Blake would have helped had she not wanted to do something similar as well. When Yang eventually put on her seatbelt, Blake climbed in and shut the door behind her.

While it was doubtful Yang could see her in these low-light conditions—it was doubtful that she looked at anything for that matter—Blake could see the taller girl feebly attempting to find some sort of angle at the corner created by the far wall and the seat cushion that would be suitable for sleeping. Blake moved as quickly as she could to seat herself next to her girlfriend. After she put her own seatbelt on, she placed a comforting hand on Yang's shoulder. Almost immediately, the action caused the blonde to move away from her corner and towards Blake. The hand on her nearer shoulder shifted to the other as the Faunus pulled her partner nearer.

Yang rested her head against the inside of Blake's shoulder and leaned into the embrace. She sighed. "Blake?" The girl in question hummed. "Is our flight back going to be this early too?" Blake's disappointed sigh was all she needed to hear before groaning. "Fine. Wake me up when we get there, will you?"

Blake smiled warmly at the sight of a calm, drowsy Yang that somehow managed to stay annoyed and exude comforting warmth. This smile widened as the same prideful feeling she had felt during this past week overcame her. "Sure," she whispered, "I'll do my best if I'm still awake."

Yang shifted again, moving to a more comfortable position for the two of them. "Sounds good," she yawned. "'Night, Blake."

The Faunus could imagine Yang's eyelids drooping as she slowly fell asleep in her arms. The thought of a nap was intoxicating. Her own lids began to close as she leaned into the hold as well. "'Night," she replied in kind before planting a brief, soft kiss atop Yang's head.

As she drifted off to sleep, Blake didn't think about her family or the repercussions that awaited her. She thought of the girl in her arms and the warmth that she brought. She thought of the happiness that Yang allowed for and purposefully brought into her life. The frightening meeting wasn't what she thought about now. Instead, she anticipated the time they would spend with each other in the new environment. She didn't think about the travel ahead of them, but the warmth that beckoned her to sleep. Unconsciously, Blake held Yang tight, understanding why she was with her.

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Side by side, the two walked through the crowded airport towards their terminal. Even if Yang wasn't presently holding her and protecting her from potential gazes from the masses, Blake felt safe in her assumption that not a single person here cared about her presence. Not only was it early for her, it was early for them as well, prompting the brisk, robotic pace of those whose personal lives or careers were dependent on soon-to-depart flights. While the urgency existed for her as well, she did not feel that a missed flight would be cataclysmic. Her parents wanted to see her again and she wanted to see them too, but she knew that the event was not time-sensitive. The stress she felt earlier this morning was found to be rather irrational when she thought about it. They had been the ones to send the invitation and initiate conversation after all these years. They weren't hostile just as the people around her weren't. Of course, there was always the potential for trouble, but perhaps this is why she invited Yang to join her.

She looked to the blonde, her incredible partner and beautiful girlfriend. Yang stepped to a jaunty, inaudible beat that doubtlessly played in her mind. The brief nap they had taken together had done apparent wonders on the both of them; Blake was finally able to compose herself and Yang was all but skipping through the crowd despite the hour still being considerably young. The time it had taken them to get to the airport from the house had seemingly been enough to reinvigorate the both of them for at least a short while. Lethargy still existed, but it was nowhere near as constricting as it had been before they left. Blake smiled at the sight of the girl by her side. Yang held a grin as well but not one that was caused by spur-of-the-moment happiness. Rather, this was the same grin that had existed ever since Blake first kissed her on the cheek. The memory of that moment was the cause of Blake's prideful, loving smile.

From the moment that kiss occurred, the two seemed to be in an unspoken agreement that their relationship had taken a step forward. Blake was still nervous about initiating such contact, mostly due to how inexperienced she felt. The kiss this morning had only been the third kiss she had ever given Yang—this includes the initial kiss on the cheek. Yang, on the other hand, made it a point to initiate such contact daily and with the same grin she currently held. With every touch came sincere, meaningful, and ordinarily pedestrian sayings that might seem trite to others but caused Blake to smile giddily. In the morning, it came with a simple "Good morning!", at night a "Good night", and during the day it was a tight hug and a "Thanks for coming, Blake." She would always return these hugs and replied gratefully herself. She felt loved even if she wasn't positive that her partner could plausibly feel the same way just yet. But in those instances and moments like the one before she drifted off to sleep this morning, she could believe Yang did.

The reason why she felt as though Yang probably did not truly love her was not because of the blonde's actions, but because of their collective stagnation. From what she had read throughout her life, Blake knew that she and Yang were doing a great deal of what couples normally did together—they went on dates, held hands, made it known to the world that they were together through their walks in the city—but had yet to actually kiss. The kisses they had given each other were either on the cheek or occasionally on the top of the head. Blake didn't mind these actions at all. The sentiments shown through them were wonderfully real and heart-warming, but she knew that a true kiss would be loving and far more emotional than all the others. This made her nervous. Not only did the emotional aspect of the action make her anxious, it was the predicted timing of the event. She knew that their relationship would progress again and, if she was correct, it would be rather soon. This evoked a response similar to the one her parents' call did: she was nervous because she felt that her inexperience would become obvious to the blonde, thusly pushing her away, but at the same time, she was excited by the prospect.

She loved Yang. She was in love with Yang. There were no doubts in her mind about how she felt about the blonde and yet she was apprehensive. Perhaps this current feeling was anticipation—anxiousness about change that would undoubtedly alter her life for what she hoped would be the better. Perhaps it was subconscious uncertainty that still managed to linger. Regardless, these doubts were known to be inconsequential. This was made apparent to Blake when her partner poked her arm to get her attention.

"Hey," Yang said before pointing ahead of them. "There's our gate. You think we have time to get something to eat before we go?"

Blake looked to the area in front of them and the digital clock that was set above their chosen airline's logo. Currently, it was a little before 5:30 and with a flight that was to board in about fifteen minutes, the Faunus doubted they could possibly purchase any food and make their flight. "I don't think so. We might be able to, but I don't want to risk it."

Yang shrugged. "Fair enough." She then took Blake's hand and pulled her towards the waiting area. "C'mon," she said simply as she led the Faunus away from the reasonably occupied seating area and towards one that was not crowded whatsoever. Seeing that Yang was doing this for her sake, Blake squeezed the gloved hand and smiled brightly.

The seats they chose faced the other crowd but were so removed from those faraway people that not a single glance was sent the couple's way. Yang sat down first and laid an arm over the back of the seat beside her, prompting Blake to lean into an embrace when she took her seat. Almost immediately, the arm descended to her shoulders and held her close. Blake closed her eyes and smiled absent-mindedly, simply basking in the warmth. It was only when the figure next to her yawned that she opened her eyes. "Are you still tired?"

"Yup," Yang stated flatly. "It's not natural for anyone to be up this early, is it?"

Blake chuckled. "This is when I usually got up while we were still attending Beacon."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, well you're…you. You can do anything!"

She couldn't laugh at this compliment; it would have been rude because of the sincere tone Yang had when she said it. Instead, Blake smiled thankfully. It was sweet of her to think that way, but it could never be true. The only reason why they were seated apart from everyone else was because she couldn't handle a crowd. Yang, however, was a person the comment could justly apply to. "Yang, you have yet to show me something you can't do when you put your mind to it."

Blake had hoped that this would boost her partner's confidence but the result she was met with concerned her. "I wish that was the truth," Yang sighed.

Furrowing her brows, Blake appraised the girl beside her. Her sunny smirk was gone and in its stead was an apprehensive frown. She didn't seem dejected, merely thoughtful. "Yang, is something wrong?"

"Yeah, it's" she began, but quickly decided against whatever it was she was going to say. "It's nothing, really. It's…" She seemed torn about divulging the information. Seeing that she was at a loss for what to do, Blake did her best to replicate the way in which Yang often consoled her when she was stuck in a difficult situation. Because of their position and the hold that they were already in, Blake couldn't use her girlfriend's exact methods, but she tried nonetheless. She nuzzled into the side of Yang's shoulder, letting her know that help was available if she ever needed it. Yang let out a noise that was half sigh, half chuckle before taking the hand wrapped around Blake's arm and using it to scratch behind her bow. "Thanks, kitten," she said as Blake found her quickening heartbeat.

"It's just that…It's just that I'm kinda worried, you know?" Blake was about to ask what was worrying her when she continued. "I mean, what if they don't like me? I know I'm not the most polite person, but what if they think I'm rude?" The "they" in question, Blake assumed, meant her parents. None of this was true and she intended to counter these points, but she decided to let Yang vent her frustrations first. "God, they aren't going to like me. I didn't even wear the right thing! If they see me this way, they might think I'm…Do you think we could check in at the hotel first so I can change into something else?"

Now Blake was certain that she was talking about her parents. She wanted to say that such ideas were nonsensical, but considering her own state of mind last night and this morning, that sort of response would be hypocritical. Instead, she gave the same rationalization that helped suppress her own fears. "It's going to be all right. They invited us, Yang, so I believe they will at least be happy to see us. I doubt they would have agreed to you joining me if they didn't want to meet you. Besides, if I remember correctly, my parents are accommodating to guests and are fairly reasonable people. I think you'll be fine."

In the calls that scheduled this trip, Blake was faced with the decision of what to do with Yang. She desperately wanted to be around her for the entire summer, but was unsure of how her parents would possibly react to her suddenly being involved in their reunion. She skirted around the subject until she felt that an opportune moment arose to mention it. Unfortunately, due to the differing conversational natures of her parents, she never found an opportunity to turn the discussion in her favor and influence their decision.

Fortunately, when she built up the courage to finally ask, breaking a dialogue that was in the midst of occurring, her parents agreed that Yang should come for the festivities. They didn't enjoy the idea of her interrupting their reunion, but Blake had convinced them that because Yang was her partner and their lives were in each other's hands now, it would be ideal for them to meet—though, she only mentioned their partnership rather than their relationship for fear of disagreement. Blake was immediately and notably ecstatic about their permission, Yang even more so. Now, however, the blonde was beginning to worry.

"But what if I'm not? What if they don't approve of me?" Her speech was quickening. "Blake, I'm meeting your parents! Do you even know what that means? Of course you do; you know everything, but still! They're probably going to think that I'm asking for permission and I really don't want to be thinking about that sort of thing yet because I'm only seventeen and I kinda want to become a huntress first and do my own thing for a while before I even start to think about settling down with anyone. Not that it would be bad to settle down with you! I'm just saying—"

Blake cut her off by reaching over to her partner's other hand and gripping it in her own. However, due to the mention of what she believed to be marriage—specifically with her—her face burned and her grip was far stronger than she had intended. Yang didn't seem to mind. "It's going to be all right," Blake repeated shakily.

Yang sighed in what sounded like relief. "Thanks, Blake." Hearing this, the Faunus' blush began to die down and her grip loosened. "And sorry about mentioning…you know. It's a bit early to even think about that sort of thing. I guess that's why I'm so scared of your parents asking about it."

The blush intensified once more, but never reached the level it had simmered at only moments prior. "I don't think they're going to ask about…that. I think most of the questions they might ask you will revolve around Beacon. Then again, I'm almost certain the majority of the questions will be directed towards me." And with due reason.

"I hope so," Yang breathed. "I'm terrible with parents."

Blake felt the urge to reassure her once more, but the squawk of an intercom overhead dissuaded her from doing so. "All passengers for Flight 252 to Sierra please proceed to gate three to begin boarding. Please have your boarding pass in hand. Again," the voice repeated the message once more. The couple rose from their seats and moved hand-in-hand towards the gathering line.

Thankfully, there weren't too many people on this flight, allowing Blake to relax somewhat. However, as she neared the gate, the same stress from earlier began to gnaw at her relatively happy state. She shook the feeling off; her parents would be glad to see them. Yang reached the flight attendant first and showed her the boarding pass she carried. Once she was cleared, she moved ahead but waited for her partner.

As the Faunus handed the woman her pass, she looked over at Yang, grateful for her presence. When she turned to face the attendant, she found the woman was giving her an odd look—specifically, she looked at her bow. This caused Blake to glance at her partner and Yang to send a scarlet glare the woman's way. Respectively, the looks seemed to be of uneasiness, hope that the situation would not escalate, and finally barely contained fury. The woman did not see the look Yang was giving her but nonetheless handed the pass back to Blake and allowed her to board.

As the two entered the connecting bridge between airport and airship, Yang called the woman a name under her breath that was objectionable enough for Blake to warn the blonde about her language. Other than the instance of profanity, Blake saw Yang's defensiveness as lovable and noble. Even after the events of the year prior, Blake was still adjusting to the fact that she had people who supported her when she was faced with discrimination. Though, this particular time had been passable as it hadn't amounted anything more than a few seconds of hesitation. Even still, Yang's reaction reminded her that she was cared for and she was thankful for that. When they entered the ship's cabin, Yang took Blake's hand and quickly pulled her over to a far corner where there was not yet another person. It took a moment to realize why she was doing this, but Blake eventually noticed that the seats she was being pulled towards were nearly identical to the ones they had occupied on their flight from Beacon. She smiled at the memory that now seemed so distant. Yang sat and pulled the reminiscing Faunus down with her, resulting in an embrace that was disorienting but nonetheless comfortable.

The cabin was dark with the exception of a few fluorescent lights along the major walkways. This setting, with the addition of the view to the dark sky of early morning, reminded Blake of the sleep she had lost last night. Slowly, she felt fatigue overwhelming her again, but she would fight the sensation so that Yang could have company. The girl in question yawned and smiled. "You know, now that Weiss isn't here, I can finally do this." She lifted both her legs and rested them on the seats across them. She looked over to Blake. "C'mon. Relax, Blake. We've got like nine or ten hours 'til we get there, right? Besides, you don't want anyone sitting across from us, do you?"

Though the suggested action was uncharacteristic of her considerate nature, Blake felt oddly drawn to replicate Yang's position. She looked around once, hoping that there was nobody in the area who would object to what she was about to do. Seeing that this was the case, she propped her legs up on the seat as well. Due to the proximity of their feet, Blake tapped Yang's boot with her own to gain her attention. This worked well as the sunny expression became focused on her. "Hey, Yang? If you don't mind me asking, what is it exactly you have against Weiss?" She wasn't truly curious about the subject, admittedly. She simply wanted conversation that would hopefully allow time to pass by quickly.

Yang shrugged. "It's not that I have anything against her personally. I just don't like her attitude most days." She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, apparently attempting to go to sleep. Perhaps she was trying to avoid the conversation. Then again, it was still early and sleep was a reasonable idea to the both of them.

"Yet you consistently antagonize her without provocation." Not only did she make it a point to torment the heiress, she seemed to enjoy every moment of it.

Yang opened a single eye and looked at Blake incredulously. "Without provocation? No, there was provocation, all right." She sat back up. "You've seen what she's done to Ruby: the insults, the shouting, treating her like she's just a kid—you name it! I consider this payback for all she did last year. As her sister, I can't stand by and watch as Ruby gets pushed around with a smile on her face. She was made team leader! She shouldn't have to put up with this! When Weiss stops acting like a child herself and treats my sister with an ounce of respect, then we'll negotiate a ceasefire. Until that happens, though, I'm not letting up." She then returned to her previous position with a smirk. "But then again, she gets mad so easily and it's never not funny, so I guess there's that too."

It took Blake a moment to absorb this new information. She hadn't thought of her partner's actions in this light even though it was fairly obvious to her now. Before, she believed the feud that had gone on between Yang and Weiss had been based purely on disdain for one another. She believed that because their personalities so contrasted each other, common ground would be hard to come by outside of a combat scenario where teamwork was necessary. The testimony Yang offered made their arguments marginally less petty but still petty nonetheless. However, Blake saw now that the main reason for the blonde's less than amiable attitude towards the heiress was out of sisterly protection. It somewhat made sense to her due to Yang's history of being protective—and, at times, being over-protective—as well as the value she seemed to place on her family. In a way, this perspective allowed Blake to side with her girlfriend on the matter. If she was to be completely honest about the situation, she knew that Weiss had been rather rude and unforgiving at times, especially earlier in the year.

Thinking rationally, however, Blake could see no reason why Yang should keep her sister away from her partner. The blonde had talked about her desire for Ruby to be treated as an adult but simultaneously implored her to distance herself from Weiss. Shouldn't the decision whether or not to befriend Weiss ultimately be Ruby's choice? For that matter, did Yang's advice matter to her sister at this point? Ruby had made her admiration for Weiss fairly evident and the heiress had practically told Blake how highly she thought of her partner. Yang could potentially shift the tide of her sister's relationship but that would contradict what she had been saying. Blake wondered if she was aware of the slight hypocrisy. "If you have nothing against Weiss, why are you hesitant about Ruby pursuing a relationship with her?"

This caused Yang to look up at her again, this time with both eyes open and her expression showing disbelief. "You know my sister's fifteen, right?"

"Sixteen," Blake corrected. This raised a flag in her mind. Yang knew just about everything there was to know about Ruby. How she didn't know her own sister's age meant something.

"Same thing!" She began to believe that this lapse in awareness was caused by her partner's protectiveness—perhaps irrational thinking was the means she was using to convince herself that Ruby could not pursue a relationship. Seeing that this could be the case, Blake felt like backing off and leaving matters of the family to those within. However, Yang wanted to talk. "Look, if she wants to go out with someone, I'd be fine with that! But Weiss is too old. Ruby needs to find someone closer to her own age instead."

For only a moment, the intercom interrupted their conversation. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard Flight 252 from Vale City to Sierra. Preparations are nearly complete for take-off and we expect to ascend in approximately fifteen minutes." The speech after went ignored by the couple.

With the way she had ended her previous sentence, it sounded as though Yang wanted to have a discussion about the matter rather than simply conclude the conversation on a final note. "But it's obvious your sister sees something in Weiss that she doesn't in anyone else. And I don't think that either of them sees a problem with the age difference."

"But she's sixteen! And Weiss is eighteen! That's two years apart! And you know that if something happens between the two, it'd probably be illegal, right?"

Blake raised an eyebrow. "First, I doubt Weiss would be the type of person to initiate what you're implying. Second, they will always be two years apart in age. When Ruby turns eighteen, Weiss will be twenty. If they still feel the same way as they do now, then what would stop them from pursuing a relationship then? And if we go by your logic, why should we be dating and not them? You're technically a year younger than I am and we haven't had any complaints yet, I don't think."

Yang met her gaze confidently for a few seconds before sighing and bringing her hands into her lap. "I just…Why Weiss? I get that Ruby likes her and all but why did she have to pick a person who pushes her away every time she gets close? She's fighting a losing battle, Blake, and I don't want her to live through that."

"Well," Blake began, "why did you pick me?" The look Yang gave her was certainly confused and curious, but even more importantly, she seemed shocked that the question was asked. She didn't want an answer; this was for the sake of rhetoric. "Yang, you must have known that Human-Faunus relationships are few and far between. You must have known of the repercussions you could receive from Faunus rights activists both for and against the cause. And you certainly must have been aware of how my prior affiliations could affect our future. Yang, if this divide that stood in our way was so easily crossed, what can an age difference do to a girl who's finally opening up to somebody and another who has been infatuated with the other for months?"

Yang didn't say anything. Her head looked to the hands folded in her lap as she sighed. To Blake, seeing her partner this way hurt. She was conflicted but she had been like this before the conversation started and it was none of Blake's doing. However, she felt entirely responsible for this remorseful expression that Yang now held. It was haunting in a way to feel Yang's Aura receding and leaving the air around them cold and melancholy. Perhaps Blake had gone too far. No, she began to think that she had indeed gone too far and impeded on personal matters that had little to do with her. She felt sick because of her own actions but she knew that her own wellbeing wasn't important at the moment.

She placed an arm over Yang's shoulder and pulled her near. Like in the limousine earlier, Yang nuzzled into the side of Blake's shoulder but unlike before, she did not exude the same gleeful warmth. Blake rubbed her arm slowly, hoping to rekindle the fire within the blonde that had seemingly been suffocated. "I'm sorry," she tried to console. "I have no business lecturing you on this. She's your sister, not mine."

Yang sighed and a brief wave of warmth radiated off of her. It took a few seconds but she finally replied. "No, it's all right. It's my fault. It's my fault Ruby and Weiss can't find happiness—I'm standing in their way. I just thought that Weiss was using her or turning her against me. I don't know. I was probably being overly defensive, huh?"

Blake shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Caution is an admirable trait, but too much will stifle growth. You've protected Ruby well so far, but I think it's time you trust her judgment."

The faint warmth of her partner's Aura subtly increased. This meant progress and allowed Blake's mood to pick up as well. She didn't smile yet, she regretted the way she had acted, but she felt happy that Yang was recovering. "Thanks, Blake. I'm not sure if I'm ready to let Ruby go, but this helped. I still don't want her to be with Weiss, but that's probably just because of me. I might let them go out for a bit to test the waters but I'll keep an eye on them. No matter what, she's my little sister and she's underage." She sighed again, this time, bringing back even more warmth. "Sorry about arguing like that. I guess I got carried away. I think it's the travel."

Blake cracked a smile. "Yeah, I think it's getting to me as well. Again, Yang, I'm sorry about saying that. I had no right to tell you what to do when it comes to Ruby."

"No, it's fine. You were right, mostly. It actually helped a lot. Thanks." She then nuzzled closer and let out a yawn. "Do you think we can go back to sleep?"

The innocent way in which she used "we" in her question made Blake's smile widen. "Sure," she said. "I don't think staying up and worrying about the trip is going to be very beneficial."

Yang let out a short laugh. "Why do you think I'm trying to sleep?"

The hand that had been rubbing the blonde's arm moved upwards and into the mane of flaxen hair. Blake didn't say anything in response, she simply chuckled lightly as she combed through her soft locks. It was an absent-minded gesture that seemed to lull her girlfriend to sleep fairly quickly and allowed herself to take her mind off of their debate. It was simpler to just think of Yang. Ruby and Weiss were their own people and could make decisions for themselves. The only person that mattered in Blake's world at the moment was the girl in her arms who had just fallen asleep. There was no need to discuss an age difference or potential racial unrest. Neither mattered in their situation. She loved Yang and there was no external force that could possibly deprive her of this. In this moment, all that existed in her world was her girlfriend and the love she shared with her.

She looked up from the golden sight below her and through the window beside their seats. The sun was beginning to rise, revealing the hazy city that was asleep for once. Only a sliver of orange had crested the horizon yet it was able to spawn streaks of violets, magentas, reds and all colors in between in a natural painting of warmth and singularity. At this hour, all of the city's residents were equal in tiredness but were to be energized soon by the light of day. Blake, however, began to slip once more into the unconscious realm of slumber, clinging protectively to her wonderful partner. The final sight she saw was of Yang's sunny, golden hair before she succumbed to the warmth that enveloped both her heart and body.

---

In a sea of shadows, there was a bright white orb. It had a pull to it but it was no star, not in the literal sense. Blake couldn't look away from this odd light. She had no choice. The dark that surrounded her was immobilizing; wherever else she looked, she saw pain, torment, anguish—all the suffering that she could not bear to accept as fact—and she could not bring herself to challenge the ideas. The light, however, gave off a sensation of comforting warmth. There was no elevated temperature empirically associated with this object more than there was an emotional rise in closeness despite the sizable distance between the two entities. She never questioned its existence. It just was and she accepted it.

She simply watched the light, believing for some reason that if she was to approach, she would be left alone in the dark. It didn't move at first and this made Blake feel safe, but the longer she watched it, the more apparent it became that the orb was distancing itself. With its backward motion, it took away the warm sensation, leaving Blake emotionally cold. She felt strangely sad and angry—rather, furious at herself because she had forced the bright presence to retreat and despondent due to the crumbling security she had not realized she had become entirely dependent upon in this void. This horrific sight of apparent abandonment was punctuated and further corrupted by the slow shift from white light to a deep, depressed blue glow.

For some reason, seeing this vile color from the dear source made Blake feel as though she was on the verge of sobbing uncontrollably. This would break a streak that had existed since she was a child and first ran away. She wanted to scream, to express her primal frustration at powerlessness savagely and sincerely. But she wouldn't cry. That blue light was her fault and she knew there was no reason to cry when she had an obligation to rectify the situation.

She pushed forward, trudging against the current of shifting shadows. It took the entirety of her person to do so, but once she took the first step towards the fading light, her pace became easy and fluid as the resisting shades dissipated. When she looked ahead, the hated blue light was gone. In its stead was not the stationary white light that she had so missed, but a moving, warm, yellow radiance. She was never once disappointed by this spectacle; immediately, it brought her a sense of security and happiness that made the previous orbs seem insubstantial in comparison. She didn't know what it was about this new one, but it made her gleeful—exuberant even. It made her want to laugh aloud and she did, feeling no shame at the positive emotion. As she walked forward, she found that the yellow orb neared her as well. It seemed happy too and thusly allowed for her smile to widen.

At the moment the two bodies were intended to intersect, the shadows of the void faded away and were replaced with a brilliant, golden hue that took up the atmosphere and washed away all her fears. That lone orb was gone, but Blake did not worry. Its presence had been and would be with her always.

---

This was Sierra: the miles of impenetrably dense forest sheltering this road and the town ahead, the winding paths amongst the hills that increased in numbers and elevation, and the perennial, spring-like atmosphere that seemed to defy geographic understanding. Since leaving the airport, the couple had yet to witness another instance of civilization—let alone the border town that this area was named after—other than the taxi in which they rode. In a way, the sight of these trees passing rapidly by was calming, evoking the thought that everything to come was natural and benign. However, anticipation was rising on the parts of both girls. They hadn't spoken much at all since they landed, but their eyes were trained on the road ahead as their hands were locked nervously together. This was Sierra: Blake's technical home.

The quiet between all three of the car's occupants was unsettling. The driver had proven himself to not be the conversational type, which Blake was fine with, but what concerned her most was Yang's lack of usual speech. The only sounds heard in the vehicle were the rattling of its frame from the rough roads and the infrequent clicks from raindrops left by a past rainstorm dropping from the trees above. Despite the noises' collective ability to remove any dead air that might have existed, they somehow made the ride feel even more awkward than it already was. Blake didn't care, though, and she didn't think Yang could either. What waited at the end of this journey was far more pressing than momentary silence.

Blake involuntarily shuddered from the stress, accidentally tightening her grip on Yang and causing the blonde to look over in concern. Not wanting to be the one to break the silence, Blake simply gave an appeasing smile, silently telling her partner that everything was all right. She seemed to accept this as she returned Blake's squeeze with her own before looking back to the road. The Faunus' gaze, however, would linger on her girlfriend.

The yellow light was almost certainly representative of Yang, she thought. What other entity could have exuded such warmth and inspire the happy feelings she felt? What the meaning of the golden light meant—or what any of the other lights meant for that matter—was beyond her current comprehension. All she knew was that Yang was unsurprisingly involved in her dreams and that she meant something incredibly significant to some part of her unconscious. The projection of Yang that had appeared before her, however, was odd because she had dreamt of Yang before and during those occurrences, the blonde took the form of her natural body. This abstract and potentially metaphoric version of her caused Blake to worry, not because of the appearance it took, but because of the desolation it replaced.

A bump in the road shook not only Blake from her introspection, but the entire cab, erasing any remaining tiredness that may have hindered either girl in this mid-afternoon hour. Despite this surprise, their grip on each other was steadfast and would not be easily broken. Yang looked sheepishly at Blake and was returned with a quiet, if not nervous, laugh.

"Hey, Blake?" The question was unexpected but hardly alarming. When Blake looked to her, the blonde was prompted to continue. "Are you gonna be all right?"

She wanted to say yes but knew such a prediction could never be fully accurate. "I think I will." Again, the only sounds in the car came from in or around the vehicle; neither of the two felt like talking. Still, Blake could tell that Yang was worried. "What about you?"

"I hope so." The two returned to staring at the road ahead.

The road curved ever so slightly but it was enough to reveal a petrifying sight. In the distance, the forest was clearing in a way Blake had seen before—in a way she had seen many times before. She gripped tighter onto the gloved hand, trying her hardest to keep her thoughts suppressed. The desired bleakness of mind was soothing. Because she wouldn't have to think of anything, her thoughts could not harm her and force her away. But as they neared the end of the tree-line, cracks began to form in her defenses. The car was paradoxically bolting at what seemed to be unfathomable speeds while moving hardly at all. It was only when she saw the house that she felt the need to panic.

Fortunately, Yang was there. Simply by rubbing Blake's knuckles with her thumb, the blonde was able to contain the deluge of fear that nearly dismantled the young Faunus. Her breathing was still erratic but she didn't want to run away any longer. She looked once more to the only house in these woods and knew that her parents were waiting. She knew she was ready on some level even if she didn't believe it herself.

The taxi slowly closed in on the house and gradually came to a stop before its curb. Before the driver could say anything and interrupt her focus, Blake paid the fare and stepped out of the car and onto the road she grew up on. Thinking about the slab of stone in this light nearly made her lose her balance, but she kept composed and moved to retrieve her luggage. Now was not the time for weakness. Now was the time for retribution and apology; she had to stay strong.

By the time she reached the cab's trunk, she found Yang waiting beside it, looking at her with a very obvious expression of concern. Blake shook the sight off and attempted to open the trunk, undeterred. She was stopped by her partner who kept her hand on the compartment, keeping it closed with her greater strength. A critical, almost angry look was sent the blonde's way but was cut short when Blake found herself wrapped in a hug. In that moment, she relaxed and returned to the warmth and somehow believed for a fact that everything was going to end beneficially for the two of them. She returned the hold and sighed.

"It's going to be okay, kitten. It's going to be fine." With one hand, Yang pulled her closer and with the other, she rubbed her back. She repeated the reassurances until Blake was nodding along to each sentence, showing that trust was placed in her. "I'll carry our bags. You've got enough weighing you down right now." Blake nodded feebly. "It'll be all right, I know it. They're your parents, Blake. It'll be all right."

When Blake sighed, Yang released the hold and stepped back to apparently appraise her expression. She must have approved of what she saw because she smirked and opened the trunk. Blake wanted to smile and thank her, but knew that all the energy and enthusiasm she had left should be focused on the building before her. She stepped onto curb and, in effect, onto the foot of the short walkway leading up to the house. This was where she was raised, had her first memories, learned her first subjects, and where she first decided the White Fang was more important than family. She knew better as she stared up at the white house that had not changed in the slightest. The picket fence was as sturdy as it ever had been, the yard was neatly mowed, there were no marring accents on either of the two stories—it seemed to her the same as the day she left it. It was a lot to take in. Though she could not see inside, she could see the window to the living room below and what she believed to be her old room above. There was nothing wrong with this house—no reason she should have run away—and yet she was afraid. She didn't know if the memories frightened her or if it was the possibility of returning, but she was scared nonetheless.

The taxi could be heard driving away just as the sound of footsteps neared Blake's side. "Well, this is it, right?" Blake nodded. "And we're going to have to walk all the way up there and ring the bell?" Unfortunately, Blake nodded again. "Great," Yang drawled. "Well, you asked me to come with you, so I'm here to help. Ready to go on your mark."

Blake looked over to her partner and tried to smile, but the resulting action still came across as a frown. "Thank you for this, Yang."

Yang shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It's the least I could do."

They stood there, staring at the door for a few seconds before Blake sighed, "Well, I guess there's no point in drawing this out any further."

Her steps were deliberate and measured; not too fast, not too slow. She didn't want to delay the inevitable but at the same time she did not want the moment to come. Yang matched her speed and stayed by her side to give her the illusion that the pace was relatively normal and natural. In hindsight, Blake would consider this next reaction as humorous, but at the time, it was disconcerting. There was one point on the path—she didn't remember where specifically—where her anxiety faded away and was replaced with her instinctual fight-or-flight response. In this instance, she was subjected to the same indifference and automation that she fell under in the midst of a battle. All fear vanished and the door became her primary objective. She wouldn't realize her own actions until after she rang the bell.

The next thing she saw was her finger raised only a small distance away from the doorbell's button. She had pressed it. Her eyes widened as she brought down her hand, fearful of the series of events she had set in motion. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yang shuffle, shifting her position a few times before taking a nervous breath. She was trying to compose herself and by seeing this, Blake was compelled to do the same. She quickly evened her gaze, corrected her posture, and removed any trace of emotion from her expression as she waited for the inevitable response to her call.

There was no sound from behind the door for the first few seconds. Until the noises occurred, time slowed to an apprehensive crawl as the aesthetics of the door before the two became more pronounced and noticeable. This was the only thing they could pay attention to. When they heard the deadbolt unlock, they were alerted to the presence of the house's occupants behind the door. Blake's breath hitched before the door could open, but when it did, she was absolutely silent for the sight in front of her.

She had no words to describe them. They looked the same as when she left them, but now older—greyed from what she could only assume was the stress she had caused them—and smiling. Her father seemed to have taken the absence far worse than her mother had. Blake was shocked by the scarcity of hair he had left; every strand remaining was in one of numerous stages of greying and collectively formed a feeble imitation of how he had once looked. He seemed unfazed by this effect however as his eyes held the same smile they always did when she was younger despite the tears he was holding back. Her mother seemed to be the more concerned of the two. Stress had gotten to her judging by the silver that could be spied infrequently around her roots, but she seemed not to be rejoicing quite yet even if the smile she held argued otherwise. Blake knew the look she was being given; she was being analyzed and appraised. She knew her mother was judging her not because of what she had done, but to see who she had become instead. The smile showed acceptance of whatever it was she saw.

Blake didn't know which party moved first, whether it was her or her parents; all she knew was that the end result was her being wrapped in a hug from both of them while she returned the affection. In that instant, all fears of rejection and scorn were dismissed and were replaced with relief and happiness. She didn't cry and her parents didn't either as they took solace in this homecoming and lack of hostility. They were not angry and Blake was glad reparations could begin. Without the distortion of a telephone, the clarity of tone and voice allowed Blake to realize that she had actually returned and this was all real. "Welcome home, Blake. I've missed you so much." Her father's voice was shaky but she knew he meant what he said.

"I'm sorry," Blake managed to say.

"Don't worry," her mother soothed, "we know. We are just glad that you returned unharmed. What a relief it is to see you safe and…grown up. We missed you, Blake. We feared the White Fang had corrupted you. We're just happy you're home now." When she said the words "grown up," Blake knew at that moment exactly how long she had been gone for and felt ashamed for every second she put them through.

"I'm so sorry," she nearly sobbed.

She could feel her mother shake her head. "There's no need for that. You're home now and that is restitution enough. There is nothing to be ashamed about. You've made your amends by coming here and we have forgiven you. We still love you, Blake. You may not believe it, but we always have, even when you chose to leave us. But that doesn't matter now—it's a matter of the past and cannot be changed. All that matters is that you are here, safe with us, and that you know who you are after years of struggle. Do not worry, Blake. You're home now."

Her blinking increased in frequency; she could feel tears pooling at the corners of her eyes and she could not stop the emotions that flowed through her otherwise collected mind. Happiness had overtaken remorse, allowing for the formation of tears of joy and relief rather than guilt and sorrow. She held on tighter to the two forms as a hand she believed came from her father held the back of her head. "She's right, sweetie. We never stopped loving you and we never will. You don't need to apologize to us because there was nothing we were mad at you about in the first place. You did what you thought was right and there's nothing wrong with that at all. You're here now. That's all the apology we'll ever need."

Had nothing changed at all? Did they really not care about her abandonment of them? Of course they did. How couldn't they? This acceptance—this kindness—didn't make sense to Blake. How could an apology not be needed after what she did to them? An apology was all she had, it was all she had prepared and they were telling her that it was unnecessary? They were holding her when they should be pushing her away. They should be pushing her away and now they were telling her that she was home and that she was with family and that there was nothing she could have done wrong. It didn't make sense. She had betrayed them and they were hugging her and telling her that everything was all right. It didn't make sense how little they had changed and how incredibly hospitable they were being to her when she believed she didn't deserve any of it. She wanted to be apologetic but she was finding herself to be grateful and she didn't know why. Because this situation did not make any sense to her whatsoever, the tears that welled in her eyes began to fall.

Her parents must have noticed this reaction and redoubled their consoling efforts. Her father began to brush her hair while her mother repeated "It's okay," until Blake was able to agree. If they were acting this way, being as reactive as they were, they must be telling the truth and being sincere. Perhaps they didn't care about the way she shrugged off their initial pleas and all they truly cared about was her well-being. The thought was a similar one she had had before when she thought of Yang. When she heard the screams of pain in her nightmare, she didn't care how or why Yang was in trouble, she merely cared about her partner's safety. It had been an incredible relief to find her alive and well. Perhaps this was what they felt, or some variant of the sentiment. Believing this was the case, Blake's tears eventually slowed and stopped. She had somewhat come to accept that her parents welcomed her back whole-heartedly.

Her mother loosened the hold she had on her and her father ceased his motions. She could feel him disengage from their group hug and thusly looked to what he was doing. His gaze had turned on Yang who had been waiting patiently during a moment that must have been awkward for her. Blake was initially worried that the blonde, now the second tallest person in the area, would be shunned for whatever reason by the towering figure that was her father. His bright yellow met her sunny lilac. Blake had assumed that her father's personality had changed since she left, but was genuinely surprised by how genial he was to her partner. "Well, hello. I'm Cole, Blake's dad, and you must be Yang, right?"

"Yeah," Yang drawled, obviously distracted by something. Her gaze was trained on an obscure location above Cole's eyes. Her staring was a decidedly rude action in Blake's mind, but she could not bring herself to say anything even if she thought Yang was her present responsibility.

Her father laughed a hearty laugh. "You don't think I'm a Faunus, do you?" Yang's eyes noticeably widened before returning to direct eye contact with Blake's father. "It's all right. We get that a lot. Not all Faunus have ears or tails. Lilian and I are just among those that have less noticeable traits." It took Blake a moment to understand that Yang's apparent rudeness was caused by an admitted lack of information.

Without the bias of personal perspective, the parents can be viewed as outwardly regular in comparison to the human race. No immediate Faunus traits were visible, but the genetics of the two were indicative of the Faunus race. The only noticeable qualities that set these two apart from others the blonde had seen before were the father's great height and eye coloration and the mother's uncanny resemblance to Blake, sans bow and underlying ears, of course. It was a confusing sight for Yang to see her partner and the mother standing beside each other. Somehow, the mother, this Lilian, seemed to be far more composed and reserved than Blake had ever been without expressing an air of boredom or indifference that often plagued the girl's demeanor. Her father on the other hand was very much the opposite of the mother yet somehow the same. She could see the relation to Blake; the way he acted was reminiscent of how Blake often behaved when she was in a teasing or playful mood or simply wanted to humor the blonde's jokes—as such, Yang grew to like this man almost immediately. These people were so similar to who Blake was at a fundamental level, but different in ways that had been forged through time and friendships made with the younger of the Faunus. Yang could see the similarities and knew they were more so family to the young Faunus than she was.

Going by what Yang had told her earlier about her trepidation with parents, Blake thought that the blonde was panicking internally, causing the delay in response. However, Yang seemed to defy her own logic as she questioned with no hint of trepidation, "Well, what's your 'less noticeable trait', then?"

Again, her father laughed and caused a confident smirk to appear on Yang's face. "Me? I have the eyes of a hawk. Pretty neat, huh?" The eyes were a bright, flat yellow—similar to Yang's hair—and held nothing but mirth despite their inherent predatory nature. "That's how I got the name 'Hawkeye' Cole around my friends." He then proceeded to laugh at his own joke—an action Blake had nearly forgotten about.

"Uh-huh, sure. And how many friends do you have that'll actually call you that?" Blake had to make an effort to keep herself from telling Yang to keep the teasing to a minimum especially around those she was only just meeting. However, she refrained from doing this because she knew that it was in Yang's nature to speak in such a manner. Yang was the more conversational of their partnership and as such she would find first impressions far more simple than Blake ever could.

Her introduction seemed to work as the father laughed once more. When Blake looked to her mother, she saw her close her eyes and shake her head with what appeared to be the faint beginnings of a smirk. "Not many, but the name's starting to stick."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "I don't know. For some reason I doubt that. Are you sure you didn't just make it up while we were standing here? I don't mean to be rude, but that name kinda fell flat."

"I guess Blake wasn't kidding when she said you were an energetic one, was she?"

"No, sir! Yang Xiao Long at your service! It's nice to finally meet you Mr. and Mrs. Belladonna. I'd shake your hand but," she lifted the suitcases in her hands slightly, "you know." How she had managed to shift the conversation into her favor after initially coming off as awkward was something Blake could not comprehend. Still, she smiled at her partner and her graceful conversational ability.

Now it was her mother's turn to speak to Yang. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Blake spoke highly of you and it seems her description was accurate." It was a very cordial and very warm voice that showed sincerity and meticulousness in speech. It reminded Blake of how she spoke herself whenever she chose to be wary of her words—rather, it had been the voice she had attempted to replicate after all these years. "Thank you for taking care of our daughter. We're glad she was able to escape the White Fang alive."

"Oh, I'm not the one who deserves the praise here. Blake's gotten me out of trouble more times than I can even begin to count. She's kept me in-line when I was getting out of hand and always lets me know when I'm being reckless. If anything, Blake's been taking care of me. She's the best partner I could've asked for." Hearing Yang speak so candidly about her made Blake smile warmly. Although she would disagree with her partner's statement that she deserved all the praise—Yang had helped her in ways she might not have recognized yet—she felt glad that her partner felt this way. Unfortunately, due to the limited knowledge of present parties, Blake forced her expression to flatten and appear grateful rather than loving.

"Well it's good to hear that she lived up to her promise of helping people, even if the people she's helping aren't who she initially thought they would be," her father mused, this time looking towards Blake as he spoke. He smiled widely for a moment before looking back to Yang. "Hey, if you want, I could take those bags for you."

One of the reasons why Yang continued to hold onto their bags—other than wanting to be helpful—was what the two had brought with them. Inside their cases were their weapons. They were kept there because of the airline's restrictions on weaponry and due to the uncertain reactions her parents would have about her bringing such instruments into their house. For these reasons, Gambol Shroud was secured, its blade having been removed, a trigger lock put in place, and a safety flag seated in its chamber just so Blake could be sure nothing would happen. Ember Celica had been disassembled with the intention of reassembling it when they settled into their hotel room. Because these weapons were in the bags, Blake felt comfortable with Yang holding them but not anyone else. Because Blake only knew her parents' view on violence (their stance on owning a weapon was yet to be determined), she knew that letting them know of the contents of their baggage would be counterintuitive to their reunion.

Thankfully, Yang was able to decline the offer without alerting them to her motives. "No, thanks. I've got 'em. It'd probably be better if I held them anyways; that was a long flight and dragging these around might help the circulation kick back in."

"Well, in that case, let's get you set up in a room so you can put your stuff down and take a rest." Yang's gaze diverted from Cole and moved to Blake with concern clearly evident. Somehow, Blake had not accounted for this possibility. "What? Is something wrong?" he asked.

The looks being traded between the partners were able to silently discuss what to do in this situation. If Blake was correct in her assumptions, Yang seemed to be willing to cooperate with either their own plan or this new idea from Blake's father. Blake, however, was hesitant. Not only did she want to make the most of her reservation, she felt that if they were to spend their duration here, it would be awkward and too close to her parents for comfort. Because Yang seemed to be willing to follow her lead, Blake made a quick decision. "N-no, it's nothing." She shook her head to clear the nervousness that still clung to her. "Yang and I reserved a hotel room before we came here. It would probably be best if we stayed there."

At first, Blake didn't know why her father smiled the way he did, but she quickly figured that it was because her previous statements had been the first rational and coherent things she had said to her parents since returning. "I don't see how that would be the best thing you could do. You're home now and we have your old room waiting for you. Wouldn't it be best to stay here, in a place you know and at a location where you will easily be able to reach the festivities tomorrow?"

Before Blake could even begin to consider the logic, her mother spoke. "Staying here would benefit you financially as well. I doubt that reserving a room for these next few days was inexpensive. It is likely you will be refunded if you choose to cancel." Blake sighed. They were utilizing both practical and logical arguments and were rapidly swaying her opinion. The final push in the direction of accepting came when her mother said, "It would also be good to have you home once more, Blake. You've been away for long time and we would like to see you again."

"Fine," Blake breathed. Their arguments made sense to her and she found that the main reason why she disagreed with the idea was because of her own nervousness that had already been proven unfounded. On her father's face, a bright smile appeared that instantly made her confident about her choice. However, before she could finalize her decision, she looked to her partner who also held a smile which existed perennially rather than momentarily. "Yang, would you prefer to stay here or at the hotel?"

Yang shrugged. "I'm fine with here. If we're able to get into town faster, I'm all for it! That and the area reminds me of home kinda." Her smile widened before she looked to Blake's father. "That is, if you'll let me stay with you."

In a historically rare show of emotion, her mother's smile could practically be heard as she accepted Yang into their home. "Of course, Yang. You are a guest of this town and we would be ashamed of ourselves if we chose to cast you aside. You have kept our daughter safe and we thank you. Please, follow us inside. See this as your home as well."

As Blake was coming to terms with the fact that they were finally about to head inside the house she had been raised in, her mother released her hold and moved to the door behind her. She watched as the door opened and the interior was revealed, causing a rapid return of the trepidation that had once hindered her. The same painting of her family's crest that existed when she was a child was placed directly behind the door in the small foyer. This sight was why she fought and why she could not move. Her mother entered the house in a series of quick, fluid motions that showed efficiency and purpose. Her father then strolled up to the door, waving the two to come along as he waited at the threshold. They were welcoming her back so easily. It still didn't make sense to her, but when she saw Yang step in front of her, she knew that it didn't need to.

Yang seemed to be excited. She was practically bounding with every step she took and seemed restless when standing still before Blake. "So," she chirped, "what kind of Faunus is your mom? She seems smart—maybe even too smart. Is she a dolphin Faunus? I think I heard somewhere before that dolphins are smart."

Had the situation or the speaker been different, Blake would have been fairly unamused. However, because Yang was asking an innocent and genuinely curious question and because Blake was far too stressed to be offended at the moment, she simply sighed. "Yang, it's complicated with her. I'll tell you later when we have the time."

This caused the blonde's eyebrows to furrow and her energy to decline to a state where she was relatively calm. "Is everything all right, Blake?"

Again, she sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine." In actuality, she wasn't. She was stressed, afraid, and anxious—emotions that she knew she shouldn't be fostering but fostered nonetheless.
"That was a lot to take in. I'm just," worried, "tired is all." Seeing that Yang didn't appear to believe her, she forced a smile to reassure her girlfriend. To do so required the young Faunus to convince herself for the moment that these emotions were irrational and would be overcome after she fully reunited with her parents. Because Yang still did not seem convinced, Blake willed herself to say, "Come on. Let's head inside."

Yang obliged even if her expression continued to show concern. With bags in hand, she turned towards the door and began moving only once Blake took her first steps. She doubted she was ready for this despite the assurances that her parents gave about being welcome and not having to be apologetic. With each step she took, she got closer to an inevitable end of which she did not know the meaning of. She was able to keep moving only because Yang was there to act as a model for what her behavior should be. It was an odd thought, but it was the truth; Yang, being charismatic and surprisingly quick-witted in a conversation, made this experience far more bearable than it would have been had she not come. Perhaps, Blake thought, this present situation—the trepid entry into the home of her parents—was akin to the times her partner led her through a crowd in when anxiety and memories of the White Fang were affecting her. Seeing the situation this way made entry far easier, she found. With her eyes trained on Yang alone, Blake was able to enter the house, ignoring the crest mounted on the wall, as her father closed the door behind her.

The memories, however, could not be escaped. Instantly, visions of childhood appeared before her. Times of freedom, ignorance, a lack of responsibility, and every other form of disconnection to the wretched world that was present Remnant haunted her. She wanted to return to those times, to leave the house with her father and get ice cream, to nap in the living room as her mother read to her, and to stay sheltered behind the walls of this warm, secluded residence, but she knew that her personality had undergone far too many changes and her allegiances had shifted one too many times. Her innocence was already gone and there was no way of returning it. She had been a member of the White Fang and she had grown adjusted to violence to the point where her desired career now was of a huntress rather than her childhood dream of being a "reader." She saw the evil in the world—the pain, the anxiety—and returning here seemed to salt the wound. Returning made her desire for the innocence to return and it upset her because it could never happen.

"Yang," her father said, breaking his daughter from her introspective prison, "there are stairs just around the corner. If you head on up, I can show you to your room so you can get settled."

"All right," Yang called back and instantly, Blake knew she would be alone. The blonde didn't give so much as a second glance as she turned the corner and took the steps at a strong, consistent pace. Perhaps it was her nerves, but Blake felt as though her own pace increased as she too turned the corner to watch her partner and girlfriend ascend. In her haste, she was left alone with her parents in their living room.

Her father, the tall, kind man of her past, walked around to her front and smiled down at her. She looked back, but couldn't bring herself to smile in response. She wished that she had never left; because she had left, she now didn't want to return. They did not deserve her lacking treatment of them. But it didn't seem to matter to her father who suddenly hugged her. "Welcome home, Blake. Welcome home." He then kissed the top of her head and backed away, smiling. She found herself subconsciously smiling as well. She was happy on some level to see them again, but at the same time, she knew the kiss meant nothing to her since it did not come from Yang.

"I-I've missed you too, dad." She hadn't realized what she said until after she said it and was thusly surprised. Her subconscious must have taken control and contradicted her conscious thoughts. From an ideological standpoint, she was opposed to and afraid of this place. From a sentimental perspective, however, she was glad to be back and had been tearful in how relieved she was to see her parents after all this time.

He smiled. "I'm gonna go help your friend and show her around and then I'll be back. In the meantime, your mom wanted to talk to you." Blake nodded in acknowledgment and watched as her father stared at her proudly for a few seconds before heading up the stairs.

With him gone, all that remained was her mother standing beside an arrangement of chairs around a coffee table. Blake took a few steps forward before her mother spoke. "Take a seat, Blake. I will be with you in a moment." She then turned and exited at the far side of the room.

She was alone now. Wasn't this what she wanted? She moved to a chair and sat automatically. There wasn't much thought placed in her actions at this point; she was overwhelmed, confused, and relieved all at the same time and it was enough to make her calculative personality fail her. Her mother said "a moment." How long was a moment exactly? A moment could mean a literal second or it could mean as much time as the person needed. Blake didn't know how much time she would need to come to terms with this situation, but then again, this wasn't her moment. This lack of knowledge and understanding was stifling.

She blinked in order to recompose herself for the umpteenth time. She was worried despite her knowledge that her parents wanted her to be here and she knew that these doubts were slowing the passage of time. A distraction was necessary at this juncture so that she could distance herself from these self-destructive thoughts and move closer to the already established rationalizations that would keep her calm. She looked around and saw that over the years, the only change that had occurred in the room had been the arrangement of furniture. The walls were still the same oddly calming white and the fireplace seemed to remain unused. The house was not as warm as it once was—she doubted it ever would be—but it exuded a sensation of familiarity and closeness that the sisters' home had yet to affect her with. This was not her home, but the memories existed and she knew that she shared a bond with this place that would never be broken entirely.

A series of light, clinking noises pulled Blake from her reverie. Her mother, the woman she had once aspired to be, walked into the room with two cups of what was known to be tea from the scent alone. Perhaps this would calm her nerves in the way it had every other time this action occurred when she was a child. While Blake thought herself to be versed rather adequately in literature both classical and contemporary, she knew that her mother would always know more about the medium. Because the two were so engrossed with the literary arts and, more so in Blake's case, centered their decision-making processes around the knowledge they obtained from texts, it had been established early on in Blake's childhood that whenever a situation arose where tempers got the better of their disagreements, her mother would make the both of them tea so that they may reach an understanding and end hostilities. It was a reference in a way to a cherished book they had read together when Blake was younger. Like the instances before, this happening was seen as a light at the end of a very dark, very bleak tunnel of anger and distrust.

Wordlessly, her mother handed her a cup atop a saucer before moving with her own to sit in a chair directly opposite her daughter. Blake looked down into the cup, seeing the black liquid and feeling the subtle rise of the steam before meeting the ambiguous, hazel eyes of her mother. They were as analytical as they had always been and yet there was a current hint of trepidation behind her gaze. However, she never broke eye contact as she lifted the cup to her mouth. Blake was not nearly as confident and unwittingly averted her gaze for a fraction of a second before drinking as well. Simultaneously, the two Faunus set their cups down before the eldest spoke. "There is no reason to fear us. We harbor no ill sentiments against your choice and you are doubtlessly aware of this. Why, then, do you still shy away from us?"

Blake was silent. She had tried to find any ire in her mother's tone but could find none. Lilian was patient and waited until Blake could bring herself to respond in a manner that would befit this ritual. Eventually, she said, "I am afraid because I should be. You should be livid and dad should be furious because I betrayed both of you. I fear that underneath your calm, relieved appearance, there is a vindictive beast stalking the moment when retribution may come justly. I fear this, but I know it cannot be true." She had not spoken in this way in a long time. In a way, it was refreshing, but at the same time, it was difficult. "I fear myself and what I have caused."

"Do you have a present urge to flee—to run from your problems now with knowledge that they will be dealt with in the future?" Blake envied her wisdom, somewhat. She knew she could have trained herself to think and speak in such a prudent fashion that lacked hesitation but instead chose to fight.

"No, the urge is to cower—to shrink away into obscurity so that I can avoid repercussions that I cannot accept will never come." Her mother took a drink of her tea and instantly Blake knew she had something acceptable to her.

"Then you do fear your actions. But what of the fear of yourself? If you lack the urge to run, then your resolve is unwavering and you will never cower because of who you are."

"I fear myself because of what I've become. I've run twice—from you and from the White Fang—and I know I more than likely will run again. I've betrayed you and Faunus everywhere once already and I am afraid I have the capacity to repeat this crime. Others rely on my assistance now and I have made contact with you once more. Another flight would not only damage you and the others, it would break my resolve."

"Caution is an essential trait to have." Her mother smiled sincerely, lifting the weight of the conversation incredibly. The action allowed Blake to breathe easy and drink from her tea calmly. "I am proud of you for acquiring the trait and exercising it with your affiliation with the White Fang. You may not remember it by this point, but you used to be quite the stubborn little girl. It did not take long for them to get you to fall under their spell, but once they did, there was no arguing against you." Blake's gaze lowered back down to her cup. "However, it was ultimately your choice to leave and we cannot fault you for the decision you made."

Blake's eyes darted back to her mother. "How?"

"Blake, you showed prudence in your decision despite the moral implications it eventually revealed to you. You were enamored by their propaganda and read it extensively. You read everything you could find on the organization and while the information you acquired skewed towards making them seem altruistic, you did your research nonetheless. I cannot say that I am proud of the choice you made, but you did what you thought was right and I cannot fault you for that."

To hear her mother disagree with her choice in running away was strangely reassuring. Though she was not angry, she disagreed nonetheless and it grounded the situation for Blake in reality—it made sense to her. "I want you to know that I'm sorry," Blake said. Her mother took a sip from her cup, showing her intent on listening. "I understand that you have forgiven me already, but I need to apologize. I showed poor judgment in siding with the White Fang over you and dad and I've never stopped regretting that moment. I realized that you were right about them and how they were taking a more militant route far too late. I know now that I made a poor choice but I cannot regret my decision. I'm sorry, mom. Regardless of whether I like it or not, the things I've learned and the choices I've made have shaped who I am."

"As they should. But you say you do not regret the person you have become and yet you say you fear yourself at the same time." The look she was giving Blake was not condescending as much as it was challenging and encouraging. "How can that be?"

Blake took a moment to consider her answer. In that time, she took another sip from her tea and allowed the calming warmth to relax her entirely. Her mother had convinced her that she was not hostile—in disagreement with a prior choice, but far from hostile. The stress of the reunion began to fade as they returned to an old ritual as though there was no gap in between. Blake set her cup down. "I cannot regret who I am now because it cannot be changed. I may grow fond of or disgusted at one topic or another, but the paths I've taken and the impressions I've made on people cannot be undone. I do not regret who I am because I am effective at what I aspire to do in life. But I need to fear myself so that I don't make the same mistakes I've made before. I've suffered, mom, and I know I could suffer again. The only thing keeping that from happening is the willingness to move forward. I must be confident in who I am to move forward and fearful of what I've done to ensure I never make a mistake again."

Her mother let out a small, controlled laugh that did not strike her as rude or condescending. Rather, the laugh was to convey prideful happiness. "Very inspiring." This was the final phrase that broke the tension between the two of them and allowed Blake to smile sheepishly. Perhaps she had been a slight bit idealistic in her speech, nearly verging on self-righteous, but she knew her mother didn't see it in this light. These talks, in the past, were not meant as appeasing explanations to one another but instead a resource for the speaker to understand why an action was done in both practical and logical viewpoints. "When you say you are afraid of making the mistakes you have already made, I assume you are implying that you no longer associate yourself with the White Fang?"

"I don't." Her mother nodded in appreciation. "However," her mother raised an eyebrow, "I cannot say I am completely finished with them. I would like to avoid them, but because of the way I left the organization, there will always be the possibility of reprisal. I've fought against them a few times this year and I'm certain they know of my prior involvement as a member. I also knew a few…ranking officers who doubtlessly remember me. I no longer associate myself with them, but it would be foolish to think they were finished with me. Until I can clear my name with them, I must stay on my guard."

"Which is why you chose to attend the combat school." They took another drink from their cups.

Blake took a moment to compose a response. "That was not the sole reason for my attendance."

"Naturally," her mother mused.

"But, yes. I saw Beacon—Beacon Academy—as a place where I could surround myself with allies of a similar cause who would not fight against me because of what I did before enrolling."

"And this is the reason why you wear a bow over your ears?"

Blake's ears twitched and she suddenly became self-conscious of the fabric. It was relatively new and she had not realized that her parents were not used to seeing it. She set her cup and saucer on the coffee table before slowly reaching up and untying her bow. She was around other Faunus and Yang and thusly felt as though she could free her ears again, if not for herself, then for those around her. With her ears freed, she became calmer, more at ease, and accepting of her current situation. She replaced the fabric with the cup and sat back in her seat. "It was," she replied. "Now, though, it serves to protect my friends instead of myself." The raising of her mother's cup spurred her continuance. "Early on in the school year, my team realized that I was a Faunus." She sighed. "Actually, I let something one of them say get to me and I was not able to control myself. I told them about my association with the White Fang."

"And they are still your friends?"

Blake nodded. "A member of my team, Weiss Schnee," her mother's brows rose in surprise, "had been making false claims about the White Fang and Faunus in general. It was easy to take in stride at first, but the continued slander of our people and the belief that the current White Fang leadership represented us all got to me eventually. I guess I still sympathized with the original White Fang cause because I argued with her and soon after revealed my heritage."

Her mother recomposed herself. "I must say that having a member of the Schnee house on your team was wholly unexpected. I trust that your feud ended favorably?"

"She still holds healthy reservations against the organization, but she's made considerable progress towards differentiating the Faunus population at large and members of the White Fang. I see her as a friend now after all we've been through. She is an honorable warrior and a loyal teammate. She's intelligent as well; I honestly think you would enjoy speaking to her."

"Perhaps," she mused as she looked down at her tea. "Blake, would you care for another cup?"

"No, thank you." She still had a little more than half remaining due to how much she was speaking.

"Very well." Her mother retired her cup to the coffee table before correcting her sitting posture and addressing Blake. "Now, while you were at this school, I trust you remained vigilant with your studies."

"I did," Blake nodded. "The academy has acquired a reputation as the premier school for Grimm and combat studies. As such, the curriculum is intensive at nearly every point in the year. Though, because it is a combat school, I cannot focus on research and static education alone." She expected her mother to disagree with this choice due to her remembered adamant stance against fighting of any sort.

Her mother paused, a rare show of momentary deliberation that told Blake she was giving the matter genuine thought. She sighed. "Are you confident in your decision to become a huntress?"

"Yes." Blake didn't miss a beat with her answer.

Lilian closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "Very well. It is your decision to make. Tell me, then, about the school."

Before Blake could say anything, her unveiled ears perked at a nearing noise. Aware of this reaction, both Blake and her mother looked to the stairwell and waited as the two pairs of footsteps made their way to the ground floor. Her father came down first and was followed by Yang. Seeing the blonde after becoming acclimated to the idea of returning to her parents allowed Blake to smile warmly at her. This caused her partner to wave at her as though they were obliged to stay quiet. Nonetheless, Blake waved back before regarding her father. "Hey, Lilian, I'm going to finish showing Yang around. After that, do you want to decide on where we're all going to eat tonight?"

"That sounds wonderful," she replied. She then turned her gaze to Yang. "Yang, if you have any preference, please make it known. We would like to thank you and Blake for coming and it would only be fair if you chose after the travel you subjected yourselves to."

Yang shrugged. "I'm up for whatever, really. Honestly, at this point I'll eat just about anything because somebody—not naming any names—decided it would be a good idea to not eat anything at the airport so that we didn't miss our flight." Blake laughed quietly at this reference. "Anyways, I don't know what there is to eat around here. If I chose I'd probably ruin everyone's night. Would you mind if I passed my choice to Blake?"

"Not at all," Cole said. "Blake? Is there anywhere you wanted to eat again?" Blake shook her head. Admittedly, she had forgotten most of what this town had to offer and after all of the hours of travel she and Yang had endured, she wasn't in much of a decision-making mood. "All right, then; we'll figure this out later. Sorry if I'm bothering you. Take all the time you need." At this, he moved towards the door at the far end of the room—the kitchen if Blake remembered correctly—with Yang in tow. As she passed, the partners exchanged warm smiles that communicated comfort and satisfaction until they lost sight of each other.

Once the blonde was out of the room, Blake returned her attention to her mother who held a subtle, yet oddly contemplative expression that was interpreted as her desire for the story to continue. Blake took a sip of her tea, which at this point had become cold. "May I continue?" Her mother nodded. "You are already aware of its prestige as a combat school and as such, it specializes in self-defense tactics and strategies designed to force back the Grimm. Unlike the White Fang, Beacon's only goal is training hunters and huntresses to fend off the coming Grimm threat; there are no raids on Dust companies nor are there any training activities designed to target groups of humans or Faunus. I can assure you that we are fighting for a just cause at the school. There are no politics when it comes to the Grimm."

"I am inclined to believe you. However, you must be aware of the greater threat associated with being a huntress. The White Fang, at an individual level, could be reasoned with had your situation turned unfortunate. The Grimm cannot be communicated with and have no inherent emotions. You must be aware of their lack of empathy."

"I know. I have a trusted team that will provide assistance whenever I may need it, so I am certain that we will be able to overcome whatever challenges we are faced with. I have complete confidence in both their abilities and my own. I promise that we will be safe."

A smile coming from this woman meant a successful explanation; in this present case, Blake was relieved to see this expression. "I am glad to see that you have taken others' assistance into consideration. You used to be insistent on remaining completely independent." She let out a short, quiet chuckle. This chuckle slowly faded away and whatever found humor there had been was ended with a brief hum. "But becoming a huntress is ultimately your choice. I would be kidding myself if I felt as though I might have influence in your actions any longer. I may not like the revelation, but you have grown, Blake, and the decisions you make are yours alone now. If you desire to be a huntress and you see that pathway as a means of accomplishing your goals—whatever they may be—then I will support you. I only ask that you stay aware and keep yourself away from unnecessary danger."

For the slightest of moments, Blake believed she saw the corners of her mother's eyes glistening with tears, but this spectacle was shaken off with another casual laugh. "As much as I pride myself on our similarities, I will always know that you have your father's heart above all else. You're always trying to do things—attempting to change the course of events—and rarely for personal gain. It's remarkable the lengths you would go to argue a point just to make the world a just place, if only marginally. I'm proud of you, Blake—proud of who you've become—and your father and I will always love you no matter what path life may bring you down."

It was funny in a way, Blake thought, that tears would pool in her eyes instead of her mother's, but what she felt was an urge to cry while simultaneously laugh. How foolish she had been to think that her parents fostered hatred for her. Now she didn't know whether to sob until her apologies were conveyed pitifully or to laugh and brush aside the stress of the day entirely. The end result was partly a laugh and partly a sob as she hiccupped, "Thank you."

Her mother shook her head. "Come, now. There should be no crying at this statement. It should be understood by now." In a rare occurrence Lilian Belladonna, the moderate and wise woman Blake had known as both mother and mentor, was being light-hearted and friendly. This dried Blake's tears to a small degree and allowed her mind to clear the cluttering thoughts of sorrow, happiness, and forlorn humor brought on by unchangeable events of years prior. Slowly, she brought the lukewarm tea to her mouth and drank the rest of it, knowing that the practiced action would better allow her to heed her mother's advice. She set her drained cup onto the table beside her bow before righting her posture, wiping any stray tears left in the corners of her eyes all the while. The sight she was met with when her vision became unobstructed by her own hands was of her mother smiling warmly. "Perhaps it would be ideal to move on to a distracting subject. Tell me about your friends. I am genuinely curious about this team you've spoken of."

Blake subtly cleared her throat before speaking, not wanting the lingering emotion prevalent in her voice to misrepresent her friends. "Well, three of my friends and I are a part of a combat team with the title, 'Team RWBY,' spelled with a 'w' instead of a 'u.' The name is an acronym that uses the first letters of our first names starting with the team leader's initial. The members are Ruby, Weiss, myself, and Yang." Her mother nodded to show that she was keeping track of the information being presented to her. "Ruby is Yang's younger sister by about two years. She was granted entry into the school through outstanding merit when she worked alongside a huntress who so happened to work at the school. She is adaptive and enthusiastic while being an incredible fighter and motivator. I would not worry about her, mom. I trust her with my life as do the other members of the team."

As her mother seemed to mull the thought over, she asked, "What role does Weiss have in your team? I would imagine that a Schnee in a position that does not have absolute power would be a difficult factor to deal with."

Blake sighed. "She was…hesitant to accept Ruby as our leader at first, but she eventually warmed to the idea." She clenched her jaw in disappointment. She meant to say "warmed to the idea" in a way that was referential to the affection between the two and had not intended on anyone else catching onto the allusion. Unfortunately, her mother had studied literature far longer and with greater intensity than she had. She could only hope that she didn't notice her implication. "Now she is a great asset to our team. Admittedly, her study patterns are more thorough than my own, so she is able to allow the rest of the team's education to be comprehensive, whether Yang and Ruby like it or not. She is also able to fill a role that I doubt any other team has at the school. Due to her connections through her family's company, she is able to get us many of the resources we may find necessary at a price I cannot bring myself to ask about."

"I am happy to hear that she is willing to work with you. She seems as though she is a vital member of your team."

Blake felt the need to interject. "Every member of a team is as vital as the rest."

"Of course. I meant no disrespect and I apologize if my words came across in that way. You speak respectfully about her and I simply wished to indulge you." Her hands shifted in her lap. While this action may have seemed insignificant to most others, Blake knew that a change in posture—however slight—meant that a pressing subject was about to be brought up. "Now, what about Yang? What is your friend's purpose as a member of your team?"

Given the opportunity to speak kindly about her girlfriend, Blake's heart instinctually warmed as she attempted to find a way to convey who the blonde was in a relatively concise manner. "In every team, there are two sets of partners. Yang and I are one partnership while Ruby and Weiss are the other. A partner is someone a hunter or huntress is meant to train, learn, and fight with until a certain level of synchronicity is achieved. Yang, like her sister, is adaptive and surprisingly quick-witted in dire situations. I understand that she may not seem like the smartest person in the world, but she is intelligent; her knowledge lies with diplomacy and close quarters combat more than any other subjects, but she passes every class she takes with respectable marks. She's also the most selfless person I've ever met. I have seen her risk her life to make her friends happy. I trust her completely and I know she wouldn't let me be harmed."

The previous contemplative pauses that her mother took were relatively brief but accomplished a great deal of deduction in such a short time. The time she was taking to think about what Blake had just said was concerning to the young Faunus. Even more concerning was the eventuality of her mother realizing the relationship she had with Yang.

She had not told her parents about her relationship for fear of disapproval and shame. As she had never dated anyone before, she was unsure of how her parents would react. She expected her mother to disagree simply because it seemed to be in her nature before Blake spoke to her today and she believed her father would take the stereotypical role of an overprotective father who would immediately become hostile towards Yang. She still had reason to believe that they would resent her decision, but what she feared was their protectiveness clashing with Yang's. It was a scary thought to think of what might happen if her parents forbade Yang from seeing her. Any result from the exchange would be gruesome on either a physical or emotional level. She hoped that her parents would be able to respect her reasons for dating the blonde, but she doubted it would be the case. For this reason, she failed to inform them and went so far as to avoid the thought entirely since she arrived.

With every second that passed, Blake became more certain that her mother was becoming aware of her relationship. She nearly jumped when the woman before her shifted her hands once more and took a calming breath. "Blake, what is your relation to your friend? I am aware of your status as training partners, but unsure of how you relate personally."

Blake hung her head low, wishing that there was a cup of tea she could look into. She could not meet her mother's gaze because she knew the question was posed with knowledge of the answer beforehand. She sighed. "We're…" She had to say it. Her mother already knew the answer and it would be cowardly to not admit to a relationship she was so proud of. "We're dating," she said quietly.

Her mother hummed ambiguously. "You are aware of how I feel about relationships between humans and Faunus?"

Blake nodded solemnly. "I do."

"Then you must also know the worry I place upon them? I do not condemn the act, but I do stress caution in engaging in such a matter. I trust you are aware of the stigmata and anger associated with your relationship?"

"I am." She lifted her head to meet her mother's gaze confidently and with no intention of reversing her decision.

She hummed again. "Were the situation so simple, I would leave you with the advice of prudence, but your situation is distressing when I consider the future of our family. Practically speaking, I am sure you are aware that neither you nor Yang will be able to continue our family lineage. I am also certain that you are knowledgeable about the compounding distaste society will place on you for being in the relationship you are in. I know these facts myself, but I need to know if you can live with this knowledge."

She was definitely disappointed in Blake's decision, yet she seemed open to reason. "Since I left for the White Fang, I have learned a lot. I've learned that decisions in the short-run are rarely beneficial. I've learned that trust is earned over time rather than placed immediately on a person you would like to see as your friend. I've learned that true friendship does not form from aligned goals alone, but by understanding, reliance, and the willingness to support the other no matter what situation may arise. And I've learned to think for myself.

"Yang is an incredible person who captured my respect the moment we became partners. Where I am lacking, she is able to pick up the slack. I do so in kind for her. This bond that we share is strong and motivates us to achieve goals we've been hesitant about for all our lives and allows us to protect one another with greater fervor, making us a stronger unit on the battlefield. Mom, I've thought more about my relationship with her before following through with it than any other decision I've made in my life. I've entertained possibilities logical, practical, physical, emotional, mental, and whatever other categories of reasons you could imagine. I am aware of the selfishness that I am showing with this decision, but I find this selfishness necessary. I don't think we should have to worry about the rest of the world when the matters concern only us. Love is inherently selfish."

As her mother sighed, Blake's eyes widened at what she had said aloud. She had let slip the word "love" and there was no taking it back. Furthermore, she was now very much aware that Yang was on the same floor as her and possibly heard what she said. Now was not the right time to reveal the information to her. The young Faunus' mind began to race, but was slowed by her mother's speech. "I find it difficult to disagree with your logic. I want you to know that I will continue to be hesitant about your relationship with your friend; however, it would be wrong of me to allow you the freedom to join the White Fang and not the freedom to live happily. You are your own woman now, Blake, and I believe you have been for some time now. This is your decision to make and I will not stop you. I just ask that you stay aware of the anger you and Yang could evoke from members of society."

In her mind, Blake had won and she thusly smiled. "I will," she assured her mother. Relieved of this final secret, she no longer felt stress from returning to her parents. She was happy now with the knowledge that they accepted her for who she had become and the choices she had made. Even more than this, her mother's understanding of her relationship inspired confidence and pride. In convincing her that the relationship was thought out and meaningful, Blake felt as though she achieved a small, personal goal. She was happy she came back.

The sound of laughter coming from the direction of the kitchen alerted Blake to the approaching presences of her father and her girlfriend. The two seemed to be laughing at something and hearing this made Blake happy that Yang was connecting with her parents as well as she was. The sounds grew closer and she turned her head to look at the point which the two would emerge. When she saw her golden partner enter the room, her heart was set alight with the bright pride she had felt over this past week. Both their smiles widened substantially at seeing each other again. Yang moved quickly to her side, seeming to forget whatever conversation she was having. Yang winked at Blake and the seated girl replied with a widened smile. Somehow, this communicated between the two of them that everything had turned out all right.

Blake's father walked in soon after and without breaking his stride, moved to stand beside Lilian in a similar way Yang was standing near Blake. Everyone was in varying states of calm, happiness, and rest, all being on the positive sides of the respective spectrums. "Well," Cole said, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over everyone in the room, "shall we get dinner somewhere?"

The group would decide fairly quickly on their intended destination, reveling whole-heartedly at the celebration that was to be held both today for Blake's return and tomorrow for a quite different reason. In this time, Blake would find that her previous worries were nonsensical and she understood why. Her fears had been brought about by the coupling of her shame at her past actions and the lack of information she had on her parents' personalities. Now she knew that everything was all right and that her relationship would hold. Yang didn't seem to be nervous any longer, but perhaps that was natural for her. She was amazing in every way to Blake and despite the trip's intended focus being centered on the reunion with her family, she could not distract her gaze from Yang. She loved her and there was no force on Remnant that could break the sentiment.

---

Dinner had gone well. Yang proved her worries about being awkward around Blake's parents entirely wrong. She was naturally charming and at one point even made Blake's mother laugh—though it was a short, quiet laugh, it showed genial mirth nonetheless. Her father seemed to get along well with Yang due to their similar senses of humor and upbeat attitudes. It was likely that this favor was the reason he had been so readily accepting of Blake's relationship with her when he was told about it. His logic was that if Blake was happy with her situation and if she would continue to be safe under Yang's apparent protection, then the relationship was agreeable and he would be in support of it. Yet this was the first—but arguably most important—part of their conversation at the restaurant. Afterwards, their topics bounced from the battles that had been fought to the books Blake read and even to critical discussions of the professors' personalities—gossip if Blake was to be completely honest.

She thought that their time at the table was remarkable in the way that it managed to reconnect her life with the lives of her parents. No amount of measured debate or discussion more akin to a debriefing than a conversation would be able to hold as much power as a dialogue devoid of stress or ulterior motive. They had sufficiently caught up with one another. While both parties knew that the years lost to conflicting ideologies could never be reclaimed, they were simply happy that they could see one another again without fear of scorn or general hostility. With the company she had, Blake felt no need to wear her bow when they went out to eat and did not receive scathing looks or even occasional glances as a result. She learned that Sierra was not the separate land she remembered it as, but knew it now to be safe and quaint. It was not yet home to her, but she enjoyed the nostalgic atmosphere nonetheless.

Now, though, it was dark and she was alone. It had been a comfortable quiet that surrounded her and allowed the composition of thoughts and silent reminiscing, but tangential musings could only distract her for so long. Her room was relatively unaltered with the exceptions of a new set of linens placed upon the bed and an immaculateness that countered the notion that this room had gone unoccupied. Her closet and bookshelves were empty except for the items she brought with her, but this absence had been her initial doing. The room was bleak and meant little to her even though it had been her sanctuary for the beginning years of her life. She had exhausted all memories associated with this place and now she stared absent-mindedly at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to overcome her.

Unfortunately, after all the travel and napping she had gone through, tiredness no longer came naturally to the bored Faunus. By now it must have been after midnight; she had resigned to her bed some time between ten and eleven, but she still could not convince her mind to cooperate. Despite having calmed to the idea of returning to this house, she could not warm to the idea of this quiet. While there was little difference between the occupancy of this home and the sisters', she felt a distinct lack of energy—liveliness—in this setting. She knew that this feeling was similar to how she felt during the first night at the sisters' home, but somehow this particular situation made her restless.

She didn't know why she was still awake. She had initially dismissed the idea that she was lonely due to the concept not possibly having any application to her regular personality; however, she eventually entertained the idea and finally accepted that she could be suffering from this pain. Concurrently, she felt that the day had been leading up to an argument or a berating tirade from her parents, but without any such event, she felt that the day had been anticlimactic in a way. She knew that this thought was illogical, but she knew that she wanted some form of closure for this long day. She was torn between this idea and the thought that she was simply lonely for once.

Blake sighed, annoyed with herself and her inability to stop thinking when there wasn't anything left worth thinking about. She could possibly think about the Mistral festival tomorrow, perhaps even plan an itinerary so that she and Yang would be able to go about their day without much worry as to where they would go next. The thought was amusing for a few seconds until she realized that she had forgotten the layout of the town and the events associated with the other kingdom's holiday. Again, she sighed, having nothing better to do than stare at the ceiling. At times like this, inherent night vision was unfortunate when all she wanted was calming darkness.

A few minutes would pass by, feeling like strenuous hours to the Faunus, until her ears next perked to a distant noise. She did not know what to think about the sound. If it proved to be nothing, then it would only serve to mock her static state. Yet there was always the possibility of the noise being something that could distract her and give her topics to think about for a moment. She focused on the noise and realized that the quick, successive clicks of a door opening were followed by light padding of feet across the wooden floor of the house. She began to hope that the steps were nearing her room, but she soon doubted the thought due to the early hour. However, what she saw when the door creaked slowly open made her smile brightly and allowed her restless mind reprieve.

"Blake?" Yang whispered into the room. "Blake, are you up?"

She was peeking around the corner as though the action of waking her partner was forbidden or unwanted. Blake grinned at this, seeing the excited yet hesitant look in the dark of the night. "Yeah," she whispered back. This was all the invitation the blonde needed to enter the room before gingerly closing the door as not to make a detectable noise. "You couldn't sleep either?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Yang then turned towards the rest of the room before saying, "Whoa. Oh God, it's dark." Blake couldn't help but giggle at this reaction to her room; from where she lay, she could see Yang's eyes widen in surprise and as a futile attempt at bettering her sight. Blake had purposefully kept the room dark so that her night vision would dim with the lack of ambient light, but because Yang lacked her trait, she propped herself up on her elbows before pulling aside a curtain and letting moonlight stream through her window. "Well that's better. Thanks!"

When she turned to look back at her partner, Blake's breath caught in her throat at the sight she was met with. In the light of the moon, Yang was quite literally glowing, creating a stunning image of the girl Blake loved that was only enhanced by the beaming smile and vivacious, lilac orbs that shined in the dark. She was beautiful, Blake thought—even in the earliest hours of the morning after a day of travel and stress and confusion, Yang was still able to inspire awe and take her breath away. It was a warm and comforting sight that let Blake know that she was by no means alone any longer. When she saw Yang walk slowly forward towards her, using as much discretion in noise as possible, her heart was set aflutter. She took a needed, shallow breath and knew that this was her life now and it was magnificent.

Yang took a seat on the corner of Blake's bed before swinging her legs and turning her body so that she could face the Faunus in a cross-legged position. She smirked and asked, "So, what's up?"

Blake laughed as she lay back down. "Did you seriously walk into my room in the middle of the night so you could ask me 'What's up?'"

"What? No!" Now it was Yang's turn to laugh. "Is it a crime if I just want to see my girlfriend again?"

Hearing her given title, Blake felt the same prideful warmth she had come to enjoy over this past week flow through her. "Yang, I'm trying to sleep. If you just wanted to see me again, you could have simply told me."

Yang scoffed. "You're not trying to get to sleep. You might be tired, but if I'm not sleepy, you're definitely not sleepy." She grinned toothily. "So we're gonna talk about something. I don't care what we talk about, let's just talk."

Blake rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Yang, I've been trying to think of something to get my mind off things for nearly an hour. I'm the wrong person to ask for conversation topics at the moment."

"Fine," Yang sighed playfully. "I have to do everything, don't I?" Blake was about to ask what it was she was talking about but was unable to do so when Yang moved. She escaped her sitting position and slid up the bed so that she was able to lay down in the empty space next to Blake. As Yang rolled onto her side so she could face her partner, Blake backed away so the blonde would have enough room to lie down comfortably. The Faunus turned onto her side as well so she could gaze back into the warm look she was being given. "So," Yang began, "if you don't have anything to talk about, why don't I pick?" She looked as though she was taking a moment to think about her chosen topic, but Blake was almost certain she knew what she wanted to talk about already. "How about your mom? What's up with her and being a Faunus but not looking like one?"

Blake's brows raised in surprise. "Is that all you came in here to ask me about?"

"Oh, no. You aren't that lucky," Yang laughed. "No, you told me you'd tell me later and when we had the time. Now's as good a time as any, right?"

Blake sighed. "Do you really want to know? We could always talk about something else."

"Why do you think I asked?"

She furrowed her brows. "I promise that it's not going to be as interesting as you think it's going to be."

"Yeah, okay, whatever. Come on! Just get on with it! You're putting me to sleep with all this waiting you're making me do."

"Fine," Blake sighed as she rolled back onto her back so that she could look at the ceiling again. She figured that because she had pressed Yang to answer questions about her sister's relationship earlier, this was only fair. Blake took a moment to organize the story that she was to tell before beginning. "My mom is biologically a Faunus, but you've seen that she lacks any defining Faunus traits." She could see Yang nod out of the corner of her eye. "Yang, how much do you know about genetics?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Uh…I used to know some stuff about it, but I kinda forgot a lot of it. Why? Do I need to know it for this story?"

Blake shook her head. "No, I just wanted to know so I could figure out how much I need to explain. Anyway, we—both human and Faunus—are determined in our appearances by a number of genetic traits that are either dominant or recessive. For Faunus, we have a few possible traits that determine what type of animal feature we have. In most instances, a Faunus has only one such trait. For example, I have my ears, Sun has his tail, and my dad has his eyes." Yang yawned, prompting Blake to look at her critically. "You asked me to answer your question and I warned you that the explanation wouldn't be interesting. Don't blame me if you find the answer boring." As Yang rolled her eyes, Blake returned her gaze upwards. "As I was saying, these traits are passed down by our parents' genes. The observable Faunus features are not necessarily determined by those the parents have, they simply depend on the trait that allows these features to form to be dominant. This happens nearly every time a Faunus has a child with another Faunus.

"However, in my mother's case, her trait was recessive. The reason for this is because my grandmother was a Faunus while my grandfather was a human. Biologically speaking, she is a Faunus—she has night vision and was able to pass down the dominant trait to me—but she has the external appearance of a human because of the recessive gene."

"Is that a bad thing?" Yang asked.

"Not anymore, no, but when she was younger, it was." Blake took a breath before turning on her side so that she could face her partner again. She needed to see that the blonde was genuinely concerned and not simply curious in a detached, subversive way. Fortunately, she was never one to gain at another's expense and her concerned look ensured this belief. Blake sighed. "Yang, you are aware of how some humans view the Faunus and how the White Fang views humanity, correct?" She received a nod in reply. "Well, it's gotten a lot better from how it used to be when my mom was growing up. Faunus immediately knew who she was and rejected her because of her human appearance and heritage while humans eventually found out and pushed her away because of her Faunus biology. Her recessive trait made her an outsider to both sides of the conflict, but because tensions between the races have eased over the years and because she found my dad, she's been able to live a normal life."

Yang hummed in what sounded to be contemplation. "And that's why she doesn't seem super supportive of us going out, right?"

"Yeah," Blake sighed. "Something like that."

Yang sighed as well before rolling onto her back and giving Blake the impression that she intended on staying in the position she currently held. "Sorry about bringing that up. I mean, it was interesting to hear about, but I did not expect the story to be that…dark. I liked the dolphin idea. At least that didn't make me feel like an idiot for bringing it up."

"It's all right, Yang. Honestly, it would probably be better to hear it from me now than have the thought eating away at you while we're here."

"Yeah," the blonde sighed. Blake thought the discussion would have ended there, but she was surprised by Yang's continuance. "I mean, I get where she's coming from when she says we shouldn't be dating. I'm sorry to hear what happened to her, but that's not gonna stop us, right?" This piqued Blake's attention, prompting her to turn onto her side again to watch the girl as she spoke. "Besides the White Fang, who could really cause trouble for me?"

"Other Faunus rights activists," Blake replied even though she felt the question had been rhetorical in the first place.

"What are they going to do, yell at me? Call me a few names? That's nothing. I meant who besides the White Fang would actually attack and threaten my life? I don't think there will be anyone like that. And I can handle the White Fang; I think I've proved that already." Even though Blake felt Yang hadn't truly felt the pain of discrimination and years of consistent hate, she wouldn't argue—if anybody could live up to the promise she gave, it would be her. "And who's going to hurt you while I'm around?"

Blake had to take time to reason an answer for this. She could handle most human insults sent her way and for those she couldn't, Yang had proven more than able to lessen the blow and frighten the aggressor. The White Fang would be a consistent problem, but that had more to do with her prior choices than her current relationship. She couldn't think of any force that would be able to hurt her specifically because of her relationship. "Exactly," Yang continued. "Nobody's going to mess with you while I'm around, so why should we worry about this relationship? Is it about what other people think? If that's it, then I'm sorry but your mom is wrong. As long as you've got my back and I've got yours, I don't think there's anything anyone can do to us."

Had Yang proven her mother wrong? The thoughts were optimistic and idealistic, but Blake could find nothing to refute the claims. Yang had proven herself capable before and there was no reason to think she couldn't continue her trend of protecting Blake. Then again, Blake had found that proving her mother wrong was an event that seldom occurred. Perhaps there were times concerning matters of infinitesimal importance where she was contradicted, but there was yet to be an instance where she had been proven wrong on a matter with the scope of this argument. Her mother was being cautionary while Yang seemed to be simply correct. Blake sighed. It was too late to be taking sides in a conflict that occurred only within her mind.

Seconds ticked away and neither girl seemed willing to move nor discuss any further. Blake had found the tiredness that she had been seeking and now wanted to sleep, but at the same time, she knew Yang needed to be entertained to an extent. Even though the girl was yawning, Yang didn't seem inclined to leave her spot on the bed. For this reason, Blake had to ask, "Yang, do you need me to walk you back to your room?"

Her response was a sheepish laugh. "Actually, do you think I could bunk with you tonight? My room's a little too quiet. I don't know, I just can't sleep without knowing someone's there. I mean, it's just weird not being able to hear anyone else in my room. I kinda need that noise to get to sleep."

Instinctually, Blake was supportive of the idea the moment it was mentioned. However, she knew that this tired state doubtlessly suffered from minor delirium, forcing her to give the situation thought before making a decision. "You know that if my parents realize you're sleeping here—"

"Really?" Yang cut her off. "Do you really think they are going to think that way about us? We aren't doing anything wrong, just sharing a bed. If I thought I was going to get kicked out for something, I wouldn't do it. I'm pretty sure they'd be fine with this as long as we're not doing anything that would make them mad."

Blake was too tired for this. She wanted Yang to stay so she could fill the void in the bed beside her and so that she would be provided with sleep-inducing warmth. For this hour, the rationale that Yang gave was more than appeasing to Blake's weary state. "Fine," she breathed before watching Yang waste no time in bringing herself under the covers.

Yang gave Blake a sunny, victorious smile before the Faunus felt a hand crawl across her side and down to her lower back. She barely had time to think of the intent behind the action before she was quickly pulled closer to the blonde. She was startled but not necessarily aggravated by the action. The distance between the two now amounted to scant inches as Blake was faced with the sight of Yang's collarbone and tank top. She felt the weight of the blonde's head rest upon her own and knew instantly that Yang's original intent for entering the room had not been conversation. Blake wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's back and nestled into her chest as she found the soothing sound of a heartbeat. Noticing that their legs were slowly entwining with each other, Blake became aware of the similarity between this current position and the position they found themselves in when the storm raged a week prior. This time, however, the "snuggling" and "cuddling" (she still did not feel comfortable with using the words) were less necessary actions than actions of convenience.

"I have a feeling tomorrow's gonna be great. I just know it." Blake nodded in agreement into the chest the voice came from. Before, she had been anxious about the events of today and the days yet to come, but Yang's excitement was contagious and it gave the more reserved of the two the energy she needed to anticipate the festival and the inevitable crowd. She felt a hand come up and brush aside her bangs before she felt Yang's lips press against her forehead. The sweetly warm feeling of the connection they shared was magical to the tired Faunus—it rejuvenated her and made her feel even more tired at the same time. She could not control the loving smile that pulled at the corners of her own lips. "Goodnight, Blake. Sweet dreams."

The distance Yang had whispered her wishes to the Faunus' ears was so close and intimate that the recipient could not help but sigh contentedly. She pulled herself closer to the warm form beside her as she allowed her eyelids to sag and subsequently close. She took in the signature scent and listened to the slowing heartbeat that would remind her throughout the night that she was no longer alone—no longer a stray. She allowed the pull of sleep to wash over her and dull the remaining thoughts and sensations that afflicted her. All of her attention would remain on that wonderful girl she clung onto as she quickly fell asleep. Before she succumbed, she whispered back, "Goodnight, Yang." I love you.

---

I hope that the introduction of Blake's parents was acceptable. My goal in writing this chapter was to give them their own distinct personalities with ties to Blake and the story while not being excessively quirky in a way that makes the story all about them. I have read too many fan fictions where the author introduces his or her original characters and immediately makes the story center around their existence in one way or another. The parents are important to this story but they will not appear for long. I hope that they were written well enough so that you can have an idea of who they are and what they stand for while not feeling as though they are taking precedence over the story. If they do happen to appear in this light, I can assure you that Blake and Yang's relationship will continue to be the primary focus of this story.

The relationship between Ruby and Weiss, however, will not be shown in the next few chapters due to Blake's distance from them. This does not mean that their relationship is not progressing. After Weiss' admission and subsequent acceptance of her emotions in the last chapter, it would be absurd for her not to make an effort towards achieving her goals. While Blake and Yang are away on their trip, Ruby and Weiss will hardly be stagnant. By the time they are all reunited, there will be progress. To avoid spoiling anything, I cannot say what will be done, but know that while the White Rose pairing will not be present in the next few chapters, the relationship will advance.

If anyone is trying to find the meaning behind the dream in the center section of the chapter, I promise that you will not be able to find all the answers in this chapter or the chapters prior. Much of what was described is related to what has occurred (as most dreams do) but at the same time there is a great deal pertaining to what is to come. This described section acts as both a premonition and a dream of past events. I will refute one potential speculation, however. If you believe that the dream meant that Yang is simply content with Blake and will become sad for some reason before becoming exuberant later on, I am sorry, but that is not what the dream is foreshadowing. Again, for the sake of reducing spoilers, this is all I can say on the matter.

Thank you all for reading. At some point between the previous chapter's posting and this chapter's posting, Valence's follower count totaled over one-hundred. I honestly never imagined this story reaching such a milestone. Thank you. Because of this, I wanted to do something other than write "thank you" repeatedly and I came up with an idea that I believe will not go over well at all but just might have some salvageable quality to it. My idea is to host a live stream this Friday (August 1) at 7:00 p.m. CDT (GMT -5). This stream would include a very early preview of the next chapter (This would not contain spoilers.) and would glean insight into my boring writing process. Even though I expect the viewer count to be at most only one or two, I think it could be fun nonetheless. However, I must warn you that this stream may shatter whatever expectations you might have of me as a person. Attend at your own risk.

A link to the site where I will hold the live stream can be found near the top of my Fanfiction profile and any notifications that need to be sent out pertaining to the stream can be found on my Tumblr (also found in my profile). Again, thank you for reading. This has been an incredible experience thus far.

Stay safe and stay tuned.