A/N: general rating, suitable for all, no warnings or triggers.
Her world had been flipped upside down so many times in the past few months she sometimes forgot which way was up and which was down. Every new discovery seemed to press her into a corner. Every realization that she'd made the wrong choices, that Adam wasn't what she'd believed him to be, that she was on her way to becoming someone unrecognizable in the mirror all had her running so far from the White Fang that by the time she stopped she'd been completely lost. It was dizzying trying to process all the terrifying truths that her decisions had wrought the past year. She barely knew who she was anymore and try as she might, she could not remember a clear vision of who she'd been two years ago and a blank portrait stared back as she tried to picture who she would become. She wasn't even sure if she knew who or what she wanted to be anymore. She'd spent months travelling and searching to find that lost spark of purpose within her soul, and she was determined not to return home without recovering it. She owed her parents that much at least.
Its return was sudden and very unexpected. As she made her way through the crowded streets of Vale one day she pulled at the fabric covering her ears, not yet used to the foreign feel or the way the sounds were muted by the blockage. She'd just brushed past a large man, turning sideways to make room for him when she found herself staring at an information board. There were advertisements and posters of lost pets and events held around the city, but the one poster that caught her eye, was the same one that caused that all too familiar spark to light up inside her. Once again her world tilted, and everything else disappeared as she tried to feel the ground firm below her feet. She would have never considered such a move, the direction being nothing like what her younger self had planned. Blake felt as if the Gods were toying with her, amused to see how many times they could pull the rug from under her and see if she could, in fact, land on her feet like the animal with which she shared a trait. Printed before her, strewn in amongst a hundred other papers was a poster for Beacon Academy.
As confusing and surprising as it was for her to feel such excitement and purpose over something not equality related didn't make her less determined to succeed. No longer would she follow someone else's plan of a better future. She would forge her own path, and hopefully find redemption for her past crimes by using her skills to protect everyone, not just her own race. She was prepared to follow her newly discovered destiny alone, she was strong enough to succeed by herself. The idea of teams did unnerve her, though. She'd entered the academy with a carefully placed bow disguising her secret heritage. Still, she feared someone would see through it, that when teams and dorms were decided, she'd forget to double check the bow was tied tight or would entirely forget to tie it in place after her showers. Blake never had to spend so much time hiding just a part of herself. Hiding her entire being in the shadows was easy, she had lots of practice in the White Fang to master that technique but it was going to be difficult to be constantly vigilant, and oh so exhausting.
It was why she turned from the girl when the young Schnee stormed off. It was why she didn't make eye contact with the other students and changed directions when any appeared to want to approach her. It was why she decided to secluded herself to a quiet corner of hall the first night. Because she didn't want to form any attachments with anyone outside her required teammates - whoever they may be. Even then, she wasn't keen on befriending them either, though she would have to if they were fighting alongside each other. She would be a good teammate and do her share and more but she wasn't about to form any deeper attachments while at Beacon. She had plans for the future and although she couldn't picture exactly what that looked like, she knew her future was a lonesome path, at least for as far ahead as she could see. She'd chosen the wrong path and it was her duty to atone for her sins. It wouldn't be fair to drag anyone else into the mess she alone was responsible for.
Blake thought she was being very transparent when the two siblings approached her. Not once had she given the slightest form of encouragement to the interaction. They seemed harmless enough, she supposed, and the youngest - Ruby she believed her name to be - had called out the Schnee heiress, A fact which did garner the girl some brownie points; anyone that could stand up to a Schnee was alright in Blake's mind. She hadn't wanted to respond to Ruby's introduction, choosing to keep both hands firmly on her book instead of reaching out to take Ruby's proffered one. But at Ruby's sheepish look Blake couldn't help but feel for the girl, she seemed so nervous. She compromised with her mind and offered only her first name, hoping they would soon get the hint and leave her alone. But the elder latched onto that single syllable and began introducing herself before the silence became uncomfortable, for them at least.
Complementing her bow was an odd way to begin a conversation and Blake questioned why Yang criticized Ruby's social awkwardness when she seemed to be just as inept. However, something in Yang's eyes, when she met them, told her the odd question wasn't asked in vain. It wasn't voiced just because the bow was the only accessory she was wearing. There was a soft knowing look behind the girls striking lilac eyes. It had to be something else because there was no way Yang could know with just a look that she was who she was. There was no conceivable way she would know the bow hid a pair of ears. As their eyes continued to lock Yang smiled. It was barely a twitch on one side of her mouth, but Blakes sharpened sight caught it. And with that small movement the ground beneath her fell away and her head was spinning once more trying to figure out which way was up.
Long after the others returned to their respective sleeping bags, Blake had stayed awake. She observed the students closest to her wondering if any could potentially be her future teammates. Four years was a long time, after all. It had taken her less time than that to disappoint her family, go against her very morals and finally start on the road to repent for her misdeeds. If her team did not get along, or if they just plain did not like her or Gods forbid any of them acting racist to any Faunus, she didn't know what she would do.
Her eyes easily found Yang and her sister not far away, the dark not at all affecting her sight. The two were fast asleep, and Blake knew she should be following their example. She'd only just convinced herself Yang's look hadn't meant anything. That it hadn't meant anything more than what it appeared to be, just a compliment. But the look still haunted her late into the night and even followed her into her dreams, a silent shadow hovering behind her closed lids.
It was that phantom gaze that made up her mind the following day.
The Headmaster knew how important it was for the teams to become one cohesive unit. But instead of pairing them up by compatibility Professor Ozpin decided to leave it all to chance. Blake could not understand their reasoning for doing it but she knew there was no way she was going to be stuck with someone she was almost guaranteed to either hate - the Schnee - or some other racist student. She briefly regretted not talking to anyone else the previous day. How was she to know the students to stay away from?
And there was only one person that might guarantee her safety and comfort. Yang had either meant nothing with the look from the night before and Blake may have even misread it, or it meant Yang had figured her secret out already. And if she had and she continued to seek out conversation she couldn't be a bad person. Ruby appeared to be quite nice and she had a soft romanticized view of the world that could only have come from caring and supportive role models. And if Yang was such a role model then there was a good chance Blake and her would get along.
Looking around she noticed some of the other students sharing looks, already having an idea who their choice partners to be, but there was only one girl that Blake was determined to make hers.
It wasn't difficult to find her. She wasn't exactly subtle in her landing strategy. The only issue had been that Yang propelled herself deep into the forest, far away from any of the other students, including herself. She had to spring through the forest to keep up with the flying girl. Blake made sure to duck behind a bush as a white dress came into view and steered clear of the male voice calling out for help. His tone was more of exasperation than panic so she didn't feel bad for leaving him to fend for himself. One last echoing blast gave Blake a final direction and having left the rest of the students behind she was able to quickly make up the distance separating her and Yang.
She'd known about the Ursai well before Yang heard the rustling branches. Blake could have warned her, but she needed just one more piece of confirmation that she was making the correct choice. The way Yang confidently dodged the blows from the Grimm solidified Blake's decision. But just as she was about to step out from her hiding space Yang's eyes flashed from soft lilac to fiery red and it gave Blake pause. The raw strength that followed the change was breathtaking.
Her mind blanked as a picture of another wormed its way through the cracks in the wall she'd trapped the memories behind. Knowing a change like that in Yang was probably a sign of her activating her semblance reminded her of her last partner. His powered semblance. All her previous mistakes she'd made in choosing him came flooding back. She'd meant to take a step back, she was sure of it. How could she trust herself to choose another, when all her previous choices had proven her instincts incapable. Her world was turning again, the branches of the trees on either side of her blurred and the ground beneath her feet vanished; she was suddenly floating with no anchor to the real world to guide her. Only when the Ursa fell did Blake notice her body had moved from her seclusion. Her muscles moved of their own accord as she tugged her blade from the beasts back, its body disappearing into black smoke, returning to whatever hell it'd come from.
Her eyes locked with Yang's as they returned to their previous softened hue. The world shifted around her once more, but instead of forcing herself into the righted position she felt a gentle tug. Without question she allowed herself to be lead, gently she felt it tug her safely back into her own skin. Rooted to her body, she could feel everything. The soil beneath her boots so grounding, the touch of breeze on her skin and the scents it brought with it. She felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins from her rushed journey to Yang's side. But as she focused on the energy holding her so firmly in place she realized she was still gazing into lilac orbs. The spark in her hummed in response like it had never done before.
"I could have taken him." She said with a smile. So self confident Yang was that she could handle the situation, it felt like she was telling Blake she could handle something else as well. Like the Ursa wasn't the only monster she'd be willing to dispatch for her sake.
As she took in Yang's smile she felt more anchored to her own skin and more sure of her path than she had since before she'd ever met Adam.
Whatever and whoever Yang was, she was someone that was meant to be next to her. No matter the horrible decisions she'd made in the past and even the ones she was sure to make in the coming years, Blake was sure she would not count Yang among them.