Alone Together.
It is early morning in Mistral. Ruby is lying on the ground on the patio outside of the training room. She watches a group of four birds flying together, before one of them flies away from the group. As she watches it fly, Ruby sees Yang peek over her head.
"You're up early" Yang said with a smile.
Ruby smiles back "Hey sis".
"Boop" Yang lets her hair down and uses it to tickle her little sister's nose. Ruby giggles affectionately at her older sister's action. Ruby then sits up as Yang sits down next to her.
Ruby sighs "What are you doing up?".
"Can't fall back to sleep" Yang answered.
"Ah, me neither" Ruby said.
"Well, fortunately, coffee exists" Weiss carries a tray with three cups of coffee and walks over to join her teammates. She lowers the tray down so Yang can grab a cup.
Ruby crosses her arms "No, please!".
Weiss rolls her eyes as she holds the cup out in front for Ruby "Don't worry, I put in blasphemous amounts of cream and sugar, just for you".
"Oh yeah! Nice Weiss strikes again!" Ruby said as she reached out for the cup.
Suddenly, Weiss pulls the cup away just as Ruby was about to grab it "I will pour this on you and it will burn".
She hands the cup to Ruby, who nervously giggles. Weiss sits down next her teammates and grabs her cup of coffee after placing the tray down next to her. They heard a sound and looked to see Lucina, Severa and Bernadetta walking towards them.
"Sorry if we're interrupting. Mind if we join you?" Lucina asked.
"Not at all" Ruby answered with a smile, Weiss and Yang also smiled, silently telling them they could join in.
Lucina sits behind Ruby, allowing the young Rose to lean in to her as Lucina hugs her from behind. Bernadetta was about to sit next to Yang, but Yang stopped her before patting her lap. Bernadetta blushed but sat on Yang's lap, who used her normal arm to hold her close, and Severa simply sat next to them.
"Hmm, you have gotten stronger, Bernie. But your little butt is still soft" Yang commented.
Bernadetta blushed "Yang!".
Yang giggled before offering Bernadetta some coffee, she pouts but accepts and takes a small sip before Yang drank some herself. Ruby had almost chugged her own coffee, but when she noticed what Yang did, she tried offering some to Lucina, but there wasn't much left. But Lucina smiled and drank what little remained.
Weiss had a sad smile at the adorable couples moment. She wished Lyre was here. Knowing her, she would make a fool out of herself... But she was Weiss' fool, and she missed her. Severa however looks away, the sight only reminding her of what she lost.
"Can't believe we're actually in Mistral" Yang said.
Ruby gave her a look "That's what you can't believe?".
"Well, yeah! And all the other magic and stuff. But... Okay, you know what I mean!" Yang said.
Lucina chuckled "We know what you mean, Yang. I always wanted to visit another Kingdom, but never expected I would walk all the way".
"Well the rest of us took the quick way... even though it wasn't the most pleasant one" Severa said.
"I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever see you all again" Weiss said.
"Well, here's to defying expectations" Yang and Weiss clink cups together.
Yang got an idea and smirked. She took a sip from her coffee but she didn't swallow, instead she kissed Bernadetta, allowing the coffee to flow from her mouth in to Bernadetta's, which gained predictable reactions.
"Eww! Yang that's just gross!" Severa said.
Yang laughed a little "Come on, it was just a wetter kiss. Besides, she liked it, right Bernie?".
"I have no idea how to answer that" Bernadetta said with mixed feelings.
Ruby looked at Lucina "Can we try that? Maybe with milk?".
"No" Lucina said with a dead pan.
Weiss shakes her head "Well somethings never change".
Ruby smiled before she sighed "I just wish Blake could be here with us".
The mood quickly said and Yang was the first "Yeah, well, she made her choice".
Weiss looks at her "What's that supposed to mean?".
Yang shows clear bitterness "I mean she could've been here if she just stuck around. It's no big deal though. We'll be fine".
Everyone minus Severa, have concerned expressions on their faces.
"Don't you want her here?" Ruby asked.
"Why would I want her here?" Yang asked, growing more annoyed.
"You're still mad at her, aren't you?" Lucina asked.
Yang scoffs "Oh, whatever gave you that idea, Lucina? No, I'm totally fine. I'm great".
"Yang calm down" Bernadetta.
Yang's eyes turned red "Don't tell me to calm down!"
Bernadetta was so startled she fell of Yang's lap "Yang...".
Yang realizes what she did, and her eyes turn back to normal. Her hand shakes while holding her cup "Whatever".
She gets up and leaves. The others watch her go before exchanging concerned looks with each other. But one of them had been silent ever since Ruby mentioned Yang. Something Lucina noticed.
"You ok Severa?" Lucina asked.
Severa was silent for a moment before standing up "I'm fine...".
She walks away, and it was clear she was anything but fine.
Back in Menagerie, Blake leans against the railing on the balcony of the Belladonna Family Home. She looks up into the night sky as a voice calls out for her from inside her home.
"Hey Blake! You ready to go?" Sun asked.
"Be right there!" Blake replied.
She feels a note taped to the wooden railing of the balcony. She grabs it and reads the message written down:
"B
Things going too far.
Not sure what to do.
Find a quiet spot,
I'll find you.
Come alone. Please.
-I"
Blake looks around a bit before hearing the sliding door open. She quickly places the note in her coat.
"We going recruiting or what? We've got the entire nocturnal section to hit up!" Sun said
Blake doesn't say anything, still having a concerned expression on her face.
Sun notices this "You okay?".
"Yeah, I'll meet you there. I need to take care of something first" Blake said and as she walks away, there is a quiet sound of rustling in the trees behind her.
Lyre who had been on the roof noticed this and knew something was up.
Back in Mistral, Severa was sitting outside, clearly sad.
"Severa..." Lucina said from behind her.
"I loved her... Lucina... Blake... was special. I felt like she was the one I had been waiting for... My soul mate, the one I would spend the rest of my life with... I loved her more than anything... But it wasn't enough... she just left me... Just one of my many failures" Severa said, sounding depressed.
Lucina sighed "Look, Severa. I know how you feel".
"Don't do that! Please don't do that! You do NOT know how I feel!" Severa snapped as she stood up.
"Severa calm down!" Lucina said but her words didn't work.
"People like you have everything! A loving family, a lot of friends, you became the leader of a team and now you are dating Ruby! The most loyal girl you could possibly have! Someone who would never leave you behind!" Severa continued her rant.
"Severa" Lucina said.
"You will never know what it's like to fail! Because you are perfect!" Severa finished.
At that, Lucina finally lost her temper "Oh I'm perfect alright! I'm so perfect I didn't notice a threat that was right in front of me! I'm so perfect I couldn't even keep my own team from falling apart! And I was so perfect that I was to much of a coward to tell anyone Cinder violated me until it was far to late! If I had... maybe I could've prevented the fall of Beacon... You're right, I don't know how you feel. But you're not the only one who failed...".
Severa looked shocked, having never seen Lucina snap like that "I... I'm sorry Lucina... I shouldn't have all that...".
Lucina sighs "It's ok... What I'm saying is that, you are not alone, Severa. We are all here for you. And while me and Blake didn't talk much, I know for a fact she loved you. And her running away might've been her way of protecting you from what she felt was her problem".
"But that's stupid! I could've helped her! I could've been there for her... And I... I needed her... she promised me she would never leave me... but she did... when I needed her the most..." Severa said as she looked away, tears spilling from her eye.
Lucina puts a hand on her shoulder "I'm sorry Severa... but I believe Blake will return when she's ready... And when she does, you and her will need to talk and clear things up. Promise you will at least hear her out".
"I'm going to punch her..." Severa said.
"Fine, but don't break her jaw" Lucina said before looking up "But right now, you have something else to do".
Lucina walks away and Severa looks to see Qrow. They look at each other for a moment before Severa sighed and grabbed his arm before pulling him outside. Time for their first official attempt for some father daughter bonding.
Back in Menagerie, Blake approaches a darkened alleyway.
"Ilia?" She called out.
"I'm here" Came the voice of the chameleon girl.
Blake draws Gambol Shroud. Ilia walks out from the shadows with her hands up and drops her black camouflage "Ilia, I know you're scared, but you don't have to be. My family and I, we can keep you safe".
"I'm sorry" Ilia said.
"You can make it up to me by helping us stop Corsac and Fennec" Blake said.
"No" Illia said before her tone turns hostile "I'm sorry".
Ilia's right hand curls up into a fist. Footsteps can be heard running on the rooftop next to them. Blake looks up and sees Yuma fly down and land on her back, forcing her to the ground. Blake drops Gambol Shroud which lands at Ilia's feet. Blake gasps, regaining her breath and struggles to get up as Yuma presses his foot against her back. He gets off her as two more Faunus join him.
Blake gets back up on her feet "Wait-".
Suddenly, Blake gets wrapped in spiderweb silk. One of the Faunus grabs the silk strand holding Blake from her hand.
"I've got her" The Spider faunus said.
"Well done, Sister Trifa - and to you, Ilia" Yuma said and tosses Ilia Lightning Lash.
"Ilia! What are you doing?!" Blake demanded.
"I tried to warn you, Blake. I'm sorry" Ilia said.
Blake glares "Don't tell me you're sorry!".
"But I am. I am sorry it has to be this way, but you and your family are holding the Faunus back!" Ilia said in anger.
"Because we're trying to protect people?! In what world do you live in where attacking the innocent is the right thing to do?!" Blake asked.
"The same one as you! There's no such thing as innocent! There's no right thing to do! Only what's best for us! There's the humans that still hate the Faunus, and there's the others who stand by and let the hate happen! But you know what snuffs out hate? Fear. I don't like hurting people. But I'll tell you this..." Illia points her weapon at Blake "It's gotten us results".
Blake did not look scared "Yeah, look where it's gotten you. Can't help but to notice Lethe isn't here".
Ilia's eyes widen and she briefly ponders Blake's retort, but she just shrugs it off "We all have to make sacrifices for the greater good, no matter how much it hurts".
"And you think killing me is really for the greater good?" Blake asked.
"No, but getting rid of your family is" Ilia answered.
Blake's expression turns shocked and fearful "You wouldn't! You can't! I won't let you!".
"I know. That's why you're being sent to Mistral. To Adam" Ilia said.
Blake's expression grows more afraid, almost on the verge of tears as she was struggling to get the webs off her "Ilia, please! You don't have to do this. This isn't you!".
"Yes. It. Is! But I guess back then you were just too busy falling for Adam to notice" Ilia said.
Blake's expression turns confused.
"I was always jealous of the way you looked at him" Ilia's spots turn pink "I wanted you to look at me that way" She closes her eyes, and when she opens them, they are suddenly pink "But we can't always get what we want! When I met Lethe, I believed I finally had something with her. Something I could never have with you... But now, even she has abandoned me... She ran away, just like you did. Making her another traitor I will need to hunt down" Her eyes then turn back to normal and she quickly wiped away tears that were threatening to spill "Yuma, with me. You two, get her to the docks".
Ilia and Yuma leave while the other two Faunus prepare to bring Blake with them.
"Let's go, traitor" Trifa tugs on the silk holding Blake, but Blake remains stationary.
"Now!" Blake called out.
Trifa was confused "Huh?".
Suddenly, Sun jumps out of nowhere and knocks down the Faunus next to Trifa.
"What?" Trifa draws her knife and was about to attack Sun, but Lyre grabs her arm and punches her square in the face, knocking her out.
"Thanks for the backup" Blake said as she was now free from her bonds.
"Thanks for the invitation. You okay?" Sun asked.
Blake picks up Gambol Shroud and places it on her back "No. You heard Ilia, my family is in danger. Call the police and let's go!".
"Right!" Sun said.
Lyre wanted to know what happened to Lethe, did she really leave the White Fang? She would need to worry about that later. The three exit the alleyway and begin running toward the Belladonna's home. Blake and Sun takes their Scrolls out to call their respective contacts.
Blake was really worried "Come on, mom, pick up!".
Back at the Belladonna's home, a scroll is seen vibrating on the table with Blake's portrait and the text "BLAKE CALLING" on the screen. Gunfire can be heard. Suddenly, the table is knocked to its side as Kali and a Menagerie Guard take cover.
"Get down!" The guard gets up to fire back at two White Fang soldiers. He manages to shoot one of them down, but he gets shot down by the other. With the guard incapacitated, Kali takes his pistol and starts firing back.
"Get out of my house! Ghira!" As she calls out to her husband, Kali is forced to take cover again from the gunfire.
Meanwhile, Ghira and a couple of other Menagerie guards fend off some White Fang troops in the entry hall. One of them tries to kick Ghira, but he grabs his foot and slams him into the wall. Ghira dodges a sword slash from another White Fang trooper. A guard manages to knock out another trooper after a brief scuffle, and Ghira knocks out the trooper that attacked him by punching him in the diaphragm and slamming his head into the ground.
"Go find my wife!" Ghira orders.
Another White Fang troop approaches Ghira with his fist drawn back, but Ghira grabs his wrist and knife hands him in the neck, and then tosses him aside. Another guard gets shot while protecting Ghira and goes limp. Ghira catches the guard's body and drops it to the ground, with Ghira wincing at his fallen comrade. He then growls as he turns his attention to the Albains, who have their weapons out.
"I believe it's time our dear chieftain stepped down, brother" Corsac said with an evil smile.
Fennec smiled back "Yes brother, I'm afraid I'm inclined to agree".
Ghira lets his claws out and rips his coat off. He bares his fangs and makes a feral growl at the two brothers, before letting out a mighty roar.
.
Tell me what you think.
