Blake lingered just before the steps outside of The Notched Blade's front door, her stomach in knots and her feline ears flat. Somehow, she knew that setting foot on the soil of Kuo Kuana and heading for her goal would be a point of no return, and she also knew that she wasn't quite ready to see what awaited her at her destination.

"Hey, kid. You heading out?"

Blake's right ear swiveled back to catch the gruff voice, and she hugged herself gently as she remained facing away from it.

"…I don't think I can avoid it for much longer," she admitted as she leaned forward slightly and planted a foot down onto the first step. It wasn't long before Qrow followed suit, and the two began to walk in tandem down into the dirt.

"I really don't envy you. I don't blame you for taking some time to yourself this morning, either," Qrow offered as he stuffed his hands into his pockets while walking. "Kali filled me in on everything that happened here. Nobody should have to go through what you did, especially at your age."

"I'm am adult, Qrow," Blake protested, keeping her arms around herself.

"That may technically be true, but seriously- you're all too young to be dealing with an all-powerful threat like Salem. Adding personal trauma into the mix is a recipe for disaster. I don't expect you to be able to function effectively while we're on this island, to be honest," Qrow said with a shrug.

"So, how do you do it?"

Qrow blinked in surprised and stopped in his tracks, only for Blake to stop with him as he looked her over with wide eyes. After a momentary pause, the man chuckled and ruffled his hair as he offered her a guilty smile and place his smooth, nonchalant mask firmly back in place.

"…alcohol, for one."

Blake merely rolled her eyes and huffed, before finally dropping her arms to her sides and beginning to walk again.

"What? Not a good enough answer, Princess?" Qrow inquired as he began to walk behind Blake.

"It's a bullshit answer," the girl spat. "Alcohol isn't what keeps you going against an 'all-powerful threat', and it certainly doesn't take care of your personal traumas, Qrow. Maybe it's what gets you out of bed some days, and maybe that's how you cope with some of the awful things that have happened to you temporarily, but it's not your reason. It's not what drives you. That's what I want to know."

"…guess you inherited your mother's smarts," Qrow commented bluntly as he sped up to walk at Blake's side once again. "That's… it's something personal. Something I don't like talking about. It's nothing against you."

"And all of this is personal to me," Blake replied as she stopped once again, forcing Qrow to do the same. "Adam worked with Salem- that much was clear from his activities at Haven. That connection is what drove his actions for an unknown period of time, and if what Cinnamon told us about the White Fang striking up a deal with her is true… then she is ultimately responsible for everything he did from the moment their agreement was made. My home burned, and my father died, because of Salem. I'm away from Sun right now, because of Salem. He had to take the lamp to Ironwood and we had to come here, because of Salem. You shouldn't worry about me being unable to function, because I'm running on a cocktail of rage and sorrow, and she just keeps providing free refills, to put it in terms you might understand. So don't treat me like a child, and don't take pity on me. I have every reason to fight with everything I've got, in any way I can."

Qrow deflated slightly as he made a noise of disappointment, though it wasn't clear whether it was toward Blake, or himself.

"I… lost a teammate to her. One of my best friends. Summer Rose," Qrow said slowly.

"…Ruby's mother?" Blake asked, her ears finally perking straight up in surprise.

"Ruby's mom, yeah," Qrow confirmed. "She was an incredible woman, and one day, she went out on a mission for Oz, and never came back. All he's ever told me is that Salem was responsible for her death. That's motivation enough for me."

"Then we're not so different," Blake said flatly. "We've both suffered loss due to her, and we're both willing to stand against the odds in the name of people we care about. So… don't worry about me pulling my weight. Support me and help me carry it instead, and I'll do the same for you."

Qrow frowned softly as he looked Blake over with sad eyes. The faunus girl responded by extending a hand to him and nodding. With a sigh, he took it and shook firmly, only to look away.

"…yeah, you're no kid. You almost sound like her, right now."

Blake let her hand fall from Qrow's grasp in an awkward motion and moved it to hold her other arm.

"…sorry. I didn't mean to dredge up unpleasant memories."

"Seems like that's what today's about, honestly," Qrow replied. "C'mon. Let's get moving, and lend a hand to Kali and the others. Sorry we got off on the wrong foot."

"That started way back when you were giving my boyfriend hostile looks, back in Mistral," Blake informed with a small smile as she began to walk.

"Sorry about that," Qrow offered with another shrug as he followed along. "But when it comes to classified information like the relics, maidens, and Salem, seeing him march onto the scene with an entire party of unknowns put me on edge. I've been fighting to keep those secrets for years, now, and it took a lot of convincing to even tell Ruby about what's really going on."

"Then maybe you should stop bottling your emotions. Literally," Blake added with a sidelong glance.

"Consider this the pot calling the kettle Blake," Qrow grumbled. "Seems to me like we both have that problem."

"I'll admit that I do, yes," Blake replied. "Still… Sun helps, a lot. Neptune's been incredible to me, and helping me handle things while we're apart. I wouldn't mind adding you to the list and returning the favor. It's healthier than drowning yourself in beer."

"She said, while we're staying at a tavern," Qrow said with a sigh. "Still… how about we just take it day by day, and see what happens? I'm not against getting friendlier, though."

"Then that will be where we start," Blake said with a sense of finality as the pair arrived at the partially burned husk of the Belladonna mansion. The girl trembled slightly before the twisted and blown out wall standing before them, through which she could see splinters of ruined furniture and a broken staircase that connected the dining hall to the upper floor.

"Hey," Qrow said softly as he placed a hand on Blake's shoulder. "We'll take it slow and start cleaning out first to figure out what's salvageable, what's not, and where we need to focus on repairs. Your mother made it sound like the whole damned town is going to get in on the effort, so the most painful part of hauling everything out should go pretty quick. Want me to stay with you for the initial sweep today?"

"Yes," Blake said quickly as she brought her own hand up to rest atop Qrow's. "Yes, I do."

Without another word, she let her hand drop to her side as she made her way through the wall and into the mansion.

"…so, I'm losing you again, is what you're telling me. For weeks. Months. Maybe longer."

Cinnamon closed her eyes and turned her head to the side, her voice full of annoyance as she balled her hands against her hips. As much as she wanted to yell in protest, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Upon opening her eyes and locking them with her lover's pained deep greens, all of her anger and resolve seemed to melt away in an instant, and she was instead left feeling hollow. The flickering candlelight from the nearby table only seemed to amplify the man's eye color within the otherwise darkened command tent, lending them an intensely piercing quality.

"I… don't want this either," she said slowly. "I don't want any of this, Dai, but the reality of the situation is that there's a target on my back, and if I don't keep moving, it'll soon be on all of us. I'm not doing this to distance myself from you. I'm doing this to protect you."

The lizard faunus let out a long, weary sigh as he rose from the wooden chair beside the table. The leather on his sleeveless black vest creaked softly as he rose, and then there was silence again within the tent. His tattoo sleeves of patterned flowers and waves became visible in the muted light from the candle as he folded his arms across his chest, and his facial expression was hidden, in contrast.

"I know. It honestly almost hurts more than if you were to say that you were simply leaving me out of boredom, or spite, or some sort of problem between us," Daisuke said in a monotone voice. "At least then, I could be angry at you instead of simply feeling powerless. Then, I wouldn't feel like circumstances are forcing us to set ourselves aside for the good of the faunus again. As it stands… I can't blame you for doing what you're doing. You know I'll do what you ask, as much as I hate it."

"Don't be so sure," Cinnamon warned as she slowly approached. "I'm… going to ask a lot of you. You'll become the High Leader in my stead, and that isn't going to be an easy burden to bear. Though… with the way things are going to play out, the White Fang may as well no longer exist."

"What do you mean?" Daisuke asked as Cinnamon took one of his hands and began to rub idly at his knuckles with her thumb. "We're not… giving up, are we…?"

"No," Cinnamon reassured quickly. "No, we're not. We're just… going to be fighting in a different way. Our people need to be protected and provided for, above all else, and that means separating them from Salem as quickly as possible. I want you to take them to Kuo Kuana, and merge with the Black Claw. Try to keep our identity alive, but… honestly, that's hardly a priority, at this point."

"…so, help them rebuild. Help our people come together and rise to power, at the cost of our independence… but with the benefit of saving lives," Daisuke considered as he looked down at Cinnamon's hand. "A lot to ask, yes, but nothing is too much for your sake. I'll get it done."

Cinnamon's mouth pulled into a half-smile as she joined Daisuke in looking down at their clasped hands. She was the first to break the grip, but kept her eyes remained angled toward the floor as she spoke.

"Thank you. But… there's one other thing we need to discuss, before I leave. I… think this has to be the end for us. I think it's time th-"

"No," Daisuke interrupted, his usual passive and thoughtful lilt gone in favor of a tone full of warning. "I will not let you do that to yourself out of misguided altruism. I know what you're thinking, because I know how your mind works. This isn't the end, Cin."

"Dai, just…" the woman began, only to shake her head in frustration as she trailed off. "It isn't fair to you. None of this is fair to you, and it hasn't been since we met. You suffered through my supposed 'relationship' with Adam for the sake of getting to this point and keeping the Fang in check, and I can't ask you in good faith to wait for me again. We've barely had a day together again as a couple, and now I have to leave, potentially permanently. You don't need to shackle your life to mine."

"But I will," Daisuke replied as he lightly rested his hands upon Cinnamon's shoulders, finally earning her attention again. "And I want to. I love you."

Cinnamon fell silent as she simply held her partner's fierce, determined gaze. In time, she shifted herself forward and rested her hands upon the man's hips as she brought her lips to his and indulged in a long, passionate kiss. As the act concluded and she realized that Daisuke's arms had encircled her back, she leaned back slightly and lowered her voice to a near whisper.

"…you're such a stubborn ass," she accused with a sigh. "I want you to be happy. Is that so wrong? I want you to go out and find a girlfriend who isn't constantly putting her life on the line, burning bridges, and biting off more than she can chew. Someone who can actually be here for you and help with your problems and anxieties, from time to time. A partner who actually enjoys sex and doesn't constantly weigh you down with baggage that you've tried so hard to carry for her."

"Hm," Daisuke pretended to consider the notion, only to shrug his shoulders as he offered her a smirk. "That sounds… dull."

Cinnamon could only roll her eyes in response before planting another soft kiss on the man's cheek. She let the embrace end naturally before taking Daisuke's hand once again and beginning to lead him to the cot set up in the corner of the tent.

"You're impossible… but… thank you. Please, take care of yourself while I'm away. If I manage to return from this… I think it might be time to reevaluate what we're doing with our lives."

"Let's worry about that when we get there," Daisuke offered as he lowered himself onto the bed and dragged his long, orange and black banded tail up onto the mattress.

"We have plenty else to worry about, starting tomorrow," Cinnamon pointed out as she joined her partner upon the sheets and allowed him to wrap his arms around her. "Goodnight, Dai. I love you, too."

Daisuke allowed himself a momentary smirk as he held tight onto Cinnamon. After a short while, his expression twisted into one filled with worry and misery. It stayed that way until he finally fell asleep, hours later.

Author's Note:

NOTHING BUT FUN HAPPENS HERE.

-RD