So, a few things. This is a chapter in the making since 2021. We meant to release it alongside Ginger and Juniper, but things got in the way. Well, sapphic content is good content so now seems like a good time to do something

In other news, Gems is gonna hit one million words soon! I downloaded the entire fic and put it in a Python program for some stats.

Ben- Mentions: 9955

Ruby- Mentions: 5731

Kevin- Mentions: 2388

Max- Mentions: 1030

Weiss- Mentions: 1434

Blake- Mentions: 1124

Yang- Mentions: 2208

Ceres- Mentions: 1536

Kylie- Mentions: 1535

Rex- Mentions: 897

Rook- Mentions: 644

Salem- Mentions: 454

Cass- Mentions: 360

Mercury- Mentions: 223

Emerald- Mentions: 331

Neo- Mentions: 820

Albedo- Mentions: 1397

Heatblast- Mentions: 78

Echo Echo- Mentions: 79

Diamondhead- Mentions: 77

XLR8- Mentions: 59

Spidermonkey- Mentions: 61

Eatle- Mentions: 38

Astrodactyl- Mentions: 29

Upgrade- Mentions: 142

Ghostfreak- Mentions: 97

Water Hazard- Mentions: 31

Cannonbolt- Mentions: 41

Wildvine- Mentions: 16

Slapback- Mentions: 44

Blitzwolfer- Mentions: 20

Stats are cool. :p

Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5


Blake looked to the horizon with a knowing smile. The ship was only a few minutes away from its destination now and the usually soft spoken and reserved Faunus couldn't be happier or more nervous. Off the horizon were the sunny shores of her home, the island of Menagerie. She couldn't wait to show Yang around. The beaches, the boardwalk, all were just waiting for the blonde to see them.

Well, that is if she could recover in time. The usually upbeat and bright brawler was currently resting her chin on one of the guard rails on the ship's main deck. She was standing next to Blake, looking a little green in the face.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Blake asked, turning to her girlfriend, "I never took you to get seasick."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Happens all the time," Yang groaned after she took another sharp inhale, "Ask Ben and Ruby about the 2012 Christmas Cruise."

"...will do." Blake nodded.

The ship soon arrived at the docks of the one, and really only, settlement in Menagerie. The off ramp lowered and connected to the wooden docks, letting all of its passengers disembark, Blake and Yang among them. The feline Faunus rubbed her girlfriend's back a bit as they walked off, the latter still a bit queasy looking. It took the blonde a few minutes to fully recover, leaning up against a nearby wooden pillar to steady herself.

"Ok…ok, I think I'm good," Yang said, her usual confidence returning to her.

"Nice to have you back," Blake beamed, "Welcome to Menagerie."

Yang looked up to take in the sights of the island. The town had many small buildings and homes set among dunes and palm trees. Several Faunus in summer wear meandered casually at the dock, some waiting for friends or family among the new arrivals. The dock was also quite the commercial area with mobile kiosks selling food, jewelry and other wares. Further inland, closer to where the water turned shallow, there was even a whole sublevel of the market with their own kiosks and stalls. To the people of Menagerie, this little part of the island was dubbed the Shallow Sea, named for the fairy tale of the same name. The relaxed atmosphere on a sunny day just added more credence to the idea that this place was perfect for what the two had in mind.

"Wow," Yang blinked, as she and Blake made her way through the marketplace. "I've never seen so many Faunus in one place."

"This is the one place everyone can feel safe, no matter who or what they are." Blake explained.

"Sure is, uh," Yang crossed her fingers that she was using the right word. "Crowded, huh?"

Blake nodded. "Yes. Yes, it is."

Yang dodged a Faunus carrying a box. "Is it always so... cramped?"

"Well, when you try and take an entire species and put them on an island that's two-thirds desert," Blake continued. "It tends to be pretty packed."

"What?" Yang asked. "You guys have that much more space? Why waste it?"

"It's not like the desert in Vacuo." Blake explained. "The wildlife here is more dangerous than most other regions. It's like…you know how Australia has swooping season?"

"Yeah?"

"We have that thrice a year. Add in the native Grimm species like the Capivara, Culex, and Diablos and things can get messy."

"I've…never heard of those Grimm before. What are they?" Yang asked as the duo walked through the market.

"In order? A giant rodent, a mosquito, and a camel spider," Blake listed off.

"So, lemme just make sure I have this all straight. Menagerie was supposed to be a sign of equality from the humans to the Faunus, right?"

"That's right."

"So their 'symbol of equality' is located in the corner of the world, with only a third of the land being actually livable, and they also knew about the camel spider Grimm. And they just said, 'Ah, that's good enough?'"

Blake paused. "That's a pretty good summary, yeah."

"Huh." Yang huffed. "Jerks."

Blake chuckled. "We try to make the best of things, though. The guard here works around the clock to deal with any swarms or packs that get too close to the city."

The two paused in their walk to look at the view of the town the road affords. The road they were on goes downhill and to the side, bordered by palm trees and homes that have either canvas or wood roofs. The vista of palm trees spread out to the edge of mountainous dunes in the distance. Right in the middle of all this was a large house with an open courtyard that the road appears to lead directly to. The house was at least three stories tall and was the only building in the whole area with a sophisticated roof.

"This is Kuo Kuana," Blake explained, "Where I grew up."

"It's...beautiful." Yang smiled, not noticing Blake's eyes on her.

"So are you," Blake whispered.

"I heard that," Yang smirked.

Blake blushed. "R-right. Well, let's go home."

"I'm honestly looking forward to meeting your parents," Yang said. "I know a lot of people would be stressing over this but, hey, we just saved a giant armadillo alien a few days ago. Next to that, this should be a breeze. So, which comfy home are we going to?" Yang expected the Belladonnas to be just as simple as Blake.

Blake pointed to the big house in the middle. "That one."

Yang's jaw nearly dropped.


Be honest, when you think of Blake Belladonna, what thoughts pop in your head? Quiet. Thoughtful. Introspective. Intelligent. Covert pervert.

Child of a rich family was not one of those words associated with Blake. Weiss usually handled the rich stuff, and outside of a few donations for Beacon, Blake didn't show any signs of being rich.

But yet, here Yang was, in front of one of largest houses she'd ever seen.

What the fuck.

Blake and Yang walked up to the stone steps, to the giant front door of the house. Blake hesitated when she moved to use the knocker.

"What is it?" Yang asked.

"It's, uh...been a while since I saw my parents." Blake said.

"...how long?"

"Since after...that."

"Do they know?"

"Yes."

"Well, uh...we got something else to talk about now," Yang said, awkwardly scratching the back of her head. "I mean, we did come all this way."

Blake took a deep breath for courage, and banged the door knocker. It made a loud, heavy, resonating sound on the large door. Yang starred up, stepping back while Blake politely backed away from the door a few paces.

"...okay, I'm gonna be honest, the height of the door scares me." Yang said, trying to lighten the mood. "That's just intimidating."

Both Blake and Yang suddenly heard the door open, and that's when she poked her head through.

Blake's mom.

Blake's mom had several features similar to her daughter, black hair, yellow eyes, cat ears and that same relaxed look on her face. She had short hair and three gold piercings on her cat ears - two on her right, and one on her left. She wore a black hakama and sandals with white tabi socks. Over her outfit, she wore a black shrug with a long right sleeve and a shorter left sleeve, gold-leaf trim adorning the opening on the front. She wore long, black arm warmers that extended to the middle finger. The left warmer had a purple band tied around the top and a pair of gold bangles around the wrist. Around her waist was a black and gold sash that trailed behind her, with a gold flower-shaped buckle at the end.

Her ears perked and she moved the door out of the way so she could step forward when she saw her daughter.

"Blake!" Kali didn't hesitate to smother her daughter in hugs.

Blake was, at first, surprised by the warm welcome, but that surprise quickly faded away and she hugged back.

"Hi, mom," Blake said as a smile spread across her lips.

Kali almost lifted Blake up, she was just so overwhelmed with joy that she just HAD to celebrate somehow! "Oooooh, we were so worried!" Kali said.

Yang smiled at the sight. It was just so heartwarming.

"I'm sorry about that. Things have been," Blake was trying to find the right word, "eventful."

"Eventful is an understatement!" Kali frowned.

"Hun, what's got you so riled-" Another voice called out. Blake's dad, Yang presumed. When she pictured Blake's father, she imagined him to be like Taiyang, a dad.

Not a freaking giant. Ghira Belladonna dwarfed Yang in height. For his top, he wore an open dark-violet coat with white fur trim, exposing a patch of black fur on his chest. Over his beige pants was a matching sash that wraps around his waist and is secured with a large, silver metal buckle. On the shoulder of his coat is a silver metal spaulder, which through a pair of curved strips across the chest, is attached as a clasp on the opposite front panel of the coat. The white toes of his black leather boots had a shape reminiscent of paws with claws at the tips.

His physique was quite hairy, as what little could be seen of his bare arms and the backs of his wrists are shown to be covered in thick, black fur.

Blake's father was a badass.

"Hi, Dad," Blake said, still a bit nervous. The visit was something she had always planned on doing. Now, there was just a bit more for her to share.

Ghira stared at her daughter for a moment and then immediately scooped her up in a hug. The man looked on the verge of those dad tears. The type of ones dads give their daughters after they've been away at college.

"I thought...I thought you..." Ghira sighed, "First Beacon, then Haven…"

Blake smiled and hugged back. "I'm fine, Dad." At first, she had doubts but now those were gone. It was good to be home.

Kali happily rubbed her husband's back, as she suddenly looked over to see Yang, standing a step or two down.

"O-oh! Blake, you didn't tell me you were bringing a friend," the Belladonna matriarch chimed in.

"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise," Blake admitted, "Mom, Dad, this is Yang Xiao Long. She's one of my teammates from Beacon."

"Xiao Long..." Ghira hummed. "...you were that girl who was framed for that attack, right? On that kid..."

Blake blushed a bit. This isn't how she expected the first meeting to go.

"I-I'm sorry, if that's a bit insensitive on your part, but...with the current events," Ghira trailed off.

"It's fine, honestly. It feels like it happened months ago with everything that happened." Yang brushed it off.

Blake was relieved she took it in stride like that. As awkward as first meetings go and all, this could've gone worse. But, with what the black and yellow had in mind, things were going to get interesting.

"There's, well, there's a lot we need to tell you," Blake admitted.

"Well, I hope we're not just going to hear everything we've missed at the door," Kali chuckled and motioned for the visitors to come in.

When Yang stepped through the door, honestly, she was expecting the house to be just as amazing as it was on the outside. The doors themselves were flanked by two jade green pillars. The upper part of the inner hallway had what was basically an entire indoor plant bed full of lush green tropical plants.

"Wow." Yang said, amazed.

"You girls came at the best time. We just remodeled a bit." Kali smiled.

Blake put her jacket on a coat rack in the corner. "I thought something was different here."

"Wait, remodeled?" Yang asked, "What's new?" She was honestly taken by surprise at that. Why would a place like this even NEED remodeling? It was already stunning.

"Oh, just the plant bed. That's all." Kali smiled. "Thought it would be nice to have one in here."

"Oh. Well, it's certainly nice," Yang said as they entered the main hall of the house. Or would it be more appropriate to say manor?

Ghira eventually led them to a kitchen-like area, with a tea table setup. "Before we discuss anything of...current events, I want to know, how is…was Beacon?" Ghira asked.

Blake and Yang looked to each other before turning back to Ghira.

"That…was actually one of the things we needed to tell you. I'm not sure what exactly you've heard. About Beacon. And Haven," Blake finally elaborated. Yang could tell this was going to hurt. Blake's ears were drooping ever so subtly. Most people wouldn't be able to tell, but Yang could.

"Communications went down and then the school was overrun by Grimm. There was something about an unidentified party that worked to cause all the chaos. That they manipulated events to have that poor girl burned to cinders," Ghira trailed off.

"And then we got the news about Haven. Professor Lionheart's demise came as a shock to us all. Your father had spoken to him a few times as a consultant on things when the Mistral council was…less than helpful," Kali explained.

"Oh," Blake muttered, her voice going somber. "There's…there's a lot more to it than that. A lot more."

"...I'll make some more tea, then." Ghira frowned.


It kinda helped talking about everything, made everything that happened in recent months seem a lot less…heavy. Blake described everything in as vivid detail as she could manage. Maybe it was a case of an eidetic memory, or just how much it stuck with the girl, Yang couldn't say which.

All that detail, it honestly felt like seeing a recording or a photo of it all again. The Grimm swarming after Penny's destruction, Zs'skayr's cultists attacking from the shadows, the battles her friends went through, all at the hands of the minions of a ghost and a witch. And that was just Beacon.

At certain points, there was a bit of skepticism. After all, one of the stories Blake had to tell was of her team leader's now boyfriend turning into multiple different alien creatures. Some conveniently prepared recordings Blake had taken of Ben's changes helped to show the truth on that matter.

Kali was a little too invested in the "heroes" of this particular story, though.

"So...these friends of yours. What's the dating chart like?" she asked.

"Dear..." Ghira sighed.

Then came Haven and some of the other events of note lately. Lionheart's death, though she told the true version of events and not the approved cover story, how they barely managed to get a victory despite such overwhelming odds, and then the mix of positive and negative things from late. This included things like the encounter with the Watch Collector and saving Andreas.

"But, yeah. That's about…that's about everything," Blake finished with a sigh of relief.

Ghira stared in disbelief. "I knew Sienna's wife had...some interesting powers, but I always thought that she was just, well, like us."

"Some of Ben's alien forms will make you question how evolution works. Trust me, being an Osmosian is the most tame," Yang said, rubbing the back of her head nervously.

"The tamest? Do I want to ask?" Kali inquired.

"Maybe not now, or else we'd be here for a few more hours. But there is something a bit," Blake began, "lighter in tone. I just wanted to get all of that out of the way first."

"And what would that be?" Ghira asked.

Yang and Blake shared a look, wondering how they should announce it. Thankfully, they didn't need to. Ghira paused and just looked at the two for a moment.

"Ah, I see," the chieftain of Menagerie chuckled.

Blake could already feel her cheeks redden a bit. They really didn't even need to say anything did they?

"Oh, young love~ Remember how we first met?" Kali reminisced.

"Yes, yes. You were the fiercest girl during the Mistral Regional Tournament," the larger Faunus reminisced, "You caught my eye after…I believe it was your opening bout?"

"It was after the second that we actually talked for the first time," Kali confirmed, her large feline ears flicking a bit, "I'd already seen you fight for the Regional's opening match-up. You never did change your fighting style. You always led with a right hook and it started to get predictable."

"Something you must've taken great interest in since that's what we talked about. And from there, well, the rest is history."

Blake could feel that blush brighten. She was not expecting Yang to get a bit of a romance history lesson on her family, though, she probably should've seen it coming.

"I...just kinda met Blake reading a book on the first night at Beacon," Yang chuckled a bit, "Nothing really romantic there, honestly."

"Soon enough we were on a team thanks to...the creative initiation Ozpin had planned, partners became friends and...well...it took off from there," Blake said.

"Ahhh, how cute..." Kali smiled. "So, Yang, why not tell us a bit about yourself?"

"We've heard about you, but...we wanna hear about you from you." Ghira said.

"I get it. Well," Yang started off and soon enough she was telling Blake's parents all she could. Her cozy home out in the country, (Blake had told her not to mention the raccoons), how her parents were both veteran Hunters, how she had managed to get Blake to open up to her on certain issues, both major and minor, and so on.

"I see...I have to thank you, then. We were admittedly worried a bit with Blake, especially after the whole...fiasco with him." Ghira admitted.

"I could tell, when she first mentioned him," Yang looked over to Blake, "Something, something was just nagging at her, you know? I knew there had to be more and it's never a good idea to keep something like just...bottled up for your whole life."

"You sound like you know that a bit too well," Ghira said, but chose not to press on.

"Guess you could say that," Yang admitted. But, that was always a sore topic and it was better not to go into detail on that.

"So...what else is going on with you two?" Kali asked.

"Well honestly, not too much," Blake admitted, "Given what's happened back to back, the general decided to give us a bit of a break."

"I meant with your relationship, silly." Kali smiled. "Tell us~"

Yep. There it was. Blake blushed a bit.

"Well, we've been on a few dates now," Yang said, completely unfazed by it, 'We've been on a study date, a dinner date with another couple, a movie date...just simple stuff. Figured it was time to get the 'meet the parents' situation out of the way."

"Yep," Blake smiled as she, maybe not subtly moved her hand just a bit closer to Yang's, "Just the simple stuff."

"That's always good. Taking it slow." Ghira nodded. "Don't want to rush things too much now..."

"Yeah, that's usually for poorly written sitcoms isn't it?" Yang said, hoping at least one of the two found the joke funny.

"That is true! I haven't seen a good sitcom romance in ages," Kali snickered.

"They always think it has to go by so fast and there's always so much needless drama," Yang smiled.

Blake chuckled a bit. She'd heard this same sort of thing with couples at Beacon and, once they got together, Ben and Ruby.

"So, how about we make some dinner?" Ghira asked. "What were we having tonight?"

"Well, I don't know! We have to catch the meal first," Kali smirked.

"Catch?" Yang tilted her head.

"Oh, right. Um...actually, I think it'd be best to show rather than tell in this case," Blake said.

Yang was confused, as the Belladonnas suddenly walked towards the back of the house, towards the beach. "It's Friday- our fish night." Ghira explained.

"Is it like...Lent for you guys?" Yang asked.

"No, no. Just something we do." Blake explained.

"Yang, have you ever fished before?" Kali asked.

"A few times. Didn't really catch anything," Yang shrugged.

"We've learned that...hook and line aren't really the best method." Kali smiled. "We prefer a more direct method."

"How direct?" Yang raised a brow at that. She didn't mean what Yang thought did she?

"...well, how long can you hold your breath?" Blake asked. "And how well can you swim?"

Yang suddenly realized WHY Blake wanted her to pack a bikini.


It didn't take too long and the blonde brawler quickly changed into the golden yellow bikini she'd brought along at Blake's request; her emblem was actually printed on the right side of the bright top. She and the Belladonna family had reached the beach and Yang stood back for a while, to watch how this would go. Or she tried to. It was a bit hard to keep her eyes from wandering over to Blake.

Blake's bikini was a one piece, with her emblem on the back- it hugged her curves nicely. Blake could feel Yang's eyes on her...and it felt pretty nice, honestly.

Yang did try not to stare too much. She was supposed to be seeing how she was supposed to help catch dinner. This was going to be a first.

Ghira handed Yang a spear. "Here. I'd recommend stabbing for the gills. They're always the weakest point."

"The gills? Ok. Ok, yeah, I can do this," Yang said, hyping herself up. Hopefully she didn't end up jabbing herself in the foot by mistake.

"Don't worry if you miss, sweetie. Just keep your aura up as a precaution." Kali advised.

"Right," Yang said as she felt her Aura turn on.

"And...of course. Always aim for the biggest." Blake said, drooling a bit. "Always the tastiest."

Yang chuckled as she started to look, "Of course you'd say that."

"She always did have a sweet tooth." Ghira smiled.

Yang sighed and started to eye the water. She was just waiting for a sign of a fish. Movement in the water, ripples, anything.

Ghira chuckled. "The fish here are shy. However...that doesn't mean they aren't here..."

Ghira suddenly bolted into the water- for a man of his age, he was quite agile. He dived into the water, and began to go on the hunt.

Kali snickered. "Oh, I think he's just showing off..."

"Oh shit," Yang muttered. She was not ready for that sudden burst of speed.

"Well, don't wait up!" Kali said, running in after him. She dove in to the water, as she began to swim around as well.

"Ready?" Blake asked hopefully.

"Well. Wasn't expecting it, but I think you know the answer," Yang smirked as she ran and dove into the water.

Blake ran after her, as the two dove in. Yang opened her eyes, as she was caught off guard by the beauty of the Menagerie sea...it was prettier than any coral reef she'd seen before.

If she wasn't holding her breath, Yang's jaw would've dropped at just how beautiful it was. The water was so clear.

Blake swam through the waters like she was a mermaid. She'd done this many times before, and it showed.

Yang knew how to swim, but compared to Blake, she was just a novice. She held onto the spear and was looking around for sign of a potential catch.

A few larger fish swam back- woah, Yang had never seen fish of that size before.

None of them were close enough to spear, nor did she have a good angle on the gills if she wanted to throw the spear, which honestly wouldn't be as effective.

And then, she saw...the BIG one. It had to be at least the size of a person, holy shit! If she managed to catch that...well, let it never be said that Yang Xiao Long wasn't ambitious.

Yang swam towards the thing, eyes determined and focused- one good stab to the gills, Ghira said, right? She could manage that...

This fish, this sandy tan colored behemoth, was totally unaware as she swam closer to it.

Yang quietly swam over, and aimed for the gills...

She did manage to hit it, but that made the fish panic. It started thrashing about in the water, blood starting to make it clear blue water murky red.

Yang had to restrain it- and then she remembered, her robotic arm! Maybe the wire could wrap around it and restrain it.

The fish was thrashing about so hard that, honestly it would be a miracle if this didn't attract any predators. She got the wire ready and got into position to bind it. Or she would have if the giant tail of the fish hadn't slapped her while it was panicking.

Yang tumbled backwards, as her back hit a rock. Yang shook her head- she was DETERMINED to catch that fish now.

It was still thrashing, more blood dirtying the water. The blonde got the wire ready again and this time, ducking under the tail thrashes, managed to wrap the wire around the tail! Buuuuut that made it panic even MORE and it actually tried to bolt away.

Yang frowned, as she grabbed it by the tail, pulled it back...

And PUNCHED it in the face.

Because of how much power was in that punch, the fish went limp in the wire and just floated there. If anyone asked, it was a perfect catch.

Yang grinned, as she dragged the thing up above water, and to the shore. "Oh, I have a feeling we'll be eating good tonight!" Yang thought to herself.

Blake soon surfaced a few minutes later with a few catches of her own. Not as big as Yang's, but certainly they'd make for a good dinner. And then she saw that behemoth Yang caught. The faunus girl could already smell that thing cooking.

"Woah!" Blake gasped, as she ran to shore. "This thing's HUGE!"

"Put up a fight too!" Yang said proudly, "Actually hit me with it's tail!"

"I think mom and dad are gonna be VERY impressed." Blake smiled.

Yang smirked, feeling some pride swell up in her chest. "Where are they anyway? Still down there?"

"Give em a second. They'll come back about..."

Ghira resurfaced with a loud splash. As he marched back to shore, Yang could see the net slung over his shoulder was just full of appetizers, various decent sized fish that would each make a nice meal on their own.

"Holy shit," Yang muttered. She had lost sight of Ghira and Kali when she dived down. Most of her attention had gone to the big fish, after all.

"These are just for the villagers, should they need it." Ghira said, as he set down the net. "Now, where's your..."

Kali came out of the water, now dragging a fish that was even BIGGER than Yang's. The blonde's jaw DROPPED at the sight.

"What...how..." Yang was just shocked now.

"Kali tends to be an overachiever." Ghira laughed.

"Overachiev-" Yang started, "Damn, I thought I had the super mom."

"I got an ESPECIALLY tender one." Kali said, drooling a bit. "Who wants to help me prep?"

Blake immediately volunteered.

"So you know how to...basically spear-fish AND cook?" Yang asked.

"Yeah. It uh...it just never came up," Blake shrugged.

"...I am learning SO much about you right now, Blake."


The kitchen was alive with activity as Kali and Blake were preparing the fish for that night's dinner. None of it was ready but the smells that wafted out on the air from in there smelled heavenly. Yang wasn't sure if it was the spices or the fish themselves that smelled this good but it didn't really matter. It just smelled amazing.

Yang was busy just helping where she could: setting the table, bringing in ingredients and also handling the bones. Wow, those were massive.

"Ok, there's that..." Blake muttered to herself as she got some of the fish filets seasoned. She was humming a song to herself as she helped her mother, who was currently getting

"So when are you and Yang gonna get hitched?" Kali teased.

Blake almost dropped the season shaker she was using on the fish. "M-mom!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. You can take your time, but...that Yang, she's perfect for you!" Kali smiled.

"Oh, trust me, I am well aware of that," Blake smiled and blushed a little as she spoke.

"So, did you ask her out first, or, was it her first?" Kali teased.

"...she asked first," Blake's blush only brightened at the words.

"Ooooh, how forward~" Kali grinend, as she looked over at Yang and Ghira. The two had finished setting the table and decided to pass the time before the meal by seeing how strong the blonde actually was. It was Yang's idea to arm wrestling, of course.

"I don't think she was ready for me to say yes. She was redder than I was when I did," Blake chuckled, remembering back to that day.

"Now…you said you told her, correct?" Kali asked, a bit quiet.

Blake froze, knowing exactly what her mother meant and just nodded.

"It seems she took it well. Are you...doing alright, after everything?"

"She did," Blake began, "And...I'm doing ok. A little shaken, I guess. Everything seemed ready to collapse for a while. All of us learned some things after Beacon. Some of us...wanted to give up then and there. Others didn't know what to do, but...Ben and Ruby? They managed to keep us together. If not for them, we might've all just drifted apart. If that happened, we might not have been there to stop Haven from falling and I'd rather dwell on that 'what-if.'"

"They sound like good friends, if they're keeping you in the best spirits. Especially with...everything you've told your father and I." Kali said.

"They are," Blake smiled. She soon heard a thud as she looked over to her father and Yang. Ghira had managed to beat Yang after a good stalemate between the two. Honestly, it looked like either one of them could've won.

Blake chuckled a bit. "I haven't felt this happy in a long while...especially nowadays. It always feels like there's so little peace between these big events. A month or two went by and then we found a conspiracy to assassinate one of the Ace-Ops. Then there's what happened with Nesmith and NoFace."

"Life…can be chaotic like that sometimes," Kali admitted. She knew how her daughter felt. It had been so long since she actually got to have a face to face dinner like this. Letters were nice but, oftentimes they were sparse on details. Kali knew that Blake needed some time after what happened with Adam. In a way, she'd made it a habit to check the windows every so often, just in case she saw Blake making the journey back up to her family home. But now that she was home, seeing her fall in love, even after everything that happened, Kali's heart was oh-so warm at the thought.

"It can be…yeah," Blake sighed.

"But the same was true for your father during his days as High Leader. Sometimes we'd go days on end without having the chance to talk to each other because of how busy we were. Organizing the protests, protecting those Faunus who couldn't protect themselves from human supremacists…there was so little time for peace," Blake's mother explained, "When the time came for him to step down and let Sienna take the position of leader, some believed that Ghira wouldn't let her, that he'd 'rather die than let some upstart take the throne!'"

"Are…are you serious? Who said that?"

"Some of Ghira's oldest friends and supporters. Veterans from the earliest days of the Fang."

"And yet they thought he'd hold onto power?" Blake raised a brow in surprise.

"I told them something similar. 'You must not know Ghira very well if you think that.' People were ready for a civil war to break out in the Fang. Instead, all Ghira did was provide a speech, a handshake, and some personal advice to Sienna that she still carries with her to this day."

"Right…"

"Besides, you said it yourself. There's other universes out there. There might be one out there where you get that alien watch."

"I…well, I wouldn't be opposed to having an Omnitrix," Blake hummed.

"Especially because one of those aliens makes you taller and stronger than Yang, right?" Kali smirked.

"Wha-! M-mom!"

Kali chuckled mischievously to herself, letting Blake sputter for a moment as she checked the fish and nodded in approval. Just needed to cook them up and then Yang could have a taste of genuine Menagerie cuisine.

"O-ok. H-how about we just forget all the troubles and have a nice dinner?" Blake smiled, regaining her composure from her mother's comment.

Kali smiled back. It was nice to see her daughter in high spirits. It felt like forever since she'd seen Blake like this.

It only took around ten or fifteen minutes for the fish to cook all the way. Kali simply drizzled the marinade on the fish filets and topped it. Kali picked up two of the plates while Blake took the others and brought them out to the dining room. Yang could smell the fish before she saw it and it was mouth-watering. Then she saw it. Perfectly grilled and seasoned fish filets with some kind of homemade sauce on top, she didn't know what the ingredients were for it, topped with a few chopped scallions and a pineapple ring, giving it the tropical flare and a bit of sweet taste.

"Ooooh, this is absolutely fantastic~" Yang grinned. "Looks great, Mrs. Belladonna!"

"Thank you," Kali grinned, "One of Blake's favorites."

Blake smirked a bit. She would be lying if she said she hadn't wished for some good Menagerie seafood while in Atlas.

"Now...let us give thanks." Ghira said, clasping his hands together.

Kali and Blake did the same, letting Ghira lead. Yang clasped her hands as well, making sure she didn't mess anything up. She remembered when Rook's family had visited and Weiss made things a little awkward after they gave thanks. She knew Kali and Ghira would be forgiving, but she'd rather stay on the safe side.

"We give you thanks for your overflowing generosity to us. Thank you for the blessings of the food we eat and especially for this feast today. Thank you for our home and family and friends, especially for the presence of those gathered here. Thank you for our health, our work, and our play. Please send help to those who are hungry, alone, sick and suffering war and violence. Open our hearts to your love." Ghira said. "May all be fed. May all be healed. May all be loved."

Yang prayed they didn't say "amen"- she almost did it herself.

"May all be loved," Kali and Blake said in unison at the end.

Yang mentally sighed when she heard that. She wasn't making that mistake, thankfully.

"Now, let us feast." Ghira smiled.

Blake smiled and took hold of a knife and fork, cutting off a piece of the filet with some of the pineapple ring atop it and ate it. It was just like she remembered, that delicious, spice-infused flavor of the grilled fish, the cool marinade and that extra sweetness added by the pineapple. When Yang cut a piece and tried it for herself, Blake could tell she had the same opinion. It was amazing.

"You like it?" Kali grinned, hopefully

"This is, without a doubt, the BEST grilled fish I've ever had," Yang said after taking a sip of her drink.

"And it better stay that way! I've perfected this art~" Kali beamed.

Blake smirked at that, remembering back to some culinary accidents that happened on Kali's journey to that perfected art. She wasn't going to say anything though.

"Honestly doubt anything could top this," Yang complimented.


The two days for the Bumblebees' little weekend was just spent enjoying the sights and sounds of Kuo Kuanna. Blake was practically Yang's tour guide throughout the entire city. Even with all the people walking around, the feline Faunus never made a wrong turn among the maze of stalls, houses, and alleyways. Her blonde counterpart would've had trouble navigating this place even with a map. Blake brought them back to the docks to see the Shallow Sea properly.

Down in the partially submerged district, Yang caught sight of a rarer type of Faunus, those with aquatic traits. For the most part it was small things like fish scales dotting their bodies or fins protruding from their arms or legs. Sprinkled in the usual types were odder, more exotic types. Some of these water Faunus were just outright mermaids, sporting entire fish-like lower bodies and tails instead of legs. Some people in Hunter communities even attributed stories of mermaids from the old days as some of the earliest reports of Faunus. If you asked a Plumber about it, they would toss around the idea of visiting Piscciss Volann.

After that, she brought Yang through the market again with something special in mind. Blake's amber eyes began scanning over the wares on display. Several stalls had weapons on display, mostly small arms and melee weapons of varying sizes. One scaled man was looking over a turquoise-hilted butterfly knife at a stall selling various knives for self defense. Weapons weren't what she wanted, even though Yang did glance over just to inspect them.

"If Ruby were here, think she'd want one?" Yang wondered aloud.

"No, she'd probably take one of the replica guard pistols," Blake answered, "Pretty expensive collector's item from what I've heard."

"Huh. More you know."

Blake continued looking for something specific. She was scanning the kiosks and jewelry stalls especially, trying to find just the right gift. Yang, meanwhile, wandered over to a little sunglasses cart run by an ibex Faunus, sporting two large horns that curved back above his heads. She browsed the various pairs, trying them on and looking in a mirror to see how they looked.

"Hmmm, no. Not really my style," Yang muttered as she put the current pair down and kept looking. While her girlfriend was distracted with that, Blake had found what she was looking for. She looked over her shoulder to see Yang trying on the various sunglasses and smirked.

Distracted as well. Perfect, Blake smirked. She went up to the stall in question, a jewelry store run by a lion Faunus girl, her tail swishing around behind her happily.

"Welcome to Pride's Pendants!" she beamed before she recognized who she was talking to, "Wait, are you-?"

"No one special," Blake covered, giving a polite nod.

"O-oh! Right, of course!" the lion girl nodded, "So, how can I help you today?"

"These two," Blake said, pointing to a pair of pendants on display. Each one was a simple thread necklace with a few beads decorating the thread at regular intervals. Hanging from the bottom of each was half of a taijitu, or Yin and Yang symbol, that clicked together perfectly when held close.

"Ohhhh. Getting it for someone special huh?"

"Very," Blake said before looking over in Yang's direction, the blonde till trying on sunglasses.

"Know what? I'll give you the discount. 70 Lien," the lion girl said.

"T-that's the discount? How much are they normally?" Blake asked, surprised.

"Oh, easily 90."

"M-more expensive than I thought," Blake muttered, reaching into her pocket for some of the Lien she'd brought along for the trip.

"Well the thread and beads are handmade, but those pendants? Imported from a jeweler I know in Windpath. He's an old family friend, but still," the jewelry stall owner explained.

"I see. Well, in that case," Blake said, handing over the full ninety, "Keep the extra."

"O-oh! Thank you!" the lion Faunus happily said, taking the Lien and handing over the two necklaces. With her gifts bought, Blake slipped the necklace with the black teardrop on before sneaking up on Yang. The blonde brawler had finally found a pair she liked, a nice pair of shining gold aviators.

"How much for these?" Yang beamed.

"Fifteen," the ibex Faunus answered. Yang pulled out two Lien bills from her pocket and handed them over to the horned merchant. Just as Yang was about to spin around and get Blake's attention, the Y of Team RWBY felt her girlfriend hug her from behind.

"I have got to get better at hearing you sneak up on me," Yang chuckled.

"Aw, but that takes away the fun of surprises like this," Blake grinned, slipping the necklace over Yang's head and around her neck.

"Wha-? Blake, did you-?" Yang blushed as she picked up the white teardrop shape between her fingers.

"I got the black half, obviously. And they fit together," the feline Faunus smiled.

"Oh my god," the blonde laughed a little, "A little cheesy, don't you think?"

"A little. But if Ben and Ruby can have their moments, so can we."

"Ah, fair," Yang said, leaning into Blake.


The day after their little show of affection and Yang making sure to hold onto that necklace with her life in the crowned market streets, Blake took her love to the edges of the oasis Kuo Kuana was built in. A large defensive wall was constructed to keep the city isolated from the rest of the hostile island. Guards patrolled the wall as part of their usual rounds. Each one of the Menagerie Guard was clad in an outfit of black and white cloth and open toed boots. Iron plates around the hips and pauldrons adorning their shoulders, each right pauldron sporting the guard's symbol of a golden fleur de lis-like sigil. A belt crossed across the main tunic, fastened with a yellow sash around the waist. Some guards wore hoods while others didn't. For those that did, if they sported animal ears as their trait, holes were cut out of their hoods to let the ears grow through. Each one was armed with a high-tech pistol that resembled a flintlock, a spear, a service sword.

Beyond the wall, a rocky mountain range extended out to where the landscape shifted to desert. Trails were present in the mountains, a relic of the old Faunus settlers and pioneers that had come here and explored the island nation when it was gifted to them originally. Now, they were left unused due to all the Grimm that made their lairs in the mountains and deserts beyond.

Blake and Yang were atop the wall, walking its length so that Yang could take in the sight. Despite the danger, the mountains were a majestic view to take in.

"Miss Belladonna," one of the guards bowed.

"Just Blake, please," Blake said as she moved on.

"Not used to the royal treatment, huh?" Yang teased.

"It's not…really a royal treatment. It's just, uh…" Blake trailed off. Yeah, no, it was royal, she had to admit it. Yang looked over the wall and out to the mountains, taking note of a shadow looking back at her.

"Is that-?" Yang said, pointing out the shadow.

"Hm?" Blake stopped and followed Yang's gaze out to the mountains, spotting the shadow as well, "Ah. Yeah. Capivara. They like to peek their heads out and look at us but they never attack. Not unless they're ready."

"And then they taste Menagerie steel," a man said with a confident smirk. He was dressed the same as the other guards but he sported long silver hair, a scar stretching across his nose, and silver wolf ears.

"Captain Rolf," Blake greeted, "Yang, meet the second in command of the Menagerie Guard."

"Nice to meet you," Yang said, shaking the Faunus' hand.

"Likewise. If I knew the chieftain's daughter was back in town, I would've organized something," Rolf said.

"You don't have to, really. We're just here enjoying some time off," Blake said.

As Blake, Yang and Rolf talked, the guard from earlier slipped away to a secret corner and brought out a Scroll. Menagerie was on the Mistral CCT network so a call like this would be easy to make. She put in a number and let the Scroll ring for a few minutes before she got an answer.

"Brother Albain," the guard whispered.

"What is it, Sister?" Albain asked.

"The Belladonna's daughter has returned home. Should I-?"

"No. Not yet. A plan is in place and, for the moment, the Belladonna girl is not a target. Yet. Simply stay and watch."

"...understood, Brother. If the Syndicates ever require my services…"

"Then we will call," Albain said before the call was cut. The guard stowed away her Scroll and went back on patrol, making sure to keep an eye on Blake and Yang the entire time they were there. With them so focused on each other and this rare moment of peace, neither of them took notice. They probably just thought the guard was doing their usual rounds.


It seemed like no time had passed at all, really. Blake had been here for such a short time and already she was leaving. Kali was on the verge and, while Ghira tried to remain stoic, his own emotions were showing. The duo were back on the dock, already seeing Yang and Blake off for the trip back to Atlas.

"And you'll call when you get there?" Kali asked, pulling Blake into a tight hug.

"Promise I will," Blake said, consoling her mother, "I'll write more often too."

"And if need be, I will convince her to add pictures," Yang smirked.

"I'd say take care of her," Ghira started, "but…you have that covered already. Don't you?"

"Yep."

"Ok…ok, Mom," Blake said, pulling away, "Boat's gonna leave without us if we don't go soon."

"I know," Kali sniffled a little, "Go…go save the world, honey."

"I will, Mom. We will," the feline Faunus said, looking over to Yang. Blake's amber eyes wandered down ever so slightly to see that prominent white teardrop pendant that Yang had gotten a few days. Seeing her wear it…god, it made Blake's heart skip a beat at least once.

"Alright. Kali?" Ghira put a hand on his wife's shoulder reassuringly. With that, Kali let her daughter go. Together, both the older Belladonnas watched their daughter and her girlfriend board the boat back to Atlas.

Unfortunately, the sea sickness did not get any better for Yang on the return trip.


By the time they had returned to Atlas, Ben, Ruby, and the others had also returned from Atlas Rests. Suffice to say, they're vacation was a bit more eventful really.

"So…Ruby got an Omnitrix," Yang listed off.

"Yup," Ruby nodded, popping the p at the end for emphasis.

"Weiss got an Omnitrix," Blake added.

"It was…interesting," Weiss admitted.

"So you're saying we could've gotten Omnitrices too?" Yang joked.

"If ya came with us, yeah!" Ben said, "But then I'd also be able to use your Semblances."

"Huh. Woulda loved to see how you handled mine. Bet Ruby's was easy to deal with," Yang smirked.

"I mean…I had a good teacher," Ben chuckled.

"Yes you did," Ruby smirked.


While the Outcasts had gotten back from vacation and were all happily recounting their own trips, Ironwood sat in his office, his eyes glued to the screen of the nearest report. While Winter, Clover, and Six had all been summoned and stood at attention, Ironwood didn't pay them much mind. His eyes were reading that headline over and over and over again.

Pearl Wistier Found Dead in Mantle Home. Political Motivation Suspected.

"Pearl was one of Robyn's competitors in the election. Should we assume this to be a second Forest situation, sir?" Clover asked.

The general didn't answer at first. He held one fist in the other, his grip tightening over them.

"One death would be worth investigating…but this isn't the first one, is it?" Six questioned.

"...no. Nothing really clicked because we had bigger things to deal with. The Watch Collector mainly. Three other deaths have all happened in Mantle in recent days. I've kept the media from reporting on them for fear of panic," Ironwood explained.

"But you couldn't keep this one underwraps without seeming suspicious," Winter finished for the general.

"All civilian?" Six asked.

"Each one. With no link between them. Seemingly, anyway," Ironwood sighed, "Someone might think I'm behind this regardless. Or another Atlesian."

"In order to get rid of competition…for Jacques," Winter growled the man's name.

"It's possible. But there's no evidence actually linking the killings together. The only thing you could say is that they were all killed efficiently and by a bladed weapon."

"Doesn't really narrow it down," Six admitted.

"No. It doesn't. But I want you three to be on standby. I doubt Robyn will let this slide…" Ironwood said.

"Count on us, sir," Clover nodded. He and the other two officers saluted before leaving, dismissed by a simple gesture from Ironwood. The general couldn't help but read that headline again and wonder.

"Is this how you start?" Ironwood wondered aloud when the three agents had left and the door closed behind them, "Is this how your agents come for my academy? My Kingdom? My family?"

The general looked at the headline one last time before he made a decision.

If this was how Salem began her campaign against him…it would not work.