CHANGE OF HEART
The day finally came when Mr. Belladonna was finally able to crack the code on Ilia's scroll, and everything in there was what we all hoped for and dreaded at the same time: the confirmation that Haven was under a threat of attack from the White Fang. No matter how desperately we wanted to stop them, me and the Belladonnas know that we couldn't do it alone. We needed help from the people of Menagerie.
Ghira immediately called a press conference scheduled for the next day while Kali began drafting a speech for her husband to say tomorrow. Blake and I walked outside the balcony, desperately trying to latch on to whatever global signal we can find to call Jaune and his team, but to no avail.
"Maybe a letter will do."
Blake suggested.
"It might. If the press conference is successful, we'd be preparing for war, and that'll take time. If we send out a letter now, it might be a faster way of getting to them."
She ran to her father's desk and grabbed a pen and paper and quickly handed it to me.
"It's better if you write it. You guys know where each of you are going, it'd be more reputable if the news came from you than from me."
True, but the way she said it made it sound like she thinks Jaune and the others are harboring bad feelings for her.
"Blake... You don't have to think that way, you know?"
She stepped back in shock, then timidly grabbed her arm while she looked away.
"I- you think so?"
Something's off about her lately, but I can't quite put my finger on it yet. I tried to lean closer and see what's going on, but the moment our faces came remotely close to each other, Blake flinched.
"KYAA!"
She squealed.
"What! What? Did I do something wrong?"
Blake began to blush and frantically waved her hand while she backed away.
"NO! NO! You did nothing wrong! J-j-j-just... it's nothing."
Her face began to turn red, as she desperately tried to turn away.
"Do you know what to say to them? To Jaune?"
I hold the paper up to my chest with my pen on the other hand, and contemplated on what Blake just asked. True, it would probably hold a lot more weight if I was the one that penned the letter. To them, it would mean I was successful, but on the other hand...
"There's no guarantee that they even made it to Haven."
Blake cocked her head back in shock that I would even show any sort of hint of doubting Jaune and Ruby, but deep down I knew realistically, what I said is true.
"Don't get me wrong, I want to believe that they made it. It's just that the White Fang have been watching us, attacking you then your mother, whose to say they won't intercept this letter halfway through. If that happens we're done! And like I said, there may not even be anybody to receive the letter on the other end."
The two of us fell silent, deep in thought up until Kali came in and interrupted us.
"I-uh don't mean to interrupt you guys' moment-"
Blake stomped her foot and looked at her Mom menacingly, to which Kali grinned and apologized for with a giggle.
"But Ghira wants to speak with you Ezra. It's about tomorrow's speech."
Curious, Blake and I looked at each other and walked back inside towards Ghira once more. He had on a pained look on his face, like he was troubled with something other than the attack on Haven.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
Blake asked, but even her inquiries fell on deaf ears for a moment, till Kali nudge him in the arm. He sighed and nodded a few times, almost like he was hyping himself up.
"Ezra."
His voice was firm and strong, but even that couldn't hide his troubled demeanor.
"Yeah?"
He looked at Kali once more, as if he was asking for her approval- no her encouragement before he spoke.
"I was thinking, convincing the masses would probably be easier if you came forward and spoke personally on what the White Fang has done in Vale."
I have to admit, that would be a pretty convincing and compelling argument, but at the cost of exposing myself once more, but not just to the people I was close with. The dangers and consequences of the idea was incredibly high, no doubt, but to be able to put myself out there and tell my story from my perspective is an opportunity that's probably not going to happen again. I have my doubts, but if the Belladonnas can believe me, who's to say the rest of Menagerie cannot?
I resolve myself to say yes, but before I could, Blake surprisingly stepped in.
"DAD! NO! How could you! Why would you put Ezra in such a vulnerable spot!? After all that he's done for Mom!"
The three of us were surprised at her outburst, but Blake wasn't backing down.
"I know, honey."
Ghira leaned closer to Blake, trying to calm her down.
"That's why I'm asking, it was just an idea that I thought would work. That's why I'm asking Ezra if he'll do it."
Blake and Ghira looked at me, while I casually shrugged my shoulders.
"Well, he won't do it! You're asking for too much, Dad."
She had her arms crossed and a permanent pout scrawled on her face. Ghira tried to console her further, but Kali came in on a different approach.
"Darling, a couple days ago, you were absolutely furious with Ezra, now you're on his side? What changed? Hehe"
Kali ended her sentence with a chuckle, teasing Blake. Again, Blake blushed while she snuck a peak my way before retracting her gaze away.
"W-why does it matter? What matters is that Ezra's already doing everything he can to stop OUR people. OUR responsibility and he isn't even a faunus. To ask him to bare it all in front of everyone... is a bit too much."
Ghira sighed and dropped his shoulders, the pain on his face faded away and was replace with the look of defeat.
"You're right honey, I'm sorry. This is more our race's fight than it is Ezra. It should be us that solves it."
Blake took a few deep breaths then walked away all flustered.
Kali and Ghira both approached me with concern.
"Blake was right, Ezra, we're sorry."
The thought was heartwarming. To think that these three would change their minds so much in the opposite direction that they now care about my well being is nothing short of a miracle, but I brush off their apology almost immediately.
"No, it's okay. Don't keep the idea off your heads just yet. Let me go talk to Blake."
I excuse myself before they could even respond. It's the truth that I want my story out there, but I'd be lying if I said Kali teasing Blake didn't catch my attention. Something is different about her, and Kali knows it. Salso knows that Blake hasn't had time to fully process it yet, which also means whatever it is is recent and probably about me.
I make my way out of the Belladonna office and hopped off the balcony railings, catapulting myself with the palm trees up front to the roof, were Blake was secretly moping around.
"Hey."
Blake took a peak at me momentarily, then promptly look away. Blake has always been distant, even in our time in Beacon, but she was always strong in her silence, peaceful. But tonight, she just looks timid and shy.
"Leave me alone."
She whispered underneath her breath as she buries her face in her knees.
"I'd like to, but I need to tell you something. Is that okay?"
Without lifting her head, she answered yes in her muffled voice. I moved in closer and sat beside her, smiling at the fact that I'm seeing a different side of Blake.
"So, what's wrong?"
I ask, but got no answer. I have a feeling she won't ever tell me without a little bit of bribery first so I opted to open up first like I promised.
"Your Dad's request, I was planning on taking him up on his offer."
That got her attention. She abruptly raised her head and faced me with a confused look.
"Why? Why expose yourself? You're already the only human here in Menagerie, people aren't gonna take too kindly to a sympathizer of the so-called rogue branch of the White Fang... Well, former sympathizer."
I chuckled awkwardly at what she just said, only because it was plastered with nothing but painful truths.
"It's my chance Blake, that's why."
I look up at the clear night sky and reminisced under the faint glow of the stars.
"The only time I ever got to make my case and admitted everything was in front of Pyrrha and Yang. It'd didn't go as well as I thought it would for both, but when the rest of the world found out thanks to Cinder, it went even worse. I mean, you hate... hated me."
The both of us look away from each other, thanks to me making the conversation even more awkward than it already is.
"I wanna help stop Cinder and whatever it is she's planning over there at Haven. I wanna help stop the Fang, and if your Dad believes this is the way to do it, then I'm all for it."
Blake sighed while she wrapped her hands around her legs a little tighter.
"That's... brave of you."
"And you're being very weird."
I snarked back, which earned me a patented Blake Belladonna death stare.
"What? Your Mom was right you know, you're usually never on my side, so why now?"
Blake didn't appreciate my teasing anymore than she did her Mom's, but she ignored it just the same, electing not to tell me her reasons. She did however, changed the subject, which is more than what she's letting on right now, so I guess I'll take it.
"You think we'll ever see them again? Ruby, Weiss... Yang?"
Even I'd be conflicted when faced with a question like that, though the idea does bring up an interesting thought: the possibility of reunion.
"I'm hopeful. I want to, but do you think it'll ever be the same after Beacon? After what me and Yang went through."
She widened her eyes and marveled at the sight of the city of Menagerie at night. Blake slowly tilted her whole body, falling on her side till her body gently touched mine. She leaned her head against my shoulders without ever glancing back at me.
"It'll never be the same, nothing ever will be. I was asking if all of us can still be together despite everything that happened..."
Out of all the questions, she asks me that. What I think is pretty obvious, but the fact that she's even asking that question means she feels the same way that I'm feeling right now, that she's guilty of leaving our team behind, and that she is somehow seeking comfort by asking reassurance from me.
"Blake. I don't think I'm the right person to be asking that question... after all, I am the reason why we all split in the first place."
Blake fell silent and didn't respond at all. Sensing that I'm not going to get anything out of her tonight, I gently nudged her off my shoulders before standing and stretched my arms up into the sky and yawned.
"Well, anyways. I just wanted to come up here to let you know that I'm going to do what your father asks of me. I'll probably be in his office rehearsing or something, I don't know. I hardly ever go up front like this. I tend to do things in the shadows."
Blake looked at me with concern, before burrying her face once more in her knees. With one last glance at her, I left Blake alone to her thoughts till the next day.
The following day...
My heart was about to beat straight out of my chest. Ghira was about to reveal to his entire race, the treachery Adam Taurus had been advocating this past year and a half, and I'm about to be the centerpiece of his speech. I've done countless missions before: sneaking on top of rooftops spying on people, stealing important documents, blackmail, and who could ever forget the time I ushered in the Fall of Beacon, but none of them as nerve racking as this.
Ugh. The thought of doing all those crimes really disgust me now. To think that over a year ago, all of this were natural to me. How things have changed. Speaking of change, the one I went through was natural and happened over time. My point of view didn't do a 180 degree turn overnight, unlike how Blake's been acting since last night.
Looking at her now, she's still timid and reclusive, almost embarrassed. I'd try prying again, but I'm too nervous to focus on anything else other than Ghira's speech, which is about to start in 2 minutes.
"Are you ready?"
Kali asks.
Ghira adjusts his glasses and skimmed through his script one last time before smiling at his wife.
"Yes. It won't be easy for the people to hear, but the truth often isn't. I know they'll do the right thing."
He's a lot more optimistic about this whole thing than I am.
With Blake and Kali behind him, Ghira proceeds to open up the front of door of their villa. What greeted us were a crowd of faunus so large, I doubted if the island was big enough to even house this many people. A lot of them were wearing press badges, others had massive cameras on hand, while the rest simply had their scrolls up, all eager to hear what their Tribe Chieftan had to say. The people were all bunched up so close together, it was almost suffocating. Me standing safely behind line of guards that separated the roaring crowd from the Belladonna estate could do nothing to change my anxiety.
Among the many at attendance were the Albain twins, who still haven't broken their religious demeanors. I'm starting to question whether or not they have anything to do with Taurus to begin with. Their devotion was creepy at first, almost cult-like, but now, I'm starting to second guess myself.
In the middle of all this commotion was a wooden podium set exactly to Ghira's height. He calmly stepped towards it and cleared his throat, before raising his hand to quiet the crowd.
"Thank you all for assembling here. I wanted to take time to address some of the rumors that have been circulating around our island. I believe that it is important for the people of this territory to understand the truth. No matter how you feel about the human race, I think we can all agree that the event now known as the Fall of Beacon was a tragedy. A tragedy that will set both man and Faunus-kind back."
The silence that followed his statements wear deafening. Ghira was right, truth ain't very easy to hear.
"While the main aggressor is still unknown, we do have official confirmation that Adam Taurus... the leader of a powerful splinter group working inside the White Fang, was partially responsible for these attacks. His actions not only tarnished the reputation of an organization originally created to bring peace and equality to all, but to our entire race. With each day that this man remains unpunished, it becomes increasingly difficult to condemn those that look down upon us."
He has a way with words, the people of Menagerie were still quiet, but you can easily tell that the atmosphere was slowly shifting his way. I can see why he was chosen as the leader of White Fang long ago.
"Recently, a spy from the same splinter group set their sights on this very home. My own daughter, Blake, and her friend did their very best to apprehend this individual. While they were unsuccessful after being physically assaulted and seriously injured, they were successful in obtaining the assailant's Scroll."
Ghira pulls out the scroll out of his pocket and began flashing it to the crowd.
"With this, we have been able to ascertain that Adam Taurus has plans to overthrow the current leader of the White Fang, Sienna Khan, and take over the reins himself."
The crowd started to murmur amongst themselves, slowly realizing what Ghira is trying to say. In an attempt to stir them up even further, Ghira revealed the rest of the White Fang's plan.
"His radical plans do not stop there, the documents on this scroll proclaim his next target to be Haven Academy and its attached CCT Tower. Their plan is to strike on the last full moon before the beginning of the Fall semester, roughly two months from today. I have sent my swiftest messenger to the government of Mistral, but I believe we have a greater responsibility."
With every word the crowd roared in anger, as they should. His plans are indeed diabolical and must be stopped.
"I think it's time that the Faunus showed the world that we are equals! Time that we snuff out this splinter group, and restore the White Fang to what it once was! To do this, I think the answer is clear! We must go to Haven and protect it at all cost!"
Ghira's climax, this is it. This was supposed to be the moment the crowd burst into a unified scream and we all sharpen our stakes and prepare for war. Should, but it never happened. What was supposed to be a massive declaration of war against injustice was snuff out by the silence of the people's hesitation- A complete opposite of what everyone from our side was expecting.
Ghira was in shock, and frankly, I was too. He quickly glanced me, signaling that it was my turn to speak. I nod back in response.
"Before we proceed any further, I'd like to invite a human named Ezrael Snow and share his story. As you all know, it was revealed during the Vytal Festival that the criminal named OWL was in fact a student at Beacon Academy, a human that worked with Adam Taurus that led to the fall of Beacon, a human that had since deeply regretted his actions and has gone through tremendous efforts to right his wrongs."
He cleared his throat, as the people of Menagerie began to shift their gaze towards me.
"Ezra has agreed to share with us his story, not only as an accomplice of the White Fang, but a survivor of the Fall of Beacon."
Ghira stepped away from the podium, making way for me to take center stage. The people waited for me speak as I tightly grasp the podium with both my hands. None of the people in front of me spoke, but I can see from their faces, the millions of thoughts that ran through their head: that of doubt, contempt, and fear.
"I stand before you all right now, humbled and afraid. In this sea of faces in front of me, none of you are speaking out, but I can tell from your faces, the thoughts that are boggling everyone's minds. 'Why is a human here in Menagerie? Why is a criminal speaking to us? what makes him think he can speak on behalf of us faunus?'"
I took a deep breath and tightened my grip a bit more in an attempt to squeeze the nervousness out of me.
"All valid questions, but none of you are asking the most important question, which is: how much would people, faunus or human, lose should such an attack were to ever happen again. I know can tell you, because I was there to see it all, I was there when Adam and the White Fang planned their attack. It was by my hand that I took land, split families apart, and denied people happiness."
Man, this is tougher than I thought.
"I not only saw with my own two eyes the consequence of such radical thinking, but I've also ushered it with my own two hands. It's something I deeply regret and something I wish to never happen again-"
Before I could finish, a familiar voice echoed within the crowd.
"TRAITORS!"
Amidst the massive crowd of people walks a woman wearing a black White Fang uniform with a matching mask, almost glued to her face. It was Ilia.
"Cowards! After everything the humans have done to us! After everything they've put us through, you're asking us to help them!?"
Ghira frantically grabbed the microphone away from me and gently pushed me to the side.
"I know we haven't been treated fairly-"
But she cut him off.
"Where was their help when the Dust companies treated our people like slaves?! Where was their help when Kingdoms hunted Faunus just for being who they are?! Where was my help when my parents were killed in a Dust mine?! WHERE?!"
Ilia's plea was powerful, and admittedly much more relatable than the speech from the Belladonnas. From everybody else's point of view, Ghira and Kali were living the high life with guards protecting their estate, not really relatable considering the faunus' history.
"The Belladonnas are the worse kind of Faunus! They want us to work with the same people that are trying to hold us down! The same people that used us!"
She drew her weapon out and pointed it at me. Ominously, the gaze of the people followed the tip of her blade.
"Right in front of us stands the evil that corrupted the White Fang. Adam is a leader with great conviction, a headstrong approach to fight for our freedom. It's convenient for the Belladonnas to blame Adam for their past inaction! Why else would Sienna Khan replace Ghira?"
She's flipping the script the same way Cinder did with me and Torchwick, and I could do nothing about it because the moment I do, I'd be incriminating myself and risking the Belladonnas. Though nothing may be able to stop that now.
"The real question you should be asking is why are the Belladonnas harboring a criminal that corrupted so many of our brothers and sisters into attacking a Huntsman Academy!?"
Like a tidal wave, the crowd rose. Slowly but surely they began to charge at me with Ilia at the front. The guards did their best to stop the stampede, but there were simply too many people for them to stop. Soon, faunus of all shape and size began to claw their way towards me, grabbing and pulling in whatever direction they can.
"TRAITOR! DIE HUMAN!"
Their screams of hate reminded of that time I was mobbed by my fellow students inside the airship back at Beacon. The flashbacks were too real, and unbearable.
"EZRA!"
Blake tried her best to get to me, but even she wasn't strong enough to push through the crowd. Before she could get squashed any further, Ghira and Kali grabbed her by the collar and pulled her inside their home. Though it wasn't the fault of the Belladonna's, I was left to fend for myself. I cover myself in mist, amassing a large cloud and quickly exploded it, harmlessly pushing all the faunus trying to nab at me away.
With barely enough room to breath, I quickly grab my grappling gun and catapulted myself away, laying low in the rooftops of Menagerie till I was safe, though who knows when that'll be. At the time though, I didn't care. I just had to get out of there.
Later that night...
A couple hours passed since Ghira's plan backfired on all of us earlier. I can't really blame him for how things ended, it did look promising in the beginning after all.
"Thought I'd find you here."
I mean, where else would I go? There's no grimm in this abandoned sector of Menagerie, but if you were one of its citizens, would you risk it? That and this where I've been spending most of my nights earlier in my stay here. It's only natural that Blake concluded that I'd be sitting in the same abandoned building I'd always be staying at.
"Hey..."
Really not feeling it tonight, so I greeted her with a fake smile on my face, and a soft tone. She smiled back and brushed off my awkward expression.
"Talking to Pyrrha?"
I glance back at the shield resting on the rubble in front of me, then looked back at Blake.
"No, not today. Today I'm just looking at myself."
Blake moved closer and sat right next to me, close enough for her to see her own reflection in Pyrrha's shield.
"I was meaning to ask, Jaune, Ren, and Nora... they entrusted that shield to you right?"
I leaned back against the wall and recalled the time I talked to Jaune back in the docks. Without ever saying a word, I nod back at Blake.
"May I ask why you never use it then? Her shield... That's an extraordinary honor that they've given you."
Extraordinary and honor are words that are used to describe the privilege they've given me only because no words exist that can surpass those. Words cannot describe what Pyrrha's shield meant to them, and how much more it means to me for them to give it up. She's right to ask that question, but the answer as to why is clear to me.
"It's because I don't deserve it... not yet at least. They gave it to me so Pyrrha can watch over me in my journey of redemption, but that doesn't mean I've earned the right to don her weapons. That comes after my redemption is complete or at least a part of it."
Blake fell silent for a moment and stared at me through Pyrrha's shield.
"Would me forgiving you be a good enough reason?"
I smiled, genuinely this time. I don't want to keep my hopes up, but imagining Blake offering her forgiveness would be enough for me to pick up the shield. So I answered her honestly.
"Yeah, I think it would."
She giggled, but quickly changed the subject. I knew I got my hopes up too soon.
"About today..."
Though admittedly, that's not really the topic I'd like the conversation to swing to either.
"Don't worry about it, I knew the risk when your father asked. You even warned me so it's fair."
Blake sighed, the two of us indirectly looking at each other through the shield.
"It's not that- You're brave Ezra, for even doing that. You know, during that time I found out about the truth about Mrs. Clementine's family, I realized something."
"Yeah? What's that?"
She blushed for a second then stared me in the eye through our reflections.
"The sins I've committed when I was with Adam, they're the same as the ones you committed at Beacon... the difference was in how we handled it. You had the courage to jump right back in and sprinted towards your problem, not away from it. I on the other hand, couldn't."
Now even I'm blushing.
"Blake that's not-"
She cut me off.
"I think the whole reason why I was angry at you was because I was running away and you weren't. I was upset that you weren't torn up about everything as I was, that you were doing what I wanted- what I couldn't do. I wasn't angry at you just because of the things you've done, but because you have the to courage to face it."
I don't deserve her kind words, but she's got it all wrong.
"Blake, you know when I said you were the reason I kept moving forward back then at caravans? It's true to this day. I may have worded it differently, but I'm not the brave Ezra you're thinking of right now. I'm also running, but not towards a specific goal. Truth is, I'm running because I'm desperately catching the most wonderful things I found at Beacon: RWBY, JNPR, family, love and hope- things that were slowly slipping through my fingers. I'm afraid that if it falls to the ground, I'm never gonna be able to pick it back up again, so I'm running, not to chase, to catch the things dearest to me that's slipping past my fingers. Clumsily, I might add."
We both laughed for a short while, before she caught my gaze with hers.
"You know I never thanked you, have I?"
"Huh? For what?"
She shrugged her shoulders like I was supposed to know the answer.
"For saving Mom, dummy."
Oh yeah, that.
"It's nothing. Anybody would have done it."
"WHAT? JUMP IN TO STOP A BULLET? I don't think so."
She yelled at me enthusiastically.
"I mean..." She continued. "You wouldn't do it for a random stranger would you?"
Now that I think about it...
"No, I don't think so."
"Lies." She closed her eyes and stopped me in my tracks. "You totally would."
Blake crossed her legs and started doodling on the gravel underneath us with her finger, trying her best to keep herself busy and avoid eye contact with me.
"All this time I've been too blind to see because I was too busy projecting my insecurities at you, that you are such a wonderful person"
I look at Pyrrha's shield once more, but this time around, somehow it's almost like I can see through my reflection. It was almost like Pyrrha herself was there saying 'she's right you know.' I smile and blushed, slowly coming to terms with the fact that Blake might have finally changed her mind about me.
I turn my head to look her in the eye and thank her, but the feeling of her soft and smooth hand grazing my cheeks caught me off guard. I stare closely at Blake's eyes who are now mere inches away from my face. Slowly she leaned forward, till I felt her soft and luscious lips gently press against mine.
I close my eyes as both our lips lock together as I sink deeper into her, and her into me in this quiet evening.