I apologize for such a late release. As people, we're stuck to follow work schedules and very moments for our usual fun stuff. Tricia has a job, I have college, and we both have to worry about what comedians Arin Hanson and Dan Avidan call the "Backstreet Boys Reunion Tour". Tricia ESPECIALLY- she works retail.
That being said, these next few chapters...not gonna lie, pretty laid back! Hahah. Wonder why. Ha. Ha. ha.
...ha.
I have a...skewed view of the world around me. I guess you could call me cynical, but I don't think that label completely works for me. Being a Faunus puts you at risk for a lot of things: "random" pat downs at airports; stereotypes about you in films and movies; a higher death rate for not "complying" with police officers; the neighborhoods you once lived in being gentrified…it's disgusting how we're not seen as equals.
When I first came to Beacon, I made a promise: never to reveal my true self, not even to my partner or my team. I just wanted to get in and out of this place with my license, so I could disappear and live a secluded life in the woods and occasionally take a job.
But then...I met my team. They became a second family to me. Even though I was acting aloof during those first few weeks at Beacon, I warmed up to them. I was especially worried about Weiss, seeing as she was an Atlesian and her father owned the mines my people worked and were abused in. Eventually, I "came out" to them following an especially intense mission. I didn't tell them the full story, but they were very understanding as to why I hid that part of me. I think I chalked it up to "violent attacks against cat faunus".
Which is very, very true. Faunus with cat features are probably the most discriminated against, especially since the fearsome Sienna Khan is one. After she made her first move, violence against us increased. I think that's part of the reason why she left the Fang to live a quiet life; what good are you doing if you're just causing more of your people to get hurt?
Even though I told my friends, I'm still hesitant to tell the world. I love the city of Vale, but...I just can't look at it in a great light sometimes. For example: there's an alleyway near my favorite bookstore, The Bitter End, and it's littered with graffiti. A normal person might see cool designs and fancy fonts, but all I see are racial slurs and hate symbols. Why is this significant? That bookstore is owned by a Faunus. And the worst part? I worry this injustice will never stop. Despite all our protesting, our rallying, and our actions, the law makers will just shrug off our problems like we're nothing to them. And the increasingly terrorist-like actions of the White Fang is only fueling their racism. It's a big lose-lose system.
And I hate it.
But I don't let that hate fester inside me.
I don't want to end up like him.
"Whatcha writing?"
Blake blinked and she looked up. Yang was playfully nudging her arm.
"Huh?"
"Are you writing more Ninjas of Love fanfiction? Can I proofread later on?~" Yang teased.
"Don't you have a game to be playing?" she asked, a little annoyed. She quickly closed her journal and hid it away.
"Hey, I'm playing. Kylie's just hogging the moves." Yang motioned towards said girl, who was totally engrossed in her Yugioh card game.
"-And because I summoned Junk Speeder, I can summon any number of 'Synchron' tuners from my deck to the field, so I summon Level 4 Road Synchron, Level 2 Nitro Synchron and Level 3 Junk Synchron," Kylie rambled. "And then, I tune all 3 of my tuners with-"
"Bullshit," Kevin exclaimed. "There's no Level 14 monster in the game!"
"Uh, no, himbicele, read Road Synchron's effect. It can act as a Level 2 tuner when not being used to summon Road Warrior," Kylie pouted. "As I was saying...something something...summon Red Supernova Dragon-"
Yang grinned. "She's REALLY good."
Kevin frowned. "I'm starting to regret betting money on this match."
"I told you not to," Rook lamented.
Blake rolled her eyes. "I was just venting in my journal. I'd rather not share it right now."
"Alright, alright," Yang said, putting her hands up. "I'll let you be. Just tell me if you need anything, ok?"
"Right," Blake said coolly. Although her face didn't show it, she was grateful Yang offered her help. She just didn't know how to express it.
"You weren't stacking the deck, right?!" Kevin shrieked, up in arms about Red Supernova Dragon banishing all the 'Rokket' monsters on his field. "YOU WEREN'T RESPONSIBLE, RIGHT?"
Min smiled like a cat with a knife to its neck. "Noooope~ She's just good."
(Of course, she DID make sure Kylie drew that one card. Min would never admit it, though.)
"Best 2 out of 3?" Kylie teased. "Unless you wanna lose more money."
"Oh, you're on," Kevin said, before his phone buzzed. He whipped it out and gave a sigh of relief. "We'll have to pause our game, our moms' are here."
"Oh shit, almost forgot about the dinner meetup!" Kylie gasped.
"Why are we meeting up with your parents again?" Blake asked curiously.
"Well, first of all, free food so hush, and second of all, they're dropping off my weapon," Kylie answered, beaming. "You know, from my old Huntress days."
"Wait, you're picking up True Rebel again?" Yang grinned. "Why'd you stop using her in the first place?"
"Ehhhh, it was a bit of a hassle to maintain with all the materials and stuff," Kylie clarified. "Amma had one of the Plumbers do some upgrades on it, so, less money spent on that, I guess."
"Plus, I think Mom wants to rub her success in Glynda's face again," Kevin added, putting his cards away.
"Their rivalry seems to run deep," Rook commented. "Though, if someone was to insult my work like that, I suppose I would have a similar reaction."
Blake shot Rook a strange look. "Wait, seriously?"
"...no, that was a lie to make myself seem cooler," Rook admitted.
She chuckled and patted the teen on the back. "You're a good egg, Rook."
"Mom! Amma!" Kylie split from the group and ran into her moms' arms, both adults instantly wrapping her in a hug.
"Hey, kiddo," Sienna greeted, messing up Kylie's hair.
"How are you, sweetie?" Anna asked, kissing her daughter on the forehead.
"Hungry, but I'm good!" Kylie chirped as the group caught up to her. Kevin casually walked over and joined the hug.
"Awww, this is cute," Min sighed. "Reminds me of my family back home."
Rook tilted his head to her. "May I ask what they are like?"
Min blinked. "Absolute madness and chaos."
"But so are you?" Yang asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I get it from them. Trust me, they are far more chaotic than I am."
"Impossible."
After a nice walk filled with lighthearted banter, they arrived at the restaurant. It was one of those nice bistros with an outside space for tables and an air conditioned interior.
"Hi," Anna greeted the wait staff. "Reservation for Dombrowski?"
"Ah, right this way," the man said, but his friendly disposition faded when he saw Blake and Sienna. "Sorry, but you two will have to eat elsewhere."
Anna turned around, paper already flying out of her book and pointing itself at the man's neck. "Ex-fucking-scuse me?"
Sienna scoffed, already knowing what to do. "Darling," she sighed, "it's fine. I know a nice place up the road. The rest of you enjoy your dinner, ok?"
Anna gazed at her forlornly as she and the others were led inside. Sienna frowned tiredly as she and Blake walked up the road.
Blake and Sienna mostly ate in silence, only engaging in small bits of conversation- mainly just about books and whatever came to mind.
"Honestly, I'm glad that place denied us. That restaurant is a black hole for money. Plus I heard they replace good wine with cheap swill and charge you an arm and a leg for it," Sienna scoffed. "But let's put that aside. How are you doing, Blake? Keeping up with your studies?"
"I'm...doing fine," Blake said hesitantly. "I'm on Honor Roll, so, that's good, I guess."
"Have you kept in touch with your parents? You know they worry a lot," she fretted.
"I do, don't worry. I plan to visit them after the festival," Blake reassured her. "Maybe I'll take Yang with me."
"Taking a human to Menagerie?" Sienna's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. Ghira has mentioned some of the people there are...misinterpreting the message of the White Fang."
"...oh." Blake looked away.
"Do you want to know the real reason I left the White Fang, Blake?" Sienna said quietly, stirring her tea. "I felt like I was hitting a brick wall. Atlas wouldn't comply with us, the public was getting angrier, and the death threats I was receiving? That was enough to make me step down. I wanted to live a peaceful life after consuming myself with all that hate. People keep misunderstanding the original ideals of the White Fang. We didn't want to wipe out humanity, we just wanted equality. Glad I left when your father did."
Blake nodded. "I see."
"Eventually, I did get something out of it. Sometime after I left, Ironwood requested my help on a case involving something Jacques Schnee was doing. I was able to snoop around some old files I'd stolen and found some interesting things that I can't really disclose...and, a while after that, I took a job at Miskatonic, and, well, I met Anna." Sienna smiled happily. "And here I am now."
"Did you get your peaceful life, at least?" Blake asked hopefully.
Her smile slowly faded. "Sadly not."
"...do you think you'll ever get it?"
Sienna didn't answer.
The rest of the meal passed in silence.
Back with the others, Anna had made it a point to act petty due to the mistreatment her wonderful wife had received. Not to the wait staff, they were just doing their jobs. Mainly to the owner.
"God, what is this stupid pain in my back?" the owner hissed to himself, just as Anna threw another bit of paper at the back of his neck.
"Remind me never to get you angry," Yang muttered.
"I tend to play the long game," Anna said as she saw the owner escape to the back, presumably to lie down. She serenely sipped her wine.
"Soooo, mom!" Kylie piped up. "What have you and Amma been up to?"
"Well, Sienna and I have been doing some missions, finding new leads for the Black Ops wing, cleaning up the apartment..." Anna listed off.
"Sounds normal," Kevin noted. "Do you miss us?"
"Sometimes," Anna answered with a snicker. But then her mirth faded away. "But I will admit Sienna and I have been investigating a particularly morbid case."
"How morbid?" Yang asked tentatively.
"Some crazy asshole is going around hunting Faunus." Anna grimaced. "For food."
"Jesus Christ," Kevin cursed. "That's beyond fucked up."
"Yeah, he was raised by actual wolves in the mountains, if I remember it right. He hunted typical wildlife there. We think the guy sees certain Faunus as his prey because of their features. He's a natural born wolf Faunus, so anything that a typical wolf feasts on...a Faunus with those features is a target."
"What's his name?" Kylie asked quietly.
"People call him Crujo," Anna said, taking a sip of her wine.
"Why's that?" Min asked, scrunching up her nose.
"Probably because of that one Steven King novel." She sighed tiredly. "People are so unimaginative." And then Anna got a better look at the new girl. "Who even are you?"
Min grinned. "Oh, just a demon Tennyson summoned."
Anna didn't even blink. "Figures."
"Oh, no," Kevin interjected smoothly, "it wasn't Ben."
Anna's eyes widened. "...seriously? Gwen?" She looked baffled for a second. "Huh. Good for her. So, what else happened with you guys?"
"Ben turned into a girl for a week," Kevin said flatly.
"Good for them," Anna said, swirling her wine.
After the two groups had finished their dinners, Kylie eagerly awaited her weapon's case.
"Here you go, kiddo," Anna said, handing her daughter a violin case from the back of her rental car. Kylie happily took it from her mother's hands. "I took the liberty of having Lloyd do some upgrades on it. You know, to keep up with your friends."
"Wait, really? What kind of updates?" Kylie inquired.
"He put it on a sheet of paper inside the case," Anna told her. "But he did mention something about giving your weapon a wider range to match up with your powers."
"Give him extra pudding for it."
"How do you think I paid him?" Anna snickered.
Sienna pulled out two garment bags and handed them to Kevin. "Also, here are your outfits for the dance."
"Oh yeah, that's pretty soon," Yang said, remembering she still had a LOT to do for setting up the dance. "...fuck."
"...should we hurry back to the dorms so you can get some work done?" Kevin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ahaha, yeah," Yang weakly laughed, already pulling out her phone to look at her mostly incomplete checklist. "Kinda wish Weiss was around to handle the funds."
Sienna patted her on the back. "Wait until you reach adulthood. Budgeting and managing funds is actual hell."
Kylie was practically bursting with energy when she got back to the dorm. Blake had never seen her so excited. Yes, she was always happy-go-lucky, but this? This was special. It honestly reminded Blake of the first time she got her weapon.
(Young Blake spent the next few hours pretending to unleash a bankai. She would take that to her grave.)
Kylie grinned as she popped open the case. "I'm gonna test it out immediately. The gym's open until midnight, right?"
"I think so," Kevin answered as he tied his gym shoes. "Wanna spar together?" He waited for a response, but to his shock, Kylie didn't respond. He looked back up to see his sister intently staring at her weapon. Her pupils were small and she was deathly quiet, something that set off his protective sibling instinct.
"Everything ok?" Kevin asked quietly.
"Oh?" Kylie snapped out of her trance. "Oh, uh...I-I think I'm just gonna wait until tomorrow. I'm not feeling all that great." Kevin could tell she was lying; his sister always made sure to make as much eye contact as possible whenever she was trying to hide something. "Let's just try it in the morning..." She closed the case and quickly walked back to the dorm. Kevin, Blake, and Min shared concerned looks.
"That was weird...any idea what that was about?" Doppler piped up.
Kevin grimaced. "Maybe. I'm just gonna wait until she feels comfortable talking about it."
"You sure that's a smart move?" Min asked.
"It's better than pressing her about something that might be traumatic," Blake explained.
"...good point," Min conceded.
Kevin thought for a moment before bringing his phone out. Sending off a quick text, he announced, "I let Rook know what's going on. He's coming back from the gym, so he can easily meet Kylie at the dorm. Rook's easy to talk to, so if she wants to talk, he's the best person for it."
"Gotcha," Blake said, nodding. She then stood up and stretched. "I think I'm gonna go to the gym myself. I'll see you later." They said their goodbyes and Blake left. Once her footsteps faded, Min turned to Kevin.
"So, what do you think happened, exactly?" Min asked curiously.
"It's a bit complicated," Kevin said, frowning. "The last time Kylie used True Rebel was during a Huntress exam when she was 13. I don't know much, but something from that exam just made her stop using the weapon entirely. Might have been a really, really scathing exam grade."
"Sounds like it. Grades are bullshit." Min frowned. "...education is still important though."
"Min, you don't even go to class. You just chill in our dorm and steal from my section of the fridge..." Kevin suddenly turned into Blink 182 just to give Min all of the 'evil eyes'.
"Oh shit, you noticed?"
"YES, I NOTICED THAT THE CAKE I BOUGHT HAD A PIECE MISSING!" Kevin yelled.
"Listen, I'm willing to steal food for you. Shut up." Min smirked as Kevin hissed.
"Steal from a fancy five star restaurant and I'll pardon you of your crime," he said.
"I'll add that to tomorrow's to-do list," Min snickered.
"Everything good?"
Kylie opened her eyes to see Rook awkwardly standing at the foot of her bed.
"Huh?" she said intelligently.
"Is everything alright? You seemed to have lost enthusiasm for your weapon." Rook looked at the case. "I was looking forward to a sparring match."
"Sorry, Rook," Kylie sighed. "It's just...I thought I was ready to pick it back up."
He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"It's a long story," she said. "Let's just make it short. Harsh, harsh judge at my Hunter evaluation. Lots of discouraging words thrown around, something along the lines of giving up...not professional at all."
"You bring it up so casually," Rook pointed out.
"Exactly. I thought that...I dunno, because I was over the pain, that maybe I'd be ready to use it again," Kylie explained. "I guess the words still stuck to me."
"...I see," Rook said, sitting on Kylie's bed. "Your experience is universal."
"Huh?"
"I too had a similar experience," Rook sighed. "There is a quote that has stuck with me: 'The words with which a child's heart is poisoned, whether through malice or through ignorance, remain branded in his memory, and sooner or later they burn his soul.'"
"...how bad was yours?" Kylie asked quietly. "If you don't mind being transparent."
"Mine came from my mentor," Rook told her. "His words were like daggers. Nothing was good enough for him, I suppose."
"Wait, seriously? You're, like, the most skilled out of all of us," Kylie exclaimed, offended on Rook's behalf.
"Indeed." He smirked a little, but it quickly collapsed. "His standards were set very high, and...he just kept moving the bar up just as my fingers could grasp it. It's a bit strange, but I wonder if each step of that grueling hell led me here. A book I once had to read for class made mention of fate. If I remember correctly, it said there is a purpose for everything in life. The way the universe works is funny- it gives us hints through it's eccentric, cosmic ways. It knows our failures, our destinies, and our ultimate demise. I thought to myself... Was this lesson planned for me? Possibly. All I know for sure is that I will never let a failure like that hold me back ever again."
"...damn," Kylie said, taking in every word of that spiel. "That was heavy."
"I know," Rook chuckled. "I remember sitting on my bed and reflecting on that after everything was said and done."
Kylie looked at her weapon one last time, and sighed. "You're right. I'm not gonna get anywhere moping for myself." She hopped off her bed and popped open her case. Rook peered over her shoulder to see the weapon in full- it was a violin, as expected. But when Kylie turned one of the pegs, he didn't expect for two massive axe blades to shoot out the sides. Kylie turned another peg, and the fiddlehead unfurled, revealing a 'chain' to her weapon.
"It's been a while, girl," Kylie said, greeting her weapon like an old friend. "I feel awful for abandoning you like that..."
"I did not expect for you to have...this for a weapon." Rook said pointedly. "May I?"
Kylie handed Rook the weapon. It was lighter than he thought and the blade was sharp and nicely polished. The wood on the material was actually some sort of metal painted to resemble a nice wood finish- it must've taken hours to paint it so carefully.
"It's funny, really," Kylie said quietly. "This thing is how I met Weiss."
"She appreciated the fine culture of the weapon, I presume?" Rook asked half-jokingly.
Kylie nodded. "She basically mistook me for a silver spoon kind of gal. I'm sure she'll be happy to see me using this thing again."
"...Kylie, did you pick your weapon up again because Weiss donned that armor?"
"...maybe," she mused. "I think that hammered in the realization that things aren't as peaceful as they were a few months ago. Bullets aren't gonna cut it anymore if the thing you're shooting at has either no corporeal form or is just straight up bulletproof."
"Understandable reasons, really."
"Think Kevin and Min are still at the gym?" Kylie suddenly asked, mischief in her tone. "If they're not somewhere kissing, that is."
Rook raised an eyebrow. "Are they in a relationship?"
"What? No," Kylie scoffed as she turned for the door. "Though Min TOTALLY has a crush on my brother."
"And how would you know that?" Rook asked, following her.
Kylie grinned. "I just know these things."
In one of Beacon's cooler study lounges, Blake and Yang had a major issue. Bigger than anything else going right now.
Money balancing. Have you ever tried to balance a checkbook? It's hard as hell. Try balancing a checkbook for a giant dance. It's borderline impossible.
"I'm not even sure I could place a down payment on half of this stuff," Yang sighed. "Weiss chose a bad weekend to go away..."
"Oh, no need to worry about that," Blake said casually. "My parents paid for it."
Yang stopped writing and gave Blake a strange look. "Come again?"
"My parents paid for it."
"...what?" Yang put her pencil down, utterly flabbergasted. "Blake, that would have been, like, $10,000. How rich are you?"
Blake paused to think. "Nowhere near Weiss' level, but my family is pretty well off at the moment."
"I have so many questions," Yang sputtered, putting aside her papers. "Where'd your folks get this money?"
"My dad's chieftain of my village."
"Well, uh...tell them thanks for the donation," she said with a smile.
"I will when I visit them," Blake said. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "...would you like to come with, actually?"
"Sure. When would we go?"
Blake gave a small, relieved smile. "After this whole festival blows over. We're swamped as it is." She sighed as she looked at one of the requests for the dance. "Ugh."
"What's up?" Yang asked.
Blake wrinkled her nose. "Someone requested we turn the dance into Wrestlemania."
"...I'd fuckin' pay for that out of pocket if we could," Yang commented.
Blake rolled her eyes before searching for the catalog of dance related items that Glynda had given her. "Hold on, let me find that stupid book…"
"I think it's in our room," Yang said, looking around.
"Be right back," Blake said, huffing as she got up. She walked to the dorm before swatting the side of her leg- her keychain was missing. "Great." She sighed again, making the short trek back to the study lounge...
And just in time for Blake to see Yang, holding her diary in her hands.
"Oh, hey," Yang said. "I was about to bring this to you-"
"You didn't read it, did you?" Blake snapped.
"Wha-?"
"You didn't look, did you?!" She snatched the item out of Yang's hands and held it close to her.
"...something tells me you weren't writing fanfiction in there," Yang realized. "Venting again?"
Blake's shoulders relaxed minutely. "Maybe."
Yang sighed. "Blake, you know we're here for you, right? You can tell us if something's wrong."
"That's the thing," Blake said, voice tight. "What if I'm just like him?"
"...Like who? What are you talking about?"
"What if I'm just manipulating and extorting all of you into giving me what I want in exchange for morsels of affection?!" Blake cried out. "I've done nothing for this team! NOTHING!"
With that, Blake dropped down to the ground and started crying.
Anyone else would just have walked away, but Yang walked over and sat down next to Blake, waiting until her sobs slowly died. Yang's maternal instincts had kicked in; Ruby used to have breakdowns when she was under a lot of stress, but for Blake, this felt different.
"Blake," Yang sighed as she ran her fingers through her girlfriend's hair. "Just talk to me."
"I'm just...scared," Blake eventually mumbled.
"Of what?"
"I've just...been through a lot growing up, you know?" Blake sighed. "When I saw that mother rip her son away from me during recess and start yelling at me. I was playing with the other kids after school, and this lady yelled at me to get away from her kid because he had enough 'human' friends to fill up his group. When I had some grown jackass come up to my father and start yelling at him for being a terrorist. Sometimes I'm worried that maybe it's not because of my race, but because of who I am."
"I can understand why you'd want to hide yourself," Yang murmured. "Our country has quite a lot of those people. Feels like it's never gonna go away, right?"
Blake nodded. "The problem just isn't going anywhere. I just feel like, if I vent too many times, I'll just damage or even destroy my relationships. Like I'll eventually exhaust their patience and lead them to feel that their own wants, needs, and feelings have very little importance to me. If you stay around me, I'm going to hurt you. That's... that's just in my nature. That's who I am. That's probably the most honest thing I've ever said to you."
Yang rested her head on Blake's shoulder. "Look. I know you've done a lot, and you've been through a lot. No matter what, we'll all stand by you, ok? You're our friend. It's better for you to let go of negative emotions than to keep them bottled up inside. You're not a ticking time bomb. You're Blake Belladonna. You're my friend, my partner...and you are not a burden."
Blake relaxed bit, closing her eyes.
"...Yang?"
"Yeah?"
"...can you keep a big secret?"
"Absolutely."
Blake handed Yang the journal. "Just read the page with the dog-eared creases."
Yang nodded, and she flipped to that page-
I wish I had been afraid when I met him.
It was back in Kuo Kuana. I was forced to attend some status report with my parents about the recent White Fang raid on the Schnee Dust Mines, right in the center of town. This was a bit of a shock, according to my dad; no one had dared to go back to Atlas following Sienna Khan stepping down to live a "quiet life".
And then he took the stage.
Adam Taurus.
Yang swore she'd heard that name before. Maybe it was in the news once or twice. From what she remembered, he was the leader of the Vale Branch of the now slowly becoming defunct White Fang. He was a pretty devoted fellow, from what the newscasters were saying. Yang was shocked that Blake knew the guy.
He was a tall Faunus with auburn hair that spiked backward in a windswept way. While most of his hair was red, he had streaks of black going through. A noticeable trait of his appearance was the mask he wore. It obscured his entire upper face, never giving away what he was thinking. He had two reddish-black horns, one on each side of his head.
"My name is Adam Taurus," he spoke. His voice was soft, but authoritative. "I am a loyal advocate of the White Fang, and recent leader following the departure of Sienna Khan. I bring grave news following our more recent raid; three of our members were captured by vicious human mercenaries, all for trying to help the Faunus who were abused and mistreated in the Dust mines. We fear for the lives of our imprisoned brothers and sisters, as we can only imagine the horrors inflicted on the captive Faunus..."
And then, I swear...he looked directly at me.
"The White Fang also wishes to acknowledge Ghira and Kali Belladonna for their peacekeeping amidst this chaos..." Adam carried on, but his eyes were locked on me.
"So, they chose him, huh?" my father muttered under his breath.
My first impression of Adam was that he was a strong, capable leader. Imagine my shock when I heard his soft sobs when I was walking home. It was an accident, really. I just wanted to help him and see what was wrong...
And then I saw his face.
I...really should've been frightened...but I wasn't. I was... spellbound. I didn't flinch. I didn't run. I knew what was behind the mask. Did a single other soul know?
"You saw," he snarled, shoving his mask back on. "You can't...you won't tell anyone!"
"I-I won't," I stammered. I could feel his eyes drilling into me. I needed to change the subject quickly... "Those three faunus they captured in the mines...they were your friends, weren't they? I'm sorry to hear about them."
He didn't say anything in response.
"You're Ghira's daughter, right?" he asked.
"Y-yes, I am."
"What are you doing, walking alone? Let me walk with you." He offered- no, commanded.
"My house is close," I countered weakly.
"Let me walk with you," He repeated. "You never know what monsters truly lurk in the dark." With that, he walked me home. He didn't kiss my hand. Didn't speak. Didn't joke.
I didn't realize he was threatening me.
It would be a full year before I saw him again. My father did not like the way the White Fang was being run; he and Sienna founded it as a way of freeing Faunus and establishing healthy human relations, but Adam had taken a more...radical turn.
I didn't see the problem when I first joined. Adam was quite pleased to see me at my first meeting.
"So," he began. "After your father withdrew his support for us 'radicals' in the White Fang...you're still here."
"The same could be said of you," I retorted. "You could get out. Turn yourself in. Do penance. Ask pardon for the measures you've taken. You'd have a new life."
"You know why I can't."
"I want a better world for the Faunus. My family is secure, but so many others..."
Adam smiled - a first - and chuckled a bit. "Very well."
We fought together, mission after mission. We rescued and liberated Faunus from behind enemy lines. Being with him was like being in a whirlwind, a riptide...I just didn't see him turning into a hurricane.
Maybe it was because I...intoxicated...that's just a funny word I used because my mind lied to me and hid the word I was really looking for. He was toxic. Poison. His words invaded my mind and made me fall in love with him. He was manipulative from the very start. He planned every word, every action, everything to make sure I'd be his little pet.
He made me hate the things I used to love, stay away from the people I called friends- he made it a point to mold me and shape me into a woman who would be...a satellite to him. An object that followed him wherever he went. I was his protector when people spoke ill of him.
I lied to myself constantly- he's doing this for a reason. He loves you. He cares about you. The tears falling from your eyes are your own fault.
It went on for two years.
And now...I wish I'd been afraid.
Especially after I heard my parent's whispers.
"-they said that the White Fang members broke into the room and...slaughtered all of them," my father whispered to my mother one night.
"What?" she gasped.
"They didn't even have anything to do with the Faunus," my father went on. "They were just the guarding for cargo. They didn't know about the Faunus trafficking going on behind their backs..."
My heart sank. I had to get answers. So, I went to him.
"Adam."
"Blake?"
"I heard about your recent mission," I said. "Six dead."
"Six? You must have heard wrong."
I almost breathed a sigh of relief. Adam's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "It was ten."
"I...I don't..." I stuttered. "They had nothing to do with the mission!"
"They absolutely did," he retorted. "There's two sides: us and those against us. There exists no 'neutrality' in our affairs."
I couldn't believe him; this was the same man I found in the alleyway, presumably crying over his friends. But now I realized: he wasn't crying for them. He was laughing. Laughing at the humans.
Laughing at how utterly pathetic they were.
Yang felt sick.
I knew I couldn't let his ideology spread any further. So, I made my move the next day, during a train heist. The White Fang was to steal an entire shipment of Dust from a cargo train, just to spite the humans.
Of course, there were...complications.
Atlesian Droids had infested the train, knowing we'd be there. We decimated them within seconds, grabbed what we came for, and got out.
"I'll set the charges," Adam said as he prepared the bombs.
"What about the crew and passengers on board?" I asked.
"Why do you care about them?" he scoffed.
"Because," I said, frowning. "They have nothing to do with this. They're just doing their jobs."
Adam sighed, like I was a dumb child who refused to understand the lesson. "Were you not listening last night? There's two sides: us and those against us. You're on my side, right?"
My body tensed. Those seconds of silence felt like hours, but I finally built up the courage to speak my mind.
"No," I said coldly. "I'm n-"
I barely had time to react; he swung his blade at me, and I barely sidestepped the attack before it made contact with me.
"Are you asking me to show mercy?" he snarled. "The White Fang shows no mercy for human scum! Especially the ones-" Adam tore off his mask and locked eyes with me; his right eye was a healthy blue color, but his left eye was scarred permanently with a SDC brand. "-that can do an act like this and justify it in the end!"
"Not every human is like the ones that hurt you," I shot back. "There's good people out there-"
"Everyone's guilty! They just haven't had a chance to hurt me yet!" Adam screamed. "And you were the last person I expected to do this to me..." His body started to glow a menacing red color that still haunts my dreams. "Why must you hurt me, Blake?"
The rest of the battle passed by like a blur. Adam slashed out with his sword-
And I slammed into him with my foot-
Yang audibly gasped.
And in seconds, Adam fell off the train and was crushed underneath the wheels of the car. I could see his mangled body in the distance, unmoving...
I didn't bother to check if he was dead. It wasn't because I was scared, it was because I knew I had to hide. I left the White Fang, and I ran.
Adam may be dead, but his spirit haunts me every day. I feel this...burden interacting with people. People can't relate to my experiences; no girl my age can say she killed her partner or admit to doing horrible, horrible things to possibly innocent people.
He wants to talk about scars? Let's focus on the scars he gave me.
Instability.
Insecurity.
The feeling that I'm absolute garbage.
No human gave me these feelings. This came from my own kind.
I hope you rot in Hell, Adam.
"...so, that's what happened, huh?" Yang whispered, taking in everything Blake had written.
"Yep." Blake's voice was tiny and scared.
"I can see why you'd...get all worked up about that journal entry," Yang said. "That's one hell of a nightmare to live through."
"I want to say I was right in killing him," Blake told her. "I really do. Part of me knows he'd continue to rise up in ranks and somehow get worse. Sometimes I wonder if it was because of the world that he changed...or it was just because of that anger."
"...I might as well tell you my big secret too," Yang revealed.
Blake looked at her. "What would you have to hide?"
"The real reason I got this arm." Yang looked down at her prosthetic. "I've always hated this thing. It's a pain to maintain, and it just feels too...bulky sometimes. It just serves of a reminder of how stupid I was back then."
"You said you got your arm as a kid, right?" Blake asked worriedly. "What exactly happened, Yang?"
"It started with our mom," Yang began. "Summer. One day she went on a mission and...never came back. It was hard on all of us- Ruby was really torn up, but I think she was still too young to really get what was going on, y'know? And my dad just kind of... shut down. I had to pick up the pieces for a while. Dad was strong. He was kind and smart and I'd just never seen him so...dejected. It wasn't long before I learned why- Summer wasn't the first love he lost. She was the second. The first... was my mom."
Blake shifted. She hadn't expected that.
"Dad wouldn't tell me everything," Yang said. "Maybe because I was a kid, but probably because it hurt to talk about. I learned that the two of them had been on a team together with Summer and Qrow called STRQ, and that she'd left me with him right after I was born. No one had seen her since."
"...so you wanted answers," Blake realized.
"What kid wouldn't? It was all I thought about. I would ask anyone I could about what they knew about her," Yang went on. "Then, one day, I found something. What I thought was a clue that could lead me to answers, or maybe even my mother. It was a picture of a worn down house, with my mom and dad sitting there. I'd seen that house once or twice, and maybe there was something there for me to help me solve my curiosity. I waited for Dad to leave the house, put Ruby in a wagon, and headed out. I must've walked for hours. I had cuts and bruises, I was totally exhausted, but I wasn't gonna let anything stop me. When we finally got there, I could barely stand, but I didn't care; I had made it. And then I saw them. Those burning red eyes..."
Yang clutched her arm. "...Ruby was a toddler sleeping in the back of a wagon and I was a stupid little girl, too exhausted to even cry for help. I want to say my uncle Qrow stepped in at the right moment to save us, but..."
She stopped - for a second, Yang felt like she was still there. Standing in front of that wagon, defending her baby sister with everything she had.
And then she felt her arm flare with pain.
"...I woke up in the hospital. I paid an enormous cost for my stubbornness. If Qrow hadn't been there, me and Ruby may not be where we are now. She doesn't even know the whole truth, honestly. She just knows that we were taking a walk." Yang sighed. "I felt awful for dragging her into it, for making my dad worry and...I saw the consequences of getting involved with her."
Yang looked up at the ceiling. "I really haven't thought of my mom in a while. And with good reason. I want to blame her for this arm but...deep down, it's my own fault."
Silence filled the room, leaving the two alone with their thoughts.
"Yang, I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"...I'm sorry you had to go through that hell as well."
"Thank you."
And the two sat alone.
"...you're strong."
Blake's ears perked up. "Huh?"
"It...it takes courage and strength to...talk about a relationship like that," Yang told her sincerely. "You're a survivor."
"...just like you?"
"...yeah. Just like me."
Taiyang was, for the most part, a social drinker. He didn't frequent bars or go out for drinks often- the last time he got drunk was that one time he shared a rental cabin with Carl and Sandra for two weeks. That had been at least three years ago.
His brother in law, on the other hand...
Taiyang walked over to a crowded bar table. He could hear shouts of encouragement as Qrow continued to chug a bottle of vodka. Taiyang shook his head in disappointment, just as Qrow smashed the empty bottle on the table and yelled. The onlookers cheered, the sounds bouncing off the walls of the already loud bar.
"Looks like YOU have to pay for my drinks!" Qrow laughed as he pointed a finger at an annoyed Six.
"I never agreed to this," Six stated. "If anything, I'm just more concerned about you."
"Same here," Taiyang said, smoothly interjecting himself into the conversation. Six gave him a smile and greeted him, while Qrow, with only a minimal stumble in his walk, gave him a big hug.
"Tai, where ya been, man?!" his brother-in-law shouted in his ear. He smelled like sweat and cheap booze.
"I've been busy teaching and visiting my girls and not getting sloshed," Taiyang shot back.
"And how are Yang and Ruby?" Six asked pleasantly as they moved the conversation to a table in the back.
"They're doing great!" Taiyang answered cheerfully. "Ruby's really blooming at Beacon, and Yang is really enjoying herself as well. I'll send you a proper email with a little more details later, if you want."
"I'd like that," Six said sincerely. He turned to Qrow, expression stern. "And you? I know you did more than drink the past several weeks."
"After Amber disappeared, I've been looking into some leads," Qrow explained, still a bit tipsy. "But it just feels like a goose chase at this point. I've got more questions than answers. What about you, Six? How's the old windbag?"
"Ironwood put Fria under Atlas protection following Amber's disappearance," Six explained. "Not to mention, with her age, we're not sure if she has enough time left. The important thing, however, is that she's safe."
Qrow nodded and turned to Tai. "And what about you? Keeping an open line with the Spring Maiden's confidant?"
Taiyang diverted eye contact. "Sort of. It used to be brief conversations. Now we've just moved onto basic fly by's to confirm she's alive. So...that's my relationship with her now, I guess."
"Better than nothing, I suppose." Suddenly, Six looked up. "...crap."
"What's up?" Taiyang asked, raising an eyebrow.
"My partner hasn't checked back in with me. That means he's gotten himself into trouble."
"You brought the kid with you?" Qrow scoffed. "Seriously? When you'd become a babysitter?"
"...we'll check back in a month," Six said as he walked off. "I'll choose the location."
"Thank you," Taiyang called back.
"Sooo," Qrow said, turning his attention back to Taiyang. "Heard YOU got kidnapped."
He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. So what? I got to see my kid kick ass."
"What about that Tennyson kid? Did you scare him a bit?" his brother-in-law asked.
"Qrow, listen. I'm trying to raise my kids to be independent. If I lord over them and intimidate their partners, what message am I really sending?"
"You say that because our parents scared you."
"...shut up," Taiyang said, downing his scotch.
Another thing- I apologize for...not bringing Adam in. Adam was a character I never really felt confident about writing, not because I hated him. I just...was kinda ehhh about writing him at the time. I was LITERALLY gonna make him a zombie. And that was stupid. Yes. I admit. It was stupid.
However- just because I won't be including Adam in Gemstones doesn't mean you won't see Adam content from me. We're allowed to tell another story with different characters and events in play.
...you'll be seeing that soon, maybe.
Anyways, I'm tired! I wrote 37 pages of stuff this weekend! Ahaha!