Despite leaving the warehouse only seconds behind Shiv, Ilia had somehow managed to lose the man out in the snow all around Aurora's Cradle. It took her several minutes to figure out that he had simply made a turn and ascended a metal staircase attached to the warehouse to head up to the roof, where he stood looking out through the protective bubble at the sea. Ilia made her way up after him at a slow, deliberate pace, making sure to make her footfalls heavy enough to alert the man to her presence. Shiv closed his eye and shook his head at the act, looking thoroughly annoyed.

"…I did not leave to get away from you. There is no reason to move so slowly."

"…oh," was all Ilia said before joining the taller faunus at the cold metal railing with a small coating of snow piled atop its length. "Yeah, Robyn's a bit of an asshole, isn't she?"

"More than a bit," Shiv agreed as he reopened his eye and kept it on the water. "Another thirty seconds of her mouth and I may have shot her."

"I wouldn't have stopped you."

"And that is why I left," Shiv continued, shaking his head. "On the chance that we do need her talents or knowledge of Mantle, I cannot let a personal grudge get in the way. Ergo, I have removed myself from the situation."

"I could probably stand to learn to do that," Ilia admitted as she folded her arms across her chest to try to afford herself a little warmth. "Are you really not cold at all with just your… fur? What animal does your faunus trait come from, anyway?"

"Mink," Shiv answered immediately. "And no, I am not. As for you… your penchant for standing your ground and pushing forward is admirable and cements your role as a leader. There is wisdom in a self-imposed retreat on occasion… but there is inspiration in refusal to back down, as well. Both approaches are needed for a successful venture. Would that I had stayed and stood up to Adam, rather than washing my hands of the situation, I might still have two eyes and the White Fang may not have fallen so far."

Ilia reached out and gripped the railing, feeling the snow through her fingerless gloves as she flexed her palms around the metal bar. Though the sensation was unpleasant, she felt like she needed it for some reason in order to help her focus and get the truth out.

"My… stubbornness might have contributed to that downfall," Ilia admitted. "Until someone came along and helped me turn things around, I was just another zealot doing things for the Fang that probably never should've been allowed. You really shouldn't pin me as a leader so quickly. I've made a lot of messes."

"…I work for a literal pirate," Shiv pointed out. "Questionable decisions are my forte."

"…fair point," Ilia conceded. "I don't know, I just still don't feel like I have my shit together. I'm getting there, but I'm not there. Not yet. If I can lead us through Mantle and help re-evacuate people… maybe then. Thanks for backing me up against Robyn, though."

"Robyn Hill is the worst sort of person," Shiv declared as he turned around and leaned back into the railing. "I will continue to back you up going forward, particularly when you are standing against her."

"Honestly, I thought you hated Em and I when we first got here," Ilia replied with a lopsided smirk. "You just seemed…annoyed by us."

"I still am," Shiv let on. "But annoyance is no excuse to impact our current goal. There is precious little that should be allowed to stand in the way of a righteous cause, and saving the lives of everyone on Remnant from Salem… I can think of no objective more pressing."

Ilia nodded her agreement and blew out a breath, watching it leave her mouth as a fine mist before slowly dissipating in the frigid air. With the surrounding open plains and sea air so close by, the weather of Aurora's Cradle was becoming almost unbearable for her, and the faunus knew she couldn't stay atop the roof without a heating bar for much longer. She also knew that Shiv was unlikely to relocate to continue speaking to her… and that he had likely chosen the rooftop for precisely that reason.

"…do you know what's going on with the Fang right now?" Ilia asked. "How Kali Belladonna took it over after her husband and Adam were killed, the name changing to the Black Claw, and all that?"

"I do, yes. I was there for Ghira's final days as a leader, and his widow is… likely exactly what the Fang needs right now," Shiv let on. "I am uncertain how our reunion will go, or if she will even remember me should we meet in Mantle."

"She was almost like a mother to me," Ilia said softly. "The Belladonnas took me in after my parents were killed in a mining accident. I've honestly spent a lot of time wishing I could be like her… at least, until she retired."

The mink narrowed his singular eye at Ilia, seemingly taking in her every detail. He was silent for a good while as Ilia tensed under the pressure, just waiting for him to say something. She was expecting indifference or admonishment, especially given how unclear the man's relationship with Kali seemed.

"…I see much of her within you. Now, leave me. You're shivering, and we can speak of the old days of the Fang later, when I am not so… annoyed. I will be ready to follow you once a plan is in place."

Ilia let go of the railing and gave the man a nod. She could feel her scales flushing with dark red at the compliment and did her best not to try to hide her face.

"Thanks. I'll go deal with that Schnee bastard and work with Alice to start getting a plan in place. See you soon."

Shiv grunted an affirmation before closing his eye and remaining on the railing as Ilia left the rooftop, moving a bit more quickly than before.

Blake felt a very distinct and yet unfamiliar sort of uncomfortable. It was obvious as to why, but it also wasn't something she could fully put into words… and oddly enough, she didn't mind the feeling, either. Hours had passed while she sat upon a park bench in the middle of a wooded area she had never visited before, simply taking in her surroundings and talking quietly with her friend. Yang, who had been the strong one that Blake had leaned on several times throughout their tenure at Beacon, had instead decided to lean her head on the faunus' shoulder and open up about everything on her mind. Blake wasn't used to giving advice, supporting someone else, and physically being there for a friend, and it left her feeling a little awkward.

A thought in the back of her mind kept nagging as to whether or not she was screwing it up and doing more harm than good with her meager efforts… but a louder voice in her mind kept reassuring her that everything was going to be alright. The voice wasn't her own, but she wasn't surprised at all to hear it invading her mind with encouragement given how much its owner had done for her. All she had to do was channel him, and Yang would start feeling better. It was a given. It was obvious.

It felt simultaneously great and worrying to Blake that she had changed so much… but she found that in the end, she liked it.

Slowly, the faunus looped an arm around her friend's shoulder, pulling her a bit closer as they continued to stare off into the trees. The sounds of birdsong had begun to die down as the sun got closer and closer to setting, leaving the only noise in the area to come from the occasional passerby on the park trail. Nothing had been said for several minutes after a long discussion about Yang's feelings regarding both Ruby, Raven, and their current traveling companions. Blake couldn't help but feel that there was another shoe to drop, though she couldn't quite place what it would be. The moment it did, she realized how obvious it was, and figured she must have simply forgotten with everything else going on.

"There is… something else," Yang began, keeping her head on Blake's shoulder. "There's still… my other 'mom'. Summer Rose. The reason that Ruby went the path she did."

"…I don't know if that's necessarily true," Blake considered with a twitch of an ear. "She was definitely a factor, but… I think being around Ozpin was just as much of part of the changes we all noticed in Ruby when she came to Atlas."

"The changes after getting back from Sanus, sure," Yang agreed as she finally dragged her head off of Blake's shoulder and stood up into a stretch. "But… that's not really what I'm talking about. Summer basically did raise both of us. I was too young when Raven left to really remember what she was like as a mom, outside a few random, isolated memories. Summer… 'dying', or at this point, disappearing drove Ruby to become a huntress. That's partially why I became one, too, if I'm being honest. It put us on the path we're all on, now… and Summer wasn't there to help us. We had to rely on each other, and then later, ourselves. It seemed like Ruby kept walking that road until she thought she had to do everything… and I don't want to let myself get to that point."

"You don't think you're part of the reason Ruby became a huntress?" Blake probed, standing up alongside her friend. "I'm not blaming you or anything, just…"

"Maybe," Yang answered with a shake of her head. "But still. Summer- Mom was all Ruby ever talked about. Her cooking, how she used to help us train in combat even when we were so young, her bedtime stories. To think she just left us like Raven did, and might still be out there… I'm going to be furious if we ever find her. I'm going to need you to hold me back for the good of the group if she can help us. There had better be a good goddamned reason she's in hiding if she really is alive. Something more than leaving to 'protect us' or some other lame shit like that."

"I… am probably exactly the wrong person to talk to about this," Blake admitted as she let out a sigh. "I want to say I don't believe anyone who knows you well would just abandon you, but… you know."

"You were in a dark place," Yang said flatly, giving Blake an even stare. "I get it. Doesn't make it okay, but… I get it, I'm over it, I forgive you, and I'm honestly happier to have you back in my life than I was mad to have you suddenly leave. Can we just leave it at that?"

Blake scrunched her nose and held her breath as she met Yang's eyes, her feline ears flat against her skull. That uncomfortable feeling intensified. She knew what she needed to do, no matter how it felt.

"…I don't think we can, Yang. I don't know if I've ever really apologized, so… I'm sorry. Truly. I never should've run."

"I'm glad you did," Yang said without a second thought as she walked forward to scoop the faunus into a one-armed hug.

"What?" Blake asked, blinking in surprise as she lightly wrapped her arms around Yang's back.

"If you hadn't, you might not be together with Sun right now," Yang pointed out. "And I certainly wouldn't be fucking Jaune, let alone dating him and Corsac. The crews might've assembled differently. Mantle might not've been able to evacuate at all. Weiss may not have met Marrow. Who knows what could've happened? In the end, with everything working out like this? Yeah… I'm ready to let go of the grudge for the greater good."

"You have to know what I'm going to say next, right?" Blake dared to ask as she rubbed at Yang's back. "What if… what if it's the same way with Summer? If she really did shape your lives so much, then you could say the same thing about her leaving you…"

"…I never said forgiving you was easy or immediate," Yang warned. "I still think about punching you full force directly in the boob sometimes. With the metal arm I don't have at the moment."

"That's suspiciously specific," Blake said uneasily as the hug was broken. "But I get it. I do think you should try with your mom, though, given how things worked out between us. Maybe you could rebuild your relationship over time. I'm sure she's proud of who you've become."

"…are you talking about Raven or Summer?" Yang questioned as she arched a brow and met Blake's eyes.

"That's not for me to decide," Blake answered as both of their scrolls buzzed at once. "Here we go…"

"Well, it is nearing sunset," Yang pointed out as she took out her device and lit it up. "Almost time for the… meeting…"

Sun, 5:52 PM

Hey, you guys coming back to the house? There's a situation in Sanus that we need to talk about immediately. I just got a call from Nora and it's not good.

"Of course there is," Blake said aloud as she began composing a reply. "You ready to head back?"

"With you, Sun, Jaune, and Corsac at my side? I'm ready to take on anything," Yang answered, beginning to set out down the path. "Whatever's going on, we'll deal with it. Let's go."

Author's Note:

Next week… Astrid.

-RD