Author's Notes;
-Hello again, my dear readers. Looks like I've been bombarded by schoolwork, and thus the chapter comes a little later. Also, I recently got back from a brief vacation in Denver, Colorado. As far as I can tell, I'm not horribly sick. (I really hope not anyway...) Anyway, we got another chapter for ya!
-The chapter wasn't terribly hard to write, even though I did have to revise Weiss's section. The third part was tricky, but I think I managed to strike a balance between the characters featured in that section.
Now then, let me ask you a question; What does it mean to be in the in-between?
Daphne sat on the rooftop of Athena's hotel fortress. As the morning sun slowly rose over the land, she faintly smiled.
Ah sunrises and sunsets. One of the few joys I have left in this forsaken world.
She soon realized she wasn't alone. The cat-clawed faunus looked up. "Oh, Marrok. Hello there."
Marrok greeted the messenger. "Hello Daphne." He sat down next to her. "I didn't expect to find you up here."
"What can I say? I like watching the sun rise." She turned to the sheep-eared faunus with a smile. "How did the meeting go?"
"It went well, and I am free to share what me and the other specialists have learned today."
The Revolutionist lips curled into a smirk. "And what target has Lady Bruna set her sights on?"
"Haven Academy; to be invaded and brought to its knees before the year ends."
"If it teaches humanity to kneel and bow before us, then we should go for it." the former Loyalist spoke. "Hey Marrok? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure... I suppose." Marrok hesitantly answered.
"Why did you join the White Fang?" Daphne asked him.
He looked dismayed upon hearing her question. "I have numerous reasons for joining the White Fang. The first one is that I heard that faunus within Atlas were being enslaved to private interest groups. I was fifteen years old at the time, right when my critical thinking skills started to develop. I was skeptical at first. Or maybe I was scared that it could be true. Unfortunately, it was. I learned this upon hearing a personal testimony from a girl who never told me her name. And I will admit, I grew up lonely and home-schooled in a city called Fiti. It's located on the island of Patch, a territory of Vale's kingdom. As a result I had few friends, which I suppose is the second reason why I joined. And the third reason is that one of the few times I left home in my youth, I saw a faunus get arrested for no reason. I questioned many things during my 15th year.
"Shortly after I turned sixteen, I joined the Fang, wanting to change things for the better. However, despite my efforts, I fear I only made things worse when I started seeing Corvina Noire, who would eventually become the leader and founder of the Noire Armada."
Daphne looked at him in disbelief. "You once... dated Corvina Noire?"
"I did. It originally started out as a manipulation tactic, but over time, I started to fall in love with her. Unfortunately, it didn't last long."
"So what happened?"
"Corvina learned the truth. She learned that I was in the White Fang by reading my diary, followed me to our hideout in the city, and threatened to call the cops on me if I didn't leave them. I tried to convince her that it wasn't necessary, but in the midst of the chaos, I was unable to tell her how I truly felt. In order to try and prevent her from exposing us, Yayauhqui or Yaya, the Valeian leader of the time, attempted to kill her. I was able to stop him from murdering her, but alas, I was unsuccessful in stopping her from calling the authorities. Yaya was furious, and called me a fool for being in love. He was always very temperamental, which didn't help the situation at hand. As a result of our arguing and lack of cooperation, the cops were on us in a matter of minutes. We had to flee the area, which resulted in multiple members getting arrested, including Yaya's lieutenant. Needless to say, Sienna was not very happy about this. Yayauhqui was demoted to specialist and Adam took his place as Vale's leader as a reward for several years of excellent service. But alas, this incident resulted in more than a minor shift in power...
"Not only did Corvina survive, she became devoted to stopping the White Fang, forming the Noire Armada to do just that. However, her views became more and more polarized as time went on and she sought to destroy all of us. Eventually, she also started lying about what I did to her. If you ask any member of the Noire Armada, she will claim that I'm the one that tried to hurt her, murder her or worse. He turned me into a villain unnecessarily."
Behind the mask, her eyes blinked in sorrow. "Marrok, that's... awful."
"I know. I lost my feelings for Corvina long ago, but I do lament what she had become. She was pure evil by the end of her life. But in her eyes, I was likely the same. Then again, how do we define 'good'? How do we define 'evil'? And to what degree of good or evil is a person, human or faunus? Is it possible to be both at the same time? These are questions we need to ask ourselves as members of a rapidly changing organization."
Daphne pondered his words in silence for a few moments. "So... how do you define yourself?"
"I'm neither good nor bad." Marrok answered. "I'm somewhere... in between. And what about you? Where would you place yourself?"
"Hmm... Honestly, I'm not sure. I know many people would classify me as evil, but I wouldn't." Daphne responded before turning sorrowful. "I'm just a girl... trying to make a change for the better in this fucked up world. I guess in the end, we're all just tormented souls in one way or another."
Marrok stared into the sun. "Souls tormented by day and by night. With the sunrise, human bigots and supremacists thrive on our suffering." He turned away to a pink and orange part of the sky. "But when night falls, we shall take back what they have stolen."
Weiss found herself waking up with the sun pouring onto her head. Tired and reluctant to face the day, she opened her eyes and sat up. Shielding her eyes, she looked around her campsite she had made in the small clearing. The fire she had made had long been dead, and her briefcase was still where it was left.
She got out her scroll and looked at a list of voice recordings. Among them were the following;
Day 1- Evening
Day 2- Morning
Day 2- Evening
She clicked the button in the center and started a new recording.
"Morning of day three in the forest." Weiss began. "So far, things haven't been going well. Even with only two meals a day, I'm still running out of food quicker than I thought. I only have one grain bar left, which will end up being my breakfast for today. I only have a week's worth of MREs, which I've been trying to save due to their longer shelf-life, and at two meals a day, those will be gone within the next three days. Pretty soon I'll have to look for other means to get food. Hunting for deer or whatever animals might be active in the late winter/early spring would probably be a waste of time. Not to mention I'd have to skin and debone them, which requires more effort than I'm willing to put in. Fortunately, I remember my botany lessons and can differentiate poisonous plants from berries and leaves that are safe to eat. If I'm really lucky, maybe I'll find some nuts as well. Knowing my luck however, it probably won't be that easy.
She sighed. "I miss my team. I miss my friends. I miss my sister. I even miss mom... Then again, the mom I knew before her drinking problems started... is long gone. I miss Beacon, and the other students. I still miss Pyrrha even... But tears won't get me anywhere. So far no encounters with the Grimm, or with any kind of criminal. Hopefully it will stay that way. As long as I meditate to keep emotions in check and avoid interaction with strangers, I should be in good shape. I just hope I'm going the right way. The longer I wander these woods, the more my chances of dying increase. And the more I question my sanity. Fortunately, it's still mostly intact." She yawned. "I'm tired, but I have a long way to go. Signing off for now, still hoping for the best."
The ex-heiress labeled the recording; Day 3- Morning, and saved it. Putting her scroll away, she got out the last grain bar she had. Within a few bites, it was gone. Then she looked at the contacts of Fenix's phone, sorted in alphabetical order, last names of his friends shown;
Flynt Coal
Randall Coal
Dad
Bree Haze (May or may not be alive?)
Kobalt Gagne (aka boyfriend)
Tortuga Matlal (Ace-Ops Member)
Mom
Klein Sieben
Weiss blinked. Huh. I'm surprised that Klein's on this list. How do they know each other? And what about Bree Haze? What happened to her? Is she a huntress? Or something similar? And who's Tortuga Matlal? How did she get into the Ace-Ops? I don't know, but I have bigger concerns. I need to get going.
Standing up, Weiss got her briefcase and moved along. The morning went on, two hours had passed, and Weiss's stomach growled. She tried to ignore it, and focus on something else. She looked at the trees above her.
At least the forest provides natural shade. Not that I should have to worry about sunburns for this time of year... I wonder if...
Before she could finish her thought, she found herself tripping on a vine. She lost her balance, stumbled and found her heel caught in a small hole before falling on her butt.
"Ow! What the?!"
The former heiress looked down and saw that the left heel of her shoe had been broken. She looked for the broken heel piece, but it was nowhere to be found.
"Oh great. Just great." she sarcastically remarked. "I know that my heels have been killing me for the last few days, but it's still better than nothing. There's no way I'll be able to go anywhere fast with uneven shoes." She sighed. "Looks like I have no choice put to discard them."
Bending her left leg towards her, she pulled off her left heel, revealing two small blisters on the top of the sole. She did the same with her right side, and there was only one blister, but it was slightly bigger than the ones on her left foot. She tossed the heels aside, and tried to go forward. The scrapes on her legs were slowly healing, but it would do nothing to fix broken heels.
My feet are going to be so dirty and sore from this. Maybe I can find a waterfall or river to bathe in. On the other hand, I haven't seen any water sources since I left behind Lake Matsu, which is rather disconcerting. I still have water, and I have been drinking sparingly, but I'm almost out. Eventually it'll be really ugly if I can't get fresh drinking water. Note to self; refill any water bottle anytime you come across a water source, even if it's only half empty.
Another two hours passed, and she saw a bush of blue, blackish berries. She stood for a minute or two to identify the plant.
Elderberries. A double edged sword in berry safety. Eaten raw, they can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting or in large quantities, death even. If cooked and possessed correctly however, they can be very healthy however. Usually made into jams, jellies and chutneys, among other things. I suppose I could boil them and roast them. The bad thing is that I don't have any pots or pans. If I take them and eat them raw, I could run the risk of sickness or worse. But I might not find anything else to eat for who knows how long. Wait... What if I used the helmet of the Arma Gigas as a makeshift cooking device? Aside from the hole in the helmet allowing for vision, it would be perfect. Or perhaps I can find a way to patch it up. Alright, that should work. Now how to collect them...
The former rich girl looked through her briefcase.
The hygiene products were all wrapped in a plastic bag. I suppose I could take them out and use that as my berry-carrying bag. Now, I just have to pick them and avoid the other parts of the plant.
Slowly but surely, she extracted the berries from the overhead stems. After picking enough berries to fill the bag, she continued onward.
The camera turned upwards from the afternoon sun, to a sun that had almost set for the day. It had been several hours since picking the berries, and Weiss's feet were sore, tired and inflamed.
Alright, I've walked enough. she concluded, resting her back against a tree and slumping to the ground.
After a few minutes of resting, she thought.
Now... hopefully this cooking attempt will work. First things first, my makeshift pot.
She shifted from sitting to kneeling and placed her arms outward, creating the summoning glyph. Within a minute or two, the Arma Gigas appeared before her. As she drew her arms back, it bowed its head to her. She took the helmet it was wearing, showing the white energy form underneath and looked at the visor hole allowing for vision.
Let's see... What can I use to plug up that hole?
The former heiress looked at the items in the case.
No, not the ice dust crystals. They're highly volatile. I suppose I could use the water bottle; it is made of metal after all.
After a moment or two of shoving the helmet and the bottle together, she plugged up the hole.
"Perfect."
She got out the berries, poured them into the helmet, started a campfire, and motioned for her Arma Gigas to come forward. It picked up the berry-laden helmet and held it still.
Now I just need to pour some... Oh right, the water bottle is already being used. Well, thankfully there are a few water dust crystals.
She looked in the dust reserves, seeing only three small blue crystals in there.
Well, not very many. But it'll have to do.
Weiss picked up a small water dust crystal, holding it in her hand over the helmet-pot. She activated it with her aura before it turned into water, filling up part of the makeshift bowl. The Arma Gigas knelt down over the fire to heat it up.
Let's hope this works.
After a few minutes, the mixture started to boil slightly.
"Good work, my Gigas. Now keep that up for fifteen to twenty minutes. We need to completely cook out any toxins in those berries."
The Arma Gigas was silent, but seemed to nod in understanding. Twenty minutes later and the mixture was boiling hot.
"Excellent work, my faithful servant. Now we wait for them to cool a bit before handling. But that will take a while..." Her stomach growled. "I'm hungry now, so I guess I'll get into the MREs, and save the berries for later."
After eating the MRE, letting the berries cool, and de-seeding them as best as she could, she stored them back in the bag. Then she took the water bottle out of the helmet, her spare set of clothes from the suitcase and took a look around her.
"Stay here and watch the campsite for me."
The summoned Gigas nodded before Weiss walked off.
"Here's hoping there's a river nearby."
Looking around, she wandered for about ten minutes but didn't find anything. Sighing in defeat and groaning in exasperation, she went back to the campsite. She looked at her summoned Arma Gigas once. She looked away, and did a double take.
Huh. The Arma Gigas is still standing. Wait. What was that Winter said to me? Summons last until dismissed or until they sustain a certain amount of damage/end up destroyed? So... in theory. A summon could last... for... hours. Or days. Maybe even weeks. Or... what if they lasted forever? That seems crazy. But I suppose I can test the limits of my summons as I travel. Maybe I can find other uses for my summon. I have much to think about. Still, I have things to do before the night ends.
Weiss got out her Scroll and started a new recording.
"Day three- evening. The sun has long set for the day. I found and picked some elderberries today, and it was a little bit difficult to cook them, but now that I have them, I have some more food. On the downside, I still can't find a river to refill my bottle or bathe myself. I only have two smaller crystals left, and that would only keep me semi-hydrated for a few days. I really hope I don't have to use them. If I do, then it'll be even uglier when I run out of water. Not to mention my heels broke and I had to discard them. I never realized that the cleanest tap water was one of the many privileges that I had taken for granted." She sighed. "Still, better than being alone and isolated in a manor." She frowned. "I miss the feeling of safety and security. I miss my dorm at Beacon Academy. I miss Klein, and Estelle. And even other servants from the manor like Irving Arlington, even if he was a pain in the rear at times. I also had to get into my MREs today, which if I be honest, aren't very good. Maybe I don't have the right kind of MREs. But if they keep me from starving to death in the wilderness, then who am I to complain?
"More recently I've summoned the Arma Gigas to help in the cooking process. And I'm beginning to ponder the possibilities of summons and how long they last. However, there's something else that's been bugging me for a while. I've been trying not to think about it, but... I've been thinking about the words my mom said the last time I spoke to her. They were, and I quote, 'I just don't want you to be alone. Like me...' But why did she say that? She also didn't explain all of her reasons for drinking. Well, aside from father admitting that he married her for fame and fortune. Is it possible that she knew the truth all along and was in denial for the first fifteen years of their marriage? I'm honestly not sure. The two have been married for nearly twenty-five years, and most of those years... Well... Perhaps I'm overthinking, but such practices will do me no good in the wilderness. I need to put my familial concerns behind me, and find my way to Argus. And fast. Before I run out of food, or worse, lose my sanity from lack of interaction. Here's hoping for some better sleep."
She ended the recording, labeled it Day 3-Evening, put the Scroll away and turned to her summon. "Continue to stand guard. Wake me up if any threats approach me."
The summoned Arma Gigas got into battle position and remained there. Upon this, the former heiress curled up into a ball on the ground, using her arms as a pillow.
Earlier, within Hector's hotel room, the brown-scaled faunus was reading a weapons magazine. The time was shown to be 3:45pm on a digital clock.
Hmm... I wonder how good I would be with a sword...
A knock on the door was heard.
"Be right there!" He opened the door to find Adam Taurus standing there. "Oh, High Leader." He bowed his head in respect. "What brings you here?"
Adam entered as he gave his answer. "I came here because I wanted to give you a unique and rare opportunity. I know that you have been in the service of specialist Ilia Amitola for quite some time. I'm also aware that your recent efforts to find Blake Belladonna have not been very successful. You once said that you would consider joining the White Fang. Well then answer me this, how would you like to be the lieutenant of the new Valeian White Fang leader?"
"Me? Lieutenant? But I don't have any experience in leadership."
"That may be true, but this would be a good opportunity for you to learn. Douglas can teach you everything there is to know. He served as my lieutenant for all eight years I've led the Valeian branch of the White Fang, and he has done a wonderful job."
"Well, I suppose that's reassuring."
Hmm... It would be nice to have a real home, a true purpose I can devote myself to so I'm not roaming aimlessly... Hector thought.
"I'll do it."
"Thank you. From this day forward, you are Hector Hamilton, Lieutenant to Douglas Kinley, the new Valeian White Fang leader. You will depart as soon as you are able to. So start packing your bags now."
"Right away, Master Taurus."
Adam left the room as the scene switched to a woman speaking to Hector.
"You're really leaving?"
The scene switched to Hector, Douglas and Ilia outside the hotel entrance, the specialist being confused and saddened. A few hours had passed and the two men were about to depart. Douglas was loading the luggage into a truck as the two spoke.
Hector looked at his former boss. "I know it hurts, and I will admit, I have many thoughts wondering if I'm truly meant for this role, but I believe this will be a good opportunity for me. I've never had a permanent home, or a real purpose." He put on his mask, now decorated with brown polka dots. "Now I'll have both of these things."
"I can't believe it... It's all just happening so fast."
"I know, but change is a good thing, right?"
The gecko girl giggled nervously. "Right."
Once done loading the luggage, Douglas shut the door and fished out his keys to start the engine, walking away.
"Change is a constant part of life. And who knows? Maybe your luck will change and you'll catch that cat."
Images of Blake and their last meeting briefly flashed through her mind. "Yeah... Maybe." She quickly changed the subject. "Just call me if the CCT comes back, alright?"
He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll write."
Ilia briefly smiled, but it did little to reassure her.
The truck horn honked.
"You coming, Hamilton?" Douglas asked from afar.
"I'll be right there!" he called back. "Well, I guess this is goodbye and good luck. Goodbye Ilia, take care."
The brown scaled faunus turned away from his former boss.
"Goodbye Hector. Safe travels."
Hector entered the passenger's side of the truck, and Ilia watched as they drove off. As the truck faded into the distance, she stared at the empty space around her.
They haven't been gone for two minutes, and I already feel so alone. They were the two closest friends I could trust. But how much can I trust anyone else? Adam has his leaders as his new closest friends, Athena has her inner circle of Ares and their specialists, Daphne joined the Revolutionists... And even though we're all united, quite literally now under one roof, I have never felt more lonely and isolated.
Unbeknownst to her, several floors above her, Mata, now wearing a White Fang uniform, had watched the scene unfold from down below. He turned away from the window and took out his Scroll. He chose a contact named Belle. After a few things, the recipient picked up.
"Ram to Belle, I have another update for you. Adam Taurus has recently made Douglas Kinley the new leader of Vale's White Fang branch, and Ilia's friend/associate Hector Hamilton has been chosen as his lieutenant. They have just left the tower now and will soon be out of Wind Path and onward to Vale."
"I see." Blake responded on the other end. "And now with that, it'll be harder to take that branch back in the future. I'm not completely sure what to make of this, but I appreciate the update nonetheless."
"You're welcome. From what I've heard, when Adam and his forces ran the gauntlet to get to Athena, Hector was the first one taken out, followed by Douglas and then finally Ilia. Adam and Sienna confronted her alone, but I'm guessing the two backstabbers plotted against the previous High Leader. Then again, you may be more familiar with Douglas and Hector more than I am."
"I know Douglas all too well." 'Belle' answered. "I used to work with him on a semi-frequent basis back when I was with the White Fang. One of my teammates faced him before on a train underneath the city of Mountain Glen. She was almost killed before I stepped back in to save her. As for Hector, I hardly knew him. All he did to me was accuse me of being a liar when I tried to tell Adam's army the truth of how he came to power. Sadly, no one believed me."
The sheep faunus stayed silent for a moment. "I believe you."
She briefly chuckled. "I know you do, but thanks. Is there anything else to report?"
"Not presently. Well, other than that I have started combat training. I am still debating on whether or not to get my aura unlocked."
"I see. Good for you. I would highly advise you to get it unlocked if you can, but you do not have to. We have more time than we thought, thanks to your previous update on their plans to attack Haven. I'd love to stay and continue talking, but we're about to sell a ring to fund the army."
"Ah. Well I won't keep you. See you later, Belle."
The phone call ended and Blake was shown with her father at the jewelry store.
"Next." a male voice called up.
The two walked up to the jeweler.
"Finally." Ghira said, putting a black box before the jeweler. "We need an estimate of how much this ring is worth before we try to sell it."
The jeweler looked at the ring, examining it closely for a few moments. "Sterling silver. Genuine rubies and onyxes." He blinked. "Wow. That's surprising."
"What is it?"
"This ring is worth 15K."
Blake covered her mouth as her father looked dumbfounded. "15,000 Lien?" A moment of silence. "Are you serious?" The jeweler nodded. "How is a simple promise ring worth that much?"
"Are you sure it is a promise ring? It looks more like an engagement or wedding band."
"I hope not." Blake gave a snark. "Otherwise I'd be engaged, or worse, married, to a complete madman."
The jeweler raised an eyebrow. "A madman?"
"Well, let's just say... I was hurt by my first love. He... was someone I trusted, but in reality, I really shouldn't have."
He winced in sympathy. "I'm... sorry to hear that."
Ghira looked tense, but he calmed himself. "Now then, where can we sell this jewelry piece?"
"We would be willing to take it off your hands. I would purchase this for seven thousand Lien."
"That's far too low. Ten thousand."
"Eight thousand."
"Nine thousand. Final offer."
The jeweler smirked. "You drive a hard bargain. It's a deal. Would you prefer check or cash?"
"Cash, if you have it."
"Very well. Follow me to the back."
Several minutes later, the duo exited the store with a briefcase of cash.
"Thanks for your business!" the jeweler exclaimed.
Blake smiled, holding the case. "Well, that went better than expected."
"Honestly, I was worried he was going to rip us off. Or worse, lead us into a trap."
"Thankfully it wasn't the case."
A few moments of silence passed.
"I'm proud of you, Blake." Ghira told her.
She stopped. "Really? For what?"
"For admitting the truth, even if it's limited. It takes courage to admit these kinds of things."
Blake raised an eyebrow. "You really think so?"
"I know so. Now come, we better get out of here before some shady criminal spots us and tries to rob us of our funds."
The two moved along.
All the while, on the isle of Patch, Yang was in her home, faintly smiling as she washed the dishes by hand. The sink was half-full with soapy dishwater. In her organic arm was her dinner plate, stained with a buttery pasta sauce. In the other arm was a paper towel. Using the towel to soak up the leftover butter and grease, she scrubbed the plate off before putting it into the sink. She took a nearby sponge with her right hand and plunged it into the water to scrub off any hard stains. Satisfied the plate was clean, she put it into the dish-drainer and moved onto another one.
Her father entered the room with a smile. "Well, look at you. Doing the dishes and training that arm of yours."
She continued scrubbing plates as she talked with her father. "Yeah, it's great that this new limb is completely waterproof in addition to everything else."
Hmm... What else should I say? Yang thought.
Once done with the plates, she started washing the glassware. "Haven't even crushed a glass in three days."
"Good for you! Regaining coordination and all that."
Taiyang had been so scared for her. For the longest time, he had felt nothing but fear for the future. Fear that Yang would never get better. Fear that something would happen to Ruby, and to a lesser extent, her friends as well. But now? That fear was just about gone.
"It's all the small victories that count, right?" Yang asked.
Tai nodded. "Right."
Yang soon moved on to the teacups, of which there were four.
That lavender tea has been helping. Note to self; thank Madame Mallari the next time she comes over.
Upon finishing cleaning them, she set them aside to dry as well. Yang wrung out the sponge and put it in the dish-drainer as well. She watched as her father got out a small glass and got some ice water from the fridge. He sat down and started to drink.
"I've been doing this for a while. Using my mechanical arm I mean. I know I'm not completely used to it, but it's slowly feeling more natural." Yang answered. Her father was silent, as though pondering what else to say. "I think it's time. To regain the fire." She looked at her father, still drinking from the glass. "Dad? Do you... think you can help reorient my combat skills?"
Taiyang warmly smiled as he set down the half-full glass. "I thought you'd never ask. We begin tomorrow, at sunrise."