Chapter 31
Yang ducked under the leg that her dad sent at her, before blocking the next punch with her forearms. Still, she wasn't quite strong enough to stop herself from sliding back from the blow.
She growled, pushing forward, zig zagging from side to side to throw his tracking off.
She went in for a punch, so sure that she was going to connect that she ignored the rest of his body, and tunnel visioned on his stomach.
A fatal mistake.
Before she knew it, he was gone. She felt her arm become twisted behind her back. She blinked, and her back was on the ground.
"You're too tunnel visioned," he said, as walked over to the towels by the small stool, picking them up and giving Zwei a couple of pats on the head and head scratches.
Yang sighed in exasperation, shoulders slumping as she sat up, "I know."
"I watched every single one of your tournament fights, you know."
"Let me guess," she mocked, "I was sloppy."
"No, no..." her dad chuckled, "You were... predictable. And stubborn, and a little boneheaded, and maybe a little sloppy."
"Do you realize that you used your semblance in every round of the tournament?"
"Yeah..." Yang swallowed her instinct to bite back, "What about it? Everyone else uses theirs..."
"Not everyone else's is basically a temper tantrum," her father chuckled when she sent him that look, "I'm serious! In the doubles round against Team... FNKI, was it? You were easily provoked by your opponent, almost too easily taunted."
"Your semblance isn't a guarantee. You've missed before, haven't you? You miss your punch, and suddenly you're off balance because you put in too much energy into that one punch."
Yang reluctantly nodded, remembering her spars against Percy.
"You can use that energy, but whenever you use your semblance you have to go all out. Time your semblance, make sure to use it when the opponent is too weak to dodge! Save it up over the entire match, and use it when you're on the backfoot and in need of a momentum shift," he lectured, "Most importantly, stay calm."
She could see his point, but there was part of her that wanted to reject it, too.
He chuckled, "I wasn't the calmest of teenagers, either. But my semblance depends on me staying calm, and adapting to the situation, no matter what happens. To be in control, and not a raging brute who only knows how to punch."
"You definitely have your mother's stubbornness, that's for sure."
"Oh, so now we can talk about her?" Yang shot back. Growing up, she'd always asked her dad about her biological mom, but Taiyang had always refused to answer.
His shoulders slumped, "Yes, yes we can. I was wrong to keep things about your mother from you, but at the same time, I didn't know if you could handle it."
"Raven was great in so many ways," her father reminisced, his hand on the trunk of a tree, "Her strength, her ambition, her dedication to whatever cause she thought was worth fighting for... until she wasn't so great. One day... just a few days after you were born, actually... she saw something that... spooked her. At the time, we were still taking missions from Ozpin against Salem, fighting the same fight you're fighting now."
"And when she came back... she isolated herself. Didn't pay attention to you; honestly, she never did. She never had a hand in raising you, even in the first few days of you being born. When she came back, she wouldn't talk to me, or Qrow, or S-Summer," her dad caught his own stutter, but Yang heard it all the same, "Or Ozpin, or anyone! And a few days later... she left. She left because of what she had seen, and the burdens of motherhood. She left for the bandit tribe that she came from, and never looked back."
Something about Salem had spooked her biological mom into leaving her... that did not fill her with confidence.
"You both act like the easiest way to tackle an obstacle is through it. That strength is all that matters in a fight. But if you just take a second look," he walked around Zwei, "There's a way around as well."
He smiled, offering her his hand, "Come on. One more before dinner."
Yang accepted it, as they both stood up.
Taiyang started off with a kick, followed by several jabs and feints, all of them blocked by her. She ducked under his next kick, rolling away to create space.
She rushed forward again, slamming her foot into his stomach, then kicking upwards. He tanked the blows, then leaned back, avoiding the kick. She made the mistake of blinking, and he flowed around, grabbing her ankle.
She kicked off his stomach with her other leg, freeing herself. Still, no sooner had she done so when he rushed at her.
She tried to trade blows with him, but for every one hit she landed, three came back. They exchanged a flurry of blows, before she locked hands with him, struggling to overpower him.
She couldn't though. Not when he had so much more muscle mass than her.
So, she had to win with her brain. She kicked her foot behind his, before pushing up and shoving him.
He lost his balance, and he fell on the ground.
Still, she knew he wasn't trying his best.
"You went easy on me," she accused, a smile on her face as she helped him back up.
Her dad hummed, "So it would seem... so, it would seem."
The land of Menagerie was beautiful, Sun Wukong had come to realize, as he stepped off the small ship with Blake to the left of him. It had taken them a while to get to Menagerie; they had to make a stopover in Mistral before actually heading south to the island, which had taken them a little over three weeks, give or take.
But it was definitely worth it. So many faunus, all in one place, and so many different types of them!
The town was absolutely packed, with residential areas and expansive markets, vendors shouting and hollering for faunus to buy their products and food.
"I've never seen so many faunus all in one place before!" Sun exclaimed to Blake, as they walked through the market square. She had an uncharacteristic smile on her face, as they looked around.
"This is the one place where everyone can feel safe, no matter who, or what they are."
"Sure is... uh..." Sun scratched the back of his neck, not wanting to offend her, "Crowded, huh?"
Blake frowned, clenching her fists slightly, as her cat ears flattened against her head.
"Yes, yes it is."
They walked in an awkward silence, as he followed her to... wherever she was going.
"Is it always so... cramped? I mean, it's not really super cramped, but it's like... Vale-levels of cramped when the Vytal Festival is going on, y'know?"
"Well," Blake grimaced, thinning her lips, "When you take an entire species and put them on an island that's two-thirds desert? Yeah, it tends to be cramped."
"What?" Sun was shocked as he threw up his hands, "You guys have that much more space? Why waste it? A little desert never hurt anyone!"
"It's not like the desert in Vacuo, Sun... the wildlife here is a lot more dangerous than other regions, and it's not like we have enough huntsmen to start clearing out areas... they're all busy joining the White Fang, or defending the borders of Menagerie."
Sun thinned his lips.
"So... they gave us a terrible island, in the corner of Remnant, to try and shut us up..."
"That's... a pretty good summary, yeah," the cat faunus admitted to him, "We've tried to make the best of things."
What assholes.
They came to a stop at the top of the small hill they were climbing, standing still on the pavement.
"Woah..." Sun couldn't help but express his appreciation for the natural beauty of the island again. It was littered with houses everywhere, but also lush greenery, plant life, and trees. In the far distance, a tall mountain range could be seen against the backdrop of the clear blue sky.
"This, is Kuo Kuana."
"It's... beautiful," Sun widened his eyes as he looked at Blake, "I take it all back, this place looks amazing! Why would anyone ever want to leave?"
Blake frowned, "That's not the point, Sun. We asked to be equal, to be treated just like everyone else," she sounded awfully bitter, as she looked at him, "Instead, we were given an island, and told to make do."
She sighed, "So we did the best we could. We came together, and we made a home where any faunus could feel welcome, to feel truly at home. Away from all the hatred and prejudice, away from all the discrimination. Where any faunus could feel like... just a normal person, and not have to be afraid anymore."
"But... this island, this town, is a reminder that we're still not equal... that we may never be equal. That, in the eyes of the four kingdoms, even Mistral, we're still second-class citizens."
Sun watched Blake's ears flatten again, and he frowned clenching her fists slightly. He hated seeing her so depressed.
He put his hand on her shoulder, "Well..." he pointed a thumb at himself, grinning, "This guy's feeling pretty at home."
Blake rolled her eyes, but Sun didn't miss the small twitch of her lips.
"Well, I guess it's time to go home," she remarked, partly to herself, and partly to him.
Part of her didn't feel like it was home anymore, though. Home was where her team was. Percy, Ruby, Weiss, and Yang. Their little group of friends that stuck together, through thick and thin. They'd grown on her, little by little, and now, she found herself missing them. Missing their little banters, and exchanges, and inside jokes, and the teasing. They had grown closer as a team, and were practically a surrogate family,
It'd been five years. How would her parents react when she showed up? She really didn't know.
Sun grinned, throwing his arm around her shoulders, drawing her out of her thoughts, "Ooh, which house is it? Is it that one?" he pointed, "What about that tiny one down there?" he took a moment to admire it, "I like the paintjob..."
Blake sighed, "It's..." she gently grabbed his wrist, pointing to the absolutely gigantic mansion in the center, separated from all the other houses, "That one."
"Are you a princess?" he took her hands off her, bowing, "Don't kill me, please?"
Blake's lips curled in amusement, as she rolled her eyes, "No, Sun. I'm the daughter of the Chieftain of Menagerie... it's kind of a big deal..."
"And to think that I winked at the daughter of the Chieftain..." Sun dramatically gasped, eyes wide with horror.
A rare, beautiful giggle slipped out of her lips, as she slapped his shoulder lightly, "It's not that serious, Sun."
"But it is!" he wailed dramatically, drawing some looks from nearby pedestrians, "What if I get my hand chopped off, or something!?"
Blake laughed again, a beautiful, tinkling sound that he desperately wanted to hear more of, "You'll be fine..."
"A word of actual advice though," Blake noted, "Please, don't do anything stupid."
"Right, got it."
They both sobered up slightly as they neared her house- no, check that, mansion. They walked up the steps of the concrete walkway, before coming to a stop at the large porch.
Sun could see Blake's ears flatted against her head, as she stilled, not wanting to go any further.
"What is it?" he asked curiously.
"I, um... It's just been... a long time, a full five years actually, since I've seen my parents... I don't know if they'll hate me for leaving them for the White Fang, and then Beacon..." she admitted as she was turning to him, amber eyes downcast, "I just couldn't go back after realizing what the White Fang was becoming!"
"Hey... they're your parents. I'm sure they care about you," Sun reasoned, smiling encouragingly, "Every parent does. And besides, you're not here to attack the White Fang, you're here to talk to your parents."
"Thanks, Sun."
She turned back to the large double doors, and she used the door knocker. It didn't seem like she slammed it, but the resulting noise vibrated throughout the front porch, as they both took a step back.
"Okay, if we're being honest, that's kinda intimidating," Sun admitted, looking to her.
Blake didn't answer, as a woman opened the door. Without even knowing her name, he could already tell she was Blake's mom. She was almost the mirror image of Blake. She wore a black hakama, with a gold and white sash around her waist, along with sandals.
Her eyes widened, as she took a couple steps forward, "Blake?"
Blake's ears flattened, as she awkwardly raised one hand in a half-wave, "Hi, m-mom."
She rushed forward, hugging her.
"Oh, my sweet, sweet, baby girl..."
"Kali?" someone called from inside the house, who is it?
The man came into the line of sight of the doorway, and Sun knew he was Blake's father. He was a giant, taller than even Sun himself, who wasn't any shorty. He had a thick beard with yellow eyes, and wore a dark purple, fur cloak with beige pants.
"Blake..." he was momentarily shocked, but he then smiled.
Sun stood awkwardly off to the side, until Blake's mom took notice of him.
"Oh, my apologies, I must have forgotten my manners. Who are you again?"
"I'm Sun Wukong," he said nervously, scratching the back of his neck, even as Blake gave him the warning in her eyes to not do something stupid.
"Oh, silly me, we can continue this conversation inside," she said, smiling brightly.
"I- No, it's alright, Mrs. Belladonna-"
"Please, I insist," she continued smiling as Blake went inside, and Sun finally conceded.
"We were horrified when we heard the news," her mother admitted, as they sat around the small table in the dining hall, sipping tea.
"The Kingdom of Vale wasn't perfect, and nor was its huntsmen academy, but it certainly didn't deserve what happened to it. Thankfully, Vale didn't fall, only Beacon. Do you know that Beacon student... Perseus Apollyon, I think it was? Thank goodness Vale wasn't overrun with so many Grimm lurking on the plains... on the other hand, people don't really know if he's a god or something..."
"His real name is Perseus Jackson. And Mom, he's my team leader."
"What!?"
"I know him pretty well..." Blake continued, "A-And besides, he helped us at Beacon, but did his thing at Vale. We had to hold off the Grimm at Beacon so he could attack the national fugitives."
"We were both so worried..." her mom looked at her with concern.
Her father folded his arms across his chest, "Please," Ghira chuckled, "I knew she'd be fine!"
Kali sent him a sarcastic look, scoffing, "That isn't the slightest bit true. You should've seen him pacing."
Sun spoke up, "You guys have nothing to worry about. I've seen your daughter in action before! And trust me, she's got some moves!" he made little finger guns.
Blake spat into her drink, amber eyes widening as she snapped her head to Sun.
That idiot! What was he doing!? Did he not realize his phrasing of words?
Her father looked stern, as he glared at Sun, leaning in, "And what exactly do you mean by that, Mister Wukong?" the threat going unsaid.
Sun stiffened, as Blake facepalmed.
"I, uh... well, you see sir, it's just that, you know, she's such a good fighter and all... and, uh, and as a fellow fighter, I have a lot of respect for her..." he began rambling, only succeeding in digging himself an even deeper hole in front of her father.
"Why is he here again?" her mother leaned in whispering.
Blake... didn't really have an answer for that.
"He... just kind of followed me home, but Percy sent him with me."
"That Perseus?"
"Yeah..."
"I see..." her mother smirked cattishly, even as Sun kept rambling on in the background, "I like him."
The implication was not lost on Blake, as she furiously whispered back, protesting,"Mom!"
"Nice features, too. Strong jawline, broad shoulders, huntsman-trained... if I were twenty years younger..."
Blake grit her teeth, "Mom! Stop embarrassing me!"
Kali Belladonna was never one to back down from a challenge, though, as Blake had learned in all of her years being raised by her.
Her mother only continued smirking, "I think you found yourself a nice potential mate and boyfriend," she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Blake turned as red as a bucket of red paint, even as her mother giggled quietly.
"I suggest you snag him up quickly, before some other random girl comes and steals him from right under your nose," Kali licked her lips cattishly, only causing Blake to want to shrink in on herself in utter mortification.
Thankfully, Sun was still busy trying to explain himself out of the massively deep hole that he'd dug with her father, and didn't see her embarrassment.
The front door knocker banged, signaling another arrival.
"Damn it, I completely forgot about the meeting," her father grimaced.
"Ghira..." her mother said placatingly.
He sighed, "Give me a moment."
Her mom's ears flattened against her head. "Is everything okay?" Blake asked, concerned.
"Yes, dear, just poor timing. He can reschedule. It's just been hard dealing with them lately."
"Dealing with who?"
Kali paused in the middle of her tea, "Mmm? The White Fang."
"What!?" the two of them jumped up from their seats in shock.
"What's wrong-"
Blake and Sun shared a look, before bolting straight to the front door. They couldn't allow the White Fang to deal with her father as if they'd done nothing wrong!
"Dad!"
"Blake?" her father turned around, "What's wrong?"
"Miss Belladonna," one of the monk-like twins bowed, the other one continuing, "We had no idea you'd returned."
"What are you doing talking to these people?" Blake narrowed her eyes.
Her father looked confused, "This is Corsac and Fennec Albain. They represent the White Fang here in Menagerie now."
"Those psychos are here, too!?" Sun widened his eyes. Blake's hand was itching for Gambol Shroud, and she could see Sun doing the same, although they both restrained themselves.
"Young man, I'm not sure of what you've heard of our organization," the right one said calmly, "But I can assure you we're not nearly as ferocious as the media would have you believe."
How dare they? The audacity was astounding. They acted as if the White Fang hadn't led the assault on Beacon, as if they hadn't incited the entire thing in the first place!
"What we've heard!?" Blake narrowed her amber eyes at the two of them, "We've seen firsthand. Your fanatics slaughtered people!"
"What is she talking about?" a grim look came over her father's face, as he turned back to the brothers.
"Precisely what we came to discuss with you, Your Grace," the taller one on the left remained calm, clasping his hands together.
"The White Fang orchestrated the Fall of Beacon," Sun's face was cast in shadow, as he looked unusually serious for a moment.
"They attacked innocent civilians and students, and they released Grimm into the school," Blake took a step forward, clenching her fists.
"Is this true?" her father asked calmly, a threat hanging over their heads, his attitude transforming into that befitting of a Chieftain.
"Sadly Your Grace, it is," the right one admitted.
Blake's flicked upwards aggressively, and she growled, trying to take a step forward. She felt a hand on her shoulder pull her back, and whirled around, only to realize it was Sun. He looked no less angry himself, but his expression told Blake to dial it down.
She thinned her lips, but didn't move any further.
"Explain yourselves," the Chieftain of Menagerie growled.
The two brothers shared a look, before the left one decided to speak, "Though it pains us to admit, it has become apparent that the Vale branch of the White Fang is no longer operating under orders of the High Leader Khan."
"Rather, they've elected to follow the rule of one... Adam Taurus."
Blake took a step backwards. Adam?
No... was he here? Here on Menagerie? Was it going to happen... again?
She felt something on her shoulder, and then she realized it was a hand. Sun's grip on her shoulder helped prevent her from stepping out of line and bring her back to reality, and she shot him a grateful look for it.
The left one continued, "I believe you're all familiar with the young adept and his... extreme philosophies."
"The Fall of Beacon wasn't the first the White Fang started shooting up Vale," Sun accused, the monkey faunus alluding to the Breach of Vale.
"The High Council had their suspicions of a splinter group," the one on the right said, clearly deflecting the blame, "But they could prove nothing until this latest incident."
"Incident!?" Blake grit her teeth, "People are dead!"
"And it is," the left one looked somber, the expression so grave that Blake almost believed him, "A tragedy."
The right one continued, "Your Grace, we came to assure you that Brother Taurus and his followers do not represent the will of the White Fang."
Brother Taurus? Blake and Sun shared a look between them, both of them picking up on that. No one referred to someone as brother, least of all a national fugitive who led the attack on Beacon.
There was no doubt about it. They were thoroughly involved with Adam...
"And how can I be sure of that?" her father asked, narrowing his eyes.
"We understand if you bear any skepticism towards these claims. The White Fang's tactics are admittedly more aggressive since you stepped down as High Leader and became the Chieftain of Menagerie."
"But this... this is no way to make our message heard."
The one on the right continued, "We have ample documentation from the council meeting as well as several strategies to apprehend and punish these strays if you'd care to review them," he offered.
"I will. But another day," her father stated, "I'd like some time to reconnect with my daughter."
"But of course Your Grace," the one of the left said, as the fox faunus on the right continued, "We completely understand."
"It was a pleasure to see you again, Young Blake," the left one continued, "We were saddened when we heard of your departure from the White Fang... but understand if you can no longer support our cause."
"It is a wearying fight, after all," the right one offered, a small, knowing smirk on his face.
"Who says I'm done fighting?" Blake took a step forward, narrowing her eyes.
The one on the left hummed, "Hmm... well, if you ever do wish to return, you need merely come find us."
"Sister Ilia would be elated."
Ilia? Her former friend...
Her father imposed himself between them.
"Good day, gentlemen."
He slammed shut the doors.
Corsac and Fennec turned around, walking down the steps of the Belladonna Residence.
"An interesting development, wouldn't you say?"
"Interesting, indeed."
"So, shall we inform High Leader Khan?"
"We shall."
"Hello, daughter."
Weiss Schnee paused mid-summons. Pulling Myrtenaster out of the ground, she straightened her posture, before turning around to see her mother.
Willow Schnee smiled, but Weiss could still see that she was slightly drunk. She was always drunk, and had been since... since her father had admitted that he didn't love her. She wasn't a very attentive mother, ever.
"Hello, mother," she greeted neutrally.
"What are you doing, my little snowflake?"
"Only training," Weiss stated coldly. Her mother had lost all right to call her that when she had abandoned her to her father.
When she had returned to Atlas, her father had made sure that she was focused on practicing for the charity banquet; he wouldn't allow her to train, despite the urgency that she felt in doing so, which she couldn't convey. Thankfully, Jacques Schnee was away in a meeting today, meaning she could train all she wanted. There was always the chance of Whitley reporting her, but her father couldn't do anything until after the fact.
Weiss tried to move past her mother, but she moved into the way of her path.
"Weiss... I-I know I haven't been a good mother... A-And I swear, I swear I'll be better," she stumbled, slurring the last few words, "I-I know you must hate me, b-but," she hiccupped, "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry for leaving you, my little snowflake..."
She moved past her anyway, despite seeing her mother's unshed tears, despite seeing her begin to break down again.
How many times had she broken down and cried, and promised to be a better mother, as she and Winter stupidly fell for it and believed her? How many times had she failed to keep her promise, and abandoned them again? It was not going to happen, not again. Winter had learned, and she had left to the military. Weiss had learned, too.
There were bigger things on her mind than spending even a token of effort trying to fix her dysfunctional family.
The Queen was coming for all of Remnant, and they had to do everything they could to stop her. The fact weighed heavily on all of their minds, and Weiss had no doubt that everyone was training hard. They had to stop her.
She was sure Percy had a plan. He always did.
"Dad, do you have a moment?"
Blake watched with apprehension as her father shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, I suppose I could take a break. All this business with the White Fang has truly gotten me overloaded with work," he turned around, looking at her and motioning to the sofa, "Please, take a seat, I'll make some tea."
"No, no it's okay, I'll make some tea," Blake turned, but her father shook his head, smiling.
"Since when have you ever made tea, Blake?"
Blake flushed under her father's inquisitive gaze. It was true. On Menagerie, and even at Beacon, she hadn't ever brewed tea... It wasn't like she invited guests often...
"Blake, don't worry about it, I'll make the tea. Just make yourself comfortable on that sofa, okay?"
She opened her mouth to protest, but her father was already out of the room.
Blake sighed in resignation, as she flopped down on the couch. She had tried to be nice, but her father had insisted. She wasn't a good daughter, not at all.
First, she had foolishly believed Adam Taurus, her mentor at the time, and ran away from home, trying make a difference with the White Fang. It didn't work. They only descended into violence, first against the SDC itself, then against the innocent workers.
Then, when she realized the White Fang was taking a turn for the worse, she left for Beacon, never contacting her parents. They must have been worried sick about their only child-
"Do you still take your tea with sugar?"
Blake lifted her head from her hands, noticing that her father was looking at her, with something akin to worry and concern. She didn't deserve to be worried about like that.
"I... no," Blake finally answered.
"Ah, of course," her father chuckled, a wry smile on his face, "You would change your tastebuds, after some time away from your family."
"Do you..." Blake began, but cut herself off, looking away.
"Do I, what, Blake?" her father leaned forward, looking concerned.
"Do you... why don't you hate me? Why don't you and mom hate me?"
"Why would we ever have a reason to hate you?" her father looked astounded.
"B-Because, because I left you for the White Fang! I didn't believe you when you said the White Fang was taking a turn for the worse! And I was a terrorist! And I hurt people, innocent civilians!" Blake cried, "And then when I realized that I couldn't ever be with the White Fang again, I left for Beacon. I didn't tell you anything about it, not a single word, or a message, or a letter. I just... left! How could you ever love someone like that?"
"Blake..."
She sniffled slightly, refusing to meet her father's gaze. She was ashamed, and embarrassed of herself and her actions.
Her father stopped talking, and Blake looked up, only to meet his loving gaze.
"We could never hate you, our only daughter. And, even if you've made some bad decisions, you're still our daughter. We'll always love you, Blake."
"But I'm not deserving of that love!" Blake protested. And yet, her father only made his way over to her couch, and sat next to her, the sofa dipping slightly under his weight.
"But you are," he softly argued back, smiling, "You're our daughter. And that means the world to Kali and I. We raised you. Family is everything."
"But-"
Her father leaned forward, and hugged her, his big arms wrapping around the entirety of her back. It was unexpected, and Blake felt like she was nine years old again, when she would jump onto her dad's back, or into his chest.
"We'll always love you, Blake," he reiterated. She couldn't see his face, but she could tell that he was smiling, "You might have not made the best choices, but we'll never stop loving you for that. We love you for the simple fact that you're our daughter, and that's enough. You may not make the best decisions, but that doesn't mean you aren't any less deserving of love from us. From Kali and I."
Blake sighed, her lips curling up slightly, as she accepted it. She was a Belladonna, and someone who had done terrible things, and made terrible choices. But at the end of the day, she was their daughter, and that was that.
"Thank you," she finally whispered, smiling.
"Thank you."
Lie Ren had never been the talkative type. He was known as the silent one in their group. Still, he cared deeply about his friends and teammates, even if he wasn't necessarily the best at showing it.
He watched from the sidelines, as the others continued animatedly sparring and laughing. The corner of his lip quirked upwards. Nora was in the middle of it all, making wild gestures, like she always did.
Nora Valkyrie. One could say they were exact opposites, in a way. Him being silent, and her being extremely... boisterous, to say the least.
Ren wasn't the best at expressing his emotions. Maybe it was because he had overused his semblance.
Still, they came from the same... place. That town. Kuro-
Ren shook his head, freeing himself from that place. The first time he had seen her was as she tried to steal some bread. She was an orphan, and he only watched, as the bigger bullies taunted her. He had been too scared to help Nora, when they had first crossed paths.
He regretted it, but he fixed his actions with the fall of Kuroyuri...
After Kuroyuri, they left together. His semblance unlocked itself in the moment, and they roamed Anima. The two orphans roaming the wilds, the continent of Anima.
They had to learn to survive and adapt on their own. Along the way, they met a recently retired huntsman, near a small town, in the neighboring woods. Shiro.
Ren would be forever grateful to that man.
He had taken it upon himself to teach them about combat. In exchange for lodging, food, and training, they simply had to help out around the lodge. It was because of this training that Nora and him, even when they parted ways with the huntsman, continued to survive in the wilderness. The huntsman gave them direction, towards the combat schools in Mistral.
Without him, they never would have made it to Beacon Academy. But they had made it.
And now, they faced an even greater threat than their lives. The world was at risk. It fell upon their shoulders to save it, which was why they were embarking on this journey.
And Ren would be damned if he let any of his friends die on the way.
"Are you sure about this, then?" Taiyang Xiao-Long questioned his youngest daughter, who nodded firmly.
The man seemed to age years in seconds in front of Percy's eyes, as he sighed, looking to Qrow for help, who only shrugged helplessly.
"Our next stop is Mistral anyway," Yang reasoned to her father, Jaune, Ren, and Nora nodding along with her in the background, "And I... need to look for her."
Tai only seemed to age more at the mention of Yang's mother, who was apparently a bandit tribe leader, somewhere in Anima.
"It'll be good for experience, don't worry. They need to learn to camp in the wilderness, and they can search for Ozpin the way," Percy offered.
Tai seemed to set his mind, "Fine. But I'm coming with you all."
"Who'll take care of Zwei, then?" Ruby raised an eyebrow in question, the expression looking completely out of place on her face, causing Percy to have to muffle a laugh.
"He's coming with us," Taiyang reaffirmed, grinning stupidly, "Back in my day I used to have another corgi... I used him as a weapon, too."
Percy raised an eyebrow, impressed.
"Oh, like how Oobleck used Zwei against the Paladins on the train," Ruby squealed, far too excited, "That's gonna be so cool!"
"Heh, glad you'll like it, cookie monster," Tai smirked, as he started heading back to the house to pack.
"Question, boss."
"Yes, Mercury?" Percy turned to the sarcastic assassin, who had a hand raised.
"What about us two?" he gestured to himself and Neopolitan, who stood next to him with her eyebrows raised and her hands on her hips.
"You're coming with me to Atlas... as my..." Percy pretended to rack his head, "Bodyguards, yeah."
Mercury snorted, "As if you'd need them. But," he raised his hands, "Fine by me, that works."
Neopolitan suddenly blew a pink bubble, before popping it, winking at him with her mismatched eyes.
Percy sighed in response, earning a giggle.
The entire thing was really an act, though.
Mercury and Neo were good fighters, sure. And he enjoyed bantering with the two of them, yeah.
But they were expendable pieces on his board with questionable amounts of loyalty. He had no emotional attachment to them.
They were not invaluable.
If there was an assassination attempt on him on the way to Atlas, they would be good to bring along with him. That way, he could test their skills, and their combat proficiency.
"You sure you don't want me to come to Atlas with you, kid? There could be some slippery snakes at that charity banquet, ya know?" Qrow raised an eyebrow as he took out his flask again, the actual, implied question going unsaid.
He was afraid that Neo and Mercury would turn on him.
As funny as the idea was, Percy couldn't deny that there was a slim possibility of that happening, but the fact that Cinder would find them was probably enough to keep them on their side. And that he scared them. He was sure he could handle the two of them if the need to do so arose.
He didn't want Qrow's semblance on board with him while he was up in the air... considering his track record.
"Nah, I'll be fine," Percy waved him off, "You should go with Tai and the rest of them, old man."
Qrow glared at him balefully, "Shut it, brat. I'll whoop your ass someday..."
"Keep on dreaming, bird boy," Percy smirked right back at him.
He turned to Mercury and Neo, who were already packed, and the two of them threw him a thumbs up.
After nearly a month of training, resting, and staying at the Xiao-Long residence... he was ready. They were ready to go to Mistral.
And for Percy?
It was time to go to Atlas.
AN: Okay, so lots of stuff happening here. The Blake Menagerie Arc has largely the same introduction, but there are a few changes.
Tai goes with them to Mistral, because, well, since that's the only thing that makes sense! The Tai in canon just lazes around on his ass letting his two daughters go to war...
Percy is heading to Atlas, and the group is heading through the wilderness to Mistral!
Happy Holidays everyone, and see you all in 2023!
Join my discord!
Discord links
FFN (remove spaces): discord . gg / M4yMguEz2J
Wattpad/AO3: /M4yMguEz2J
How'd you like this chapter? Review, comment, favorite, follow, vote, but only if you enjoyed! It helps motivate me to write more.
'til next time!
-thann3