"All aboard!"
Blake walked up the metal ramp to the passenger ship. She was one of the first to board the vessel, as she arrived quite early. She was amazed she was able to get a ticket so quickly and for such a cheap price.
The salty sea air rose from the ocean and drifted to the deck as the clouds gathered in the sky, blocking out the sun. A cool but not bone-chilling breeze blew over the deck playing with her loose and messy hair. While the sky looked gloomy, the weather was tolerable. It was early morning, at around 8 o'clock or so, and Blake had not slept well the previous night. She had a hard time falling asleep, then she woke up to a nightmare and went back to sleep before being woken up with the sun in her eyes. So after six broken up hours of sleep, she leaned her arms against the railing. The distance from Vale to Fiti wasn't very far, but ships weren't exactly the fastest mode of transportation. Unfortunately there was no airport in Fiti, so this was really her only option.
Usually boarding would take an eternity, but since there weren't that many passengers boarding the passenger ship, the vessel took off within less than two hours. As the ship took off, Blake stared into the sea and remembered how this tangled web of agony, lies, deception and darkness began...
With one word.
"Goodbye."
That was her only word to Adam Taurus as she cut the connecting beam between the train cars and cut him and the White Fang out of her life. She put her weapon on her back as her train cart moved forward as Adam's cabin seemed to fall back. She continued to look back at him as she drifted farther away until he was a blurred outline and eventually she couldn't see him at all. Then she turned away and leapt off the train, jumping through the trees of the Forever Fall forest. As she leapt from tree to tree, she made sure not to be seen by anyone, especially by the members of the White Fang. With only her weapon, 10,000 Lien (that she stole from the White Fang), 150 Lien of her own, a debit card (with some hundred Lien in her account that was set aside for emergencies), some books, a suitcase of clothes and care products, some MREs, a canteen of drinking water and other tools, she was all alone and had nowhere to go.
What's a catgirl to do?
As she reached the end of the forest and got to the city, she started to formulate a plan.
First things first, I need to find somewhere to stay. A homeless shelter would be cheap, but I should probably try to avoid one if at all possible. Maybe there's a cheap motel or something nearby.
She walked around the city, examining her surroundings. As she walked through the city, her eyes came across a poster with a picture of Beacon Academy. The words read, Looking to change the world for the better? Have very high skills in combat? Then send in your transcript to Beacon Academy today!
Blake knew she needed a new plan, but the first thing she had to do was find a place to stay, even if it wasn't overnight. Eventually, after walking around for a few blocks she saw a public library not far from the docks called Southwest Vale Public Library. The exterior of the building was three stories tall, with the largest space being the first floor. From the entrance, she could see the white carpeting along the sky blue walls. Seemed warm and inviting. She went inside and went through the halls until she reached an area where teenage and adult fiction was kept. She grabbed a random book off the shelf and sat down, pretending to read while gathering her thoughts.
Well, I've left the White Fang. I'm a criminal hiding in plain sight. I really have few options here; Go back home, try to figure out my place in the world, become a runaway and move from place to place or stay here. I should probably run, but even if I run, they could still find me. The White Fang are everywhere. There's no continent I can hide. Trying to live on a deserted island wouldn't work. Also, what would I do if I decide to stay here? Not to mention Adam may try to pursue me. If he finds me, what will he do? Execute me? Or worse? Can I really hide myself from the White Fang and my past with this one little black bow?
She closed the book and sighed, before her eyes turned to a pair of teenagers. The first one was a young man with black hair in a ponytail and a bubbly orange haired young woman. The bubbly girl's expression shifted from bubbly to annoyed.
"Another library?" the girl asked. "What are we possibly going to do here aside from reading books?"
"Well, actually, I was thinking of having us apply to Beacon Academy to become professional hunters." the boy answered.
The girl gave him a strange look. "Why would we do that?"
The boy counted the reasons on his fingers. "Well, for starters, we've been training for years, both with real experience and the aid of professional huntsmen and huntresses. We wouldn't be running around, fighting to survive like we have been for years. And since we're both orphans, we can apply for the Kinney-Veto scholarship, and get all four years for free. So really, what do we have to lose?"
She smiled. "You make a good point. Well then, let's do it."
"We better get to work." he said, sitting down at a computer. "These transcripts aren't going to make themselves."
The girl followed his lead. Blake got up, took her book, and went to a computer a few rows behind the orphaned duo, watching them as they created their transcripts so she knew what to do. She started working as they did. As the hour went by, the three future hunters in training were preparing for the future. As Blake was getting close to finishing her transcript, the printer printed out their transcripts, first the boy's, and the girl's.
"Well then, Beacon Academy, here we come!" the girl cheered.
"Not so loud, Nora."
"Aw, Ren, you're no fun."
Looking back on it, that was actually the first time Blake had seen Ren and Nora. Eventually, she finished her transcript and printed it. She then got a membership to the library, checked out the book she found earlier, called Violet's Garden, left the library and delivered her transcript to Beacon Academy, as well as applying for any scholarships. When she was done, she ate an MRE and thought to herself.
Well, I know where I'm going. Well, assuming they accept me. But why wouldn't they? I'm qualified, even if I never studied at a combat school. I probably should write a letter to my parents, although.. maybe I should have all my ducks in a row before I send a message.
After returning to the library and staying there for a few more hours, she checked into the nearest motel.
A few days later, she got an email confirming that she was qualified to attend and informing her that she must pass the entrance exam. They didn't give too many details on what the entrance exam was, but Blake was sure she could handle it. And of course three days later, she passed the exam with flying colors. The day after her entrance exam, she sat down in her room, took a piece of parchment paper and a pen and began to write.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I can only pray that this message will get to you. Messages by hand aren't exactly the most reliable, but considering that I am writing to you from Vale and Menagerie doesn't have a CCT tower like the kingdoms, I don't have much choice. Dad, you were right, I should have left the White Fang with you and mom. Although Sienna Khan isn't necessarily trying to exterminate the human race, the White Fang's violent tendencies have gotten out of hand. Ever since Sienna Khan took your place as high leader, things really have gotten a lot worse. It's not entirely her fault though. Adam Taurus has taken Sienna Khan's advice way too far. I only realized this when I hid an alleyway in the city of Kuchinashi as the White Fang stole dust shipments and fought the guards. Seeing the White Fang brutally kill innocent people, even those that weren't directly involved in combat, made me finally realize that this was morally wrong. Therefore, I have ultimately chosen to leave the White Fang.
And that's not the only thing I realized when I stepped back. You know how Adam's been my closest friend since basically forever and you remember the last time I was at home, I told you about how we started a romantic relationship? Well... things haven't been going very well. It's been close to a year since I got together with him, and everything was perfect for roughly three months. Then it slowly got worse over time. He began to yell at me whenever something went wrong, then we both got into heated arguments. About six months in, he started to physically abuse me, even though I didn't realize it at the time. Sometimes he slapped me, then tried to apologize and make up for it with shiny material possessions, flowers or soothing words. The first time I was really angry at him and didn't speak to him for a week, but overtime, I began to think it was normal. While I was hiding in the Kuchinashi alley, I saw a homeless young woman who had been abused by her former lover, and her story reminded me of what Adam was doing to me, emotionally hurting and manipulating me. So after a year of dating him, I dumped him by leaving him in more ways than one. And while he may have hurt me, I'm glad that he didn't try to...
She crossed out the words 'I'm glad that he didn't try to...' and mused to herself on how to phrase her statement better.
it was not as bad as it could have been.
So here I am, writing to you in a motel in the city of Vale wearing a black bow over my cat ears to hide my history and heritage. Secretly, I'm scared. I'm horrified that eventually, Adam Taurus could find me or that my past will be revealed. Since I don't want to use my skills to aid in the White Fang's violence, I have also decided to enroll in Beacon Academy and dedicate my skills to becoming a huntress. Maybe one day, I'll be able to make things better for all Faunus around the world. To me, the White Fang don't seem to be extremely evil like many believe. They're really just misguided. Adam is probably the most misguided of them all. Maybe some day, I'll find him and try to talk him out of it. But for now, I'm just going to lay low and be sure that no one finds out what I am, or who I once was. That seems to the smartest move I can make at this present moment. If you can, please write back and send the letter to Beacon Academy. I miss you guys. I love you mom and dad, stay safe.
Your loving daughter, Blake
She grabbed an envelope, wrote down the correct addresses in their respective places, put a stamp on the upper right corner, folded up the letter, and put it in there before sealing the envelope. She secretly hired a messenger, who charged her 25 Lien and swiftly left to deliver the message. The catgirl then remembered arriving at Beacon on the first day, the day before initiation. She sighed and tried to smile before going into the fray.
As one door closes, another one opens...
Blake then came back to reality, her eyelids dropped heavily. She got her arms up from the railing and yawned, so she decided it would probably be a good idea to take a nap. She went down the metal steps to the first floor below the deck and walked through the hallways until she found a navy blue door with the number 22 in big black font on a white place of plastic glued onto its front. She got out her key and unlocked the door. The girl entered her cabin, a little room with an empty closed chest and two twin beds with ocean blue bedspread, each on opposite sides of the room. In the upper left corner was a small bathroom. She bought the cheapest possible cabin on board the ship, which was slightly better than she thought it would be. The entire area, including the bathroom had been neatly cleaned and the area was wide enough for pacing, even though this behavior was unusual for her. Still, she remembered having worse accommodations.
Looking out the window, she saw nothing but the sea for miles ahead. It would be quite a while before the boat would dock at Fiti. She set her stuff down and curled up underneath the sheets, turning to her left side as she tried to fall asleep. Yet as she tried to fall asleep, the image of a certain Faunus came to mind. Not the image of the one she was trying to bring down, but instead the one she turned down; his golden hair shining like the sun along with his tail, his grey-blue eyes, his kind yet mischievous demeanor... Sun Wukong... Why was she thinking of him? She laid on her back and slammed her fist against the mattress, trying to shove those feelings to the back of her mind and soul, but it was no use. Guilt and sorrow ate at her. She believed she shouldn't want him, as she turned him down, but it did nothing to soothe her soul. She knew the old saying; Meeting someone was chance, becoming friends was a choice, but falling in love with someone was beyond her control.
She sighed and turned onto her side again. Within less than two years Blake broke three hearts; the first man she ever loved, the one she rejected on the rooftop, and her own. She sobbed softly to herself. Was it possible to break your own heart? She believed so. For a brief moment, she wished that Sun was there with her, trying to comfort her. But she knew such desires were impossible. She left him in the dust and she figured that by now he'd be on an airship back to Haven Academy. At least if she had to wrestle with the negative emotions, she was able to do it where no one could see her like this. She wiped away her tears and slowly drifted to sleep as she recalled their last moments together before she left him heartbroken.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Vale, a man sat on a throne in a lonely room. The room was a long hallway with black walls in the background while white marble pillars held up a red ceiling. The black title stretched from the black and crimson doors to the red carpet where the throne was. The throne was made of darkened wood with black velvet cushioning. The man slammed down his fist on the right arm of the throne.
Adam Taurus remembered how Blake left him. He had just defeated the spider drone and had seen Blake standing on the other train car with her weapon in hand and was about to say something, but he never got the chance.
"Goodbye."
She cut off the link between the train cars and watched as the other car moved forward. He was too stunned for words, and he watched until Blake faded away. He groaned and went back to the cart with the cargo. The mission to steal the dust from the Schnee Dust Company was a success, but blowing up the train afterwards was a failure. Adam and the white Fang agents went back to the camp site in the Forever Fall forest. As the White Fang workers moved boxes of dust vials from one place to another, he went back to his quarters and started punching his pillow with his fists. He couldn't think; all he felt was anger.
Eventually, after doing this for a solid hour, he had exhausted all his aura and tears came streaming down his face. He took off his mask and tried to think as his negative thoughts began to swarm his mind.
How could she? How could she do this?! How could she forsake the cause she has fought for her entire life? How could she forsake me?!
The lieutenant answered his room, interrupting his thoughts. "Sir, is something wrong?"
He put his mask back on, but did not look at the lieutenant. "Blake Belladonna has run away. She left me and sabotaged the plan to kill the workers on the train."
"Treason. We'll find her and execute her immediately."
"No!" He screamed. "Don't execute her." He balled up his fist. "Don't even think about hurting her. I will deal with her myself."
"As you wish, master."
He swiftly left, leaving the man to his thoughts.
Maybe... maybe I'm overreacting. She's vanished before... Maybe she'll come back.
Of course, she didn't. Three days later, Adam Taurus and his trusted lieutenant were at the forever Fall encampment.
"Blake's been gone for three days. It's official. She has betrayed us."
"We'll find her, sir." He held his hand to his chest. "I swear on my life.
"Forget it. It's time I return to Mistral and ask for Maura's aid in attacking Haven Academy." is what he would have said to him, had he not heard the sounds of conflict and then was bribed/blackmailed into working with Cinder and her associates.
His plans had been slightly changed, but his goal remained the same. The bull-horned faunus thought out his next move.
With the fall of Beacon Academy, it's high time that I...
He was snapped out of his thoughts when a White Fang messenger came bursting through the door.
"Master Taurus, we've got a potential problem. I have received intel from White Fang agents and High Leader Sienna Khan is on her way here!"
Oh great. Fan-fucking tastic...
Adam remained silent for a moment, pondering what to respond with. "This is most unusual for her. I suppose I better prepare myself for the worst then." He groaned under his breath. "Oh, this won't be fun..."
The messenger gave the leader a concerned look, almost like he was going to bite his nails. "You think it'll be that bad, sir?"
"Oh, I know that it will be bad." he answered. "If Sienna herself is going through all this trouble to confront me, whatever she wants can't be good... or trouble-free."