As the view fades in, it is early morning in Mistral. Ruby Rose is seen lying on the ground on the patio outside of the training room. She watches a group of four birds flying together, before one of them flies away from the group. As she watches it fly, Ruby sees Yang Xiao Long peek over her head.
Yang looks at her sister.
"You're up early."
Ruby smiles.
"Hey sis."
Yang smirks.
"Boop."
She lets her ponytail down and uses it to tickle her little sister's nose. Ruby giggles affectionately at her older sister's action. Ruby then sits up as Yang sits down next to her. Y/N comes and sits next to the two girls silently. When Yang hears his breathing, she turns to get a finger gently on the nose. Y/N chuckles.
"Boop to you too."
Ruby sighs.
"What are you two doing up?"
Yang groans and leans back and forth.
"Can't fall back to sleep."
Ruby nods.
"Ah, me neither."
Weiss appears out of nowhere.
"Well, fortunately, coffee exists."
Weiss Schnee carries a tray with three cups of coffee and walks over to join her teammates and her brother. She lowers the tray down so Yang and Y/N can grab a cup.
Ruby flinches away.
"No, please!"
Weiss rolls her eyes.
"Don't worry, I put in blasphemous amounts of cream and sugar, just for you."
She holds the cup out in front for Ruby.
Ruby pumps her fist as she reaches for it.
"Oh yeah! Nice Weiss strikes again!"
Y/N chuckles, causing Weiss to glare at him.
Suddenly, Weiss pulls the cup away just as Ruby was about to grab it.
Weiss turns her glare on Ruby.
"I will pour this on you and it will burn."
She hands the cup to Ruby, who nervously giggles. Weiss sits down next to her teammates and grabs her cup of coffee after placing the tray down next to her. Y/N reaches over and pats her head. She glares at him, but relents quickly and leans into his petting. Soon Ruby and Yang look at him and he sighs. He hugs Yang and then pats her and Ruby. After a few minutes of this, they all calm down.
Yang sighs happily.
"Can't believe we're actually in Mistral."
Ruby's foot is tapping, attracting the two pups who have just come running out of the practice room.
"That's what you can't believe?"
Yang nods and takes a sip of her drink before throwing her hand in the air.
"Well, yeah! And all the other magic and stuff. But... Okay, you know what I mean!"
Weiss sighed.
"I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever see you two again. And I was 100% sure I'd never see you again Y/N."
Yang looks at her teammates...no sisters, boyfriend, new arm, and puppies. With a smug face, she raises her cup.
"Well, here's to defying expectations."
Yang, Y/N, and Weiss clink cups together, while Ruby gulps her cup down in one go, opening one eye to glance at the others' cups.
Ruby sighs, thinking that if she says the magi words that brought her brother back to her, it might bring Blake back too.
"I just wish Blake could be here with us."
Yang grunts.
"Yeah, well, she made her choice."
Y/N looks at Yang, concerned.
Weiss snaps her head towards Yang too, but with a different expression.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Yang continues, showing bitterness.
"I mean she could've been here if she just stuck around. It's no big deal though. We'll be fine."
Ruby and Weiss have concerned expressions on their faces.
Ruby speaks up, her concerned look spilling over into her voice.
"Don't you want her here?"
Yang snorts derisively.
"Why would I want her here?"
Y/N and Skoll's eyes lit up, that made both of them angry.
Ruby cocks her head.
"Are you still mad at her for leaving?"
Yang scoffs and speaks sarcastically with a strong smartass vibe.
"Oh, whatever gave you that idea, Ruby? No, I'm totally fine. I'm great."
Y/N finally speaks up.
"Where did you and Ruby go after the fall? Where was Weiss forcefully taken?"
The weight in his words has everyone quiet, except Skoll who is whimpering.
"If I had to bet, I'd say that after seeing you lose an arm, seeing Ruby comatose, seeing my team dead, and me missing, presumed dead at the hands of her past, she went to the most comfortable place...home."
Yang seems to not like Y/N defending Blake.
"Oh so now you're taking her side?"
Y/N's voice booms forth.
"As should you be! She is your teammate, your family. She had your back every day since you two met. I am not the only reason you made it out of the fall. I held Adam back while she got you out. And you are angry she left? Wow Yang. Are you angry at me for leaving too? Because it was my choice to stay behind and give you two the time to get out, but it led to me getting captured!"
Yang looks at him, hurt in her eyes. She yelled back at him.
"You know that's not what I meant!"
Weiss sees that this could spiral into chaos and tries to step in.
"Okay, calm down."
Yang rounds on Weiss, her eyes turning red.
"Don't tell me to calm down!"
Ruby and Weiss gain startled expressions. Y/N grunts angrily and walks away, followed by the pups.
Ruby sees this and she hurts, this fighting in her family was not something she wanted. Especially since she just got the two of them back. She looks at Yang with almost betrayal painted on her face.
"Whoa, Yang."
Yang realizes what she did, and her eyes turn back to normal. Her hand shakes while holding her cup. She looks after Y/N with a pained expression. She didn't want to lose him again, but the way he defended Blake and his words from before rang in her head.
"...Just once...I'd like to get what I want…"
Yang shivered whenever those words rang through her head.
"Whatever."
She gets up and leaves. Ruby and Weiss watch her go before exchanging concerned looks with each other.
Back in Menagerie, Blake Belladonna leans against the railing on the balcony of the Belladonna Family Home. She looks up into the night sky as a voice calls out for her from inside her home.
"Hey Blake! You ready to go?"
Blake realizes it to be Sun's voice and yells back.
"Be right there!"
She feels a note taped to the wooden railing of the balcony. She grabs it and reads the message written down:
"B
Things going too far.
Not sure what to do.
Find a quiet spot,
I'll find you.
Come alone. Please.
-I"
Blake looks around a bit before hearing the sliding door open. She quickly places the note in her coat.
Sun pops his head out.
"We going recruiting or what? We've got the entire nocturnal section to hit up!"
Blake doesn't say anything, still having a concerned expression on her face. Sun notices this.
Sun's eyebrows knitted together.
"You okay?"
Blake nods unconvincingly.
"Yeah, I'll meet you there. I need to take care of something first."
As she walks away, there is a quiet sound of rustling in the trees behind her.
Back in Mistral, Yang sits alone on a bed looking at the "New Friends!" photo of Teams RWBY and STLL. She hears a knock on the door and quickly puts the photo away.
Yang calls out hesitantly.
"Yeah?"
The door opens but Yang doesn't look up to see who entered.
Yang grudgingly decides to turn what she thought was her sister.
"Look Ruby, I really don't want to talk about it, okay? Can you just leave me alone for a bit?"
Yang looks up, and is surprised that it was not Ruby, or even Y/N, but Weiss who is at the doorway.
Yang pauses for a second, puzzled, before speaking once more.
"Oh. Hey Weiss. Did you need something?"
Weiss says nothing. She closes the door behind her and sits on the bed opposite to Yang.
Yang knows what Weiss is here for and sighs.
"I know she's our teammate, but I'm not just going to change my mind. I'm sorry, I just... I don't think you know what it's like to be left. You have a giant family, recitals to perform at, dinners to attend. I didn't have any of that. My mom left me. Ruby's mom left too. Tai was always busy with school and Ruby couldn't even talk yet. I had to pick up the pieces. I had to keep things together. Alone."
She pauses.
"Weiss, if you have something to say, then say it."
Weiss remains silent for a moment, before responding.
Weiss finally gathers herself enough to speak.
"When I was ten, my dad finally admitted to my mom that the only reason he married her was for the family name."
She sighs.
"It was actually on my birthday. He missed the big dinner, she got mad, he finally snapped. I think she already knew. Looking back, I think I knew too. But hearing him say it finally pushed her over the edge."
She gets up and sits down next to Yang on the other bed before she continues.
"First it was separate lunches and dinners, opposite balconies at my recitals, a glass of wine here, a glass of wine there. Then, it was no dinners, no recitals, a bottle of wine here and... well, you get the idea."
Yang backpedals.
"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have assumed."
Weiss holds her hands up in a placating gesture.
"You're right though. I don't know loneliness like you do. I have my own version. And, I'll bet Blake has her own version too."
Yang pounds her flaming fist on her knee.
"She doesn't have to be alone though. I was here for her. We all were! She chose to leave us. And because she wasn't here, she missed out on seeing that Y/N was alive and back."
Weiss brings up a point that Y/N had brushed over earlier.
"Why do you think she did that?"
Yang cocks her head, unsure of what Weiss was really asking.
"Hm?"
Weiss pushes further.
"The entire time Blake was at Beacon, she was afraid to open up to people. She tried to keep her past separated from us. She tried to protect us. Eventually, those walls she put up came down. And the moment they did, the one thing she was afraid of actually happened. The universe proved her right. Especially with you and Y/N. She saw her best friend and her rock lose life and limb because of her past."
Yang tried to argue back.
"No one blamed her for anything! If she had just talked to us, she would've known that! How could I be there for her if she doesn't let me? What if I needed her here for me?"
Yang buries her face in her hands and starts sobbing quietly. Her arm's flames slowly sputter out. Weiss puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"You know before I left, when I stood up to my father, he slapped me across the face for saying I wanted to leave, to make my own mark on the world, that my mark was mine to make as the new generation of Schnee and mine alone."
Yang looks up half in anger and half in shock. Just outside of the door, a low growl rumbles out just quiet enough to escape the ears of Yang and Weiss. Weiss continues, unaware of the vengeful guardian outside the door, vowing retribution upon her father.
"The man who practically raised me told that to my mother...and she came to me. Turns out that my mother knew about my father's treachery far earlier than I had realized. The day my older sister Winter was born, he went nuts. She forced out a promise from him that if she didn't speak out against him, then he would not lay an unjust hand upon her children. She kept all of that to herself, took the abuse he dolled out for decades to protect us, but in doing so, hurt us too."
Now Y/N, on the other side of the door, is furious. Weiss pauses before she continues telling the attentive Yang the rest.
"She made a decision that she thought would protect us at the cost of her happiness. For a while it worked, but in the end, evil never stops because it gave it's word. Maybe Blake just hasn't realized that yet and is making her own flawed decision to keep us safe."
Weiss has to take a breath.
"I know it's not easy. I wish she hadn't left too. The only thing we can do now is be there for her when she's ready. When she comes back."
Yang lowers her hands from her face before speaking forlornly.
"If she comes back."
Weiss speaks confidently.
"She will. Yang... You, Y/N, Ruby, and even Blake are more like family to me than my brother or even my own father. I would do anything for you three, and I'm willing to bet Blake feels the same way. So, when she's ready, I'll be there for her. And I know we're not as close, but... I'm here for you too."
Weiss smiles and Yang calms down. They hear a knock at the door, which opens up and reveals Y/N.
"We all are sunshine."
They both look at him confused. He chuckles lightly.
"I think you girls keep forgetting that I am a Wolf Faunus Hybrid. No animal parts, just the senses. I didn't mean to listen in, but my rage overwhelmed my power to move when I heard what Weiss said."
He looks over at Weiss.
"Snowflake...I know a perfect spot in the Atlesian tundra that will be the perfect spot for your father to...get lost in. No one touches my family like that and gets away with it. And what he did to your mother?"
Y/N can't help but growl, causing the two unnoticed pups to join in, creating quite the ominous sound. Then he takes a deep breath and sits across from the two girls.
"That begs for justice to be done."
Weiss looks at Y/N gratefully before he turns back to Yang.
"Remember how I told you about throwing a tantrum in the woods after my father had died...for two years?"
Both girls nod.
"Well who do you think is more mature, Me? Or Blake?"
The answer was immediate and unanimously given.
"Blake."
He gives them an annoyed look.
"You could have at least pretended to think about it for a second."
This causes the two girls to chuckle.
"Anyway. She is more mature...she also has more to come back for. I had Qrow and Uncle John, but Qrow was always on missions, and John had long hours all the time. Until I came to Beacon, I had more ties severed from the world than remained. But Blake? Blake knows she has you Yang and you Weiss, and Ruby to come back to. She will be gone far shorter and return much faster than my dumbass ever did."
Weiss and Yang both laugh at the "dumbass" remark, because they both knew that he was probably the smartest among them, he was just...also a man child.
"I know you miss her Yang, just as I do...and Ruby does...and Weiss does. And I know that missing people hurts. But what I cannot understand is being angry at someone who just needs some time to figure things out. You lost an arm and me. You needed alone time did you not?"
There is a pause, before Yang realizes that Y/N is waiting for an answer. Guiltily, she answers.
"Yes, of course I did. I shut out Ruby and dad and Qrow."
Y/N points at her for a second.
"And yet you have both of those back. You have me, your arm, Ruby, and Weiss with you now. All I ask is that you not judge her as you are now, but as you were back when you lost everything like she did. And remember that she thinks it was all her fault for being associated with that wanna be cult leader plebeian in the past. Just because hurt, regret, and pain forced her to make a stupid decision in your point of view, that doesn't mean she left you to hurt you. She loves you and probably didn't want to involve you further in her skeletons in the closet."
Yang looks down, a little ashamed for being mad at Blake, and even more ashamed she snapped at the one person she could always rely on.
Then Ruby poked her head into the room.
"Is, uh... everything okay?"
Yang looks up at her sister, smiling.
"Yeah, it is."
Ruby sighs in relief. Her family is no longer pulling itself apart so soon after finally reuniting.
Back in Menagerie, Blake approaches a darkened alleyway.
Blake calls out softly.
"Ilia?"
Ilia replies, her tone cold.
"I'm here."
Blake draws Gambol Shroud, but leaves Storm honstered. Ilia walks out from the shadows with her hands up and drops her black camouflage.
Blake tries to plead with her friend.
"Ilia, I know you're scared, but you don't have to be. My family and I, we can keep you safe."
Ilia looks down for a second.
"I'm sorry."
Blake doesn't pick up on the weird vibe Illia was giving off.
"You can make it up to me by helping us stop Corsac and Fennec."
Ilia shakes her head slowly.
"No."
At this point, her tone turns hostile.
"I'm sorry."
Ilia's right hand curls up into a fist. Footsteps can be heard running on the rooftop next to them. Blake looks up and sees Yuma fly down and land on her back, forcing her to the ground. Blake drops Gambol Shroud which lands at Ilia's feet. Blake gasps, regaining her breath and struggles to get up as Yuma presses his foot against her back. He gets off her as two more Faunus join him. Blake gets back up on her feet.
Blake cries out to Illia, trying to get through to her
"Wait--"
Suddenly, Blake gets wrapped in spiderweb silk. One of the Faunus grabs the silk strand holding Blake from her hand.
Trifa, the owner of said silk, walks out of the shadows.
"I've got her."
Yuma speaks in his raspy voice.
"Well done, Sister Trifa - and to you, Ilia."
Yuma tosses Ilia Lightning Lash.
Blake calls out to Illia, confused and feeling betrayed.
"Ilia! What are you doing?!"
Ilia shakes her head.
"I tried to warn you, Blake. I'm sorry."
Blake's voice turns, venom dripping out now.
"Don't tell me you're sorry!"
Ilia continues, her voice gaining strength with every lie she tells herself.
"But I am. I am sorry it has to be this way, but you and your family are holding the Faunus back!"
Blake is both angry and incredulous at Illia's words.
"Because we're trying to protect people?! In what world do you live in where attacking the innocent is the right thing to do?!"
Ilia seems angered.
"The same one as you! There's no such thing as innocent! There's no right thing to do! Only what's best for us! There's the humans that still hate the Faunus, and there's the others who stand by and let the hate happen! But you know what snuffs out hate? Fear. I don't like hurting people. But I'll tell you this…"
She points her weapon at Blake.
"...it's gotten us results."
Blake nods, her anger making Storm pulse with power, unseen to the rest of the assembled Faunus.
"Yeah, look where it's gotten you."
Ilia's eyes widen and she briefly ponders Blake's retort, but she just shrugs it off.
"We all have to make sacrifices for the greater good, no matter how much it hurts."
Blake's angry response triggers something in Illia.
"And you think killing me is really for the greater good?"
Ilia's next sentence shakes Blake to the core.
"No, but getting rid of your family is."
Blake's expression turns shocked and fearful. She can't lose any more family. Not after Y/N, not after the pain of leaving Yang and Ruby and Weiss. Her soul is cracking under pressure. Her amber eyes start to water.
Blake shouts at her friend...if she even is that anymore.
"You wouldn't! You can't! I won't let you!"
Ilia nods, as if she knows every move Blake makes before she makes it.
"I know. That's why you're being sent to Mistral. To Adam."
Blake's expression grows more afraid, almost on the verge of tears. Even with the comfort of Storm's warmth, the memory of Adam being the last one to fight Y/N...the one who killed Y/N, brought her fear down deep within her core.
Blake, out of terror more than rage now, is struggling to get the webs off her.
"Ilia, please! You don't have to do this. This isn't you!"
Ilia's eyes are ablaze with hurt, rage, and sadness.
"Yes. It. Is! But I guess back then you were just too busy falling for Adam to notice. And I hear you've fallen for a hybrid now too? Disgraceful."
Blake's expression turns confused.
Ilia's next words betray her true feelings.
"I was always jealous of the way you looked at him."
With that, her spots turn pink.
"I wanted you to look at me that way."
She closes her eyes, and when she opens them, they are suddenly pink.
"But we can't always get what we want!"
Her eyes then turn back to normal.
"You should know that, now that your precious hybrid, your Titan of Beacon is dead and gone.
"Yuma, with me. You two, get her to the docks."
Ilia and Yuma leave while the other two Faunus prepare to bring Blake with them.
Trifa speaks in disdain to Blake.
"Let's go, traitor."
Trifa tugs on the silk holding Blake, but Blake remains stationary.
Blake calls out suddenly.
"Now!!"
Trifa is confused.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Sun jumps out of nowhere and knocks down the Faunus next to Trifa.
Trifa can't keep up with the events that are happening too fast for her.
"What?"
Trifa draws her knife and engages in a brief duel with Sun. He blocks her attacks with the staff form of Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang before disarming her. Blake, having been covered in resplendent red flames that burned away her bonds, then grabs Trifa's shoulder and punches her square in the face, knocking her out.
Blake nods to Sun.
"Thanks for the backup."
Sun returns the gesture before speaking.
"Thanks for the invitation. You okay?"
He had heard the hurtful things that Illia had said and was concerned.
Blake picks up Gambol Shroud and places it on her back.
Blake shakes her head stoically.
"No. You heard Ilia, my family is in danger. Call the police and let's go!"
Sun nods once more.
"Right!"
The two exit the alleyway and begin running towards the Belladonna's home. They both take their Scrolls out to call their respective contacts.
Blake is worried as the line keeps ringing, not being picked up.
"Come on, mom, pick up!"
Back at the Belladonna's home, a scroll is seen vibrating on the table with Blake's portrait and the text "BLAKE CALLING" on the screen. Gunfire can be heard. Suddenly, the table is knocked to its side as Kali and a Menagerie Guard take cover.
The Guard calls to Kali.
"Get down!"
The guard gets up to fire back at two White Fang soldiers. He manages to shoot one of them down, but he gets shot down by the other. With the guard incapacitated, Kali takes his pistol and starts firing back.
Kali yells at the intruders.
"Get out of my house!! Ghira!!"
As she calls out to her husband, Kali is forced to take cover again from the gunfire. Meanwhile, Ghira and a couple of other Menagerie guards fend off some White Fang troops in the entry hall. One of them tries to kick Ghira, but he grabs his foot and slams him into the wall. Ghira dodges a sword slash from another White Fang trooper. A guard manages to knock out another trooper after a brief scuffle, and Ghira knocks out the troop that attacked him by punching him in the diaphragm and slamming his head into the ground.
Ghira looks at the guard before giving him a command.
"Go find my wife!"
Another White Fang troop approaches Ghira with his fist drawn back, but Ghira grabs his wrist and knife-hands him in the neck, and then tosses him aside. Another guard gets shot while protecting Ghira and goes limp. Ghira catches the guard's body and drops it to the ground, with Ghira wincing at his fallen comrade. He then growls as he turns his attention to the Albains, who have their weapons out.
Corsac's slimy voice is first to be heard.
"I believe it's time our dear chieftain stepped down, brother."
Fennec nods before answering his oh so slimy brother.
"Yes brother, I'm afraid I'm inclined to agree."
Ghira lets his claws out and rips his coat off. He bares his fangs and makes a feral growl at the two brothers, before letting out a mighty roar as the view cuts to black.
A/n: Sorry it took so long. I got distracted when I saw an update to an old favorite of mine...and it gave me the inspiration for pages of ideas for another RWBY story based on "The LIGHTBEARER". I recommend the book and would like to know y'all's thoughts on me either updating my other RWBY story, or creating a different Reader x Blake story.