Confessions (ch3)

2-DAY EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!!

I'm glad to know most of you are actually enjoying this throwback to volume 1 days! It's nice to go back to simpler times.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														Chapter 3.

The remaining days of their break went by in a blur. It was as if all of Blake's luck had decided to cash in for a reward, and comprehending it all nearly left her head spinning.

There was a certain awkwardness they toed around, both of them rather uncomfortable at the idea of public displays of affection, but quiet nights spent in each other's company was a comfort she hoped would never leave - a butterfly feeling she held captive in her hands, hesitant to release in fear that if she let it go, it wouldn't return.

They would curl up under the covers, relish the quietness that Blake had grown to cherish in the short amount of time since their relationship had flourished. Held it tight, held it close, Weiss more than welcome in her arms.

But by the end of the week it seemed their luck had run out.

It was right before the final day of break, Yang and Ruby due back in only twenty-four hours, that a sudden surge of Grimm erupted in Forever Fall, and with staff as low as it was, Ozpin had begrudgingly opted to enlist in some backup. She and Weiss were more than willing to help, even in spite of Ozpin's rather cryptic warnings to be more careful than usual.

Blake was nothing if not critical, and that coupled with Weiss' love for structure and planning; she figured there wouldn't be that much of a problem. They'd stick to the books and hopefully be back just in time to spend one last night in blissful company alone.

And perhaps think about how to break the news of their relationship to Ruby and Yang. If at all, but there was still time for that.

Blake strapped Gambol Shroud's sheath to her back, carefully making sure that she had reloaded the ammo before slipping the collapsed blade into its hold. She grabbed a few extra ammo clips from her drawer just to be safe though, tucking them into her bag. She glanced at Weiss.

"Ready?"

. . .

Weiss sighed to recount how many days had passed, and how many were left, wishing against logic that it could all rewind, or if they could have more time, just one more day-

-and now here they were. Being called in for a mission on their last day alone together. Of course Weiss had immediately agreed to assist Ozpin as soon as he'd requested it, but she was still just a tad bit sour about it all; she'd planned to do something with Blake today, and fighting Grimm hadn't been the original idea.

Absently, the heiress finished tying her hair into its combat-efficient ponytail before filling her pouch with the ten small bottles of Dust it could hold. Just as she sheathed Myrtenaster at her left hip, she heard Blake's voice and looked up to meet her gaze.

"Yes. We should get going, then."

Her voice was a bit taut when she replied, and Weiss knew exactly why that was. This would be their first mission together as something more than just teammates. Now, Weiss was looking at Blake in a romantic light, and that terrified her in thinking they were going into battle. A foreboding feeling crept into her chest and she inhaled sharply.

No. She'll be fine. Just because we're... something now doesn't mean she's any less phenomenal a fighter. Nothing's going to happen just because we're together.

Weiss tried to reason with herself, remind herself Blake was a skilled huntress, that this would be a simple mission they'd tackled many times before…

And yet still, she just couldn't help but worry.

. . .

Blake smiled softly, ears twitching beneath her bow. Despite Weiss' acceptance, there had been a scowl on her face ever since Ozpin had told them the news. She could only guess as to what had caused Weiss' mood to spoil, and in the days past, she had grown use to seeing the curl on Weiss' lips. To a see a frown in its place just didn't seem right.

She stepped closer to Weiss, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder as Blake dipped low to press a kiss to Weiss' temple. It was quick, almost too quick, and Blake couldn't help but press another to her skin.

"Then let's get this over with."

The trip to Forever Fall was short, and soon enough they found themselves standing among a mixed group of trained hunters and students picked by Ozpin who had decided to help the cause. It wasn't a particularly large gathering, and Blake wondered if their headmaster's hesitance was because of their rather small numbers.

Technically, this was Blake and Weiss' first time fighting without Ruby and Yang, and it felt odd not having them here as they stood listening to Ozpin give the briefing just on the outskirts of the forest. Their number one priority: curb the Grimm population back to sustainable levels, and if there were any signs of danger that they couldn't handle, for students especially, they were to run.

Even now Blake could feel an unsettling presence in the air and she turned her head to watch Weiss listen intently to Ozpin's instructions. It felt like she should say something, but instead Blake inched closer to the heiress, leaning over to bump her head affectionately against Weiss'.

. . .

There was no way Weiss could keep the frown on her face after Blake had kissed her so sweetly like that.

She was still unsettled, but as they ventured to Forever Fall to rendezvous with the other hunters, Weiss liked to believe she hid her apprehension well enough, despite the unpleasant prickle beneath her skin. It was like there were tiny thorns in her bloodstream and she couldn't keep still, her eyes continuously flashing over to Blake for reassurance she was there.

As Ozpin briefed them all, Weiss was alert and vigilant, making sure to absorb all of his warnings and orders while simultaneously listening to the forest around them. There was certainly something off. No birds were chirping, no small patter of animals' paws through the undergrowth. It was unnerving.

But when Blake pressed against her, Weiss felt her stiff shoulders relax just a bit, and she gave a small smile, reaching down to take Blake's hand and squeeze it gently. They could get this over with quickly and then enjoy the rest of their day together.

"Now then," Ozpin was saying. "If there are no further questions, you are dismissed."

The small group dispersed as the headmaster watched them go.

Weiss shared a determined glance with Blake and nodded.

"Let's do this."

They took off into the forest that was unnaturally still, keeping their eyes and ears open for any signs of their enemies. Blake's ears would likely catch any sounds first, but Weiss still put herself on the highest alert. This was a simple mission, but the prickling in her veins still concerned her.

But she didn't want Blake to know that. She didn't want to be a distraction for her.

So she said nothing as she continued to dash through the trees beside her.

. . .

The farther they ventured, the more it seemed like the overabundance of Grimm was an exaggeration. Each pair had been given an area to cover, and with the way things were going, Blake sincerely hoped that they had merely gotten lucky.

But there was a thick and heady smell to the air that crawled up her nose and sat just behind her eyes. It was more than uncomfortable, and she rubbed at her eyes to keep them from watering.

Underneath the bow, her ears strained to hear even the slightest hint of disruption, the forever-falling red leaves rendering vision barely reliable at best. If the Grimm made use of both camouflage and numbers, they would be in some serious trouble.

She didn't like it, not one bit.

Intuition took over, and Blake reached out to curl a hand around Weiss' wrist and effectively brought both of them to a stop. She glanced at Weiss, unable to hide the frown as she combed out fallen leaves from Weiss' hair. Anything to keep her nervous hands from doing something they shouldn't.

"Something isn't right," she said, holding Weiss' gaze for a moment before returning her attention to their surroundings. "Either Ozpin is a liar, or we're so in over our heads we don't even know it yet." A hand rose to cover her nose. "And I seriously doubt it's the former."

. . .

This whole situation was becoming more and more unsettling as they continued to walk through the trees, the carpet of red leaves underfoot perpetually shuffling beneath their boots. The haze of crimson was making her almost delirious, and Weiss needed to shake her head a few times to rouse herself.

We're on a mission. Focus. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can go home.

But as they continued, she couldn't shake the foreboding feeling, the stillness of the air a harbinger in and of itself. There was some looming threat, and this time Weiss knew she wasn't overreacting. Her skin was all but crawling, the air seeming too thick in her lungs as she found it harder to draw breath.

When Blake brought her to a sudden halt, the heiress' fears were confirmed.

"I have a bad feeling as well. We should… perhaps find reinforcements?" It was something Weiss would never dream to suggest unless she truly believed it was absolutely necessary. Her pulse flitted quickly beneath Blake's fingers on her wrist, and her eyes met the Faunus girl's levelly. "Something's not right. We should-"

An explosive sound cut her off, and suddenly the forest around them was teeming with bellowing Grimm- Beowulves, Ursai, Borbatusks… It was the first time they had ever seen different packs of Grimm working in tandem, and their approach had been silent enough to even slip Blake's perceptive senses.

Weiss cursed under her breath, drawing Myrtenaster immediately as she took her stance, pressing her back against Blake's. She clicked her tongue a bit fearfully. Now they had no choice but to fight.

. . .

Blake's hands instinctively went for the handle to her blade the moment the explosion sounded, pulling Gambol Shroud from its sheath from its place on her back. She felt her muscles tense, taut like stretched elastic waiting for release as amber eyes scanned the gathering mass of Grimm before them. She cursed under her breath. How could she have let this slip past her?

"That's all we can do," she replied, eyes narrowing. "We have to get out of here."

At that moment, the first of the Grimm leaped forward, Borbatusks and Beowulves leading the charge. Blake dodged the first oncoming swipe of claws a little too close for comfort, unloading nearly a full clip of bullets into its skull before the Grimm collapsed into a heap on the forest floor.

"If we're surrounded we're done for," she muttered to herself, eyes trying to find Weiss in the emerging mess. The heiress could handle herself, but it never hurt to be wary. As long as they were careful they'd be fine.

The second her eyes caught white, striking as Weiss was against the reds of Forever Fall, she felt sharp claws sink into her side. She tore her eyes from Weiss, swinging her arm wide. The blade caught the Beowulf's throat and it sunk limp to the ground. When Blake pressed her left hand to her side, she could feel her skin grow slick with blood.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit...

But she couldn't dwell on it for long, as another Grimm was already rushing forward. Her hand tightened around Gambol Shroud's hilt, trying regain her concentration as her aura worked to mend the wound. If she was lucky, Weiss didn't notice her stumble.

. . .

When the first beast made its move, Weiss was almost thankful for the excuse of motion so Blake wouldn't see her shudder. She charged forward to meet the onslaught, avoiding the deleterious claws and tusks with ease that years' worth of training had worked into her bones. She spun, arms extended for balance and poise as she sliced at limbs and throats, killing several of her opponents in one move.

Weiss took down a few of them, but it wasn't enough to penetrate through and make an exit for Blake and herself. So she continued fighting vigorously, slashing with raw power and saving her Dust for only when it was absolutely necessary. If she had been alone, she could have caused a fine explosion and killed a great deal of them while using her glyphs to avoid it, but with Blake here, she wouldn't dare take the risk.

After she'd felled another wolf and cracked off the tusk of a boar and sent it squealing away, she noticed the blur of Blake's shadow clones. But she could tell immediately that her teammate was moving slower than usual, too much so to be considered normal or deliberate.

Wrenching her rapier out of the skull of another wolf, Weiss used her glyphs to propel herself to her teammate's side.

"Blake! What-" She stopped immediately when she noticed the blood, grabbing Blake's arm before she could jump back into the fray.

"Hold still!" she warned her. With the reaction speed that may have matched even Ruby's semblance, Weiss used her Dust to cast a massive barricade of ice, giant sturdy walls forming around Blake and herself to temporarily shield them from the Grimm. The only drawback was, once the ice was destroyed, the beasts would be almost directly on top of them unless they had a precise escape routine planned.

But Weiss would worry about that later. For now they still had time…

She made sure the ice had finished forming before her hands went to her knees and Weiss panted, the use of so much Dust taking a direct effect on her aura as well. She lifted her head, grateful Blake could have a second to catch her breath as well.

"Let me see it." She moved Blake's hand away from the wound on her side, and the heiress grimaced. It was several smaller gashes, all fairly deep, and Weiss placed her palm over them without a second thought and began emitting her aura. "Once the ice breaks… I'll use my glyphs and try to bring us up. So stay close to me."

. . .

A hand stopped her before she was able to throw herself back in the fray, and walls of ice rocketed skyward. The temperature dropped almost instantly, her breath clouding in front of her lips as Blake tried to steady her racing heart.

The obvious strain the action put Weiss through caused guilt to bubble in her gut. Weiss' concern for her only made it worse, and Blake angled the wound away from Weiss' hands.

"It's fine. Really. I just wasn't paying attention," she protested, trying to pull away, although the blood seeping through her fingers was more than a giveaway. After slight resistance and a rather nasty glare from Weiss, she conceded, letting the heiress move her hand away.

The attack had torn through one of the coat tails to her vest, leaving nothing to cover the gashes across her side. Weiss' hands were soft, her aura cool and soothing as she went about explaining her plan.

It was difficult to ignore the groan of the ice over the sound of Weiss' voice, cracking under the surrounding stress of Grimm. The wounds wouldn't heal completely in time, she knew that, but hopefully it would be enough. She didn't want Weiss to put herself in danger by tiring herself out.

"Stay close," she repeated to herself. "I can handle that." The wounds were only partially closed when the ice walls started to crack, and Blake tugged Weiss' hands away, grabbing hold of the heiress' arm with her free hand and pulling her upright. "I think it's time we left."

She grimaced when the skin on her side stretched as she raised Gambol Shroud defensively. Blake could feel it beginning to trickle anew, and her aura went into overdrive trying to mend the rest of the damages. Shadows flickered, and her hand curled around Weiss'.

. . .

"Drat!" Weiss hissed as she was forced to pull away. Blake's wound hadn't finished healing yet. If they could just put some distance between themselves and the beasts, Weiss could mend it properly.

But for now, Blake was right- her ice was giving and chinking away as the Grimm charged and slammed against it with brute strength.

"Brace yourself."

She waited, her hand in Blake's for as long as she could allow. Then, when the ice gave a mighty crack, Weiss had to let go of her teammate briefly to move her right hand in an array of motions and symbols. Using Myrtenaster in her left, she cast another spell of Dust - fire this time - and brought her rapier down upon the center of one of her glyphs.

The circle she had cast turned red, and Weiss quickly pulled Blake back to her side as the Dust did its job. The ice exploded around them, fracturing and splintering, though Weiss had made sure to direct it away from them. The chunks of ice fell into the mass of Grimm, and it sent many of them back for an instant.

"Now!" Weiss grabbed Blake's arm and cast another glyph beneath their feet, making a path for them angled slightly upward. Weiss leapt to her next circle, more elevated than the first, grunting as she tried to take Blake along with her. They made it to the third circle, and Weiss was sure they would make it until-

Her concentration was broken as a paw swiped at them, clipping her left ankle mid-jump. Weiss stumbled and lost her balance, and consequently all of her glyphs, her spells dissipating uselessly.

"No, no!" She yelled as she felt them falling, and Weiss tried to scramble to form a new glyph, but there was no time.

She and Blake crashed to the ground amidst the Grimm and rolled apart. Myrtenaster's hilt was crushed beneath Weiss, and it dug upward at an awkward angle until something gave. She screamed out in pain as the impact sent shockwaves through her ribs, but she couldn't afford to stay down. She tried to get up, locating Blake amongst the Grimm, but she was too far away to get to.

"Blake! Ah-!" Weiss cried out to her, but it hurt to talk. They only had one option left now. She hoped Blake could hear her. "Blake, just run! We can meet up later ah-after we've lost them!" Weiss wheezed for breath after shouting, forcing herself to her feet. With a shaking arm, she brought Myrtenaster down and sent out a trail of ice to fend off a wave of Grimm that was trying to reach her teammate.

But that was all Weiss could do for Blake now. She turned back to face her own adversaries, focused on trying to break through and get away, trusting that Blake would do the same.

. . .

She fell with a sickening thump, and a sharp pain shot through her injured side, head snapping against the ground. Gambol Shroud scattered from her grasp and just out of reach. Breathing hurt, and as she slowly regained her senses, pushing the pain from her mind as best she could, she scrambled for her weapon.

She snatched it just in time, narrowly avoiding another swipe of claws by the skin of her teeth. The Grimm was beheaded a second later, a clean and precise slash of the blade that Blake wholeheartedly considered luck.

A cry of her name had Blake turning, ears frantically trying to locate its source, but everywhere she looked were Grimm.

"Weiss?" Her head ached, and every sound seemed like white noise reverberating off the inside of her skull, but somewhere in the midst of it all, she heard a word: Run.

"Weiss!" Her heart pounded. Run? Run where? "Weiss! Answer me!"

She shifted Gambol Shroud in her hand, the form transfiguring into a gun-blade. Blake could see an opening, two hulking Ursai the only things standing between her and a dense thicket of trees. But she hesitated, a moment and then two-

-until she no longer could and shot forward, sickle embedding into flesh.

She would find Weiss. No matter what.

. . .

Past the guttural howling and roars of fury, Weiss could pick up on Blake's voice. Oh, thank goodness… At least Blake was still conscious, at least she was able to hear Weiss and answer her.

The heiress was about to get to her feet until an Ursa was upon her. Weiss grit her teeth, keeping a firm grasp on Myrtenaster as she rolled out of the way, a searing pain shooting up her side. With a mighty surge of strength she pushed herself up, blade aimed at the beast's throat as she pierced through it. Blood sprayed down on her before she yanked her weapon away, letting the massive body crash to the ground.

Behind the Ursa there were no other Grimm, and Weiss knew that was her way out. She made a rush for it, ignoring the pain as best she could and she was almost there until-

"Argh-!" She narrowly avoided the claws of a wolf at the last second, but the dodge pinned her against a tree for an instant, leaving her winded. The nearest Grimm - a Boarbatusk - took its chance and charged her, and all Weiss could manage was a pitiful and ultimately ineffective block. The rock-hard tusks collided with her stomach, and if her ribs hadn't been broken already, she felt at least two snap in that instance.

Weiss was bowled over and sent skidding through the bushes like a rag doll - the fact that Myrtenaster was still in her hand was a miracle. She could hear the Grimm chasing after her, and she panted as she pushed herself up. Hands shaking, she used some of the last of her Dust to cast another ice barricade around herself, the walls going up just in time to spare her another hit.

Now with a few seconds to catch her breath, Weiss was alarmed at how difficult it was to do so. She placed her rapier down and pressed a hand to her left side experimentally, sucking in a sharp breath as more pain erupted. She tasted blood, and every breath made her more and more lightheaded. The bashing of the monsters against her ice didn't help either, and she knew her time was limited.

Blake…

Weiss closed her eyes and searched until she felt the familiar flicker of Blake's aura within herself, something that had happened with their first kiss; their aura-sharing. From that, she could tell her teammate was still fighting far away, and the heiress only hoped Weiss had led most of the Grimm away from her.

. . .

The thicket was dense, a mess of trees and bushes that seemed to be sewn together by thorns. Branches snagged and tore, catching on briars as she tore through the underbrush.

Every time she stretched forward, arms reaching for hand holds to pull her through, she felt her skin split farther. Her aura was dwindling fast, its efforts constantly thwarted as it tried to heal and re-heal the wound on her side, and she could feel her control thinning as a result.

It was getting harder to focus, shadows curling and flickering around her. She could hear the Grimm, low guttural growls enough to send shivers down her spine. Blake knew that in her current condition, taking them head-on would be suicide. But she had to get rid of them, had to figure out some way to give them the slip so she could get back to Weiss.

She had to get back to Weiss.

Tossing Gambol Shroud - a well-timed shot causing it to rocket and embed itself to the trunk of a tree - she pulled herself up onto a branch, retracing her steps through the canopy as best she could. If all went well, she'd have earned herself enough time before the Grimm caught wind and continued the hunt.

Weiss. It was the only word in her mind, and the more she felt it slip, the more fear crept up her throat. She would never let it go - let her go - and Blake pushed herself harder, focused on the warmth that burned softly in her chest.

But not a second later, a clawed hand wrapped itself around her ankle, pulling her down, and Blake plummeted back to earth.

. . .

Weiss waited out her remaining time, hands clutching her head as it throbbed, and every second passed with a labored breath and another collision of a body against the ice. She scrambled to keep a hold on Blake's aura within her chest, but it was weak and distant.

Blake was hurt badly, Weiss could feel it. The wound she'd tried to heal earlier must've gotten worse, and the once-steady flicker of her aura was now frantic and wavering.

Blake… why is this happening...?

Another intense impact against the ice made it shudder and finally start to crack, and it served as a wake-up call of sorts for the heiress.

What was she doing? Sitting here whimpering as she waited for her impending doom? How foolish was she? She had a team - a girlfriend - and Weiss wasn't about to let any of that go because of a few pesky Grimm. This was what she'd trained for.

With a new determination burning within her, Weiss staggered to her feet, using Myrtenaster as a crutch to support her weight. A stabbing pain shot through her stomach, the throbs gathering at her left side, and she bit her lip. With a shaking hand, the heiress withdrew the last two vials of her Dust - one fire and one lightning. She could still fight.

She could only think of one plan that would work, and it was going to be risky. But she needed to find Blake.

Another hit against her ice sent a top portion of it falling toward her, and she just barely managed to avoid it. She knew she needed to work quickly, and didn't waste another second. She cast a glyph beneath her feet as the ice was finally shattered, and the roars met her ears fresh and loud. Weiss threw the red bottle down at her feet just as she leapt with the assistance of her circle. Fire exploded beneath her, and the ice went with it, flying out in all directions.

Growls turned to whimpers and some snarls cut off altogether as the Dust erupted around her. Weiss cast another glyph to take herself higher, but wasn't fast enough to avoid some of the debris, shards of ice slicing over her face, arms, and legs.

Weiss held her glyph in place where she was at the treetops - maintaining it was taking up the last shreds of her energy. From her vantage point, she surveyed just how many more enemies she had to deal with. She was a bit satisfied to find that about half of them had been killed from the explosion or turned tail and fled off into the trees. But there were still a dozen or so circling around beneath her, waiting for her glyph to give out.

Weiss crouched there for a moment, just above them, wiping the blood out of her eyes as she reached out once more to locate Blake's aura. It was still there, but ever fading, and Weiss knew she needed to finish off this last bunch entirely with her next attack. Her broken ribs screamed in protest as she lifted her final bottle of Dust and stared down at the remaining beasts.

Wait for me, Blake…

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A/N: Ahh yeah had to edit a bit of this. Back when we wrote it we still didn't fully understand how semblances and auras worked or if they were linked/related at all. Hope it all made sense!