Nameless (ch7)

This chapter switches a bit between Weiss' and Blake's POVs.

WARNINGS for mental/physical/psychological abuse.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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						    Chapter 7. Red On White

Weiss didn't move.

She couldn't.

Cinder's breath was searing against her cheek, almost to the point of sparking a flame, her long red nails carving into Weiss' back.

Weiss silently begged for breath that wouldn't come, air catching in her windpipe for a long moment before Cinder finally released her.

Weiss could feel her teeth starting to chatter in the cold, dank air, so she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Her gaze flashed to Blake's, but the Faunus girl appeared to be just as horrified as Weiss felt.

And yet, something told her Blake wasn't all that surprised by any of this, as though she'd known something about Cinder all along that Weiss had never suspected.

The two girls crumpled before her – sisters – were bound, traumatized, and helpless.

And Weiss...

Weiss needed to...

"Kill them...?" she whispered.

Cinder nodded, her gaze unwavering and undeterred.

"That's right, dear. This is what you're going to be doing from now on. Whenever Mother encounters someone who gives her trouble, or someone she doesn't like, you're going to be the one to dispose of them for me," she declared.

"You see, I'd do it myself, but the most I can do is bring them misfortune. I need them dead, not unlucky." She flashed her gaze downward. "These two will only be practice. Show me you can kill them, and I'll give you a nice reward, darling. And from then on, I'll start bringing you the people I need eradicated from this planet."

Her eyes returned to the girl's blue ones. Cinder's own were burning, and yet somehow cold. Horribly cold.

"This is why you are here, child. Use the blade I forged for you and kill them."

Weiss was trembling, but she didn't think she could move. All she could do was make sure she didn't lose grip on the rapier Cinder had worked so hard to construct for her.

And she couldn't tear her eyes away from her mother.

Cinder turned to face Blake then, the first time she'd acknowledged her since they'd all come down to the basement.

"And you, Faunus," she snapped. "Your job is to dispose of the bodies."

Blake bit back a snarl as the witch approached her, but she didn't dare take a retreating step back, lest she lose her head for it. She stayed put as Cinder drew closer. Then, the witch husked in a lowered tone that only Blake could hear.

"I trust that by now you've... discovered a few things, no? Like how my daughter cannot leave this mansion. It's a curse I concocted myself and I'm quite proud of it," she whispered. "But because of that, she can't exactly leave this place to get rid of the bodies. I'd do it myself, but I've got other things to attend to... But you've probably discovered that you are free to come and go as you please."

Here, she paused to indulge herself in a wicked cackle, one that had Blake's blood boiling.

"Quite humorous," the witch purred. "You could've left any time all those years ago, but never did for fear I'd kill Mommy and Daddy. Well, believe it or not, what I just revealed to you is true. I can't kill anyone. I can only curse them. Which is why I need her to kill for me. And disposing of the bodies is your job. You may leave the premises whenever you wish, dear Faunus..."

Everything that was being revealed to Blake in that moment made her seethe with fury to the point where she wanted to scream.

But there was also the desire to collapse to her knees and wail at the top of her lungs.

She found she couldn't decide on which one to do.

Cinder continued, her lips so close to Blake's human ear that she could smell the witch's sharp breath.

"You should know by now that you can leave this mansion. But you'll come back once you've gotten rid of these bodies. And you won't bring any trouble or pesky people to bother me when you do. Or else I can't guarantee her safety. You'll come back alone and before nightfall. I know you will. Because you wouldn't ever dream of leaving her here all alone, would you?"

She turned her face, eyes locking onto the girl in the blue dress behind her.

Blake couldn't speak, couldn't move.

Blake couldn't do anything.

All along.

All this time, she'd been caught directly in Cinder's trap.

Even when Blake had thought she was figuring things out, even those times had all been in accordance to the witch's plan. Whatever Blake had discovered had all been under Cinder's control; it had all been information Cinder had allowed her to discover.

Blake felt like a cat trying to flee from a wolf who's claws were embedded into her tail. Every time she tried to pull free, she was only dragged closer toward snapping jaws.

There was no escape from this.

As a hornet's nest of thoughts assaulted her brain, Blake was only partially paying attention as Cinder stepped away and raised her voice for Weiss to hear as well.

"I'm giving you one hour," the witch announced. "There's a bit of leeway for your first job. I know it's a bit messy the first time, but you'll get used to it with practice. And in the future, I'll expect these jobs to be completed in much less time. But for today, you've got one hour. Kill them, and clean it up so no one knows it ever happened."

Cinder strutted back across the stone floor, the heels of her shoes clicking methodically as she prowled around her stolen daughter. She found that blue gaze once more, grabbing the girl's chin and forcing her to look upward again.

"You understand, don't you dear? This is why I have you. This is why I've kept you. This is why I made you new clothes, fed you every day, gave you a bed to sleep in, gave you a pet of your own. This is your purpose," she stated.

"Now please, don't make Mother angry. This is a very simple task, dear, and I'm giving you more than enough time to complete it. If you fail... Mother will be very upset. Understand?"

Weiss couldn't do anything more than nod her head.

This was an order from Cinder. She didn't know how to react in any way other than affirmation.

The woman smiled.

"Good girl. I'll leave you to it, then."

With that, she whipped around and headed for the staircase, her long, crimson cloak trailing behind her, catching the firelight. One last warning reminder echoed out behind her.

"One hour."

And then the door slammed, and all fell silent.

No one moved.

The only motion came from the dancing flames that flickered in the darkness, illuminating the basement in a pale, orange hue.

Weiss hadn't budged a muscle, or even blinked, the rapier still resting horizontally across her palms where Cinder had left it, eyes wide and mouth agape.

And Blake couldn't move either.

She was still in shock about what Cinder had revealed to her.

"All this time..." she hissed.

All this time – from the very start since she'd been kidnapped – it had all been lies.

Cinder wasn't capable of killing people. For one reason or another, that much was true.

Otherwise – as she'd said – she would have done it herself.

But she'd told Blake that she could only curse people, not kill them.

Which meant she never could have killed Blake's parents when she was abducted as a child.

That threat, those heartless words she'd spoken to Blake: "Behave and come with me, or else I'll kill Mommy and Daddy..."

That had just been a lie.

That threat had been what had kept Blake in line in her first several years trapped here. She'd behaved as best she could, done her best not to disobey simply so Cinder wouldn't go out and kill her parents.

But now... to know that threat had been entirely empty... just false pretenses...

It meant Blake could have escaped the very first night she'd arrived here.

She hadn't known it at the time, but knowing it now...

It was infuriating.

So many years separated from her family, and they all likely thought she was dead.

So much time gone.

Her entire childhood – wasted.

And she could never get it back.

Her legs started to shake, and they soon caved, knees buckling as she fell to them, cold stone scraping against her pants and causing her skin to sting.

"I-I... I could've..." She whimpered, and tears dragged down her face, heavy with remorse. "I could've... gone home..."

And even now, she still could. She could leave this mansion right this very second, run and run and never look back. She could find her parents and be together with them once again.

She could go to them right now.

But Cinder was right in knowing Blake wouldn't do that.

Not now.

Because Blake loved Weiss.

She wouldn't leave her.

And Cinder had known everything all along.

This was why she'd encouraged their closeness, let them sleep together in the same bed every night, never disrupted them when they'd read together.

This was why she'd let them fall in love, and why she hadn't discouraged it.

She'd wanted this.

Everything had gone perfectly according to her plans.

And now that Blake had the knowledge that her parents couldn't be killed, she could leave.

But she wouldn't.

Because she loved Weiss.

Because she'd made a promise to get her out of here alive.

And so – even in her freedom – Blake was utterly, endlessly trapped.

Chains may not have constricted her ankles and wrists, but instead, emotions constricted her heart.

She hunched forward, burying her face in her knees as she wept soundlessly.

Even loving Weiss had been part of the witch's tricks.

Blake had to wonder if she actually loved Weiss of her own volition, or if it was just an intended part of this massive hoax.

If I didn't love her... If I'd never loved her... I could've gotten out of here and left it all behind. But now...

That love was keeping her prisoner.

And to Blake, that proved just how deeply she cared for Weiss.

When given a moment to clear her head, she didn't believe the emotion shared between them was part of Cinder's doing. Perhaps just a convenient side-effect of all this, one Cinder welcomed so the two of them would be all the more inseparable in the future.

Blake's love for Weiss was pure, and not at all imposed by the witch's scheming. She refused to believe otherwise.

I love her... because I choose to... and I won't leave this place without her... Even if it takes a lifetime... I'll stay by her side, no matter the cost...

Even if that cost was her own freedom.

Blake sobbed silently for an amount of time she didn't keep track of.

During that period of time, Weiss hadn't moved, still frozen with the rapier in her hands, the two sisters huddled fearfully and blindly before her.

Blake wept until she had nothing left behind her eyes, and once she was able to raise her head once again, she was in time to witness Weiss turning to look at her.

"Blake..."

Her voice was thin and almost inaudible - ridden with indecisive torment - but Blake heard it nonetheless.

"Weiss..."

The Faunus girl pushed herself up, wiping the sleeve of her shirt over her eyes as she staggered to her feet. She was reminded that they were on a time limit here, a time limit to...

"Kill them..." Weiss rasped. "I've got to... kill them..."

She spoke as though she couldn't fathom the words, nor comprehend the meaning behind them. She couldn't even bring herself to look at the two captive girls. Her blue eyes were dull, made emotionless in wake of this task now after so many years of psychological abuse and confusion.

"Why..." she gasped. "W-Why must I... b-because Mother ordered it..." Weiss gripped the rapier's hilt, letting the blade fall from her other palm and scrap against the floor, though her eyes were now trained on Blake.

"I've got to kill them... because Mother demanded it. Sh-She'll be angry if I don't. She'll punish me. I don't want to be punished... It hurts..." Her weapon was pointed at the girls now, but her eyes were still on Blake's, begging for answers.

Blake could see it in her gaze – Weiss knew this wasn't right, but that was all she knew.

It always had been.

Obey Cinder.

That had always been her key to survival.

Fail to do so, and Weiss' body would react violently.

Blake had once thought that making Cinder angry enough in any particular instance might result in Weiss' panic seizing her so relentlessly that it would kill her.

This could very well be that instance.

If they failed, Cinder would be furious, and even though Blake now knew the witch couldn't murder Weiss herself, she'd trained the girl's body to kill its host on its own accord.

All those years of abuse had built up until now. If Weiss didn't fulfill her objective here within the hour, she wouldn't come out of this basement alive.

Blake was aware of that fact, and something told her Weiss was, too.

The white-haired girl was shaking terribly, her voice still tumbling past thin lips.

"I-I've got to do it..." she mumbled. "I don't... want to kill them, but... I don't want to die..." Tears started to drip down her cheeks, until rivulets were formed, but still, her eyes were glued to gold. "Blake... I don't know what to do..."

Weiss was being torn apart, and Blake could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice.

This wasn't who she was. Weiss wasn't a murderer.

But she was terrified of what would happen if she didn't complete this task.

Blake swallowed hard and tried to think for a moment, recognizing time wasn't exactly on their side. She heard the click of a shoe, lifting her eyelids once more to find Weiss had advanced a shaking step toward the captive sisters.

She was trembling violently, the rapier aimed at her victims, but that too was spasming due to how badly Weiss herself was. Her voice spilled out lifelessly.

"I... I h-have to..."

But before she could advance so much as another step, Blake rushed forward. Arms outstretched, she wrapped them them around Weiss' stomach, her chest pressing to the girl's back as Blake held her in place, preventing her from moving.

"No..." she mumbled into her ear. "No, Weiss. You don't have to do this. We can work our way around this. Somehow..."

Like this, she could feel for herself just how badly Weiss was shivering. Her heart was pounding and her breathing was clipped, her body already reacting as though Cinder were furious with her.

Slowly, Blake slipped her left arm along Weiss'. With a gentle squeeze to the other girl's wrist, Blake helped her lower the rapier, pointing the tip away from the terrified girls and down to the ground instead.

Weiss shuddered and choked on a sob, tilting her head back in an effort to meet her gaze.

"How...?" she rasped. "How can we...?"

Blake squeezed her again to let Weiss know she would explain.

As calmly as possible, she coaxed Weiss a step back and started to explain her plan.

"You know you can't leave this place," she began. "Cinder said it herself, and you experienced it time and again at the window. You might not be able to leave, but I can."

Here, she paused and lifted her face to the sisters, flicking her ears toward them.

"And so can they."

Weiss sniffed and wiped her dress' sleeve across her eyes, but she seemed to be understanding Blake's idea.

"Y-You mean... we let them go?"

Blake nodded.

"Exactly."

Weiss let out an audible gasp.

"B-But that wasn't Mother's order! She ordered that I-"

"I know," Blake soothed. "I know. But just listen. If we can get them out and get them to keep quiet about all of this, no one will ever know. Not even Cinder. She'll be under the impression that you killed them and I removed the bodies, and she'll be none the wiser. It's the only way everyone can get out of this alive, Weiss."

She spoke in earnest, hoping it would be enough to convince Weiss to go through with this.

The girl was silent for a long moment, clearly shaken at the thought of blatantly disobeying Cinder's orders. Blake continued speaking by means of persuasion.

"Weiss... she'll never know you didn't kill them. If she asks where I hid the bodies, I'll tell her they're scattered in too many places no one - not even Cinder - will ever find." She angled her face a bit until she caught Weiss' eyes. "Weiss... you can't kill them. Please. I don't think your heart will be able to handle it."

Another moment passed, and all was silent, save for the whimpers of the girls and the hollow rush of stagnant, cold air. It howled softly, like the echoes of tormented souls crying out from the grave.

Weiss shuddered again.

Then, she took a step forward – not toward the sisters – but toward Blake.

She dipped her head, resting her forehead against the Faunus girl's shoulder.

"I don't... want to kill them..." she repeated. "I'm scared of what Mother will do if I don't, but I don't w-want to kill them... I can't..."

Blake was relieved to hear the response. If Weiss had decided she wanted to slaughter these innocent girls, they would've only been her first victims of many to come.

Blake wasn't sure what she might've done if Weiss had decided to become the witch's designated murderer.

But she knew better than anyone what kind of a person Weiss was – kind, caring, helpful. Her hands weren't meant for killing, nor was her heart.

Blake felt herself smiling, her faith in Weiss surging forward into a physical manifestation as she pulled the girl firmly into her arms.

"Thank you," she murmured. "I'll make sure Cinder never finds out. I swear it, Weiss."

But that certainly wasn't going to be easy.

She released Weiss, then brushed past her, making her way toward the bound sisters.

At some point, they'd wriggled out of their blindfolds, only to behold the horrifying basement they were now trapped in. The youngest one was tucked as tightly into her sister's side as her bindings would allow, tears continuously streaming down her face. The eldest did her best to shield the other with her own body, her lavender eyes fierce despite the intense fright she must've been suffering from, considering the traumatizing ordeal.

As Blake neared, she saw the girls stiffen, pressing themselves further back against the hard wall. The eldest growled against the bit in her mouth, warning her to keep away.

Blake held both of her hands up as she knelt down, indicating she meant them no harm. Quite the opposite.

"Hey..." she began awkwardly. "I'm... I'm sorry this happened to you two. This wouldn't be the first time she's kidnapped children."

Blake met the oldest girl's eyes, leading her gaze first to Weiss and then back to Blake herself. The blonde girl snorted, but seemed to understand. Blake continued.

"You heard everything, right? We're not going to kill you if we can help it. But you've got to keep quiet. About all of this. You can't tell a soul. I mean it. The second that wit- …the second she catches wind of anyone coming near this place, she'll punish me and Weiss both. There's not a doubt in my mind. Your lives depend on us right now... but in the future, our lives will be depending on you."

The younger girl was still cowering in fear, but it seemed the older one was listening. Blake held her gaze, worried they might be ratted out anyway.

But after a moment of boring her irises into the captive's, the blonde girl gave a single nod.

Blake's ears perked up hopefully. She moved a bit closer, reaching for the girl's mouth.

"May I?" she checked.

The girl blinked in consent.

Blake quickly untied the cloth from her mouth.

"Please keep quiet," she urged her. "If she hears a ruckus down here, she'll find us out."

Weiss had left the rapier behind her on the ground and knelt down beside Blake. Together, they untied the petrified girls, freeing them of the ropes on their wrists and ankles.

The second they were free, the sisters scrambled into each other's arms.

"I'm sorry!" the youngest cried. "Y-Yang, I didn't mean to go into the garden! I-I just wanted a flower-"

"Shh..." the blonde – Yang – soothed. "It's okay, Ruby. It's not your fault."

Blake and Weiss kept their distance, wanting to earn the others' trust.

But Blake wasn't sure how much time they had left, so she could only spare so many seconds before addressing them again.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "This never should have happened. To any of us. But we're going to get you both out of here."

The younger girl by the name of Ruby sniffled and clung to her sister.

"W-We gotta tell the police what happened-"

"No!" Blake hissed. The smaller girl whimpered and recoiled. Blake instantly softened her voice in apology. "I'm sorry. But you can't tell anyone. Or else she'll torture us. She can't kill us, so torture is the likeliest of outcomes." She held out her hand toward Weiss, drawing the girl closer to her as they shifted to where the other pair knelt on the floor. "It's going to be difficult, but you can't tell anyone about this place. Not your parents or the police. No one can know that we live here, or else she... she won't be kind to us..."

"So what the hell are we supposed to do?" Yang growled. "Just go back home and pretend this never happened?"

"Yes," Blake said. "I know it's easier said than done. This will be a frightening day you two will never forget. But at least you'll get out unharmed. At least you'll get out at all. You guys get to go home and see your family again. You just can't tell anyone."

The sisters huddled closer for a moment. Yang wiped Ruby's tears, cradling her close to her chest protectively.

"That's the deal, sis," she murmured. "Do you think you can do that, Ruby? Can you keep this a secret? It'll be just between us. If you ever get scared and need to talk about it, you can talk to me, but no one else. Okay? Think you can do that?"

Ruby looked up at her sister with wide, silver eyes. She flashed her scared gaze around to Weiss, then Blake, and then back to her sister before replying.

"I-I mean... I guess if I can at least talk to you, Yang... then I can keep it a secret."

Blake sighed in relief, loosening the tight grip she'd had on Weiss' hand all this time.

Their survival now depended on these two girls.

Of course, a simple slip of the tongue could be hers and Weiss' downfall, though. So Blake met the older girl's eyes once more.

"It would be best to just try and forget this ever happened. Just... forget everything."

Yang scoured her for moment, then turned her eyes to Weiss.

"And what about you guys?" she mumbled. "Did she kidnap you, too? How long have you been here?"

Blake sighed and shook her head.

"Too long," she mumbled. "Long enough to forget what sunlight feels like..."

Yang shuddered, her tone imploring.

"Then escape with us. Right now. All four of us."

Blake sighed again.

"We can't. Well..."

Her eyes went to Weiss once more, and the white-haired girl looked away.

"It's my fault," she murmured. "I'm cursed, so I can't leave this place. Blake can, but... she won't. Not without me."

Blake was shocked to hear Weiss saying all of these things, things the Faunus girl had kept to herself all this time.

It seemed this incident of being told to kill innocents had disillusioned Weiss somewhat.

Weiss understood everything now – she understood that she was cursed, chained to this place by none other than her own 'Mother'. She understood that Blake could leave whenever she wanted to, but refused to do so without her.

"It's because of me..." she whispered. "I'm trapping her here."

"Weiss, no-" Blake didn't want to hear any more. She gave a tug to the girl's wrist and pulled her close, wrapping Weiss in her arms. "None of this is your fault. None of it. You didn't choose for any of this to happen. It's not your fault..."

She brushed her cheek against Weiss', then pressed her lips to the girl's temple, trailing kisses over her hairline.

This very well may have been the biggest victory from all of this.

Weiss knew now.

She knew Cinder wasn't the mother she'd always claimed to be. She was merely a captor who was using Weiss to do her bidding.

But still, none of this changed the fact that Weiss' body was designed to react violently if she were to disobey the witch.

Which was why they needed to get these two girls out of here.

Now.

Blake ran her hands up and down Weiss' back a few more times, stroking through her ponytail.

"I love you, Weiss. That won't ever change. I'll keep true to my promise to get you out of here. I don't care how many years it takes. We'll find a way to break this curse and get you out." She pulled away, lifting her fingers to catch a few of the girl's tears. "But for now, we've got to do this, and fast."

Blake stood, helping Weiss to her feet beside her.

Together, the two of them helped the sisters stand on trembling legs. Ruby stood before Weiss as the latter of the two wiped the former's tears a bit and spoke softly to her.

During that quiet moment, Blake pulled Yang a few steps away.

"Listen," she murmured. "I really, really need your word on this. You guys can't tell anyone about any of this. Ever."

"Hey," Yang said, attempting a small grin. "Don't sweat it." She looked back over her shoulder to Weiss. "You really love her, don't you?"

Blake nodded without missing a beat.

"She's been here a lot longer than I have. She's been through so much. She could very well lose her life if she doesn't go through with an order. And yet, she's still too pure to so much as harm an insect. The only good that ever came out of being brought here was meeting her and seeing how beautiful she is, inside and out."

Blake's eyes went stern as she bore them into lavender.

"I've got to keep her safe until we can break the curse on her. I can't risk her life for anything."

Yang nodded in comprehension, her eyes clear and focused now.

"I get it. Ruby and I won't tell a soul about any of this." She paused for a moment, looking Blake up and down. "I think I remember your story. It was all over town... must've been more than five years ago. Everyone thinks you're dead. And I guess the same's true for your friend..."

Blake swallowed as she remembered the day of her own kidnapping.

"It's got to stay that way," she declared. "No one can know we're still alive. Not until we've broken the curse."

Another beat of silence passed between the two girls.

Then, Yang reached out her hand.

"You have my word," she said.

Slowly, Blake lifted her hand and took Yang's, fingers squeezing tightly.

"Thank you. It's nice to know we'll have friends on the outside from now on. And it's a bit of a relief that someone knows we're not dead. But it's got to be our secret."

"Cross my heart," Yang vowed.

Blake gave a nod, then released the girl's hand.

"Now let's get you guys out of here."

Blake ushered Ruby and Weiss over to the single window in the basement. Even now that Blake had grown since she'd last been down here, the window was still a bit high up. She offered a suggestion.

"Ruby. Can you get on your sister's shoulders?"

They kept as quiet as possible. Yang squatted down and Weiss steadied Ruby as she climbed onto the blonde's shoulders.

Once she'd straightened up, Blake instructed Ruby how to unhinge the window's lock. The girl's hands were still shaking, but it didn't take her very long to remove the lock.

With a push, Ruby opened the window, letting in a rush of warm air.

"Go!" Yang hissed.

"Hold on!" Blake paused them just for a moment. She rushed back across the floor, gathering the bits of cloth and pieces of rope that had been used to bind the girls earlier. She hurried back to Ruby and handed them up to her. "Take these with you guys and just bury them in the trash somewhere. We can't have any inconsistencies with this. As far as she knows, these ropes were still on your bodies when Weiss killed you, and they'll still be on your bodies even after I've left the mansion to dispose of the corpses."

Ruby grimaced at the thought of herself being a corpse, but she stuffed the ropes into her pocket nonetheless.

Then, Yang boosted her up, waiting until she grabbed the window. The brunette scrambled to haul herself out, crawling through the window and ending up on the streets of the alleyway outside. She turned around to reach her arms down, and Yang grabbed on.

With Blake and Weiss supporting her back and legs and Ruby pulling her arms, they managed to hoist Yang up until she could breathlessly drag herself out the window.

The two sisters were incredulous that they'd escaped this place alive. They turned back to peer down into the darkness at the other two.

"Come with us!" Ruby begged.

"We can't," Blake said. "We promise if we ever get out one day that we'll come find you two. But for now, just run. Get out of here and try to not to come outside for a little while. If she sees you guys and knows you're still alive... It won't be good for us. Maybe she can't kill us, but she can do a lot worse."

Yang nodded, gently pulling her little sister away from the window.

"Take care, you guys," she called down softly. "I really... really hope you can get out of there one day."

Blake blinked up at her with an unreadable expression.

"Me, too," she said solemnly. "Now go."

With a nod, Yang reached under the window sill and closed it as best she could. Then she grabbed Ruby's hand and pulled her into a tight hug.

And at last, the two sisters took off running and disappeared.

Blake stood there in the cold basement below them, the last traces of warm air from outside already beginning to dissipate.

She was still in disbelief that they'd actually gotten the two girls out alive.

Her plan had succeeded.

And what's more, Weiss was now aware of almost everything regarding Cinder's true nature.

But Blake imagined the girl must have been in great pain now, to realize the seemingly-loving mother she'd known for as long as she was allowed to remember had merely kept Weiss around for the purpose of having her slaughter innocent people.

Blake realized Weiss wasn't standing beside her anymore, so she drew her fixated gaze away from the window to cast it around the enclosed basement. She spotted the white-haired girl standing in the corner where Ruby and Yang had been earlier.

Blake scoured the floor to ensure there were no more remnants or pieces of rope left behind. Satisfied that there weren't, she made her way towards Weiss.

Weiss seemed almost despondent, and Blake felt compelled to speak.

"Weiss..." she said. "Cinder won't find out."

The girl made her way over to the discarded rapier and picked it up.

"She will..." Weiss said hollowly. "I've got to-"

"Weiss!" Blake raised her voice a bit and hurried over to her side. "What are you saying?"

Weiss flashed a glance up at her.

"Mother ordered me to kill them with this blade. But it's clean. If we're going to make this believable... I've got to dirty it."

And before Blake even had the chance to comprehend the meaning behind her words, Weiss acted.

She turned the blade on herself and plunged it into her own stomach, piercing through the dress and skin to draw forth a stream of liquid scarlet.

Blake failed to suppress a short scream as she dove forward, grabbing Weiss' hands and pulling them away. The rapier clattered to the stone floor, spattered with blood.

Weiss dropped to her knees, biting back screams of agony as she continued to let herself bleed, letting dark red colors paint the floor to create a makeshift scene of murder.

Frantically, Blake pressed both of her hands over the puncture wound Weiss had made on herself. It was a small incision above her navel, but undeniably deep. She could feel the warm blood pulsing as it flowed freely, and her own stomach twisted with nausea.

"Weiss-!" she hissed, tears jumping into her eyes. "Wh-Why-"

"It... It's got to look as tough I killed two people..." she gasped.

"This is enough!" Blake snapped. "I'm healing you!"

Without giving Weiss so much as a second to retaliate, Blake activated her aura and emitted a strong, steady flow onto Weiss' stomach.

It was a luxury she hadn't had in the past. Only in recent years once they'd matured had she and Weiss been able to unlock their auras. But they didn't use the abilities often, only in dire emergencies.

So Blake certainly wasn't holding back now.

Within minutes, the skin all around the deep wound gradually started to stitch itself back together.

There was already a large puddle of blood on the floor, enough to convince anyone that a murder had taken place here. Blake's hands and clothes were stained with it as much as Weiss' were, making the pair look as though they'd been dealing with bleeding bodies.

Blake was a bit worried that Cinder might see the tear in Weiss' dress and grow suspicious, but it was a small hole, and it was now drenched and covered with blood. It would merely look like splatter from the supposed slaying that had taken place by Weiss' own hand.

Blake continued sharing her aura even after the wound had sealed up completely, just to be safe.

Weiss panted as she got her breath back, but before she could speak, Blake had pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Don't ever do that!" she growled. "Weiss, don't ever do something like that again!" Blake's fingers balled into fists in Weiss' hair and the back of her dress. Her arms refused to let go, her passion fervent.

Weiss released a shuddering sigh.

"I'm sorry, Blake," she murmured. "But I knew if I'd suggested my plan out loud, you wouldn't have let me do it. I'm sorry. I just needed to make it look like-"

"I know..." Blake whispered into her shoulder. "I know. But just... please don't do that again, Weiss. Please..."

"I'm sorry..."

Weiss returned her embrace, running soothing hands over Blake's ruffled hair and ears, then all down her back. She kissed her cheeks in turn, then her lips.

Minutes passed, the blood on the floor settling and starting to dry a bit. Likewise, the tear trails on their faces began to fade away.

For a time, they both just took everything in.

They reflected on all they'd discovered today.

Blake lamented her own naivety for believing Cinder's threats so many years ago.

And Weiss lamented every second she'd spent in this mansion believing Cinder truly loved her.

But neither girl lamented the other.

They'd spared two innocent lives today, perhaps. But for how many more instances would they be able to keep this up?

Cinder had made it clear that she would be bringing victims regularly into the house for Weiss to kill and Blake to dispose of afterward.

They couldn't keep this up forever.

They couldn't keep letting people escape.

Sooner or later, they'd have to start killing for real, or else Cinder would find them out.

They were lost on where to go from here.

Their only hope was to somehow break the curse on Weiss and flee as quickly and as far as they could.

Blake got the idea in her head that perhaps Weiss being aware of Cinder's ill intentions now might have been the key. Coupled with the knowledge that Blake loved her more than Cinder ever could... perhaps it might've been enough.

Presently, Blake pulled away from her embrace, kissing Weiss' lips briefly before reaching up a hand. Slowly, she pulled the collar of Weiss' dress down to reveal her collarbone, just enough to see if the mark was still there.

To her dismay, it was, still as cruel and taunting as ever. The scar over her eye remained as well.

Blake bit her lip, placing her palm over Weiss' chest so she didn't have to look at that awful mark. She kissed the girl's left eyelid, feeling the pulse beneath her hand quicken ever so slightly.

"I'll get you out of here," she murmured. "One day, we'll break this damn curse and I'll get you out."

But that day wouldn't be today.

Movement from upstairs alerted Blake's senses, and her ears stood tall. Without another word, she pulled away from Weiss, leaving just one last kiss on her lips before helping the girl stand.

Weiss picked up the bloodied rapier and positioned herself at the center of the puddle of red. Blake stood nearby, beneath the window, leaving it slightly ajar on purpose.

The hidden door creaked open from above, and then familiar footsteps sounded as they descended the stairs.

Cinder came to a halt at the bottom of the staircase, her dark figure outlined only by the faint orange firelight. Her amber eyes surveyed the room, noting the number of occupants had been halved since she'd last been down here an hour ago.

With a slow stride, the witch ventured out across the floor.

"My, my..." she hummed. "What a pleasant smell that is."

She stalked over to Weiss first and inspected her. The white-haired girl held her ground, blue eyes piercing and lips pursed. Cinder's gaze traveled all along her body, then down to the rapier.

"My dear. You were quite sloppy it seems..." She circled Weiss slowly, like a vulture, reaching up with one hand to cup her cheek. "Mother will have to make you a new dress. In the future, do try to be a bit cleaner with this sort of thing, alright?"

By some miracle, Weiss kept her voice level.

"Yes, Mother."

With a nod, Cinder made her way over to Blake.

The Faunus girl stood with her posture erect as their gazes met. Blake didn't speak, but rather she waited for Cinder to address her.

The witch glanced down at the floor where a thin trail of blood had dripped, and she looked over the stains on Blake's person as well. With a smile, Cinder stepped closer to her.

"What of the bodies?" she wondered.

Blake didn't miss a beat.

"I dismembered them," she reported. "I used the rapier to do so. That's how I managed to get them out the window so easily and nothing was too heavy. I distributed the pieces around town, mostly in the dumpsters, a few in the forests and river."

Cinder was silent for a moment. The smile faded from her lips, but only for a split second.

"Savage. I'd expect nothing less from an animal. But a good decision."

Blake was perplexed when she was praised, but did her best not to show it.

Cinder turned away and headed back to Weiss.

"So you've completed your first task, haven't you, my child?"

Blake watched from a few feet away as Weiss nodded.

"Yes, Mother."

"Good girl. Very good. But again, in the future, refrain from being so messy."

"Yes, Mother."

The witch nodded again, then continued.

"Now, I trust all of this is genuine?"

Blake felt her heart start to pound harder, and she tensed. Weiss was struggling to remain calm as well.

"Pardon?" she asked.

Cinder whipped around to face her.

"I mean to say... you aren't lying to me now, are you, child?"

Weiss hesitated, perhaps a second too long.

"No, Mother. I've killed them both and I-"

"Good," the woman snapped. "I'd just wanted to be sure. Because..." She took a step closer, forcing Weiss back a step. "It would be a shame if you were lying to me, darling. I'd have to punish you severely."

Again, she advanced, and Weiss needed to retreat.

But soon, the room ran out of space, and she found her back pressed against the stone wall. The rapier slipped from her grasp, and she couldn't stop a small gasp from escaping her lips.

Blake stood rooted to the spot as the scene before her became all too familiar. It was the same as that night in the kitchen so many years ago...

"If-" Cinder repeated, sliding one hand up to the girl's shoulder. "You are lying to me, I would have to punish you in such a way that would ensure you would never think to do such a thing ever again, my dear." Her occupied hand dug its nails into Weiss' shoulder, and the other trailed up her bloody dress. "Something like this-"

There was a flash of gold in Blake's vision as she watched a sickeningly familiar steam rise up. Cinder's nails flashed with Dust, the rapier and seams of Weiss' clothing flaring as well as they resonated with the element.

With her index finger ablaze with burning gold, Cinder yanked at the girl's dress and scraped her nail over one line of the X-shaped scar, re-marking her.

With a shrill scream, Weiss slumped back against the wall, a feverish, suffocating heat instantly engulfing her entire body.

Blake couldn't help but scream as well.

"No-!"

But Weiss' next cry of pain drowned her out entirely.

"M-Mother!" she pleaded.

But Cinder didn't relent.

Without mercy, she continued to drag her nail over the mark, retracing the red lines, cutting deeper into her skin.

Weiss yelped, gasping and fighting for breath she couldn't draw.

Cinder's lips remained in a smile.

She went slowly, enjoying the girl's pain. She pushed a little harder, dug a little deeper.

Weiss sobbed in sheer agony. Blake hated that she herself could only cover her ears, close her eyes, and wait for it all to be over.

It felt like an hour before Cinder finally removed her nail and released Weiss. The girl fell to the ground instantly, sobbing brokenly as panicked hyperventilation seized her.

Blake couldn't stay still any longer. She didn't care what would happen to her – she just needed to go to Weiss.

She rushed forward, collapsing beside her and throwing her arms around the girl, sobbing bitterly into her hair.

But Cinder seemed satisfied at long last. She turned away and walked back across the stone floor, stepping with her red shoes into the pools of blood.

"Of course, I believe you, though," she said. "I was merely demonstrating what would happen if I didn't."

Blake shot a furious glare up at her, rage like she'd never felt before in all her time here.

Again, Cinder had done this to Weiss simply because she'd wanted to, simply because she could.

Again, Blake had failed to protect her.

Cinder laughed harshly.

"Now, now, pet. Watch those eyes of yours. They're getting awfully nasty-looking." The witch began walking back toward the pair again, still smiling. "I hope you haven't forgotten. I did say you'd be rewarded for completing this task, didn't I?" She paused just a few feet away from the girls. "Look at me dear, so I know you've heard me."

Blake nudged Weiss with her elbow, coaxing her to lift her head. Weiss was still struggling to breathe, but she blinked past the tears and looked up at the woman.

Cinder hummed in satisfaction.

"One year," she said. "For one year, you are free to do as you please. Naturally, that still means you're to stay inside this mansion. You won't be able to leave. Of course..." Her eyes went to Blake's. "Your pet may leave whenever she pleases, though we all know she won't.

"But what I mean, dear, is that I will not bring you any more victims for one whole year. Consider this an... intermission of sorts. A waiting period, perhaps. And I will not do what I just did any more for the next twelve months. No more pain. No more killing. Not for one entire year.

"Of course, after that, I'll have a long list of tasks for you to get started on. But until then, you've got one year to enjoy yourself within this mansion however you please. Isn't that kind of me?"

Cinder turned away, and headed back toward the staircase.

"Consider this your reward for being such a good child all these years, and for always doing exactly as I command. So use this year wisely. Enjoy the peace and quiet while you can. Because once your time is up, you'll have a lot on your hands all at once."

And then, the witch was gone, with naught but a creaking door in her wake.

There was so much to take in.

But Blake couldn't even appreciate the alleged "freedom" that one year would entail right now.

Weiss was still burning up and struggling to breathe.

The Faunus girl held her tightly, then kissed her multiple times in a familiar pattern, pushing much-needed oxygen into Weiss' lungs. She held a hand over the girl's frantic heart, as though to keep it from bursting out of her ribcage, which seemed all too possible at this point. Blake emitted a bit of her aura in hopes to cool Weiss down and steady her heart.

The second Weiss could find her voice again, it was a single, tormented word:

"Why...?"

Blake understood what she'd been trying to ask: Why did Mother do this to me again? Even though she believes I completed her task?

Blake shook her head, drawing the blood-soaked girl nearer still.

"Because she wanted to," she murmured. "Because she likes seeing you in pain."

"N... No..."

But even though Weiss didn't want to believe it, there was far too much evidence showing she could do nothing else.

She curled in on herself and cried, clinging to Blake as the only life she'd ever known came crashing down around her.

The mother she'd thought had once loved her... wasn't her mother at all. And she certainly didn't love Weiss – at least not the desired kind of love.

She'd been cursed. She couldn't leave this mansion even if she tried. She'd been trapped here all her life by a woman who enjoyed her suffering.

And what of the man and girl she often saw in her dreams, fragments of memories that seemed to be not her own?

Weiss realized they were her own. They must have been.

They were her real family.

Even despite her breathlessness, Weiss wailed and screamed, stifling cries into Blake's shirt.

And Blake could only hold her, kiss her, and apologize through it all.

Everything was bombarding Weiss all at once, tearing her apart from the inside out. Not for a single second did the girl's pulse ever calm down, and Blake truly feared it would kill her this time.

All she could do was kiss her and pray.

She combed through Weiss' bangs, kissing her hair, her cheeks, and then over her chest.

"I'm here," she reminded her. "I'm right here, Weiss. I'm with you. I love you..."

And even in spite of all the horrible things passing through her mind, and all the aching pain assaulting her body, Weiss heard Blake's voice.

When she felt she wanted to die, Blake made her want to hold on.

If not for Blake here with her right now, Weiss would have already taken the rapier to her own throat.

But Blake was here, holding her, kissing her, loving her.

So Weiss did her best to hold on.

She did her best to breathe and nothing more.

And Blake helped her.

"Breathe..." she soothed. "Just breathe... It's okay..."

It was all so familiar...

Blake waited and waited. She waited for Weiss' tears to stop, for her breath to return, and for her heart to slow.

Hours surely had passed and brought them into the night.

Only when Weiss had grown too weak to cry any longer did Blake gather the girl into her arms. She left the bloody rapier behind and gingerly carried Weiss up the stairs.

Blake brought her to the bathroom and filled the tub with lukewarm water. She fetched clean pairs of sleep clothes for the both of them, then returned to help Weiss undress.

She wrapped a towel around the girl's shivering form to keep her a bit warmer, then helped her down into the water.

Blake washed the girl's hair for her, then helped her cleanse the blood off of her skin, particularly her stomach.

Tears dripped down into the bath water all the while.

At last, Blake helped the girl up again, dried her with a fresh towel, then helped her into her underclothes and nightgown.

Weiss stayed with her as Blake drained and refilled the rub, then took a bath of her own, wanting to rid her body of the scent of Weiss' blood.

A while later, both girls were dressed, and they limped to their bedroom without supper.

Blake opened the window to let in the air, and Weiss collapsed onto the bed. Blake closed the door and fixed her bandana around her neck before joining her.

Weiss hadn't said goodnight to Cinder, but she made no move to do so.

For the next year, she was free, after all, which put Blake under the impression that she didn't need to greet Cinder and wish her goodnight anymore.

So the Faunus girl laid down beside her. She rested her head over Weiss' heartbeat to listen for a moment, relieved to find it had started to calm down at long last.

Blake kissed her there, over the mark, as if to cover it and make it vanish. She kissed Weiss' neck and shoulders, peppering her lips over her face and lips. Her hand draped across the girl's stomach and rubbed gently over the wound Weiss had inflicted upon herself.

Weiss didn't sleep for a long while, and so for a long while, Blake merely continued to kiss her.

She purred softly, letting Weiss know she was there and that she was proud of what she had done today. She had risked her own life to save two others, and Blake wanted Weiss to remember her own selflessness.

"I love you," she whispered. "Weiss, I love you so much. Please don't forget that." She shifted, bending down to kiss the nightgown over the girl's stomach, then moved back up to her collar. "I'll get you out of here. I'll get you out."

It wasn't a hollow promise, either.

After all she'd witnessed over the years and learned today, Blake thought she finally had an inkling of how she might be able to break the curse.

It was still very tentative, and she'd need more proof.

But she was going to keep to it.

Again, she kissed Weiss' lips longingly, lovingly.

Weiss hiccuped against her mouth, and Blake pulled away to let her speak.

"I... love you too, Blake. I really do..." she gasped. "You may leave... at anytime... and I th-think it might be better if you just-"

"Don't even think about it," Blake murmured, softly silencing the girl's words with another kiss. "I won't leave without you, Weiss. I won't."

Weiss sobbed, blinking her eyes open to glimpse gold for an instant before they closed once more, heavy with tears.

"Then... please... don't leave me..."

Blake smiled, feeling her own tears starting to fall once again.

This was the first time Weiss had asked for her to stay.

After half a decade of being treated as though her own opinions were worthless, Weiss was being selfish now, and that was a big step.

Blake hugged her as tightly as she dared.

"I promise, Weiss. I won't ever leave you..."

Those weren't empty words, either. Nothing she'd ever said to Weiss was.

Weiss fell asleep that night knowing that much, at the very least.

Blake stayed awake a while longer, keeping vigil over the sleeping girl. Whenever a tear slipped down Weiss' cheek, Blake was there to catch it on her finger. She made sure the girl was breathing evenly and that her temperature had returned to normal.

At long, long last, Blake kissed the girl's chest one more time, and laid down beside her. She rested her head on Weiss' collar, one soft ear pressed to her heart to confirm it was still beating.

Blake faded into unconsciousness with that rhythm in her ear.

Tomorrow would mark the first day of their year of 'freedom', and Blake was cautiously eager to see what that entailed.

-------------------

A/N: You could consider this the beginning of the end. Read on at your own risk.