Renegades (Act XII)

2-DAY EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS! THANK YOU!

Searching for home in the form of Blake's childhood kingdom (one created by us, not a canon place on Remnant).

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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															Act. XII

Over the course of their time spent traveling, she had found it easy to shut everything off and relax. The trains were warm, and with Weiss pressed against her side, it was always simple to give in to the the plaguing fatigue as the locomotive sped over its tracks.

It was safe here, or at least it was the safest they could be, given the circumstances.

But now that seemed long and far gone, with home growing ever closer.

The scenery passed in a blur and the restlessness multiplied, fingers taking to fiddle with the fringe of Weiss' hair, carding gently through white strands in an attempt to ignore what was coming to pass just beyond their window. Weiss was soft beneath her hands, warmth radiating under the tips of her fingers - the perfect distraction from the buzz settled in her skin. She wasn't scared, merely excited at the prospect of finally reaching their goal.

For the longest time it had been an endpoint that had almost seemed too good to be true, and now it was only hours away. They were left stuck in the 'in-between', on a train heading home, and it left the oddest feeling of anticipation in her gut. Like she was about to explode, and there was no question in her mind that she would have run the entire way if she had to.

...

Resting seemed to be the best and only way to pass the time. If she didn't close her eyes, she feared she might make herself sick with excitement.

Keeping her eyes closed shut out the rest of the world except for Blake, and Blake was all she needed. She sifted through her buzzing thoughts, going over the good and the bad memories, placing the less favorable ones in a drawer and locking them away. The good ones she let linger, reviewing them as though she were watching a film of her life, or at least the past few weeks of it.

Past the constant clanking of the train and the mumbling of the other passengers, Blake's heart thumped faintly beneath her coat. Weiss pressed ever closer to listen, reminding herself this was real, that they were almost there. It was only a matter of time.

Her own heart was pounding by the time the train finally lurched to a halt. She'd lost track of time after falling somewhere onto the borderline of sleep and consciousness. It felt surreal, like she was in a dream but everything was inaudible and intangible to her somehow.

At least until she opened her eyes.

Blake was looking down at her, unbridled excitement and anticipation glimmering in those alluring golden eyes. It was a silent declaration that they were here. Weiss could tell they were both nervous, but she imagined Blake was twice as so, considering this was her homeland - a place she'd been away from for over a decade.

Weiss clung to the Faunus girl's sleeve, trying to find her balance on wobbling legs as she attempted to gather her bag. Her hands were shaking and she ended up swaying just a bit, the thrill having gotten to her. She leaned her weight against Blake's side and bit back a sob of sheer relief.

"Sorry…" Weiss tucked her face into Blake's shoulder and released a shuddering breath. "I need a minute. I'm just…"

They weren't bad tears. 'Relief' might've been the wrong word as well. It was just a bit overwhelming was all, but that wasn't to say she wasn't ready for this. She'd never been readier for anything more in her entire life.

Weiss pulled herself together and opened her eyes again, one hand finding her bag and the other finding Blake's fingers. Determination settled in as she calmed herself down and wiped her tears. She looked to where the people were filing off the train, and then turned back to her companion.

"I want to… take the first step together at your side."

...

The smile was almost instantaneous and Blake leaned down, pressing a kiss to Weiss' forehead.

"I thought that was a given."

Pulling away, she squeezed Weiss' hand as she set the strap of her bag over her shoulder, looking out over the dwindling crowd disappearing out the doors. A soft drawl drifted in as the passengers filtered out, low and nearly insignificant under the drone growing in her ears, and she tried to shake it off, inhaling a steadying breath.

It didn't do much, and when she finally found her bearings, heading towards the exit, the air collected in her throat - trapped - and the erratic beat of her heart pushed against her ribs. It was unnerving, but anything else and Blake would have questioned if she was still alive.

There was always that sinking feeling the nightmares would catch up to them - grab them by the wrists and drag them back - and yet the first step out into the indoor terminal was the lightest she'd taken in weeks.

The lights were yellow, drenching the marble flooring and tiled walls in a stale glow. Not that she was in the state of mind to admire the surroundings. Her eyes had found the sign just along the wall - Belmere in thick letters - and couldn't find it in herself to look away.

...

She trembled as she walked with Blake to the doors of the train, but when it came time to take that simultaneous step with her, Weiss was sure to inhale deeply - the last breath of her suppression-

And then she stepped confidently out onto the platform, back onto solid ground, and exhaled, letting all of her troubles go with it.

The first breath of air here might not have seemed different to anyone else, but to her - to them - after all they'd been through, it was liberating enough to bring tears to Weiss' eyes anew. She never imagined a commonplace train terminal could ever look quite so beautiful.

She held tightly to Blake's arm, the nervousness now entirely melted into excitement. Looking up to the Faunus girl, Weiss found that her eyes were bright and lively, with just a thin veil of incomprehensibility over them.

Weiss understood; it really was hard to believe they'd made it to the place where no one expected them and everything awaited them. This was their new beginning.

"We made it," she breathed. Her arms found their way around Blake's torso once more, pressing their chests together to let their pulses overlap. With another quick kiss to Blake's cheek, Weiss whispered to her. "We made it."

...

'We made it.'

The words sounded far away, muffled as if spoken underwater, until the pressure of Weiss' arms wrapped around her and the kiss to her cheek made it loud and clear.

They'd made it.

Blake didn't think, lifting Weiss up into her arms and holding tight as a laugh spilled from her lips. She felt jittery, giddy, and before she knew it she was spinning, clutching Weiss close.

Even after the dizziness got to her, her feet a shuffling mess, the high didn't lessen, and she settled Weiss back on her feet, gathering her hands. It was practically weightlessness, her heart beating a mile a minute as she pressed forward to steal a quick kiss - or two, but it probably wasn't more than a fumbling press of lips to soft skin, the smile refusing to leave.

...

She hadn't excepted much in terms of a reaction - Weiss felt she could understand how utterly baffled Blake must have been in face of this reality. But when the arms locked gently around the small of her back and she felt her feet lifting, the laugh came out instantly.

Blake hadn't really been one to show so much genuine emotion - at least not all at once like this - but that didn't make this moment any less beautiful.

Weiss closed her eyes and hugged her tightly, feeling the thrum of their hearts together beneath their coats. Past the sounds of her own laugh, she could hear Blake's.

She'd heard a few chuckles here and there previously, and a couple of giggles during their tickle fight just last night.

But this-

This was…

It was indescribable, that laughter.

Blake was a girl who'd been through far too much in just eighteen years, seen too much bloodshed, been treated as less-than-human, suffered discrimination and abuse in various forms, been hunted and labeled as a criminal now because of Weiss.

And that laugh was the sound of a girl like Blake finally coming home with the one she loved.

Weiss still found it hard to believe that was her, that Blake had chosen her above all else, above her own safety, above her own lifestyle and decisions. But Weiss knew she herself wouldn't have had it any other way.

At last, when her feet touched the ground again, Weiss felt kisses being peppered all over her lips and face. She returned every last one of them, eager to kindle Blake's excitement and consequently channel her own.

When it all settled at last between breathless smiles and dwindling giggles, Weiss cast her shimmering gaze up into Blake's once more.

"So…" she whispered. "Where will we be going..?"

...

Her lips split into a grin, hands giving a light squeeze.

"We're going home."

Blake dipped, one last kiss meant to quell the nerves she felt bubbling to surface before she pulled away completely, her free hand fixing the fallen strap of her bag that had slipped to the crook of her elbow.

She made sure Weiss was set before tugging her onward, practically jogging up a flight of stairs and into the main foyer of the station.

It was a calm bustle, and just beyond the doors late afternoon burned. Something seemed so familiar about it, but whether it was long-forgotten memories or remains of the stories Adam had told her long ago, she wasn't sure. Either way she'd find out, and the excitement only grew.

...

She chuckled lightheartedly at the response; hearing Blake say it only served to further fuel her excitement, her joy. She was so elated, she almost felt she'd be able to sprout wings and soar.

With Blake tugging on her hand, Weiss skipped up the steps two at a time to keep up. They found themselves on a higher level of the train station, surrounded by dozens of people meandering about. She wasn't sure where to go from here, but she assumed Blake would be their guide. The nervousness wasn't even half the amount of the excitement now - the anticipation was eclipsing most other emotions.

But before they started off, Weiss wanted to ensure they'd be energized enough to make the trek; no matter how eager they were, it would be foolish to neglect their rumbling stomachs and end up exhausted halfway to their destination.

Bending down, Weiss unzipped her suitcase and dug down to grab whatever food items she could get her hands on, fishing out one of the white containers from breakfast. She pulled out the two muffins from inside and offered one to Blake.

"We should eat first," she said, trying to think rationally. "It's been hours since we last did." She took a bite of her own muffin to encourage her companion to follow suit. "Home's not going anywhere," she reminded her.

...

"Just because it's not going anywhere doesn't mean we can't eat along the way," Blake said, self control slipping, and her ears twitched beneath the bow. She was being selfish, she knew, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as she looked between Weiss rummaging through her bag for the container of leftovers and the world just waiting beyond the front doors.

It was so close she could almost taste it, and the building excitement didn't help the restlessness of her limbs, the itch to keep moving almost impossible to scratch.

But Weiss did have a point, and after a moment Blake reached for the offered muffin with a slight huff of resignation. She took a bite, chewing, and once it had been swallowed down, she attempted to urge Weiss forward, a smile curling her lips.

"Can we go now?"

...

Weiss giggled; how classic of Blake to take just one bite and then demand to be off. But she couldn't blame her. Weiss was just as excited as she was.

"Yes," she smiled. "Let's go."

She zippered her suitcase again and pulled it to her side, looping the handle around her wrist. She held her muffin in that hand, and took Blake's with the other, feeling the familiar creases of her palms pressing perfectly into her own. Their fingers curled over the backs of the other's knuckles, and together, the pair headed for freedom.

The first breath of fresh air told Weiss a lot of things about Belmare. The evening was gray and the sun was being gradually pushed behind a few clouds, but this wasn't a cold place. Rather than metal and tar, Weiss could smell the soil, the more earthy scents. The ocean wasn't as close as it had been back in Vale, but judging by the maps she'd committed to memory, it wasn't terribly far.

The streets were busy with people on their way home from work after a long day, the crowds mixed with humans and Faunus of all kinds. Maybe it was just because she was so excited about getting here, but this place seemed immensely more welcoming than any of their previous stops had. She hoped she wasn't just imagining as much.

Weiss continued to take a bite out of her muffin every few steps, letting Blake lead the way while still managing to stay at her side. She was still so giddy, she couldn't stop from gabbing a bit.

"I can't believe I get to see the place where you grew up." She cast a longing glance up at Blake, and she had to blink back a swell of tears, though she felt them shimmering at the edges of her eyes.

Even though they were right in the heart of Belmare, it was still hard to believe they'd made it here.

...

"Honestly, I can't believe I'm back." Blake replied, though it was more of a breath than an actual response. She was too busy soaking it all in.

She didn't remember much. Her family had moved to Vale when she was young and what memories lingered were fuzzy at best. There was the house, a sort of condominium her mother and father shared with relatives (not too far from the library, if her memory served her right) and that was really it.

What she remembered most ironically, was leaving - the emptiness of the rooms and the anticipation, that whoosh of air when they shut the door for the last time, but after that, it vanished.

It went downhill from there, after all. How in Vale, her parents had struggled to find jobs in the face of the strict policies put into place by the Schnee family.

They'd found Adam not too long after, welcomed him because he was by himself. Her parents saw the good in him, saw the promise and courage in his eyes, and how well she got along with him. A babysitter wasn't something easy to come by for a couple of Faunus down on their luck in a new city. It had finally seemed like some good news.

Until the day her parents didn't return. She had always wondered why.

But she pushed that from her mind. Right now that was the last thing she wanted to think about, and she turned to Weiss with smile.

"I'm kind of waiting for everything to come rushing back."

...

As they walked the darkening streets, Weiss was sure to take in every bit of scenery possible. The humble architecture of the buildings and shops here was very different from the more modern structures back in Vale, made mostly of bricks and even wood rather than steel.

She nibbled on her muffin until it was gone, keeping close to Blake as they maintained a swift pace along the sidewalk. She entertained a few thoughts as they went along.

Judging by what Blake had told her about herself, she'd left this place many years ago when she'd been very young and now was returning here. It had taken Weiss eighteen years, a reputation-ruining scandal, and a renegade wedding to finally leave home, but she hoped to find it anew here with Blake.

She also had to appreciate the irony of it all. Weiss' family was a substantial part of the main reason for Faunus oppression back in Vale. And now the youngest daughter and heiress of said family had left it all behind in favor of beginning a new life with one of the very Faunus she'd been meant to discriminate against. She'd traded the life of luxurious imprisonment for one of hard-earned, but liberating freedom.

In between taking in the sights, Weiss kept flashing her gaze to Blake as well. She wanted to see that spark in her golden eyes grow ever brighter with recognition and excitement as soon as a familiar landmark of some sort was in her line of vision. She wanted to watch as that black bow flicked as the ears beneath perked with anticipation. She wanted to experience Blake's joy just as strongly as Blake herself would.

Every step, every breath, brought them closer, and it was hard not to just break out running. After such a long and harrowing journey, it felt nice to preserve the final stretch for as long as possible.

The air was growing faintly cooler as the twilight crept over them, blanketing the town in a sweep of shadow. But Weiss found she didn't mind the gradual drop in temperature; the promise of warmth and shelter awaited them before very much longer.

...

There was a vague familiarity in everything as if it had settled behind her eyes and waited - holding out for the moment when the past peeled away and what remained was an entirely different present.

Recognition burned under her fingertips, a ghost of feeling Blake wasn't sure was actually there. There was Weiss' hand in hers and everything else beyond her reach seemed far away.

Her ears twitched, struggling beneath the bow to pick apart the chatter, but none of it had the weight it needed to stick in the mess that was her mind. She was looking too frantically for something, anything, that would set them in the right direction.

Of course hindsight was twenty-twenty, and in her eagerness to set out on the road, she had forgotten to scrounge the terminal for a pamphlet or some kind of map. But she trusted her instincts - what little there was left, anyway.

Walking down the sidewalk hand-in-hand with Weiss it already felt like home. The almost rural scenery, the earthy scents; Blake liked it already compared to what had been the usual in Vale. Even with the changes that had undoubtedly taken place, new houses and businesses littering the spotlit streets, there was still a tranquility Blake couldn't help but remember.

And when the old brick of the library, relatively unchanged from her memories, emerged in the growing darkness, the small amount of doubt that remained all but vanished. A condominium, a calm yellow - that was what she remembered, and it was closer now than it had ever been before.

...

If it was at all possible to be casually excited, that was the best way Weiss thought she could describe herself as they walked briskly through the town. Her stomach was teeming with all kinds of conflicting emotions, but most of them were favorable and served to send her heart rate speeding.

The unbridled enthrallment bubbled up just beneath the surface of her skin, tickling and begging for release of some sort, be it in the form of a cry of joy or a zealous embrace. Anything would suffice, and something told her it wouldn't be much longer now.

With her carefully observant eyes, she could gather they were drawing nearer to their destination. Blake's ears were starting to flick beneath the bow, likely swiveling in all directions to hear past the din of the town and focus on more important sounds.

Or perhaps it was silence she was searching for.

Weiss noticed the old library even before it was fully in her line of sight. She could already start piecing together memories she'd never had, thoughts of a young Blake stopping by that building for a bit of peace and quiet. She'd lose herself in her books and end up staying later than she should've, and would have to rush back home and apologize to parents who'd simply roll their eyes and smile.

In a way, Tukson's bookstore was almost like the more modern version of this place in Blake's life - or at least it had been for the past few years, until recently.

Now Blake was back at square one, and Weiss couldn't wait to visit with her sometime.

But first and foremost, Weiss wondered how Blake's kinsfolk would react to her coming home with an heiress on her arm. She guessed she'd soon find out.

She could sense the alteration in Blake's mood, subtle as it was. It was a faint spark in her eyes, an extra inch in her stride, a subtle squeeze of her hand. After all these years and all this time running, they were so close to assuaging all of the stress and hardships.

Weiss wanted Blake to have this more than anything, that comfort of being home again, and Weiss was more than glad to be a part of that now.

...

In the darkening evening, the colors dimmed, shrouded in the lessening light. The street lamps flickered on, splotches of light casting across the sidewalk, but it hindered more than helped as she studied every house they passed, waiting for the moment everything clicked.

It happened sooner than Blake expected, the two-story condominium the exact color she remembered. Or at least that pale yellow peaked between the spaces where a new coat of paint had yet to be brushed over.

There were signs of refurbishment - the tapped-off windows, a ladder leaning against the side of the house, and the remaining buckets of paint - and that had to be a construction van parked in the driveway.

A man with paint-smeared skin and clothes wandered out the door then, a bag of trash in his hand and a tired slump to his shoulders. From what Blake could see as he wandered closer to the sidewalk, there was no visible sign of Faunus heritage, but that said nothing in the long run.

"Um, excuse me–" Her hand gripped Weiss' tighter, her voice threatening to shake. "Do you live here?"

His eyes rose from the trash, looking them both over with mild curiosity. Blake saw his eyes linger on the bow and the twitching she couldn't seem to stop before returning his attention back to the trash can, dropping the bag inside and closing the lid with thunk.

"I do." He dusted off his hands. "Is there something I can help you with?"

...

The second Blake picked up the pace, Weiss was hurrying along at her side, the change in her stride minuscule, but even that had them going significantly faster. Her heart was pounding, Blake's fervor indication that they weren't just close anymore - they were here.

It appeared to be a humble residence, and Weiss would expect nothing less from a family of hardworking Faunus whose only child had set out on her own. It was nice that the place seemed to be getting a touch-up, though she had to wonder why this man was still working at this hour.

His answer to Blake's question said enough - he was here so late because he lived here.

Even after they'd come to a halt, Weiss' heart continued to thrum uncomfortably quickly. This person didn't look like a Faunus, but just because she couldn't immediately see any noticeable traits didn't mean he lacked them entirely. She reminded herself of Tukson and his hidden claws, and took a deep breath to calm herself.

It was Blake's confusion and failure to recognize him that worried Weiss the most. If he wasn't familiar to Blake… then who was he? And why was he here?

The tightening grip on her hand told Weiss her companion was a bit put-off by all of this, but there was no need to jump to conclusions. Weiss was certain there was an explanation for everything.

All she could do was squeeze Blake's hand in return to offer some shred of reassurance, and wait for the conversation to reveal more information.

...

It took a moment for Blake to find her voice, searching past the sudden apprehension in her gut.

"I was just wondering if you knew the Belladonna family."

"Belladonna?" the man said, his brows creasing in obvious confusion, and in that moment Blake felt her heart falter - a beat that almost felt like that dully thudding muscle in her chest was about to fall into the pit of her stomach. She glanced to Weiss, hand growing clammy with nervousness, but the man's voice rose up again, drawing her attention back. It was an almost proud chuckle.

"You mean the animals? I think you're a bit late; they drove the beasts out a long time ago."

The slurs Blake had tolerated out of necessity during her time in Vale hit like a blow to her gut, blunt and to the point, and her hand curled tightly around Weiss' fingers.

"Where are they?"

"Why do you wanna know?" The man's curiosity wouldn't have been so aggravating had it not been so genuine, and the quirk to his lips as he scratched idly at the stubble on his chin was nothing less than maddening. "They owe you money or something?"

And something in her snapped.

"Where's my family?!"

...

Whatever fugacious ounce of hope that had been lingering up until now was effectively dashed and shredded. It was clear from the second this man started speaking that something was dreadfully wrong. He spoke without any recognition of or concern for Blake's family name, and the glance the Faunus girl gave Weiss was ridden with fear.

Weiss had only ever seen Blake look half as terrified once before, when her own father had grabbed her and nearly prevented Weiss' escape from the mansion's window. But even then, it had been a different kind of fear.

This was tremendously worse.

This was Blake's entire family missing and likely unaccounted for, and for an unknown amount of time.

How long had it been? Months? Years? Weiss couldn't even begin to imagine such a grisly thought.

Seconds later, it only got worse when it was declared they'd been driven out.

Weiss was so appalled by the horrifying news that she was too stiff to even react to the man's dehumanizing comments that followed. The degrading slurs sparked a flare of anger in her chest, but Weiss couldn't show it - she was frozen with a seizing trepidation, and her chest felt like it was slowly being crushed by some great, immovable pressure.

The entire situation was abstruse and terrifyingly unsettling.

But nothing was as bad as when Blake cried out like that.

It was… fury, fear, and refusal to acknowledge any of this.

As Blake took a jerking step forward, her fingernails subconsciously dug into the back of Weiss' hand. That bit of pain was what served to jolt the heiress into action.

She could sense Blake was adamant for answers, to the point where it could lead to an accidental confrontation, but Weiss didn't want this to turn into a full-fledged argument.

Therefore, with a firm stance she held her ground and held Blake's hand even tighter, preventing the Faunus girl from moving forward another step.

"Blake-" She rasped, and her own voice was no better, high with apprehension and cracked with fear, but it would have to suffice. "Blake, please don't… don't listen to him. L-Let's ask someone else…"

That might not help; this was unmistakably Blake's former home, and it was evident something horrible and perhaps even unlawful had happened here. But Weiss didn't want to handle this here, not with this sorry excuse for a man within earshot.

She gave a desperate tug to Blake's hand and took a small, pleading step back.

"Please, Blake."

...

"Tell me, dammit!"

Blake yanked her hand free, Weiss' words sifting unheard through her ears, the rush of blood nearly deafening. She had lost enough family as it was; she didn't want there to be more. Not if she could help it.

"Where are they?!"

She pushed forward, ignoring the small and insignificant voice in her head telling her no, and shoved. It was enough force to cause the man to stumble backwards, tripping over his own feet as he tried to regain his balance. When he managed to right himself, any semblance of composure vanished, eyes like fire in the growing dark.

"Like I would know," he growled, nose wrinkling as his hands curled into fists by his side. "I just bought the damn house. Now get lost before I decide to call animal control. I've had enough crap for one evening."

"You don't know shit!" Blake yelled back, the pent-up anger spilling out, clawing from her throat. She could feel herself trembling. "None of you do!" She was supposed to be home, not more lost than when they'd started.

...

A frightful, sickening coil twisted in Weiss' stomach and chest so tightly she felt her heart might stop. But it was throbbing too hard for that, blood roaring in her ears, eyes wide with panic as Blake jerked her hand away from her own. She felt disoriented, nauseous, and dizzy, like she was about to be terribly ill from sheer discomfort alone.

Mere minutes ago, their new destination after a harrowing escape from Vale had been close enough to taste.

And now, it was all gone within seconds, their paradise oasis vanished within the blink of an eye like a cruel illusion.

Now, with every passing second, an unwanted confrontation was only becoming more inevitable, and Weiss knew she needed to stop it before it could truly begin.

She'd never seen Blake so vehement before - scared, disbelieving, untrusting, angry - her mind clogged with suffocating emotions that she could only channel through intended action.

The adrenaline coursing through Blake was taking control, and she was going to transfer that boiling emotion through anger. The verbal had already been reached, and quite possibly it would soon turn physical.

Weiss could see the man had balled his hands into fists, and her heart jolted. Her shoes were rooted into the soil by fear, as though tied down by gnarling vines and quicksand.

"No-"

It wasn't that Blake wasn't listening to her. No - she couldn't hear Weiss at all. She could only hear the exhilaration bred by the crippling fear and rage. Her only outlet was to lash out; it was all that her body could comprehend right now.

Weiss couldn't let that happen.

She tore her shoes from the grass as though they truly had been chained - it took just as much energy to move past the terror of what was only seconds away from becoming a reality: more yelling, screaming, crying, fighting, violence-

"Blake- don't!"

Weiss threw herself between Blake and the man, arms spread wide to make herself appear bigger, more noticeable, hoping to gain the Faunus girl's attention more effectively. Eyes pleading and frightened, she sought out Blake's gaze.

But for the first time since their journey together had begun, Weiss failed to read her.

...

"Yeah," the man said. "Don't do anything stupid."

Blake hadn't been thinking, but that was no excuse in the scheme of things. Weiss was in her way - in the way of this pathetic excuse of a human being. Privileged like the rest of them who sneered down their noses at those less fortunate than themselves. As if their circumstances were their own fault and not the result of years upon years of misplaced hatred.

She'd had enough.

It was a breaking point so far in the making that she barreled past Weiss without a second thought. Their shoulders knocked as Blake rushed forward, pushing Weiss out of the way with more force than she intended, sending the other girl onto the pavement.

Blake could hear the sharp intake of breath as Weiss' hands scraped against the sidewalk to catch her fall.

Any and all anger vanished instantly, her body suddenly numb.

"Weiss-!"

An uproarious laughter escaped from the man's mouth.

"Priceless!" he howled, head thrown back. "You should keep your mutt on a leash, miss, you never know when they'll turn on you."

Blue. Weiss had such pretty blue eyes.

And they were the last thing Blake saw before looking away.

...

The fear that had taken up a seemingly-permanent residence within her chest only tripled when Blake rushed at her. Weiss could tell the girl wasn't thinking, but merely acting upon her emotions, rightfully upset at everything that was happening around her.

The force of the impact was what shocked her the most. Blake had always been so gentle with her, even in the most dire of situations they'd faced until now. There'd always been a carefulness in her touch, but there was none of it this time.

"Ah-!" With a short cry of pain, Weiss stumbled back, tripping over her suitcase and losing her footing. She ended up on the pavement, her palms and forearms scraping cold hard cement as a slight pain registered in the small of her back. She was shaking, keeping her eyes trained on Blake's boots, scared to look up at her, fearing she'd only see more anger and rage.

But the call of her name was broken and terrified, and when Weiss finally managed to look up, she saw the deepest regret and sadness in those golden eyes. But only for a second before Blake looked away.

That part hurt most of all.

Weiss was just relieved Blake hadn't purposefully done it. But this heathen of a man had crossed the line far too many times already, and Weiss wasn't willing to stay here another second, nor was she about to let Blake do so, either.

Without a word she grabbed her suitcase and pushed herself up, wiping her hands on her dress, ignoring the slight stings of pain in her wrists. Her aura would start healing the cuts before long, and those weren't of much concern to her right now.

She sent a glare at the man they'd encountered, a look now free of fear or hesitance of any kind. It was enough to silence his barbaric laughter at the very least, and he didn't spout any more obscenities.

Weiss turned to her companion, and the shock was clear on Blake's face. Weiss might've even gone so far as to call it horror - horror at herself for what she'd done. Her ears were flat beneath the bow, mouth slightly agape, and Weiss failed to hold her gaze for longer than a second.

She stepped forward and took Blake's hand, returning their palms to their prior positions. Turning her back on the man, Weiss began walking away at a brisk pace, tugging Blake along with her.

"Come on. We're leaving."

...

Weiss' bloodied fingers wrapped like a vice around her hand, pulling, and the lines in the sidewalk passed like clockwork through her vision. Her eyes stung, tears prickling to life, and she didn't bother to look up, wiping away the evidence with her sleeve before it had a chance to fester.

It was one thing to be called useless, a monster, and everything else in between.

It was another thing entirely to give them a reason to.

She had spent years silently watching Adam turn towards the Fang and their methods, adamant in her decision to remain peaceful in the face of opposition. They had to do everything perfectly - no mishaps, no mistakes, otherwise all that work went down the drain in an instant. It was infuriating, tiring to the point where in the end, she wondered if it was even worth it.

But right now it was the guilt that hurt the most, had her hand going limp in Weiss' grasp, barely there. She had dragged Weiss here based on a feeling in her gut, never asked if that was what Weiss wanted, and now they were here and they had nothing.

Money wouldn't last forever, and with that show, it was perhaps only a matter of time before the local police got involved. And it was all her fault.

...

It was rather strange how quickly Weiss' demeanor changed in just those few brief seconds. She'd gone from a frightened, confused bystander to the person jumping directly into the fray to break it apart - or at least attempting to.

Now - though she had no idea where she was going - she walked with a brisk, determined stride, intent on getting Blake and herself out of that dangerous situation and somewhere - anywhere - else.

Now that her mind had been coerced into action, she recalled sights of a motel she'd seen in her peripheral vision on the trek here.

Allowing her sore feet to lead her, she was sure to keep hold on Blake's hand, though she didn't look back at her. It might've been a bit of fear, not fear of Blake, but fear for her. Fear that those gentle golden eyes would be narrowed in anger, or wavering with tears.

Or worse, dull and lifeless.

Weiss sucked in a sharp breath but refused to let the sob become audible. Instead, she focused on her two present tasks; keeping hold of Blake and seeking out the nearest motel.

She quickened her pace when she finally spotted it, lights on and invitingly welcoming in contrast to the inhospitable greeting they'd just received at Blake's old residence.

Weiss still didn't know what they would do now, what this meant for them - for Blake. What did this mean for her family…?

She shuddered just in thinking about it. Something like that would surely crush a fragile heart like Blake's that was already weighted down by so many years' worth of burdens. They needed to slow down for a moment, needed to think about where they could possibly go from here. And though it didn't seem at all possible after what they'd just discovered, they needed to try and get some rest for the night.

Weiss pulled Blake into the motel, never releasing her hand even as she checked them in at the front desk and received the room key. But by the time they'd climbed the flight of stairs and opened the door to their humble single-bed room, Weiss felt the hot tears already running down her cheeks.

...

It was more of a stumble into the motel room than anything else. The walk had been sluggish, her head buzzing full of the events of the last hour, and the remaining excitement for the future had all but drained by the time she had crossed the threshold into the single-bed room.

In its place was this bitterness. It had taken root in her gut and gradually climbed to her mouth so that when the door shut and her hand slipped from Weiss' hold, the most Blake was able to muster was the strength to stumble over to the bed and curl up facing the wall.

All those promises she'd made and was never sure she could keep came rushing back - hollow. The thing about being called monsters was that after a certain amount of time one began to believe it, and after what had happened, perhaps it wasn't far from the truth.

Even if she knew that wasn't true.

But in spite of everything she believed, everything she had done so far - the fact that she had hurt Weiss, had put her in a situation where her wellbeing came in second…

That was the worst.

...

She hadn't meant to let go of Blake's hand; it had merely been a necessity for setting down their bags and moving further into the room. But the second she felt that familiar warmth slip away, Weiss regretted it more than anything else.

With tormented eyes, she watched Blake limp over to the bed and all but collapse, refusing to show her face as she curled up against the wall like a small, shriveled animal, weak and almost lifeless. Weiss' tears fell silently, and a battered palm went to her mouth to stifle the sobs that threatened to come.

She didn't even bother turning on any of the lamps or shutting the curtains. With shaking legs, her feet took her over to the bed as well, but she paused - hesitant - at the edge of the mattress, her eyes never having removed themselves from Blake's crumpled form all the while.

Blake was trembling too, and Weiss was almost grateful for that; had it not been for the minuscule movement, she easily could've let herself believe Blake had stopped breathing altogether. Soundless sobs ripped through the Faunus girl's body, and with each one, Weiss felt a pang shoot through her chest, until it was so bad she needed to put a hand to her pounding heartbeat in a vain effort to lessen the pain.

She parted her lips and tried to whisper Blake's name, but her voice hitched around a suffocating lump in her throat, and no sound was produced.

It was all too much too quickly. It was inevitable that they would've met this reality sooner or later; nothing could've forfended this or protected them from it. This impediment had effectively shattered their entire journey, rendering every second since the first one they'd ever shared together utterly useless.

And there hadn't been enough time to let it all sink in before it had dragged them down into drowning depths of cold blackness. Blake certainly looked as though she couldn't breathe, and Weiss was having difficulty, too.

The tears stung - each and every one of them - and the shudders never stopped raking her body even after she'd sat heavily down onto the mattress. She moved with a painstaking slowness, fearing she'd startle Blake in some manner. Every rustle of the bedsheets sounded too loud, every fallen tear felt too searing, every shift of weight too frightening.

But Blake never moved, not even after Weiss had laid down at last to face her back. The tears were now streaming down across her turgid face, over the bridge of her nose and down onto the pillow beneath. She maintained space between herself and Blake, a devastating distance that had never before existed between them, not even on the very first night they'd met.

It was only a few inches, but that distance was killing her now, a little more each second.

Weiss couldn't bear it. She couldn't stop herself from reaching out with weak, scuffed fingers to curl them timidly through a lock of Blake's hair, nails brushing ever so lightly against her shirt. The contact made just enough pressure to ensure Blake had felt it, a silent declaration to her that even in spite of all that had transpired - from deserting Vale, to traveling hundreds of miles, to finding nothing in the place that had promised everything - Weiss was still here.

I'm here…

...

It was like everything had seized - the air, the breath in her lungs, her thoughts - and she was left struggling to think.

It doesn't matter what you meant to do, because it's already done, where Adam's words to her when this whole thing had started to bloom. When she had this image of grandeur in her head that she could show Weiss the world and that it would welcome them in return, not push them back down.

And Blake knew now that her worth had shattered, her entire purpose chipping before her eyes.

What did she have to offer now? There was no reason for Weiss to stay. She'd be better off by herself, rationing the remaining money to help make it last for as long as possible, and Blake wouldn't blame her if she did. She could make it somewhere far away, have a chance at something new and put her life back into place.

Weiss didn't need someone like Blake to drag her down. There was enough going on as it was.

Shutting her eyes, Blake breathed out shakily, ignoring the slight contact at her back. She could do this, she had spent nearly half her life practically alone. What was a little longer, especially if it was for the best?

It simply became a matter of letting go.

...

Waiting.

It was all a waiting game, that night. Just waiting for something - anything - from Blake. A flick of the ear, a shift onto her back, the sound of her voice.

But as the hours whittled away, Weiss realized there wasn't going to be anything of the sort.

Blake hadn't acknowledged her presence at all, not since they'd reached the motel. Not even Weiss' touch had any effect on her, other than having Blake move away. It said so much, how she'd rather curl up closer to the hard unforgiving wall rather than slide so much as an inch closer to Weiss.

And Weiss couldn't blame her. After all, it had likely been people like Weiss' own family who had driven Blake's away. Perhaps Weiss herself hadn't done anything against the Faunus, but she'd certainly done nothing in their favor, either. The inaction she was guilty of was just as detrimental as the wrong-doings themselves.

And now she was going to pay for it.

After several hours of unstoppable tears, Weiss finally pulled her hand away. They might just be better off alone after all, this entire journey having been wishful thinking. Their companionship had been a spontaneous occurrence, but if staying together was only going to cause more pain, it was best they parted ways.

Weiss shivered and cried all night, every hour just as dreadful as the last, hoping beyond hope that Blake might turn around and pat her shoulder, kiss her temple, or pull her into a soft embrace to let her know they were going to be okay.

But that never happened.

She feared the morning and what it might bring, feared she'd wake up alone and never see Blake again, have nothing but the sweatshirt on her back and a broken heart full of memories to remember her by.

Little did she know at the time that it would be Weiss herself who would be gone when the sun came up.

----------

A/N: This was a scene Ash and I were very keen on writing. Blake isn't one to lash out except under extreme circumstances, but what are going to be the repercussions now that she's hurt Weiss...?

Preview for Act XIII: "Weiss-" she croaked, voice hoarse as she searched the small room for Weiss in spite of the signs, and as the seconds passed, Blake felt her breath catch high in her throat. When she tried to force it through, it came out stuttering.

There was so much she'd done wrong, but she'd at least wanted to say goodbye.