The Beast And The Fairy (ch15)

Since Winter has been introduced in canon, I'm very glad to see that my characterization of her in this fic is fairly accurate, even though I wrote it long before volume 3 aired. But as for their father, we'll just have to imagine.

A/N: We'll see Dash's interpretations of Blake's father in this chapter! You can look up the AU's art to see what he looks like~

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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						Chapter 15. High Tensions

The moon hung ominously over the forest, its light shrouded in strips of grey clouds and blocked by the foliage.

Tonight, the brightest glow came not from the moonlight, but from the group of fairies descending to the forest floor, their dust floating up and filling the air behind them.

Their king led them, followed closely by his first daughter – despite his many efforts to try and convince her to stay behind, she'd adamantly refused.

"I need to see my sister," Winter mumbled.

And the King couldn't argue with her. He needed the very same thing.

They flew slowly, weighed down not only by the bags of stones they carried, but by the heavy hearts from the fact that they were more or less surrendering their freedom to the beasts.

But to have their princess back unharmed, and to get out of this situation without violence were the main objectives in the fairies' minds.

Of course, the beasts were different.

Adam had worked hard to convince his people about the deal he'd made. It was difficult, because he knew many of them would disapprove of his tactics.

He wasn't the leader of the clan – far from it – he was only the leader of a deviant portion of them. Not every beast attacked the fairies when they came down to the river to fetch water. Disputes about how they treated their winged neighbors broke out daily in the beasts' camp. Many knew it was foolish to aggravate a clan of fairies, and so they vehemently avoided Adam and his group.

But those who followed him were of a different nature, one hungry for power and thirsty for war. They wanted to reign over the forest with the fairies' magics.

It was Adam's desire to use those magics to overpower not only the fairies, but also the beasts who didn't agree to follow him.

He had managed to gather a group of nearly four-dozen beasts that night, all armed and itching to fight. They littered the ground all along the river where the fairies had been told to rendezvous with them. Every bush, every shadow concealed a beast or two, crouched low, eyes burning with eagerness.

Only Adam himself and several other beasts stood uncovered beside the river.

Behind him stood a large, burly beast, with dark hair covering most of his face and chest. He was one of the few gathered here who wasn't wearing a mask over his face. Broad shoulders and muscular arms demonstrated the reason why he had no weapons on his person.

His name was Emile. He had put on the guise that he wished to follow Adam into war, acted like a greedy, power-hungry fool himself in order to trick the bull-horned boy.

But in reality, he was only here for one reason.

His daughter had gone missing several days ago, and even a thorough search of the nearby woods had come up empty-handed. Adam had told him this was because the fairies were keeping her captive.

Almost all of the beasts gathered here knew of tonight's deceitful terms.

Adam had lied to the fairies in telling them he had captured their princess. But all of the beasts knew they had no princess in their possession.

Once the fairies handed over their gems to realize they were getting nothing in return, surely a fight would break out, hence why all the beasts were armed.

But not Emile. The only reason he had agreed to follow Adam here tonight was because of the promise that he would get his own daughter back.

Even now, the large beast man stood with his massive arms crossed, towering behind Adam and grunting every few seconds.

"I still fail to understand how they could have taken Blake," he growled to the boy. "She is an excellent fighter, and an even more skillful master of evasive maneuvers. It is not the fairies' way to take hostages."

Adam shrugged his shoulders, but didn't look back at the older man.

"These fairies would do anything to get their princess back," he uttered. "They'll hand over Blake tonight."

In truth, no one knew what had happened to Blake. She had gone out into the forest a few mornings ago and never returned.

Perhaps she'd run away or gone rogue, or perhaps she'd fallen victim to unfortunate circumstances. All Adam knew was that the fairies didn't actually have her.

But this was a part of his plan as well. As soon as the fairies' stones were in his possession, he would reveal that he had no princess to give them in return. When Emile demanded Blake's return from the fairies, Adam would declare they must have killed her.

By then, both sides would be infuriated enough to attack, but the victory would go to those who possessed the magic stones.

Adam had thought it all through. He was going to succeed.

Minutes passed, and with each one, he could sense the anticipation thickening in the air.

His people were ready.

The fairies didn't make them wait much longer.

From the distant treetops, Adam could just barely make out a faint glow. Immediately, he called out to his army.

"Get ready."

Emile stomped a hairy bare foot forward, tail lashing, his chin tilted upward and eyes seeking the fairies who allegedly held his only child captive.

Before long, the fairies became visible, fading into focus. Their long, flowing, light-colored robes and dresses fluttered in the night air, wings curving gracefully.

Their stature was a dire contrast the beasts who wore dark colors and crouched menacingly in the shadows. The handful who revealed themselves stood at the ready with Adam in the forefront.

All eyes were on the trees now.

The fairies glided down, their natural elegance spoiled by the stern, furious expressions on their faces. To Adam's great pleasure, he could see that they were all carrying small bags of stones.

When they neared the ground, half of the fairies remained fluttering in the air while the other half went all the way to the forest floor.

The King himself led the latter group, accompanied by only the best and most able guards. He had ordered Winter to stay above with the rest.

Those on the ground folded their wings, keeping their postures erect and important as they advanced. The poise with which they walked hardly suggested they were about to walk into a potential fray, but such was a fairy's appearance.

The beasts – those visible and those hidden – watched their every step. The fairies had weapons, too.

The air was thick with tension, so pregnant it was already about to burst.

But when the Fairy King came to a halt just several paces away from Adam, he spoke with a calm, almost terrifying politeness.

"Greetings, beasts," he said loudly. "All of you."

His additional words subtly implied that he knew full-well about the ones hiding in the forest. The King passed his gaze around before settling on Adam's masked face. He waited expectantly, but perhaps not patiently.

Adam smiled wryly and dipped his head in a false display of respect.

"Good evening, fairies," he began. "Let's skip the formalities. I believe we had a deal."

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The forest swirled around them as Blake and Weiss hurried for home at long last.

Weiss' wings carried them almost effortlessly at first, bearing their combined weight with ease after finding a newfound strength to draw from her intense emotions.

Weiss had pulled one of Blake's arms over her shoulders and held onto her wrist to keep her in place, using her free hand to support Blake's back.

Likewise, the beast girl clung to Weiss' waist with one hand, doing her best not to move around or hinder the princess in her flight.

They flitted through the trees, flying probably as high up the trunks as where the beasts' territories ended and the fairies' began.

It was evident that Weiss had been planning to go to her father first, to find him at home and explain everything to him before taking Blake to her own home and doing the same.

It was their hope that they could somehow convince their parents and their people to come to a truce of sorts if they realized that the Princess of the Fairies was unharmed - and more importantly - that she could love and be loved by a beast.

It very well may have been wishful thinking, and should their peoples disapprove, Weiss and Blake really might consider running away together. As long as their people knew they were both safe and that the other species held no blame in the predicament, they would leave everything behind if need be.

That was how strongly they cared for one another.

Enough to leave behind all they had ever known.

Enough to give flight back to a fairy who had lost her magics.

Enough to make a beast girl, who thought she'd never be accepted, feel loved.

Enough to change their peoples' hearts and their ways of thinking.

Blake could sense Weiss was taking them higher now, bound for the fairies' dwellings high above. But it was Blake herself who stopped their ascent.

"Weiss, hold on..."

Her ears flicked and swiveled as they picked up on a distant sound. It was muffled by the natural noises of the forest, but Blake could just barely discern it with her enhanced hearing. Yet she knew she could listen better if they were still for a moment.

Weiss quickly heeded her words, letting them down onto the nearest branch that could support them. Blake could tell the girl had needed this rest after so many days of eating next to nothing, and now having to expend most of her energy in flight.

As Weiss caught her breath, Blake closed her eyes and listened.

Beneath the high-pitched chirping of the crickets, she could make out a lower, more stifled sound. It was choppy and occurred in different tones, passing back and forth.

She immediately knew they were the voices of people talking.

And she recognized one of those voices all too well.

"Adam..." she mumbled.

Weiss recalled that was the name of the boy with the bull horns. She gasped lightly, tightening her grip on Blake.

"Where?"

There was already fear in her voice; she didn't like the idea of a beast like Adam being so close to fairy territories, especially in the unfolding uncertainties of what was going on.

Blake was silent for another minute as she tried to hone in on the direction the voices were coming from. Once she was certain, she opened her eyes.

"That way. They're on the ground."

Weiss didn't waste a second. She tightened her hold on Blake once more and took off, beating her wings as quickly as possible. She swerved to avoid branches and thickets, moving a little better now that she was so familiar with this territory.

But Blake could feel Weiss weakening already, struggling to keep them both up. She'd expended so much energy within such a short period of time, and her magics had only just returned to her.

Once they were close enough for Blake to be able to discern what was being said by those up ahead, she gently coaxed Weiss to stop.

"Let's land here. You need to rest for a minute. Catch your breath, Weiss."

The princess was conflicted, her eyes pained and wanting to get home to her father and sister as soon as possible. But she could feel for herself the truth of Blake's words with the fluttering flaps of her wings.

Gradually, Weiss took them down to the forest floor, sinking to her knees breathlessly. Blake knelt beside her, keeping one hand on the girl's back and the other on Weiss' stomach by means of support.

As Weiss rested for a moment, Blake perked her ears and focused her vision ahead. Her gaze cut through the darkness, until she could discern a faint glow ahead. It was the same glow that surrounded Weiss faintly now, one unique only to fairies.

She could see the beasts as well – dozens of them – some hidden and some out in the open. A group of fairies had landed to face them.

There was a sense of relief that washed over Blake then in knowing for certain that no battles had occurred within the four nights since Weiss had gone missing. But she knew that unless they did something soon, a war could break out before their very eyes.

By now, Weiss could speak again, and she reached out to touch Blake's forearm lightly.

"Blake..." she whispered. "What's going on?"

The beast girl swallowed.

"I'm not sure... It looks like they're having a meeting or something."

"A meeting? Between beasts and fairies? That can't be good..."

"We should-" Blake swiftly silenced herself as there was movement up ahead. One of the fairies advanced from his group, and made himself instantly noticeable. Blake nodded eagerly toward him. "Weiss, look!"

"Papa?" Weiss' voice demonstrated just how joyful she was to see him. Tears jumped into her eyes, and she made a move to get up.

But Blake was forced to hold her back, tugging her gently by the wrist.

"Hold on. We don't know what they're doing," she warned. "Everyone is armed."

"All the better to go to them now before they can start fighting," Weiss begged.

"But Adam thinks you're dead, remember? If he sees you now, he might kill you."

"Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing!" Weiss hissed. "We've got to-"

She was cut off by a chillingly familiar voice, one she could still hear shouting from the cliff top behind her as she fell, one that made the roots of her hair hurt.

"It's a pleasure, fairies," Adam said. "I'm glad to see you've brought your payment. But just to be sure, you need to show me what's inside your bags."

Blake and Weiss watched in silence from between the bushes as the group of fairies shifted. They all revealed small pouches in their hands, and at the King's signal, pulled the strings to open them.

Weiss and Blake both gasped at what was inside. Dozens of magic gems filled each one, various colors shimmering in the night like miniature rainbows.

Dismayed, Weiss looked up to see that every fairy had a bag full, even those hovering farther up above.

"They must have just about every gem we've ever found..." she rasped.

"This isn't right," Blake fretted. "The day I found you, I was out looking for a way for us to collect our own gems without having to take them from fairies."

She could see the greed in Adam's grin, even from this distance and even with his mask on. He reached out and tried to snatch the bag from the nearest fairy guard, but the fairy dodged his attempt.

"Not so fast, lad," the Fairy King chided. "You'll not be having any of our gems until I've got my daughter back safely as promised."

Blake felt Weiss tense beside her; their guesses as to what was going on had been correct.

Weiss snorted angrily when Adam growled in her father's face.

"And you won't be getting your princess until I have those gems, Your Majesty."

The king hesitated, uncertain. If he was under the impression that the beasts had Weiss captive right now, he didn't want to risk upsetting them, lest they hurt her as punishment.

But Weiss was still confused as to how Adam was planning to pull this off.

"He doesn't have me captive! What's he going to do?"

"What he does best," Blake muttered. "Lie."

As Weiss had expected, her father seemed dubious now. He faced Adam with a threatening look in his eyes, one he didn't show lightly.

"Let me see her."

But Adam refused.

"Hand over the stones first."

Tension crackled almost visibly between them, and the surrounding beasts and fairies all seemed to inch forward, sensing a fight was almost inevitable.

Weiss couldn't sit still any longer. She'd regained enough of her strength.

"Come on," she grunted, grasping Blake's hand. "We're putting an end to this nonsense right-"

"ENOUGH!"

This time, Weiss cut herself off abruptly with a yelp as a booming voice shook the clearing, so much so that even the water in the nearby river seemed to jump. She jolted and froze in place, terrified for a second until she realized the shout hadn't been addressed at her.

Blake held tightly to her hand, her ears lifting up at the familiar sound.

"Fairies," bellowed the deep, masculine tone. "Where is my daughter?"

At the sound of the voice, Blake's ears shot up as tall as they could go.

"Dad?"

Weiss instantly flashed her a confused glance.

"Your father is here? He's with Adam?"

"No, I..." Blake shook her head, quickly trying to explain everything. "My family was one of the ones who never agreed with the more aggressive part of the clan who were hostile toward the fairies.

"My people had always sought the magic stones within the forest, but were never any good at finding them, so some of them started to steal from the fairies. My family and a lot of others always disapproved and tried to stop them from ambushing your people.

"In fact, most of the clan was against it, but Adam and his group always managed to slip away and act out on their own. It's because of them why our species have become so wary and hateful of one another. But the majority of us never wanted to cause trouble. So why is my dad with Adam now...? And why is he asking for me?"

Weiss tried to register everything in her mind. But her own father ended up giving them all the answers they needed.

"What is this now?" the Fairy King demanded. "Why am I being accused of harboring a stolen daughter? You beasts are the ones who have kidnapped my daughter as ransom for the stones! We have no hostages!"

"Lies!" Adam hissed. "I saw your fairies take Blake! You've probably killed her for revenge!"

"Outrageous deceit!" the King hollered. "You savages had best hand my daughter over or else we shall be forced to take violent action!"

Shouts and hollers erupted through the quiet forest. Bows and arrows were drawn, crude swords were unsheathed, growls ripped from throats.

Blake and Weiss had seen and heard enough.

They burst from the bushes together and made a mad dash for the clearing beside the river.

"Father! Please stop this!"

"Adam, fall back!"

But their shouts were drowned out as hundreds of voices rose up into furious shouts of accusation from both sides.

"Monsters! Return our princess!"

"Give us the gems!"

"Liars!"

"Weaklings!"

Amongst the shouting, Adam gave his commands to charge.

"Attack! Take the stones!"

And even the King of Fairies was forced to resort to fighting.

"We have no other options. Open fire!"

Weiss and Blake cried out desperately until their voices cracked in desperation.

"Father, no!"

"Adam, stop!"

But it was too late.

Both armies surged forward simultaneously, shouting in fury and fear.

The fairies all took to the air and didn't leave behind a single gem as they took aim with their arrows from above.

The beasts swarmed down below, many climbing up into the trees to get closer to their opponents.

And then the weapons were flying, cutting through the air and tearing through flesh.

The beasts dodged whatever they could, and the fairies used their magical barriers. The massive, heaving crowd of bodies covered every inch of the air and ground, arrows flying and swords slashing in a vicious and truly terrifying scene.

And Blake and Weiss had ran directly into the center of it all.

Their cries couldn't be heard, and no one was seeing them as the found girls that had been missing. They only saw them as targets, enemies.

Blake stuck close to Weiss' back, forced to draw her own small blades to fend off any attackers. But she wasn't lunging at fairies; she was parrying her fellow beasts who sought to harm Weiss.

"Traitor!" one barked at her. "Why are you defending a fairy?!"

"Stop this!" she yelled back. "Listen to what we're saying, damn it!" She knocked two of them down to the ground, then whipped around to seek out Weiss. Her blood felt like it caught fire as she saw that the girl had been surrounded.

But although Weiss had no weapons on her person, she wasn't defenseless.

She utilized a bit of her magic to create a small barrier around herself, deflecting the blades of her attackers as she shouted for them to stop. She hoped the fairies up above would notice her magics and recognize her presence.

She too, turned to seek out Blake, catching sight of her golden eyes across the stretch of space separating them. Weiss pushed through the crowd with all her might, her magics keeping her protected for the moment.

Blake shoved away several other beasts with precise skill, throwing them aside or knocking them unconscious in her effort to reach Weiss.

But just before they could reach one another, Weiss heard a familiar voice from above.

"Weiss!"

The princess froze and looked up. Winter hovered far above, taking shelter behind her own magic barrier. She was shocked into silence to see that her sister was here now, voice failing her.

"Winter!" Weiss called back. "Find father! Tell him to call this off immediately! Please go!"

Weiss narrowed her gaze, imploring her sister to understand.

Thankfully, Winter asked no questions. She trusted Weiss had a reason for such a request in the midst of such inane violence, and instantly took off to locate their father.

However, Weiss didn't have the time to feel relief.

An almighty shove from a nearby beast discombobulated her, causing her to stumble. She lost her focus, and her barrier along with it. And she had no time to try and muster the energy to get it back.

Her eyes went wide in horror, her heart seizing.

Blake was drawing closer to her now, only a few yards away.

But her attention was only on Weiss.

She never saw nor heard the arrow shooting directly at her from behind.

Weiss screamed her name.

And then all went silent.
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A/N: See you next week.