Chapter Text
Blake’s whole body jolted at the sound of a door slamming closed further down the deck. The agonizing paranoia that something was out to get her was a feeling that hadn’t left since Beacon. It was just a child being obnoxious, not a Grimm or White Fang member attempting to spill her guts on the boat's deck.
Blake sighed at the cool ocean breeze blowing her hair and cloak, enjoying the freeing feeling of her ears no longer wrapped in a bow.
The boat ride was starting to feel like purgatory; nowhere to go, nothing to do, just Blake alone with her thoughts on the large expanse of sea surrounding her. It made her acutely aware of just how far removed she had been from her parents all these years, but also how much farther she was able to be from the people she was scared of hurting.
Blake didn’t have a lot of time to wallow as the boat was rock violently to one side, throwing her slightly off balance. She turned to the sound of rushing water and was faced with a Sea Feilong, towering and fearsome. Blake had fought many Grimm in her life, but never one so large. It stretched to its full height, its scaled body glistening and terrible.
Blake ran to the edge of the boat, pulling her favored weapon from her back, and launching herself at the creature. The Feilong had its eyes trained on her as Blake narrowly avoided getting swatted by its tail. She landed on its slick body, throwing out a few blows with the sheath of her weapon that did little more than annoy it.
Blake felt the beast take in a large breath, and the sound of crackling filled the air as she looked up and saw it aiming an attack right at the boat. In a flash, Blake climbed up its neck, using the spikes jutting from its spine as pegs. Leaping from the last one, Blake removed Gambol Shroud from its sheath and aimed the Glock at the Feilong’s eye, taking a few pot shots.
It screeched, arching its back in pain and shooting electricity far above the boat into nothing but open sky. Blake’s relief was short lived as the tail smacked her out of nowhere and she plummeted to the boats deck. Lacking the time to straighten herself properly, Blake landed hard on her left foot at an odd angle, letting out a frustrated cry at the pain shooting up her leg.
The Feilong had already recovered and was ready to launch another lighting blast straight at Blake. Knowing she wouldn’t have time to move for this one, Blake braced herself and her aura, prepared to fully take the brunt of the blast. At the last moment, her entire body was jerked back, the glowing blue of a familiar sigil circling at her feet, the polished wooden deck smoking where she had been moments ago.
Blake looked behind her to see Weiss standing on the railing above the captain's quarters, the bright blue of her eyes sparkling with determination and a confident smirk upon her lips. Blake was grateful for the save, really, but boy was she pissed . Why is she here?
“Don’t just stand there Blake,” Weiss shouted over the screeching Grimm and screaming passengers. “Get to work!”
With her usual elegant flourish, Weiss summoned five glyphs and with a flick of her sword, launched shards of ice at the Feilong. It did nothing more than anger the beast as it went beneath the waves. The boat swerved in the captain's attempt to avoid getting body slammed and Weiss lost her footing on the railing, jumping down to the deck next to Blake.
The Grimm resurfaced, splashing water along the deck, completely dousing Weiss while Blake somehow managed to stay dry.
“Are you shitting me?” Weiss asked, rubbing her eyes from the sting of salt water. Blake had to fight to hide the amused smile on her face before Weiss opened her eyes again.
“We have to keep it away from the boat.” Blake said, unsheathing Gambol Shroud, its familiar weight calming her nerves. The sickening sound of flesh tearing filled the air as the Feilong sprouted its wings. “Any suggestions?”
Weiss studied the beast, her well trained eyes picking apart its weak points and quickly playing through different scenarios. The revolver of Myrtenaster rotated in her grasp with a series of satisfying clicks. “I’ll keep it distracted if you think you can get close enough to clip its wings.”
The sound of static crackling filled the air as the Feilong prepared to attack, the yellow glow of power washing over the huntresses. Blake looked at Weiss who was soaked and standing in water: a perfect conduit.
Blake shoved Weiss out of the way with a jump kick to the chest, using a shadow clown to boost herself in the opposite direction out of harm's way. Weiss’ back hit the railing and she lost her footing on the slick deck, toppling over the side as a blast of electricity hit the deck, sparking and fizzling. Blake heard the telltale sound of Weiss’ semblance activating, relief flooding her at not having to hear about kicking Weiss into the ocean later—she would only receive a scolding for the drop kick.
Blake fired a few shots from her pistol, but they did just short of nothing against the thick scales. Even Weiss’ semblance-imbued dust attacks were like pebbles being tossed at a boulder. They needed a different approach.
Weiss was engaged in an elegant dance with the Feilong, dashing around on her glyphs to avoid being whipped by the tail or completely body slammed. She was so fast even Blake’s heightened eyesight was having trouble keeping up with her.
“Look out!”
Blake looked back in time to see the beam of electricity rushing towards her. She jerked out of the way midair, allowing her clone to take the full force of the attack.
The Feilong turned to Weiss, taking advantage of her being distracted by concern for Blake’s safety, and lashed out. Weiss was fast, but not fast enough, the tail smacking into her with so much force Blake was almost certain if she had no aura left, it would have killed Weiss instantly.
Blake swung herself around the neck of the Feilong and activated her semblance for a speed boost as she launched herself at Weiss who was hurtling toward a set of small islands. She had never moved so fast before, using her semblance again to keep momentum.
Blake practically tackled her midair, catching Weiss bridal-style and holding her close. Weiss’ arms wrapped tightly around her neck and Blake was keenly aware of the scent of mint mixed with seawater, sweat, and Weiss’ warm breath along her throat. Focus, Blake. Focus.
Blake landed hard on the ground, her aura absorbing the blow and heels digging into the ground as she slid across the sand bank. Weiss pulled back and Blake held her breath at the closeness of their faces. Even in the middle of combat, drenched from head to toe, bangs plastered to her face and overall disheveled, Weiss was striking.
The obnoxious BOOM of the boat's cannon shattered the moment, reminding Blake of their task.
“Let’s try this again.” Weiss said as she slid out of Blake’s hold and conjured glyphs, using them to elegantly “ice” skate towards their opponent. Blake let out a huff and followed, ignoring the intensity of her heartbeat that was totally elevated from fighting the Feilong and not from Weiss’ lips being mere inches from her own.
The captain's crew were holding their own well enough, but it was putting the passengers at risk. Weiss had gone back to distracting the beast, jumping around on her glyph platforms to avoid the energy blasts.
Blake threw Gambol Shroud at the back of the Feilong’s neck. It stuck firmly in the skin between its scales as she swung to the other side, using her semblance to get higher. A glyph appeared in front of Blake and with it a massive glowing armored hand. She touched down in its palm for only a moment before it tossed her up. At the apex of her height, Blake saw the perfect opening.
She activated her semblance once more, willing her shadow clone to become physical in the area she kicked herself off from for max speed. Blake straightened the sword on her gun and felt her stomach drop as she caught the Feilong’s attention. It wasted no time charging up an attack and unleashing it into the sky.
Blake barely managed to dodge the first one. As the second came racing towards her, a fast glyph from Weiss shoved her out of the way with a powerful gust of wind. Blake straightened herself, reaching out with her sword and stabbing it into the Feilong’s wing. The blade's edge cut through it easily, the Grimm veering off to the side and falling back into the sea unable to keep itself in the air.
Blake’s descent was slowed down by several black glyphs until she landed on the deck of the boat with a heavy thud and a dull ache in her ankle. Weiss joined her moments later, her heels clicking on wood in a much more elegant fashion.
The boat lurched forward at top speed and Weiss slipped at the unexpected movement, firmly grabbing Blake’s larger frame to steady herself. The bow of the ship ran straight into the Feilong, piercing it with a fatal wound. It gave one last shriek into the cool morning air before becoming motionless.
A few moments of silence passed to ensure the monster was really dead before the crew and passengers cheered and hollered in the excitement of being able to live another day, but Blake felt no such joy as she watched the Grimm disintegrate.
“That captain was right, you know,” Weiss recalled, dumping her empty dust cartridges from Myrtenaster. “Traveling alone is awfully dreadful.”
“Weiss?! What are you doing here?” Blake turned to her teammate, her face a mixture of exasperation and anger. The adrenaline of their fight still pumped in her blood. Blake had fled to get away from her team for their own safety, and yet here was the most prideful member of Team RWBY standing before her.
Weiss gave a smile that was just short of being coy. “I saw you run off. Then, I found out my father was coming to take me back to Atlas—by force —so I kind of just followed you for lack of anywhere else to go.”
“I wish you wouldn’t have.”
Weiss frowned, clearly hurt by Blake’s words but it wouldn't be the first time her fellow teammate selfishly pushed those closest to her away. “That’s why I waited until the boat was far enough from shore to approach you.”
Blake sighed as she leaned down and placed her forehead upon the boat's railing. No matter what she tried to run from, it always found a way of catching up with her. She just didn’t think it would be so soon.
“Also, you drop kicked me right in the boob, Blake. That fucking hurt.” Weiss grumbled, rubbing a hand over her dress where an obvious boot print was. Blake had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.
Weiss moved to stand next to Blake, back leaning against the railing with her arms crossed in front of her. It was a manner that was far more casual for the heiress than Blake was used to seeing. It seemed exhaustion could whittle away even the most rigid habits of her friend.
“So, what crazy side quest were you planning on tackling alone this time?” There was a hint of venom in Weiss’ words, but it was well warranted. “A one woman crusade against The White Fang?”
Blake chucked but there was no humor behind it. She removed her head from the railing, keeping her forearms upon the metal with her hands clasped in front of her. “No. I just…I’m done. I’m tired , Weiss. I’m going home to see my family. No crazy sneaking around and bending rules, no explosions, no fighting; just rest .”
Blake turned her head to see Weiss’ piercing gaze, the same one she would give Ruby when the girl lied about finishing her homework for the day.
“And here I thought you were going to do something stupid.”
“This is more or less me full circling my own stupidity.”
Weiss hummed as she turned to the sun steadily crawling its way into the sky, the morning stars slowly being snuffed out one by one. “You’re not stupid.”
Blake smiled at the soft tone of Weiss’ voice. The two of them elapsed into a comfortable silence that was so achingly familiar to a life they would never be able to go back to. The silence of studying together in the library and dorm, their casual tea and coffee outings after a successful test, when they let the clashing of metal and sparks speak for them during spars, and the deafening silence that filled a room after Ruby and Yang had left to be boisterous (or obnoxious as Weiss would say) somewhere else.
Blake felt her chest tighten at the thought of their missing teammates. She made sure they were safely on a ship out of Beacon before running off, but Blake couldn’t get the image of how defeated the sisters looked in their state of unconsciousness out of her head. They were both sweaty and pale, Yang from blood loss and Ruby from unlocking something so deep within herself she collapsed from exhaustion. Ruby had gone so limp in Weiss’ arms that she sobbed thinking her partner was dead.
Blake wouldn’t forget the hellish sight anytime soon.
A deep grumble came from beside her, and Blake was grateful for the distraction. Weiss had a slight flush on her face and a hand placed over her stomach.
“Hungry?” Blake asked, a small smirk painting her lips.
Weiss huffed and rolled her eyes, turning to head below deck in what they both knew was the direction of the kitchen. Blake trailed along behind her like a shadow.
The last week of sailing to Menagerie passed uneventfully with a calm sea and calmer skies. Weiss stuck to Blake’s side the entire time. Words were few and far between them, Weiss struggling with her own demons just as much as Blake was.
They played cards with a few of the passengers, wagering sweets instead of Lien. Weiss was terrible at cards, not because she had a bad poker face—quite the opposite, in fact (to those who did not know her)—she was just bad at the game in general.
When Weiss somehow managed to bluff her way to the end, Blake was able to read every little expression that passed over her teammate. The way her eyes narrowed at Blake’s own expressions, how she would raise her cards slightly upward in an attempt to hide the smile that would betray her intentions, the way Weiss would bet the candies Blake knew Weiss disliked when her hand was no good. Blake—knowing when her own hand would lose—bet the candies she knew were Weiss’ favorite. She may have lost the round, but the real reward was the sparkle behind Weiss’ eyes as she collected her earnings.
When they weren’t playing cards, Weiss was standing on the deck with intense concentration practicing her summoning. It wasn’t a technique Blake was familiar with as Weiss had never discussed it with the rest of the team. Now Blake knew why.
Weiss had too much pride to admit she was struggling.
All the nights where the rest of Team RWBY were winding down and entertaining themselves in the little bit of free time they had, Weiss was almost always absent. She would arrive at the dorm an hour or two later than the rest of them still in her uniform with Myrtenaster at her side. Two hours turned to four, and then six where Blake would be the last one awake when Weiss entered the dorm.
Her original excuse of saying she was in the library didn’t work when her bangs would be plastered to her forehead and her t shirt would be drenched in so much sweat Blake thought it had always been dark gray instead of light all along. When blue met gold, Weiss would give her a weak smile in the dark, knowing fully well Blake could see it.
But now Blake was able to see all those nights of hard work put into action. Weiss’ eyes were closed in concentration, her sword pointed straight up and aligned with the middle of her body. When she took a deep breath, the glyph before her feet would circle faster, the power it exuded kicking up wind that rustled Blake’s cloak from across the deck.
Blake watched the beginnings of an armored helmet rise from the glyph before more and more of the knight was revealed. Its hands were placed on a sword, standing much in the way Ozpin would with his cane while giving the students of Beacon a rousing speech.
With only the waist down remaining, Weiss’ face scrunched with effort, beads of sweat forming along her forehead. A large wave rocked the side of the boat, knocking Weiss out of her firm stance, moving her foot only an inch to catch herself but it was enough to break her concentration.
Blake watched the knight dissipate into the breeze the same way the Sea Feilong did earlier that week. Weiss let out a frustrated sigh at the loss and slipped her sword back into her belt; an act of self performing discipline that came from experience of knowing extra practice where frustration clouded the mind was as good as no practice at all.
“We’re almost there.” Blake said, when Weiss crossed the deck to stand next to her.
Weiss neglected to respond, watching the landmass of Menagerie appear over the horizon. Blake wondered if she felt the same anticipation as her, although, for different reasons she was sure.
It didn’t take an empath to feel the frustration radiating off of Weiss. If frustration alone could attract Grimm, Blake wouldn’t be surprised to see black fins circling the boat.
“You can’t let yourself get too frustrated with your summoning,” Blake sympathized, knowing how irritated she was also feeling at pushing the bounds of her own semblance. It wasn’t exactly easy to turn shadow clones into a physical form. “It’s clearly something that takes a lot of patience and practice, not to mention strength. You sweat just from standing there, Weiss.”
Weiss’ shoulders slumped, breaking the image of holding the world upon her shoulders with no effort. “It’s the one thing I continue to struggle with over and over. Granted, I’m much better now than I was before the Vital Tournament, but I shouldn’t be struggling with it this much. When Winter was my age, she was able to summon without effort.”
“It may have looked like it took no effort to you,” Blake said, turning to lean her side against the railing to better face Weiss. “But your sister had to practice just as hard to get where she is now. Let’s not forget that you’ve been on your own for a while as well. I don’t imagine your sister stuck around after joining the military to teach you and you’ve never really talked about your mom so I assume she didn’t help either.”
Blake had no idea just how on the nose she really was. Winter got away from their father as fast as possible and her mother was too deep in her alcoholism and depression to bother lifting a finger to assist Weiss in her teachings. There’s only so much actual teachers can do to improve the use of another’s semblance.
Weiss had herself to thank for how far she had gotten, for how much she had grown.
Yet, she still felt like a child. If she had been stronger she would have been able to follow Yang when she left to find Blake instead of breathlessly pointing to her general direction. Maybe then Blake wouldn’t have a scar above her hip and Yang would still have her arm. If Weiss had been stronger she could have followed Ruby up the tower. If she had been faster maybe Pyrrha would still be alive.
Weiss gripped the railing in front of her. She was so frustrated she wanted to scream, to let the ocean swallow her anguish, for it wasn’t sentient and wouldn’t judge.
“We all have our own strengths and weaknesses; Ruby is fast both physically and mentally, Yang is strong and courageous. But Weiss you…I don’t think you realize just how strong you really are. Maybe not physically, but your semblance is extraordinarily powerful,” Blake hesitated for a moment before placing her hand on Weiss’. She was taken back by the sudden physicality of the moment, her light blue eyes widening, but she didn’t pull away. Blake wasn’t a physical touch kind of gal, but Weiss felt her heart melt at Blake’s clear efforts to sooth the torment in her heart. “I don’t think I’m wrong when I say you’re one of the most powerful people I’ve ever met.”
“Blake,” Weiss’ voice was gentle and so quiet it was almost lost in the breeze. A light pink dusted her cheeks. “You flatter me, really. But all that is what makes it so difficult. There’s so many different things my semblance can do, and probably even more techniques that haven’t been discovered yet.”
“That’s what makes it so special.” Like you , Blake wanted to say but she choked it down.
There was something that stirred deep within Blake when she looked at Weiss these days; the cool transparency of her eyes, the way she would roll them when Ruby would call Weiss her “ultimate best friend bff bestie forever” but before her eyes even finished rolling, a soft smile was painted on her thin lips. The scar that marred the image of perfect symmetry that Blake found charming in and of itself, and even now the way her hair blew gently in the ocean breeze framing the perfect angles of her face.
Whatever knot had begun tangling in Blake’s stomach would have to be unwound. It wasn’t the time or the place, not when they were still weighed down by the grief and anxieties of the nightmare they’d experienced together. Not when the chance of what Blake was feeling was merely her not wanting to be alone.
Weiss squeezed Blake’s hand, the sharp points of her manicured fingernails bringing her back to the present. She felt the knot in her gut tighten, and so Blake did what she knew how to do best; she ran from what she feared.
“We should go gather our things, it won’t be much longer till we arrive.”
Weiss held Blake’s hand for a moment longer than necessary before letting go. She made a lead the way gesture, Blake taking the first steps towards the lower deck with Weiss clicking into place alongside her, preferring to be less of a shadow, and more of a reflection.