Chapter XXVIII - Stars Shine Darkly
Blake
Night lay pressingly upon the ruins, and the moon was full, half-swallowed by clouds. Blake stared out at the shafts of silver that poured through the roof onto the dusty floor, tempered by firelight. She was cold, down to her bones, and the sleeping bag didn’t trap any warmth that would alleviate the chill.
She closed her eyes and sighed, trying in vain to grasp at some semblance of sleep, but it eluded her. So, when Yang’s hushed voice rang out moments later, she gave up entirely.
“Blake? You awake?”
“Yeah, I am.” She yawned and brushed her fingers over the silvery dust on the floor, feeling it swirl away from her touch, in tiny motes that danced like stars in the shafts of moonlight. “But I shouldn’t be, and nor should you.”
Yang sounded puzzled, sad; the Bond surged with doubt and sorrow. Perhaps it was from both of them. Either way, she was far from certain in herself. “Why do you think the professor asked us about why we wanted to be Huntresses? Like, what was he trying to say to us?”
Blake sighed, rolling over to meet her partner’s eyes, which reflected orange with the fire’s light. I wish I knew, but all I am certain of is that I have no idea what I’m going to do. “Maybe he was just curious, Yang.”
Yang didn’t sound convinced. “You think?
Blake gave a disgruntled noise after a pause. “No, I don’t.”
Her partner gave a gruff sigh, flopping back on her sleeping roll and letting out a breath. “Weiss, are you awake?”
“Of course I'm awake!” Blake flinched as Weiss snapped. “You two are talking. And I think he…” She sighed between her teeth. “When I said I wanted to honor my family's name, I meant it. But— it's not what you think. I'm not stupid. I'm fully aware of what my father has done with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated in a... morally gray area.”
Blake snorted. After Ayran and Adam fighting your father’s company, I saw how corrupted it was up close, certainly. “That's putting it lightly,” she said out loud, trying to pass off the break in her tone as she remembered killing a man from the Schnee Company, remembered his blood coating her hands and his pulse fading beneath her skin. An echoing voice breathed in the back of her head. Just how many people have you killed, Blake?
“Which is why I feel the need to make things right,” Weiss said hotly, shattering Blake’s thoughts. “If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it.”
Blake slumped back onto her sleeping blanket, feeling suddenly very, very drained. “All of my life,” she said softly, her heart fluttering in her chest, “I’ve fought for what I thought was right.” She could see Yang watching her sadly, and she knew her partner could feel the crippling misery within her. “I had a partner, once— named Adam. We were… close because of the circumstances in which we had met— two young Faunus, both manipulated in our organization. For a while, anyways. And Adam… he always assured me that what we were doing would make the world a better place. But of course… his idea of a perfect future turned out to be not perfect for everyone.” She closed her eyes, images flashing through her mind’s eye. A dead, lolling corpse, a surge of Faunus swirling through a peaceful rally, voices raised in hatred and fury, two scarred eyes. “And so, I joined the Academy because I knew that Huntsmen and Huntresses were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world; they were always fighting for good. But I never really thought past that. I just needed to get out of there, as soon as I could, and anything beyond that could wait. But now— when I leave the Academy, what will I—” She took a deep breath, fighting down the choking wave of horror that threatened to close over her. “How can I undo so many years of hatred towards the people like me?
Yang’s voice was clearly shaken, but she reached over and clasped Blake’s hand. “I know you’ll figure it out. You're not one to back down from a challenge, Blake.”
Blake jerked away and sat up, staring numbly into the darkness. “But I am,” she whispered. “I do it all the time! When you learned I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do, so I ran— you saw it, you chased after me but I still stayed away! When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran! Even my semblance— I was born with the ability to leave behind a shadow of myself, Yang. An empty copy that takes the hit while I run away, again, and again.”
Silence met her words, but she could feel Weiss’s worried eyes drilling into her back, and she could feel Yang’s desolation.
Yang spoke at last, her words low and faltering. “At least you two have something that drives you. I've just kind of always— gone with the flow, you know? And that's fine, I mean— that's who I am. But how long can I really do that for?” Blake looked over, eyebrows knitting together. You never told me that’s how you felt… She let the thought die away, knowing questioning her girlfriend wouldn’t accomplish anything.
“I want to be a Huntress… but not really because I want to be a hero. It’s just because I want the adventure. I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring, and that'll be a good thing… but being a Huntress just happens to line up with that.” She sighed heavily, propping her chin on her elbow and looking at Weiss, before returning her gaze, sadly, to Blake. “I’m not like Ruby, you know. She's always wanted to be a Huntress. It's like she said— ever since she was a kid, she dreamt about being the heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day, and never, never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get where she is today.”
Weiss shifted and glanced outside, before lowering her voice. “Well, she's still just a kid.”
Blake shook her head, and let out a breath through her noise. “She's only two years younger, Weiss. We're all kids.”
“Well, not anymore,” Yang said suddenly, sitting up and placing her hands on her knees. She raised her eyebrows at the two of them. “I mean— look where we are, you guys. We’re in the middle of a warzone and armed to the teeth! That’s not what an ordinary seventeen-year old is doing.”
“It's the life we chose,” Blake said softly, leaning against Yang’s side. Her partner stroked her hair comfortingly.
“It's a job. We all had this romanticized vision of being a Huntress in our heads,” Weiss said firmly, meeting both of their gazes in turn. “But at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people! And whatever we want will have to come second.”
“Your turn for watch, Blake! Brrr. It’s awfully cold out there.”
Blake looked up as Ruby scrambled into the shelter with a clatter of shifting rubble, Zwei bounding in after her. She yawned, shivering with cold and rubbing her arms as she burrowed into her sleeping bag. Blake glanced at the fire before grabbing Gambol Shroud, reluctantly uncurling from the warmth of sleep, and she walked to the watch-site.
As she sat down gingerly on a plank of broken wood, she heard crunching footsteps follow her before a warm weight sank down beside her, making the structure creak and sway ominously, but it held.
It was Yang, yawning widely and rumpling her hair. Blake raised an eyebrow questioningly at her. “Does the concept of sleep mean nothing to you?” she asked softly.
Yang put her hand over Blake’s. “It’s cold and I can’t sleep, I’m too nervous— and spooked about earlier. So I thought I’d come and keep you company.”
“Your presence is welcome,” Blake said drily, and Yang nudged her. “No, really. It’s cold out here, and I don’t like being up alone with these thoughts.”
“So,” Yang said bluntly after a pause. “You talked about Adam. Are you okay?”
Blake looked away silently with a shrug, and Yang sighed.
“You’re my partner and girlfriend and we’re Bonded, which is supposed to be forever. But more than that, you’re my best friend, and it hurts me to see you so doubtful.” She gave a thin smile. “And obviously, it hurts me when you hurt, because I can feel it. And I know you’re sad about Adam right now, and you’re wondering— wondering if any of this is your fault, wondering if you’re weak for not knowing what the future holds, wondering how you can change a legacy of hate.”
Blake’s eyes widened. “How did you—”
“I know you,” Yang said simply. “And I know you can do this. If it means enough to you, you will figure it out. Have faith in yourself! And don’t let what you aren’t sure of hold you back. As for Adam, do you know the kind of courage it takes to escape the situation you were in? You’re one of the bravest people I’ve ever met, you know.” She clasped Blake’s hands between hers. “Don’t doubt it for a second, Blake.”
Blake lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles, light as the brush of a feather, a weight lifting from her shoulders that she hadn’t even known was there. “Thank you,” she said softly. “For everything.”
Yang leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, her breath cool and gentle. “It’s going to be okay, I promise. Everything will blow over eventually. And I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“But, I also love sleep, especially on a night like this, so I’m going to go do that,” she added, before winking. “Stay vigilant. You wouldn’t want Zwei to sneak up and snuggle you, would you?”
“Get out of here, Yang,” Blake grinned as Yang turned and scampered back into the reach of the firelight. She turned her head and looked up at the moon, feeling more comforted, feeling a little more certain.
Does it truly matter if I have doubts? It is not as though everything is doomed to fall because I am uncertain of the future. And sorrow can be good, to remind me of the happiness I have felt. Can anyone really say they know the exact path that they will take forward?
I can just wait and do my best to keep Yang safe, and follow my heart. That is all I can ask of myself and of my Fate, in the end.
Yang
Yang yawned, blinking tiredly as she crawled back into the abandoned building from her turn at watch. The fire had died into a bed of cooling embers, casting a cool red glow through the darkness. Blake was snoring softly and Weiss was murmuring in her dreams, and as she saw them sleeping, her own exhaustion rushed back. She stretched with a groan. “H-hey, Weiss,” she yawned, “it’s your turn for—”
Wait.
“Ruby,” she muttered, realizing it even as she said it aloud. Her sister’s sleeping roll was empty and rumpled. “You guys— where the hell's Ruby gone off to?”
A low bark answered her, echoing through the compartment before a small shadow galloped in, resolving itself to be Zwei as it moved into the firelight. Yang crouched down, noticing how his ears were flattened in fear, rock dust coating his fur, his tongue panting in apprehension. “Zwei?” she said softly, her own heart starting to pound. “Zwei, where’s Ruby?”
He gave a worried bark before giving her palm an urgent lick.
Blake had roused herself at Yang’s first word, and now she stood, looking apprehensive and eerie as the firelight cast shifting shadows over her face. “Yang, what’s going on? Where’s Ruby?”
Oobleck had clearly heard their voices raised, for he dashed in, looking irritable. “What’s all the fuss about?”
“Doctor Oobleck— Ruby’s missing—”
Weiss scrambled to her feet at once, looking aghast. “What?”
“Grab your weapons,” the professor said, cutting into their worried rabble, looking determined— for the first time— truly like a Huntsman ready to swoop in and fight. “Your leader may be in trouble.”
Yang stared down into the shadowy, seemingly endless pit. Weiss approached from behind her with a startled inhale of breath.
“Do you think she fell?”
“Fell?”
“Down there,” Weiss said quietly, looking into the darkness with terrible fear in her eyes.
“Of course!” Oobleck said after a beat, his voice loud and angry in the darkness, startling Yang away from the void. “Oh my. Of course! Of course, of course!”
Blake’s eyes were huge in the shadows, bright with concern. “What is it?
Oobleck was circling the pit rapidly and shaking his head. “How could I be so stupid?”
Yang’s voice rose sharply. I’ve got to stop him before he works us up into a damn panic. “Dr. Oobleck, what's wrong?”
Oobleck shot over to her with startling rapidity, his eyes flashing sapphire behind his glasses. “Mountain Glenn, my dear girl! Think: an expansion of Vale that was inevitably destroyed by creatures of Grimm! It was previously home to thousands of people— working people commuting to the city, the main city— they developed a subway system to the inner city— Grimm attacks increased— now the population is in danger, now desperately searching for shelter— the city evacuates into the metro tunnels and what do they find? The southeast quadrant of Vale is known for wild forests and deep caves!”
Yang stared back at him, ashen. Ruby, please, please be okay… “Doc, what are you saying?”
He sprang away. “My dear, we're not just looking for an underground crime network, we're looking for a literal underground crime network!”
Blake’s voice was stunned. “You don’t mean to tell me that the White Fang— they’ve been working in caves?”
Oobleck shook his head, lips pursing as he hovered on a broken slab of rock, staring intently into the pit. “No, no, Blake. Mountain Glenn was Vale's first serious attempt at expansion. It worked for a short period of time, thanks to an aggressive perimeter defense, and unique transportation; the city developed an elaborate subway system to carry citizens safely from the new territory into the main kingdom!” He sighed heavily. “Sadly, without the many natural barriers Vale had to protect its borders, Mountain Glenn was doomed from the start! As the end drew near, the citizens of the territory made one last attempt at survival: They took up shelter beneath the city! In massive caves that they had cleared out for the subway. And they had cut themselves off from the surface!”
Yang was bemused. He never taught us this. Selective history class, what a joke… “Are you saying it was like an underground village?”
“In a matter of speaking - yes. A safe haven. Until... an explosion opened the mouth of another cavern, filled with subterranean Grimm. After that, the Kingdom officially sealed off the tunnels, and the citizens that had not escaped perished by the Grimm or starved to death… creating the world's largest tomb.” His voice grew grave as he reached for his thermos, pressing a button as it elongated into a staff. He brandished it against his chest and looked down into the darkness grimly. “If she fell, and is down there where the operations are going on, then that criminal Torchwick must have gotten her. We will have to hurry.”
Yang’s breath hissed out between her teeth. “That ba— bad man,” she finished, with a quick nervous glance at Weiss, who rolled her eyes. “Let’s go, then. I don’t care if it’s a freaking catacomb or if the entire population of Grimm in the world is down there. I’m not letting anyone hurt my sister again.”
And without a single backward glance, the four of them plunged into the depthless pit.