Chapter Four: Full Circle

The heavens had opened their floodgates on Emerald Forest, water rushing down in rivers from the sky. Heavy droplets hailed down, striking with enough force to upturn the loose soil and uproot defenseless saplings. And from the sturdy trees to the stone monuments, everything that had endured turned darker, baptized by a brutal blessing. Mother Nature had unleashed her wrath on the land today, and even the Grimm, fearsome as they were, had no choice but to seek what shelter they could find.

That went double for two amateur huntresses who dared to gallivant inside of her domain. Blake raced down the path, leaving waves of mud behind in her wake. Sting was drawn and ready at her side. Yellowjacket gleamed against the pulsing halo of a proud golden mane as Yang matched her step for step, marching dauntlessly through the deluge. Water sizzled and crackled against the copious skin bared by a simple yellow tank top and black shorts.

A groan rumbled in Blake's throat as a barrage of drops pelted her exposed arms, left uncovered by lithe, black ninja robes. She continued to strum the fingers of her left hand, playing with the ends of Shadow's strings. Thin wires cut a swath across the rainfall with nary a sound, casting a violent spray aside. She managed to keep most of the oppressive drops from bruising her this way, but couldn't keep this up forever. Her eyes joined Yang's in the frantic search for sanctuary.

An outcropping blocked by a pile of fallen trees. Through the cracks, she could spot a canopied clearing just behind it. "Yang!"

"Way ahead of you!" When Yang really did rush forward, Blake couldn't help but chuckle. She pressed the hidden switch on Sting's hilt with her thumb. A jingle sang, ringing through the noise of pounding rain. Yang's hair glowed with even greater vibrance, her strides wider and more confident. Blake was right behind her.

Yang's right fist smashed straight through, rending wood to wet splinters and even ash. Bounding through the new opening, Blake gave her partner steeled eyes and a nod. Yang smiled brightly and nodded back. They dashed to the center of the hidden glade and stood back-to-back against the pitch-black, light and shadow, their breathing as one.

There was something different about this area. Blake inhaled and exhaled eagerly through her nose. The air tasted good. Despite all the possible danger, a strange sense of security sedated her wound up muscles. A craving she never knew she had was being sated. Tuning her vision to the darkness, Blake scanned her half of the clearing. Rocks, bushes, and trees.

She scrunched her nose. Why was it all so familiar?

"Hellooooo? Is anyone out there?"

A rogue drop of rain homed in on the back of Blake's head. It burst open against her skull, a splash of freezing cold that jolted through her body, waking her up.

She remembered those exact words.

Peering over her shoulder, she searched past waves of incandescent blonde, comparing the sights and sounds against the storyboard etched into her mind. Three shattered stumps all in a row. "Oh, come on!" And two pairs of glowing red eyes.

Coincidence, the skeptic inside told her. Yet she couldn't stop the euphoric currents that washed up against the walls of her stomach. Blake whirled around, her weapons at the ready. "At least you have me this time."

Yang raised a curious brow. "Um, I'm pretty sure you helped with those Boarbatusks earlier." She began counting off on her gold-plated fingers. "And the Beowulves before that. And the Creeps before that."

Blake breathed out a laugh. As radiant as she was, Yang could only illuminate the area immediately around them. A bit short-sighted. "Never mind. Let's just get rid of them."

"Alright. Now you're talking." She slammed her fists together to the swoosh of an igniting flame. The bubble of light further consumed the darkness inch-by-inch. "Who's our next lucky contestant?"

Squinting, Blake could make out the spinal protrusions on the large, bear-like forms lumbering towards them. "Ursas." Several bony plates covered their unnaturally large backs. "Ursa Majors."

"Wow. That sure takes me back." Yang moved into her usual boxing stance, hands protecting her face while the long spines guarded her body.

"Doesn't it?" Blake gripped Shadow and Sting, stifling her amusement. Perhaps Yang was starting to realize. It could have always been a den of Ursas that she had stumbled into that day.

"You wanna try out Sunrise?" Yang looked to her excitedly.

Blake gave her a deadpanned look. "I don't think that's necessary." Not when they were both skilled enough now to wipe out multiple Grimm in a single blow.

"Hey, there's no kill like overkill."

Two-on-two. "Fine." The odds were way in their favor. "The one on the left."

The bell's toll signaled her attack. The Ursas had reared up at their approach, each standing up tall to swipe at them with powerful paws. But it didn't even get a chance as Blake crashed into it, Shadow and Sting scratching through its hide without even using her aura. It roared as she pushed it back, launching off shadow clones to periodically propel herself further forward. The whirlwind of slashes bit deeper into the black flesh of its underbelly, carving out the same cross-shaped crevice over and over again. Yang was right. After a rough day like this, it definitely felt good to toy with her prey.

Blake slid back, sinking into Yang's shadow as she flew past. The Ursa was already dead on its feet, a sandbag for Yang's powerful left uppercut. Round after round fired into the target Blake had engraved for her, even after the beast surrendered with fumes of black smoke. It couldn't sustain much more abuse. She sheathed Sting and whipped the paired weapons out behind her.

Shink.

A sliver of light climbed up the tip of a towering blade as she brought Shadow Sting before her, perching at a dangerously sharp point. The back half of Shadow had slid down, forming a telescopic edge that was double its original length. Compared to the many other modifications, this one had been the most straightforward and practical. Hardest part was getting it to make that cool sound whenever she used it.

Her eyes narrowed. Gods, she was such a dork. Raising the blade above her head, she cut down and across the Ursa's neck, severing its head. Yang burst straight through its stomach, light shining from the gaping hole she had made. Night above, sun below. Almost poetic.

"Nice!" Yang touched down next to her, her fists raised, ready and raring for the next fight. The Ursa Major's partner was still catching up, ambling towards them on all fours. "Here, I got this one."

Really? Blake rolled her eyes. Surely she knew how this was going to go. Especially if she was going to flip over it like that, revealing its back. Or maybe that was on purpose. Flipping Shadow Sting in her hand, she reared back for a javelin toss. Her partner distracted it with narrow dodges and playful jabs, buying her time to take aim. Right beneath that plate. Dead center in its back.

Twin blades buried themselves into the fell creature with a sickening crack, toppling over with an unceremonious thud. They locked eyes immediately. This time, amethyst wasn't so awestruck, instead delightfully amused. Collapsing her weapons with a flick of her wrist, Blake holstered them to her back. This time, amber wasn't so audacious, instead fluttering with quiet content. "I know. You could have taken him."

It was Yang who replicated the smug smirk Blake had decided on that day. "You set this up."

She shook her head. "I was just as surprised as you are."

Yang strolled over and slipped an arm behind her back. It was strange just how normal, how comfortable it felt now, to be in the presence of the sun. "But you knew. Soon as you got here."

As they walked the few steps back to the clearing, Blake looked up to her partner and told no lie. "I just had a feeling."

That same truth was mirrored back at her. "Yeah. So did I."

Blake felt each thudding beat of her own heart. In those eyes, she could see the love and compassion that had made this moment possible. The forgiveness. The understanding. All the reasons she knew that beyond the shadow of a doubt, she had made the right choice.

The world spun. Disorientation derailed the tracks of her mind as she was taken abruptly by the hand and twirled around and around. Her body instinctively followed the movements, having imagined them time and time again, practiced in secret once upon a dream. She let herself be flung outward only to be reeled back in, then dipped back just enough to feel the blood rush pleasantly to her head.

As she was pulled back up, Blake found only a sheepish smile in explanation. She offered a raised brow. "So I guess we're doing this now?"

Yang shrugged. "It just felt right." Holding Blake's waist, she pressed their bodies snug together. "You don't want to?"

She leaned into Yang's shoulder. "I didn't say that."

The playful grin distracted Blake, her right hand enveloped in a larger, warmer one, a comforting arm resting against the small of her back. Raising laced fingers up in front of them, wide, expectant amethyst asked for permission to continue. Amusement graced her own features as her ears found the sound of rain drumming against the mighty tree trunks.

CLAP-clap-clap. CLAP-clap-clap. CLAP-clap-clap.

She squeezed Yang's hand, letting herself be whisked away into the steady whirling dance. Her favorite dance. Three steps timed to a natural beat. No improvising. No showy moves. None of the modern dancing that gave her two left feet. This was different. Just aimless circles in a peaceful rhythm. Just her and her partner, going nowhere and everywhere. A tale as old as time.

As they spun and spun, a flash from behind her eyes washed the landscape white for just a few precious moments. They were back in Beacon's ballroom, to the first time they had danced like this. Back to the delight that never left her partner's pleased face that night, to dance saved just for her, to an exclusive expression only she had gotten to see. She could get lost in those eyes.

But not if they were already lost in thought. Right now, her partner suffered a thousand-yard stare, so distant, so far away. "Yang?"

"Huh?" Yang yelped as she fumbled her next few steps, hopping and skipping through panicked footfalls. She barely found her footing. "Oh geez, my bad."

"Don't worry about it." Blake slowed her pace, tugging her partner into a lazier spiral. "What's on your mind?"

Lilac fluttered innocently. "What do you mean?"

Her own eyes narrowed. The puppy dog look wouldn't work on this cat. "Don't be coy with me, Yang."

Leaning forward, Yang nestled her forehead right between two sensitive Faunus ears. Soft chuckles tickled onyx bangs. "Can't put anything past you anymore."

A vein throbbed painfully against her head. Blake brushed her ears against the glowing tresses. "You're too easy to read."

"Says the bookworm." A half-hearted scowl greeted Yang as she drifted away, resigned. "Alright, you got me. I guess it's just this place. It never really hit me until now: how we're so close to taking back Beacon."

A black heel sunk back solidly into the soft soil. "It won't be the same. We're not students anymore."

The sun simply shuffled around. Blake pivoted in stationary orbit. "Like that ever made a difference. Remember our first mission?"

Blake treaded in time with her thoughts, circling around the memories as she found them. "Mountain Glenn, right?"

"Yeah, the one we weren't supposed to go on." Yang stepped out wide, their loops becoming grander, more pronounced. "We've come pretty darn far since then."

Shadow Sting's persistent weight pushed her back into Yang again and again as they continued to turn. They were much heavier than Gambol Shroud. "We certainly have."

"Makes you wonder, though." Yang turned her head away, looking behind for something in the darkness surrounding them. "Do you think things would have been different if we graduated? Became real huntresses?"

Blake shuddered, remembering a creeping cold that had made her shiver in the searing heat of a campfire once before. Icy shards of an unresolved question, melted away by time, still clung to the back of her brain, a scar begging to be scratched. "What brought this on?"

Yang's entire body seemed to sigh in exasperation. "I dunno. It's just been kinda crazy, you know? So much to do, no time to think about it."

Their entwined hands swayed to and fro. A glittering gold wristlet grazed a beautiful black ribbon again and again. "War tends to do that."

They twirled in place, at the behest of Yang's tightening grip. "You're right. And I know we can't just sit this one out. "

"No." They could. They could run. Blake leaned into her partner, leeched a little of her confidence. "No, we shouldn't."

Her light waned, flickering very briefly, just enough to reveal the hesitation behind that smile. "Well, good thing one of us has their head on straight." Optimistic words tried and failed to hide her crestfallen eyes. "You always know what to do."

Blake steadied them to a gradual stop. She faced her partner head-on, took in all the fleeting, unsure glances that didn't suit her. "Only what I should do."

Turning calloused palms skyward, she placed her own hands flat against them. "Yang." One-by-one, she curled her fingers in, hooking their hands loosely together. "What do you want to do?"

She watched her partner retreat behind amethyst, searching the depths within. As naive Beacon freshmen, their knowledge had been too limited, their experience too shallow. Things were different now. Blake could tell by her own uncanny lack of hesitation. She could tell by the confidence that shined through Yang's actions every single day. The answers were there now.

Even if they were slippery, escaping right out from Yang's open mouth. Her brows knitted in annoyance. "Sorry. You're kinda putting me on the spot."

"Now you know how I feel." Blake caught her eyes before they could sink any lower, raising them back up with her own.

Idle feet rocked on their heels, leaking the unease contained within. "You're starting to sound like me."

"And you're starting to act like me." Blake took a small step towards Yang, nodding when she took a step back. Something slower, something simpler was in order. Two steps forward. Two steps back. A pendulum, swinging back and forth. "Talk to me, Yang."

Reflective lilac looked past her, to the trees surrounding them. "Just thinking about why I even went to Beacon. About Summer. About Raven." Water caught in the crags of ridged bark glistened, wicks of candle flames that sparkled reverently. "Man, I was one angry kid."

The banter came out on reflex. "I can't imagine."

Still, it got a laugh out of her. But her smile soon wilted, wistful as she looked up further into the darkness of entangled branches, where millions of stars should be staring back at her. "Used to get into a lot of fights. I just remember being angry. Angry at the Grimm. Angry at everyone around me." Amethyst shimmered, quivering with remorse. "Angry at the world."

Blake swallowed down her own bitter tears. "The world can be very cruel."

Warm eyes softened as they caught a shiver through her feline features. "You must have had it rough."

"There was so much hate." Her ears twitched, all four of them. "It didn't make any sense to me."

"It doesn't make any sense." Brown boots fell more forcefully, imprinting the moist earth with wayward footprints. "You deserve better."

Her own feet padded softly, flowing with her partner's movements. "A lot of Faunus thought so. We thought the White Fang would change things. But we just caused so much pain, so much suffering."

The black bow on Yang's arm bounced as Blake stepped back once. Twice. "I hid myself because I was ashamed." Thrice.

She might have kept going if Yang's grip wasn't so sure. "Blake, there's nothing wrong with being a Faunus."

Blake barely kept the corners of her lips from curling up. Yang's acceptance had always been remarkable. But right now, that wasn't the problem. "It wasn't even that. I was ashamed because . . . I just watched it all happen." She sagged back into her step.

Only for Yang to draw her forward. "That's not on you."

"I went along with it, Yang." Just outside the opening in the trees, the torrential rain transformed the dirt into the same thick, black sludge that covered Beacon. "Look how that turned out."

"Hey. It wasn't all bad. I got to meet you." The small but genuine smile started at her eyes and radiated outward.

It loosened the binds around her heart, but regret would not be so easily undone. "Really, Yang? Was it really worth it?"

Yang took a deep breath, looking to the west, past the forest, seeing in her mind the academy they had both once called home. A thoughtful twinkle appeared in her eye. She exhaled, letting it all out. "I remember waking up in Patch. After Beacon fell. I saw my dad crying next to me. You know the first thing I asked him?"

A familiar pain twisted in Blake's gut. Her Faunus ears flattened against her head. "What?"

"Where you were."

A sudden chill trailed up her legs. It all came back to her. Even if she didn't want it. The reasons. The pretenses that she'd hid behind. She bowed away. "I ran, Yang. Like I always do."

"After all you've been through, I don't blame you." Yang matched her downcast gaze, meeting in their misery. "Honestly, I'm a little glad you did."

Blake raised stunned eyes as Yang's face fell. "That was the lowest I've ever been. I wasn't even angry. Just tired of everything."

"I'm sorry, Yang." Blake grasped her hands tighter, until she could trace hardened knuckles with her thumbs. It was all she could do to stop the tears. "You never deserved that."

Yang hung her head in shame. "It felt like I'd never get back up."

The roar of the rain receded, quieting to a dull patter that dragged out the somber thought. Her thumbs moved to stroke Yang's palms. She would never know what her partner had been though just to find the will to fight again. She hadn't been there. She hadn't seen the struggle, the pain. There was only one thing she knew for sure.

"You did, Yang. You got back up. I wouldn't be here if you didn't." And she counted her blessings every day that Yang had been strong enough to find her, kind enough to forgive her. "You saved me."

Yang scoffed. "Psh. C'mon, Blake. You're making me sound like a real huntress." She said it so matter-of-factly, so second nature that the words seemed to just sit, stupefied in the very air between them. Even Yang herself gaped, unsure of what to do with them.

Fortunately, Blake did know what to do. With an approving nod, she echoed them back. "Maybe you are."

The epiphany slingshot right back – Blake could tell by the way Yang flinched, blinking to discern the revelation that hit her right between the eyes. "We are." A grin began to widen, brightening the darkness more than her semblance ever could. "You know, I used to think that being a huntress was all about going around and having crazy adventures."

A small smile of her own formed as Blake felt her partner's hands firmly clutch her own. "We've had our own share of adventures."

"It's funny, to think: Uncle Qrow told me that every day out there was worth a week back at Beacon." Relieved laughter breathed new life into the dank air. "I'm starting to see why."

"It does feel good to actually help people."

Once clumsy footsteps now flowed together, forming a clear pattern. "Yeah. We've seen way too many people get hurt out there." Their whimsical, impromptu dance had become something more, an idea that had blossomed, transcending thought.

The painted flames of Yang's elbow popped out to life in the light of her semblance. They relit a fire inside of Blake that had long been smothered by shame. She clenched her teeth. "No thanks to the White Fang."

A gentle shake of her hands released the tension in her body. Blake didn't even have to look up to see the reassuring smile. She felt it, the warmth that welled up within. "We'll stop them, Blake."

Blake sighed. "I wish it was that simple. You've seen it, Yang. The Faunus need the White Fang."

Her yellow mane billowed left and right as Yang shook her head. "Not the way it is now."

"No." And that's when the image of a blue flag unraveled in her mind, flapping in the wind, ascended from ashes. If Yang could do it, if she could pull herself back up . . . Blake swallowed. She could see it, feel it rising higher and higher into the air and herself along with it. "But maybe the way it used to be."

"You gonna run it back?" There is was, that gleeful grin. Whether she was issuing a challenge or accepting one, Yang Xiao Long didn't back down.

Blake smirked. So this is what it felt like. Confidence filled her to the brim, almost making it hard to breathe. "Someone has to."

Yang stamped her approval with a smile. "Well, it sounds like you got it figured out."

"Guess so." Blake looked up at her partner. "What about you?"

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll be one busy bee." Yang stopped to pull Blake in closer, to let her see the flame in her eye. Sincerity burned pure, a focused fire that Blake had seen before. It was one that had stopped at nothing to bring her back. "Everyone falls down. Some people just need a little help getting back up. So that's what I'll do. I'll find those people and get 'em back on their feet."

Blake hung both hands from steadfast shoulders. Sturdy enough carry the burdens of others. Strong enough to hold up hope for those who had none. Anyone could learn how to dispatch a creature of Grimm. It took a little bit of wisdom and a lot of heart to protect mankind from itself. "You have a knack for it. I can vouch for that."

Warm arms wrapped around her waist. "Hey, maybe I can tag along with you."

"What?" If she wasn't so warm, Blake might have made a stronger effort to push her partner away. As it was, she just writhed a bit against her grip. "Yang, no."

Yang would not be moved. "Why not? A lot of Faunus out there need a helping hand." She pressed herself even closer, until Blake could smell the lavender rolling off her in waves. "And if they're anywhere near as hot as you, I sure wouldn't mind picking them up."

"Look who's talking." Warmth pulsed through Blake's body, surges of heat that emanated from each and every place their bodies touched. They ebbed and flowed as their bare arms brushed against each other, wearing down her resistance, convincing her that Yang was right.

Maybe because she was? Blake shook her head, breathing in cool air to sober her thoughts. "Yang, seriously. You'd be an outcast."

Yang shrugged it off. "What's new?"

Blake deflated, bowing her head. "I never wanted that for you."

"Too bad." Reaching behind her, Yang grasped one end of her orange scarf and pressed it against the black silk around Blake's neck. "We're partners, remember?"

Blake covered Yang's hand with her own. "That was my choice."

"And this is mine." Yang smiled as she hugged Blake's head to her chest, whispering into Faunus ears. "Sorry, Blake, you're stuck with me."

And as she returned the embrace, settling into her partner, she decided to let her argument sit. No matter how far she ran with it, Yang would meet her at every turn. No, she let her mind take backseat for once, feeling rather than thinking. Finding solace in each other, they swayed back and forth to the low rumble of the rain. Eyes shyly flitted away to look at anything but each other. Small smiles and little nods at nothing in particular. Wordless exchanges filled with anticipation.

This comfortable silence. This was something they had earned. This was where Blake would usually crack open a book, living the lives of the people in the pages. It was where Yang would flip through her Scroll, finding new things to try, new places to go. It was where both of them would indulge themselves in the wonders of a world not their own.

But now here they were. Wandering the wilderness. Kidnapping heiresses. Finding old friends. Giving people hope. Their bucket lists were growing shorter and shorter. They were in that world now, looking to the future.

And she wasn't sure whether to be ashamed or not that it included Yang. She bit her tongue, but it overturned her dawdling indecision. "Alright."

Yang pulled away just enough to show Blake how lost she was. "What?"

Blake sighed. Perhaps context was necessary. "I mean, you're going to follow me anyway, right?"

Realization returned with a cocky smile. "You bet your booty I am."

"I hope you know what you're getting into. It might take a while for the Faunus to trust a human." Velvety black ears perked up, matching the curve of her mouth. A very long while if they were a cat Faunus. "And your pick-up lines could use some work."

Soft vibrations carried Yang's giggles through to Blake. "As long as they work on you."

Pleasant tremors rumbled between them as Blake responded in turn. "Coming on a little strong, aren't you?"

Yang pressed their foreheads together, gazing dreamily. "Just getting tired of pussyfooting around."

Blake almost didn't hear the pun over the beating of her heart, drumming in her ears so fast that she could hardly be sure it was there. Anxiety wound her body tight, a spring ready to snap. "That makes two of us."

She leaned in as Yang trailed her cheek with an ethereal hand, cupping her chin just right. She was shaking. They both were. But they wouldn't run from this. Not this time.

Every feature of the face Blake had fallen in love with focused into painstaking clarity. Stunning lilac eyes, filled with love and compassion. The magnificent smile that brightened her life, lighting the way forward. Radiant cheeks and a perfect little nose that animated her expressions, made her more vivid and vivacious than words could even describe. She burned them into her memory as she finally closed her eyes, giving herself to Yang. Her light, even in complete darkness.

Their lips met shyly at first, awkwardly feeling, fumbling, exploring. Something so simple, so innocent. Yet so elegantly intricate that nothing Blake had read could do it even the modicum of justice. The sharp pain in her temple. The ache in her stomach. The tangled coil strangling her heart. They all faded away. The two of them floated off, leaving their troubles behind.

Blake melted, pressing ever closer, as if their very souls could be connected by a single hot breath. One kiss flowed into the next. She poured herself into Yang and, in turn, felt tender, soothing warmth flow through her body. There was a need now, to brush those feather-soft lips against her own, a phantom craving that would only ever staved, never sated. The countless caresses started becoming too short, every touch more precious, more desperate to defy the tense scream of burning lungs.

They peppered the air with wild panting to fill the growing distance between them. Amber eyes fluttered open reluctantly, as if waking from a dream she didn't want to end. Heavy-lidded amethyst sparkled in the afterglow. Blake touched two fingers to her lips, feeling the wetness that lingered there. Struggling breaths grew even shorter as her heart raced in the realization of what they had done.

"Well. That was a thing." The glee in whispered words washed against Blake's sensitive skin, hyperaware of every little sensation. Of the gentle hand brushing the back of her head. Of the pillowy cheek nuzzling against hers.

"You have such a way with words." Her wit was cut short as she became aware of gravity's sneaky attempt to topple her over. She grimaced, only barely catching herself from lurching to the side. Her time on cloud nine had made her oblivious to just how close her feet had become. She took a step back to better support herself, but somehow misplaced it, slipping and sliding and flailing about.

But Yang was there. She whisked Blake into a bridal carry before she could even touch the ground, then set her down on the springy grass. It tickled her arms, but not as much as the silky golden tresses that dipped down, draping a curtain around them. Yang had knelt down beside her, tangling their hands together, looking quite pleased with herself. "Looks like I swept you off your feet."

Blake allowed the small smile. "Quite literally." Sitting back up, she shifted over so that their shoulders were perpendicular, pressed together perfectly. Yang's left hand slunk around to support her back. "I would say that I fell for you, but I think I used that one already."

Laughter lit up jubilant lilac. She laughed so hard that the mass of blonde curls tucked into Blake's shoulder, rustling her scarf and her hair. "You're the best, Blake. You're so awesome."

A blush seared the already sweltering skin of her ears. Always the flatterer. "I'm nothing special."

"But you are. Really." Yang's smile appeared inches from her own, shimmering with sincerity. "I mean, look at you. There isn't a day that goes by that you're not trying to make a difference. You do all these incredible things and make it look so easy." With each statement, her eyes widened with sheer excitement. "I feel like I have to at least try to keep up."

Yang placed their clasped hands flat against her heart. It thumped loud and fast, skipping to a brisk marching pace. "You fuel my fire, Blake – you challenge me, make me better than I am. I burn because of you."

Happy, grateful tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. How could someone be so enthusiastic to tell her how great she is? Her, of all people. The words climbed up her wet throat, patching the cracks in her voice with raw emotion. "Yang. You're the one who inspired me. I thought I'd have to live my life hiding from the world."

She snuggled into the crook of Yang's shoulder, relishing the warmth of her hearth, her home. "You gave me a place to come back to. When you're there, I'm not afraid of fighting from shadows." Affectionate amethyst greeted her from above. "If you light the way, I'll be right behind you. I promise."

"Good. Because I don't care how bad it gets." Yang brushed their noses together, just barely missing thirsty, wanting lips. "As long as you're there, Blake."

Blake snaked her arms around Yang's neck, pulling herself closer. "Yang . . ." Warm light guided her to where she needed to be, even behind the blackness of her eyelids.

"Shh . . ."

Sharp, shrill cold pierced the air. "There you are!"

Oh.

Oh crud.

Weiss' voice had a way of making your stomach just . . . just plummet. Instead of moving, hiding, running, doing anything at all to improve her situation, Blake just froze. And judging from the loud swallow and little else from Yang, she did too. "Where have you two . . ."

The methodical padding of heels halted abruptly in shock. Weiss stood ramrod straight before them, blinking, mouth parted as the sight sank in. The fringes of her combat skirt ruffled in sheer disbelief before she exploded. "What are you doing?!"

A red cloak unfurled from behind icy white. Ruby popped out from behind her partner's shoulder. "Looks like they were about to smooch."

"I can see that, you dolt!" Blake shrunk as Weiss turned sharply back to them. They weren't forgotten. If there was one thing Weiss had down pat, it was delegating her wrath. "You two were sent out here to scout, not to . . . to canoodle!"

Ruby chortled. "Canoodle."

Blake couldn't hide her own stifled chuckling, not even with the hand covering her mouth. It was very Weiss word. Yang shared her sister's snickers, adding a slow clap. "Wow, Weiss. Wow."

"Quiet, both of you." A chilly glare scolded Ruby before scowling at the duo even harder. "How long as this been going on? You two have been awfully close lately, but not that close."

Blake exchanged a sidelong glance for an affirmative wink from Yang. Right. Play it cool. She fixed Weiss with her usual grumpy glare. "Not long enough to enjoy it, since we were rudely interrupted."

Yang performed an exaggerated nod. "Yeah, Weiss."

And apparently Ruby wasn't above ganging up on her partner. She got right in her face, smirking smugly. "Yeah, Weiss."

Weiss' stunned reaction was priceless. She looked positively betrayed. Ruby, on the other hand, beamed at them. "So I guess this means you two are together together now?"

Blake smiled as she felt Yang clasp her hand gently. She squeezed back. "Yes. Yes, we are."

Weiss had apparently recovered enough to fling her ponytail out dismissively and roll her eyes. "Took long enough." But for all her bark, a small smile proved that she was still the biggest softy of them all. "Good for you. Both of you."

Ruby revved up, drawing herself in, closing her eyes, getting ready to burst like the uncontainable ball of energy that she was. She clenched her hands into small fists, nearly lost in the red frills around her wrists. "This. Is. Awesome!" Slim, energetic arms extended upwards, punctuating each word. "I am so happy for you guys!" Her vim and vigor were truly infectious, afflicting Blake with subdued chuckles. Two other sets joined hers, one cool in its amusement, the other cheery and warm. Only Ruby could check the three of them like that. Just by being impulsive as ever.

Case in point, she nearly tackled Weiss from behind, huddling them all together in a loose circle on the grass. "Group hug!" And true to her word, she flung her arms across white and across yellow, linking her hands behind Blake's neck to draw them all in. The flimsy bonds became rock solid as four pairs of arms weaved together and locked, a firm pressure that had them cheek-to-cheek, giggling like carefree schoolgirls.

Blake let herself become lost in the laughter. Beacon could wait. It was just a place, a symbol, a starting line for their relationship. Right now, this embrace, this was her home. This was her family. This was where she belonged.

The chords of camaraderie strumming in their hearts sustained their cheery laughter, even as they sat back slowly in satisfied silence. But the restless Ruby couldn't sit still for long, hopping to her feet. "Good stuff, guys."

Only natural to follow suit. Blake moaned as her body contended against contentment, little aches that tried to keep her rooted to that spot. It would have taken her a minute or two to get back up, if not for two insistent arms that picked her up by the waist and raised her effortlessly into the air. She kicked and squirmed, for pride's sake more than anything because she couldn't deny how her breath had been taken away. As her feet hit the ground, she huffed but didn't shy away from Yang's presence at her side. "Thanks."

Yang bumped hips with her, glowing in all senses of the word. "My pleasure."

And at the sight of the two back at it, Ruby simpered, rubbing the back of her neck. "Oh. And, uh, sorry for, you know, ruining your moment. Maybe we should leave you two alone."

Weiss lifted her nose into the air. "One might say that we should, buzz off?"

You could hear the crickets chirping, even in the downpour. Indignant cheeks puffed out in a pout. "You know, because you're Bumblebee . . . ?"

Blake stopped halfway from a double facepalm, instead extending those exasperated hands towards Weiss, presenting the dead joke back to her. Even Yang knew better than to explain the pun.

Yang rubbed her temple. "Please. Weiss, honey, just stop."

Blake chuckled as Weiss fumed. Now that was masterfully done. "It's fine, Ruby. I think we were going to head back to town anyway."

"We were?" Blake almost laughed at how disappointed Yang sounded, her voice rising several octaves in pitch, and nearly sputtered at how distressed she looked. Crestfallen, eyes watering, the very image of a kicked puppy.

She might be a cat, but she wasn't heartless. So she threw her a bone, leaning back against Yang's shoulder, sneaking her sultry eyes that promised much more. "Yes, Yang. We were."

"Ooooh." Her widening grin wrote volumes of the mischief she had in store for the both of them. "Yeah, okay. I'm cool with that."

Weiss cringed, leering at them out the corner of her eye. "Hmph. I hope you two at least have the decency to get a room this time."

Because kissing in public was so scandalous. Yang threw her arms up into the air. "It's a freakin' forest!" Her sentiments exactly.

Ruby rushed between fire and ice, holding her arms out. She puffed her chest out to appear bigger, but only succeeded in looking more adorable, if that was even possible. "C'mon, let it go, Weiss." Ruby turned to her sister. "We'll go on ahead. Meet up with us whenever you're ready."

And fluttering red rose petals were the only evidence that Ruby had been there in the first place. Along with the warmth in their hearts, of course. Weiss shook her head, extending her palm to cast a glyph at her feet, another unique design, another snowflake true to its nature, no longer merely a mirror of the Schnee symbol. And despite all her protests, Weiss produced a rare, sincere smile. A beautifully faceted crystal forged from ice. "Don't dally too long."

Weiss took off, trailing icy wind behind her. Blake simply stepped back, bumping into the glow of the yellow fire behind her. Then there were two.

Yang turned her around, clutching her shoulders with a goofy grin. "So. Where were we?"

Blake folded her arms. "You heard her, Yang. We should go."

As if Weiss' word would make her relent. "Whenever we're ready, they said." Yang waggled her eyebrows. "I figure that might take a while."

"Tell you what. If you can keep up with me . . ." Blake scratched her cheek. How best to word this. "Maybe . . . maybe we'll actually take Weiss' advice."

Obviously that was too vague. Yang turned her head with the questioning brow. "What?"

Blake bit her tongue, eyes veering away. "You know, actually get a room." Now that actually sounded pretty scandalous.

And perhaps it was too strong an incentive, judging by how the wide, gaping mouth shaped into a cocky grin. "Oh, I'll catch you, Blake. No matter what it takes."

Grasping Shadow Sting's hilt, she turned back around to hide the smirk that came unbidden to her lips. "I'm counting on it."

Blake became a black blur as she ran out the opening, back to the path, unsheathing Sting with a satisfying shing, letting Shadow loose against the torrent that descended upon her. And true to her word, an orange scarf sailed in the wind against the streak of yellow to her right. A tremor traveled up Blake's spine. Her skin still tingled, her mind and body still numb from the rush. Yellow would always guide her back home, truer than the sun in the sky. A warmer hand brushed the top of her own. Her own brilliant beacon.

Setting Sting on her back, she clasped Yang's hand tightly, mirroring the bright smile across from her. The day had caught the night, rewarded for its perpetual pursuit across the sky. And like the sun and moon, they would rise and fall. There would be good times and bad times. But she and Yang, they would strive to be the dawn and the dusk as they moved forward on this endless, twisted loop.

Together.

Aaaaaaaand we're finally done.

Gosh, this one was definitely a ride to write. I had originally planned to play with perspective, but decided it got way too clunky half way through. Anyway, sorry this one took so long, but hope y'all enjoy reading it.

Until next time!