57

Chapter 57: The Oncoming Storm

Southern Remnant Ocean

High above in the clear night sky, surrounded by the twinkling lights of a thousand stars, Remnant's shattered moon shone down on a passenger ship cutting through the sea. The ship was mostly dark, the passengers having retired to bed hours ago. Only a few lights lit up the deck and the bridge, just enough for the crew to go about their business.

At the very back of the ship, a single passenger was still on deck, gazing up at the endless sky as she leaned heavily against the railing.

To say Ilia had never felt more lost wasn't entirely accurate. There was one day… one long, painful, soul-tearing day, that would forever hold that 'honor'. But right then, as she watched a falling star streak across the sky, was a firm second.

She let out a tired sigh, her eyes dropping to the waves below as she thought of the last few days.

Never had she felt more content and so stressed at the same time.

The past few days had been… odd, to say the least. But considering that she'd spent them side-by-side with her king and queen, how could they be anything but?

The Belladonnas had been so… nice. It was baffling. She was part of the new White Fang, had been working most of her life to achieve their goal through every method Chief Ghira derided. She'd lied, cheated, stole; done everything short of murder to help push Adam's doctrine… and they knew it. The chief and his wife knew she'd betrayed them in the worst way… and yet they were still so kind.

When Kali had hugged her… held her as only a mother could… well, Ilia could just feel her armor crack a little. It hadn't helped when she finally opened her eyes again, only to meet the sad, tired look on Chief Ghira's face. And then, to her utter amazement… she'd gotten an answer to her question.

Once she'd calmed down enough to hold an actual conversation, Kali had told her, reluctantly, why Blake had left the White Fang as she did. Why her best friend had turned her back on everything they stood for, fought and bled for. Why she'd been left behind without a second thought.

But that answer… it just left her with more questions.

The reason Blake hadn't planned to take her with her was because… there was no plan. Every single theory Ilia had, ranging from the simple to the audacious, was completely blown apart. It wasn't an opportunity Blake had been waiting for so she could leave. It was no malicious effort to stab Adam in the back. Far from it.

Blake was still loyal. She hadn't sought out to betray them, betray her. She went out with every intention of helping Adam come back with a train full of Dust. The reason why she ran at that moment, made such a snap decision to turn her back on everything she knew, was because of her newly formed Link. In the middle of the raid, she had seen and Felt Adam for who he truly was.

And it had horrified her.

The very thought put a cold feeling in Ilia's stomach. Adam was their leader. He made grand promises for Faunuskind, and he delivered. Everyone in the White Fang, herself included, would fight and die for him. And no one, no one, was more fanatically loyal to him than Blake was. She'd been his right hand for years… yet, whatever she Felt from him wiped it all away in seconds. The implications were… well, terrifying.

Adam had always been slowly growing darker as the years had gone by, but Ilia hadn't thought much of it. Times had gotten tougher, the world harsher, and Adam changed with it to keep fighting. And all those under him, herself and Blake included, followed suit. It just… made sense.

But… not to Blake. She got a deeper look at their leader than anyone before… and it sent her fleeing for her life.

Ilia scowled at the waves sloshing against the ship. She thought of the words Kali had used, repeated straight from Blake herself. Cold. Unfeeling. Hollow.

Part of her wanted to call Blake a liar, that she was making the worst of Adam to further her own agenda… whatever that may be. But it quieted quickly. Blake wasn't that kind of person. She wouldn't make a lie like that, not to her parents. They were everything to her. But if she was telling the truth… if that's really what Adam was like…

What did I miss? Ilia thought as she rested her forehead against the railing, letting out a soft groan. What am I still missing?

She was so deeply wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the heavy footsteps until they were right behind her.

"It's a beautiful night."

Ilia jolted, her hand instinctively moving to her collapsed sword. She forced the tension from her shoulders when she saw it was just the Chief, taking a place beside her to stare out towards the dark horizon. Taking a shuddering breath, Ilia forced herself to follow his gaze, watching the endless stars sink below the waves. "Yes," she said quietly. "It is."

Silence fell, the only sound that of the waves gently breaking against the ship. As the seconds ticked by, Ilia could feel the tension rising, her fears and doubts quickly rushing to the forefront of her mind. It didn't help that the Chief didn't say a word. He just kept watching the horizon, like he was waiting for something.

Desperate to break the awkward air, Ilia said the first thing that sprang to mind. "Umm… where's Miss Kali?"

Ghira didn't respond right away, staring out at the ocean for a few seconds longer. Then he looked to her out of the corner of his eye. "Asleep. She wanted to be fully rested for tomorrow."

Ilia swallowed thickly, instantly on edge. "That makes sense," she said neutrally.

Ghira nodded at the ocean waves below. They stood there for a full minute in tense, awkward silence, Ilia's every instinct telling her to bolt, and Ghira just… waiting.

"We'll reach Vale by sunrise."

Ilia tensed, cursing internally. Even though she'd known it was coming, the Chief's reminder was the last thing she wanted to hear. "...I know," she answered faintly, eyes down.

She heard the Chief sigh. "Have you decided?"

Ilia bit back a scoff. "On what?"

The flat stare she received made clear that the Chief was not amused. "On how you'll get to the capitol…" His eyes sharpened, seeming to glow in the night. "And where… or who… you'll go to after."

Ilia closed her eyes, hanging her head. There was so much wrapped up in that simple-sounding statement. She'd done nothing but consider and fret over the right answer for the last two days, and she still felt no closer to a solution.

The past few days had been simultaneously wonderful and draining. Ever since that first conversation, Kali Belladonna had made a point to speak to her whenever she could on the blasted ship, her towering husband following dutifully at her side. The conversations were simple, Ilia telling them stories she and Blake had lived in their years in the White Fang, and the Belladonnas in return would tell her their own stories about Blake, ranging from her childhood to what she'd gone through at Beacon.

It was… fun. More than fun, it was a joy to spend time with them, learning more about her best friend and sharing with them who Blake had become over the years. It had made the trek across the ocean feel more like a vacation. Where she could truly just… relax.

But… there were lines. By some unspoken mutual agreement, certain topics were just off-limits and actively avoided. For her, it was any mention of the White Fang's current movements, plans, or command structure. Throughout all her stories, she focused on Blake and Blake alone, shying from any details that could be considered… incriminating, and even when they noticed her slight slip-ups, the Chief and his wife never pried.

As for the Belladonnas… it was any mention of Blake's Mates. Oh, the girls themselves were mentioned fairly often (unavoidable, given just how ingrained they were into Blake's life now), but only as teammates, partners, allies. Any mention of their romantic relationship was actively avoided… though there were several times where Miss Kali would have slipped if her husband hadn't discreetly reminded her. Ilia appreciated the effort… though the fact they made it at all suggested they knew why to avoid the subject around her… and that caused her a whole new feeling of awkward uncomfortableness.

But it couldn't last. Ilia was no fool. She knew the Chief wanted answers, information. And being so close to Vale… time was up.

Ilia swallowed thickly, avoiding his gaze as her shoulders tensed. "I-I don't know, sir." Then, she hissed under her breath, scowling to herself. "I don't know anything anymore."

Ghira merely hummed in acknowledgment. After a moment, he asked, "Could I ask you something, Ilia?"

She turned towards him, curious. "What, sir?"

Ghira looked down at her, and… Ilia had to keep from flinching. His eyes… no one of his age and spirit should have eyes that tired.

"Why do you feel that Adam's path is the right one?"

Her heart skipped a beat, her blood freezing in her veins. The question was soft-spoken and sounded genuinely curious, with no scorn or skepticism… but he might as well have screamed at her for how it twisted her insides.

But Ilia forced it all down. For all her fear and frustration, she had an opportunity. The Chief was listening to her, giving her a chance to explain herself. Her feelings on Adam were… muddied… but the things she'd done under his command were her choice, her beliefs. And she would defend herself.

Swallowing down her fear, forcing her voice to steady, Ilia said in as polite a tone as she could manage, "He showed us a better way to fight for our freedom." When the chief did not instantly deny her, merely raising an eyebrow at her words, she bravely pushed on. "With respect, sir, for all the work you did as the leader of the White Fang… it obviously didn't work."

Ghira stared at her with… infuriating indifference. "It didn't?"

Despite her worry, Ilia couldn't help but narrow her eyes. "Sir, we… humans barely treat us as people. Anytime something goes wrong or is missing, they always look to Faunus first." She clenched the railing in her fist, scowling at the ocean. "They always look to us… look down on us."

Ghira hummed thoughtfully, watching her. "You're not wrong," he admitted softly. "At times, it does seem like progress has stagnated. But…" He gave her a gentle smile. "I wouldn't say my work was all for nothing."

Ilia turned to him, doubt plain on her face.

"If you'll indulge the memories of an old man…" Ghira chuckled lightly when she briefly looked away, cheeks pinking in embarrassment. Then he sighed, crossing his arms as he leaned against the railing. "When I was a child, the world was even harsher for Faunus than it is now if you can believe it. We were barred from businesses, jobs, even schools, simply for being what we are. And even worse… no one questioned it. It was just the way things were… humans first, Faunus… well, I think you know."

Ilia felt hot anger shoot through her, having to make a conscious effort for her scales to not shift to red.

If Ghira noticed her building rage, he made no comment, continuing. "I was just one of many young Faunus who saw the world as it was and thought, 'Things could be different. I could make it different." When Ilia blinked up at him in surprise, he smirked. "Don't look so shocked. Faunus have held those thoughts long before you or I were ever born. The youngest generation always has those thoughts. 'If I could make people listen', 'If I could just show them', 'If I were in charge.'" He laughed lightly to himself, smiling fondly. "We all thought we were going to change the world."

He shook his head, his smile turning a bit more sardonic. "Unfortunately, as you can imagine, 'thinking' and 'doing' might as well be on separate continents. Once they all got a taste of the real world, just how much time, effort, blood, and tears are needed to change how people think… most simply… moved on. Settled down, started their lives, and just tried to deal with the days as they came." He leaned heavily against the railing, turning his tired eyes downward. "Bigotry, hatred, and all."

As Ghira spoke, Ilia felt her anger drain away, replaced with a sense of awe. She'd heard all of this before, of course, every Faunus had. Heck, she'd heard from some of the older members in the Fang that Beacon Academy had history lessons on Chief Ghira and his creation of the current White Fang. But actually listening to the man himself talk about it, hearing both the fondness and frustration in his voice, made it seem more real.

When Ghira paused, Ilia, too caught up in the story to think better of it, quietly said, "But you didn't."

Ghira blinked, breaking his gaze from the ocean's surface. After a moment, he smiled again. "No… I didn't. Too stubborn, I guess. I kept going, researching our history, how human-Faunus relations had come to be as bad as they were, and figuring out just how much better life would be, for everyone, if the two could work together.

"And when I finally got up the gall to start speaking out, by some miracle… people listened. They agreed. And pretty soon… they were standing by my side, helping me spread the message, our goal. Equality. And now…"

"Now…?"

Ghira laughed, a true on, deep and joyful. "Now… Faunus aren't turned away from a business simply for having horns or a tail. There are no restrictions on what we can or can't do, no bigoted laws preventing us from achieving the same things any human could. In the eyes of the law, there is no difference between humans and Faunus."

"But…" Ilia shook her head in complete disbelief. "That stuff still happens! Faunus are still looked down on, we're still the first ones to take the blame."

Ghira gave her a sad smile. "That's because, young one, we've pushed the issue to its endgame. We've managed to change the laws and public opinion. Now comes the hardest part… changing how people think."

Ilia blinked. "But you just said…"

"There's a difference, I'm afraid. Changing the general idea of Faunus, that we are people no different from humans rather than some inferior offshoot, is one thing. But getting people to fully accept it, to believe it on an individual level without even thinking about it…" Ghira let out a sigh, putting his back against the railing as he crossed his arms. He looked thoughtfully at the ground. "That's the part that has eluded us for so long." He let out a mocking scoff. "Not helped that most of those who cling to their outdated views have positions of power… and aren't above making things difficult for us when they see fit."

At that, Ilia bristled, the railing creaking under her grip. "Like the Schnees."

Ghira looked to her out of the corner of his eye, brow raising. He paused, then said, "Yes… I'm afraid Jacque is likely a lost cause. He's… maneuvered himself into a position of power and fame through such bigotry and destruction that… well, quite frankly, I'd sooner believe that Grimm would start protecting people before Jacques had a change of heart." He breathed out slowly, his smile slowly coming back. "Thankfully, he might not be such an issue much longer."

It took a moment for his statement to fully reach Ilia, her head snapping to him with such force her neck hurt. "What?" she asked faintly.

Ghira nodded, grinning at her bewilderment. "When she turns twenty-one, his daughter Weiss is meant to take over the company. I'm confident things will change then."

In an instant, Ilia's eyes darkened, her scales rippling as they threatened to turn red. Her heart clenched painfully at the reminder of Blake's Mates, and the… impossibility of who one of them was. "Nothing will change," she hissed under her breath, trying and failing to rein in her temper.

Ghira watched her for a moment. "You sound pretty confident about that."

Ilia turned to him fully, scowling up at his infuriatingly passive face. "Why shouldn't I? It'll still be a Schnee in charge. That family has done nothing but hurt us since day one."

For the first time since their conversation started, Ghira showed his first sign of irritation, his eyes narrowing only slightly. It was still enough to cut through Ilia's anger and remind her exactly who she was talking to. She swallowed thickly as she held his gaze.

After a few seconds of silence, Ghira said confidently, "That's not quite true." Ilia's brow shot high, the only thing holding her tongue being the King's hard gaze. Ghira went on. "Most people forget that Jacques Schnee is not a Schnee by birth, but by marriage. His father-in-law, Nicholas, put him in charge when his health started failing him." He paused, frowning as he thought. "Nicholas was… not exactly a friend of Faunuskind, but he was not an enemy either. At most he was… indifferent, concerned more with adventuring and finding new Dust veins then impacting human/Faunus relations. I remember hearing stories of how he'd even ventured out into Menagerie's deserts with Faunus guides, the old-timers laughing that the only thing he complained about was the heat and the sand, not the Faunus around him."

He chuckled, deep and loud, completely ignoring the stunned, disbelieving look on Ilia's face as she stared at him. "He never found any Dust, but he left Menagerie with a smile and a bag of exotic fruits, saying that the next time he came, it would only be to enjoy the beaches of the coast and the friendly faces he'd come across." Ghira's smile then faded. "He never got the chance, unfortunately. It was just a few years later he grew ill, and unfortunately gave the business to Jacques to run."

Ilia narrowed her eyes at him doubtfully, still gripping the railing. "I've never heard that before."

Ghira let out a slow breath. "Not all that surprising. People tend to remember the worst that history has to offer, rather than the good. And Jacques had done an extraordinarily good job of overshadowing the memory of the old SDC with that of his."

Ilia watched him carefully, looking for any sign of deception. That… couldn't be real, right? A Schnee that was respectful to Faunus? Ridiculous. And yet… there was an intensity in the Chief's eyes that kept her mouth shut. If nothing else, the Chief clearly believed his own words.

She shook her head, scoffing. "Well, good for them. There was once one good Schnee. But seeing that he's gone and left the rest of his family in charge, it seems all he accomplished was making things worse for us."

To her surprise, Ghira merely smirked. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure. This is just me speculating, of course, but… I think Nicholas knew exactly what he was doing. When he grew ill, the only person he had to pass the company down to was his son-in-law, given how little his daughter was involved with the business. But… I have a feeling he knew what kind of a man Jacques was when he handed over the keys to the company."

Despite her frustrations with the topic, Ilia couldn't help but be intrigued. "What makes you say that?"

"Because he's the one who made it so that Jacques' children would inherit the company when they came of age." When he saw the surprise flash across Ilia's face, his grin widened. "In his last public statement before leaving the CEO position, Nicholas made a point to say that Jacques would be made temporary CEO until a member of the Schnee bloodline was fully prepared to take over the position." He shook his head, giving a huff of a laugh. "I saw that press release live when I was just a teenager. The look on Jacques' face when the old man said 'temporary…' I get the feeling he learned that little tidbit at the same time the rest of us did."

Almost without realizing it, Ilia felt her lip twitch upwards. That… was something she'd love to see, frankly. Every time she'd ever seen the Schnee patriarch, he'd always looked so smug and superior, as if the world was just to serve him. To see him knocked down a peg by his own family no less-would be a thing of beauty.

She forced the feeling away with a scowl, her voice rasing in denial. "But it doesn't matter! Even if he steps down and gives the company over to… Weiss…" The name came out bitter on her tongue. "It won't change anything! She's just going to run the company the same way he did."

To her ire, Ghira just looked passively at her. "And what makes you think that?"

Ilia growled in frustration, unbelieving that her King could be so obtuse. "Because anything she knows about running the company, either Jacques taught her, or she learned in one of Atlas' prep schools." This time, she couldn't stop the shifting of her scales, her skin turning bright red and her hair flaming yellow. Ghira frowned sadly at the anger and pain in her voice. "You really think, surrounded by all that… that cruelty… you really think she's not just a carbon copy of her father?"

Ghira fell silent, and Ilia took the chance to try and calm herself down, willing her scales back to their normal color. It didn't change the anger simmering beneath the surface, as old bubbled and hissed below.

"Maybe…"

The word was spoken softly, Ilia almost missed it. She met Ghira's gaze, finding only thoughtfulness in his eyes.

"Truth be told… just a month ago, I feared that was exactly the case. I knew nothing of Weiss, her thoughts or feelings. She could have been a Jacques Junior, for all I knew." He then grinned slightly. "But now…"

"Now…?"

"I think she might just be the most perfect CEO we could imagine for the SDC."

Once again, Ilia's knee-jerk anger was outweighed by baffled curiosity. "What makes you say that?"

To her discomfort, Ghira gave her a long look, almost like he was contemplating something. He took a deep breath, then asked, "Ilia… do you have any idea what it's like being Mated to someone?"

Ilia's head jerked back in surprise at the seemingly random question… but her eyes narrowed suspiciously when a thought struck her. "Obviously not," she muttered tightly, audible strain in her polite tone.

Ghira flashed her an apologetic look but continued nonetheless. "When Mates connect their souls, they feel everything their partner feels. Their loves, their fears, what angers them, what saddens them; everything that makes them who they are." His voice grew softer, a tender smile on his lips as he looked up to the stars. "That person becomes a part of you, just as much as you become part of them. They can't hide who they are from you, any more than you can hide from yourself."

Ilia felt a sinking sensation in her gut as the Chief spoke, slowly gathering what he was getting at. She swallowed thickly as unwanted thoughts swirled through her mind. "Meaning…?" she asked faintly.

Ghira's golden gaze was still kind but firm as steel and it seemed to stare right down into her soul. "Meaning… if Weiss held even a fraction of her father's views, her feelings would reflect that… and Blake would feel it." His smile faded to a thin line as his tone turned more serious. "Ilia… you know Blake. You watched her grow into a person that, affiliation aside, I could not be more proud of. If she had even the vaguest suspicion that Weiss was anything like Jacque, even remotely… do you think she'd go as far and deep into her relationship as she has?"

Ilia grit her teeth, everything in her wanting to shout, 'It's just a trick, a deception! She's fooling Blake!' But… he was right. She did know Blake. She'd never let someone so blatantly against who and what she was, so at odds with what she believed in, get close enough to share her very soul. Her flight from Adam was proof enough of-

Ilia's eyes shot wide, her irises shrinking down to pinpricks. Her scales shifted white as snow, her hair an ashy gray color, as her heart gave a dull, hollow beat.

Adam… Blake felt… but the Schnee… Weiss, she… Blake chose… but… but that means…

Ilia stomped down the thought. She stomped it down, shoved it away, and locked it deep, deep down inside herself.

Taking a shuddering breath, she looked down at her bleached white hands, gripping the ship's railing so hard the metal was straining under her grip. She flinched away from it, wrapping her arms around herself, her eyes slamming shut as she tried to get herself back under control.

"No," she choked out, thankful that her voice, at least, was not shaking as much as the rest of her. "No… she wouldn't."

Ghira stayed mercifully silent, waiting until her skin had darkened to tan before continuing. "Now… I hate to reduce my daughter's relationship to something as trite as political impact… but when you've been in the game as long as I have, it's impossible not to consider what it could mean for the future." He gave Ilia a wide look, and she was taken aback by the bright hopefulness shining in his eyes. "Just think of it… an SDC CEO that is blatantly, unequivocally pro-Faunus equality. What that would mean for Faunus around the world. How much help and peace it would bring."

Ilia felt her mouth go dry. The SDC… helping Faunus? That… the very thought was so… alien. The SDC… it existed to make Faunus miserable. To keep them down… in their place. It held their people hostage all around the world. That wouldn't change…

'But,' a traitorous little voice spoke in the back of her mind, sounding suspiciously like her black haired idol, 'What if it did? If that worldwide influence changed from hurting Faunus to helping them? The world it could create.'

"...it can't be that easy," she eventually said. "Or that... simple."

Ghira watched her, then let out a humorless chuckle. "You're not wrong. It'll still take time and effort. Getting the company to listen to the new CEO will be a war unto itself. But, with the proper support, I believe she can pull it off. She'll have Blake at her side, along with their Mates Ruby and Yang. Both of whom, if Blake is to be believed, are each a force not to be trifled with themselves. I truly think they can change the company… and I'm going to do everything I can to help them accomplish that."

"...impossible," she breathed out, weakly defiant.

"...well, with all due respect, Miss Amitola," His smile once more became a small smirk, "Everything I've ever accomplished in my life was considered 'impossible' at one point, doomed to fail before it began. And yet here I am."

Ilia stayed silent, staring blankly out at the horizon as she gripped the railing, her fingers imprinted in the metal. Ghira waited a few moments for her to say something, but it soon became clear that Ilia wouldn't, or perhaps couldn't, give him a response. He followed her gaze, watching the endless sky with her. He took a deep breath of the sea air, letting it out slowly.

Without looking at her, he calmly stated. "Kali and I have a Bullhead arranged to take us to the capitol after we've docked at an airfield half a mile west of the port. We'll be leaving at nine o'clock sharp. Not a minute later." He reached out, putting a hand on her shoulder. He felt her stiffen but grinned slightly when she leaned into his touch. "Think everything over, and do what you think is best." He let his hand slip off her shoulder, and Ilia heard his footsteps as he started walking away.

"And…" Ghira paused mid-step, turning back to Ilia. The chameleon Faunus remained facing the ocean, her eyes locked on the horizon. "If I choose not to go with you?"

Ghira gave her a long look, taking in the sight of the small teenage girl, standing alone against the backdrop of stars. He smiled. "Then, this is where we'd part ways, and I'd wish you luck and that we meet again on good terms."

Ilia said nothing for a moment, then gave a slow nod. "Okay. Sir?"

"Yes?"

"...thank you. To both you, and… Miss Kali." Ilia bit her lip, then added. "Tell her that… please?"

Ghira gave her a soft half-smile. "I will. You're welcome, Ilia."

The heavy footsteps quickly moved away, growing fainter as Chief Ghira made his way back to his sleeping Mate. Ilia remained where she was, seeing without seeing as she watched the sky.

She didn't know how long she stood there, leaning against the now bent railing as she tried to think over… well, everything. There was so much, too much, to wrap her head around.

A sudden buzzing against her leg broke her from her muddled thoughts. She blinked back to awareness, dimly noting that the stars had moved from when she last focused on them. She was confused for all of a moment before her eyes widened in realization. She reached into her pocket, pulling out her scroll. For the first time in days, it showed a signal, weak, but there.

We must have gotten in range of the Tower, she thought vacantly. She pulled it apart, the blue screen blinking to life. Her chest tightened as a single sentence showed brightly on its surface.

Message from: ADAM

Swallowing thickly, she tapped on the notification. When it opened, there was no message to greet her. Just a file, simply titled: 'ORDERS'.

Ilia bit her lip, a cold feeling washing over her. She glanced back the way Ghira had left, the Chief long gone. She let out a shuddering breath, staring at the glowing screen, gripping the scroll dangerously tight. As indecision overtook her, she kept hearing the Chief's words ringing in her ears.

"Think everything over, and do what you think is best."

Her eyes darted to the top of the screen, noting the time.

12:53

Ilia gulped. With the last bit of humor she could muster, she couldn't help but think to herself,

Well… guess I'm not getting much sleep.