21

Chapter 21: Thursday

Weiss scanned the pages for the dozenth time, swallowing.

This is it, she thought, not believing her luck. This is what I was looking for.

She slowly closed the book, letting out a slow breath, willing herself to calm. She glanced around the dorm, finding herself alone.

Ruby's in JNPR's dorm, swapping weapon ideas with Nora. Yang said she was going to work out in the school gym. Blake's reading in the library.

It was the first time they had all been separated from each other in almost a week. Weiss hadn't even realized it until she tried to think of a time when she could talk to both Ruby and Yang without Blake present. It was by sheer luck that they all had individual plans after classes. Just to be sure, she closed her eyes and reached out with her aura. No negativity, no worry-inducing spikes in emotion. Just calm, contentedness, satisfaction, and humor all around.

If there was ever a time, this is it.

Weiss pulled out her scroll, and typed out a simple message.

W- Can I talk to you, now if possible?

She selected Ruby and Yang's names from her contacts, careful to avoid hitting Blake's name as well. She hit send, then stood up from her desk, and started pacing. She felt a twinge of annoyance as she did so. Weiss had always been able to stay still and poised in the past, no matter how anxious or agitated she got. Ever since she had met Ruby and Yang, however, it seemed like her daily life was permanently set on fast-forward. Always loud, always chipper, always so full of energy. Without realizing it, Weiss had gone from hating it, to tolerating it, to actually looking forward to the noise and excitement that greeted her every morning. To the point that now, the quiet and calm she once pined for seemed almost wrong. Without Ruby's energy or Yang's boisterousness, Weiss felt the need to fill the void herself. Hence, the pacing.

The sound of the door opening drew her attention. Ruby poked her head in, a not-quite-frown on her lips. "Hey, Weiss. Something wrong?"

Weiss felt the corner of her mouth curl up a bit. After yesterday, Ruby had been checking on each of them as often as she could, making sure there was nothing else wrong. It was kind of cute. "Nothing's wrong, Ruby. I just wanted to talk with you about something."

Ruby perked up a bit. "Oh! Okay!" Ruby stepped inside the room and shut the door behind her. "What's up?"

Weiss sat down at the edge of her bed. She still had the book in her hand. "If you don't mind, I'd like to wait for…" Her scroll dinged, interrupting her. She opened it and read.

Y- On my way up. C U in 5.

Weiss sighed. "Yang... Why must she butcher our language every time she sends a text?" She didn't even try to hide her exasperation.

Ruby giggled. "She's not the only one who does that, Weiss. You should see Nora. All she uses is those little emotion faces."

Weiss rolled her eyes at the thought. "Anyway. Yang will be up in five minutes. I'd like to wait for her, so I don't have to repeat myself."

"Okay," Ruby said. She looked up at her bunk for a moment, like she was thinking about hopping up there, but instead opted for falling back on Weiss' bed.

Weiss gave her a brief glance as she spread her arms out relaxed, before ignoring her, chalking it up as Ruby being Ruby. She cracked open the book again, skimming through it until she found the right page. She started reading, just to triple check that she wasn't mistaken on anything.

Ruby folded her hands behind her head, staring up at the bed above her. Aaaand… she was bored. She sighed. She'd been having so much fun with Nora just now, the hammer-wielder explaining her ideas for adding electricity to her fighting style, and Ruby firing back with her own plans for slimming down Crescent Rose's design. It was enough to get her blood pumping just on the thoughts alone, but when she'd gotten Weiss' text, she'd pretty much dropped everything, (though Nora didn't seem to be bothered, saying she was going to go find Ren to do something) and ran right over, expecting the worse.

Not that she was upset that nothing was wrong, but it had brought her earlier excitement to a screeching halt.

Her gaze shifted to Weiss, who was calmly flipping through pages in the book she was holding. A smile graced her lips at the sight, Weiss calm and thoughtful against the orange sky visible out the window.

She looks so pretty, Ruby thought to herself, admiring the perfect picture Weiss made.

A thought popped into her head. Her cheeks tinted a little, but after a moment, she couldn't think of a reason not to act on it.

Slowly and quietly, Ruby pushed herself up, sidling up to her oblivious partner. "Weiss?"

"Hmm?" Weiss hummed turning away from her reading. "What is it Rub-mmm?!"

Weiss was cut off when Ruby, quite suddenly, leaned forward, pressing her lips to her partner's. Weiss froze in shock for a moment, her vision consumed with the closed-eyed face of Ruby, before her own eyes slowly slid shut, the book tumbling out of her hands.

Ruby worked her jaw against Weiss', her mouth opening just enough for the tip of her tongue to slip through. She was pleasantly surprised when she felt Weiss' hand cup the side of her face, and Weiss' tongue touched her own.

The kiss stretched on, neither of them noticing time passing until Ruby felt her lungs beg for air. She pulled away slowly, taking a deep breath. She opened her eyes, only to find Weiss staring back through half-opened eyes, her face flushed. "What was that for?" she asked softly, a small smile on her lips.

Ruby blushed deeply, an embarrassed smile forming. "Just kind of felt like it," she admitted, just as quietly.

They stared at each other, mirrored blushes on their faces, smiling awkwardly as their emotions bounced between them, making them blush deeper.

"So, do you two want some time alone?"

Ruby and Weiss jumped apart, their heads snapping towards the hall door.

Yang smirked at them, leaning against the closed door with her arms crossed. She was still in her workout gear, her plain grey shirt and gym shorts sticking to her skin. A gym bag hung off her shoulder.

Weiss felt her face heat up in embarrassment. "Yang… how long were you standing there?"

Yang's smirk grew. "About a minute. Impressive lung capacity, by the way."

"Yang!" Ruby yelped, her red face matching Weiss'.

Yang chuckled, unfolding her arms as she pushed herself off the door. "Hey, I was asked to be here. Not my fault you two decided to have some private time while you waited. I don't mind." She made her way across the room dropping her bag with a thud. She leaned over Weiss. "Just so long as you don't mind me getting my turn."

"What do you me-mmm!" For the second time, Weiss was silenced by a pair of lips as Yang captured her in a quick, rough kiss that robbed her of her breath. Weiss unconsciously pressed back against her, holding the kiss for a few seconds until Yang pulled back her head.

Ruby covered her mouth as Yang pulled away, finding the stunned look on Weiss' reddening face utterly hilarious. Yang straightened back up, smirk still fully in place.

Weiss looked up at her dumbly. Her eyes then flicking to Ruby, still holding in giggles. Then she crossed her arms, refusing to look at either of them. "I hate both of you."

Yang snorted, turned away and moved towards her dresser. "Yeah, your emotions say different, Snowflake. I'm flattered, by the way. Never thought I'd make someone feel so… excited."

Weiss' head snapped back to the blonde rifling through her dresser, the heiress' cheeks burning. "I assure you that I do not feel…" She trailed off as Yang, her back still to the heiress, unceremoniously pulled off her sweat-soaked shirt, leaving her in just her shorts and yellow bra.

"You were saying, Snowflake?" Yang said, the smirk obvious in her voice as she balled up the shirt and threw it towards the closet, well aware of the blue eyes locked onto her defined back.

"Yang…" Ruby admonished, trying to will the amused grin off her face. "Stop teasing Weiss."

Yang sighed dramatically. "Okay…" she droned out in mock disappointment, pulling a black t-shirt out of the opened drawer. She quickly slipped it over her head. "Since you asked so nicely." She then pulled out a pair of blue jeans from a lower drawer, showing them to the pair. "Can I at least put these on first?"

Weiss pointedly looked away from her, ignoring the snickers from both sisters. "You're both children…" she muttered, fighting down the urge to turn her head when she heard fabric hit the floor.

"Weiss, you are the only person I've met who is so fun to be around by being no fun." Yang laughed.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I suppose I'll take that as a compliment."

"Good, 'cause I meant it as one," Yang said, a genuine smile in her voice. "I'm decent now, by the way."

Weiss cautiously moved her head to the side, looking at Yang out of the corner of her eye. She was grateful to find the blonde fully clothed. Though there was that one embarrassingly rebellious part of her that felt a bit disappointed…

"Oh, in that case…" Yang suddenly said, gripping the hem of her shirt.

"No!" Weiss shouted, mortified. She threw up her hands, waving them back and forth. "No, no, you don't need to…" She stopped when Yang bent over, her shoulders shaking in withheld laughter.

A few snorts escaped the blonde as she managed to lift her head up. "Heh… heh… Dust, Weiss… heh, heh… you make it too easy."

"Yang... " Ruby warned, her lips twitching as she valiantly fought a smile.

Yang waved her off, shaking off the last bits of mirth. "Okay, okay…" She sat down next to Weiss, her wet eyes meeting the heiress' blue. "Sorry, Weiss. Just having a little fun." She playfully nudged Weiss with her elbow, smiling.

Weiss took a deep breath, willing the heat from her cheeks. Despite the scathing glare she gave Yang and the mortification she was feeling, she couldn't stop the warmth forming in her chest. Very loud and lots of energy. All is right in my very odd world.

Still grinning, Yang asked. "So, what's the problem, Weiss?" Her face suddenly went slack, her voice dropping an octave as her eyes widened a little. "Wait, there's not an actual problem, is there?"

Weiss sighed. "No, Yang, there's no problem. I just wanted to talk to you both about something."

"Oh. Okay." Yang relaxed a little, the sudden tenseness in her shoulders abating. Then she frowned. "Wait… 'us both'? Without Blake?"

Weiss nodded. "Yes. Actually, it's Blake I wanted to talk about."

Ruby's brow scrunched in worry. "What about her?"

"Well, last night she told us about…" She paused, trying to think of the right word.

"Her old Mate?" Yang supplied, frown deepening.

Weiss nodded in thanks. "Yes, and about… her old Mark." She bent down, picking the book up from where she'd dropped it. "I kept wishing I knew more about how all of this 'Mates' and 'Mate's Mark' business worked, so I started reading this book."

She stopped when Yang snorted. "Yeah, we noticed. Weiss, you haven't put that thing down since you woke up this morning. I'm pretty sure I saw you reading it during Oobleck's lesson today."

Weiss flushed a little, embarrassed. "Well… it's a good read!" she defended lamely. She looked down at the book's cover, a simple pale blue color with various symbols (which she now knew were actually the Mate's Marks of some of the Faunus mentioned in the book) circling around a stylized heart. Her expression turned thoughtful. "There's a lot in here that I never knew about Faunus."

Ruby looked at the closed book, interested. "Like what?"

Weiss glanced at her, before opening the book, skimming through it. "For one thing, you remember what Blake said about Faunus 'Affinities'?"

Yang thought for a second, then nodded, remembering. "Yeah. They're like a second Semblance, right? Except that Mates share it."

Weiss hummed in confirmation. "Yes, but I never realized the extent of them! Some of these are… incredible." She sounded genuinely impressed.

Ruby started to get excited, bouncing in her seat. "Like what? Super strength? Fire breath? Ooh, the ability to fly? I've always wanted to fly."

Weiss absently put a hand on Ruby's head, causing the bouncing girl to still. Once Ruby gave her a sheepish grin, she continued. "Well, most of them are rather tame. One couple were able to see through each other's eyes, another could secrete various types of poisons from their claws…"

Yang raised an eyebrow, nodding. "Cool, but nothing really to write home about."

The corner of Weiss' mouth twitched. "Yes, well, then there are the exceptions. For instance, a rabbit and a ram Faunus gained the ability to teleport to wherever their Mate was, no matter the distance between them."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Cool."

"It gets better. A trio of wolf Faunus were able to turn their howls into a sonic attack, capable of shaking buildings apart. A boar and lion couple could harden their skin, making themselves nearly invulnerable. And then…"

The sisters, who were starting to get excited learning about different Affinities Faunus had gotten by being Mates, turned to Weiss as she trailed off. Blue eyes stared down at the pages, her face softening.

"...there's this one." Her voice had grown unusually soft. "A couple who gained the power to control earth to a degree."

Yang looked between Weiss and the book, confused and concerned. "Okay, that's neat and all, but what's the big deal about those two?"

Weiss trailed her fingers across the page. "Look at them."

Ruby and Yang shared a glance, then turned to the book in Weiss' lap. Her finger rested below an illustration of the couple in question, standing in battle positions as chunks of rock and earth hovering around them. One was a blonde horse Faunus, large equestrian ears hanging down from atop her head, and the other…

It took a minute for them to realize what they were looking at. Ruby's eyes widened at the same time Yang whispered.

"He's human."

Weiss nodded, her expression conflicted. "He is. These two were from Mistral, and according to the book, the first recorded interspecies Mates to develop an ability outside of their regular Semblances… a Faunus Affinity."

The room fell silent as the information sank in.

Yang was the first to voice what they were all thinking. "Humans can get an Affinity. We could get an Affinity."

Weiss' lips pressed into a fine line. "The book says that Mates developing an Affinity is rare, a one-in-twenty chance, but… it's possible."

"Cool…" Ruby drone, stars in her eyes. Then she frowned. "Wait a sec. What does that have to do with Blake's old Mark?"

Her question seemed to bring Weiss back to the task at hand. With a small shake of her head, she started flipping through pages again. "Right, sorry. My original point was, I read about a lot of strange things Faunus Mates have gone through in this book, and I was hoping I could find one that might help us help Blake. And… I think I found it."

She stopped turning pages, landing on the start of a new chapter. Yang read the title, brow cocked. "All Bark and Unable to Bite?" she said skeptically.

Weiss shared her bemusement, giving an exasperated sigh. "All the chapters have titles like that. The author of the book has an odd sense of humor. Still, I think this story is what I was looking for."

"Wait, just hold up a sec, Weiss." Yang shook her head, frowning a little. "What exactly were you looking for?"

Weiss swallowed, meeting first Ruby's eyes, then Yang's. She took a breath. "A way for us to give Blake a Mate's Mark."

Lavender and grey eyes widened. Yang and Ruby looked at each other in shock, then back at Weiss. "But… Blake said humans can't make a Mate's Mark," Ruby murmured, stunned.

Weiss nodded. "We can't, not in the same way a Faunus can. But in this story…" She trailed off, looking down at the book. She soon felt the expectant stares the sisters were giving her. She licked her lips nervously, looking down at the book. "I'll summarize it for you…"

During the height of the Great War, there was a young Faunus couple from a small village in Mistral. The female was a cow Faunus, and the male was a wolf. When soldiers came to the village asking for new recruits, the wolf Faunus volunteered, in the hopes that he could help bring the war to an end, and make his home a safe place to live.

Before he could leave, however, the female asked him to take her as his Mate, a decision they had both been considering long beforehand. The male, aware of the dangers he would soon face on the battlefield, refused, unwilling to put her through the pain of feeling him leave her should the worst happen. But he made her a promise: on the day he returned home, once the fighting had ended and the land was safe, he would not hesitate to become her Mate, and link their souls together.

For years the war raged. The wolf Faunus fought valiantly beside his brethren, felling warriors from far and wide. Every night, he remembered his beloved, waiting for him to return. He fought across deserts and rallied against his enemies. He was injured time and time again, his body becoming littered with scars, but never once did he fall, the memory of his waiting love pushing him on.

Then, one day, a miracle happened. The Four Kingdoms laid down their weapons, and spoke to one another. A treaty was forged, and the War ended. At long last, the wolf Faunus could return home.

Alongside his fellow warriors, the wolf Faunus began his trek home. Along the way, they drank and rejoiced, singing songs of victory as they made their way down the darkened roads. A day's walk from his village, they made camp for the night, drinking and singing without a care in the world.

But while the world's soldiers had ended their aggression, the creatures of the darkness had not. While the soldiers slept, a pack of Beowolves descended on their camp. Startled and impaired, the soldiers did their best to fight them off. They managed to do so, but the noise of the fight had attracted an even greater threat: an Alpha Ursa. While the soldiers focused on the lesser beasts, the Ursa raised to its hind legs, and brought its claws down on the nearest soldier: the wolf Faunus.

Angered at seeing their comrade fall, the warriors fought their best, eventually managing to bring it down. When they found their comrade unconscious but alive, their relief turned to panic at the sight of his injuries. With no time to spare, they picked him up, and ran to the village, making the day-long journey in just a few hours. They reached it just as the sun began to rise, awakening the local doctor with their pleas for help.

The wolf Faunus' wounds were extensive. His back was bloodied by claws, his arm and ribs shattered by the Ursa's weight. But most disparaging was his jaw, broken by the beast's attack.

The doctor did what he could. He set the broken bones and cleaned his wounds. He wired the wolf's jaw shut.

When the wolf Faunus awoke, his first sight was the cow Faunus. She had been alerted of his condition as soon as he'd arrived, and refused to leave his side until he awoke. Upon seeing her face, he tried to speak her name, only to find his mouth unable to move. Once he realized what happened, he fell into despair, as he was unable to keep the promise he made so long ago.

In desperation, he hatched a plan. Through clenched teeth, he told his love his idea. Though hesitant, she agreed. They approached one of the wolf's brother warriors, a rabbit Faunus he had fought beside since entering the War. they asked him to do something never before attempted: to start making a Mate's Mark that his friend would finish.

Shocked, the warrior asked them to repeat themselves. He asked the cow if she agreed with her lover's idea. When she said yes, he agreed. The wolf Faunus had saved his life many times throughout the War, so the least he could do was help his friend with his mad plan.

The rabbit Faunus carefully put his mouth over the woman's neck, and bit down. She let out a yelp as he pushed his aura into her, a burning feeling forming as her body rejected it. The rabbit quickly pulled away, and the wolf took his place. The wolf put his hand over the quickly dying Mark, and pushed his aura into it as if it was his own. As he did, his love leaned forward and bit him, doing the same.

Seconds passed as they held each other, each hoping for the impossible. Then, they felt it: a warmth spread from their bites and overtook their bodies, the bites glowing faintly. They pulled apart, keeping their hands linked, as they stared at the bites on each other's necks. Before their very eyes, the bites healed, fading into nothingness. The aura left behind shifted and twisted on their skin, before forming solid lines of blue and gold: two swords, crossed, a crescent moon sitting between the blades.

The two Mates smiled, tears in their eyes. They embraced, then turned to their friend, thanking him for his help. From then on, they called him brother.

As Weiss fell silent, she stared at the illustration at the end of the story, a depiction of the Mate's Mark in question. Very slowly, she closed the book.

Ruby and Yang sat there, stunned. Ruby's mind was racing, taking in the story she'd just been told. She suddenly had a thought.

"You want us to do that with Blake."

Ruby jumped. It hadn't been her, but Yang who had spoken. The blonde was looking at Weiss thoughtfully, her eyes questioning.

Weiss swallowed, then gave a nod. "Yes. I thought about it, and I think Ruby was right. I think Blake's old Mark came back because she gave us all Mate's Marks. Her Mark is there, but it's empty. I think we could do what the Faunus in the story did, add our aura to her old Mark, and make it our own… if Blake wants us to, of course."

Yang tilted her head back, looking at the ceiling. "Weiss that's…" She suddenly laughed. "That's awesome!" She jumped off the bed and spun around, facing them both with a look that could only be described as ecstatic. "We could give Blake a Mark just like ours, let her feel exactly what we do! Weiss, I could kiss you! In fact…" Yang jumped forward, slamming her lips against Weiss'.

Weiss reciprocated for a moment, before pushing the excited blonde back. "Yang, calm down, please!" Even with her stern tone and red face, Weiss couldn't stop the smile that was spreading across her lips. "I don't even know if it would work for sure. From what I can tell, a human has never been able to give a Faunus a Mate's Mark."

"But no human's ever tried to do what you want to try, right?" Yang refused to be brought down, her usual grin back in full force.

Weiss let out a small sigh, still smiling. "As far as I can tell, no. I don't know if it'll work… but I think it's worth a try."

"So…"

Weiss turned at the voice. Ruby looked back at them, glancing between them with a hesitant but hopeful look on her face. "You two really want to do it? You want to stay as Blake's Mates?"

In an instant, all traces of excitement in the room was gone. Weiss' blue eyes widened at Ruby, before she looked away, biting her lip. Yang stiffened, then let out a slow breath, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Right…' the blonde said slowly, her eyes not leaving the ground. "Tomorrow's when…"

"I… I forgot…" Weiss muttered weakly. "I was so focused on helping Blake, it… slipped my mind."

Ruby frowned, her shoulders slumping. The uncertainty and worry coming off them was so strong, she almost thought she was feeling them herself. "So… you don't want to be Mates with her?"

"No!" Yang shouted, suddenly panicked. "I mean, yes, I do, but…" She trailed off helplessly.

Weiss nodded, feeling the same. "I… I think I do, Ruby. But there's so much involved. If my father finds out…"

Yang slapped her forehead, groaning. "Crap. I didn't even think of that. Dating's one thing, but this… dad'll throw a fit."

"But… don't you guys like feeling each other's emotions?" Ruby asked, a little desperately.

Yang saw the distress on Ruby's face, and felt the emotions rolling off of her. A soft smile formed on her lips as she kneeled beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Of course I do, Ruby. This… knowing how each of you feel, not having to guess whether any of you are okay or not… it's incredible."

"I… I have to agree," Weiss said slowly, drawing their attention. With some effort, she managed to meet their eyes. "I wasn't sure about… opening myself to you all like this. But… I like i-it." Her voice caught on the last word. Thoughts of every possible way being Mated could go wrong rushed to the forefront of her mind, her father chief among them. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "I don't want to lose it."

"Hey... " Yang reached out with her other hand, gripping Weiss' shoulder as she did Ruby's. "Don't start with that…"

"I-I'm sorry…" Weiss shuddered, trying to keep down the sudden onslaught of emotion. "I just… I like what we have… I like being a team, I like being close. I like knowing how you're all feeling… I like all of you… I… I lo-" Weiss tried to choke out the words, but they stuck in her throat.

But she didn't need to say them. Ruby and Yang were struck dumb by the feelings coming off Weiss. Past the fear and the worry, there was happiness, contentedness, tenderness, hope, joy… it was overwhelming.

Without even looking at each other, the sisters moved as one. Yang took her place at Weiss' side again, putting an arm around her shoulders, while Ruby scooted over to Weiss' other side, wrapping both arms around her waist.

"We love you, too, Weiss," Ruby whispered softly in her ear. Yang nodded, squeezing her gently.

Weiss let out a breathless gasp. She looked between the two girls holding her, disbelief plain on her features. Then she looked down. Hesitantly, she reached for Yang's hand with her left. The blonde gave it to her, holding tight. Weiss then placed her right hand on Ruby's arm, the leader pulling it back so she could hold hands as well. The sisters squeezed her hands, making it clear that they weren't letting her go. Tears slid down Weiss' face as she gasped, her breathing coming out in ragged heaves as she fought not to break down sobbing.

Minutes passed as the three sat on Weiss' bed, each focusing on the others' emotions, Ruby and Yang holding onto Weiss as the heiress fought through the hurricane that was her own thoughts and feelings. Once Weiss calmed down enough, Yang looked hard at her, then at her sister. She breathed deeply.

"Okay," she started, her voice strong. Ruby and Weiss turned to her, meeting her determined gaze. "We need to decide this now. No parents, no SDC, nothing but the four of us. Girls… do we love Blake?"

"Yes," Ruby said without hesitation. She'd made that decision long before now.

Weiss paused, thinking. She thought about the past week, the talk she and Blake had had the night after the Faunus' heat. She thought of the little things she'd done with Blake, small moments of bonding. Her lips lifted just a little.

"Yes," she said faintly, sounding almost surprised. "Yes, I do."

Yang nodded, smiling herself as she thought of her partner. "Same. Now, Weiss, I think Rubes said it best. You know we both love you just as much as Blake, right?"

Weiss swallowed, her cheeks warming "Yes… but Yang…"

Yang squeezed her hand, silencing her. "I know… we're going to have a lot of things standing in our way… but come on," she said, her usual grin coming back. "We're Team RWBY! We can already solve anything by sticking together. We do this, we'll be unstoppable!"

Weiss laughed a little despite herself. "I wish I had your confidence, Yang."

"Well... " Yang droned, giving Weiss a sly look. "Technically, you can…"

With that, Weiss pulled her hand out of Yang's grasp and punched her in the arm, grinning. "Shut up, you know what I mean."

Yang laughed, hugging Weiss closer. "There we go! Feisty Weissy, back in action!"

Weiss stuck a finger in Yang's face, her glare ruined by the smile on her face. "You are not calling me that." Her smile lessened as she lowered her hand, her eyes lowering a little. "I'm still scared."

"We all are, Weiss," Ruby said, having let Yang say her piece. "But Yang's right. Whatever comes our way, we'll beat it together!"

Weiss stared into Ruby's grey eyes, seeing nothing but brightness in them. Through the Link, she felt Ruby and Yang's emotions back up their words. Both felt fear and worry, but also hope and confidence.

Finally, she nodded. "Okay. We… we're going to be Blake's Mates." Her voice wavered a little, but she still managed to sound confident.

"And she'll be ours," Ruby reminded her.

"Right," Weiss agreed with a nod. Now that they'd worked through some of her worries, Weiss actually started to feel a little excited about the future. "So.. what now?"

"Now," Yang said, pulling her arm away and standing. "I say we go find Blake, we tell her your idea for her Mark, and then we tell her that we've decided."

"Ditto!" Ruby said, leaping up.

Weiss shook her head. From serious to childish in an instant, she thought with amusement as she stood up. "Well, she said she'd be in the library. We could either call her, or-"

The three froze.

Frustration. Anger. Worry. Fury. Fear.

They all turned to each other in shock. The same word left their lips at the same time.

"Blake…"

Betaed by Covert Weapon

Old A/n: Yes, a cliffhanger. Actually been a while since I did one.

Next chapter might take a little longer. I'm going to try to get a chapter out for a couple other stories that have been on the back burner way too long. See you all soon!