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Chapter 49: Ocean Blues

Remnant's Southern Ocean, Northwest of Menagerie

Blue sky stretched out in all directions over the vast ocean. The seas were calm, a rare occasion given the usual storms and aquatic Grimm that constantly used this stretch of water as their personal hunting grounds. The only disturbance on the water was a single passenger vessel, cutting merrily through the light waves. Passengers were taking advantage of this rare calm morning, relaxing on deck as the vessel carried them towards their destinations, far across the sea.

The cheerful mood on deck was not shared by all, however. On the cabin deck below, one passenger was still in bed, tossing as she tried to stay comfortable under the unfamiliar sheets. Long brown hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, her tanned skin littered with dark flecks. She gave a slight groan in her sleep as she finally found a comfortable position…

Clang!

"Gah! Dammit!"

Ilia snapped awake instantly, her blade already in hand as she crouched low on her bed. Blue eyes scanned the cabin for any sign of danger, flicking back and forth across the four grey walls rapidly. Finding nothing more than wallpaper and cheap furniture, she tried to focus her hearing. Her gaze snapped towards the hallway door when she heard another metallic clang, followed by someone's gruff muttering.

"Of all the stupid, useless…"

Sensing no danger, Ilia let out a soft sigh of relief, her sword's blade telescoping down into the hilt. Her eyes then sharpened, an annoyed frown on her face as she got out of bed, marching towards the door. She flung it open, eyes instantly falling on a crewman down the hall, bent over as he picked up several dirty plates and bowls that lay next to an overfilled service cart. "Could you keep it down, please?" she called down to him. "Some of us are still trying to sleep."

The man looked up at her, his annoyance now mixed with bemusement. "Ma'am, it's past ten o'clock."

Ilia blinked. She looked further down the hall, seeing the bright blue sky of the mid-morning streaming through the portholes on the far wall.

"Oh." She looked back to the man, who spared her another moment of eye contact before picking up the last of the dropped cookware. She watched him place them back in the cart, keeping a hand on the precarious pile as he wheeled the cart to the end of the hall. Ilia stood there for a moment, her mind still jumbled from her early wake-up. Still feeling the dull tug on her eyelids, she let out a groan, retreating into the darkness of her cabin.

She eyed the bed longingly for a moment, contemplating going back to sleep. The vague recollections she had of her dreams ended that thought quickly. Still, with nothing better to do at the moment, she laid back down, staring blankly at the ceiling above.

Ten o'clock. That means I slept right through the last port. She huffed to herself, annoyed. Well, at least we're finally underway.

She'd been trapped on the ship for over a day as it slowly made its way up Menagerie's coast, stopping at every single port along the way. She was all alone for the trip, meaning that the entire time she had nothing to do but bum around the ship, avoid the insufferable tourists, and think about-

Ilia groaned, cursing her mind for cycling back around again.

Blake. Ever since she stepped on this damn ship, her every thought sooner or later drifted back to Blake… and all the hurt, anger, and confusion that came with her.

Her hand twitched towards her pocket, fighting against the impulse to turn it on and bring up those pictures. The ones Adam had so helpfully provided her with, for 'reference'. She wanted to pull them up and will the images to be false. She held back, only because her every effort the previous day to do just that had given no results. The pictures were real, they always would be, and the godforsaken images they showed would never remove themselves from her mind.

Each one was of Blake, either on the Vale streets or on some campus pathway, with one of three girls. The girl in the cloak and the blonde were a mystery to her. The only things Adam had given her about them were their names, Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao-Long. But there was no mistaking the last one. Snow-white hair, pale skin, blue eyes; a Schnee.

After everything they'd been through, everything they knew, that they'd suffered through, Blake was with a damned Schnee.

Ilia wanted to believe so desperately that it was all a ploy. That Blake was only near the girl due to necessity. Fishing for information, some kind of infiltration; any number of desperate possibilities Ilia could think of, each more outlandish than the last. But she couldn't, due to one, soul-shattering detail.

Blake had a Mate's Mark. One she shared with all three of these human girls, not just the Schnee. This wasn't some fling or Blake experimenting. They were Mated.

Blake was Mated.

To. A. Schnee.

Ilia yelped as she felt a sudden sharp pain in her hand. She lifted her arm quickly, looking for the cause… only to find that her arm, along with the rest of her body, had turned a bright, angry red.

Ilia blinked at her new skin tone, only to groan. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm. She felt her skin ripple, the tiny scales covering her body shifting. The red hue slowly faded away, her skin returning to its normal tan color. She opened her fist, finding four crescent moons cut into her palm, each the exact size of her nails.

Ilia stared at her bleeding palm for a moment. With a huff, she forced herself to her feet. Her mind was a jumbled mess, and staying in the dark cabin wouldn't do anything to improve it. Hopefully, the sun and sea air would help.

A quick change of clothes later, and Ilia started her trek through the ship. She ignored most everyone she passed, not that they gave her any mind in return. People were giving her a wide berth, likely due to the look of deep thought on her face.

A Schnee. How… why… what could have changed so much in the last year, Blake? To turn your back on us… on me… in every way possible?

She had reached the deck before she even realized it. Her hands gripped the railing as she stared down at the clear blue sea below. She took a deep breath, a slight smile finding its way onto her lips. She'd been right. The salty sea air and warm sunshine beating down did make her feel better… physically, at least.

Crossing her arms on the railing, Ilia stared out randomly towards the horizon. It would be a few days before shore came into sight again… leaving all the time in the world to stew in her thoughts. About Blake, her Mates, and… what it meant.

She'd lost Blake. Lost her before she'd even known the chance was still there.

It hurt. She'd spent the last year carefully putting up walls, blocking out the thoughts and feelings that had plagued her ever since she'd met a certain black-haired cat Faunus. And with that first picture Adam sent her, it all came flooding back tenfold.

Could anyone blame her for her feelings? When, years ago, after having her old life ripped away from her, she'd been smitten by the first person to reach out? That the attraction grew stronger as they grew closer, as Ilia learned more and more about that cute, starry-eyed girl who dreamed of a peaceful world, who wanted to follow in her father's footsteps towards creating it? That her heart ached as she watched that girl get beaten down by the cruel world around them, and gladly filled the role of confidant for her when things got to be too much?

Not that Blake knew any of this. Ilia knew there was no chance that Blake would see her in the same light she did him. Adam. Their leader. The man she grew up with. The one she trusted above all others. The one she constantly swooned over, even if she didn't realize she was doing it.

Adam had everything: strength, charisma, leadership, and an existing history with Blake that Ilia never truly learned the extent of. Compared to that… Ilia didn't have anything to offer.

Not that she didn't try. She'd dropped hints, made comments. Even came dangerously close to just outright asking for a date. Yet, Blake noticed none of them, so oblivious that Ilia was convinced Blake simply wasn't attracted to the female sex.

She snorted darkly. Oh, how wrong she'd been.

So, Ilia contented herself with being happy that Blake was happy. She took every smile, every hug, every bit of wayward affection Blake threw her way. She appreciated whatever Blake would give her, and supported her whenever she could.

Even when she came running up one day, a beaming smile on her lips and a scabbed-over bite mark on her neck.

Ilia heaved a sigh, resting her chin on her folded arms. That day… that was the beginning of the end. Seeing the start of Adam's Mark on Blake's neck, listening to her gush about just how wonderful life had suddenly become, made Ilia's very soul ache. Still, she plastered on a smile, listening to Blake babble about 'the moment'. Given the state of the Fang at the time and the pressure everyone was feeling, it had been months since Blake had been so genuinely happy.

And then it all went wrong.

One moment, Blake and Adam were leaving for a raid, some supply train that was passing through the area. The next, Adam was storming into their base, screaming, raging, calling for Blake's blood. Saying she was a traitor, had abandoned him when they were moments away from victory. For a full week, every White Fang member in Vale was sent out searching, told to find Blake at any cost and drag her back to Adam. Until the last bit of Blake's aura burnt out, Adam's Mark dying with it… and so did any shred of compassion Adam had.

And all the while, Ilia stood in the background, unable to believe that her world had turned upside down again.

She'd gotten lucky. In the resulting weeks after Blake left, Adam seemed to grow crazier and crueler with every passing day. Between the toxic environment Adam exuded and the questions about Blake constantly taunting her, Ilia knew she had to get away. She had quietly transferred back to Menagerie, under the pretense of keeping watch on Kuo Kuana, just in case Blake returned home.

Though Ilia knew she never would. She knew Blake, knew her quiet concerns over the White Fang's methods and actions. Blake had barely called home during the year before she left the Fang, too afraid of what her father would do when he learned how the White Fang had changed. There was no way she'd come back to Menagerie now and risk her parents' wrath in person.

So Ilia went back to Menagerie. Committed herself to the simple work the local faction gave her, organizing White Fang supplies and recruiting any Faunus willing to listen. Allowed herself to enjoy life without the hate and bigotry of humans. Tried to put Blake out of her mind, and bury all the confusion, worry, and anger towards her.

Until Adam suddenly called and ordered her back to Vale.

Ilia suppressed a growl, scowling at the water below. What does he even expect me to do? Talk to Blake? Fight her? She'd be lying if she said the idea wasn't appealing. Some dark part of her wanted to fight Blake, to confront her with all the anger and frustration her actions had heaped on her. Maybe even get some answers as to why… just why?

Ilia felt the brief ripple of her chameleon scales and quickly forced the feeling down. She shook her head, pushing off from the railing with a grunt. She was getting nowhere, letting her thoughts cycle like that. She needed to clear her head. Take a walk around the deck, or…

...grw…

Her cheeks (and thankfully, only her cheeks) tinted pink as she glanced down at her stomach.

...or maybe get breakfast, she thought sheepishly, already moving down the length of the ship, towards the dining hall. She turned to re-enter the ship, navigating down the different corridors crisscrossing the ship.

Still, her mind wandered back to Blake. I just don't understand. Blake hates the SDC just as much as I do. How could she stand to be in the same room as that Schnee, let alone… let alone sharing her soul with her?

Again, she had to fight to keep her skin from changing color, flinching as her nails dug back into her palms.

That was something that confused her, though. The fact that Blake herself had a Mate's Mark. All three girls were human, they shouldn't be able to give her one.

Though… it is right where Adam's Mark used to be. Almost exactly, if I remember right. Maybe-?

"Dear Dust, I thought that would never end."

Ilia stopped dead, her head shooting up in shock as a man's voice cut through her thoughts. That voice…

She knew that voice. She'd heard it countless times in the past, on news broadcasts and old recordings. Back before the White Fang…

"Oh, relax, dear. We expected people to ask questions as soon as they recognized you."

Ilia's head turned around so fast she felt the bones in her neck pop. Another one, a woman. There was a branching hallway a few steps behind her, and the voices came from just around the corner. Ilia recognized them instantly, ice filling her veins.

It can't be, Ilia thought in denial, as her instincts were already shooting to high gear. Her eyes snapped around, looking for anything, anywhere she could…

There. Just ahead of her, a door on the left was left slightly ajar, shelves of cleaning supplies just visible.

Ilia dashed towards the broom closet, slipping in and closing the door behind her, quickly but quietly. She pressed herself against the door, straining to hear over her pounding heart.

"That doesn't mean I have to like it." The voices drew nearer, Ilia's stomach dropping with every word. They were so familiar… but they couldn't be. They just couldn't! "You know I don't like it when people act like I'm above them."

A woman giggled, her light voice a sharp contrast to the deep baritone of the man. "Yes, I know. You see fit to remind me after every public appearance. They're just showing how much they respect you."

The man sighed, the people's footsteps just outside Ilia's hiding place. "I know, I know. And I appreciate it. It just gets a little grating getting asked the same questions over and over again."

Again, the woman laughed. "Well, we can relax now." She sighed a moment later, her voice softer. "For the moment, at least."

The man hummed lightly in agreement, and their footsteps just passed her hiding place. Ilia, her heart hammering and hands shaking, slowly eased the closet door open just a crack. She peered through the opening, seeing the backs of a man and a woman heading for the dining hall. The man was intimidatingly tall, decked out in purple attire of leather and white furs. The woman wore a flowing black dress, golden studs pierced through the familiar cat ears poking out of her black bob.

Ilia immediately shut the door, her eyes bugging out as she remained hunched over the door handle.

That… that's Chief Ghira and his wife. How… when… Why are Blake's parents here?! When did they even get on board? I would have noticed if…

Her blood froze, dread overtaking her.

She'd slept through the last port. That must have been when… But they live in Kuo Kuana! Why would they be at a port so far north? Why… why would the Chief even leave Menagerie? Nothing is going on right now… nothing that he should know, at least.

A wayward thought struck her, one accompanied by long black hair and amber eyes.

Could she have really…? ...No, she was too scared. She wouldn't… but then how…? ...why would they…?

This was far beyond her comfort zone. Chief Ghira wasn't just some celebrity or politician. He was their Chief. Their King. Founder and former leader of the current White Fang.

That last realization gave Ilia a newfound understanding of Blake's old fears. If he learned of the White Fang's current methods… from her…

It was too much. In a panic, Ilia pulled out her scroll, frantically typing out the burner number Adam had given her. A direct line to him in case of a true emergency and this most definitely qualified!

She hit enter, watching the cursor spin… for all of a second. Then the worst thing possible popped up on her scroll's display.

NO SIGNAL

What felt like a ball of ice settled in Ilia's stomach. They were in the middle of the ocean, far outside the range of any transmit tower. It would be days before the ship came into range of a communications network of any kind.

She was trapped. Trapped on a ship with the leaders of Menagerie, the parents of her crush and the White Fang's public enemy number one… and not only had no idea what to do about it, she had no way to find out what she was supposed to do about it.

"Do you think we should stop by Patch on the way? Maybe introduce ourselves to Ruby and Yang's family?"

Ilia blinked, her panic momentarily broken by Kali's question. While her moment of horror had felt like an eternity, only a few seconds had truly passed. The Belladonnas had moved further away, but their voices still carried down the narrow corridor. If possible, Ilia's eyes widened even further, her head snapping towards the voice as if she could see through the walls.

Ruby… and Yang? But… those are the names-

"Probably not," Ghira's voice answered. "From what Blake told me, they haven't told their father about their Mating yet. I doubt he'd want to find out by us just showing up on his doorstep."

"Hmm…" Kali hummed. "I suppose that's true. Unfortunate, though. I was hoping to…"

Ilia tuned out the rest of Kali's words. In her mind, two things kept replaying on a loop.

'Blake told me.'

'Mating.'

They knew. Blake's parents knew she was Mated. Blake had contacted them. Told them.

How much did she tell them?

Ilia's head shot up at the thought, the implications. If Blake was speaking to her parents again…

She could hear the Belladonnas moving further away, unable to make out their words anymore. Ilia peeked out the door again, seeing them at the far end of the corridor, near a pair of double doors that lead to the dining hall. Instinct took her, her jumbled mind only able to think about getting away. Once she was out of sight of the Belladonnas, maybe she could have a coherent thought as to what in the hell she was going to do?

As Ghira opened the dining-room door for her, one of Kali's ears twitched. A door quickly snapped shut behind them, and the faint sound of rapid footsteps echoed around the corridor. She turned around, perplexed by the sound.

For a split second, she saw someone duck around a corner, their long brown ponytail whipping behind them from how fast they were running. She blinked in surprise.

"Kali? Something wrong?"

Pulled from her thoughts, Kali turned back around. Ghira was still holding the door, concern in his golden eyes.

Kali smiled back at him. "Nothing dear. I just thought I saw someone."

Ghira frowned, looking over her head down the hall. "Not a troublemaker, I hope. I'd like to make it through this trip peacefully. Without any… incidents."

Kali hummed, grinning as she stepped around him into the dining hall. The room was fairly empty, just a few people milling around a large buffet table. "You and me both, Ghira."

They'd made it about halfway across the room before…

"Excuse me? Sir? Are you… Chief Ghira?"

Kali turned around just in time to see Ghira's face as he closed his eyes. She quickly put a hand to her mouth, stifling a giggle at the oh-so-familiar expression on his face, the one she'd learned over the years meant all he wanted to do was yell 'oh, come on!' Opening his eyes, Ghira sent her a heatless glare, before heaving a sigh as he put a tired but genuine smile on his lips. He turned to face the nervous young wolf Faunus behind him, patiently answering the man's questions.

As Ghira dealt with the curious tourist, Kali went to find a table. Sinking into an empty chair, she let her mind wander. Something about that person in the hall… she seemed familiar. Kali thought hard, racking her brain for details, anything.

With a blink, she remembered. At least, she thought she remembered. Pulling out her scroll, Kali started pouring through every picture she had. Years and years of captured moments, from her own interests to Ghira's speeches, to…

There. Kali tapped on the one she was looking for. Not one she'd taken herself, but one sent to her. It was of a younger Blake, smiling with a childlike innocence that, regrettably, was now severely diminished. She had her arm wrapped over the shoulder of another girl of the same age, one with blue eyes and long brown hair, pulled back in a ponytail. The girl was waving at the camera awkwardly, smiling nervously. Under the picture was a small note.

-Hi Mom! I made a new friend here in Vale. Meet Ilia!

Kali stared at the girl in the photo, comparing her to the person she'd glimpsed in the hall. Maybe she was wrong, but…

She looked up from her scroll, seeing Ghira still talking with the wolf Faunus, nodding his head every now and then as they talked.

Kali stared. I'm sorry, Ghira, she thought. But I have a feeling this trip won't be peaceful for much longer.

Betaed by Covert Weapon

Old A/n: Yeah. I just shoved Ilia, Kali, and Ghira on a boat for a few days, with no contact from the outside world. Only good things can come of this… right?

I hope I did Ilia okay. It was kinda hard to get into her head, especially since this is pre-Battle of Beacon before everything started getting really crazy. Maybe it's just me, but I'd think that the White Fang pulling off such a huge assault on a Kingdom like that, might have skewed Ilia towards her more extreme moments we saw in Volume 5. I so seeing her now, I feel she'd be a bit calmer.

Hope you all liked this little intermission. Next chapter, it's back to Beacon for something a lot of you have been waiting for and Wess has been dreading: The Talk. Yes, that one.

...I might need some time for this.

Later!

P.S.: To everyone who mentioned last chapter: Thank you for pointing out that I screwed up how to spell the word Semblance, despite it being one of the most important things in the story. I done goofed, and it has been fixed.