23

Chapter 23: The Next Step

The walk to the dorm was a comfortable one. Ruby and Yang filled the air with pointless banter, Weiss putting her own opinion in when asked for it (and a few times when not). Blake stayed mostly quiet, just enjoying the sense of normalcy surrounding her. Whereas before Ruby or Yang would have tried to bring her into the conversation on the grounds of thinking Blake was feeling left out, now they could feel that, no, Blake was content to just listen to them talk, finding humor and enjoyment from their interactions.

"Hey, Blake?"

Blake looked to see Ruby looking back at her. "Yes, Ruby?"

"Why was that guy messing with you?"

Blake fought down a groan. She knew they were going to ask, and truthfully, she didn't really know what to tell them. "He… didn't approve of some of the choices I've made," she settled on.

Yang raised an eyebrow, not fooled in the slightest. "Which choices?"

Blake sighed, meeting the blonde's eyes. "He didn't approve my choice to… hide."

Yang blinked, then scoffed in disbelief. "Yeah, well, goody for him. That didn't give him the right to grab you like that. Gah, now I wish I'd hit him."

"He's in our combat class next week," Weiss supplied, giving Yang a sidelong glance. She smirked a little. "You'll get your chance."

Yang's lips pulled up in a cold smile she usually saved for Cardin. "Sweet."

Blake giggled softly at their enthusiasm. Her smile quickly faded as Kojak's words started replaying in her head.

"You could be a symbol for every Faunus trying to make something of themselves… I figured, 'if she wants to piss all over her own species, fine. There's plenty of other Faunus in this school who can become what she refuses to be."

Is… is he right? she thought to herself. Am I insulting my species by hiding what I am?

The mere idea hurt her. She wanted to be seen as a person, not just a Faunus, but… she also wanted to help the Faunus people. By hiding what she was, was she doing more harm than good?

She felt Weiss squeeze her hand, drawing her from her thoughts. She turned to see the heiress staring at her in concern.

"What's wrong, Blake?"

Blake's first instinct was to deny that anything was wrong, or lie about what was, but she stopped herself. She could see Ruby and Yang giving her a similar look, and figured that they'd all felt her increasing worry.

They just want to help, Blake told herself. If there's anyone I can talk to… anyone I can trust… it's these three. She took a deep breath, glancing around the hall briefly. No other students close enough to overhear them, no one coming from the direction they were walking. Looking down, she spoke to them all.

"Kojak-that was that Faunus' name-he said some things that… that I don't really know what to think about them."

"Like?" Weiss probed, nodding for her to continue.

Blake sucked the inside of her cheek, unsure how to answer. "Like… me hiding what I am."

Weiss' eyes widened, while Yang frowned. Ruby looked back, her brow scrunched in thought. "He doesn't like that you hide your ears?"

Blake shook her head. "He thinks that by hiding, I'm insulting Faunus as a whole."

Yang scoffed. "And his response is to try and out you in front of the whole school? Screw him."

Weiss nodded in agreement, rubbing the back of Blake's hand with her thumb. "He had no right to do that."

Blake's gaze flicked to Weiss, then Yang. "But…" What if he's right?

Ruby frowned as she felt Blake's worry. "But what?"

Blake met her eyes, her mouth opening slightly to respond, but stopped, swallowing her words. Kojak's words swirled in her head, contrasting against every choice she'd made to keep herself hidden. After a moment of thought, she quietly said, "I... need to think for a while."

She could feel their dissatisfaction with her words, but also a healthy dose of respect, which made her smile slightly. Even before Yang spoke, she could tell that they wouldn't push.

"Take as long as you need, Blake," the blonde said with a smile, patting her on the back. "Just remember that we are here to listen if you want to talk."

Blake rolled her eyes a little at her half-joking, half-admonishing tone. "I know, Yang. And… I will. Just give me some time," she finished softly.

The only response was another squeeze of her hand, and a sense of warm assurance from all around her.

The chatter turned to random topics as they trekked through the school, ranging from team tactics to future movie night ideas. Once they entered the room, however, the group fell strangely silent. Blake didn't notice at first, slipping her hand out of Weiss' as she moved to her bedside table, setting down her new books. When she heard the door click behind her, she reached up and pulled off her bow, her cat ears twitching freely in the open air. "So, what do you guys want to do tonight…"

She trailed off when she turned around, seeing the rest of her team still standing by the door. Ruby was shifting her weight from foot to foot, looking antsier than usual. Weiss was gripping her left arm with her right, looking at the carpet. Yang scratched at her cheek, eyes focusing on nothing in particular.

Blake felt a sense of dread creep up on her as she felt the nervousness coming off the three of them. "Girls…" she droned warily. "What's wrong?"

Three sets of eyes snapped to hers, then turned toward each other, as if asking each other a silent question.

Ruby was the first to respond, meeting Blake's amber eyes with her soft grey ones. "Nothing's wrong, Blake. We just… have something to tell you."

"O... kay?" Blake said in a not-quite question.

Weiss decided to take the initiative. "Blake, as I'm sure you're well aware, our Marks are going to fade away tomorrow."

Blake felt her heart plummet in realization. The moment the words were out of Weiss' mouth, she knew exactly what this conversation was about. Oh no… no, not this…

Yang swallowed down her nerves, folding her arms. "The three of us have been talking and… we came to a decision."

Blake felt cold. They don't want to do it, she thought in sorrow. They don't want to be my Mates…

"Blake, the last week has been… amazing," Weiss said as she struggled to find a better word.

Blake barely heard her, her mind racing. Did… did I do something wrong? Is there something they felt about me they don't like? Why-

Strong hands snapped her out of her thoughts as they clapped over her shoulders. Her eyes focused on the lavender ones in front of her.

"Hey," Yang said gently, her lips curved up in a half-smile. "How about you hear us out before you write us off?"

Blake blinked, not quite sure she heard the blonde right. Her eyes slowly panned over, showing Ruby standing right next to her sister, looking concerned but also smiling slightly.

Weiss looked at the ground, thinking. I knew we should have planned out what to say. How can I convince her that we… Her thoughts trailed off as an idea hit her. Her cheeks tinted. No, that's something Ruby or Yang would do. I couldn't… She looked back at Blake, and saw the confused, lost look on her face. She felt her heart twist. Maybe…

Blake looked between Ruby and Yang, not understanding. "What do you mean? Aren't you three…?"

Ruby frowned. "We barely started talking. Why'd you get so scared all of a sudden?"

Yang started to ask her own question, when she felt Weiss' hand on her arm. The blonde turned to her, briefly meeting the heiress' eyes. Seeing the red in Weiss' cheeks and the look in her eyes, Yang removed her hands from Blake's shoulders and let herself be pushed aside.

Blake's attention was pulled to Weiss as the heiress stood right in front of her, her confusion mounting. Weiss stared at her, an odd expression on her face.

"Weiss?" Blake asked. "What-?"

She was cut off when Weiss suddenly surged forward, cupping both hands under Blake's chin. Amber eyes widened in surprise, then slowly slid shut as her lips melded with the shorter girl's.

To their sides, Ruby and Yang were stunned for a moment, then smiled. They both shared a look, holding a conversation with their eyes that neither had trouble understanding as they waited for their girlfriends to finish.

After a few seconds, Weiss pulled away from Blake, her head dipping down as she let her arms fall to her sides. Blake opened her eyes, looking down at Weiss, unsure what to feel.

"Blake." Weiss swallowed as she tried to speak. When nothing came out, she huffed to herself. "I want to say it… but I just can't get the words out."

Blake tilted her head slightly, confused. "Say what, Weiss?"

Very slowly, Weiss lifted her head. She bit her lip as she met Blake's eyes. "I…" She breathed deeply. "I…" She could feel her throat close up, stopping the words before they left her mouth.

Come on… I know how I feel… why is it so hard to say out loud? I just want to tell her…

A soft hand fell on her left shoulder. She turned to find Ruby, her gigawatt smile firmly in place. She nodded in encouragement. A heavier hand suddenly fell on her right, and a quick turn showed Yang doing the same. "Go ahead, Weiss. Tell her what we're all thinking."

Weiss held her gaze. Confidence and reassurance washed over her from the sisters, as well as their own unmistakable feelings towards her and Blake. Taking a few deep breaths, she steeled herself. She glanced back at Ruby, seeing the leader's grey eyes sparkle. She nodded, as much to herself as to the two girls beside her.

She focused back on Blake, the poor Faunus looking utterly lost at how her team was acting. The confusion and uneasiness was rolling off her in waves, and it made Weiss feel like her soul ached.

Hesitantly, she reached out and grasped Blake's wrists, the Faunus letting her pull her arms closer. Weiss shifted her grip, holding Blake's hands in her own. With Ruby and Yang's hands on her shoulders, she met Blake's eyes.

"I love you."

Blake gasped. Weiss swallowed, just as surprised that the words she'd struggled so hard to say had suddenly slipped out so easily. Her lips curved up. "I love you, Blake," she repeated, her confidence growing. Her eyes flicked to the beaming girls at her sides. "We love you. And… if you'll allow us… we'd like to become your Mates."

Blake… stopped. Her movements, her breathing, the only indication that she still functioned was her eyes widening. Her golden eyes stared into warm pools of blue in absolute shock. Her mouth slowly fell open, suddenly dry. Slowly, almost shakely, she turned her head left, then right, meeting the eyes of Yang and Ruby. Both just smiled back, nervousness palpable, but with no trace of hesitance.

"Re… Really?" She finally rasped out, unable to keep the disbelief out of her voice. She could feel something building in her chest, something hopeful and fragile. "You…" She took a shuddering breath. "You're serious?"

Ruby reached out with her other hand, placing it on Blake's shoulder. "Yes, Blake. We want to stay Mated to you."

Yang did the same, completing the circuit. She grinned a softer version of her usual half-smile. "Sorry, Blake. Looks like you're stuck with us."

It took a moment for reality to sink in. Blake wasn't sure what exactly happened, only that she took a deep, rapid breath, and suddenly her vision turned blurry. She blinked rapidly, but that just made twin trails of wetness run down her cheeks.

Cool fingers cupped her cheek, Weiss rubbing away her tears with her thumb. "Blake, what's wrong? I… I thought you'd be happy."

Blake couldn't help it. A breathless laugh, little more than a choked wheeze, burst past her lips. "Weiss, I…" With a shuddering breath, Blake flung her free arm around Weiss' shoulders, startling the heiress. Squeezing her eyes shut in a pointless attempt to stop the flow of tears, Blake held onto Weiss as tightly as she could. She was smiling so hard it hurt.

"Thank you," she whispered shakily, not just to the girl she embraced, but also to the two beside her. "Thank you all."

Weiss stood frozen for a moment, surprised by Blake's actions, but the moment she heard Blake's words, her expression softened. Wordlessly, Weiss released Blake's hand and drew her arms around the taller girl. Soon after, Ruby and Yang wrapped their arms around the two girls, pressing close, holding them until Blake ran out of tears.

"So, why'd you have us change into our PJ's?"

Blake wrung her hands nervously as she looked at Yang. It had taken almost ten minutes for Blake to calm down enough to speak normally, and since then, she'd had each of her teammates change into their sleep clothes. They'd been understandably confused (the sun had only just set), but she simply said that she'd explain once they were done dressing. She herself had changed into her sleep robe, careful to pull it up tight around her neck. The four of them sat across from each other, Blake and Yang on the Faunus' bed, Ruby and Weiss on the heiress'.

Blake smiled nervously, her red-rimmed eyes stinging slightly. "Well, after we advance your Marks, the changes to your aura will likely be very taxing to your bodies. There's a good chance you won't have any energy afterward."

Weiss, who'd been absently brushing out the wrinkles in her nightgown, looked up at her in surprise. "Really? I didn't get that impression from my reading."

"Most books only refer to a standard Mating between two individuals. Two people mixing just their two auras wouldn't be all that taxing, just maybe tiring the two for a short while. But the way we'll be doing it, each of you will have three different auras combining with your own. Four auras combining within one body, even if three of those auras are just slivers of the whole; it will take time for your bodies to adjust."

Weiss nodded, finding Blake's answer reasonable. Ruby, however, still looked thoughtful. "So… how exactly do we do this?"

Blake smiled at her, placing her hands on her knees. "It… should be relatively simple. What I'm going to do is place my hand over each of your Marks, and push more of my aura into them. When I do, the other two of you will need to put your hands on my arm, and push your aura into it. I'll act like… a conduit, I guess. Like, Ruby, when I do this to you, Yang and Weiss will push their aura into my arm, and as I'm adding more of my aura to your Mark, their aura will be transferred with it. Make sense?"

Ruby hummed, wondering exactly what having their aura enter her will feel like. "I guess… but…" She frowned in thought.

"What?" Blake asked, her ears dipping a bit in worry.

Ruby met Blake's concern with her own, her grey eyes soft. "What about you?"

Blake bristled a little, then sighed, a melancholy smile on her lips. "I don't have a Mark, Ruby, remember? It's fine, I promise. I'm content with what I'll have."

Ruby stared at her for a long moment. Her gaze shifted to Weiss, the girl beside her fidgeting a little under her gaze. "Weiss?"

Weiss held her gaze, her eyes briefly flicking towards Blake. With a determined look, she nodded. "Right."

Blake looked between the two, watching as Weiss reached behind her and retrieved a book. "Um… what are you two doing?"

A warm hand landed on her shoulder. Yang grinned as Blake turned to her. "Our resident brainiac has an idea."

Weiss gave Yang a brief annoyed glance, then opened the book, flipping to the right page. "Blake, you read this book all the way through, correct?"

Perplexed by this strange turn in the conversation, Blake glanced at the book's cover and nodded. "Yes, I did."

Weiss nodded in confirmation. "Do you remember the story called 'All Bark and Unable to Bite'?"

Blake blinked, then thought. She'd read a lot of Mate-related books in the past week, so pinning down a single tale from one of them was a little difficult. "Um… I think so. It was about a wolf Faunus that had his jaw wired shut, right? He couldn't bite his Mate, so he had a friend do it in his place, and pushed his aura into the Mark before it could fade."

"Right," Weiss said with a smile. "Well, after reading it, I had the idea… what if we did that with you?"

Blake blinked. "Do… what exactly?"

Weiss closed the book, giving Blake a considering look. "What if we gave you our aura through a Mark given to you by someone else?"

Blake's eyes widened. "I… never really thought about trying that. I'm not sure if your aura would react properly, though, with you all being human."

To her surprise, Ruby shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Aura is Aura. Whether it comes from a human or a Faunus, all Aura acts the same."

Yang chuckled a little, looking impressed. "Look at you being all smart, Sis. Guess all that studying with Weiss is paying off."

Ruby smiled brightly, while Weiss straightened a bit where she sat, looking prideful. "Yes, well, Ruby is correct. There is nothing different between Faunus and human aura, not scientifically. We lack the ability to create a Mark from nothing, but I don't see why our aura wouldn't react the proper way when added to one that already exists, just was created by a Faunus previously."

Blake's brow furrowed. "Created previously…" It took a moment for her to grasp what Weiss was suggesting. When she did, her hand flew to her left shoulder as she stared at the heiress with wide eyes. "My old Mark…"

Weiss nodded, her expression becoming more serious. "Exactly. I think… if you'll let us, Blake… I think we could transfer our aura into your old Mark, and make it our own." Her blue eyes softened. "It's your choice, though."

Blake swallowed. What Weiss was suggesting seemed… impossible. Not only because she'd never heard of a human attempting such a thing, let alone three, but because, if they tried this and it worked, her old Mark, at least as it existed now, would be gone.

She trailed her fingers over the Mark. Even through her robe, she could feel it, the raised edges of large teeth marks. She remembered the day she got it, and how everything changed immediately after. How she thought, how she acted, how she saw the White Fang… how she saw him…

Her hand slowly closed over the dead Mark, clutching a fistful of her robe. She'd told Yang before that it didn't hurt her, that all it did was bring back bad memories. That wasn't quite true. Along with the memories came regrets, questions, the 'what-ifs'. Every time she saw that Mark in the mirror, even before it had reappeared fully and was just a small, almost invisible scar, everything came back: all her bad memories, and everything that came with them.

The idea that it could be gone… not just gone, but replaced, with something better, something purer… It was too good to be true.

And… there was that one little part of her, that small, embarrassing little part that she was ashamed still existed, that asked, "Do I really want it gone?" For all the bad memories and pain it dredged up, that Mark was still a part of her, a part of him. A piece of her past, of who and what she was. Did she really want to just… get rid of it?

She felt concern and worry wash over her, reminding her that all of her conflicting feelings were being projected to the girls around her. She raised her head, meeting their troubled stares. She gulped. "I… I don't know…"

The frowns she received made their disappointment known even before she felt it from them, adding a new layer of guilt on top of everything. These girls meant so much to her, and they were trying so hard to help her. She cursed her own uncertainties, wishing not for the first time that all her problems could be solved with a simple 'yes' or 'no'.

Suddenly, a snapping sound split the air. All eyes turned to Yang, whose hand was still in the air as she smiled triumphantly. "I've got an idea. What if we only gave her a First Stage Mark?"

Weiss blinked. "What do you mean?"

Yang's smile widened as she gestured animatedly as she spoke. "Well, instead of trying to give her a Stage Two Mark right off the bat, y'know, to put her on par with us. What if we try and give Blake a First Stage Mark like the ones we have now? Just to see if it would work that far?"

Weiss hummed, her brow furrowing. "The book didn't cover trying that. In the story, they seemed to jump straight to a finished Mark, skipping the initial stage. But… I don't see why we couldn't." She lifted her eyes, turning her attention to Blake. "What do you think, Blake?"

Blake considered it. The idea still seemed impossible, but… she looked at her team, her friends, the three girls that were willing to take what they had now and make it… more. She met Yang's lavender eyes, the blonde smiling back. She saw Weiss, visibly nervous, but with her features still soft and accepting. And Ruby, that ever-present sparkle dancing in her eyes, grinning away as she waited for an answer.

Blake let out a slow breath. Hesitantly, she reached up and grasped the collar of her robe. She pulled it back just enough to show her empty Mark. She tilted her head to the side, giving them all a clear view of it. She met Weiss' eyes.

Weiss' mouth parted slightly in surprise as she laid eyes on the old Mark. She bit her lip. "You're absolutely sure?"

Blake gave a firm nod, mustering up as much courage as she could. She allowed herself a little spark of hope as she thought about what they were attempting.

Weiss nodded back. She got up off her bed and walked across the room, Ruby right behind her. Weiss started to reach out her arm towards Blake's Mark, but stopped. "Um… how do we do this?"

Blake took another calming breath. "Just… put your hand over the Mark."

Weiss did so, kneeling down as she carefully put her fingertips on the edge of the Mark. Blake tensed slightly when she felt Weiss' cool touch on her skin, but relaxed soon after. "Okay, now Yang, Ruby, put your hands on Weiss' arm. Try to keep them even, like a mirror image."

Ruby and Yang nodded, Yang gulping as she did. Even though this was her idea, actually doing it seemed… intimate. Like there was some line she didn't know was there, and now she was choosing to cross it. Still, she didn't hesitate, putting her hand on the right side of Weiss' forearm, feeling the contrast between the heiress' cool skin and her own warmer than normal temperature. Ruby put her hand across from hers, and Yang had to hold in a snort. She got what Blake had meant, but seeing her large hand across from Ruby's comparably petite one was hardly a 'mirror image'.

Weiss fought down an ever-growing blush, ignoring the thrill that ran up her arm as both girls laid their hands on her. All three focused on Blake, waiting for instructions.

Blake struggled against her ever-growing nerves. "Okay, now, Ruby and Yang, you need to push your aura into Weiss' arm. Move your aura like you would to heal your fingers. Weiss, focus on where the tips of their fingers are and flare your aura."

Weiss did as she said. Her arm glowed slightly with white light as she felt her aura move and shift. She held in a gasp when she suddenly felt a burst of heat from Yang's fingertips. Almost immediately after, a tingling sensation came from where Ruby had laid her hand.

The three watched, awestruck, as the white glow around Weiss' arm flickered, flecks of yellow and red peppering the light. Weiss' arm started to tremble, feeling like she'd been injected with fire and lightning, so unlike the frigid sensation of her own aura.

"What… what do I do now?" Weiss murmured, transfixed by the aura dancing across her skin.

Blake stared at Weiss' arm, at the three auras gathering within it. This is it. This might be… "Do what they did. Push your aura into the Mark. If it works… the rest should take care of itself."

Weiss nodded slightly, focusing. It was an odd feeling, like ice water, a raging fire, and a bolt of electricity all at once, combined yet separate, flowing up her arm. Ruby and Yang watched in anticipation as the glow around Weiss' arm moved, condensing in her hand, then to her fingertips. There was a slight flicker over the teeth marks on Blake's skin, and then it was gone.

Feeling the sensation leave, Weiss slowly removed her hand, Ruby and Yang pulling away as she did. "Did it work?" Ruby asked, staring at the old Mark for any change.

Blake brought her head back to a normal position, her brow furrowed. "I… don't know. I felt something for a moment, but…

Her words died in her throat with a choked gasp. A blizzard; an inferno; a lightning strike; all at once, like the world's most impossible storm. The feeling surged through her body, hot and cold, slow and accelerated, before converging back on her shoulder. She craned her neck so she could see what was happening.

They all watched, mesmerized, as the skin within the bite changed. A multicolored glow of red, white, and yellow shined and swirled, before slowly settling. The glow died, and in the center of the bite was a cloud of red, white, and yellow, the three colors swirled around each other like a pinwheel.

Blake stopped breathing. She had only a moment to process what she was seeing before she felt. Ruby wasn't just happy, she was excited, joyful, awed, proud. Yang was more than surprised, she was shocked, elated, amazed. And Weiss… not just stunned. Disbelieving, then excited, ecstatic, proud, still worried, but happy, hopeful.

Everything felt so clear. Like there had been a filter, a window between her and the three of them, and it had not just been opened, it was shattered.

I have a Mark. Blake's vision blurred again, an unrestrained smile spreading across her lips. A real Mark. They did it. And… if they can take the first step…

"Oh, come on, Blakey, not the waterworks again." Despite her words, Yang's tone was anything but reprimanding. The blonde leaned over and pulled the Faunus into a one-armed hug, smiling wider than ever before.

Blake couldn't help but laugh, wiping the tears out of her eyes. "Sorry, just… this shouldn't be possible."

Ruby beamed, giggling. "I guess we just made history." Then her expression turned thoughtful. "So… what do we do now?"

Weiss turned to Ruby, feeling her heart jump a little. "Well… I suppose we should go ahead and advance our Marks… right?"

Yang nodded. "No time like the present. What do ya say, Blake?" she finished, looking to the Faunus.

Blake met her gaze, still marveling at how clear everything was now. She felt Weiss' hesitance, but now she could pick up the underlying feelings behind it, the excitement and thrill just below the surface. She could feel the sizable amount of nervousness Yang and Ruby had each hidden down, swamped beneath their own feelings of happiness.

One thing was clear, though: despite the worry, the nervousness and hesitancy all three of them were feeling, it didn't change their overwhelming feeling of want. They wanted this. They wanted to become her Mates, to be Mated to each other. They wanted her, not as a possession or a prize, but as herself. They loved her.

Blake decided.

"If you're all ready," she said to them. She received firm nods in answer. "Okay, then. It'd be easiest if we were all even with each other."

The simplest solution, they found, was to all sit across from each other on Blake's bed. Blake sat with her back against the wall across from Weiss, while Ruby sat across from Yang.

"So… who goes first?" Yang asked, the hesitance in her voice unmistakable. No one blamed her. The tone in the room had grown serious, the gravity of what they were about to do finally seeming to sink in. A few seconds ticked by, each of them waiting for the others to speak.

"I'll do it."

All eyes turned towards Ruby. The leader fidgeted a little under their stares, but she kept her face neutral.

Blake took a moment to meet Yang's and Weiss' eyes. Both of them looked back nervously, but nodded to her just the same. With their confirmation, Blake turned to Ruby, carefully laying her hand over the smaller girl's shoulder. "Okay, Ruby. You're going to have to flare your aura, and keep flaring it until we've all gone through the process. Got it?"

Ruby nodded, determination in her eyes. Her brow scrunched a little as she focused. Her whole body started to glow faintly with a light-red light. She gave Blake a look, silently asking if she'd done it correctly.

Blake nodded affirmative, then looked towards the other two, bobbing her head slightly. They got the message, gingerly placing their hands on her arm. "Channel your aura into my arm like before. I'll tell you when to stop."

They nodded, and Blake could feel the change. Where their skin met hers, she could feel a cold chill and a raging blaze. She took just a moment to adjust to the feeling, then started pushing her own aura down her arm. The warmth and cold flowed with it, like small streams joining a rushing river.

Ruby sucked in a breath, tensing slightly. Blake watched her Mark carefully, waiting for it to change. Slowly she saw the black Mark start to glow violet. After a few seconds, yellow and white joined the glow and, surprisingly, red bled into the mix. The glow raised in intensity for a few seconds, before seeming to stop after a certain point.

"Stop," Blake said. Weiss and Yang did as she said, and she could feel the flow of aura from them cut off as they removed their hands. The three stared at Ruby for a moment, but, aside from her red glow and the multicolored glow of the Mark, nothing seemed to have changed.

"You okay, Ruby?" Yang asked after a few seconds of anxious waiting.

Ruby looked down at herself, then shrugged. "I think so."

"How do you feel?" Blake asked, a little concerned.

Ruby thought for a moment, looking slightly unsure. "Hot.. and cold. Calm, but… kinda tingly.

Yang raised a skeptical eyebrow. "That's… weird."

Ruby shrugged. "It feels weird," she agreed.

Weiss looked between the two, then focused on Blake. "Is this… normal?" she asked awkwardly.

Blake nodded slowly after a few seconds of thought. "Since we're doing this one at a time, the aura has to stay in flux, which is why Ruby's keeping her aura flared. Once we've all done the same, and stopped flaring our aura, that's when the Marks will finish advancing."

Weiss accepted her answer, glancing back at Ruby. The leader just looked back at her, a little confused, but seemingly unaffected.

"Okay," Yang said, swallowing down her nerves. "Guess I'm next." With a few seconds of focus, a yellow glow surrounded her. Surprisingly, her hair seemed to have it's own glow, and her eyes turned red.

Blake repeated what she'd done with Ruby, said girl placing her hand alongside Weiss'. Yang tensed as Ruby had when she felt their aura enter her, but relaxed quickly after. When her Mark glowed and they removed her hands, she rolled her shoulders.

"Whoa… yeah, I see what ya mean, Ruby. Weird." She turned to Weiss, a half-smile on her lips. "Ready, Weiss?"

Weiss stiffened a little, but then took a calming breath. She tilted her head to the side, meeting each of their eyes as she glowed white.

Blake put her hand over Weiss' Mark, then glanced between the sisters. "Okay, Yang, Ruby, remember what I said about you two making a Sibling's Pact?" They nodded. "Good. All you have to do is push your aura into my arm at the exact same time, and focus on the bond you two have as you do. Got it?"

Ruby nodded. "Yep. Ready, Yang?" she asked, meeting her sister's still red eyes.

Yang grinned. "As I'll ever be, Little Sis. On three?" she asked as she placed her hand on Blake's arm.

Ruby did the same. "On three. One... two… three!"

Heat surged into Blake's arm, red and yellow dancing within the black aura around her arm. She felt a small shudder, like two forces colliding. The feeling faded quickly, and Blake started pushing the aura down her arm. Just as Ruby and Yang had, Weiss stiffened slightly as her Mark slowly started to glow.

Weiss took a shuddering breath as they released her. She let it out slowly, then smiled. She met Blake's eyes. "Your turn, Blake."

Blake couldn't help the uncertainty she felt. That shameful little part of her was screaming now, telling her of all the ways it could go wrong, how it wouldn't work. Then she looked at her team, each one glowing in their aura's color, their Marks shining. They looked back at her, happiness and hope in their eyes. Blake smiled.

She closed her eyes. She gently put her hand over her Mark, running her fingers over the teeth marks. She almost felt like she was saying goodbye.

Blake glowed, a deep purple hue surrounding her as she opened her eyes. She tilted her head to the side, and felt Weiss' cool touch. Ruby gave another count of "One, two, three!", and Blake felt their aura flow into her, hot and cold energized. The flow ended soon enough, and Blake could feel a tingle run through her skin where her Mark was. The three girls pulled their hands back, looking at Blake expectedly.

"Now what?" Yang asked.

"Now, we stop flaring our aura, and wait."

Yang grimaced slightly, and Blake couldn't blame her. She wished just as much as the rest of them that she had a little more control during this part, but that was the nature of Mating. With a look to Weiss and Ruby, Blake stopped flaring her aura, her violet glow fading. The others followed suit, the light of their Marks dying as the glow ended, Yang's eyes fading from red back to lavender.

A second passed. Then five. Then thirty.

Blake felt a nasty chill in the pit of her stomach. Did we do it wrong? We couldn't have, this is the only way we could have done it. Why…?

"Hey, I think something's happening!"

Ruby's excited yell drew their attention, looking at the young leader as she craned her neck to look at her Mark. Sure enough, her Mark was glowing again, brighter. As if in answer. Blake felt her own Mark warm and cool, seeing the same things happen on Weiss and Yang.

Blake kept her eyes glued to Weiss' shoulder, unable to look away. Within seconds, the teeth marks that had been on Weiss' skin all week healed, the raised edges fading into her skin until there was nothing left. The aura swirled and twisted, narrowing in places and collecting in others. Soon four spots of differing color formed. A vague shape, a single violet circle surrounded by three circles of red, white, and yellow.

"A triangle?" Weiss thought aloud, staring at Yang's Mark.

Yang nodded absently, looking across at Ruby. "Looks like it… okay, that's different."

To all of their surprise, the white circle at the top of the apparent triangle shimmered, then darkened. Slowly, the white color changed, going from stark white to a deep blue, a few shades darker than Weiss' eyes.

"What…?" Weiss questioned, her brow furrowed. Before she could say anything else, the four circles started to shift, morphing and stretching into something else. After a few seconds, they started to form shapes.

Blake's eyes widened.

Very familiar shapes.

"No way," Ruby said softly, a grin spreading across her face.

From the shapes, lines stretched out, reaching out towards each other. Each line connected, save the two across the bottom, which broke off and seemed to twist around each other, forming a shape all its own.

As quickly as it started, the glow stopped. Once the lights died down, they could all see their Marks clearly.

I was their symbols. Ruby's rose, Weiss' snowflake, and Yang's flame formed the points of a loose triangle, Blake's flower sitting in the center. Oddly, rather than the white of Weiss' aura, the snowflake was a warm blue. Lines of color stretched out from the symbols, each forming a connection between the symbols, save for Ruby and Yang's. Between the rose and the flame sat two small arcs connected at their center, each side a color of the symbol closest to it.

Blake couldn't look away from the Mark on Weiss' shoulder. For that's what it was, a true Mate's Mark. "It worked," she said breathlessly.

Yang chuckled in slight disbelief. Looking at her Mark in appraisal. "Yeah, i-it did." she laughed a little harder. "A bit on the nose, isn't it?"

"I like it," Ruby said happily, beaming at her Mark.

Weiss carefully ran her fingers over her Mark, as if making sure it was real. Her lips quirked up in a small smile. "It's… rather fitting, I think."

At their words, Blake laughed. Looking at her shoulder, she stared at her own Mark. I was impossible, unimaginable… yet there it was. They had Marked each other.

They were Mates.

Blake giggled, a bubble of joy forming in her chest. She pushed herself up, ready to throw her arms around whoever was closest.

And immediately felt her arms fall in exhaustion.

Ruby suddenly let out a huge yawn. "Wha… What's going on…?" she asked tiredly, blinking rapidly.

Blake shook her head, her eyes suddenly feeling heavy. "It's… it's our aura. Making our Marks used up all… all of our energy."

"No kidding, Blake," Yang muttered as she stifled a yawn. "I feel like I went ten rounds with… well, me." She laughed a little at her own joke, before yawning again.

Weiss blinked rapidly, clenching her jaw. "We should… *yawn*... we should probably go to…"

Whump!

Three tired heads turned towards the soft thump from the head of the bed. Ruby had fallen backwards, her head laying on Blake's pillow, her eyes shut. A soft snore passed her lips.

Yang let out a soft laugh. "I think Ruby has the right idea. You… you mind, Blake?"

Blake blinked at her, then smiled. "No, it's… it's fine."

Yang grinned back. "Cool. Weiss, lie down."

"Wha-?" Before Weiss could question her, Yang gave the heiress a small shove. Surprised, Weiss fell beside Ruby. Yang sluggishly crawled across the bed, and to Weiss' surprise, laid down behind her and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's waist, pulling her close. Weiss gave a small squeak of surprise, her face burning, but another yawn stopped her thinking. Deciding that Blake's bed was suddenly very comfy and she liked the feeling of Yang's warmth behind her, Weiss settled for freaking out later, pressing back against the blonde. Yang smiled sleepily as her eyes slid shut. Weiss soon followed, holding her hands against her chest.

Blake looked down at them in surprise. A warm smile spread across her lips as she felt her shoulders sag. With a small grunt of effort, she lied down at Ruby's side, curling up. As if sensing what Blake wanted to do, Ruby rolled over in her sleep, facing Weiss and Yang. Glad, Blake laid her arm across Ruby, her hand falling over the smaller girl's.

Before she let sleep take her, Blake took a long look at her sleeping Mates. Her eyes focused on the fresh Mark on Weiss' neck. She smiled. Laying her head down, Blake buried her face in Ruby's hair, purring as she drifted off.

There would be questions in the morning, worries that still needed to be addressed. But for now, Team RWBY found peace in slumber, the shattered moon shining on them as they laid together.

End of Act I

Betaed by Covert Weapon

A/n: Well, we finally made it. I really hope it lives up to what everyone was waiting for. In case you didn't notice, you can see the Mate's Mark up top as the cover image. If you want to see a large view of the Pollination Mark, head over to my deviantart page, TheLastOmegaMan.

Now, if you'll all excuse me, there's a whole new generation of Pokemon with my name on it!

… hey, don't judge me!

See you next chapter! ^_^