53

Chapter 53: Overcast

Southern Remnant Ocean

To anyone else, the day would seem perfect. The skies were clear, the ocean calm, and the Grimm were being mercifully quiet. As the passenger liner cut through the gentle waves, people of all ages lined across the deck, enjoying the beautiful day. It was a day to have no care in the world and simply relax.

That is, unless you were Kali Belladonna.

"This is getting ridiculous," the cat Faunus muttered to herself as she rested her hands on the ship's railing, looking out towards the horizon.

"Then I'm sure you can relate, my dear."

Kali turned her head, giving Ghira a flat glare. Her husband sat at one of the numerous patio tables set up across the deck, a red umbrella keeping the sun's heat off him. There was a book in front of him on the table, which his eyes never left. Nevertheless, a grin played on his lips.

Refusing to be baited, Kali merely let out a sigh, leaving the railing to sit across from her husband. She folded her arms on the table, resting her head as her cat ears wilted. "I just don't understand. I've been looking all day, and-"

"Kali," Ghira cut her off, with a tone of a man tired of repeating himself. "It's a big ship. You can't cover the entire thing yourself. And, well…" He smiled humorously. "She is a chameleon."

Kali pouted at him, making him chuckle.

Since catching sight of Ilia the previous day, Kali had been scouring the ship trying to find her. The way she saw it, since the girl was Blake's friend, maybe if they talked with her they could gain a new ally. Possibly gain a different perspective on everything Blake had gone through.

Ghira thought it was a bad idea, pointing out that, as far as they knew, Ilia was still a loyal member of Taurus' White Fang. While it would be nice to meet one of Blake's friends face to face, it was entirely possible she would warn Adam of their arrival the first chance she had. He pointed out how Ilia likely hadn't spoken to Blake in almost a year either, so they had no idea where her loyalties lay.

Unfortunately, Kali couldn't blame him. She knew she was being silly looking for Ilia, but… she needed to be doing something. Since getting on the ship, Kali had started go a little stir crazy. She spent the previous week with Ghira planning out where they'd go, what they would do once they reached Vale. What they'd say to Blake, how they'd deal with Adam, what they'd do with the White Fang; nothing truly set in stone, but enough to give them options once they reached the city.

But now that they were on their way and had planned out as much as they could, Kali had nothing left to focus on. So in no time at all, her thoughts would start drifting back to Blake. The things she'd done, what she'd gone through; it wasn't uncommon for her to suddenly start staring off into the distance, not stopping until Ghira startled her back to her senses. Finding Ilia gave her something to do.

Ghira could sympathize with her, as he found himself in the same position from time to time. Which was why he didn't do much to discourage her from searching, outside of a few bland comments.

"Do you think the captain would tell me what room she's assigned in?"

Ghira shook his head, resisting the urge to sigh. "Pretty sure they have rules about giving out room numbers to strangers, Kali." Kali just pouted, putting her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands. It made Ghira's lips pull up in a fond smile.

As the minutes ticked past in silence, broken only by the sound of waves against the ship's hull, something started to feel… odd. Ghira frowned lightly, feeling his shoulders tense. It was an odd feeling, one he'd rarely felt since retiring from the White Fang.

He was being watched.

Ghira sighed deeply, keeping his face passive, his eyes never straying from the pages of his book. He tried to stretch out his senses, pinpoint where the watcher was, but between the crowded deck and working crew, there was just too much noise. He'd just have to wait for an opportunity…

It came not three minutes later. For what felt like the dozenth time that day, a Faunus gathered enough courage to approach their table ("My brother ran off to join the White Fang a few months ago and I haven't heard from him. Could you ask if anyone has seen him the next chance you get?"). As Ghira spoke with the young bat Faunus, he let his eyes move with every turn of his head, taking in as much of the ship around them as he could. He smiled as the Faunus walked away, and not just from speaking with her.

Very quietly, Ghira spoke. "Kali."

His wife's ears perked up as she lifted her head from her arms, as she'd started dozing while he was speaking with the bat Faunus. She blinked the sleep from her eyes, giving him a curious look.

Ghira spoke even quieter, knowing his wife could hear him with her sharp ears. "Don't react to what I'm about to say. I think I found our daughter's wayward friend."

To Kali's credit, the only reaction she had was her golden eyes sharpening. Staring evenly at him, she responded just as softly. "Where?"

Ghira dipped his head, eyes solely on the pages in front of him. "Upper deck, behind the leftmost rowboat."

"Do you think she can hear us?"

"Over the ship and other passengers? Doubtful."

Kali was silent for a moment, like she was digested this new bit of news. Then she gave him a sly smile. "Well, just to be sure." She slowly stood up from the table, rolling her neck like she'd just awoken from a nap. "It's a bit warmer then I thought it would be today," she said in her normal tone of voice. "I'm going to go change into something a bit lighter."

Ghira grinned at her, nodding. "Could you bring me out another book? I'm almost done with this one."

"Anything in particular?"

"Maybe one of the older myths? The Dragon Hunt?"

Kali merely smiled in answer, mischief in her eyes as she started down the deck.

Ghira watched her go, turning back to his book once she was out of sight. Even as he read through the tome, taking in the humorous tale of a Faunus warrior's efforts to tame a Beowolf, he kept his ears trained on a particular corner of the ship, He trusted his wife's capabilities in handling a single teenager, but still… she was part of Adam's Fang. Better to keep a guard. Just in case.

As the day went on, Ilia found herself gaining a new sense of resentment, not only of the Belladonnas but of Adam and herself as well.

It was gorgeous out. The beating of the sun combined with a gentle breeze, the fresh air giving everything a sort of a crisp, calm feeling; her greatest desire at the moment was to find a quiet place on deck and just bathe in the warm sunshine.

Instead, she was forcing herself to hunker down beside a tarped-up liferaft, sandwiched between it and the ship's railing as she kept watch over a single table.

And being bored out of her skull.

Why? Why did Blake's parents have to get on the same ship that she did? Why were they leaving Menagerie to begin with?

Why did Adam even call her in?

These were the questions Ilia kept asking herself, over and over again as she hid in her cabin the previous day. It had taken hours for her to come to grips with the situation: how she was trapped in the middle of the ocean with no support, no communications, and with the King and Queen of her species prowling the ship.

Once she'd finally stopped shaking in terror, she came to a decision. From what she'd overheard from them, the Belladonnas clearly knew more about the White Fang than they'd thought. If she was going to be stuck on the same ship with them until the first Vale port, she might as well shadow them, if only to find out exactly how much they knew.

How much Blake told them, muttered an angry little voice in the back of her head. Ilia shook the thought away.

Thus far, it had all been for nothing. No, worse than nothing. The Belladonnas had spoken little if anything about Adam or the White Fang in general. Instead, they'd treated the trip thus far like a vacation, relaxing on the deck and only speaking whenever someone approached them.

Ilia was brought out of her thoughts when she noticed Blake's mother get up from their table. She watched her say a few words to the Chief, then started walking away, towards the cabins. She had half a mind to follow her but dismissed it quickly. She'd done just that the previous day, following the Faunus matriarch as she wandered throughout the ship. She'd been hoping to discover some kind of secret, perhaps a contact the Belladonnas were meant to meet on the cruise.

Instead, Kali seemed to just move about aimlessly, going from the dining room, the ship's bow; even to the engine room! She never lingered anywhere for long, usually just to ask a nearby crew member something too low for Ilia to hear. By the end of the day, Ilia went to bed tired, irritated, and even more stressed than before.

Maybe it's a family thing, she wondered idly. She remembered Blake doing the same thing whenever they moved bases, scouring every nook and cranny of their new home, even if they would only be staying there for a few days. Ilia remembered watching her as Blake stalked around the room, sometimes staring intently at some piece of furniture, her cat ears perking up, before moving on. It was oddly cute to watch…

Annnd Ilia stopped that thought cold, her brief small smile falling into a fierce scowl.

No time for that, she scolded herself. Which was a complete lie, given that she had nothing but time on this infernal trip. But maybe if she kept saying it to herself, her thoughts would stop straying to the 'what-was' and 'could-have-been's. Just focus on the Chief… who is still reading his book.

Ilia wilted, shifting her weight as she tried to keep her legs from falling asleep. She'd never thought the King of Menagerie would be this… boring. All she'd seen him do in the last day and a half was talk to curious Faunus and read. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting on her self-imposed mission, but this was not it.

She almost wished something would happen just to break up the monotony.

"It's rude to eavesdrop, you know."

Ilia's whole body jolted in surprise at the calm, clear voice coming from right behind her.

In a flash, she was on her feet, spinning around as she brought her sword to bear. Heart hammering, she hunched defensively as she lifted her sword…

And pointed it right in Kali Belladonna's face.

Just like that, the warm sunny day might well have turned arctic, given the way Ilia's whole body went cold. She stared with wide eyes at the woman she'd been spying on, Blake's mother, her Queen. Any thoughts she had fled her, her mind going blank with sheer dread.

Kali, for her part, was almost insultingly calm, given the blade almost touching the tip of her nose. Her eyes were a tad wider than before as she looked down the length of Ilia's sword. "Well, there's little need for that," she said with a hint of reprimand, raised a finger to nudge the blade away. Not much, just enough that Ilia was now pointing at her human ear rather than her nose.

A tiny portion of Ilia's mind, the bit that wasn't locked up in horror, was screaming at her to respond, to say something.

"W-what…?"

Well… that was technically something.

Kali's grin widened just a bit at the sound of Ilia's voice. "I'm sorry to have startled you, but you've been rather hard to track down."

Again, Ilia's brain was about three steps behind as she struggled to respond, not that Kali's comment helped any. "T-track d-down…?"

Kali nodded patiently. "Yes, I've been trying to find you since I saw you yesterday." Her smile fell slightly, uncertainty shining in her eyes. "You are Ilia Amitola, yes?"

The Queen of Menagerie knows my name. Despite everything; her history, her affiliation, her relationship with the woman's daughter; Ilia couldn't help the childish sense of giddiness that overtook her at that moment. It was washed away when she realized that that was a very bad thing.

"U-um…" Ilia stuttered, her mind stalling as she tried to think of something, anything she could say. She saw Kali's eyes flick to the side, and her face heated when she realized she still had her sword pointed at the freaking Queen. She jerked her arm back, almost fumbling the blade as it retracted back into the hilt. "I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked, clasping the hilt in both hands as she averted her eyes.

To her surprise, rather than give a reprimand or accusation, Kali… giggled. Ilia looked back up, seeing the matriarch stifle her soft laugh with her closed hand.

Kali's lips twitched upwards as her eyes shined, humorous but kind. "Sweetheart, you may want to take a moment to collect yourself. You've turned pink."

Ilia blinked dumbly at her, then quickly glanced down. Sure enough, her skin had shifted to an embarrassing shade of light pink, before she forced her scales to shift back to their normal tan color. In just a few seconds, the only unnatural color on her body were the dark red spots pooling in her cheeks.

"There, that's better," Kali said in a bright voice, smiling at her. To anyone else, the kindness in her eyes would have been reassuring, but for Ilia, it just made her want to squirm.

Swallowing thickly in a vain attempt to wet her dry mouth, she asked, "H-how do you know my name?" She cursed her voice for being so shaky.

Kali paused, suddenly looking hesitant. After a moment, she pulled out a scroll and opened it. She smiled softly at the screen, then met Ilia's eyes. "My daughter made very few friends in the last few years." She turned the scroll around so Ilia could see it. "I made a point to remember each one."

Ilia stared at the photo with wide eyes. She remembered when they took it, how nervous she'd been when Blake told her who her parents were, just seconds before the photo was taken. "You… you kept that?"

Kali just looked at her with kind eyes, her smile slipping a little. "I haven't been near my daughter in almost four years. I've kept everything."

Ilia didn't know what to say to that. She wasn't capable of speaking even if she did.

After a moment's silence, Kali's ears perked back up. "Ilia, my husband and I have a few questions we were hoping you might be able to answer. Would you be willing to join us for lunch?"

Ilia's brain had officially stopped working, overwhelmed by just how in over her head she'd gotten in the last five minutes. Have lunch with Chief Ghira? That would be a terrifying prospect even if she wasn't actively working against him.

This was bad. This was beyond bad. Any sort of plan she'd created had just been blown to bits, and she had no idea what to do. She couldn't even run, due to them being on the damn ship. Ilia's stomach churned as she realized that she was well and truly trapped, with those familiar amber eyes staring patiently at her, waiting for an answer.

Just… I just have to go along with it until I… I think of something! She fiercely ignored her feelings about just how likely that was going to work.

"S-sure!" she squeaked, and it was all she could do not to turn green with nerves.

I'm going to die.

Ghira was just starting the last chapter of his book when he sensed his wife drawing closer. The mix of Success, Worry, Hopefulness coming off of her told him how things had gone even before he saw her approach, her arm linked with that of the young chameleon Faunus that had eluded her the past couple days.

"Happy hunting, dear?" he couldn't help but joke, folding the page of his book before setting it down.

Kali merely sent him a heatless glower, before motioning to the girl. "Dear, this is Blake's friend from the White Fang, Ilia."

Ghira looked Ilia over, taking note of the slight jump she made when Kali said the words 'White Fang'. The poor girl was trying hard to appear at ease, and failing miserably. Even if Ghira hadn't noticed her tight smile, shaking hands, and stiff posture, her fear was so potent he could practically smell it.

Going to have to be careful. We push her too hard, she might bolt… not that she has anywhere to go, but I have no desire to push her into a literal corner.

Putting on a diplomatic smile, he gave Ilia a small nod. Normally, he'd stand to greet someone new, but considering that he had over two feet on her, that might be considered intimidating. "A pleasure to meet you, miss. Please, sit down. Any friend of our daughter is a friend of ours."

Ilia stiffened as she eyed the chair he'd gestured to. "That's… very kind of you, sir."

Ghira resisted a sigh, he and Kali meeting eyes. He didn't need the Link to know what she was thinking: how do we want to do this?

Ghira merely gave her a reassuring grin, gesturing for her to sit. With a slight nod, Kali did so. Ilia hesitated, and Ghira noted how her eyes darted to the side, where the door to the ship's interior was just a little ways down the ship. Just as he thought she might run, Ilia moved to the chair directly across from him.

Once she was seated, Ghira spoke. "I must say, it was quite a surprise when we realized one of Blake's friends was on board with us."

Ilia swallowed as her smile wavered. "Y-yes, sir. Quite the coincidence."

Ghira nodded. "A happy one, I hope." He met Kali's eyes again, his wife giving him a slight nod. Turning back to Ilia, he said, "If you wouldn't mind, there are a few things my wife and I have been wondering about. If you were able to answer them, we'd be very grateful."

Ilia stared back at him, poorly concealed worry all over her face. Her fingers were twitching slightly in her folded hands. "I-I'm not sure what help I could give, Chief Ghira."

Ghira took a deep breath, shooting Kali an annoyed look as her lips pulled back into a small smirk. "I think you might be more helpful than you think, Ilia." He noticed Ilia's head jerk slightly when he said her name, his smile becoming a bit more genuine. "You see, Blake contacted us not too long ago, for the first time in nearly a year."

Ghira watched her expression, seeing Ilia's mask crack slightly as the smile slipped from her face, becoming a tight line. "She did?" It was a weak question, sounding less of surprise and more of a need for confirmation.

Ghira nodded in answer, then turned his eyes upwards in thought. "Well, perhaps that's not wholly accurate. It was us who contacted her in the beginning."

Ilia blinked in surprise at that. "Y-you called her?"

It was Kali who answered her. "That we did. Though I'm afraid Blake made it harder to do so than we expected. She's been blocking our calls for the last year." Her smile gained a mischievous quality. "I eventually had to go through her Headmaster to finally reach her."

"...why were you trying to reach her?" Ilia asked, shoulders hunched.

Kali went to speak but then paused. After a moment's thought, she asked a question of her own. "Ilia, when was the last time you've spoken to Blake?"

Ilia stiffened immediately, worry in her eyes. "Um… not since I moved back to Menagerie," she admitted, though Ghira noted the nervous shift in her eyes. "W-why do you ask?"

Kali just gave her usual kind smile, not reacting to Ilia's nerves in the slightest. "Then you've probably not heard." She glanced at Ghira briefly, before saying, "Blake Mated somebody."

...well, that answers that. Ghira watched Ilia's face as his wife spoke, waiting to see her reaction. Sure enough, for a brief moment, something flashed across her face, before being replaced with poorly acted shock. He… honestly wasn't sure what to make of the look that crossed her face. Part worry, part fear, part… anger? Regardless, one thing was certain: Ilia wasn't surprised. She'd already known about Blake's Mating.

Still, Ilia tried to respond, her voice much more chipper than necessary. "I-is that so? That's… great!"

Ghira looked at her, contemplating whether or not to keep up their little charade. He saw Kali glance at him, feeling her Worry and Indecision.

After thinking for a moment, Ghira decided. They needed answers, honest answers, and they wouldn't get them if Ilia thought she could keep playing dumb.

Ghira closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. To his side, Kali let out a soft sigh, likely from feeling his grim Determination. When he opened his eyes, he locked gazes with Ilia, making her wince at the intensity in his eyes.

"Young lady," he started, his voice calm but commanding. "While I commend you for trying, I have been dealing with politicians and would-be deceivers for decades. Now, while I have evidently grown rusty in my years of complacency, I'm afraid you've not yet gained the skills to fool me."

With every word he said, Ghira could see Ilia's hastily-made walls come crumbling down. Her calm facade morphed quickly into panic, her blue eyes widening in fear. Her whole body grew tense, coiling like a spring.

Ghira felt a sharp stab in his chest at having frightened someone so close to Blake's age, someone possibly not that different from what his daughter had been only a year ago. He pushed past it. He could make amends later, hopefully soon, but right now, he needed her to understand where things stood.

With his face carefully neutral, he said, "You already knew Blake was Mated… didn't you?"

Ilia's mouth worked uselessly for a moment, before snapping shut. She stared at the center of the table, her hands clenched together in front of her. Her whole body trembled. "Yes," she answered quietly, her voice tight.

"How?" Ghira asked in that same firm tone.

Ilia didn't respond. Her eyes flitted back and forth across the table, her mind likely racing. With a slight huff, Ghira folded his arms on the table, staring at her intently. Choosing his words very carefully, he said, "Ilia… you are our daughter's friend. I don't know you. I don't know where your allegiances lie or the lengths you'll go for them. But as it stands, all we know of the situation in Vale is what Blake told us, and I'm afraid what she knows is rather out of date. We need fresh information… and I'm hoping you might be able to provide it for us."

Ilia just stared at Ghira for what felt like ages, her body still save for the rapid rise and fall of her chest. "W-why… why are you asking me?" she stuttered out.

It was Kali who answered, giving Ilia a small, hopeful smile. "I'd like to think Blake is a good judge of character. The only failure in trust she's had is more our fault than hers."

Ilia blinked in confusion. "What?"

Kali paused, then sighed lightly. "In a moment. Regardless, Blake's friendship with you was made of her own volition. Her trust in you is purely her own… and therefore, I believe… I hope, we can trust you as well."

Ghira watched as several emotions flickered across Ilia's face, ranging from disbelief to nervous hope. Tense silence fell over the table as the minutes ticked by.

"S-sir, I'm…" Ilia paused at the sound of her own voice, face flushing from how choked up she sounded. She cleared her throat, not catching Ghira's lips twitch upwards, a wistful look in his eyes. "I-I'm flattered, sir, truly. But… I'm not sure if it's entirely wise for you to… to trust me, since…" Ilia seemed to fold in on herself as she spoke, giving the impression of someone well aware that they were digging themselves deeper with every word. "Well, because… we…"

Ghira decided to put the poor girl out of her misery, calmly stating, "Because you and I aren't quite on the same side anymore?"

If possible, Ilia retreated in on herself even more. Eyes fearful, she gave a slow nod.

Ghira couldn't help but give a rueful smile at that. "Miss, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't already suspected as much. It's just another complication for us to get past."

Ilia blinked in confusion. "Get past… for what?"

Ghira kept up his grin. "Ilia, could I be honest with you for a moment?" He waited for her to hesitantly nod before continuing. "My wife and I are well aware of the current state of the White Fang, what Adam has twisted it into." Ilia flinched violently at his words, so Ghira went straight to the point before she could commit to running. "However, that's not what I want to talk about right now."

That startled a response from the panicking chameleon. "You… you don't?"

Ghira shook his head. "There will be time for such discussions later, but right now? No. No, what we would like was if you could give us some information regarding Blake."

Ilia's head jerked slightly in surprise. Her eyes narrowed warily. "What kind of information?"

Kali took over the conversation then. "What she was like in the Fang. What she went through, what she did." Her cat ears wilted slightly as her voice dropped. "If she was happy…"

Ilia blinked at her. She folded her arms tightly across her chest, and Ghira noted that she seemed more relaxed, just a tad, when speaking to Kali. "Didn't Blake already tell you all that?" They didn't miss the slight bitterness in her voice as she spoke.

Kali nodded slowly, a sad smile on her lips. "She told us quite a bit, but… frankly, it was a bit much to take in all at once. Plus… she didn't really talk about herself all that much, just what she did and what happened around her." Her smile grew a little wider, hopeful. "We were hoping you could tell us if she was okay. Give us… an 'outsider looking in' kind of perspective."

Ilia watched Kali warily, no doubt searching for any deceit in her eyes. She gave Ghira the same treatment, though with much more hesitance. Moments passed, and still, she said nothing. She placed her arms back on the table, her fingers tapping a restless rhythm on the back of her hand. Then she met Ghira's eyes, her expression apprehensive, but slightly more relaxed.

"So… you just want to know some things about Blake? Not about the White Fang? Their plans?" She hesitated, then murmured nervously. "Adam?"

"I wouldn't say that," Ghira said, his hard eyes countering his wry smile. "However, if you don't want to give me the information- which, judging from that look in your eye, you don't- then I will refrain from asking about them. Right now, we have an opportunity, through you, to learn about who our daughter was in her life between Menagerie and Beacon."

Ilia went silent. She looked down at the table, eyes darting back and forth in thought. Ghira watched as her shoulders shifted, constantly tensing and relaxing. Whatever was going on inside her head, Ghira could see the conflict in her eyes.

"How about this," Ilia swallowed thickly, determination fighting against the fear she was displaying. "I'll tell you whatever I'm able to about Blake… if you answer my own question first."

Ghira looked at Kali, both showing their surprise. Much as they'd hoped, neither had really expected Ilia to give them much after a single talk. Regardless, they weren't about to turn her generosity down. "If we have an answer for you, we'll gladly give it," Kali told her. Ghira nodded in agreement.

Still, Ilia hesitated. Her mouth opened partway, words forming on her lips, before snapping shut. Her hands flexed, fists forming and relaxing with every nervous motion. Ghira couldn't help the small bit of exasperation building as the seconds ticked by.

Just when he was about to ask what she was thinking, Ilia drew a slow breath. She looked up, and the two elder Faunus were taken aback by the look in her eyes. Ilia's nerves and fear drained away, her shoulders slumping almost in defeat. Ghira felt his heart twinge painfully. The poor girl looked so tired.

"Blake told you a lot?" she asked, her voice little more than a murmur.

Ghira gave a slow nod. "Quite a bit, though most of it was just about her own dealings within Adam's Fang."

Ilia nodded back. "Did…" She paused, sucking in a shuddering breath. "Did she tell you why she left?"

Both Ghira and Kali blinked at her question, Kali's ears shooting up in surprise. There was an intensity in Ilia's voice, a desperateness neither of them had expected. After sharing a quick look, Kali asked, "You don't know?"

Ilia turned to her, helplessness in her eyes. "No! I-I've been trying to figure it out, but… She was so happy!" It was like a dam breaking loose, all of Ilia's anxiety flooding back as she looked between her two elders, wanting, begging them to understand. "She… she'd finally gotten a Mate's Mark from Adam! I hadn't seen her that happy in so long, and then…" Her breath grew choppy as her words tumbled from her mouth. "And then she and Adam went out and… Adam came back alone, and he was raging and Blake was just… gone."

Kali gave Ilia a pitying look, her ears wilting at the pain in her voice. She bit her lip, before saying, "Blake did tell us, but… I'm not sure she'd want us sharing her…"

"Please!" Ilia flinched at her own desperate shout, quickly averting her eyes once again. Ghira looked off to the side, having felt the eyes of curious ship-goers who had turned towards the sudden yell. They all quickly dispersed upon noticing the Chief's stare bearing down on them.

"Please…" Ilia said again, drawing Ghira's attention. Her voice was little more than a whisper as she refused to look at either of them. "I need to know. I was her friend, I thought I knew her. But then… she left the Fang, left Adam… left me. And… and now she's becoming a Huntress, and she's Mated, and…" She took a shuddering breath. Looking up, she looked between Ghira and Kali. "She changed everything, and… I just want to know why… why did she just leave, and why… why…"

Kali's ears fell further, her heart constricting as Ilia's voice thickened with emotion with every word. "'Why' what, sweetheart?"

Ilia swallowed. Her pale blue eyes misted over as she bowed her head, and when she spoke, her voice sounded so broken and raw, Ghira couldn't help the look of concern he felt on his face.

Her voice wavering, Ilia brokenly asked,

"Why did she leave me behind?"

That was all Ghira could take. Looking at this girl, moments away from breaking down, Ghira, the Chief of Menagerie, faded away. In his place, Ghira, husband and father, felt a painful stab in his heart for Ilia, a girl not so different from his own. His arm was already reaching out, ready to clasp his hand over her shoulder in the hopes of comforting her.

Kali beat him to it.

Ghira felt her overwhelming Sorrow, Anger, Protectiveness as she leapt out of her chair, so fast she practically blurred. Her cat ears pinning back painfully against her skull, she threw her arms around Ilia, holding the girl tightly, as if she could squeeze the pain out of her.

Ilia stiffened from the sudden hug, her whole body tensing in surprise and shock. There was a brief look on her face like she wanted to push Kali off of her. However, it faded almost immediately. Her eyes glossed over fully, streaks of wetness sliding down her cheeks. She awkwardly wrapped her arms around Kali, returning the hug with such force, both Belladonnas couldn't help but wonder when the last time she'd been shown affection was.

As Ilia sunk into Kali's arms, Ghira's shoulders slumped. Congratulations, Ghira. You managed to reduce a little girl to tears. To make things even worse, he'd recognized the look in Ilia's eyes on that last broken whisper, the little quirks he couldn't make sense of before quickly forming a clear picture: Ilia's feelings for Blake went beyond friendship.

And Blake likely didn't even know about it.

This just got a lot more complicated. He turned his gaze skyward, watching the sun slowly trail towards the horizon. They were running out of time. Just hours before, they couldn't wait to get to Vale and reunite with Blake. But now, they had to try and soothe the aching heart of their daughter's wayward friend, in the vain hope that she might be willing to help them both understand Blake a little better, and maybe, just maybe, with the White Fang as well.

Ghira ran a hand through his hair, staring off into the horizon as if the shores of Vale were going to appear at any moment. His eyes drifted back to the table, listening to Kali murmuring words of comfort as Ilia cried into her shoulder. Ghira sighed, feeling lost.

How are we going to solve this in just three days?