Embrace of Light and Dark

by Knight of Crows

Chapter 30.

(episode 15)

Cassiel POV

That night was... I can't find the right word. Let's just say the others made an effort to bond with me. Eventually we held actual conversations with each other, they didn't learn nearly as much as Blake, turns out I'm a year younger than Ruby, but they at least got a laugh out of me a few times. They decided to mess around a little and reminded me I was ticklish. Weiss held me in place while Yang did most of the work until she decided to turn her attention to Ruby. I haven't laughed that hard or that long for too many years, not from being tickled mind you, but how they were with each other.

I almost wish it hadn't ended.

---

(fast forward)

We're at the docks, Weiss is "admiring" the preparations for the Vytal Festival, a tournament between the Huntsman academies in each kingdom basically. A one sided massacre if I fight. Blake pointed out that Weiss just wanted to spy on the students entering the city of Vale so she'll know what she's up against, though in a world where a gatling gun is hidden in a purse or whatever (*cough**cough* Coco), that won't do her much good. Or how about the cane that shoots fireworks? This world's weapons are bull shit. Anyway, the others noticed a Dust shop that was robbed, money left behind. Me and Ruby both thought it was Torchwick, Weiss decided to go on a rant against the White Fang, something Blake and I weren't happy about. They were interrupted by some commotion by the docks, poor timing, very poor timing considering Weiss just said "those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal". It goes without saying I came dangerously close to hurting her.

So anyway, the commotion was caused by a Faunus, a stowaway who threw a banana at the cops, then ran away. Just following along, he escaped, and we ran into someone with social skills about as bad as mine, but she was like my polar opposite, Penny Polandina was her name. Though, it was around that point when Weiss did something incredibly stupid that pissed off Blake and I.

"If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed... Rapscallion?" Weiss asked.

"The who?" Penny asked.

"The filthy Faunus from the boat!" Weiss clarified.

"Why do you keep saying that?" Blake asked, becoming more agitated.

"Huh?"

"Stop calling him a rapscallion. Stop calling him a degenerate. He's a person!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like me to stop referring to this trashcan as a trashcan, or this lamppost as a lamppost?"

"Stop it!"

"Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time, he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang."

"Gggrrr you ignorant little brat!"

They argued for a long time. Long enough it's now night time and we're in our room.

"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem." Weiss said.

"That is the problem!"

"You realize that you're defending an organization that hates humanity, don't you? The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil."

"There's no such thing as 'pure evil'! Why do you think they hate humanity so much?" Blake asked as I was setting up all the links I would be sending to Weiss on that very topic.

"Because humanity is a curse on the world?" I asked, but was only acknowledged by Ruby and Yang.

"It's because of people like Cardin, people like you that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!" Blake continued.

"People like me??"

"You're discriminatory!"

"I'm a victim!" And you couldn't start with that, why? Weiss? "You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus? It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War. As in actual bloodshed."

"And I can guarantee it was your family that drew first blood, Weiss." Almost done.

"This doesn't concern you, Cassiel!" She shouted at me. "My grandfather's company has had a target painted across it's back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear, board members executed, an entire train car full of Dust... Stolen. And every day, my father would come home furious, and that made for a very difficult childhood." Aaannnd now she's going to learn of what a truly difficult childhood is like.

"Weiss, I-" Ruby placed her hand on Weiss's shoulder, she moved away from her.

"No! You want to know why I despise the White Fang?! It's because they're a bunch of liars! Thieves! And murderers!"

"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!" It took Blake a second to realize what she said before she ran out.

"Weiss, I'm going to send you a few links on your scroll. Maybe before judging the White Fang and Faunus in general, you should try to understand them first. Some history, as well as some personal accounts of Faunus, I think you'll find the ones that served, not worked for, served your family's business to be the most interesting. Fair warning, the images aren't exactly pleasant." I sent her the links in a message, her ringtone played as I turned to face the door.

"And you think you had a difficult childhood? You? Who spent almost your entire life getting exactly what you wanted? Try watching your parents get murdered at age 7, your mother's corpse gets defiled, family fortune stolen, your grandparents and sister murdered, almost get killed yourself, and the murderer go free despite all the evidence. How about the part where you're adopted by your alchoholic, drug addicted, abusive aunt and uncle, and enrolled in a school that treated you just as if not worse! You just had an angry father! You still have a family! Come talk to me when you lose everything you've ever cared about! When every night is plagued by nightmares until you learn to dream of the Void! When every waking moment is a nightmare! When Death becomes an act of mercy to you! When the only things you can truly feel and understand are Despair, Hate, and Rage!" I shouted at her. I didn't even look at any of them, though I had an idea of what their faces looked like.

"My life only recently started to improve. I no longer want to die. For the first time in 7 years, I have something worth living for. I have friends! A future I want to see! Seven years, half of my life was pure Hell. You aren't even close to understanding what pain truly feels like. Now, I'm going after my friend, she could use someone that understands her, the White Fang, and Faunus in general." I opened the SR and ran down to the courtyard. "I wouldn't recommend coming after us if you're against the idea of a Faunus, former White Fang on your team." I closed it behind me as I searched for Blake and found her in the courtyard. She looked ready to cry as she untied her bow. I stepped out of the SR from behind the statue as she wiped a tear from her face.

"I knew you would look better without the bow." A voice said to Blake as I turned around the statue.

"So you are a student, or a stalker." I said upon seeing the monkey tailed Faunus from the docks.

"Cassiel..." Blake said.

"Well, cat's out of the bag, no pun intended. So I'm going with you for now, Weiss pissed me off as well and I revealed more to them than you that one night."

"Uh, hello?" The Faunus said.

Time to see where this goes.

---

Two days passed, the Faunus, Sun Wukong (he's going to use a staff, isn't he?), was with us the whole time. Blake opened up with him and told him the same story she told me, causing him to choke on his drink. Later in the day, he said something that could lead to Blake's fears of the White Fang being involved in these robberies to rest. A large shipment of Dust from the Schnee Dust Company, hold a stakeout and see if the White Fang rob it. Who better to rob it than the people who hate them the most? If they don't, they're most likely not involved in the robberies.

So I waited in the SR on top of one of the crates while Blake and Sun waited on top of a roof. After some time, aircraft flew over and landed in the middle. Unfortunately, it was the White Fang that exited the aircraft, what confused me as much as it had to confuse the others was that Roman Torchwick was with them, giving orders. I had a wonderful idea and looked for portable cases to put Dust in as Blake got behind Roman and put her sword to his throat before removing her bow.

"Brothers of the White Fang. Why are you aiding this scum?" She asked, causing a few of them to lower their weapons.

"Heh, oh kid. Didn't you get the memo?" Roman asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together." Roman answered. I found the cases. Neat!

"Tell me what it is or I'll put an end to your little operation." She threatened. We heard engines from above us, two more ships were hovering, probably to haul away Dust or drop more men. Almost done. If this Dust is getting stolen, I'm using it!

"I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation." Roman said before he blasted Blake away. After she escaped moments later, he pursued her slowly and was caught off guard by Sun. The ships dropped off more White Fang, surrounding Sun. I dropped down there as well having loaded several cases of Dust onto the ship Roman would be escaping on.

"White Fang..." I removed my mask and lowered my hood. "Do you honestly think working with someone like Roman is going to help your cause? Whatever your reasons are, they will only make things worse for you and the Faunus. I'm asking you, as a human, one who has never had any issues with the Faunus, one who likes to believe he understands them better than most, please step away?" They all attacked anyway, I drew Lionheart and made sure to pull my punches as I dealt with the ones who attacked me. I looked to Sun and why am I not surprised he's using a staff? A staff that's also two or three guns? And nunchakus? Bull shit weapon spotted!

Sorry, rewind a bit. Roman fought off Blake, those after images of hers would get annoying quickly, THEN he fought off Sun and his bull shit weapon (I'll probably have to see about getting Lionheart a few upgrades). After he was pushed back, I airstepped toward him with Fire at the edge of my weapon that I would detonate after each strike. He quickly learned he'll need to dodge my attacks and eventually he fired a shot at the ground between us, blasting both of us back. As I was getting back on my feet, I saw him look above us and fire at what was hanging over us. A cargo crate fell, Sun rolled forward, and Blake pulled me away with her just as I was about to airstep to Roman again. He held his weapon at point blank against Sun, before he did anything though, we were interrupted.

"HEY!" A voice shouted from across the loading zone. It was Ruby on the roof.

"Oh, hello Red! Isn't it past your bedtime?" Roman asked. Ruby turned away from him, angering him and causing him to shoot her directly while she was distracted. Apparently Penny was here too and... Is she?... Yeah... She's combat ready. Why the?... She's seriously firing lasers from her wingblades? And now she's pulling a ship down. Yeah... Bull shit. New ideas though on how to use my wingblades. Roman after seeing that ship get pulled down, decided now would be a good time to run.

"I'll be back." I told Blake and entered the SR, boarding the ship he was escaping on.

"These kids just keep getting weirder!" He said before closing the hatch. Remember that Dust I was putting in cases? He's trapped in here with it.

"Oh trust me, we can be so much worse!" I said, stepping out of the SR.

"What the-? How did you get in?" He asked, ready to shoot me.

"I have no need for your feeble minded doors! And I wouldn't do that if I were you." I warned as I pulled out a Dust crystal from my pocket and gestured to him that he look around us, at ALL the open Dust cases. I held Fira in my free hand. "It would be a real dick move if I were to drop this and some fire on it." I tossed the Dust into the air. "Real..." Tossed again. "Dick..." Tossed again. "Move..." I tossed it one more time before dropping Fira on top of it. It fell slow enough that I had plenty of time to escape through the SR ad admire the explosion. Imagine Ruby's explosive sneeze, but MUCH bigger and satisfying. The ship remained in the air though. Either it has good indoor explosive defenses, or I overestimated the Dust. I got the last laugh, so I'm happy. Flying away, back to the others. I heard just enough to know that Weiss reconciled with Blake.

"I'm back!" I said, startling everyone as I stepped out of the SR. "So... What did we learn?" I asked Weiss. I was expecting a response, what I wasn't expecting was for her, Ruby, and Yang to gang up on me and start trying to crush me between them.

"Cassiel... I can't imagine how hard you've had it-" Yang started.

"Don't. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but stop. The same goes to you two as well." I said to the three trying to constrict me by hugging me.

"But-" Ruby started.

"No."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Cassiel?" Ruby said.

"Yeah?"

"We're all a team, friends, you know that, right?" She asked.

"Heh... Raphtalia once said something like that to me as well." I thought out loud.

"Who?"

"I know, Ruby."

I know. I don't think they realize my blood is dripping onto their clothes.

Author's Note:

End of season 1. Will continue until a certain event. Which one? I haven't decided.

Comments

[zachary12]

nice work

[Reishin Amara]

....where's the kaboom? There was suppose to be a dust shattering kaboom.

[Knight of Crows]

10067705
My brain working faster than my fingers.

[Mitril]

10067707
*Noobs voice from Battlefield Friends*
"Where is the explosion, Where is the explosion!"

I remember him saying that, but I can't find the video or a clip

[Fluffy-Boi]

I'd say. Maybe to the end of season 2 or 3. Can't really say which one.