Blake

When Professor Ozpin heard that Ruby had been put in the infirmary, and that I had woken up, he decided that our mission could wait. We were ordered to take a few days off, recover as best we could, and that the mission that he had assigned us while I was comatose would resume once we were all recovered. Yang finished recovering from her concussion a couple of days after I'd woken up.

That was a good thing for her because—though she couldn't return to classes until the following week—she was allowed to resume training. She'd spent all of her days recovering in my ward with me, and I could tell she was getting restless. She tried to protest, saying she loved my company. I could tell that she was telling the truth when she said that, but just spending time with me wasn't enough for her. So after two days of Yang's constant company while she recovered, I convinced her to return to training.

I enjoyed my time with Yang more than anything. Once she left to start her training again I found myself wishing she'd come back. But I knew that being with me wouldn't fulfil her, she was too outgoing and energetic. She needed a way to burn off the steam that had been building up during her recovery.

My two days with Yang, and occasionally Ruby and Weiss, were some of the most peaceful, enjoyable days of my life. I cherished every second with my team, knowing that their very presence was a sign of how they cared for me. Ruby had recovered from her injury the night I woke, and she resumed classes with Weiss, so I only saw them in between classes or in the evening. I was still spending a lot of my time sleeping—I was still recovering myself—so sometimes I missed their visits. But whenever I woke, regardless of the time of day or night, Yang was there.

She spent my waking hours filling me in on everything I'd missed and, once that was covered, talking about current events, past events, her, her sister and almost everything in between. I enjoyed our conversations, though I was often too weak to sufficiently take part. They gave me an insight into Yang, a more personal view of my partner. I felt honoured to be given the gift of being so close to her, I cherished every word she said and smile we shared.

With everything she told me, I felt closer to her. And, gradually, the feelings I'd harboured towards her for the last weeks began drifting to the surface. I found myself enthralled with everything about her: the way her lips moved as she spoke, the way her hair shimmered in the sunlight, the motherly smile she wore whenever she spoke about Ruby and the caring, gentle, enrapturing smiles she directed at me. Whenever I saw her smile at me, I felt my heart flutter.

So, as upsetting as the separation was at times, her resuming her training was probably best for the both of us. It gave her a way to exercise, blow off steam and wear herself out. And it let me really relax, let me rest. At the very least it kept my heart rate constant.

And though she spent her days training—sparring with tutors and other students and obliterating practice dummies—she still came back to visit me every night. So I did my best to sleep through the days, did my best to be awake when Yang came to visit. If she was going to spend her days away, doing her own thing, I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could. Sometimes she came with Ruby and Weiss, other times she came alone. And this was how my recovery went on.

The rest of my team was ecstatic that I had awoken, and I was glad to be with them. But the dim shadow of the aura shock still hung over us. When I'd first awoken I was too weak to manifest any of my aura, even if it had been at its strongest. So we had to wait. Professor Ozpin had come in at some point to explain the situation, and tell me my odds of recovery. What he told me did reassure me somewhat, but there was still a chance that my injuries were going to be permanent. And, though no one said it, everyone knew that with such an impairment, being a Huntress was impossible.

And so the days passed, all more or less the same. But as more went by, my anxiety only increased. Yang's nightly presence was like a salve, calming me down, but even she couldn't dismiss the fear entirely. Ruby told me repeatedly that I would be fine. She was confident that I'd be able to pull through with no ill effects, but I couldn't help but be scared. There were no higher stakes for me than what was at risk now. Losing my aura would mean I couldn't be a Huntress. I'd have to leave Beacon and abandon my dream. I had nowhere else to go and nothing else to strive for in life, other than being a Huntress. I couldn't—I wouldn't—return to the White Fang. And—I was surprised by how much this thought tortured me at night—if I left Beacon I would never see Yang again.

So I looked to the end of the week with apprehension. Beacon's doctors had estimated that I would be about fully recovered by then. I did start to feel more like my old self as the weekend approached, but I never once tried to activate my aura. A part of me was desperate to know, but the other was too scared to try, afraid of what would happen.

I awoke on Saturday morning with a nauseating pit in my stomach, it was time to find out if I'd recovered or not. I woke early. The sun was only just beginning to peak over the buildings of Vale as I got out of bed. I took a few minutes to sit at the window, watching the sunrise. I did my best to calm down but I knew the effort would be futile, too much was at stake.

Yang, Ruby and Weiss came into my room half an hour after I woke up. Ruby was talking cheerfully, but I could sense the anxiety that they all felt. They were as nervous about this as I was. None of us had any idea what was coming.

Yang took the seat next to mine at the window, patting me on the shoulder and giving me a reassuring smile. I found myself smiling back, despite my trepidation. Yang always made me feel more at ease.

"So," Ruby said, standing behind Yang's chair. "How're you feeling this morning, Blake?"

"Better," I replied, giving her a gentle smile. "I feel like I'm pretty much back to normal."

"That's excellent news." Weiss said, standing next to Ruby. I couldn't help but notice the closeness developing between those two. I hadn't asked Yang about it, but I got the feeling that something was going on between the two of them. I'd seen people in love before—read about them at least—and they were definitely in love with each other. But I didn't think they'd told each other, and I couldn't help but wonder why.

We sat in the room for a while, making idle small talk, until Professor Ozpin entered the room.

"Blake," he said quietly. He paused to take a sip from his mug. "It's time. Are you ready?" I stood, sliding my chair back. Yang stood with, looking at me questioningly. Ruby and Weiss both looked concerned. I took a deep breath, centering myself.

"Yes," I said, meeting Ozpin's gaze. "I'm ready."

"Good," he said, turning to close the door behind him. "This is something that we can do here, if you're comfortable." I nodded. The faster we could get it done, the better. "Are you okay with your teammates being here for it?"

"What is actually going to happen?" I asked. I'd been worrying over that question for the past few days.

"You've seen aura activation before?" He replied. I nodded; someone else had activated mine a long time ago. "Good, well to test if your aura is intact, and to reactivate it, we need to perform that ceremony. Is there anybody in particular that you'd like to perform it?"

"Yang," I said without hesitation. I looked at Yang questioningly, raising an eyebrow. She hesitated for a moment but nodded.

"Okay then, Yang, do you know the words?" He asked, facing Yang. She nodded confidently. "Excellent. Blake, are you comfortable doing this here and with your teammates?"

"Yes, I can't think of anywhere else to do it. And this is just as important to them as it is to me." My teammates stood behind me. Yang draped an arm over my shoulders, giving me a reassuring squeeze.

"Very well, then. We might as well get this over with. Shall we begin?"

Ozpin moved Ruby and Weiss back, sitting them down in the chairs by the window. Yang stood in front of me, her hands on my shoulders. Ozpin stood back, sipping his coffee quietly. I looked Yang in the eye and saw how nervous she was. I grabbed her wrists, squeezing them reassuringly.

"Let's go, Yang." I said, smiling at her. "I trust you." Yang nodded, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.

Dull warmth started burning in my shoulders from where Yang's hands were. I closed my eyes as the warmth began to spread through my body. It was a different feeling from what I remembered of having my aura activated the first time. That time had been cold and painful. This was warm, comforting, like Yang. Yang's aura, her soul, rushed through me, filling me with warmth. I felt my skin prickling, goose bumps rising on my arms. I felt myself, without any conscious effort, reaching out to Yang, trying to touch her aura with mine.

I tried to reach out with my aura as the warmth spread to my toes, filling my entire body with Yang's warmth. But I struggled, something was blocking my aura. I began to panic as I realised I couldn't reach her. I was trapped. I felt claustrophobic, pushing with all my might against the walls that confined me. My heart was beating viciously, it felt like it was about to leap out of my. I couldn't move my body; Yang's aura was holding me in place. In my mind I railed against the bars that held my aura, I couldn't remember a time where I couldn't control it. It terrified me.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality." Yang's voice echoed in my ears. I felt my heart slow down as her words reverberated through every bone in my body. I breathed in deeply, Yang's scent filling my nostrils. I saw red through my eyelids—Yang's aura was no doubt blazing—for a few seconds before my vision cut off. It wasn't that I couldn't see, but it was as if my eyes were disconnected from my mind.

"Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all," I lost all sense of my body. My mind drifted through darkness. It was as if my mind was floating on the surface of an impossibly dark ocean, bobbing helplessly in eternal darkness with no tether to life. Yang's voice sent ripples across the surface of the water. My mind saw only darkness, felt only the crushing pressure of the confines that held my soul and heard only Yang's voice. Her light, caring, loving voice was all that anchored me to reality.

"Infinite in distance and unbound by death," Yang's voice rang out again, shaking more than just the water around my mind. It shook the very space itself. The air around me seemed to crack and rays of golden light shone through, casting a light on the darkness. I swam, for there was no better to describe it, towards the light. I fought to reach Yang. Even in this eternal darkness her light guided me home.

"I release your soul," I felt the world shift, twisting around. The cracks grew, the light shining ever brighter. I reached out to it, grasping at the light. The pressure of the confines shifted with the darkness, lifting off me. An immense weight lifted off my shoulders, letting me reach even further.

"And by my shoulder protect thee," The world of darkness that surrounded me froze, as if tensing with baited breath. Then the entire void ruptured, the golden light blasting its way in. I lay back, bathing in the light of Yang's aura, Yang's soul. I felt the light pull me, lifting me away from the dark lake, lifting me higher, and higher, and closer to Yang.

I slammed back into my body, almost reeling from the shock of what had just happened. I opened my eyes and looked at Yang. She was standing in front of me, her hands still on my shoulders. She looked perfectly normal: her smile, her hair, and her eyes. It all looked normal, except for one thing. She was surrounded by a blinding golden light, burning like the sun itself. I had to squint, shielding my eyes from the pillar of conflagration that was Yang.

The light began to die as Yang stepped back, her arms dropping to her sides. She hunched over, looking exhausted, before lifting herself up to look at me. A smile broke out on her face as I met her gaze, a smile of pure and utter joy. I glanced down at my own body and say the familiar black glow of my aura surrounding me. I looked back up, returning Yang's smile, before directing a smile of relief at Ruby and Weiss. They both stood at the window grinning. Well, Ruby was grinning, Weiss was giving me a crooked smile, pulling up one side of her mouth.

The glow that surrounded me died as Ozpin stepped towards me. Yang stepped further away, her own aura dwindling away as she did. I watched with joy as the glow around me faded, I could still feel my aura. The prison around it, the confinement that had panicked me only moments earlier, was gone.

"Well done, Blake." Ozpin said happily, giving me his own smile. "It appears you've made a full recovery." My knees trembled at his words, but I managed to hold them steady. I was going to be okay. I could still be a Huntress. I could still be with Yang. I wouldn't have to leave Beacon after all. I let out a deep sigh of relief before almost getting bowled over as Ruby flung herself at me, wrapping her arms around me.

"Blake, you're okay!" she squealed, squeezing tightly. I coughed lightly and tugged on her arms, she was really making it difficult to breathe. She jumped back, clasping her hands in front of her, grinning from ear to ear. I smiled back for an instant before Yang swept me up in her arms.

Yang's crushing grip was overwhelming and painful, yet strangely soothing. I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her gently.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered in my ear. "I don't know what I'd have done without you."

"Looks like you're stuck with me for a little while longer." I replied. Yang chuckled.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Professor Ozpin led the way down the hall, towards one of the sparring rooms.

"While you may have recovered your aura," he had said. "We still need to test its capabilities. We need to make sure it works like it used to, and that there were no effects on your semblance." And so we'd headed to a sparring room. I was dressed in my combat outfit for the first time in days, and Gambol Shroud was strapped to my back once more.

I ran my hand over Gambol Shroud's handle fondly. Now that I had it back I realised how much I'd missed it. Gambol Shroud had been like an ever-present companion: always dependable and had saved my life on countless occasions.

I pulled up short as we reached the sparring room. Ozpin held the door open for me with a smile. Yang gave me a reassuring smile as I stepped over the threshold.

There were sparring dummies set up on one side of the room, and an empty sparring mat on the other. I made my way over to the dummies, standing at the ready.

"Are you ready?" Ozpin asked. I answered with a nod and drew Gambol Shroud. "Well," he continued. "Whenever you feel ready, you may begin."

I took off running, straight through the centre of the dummies. Gambol Shroud flashed from side to side as I ran, cutting into the thick hide that covered the dummies. When I reached the centre of them I began shifting around and between them. My shadows blurred around me as I carved my way across the room, phasing from place to place.

I reached the other side of the room within a minute. I turned back to face the others as I sheathed Gambol Shroud. Ruby was looking at me in awe, Weiss looked mildly impressed—high praise from her—and Yang was looking at me with an amused, but proud, smile.

"Well," Yang said. "It looks like she's just fine." I found myself smiling back. It did feel good to be able to fight again. "So," Yang said with a twisted grin. "You up for a spar?" I couldn't help but laugh.

"Sure," I answered, throwing her an eye roll.

With an excited cry, Yang dashed over to the sparring mat and deployed Ember Celica. She waved me over, gesturing to hurry. I shook my head as I made my way over, Yang truly was incorrigible. I stood on the opposite side of the mat, facing Yang, and drew Gambol Shroud once more. Ruby took up a place in between us, acting as the officiator.

"Everybody ready?" she asked, looking at Yang and I. When we both nodded she stepped back, off the mat.

"Ready… Begin!"

Yang and I leapt at each other at Ruby's call. Yang swung her right fist at me, going right on the offensive. I brought up Gambol Shroud and knocked Ember Celica to the side, causing Yang to over-extend and step slightly off balance. I stabbed at her exposed side, a smile already forming on my face. Yang and I had never sparred before, and I never dreamed she would've been this easy to beat.

My smile was cut short as her left hand swung in and knocked my lunge aside. I growled at myself, I'd forgotten about the other gauntlet. Yang's interception knocked my right hand over to my left, spinning me around in a circle. I followed the spin and landed on the balls of my feet, facing Yang. She grinned before lunging forward again.

Rather than blocking this time, I used my shadows to phase behind Yang and slash at her exposed back. But she'd followed my movements and dove into a forward roll, coming up a few feet away and spinning to face me again. I lunged forward this time, stabbing forward with Gambol Shroud. Yang's fist crashed into the side of the blade and sent my blow wide. I phased away from her counter attack, trying to get behind her.

We continued exchanging blows, back and forth. Neither of us hit the other, we always managed to block at the last second or get out of the way. Sparks flew as my blade skittered off Yang's armoured gauntlets, the ground shook when Yang punched it. Sweat started dripping down my face and into my eyes. I couldn't see properly and my eyes stung, making it difficult to continue. I whipped around Yang, going to end the fight quickly. As I phased around to what I thought was behind her, I saw her fist rocketing towards my face and ducked.

I came up, swinging Gambol Shroud at Yang's neck and pulled up short. Yang and I gazed into each other's eyes, panting. Gambol Shroud's blade was hovering half an inch from her neck, the barrel of the right hand gauntlet of Ember Celica was right in front of my eyes.

"I guess we'll call that a draw." Yang said with smile. She stepped back, putting Ember Celica away as I sheathed Gambol Shroud.

"Well done, both of you." Ozpin said, a grin spreading over his face. "That was a well-fought bout. But, the good news we can take form this is: Miss Belladonna seems to be perfectly well recovered." I smiled, he was right. I was still a little tired, probably from having my aura reactivated like that. "Now," Ozpin continued, growing serious. "You four need to get back onto the mission I assigned you. I'd advise you take tomorrow off to recover, to make sure Blake is back to full strength. Then, you four need to get back to your investigation. I trust you and Miss Schnee can fill the others in?" He asked Ruby, who nodded.

"Uh, Professor Ozpin," she began, raising her hand.

"Good!" Ozpin said, cutting Ruby off. "I'll expect a report on your progress in a few days' time. Until then, I wish you the best of luck." And with that he left the room, leaving a speechless Ruby staring at the swinging door, her hand still hanging in the air.