Darkest Nights: a RWBY Story

Chapter 39: Places of the Past

The White Fang camp was almost exactly as Jason remembered it. A close knit collection of tents that formed somewhat of a small village, hidden in the forest on the far side of the island.
All movement in the camp stopped as he stepped through the bushes that surrounded it and into the clearing. Various Faunus, most dressed in White Fang attire, turned to look at him.
As Jason moved to step forward, he felt the blade of a knife press against his back.
"You should never have come back here."
The voice, threatening and low voice growled in his ear.
Jason sighed in exasperation.
"Really, Julius?"
Jason quickly brought his right leg backwards, kicking the faunus behind him in the leg, before spinning around and pinning him to the ground.
The lion faunus struggled to get up as Jason kept him pinned down.
"Julius Vasquez."
Jason said, keeping pressure on his attacker's shoulder.
"Still on guard duty?"
Julius stopped struggling.
"What do you want."
The contempt in his voice was obvious.
"Where's Zarah?"
"What's it to you?"
Jason summoned his spear into his free hand and pressed the blade to Julius' throat.
"I need to speak with Zarah. And you're going to tell me where she is."
Julius sighed. He knew when he'd been beaten.
"She'll be here soon. I'll take you to her tent. You can wait for her there."
Jason thought about this for a moment before putting his spear into its sheath and allowing the lion faunus to get to his feet.
"Follow me."
Julius said, rubbing his sore shoulder as he led the way through the camp.
Jason looked around at the camp as they walked. It had been his home for a large part of his life, but now it was a strange place. There were many faces he didn't recognize.
They all recognized him of course. Prince of Remnant and the killer of Adam Taurus.
They passed a training area, groups of faunus locked in armed combat. Jason recalled memories of his own time spent training here. It felt like a lifetime ago.
Finally arrived at a large tent made of dark purple fabric. Inside was a collection of simple wooden chairs piled in a corner, a small bed in another, a desk in the middle of the room and, behind the desk, an ornately carved chair.
Julius grabbed one of the simple chairs from the corner and placed it in front of the desk.
"Have a seat. I'll let Zarah know you're here when she arrives."
The contempt had mostly gone from his voice but the scowl remained on his face.
Jason did not sit, instead choosing to stand, his back to the entrance of the tent. He was aware that, should anyone attempt to attack him, he was giving them a clear chance to do so. However, he was also fairly certain that he could take any one of them in a fight.
Five minutes passed. Then ten. Then, after seventeen minutes, he heard the movement of fabric behind him as the entrance to the tent was opened. He knew who it was without so much as turning around.
Zarah brushed past him as she entered the tent, moving to her side of the desk.
When she sat down, so did Jason.
The wolf faunus brushed a strand of her long, black hair out of her eyes as she glared at him across the desk.
"Well, well, well..."
She said, her voice cold and measured.
"The traitor returns."
Zarah had been Adam's lieutenant prior to his death, and had taken up the mantle of leader afterwards.
"Give me one very good reason why I don't kill you right now."
"Come on Zarah."
Jason said.
"We both know who would win that fight."
"You little..."
Zarah growled. She reached for her dagger that she always kept in her belt and grasped... nothing.
"What the–"
Zarah snarled, then faulted as he held up her dagger.
"As I said, we both know who would win that fight."
Only then did Zarah realized why Jason had been standing when she had entered. He must have slipped the dagger out of its sheath as she passed.
She sighed as she looked at him.
"Fine. What do you want."
Jason, still holding the dagger, looked at Zarah.
"I need your help."
The wolf faunus was taken aback by his straightforward response.
"A traitor coming to the White Fang asking for help? You must really be in trouble."
Jason paused for a moment.
"You know what happens if Salem wins this war."
Zarah sat back a little in her chair and motioned for Jason to continue.
"Do you still believe in fighting for faunus rights?"
"Of course I do! Just because Adam failed doesn't mean that I, or what's left of The White Fang, just gave up!"
Jason nodded slowly.
"So then I'm sure you realize that if Salem wins, there will never be a chance for the faunus race. We may be on different sides now but, in the end, we both have the same goal."
Zarah seemed lost in thought for a moment and, when she spoke again, the cold edge was gone from her voice.
"Maybe you're right."
She said, her eyes fixed on the prince.
"You came here asking for help. What do you need."
Jason looked at the dagger that he held in his hand. The symbol of the White Fang was set into the hilt.
"You have a fair number of fighters willing to follow you. They are trained to follow orders and are skilled combatants. Most of them were born here on this island."
Jason looked into the leader's eyes.
"We need the White Fang's help to defend Menagerie."
Zahra took a moment to reflect on what she said.
He had abandoned the White Fang to work alongside humans, and had killed Adam Taurus, her trusted mentor. But what he said was true. If Salem wasn't stopped, there would never be a chance for faunus equality. On top of that, Menagerie was her home and she would do anything to defend it.
The wolf faunus stood up, Jason doing the same, and held out her hand.
"We May have our differences,"
She said, for the first time noticing how much he'd grown since their last encounter.
"But I would do anything to protect my home, and to preserve faunus rights."
The two shook hands.
With his left hand, Jason handed Zahra back her dagger. She accepted it and returned the blade to her belt.
As Jason made to exert the tent, he turned.
"Thank you."
He said, a deep note of sincerity in his voice.
Zahra nodded, the faintest hint of a smile on her face.
She and her group would do whatever it took to keep their home safe.