Underneath The Shattered Moon [RWBY X OC]

Chapter 17

The balcony café, nestled amidst the bustling heart of Vale, was their sanctuary. Sun Wukong, his usual boisterous self, was trying to pry open Blake Belladonna's guarded demeanor.

"Finally, she speaks!" Sun exclaimed, his voice booming over the gentle clatter of cutlery. "Nearly two days and you've given me nothing but small talk and weird looks!"

Blake, her face a mask of stoicism, simply raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, like that."

Aebelle, their teammate, arrived at their table, her coffee steaming in her hands. "Hey, Blake."

"Hey, it's that human-ish girl from before," Sun chimed in, tilting his head inquisitively. "Wait, are you a Faunus?"

Aebelle chuckled, a faint hint of self-consciousness in her voice. "No. I'm a human. Or at least I think so."

Blake's gaze, for the briefest moment, flickered to Aebelle, a silent acknowledgment of their shared secret.

"So, Blake," Sun continued, "You haven't told me anything about yourself. You know, like your past, your hobbies, your favorite type of tea?"

Blake's expression turned serious. "Sun... are you familiar with the White Fang?"

Sun's eyes widened. "Of course! I don't think there's a Faunus on the planet who hasn't heard of them. Stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks, if you ask me!"

He took a hearty gulp of his tea, only to choke on his words, his eyes crossing in disbelief. "Wait a minute, you were a member of the White Fang?!"

Blake took a slow sip of her tea, her gaze distant as she spoke. "That's right. I was a member for most of my life, actually. You could almost say I was born into it..."

The scene shifted, plunging into a darkened flashback. The air crackled with tension, the only sound the muffled echoes of fallen weapons.

"Back then, things were different," Blake's voice narrated, a tinge of wistfulness in her tone. "In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between Humans and Faunus."

The outline of two groups emerged - animal-eared Faunus and humans - shaking hands, their faces etched with hope. But the fragile peace was shattered. A white Faunus cowered in fear as a group of gray-and-black figures harassed him. The scene progressed, showing more Faunus defending their brethren, pushing back against a tide of hostility.

"Despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate," Blake continued, her voice growing stronger, "Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. And so, the White Fang rose up as a voice of our people. And I was there."

Silhouettes of Faunus protestors filled the screen. In the heart of the unrest, a young girl with dark hair and cat ears stepped forward.

"I was at the front of every rally. I took part in every boycott," Blake confessed, a hint of regret in her voice. "I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist."

A blue flag, depicting a white wolf with sad eyes, was lowered. In its place rose a red monster, its teeth bared, its eyes burning with a dark intensity.