Chapter Text
If there was one thing Blake Belladonna hated, it was being told “no”.
The context didn’t matter—she’d heard it far too many times in her life thus far. To her, a simple “no” restricted her freedom, something she’d fought tooth and nail for as a Faunus rights activist. She relished the freedom to make her own decisions, to carve her own path in the world and in her own career in order to push herself to greatness. Those who dared to stand in her way, to pin her down with rejection of her own decisions would not be forgiven lightly, and she held grudges for each and every “no” she was told.
However, it would be difficult to fight a “no” from her coach.
“What do you mean no?” she asked incredulously, bordering on baffled and infuriated.
“I mean no. You’re not switching.”
Blake glared at her coach with all the aggravation she could muster. “But you skated singles your whole life!”
Her coach simply rolled her eyes. “I only skated singles. I was raised in singles, and never ventured into another division. My mastery was rooted in singles, and I trained my entire life in them. You did not.”
“Miss Schnee,” Blake pleaded, refusing to back down, “surely this is the best way to advance my career. I’m at my peak, and you know it!”
Weiss stamped her foot indignantly. “I do know it, which is why I’m telling you no! You’ve got the potential for such greatness in you—as a pairs skater. Switching to singles would squander your legacy and completely throw away all of your training thus far.”
Blake narrowed her eyes. “So what, you think I’m not good enough without a partner? You think I can’t win on my own?” she spat, venom in her voice.
“Of course not, don’t be obtuse,” her coach chided back. “It’s precisely because you’re such an accomplished pairs skater that I won’t let you leave. I’ve never steered you wrong.”
Blake swallowed her objections. True to her word, her coach had never steered her wrong, believing in her when others refused to and guiding her each and every step of the way. As much as she wanted to argue, Weiss was spot on this time.
“Then what am I supposed to do without a partner? Retire like he did? I’m at the peak of my career!” she argued.
Weiss kept a cool head. “We simply get you a new partner, obviously.”
Blake bristled. Sun had a lot of nerve to leave her high and dry, partner-less and bickering with her coach like a spoiled child. To treat the sport like a game that could be left at a whim was disgusting, sacrilegious, and, at best, annoying. More so than her aggravation at his departure, however, was her apprehension at learning the quirks and skills of an entirely new person, one she’d never met before. As irritating as Sun could be, she’d known him for long enough to understand him inside and out, entrusting him with her body and vice versa. Suddenly, she wouldn’t have that familiarity and bond anymore.
She raised an eyebrow in challenge. “Do you have someone in mind?”
Weiss smirked. “I’ve done my research. Lucky for you, I’ve found another pairs skater in Vale who just recently split with their partner as well. I’ve reviewed their profile and credentials and think they’d be a suitable match for your skill level.”
“You’ve been thinking this over without telling me?”
Weiss snorted. “I don’t need your permission to act like a coach.”
Blake glared again, her cat ears twitching indignantly. “What if I refuse? What if I pursue singles anyway?”
Weiss had had enough, and narrowed her own eyes in return. “Then you’ll need to find a new coach,” she growled, daring her pupil.
The athlete and her coach faced off in silence for a moment until Weiss finally let out a heavy sigh. “You know I’m not trying to punish you. I’m speaking from experience. Switching divisions isn’t easy. At worst, it could cost you your whole career. You weren’t raised in singles. It’s a different world.”
Blake bit her tongue—from what she’d seen, the only real differences between singles and pairs was more flips and footwork, but she knew better than to press her coach about her experiences. Still, she tried to remain steadfast in her insistence.
Weiss raised her hand, lifting three of her fingers. “Three months. You’ll train with your new partner for three months, and enter one competition. If after three months, you’re unsatisfied and your performance is lacking, I will reconsider your change to singles.”
Blake fought her urge to smirk triumphantly, forcing the corners of her mouth down. “I promise I won’t let you down.”
“This is not a concession,” Weiss warned. “I said I’ll reconsider, not that I’ll approve. And don’t get any ideas about self-sabotage—if I see you intentionally throwing the competition or training, I’ll know.”
Blake gulped. She knew Weiss knew her inside and out. She’d definitely have her head if she tried.
“Alright,” she relented. “When do I meet this new partner?”
“Tomorrow. We’ll be heading to the Beacon Training Facility in downtown Vale. I’ve arranged a meeting at 10:00 sharp. Go to practice there tomorrow instead of the Vale center. I’ll meet you there.”
Blake shuffled her feet. “What about today?”
“For the rest of the day, I want you working on Salchows. Your landings in Menagerie were rough. Go get your skates on,” Weiss ordered with crossed arms.
Blake nodded, already turning towards the locker rooms. Her stomach churned with apprehension that she hoped the comfort of the ice could ease.
—-
The Beacon Training Facility always amazed her with its splendor and grandeur compared to her typical training grounds, and every time she set foot in its halls, she felt humbled. Within Beacon, she was not the only skilled skater, but rather one of many, fighting to bring the gold home to Vale collectively with others of notable credit. Weiss, however, had always turned her nose up at the building, strolling through its halls without a care for its intimidating status in her mind.
“It’s just another building,” she insisted, rolling her eyes at the starstruck expression on Blake’s face as they walked. “You’re a professional—this is your rightful place.”
Easy for you to say, Blake thought. Weiss’s legacy outdid her own by miles. It would be fair to assume she felt no trepidation at any of the major hallmarks of the sport anywhere in Remnant. Such was the privilege afforded to those who could dominate the ice.
“After you,” her coach offered, holding the door to the main rink room open for her. Blake kept her head held high as she entered. First impressions were everything, she’d been taught, and she refused to let her new partner look down on her right away. Inside, she struggled to suppress her anxiety, her mind still not fully up to speed on the idea of finding another half of herself. The endless what-ifs assailed her mercilessly—what if her partner was more skilled than her? Less skilled? Incompetent? Too competent? With Sun, she never had to worry about him racing past her in terms of progress, and could at least count on him to deliver where it counted. In the worst case scenario, changing partners would be like learning to skate all over again.
She chanced once last look back at her coach, who only flicked her eyes between her and the arena in a gesture of impatience. Blake prayed Weiss knew was she was doing. To her credit, she usually did.
The atmosphere inside the rink, however, was not nearly as solemn and serious as Blake had expected. At this time of day, she would’ve expected at least a reasonably-sized handful of pairs, or even single skaters, out and training. Instead, only two skaters were gliding about the ice, laughing and shouting over the pounding bass of a techno song.
Blake raised an eyebrow. “Where is everyone?”
“Pulled some strings. We’ve got the place privately until noon,” Weiss answered nonchalantly with a wave of her hand.
“And...where’s my partner?” she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
Weiss fixed her pointer finger squarely at the rink. “Where you’d expect.”
Blake followed her motion, but was only further confused. The two girls gliding around the perimeter of the rink were wrapped up in their own conversation, spinning half heartedly and sloppily with hands clasped together. The shorter one beamed and laughed, wobbling as she pushed to keep up with her companion. Her feet slipped and slid, and more often than not she was on her way to falling flat on the ice before steadying herself just in time. Nevertheless, her smile remained stagnant and brilliant, clearly enjoying herself.
The other skater moved with a hint more of grace, sliding about skillfully and with a balance far more efficient than that of her partner. She spun dramatically and lazily in time with the music, offering sloppy single axels with wobbling landings. Her partner didn’t seem to care, only applauding enthusiastically and cheering her on as she jetted about. What she lacked in jumps, she made up for in footwork, energetically moving her body to the beat with passionate dancing, to which her companion clapped along eagerly.
Blake tilted her head, shooting a confused look back at her coach. “Am I missing something here?” she called over the music.
Weiss only shook her head. “Nope, that’s her. The blonde one.”
Blake cast her eyes back to the rink again before snapping her head back to Weiss, eyes wide. “Her? You mean it’s a woman?”
Weiss only smiled innocently. Blake was floored, and genuinely entertained the idea that her coach had finally gone off the deep end. Explicit competition rules were in place preventing such a pairing: pairs skating required, under each and every circumstance, the coupling of a male skater and a female skater, always and without exception. A same-sex couple in pairs skating was not only unheard of, but essentially sacrilegious.
“Are you insane?” she cried, her voice muffled over the blaring beat. “Do you want me to get disqualified?”
“You’ve always been a trendsetter. The Remnant Skating Federation has recently pledged to relax some of its regulations in order to provide a more welcoming environment and encourage newcomers to the sport. We’re simply going to make a bit of history,” she answered, her tone aloof, as though she’d expected Blake’s reaction.
“You want to risk challenging the RSF?”
“I’m speaking from someone in close communication with the RSF, of course. I wouldn’t do something strictly prohibited.”
“But you’d do something skirting the line? A same-sex pairs couple is pushing it,” Blake argued.
“You’ve never cared about pushing boundaries before. Why start now?”
Blake bit her tongue once more. Weiss had not dared to insist that Blake tone down her Faunus rights advocacy upon going pro, instead allowing her to use her platform for good. To argue against challenging tradition would be throwing stones in a glass house. She swallowed her objection, casting her eyes back to the rink.
The taller girl, the blonde one, skated with her eyes shut, wrapped up in the music and flying over the ice blindly. She dropped into a wavering Ina Bauer, back arched behind her and arms gracefully extended as she glided without abandon. Her form was unique, and Blake felt apprehensive towards the idea of conforming to such an unconventional approach.
Blake almost jumped at the sudden absence of music, snapping her head back towards her coach. Weiss held a remote aloft, pointed above at the speakers dangling from the ceiling. The girls on the rink slowed to a stop, equally startled by the spontaneous silence.
“Uh, sorry!” the smaller one shouted, sliding haphazardly towards the rink exit. “Was it too loud?”
“Ruby Rose,” Weiss called.
At the mention of her name, she skated faster, clambering towards the exit and almost slipping in the process. “Yes, yes, I’m here! Sorry! Lost track of time, didn’t realize it was already 10!”
Weiss closed her eyes, exhaling in mild exasperation. “It’s a pleasure to meet you after our correspondence,” she offered, her voice just the slightest bit strained.
“Wait, wait, is that Weiss Schnee? The Weiss Schnee? Oh my gosh, ma’am, it’s such an honor to finally meet you in person!” the small girl cried, hurriedly doffing her skates and scrambling over to Blake’s coach. “I-I’m such a huge fan, miss, I love your routines, and your performance at the Vytal Festival was splendid, I get goosebumps just thinking about it, the way you—“
“Thank you, Miss Rose, I appreciate it. Where is your sister?” Weiss interrupted, slightly irritated at the praise.
“Oh, sorry, she’s coming! Yang?” Ruby called breathlessly, rushing to smooth her frazzled hair in front of Weiss and Blake.
“Coming,” the taller girl called back, easily sliding to a stop before the rink door with far more coordination than her partner had shown. “Just getting warmed up.”
Weiss smiled earnestly. “I see. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of practice.”
The blonde returned her smile, beaming as she slipped her skates off. With the laces tied together, she slung them over the rail of the rink with a thunk. Blake cringed—she hated when people treated their skates like that.
“Her work ethic is remarkable,” Weiss whispered to her. Blake only nodded half heartedly, still focused on those poor dangling skates scraping back and forth against the railing.
The blonde girl unhurriedly took her place beside Ruby, bowing respectfully. “Miss Schnee, it’s an honor.”
Weiss’s eye twitched involuntarily. “Thank you, to you as well. It’s nice to meet you, Miss Xiao Long.”
The girl blushed at the praise, scratching the back of her head. Blake stifled a giggle at the two starstruck girls. Weiss’s renown had never thrown her off, and meant little to her at this point. Still, it was somewhat endearing to see that she still had fans.
“Blake,” Weiss began, gesturing to the blonde, “I’d like to introduce you to Yang Xiao Long. She’ll be your partner starting today.”
Blake bowed respectfully, hoping her face wouldn’t betray her nerves. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
When she raised her head, her eyes met Yang’s own, sparkling violet as she froze in place. “T-The pleasure is all mine,” she stammered. “You’re incredible.”
Blake blushed, taken aback.
“N-No, I mean, your performances, they’re amazing, you’re great!” she cried, waving her hands frantically. “You’re an incredible skater.”
“Blake Belladonna? Oh my gosh, it’s amazing to meet you, too! Oh, I watched the Menagerie Open, your performance had me on the edge of my seat! That triple twist was incredible, you two were amazing, and the technical score was fantastic, one of the greatest in Menagerie’s history! You’re truly an inspiration to—“
“Thank you,” Blake interrupted, her face flushed.
Ruby returned her blush, casting her eyes down at her feet with a nervous chuckle. “Sorry, I’m just a huge fan. I’m a bit of a figure skating nerd, hehe.”
“It shows,” Yang whispered loudly. Her sister laughed in earnest.
“I’m Ruby Rose,” the small girl offered, hand extended to no one. When no takers came, she slid her arm back down to her side, deflated. “Uh, I’m Yang’s coach. She’s really good, I promise!”
Blake blinked. She certainly didn’t act like much of a coach, let alone skate like one. “For how long?”
“Umm, always, I guess? She’s very talented, and I’ve done my best to make sure she gets to show the world her skills.”
Weiss nodded approvingly, turning to Blake. “And she certainly has. Yang and her partner took home silver at the Vale Invitational last year.”
“Ex-partner,” Yang muttered disdainfully.
“Junior ran into a bit of trouble with the law. He, uh, probably won’t be skating again any time soon,” Ruby explained.
Blake struggled to repress a smirk. As much of a pain as Sun was, he was at least smart enough to keep himself out of legal trouble, even if some of his antics were borderline illegal at best.
“Come, let’s sit and chat,” Weiss offered, motioning to a resting table near the rink. “I’ve brought hot chocolate.”
Ruby’s eyes sparkled.
Blake, however, was too anxious for hot chocolate. She couldn’t stop thinking about the implications of having a female partner, or even the implications of replacing Sun. She couldn’t stop thinking about how she would enter a competition with this aloof woman, so nonchalant and seemingly undisciplined, or how she was all that stood between her and a fulfilling singles career. She couldn’t stop thinking if her coach had finally, finally, steered her wrong after so long in her care.
Most importantly, she couldn’t stop thinking of how radiant those shimmering violet eyes had been when they matched hers.