They perform a public trial

Handling the fires that swept across Menagerie took the efforts of practically every able bodied person. The aftermath will be another kettle of fish. Nursing the injured. Relocating those left with destroyed homes. Even mourning for some. Whatever the future may hold, the White Fang insurgents needed to be made accountable for their actions last night.

Yuma, Trifa, Fennec and a broken Corsac are brought to the edge of Kuo Kuana near the ocean where the people of Menagerie have gathered to witness their trial. The ocean breeze is a nice reprieve from the calamity of the night. It was best to hold the trial away from burned debris and charred remains of people's homes.

Firstly, for safety. Secondly, for everyone to not be burdened with an eye sore.

Blake and Ilia sit in front of the insurgents on two large red chairs salvaged from Blake's home. Blake taps her fingernails on the chair as she occasionally glasses at a watch.

Ghira has given Blake the spotlight. Her parents stand with the audience surrounding the trial next to Sun. Ilia had to be positioned next to Blake to avoid questions on her previous affiliation with the White Fang. Not everyone knew that she fought against the Albain brothers yesterday. Blake wanted to make it clear that Ilia was on her side, not the insurgents.

The clock strikes 9. Blake stands to address the people of Menagerie. Her face is hardened. The audience is visibly anxious, knowing Blake has harsh words for them. Blake had been campaigning for weeks to form a militia capable of resisting an expected attack from the White Fang. Everyone had to live with the consequences of their actions (or inaction)...

"Without Ilia, those responsible for the fire may have escaped," Blake announces as she points down at the insurgents. "How many died last night?" Blake asks, directing her attention at Ghira.

"Excluding members of the White Fang, three." Ghira answers as he steps forward.

Murmurs of unease, shock, anger and sadness reverberate through the audience. You could cut the tension in the air with a butter knife.

"A family of three pig Faunus, all brothers, had their home blown to pieces during Blake's battle against Corsac. There were no other fatalities. Many more were injured." Ghira continues before he steps back.

Anger swells in the audience. Fury becomes the dominant emotion of those in attendance to the trial. Blake holds up her hand to silence the audience. She takes a deep breath. She clenches her first, tensing like she is about to erupt.

"I have been trying to build a militia for weeks to handle this exact problem... The White Fang under Adam believes that we must be eliminated because we refuse to stand with him in his war against humanity. Menagerie! You have become enemies of the White Fang because you choose not to fight! Is it fair that Adam's ilk dragged into his mess? No. Will you allow Adam to turn us into the latest victims of his madness?! I hope not! Have we not suffered enough?! Tell me Menagerie, do we allow our own people to persecute us?! What will be the punishment for those who wage war against us?" Blake roars.

A pause. The calm before the storm. The audience knows there is only one correct answer.

The owner of a food vendor is first to speak his mind. "Execution!" he cries.

Shortly thereafter, more angry chants follow agreeing with the food vendor. Kill them! They destroyed our homes! They hurt my family! They deserve to die! **** penalty! Execution! Blood for blood! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****!

The rage of the people drowns out any calls for moderation. The White Fang had declared war; all wars have casualties.

Ilia's initial reaction to the fact Blake or Kuo Kuana’s citizens would consider a **** penalty is that of disbelief.

Yuma shouts at Blake furiously, saying this trial was bullshit! Trifa pleads that there must be a more sensible punishment. She wasn't responsible for the fire- why does she have to die? Why not jail instead? She has rights! Where is her lawyer?! Fennec falls into despair, tears running down his face. Corsac bows his head and accepts his fate.

"Menagerie!" Blake shouts over the audience. "I have heard your cries. White Fang insurgents... I sentence you all to ****! Drown in the sea!" Blake declares.

The Menagerie guard motions them towards their watery demise.

Yuma tries to fight them off in vain. Trifa rambles a dozen different reasons to spare her life until her head is **** underwater. Fennec is dragged across the ground with the weight of the world on his shoulder. Corsac stands of his own accord and walks with the Menagerie guard to his end. There's no struggle. He simply hopes that he could be a better person in his next life... if there is one...

Peace returns to Menagerie- four corpses float in the water where its citizens have gathered.

Blake declares that today was for resolution. Tomorrow is for preparing the militia. She rallies Menagerie's citizens to arm themselves for a confrontation against the White Fang at Haven academy in approximately two weeks.

"Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter. With Adam's demise, the radical branches of the White Fang will dissolve. If Adam pulls off his plot against Haven academy, Menagerie will be caught in the cross fires of a human-Faunus race war. We do not want a war against humanity! We do not need a war against humanity! I believe in Menagerie! A nation for Faunus that prioritises our needs. Not a terrorist cult, hellbent on tearing down human nations. Brothers and sisters, do you believe in Menagerie?!" Blake roars.

An almighty battle cry surges from the audience! The people of Menagerie were determined to defend their interests. Menagerie was ready to become a player on the world stage rather than an afterthought.

Blake held her hand out towards Ilia. This moment was for both of them to share. Ilia did her part in protecting Menagerie. Ilia was hesitant to take Blake's hand. They couldn't help but notice parallels between her and Sienna Khan's charisma.

Ilia tucks away her fears for now as she stands to take Blake's hand. Blake raises their arms together before the audience. The people of Menagerie respond by raising their fists to the skies as one.

Blake lowers her arm, then walks through the crowd holding Ilia's hand. Menagerie's citizens lower their heads in respect to their mighty defender. They clear a passage for them. The crowd disperses shortly after their departure.

As promised, Menagerie's people are given a day of rest. The remainder of the day is sombre as they attempt to move on with their lives. Some have to share homes with friends and family due to yesterday's fire. Sun gathers names of those particularly eager to join the Menagerie militia tomorrow. Ghira leads the clean up operation. Kali tends to the wounded.

Blake and Ilia however are left to wonder. They walk together holding hands across the coastline away from Kuo Kuana. There has not been much talking between them. With so many emotions bubbling beneath the surface, it feels impossible for them to decide in what order they should be dealt with. They've been walking together for nearly half an hour. Listening to the sea's waves crash against the shore was soothing. Ilia chooses to break the tension with a simple question.

"Where are we going Blake?" Ilia says softly.

"I don't know... the only place I want to be is next to you," Blake answers.

"That's sweet of you to say," Ilia smiles.

"I mean it. Everyone is expecting so much from me... I can't let them down. I know they will have so many questions... and right now, I just don't have all the answers. I needed to be away from everyone to collect my thoughts."

"I think you need to think less about the future and talk about what you are feeling right now."

"I came to Menagerie to escape fighting... Now, the fight has come to us. Is there no escape to ****? Have I condemned myself by condemning the insurgents? Or Adam? When does the fighting end?"

"Blake, I do not condemn you for what you did... The people of Menagerie needed justice. They, heck, Faunus everywhere deserve to feel safe! That cannot happen with Adam in charge of the White Fang. I believe you made the right call... However, I cannot help but feel like you are starting to sound like Sienna Khan..."

"...I need to be alone for a while."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes... Prepare a meeting near Pinky's, the old street food vendor. I will come back with a plan."

"Don't stay lost in your thoughts."

Blake stops and turns to face Ilia. She holds both of Ilia's hands. They gaze longing into each other's eyes. Blake blinks first. Her eyes cement shut and anguish plasters itself across Blake's face. Tears burst from her eye ducts. The floodgates are opened to quash her rivers of rage.

Blake sniffles before Ilia lunges towards her with an embrace. Blake has a shoulder to cry on- seeing the home her family spent their lives trying to build almost go up in smoke overnight took its toll on her.

Ilia was the perfect person to comfort her through it all. She had seen Blake at her worst and her lowest. If anyone could stop Blake being consumed by her darkness, it was Ilia. They shared the concern that Blake could easily become a monster following everything she had been through. Notwithstanding everything she must do also. Yet, she stood with Blake.

Blake clutches Ilia tightly, allowing herself to fall apart. Their foundation of love was a suitable bedrock for Blake to build herself up again on. The heaviness in Blake's chest is shared with Ilia. Patiently and gently, Ilia consoles her supportively.

Blake's crying calms until their breath is cool like the waves upon the shore. The sun beats against the back of Ilia's bare legs and shoulders. They stand holding each other long enough to feel the pain and affection in each other's beating hearts. Romantic energy seeped into their scars- this was the first time Ilia and Blake had ever been so close to each other.

Ilia withdraws from their embrace. Ilia's rich brown skin beams in the sunlight. Sweat glistens on her skin like diamonds. Blake notices Ilia's freckles have changed colour. She blushes with a fluorescent, electric pink. Ilia's chameleon skin was able to change colour involuntarily during moments of heightened emotion.

While Blake's beauty was in the window of the soul, Ilia's beauty was in her mortal shell. Flawless, silky, radiant skin. Sublime in softness. Unworldly in vibrancy. A walking work of art! Ilia normally used her Faunus trait for camouflage. Blending in and being unnoticeable. Smiling as people walked by her. She could radiate with every colour of the rainbow, yet the world only saw Ilia as useful if she concealed herself.

As Blake caresses Ilia's shoulders, Ilia reveals her true colours. Blood rushes to the surface of her skin. She pours out her heart into a dazzling display of rainbow ripples! They start from her shoulder and travel down her arm. Ilia tilts back her head with a deep sigh, revealing technicolour oscillations that spread across her entire body! Like fireworks, her skin explodes bright clusters. Ilia's face lights up Blake's world once she looks them in the eyes.

The raw physicality of her beauty stoked flames of desire. Blake was reminded why her desire for Ilia's body was so intense. Power rushes to her unmentionables. She's turned on like Christmas lights... not since her honeymoon phase with Adam has Blake felt so intoxicated. Drunk on love, Blake waits with bated breath for what Ilia will say next.

"Find yourself, then find me," Ilia says.

Ilia walks away without another word. Blake reaches for her... she immediately regrets telling Ilia she needs to be alone. Watching Ilia's hips sway as she walks away, her heart sinks. Ilia was what she wanted. A clear mind is what she needed.

With her body still riled up, Blake pulls down her pants and begins masturbating to satiate her carnal passion!

Blake had to empty herself of her lustful thoughts. She jerks her bulging cock then falls to her knees. Blake rubs herself as if she's in a race against time to finish. Her knees dig into the sand. The breeze lashes against genitals. Blake's groans desperately.

She closes her eyes and imagines Ilia's unzipping out of her clothes. How it would feel to kiss her red lips. Lick upon orange nipples. Grasp upon yellow buttocks. To be held with green arms. Locked with blue legs. Licked by an indigo tongue. Oh, what a pleasure it must be to plough a violet lady garden!

The thought is too much! Blake showers the earth with white seed to the thought of entering Ilia's violet lady garden!

Once post nut clarity kicks in, Blake finds herself embarrassed by the mess she made. Was this her punishment? To be cursed with roaring passion and not fulfilled? To chase a dream that always felt out of reach? Only time will tell...

Such is life to want and to hunt. One must find meaning in the pursuit of happiness.

Blake washed her lower half in the sea. Later, she took a small boat to Azure island. It was located not far from the coast of Menagerie. The island was popular to visit for tuna fishing, its palm trees, and its splendid waterfalls. Blake sat at a cliff's edge and meditated to the sound of rushing water.