Eclipse - Act 4 - Cycle's End

Chapter 3 - The Coliseum

Blake

Menagerie...

The island had come a long way since Salem's rule; the country was now a bustling home for Faunuskind, filled with hope and dreams. Trade was improved between the island and the rest of the world now that things had improved drastically between Faunuskind and Humanity. In the harbour, large trade ships arrived to offload goods. Children played in the clear blue shallow seawater, some with aquatic traits, like fins on their limbs or webbed digits.

In the centre of the town, Blake Belladonna stood upon the Balcony of her home which Ghira and Kali had passed down to her. The two had purchased a lovely retirement home nearby, enjoying every single day together. She wore a beautiful black and gold blindfold over her scars, her hands gripped onto the railing as she listened to the sound of Menagerie. It was such a stark contrast to how it sounded twenty-five years ago. There was no fear in the air. People never felt like they were living on a knife's edge.

It was truly, for the first time... free.

A smile was painted across her face before she turned around to hear the sound of her kids. "Mooom!" A younger voice called out.

"Everything okay, Harley?" She asked.

"I can't find my bag!" He called out. Blake chuckled, shaking her head and walking away from the railing and back inside. She saw them inside of the large central room, where the kids were at the dining table, finishing up their breakfast for the day. Blake walked down the steps, using her White Cane to easily walk down the steps.

"Where did you last see it?" Blake asked him.

"Um..." He mumbled. "I could've sworn I left it down here..."

"Maybe Celese hid it!" Ava teased with a cheeky grin. Celese bolted up from her chair.

"DID NOT!" she argued, and Ava smirked, sticking out her tongue.

"Alright, cut it out you two." Blake told as she pointed her White Cane at them.

Harley was the youngest of the three Belladonna children, only thirteen years old. Ava was in the middle, at fifteen, and Celese was sixteen. Blake and Yang both shared the experience of pregnancy at different points, Harley and Celese were both Faunus, carrying Blake's feline ears and black hair, whereas Ava was Human with Yang's beautiful blonde hair, and definitely her cheeky attitude as well.

Harley, bless him, was by far the clumsiest of the three, always losing things somewhere or another as well. But Blake smiled, and she gently ruffled his hair. "C'mon, let's go find it before you head out to school, hmm?" Blake asked, her voice always being so soothing and able to calm any nerves.

Blake had developed smoke, small grey streaks of hair in her short bob, but despite that, she had aged like a fine wine. She wore a similar coat that her father did as well, taking on the role of Chieftain of Menagerie. She walked around their home together, searching for where Harley must have misplaced his backpack.

"I'm so stupid." he whispered, getting Blake's attention. She stopped, then turned, crouching down in front of him with a kind smile.

"Now we both know that's not true, don't we?" she asked him.

"I always mess up." He shrugged, kicking his foot gently, but Blake just smirked.

"Do you really think your mom and I never made silly mistakes?" She asked him. "But we always fixed them. And so will you." She promised, making him smile.

They looked around and found the living room where all the comfy sofas were and the big tv that the kids loved watching movies and playing video games on. And lo-and-behold... the backpack was sitting right there, against the sofa, where he just was earlier when watching some cartoons. "There it is!" Harley squeaked with joy, picking it up and sighing with relief.