It had been a few minutes since the frantic group carried Blake inside Tai's house for immediate treatment.

First-aid had been performed, which was the aura transfer. While Taiyang caught his breath, he instructed each person which herbs they should gently place on Blake's marred back.

Blake had been placed on a table on her stomach. Her shirt was removed so they could properly operate. As a result, the girls made Sun go into another room.

This whole time, Blake was as defenseless as a newborn kitten. She'd been panting harshly through her mouth while everyone tended to her. Her face was as red as a cherry and she shivered sometimes even though she was passed out. This was an alarming sign to Tai as a healer. The poor girl had been whipped mercilessly and was sick? No wonder she collapsed.

Now that her back was doused in herbs, they could focus their attention on her sickness.

"What can we do for her fever?" Ruby asked.

"Give her some sheets and lay her on her side," Tai instructed. "I'll get a wet cloth."

After he left the room, Ruby dashed to complete the order. The other girls stared amongst each other and then down at the struggling Blake, whose breathing was still shallow.

"Hang in there, kitten," Yang gripped one of her limp hands. "Whoever did this is going to pay. I promise."

Carefully, Yang coddled her side, which was sweaty. The blonde had to be careful if she was going to turn her on her side, or she might cause her friend more immense pain. Noticing her struggle, Pyrrha joined and swiftly held up her torso.

"Let me help."

Together, the pair swiftly and securely rolled Blake on her side. Immediately after, Ruby draped a blanket over her body to insulate some warmth. The upper half of her body was exposed, so it was also to cover her up.

The soft material provided a secure attachment to prevent the herbs from falling off. It also helped to keep the shivering cat faunus somewhat warm.

"Is it safe yet?" they could hear the bored Sun ask from the room he was hanging out in.

"Yeah," Yang replied. "She's covered."

The monkey faunus appeared in the room and his giddy grin slipped to a sad smile when he noticed her awful state. She'd been panting for breath and was redder than a cherry. Sweat refused to leave her body and the only time she wasn't motionless was when she trembled.

"Damn, she got hurt badly."

Blake was unnaturally still, and her erratic breathing struck chords in their hearts. To comfort her, Ruby was stroking the black tresses and murmuring soothing words in her sensitive ears. They were sweet like honey.

"Yeah…" Yang agreed.

Tai hurriedly rounded a corner with a wet cloth in hand. He handed it out and gave it to Ruby, trusting her to rest it on her face.

"Keep this on her forehead."

After an eager nod, Ruby firmly held the cool cloth against the torrid skin. Even though Blake was unconscious, Ruby heard the tiniest soft sigh. It must've helped if only a little, so that gave her encouragement. Ruby's other hand was preoccupied holding one of Blake's limp hands as she lovingly gazed down at her.

"You'll be okay," Ruby murmured softly. "We got you…"

While Ruby was distracted comforting Blake, Weiss took that as an opportunity to stroll over. The girl would have to be a moron if she missed Ruby's pained expression. For a while, Weiss was trying to deduce if Ruby was in physical or emotional pain.

It was both.

Tai was too fatigued to do what she had planned. He was taking a breather on a chair, so it was up to her.

"Weiss, what're you-"

"Settle down, dolt," Weiss gently placed her hands on the girl's ribcage. "You're an even bigger dunce than I thought."

A calm green glow emitted. It didn't take long for Ruby's dull aches to fade. She could feel her friend's aura intermingling with her own. It was cool like a soft breeze. It was much more relaxing than her sister's, whose was fiery.

The cool sensation overwhelmed her body. Unable to help herself, Ruby sighed happily. She was still sore from her injuries from the bombing, but it wasn't anything serious. It was something that could easily be fixed by this technique.

Watching what was happening, Tai leaned forward in his chair. "Dammit, Ruby. I told you not to overdo it. That was the one thing I made you promise before you ran off on me!"

"Sorry, dad," Ruby apologized. "It's okay, though. I'm all better now."

Hearing that satisfied her, so Weiss pulled her hands away, visibly winded. In a rush, Yang grabbed her girlfriend a chair and coaxed her to sit.

"Here ya go, princess."

"Thank you…" Weiss took her seat and tried to catch her breath.

The blonde rubbed soothing circles on her girlfriend's back as she glared at her sister, who was full of worry. At least Ruby stopped grimacing and just looked troubled as she gazed at her girlfriend.

"Rubes, you are such an idiot!" Yang scolded, which caused her sister to flinch. "What if Pyr here wasn't there to save you? What would you have done then?"

"I would've kicked his butt," she easily replied.

"You were still in pain!" Yang reminded. "How long would you have lasted, huh?"

"That reminds me," Ruby said and gazed at the red-head. "What were you doing there? Talk about good timing."

"You can thank Ren, Nora, and Neptune," Pyrrha stated. "They came to me rather winded and begged me to help, but they didn't need to. They seemed grave, so I went to where you were. It wasn't hard to find you. The red cape stands out from a distance."

"Nep is smart after all, huh?" Sun said teasingly. "Here I thought he was faking it all these years."

That elicited a faint chuckle from the Amazon.

"How is she?" Tai asked Ruby, who was gently stroking Blake's hair.

"Her breathing's slowed, so I think that's a good sign," Ruby observed. "The medicine must've helped."

The group collectively sighed in relief.

"She's stabilized, so I think it's time for you to head home," Tai glimpsed at Sun and Pyrrha. "It's getting dark. I don't want you walking alone at night."

"What, you think The Champion is gonna get mugged?" Yang almost burst into laughter. "Sun maybe, but Pyr will be fine."

That earned some much-needed laughs.

"I can kick some ass if I want!" Sun yelped. "Tell 'em, Pyr. Back me up."

Instead, Pyrrha remained silent with a faint purse of her lips. She tried to look away from him to pretend like she didn't hear his comment.

"I don't know, Sun," Yang replied. "You were so scared you fell on your ass."

The monkey faunus strolled up to the blonde girl. "I don't have to take that from someone who just watched the whole time."

Collective "ooh's," rang out.

Yang's eye twitched and something snapped within. "You know I didn't have a choice."

"Are you sure or is that just an excuse?" Sun countered somewhat jokingly.

"You, me, outside," Yang said, pointing from herself to him and then the door.

Grinning, the blond's fist bumped and turned on their heels.

"You guuuuys," Ruby whined. "There's no time for this. Go home, Sun. You guys can brawl some other time?"

"Riverbed tomorrow first thing," Sun grinned. "If ya don't show up I automatically win."

"For a monkey faunus you act more like a chicken," Yang winked. "Don't be late."

"Alright," Sun headed to the door. "Seeya later," he spared one last, worried glance at the girl on the table. His playful tone took a serious turn. "Make sure she gets better."

"Count on it," Ruby replied.

With this many people and support around, it was only a matter of time before Blake gets back on her feet again. From Sun's encouragement, that made the group all the more determined to get her well again.

They were also pressing on time. It was a well-known fact she is needed at her job, so the sooner she recovers, the better. All their willpower was at full force to tend to Blake.

Tai waved Sun off. "Tell Mina that Blake will be alright. You know how much she worries."

That comment got Weiss' attention, causing one of her lion ears to twitch in interest. "Did you just call my mom Mina?"

"Uhhh…" Tai awkwardly leaned back in his seat.

Not able to form a reply, Sun called back at him.

"You got it, Tai!"

After Sun left, Pyrrha headed out the door. It seemed they were going to walk to their homes together.

"Keep me updated on her condition," The Champion said as she stood just outside the flimsy door. "I'll keep everyone else informed."

"Okay!" Yang gave her a thumbs up.

Pyrrha bowed her head slightly and shut the door.

"She's never lost that formality," Taiyang commented.

Ruby just shrugged. "It's what makes Pyrhha Pyrrha."

"I guess so," Tai agreed and looked to his youngest daughter. "Here, I'll take her to your bed. She can't be comfortable on that table. If she stays there all night she'll wake up feeling worse. We can't have that."

"That would be the worst…" Yang mumbled.

Since Tai had known Blake since she was just a girl, he naturally treated her as one of his own daughters. It hurt his heart to see her like this, so he wanted to help her in every way he could.

Carefully, Tai lifted the girl, making sure not to graze her back. Ruby tried to help, but it was clear he didn't need it when he carried her effortlessly. One of his strong hands was wrapped around her legs while the other was lightly against her upper back, where fewer whip marks were located.

Since she had no shirt on and a sheet just covered her upper body, Tai made sure the blanket didn't slide down.

Silently, the group headed into a darker room, where no candles were lit.

The only window in the room displayed mild sunlight, dimly lighting the room. The sun was disappearing over the horizon and barely peaked over. The dark night was coming rapidly, so they wanted Blake secure before then.

Weiss went ahead and pulled down the covers so Tai could lay Blake on her side. From the looks of it, Blake was at peace, although she was still red. After Weiss pulled up the covers, Ruby set the cold cloth on her forehead again.

Her forehead was still steaming, which caused Ruby to worry.

As if she read her mind, Yang spoke. "It's okay, Rubes. Her fever will go down soon, okay? She just needs rest."

Ruby just stared down at Blake fondly. Her hand never left her girlfriend's, her fingers rubbed the top of her palm.

After watching the sad display, Tai left the room to grab a chair for his youngest daughter. He knew her better than anyone. Ruby wouldn't leave Blake for anything tonight. Not even to use the bathroom.

Not soon after, Zwei trailed in the room. He was calm as he stared up at his companions in the dark room. Yang and Weiss almost made him leave, but the little corgi hopped on the bed before they could reach him.

"Here," the blonde positioned the dog to be near her friend's stomach. "Keep her warm."

"Should he be there?" Weiss whispered. "Is she afraid of dogs?"

"You think that 'cuz she's a cat faunus?" Yang almost giggled. "Nah, she likes animals. She knows him. He loves her."

Like he knew something was wrong, Zwei whimpered a few times and nuzzled against her torso.

Yang bent down and pat his head. "Take care of her tonight."

"Zwei is the best wittle healer, aren't you? Aren't you?~" Weiss asked.

Zwei just panted excitedly for a moment, knowing he shouldn't bark at a time like this.

Tai returned with a chair for Ruby and placed it near Ruby's bed. "Here, I figured you wouldn't wanna leave."

"Thanks, Dad," Ruby grinned.

Like a father, Tai leaned down and kissed the dozing Blake on her forehead.

"See you in the morning. I'm beat."

As soon as he came, Tai left the room to go sleep in his own small bed.

Ruby took a sit and held her girlfriend's hand. After today, she was exhausted, too.

"Let us know when she wakes up, okay?" Weiss said.

"Okay," Ruby replied with a yawn.

Taking that as their cue, Yang called out. "Goodnight, Rubes. Sleep tight, Blake."

By the time the freezerburn pair left the room, it was already dark.

About to shut down for the night, Ruby was leaned over on the bed in her chair while Blake slept. Luckily, the little dog kept Blake's body warm. If Zwei wasn't there, Ruby might've tried to keep her warm, but she wasn't sure if the two of them could fit on the bed.

Blake shivered every now and then, but the shudders quickly ceased after they started. Ruby held her hand the whole time, her fingers entwined with Blake's own.

Ruby found herself slipping into slumber along with Blake.

Several hours passed and the whole house was blanketed in the darkness besides some moonlight creeping in the windows. The only sounds that echoed in the home were Zwei's snoring. Although Ruby fell asleep quickly, it was hard for her to stay asleep. She woke up almost every hour to check on her girlfriend, who hadn't roused.

Surprisingly, she noticed Zwei had moved to the bottom of the bed, which kept Blake's feet warm.

From experience, Ruby knew it was painful to lay on her side for too long, so she carefully maneuvered Blake to rest on her stomach.

"There we go."

With a smile, Ruby brushed her fingers through the black tresses. She was satisfied that her fever had gone down, but she still looked flushed.

"Much better."

The worried girl re-wet the cloth and kept it firmly on her scorching forehead. This caused Blake's body to shiver. On reaction, Ruby pulled up the blankets over her. Apparently, that was enough for the injured spy to open her eyes.

"Blake, you're awake!" Ruby said exasperatedly, unable to contain herself. "Are you okay? Does it hurt? Do you need anything?"

Blake only managed to tiredly gaze at Ruby.

"Ruby…"

Her voice was laden with enervation, but more prominent relief.

"That's right, it's me," she reassured and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry, you're gonna be okay. We're all good. You saved them, Blake. You helped all of the humans who were harassed by those mean guards."

"That's good…"

"Yeah," Ruby agreed. "Really good. You did the right thing as always. I'm so proud of you."

Blake somehow managed to give her girlfriend a tired smile and closed her eyes after a shaky breath. Ruby allowed her to do so, just hearing her made her tired.

"Love you," Ruby lovingly kissed her forehead. "I won't leave you."

Rather than opening her eyes, Blake could only focus on a few things.

It felt as though she was drifting.

Her body felt numb, but there was a comforting, almost radiating warmth.

The warmest part of her body was one of her hands, which she found odd. Come to think of it, the sensation was familiar.

Various muffled sounds reached her ears. She tried to figure out who was who, but her hearing was fading in and out, making it hard to pinpoint the origin. It was difficult to even figure out if the voices were close or far away.

The smell of drugs and some sort of food mixed, flowing through her nostrils. It was such an awful combination one of her ears flicked.

That's when the familiar voices stopped talking.

The strange voices kept saying her name, but for some reason, she wanted to stay in this dark place. It was nice and quiet there.

It was like she was floating in space...

"Blake?"

There was that innocent voice again…

Why did it sound so familiar?

"Kitten," another familiar voice. She felt a hand brush her hot forehead. "You there, sleepyhead?"

Unintentionally, Blake whimpered. Whether it was an effort to wake up or out of annoyance was up for debate.

Multiple gasps.

"Blake," a different, more stern voice. "If you don't get up we won't share the salmon Mr. Xiao Long cooked."

Another small groan.

There were three glowing hands reaching out to yank her forward. As she drifted in the dark space, she reluctantly grabbed the vibrant hands that shined.

It was a struggle to regain consciousness, but she managed it. The moment her pupils registered the bleary brightness, she shut them again and flinched.

"Yay!" Ruby cheered and squeezed her hand. "You're up again!"

"Welcome back," Yang grinned.

"I guess you can have the fish," Weiss happily said.

"Hey," golden orbs opened. Her vision was blurry at first, but it came into focus rather quickly. She felt like she slammed into a brick wall. "What-"

She cut herself off. All the memories from the day before came flooding back and she frowned.

"Everything worked out," Yang informed. "So take it easy. Your back's gotta hurt."

"It's not nearly as bad as before," the cat faunus informed, which eased her friend's nerves. "It's a little numb. How many herbs are on it?"

"A lot," Weiss answered.

"I bet," Blake wiggled to see if there would be any stinging pains, but she felt nothing. She must've been drugged heavily. No wonder she was out for so long.

"Blake," Yang called in a stern tone and sat next to her. "Who hurt you?"

Golden orbs strayed away from her determined gaze. Blake tightened her grip on the blankets as she recalled the memory. "Doesn't matter."

In her mind, it really didn't matter. The person responsible for her injuries was currently untouchable. That much she knew. It was no use getting her friends riled up at the person who was to blame if they couldn't do anything about it.

"It does," Yang replied, sounding more solemn as she leaned down. "Now tell me. I need to know who I hafta go after."

Weiss' jaw almost dropped. She'd never heard Yang sound like that before. It was like her girlfriend had already murdered the person responsible for Blake's wounds.

Meanwhile, Blake felt trapped in a corner. There was a deep pit in her stomach. If she told them the truth, she knew her friends would blame themselves even though she felt it was her own fault for being incompetent. The cat faunus pulled the blankets up higher and hid half her face.

"It was my own fault," Blake admitted. "I made a mistake, but it was worth it."

A pregnant pause.

"The money..." Weiss mumbled. "She thinks you wasted it to find me?"

A shaky breath. "Yeah."

"Then take it back," Ruby stated. "W-we don't need it, Blake! Not if thisis the result!"

"No," Blake simply replied. "The Faker knows it's gone. She thinks I spent it on other unnecessary things, so you keeping it won't change a thing. It would serve no purpose to give it back. I already endured my punishment. It would be nothing but trouble if you gave it back," from that, Ruby frowned, prompting her to continue. "It's okay now. I'm fine."

"No, you're not!" Ruby replied. "Yesterday, you couldn't even stand! Now look at you!"

To prove she was feeling better, Blake sat up, although she was dizzy. The poor girl almost fell back down, but Ruby caught her on time.

"See? You can't even sit up," Ruby said with worry and gently set her head on the feathery pillow. "Please lay down, okay? You can act tough later."

The cat faunus just groaned in protest as her world spun. She was starting to feel hot again. Noticing her discomfort, Ruby set the cool cloth on her forehead, which earned a tiny sigh.

Yang leaned over her again. "I don't want to press you when you're like this, but I gotta know. You didn't answer my question. Who did it?"

Knowing she wouldn't be left alone until her friend got a reply, Blake decided to answer. "Cinder," she breathed.

"God damn her!"

Since Blake's eyes were resting shut, she didn't see her friend's reaction. She could sense the malice in her tone and that was enough to unsettle her.

Yang stood in a fury from the bed. All in a second, her eyes warped to a deep shade of red and her hair ignited. Her fists were clenched and shaking while her teeth were grit. The girl was livid.

"Yang-" Ruby tried to grab her arm to calm her, but it was like her sister was on fire, which caused her to recoil.

"No!" the blonde exclaimed. "I'm gonna make that bitch pay! This is how she treats her captains?! She can't do whatever she wants! I'm sick and tired of it!"

Sensing her girlfriend wasn't going to calm down anytime soon, Weiss grabbed her hand and started to transfer her cool aura. The opposites' life force mixed, which caused a pleasant feeling in both their bodies. It was like cool rain. It trickled into Yang's warm bloodstream, which naturally extinguished her semblance.

"You can go on a rampage for revenge later," Weiss said. "For now, you need to calm yourself or Blake will feel worse."

Realizing she was right, Yang took a deep breath. The toasty atmosphere lightened. It was sometimes hard to control her temper, but her girlfriend seemed to do the trick.

Feeling guilty, Yang gazed down at Blake, who was already out like a light.

"We'll get her back one day," Ruby said reassuringly. "Count on it."

The three girls surrounded Blake, whose breathing was in deep rhythm.

"Should we wake her to eat?" Yang asked.

"No," Ruby replied. "If she's this exhausted after waking up for such a short time, she needs to rest."

Yang gazed down at her friend with a sympathetic smile. She brushed her fingers through the top of her head, gently caressing her floppy cat ears.

"Sweet dreams, kitten."

Blake is taking a break! Whew, I was getting tired for her.

Stay dandy,

~Toto