The bright white glow of the moon floated over the horizon. Its size seemed much larger than normal and its position much lower than it should be in the night sky. It rested just over the pure white ground that sparkled as though blanketed in an unsullied layer of ice and snow. Mist hovered over the colourless earth, the only sign of life being a bright red cloak that trailed rose petals in the chill of the evening breeze.

Ruby had her hood held over her head to cover herself as she bent her legs. She knelt in front of an angled slab of rock that's sharpness and cleanness suggested it was not natural but rather placed as a sign of important significance. Tilting her head up Ruby saw another cloaked figure like herself, this one surrounded in white with her back faced to her. Ruby outstretched her hand only for the white cloak to break apart into a flurry of white rose petals that blew with the force of a whirlwind, sending Ruby flying backwards and pulling back her hood.

Ruby wailed being unable to control herself. The white petals carrying Ruby like a leaf in the wind, her vision a flurried white blur until she felt herself rise high into the air and float momentarily before harshly getting dropped slamming onto the ground with a skid. Ruby groaned as she managed to raise her upper body. "No! Don't leave! Please!" Ruby pleaded, but gasped as she found herself in a much different place.

The scenery had changed to be filled with a luscious green forest, the light from the sun peered through the canopies to cover the ground in beams of sunshine and shadow. A scenery much different then what she had been in.

"The Emerald Forest?" Ruby muttered in confusion, getting to her feet. "But how did I-?"

A shrilled scream cut Ruby off and put her on high alert. Shifting her eyes left and right Ruby saw the opening to a clearing and boosted off with her semblance to get there as fast as possible. Her eyes narrowed and she burst forward into a spiral of petals to accelerate faster, reassembling when she reached the other side. Her feet landed onto the ground with a stomp and her gaze focused forward, her eyes suddenly opening wide with fright.

"Ru…by…"

Laying down in front of Ruby was her partner Weiss. Her body beaten and bruised and the scar over her left eye, reopened and bleeding.

"Weiss!" Ruby kneeled beside her best friend and stared into her eyes. "Are you alright?! What happened?!"

Weiss weakly coughed. "You… weren't fast enough… Ruby…"

Suddenly Weiss' body began falling apart and transforming into white petals that blew away in the wind. They passed over Ruby's body as her mouth dropped in shock, struggling to process what was even happening right now. She didn't even know what was going on.

"Ruby!"

Before she could progress her feelings, Ruby looked to the call of her name. She saw Yang currently in the fight against three Ursa's clawing at her. With her hair glowing and her eyes burning red, Yang placed her gauntlets behind herself and fired, propelling herself forward deliver a burning fist that smashed one Ursa's mask to pieces. Pivoting on her feet Yang delivered two explosives hooks in time with her gauntlet shots to knock the another away. Panting in place and leaving herself open, the third leaped into the air aiming for her back. Hearing its movements Yang gritted her teeth and fired a punch straight ahead while lowering herself to her slide under its pounce, shooting herself again from underneath to spin in the air towards the Ursa, delivering a roundhouse kick to its stomach to make it lurch. Its defences opened up for Yang to shove her fist under its jaw. She screamed, while clenching her fist to deliver a point-blank round through its head, making it collapse and disintegrate on the forest floor. Falling onto her knees in exhaustion Yang struggled to breath when Ruby appeared next to her.

"Yang! You're here too! How did-?!"

"Where were you Ruby!" Yang roared, with red eyes burning with hate. "We've been fighting for our lives and you've just been daydreaming! Weiss is gone because of you!"

Ruby stepped away from her sister with a horrified look. "G…Gone… but I just got here… I don't even know how I…Weiss is…"

Ruby couldn't believe what was happening. But she just saw it happen. This whole time was Ruby just living in dreamland while her friends were fighting against the world. No! She fought with them against Grimm, hadn't she?

A shrill cawing made Ruby cover up her ears. She looked to the side to see a Nevermore flying towards them at bullet-like speeds, unable to react.

"Move!" Yang cried, shoving her younger sister away.

Ruby felt her body tumble to the grassy ground. Her world seemed to slow down with the last sight she could see being Yang's angry face, when a black streak came by making her vanish. Leaving only yellow petals scattered in the wind.

Ruby reached her hand out but before words could escape her mouth, she felt her body hit the earth and collapse under her weight. She fell through the world which became surrounded by pitch black, the only light being the fading white glow of the hole she came from. Her body felt frozen in shock as she was consumed by the darkness, the only sensation she could feel being her weight dropping into the abyss.

Ruby's eyes suddenly opened and she hyperventilated in shock, placing her hand over her chest. "A dream? Was it all a-?"

Ruby stopped herself when she looked around. She found herself in another new location; Beacon Academy. She was sitting on the Main Avenue but immediately knew something was wrong. The entire world was bathed in a sinister red glow, with red clouds floating in a pitch-black sky. Even Remnant's moon which reappeared had a sinister red outline. The bizarre twisted world Ruby saw filled her with an ominous sense of dread as a black spec fell in front of her nose. Another fell at her side, and then more and more began to rain down from above like black snow. Getting up Ruby put her hand out to catch some but they merely left a shadow on her skin that soon faded.

"It's raining… shadow?" Ruby asked herself in confusion.

"They're gone Ruby."

Ruby looked towards the edge of the Main Avenue to see Blake looking out towards the distance.

"Whose gone Blake?! Who?!" Ruby alarmingly asked her teammate, running up to her.

"Weiss. Yang. Everyone. And it's because of you." Blake coldly answered.

"Me? I don't understand. I didn't do anything!" Ruby cried out in her defence.

"Exactly. You didn't do anything." Blake looked over her shoulder at the terrified Ruby. "You were meant to be our leader. The hero of your own fairy tale, right? But what did you do? You just stood and went along with what everyone else wanted to do. You're no leader. You're no hero. You're just a selfish little girl who only wants to have fun doing whatever she wants."

Ruby felt an emotional knife go through her heart. She had spent her time at Beacon helping Blake with her problems with the White Fang. Except had she? When Blake ran away all she did was look around aimlessly until something happened at the docks and by then she was only there to see the end of it. When the next semester started Ruby just wanted to have the best day ever, only when Blake insisted that the White Fang was still active did, they start investigating. And now this whole trip Blake had been telling Ruby that they were wasting their time, that right now the White Fang were preparing an attack and Ruby just wanted her to have fun with her team. Was that what happened? Had Ruby just been distracted so much that she missed it.

Ruby fell to the ground overwhelmed with grief, pain and sadness. Blake watched her body fall, in the reflection of her amber eye which suddenly became bright blue.

"So, go ahead Ruby. Rest your head and go to sleep. Dream. That's all you've ever been good at…" Those were Blake's last words before she too dispersed into black petals, leaving Ruby all alone in the world. A world of darkness, a world of nothing, a void.

Ruby's silver eyes began to dull as she felt more and more despair consuming her. Perhaps she deserved this. Perhaps this was for the best. "Dream… That sounds… pretty good… right…now…" Ruby whispered as her eye lids began to go heavy and slowly close themselves.

"Wa… U…!"

Ruby stirred on the ground. "Huh? A voice? But I thought everyone was gone."

"Wa…e …Up… uby!"

"Is that voice… talking to me?"

"WA…E…!"

"-UP RUBY!"

In their tent: Weiss, Yang and Blake were crowded around Ruby in their pyjama's, seeing her toss and turn frantically in her sleep.

"Come on Ruby! Wake up!" Yang frantically yelled.

"It's not working Yang! We need to try something else." Weiss pointed out.

"Like what?! If she's suffering even half as bad as we were a minute ago, we need to wake her right now!" Yang remined.

"I'm not saying not to wake her, I'm saying we need to try something else."

While the two of them struggled to wake Ruby up, Blake sat by Ruby's side tightly grabbing her hand. "Please Ruby. Please wake up. I can't bear seeing you in pain like this, so please… please wake up Ruby."

Blake's pleas were ineffective although she did feel the grip on hand tighten, a result of Ruby's nightmare continuing to wreak havoc with her psyche.

The front of the tent suddenly zipped down from the outside as Robin burst in with a berry pot under her arm. "Is anyone in here still asleep?"

"Robin?" Yang said in surprise.

"I asked a question. Is anyone still asleep?" Robin insistently repeated.

The three girls still half-asleep were slow to process the question. "Yeah… Ruby is. She's been having a really bad nightmare and we can't-"

"Let me through." Robin pushed her way past the girls to Ruby's bedside, pulling the lid of the berry pot.

"What are you going to do?" Blake asked concerningly.

Robin picked a berry of the plant that consisted of a blue bell like top half and a pointed beige bottom half. "I'm gonna try and get her to eat this."

Blake raised a brow with scepticism as Robin pulled open Ruby's lips and placed the pointed end of the berry in her mouth. "You're giving her a piece of fruit? To eat while she's asleep?"

Ruby's sleeping mind managed to take a bite out of the berry while Robin observed. "Not just any fruit. A Chesto berry from my world. It's tough and dry but it does have one useful quality when eaten raw."

Ruby's eyes suddenly popped wide open as she took a huge breath. "Aaah! Huh? The tent?" Ruby smacked her lips. "Ugh…why does my mouth feel so dry?"

Robin put the lid back on the pot. "It happens to wake up anyone that's asleep without fail."

Yang suddenly rushed past Robin to embrace her sister in a tight hug. "Ruby! Don't worry, everything was just a bad dream!"

Ruby struggled to think right as she tried getting awake. "A dream..." Ruby quickly recollected the frightening images she just experienced. "Just… a dream…" Ruby quietly wrapped her arms around her sister in response.

Weiss looked to Robin. "What is going on?"

Robin exited the tent and looked back at the Schnee heiress. "Right now, I'm not sure and I don't have time to tell you. But whatever you do, don't fall back to sleep."

Robin ran off towards another tent, leaving Team RWBY alone. In the tent Blake's bow partially twitched making her look around in fright.

"Blake…what is it?" Weiss asked.

Blake looked to her teammate with a scared look. "There's…so many screams…"

"Are you guys okay?"

Kai and Slurpuff stood inside Team JNPR's tent. The four Huntsman in training slowly calmed themselves down after experiencing their worst fears, facing Kai with concerned looks.

"Fine, now that you woke us up. Thanks Kai." Jaune gratefully thanked.

"Don't worry about it, just take a few breaths and calm yourselves down. It's going to be alright." Kai turned around making his eyes glow blue with his semblance. Slowly but surely, he could hear the number of people struggling in their sleep decrease gradually. "Good. It looks like most people are able to wake up from the shock on their own, and luckily Slurpuff and Robin's berries can help out the exceptions."

"Wow, you're really taking charge of the situation Kai." Pyrrha noticed.

"Let's just say if people are going through what I went through…I want it to stop as soon as possible. C'mon Slurpuff, more people need waking up." Kai walked out of the tent and headed towards another set of tents with Slurpuff waddling in tow.

Moments later Team JNPR looked out of their own tent to see the damage for themselves. Team SSSN, Team CRDL, as well as Emerald, Mercury and Cinder were just some of the large groups of Huntsman and Huntresses standing outside their tents. Some had notable signs of distress or anxiety and others were practically shaking and not from the night time air.

"All of these people had nightmares, just like us?" Jaune questioned.

"It seems so. We better stay on alert, with this much fear there's a good chance Grimm might come for us, even if we are this far away from most of them." Ren explained preparing his weapons just in case.

Pyrrha looked at the scene with a puzzled look, putting her thumb and fingers around her chin. "Doesn't this seem too coincidental? The fact that seemingly everyone had nightmares around the same time."

"Well yeah, but bad dreams aren't something you can just make happen, can you?" Jaune asked.

"I'm not sure but what else could it be?"

Amidst the conversations and ramblings amongst the fear filled night, the clopping of boots approached the woken students. Following the annoyed and tired sway of a certain professional Huntress.

"Now students please calm down." Goodwitch walked out attracting everyone's attention.

Goodwitch's sudden appearance attracted the attention of some of the students whose conversations shifted to why Goodwitch was out there. And soon more and more people began to realise her presence.

"Wow, she's already gotten dressed." Nora noticed in surprise.

"As I am sure you have gathered, the National Eden's Reserve has a rather…unpleasant effect on the unconscious mind." Goodwitch announced to the startled teenagers.

"That's an understatement." Mercury groaned at Goodwitch's excuse.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Pyrrha asked the professional Huntress.

Goodwitch sighed, pacing to get a constant view of every student. "As you know, you are the third group that has participated in this trip. On the first year, while there were rumours, we decided that it would be best to warn them in advance. However, in order to avoid facing their fears the year group took drastic measures."

"Drastic? How drastic could avoiding sleep be?" Sun asked.

Goodwitch turned to face the monkey faunus. "Most notably, sleep deprivation. They forced themselves to stay awake however everyone needs sleep eventually which when combined with these peculiarly violent nightmares caused serious issues. Including: confusion, depression, aching muscles, mania and even some acts as serious as violence against one another. To be frank by the end of the third day, I had seen citizens evacuated from Grimm attacks in much better physical and mental shape."

Goodwitch looked away from Sun and began walking back to where she originally stood. "The day after we had more first years file to leave the academy than previously recorded. As such when this necessary excursion had to be repeated next year Professor Ozpin decided to refrain from telling anyone this so that they could have at least one night of rest. And while it was unpleasant for all parties involved… it did prove more successful than revealing the truth previously."

Cardin stepped forward. "So that's meant to just make everything okay. What we had to go through just now-"

"I also had to go through. For the fifth time." Goodwitch interrupted. "You all might think that you are all grown up and ready to embrace the world, but the fact of the matter is that you are all still students, teenagers. There is still much left for you to learn, to grow, to mature. While I apologise for bringing you out here without all the details. I cannot apologise if you lack the strength to face up to and conquer your fears. You are Huntsman and Huntresses, in the face of fear if you cannot stand and fight…then the cost will be your life and the lives you are meant to protect."

The night time atmosphere was still with a serious silence from Goodwitch's words. Some still had something to say but were too tired to argue back and decided to let the matter go.

"Now please return to your tents. Even if you cannot sleep, do try at least to rest yourselves." Goodwitch ended her explanations and walked back to her own tent, amidst the whispers she could hear lots of anger and confusion. It was a good thing Grimm didn't wander here or else they would be practically putting up signs that said "Kill me". Which only made their disappearance all the more confusing.

"How did they take it?"

Goodwitch looked around her to see Ironwood standing up wide awake, also fully dressed. His posture seemed stern and strong but from the minor details on his face you could tell he had also been inflicted with nightmares.

"As well as could be hoped given the circumstances. It's been roughly the same as the previous year handled it." Goodwitch gaze went outward as though her mind was adrift.

"What is it? It looked like you were about to say more." Ironwood asked.

Goodwitch adjusted her glasses. "James tell me, do you have the time?"

"The time?" Ironwood reached into his suit pocket, pulling out a silver pocket watch. "It's approaching four in the morning."

Goodwitch sighed. "So, it is what I thought."

"And that would be." Ironwood pushed.

"In the previous years, students were woken up with nightmares at around 5:30. However this year we've been cursed an hour and a half earlier."

Ironwood cautiously began to think. "I see. So, whatever is causing these nightmares out here has become more powerful."

"Perhaps, or perhaps there are other factors. And discovering what causes this phenomenon as well as what caused this place to have been created in the first place, is our objective while we are here."

Ironwood rubbed his temples. "Why are we still here? Doesn't Oz understand what he is putting these students through."

"I am sure he knows much more than you think. For now, all we can do is have faith in him like we always have. And hope that our findings this year are enough to never return to this wretched place."

Goodwitch walked off and entered her tent leaving Ironwood alone. He stared out at the huddled students before returning to his own tent without another word. Unknown to the two professional Huntsman their actions were caught in the gaze of a bright blue eye that was blended into the darkness. A low grumble emerged from its lightless silhouette before its body seemed to sink into the ground, merging with the shadows.

The sun rose over the peaks of the mountains to signal the light of a new day. Hours had passed since everyone's awakening and most of them were active and back to normal, moving on past their nightmares as if it was any other bad dream. Getting their mind of things most of the Huntsman in training decided to head off to collect the items they had missed yesterday although two did not have such a task.

"Read em' and weep! Four of a kind!" Greninja spread out four cards of sevens, each under one of the four suits.

Lucario casually placed his hand out on the ground consisting of an ace, king, queen, jack, and ten all in the same suit. "Royal Flush."

Greninja slammed the ground aggressively. "What?! Come on! How?! Are you using your aura powers to cheat?"

"As I told you the last time, I received a good hand. My aura sensing can do many things, none of which being the manipulation of probability."

Greninja squinted his eyes. "I don't believe you."

"You never do. Now prepare your next hand."

"Fine…" Greninja grumbled.

Kai's two blue Pokémon played poker opposite from each other on the hard ground close to the tent, while in the middle Slurpuff was wielding a frying pan, frying up bread in melted butter to make makeshift toast. Along with the butter, several tears were dripping out of Slurpuff's eyes and evaporating in the pan.

"Are you okay Slurpuff? Or are you frying onions again?" Kai asked concerningly.

"Huh?" Slurpuff raised a paw and dabbed her eyes, noticing a tear on them. "My parfume is leaking again?!"

Kai noticed Slurpuff's surprise and knelt down next to her. "Are you feeling alright Slurpuff? Is there anything you can smell irritating your eyes?"

Slurpuff sniffed the air, her eyes returning to their normal level of dryness. "No, Kai parfume. I believe my teary parfume's are back to normal."

"If you're sure." Kai sighed rubbing the top of Slurpuff's head. "Just let me know if something is bothering you okay?"

Greninja and Lucario looked towards Kai before sharing a glance. "You think Kai's alright after last night?"

"His aura seems normal. He seems to have recovered from his bad dream." Lucario answered preparing his next card hand. "Why do you ask?"

"Kai just seemed really freaked out last night and today he seems more serious and caring. I don't know it's just a feeling." Greninja explained putting his cards down. "Three of a kind."

Lucario placed his cards down. "Straight."

Greninja slapped the ground. "Darn it! This is some Taurus-!"

"We have company." Lucario interrupted.

Lucario shifted his eyes to the edge of Kai and Robin's camp site where Team JNPR were making their way towards Kai. Greninja held his excessively long tongue and picked up all the cards in ungracious defeat.

"It's a stupid card game anyway. Yo Kai! Company!" Greninja alerted Kai.

Kai looked towards Greninja's shout to see his friends coming and got up to greet them. "Hey guys, what's up? You feeling any better?"

Jaune rolled his head around his neck. "Still a little freaked out but we're fine. Are you doing okay, you must have had some bad dreams too?"

Kai kept a stoic expression. "Yeah I had a rough night. But luckily Robin was there to get me out of it."

Nora looked over Kai's shoulder scouting ahead. "Hey where is she anyway? Off brooding again?"

"Actually, she's gone to talk with Miss Goodwitch again, to ask of we can leave since we've gotten all of the items on the list. I honestly didn't mind staying yesterday but after last night…I can't wait to get as far away from here as possible."

The last part of what Kai said he uttered in a much more serious tone, one that his Pokémon picked up on, all looking at him with a concerned look.

Shaking his head to snap out of it, Kai turned back to Team JNPR. "But enough about last night. Have you seen Ruby and the others yet? I heard from Robin that Ruby had a particularly bad dream."

Ren shook his head. "We haven't seen Ruby or Blake since we all woke up. We saw Weiss and Yang head off together to go look for them but we haven't seen them since. Perhaps the four of them need to get their minds off things."

"Or maybe they're getting a head start on those items." Nora competitively thought.

"I see. Well if you see them again, tell them I said hi. Because right now… I'm probably just gonna spend the day here." Kai explained.

"You don't want to explore the rest of the plateaux? Even a little?" Pyrrha suggested.

Kai gloomily looked down. "No…No, I'm good just staying here…"

"Well if you're sure, then we'll see you later." Pyrrha waved goodbye as she followed her team into the depths of the plateaux.

Kai didn't look their way as he continued focusing on the ground. His gaze not shifting anywhere than the earth under his feet. A savoury smell wafted his way making his nose twitch when Slurpuff placed the pan of fried bread under Kai's face.

Slurpuff pulled the pan away attracting Kai's eyesight. "Your mind's parfume has been troubled lately. Please allow the parfume of breakfast to calm your feelings of stress."

Kai managed to form a smile and grabbed one of the pieces of bread and taking a bite of it. It's warm, buttery taste putting some colour back in Kai's cheeks and warming him up.

Watching him eat from afar Lucario focused on Kai's aura. "Strange, Master's aura is still normal but-"

"You've got a feeling too." Greninja finished.

Lucario looked to Greninja. "Yes, I believe I do."

In the deathly quietness of the plateaux, Ruby stood alone trying together her thoughts. The dream she had last night still plaguing her mind and filling her with doubts.

"You're no leader. You're no hero. You're just a selfish little girl who only wants to have fun doing whatever she wants."

Were those words really true? Does Blake really think that way? And seeing all of those people disappear from her life after she failed them. Even her own mo-

A nearby bush rapidly shook creating a loud swishing noise. Ruby looked over to the nearby tall grass being completely still.

"Huh? Maybe it was just the wind?" She said to herself.

She went to look away and go back to her thoughts when in the corner of her vision she saw the grass rustle again. Ruby tilted her head and walked forwards towards the shaking foliage. "Hello? Is anybody there? Yang did you follow me?"

No response came from the grassy terrain and Ruby cautiously made her way closer and closer. Slowly and carefully she arrived over the plant life, her lower body enshrouded by the narrow leaves. And from above she could see a pink bow sprouting out the top.

"Huh?"

Penny emerged dramatically from the bush. "Salutations!"

"Waaaah!" Ruby fell over at the wild encounter, landing flat on her back. Groaning while trying to recover from her surprise, Penny's head eclipsed the sun over her.

"Hello Ruby. Were you surprised?" Penny innocently asked.

Ruby got back on her two feet. "Well yeah Penny! Why did you do that?!"

"I was made aware that you have suffered some recent emotional trauma during the night and as your friend I have made it my duty to cheer you up!"

Ruby looked past Penny back at her hiding spot. "By jumping out at me from the grass?"

"I have been told that a fun surprise is an excellent way to shock someone into a good mood. Was my attempt successful?" Penny happily waited for an answer.

Ruby gave an exasperated sigh. "Sorry Penny I'm just…not in the mood right now."

Penny's expression quickly dropped to one of disappointment. "Oh, I see. I am sorry that I was unable to cheer you up with my surprise. Perhaps we could try another method together such as: sharing funny anecdotes, or engaging in a fun interactive activity such as hop scotch."

Ruby looked away from Penny and attempted to walk away. "Maybe some other time. I'm not really feeling up to it at the moment."

As white streak zoomed past Ruby becoming Penny in front of her. "You are upset, as my friend I wish to help you. What is troubling you Ruby?"

"Nothing, it's just-!" Ruby lowered her arms in defeat. "It's awkward and complicated."

"As awkward and complicated as I am?" Penny put her hand on Ruby's shoulder. "It is okay Ruby. I swear that I will act as your confidant, I promise."

Ruby looked Penny in the eyes thinking more on her dream. "It's just. Last night I dreamt that I failed everyone and they all disappeared because of me, because I'm not being a good leader. Because I'm being selfish."

Penny stared at Ruby and tilted her head in confusion. "But you are not selfish."

"How can you be so sure?"

Penny smiled and gently took Ruby's hands into her own. "Because…you helped me when you could have just turned away, and put my condition over your own personal interests. You listened to my troubles and accepted who I am…and the time you have spent with me is the best that I have ever had."

Ruby gaped at Penny's genuinely sincere words. "But even when I did…I was meant to help Blake…"

"Blake? She is the one who ran away correct? Has she run away again?"

Ruby pulled her hands away from Penny's and crossed and uncrossed them over here chest. "What? No! She still comes back…late…despite protest…"

"Blake needs your help, doesn't she?"

Ruby looked back to Penny. "But that's what me, and Weiss and Yang have been doing! We're helping her take down the White Fang!"

"Then perhaps…is there another thing that Blake needs help with?" Penny suggested.

Ruby went to say something when she paused, and she thought. "Something else…"

Thinking back on Blake's behaviour and every instance Blake shunned her team away or chose to focus more on her own studies than what she was meant to be learning in the academy. It suddenly gave Ruby a realisation and an idea.

"Thanks Penny! You really did cheer me up!" Ruby pulled out her scroll and ran off into the wilderness with a plan of action.

Penny looked at Ruby's energetic exit and smiled with her arms behind her back. "You are most sincerely welcome my friend."

The sounds of rustling attracted Penny's attention upwards where she saw tree branches rapidly shaking up and down. Leaves fell off their bark and fluttered to the plateaux floor while the shaking progressively slowed down. It was almost as though someone or something had just pulled away from the branch after pushing it down.

Penny noted her observation but saw no need to investigate further, choosing instead to happily skip away to another area. Missing out on another set of rustling that proceeded to bend the branches down after she had left.

Smoke and ash rose upwards, generated in the form of a burnt-out campfire. The wooden sticks had been burnt under pyrolysis charring them black and providing a strong smoky odour reminiscent of charcoal from a barbeque. Despite the rather mundane sight, Kai sat comfortably cross-legged in front of the fumes. His face maintained a calm stoic expression as the dark grey clouds cast a shadow over his face and kept his mind at ease.

"Shouldn't you put that out fully? In this heat it's an accident waiting to happen."

Kai's attention was pulled away from the dying fire and towards Robin who had just returned to their camp site. "It's fine, I've got a water type after all if it sparks again. What did Goodwitch say?"

Robin looked down. "Her answer was still no. She'd consider it if an extremely large number of people had already finished but since there's only two of us-"

"It's not worth all the fuel to burn. Should have guessed." Kai turned his head back to the rising smoke. "Maybe I should just have Talonflame use Fly to get back to Beacon, accept a scalding from Goodwitch and just end this trip right now."

"You should." Robin responded getting Kai's attention. "You have no reason to stay here and it's definitely not worth staying."

"You're probably right. Which just makes me all the more stupid for staying anyway." Kai responded, he waited patiently for Robin to question his decision or blatantly drop the conversation but instead he saw her grow more puzzled.

"So, where's your Pokémon? None of them are out." Robin asked.

"I just decided to keep them in their capsules after letting them stretch their legs this morning, metaphorically for Aegislash. It didn't seem like a good idea to let them roam around this place considering how on edge everyone else is." Kai answered.

Robin continued staring Kai, her suspicions rising. "Kai, I can't believe I'm going to ask this but…are you feeling alright? You don't seem like yourself."

Now it was Kai's turn to have a confused look. "Um…I'm fine more or less. I didn't know you cared."

"I don't!" Robin quickly snapped back. "I'm just checking since I might as well prepare for any baggage or drama you might have considering last night."

"Yeah…" Kai showed Robin a sympathetic look. "How are you feeling? I know you really don't want to be out here; I'm sure last night didn't make that feeling any easier."

"Do you really think one lousy dream would mess with me? I'm perfectly fine, just annoyed we're wasting our time here." Robin answered.

"That's good to hear." Kai slowly got onto his feet and looked directly into Robin's eyes. "I really need to thank you for waking me up last night."

Robin scoffed. "It wasn't a big deal. I just saw you freaking out in your sleep and I-"

"No Robin, it was a big deal. Seriously thank you, I owe you big time I mean it." Kai interrupted catching Robin off guard.

"You don't owe me anything Kai. I was only-"

The smoking campfire suddenly collapsed, unable to support its weight under its burnt-up structure. The branches fell and snapped to pieces with a loud audible crack, triggering Robin to gasp and step back, gripping her left arm tightly with her right hand.

"Robin what is it?!" Kai asked urgently. He looked back at the collapsed sticks and then to Robin still tightly grabbing her arm.

Robin felt her heartrate increase and her breath become momentarily shallow before her grip loosened and she relaxed. "Nothing Kai. I was just overly cautious that's all."

Kai faced Robin and the sight of her reaction began triggering memories in his head. Her reluctance to talk about leaving the academy when the trip was brought up, her impatient attitude to get the days over with, her similar reaction when her Tyrantrum startled her. The sight of Robin's vulnerability triggered one more memory in Kai's mind, the memory that explained everything.

"Why are you staring blankly at me like that it's creepy." Robin shook her head. "Never mind, you said you're fine so I'll leave you in peac-"

"It must have been tough…outside of the kingdom." Kai finally spoke, halting Robin in her tracks. "You spent weeks out here just trying to keep you and your team alive in complete isolation. Between that, the Grimm, the foreign landscape…I can't even begin to imagine what that must have felt like. No wonder you didn't want to go on this trip, you just escaped from all this."

Kai's words were brief but effective. Robin didn't look back to face Kai but she didn't have to for Kai to know he hit the nail right on the head.

Robin's posture began to become more closed off as she brough her legs together and moved her arms close to her chest. "It's not your problem Kai. You don't need to feel sorry for me."

"But I don't feel sorry for you, in fact I honestly think more of you." Robin turned and looked at Kai after his statement. "When I first came to this world, I was a mess. I was lucky enough to be close to the kingdom and even then, I mainly survived thanks to begging on the street and dumb look. You came to this unknown world, gritted your teeth, planted your feet and you stayed strong the entire time. Even when you were tired, or hungry, or hurt you held your ground and refused to budge for a moment. I may have entered the Hall of Fame a few years back but right now you're definitely stronger than me. I mean look at me, I freak out over a spec of dirt on my clothes and freeze up whenever I see a cave, how pathetic is that?"

Robin's expression formed a frown and she narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing beating yourself up? There's no way your pathetic!" Robin tightened her grip and looked down. "You've taken everything this world has and only used it to make yourself and your team stronger. No matter the struggle you stay calm and you always look on the Brightside. I only survived because Qrow showed up and even then, when I fell when it mattered most and was willing to let my Pokémon die just for a shot of escape. I'm the weak one, I've always been."

Kai was left gaping at Robin's outburst. For the first time since her defeat against him she had let some of her feelings of frustration out. "Well if we both think we're weak…then it's a good thing we have each other to support the other out right?"

Robin finally faced her front to see Kai fully and despite willing her muscles against it, she couldn't help but form part of a smile on the edge of her lip. "I suppose. But for the record when we do return to Kalos, I'll definitely be stronger than you."

"You'll try." Kai finally formed a smile and chuckled. "I guess this makes us rivals huh?"

Robin reached into her Pokéball pouch and pulled out a Pokéball. "I guess it does. Well if that's the case-" Robin opened the capsule up bringing out her Beartic. "Care for a sparring match? Nothing serious, just to see if whether or not your victory was just a fluke of dumb luck."

Kai enlarged a Pokéball from his belt. "I'd hardly call a 3-0 sweep dumb luck. Time to train Lucario!"

Lucario emerged from his Pokéball with his paws raised, ready to spar. He smirked as his aura sensing appendages rose to feel Kai and Robin's aura's.

"Hm. It appears that feeling…has disappeared." Lucario whispered to himself. "It seems this relationship is not as one-sided as it first seemed."

Beartic slammed his front paws on the ground. "Beartic Beartic. Beartic Beartic Bear! (I may not hear what you're saying but talk is cheap. Enough rambling, let our actions speak for themselves!)"

"Let's do this Lucario! Aura Sphere!" Kai ordered.

"Strike first with Aqua Jet!" Robin commanded.

"Sense his aura and dodge it!"

Beartic rocketed forward, surrounded on all sides by water charging straight for Lucario. Lucario's appendages rose once again as he prepared his Aura Sphere while providing a secondary function. He closed his eyes and saw Beartic approaching inches from inches away his aura signifying his flight path. Bending his knees, Lucario opened his eyes and jumped to make Beartic charge underneath him.

"He's open Lucario!" Kai yelled.

"Watch your back! Use Sheer Cold to overpower it!" Robin quickly strategized.

From above Lucario's aura created a bright blue light as he flung his paws forwards. The Aura Sphere went barrelling towards Beartic giving him little time to act when he turned around and generated sub-zero energy in his maw. With the attack closing in fast Beartic unleashed the OHKO wave towards the fighting type move. The Aura Sphere collided with the Sheer Cold and pierced through it like a bullet through air. Beartic's maw opened wider to fire off a larger volume of cold energy that gradually slowed the Aura Sphere down.

"Come on Lucario keep pushing! You can do it!" Kai pumped his fist towards Lucario the moment he landed.

Lucario groaned and kept his front legs straight and his aura sensing appendages raised to send what energy he had into the special move. "Break…Through!"

The Aura Sphere continued pushing through the powerful ice type move getting dangerously close to hitting its mark.

"Don't let him win Beartic! Remember your training!" Robin pushed.

"Beartic…Bear… (I will not be bested in combat…again…)" Beartic struggled as he continued to fight back.

The Aura Sphere continued to move at a gradually slower speed until a thick layer of ice began to form around the move. The aura getting frozen itself. Through the cracks focused beams of the aura's light shone out of the cold until the sphere's frozen shell shattered and the entire move exploded. Blowing apart the Sheer Cold and engulfing Beartic in its light.

"Beaaaar!" Beartic roared as the fighting type aura propelled him back.

Beartic stood on two legs with a pained expression but seemed more than strong enough to keep training. "Beartic… (Impressive…)"

Lucario looked at his sparring partner and nodded. "Do not doubt your own strength. Had you had more time to prepare, I have no doubt that instead of weakening it you could have shattered my attack altogether."

"Beartic. (I wasn't.)" Beartic bared his fangs as he awaited his next order, with Lucario defensively adjusting his stance to do the same.

From both sides the now established rivals were put at ease, the cold air from Beartic's attack cooling them off from the hot summer climate.

"We need to work more on the speed you can gather power Beartic." Robin uttered.

"Give the guy a break. It's not his fault that me and Lucario are super strong." Kai proudly bragged.

Robin groaned. "If this was how you were gonna act then I wish I just left you alone to mope."

"Come on Robin you don't mean that!" Kai teased; his mood having been lifted.

However outside of the bubble the two found themselves enjoying, an unwelcome outsider observed their training. The sight of which made them give a low growl accompanied by a malevolent dark energy began that began to rise from the shadows of the plateaux.

At the edge of the plateaux's jungle against the large rocky wall where yesterday Kai was too stunned to enter, Ruby was nervously tapping her fingers together, pacing back and forth expectantly. Hoping that her message to her friend had gotten through. Her answer was finally getting answered when Blake appeared out of the shadows appearing in front of Ruby.

"Blake! You showed up!" Ruby happily greeted in relief.

Blake showed disinterest and raised her scroll. "I got your message to meet. You said you figured something out about the White Fang."

Ruby awkwardly went stiff. "Right that's…that's what I put in my message."

Blake narrowed her eyes in annoyance and scowled. "You haven't got any new information about the White Fang, have you?"

"Well no but…"

Blake turned away. "I'm going now."

"No wait Blake don't leave!" Ruby called out.

Her pleas just fell on four deaf ears when Blake shot her Gambol Shroud into the treeline and pulled herself up to the higher branches. Leaping from tree to tree and swinging from branch to branch Blake made her way through the jungle.

Suddenly a bullet skimmed past Blake and shot the branch she was hoping to cling onto. Blake pulled her weapon back and landed on her feet in a crouched position. Before she could confront the one, she knew responsible a flurry of rose petals brushed past her face making her shut her eyes. When they opened, she saw Ruby standing in front of her with Crescent Rose in its Sniper Rifle configuration.

"Blake as your team leader I am ordering you to stay put and listen to what I have to say!" Ruby ordered seriously before folding her weapon away. "Please."

Blake stood up and glared down her leader before sighing in admittance. "Alright. What is it?"

Ruby took a deep breath. "Blake, I know that something is troubling you. And it's not just the White Fang, there's something else. Something that's stopping you from trusting me or Yang or Weiss. And its starting to break us apart. We're Team RWBY and that includes you Blake so tell me what's wrong, because as your leader I swear I will make it right!"

"You wouldn't understand Ruby." Blake confessed her impatient rising.

"Then help me to Blake. I can't if you don't talk to me." Ruby pleaded. "You've been working yourself half to death, you've been losing sleep, you're struggling in class. You're obsessed over stopping the White Fang and it's not just because you feel guilty for being a part of them. So, what is it Blake?"

"I said that you wouldn't understand." Blake bitterly repeated.

"So, you won't even try. Do you really have that little faith in us? Can we really not do anything?" Ruby asked sincerely.

Blake's hardened expression eased up and she looked away. "What? No Ruby it's not like that!"

Ruby walked closer to her teammate. "Then what is it like? How can we make you feel safe?"

"You can't me feel safe." Blake insisted further.

"Why not?"

Blake turned her head to stare Ruby dead in the eyes. "Because I need to keep you safe!"

Ruby backed off and lowered gaped in revelation. "You need to keep us safe? But Blake we've gone over this. We agreed to take on the White Fang together. You couldn't stop us from getting into danger with you if you tried."

Blake calmed herself down and felt her face drop. "It's not about us being stopping the White Fang. It's about what happens if we don't." Blake made some space between her and Ruby. "Last night my nightmare reminded me what would happen."

Blake is with her friends in Beacon Academies dining hall all dressed in their school uniform and enjoying lunch. Ruby is pestering Weiss with childish antics that made her shake her head in disagreement and Yang was sitting beside Blake happily enjoying her company.

"It starts out with all of us together on just a normal day. We're chatting with each other, we're laughing with each other, everything seems perfect. But…"

Blake looks to her friends when she begins hearing gasps and harsh whispers. The words "Freak" and "Animal" in particular standing out to her. The sharp gasps of her friends around her finally making Blake the seriousness of what's happening. She looks up to see her cat ears in full view.

"The one thing I never wanted people to find out, everyone suddenly knew. And it went just as I knew it would."

Immediately crowds of students began booing and chanting against Blake. Bringing out their weapons and charging straight towards her, with one stabbing a lance through her chest. Blake coughed a final breath ash her body faded into shadows.

"Over there!" A student cried out pointing to the direction of the door where Blake stood in fear.

Their weapons quickly configured into various guns all of which were aimed and firing at Blake. She kept her hands over her head keeping it low as bullets pelted away at her. While she was protected by her aura the burning impact and the implication of every students hate tore away at her, until she made it to the exit.

"But despite everything, that wasn't my worst fear. That came next."

Blake pulled the doors open only to be pushed by a tremendous invisible force that carried her to the other side of the room, slamming the back of her head against one of the dining halls walls. Blake was dazed and her eyes were closed. However, what she could hear made her close them tighter.

Screams. The sounds of tearing and ammunition being fired. Angered cries and horrified screams. Unable to contain herself anymore Blake's eyes shot open to witness a hell on Remnant. The entire lunch hall was filled with bodies, corpses. And standing in full view as the leading culprits were the White Fang adorned in their Grimm-like masks. The one filling Blake with the most fright however was their leader; a man with auburn hair wearing a black long-sleeved blazer, and wielding a red katana stained with blood. The light behind one section of his Grimm mask glowing bright blue.

"Hello, my darling." He spoke smoothly.

"My heart was pounding. I couldn't believe what was happening. I refused to believe it! I was horrified beyond belief. But then… But then…"

A red bullet, a white icicle and a burning firecracker all came at the man who blocked all three easily with his sword before sheathing it.

Leaping in front of Blake to save the day were Ruby, Weiss and Yang. All three stood ready to charge while the man gave a sinister smile.

Blake reached her hand out, her body shaking in absolute fear. "No… Please…"

Ruby runs with a stream of petals bursting behind her. Weiss forms a line of white glyphs on the floor which she skates across as a white blur. And Yang aims both her gauntlets behinds her and shoots herself forward to all jump the man at the same time.

The man's hair begins to glow and the entire room turns read barring the people who become black silhouettes, the only splash of colour coming from their hair and their weapons. Unsheathing his sword in an instant, a single slash was heard when he passed all three Huntresses. A moment later all three of their head were decapitated. Flying through the air.

Their bodies all landed with a thug against the ground as Blake's eyes tear filled eyes widened in terror and devastation.

"NOOOOO~!"

"The next second I woke up. I sat in my sleeping bag in a cold sweat with Yang over me thanking God that I was alright." Blake turned to Ruby with a serious gaze. "And then I had to see you. Struggling, writhing in what looked like agony, unable to do anything but watch you suffer. As though I had to relive my nightmares for a second time."

"Blake…" Ruby muttered in sympathy and caring. "The reason you've been pushing yourself this far was for us?" Ruby realised.

Blake struggled to look Ruby in the eye. "I know that we've only met just over four months ago but you, Weiss, Yang. After everything you've done to make me feel welcome, and loved. And despite everything I did with the White Fang, despite hiding who I really was, despite running away, you still fought by my side and helped fight my fights and my troubles." Blake's fists began to shake and her eyes began to water. "If the White Fang do launch an attack then not only will countless of innocent lives dies but after seeing a traitor like me…They'll be sure to kill the people who I love the most. And I can't let that happen…I just can't…"

Ruby walked up to Blake and turned her around, tightly grabbing her hands. "And we won't let that happen. We swore to stop the White Fang together and that's just what we're going to do. But the only way we can do that is if we're all well rested and all in perfect sync, and that includes you Blake."

"But-"

"Eh! No but's Blake. We're all in this together and nothing is going to change that. So please, even if you can't rest and if you can't stop trying, at least take a little break once in a while, for me."

Blake trembled before composing herself and sniffing away tears in her eyes. "I'll try Ruby…" Blake sniffed again. "I'll try…"

The two Huntresses stared deep into each other's eyes with a powerful sense of comradery between them. With their hands interlocked the two were sure now even more than before that justice would be done, and that it would be done side by side. And just it in time it seemed, as watching the two reconcile was their teammates from the distance.

"I guess Ruby really can step up to be the leader when it counts." Weiss graciously admitted.

"No arguments here. No arguments at all." Yang agreed, watching her sister and partner together.

From deep within the darkest, secluded parts of the plateaux where shadow reigned a single silhouette was mulling. Looking out through a single light source the silhouette stared out with its bright blue eye at a multitude of mysterious figures huddled together. The sight of which making them clench a clawed hand in determination.

"…Away…" It spoke. "They must… Go…" The silhouette's eye widened and its figure stretch outwards. "AWAAAA~Y!"

The silhouettes voice screamed with a nightmarish tone into the void. The Huntsman in training's worst fears were about to be made all too real.

So after the shocker that was the end of last chapter it seems that things are only getting more intense.

It's here that this chapter finally addresses the growing distress Blake has been having. When I originally decided to include several arcs in the middle of Volume 2 I remembered seeing Blake's sudden exhaustion in episode 5 and thought 'What if I made that more gradual?' Hopefully people picked that up and thought I did it well. (Don't worry I'll be sure to keep that scene with Yang later on). Plus I got the chance to showcase Ruby more as a leader and give her and Blake an emotional moment together, so I knocked out three Flying types with one Rock type.

Either way bonds have been strengthened and danger lurks on the horizon so until next time this is Kallerston signing out!