"Weiss?!" Ruby yelped as she coddled her. "Are you okay?!"

A tortured groan emanated from the priestess. Weiss' eyes were squeezed shut and her face was furrowed like she was in physical pain. Her bangle, tiara, and locket seeped an ominous black.

Ruby drew a sharp breath. The last time she saw the sinister blackness, her friend was in the process of dying.

"Oh no," Ruby mumbled as she held onto her. "This is bad. This is really, really bad. Is Ozpin's seal not working anymore?"

Suddenly, the pain in Weiss' chest increased tenfold as the angelic keepsakes that once shined bathed in darkness. In response, Weiss jolted fervently and a gasp escaped, which caused Ruby to keep a tight grip on her.

"Hang in there, Weiss!"

The priestess' chest began to rise and fall rapidly. Ruby could feel the thunderous vibrations throughout her entire body. The quivers shook Ruby to her core as she helplessly stared down at her.

Luckily, Ruby didn't have to worry for long. Ozpin witnessed what happened and rushed to his students' side the moment he was able.

"Oz!" Ruby yelped. "Why isn't the seal working?!"

"Now that she has less aura, the curse has strengthened," Ozpin informed as he knelt next to the two. "I'm going to renew it. Protect us in the meantime."

"You got it."

Determined, Ruby laid her friend down on the frosty grass, trusting her headmaster to take care of her. In Ozpin's place, Glynda was locked in combat with Cinder. In such a short time, the powerful professor managed to defeat the rapid beringel before it could seriously injure anyone.

This time, Cinder wasn't a streak of red, but rather, a grape purple. It looked like her mind was elsewhere in battle. Perhaps maintaining the curse required her constant attention.

Glynda was adamant to break that concentration.

"Stop harming my students!"

"Don't make me laugh," Cinder replied in amusement.

While Goodwitch flew around on Wanda, the half-demon was having a tough time striking her. The cunning professor refused to stay still and managed to land several blows with long-distance attacks.

Instead of watching, Ruby elected to shoot a few bullets at Cinder every now and then to throw her off.

Reassured that she had backup, Glynda whirled away from a fierce fireball.

On the chilly ground, Ozpin hovered his hands over Weiss' frantic heart.

A green light emitted from his palm and the friendly green smog was absorbed in her chest within seconds, which caused her to gasp. The small sound stole Ruby's attention for a moment, which compelled her to stay on high alert for any wandering grimm and also if she had the opportunity to aid her friends in battle.

The darkened white aura swirled with green. The shadow of white almost consumed his aura entirely. However, Ozpin's was stronger and he forced his aura to consume her own dangerous one.

Weiss' body reacted violently and she jolted. This made Ozpin have a hard time with the vital process.

"Ruby, I need you."

That was all Ruby needed to hear to drop next to them. Weiss was jerking almost spastically, making Ruby hold down her shoulders and use a soft voice.

"Weiss, it's okay. You're gonna be fine."

To her surprise, hazy blue cracked open to meet Ruby's worried gaze.

"T-thank you," the priestess said through grit teeth, clearly pained.

Ruby nodded, offering a smile. "Ozpin's the best healer around. I know it's painful, but just focus on your breathing, okay? Even breaths."

The simple words of reassurance were enough for Weiss to persevere, trying to let the green takeover as she fought to keep her heartbeat steady. The curse was getting worse. Weiss could tell that Cinder was going for the kill as her heart beat fervently. All Weiss could do was try to keep breathing.

"Hold her still," Ozpin commanded.

"Okay," Ruby replied, keeping a firm grip on her shoulders.

Successfully, Ozpin dragged the dark aura out of her body. He forcefully snatched it away, and immediately replaced it with the friendly green. Despite his exhaustion, he gave her his life force to jumpstart her own.

Ruby squeezed Weiss' hand as she kept the other hand on her shoulders. Good thing she did, too, because Weiss jolted suddenly again and kept her eyes squeezed shut. At least she was conscious. That was a really good sign. That gave Ruby an ounce of comfort.

Now that the threatening curse was at a standstill, Ozpin began the process of suppressing it. A light green circle that resembled a clock formed above her. The circle was intricate. It was a clock with roman numerals and had two hands.

The long hand ticked a few times as Ozpin took a deep breath.

The tiara, bangle, and locket flickered white for a few brief moments. The white desperately fought off the darkness before it triumphed and returned to the natural white.

Ruby looked worried from her friend's ensuing whimper, but his next words put her at ease.

"She's okay now," Ozpin said to Ruby. "Stay vigilant."

To make sure his words were true, Ruby checked her over. The priestess was breathing in a deep rhythm and her face was scrunched like she was battling to open her eyes. It would be any minute now.

"Okay!"

Alert, Ruby cocked her sniper rifle.

"Dammit!" Yang cursed. "Why won't you stay down?!"

It felt like she'd been fighting Mercury for an eternity. Her opponent had impeccable stamina. It was infuriating. She just wanted to win the fight so she could go to her girlfriend and make sure she was okay.

From this distance, Yang could only see that Ozpin was leaning over her girlfriend. Weiss was lying on the grass, unmoving. That caused a shot of worry to surge over the brawler.

She didn't have time to mess around with this guy!

"Getting agitated?!" Mercury shouted tauntingly.

The next jab was like a train running down a soda can. This temporarily dazed Yang as she took several solid hits from his iron-like legs. It was a ruthless beat-down, one that left Yang on her back. She landed on the grass harshly with a loud thud, her breath fleeing her lungs.

Mercury leered down at her, seemingly in disgust. "Give me the relic, dammit! It's not that hard!"

Yang was panting heavily like a wild beast as she lifted her head to look up at him. Lilac eyes flashed red as she grit her teeth. Sweat beaded down her forehead and she grunted.

"Like hell!"

There was a determined whizz sound over her.

Before Mercury could bring his leg down on her torso, he was knocked back. Violently.

"Agh!" Mercury howled in agony. "Fuck!"

His shoulder was struck so suddenly that he made a complete spin before crashing on the ground with a loud thud.

Confused, Yang pushed herself up to look at the damages as her opponent writhed in pain. His shoulder was bleeding. The red liquid seeped down the entirety of his arm. It looked like it hurt like hell. At least it wasn't a kill shot.

Yang heavily sighed as his whimpers lingered.

"Put some pressure on it."

Narrowly, Emerald dodged a swing from Blake's katana and ducked.

Since Blake's opponent was still extremely swift, she was caught off guard. Especially when Emerald punched her in the abdomen, which knocked the wind out of her.

On reflex, the faunus bent forward in agony as she gasped. Her hands flew to her stomach as she tried to get a measly breath of air. Her knees lost their strength as she dropped to the ground, still trying to breathe.

Emerald contentedly smirked at her, ready for the final blow.

Until a shot rang out.

From the piercing noise, Emerald whirled around and swung her kamas like a baseball bat. The sharp edges sliced the bullet in half. Both halves zipped by her ears and pierced some dull leaves.

"Not today!"

After watching Mercury get shot, Emerald was determined to avoid that.

While the faunus was on the ground gulping for air and seeping blood, Emerald kicked her side to lay on her back. Blake's arms rested uselessly beside her head.

"Agh…" was all Blake mumbled.

To make sure she stayed down, Emerald sat on top of her and leered over her.

"Give up yet?"

Those red eyes were challenging. For some reason, Blake didn't fear them. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

"Why won't you kill me...?" Blake didn't even try to move, knowing it was futile. "You've been... avoiding my vital spots."

"Shut up!" Emerald barked. "I'll kill you right now!"

To prove her point, Emerald raised both kamas. The blades silhouetted in the moonlight.

"No, you won't."

Emerald's previous statement was empty. At least from what Blake gathered. There was obvious hesitation in her movements and eyes. Everything in the world told her that she wouldn't kill her, even though she was in the perfect position to do so.

Time was frozen as the kamas trembled in her grasp.

"You don't know what I've been through!" Emerald yelled down at her.

Despite the anger flowing through the girl above her, Blake remained calm. She took a deep breath and met her gaze.

"I know," she said softly.

"I owe Cinder everything!"

Despite herself, Emerald's voice cracked near the end. She really did owe her everything. It was Cinder and Cinder alone who saved Emerald all those years ago. If it wasn't for her, Emerald would be long dead.

To Blake, Emerald was conveying feigned anger. She wasn't angry at all. In fact, it looked like she was about to break down.

"I know," Blake whispered.

If she could set a gentle hand on her cheek, she would. But she decided to let things play out on their own.

"I owe her my life!"

There was a trail of tears rolling down Emerald's cheeks. The rivulets swirled with the red liquid over Blake's form.

"I know."

Slowly, Emerald lowered her arms by her sides. The blades dropped safely onto the freezing grass.

"I- I can't do it."

"And that's okay," Blake didn't resist her at all. Instead, she remained calm as she talked to the girl above her like an old friend. "You don't have to. You can-"

Before she could finish her sentence, there was a thump. Like a body that fell from a tower.

From the sight of the girl above her, amber orbs broadened the size of dinner plates.

Red eyes widened in shock. Emerald couldn't even let out a strangled cry as she slowly looked down.

A sharp blade with a curve that was stained with blood stuck out of Emerald's chest. Emerald's lips quivered in disbelief as she stared at the figure responsible in the distance.

"Cin… der…" was all she could murmur before tipping to the side.

The half-demon frowned as she watched her in disappointment.

"Nothing but undying loyalty to me."

Since Emerald showed an ounce of regret and reluctance, there was no use keeping her around. The only thing Cinder was upset about was that half of her weapon was wasted. Now she only had one blade.

Hastily, Blake shot up and coddled Emerald in her arms. "No, no, no, no! Emerald?!" her eyes were closed and stayed closed even when the faunus lightly tapped her cheeks. "Hey, stay with me!"

There was no reply, which caused a spike in Blake's adrenaline. Blood pooled around them and stained the frosty grass. The blade was torturously embedded in Emerald's abdomen as she struggled to breathe.

Cat ears flickered wildly from the desperate sounds. Before Blake could panic, she yelled on instinct.

"Ozpin!"

The scream was bloody murder and stole the headmaster's attention. He was done renewing the seal on Weiss, so he left Ruby in her care and darted over to the crimson-dyed pair. The faunus looked like she could use medical attention, too, but Emerald's condition was direr.

"I'm here," Ozpin announced breathlessly as he examined the gaping wound. "Move aside."

Instantly, Blake hopped out of the way with bile in her throat. Amber orbs refused to pry away from the downed girl.

Ozpin hovered his hand over the sharp blade. Vicious, bold green lines sprouted like a cobweb and forced the weapon to shatter. The metal vanished into thin air like grimm do when they dissipate. That earned a sharp inhale as Emerald squeezed her eyes shut.

"It's okay," Blake said firmly as she gripped her hand. "You'll be fine. You're in Oz's hands. That's a guaranteed recovery."

It didn't feel odd to comfort her. It felt right. Right now, Emerald was just another person who needed help.

As Ozpin slowly stitched Emerald's skin together, Blake was left seething. It was obvious that Emerald trusted Cinder with her life. This was the ultimate betrayal. Cinder took her life and tossed it away like trash. Even before Emerald lost consciousness, her eyes were disbelieving. Like Cinder could never do this...

"She's truly the walking form of evil," Blake said through grit teeth. "All Emerald wanted to do was be by her side..."

That feeling of belonging was something everyone craved. Emerald must've felt that with Cinder. Unfortunately, she was being used. Now that her usefulness wasn't necessary, Cinder saw there was no reason for her to exist.

There was a scream, which stole everyone's attention. Until now, Emerald had been quiet.

Screams echoed in the background.

On adrenaline, Yang knelt next to her sister and Weiss. "Are you guys okay?"

Ruby nodded. "I'm good. Weiss is getting there," carefully, she set her upright.

"I'm better," Weiss reassured and offered her girlfriend a smile. "She really tried to kill me just now."

Thankfully, the bangle, locket, and tiara were a dull white and no longer a sinister black. Yang fondly cupped her pale cheek and sent her a small grin.

"I'm glad you're okay," Yang breathed. It felt like the world was off her shoulders now that she knew for sure Weiss was alright. Relief washed over her, and another emotion took its place. Lilac eyes warped crimson. "I'm gonna fucking kill her."

"Hey," Weiss said softly and lightly tugged on her orange scarf. "Take a deep breath, okay?"

To calm herself, the blonde did as she was told. When she opened her eyes, they were lilac.

"Okay," Yang said more to herself. "I'm all good."

Ruby set a reassuring hand on her sister's back. "Good."

There was a faint yelp that stole their attention.

It was Mercury. He was running away and looked horrified. Probably because he realized that if Cinder was willing to kill Emerald without hesitation, there'd be no exceptions for him.

He'd be next.

Like Cinder didn't want any survivors, she sent a horde of grimm after him.

Yang watched the scene with her jaw dropped. "That's fucked," she said like she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Swiftly, Weiss ripped away from Ruby.

Like Ruby read her mind, she dashed off and left a trail of rose petals in her wake. The freezerburn pair trusted that Ruby would help him get away.

Various types of grimm chased the wobbling Mercury. There were two deathstalkers, a few beowolves, and about ten creeps. Cinder didn't want him to just die. She wanted him to suffer now that he tried to run. She wanted to tear him apart.

"She's a monster," Yang seethed.

"Truly a demon," Weiss agreed.

There was a grunt that belonged to Glynda. Until now, the professor had been fending off Cinder. Based on their heaving breaths, they were worn out.

Goodwitch seemed to be fairing well. However, Cinder got the upper hand when a fireball struck her directly in the chest. The professor careened off her broom and tumbled to the ground in a heap. She felt the full effects of the battle now that she was down.

The half-demon was about to deal the final blow-

- until Yang bounced off the ground like a cheetah.

"No you don't!"

She flew at her with unrivaled speeds and rocketed a punch to Cinder's jaw. The swing was so powerful that Cinder flew backward, only to skid and barely stay on her feet. After landing, Cinder received more jabs. Somehow, she blocked and dodged every lethal uppercut. Probably due to Yang's slower movements.

When she was able, Cinder released a blade and used it to go on the offensive.

Unfortunately for her, Yang was in overdrive. All her senses were enhanced. Right now, everyone depended on her. Glynda was trying to stand, or forcing herself to. Ozpin and Blake were busy guarding Emerald, who was motionless. Ruby was trying to help Mercury get away with his life.

And Weiss-

Before a blade could slice Yang's arm, there was a glyph under her feet that veered her harshly to the right. Her strong side. Yang took that as her chance to land another jab like a boxer. The lethal brass knuckles twisted into bone.

A desperate gasp escaped Cinder's lips, but she quickly recovered to swing around the blade. Barely, Yang deflected the sharp edge with her brass knuckles.

Multiple grunts rang out as the two were locked in fierce melee combat. Each were unable to get the best of the other.

The only thing that broke Cinder's defenses was when a glyph boosted Yang into the sky. "W-woah!"

As Yang fell, she cocked her fist back to initiate her signature left hook. Not even the half-demon could prepare herself for that blow. A direct hit in the chest.

From the impact, Yang felt the satisfying crunch of bone against her weapons.

The seemingly invincible woman whizzed away and into a nearby tree. Sickening crunch noises rocked the arena.

Like she could read Weiss' mind, Yang dropped to a sprinter's stance before leaping at the enemy. A glyph propelled her forward. The brawler soared at daunting speeds in Cinder's direct line of path.

To Yang's surprise, Cinder had been waiting for her and narrowly dodged her full momentum. Knowing that she missed, Yang flipped over and landed on her feet. Albeit she was a bit wobbly. She was breathing heavily and her teeth were bared like an aggressive predator.

With resolve, the brawler held up her fists.

"Come get me, bitch!"

Under the moonlight, fiery amber orbs studied the brawler.

Other than her eyes, Cinder was a silhouette in the darkness. Her entire figure was black. Like a shadow.

A growl.

A low, menacing growl. A growl that vibrated the air itself.

It was like Cinder wasn't even remotely human. Only a monster.

It was a growl so frightening that it almost caused Yang to step back. She'd never heard anything like it.

"I'm gonna fucking kill Cinder."

The words pounded mercilessly in her mind. Rang in her head like a gong.

Yang shook off the daunting noise like it never happened and bounced on her feet to prepare herself.

It was then that Cinder snapped her fingers.

If Yang wasn't afraid of her, she will be now.

Cinder you bitch wtf are you doing killing your minions like that smh. She is truly EEEEVIL!

Stay dandy,

~Toto