RWBY S

by J.S. Everest

After a night of complete despair, Ruby Rose was given the opportunity to enter Beacon Academy so that she could turn her life around. But her decision to accept had slowly put her into something much bigger than anything she could have ever imagined. Now she and her ragtag allies are pursued by spies, the kingdoms, the world's secrets, and her own painful past.

8. The Hunter Trials Pt II

"…you're finally awake."

Ruby slowly opened her eyes, clutching her head. Despite her pain, she could tell that they were at a glade, and she turned to where she heard that voice. "…Jaune?"

"Yeah, it's me alright." So saying, Jaune touched her head, and a warm feeling coursed through Ruby's body. It almost made her want to go to sleep again. But she soon noticed that Jaune was actually patching up her wounds with his Semblance, and she felt her pain ebb away with each passing moment. He gave her a smile after he was done. "There you go, you should be fine with that. I put your scythe behind you by the way, so don't forget to sheathe it."

Ruby nodded, still feeling a bit weak, but it was a small thing compared to what she could be feeling right now. "Thank you, Jaune."

"Nah… We're the ones in debt to you," Jaune said, shaking his head. "…thanks, from all of us."

Wait a minute. She began to recall what happened earlier, and realized that something didn't quite add up. There was also a vague sense of familiarity with this place, now that she thought about it. "Jaune, isn't this where–"

"Yup, this is the same glade where we first met. Relax, those Class Two Grimm don't know we're here. And I don't think any Class Ones are going to tangle against eight of us. We should be safe here for the meantime."

"But how did we get here?" Ruby still had a confused look; beowolves and skogtrolls were just about the last things on her mind. "What's going on?"

"We should be the ones asking you those questions."

"Weiss!" She turned to find the girl sitting down near her, with Blake and Yang following suit. They had relieved looks on them as they huddled close to her, though their eyes told more than just that. Ruby, on her part, hugged them all tight, and gave them a warm smile. "I'm glad you're all ok."

"We're glad you're ok too," Weiss said. "You were awesome, Ruby. Thank you so much. None of us would have made it without you."

Ruby was just about to ask them what was going on as well; she was completely confused. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"Huh? You don't remember?"

"…remember what?"

The three girls exchanged glances.

"You can't recall, I see…" Jaune gave a soft smile to the girls before standing up, and looked at Weiss in particular. "I think it's best if Ruby heard it from you guys. In the meantime, I need to check on the others."

"Alright. Thanks again, Jaune." Weiss returned Jaune's smile before turning her attention back to Ruby. "You really don't remember anything, do you?"

"The last thing I remember was that we were all wounded and unable to fight." Of course, it was easy to see that Jaune had healed everyone, but that explained little else. "Please tell me what's going on here. What happened? How did we get here? How did we escape?"

"You blinked," Blake said levelly, looking at Ruby in the eyes. "You brought every single one of us here to this glade, right before the morinfen's shadowball could hit us."

Blink – another word for teleporting. Something long thought of to exist in theory, but never before seen in the real world. An awkward silence fell upon the girls, though Ruby was the first to break it. "…you're kidding."

The three girls shook their heads. Ruby then realized that this was Blake she was talking to; her telling a bad joke out of the blue was as impossible as flying. But what she just told her was simply beyond belief. "…I teleported all of you?" She glanced to where Jaune was. He was a short distance away, taking care of the redhead girl, with his two other friends by his side. "…all seven of you?"

"You sure did," Yang said. "It was amazing, and I'm glad that we all made it out in one piece… But I guess it can't be helped if you don't remember. Your Semblance pretty much evolved to make you the first person who can teleport."

"I know it sounds totally insane," Blake added. "But everyone saw what you did, and there's no other way to describe it. Your rose petals covered all of us, and the next thing we knew, we were here."

"…just like that?" Ruby grappled to make sense of how exactly she did what Blake and Yang just said. For all her training with her Semblance, never did it once even hint of something even close to this.

"Yes Ruby, just like that." Weiss showed a warm smile. "It's ok if you don't remember, it doesn't diminish what you did. There's no doubt that we all owe our lives to you. Thank you again for saving us."

Ruby gave back a smile of her own, and a comment by Yang about Semblances and combat training changed the subject, with Weiss continuing the conversation. Blake just kept quiet as she always did. As for Ruby, she was busy with her own thoughts. It was very rare for a Hunter's Semblance to evolve beyond what they initially had, and she tried her best to understand how she got her new powers. But while she was happy that she had saved them from the Grimm, she couldn't help but think of that fateful night in Patch, and her smile slowly faded.

You'll be amazing someday, Ruby. I believe in you.

Ruby felt a soft wind pass by. I don't recall what happened, but I know you were there with me, just like that time in Forever Fall. You helped me escape again, didn't you? Her heart ached at the thought. Even after everything that happened, thank you for still being there, just like you promised.

"You ok there?"

Ruby turned to find Weiss looking at her. "…yeah, I'm fine."

"You seem to be thinking about something," Weiss said. "Are you trying to figure out how to blink again? Try not to worry about that right now. You shouldn't force yourself."

Ruby shook her head."I was just wondering about what happened." That much was true, though not in the way that Weiss was thinking of, and it was an effort for Ruby to shake off the memories from that night. Cale, I… Ruby's heart ached again as another soft breeze went past her. His words, those times with him… She longed for more, but there was no response.

"What're you thinking about now?"

"…some other things, Weiss." Ruby looked behind her, and saw Crescent Rose unsheathed, just as Jaune said. She reached for her weapon, its blade gleaming in the sun. She should be transforming it back to its compact form – she was the only one who could, being its creator – but found herself not actually wanting to do it, strangely enough.

"Relax," Yang said. "Jaune's a pretty good healer, so you should still be able to use your Semblance to blitz around at least, if that's what you're thinking of. I tried it out myself earlier, and I'm pretty much good to go."

Ruby nodded, and embraced her Semblance; rose petals once again drifted around her, and she did a few blitzes for good measure. All well and good. Not that she doubted whether she could, but she breathed a sigh of relief nonetheless.

"Rest for a while, ok?" Weiss's right hand reached for Ruby's shoulder. "We'll talk about other things soon enough."

"Alright, I will." Ruby held Weiss's right hand, and looked again at Jaune, thinking of going to him and…

Then something happened.

Ruby and Weiss suddenly found themselves right beside Jaune and the others, and everyone was taken completely by surprise and were at a total loss for words. The faint smell of roses hung in the air. She felt her heart race, realizing what she had just done, and looked to where Blake and Yang were. Ruby then thought of going to them… And she and Weiss were suddenly back to where they started, as quickly as they came.

No way. Did I just… Ruby noticed that she had left rose petals at both points where she disappeared and reappeared… There was no denying it. She saw that Blake's eyes were wide, while Yang had a beaming smile on her face. Weiss though had mixed emotions; angry, surprised, and concerned, all at the same time.

"Ruby!" It was Jaune quickly joining them in their huddle, together with his friends. "You did it! You teleported again!" Still speechless at what happened, Ruby simply made a small wave at the others.

"Something on your mind, Weiss?"

Ruby looked at the redhead. Pyrrha was her name, if she remembered it right; she was the girl they met at the plaza before, and it made sense as to why she looked familiar. Weiss didn't reply though, putting her arms crossed on her chest instead.

"You seem uptight," Pyrrha continued. "Not in the mood to talk?"

"You know her?" Jaune asked.

"Weiss and I met each other a while back in Atlas, and I got to meet all four of them at the plaza while doing an errand." Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other for a moment, before the redhead finally turned away. "…that was the day before you arrived. They're the girls we met at the auditorium during the opening ceremony, remember?"

The eight students began to introduce themselves to each other, an impromptu meet and greet of sorts. Jaune's group proved to be as friendly as Ruby thought of them, with Nora and Ren being sillier than they looked, and stories were soon shared back and forth. With the peaceful glade around them, one could easily forget that they were still in the Hunter trials. But previous injuries and a pair of roars in the distance reminded her as to why they haven't just left to hunt more Grimm. As lighthearted as their conversation was, the elephants in the room had to be dealt with, sooner or later.

"I was wondering when they'd start making some noise," Jaune cleared his throat, changing the subject. "They don't know we're here, but we can't just leave those things running around. What do we do about them? They'll find a way to bite us all in the butt if we're not careful, I'm sure of it."

"I agree," Blake said. "But I'm sure that all of us have been surprised at their strength at this point. Defeating them will be difficult, even with all of us working together."

Everyone went quiet as Blake's words sunk in.

"Blake and Jaune are right," Yang said, breaking the silence. "We wouldn't have run away from them if the danger wasn't real, and I'll understand if any of you aren't ok with pursuing this any further. Believe me, I know how awful it is to force a person to do something they don't want."

No one said anything to that either.

"Looks like we're all as brave as cave lions." Pyrrha's tone was strong, but she also had a pensive look on her face. "But it won't be easy. We have the element of surprise this time, but we'll need a good plan of attack as well to make it count."

"We'll need to use our advantage to keep those two Grimm separated," Nora said. "Facing one of them is hard enough already. Yang and I tried to our best, but we couldn't get past that gallowbraid's skin, even when we were aiming for the gaps around its neck and joints. We might be able to do it with more help from the others, but that'll spread our forces thin, and we won't have enough to deal with the morinfen's shadowball."

"I can trap that morinfen so that we can clip its wings," Ren added. "But that's if we can somehow distract it first. You guys have any ideas about how to do that?"

They brainstormed for some time, taking note of each person's abilities, and formulated battle plans on how they could make this work, but none that were brought up had any real practical chances. The gallowbraid was just too tough, while the morinfen's flight invalidated too many strategies; Ruby knew that their options were severely limited, and she had a feeling that the others knew this too. They would need outside help, more firepower, or something that would give them an incredible advantage…

A revelation struck her. This new power of hers… Ruby looked at her hands, and recalled memories of Patch… Of what she did, and what she failed to do.

"You're planning on doing it, aren't you?"

"…Blake?"

"Are you really that decided?"

"I…"

"It doesn't have to be this way," the faunus said softly, then she closed her eyes. "Or maybe it has to be. Just think about it first, that's all. It's your choice."

Blake was right; it was her choice. But Ruby already knew what needed to be done now that she could blink, and knowing what happened in Patch. Facing the others, she made her choice.

"I'll lead us against those Grimm," Ruby said, and she immediately got everyone's attention.

Weiss's eyes narrowed. "…what?"

"Don't worry, it'll be alright. We have the benefit of planning beforehand, and I have a good idea on how my powers work. I don't think I can blink all of us at the same time on command, but if I hold one of you guys and think of where I want to go, we'll get there, as long as I can see our destination. Just like how I did it with you earlier, Weiss." Ruby then looked at Yang. "You want to attack that gallowbraid's soft spots, right? I can get you there much faster than a blitz. I can even bring you right on the morinfen's back, even if it's in the air."

"It's too risky," Weiss said, shaking her head. "I'm not going along with this. There's a reason why we always train with our powers. It's dangerous to push your Semblance beyond what you're capable of, and I can't have you gambling again on something you did by accident. Are you thinking that teleporting is just the same as blitzing around? No, there has to be a better way." She made a passing glance at Yang, and the blonde's reaction gave Weiss a shock. "…no way. You can't be serious. You're actually agreeing to this?"

"Shouldn't I?" Yang wasn't angry, but her lilac eyes stared long and hard at Weiss's pale blue ones. "…I'd rather not have it come to this, believe me, but her idea's the best thing I've heard from of us. Only she truly knows her limits, and if she's confident, then we just have to trust her judgment on it. Even you would have to admit that."

"But it's not right to use her like some test subject. What if something goes horribly wrong?" Weiss's hands turned into fists as she frowned, but only for a moment. She spared a look at Blake, who just shrugged, and to Jaune and his friends, who each appeared as if they agreed with Yang, in varying degrees.

"I don't think we have a choice," Pyrrha said. "As much as I've tried to look for an alternative, Ruby's blink really is the best we have under the circumstances, and given that she's ok with using it in combat…" The redhead sighed. "Must you be as stubborn as you were back in Laran, Weiss? We can always just ignore those Grimm if you want. Just have it become someone else's problem."

Everyone went quiet.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Definitely not the Hunter way, and it doesn't leave a good taste in the mouth. Besides, we were advised that Class Twos lived in Jade Forest, so whether its two or ten, Beacon is recording our choices regarding how we handle this situation. If you want me to put it in blunt terms… Escaping due to our earlier circumstance is one thing, but now that all of us are here, it won't look good if we just walked away from this."

"But it's not about that," Weiss said. "I know how powerful the ability to teleport anywhere be… It's on another level compared to a speed boost. But that means that our plan will have to rely on Ruby, and that also means we're risking her overusing a power she just got less than an hour ago. If things suddenly go wrong, that would mean–"

"It's ok." For all her worrying about how her record would be in the trials, Ruby never thought about their situation in the way Pyrrha said it. While she still wanted to pass and keep her promise, there was something more pressing to her now… To make up for past mistakes, in a much more profound way… Memories of that dread popped up again. "We're here to become Hunters, and everyone else is fighting the best they can, so it's only given that I also do the same. I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Ruby…"

"Remember what you told me when I first went into one of Professor Port's team exercises? You said that you were happy that I stepped up, and that's what I'm doing right now. Someone has to lead… Someone has to do it. And with me being able to teleport and coordinate everyone, it has to be me."

"…"

"If nothing else, for me to blink all of us right when we were about to be killed by those Grimm… I think I got this ability for a reason. That's why I want to do this, Weiss. It's the least I can do in return." Ruby cleared her mind of the memories again, and she took a deep breath. It was so hard to forgive herself. "I don't want to run away anymore. I don't want to be afraid and do nothing ever again."

Two roars from the Class Two Grimm erupted in the distance once more; Weiss sighed as she looked at the others. "I'm the only one against this, huh?"

"I wouldn't put it that way," Jaune said. "For Ruby to become the very first person to teleport… We know the dangers of toying around with a power we haven't trained with yet, and I'm also worried about what might happen. But I think it's fair to say that we also understand her side as well. She's a Hunter just like the rest of us, and she's just doing what any of us would do in her shoes."

The rest gave their reactions in different ways, ranging from Blake's quiet acceptance to Yang's confident nod. But it was clear that they all approved, and Weiss just sighed in acceptance.

"This took long enough," Ren said to Nora, and he was promptly greeted by her elbow going straight to his ribs.

"I may not have the best grades, but people have always told me I'm a good support, so I guess now's the time to show it." Ruby carefully looked at everyone else. "We have a good composition here. Jaune can provide defense, Ren has his traps, Yang and Nora will be the brunt of our offense, with Blake acting as our artillery, while you and Pyrrha will provide a bit of everything with ice and rock. And if someone needs to go somewhere quickly, or if there are any problems, then I'll be there."

Weiss's eyes softened. "Are you absolutely sure you can do this?"

"Trust me on this. Just like I trust you."

"Using my words against me, I see." Shaking her head again, Weiss placed her hands on her hips. "Alright, but I have my eye on you. You got that?"

You got this, Ruby.

Ruby smiled – both at Weiss and at the memory in her head – and went to work making a battleplan, just like she had done many times before in class exercises, while the others went closer to her, interested in what she had to say. She showed them a confident look. "Alright, here's what we're going to do…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, you big lugs!" Nora shouted at the top of her lungs, standing at the tallest tree branch she could find. "Over here!"

The gallowbraid bellowed, turning towards her upon realizing her presence, while the morinfen stopped to hover in the air, its red eyes visibly flaring despite its distance.

"Yeah, you both heard me!" Nora smirked as she unsheathed Magnhild Lyn, electricity once again coursing through it. She twirled her hammer around as she issued a challenge. "It's time for round two, so come here, you dumbasses!"

The gallowbraid charged, and Nora saw the morinfen charging up a shadowball. Time to continue on with the plan; it wouldn't be long now. One, two, three…

Rose petals swirled on the ground, and out came Ruby and Jaune, with the latter immediately countering with a barrier of light that blocked the Grimm's attack. The gallowbraid cried out in surprise; that was what they had been waiting for. Ren came next, running as fast as he could from where he hid far back from where Nora was, following up the attack with a green net that bound the monster in place. And right on cue, Pyrrha arrived to summon large rock formations that jutted out of the earth, going straight at the Grimm's weak points at the joints.

The execution went well. Nora smiled as the morinfen fired its shadowball straight at her, but she stayed put.

Then came the wafting smell of roses. Jaune was now next to her, blocking the shadowball with his wall, with Ruby right beside him, holding him by his shoulders. His defense was so strong that the branch they were standing at barely moved. Nora gripped her hammer tight. "You ok, Jaune?"

"Blocking two attacks in succession hurts a lot by the way, but I'll be ok. I'll have some time to heal myself." He completed his reply with a laugh, most likely to hide his pained grunts. The shadowball eventually ended, and Jaune let his wall dissipate. "Well, see you later." And with that, he jumped down to the ground.

Nora felt Ruby grab her shoulders, and off they went. One blink, and they were already just at arm's length behind Pyrrha and Ren; it was much faster than she imagined. Pyrrha was busy replacing each rock that the gallowbraid destroyed, preventing it from escaping, while Ren had his swords out for any surprises.

"Heh, that Grimm sure went straight at you. I knew you were perfect for the part. No hard feelings in using you as bait, right Nora?"

"It's fine, Ren. I mean, you still know how to cast a net," Nora shot back. "And someone has to look after you in battle, you big baby."

"Are you guys always like this?" Ruby asked.

"I have no idea to be honest," Pyrrha replied. "Maybe they like to make their lives harder for themselves."

"Really, Pyrrha?" Ren said as he rolled his eyes. "Coming from you?"

"Well, I…" Both Nora and Ren had mischievous smiles on them, and that certainly got Pyrrha good. The redhead just groaned. "…let's just get down to business, shall we?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Ren chuckled. "Let's go, Ruby."

Ruby disappeared with Ren, leaving only rose petals in her wake. The gallowbraid roared as it struggled to break free, but Pyrrha's continuous battery of jagged rocks kept it at a safe distance, and Jaune would join them shortly. Time now to do her role in all this. Nora summoned all the electricity she could on her hammer, then charged towards her target.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A giant beam of light pierced through the air, and it hit the morinfen squarely on its back. It had only been a decently charged attack, nowhere near strong enough to disable or even hurt, but it got the Grimm's attention, and that had really been the point. Its attention diverted from Jaune's group, the morinfen turned to where the attack came from, and with a screech, flew straight towards Blake.

"That's right, eyes on me."

Blake was sitting on the tallest branch she could find, and her rifle was aimed squarely at the flying Grimm that was approaching her. She fired two weaker shots in succession, just to ensure the Grimm that it was on the right track, and move it as far away from the gallowbraid as she could. Another screech came soon enough – no doubt due to having seen her – and the morinfen increased its speed, trying to seize and crush her with its claws. Normally something anyone in their right mind would avoid, but Blake held her ground.

Looks like you really went through all the trouble of planning this.

Rose petals suddenly appeared in the air right above the morinfen, in the blink of an eye. It was none other than Ruby and Yang, with the latter's greatsword flaring, and Blake nodded at the sight.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Ruby blinked away, and Yang went into a stance. Blake had seen this one before during training. It was Yang's flamebreak attack, as she aptly named it. With Ruby out of harm's way, the blonde made a powerful thrust on the morinfen's back. Flame erupted like a geyser from the point of impact, and the monstrous horror roared as it fell.

Blake went down, and saw that Ren had ensnared the Grimm with his threads, and Weiss followed with her freezing attack, encasing its mouth and limbs in solid ice. Meanwhile Yang was none the worse for wear despite riding along the Grimm's fall. The morinfen struggled to break free from its binds, but the combined Semblances of Weiss and Ren kept it down, and Yang repeated her flamebreak.

Blake went into position some distance away from the group, taking aim with her rifle. It's just as you planned it, Ruby. She fired at the morinfen's body, helping the others overwhelm the Grimm's regeneration, just as they discussed; Ren focused on his trap, Weiss focused on the head, Yang handled the wings, while Blake conserved energy for larger beams should things go wrong. It was a simple plan, but it was getting to this point that was the hard part, and this wouldn't have been possible if Ruby was limited to just blitzing around. You've been incredible so far, to be honest.

"Looks like your friends got this covered," Ren said. "Shall we go?"

"We're good here," Weiss added. "We'll signal if we need help. Remember to be careful, ok? Don't start tripping on things!"

Blake's cat ears twitched, overhearing their banter, spotting them clearly despite having one eye on her scope. But Ruby seemed to stagger, right after Weiss said her piece… An instant only. Ruby brushed it off with a smile. "…alright. Be careful, you guys." And with that, Ruby held Ren's shoulders, and they both vanished, leaving rose petals in their wake.

The morinfen was struggling more fiercely now. This shouldn't take long with all three of them attacking, and Blake wasn't about to underestimate it again, not after what happened last time.

That girl really does make you reminisce, doesn't she?

…what of it?

It's not like you to be so sentimental.

…

Do you have anything to say to that?

…

Yeah, that's what I thought too.

Blake frowned. In truth, Weiss wasn't the only one who had reservations. You take care of yourself too, Ruby. Don't push yourself too hard.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jaune was busy hacking at the gallowbraid when saw Ruby blink in with Ren, the latter quickly moved to reinforce his trap. They returned just as they had talked about, and Jaune went to greet them. "How are the others?"

"They're doing fine, and it looks to be the same thing here too. Nice to see that Ruby's plan really worked."

"Good to hear." They were still fighting the gallowbraid, kept at bay by Pyrrha's rock spikes and Ren's binds, and it was fair to say that they made progress. He did his part in covering the others when they did risky attacks, given that offense wasn't his forte, but the combined strikes of Pyrrha and Nora were paying off, and cracks finally appeared on the Grimm's skin where even his sword could do some damage. "This gallowbraid's really tough, but we'll break it eventually."

"Do you need some help in finishing this thing off?" Ren had his swords out, staring at the Grimm with narrowed eyes. "I know I'm supposed to tag along with Ruby, but think I can stay here for a while. Her team has been battering that morinfen nonstop, and we can't just have Pyrrha and Nora have all the fun, right?"

"Heh, I guess so." Jaune looked at Ruby, who slowly approached them. But she made an awkward stop, wincing as she held her forehead with her hand. Jaune raised his eyebrows. "Hey Ruby, you ok?"

"Just got a bit dizzy, that's all." Ruby dismissed it with a smile, and turned to the gallowbraid. "It's ok, I heard you guys. This gallowbraid doesn't look like it's going anywhere, so I guess Ren can help you guys out. Maybe I'll throw in a few sniper shots too."

"Alright, fair enough!" So saying, Ren charged at one of the gallowbraid's cracked spots, attacking it with everything he had, and he and Nora even exchanged some banter; Jaune realized he should have expected that last part.

"I'm about to go in as well," Jaune said to Ruby. "Hopefully we can get this gallowbraid dead soon enough. You want to land in a couple of shots before you leave?" But Ruby seemed to stagger, and she almost dropped her scythe. "You sure you're ok?"

"…I… I'm fine…" Ruby replied, her voice weakening, before suddenly disappearing into rose petals.

Jaune was left shocked. What just happened there?Nora and Ren bantered on while they fought the gallowbraid, and Pyrrha was too busy using her Semblance to have noticed. Could Ruby have simply turned back to her friends? Hopefully it was just that. It had to be. Because if it were anything else… Jaune shook his head. He couldn't do anything about it anyways, and so he had no choice but to set aside his worries for now. Focusing on the battle, he looked for a spot to start his attack.

He then felt that something was amiss, his instincts vaguely warning him of danger, but Jaune saw nothing except Nora hitting the gallowbraid with a slam of her hammer. The Grimm was unusually silent however, and that gave him pause. When was the last time it roared, much less put up a good struggle in freeing itself? They had been so busy making sure it didn't escape that they forgot to take into account what else it could do other than that. Jaune saw a faint glow form around the gallowbraid's body, along with a flash from its chest, and everything came together in his head.

"Everybody, get behind me!" Jaune yelled at the top of his lungs, with the most commanding tone he could muster. His instincts haven't failed him before. If he was wrong, then they only lost time, but if his fears were correct…

"What's going on?!" Pyrrha cried out, completely confused.

"Just do it!" Jaune summoned his wall, the strongest yet he formed, and fortunately his three friends listened, going behind him with bewildered faces. They were just in time too, as the gallowbraid's eyes finally opened. The calm before the storm. There was an accumulation of energy from the Grimm, then came an explosion of red light.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ruby groaned as she tried to keep standing, her hand trying to caress away her throbbing headache. She didn't mean to leave Jaune like that. She just didn't want to show weakness, but that somehow made her body teleport without her consent, and the cold air and rocky terrain around her meant that she was somewhere on the mountain ridge, with the vastness of Jade Forest visible down below. She kept calm, not wanting to dwell too much on how she got into this weird situation, but her attempt to blink back to Jaune did nothing but cause her headache to flare up.

Ruby gritted her teeth, and continued to rub her head, doing it harder and faster now. She was sure she was injuring her skin at this point. But her headache began to ebb away; that was a good sign. The pain in her head slowly waned.

Basically, Nora will wait for the perfect time to goad the gallowbraid and morinfen to attack, and our plan will depend on whether the latter charges up a shadowball against her. If it does, that's when I'll teleport with Jaune to catch the gallowbraid off guard, after which Pyrrha and Ren will attack from their hiding place to ensnare it. Blake will divert the morinfen away once I bring up Jaune to block the shadowball, and then I'll then teleport with Ren and sub in Yang to bring that flying Grimm to the ground.

So that's our plan A? I don't know about this… We haven't even talked about contingencies yet and you're already pushing yourself here. Are you sure you can do it?

Don't worry about me, I'll be fine.

Her plan worked just as she thought it would – ensnaring those Grimm the way they did could have only worked with her teleportation – but as much as she was aware of the risks, she didn't think her body would be hurting like this after only four blinks. Perhaps that was wishful thinking on her part, but she would have gone ahead with this regardless. Ruby was convinced that there was a reason why she got this gift, and she would gladly endure a hundred more headaches if it meant avoiding what happened that night in Patch.

She ignored the biting cold that pierced through her cloak. Just a little bit more, alright? Those Grimm will be dealt with soon enough, and there's plenty of time to sleep after that. Just a little bit more. Ruby prepared herself for another teleport. Slow and steady now. She tried again, but nothing happened except cause a sharp pain on her ribs, and she winced as she held her side.

The pain lasted long. But Ruby knew she had to try again; maybe some rest would do the trick. Then she would be right as rain, and finish what she started.

Take care of yourself while blinking, alright? Everything relies on you to make this work, but please tell us immediately if you start not feeling well. No one here is doubting your bravery at this point.

I will, Weiss.

I won't forgive you if you suddenly collapse on us without telling!

Yeah, I won't forgive myself either.

Speaking of rest, she found a large slanted rock that she could use as a bivouac. Without much else to go on, she slowly went towards it.

A bright blue ball suddenly rose from the forest, sent high in the air before exploding into snow. It was a makeshift signal flare from Weiss, and it was the last thing Ruby wanted to see. Weiss was only supposed to do that in case of emergencies. What was going on down there? Ruby was sure that they were doing well before she left. Feeling her heartbeat race, she instinctively quickened her pace, but that only made her stumble to the ground.

She groaned,her fingers clawing at the dirt as she tried to stand, and ignored the pain coursing through her body as much as she could. She had to find a way to save her friends. She hadn't thought her powers would go wrong like this, even knowing the risks, but the battleplan was her responsibility nonetheless, and she dreaded what she could find if she was too late.

A soft wind passed by, and Ruby found the strength to get to her feet. As long as they're all ok, I'm good. I won't let anyone else die because of me. I won't let that happen… Never again…

Ruby was careful in her steps, constantly checking if her body could handle teleporting again, and she breathed deep to gather her remaining strength. Because words have weight, and promises have weight. You taught me that, right Cale? Because I know you're there, even though you're…

A few sobs escaped her lips, and she wiped away the tears from her cheek. So much for me trying to be a Hunter, huh? All that effort, just to end up like this. And I dragged other people too in this mess. I'm sorry for being weak. I'm sorry that nothing I plan for ever seems to go right, and I'm sorry for not keeping my promises. But I've always figured that I'll never make it up to you anyways… So please… If nothing else, please give me one more chance to help my friends. Just one…

Ruby continued her slow pace. Then she almost stumbled again, saved only by holding at Crescent Rose's snath. She braced herself for pain, but she felt only the brush of another soft wind, and to her shock, she felt a familiar warmth she thought she would never feel again in her life. It was if… It couldn't be, but it had to be. The aches in her body began to vanish as well… There was no mistaking it. She didn't know how, but she could have sworn she saw… Regardless, it was more than enough.

Thank you for always being there for me, even though I'm no good at all. Ruby smiled. Don't worry, I know what I need to do. I'll see this right to the end.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The dust cleared away, revealing Jaune's cracked wall, and the gallowbraid cracked as well, but in a different sort of way. Red lines as bright as its eyes ran throughout its body, while its core seemed to burn with an intense heat. Jaune groaned as blood dripped heavily from his hands. As painful as it was, it was better than the alternative. The Grimm had just fired a powerful pulse attack – that flash from its core was all the warning it gave – and they would have all been killed had it not been for his instincts.

The Grimm roared before them. But it was half in anger, half in pain, and Jaune knew that it was their turn to attack. No time to be afraid of something they've never seen before. "Nora, Ren, go!"

He shouted that out of instinct too, but the two understood what he meant. Nora's hammer discharged lightning as she led their counterattack, while Ren ensnared the gallowbraid again. But his binds dissipated almost instantly upon contact with its cracked skin, much to his shock, forcing him to sneak in some sword attacks at its joints instead. "Jaune!" he yelled. "We've got a problem here!"

"I'll be right with you! Just attack it with all you got for now!" So that's not going to work anymore, huh? That made things a lot more difficult. Maybe too difficult. Just how were they going to beat this damned thing? Pain suddenly shot up in Jaune's hands, forcing him to release his barrier and drop to his knees, but not before issuing another command. "Pyrrha, sub in for Ren! Keep it distracted!"

Pyrrha was behind him, but he could tell that she was just as worried as he was over their situation, and she recovered soon enough. She stepped forward, putting herself in front of Jaune, and fired multiple rock spikes – far more than she let out earlier – to pin the Grimm down for as long as she could. She spared him a glance. "Are you alright?"

"I can still fight."

Pyrrha nodded. "I've never even heard of a Class Two Grimm being able to do that. How did you know that would happen?"

"You tend to notice a lot of things when you have a Semblance that's all about blocking." Jaune grunted again as he stood up, and he went to Pyrrha's side. "It looks like life isn't going to make this too easy for us. And it's not like they didn't tell us that these Grimm had been evolving… Just goes to show you can't really underestimate them. You never know when they'll bust out an attack that no one's ever heard of."

"You're hurt," Pyrrha said, finally noticing his wounds.

"I've had worse," he replied bluntly as he healed himself. He probably would've delayed doing so had she not brought it up. He stared at the gallowbraid, and the Grimm's blazing red eyes stared back. "That thing's about to get out of hand without Ren's Semblance, and we can't just leave those two by themselves for long. But I'll think of something, don't worry."

"…alright. Thank you for saving us, Jaune." Pyrrha breathed heavily as she channeled her Semblance. "By the way, where's Ruby? Have you seen her?"

"She's most likely still with her friends."

"Are you sure? She's taking way too long. Should I send a signal?"

Right at that moment, Weiss's signal for help came up in the air, and Jaune shook his head. "We stick together. We're too far away to assist anyways, but I'm sure Ruby will be there to help them." Recalling how abruptly Ruby teleported, he hoped that she was with her friends. "Hopefully there's not having too much trouble against the morinfen. As for us…"

Jaune finished patching himself up, but his words hung in the air; he still had no answers. Already he could sense that Pyrrha was starting to tire, and trying to escape was dubious at best without Ren's traps. They would have to stand their ground, but they wouldn't be getting anywhere if they just stalled this gallowbraid. If only he could think of a decisive plan of attack…

He watched as Nora launched a mighty swing at the gallowbraid, which was blocked by its massive arm. Her lightning coursed around and hit the Grimm's chest, however, and the Grimm roared in pain, a lot louder than usual.

Right then and there, Jaune got the idea that he'd been waiting for.

"Hey Pyrrha, you see that red glow on that Grimm's chest? I'll charge the gallowbraid head on and coordinate with Ren in distracting it. But this time, instead of battering that Grimm on every side, we'll give you and Nora the time you need to put everything on a single attack, right at its core."

"We're going to do what now?!"

"Think about it. This gallowbraid could've just kept firing its pulse attack at us, but it's not doing that for a reason, and I think I know why. I'm guessing it has to do with its core, and how it's a lot more vulnerable. When was the last time you heard it roar like that over a simple attack on the chest anyways?" If the Grimm were going to create attacks out of nowhere, then the fact that they were still alive should mean that there was a weakness they could exploit in return. This made sense to him, and if nothing else, they needed all the hints they could get. "Just hold on, I'll be running in a few."

"Wait a minute… Jaune!"

"The moment I charge, you'll stop your rock barrage and start pooling your energy. Nora will help out too, but both of you leave that gallowbraid to me until I give the signal, alright? Hey, don't pout like that. I know what you're thinking, but I'm the one with the shield here. I have to be the one who leads the attack and cover you guys. Besides, this is a lot better than trying to escape again, or waiting for this thing to fire another pulse at us. And it's not like you and Nora haven't practiced your combined attack many times during class. Don't sweat it, I'll provide cover for you guys to charge. We'll send this Grimm straight to hell."

"But it's not about that at all! We're gambling everything here for a single attack that might not even be enough, and we'll be too exhausted to fight back after that. No, there has to be–"

"You got a better idea? This is the fastest way we can deal with this gallowbraid and help out the others."

Pyrrha's green eyes narrowed, and not because of extra effort in using her Semblance. For a moment, it looked like she wanted nothing to do with this. Jaune fully understood, knowing the inherent risks of this kind of attack. But her face soon softened. "…there's no other way, is there? It's fine… I understand. Please be careful, ok? Please promise me that. Come back in one piece."

"I will." Jaune's muscles tensed. He wanted to tell her something else too. But she had said her piece, and he knew better. He smiled again. "Thanks for trusting me on this, I know I have a lot to work on. You were hurt bad before Ruby saved us, and while I'm glad I helped you recover, I don't want us to be in that situation anymore. I'll be better next time. I'll be better at protecting us, I swear it. Well, I'll see you later."

Jaune then charged, shouting a battle cry that boomed in the air, and Pyrrha ceased her attack, just like they talked about. He attacked alongside Ren; the gallowbraid would soon realize that the rock barrages had stopped, but he wasn't about to just let it go wild without a fight.

"About time you got here," Ren said, coordinating his own attacks with Jaune to deal as much damage as possible. "You told Pyrrha to stop attacking? Please tell me you got something up your sleeve. Or at least an explanation on how this gallowbraid is even doing all this?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." While this Grimm managing to evolve something to do just that was alarming in and of itself, there would be plenty of time to mull on that once they survived this in one piece.

Having just finished her own attack, Nora landed right beside them, her hammer infused with lightning and a surprised expression on her face. "Hey, what's going on? Why did Pyrrha–"

"Change of plans, Nora. Ren and I will take care of this, and I'll need you to fall back. Pyrrha will tell you the rest." Nora had a doubtful look, but Jaune quickly gave her a confident smile to counter it, and that was enough for the girl to nod and retreat.

"Now you're sending her away?" Ren said. "Good timing, any more of this and she'll think I really do have toothpicks for weapons."

"Can't have you looking lame with your Semblance being countered like this, now can I? I won't tell Nora, but I'll tell you my plan to take out this thing, and in exchange you're going to have to follow it. Deal?"

"Let me guess, low chance of survival?"

Jaune smiled. "What gave it away?"

Ren laughed, and the two bantered as they continued their attack on the Grimm's weak spots at its knees, with no illusions at all that they were going to kill it, only buying time for Pyrrha and Nora. They were at a total disadvantage, their current firepower not even close to matching that of Yang and Nora, and the gallowbraid did its best to squash them into the dirt. By all accounts it should have done so in at least two occasions. But he and Ren were somehow still alive; maybe there was something to this banter thing after all.

It wouldn't last long, however. Jaune was breathing hard now, trying his best to keep up their momentum, and while Ren did all he could with his swords, no amount of martial arts prowess could make up for his negated Semblance. Were the girls going to make it in time for them? Evading a close shave with the Grimm's claws, and dodging a stomp as well, Jaune was nearing his limit.

"Heads up, you two! Incoming!"

That was Nora's voice. Jaune and Ren looked to where the girls were, and a flash of lightning briefly filled their vision. Nora was gathering all the electricity her Semblance would allow into her hammer, preparing to launch a powerful ranged attack, while Pyrrha's bronze aura shone brighter than he had ever seen it before, no doubt readying a spike that would pierce through the gallowbraid's armor. Jaune and Ren quickly dodged. Moments later came a wave of rock formations that escorted a huge rock spike, along with lightning bursting forth.

The combined Semblance attack hit the gallowbraid clean at the chest. It looked like their plan of distracting the gallowbraid had been successful, and both boys took the chance to catch their breath. The deathblow should be coming in soon enough. The lightning and the rock spike steadily punched their way through the Grimm's thick skin, even as the Grimm used both hands to protect itself…

Until their Semblances didn't. The gallowbraid had somehow found a way to stop their attack cold. Roaring wildly, a familiar red glow began to form around it.

"Oh no…" Ren whispered, his eyes slowly turning to Jaune, and that was more than enough for the latter to act.

Growling and running for all he was worth, Jaune hurried back to Nora and Pyrrha, with Ren right behind him, and the blond went into position in front of the girls; he wasn't about to let them panic and ruin their channeling. He quickly summoned his barrier again. They had come too far to back down now, and there was no doubt in Jaune's mind that this was their last stand.

"Brace yourselves and keep firing!" There was an accumulation of energy from the Grimm, far stronger than the previous one. Jaune couldn't have arrived any later than he did.

The gallowbraid fired another pulse attack. It collided hard against his Semblance, and Jaune felt something snap. He was sure it was somewhere in his arms. But he didn't want to think any further of it. Ignoring the incredible power the gallowbraid was throwing at him – as well as every pain and ache in his body – Jaune pressed hard to preserve his shield's integrity, and soon the lightning crackling everywhere and the earthy smell of the air no longer registered in his mind.

Pyrrha was yelling something, but Jaune couldn't understand any of it. The struggle he had against the gallowbraid made everything else so distant. All he could think of was to push, even as the pulse inched its way forward, steadily overwhelming their three combined Semblances; he had to, being the only one keeping them alive. He had to keep trying, keep pushing. But even he had his limits, and fatigue was starting to take its toll.

He thought he heard someone crying. Was that Pyrrha too? With the red pulse now just a few feet away, Jaune felt something burn in his legs.

Bright green threads suddenly whipped forward, seeking to wrap themselves around the gallowbraid's joints. Jaune vaguely remembered this to be useless. But the Grimm was taken by surprise for some reason, and Jaune quickly took advantage. On instinct, he regained lost ground by pushing back the red pulse to an even standoff.

"It can't keep getting away with it…" That tired, fading voice was definitely Ren's. "Damned Grimm making me look bad… You guys owe me one…"

Jaune thought he heard something collapse, but he was sure that Nora's shout came next, wild and livid. Even with her behind him, he sensed the increased flows of her Semblance swirl around her hammer, and soon a hundred more bolts coursed right towards the gallowbraid's core; it made a thunderstorm look like a gentle summer rain. Its body starting to smoke, the Grimm growled as it tried to step back… Except it couldn't.

Wait a minute. Ren's binds were holding? That made Jaune realize something. In its attempt to kill them, the gallowbraid must have dropped its defenses low enough for Ren's Semblance to finally take effect, and his binds ensured that it had to bear the full brunt of an attack, just as they originally planned. With Nora really digging deep in using her Semblance…

Wasting no time, Jaune made a strong step forward, renewed hope cutting through his fatigue, even if only briefly. This was their chance. He felt something in his body snap again, but the pain might as well be alien to him at this point. "Pyrrha!"

"Jaune!" Right at that moment, she sounded so relieved, and her words rang clear in his head. "I'm right behind you! Whenever you're ready!"

It was everything he needed to hear. He took another step, and Pyrrha followed through, her rock spike gaining a huge forward momentum like an avalanche.

The gallowbraid roared desperately. This was it. Jaune made one more step, and his barrier pushed the red pulse back to the Grimm, and its dark flesh was ripped apart on contact. Lightning and earth combined to splinter its core like a kicked anthill. Unable to escape due to Ren's binds, a bellow rang out from the gallowbraid, and a blinding light came next.

The next thing Jaune knew, he found himself laying on the ground, sprawled on his right side, pain coursing everywhere in his body. His aching thighs in particular told him he wasn't about to stand up anytime soon, and he was sure that his left arm was broken in at least two places. The gallowbraid on the other hand… he saw its clumped dark mass, no longer burning red, its body charred and still, without even a twitch of life. There was no doubting it; the Grimm was dead.

"Hey Jaune, are you awake?"

The blond strained left towards the voice. It was Ren just a few feet away from him, with Nora by his side. With how they looked right now, both of them had definitely seen better days. "…heh, never been better."

"So much for the low chance of survival, huh?"

"…yeah, sorry to disappoint." Their odds had certainly gone up. Class One Grimm had always steered clear of Class Twos in deference to their strength, and Jaune knew they weren't about to be ganged up on anytime soon, given that they had just slain the gallowbraid. And just as discussed in Ruby's plan, Nora sent out a burst of lightning in the air, to signal that they were successful in their fight. "We'll just have to wait for next time, I guess."

"Ah yes. I can't wait."

"Hey, don't go changing the subject!" Nora pouted as she helped Ren stand up, even though she was a few steps away from collapsing herself. "Ren! Are you even listening to me? Don't ever wing it like that again!"

"I'll think about it next time, don't worry." Ren made a pained chuckle. "But it's not like we had any other choice, and I don't think we'd all be here if I didn't. Not to mention that Jaune risked a lot more than me, that's for sure."

"That's not the point!"

"I know, I know. Sorry to make you worry. But can you scold me later? It wouldn't be right to ruin his moment right now, don't you think?"

The two looked at something behind Jaune, and so he turned as well, bracing through the pain. He found Pyrrha kneeling right by his side. She was completely spent, given her bruises and tired look, but she still made the effort to cradle him in her arms. "Are you ok now?"

"My body hurts…" But at least he had his wits with him, so he checked if now was a good time to heal himself. It should work as long as he didn't push too much… The warmth of his mending light was slow and dull, but it would have to do. "But I'll be fine. I'll live. Heh, maybe I can do this again."

"Please don't say that. Nora and I don't do that attack on every Grimm for a reason."

"But it's still something to keep in our pocket, you know?"

"…I guess." Pyrrha shook her head, wanting to change the subject. "Thank you for protecting us, Jaune. As impractical as our attack was, it only worked because of your defense… Only you could have made all of that work out."

"I promised that I'd be better at protecting you guys, so for me to lead the charge and cover everyone was just part of the job. It was a team effort anyways, and we all did our part in defeating it. Right, Ren?" But neither Nora nor Ren remained where Jaune last saw them. They were slowly walking away in fact, with Ren's arm around Nora as she helped him move.

"I'm sure Ren agrees," Pyrrha said. "Nora was really worried about him after he did his last attack though, and they're most likely there so that she could give him a piece of her mind in private. Then again, who knows?" She managed to smile. "Those two aren't that hard to read."

"Not hard at all." A glance at the two told Jaune that they were having a private moment of their own; he didn't think they were there to study the trees, for one thing. But those two weren't the only ones he knew well after a month of being roommates. Now that the battle had ended, and with Pyrrha being this close, it was hard not to recall what happened between them. "You don't have to keep cradling me like this, by the way. I'm fine, really. You can just put me on the ground."

Pyrrha shook her head. "I'll be here while you heal up, just like when you held me when I was hurt."

"Hmph, suit yourself." That sounded colder than Jaune intended, and he immediately regretted it upon seeing Pyrrha's face.

"This is the least I could do for you. This was your plan after all. Looking back, I don't think we would be here had we done anything else. Other people wouldn't have been so brave as you were against that red pulse."

"Maybe." People could always talk about how that gallowbraid did its pulse some other time at their leisure, along with the benefit of hindsight, but combat afforded no such luxuries. "But my plan wouldn't have mattered anyway if you guys didn't believe in me, so thank you for that. Us acting as a team made all the difference. We survived, and that thing's not going to be hurting anyone again."

Jaune grunted at a sudden, sharp stab of pain that went past his healing, and Pyrrha continued to cradle him close, her touch bringing a warm comfort that helped him recover, even if only a little bit. He knew why, as much as he didn't want to admit it. He felt guilty about it too, knowing that his mind was jumping to conclusions that weren't there, and yet…

"I'm sorry for hurting you, Jaune."

"Don't be. I couldn't help myself, and you had to put a stop to it. It's as simple as that. You don't have to apologize. I should have known better. I know I'm not what you're looking for in a guy, and…" He stopped himself, knowing there was so much to say, but none of it really mattered. He looked away from her.

"I'm that bad, aren't I?" Jaune heard sniffling, and he turned back to see Pyrrha crying; the sight of her tears broke his heart.

"Pyrrha…"

"I never had anyone fall for me before like you did, and I'm really sorry for pushing you away. I just thought that if I did, I'd spare you from more pain down the line. I'm not… I'm not who you think I am. As much as I appreciate your feelings for me, I only wanted to protect you. But so far you're the one protecting me… I know how you tried so hard to patch me up earlier, and just how sad you looked…" She chuckled bitterly, and more tears fell from her cheeks.

Jaune stopped healing himself right at that moment, and instead caressed her cheeks with his right hand, wiping away her tears. "It's ok, Pyrrha. Don't cry anymore. There's nothing to be sad about."

"But your wounds…"

"My healing's slow anyways. They can wait."

Pyrrha was left speechless, and she could only hold Jaune closer to her in reply; moments passed with them staying like this.

The two then noticed a few drones fly past, their steel structures shining in the sun, and Jaune had no doubt that Beacon had witnessed their fight. It was probably safe to assume that all four of them would pass with how they had defeated the gallowbraid, but all of that was just about the furthest thing from his mind.

"Can you wait for me at the night of the ball?" Despite her sadness, Pyrrha smiled softly. "Because if you can… I'll be ready by then, and I promise I'll tell you everything, regardless if we graduate or not. I'll tell you all about me, about what I really feel for you, and about us."

Jaune smiled back. He set aside his questions for the time being. What mattered right now was that Pyrrha was safe, and that she was finally opening up to him; he couldn't be any more thankful for it. "…I understand, Pyrrha. I'll wait until then."

"Thank you so much." A sudden outburst of tears came out from Pyrrha, and Jaune did what he could to console her. "I'm ok, Jaune. Heal yourself as much as you can. You still have us to take care of, and we still have to check on the others. Weiss just sent out another signal, and we haven't seen Ruby for a while now."

"Alright. We'll be there as soon as we're patched up and good to go." Knowing how Ruby disappeared, Jaune knew that none of them could have done anything about it, and he hoped that she and her team were doing well, as his team would take some time to get ready. With that in mind, he might as well start with what was most important to him. Taking note of her bruises, his right hand glowed on Pyrrha's cheek, and her green eyes glistened. "You first."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yang's Semblance blazed bright as she held Embercleave, her greatsword gleaming in the sun, and her eyes were on the lookout for any opportunity she could find to take back the initiative. They had been so close to defeating it, she was sure of that. But the Grimm suddenly glowed red hot, driving them back and melting away Ren's binds… The morinfen evolving was the turning point, and guilt crept in Yang's heart over her failure to kill it. Her strength simply proved too weak when it mattered most. Right now only Blake's charged aura shots kept its shadowball at bay, with Weiss giving it her all to protect Blake from the Grimm's constant swooping attacks. It also didn't help that the morinfen was much faster now than before, leaving Weiss unable to do much else beyond creating ice walls.

Yang let out a frustrated cry. Weiss and Blake were fighting for their lives, and yet here she stood, none of her attacks reaching a flying target that far away, much less attacking its wings. Timing her attack right when the Grimm swooped down was hard enough, but with the morinfen's cracked red skin being so painfully hot to approach… How many times had she failed in getting through, and leaving herself open to attack in the process? It seemed the morinfen knew this as well. It left her for last, its attention all on Blake. But if Ruby was here, then this would be…

Where are you, Ruby? She still hadn't returned. What was taking her so long? Did something happen on her way to Jaune and the others? Yang wished fervently that she was alright.

"Yang!" Weiss cried out. "If you can't find a plan of attack here soon–"

"You really think we can escape like this?!" Yang snapped back. "Don't be stupid! I'm not leaving you guys!"

"Whoever said all of us are running away?" Weiss said bluntly. "You don't have to push yourself so hard. There's only three of us here against a Class Two, after all. Blake and I can hold this thing off while you get help from Jaune's group."

Yang then spotted a signal in the air. That lightning must have been from Nora, which meant that Jaune's group had finished off the gallowbraid. Weiss's plan was clear, and Yang was having none of it. "No! I'm not done yet!" Yang couldn't believe that Weiss was even suggesting this. She knew when to run away, but leaving them behind now would also seal their fate.

She picked up on an opportunity to attack, just as the morinfen descended, and quickly went for it. Withstanding the Grimm's heat as best she could, she readied herself to perform a fiery cross slash. But then her head hit the ground, the Grimm landing a swipe at her. It wasn't her first time being hit like this, but the attack was stronger than usual, and her vision briefly blurred as she stood up, her knees threatening to buckle.

"Hey, are you alright?!" Weiss shouted, reforming her ice wall between deep breaths. "You ok there? Yang!"

Shaking off the pain, Yang's eyes stared furiously at the morinfen as it ascended. That attack wasn't going to take her out, but her moment of weakness brought something unwanted along with it.

Just look at yourself. Such a pretty girl, with a body that men would kill for, yet you prove to be such a disappointment at every turn. Don't think you're even close to our power just because of your name. You know the rules, Yang. You had your chance.

Shut up! I'll cut you in two!

I'd like to see you try. Or perhaps you need to learn another lesson? You seem to not know your place. You think you're strong? You can't even protect yourself.

I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you!

Yang's blood boiled at the memory of that woman's smug face, that woman she had trusted, and a familiar hatred raged in her. It was the type that she found difficult to suppress once it appeared, and it was part of the reason why she always held back whenever she fought, whether she was dueling students or even slaying Grimm. But now her greatsword blazed brighter than ever here in Beacon, and only the barest amount of control stopped her Semblance from burning the grass and trees.

She looked at her swathed right arm. Her emotions weren't the only thing she kept in check. Normally she wouldn't even consider using it, knowing the risks. But the morinfen was now beyond their current ability to kill, and it stung that it would have been dead already had she just put more power into her attacks. Without any way of pinning the Grimm to the ground and no escape in sight…

Damn you. I'm a Xiao Long. I've always been worthy of the name.

There was actually one way she could reach that morinfen in the air. But could she actually bring herself to do it? Yang's left hand tentatively reached for her bandages.

"Yang, look out!"

That cry from Weiss made her pause, and Yang realized too late that the morinfen had decided to take her out instead, its claws heading straight for her as it swooped down. In her anger and frustration, she had carelessly left herself open all this time, and she had no time to dodge the Grimm's attack.

Suddenly there was a voice, and a familiar rose smell.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ruby teleported close to Weiss and Blake, saving Yang from being crushed by the morinfen, and took deep breaths as her rose petals drifted everywhere around her. She smiled faintly at Yang's thanks. Being this close to her, the warmth of her Semblance was a welcome change from the frigid mountain air. She arrived just in time to save her, but as much as she wanted to see if she was ok after her teleports, she had questions that needed to be addressed fast – like what that Grimm could do now that it was red, for example – if they were to come out of here alive. "Sorry I'm late. You guys ok?"

"Ruby!" Weiss hurried close to her as soon as she finished her ice wall that covered all four of them. "Thanks for saving Yang, we're still good here. But what took you so long? Where have you been? I've sent like three signals already."

Ruby shook her head. "Yeah, I just got caught in something, that's all. It's a long story, I'll tell you about it later." The girls then saw Nora's signal that they had defeated the gallowbraid; that was one less thing to worry about. That problem was soon replaced by a dull ache on her ribs – her body wasn't holding up well at all – but she made sure her face gave no sign of it. "Right now we need to take down this morinfen as soon as we can. What's different about it now that it's red like that?"

"That thick skin it has is now hotter than an oven," Yang said. "I've been trying to break through it, but no luck."

"And I've been shooting at it just to stop us from getting blasted to hell." There was a tired tone from Blake as she continued firing her rifle at the Grimm, which was preparing for another attack; Ruby wouldn't be surprised if she was approaching her limits. "But I'm glad you're ok, Ruby. You really kept us waiting, you know that?"

"Heh, I'm glad to see you too, Blake. Just hold on for a bit more, ok? I'm thinking of a plan."

"Ruby… Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine, Weiss." There was a look in the girl's eyes, as if she had a good hunch about what really happened to her, so Ruby kept up appearances, making sure to project strength to allay Weiss's fears. No point in having her friends worry about her any more than they should. She transformed Crescent Rose into its sniper mode. "…I'm ok."

"I'm good with whatever you think of, Ruby." Speaking of hunches, Yang's lilac eyes were a sharp red now, staring at the morinfen, and there was something about her demeanor that gave Ruby pause. "I'll kill it this time, I swear."

The morinfen then swooped down to attack them, and Weiss's ice wall held. Yang in turn tried to retaliate, but the latter had no success, and Ruby took note of this as she fired her bullets. This Grimm really was much stronger than before, with a blistering skin to deter attacks against it… Surely there had to be a weakness here? There had to be. The morinfen would have just done this earlier if that weren't the case. As it hovered in the air, Blake hammered it with her charged shots to prevent a shadowball attack, and the morinfen hissed… But not before revealing a pulsing core on its chest.

That wasn't there before, Ruby was sure of it. The Grimm's pulsing core closed, but revealed itself again despite Blake's attacks, and the looks of the others told Ruby that this was their first time they had seen this as well. An idea quickly formed in her mind. "You guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

"You're planning to attack that part, aren't you?" Weiss said. "It could work. But it could just be a lure for all we know…"

"Maybe. But that Grimm could have just gone red and finished us off right from the start… There has to be some kind of a drawback to it. And if it's really a weak spot like I think it is, then it's best that we take our chances here, and do this fast." Ruby cleared her throat; she had to say this quickly and with confidence, before her aching body betrayed her. "Weiss, when the time is right, I'll be blinking you above the morinfen. Can you freeze its skin as much as you can for Yang? We can't leave Blake here undefended too, so you'll only be up there for a moment."

"You're going to send me up there? Are you sure about that? That morinfen's a moving target this time, and you're bound to overexert yourself. Isn't there a better way we can–"

"I can do this."

Weiss paused, her eyes narrowing, and she looked like she had a lot more to say. But only moments passed before she finally relented. "…I understand. Got it."

"Alright." Ruby then turned to the others. "Blake, keep up the suppressive fire until this is all over. We still need to keep that morinfen's shadowball sealed off no matter what. Yang, you'll be up next. We may not have Ren's binds, but if my suspicions are right, then this Grimm's toughness has to be close to breaking, with its heat the only thing really protecting it. Weiss will cool it down as much as she can, so give it everything you've got to bring it down. Then, when that morinfen is back on the ground, you three try to penetrate its core while I bring the others. Things should be a lot easier after that, so hang tight until then."

The three girls nodded.

"One last thing. If any of you guys get too tired, or find yourself being overwhelmed… Back out immediately, ok? There's four of us, and we can always regroup."

They nodded again. Weiss had a pensive look on her, Blake was stoic as always, while Yang's Semblance flared, as if itching to prove her strength.

They went into position just in time, as the morinfen descended for another attack, and Weiss grunted as its claws raked once again through her ice wall, leaving it at the edge of breaking. But despite it being a moving target, it flew up in a straight line just long enough for Ruby to determine its trajectory, and that was the one thing that she had been waiting for. Concentrating to accommodate for the distance, she quickly grabbed Weiss and blinked right on top of the morinfen's back, just as it stopped to hover.

"Weiss, go!"

Flicking Myrtenaster like a wand, Weiss summoned a blanket of frost that coated the Grimm's skin with a thick layer of ice. Her attack wasn't enough to dull the morinfen's heat as much as Ruby wanted – and it left Weiss catching her breath – but it made itself busy trying to remove the ice from its back, and that was more than enough.

Ruby teleported back to the ground, making sure that Weiss was steady on her feet. "You ok?"

"…I'm fine. Just need to rest… Go get Yang."

Ruby nodded, then went for Yang next. Rose petals swirled everywhere amidst Blake's aura shots. A blink later, and the two girls were right on top of the morinfen now, with Ruby holding Yang's shoulders.

"Be careful, Yang."

"I will. I'll get this done." Having said that, Yang launched herself to do a downward slash, her greatsword blazing with fire – her right arm as well, for a few moments – and she made her way past the Grimm's heat thanks to Weiss. But Ruby wasn't put at ease at all. As simple as it looked, there was something about Yang's attack that didn't quite feel right, and a gut instinct made Ruby worry, given how both Yang and the morinfen cried out upon impact.

Ruby blinked back, appearing right beside Weiss. The morinfen was thrashing in midair now, trying to shake Yang off from its back, even going so far as to do barrel rolls in midair. But she managed to hold on, and together with Blake, the Grimm appeared unable to fight back. Ruby set aside her worries about Yang for now. She needed to be ready to assist her once the morinfen was brought to the ground. Recalling where she last left Jaune and the others, she prepared to teleport.

"Ruby!"

She didn't quite remember falling, but the next thing she knew she was trying to pick herself up, and there was sharp pain everywhere in her body. Much worse than back at the mountains. Wincing, she saw that it was Weiss who was shouting her name, and she carefully helped her stand up. "I'm fine, Weiss. Just… Just give me a minute here…" But her pain only magnified in her efforts to teleport, and she was dangerously close to passing out.

"It's ok, Ruby. You don't have to fight anymore. You've done enough already. The rest of us will take it from here, so please just sit this one out. It's ok, it'll be fine. We'll get out of here alive."

Making an effort to look at Weiss, Ruby shook her head. "…you honestly believe that?"

"Damn it, just look at yourself!" Weiss snapped, her pale blue eyes glistening. She was acting exactly the same way she did when they first met. "You're in no condition to fight! I knew I should have spoken up against this! How else could you have gone missing for so long? Your blinking left you stranded somewhere, didn't it? And after all that, you're still planning to do something stupid now?!"

"But we all knew the risks we took in going here, didn't we? You knew this had to be done. And I did say that our plan needed to be fast, so I had to push myself…"

"Alright, that's enough! Not another word from you. I'm not letting you have your way here any longer. You're not going anywhere this time for your own good, you hear me? You'll kill yourself if you continue like this!"

Deep bellows echoed from the morinfen, its movements turning much more erratic and desperate, and soon after that came an unusual burst of flame, located right where Yang was. Ruby's gut instinct kicked in again. She had never seen her do something like this during training either, and as the moments passed it became clear that she was overdoing it. Stopping the morinfen from attacking was one thing, but this… With how fast the morinfen flew, Blake had to reduce her rate of fire, not wanting to hit Yang by accident.

Everything seemed to click at that moment. Yang… Had she been planning this even before she got here?

"I have to go." Ruby wasn't about to stand here and do nothing about it. If she couldn't bring the others here, then she could do at least this much. "Yang needs help. I have to go back…"

"No, just stay here! Yang will be fine. She's always boasting about how strong she is, isn't she? She can take care of herself!"

"Just look at her…" Ruby saw Weiss's eyes; even she couldn't deny that there was something to worry about, not after seeing that flame from Yang. "She's using far too much of her Semblance. I have to go save her… I can't let her burn herself out."

"Like you're not doing that to yourself?!"

"I need to go, Weiss." Ruby moved, ignoring Weiss's point, and even tried to get away from her. But her knees suddenly wobbled on their own, her vision blacking out for a moment, and Weiss caught her before she fell face first to the ground.

"Stop! Why are you trying so hard like this? Why do you still want to fight? Can't you see that I'm trying to save you?!" Ruby fought hard to stay awake while Weiss shouted at her; she had almost lost consciousness right then and there. She had never felt so weak in a long time. But whether or not Weiss noticed, there was no mistaking the tears falling down her cheeks. "I know what you're trying to do, so don't think I'm being heartless here. But as much as I want to help Yang, I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself. I'm not letting anyone else die on my watch!"

A giant burst of flame came out from where Yang was on the morinfen's back; a golden fire that appeared to come alive. And in her struggle to fight on and help Yang, memories Ruby hid deep in her mind had resurfaced. Her dreams, desires, and her promises long made and broken… She recalled how she even managed to get here from the mountains to begin with, despite her aching and tired body. One chance. Just one more chance.

Her thoughts went to her mom. Were her final moments also like this?

"Weiss, listen to me. You have to let me do this. You have to let me go." She was greeted by an incredulous look from Weiss, which came as no surprise, and so Ruby simply smiled back. "Please don't be mad anymore. I know what I'm doing, and I'm not taking no for an answer. I'll teleport back to you or Blake, and then I'll think of something…"

"What are you saying?! You can barely fight right now. You don't have to do this! There will be other chances to graduate!"

"Yeah… But this situation we're in is all my idea, and I'll give up everything to save you guys." There was a pause between them; Ruby shook her head. "My mom sacrificed her life for Vale, after all."

Weiss fell silent, taken aback.

"And given what Cale did for me, after what I did to him…"

"…who?"

"I can be just as brave as them, Weiss." Ruby could feel her knees threatening to give out, but her desire to protect her friends kept her standing, along with some other painful memories. "I've always thought highly of my mom. She was a great Hunter, and I wanted to be just like her. But how can I honor her memory if I ran away from this? Because there was a time when I actually did. And Cale… He tried to…" Hot tears fell down Ruby's cheeks. "He still chose to be there for me, so I'll be there for you guys too. Because I now know what I should have done back then…"

Ruby's rose petals had been floating around since she blinked back, but now they drifted wildly in the air, and the blade of her weapon Crescent Rose gleamed in the sun. She had already decided. With her pain starting to fade away somewhat, it was as if her body knew as well. Ruby prepared herself. She was given one chance to see things through, and there was no going back.

Weiss's eyes widened. "Ruby, no!"

"I'll see you later." And with that said, Ruby vanished, leaving Weiss by herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You're really making this difficult for me, you bastard!"

Everything ached in Yang's body as she ramped up her power, breathing heavily as she bordered on the edge of overextending herself. But this was with her bandages still on. She had decided not to take it off at the last moment, and wanted to rely on her normal strength instead. She had hoped that there was no need to go beyond, as foolish as that sounded now in retrospect. The thing was, this morinfen's red form was much stronger than any of them could have anticipated. It refused to submit, even against her attacks plus Weiss's frost weighing it down, and Yang found simultaneously attacking while holding on to the Grimm to be getting harder by the moment.

"C'mon! Go down already, damn you!"

Yang did a cross slash attack, her flames hitting its wings, but the morinfen only roared in anger, and it rolled violently in the air in response. Yang almost released her grip because of it.Things weren't going to plan at all. She wracked her head for any other techniques she could do to turn the tide. But as she did so, a piece of her right arm's bandages had ripped itself off.

Yang gnashed her teeth. She was giving it her all here – giving up speed, endurance, and everything else, just to maximize her attack – and it hurt that her strength still wasn't enough. She didn't want to resort to this if she could help it. But did she really have a choice now?Unwanted memories came crashing to her mind.

Even now you still can't control your power, can you? I'm not surprised.

…I can still fight! Why don't you come closer and I'll show you!

Why? So that I can look down on you more? You can't even get on your knees, much less stand up.

Damn you! Don't mock me!

I'm just telling the truth. It's your own power that's looking down on you. It knows better than to follow your commands. It might even kill you the next time you use it, just to put you out of your misery.

And where did you even get that idea?!

Believe what you want. But don't say I didn't warn you. Anyways, I'll be seeing you tomorrow. Maybe we can still make something out of you yet.

Yang hated that woman's smug face with a burning passion, but what she said to her was true, as much as it hurt to admit it. She never did manage to master her power, that unusual quirk of her Semblance that she managed to keep hidden from those outside her family. The last time she used it, it almost killed her. Perhaps this time it would finally finish the job. But at the same time, she wasn't going out alone.

Sorry guys. I guess it couldn't be helped after all. I wasn't strong enough.

She prepared herself. She wasn't attacking anymore, but being behind the morinfen meant she wasn't being attacked either, and that gave her the opening she needed to unleash her Semblance's true power. Stabbing Embercleave through Weiss's ice and deep into the morinfen's hot skin, with her right hand outstretched and holding her weapon, Yang ripped away her bandages.

But I'm a Xiao Long, and we're going to win here, no matter what.

She scattered her torn swathes to the wind, leaving behind her scarred arm – multiple ones that went down from shoulder to knuckle – that was in sharp contrast to the rest of her body. Yang smirked upon seeing it. Her right arm was best kept hidden away from other people's view. But now that it was unsealed from its binds, it was easier now to draw the true strength of her Semblance, and in doing so her aura changed color from yellow to gold.

Yang quickly gathered power. This time her eyes were redder than those of any Grimm. Now grasping Embercleave with her left hand, her right was free, and a golden spark ignited.

She channeled, and a geyser erupted from her right arm. A big snakelike form – a living flame with a gaping maw at the end – complete with a hissing noise that rivaled the morinfen's. A gold dragon, looking just like those mythical creatures of Mistral, radiating an intense heat that made the morinfen's seem cool. It moved on its own despite her efforts to control it. Yang's flame appeared to be hunting for something as it continued to slither in the air, and with her unable to move as a consequence of all this, the only thing keeping her from falling was her grip on her embedded greatsword.

…I can't even beg for it to attack anymore. Yang closed her eyes, and chuckled dryly at the thought. She had actually regressed. Her flame should still find the Grimm, but what a way to go nonetheless. So, this is it, huh? All that effort I've put in training, and I haven't grown stronger at all. I'm still as weak as ever…

Suddenly she sensed that she was back on the ground, standing steady with Embercleave still in her left hand, and her eyes opened wide.

"Please stop!" Yang turned to find Ruby embracing her midsection. She flinched from the heat from her flaming right arm, while tears fell down the girl's cheeks. Ruby had decided to whisk her away, though it was to a different part of the forest, where Weiss and Blake were nowhere to be found. "Why didn't you tell me? Why are you sacrificing yourself like this?"

"Ruby…" One look was enough to tell Yang that Ruby wasn't doing very well; it hurt to see the girl so anguished and exhausted.

"Don't mind me, I'm fine. I just need to rest a bit… I still have to get our team together and regroup–"

Yang shook her head. "No, Ruby. Don't bother. There's no need for that anymore."

"But–"

"I don't want to do this either. But this morinfen is too strong, and there's no other way to bring it down. But it's ok, this last one will finish it off for sure." Her flame hissed as it finally saw the flying Grimm, which cried out in response. Now on the ground, Yang could only hope her golden dragon didn't decide to start a forest fire first. "…you need to leave now. This thing will kill you too."

"No… I'm not leaving… I'm not leaving you behind!"

Yang sighed. Ruby was struggling to even breathe, and she couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't even move to help her out. Her right arm alone felt like it was trying to rip itself off from its socket. "…I'm sorry I never got to hang out with you more, Ruby. I remember the first time we met. You're actually pretty cool to be with. When you don't space out, that is."

"Stop! Don't say things like that!"

Yang felt Ruby try to do something, but nothing happened, and the girl leaned on her body for support. Yang then realized that Ruby had almost no strength in her. "…you've been pushing yourself hard blinking around, haven't you? And you're not looking at this thing I have either." Yang sighed. "You must be so tired. I'm sorry things aren't exactly going as planned. So please, don't think about me anymore. Just go already. Don't make me have to shout at you like Weiss did, and don't give me that look. Why are you stubborn like this, Ruby? Just go and run away already!"

"No! Because if anyone's going to sacrifice themselves here, it should be me! Just me, and no one else!"

There was raw emotion there from Ruby, and that caught Yang by surprise, so much so that she almost missed her flame starting its attack. There was a sudden tug on her body as the dragon rammed the morinfen – the Grimm screeching as it tried to fight back, clearly put on the defensive – and Yang was sure that her right arm had dislocated itself. She winced in pain, and she looked desperately at her friend; Yang felt she was going to be swept away by her own Semblance. "Please, Ruby! We don't have much time… I can't control this thing at all! Just go! Go, now!"

"I won't let you die, Yang!"

"Ruby, come here! I have a plan!"

That had to be Blake; now that Yang thought about it, her aura shots had stopped ever since Ruby put her on the ground. The next thing she knew the faunus was on her left, panting hard from running. Ruby had teleported her again, Yang realized. But that meant she dragged along her flame too. As large as it was, it was still connected to her, and that meant that it was taken out of its fight with the morinfen. Clearly annoyed by the disruption, the dragon turned to stare at them, and roared with its fiery maw agape.

"Damn it, Yang! Next time tell us if you have something like this in your pocket!" There was a cold fury in Blake's amber eyes. Her black Semblance pulsing, she then reached for Yang's left hand, and placed her own left hand on top of it.

"…wait, what are you doing?!"

"I'll help you focus it!" Blake's voice thundered with authority, something completely opposite of how she usually acted. Blake went behind Yang, and put her right hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Ruby, do what you can to…" But Blake's words trailed off upon seeing Ruby's condition – kneeling on the ground, the girl could barely even stand up now – so she turned back to Yang. "Just trust me and concentrate on controlling that thing, Yang!"

Yang did what she could to stop her dragon from killing them, which meant that she ordered it not to do so in her head, yelling in her mind as hard as she could. Her flame didn't budge at the very least. Her history of commanding it had always been weak at best. Why was Blake even suggesting this to her to begin with? Glancing at Blake, Yang saw that she had her eyes closed, silent and frowning.

Her worries were cut off by the morinfen's shriek. It was more injured than she thought, with ichor running down its wounds. She found some small solace in realizing that her dragon went beyond her expectations. But with her dragon refusing to do anything else to protect them, the morinfen appeared to have realized their helplessness, and so it flew straight towards the girls.

A yell echoed from somewhere, and Yang found Weiss frantically running towards them from their left flank. She almost tripped as she rushed, her rapier outstretched with her Semblance ready to go. No doubt ready to create an ice wall to protect them as soon as she was in range. But she was still some distance away. Was she even going to…

"…Weiss…" Yang heard Ruby whisper, and then there was a burst of rose petals.

Next thing that happened, Weiss was a few feet in front of Yang, and Ruby collapsed, her Semblance vanishing as her weapon fell out of her hands.

Yang's eyes widened. She remembered Weiss summoning her ice wall, crying and cursing at the Grimm hurtling towards them, and the morinfen roared at the sight of her frost. She made it just in time. Her wall protected them from a raking swipe, but the Grimm wasn't done yet. It started clawing at the ice now, with Weiss giving it her all to maintain it. With its injuries clear for everyone to see, the morinfen glared at Yang with its red eyes, as if knowing that she was the true cause.

Yang then felt something, and saw that Blake's black Semblance was now making its way through her, ultimately coalescing with her Semblance. Her dragon grumbled and stirred; it was now a swirling torrent of black and gold fire. From her corner of her eye, Yang saw Blake open hers.

"Do it, Yang! Attack now!"

Yang looked at the morinfen tearing through Weiss's ice wall, and she instinctively commanded her dragon to attack. To her complete shock, the living flame on her arm actually did so, roaring as it went straight for the Grimm. Utterly taken by surprise, the morinfen could only muster little resistance, and it howled upon being torn apart by the fire. The carnage was truly something to behold. This was Yang's first time in seeing a real display of her power – a black and gold dragon of death was literally coursing through her right arm – and she was left stunned at the sight.

The morinfen's core flashed, and an overwhelming light erupted.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Please be ok, you guys… Please…

"Ruby! Are you alright?"

Ruby groaned as she felt someone carefully cradle her, and she saw that it was none other than Weiss. She immediately wanted to talk – to console her friend and wipe away her tears – but Ruby felt pain everywhere in her body, and her head wound that Jaune healed had opened up. She managed to say one word. "…hey…"

"You're alive…" Weiss let her tears fall, sniffling as she smiled. "Don't talk. You're really hurt, so save your strength."

Ruby slowly nodded, as much as she could do so. She had hurt herself teleporting Weiss, but it couldn't be helped. They wouldn't have made it had Weiss not been there in time to shield them, so Ruby did what came naturally to her, and it ultimately gave Blake and Yang the opening they needed to win. She couldn't witness the deathblow, having collapsed facing the wrong way, but she heard that dragon's triumphant roar and saw the light radiated by their final attack; she didn't really need to guess what happened after that.

The dragon was gone now, and Ruby looked again to where Blake and Yang were, both having been thrown off a fair distance after making their attack. She had been hoping that they were ok, and it looked like they actually were; Blake was lying on her back, but her condition didn't seem critical, while Yang was sitting on the ground beside her, caressing her scarred and now wounded right arm. They appeared to be talking to each other despite their injuries though, and that was good enough for Ruby. She breathed a sigh of relief. All three of her friends were safe.

"Ruby, look." Weiss moved, helping Ruby along, and the latter found that the morinfen was on the ground, nothing more than a smoldering corpse. "Your plan worked. We won."

"Yeah…" Ruby whispered, breathing deep. They finally won. Having defeated a Class Two Grimm with some hidden powerset with just the four of them… Her plan actually worked. And Jaune's team was surely bound to be here to help them at any moment, recalling Nora's signal. Everything was going to be alright. She struggled to smile. "…heh, I guess all of you pass. Good job…"

"Shh…" Weiss shook her head. "You'll pass too, ok? But don't talk or even think of that right now. You need to rest as much as you can, and we can talk about anything you want once you've healed up. Jaune and the others should arrive anytime now, and…"

Ruby suddenly felt lightheaded, no longer hearing Weiss right, and she realized why. With no more danger around them, her adrenaline had vanished, leaving her even weaker than she already was. She fought to stay awake upon feeling her condition deteriorate. But as she struggled, an incredible surge pain came up on her chest, causing a severe coughing fit. She doubled over, causing even more pain to herself, and her coughs threw specks of blood on Weiss's white dress.

Ruby's arms went limp, unable to wipe the blood from her lips. Weiss was wailing right beside her, but all she wanted to do now was to go to sleep. She was dying, she was sure of it. Yet compared to having faced death twice before, feeling fear both times, she didn't think that this one would be so peaceful, like sleeping in a soft, warm bed.

"No, no, no! Stay with me, Ruby! Please!" Weiss cried and begged and screamed, frantically searching for something she could do. "Blake, Yang! Help!"

Tears fell down Ruby's cheeks too, as her silver eyes began to glaze over. No strength left to even talk. She couldn't become a Hunter in the end, but at least she got to save her friends, and she had no regrets in doing what she did. It was only right, after all. She just returned the favor Cale did for her back in Patch, during that fateful night…

Ruby closed her eyes.