Time quickly flew by for the two "Rubies." Their little heart-to-heart seemed to dissolve a lot of the tension from their desperate situation, or at least provide a distraction from it. Despite having walked for hours in the snow-filled middle of nowhere, they were in high spirits. It was much easier for a person to take their minds off the awful moments when they're replaced by moments like…

"So…Gruby," the Reaper squinted.

"Uh, I'm Ruby. You're Gruby," Ruby responded innocently.

"No, I mean I can't get over that name you gave me…Gruby," the Reaper cringed. "I know it means Grimm Ruby, but that just sounds…too edgy. It's got 'grr' at the start. I'm Grimm, but I'm not edgy."

"Okay. How about 'Gruby Grose?'" Ruby teased.

"Ew, no," the Reaper said. "Now you sound like a cartoon dog."

"Oooh! What about 'the Grimm Reaper?'"

"Okay. That's definitely a lot cooler," the Reaper nodded. "No, wait. That one's been taken. Maybe…'Grimm Slayer?'"

It stopped walking when it no longer heard Ruby's footsteps. When the Reaper turned around, it saw Ruby staring at the red sky. It was only now that it realized just how long they've been walking.

"It's getting late," Ruby said nervously. "Guess we better find another place to rest soon."

"Yeah," the Reaper frowned, knowing that this predicament was its fault. "We walked past some thick trees on the way here. If I'm careful, I might be able to—"

"To…what?" Ruby looked at her Grimm counterpart awkwardly. "Gruby?"

"Fear," it muttered, staring past a field of lightly snowed trees.

"Fear?"

"It's in that direction," the Reaper pointed at the trees. "The feeling is…muffled, kinda like a sock in someone's mouth, but there's fear over there. I think there might be other people!"

Ruby's eyes widened. She wasted no time running in that direction, but stopped to see the Reaper walking in a brisk, but much slower pace.

"Gruby, what's taking you? Come on!" Ruby yelled.

"I start fires when I run," the Reaper said with a look of guilt. "What if there is someone out there? I can't risk burning them."

Ruby's attention turned to the wound she got from the Reaper's scythe yesterday; the wound that still hadn't healed.

"And I can't risk letting someone else die because I was too late to do anything…again," Ruby responded in self-judgmental spite. "I'm sorry."

The Reaper moved its arm slightly toward Ruby in a half-hearted attempt to stop her. She was rushing into potential danger without so much as a scythe to defend herself. Deep down, however, it understood why she had to try. To do anything else could possibly be another death etched in her heart. Another person she was too late to save; it understood that feeling perfectly. With sad eyes, it only watched her run forward with her Semblance and followed the trail at a walking pace.

Despite the possibility of danger, Ruby was hopeful to an extent. Any chance of contact with another person was welcome after the past couple of days. With her Semblance, she arrived at a small village in seconds. It appeared mostly primitive, with brick houses to keep out the cold drafts and wooden fences with barbed wires on poles that…really didn't keep out anything, given how dilapidated they are. Even at a first glance, it's obvious that this place wasn't given much upkeep. Ruby's hopes quickly faded…and she yawned. Just looking at this place made her feel tired.

"Maybe it was all that walking from before," she muttered at first, and then called out. "Hello?"

There was no response. Maybe everybody went to sleep for the night. She knew it would be a little awkward to just knock on someone's door in the middle of the night, but two days of eating nothing but wilted berries and tree bark made her desperate. After a moment of hesitation, she knocked on the door.

"Hello? Anybody?" she yelled. No response. This wasn't normal. Did this have something to do with the fear the Reaper was talking about? There weren't any signs of damage, aside from the dilapidated fences.

"Maybe nobody lives there," Ruby assured herself. A larger building stood in the center of the village; an inn called the Ice Flower. On the side of the inn, there was a large rickety sign that read Aisufurawa.

"Eye-soo-fur-ah-wah," Ruby read aloud with awkward pauses. With a shrug, she slowly turned the handle and peeked inside. The counter where someone would check in was in plain sight, but nobody was working. From the looks of the cobwebs, nobody had even set foot in the inn for a while.

"Maybe…they're on a strike?" Ruby unconvincingly tried to assure herself. Things were too quiet for her liking, but that changed when she saw somebody on the other side of one of the house windows. They were too far away for her to single out any specific features, but it seemed like they were waving at her. The details didn't matter to her. It was somebody; that was the most important thing.

With a sigh of relief, Ruby ran toward the stranger. As she came closer, more and more things seemed off with this stranger. When it seemed like they were waving, she noticed that both of their arms were moving, not just one. When it seemed like they were settled in the house, they were actually leaning on the window itself. When it seemed like they were greeting her, their eyes appeared unresponsive and exhausted. And with that, a cold exhaustion came over Ruby as well. Something was very wrong.

She exercised caution and kept a couple feet of distance from the man. At least, she thinks they're a man. Their facial features were… off. She wished she had her Crescent Rose right about now. Just holding that thing takes some of the edge off.

"Excuse me, sir? I'm sorry I'm bothering you so late, but I was wondering if—"

Ruby's request was cut off by the sight of black and sickly claws around the man's throat. He twitched and tapped the window, but barely responded otherwise…even as the claws dug into his skin. Ruby was roused out of her exhaustion and covered her mouth in shock. Even with blood seeping from his wounds, his expression was not one of agony. It almost seemed…beckoning.

The claws quickly tore through the man's skull; bits of his brain smeared on the window. His orifices ran heavy with liquid and brain matter and pieces of his face were ripped off like confetti. The gory bloodshed left Ruby's mind blank for a few seconds until she collected herself…and saw the culprit. It was humanoid in shape, but had a hideous face that resembled a skull and a low-hanging jaw. Ruby recognized it immediately. It wasn't a person; it was an Apathy Grimm.

Another bust through the door near that window, while more appeared from behind the surrounding buildings. They slowly shuffled toward her from all sides with crooked limbs and vaguely human moans.

"Oh my god," Ruby quietly whispered to herself. "I can beat these things. It's just like Brunswick all over again."

Brunswick Farms…That was one little detour Ruby wanted to forget. Sure, it led to Maria teaching her to use her Silver Eyes at will, but what the Apathy did to her, her friends, and her loved ones was traumatizing, to say the least. The ability to drain the energy and willpower of their victims with their very presence made the Apathy more frightening than any fire-breathing kaiju-sized Grimm ever was.

Dealing with them shouldn't be too hard now, though. Ruby only needed to remember three things when pitted against the Apathy: stay calm, find a pack that was grouped together, and think happy thoughts. Just like that, the Apathy in her immediate line of sight were disintegrated by the silver beams. Looking back, it's a little hard to believe they were much of a threat to begin with. Sure, they had nearly killed her once, but that was only because she spent an entire night under their influence and the caverns she navigated were dark and full of spots even a pack could hide in. This time, they had no such advantage. The only weapons they had against her were their sheer numbers and their screams. A village could be overrun from a large enough horde, but if she was quick enough, killing them would be—

Ruby feel to her knees by a noise that pierced her ears and froze her spine. Not quick enough. A single shriek from the other Apathy was enough to make her feel weak. The next pack of Apathy fell just as quickly, but the feeling of weakness only got worse by another shriek. Ruby fell on her arms and just barely caught a glimpse of another pack. Even her thoughts began to slow, and her eyes didn't flash as quickly as she needed them to. A third shriek, and she could barely keep her eyes open. It was no use. There were too many of them surrounding her to disintegrate them all quickly enough. The Apathy's shrieks were so pervasive that even her happy thoughts faded into nothing.

Ruby couldn't focus or think. Her limbs were numb and her face was on the ground. Everything was quiet…peaceful even. There were no worries, no fears, no Apathy, no danger…only quiet. Her eyes were closing. She was about to sleep…until—

"Mommy?"

A young girl's voice roused Ruby out of her lethargy. She slowly pulled herself up to her knees. Was she already too late? She couldn't let it end like this. She couldn't fail. Not again.

"Mommy, get up."

Who was this little girl? She looked and sounded so young; so innocent. The girl wore a little green shirt with overalls, brown skin, and pigtails. Seeing this girl trying to wake her mother reminded Ruby of when she lost her mother. Thoughts of her mother filled Ruby's mind; how she lived…and the absence she left behind when she died. Ruby directed her gaze at another pack of Apathy; the one closest to the young girl. She focused on her mother standing near a gravestone with the words "Thus Kindly I Scatter." Her mother turned around, her face was revealed, and…turned into a skull. All Ruby can think about is that she died. That young girl's calls for her mother ended up morphing Ruby's thoughts of her own mother. The memory wasn't even a happy one now.

She took another look at the young girl, who was kneeled over an older woman that resembled her. That was probably the girl's mother. Behind them, the pack of Apathy closest to the mother and child slowly shambled toward them. Their moaning echoed in the air so hypnotically; it was like a lullaby.

"Mommy," the young girl pleaded, but in a lethargic tone.

"Not now," the mother softly replied. "Mommy's tired."

The Apathy shrieked again; this time, the girl collapsed next to the mother. Ruby desperately tried to hold a happy thought again. She couldn't let anyone else die. She crawled toward them in vain; a final desperate attempt to tell them to run. Their claws reached out to them, just as Ruby's hand reached out to them from afar.

It was here that Ruby completely lost control of her thoughts. The sight of this little girl lying next to her mother made her think of how she used to lay in her own mother's arms when she was so little. The memory was hazy, given how long ago it was, but she could see her mother's smiling face. It was so warm and tender. She heard her voice and felt a perverse calm across her body.

"Good night, my little rosebud."

Once again, there were no worries…only peace. The Apathy in front of her didn't seem so scary. Everything felt…okay.

"Good night…Mom," Ruby muttered with a sweet smile and then…her silver eyes inadvertently shined before they had a chance to close, which engulfed the pack of Apathy.

Ruby immediately came to her senses, as did the people in front of her. A sense of fear and dread crept in her heart. For once, she wasn't too late to save somebody, but it wasn't as if she had triumphed in any capacity. It was an accident. That simple fact made Ruby aware of just how badly she screwed up. She threw caution in the wind and nearly got herself killed for it. The only thing that saved her was an accident. What choice did she have, though? She couldn't relive that moment of "being too late." Not again.

Some of her strength already returned from that pack's disintegration; Ruby was able to stand on her feet. Her attention remained on the mother and child, who still looked exhausted. The mother was more alert than before, but the child was exhausted. Ruby quickly ran toward the two, shambling from the Apathy's residual effects. The mother noticed Ruby and clutched her child in her arms.

"Who…who are—"

"I'm a Huntress. I know you're scared, but I don't have a lot of time to explain right now," Ruby said quickly, not wanting to waste what little time she had. The next choice might decide the fate of these two innocents, and she didn't have a lot of time to think it over. Should she tell them to evacuate the village until the Apathy has been exterminated, and possibly run the risk of them getting attacked by Grimm that might be outside the village while she's occupied? Or should she keep them close by where she knows she can protect them? But what if she fails to use her silver eyes when she needs to? She didn't have the Relic of Knowledge to stop time again.

"Rabenda," the unfamiliar voice of a young boy said. "What's wrong…with Rabenda?"

Ruby found the source of the voice cuddled near the mother. It was another child; a boy with plain clothes and dark skin that matched the others. He looked no older than that young girl, but he seemed tired. Ruby didn't even notice him until now, but that makes three people to protect.

"Rabenda," the mother spoke in desperation. "Rabenda!"

"You've got to leave…now!" Ruby ordered. "It's too dangerous here!"

"But…that light. What—"

"We don't have time!" Ruby assured. "Just get as far away from the village as you can and find help."

"I…I," the mother muttered weakly.

"Mommy?" the boy pleaded. "I'm scared."

The boy clung to his mother's leg, who returned the sentiment and kept him close with one hand and wrapped around her daughter with the other. Despite the newfound understanding of her recklessness and what it nearly cost her, Ruby ventured further into the village in the hopes that there were more survivors. Reluctantly, the family left the remnants of their home behind. With nowhere to go, the three were left to wander aimlessly, but what other choice did they have? They ran.

Unfortunately, it only took a minute for the family to run straight into another pack of Apathy, just outside the village.

"Monsters!" the boy yelled. The mother gasped in fear, clutching her children out of instinct. One quick moment of carelessness and they were already surrounded. Without so much as a chance to flee, the Apathy shrieked and the mother and boy collapsed; her grip loosened over her daughter. Drawing closer, the Apathy had the three all but trapped. Their claws slowly came toward their next victims until…another set of claws intervened.

The one Apathy closest to the family moaned in pain when its claw sank into its skull from behind. Flames immolated its skull from the inside and came out of the orifices of its face; its moans grew louder and more painful. The claws wrenched the Apathy away from its would-be victims and twisted its neck just enough to make it face the very angry Reaper behind it. The Apathy could only emit a single grunt before it had both of its jaws torn apart in one swift motion. It fell on its knees, unable to make a sound, before the Reaper thrust its claw through its skull and dropped its on the ground dead.

From here on out, the remaining Apathy turned their attention toward the Reaper, who kept its movements slow and precise enough to avoid unleashing any flames on the family mere feet away from it. That meant no running and no swinging around the scythe wrapped around its back. It had to keep all its power and anger contained. The result was a much colder and more controlled hatred for the Apathy than the fire and howling it unleashed on the Revenants. No words, no outward emotion, no facial expressions. Whatever it took to prevent a repeat of Ruby's arm burnt to the bone.

The Reaper grabbed the next Apathy by the throat with one claw and its elongated arm by the other. With a vile glare that could make even the Apathy's gaze seem tame, the Reaper ripped the next Apathy's arm off, only to impale its skull with its own claws and toss it aside like garbage. The next one had its pelvis crushed under the Reaper's foot and its legs ripped off before finally having its skull crushed by the same foot. The impact also caused the ground beneath the Reaper's foot to crack.

The mother watched the cold violence with her hands over her mouth. The boy turned his gaze into his mother's shoulder, unable to watch the Reaper's cruelty upon its own species.

It approached the next Apathy with all the drama of a casual stroll, which responded to the Reaper's approach with its signature shriek. A futile effort; the source of the Apathy's power was that of all Grimm. It was negativity; the very thing the Reaper drew strength from. Unfazed, the Reaper grabbed the Apathy by the jaw mid-shriek and snapped it off. With its other claw grasping the Apathy's skull, it jammed its snapped jaw into one of its eye sockets and dropped its body to the ground.

The final Apathy shrieked once again with no effect. The Reaper walked toward its prey slowly; its claws curled inward being the only thing showing hostility. Without taking its emotionless face off the Apathy, it stepped on the other one's skull and slowly pressed down on it with a sickening pop. The final Apathy shrieked again; not with hostility, but terror. Its limbs quivered and its back hunched over; the terrifying zombie-like Grimm was itself, terrified.

With panicked moans and shaking limbs, it backed away from the Reaper in an attempt to flee for its life, but its slow body could only afford it so much distance. Drawing strength from its terror, the Reaper pursued this Apathy with the same stunted speed; with none of the presence of a Huntress…and all of the presence of a silent serial killer wearing a mask in a horror movie.

The Apathy shambled away, moaning and shrieking. Was that its way of calling for help or just the final terrified moments of its life? The Reaper slowly gained on it like a slow and ruthless predator, and the Apathy's movement grew more frantic. It tripped and fell to its withered legs; its body unused to quick movements. With a final shriek of terror, the Reaper grabbed it by the skull. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on the Reaper. The Apathy claim the lives of their victims when they're weak and unable to fight back. The sight of such a creature in the same state was poetic. Even with the memories and heart of a Huntress, the Reaper knew it was still very much a Grimm. Holding its impulses back every passing moment would always take effort. It always had to stay in control, but for now, it could very much let these impulses out.

And so, it sank its fangs on the unfortunate Apathy's face, wrenching the bones of its skull in pieces and spitting them out. This savagery continued when it sank its claws into the Apathy's chest and peeled it open like a banana. For this one moment, it relished the destruction it brought upon the Grimm. It was like relieving stress that was pent up for days. The pleasure only faded when it saw the terrified faces of the mother and boy and watched it the entire time.

When it saw their eyes and felt the fear in their hearts, it buried its impulses once more. Did it lose control, or did it simply choose to let go? What could it say to these frightened people, who it did everything in its power to save? It reached out to them, wanting to help; to comfort, and it took a step toward them.

"Monster!" the boy shouted and pointed at the Reaper.

This declaration wounded it more deeply than any Grimm ever could, but it was true. Deep beneath its copied personality, there was something very terrifying. It turned away and uttered one sentence.

"I'm sorry I scared you."