Ruby watched the snow drift out the window as she sat on the steps of the stairs. Light from the shattered moon filtered into the estate. She tugged her cloak closer around her before peaking around the corner.

Weiss and Blake were asleep next to the fire, Yang was sleeping on the couch, and Maria and Oscar were sleeping on the other couch. The fire sputtered and crackled in the fireplace, casting a pale glow across the room, and causing the shadows to dance on the walls.

Ruby looked away, and got to her feet, going into the nearby room. Qrow sat by the window, leaning back in a chair as he stared out into the night.

"Storm cleared up. Should be safe to leave in the morning." He said.

"That's good, right?"

Qrow kept staring out the window, his hand opening and closing. "I don't know. I've got a bad feeling about this place, kiddo."

Ruby looked out the window, watching the snow drift with the wind. The well stood out from the white sheets blanketing everything, its dark stones catching the moonlight. Her limbs felt heavier, the fatigue from a day fighting and hiking finally catching up with her.

She shook her head, looking away from the well and at her uncle, the fatigue fading back to a manageable level. "Are… are you doing okay, Uncle Qrow? With what Jinn told us?"

Qrow didn't answer for a moment, his hand opening and closing as he stared out the window, at the well. "Get some sleep, Ruby," he finally said.

Ruby nodded at him and left the room.

She went to the fireplace, and fed some more tinder to it, stoking the flames. Blake mumbled something in her sleep and turned toward the flames. Ruby chuckled quietly and went to the pile of blankets they had found, grabbing one for herself.

She lay down near Weiss and Blake, wrapping her cloak and the blanket tightly around her, the wooden floorboards chilly. She closed her eyes and turned her back to the fire.

Maria sat up on the couch, hearing it squeak beneath her. She couldn't smell any smoke, and the air felt colder. Fire must have gone out, whoever was keeping watch must have fallen asleep too.

She tugged herself free of her blankets and grabbed her scythe from where it rested next to the couch. She slid it against the ground in front of her, the wooden floor cold against her feet as she left the room.

Her scythe hit something, and she lifted it, hitting something else. Steps, she was at the stairs. She started to climb them, tapping her scythe to feel for the next step. She reached the top, and she slid her scythe to her right side, feeling for the doors. When the Schnee girl screamed, it had sounded like it had come from the back right room on this floor.

She eventually felt her scythe hit a partially opened door and she moved the door open with her scythe, feeling her way in. Holes in the floor from buckshot, and-

She grimaced, feeling the dried blood beneath her foot.

She continued, her scythe hitting something near the wall. She went up to it, running her hands over it. A dresser. She opened the drawers, rummaging through each of them.

A single Chill wouldn't be able to kill an entire farm like this, they can only attack one person at a time, and only by touching a new person. They wouldn't all die in their sleep like this.

She grunted in annoyance and shut the dresser. Nothing. She moved to a different part of the room, finding a nightstand. She opened it and felt around. Her fingers ran over a leather binding. She moved her fingers, feeling paper between the leather. A book.

She pulled it from the nightstand, grunting a bit at the hefty weight of it.

She turned, leaving the room, and heading back down the stairs.

No way to know if this is what I'm looking for, for right now. Best to wait for those kids to read it.

The world was nothing but snow and ice. Ruby's cloak flapped behind her as the wind gusted.

She took a step forward; graves springing out of the snow one either side of her. Shadowy figures rose from the graves, staring, watching, their red eyes filled with hate.

She kept moving forward, graves springing up with every step, the ghostly shadows watching her. The world grew colder, and darker as she walked ever on, the red eyes of the ghosts glowing in the gloom.

After an eternity of walking, she reached the end of the world; a snowy cliff where a single grave rested.

Salem stood before the final grave, her black robes whipping with the wind. Salem tilted her chin up, her red eyes glowing. "What are you going to do, Warrior?"

Ruby drew her scythe, struggling to heft it up, the blade coated in black blood as it sprang out. Her scythe grew heavier and heavier in her hands, the blood coating more and more of her scythe. She could hear whispering, millions of voices that she could not understand as she stood before Salem. Ruby tried to speak, unable to find her voice, the whispering voices growing louder than the wind.

"I'm going to stop you," she said after finally finding her voice.

Salem chuckled, and she held her hands out. "Can you really finish what your ancestors started?"

Her scythe drooped in her hands, crashing into the snow. It was hard to hold, slick with so much blood.

"You know what is really going to happen when we meet." Salem said.

Ruby felt herself shoved to her knees, shadowed hands tugging her down. She felt several hands grab her head and force it up, forced her to look at Salem as she approached. Salem held out a hand, a glyph materializing, and a sword springing from it.

Salem stopped before Ruby, the tip of the sword resting in the snow. Ruby stared up at her, unable to move, unable to struggle. Salem raised her blade, resting it against Ruby's neck.

Salem swung her sword.

Ruby bolted up, gasping, her skin clammy. Her heart thudded against her chest as she tried to steady her breathing, her breath misting out.

The fire had gone out, and light from the mid-day sun filtered through the curtains. Blake and Weiss were clinging to each other beneath their blankets, and Yang was curled up on the couch. She pulled herself free of her blankets and wrapped her cloak around herself as she left the room.

Her nose wrinkled, and her brow furrowed when she found Qrow. He was asleep on the floor, an empty bottle of vodka on the chair. She stepped around him and grabbed the vodka bottle.

Her fingers curled around it as her grip tightened, disgust filling her. Her lip curled and she turned, throwing the bottle, glass spraying out as it shattered.

Qrow jerked up, grunting. He rubbed at his eyes, sitting up. He blinked a few times, his red eyes dull as she looked between her and the shattered bottle. Realization finally hit, and his lips parted. "Oh," he said quietly.

Ruby fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around Qrow. "You don't have to do that to yourself, Uncle Qrow. I'm here for you, you can talk to me." She said.

He returned the hug but said nothing.

"Please, Uncle Qrow. I need you right now, I don't want you drinking like that."

Qrow patted her back. "Alright, kiddo."

Ruby grunted, helping Qrow push the trailer through the snow. Weiss was hunched over at the back of Bumblebee, a small red glyph over her fingers. Yang stood behind her, watching with disinterest.

Weiss stood up and backed away from the bike. "Done," she said.

Ruby stopped pushing, the trailer resting behind the bike. Qrow moved away from the back of the trailer, walking toward its tires. He rested a foot on the railing, resting his arms on his knee as he looked at the bike.

"Just need to hook it up, and-"

The trailer slumped, air hissing from one of the tires. Qrow took a breath, rage flashing through his red eyes before he exhaled. He stepped away from the trailer, walking past Ruby and toward the house.

"Uncle Qrow? Where are you going?"

He didn't look back at her as he spoke "Away from here, so you can get that stupid thing set up." Qrow walked past Blake, Maria, and Oscar, who were sitting on the porch. He paused and set a hand on Oscar's shoulder. "You grew up on a farm, right? Can you fix that for us?"

Oscar shrugged in response. Qrow pulled his hand from his shoulder and went into the house.

Qrow slammed the door behind him and slumped against it.

Stupid fucking semblance

He took a breath, held it, and exhaled.

Have to let Ruby get it all set up, or else we're never getting out of here.

would that really be so bad?

He looked aside at the shattered remains of the vodka bottle. He felt himself move away from the door, walking down the hallway, and toward the bar.

The candles sputtered in their sockets, casting the room in a dim red glow. The various bottles of vodka were red in the light, looking more like wine. The door to the cellar was wide open, and the sputtering red light crept into the darkness of the room.

Illuminating the cellar door, and its thick iron chain.

Qrow stared at the cellar door, his gaze remaining on it even as he felt himself moving toward the vodka.

i'm a curse upon this world, nobody would miss me if i stayed here and drank myself to death.

He grabbed the closest bottle from the shelf, and finally looked away from the cellar doors. The blood red vodka swished around in the bottle as he moved it around, eying it. He pulled the lid off, and set it to his lips, closing his eyes.

You don't have to do that to yourself, Uncle Qrow. I'm here for you, you can talk to me.

He opened his eyes, pulling the bottle away.

Please, Uncle Qrow. I need you right now, I don't want you drinking like that.

He sighed, and set the bottle back on the shelf, turning away from it and starting to walk away. His limbs felt heavy, and he stifled a yawn as he left the room, going to the room with the fireplace. He sat down on the couch, wrapping a blanket around his shoulders.

Can't cause much damage from here, I guess.

Ruby bit her lip, watching Qrow slam the door behind him. Yang slumped down, sitting in the snow, and setting her back against the well.

"Feels like the universe really doesn't want us getting to Atlas," Yang said.

"It's just a flat tire, we can-"

"A flat tire after a snowstorm after a train crash after being attacked by Grimm. Legion might not be here dicking us over directly, but they must really be laughing at our misfortune." Yang said with a sigh. She ran a hand through her hair, her purple eyes dull and unfocused. "I'm just tired, Ruby. Of everything."

"I am too," Blake said, her ears pinned back. "I'm tired of fighting, of struggling just to get by, and for what?"

"We all signed up for this when we went to Beacon."

"I signed up to help the world, and make amends for my time in the Fang, not delay the inevitable."

Blake's amber eyes looked so dull as she stared at Ruby, like there was no life behind them. Weiss cleared her throat, and Ruby looked over at her. Weiss was rubbing her wrists.

"I know you told me that you think we can defeat Salem and fix all of this, but…" Weiss looked at her, her icy eyes vacant. "Why are we even trying to stop her?"

"Weiss?"

"Wouldn't it be so much easier to just give up? To stop struggling and fighting?"

"Weiss, we can't do that, we have to fight her."

"Why?" Yang asked, standing up. Ruby looked at her sister in shock. "Salem destroyed Beacon, she nearly destroyed Haven. Ozpin thought the Relics would be safe in their Vaults but they're not, Salem found them easily." Yang motioned toward the well, her hand barely moving. "If we just throw that thing down the well, she won't ever find it. We can go back to living a normal life and stop struggling. Salem won't be our issue anymore."

she's right, why fight it?

Weiss and Blake joined Yang's side, staring at her with their lifeless eyes. The three of them turned together, their gaze on the well. Ruby felt her head move with theirs, lethargy washing over her body as faced the well.

i can't beat Salem, none of us can, why am i even trying?

She felt her feet stumble through the snow as she approached the well, her hand slowly moving to the Lamp. She unhooked it from her belt, and held it over the well, her arm shaking from the strain of holding it in the air. She couldn't see the bottom of the well; the darkness seemed to stretch far into the ground.

no one will ever find it

no one will ever find us

She felt the Lamp start to slip from her grasp as she turned her hand. She stopped, cocking her head to the side at the white bracelet around her wrist. Why did that seem so familiar?

White hair, kind blue eyes, a long scar over pale skin.

I don't know how we're going to fix all of this, or how we'll stop Salem, but I do know one thing. We can do it, together.

Ruby tightened her grip on the lamp, closing her eyes and exhaling, the lethargy she had been feeling slipping away, strength returning to her limbs. She pulled her hand back-

And red eyes stared up at her from the bottom of the well.

Ruby screamed, losing her balance, and falling into the snow, the Lamp flying into the air. Ruby yelled, springing to her feet, trying to grab at the Lamp as it fell into the well.

The Lamp faded into the shadows of the well. The red eyes were gone. All that looked back at her was abyssal darkness.

Ruby flinched, jerking back as Yang placed a hand on her shoulder. "See? Not so hard, was it?"

Ruby swatted her sister's hand away, taking a step back, her eyes darting between the rest of her team. "There's something down there! We need to get it back!"

"You must be seeing things," Blake said.

"You must be really tired," Weiss added.

"Why don't we go back inside, and get some rest? We all need it" Yang finished.

"What is wrong with you three?!" Ruby yelled.

"Nothing is wrong."

"You just need some rest."

"Aren't you tired?"

Ruby backed away from them, bumping into the edge of the well. She glanced down it before looking back at her team. They stared at the well vacantly, their heads sagging, and their shoulders slumped. Blake wasn't shivering. Ruby swallowed, gripping the edge of the well.

"If you help me get the Lamp back, we can get some rest. Does that sound good with you?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

Ruby looked down the well, the darkness looking back. She took a breath and jumped into the well.

Maria poked Oscar with the end of her scythe. The leather book from last night rested in her lap.

"What do you want?" Oscar asked.

Maria pulled her scythe back and held out the book. "I need to you to tell me what this is."

"A book."

She shoved it against his arm, eliciting a grunt. "I know that smartass, I need to know what's in the book."

She heard Oscar sigh and felt him take it from her. She heard the leather creak, and the pages turn.

"It's… a diary."

Perfect

"Find the last entry. Read it to me."

Freezing cold water splashed around her as she landed. She could feel and hear water gurgling past her calves, but she couldn't see at thing. She pulled out her scroll, flicking on the light. Faded and decaying bricks surrounded her, forming a tunnel. She heard, Yang, Weiss, and Blake land behind her, grunting as they landed. She looked behind her shoulder, running the light over them.

None of them flinched at the light, their pupils not dilating. Ruby's hand shook, her throat dry as she turned away from them, and started walking through the waterway.

"The Hunter says that I have been struck with a bought of madness. Ha! He speaks as though madness is not the greatest gift. It has heightened me, in ways no other man could comprehend."

"For without madness, how else could I come upon the realization of how to save this dreary farm? To put an end to the Chill that stalk the very shadows of our crops? Is it truly madness, my dear Hunter, to wish to see an end to the misery that they so bring? To prevent others from knowing the bitter reality of burying one's love, and yet ever hearing their voices calling from where they are buried?"

"I embrace this madness, for it shall save this farm. While down in the tunnels that rest beneath the well, I swam, and swam, and swam, until I found the source of our water. A diversion of a river, that cut through the snow like a black snake. Oh, dear Hunter it was there that I found them, what you call my madness, the creatures that will save us all."

Ruby reached a hand behind her, gripping Crescent Rose's handle. A pulsing, tarry, black like substance was coating the walls, bits of bone sticking out from the tar. The water grew deeper the further they went, up to her knees now. She turned her light, illuminating a tunnel. The walls were completely covered in bones and tar.

"Where is it?" Ruby whispered.

"Maybe if you turn your light off, you'll see the glow?" Blake said.

Ruby hesitated, eying the walls before she flicked off the light.

Darkness enveloped her, and she stood still for a moment.

In the distance, down a different tunnel, was a flickering blue glow. Ruby allowed herself to smile and rushed ahead. She gasped, water splashing as it deepened, reaching up to her waist.

She slogged through the water, starting to swim when it reached up to her shoulders, shivering as the black, ice-cold water soaked her. She turned down the tunnel the blue glow was coming from and saw the Lamp.

It rested against the tar; a ribcage illuminated by its glow. She swam toward the Lamp, reaching out and grabbing a hold of its handle.

"The Apathy."

Burning red eyes opened in front of Ruby. The bones in the tar began to move, more and more eyes opening and glaring at her.

Ruby screamed, splashing backwards as the horde of Grimm separated themselves from their cocoons, reaching toward her with their long, boney claws. She bumped into something behind her, and spun around, screaming at the Grimm rising out of the water behind her.

"Ruby?!" Yang's cry echoed down the tunnel, fear dripping from her voice.

The Grimm grabbed a hold of her, yanking her beneath the water. Water filled her mouth as she screamed, dozens of red eyes peering up at her as the Grimm dragged her further and further into the darkness.

A flaming arm cut through the water, bubbles hissing around Ruby as it latched onto her cloak, yanking her free of the Grimm and out of the water.

Ruby sputtered as Yang pulled her onto a glyph. A trail of them lit up the tunnel; Weiss and Blake stood in the shallow part of the water further down. Ruby latched the Lamp to her belt as Yang hoisted her to her feet.

Ruby could hear clicking all throughout the tunnel as she ran; the sound of bones crunching and someone trying to scream through a crushed throat. Yang rushed past her, water splashing into the air as she ran between Blake and Weiss. Ruby ran past them, and heard them start running after her, the light from Weiss' glyphs fading.

Red eyes lit up on the walls around them as they ran, the Grimm starting to pull themselves free of the walls. The water grew shallower the further they ran. She could see a dim beam of light filtering down; the well.

Several shrieks cut through the air, and Ruby collapsed, hitting the ground, and rolling to a stop. She groaned, her fingers twitching, every part of her body heavy.

"Get up!"

Ruby struggled to lift her head, the water stinging her eyes. Maria stood in the light; her scythe extended.

Ruby grunted, struggling to her feet, fighting the lethargy. She grabbed Yang, pulling her to her feet, seeing Blake do the same for Weiss. They started to run toward Maria.

Ruby gasped, Grimm funneling into the tunnel behind Maria. Maria spun around, growling, before turning and running down a tunnel on the right. Ruby followed her, the Grimm's clicking filling the air.

The stone walls were replaced with cocoon the further in they ran, darting into new tunnels at every large Grimm swarm they saw peering at them from the darkness, their clicking following them every step of the way.

Ruby surged past Maria, sliding to a halt. The floor, ceiling, and walls were all coated in the tar like cocoon, bits of machinery covered by it as well. A staircase led to the ceiling, a wooden door at the top of the stairs. Red eyes glared out from the walls and ceiling, the Grimm pulling themselves free and creeping toward them with outstretched claws.

Yang shoved past her, sprinting toward the stairs.

The Grimm shrieked, and Ruby fell to her knees. Yang slipped, and hit the stairs, groaning as she lay on them.

itfeelssogoodtogiveup

tojustlaydownanddie

thisiswhatsbestforme

Ruby grunted, trying to move her arms, to crawl, to get away. Maria was struggling to walk, leaning against her scythe for support. Weiss and Blake were on the floor.

"Blake…Weiss…we need… to move." The Grimm slinked from the hole in the wall, a mass of red eyes and skeletal bodies. Weiss rested her head against the floor, and Blake stared at Ruby, her eyes glossing over and growing dull. "Blake! Move!"

The Grimm's claws latched onto Blake's legs, beginning to drag her into the tunnel.

"BLAKE!"

Ruby's head pounded, her vision filling with white. The Grimm screeched in agony, and Ruby swayed, her vision clearing, the world blurry before she shook her head, her vision returning to normal.

Blake and Weiss gasped, getting to their feet, and sprinting toward the stairs. Ruby staggered back, her head swimming as she bumped into the stairs. She could hear a chain rattling as her team pressed against the door.

The Grimm shrieked, and she fell, her teammates grunting as they hit the stairs.

idontneedtoworryanymore

theylltakeallthepainaway

She closed her eyes, hearing the clicking grow closer. A pair of hands clasped her head, and she sighed.

"Ruby. What color are your eyes?"

Ruby's mouth wouldn't move, her body too tired. She forced the words out, her tongue heavy in her mouth. "Sil…ver…"

"Do you have a family? Friends?"

"Y…es."

The hands moved down her head, covering her ears. The clicking grew muffled. "I want you to think about them, Ruby. Don't think about the Grimm, think of those you love, those who love you. Think of how you feel about them, and how they feel about you. Focus on that feeling."

A white cloak and cookies made with love. A doting sister with the brightest smile.

"Life is beautiful, it is precious."

Icy blue eyes and the kindest heart. Raven black hair and the driest wit.

"And it must be protected."

Bobbed orange hair, pale freckled skin, and pretty green eyes.

Ruby's eyes snapped open, her vision filling with a white light as she got to her feet. The Grimm were outlined in silver, fear flashing through their eyes as she stepped forward. There was a flash, the light from her vision spraying out in a white fire. The Grimm screeched as the fires consumed them, thrashing around as they were immolated.

Ruby's vision blurred, her head pounding as the white light faded. She groaned, clutching her head. She winced, hearing Yang yell and the doors break open, the metal chain snapping apart. Maria held onto her, guiding her toward the stairs.

Her vision started to clear when she reached the bar room. Yang threw the door open, sprinting down the hallway, Blake following her. Weiss slid to a stop, her eyes going to the vodka. Ruby paused. "Weiss?"

Weiss looked at her and held up the red bracelet. "Don't worry about me. I'm just finishing this."

Ruby hesitated before nodding.

Maria led her down the hallway, the front door wide open. She could see Yang, Blake, and Oscar outside.

Wait

She pulled Maria aside, going into the room with the fireplace. Qrow was asleep on the couch, his mouth hanging open and drool running down his chin. Ruby went to him, shaking his side.

"Uncle Qrow get up!"

He swatted her hand away, grunting. Maria lifted her scythe and slammed the butt of it into Qrow's stomach. "We're leaving you idiot!" she yelled.

Qrow grunted, his eyes snapping open, unfocused, and dull looking. "The fuck was that for?"

Ruby grabbed a hold of him, forcing him to his feet, dragging him by his shirt and out the door.

Oscar pulled the hose free of the tire and looked the tire over. No other holes it looked like, patched the one Qrow caused. Should be good enough to get them out of here. He had already loaded the trailer up with all of their luggage, just had to wait on-

The front door slammed open, Yang and Blake sprinting out, wide eyed and breathing hard.

"We're leaving!" Yang shouted, hoping onto her bike. Her aura arm formed as the engine roared to life.

Weiss grabbed bottles off the rack, turning and hurling them into the cellar. She could hear their clicking, their claws on the stairs. She kept grabbing as many bottles as she could, turning and throwing each of them.

They appeared in the darkness; their eyes glowing as they rose from the cellar. She pulled her arm back-

And the Grimm shrieked.

Weiss felt her arm fall to her side, her shoulders slumping. The Grimm reached out to her, and she felt herself start moving forward, her feet dragging against the wood.

Thisiswhativealwayswantedeternalpeaceandanendtomysuffering

"Can you throw that thing already?" A voice said. Weiss stopped, blinking. "Down here," the voice said. Weiss looked down at the bottle in her hand and saw her reflection waving at her. Mirror pointed up, and her gaze followed, resting on the red bracelet on her wrist. "We both know I'm the only one allowed to psychologically torment you, so throw that thing already and end this."

Weiss straightened up, a snarl forming on her lips as she threw the last bottle, the glass shattering as it hit one of the Grimm in the head. She held up a finger, a line of red glyphs appearing before her.

"Goodbye."

She swung her hand, fire erupting from the glyphs, bathing the room in flames, the Grimm screaming and thrashing. The flames licked the walls, spreading into the bar room. Weiss turned away and ran.

She found everyone loaded into the trailer, and Yang on her bike. She leapt into the trailer, shouting "Go!"

Yang revved the engine, the trailer lurching with Yang's bike. Snow sprayed out as Yang sped away.

Weiss watched the flames spread throughout the house as it grew further and further away.

Ruby rested her chin on her knees, watching Maria. A larger leather book sat in her lap, her scythe resting on the railing beside her.

"They're called the Apathy. They're not strong, physically. But they drain your will to live. They get inside your mind and fill you with negativity. They turn you into their perfect prey, easy to see and easier to eat."

"Out of financial desperation, the head of the farm, Bartleby, thought it would be wise to bring the Apathy to his farm and trap them in the waterways beneath them. To keep his workers calm, and keep them from attracting other types of Grimm, like the Chill. It… didn't go over well, as you saw."

Maria lifted the book in her lap and chucked it behind her.

There was silence, the only sound Yang's bike as it cut through the snow. Weiss started to rub her wrists.

"I'm sorry," she said. They all looked at her, and Weiss shrunk back. "For the things I said. About, giving up, and how we shouldn't try to stop Salem."

"I am too." Yang said.

Blake's ears pinned back as she looked between Weiss and Yang. "It's… hard not to think that what we're fighting for is pointless, with what Jinn told us. You were just saying what we were all thinking then."

"Maybe, but we didn't need to be hearing that then," Yang replied.

Weiss nodded before scooting over to Blake's side, resting her head on her shoulder. Blake rested her head on Weiss', her ears flicking up. "We might not be able to beat Salem, but we have to keep trying." Weiss moved her hand down to Blake's, interlocking their fingers. "We both have something to fight for, after all."

Maria sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I should have known it was the Apathy. The way the farmers had died, the way you were all acting. The signs were all there." She pulled her hand free, letting it fall to her lap. "Guess my mind isn't what it used to be."

Ruby cocked her head, looking at the silver blindfold wrapped over Maria's eyes. "Maria?" She looked over at her, the ends of the blindfold whipping with the wind. "How do you know so much about the Grimm? How were you able to get me to do…that… down in the cellar?"

Maria chuckled, reaching up and starting to undo her blindfold. "Isn't it obvious, girl?" She pulled her blindfold free, and Ruby gasped. Her eyes were completely silver, no pupils, no sclera. "I'm a Silver Eyed Warrior."

I tried to channel some Poe for the diary entry that Maria has read to her. The friendship bracelets were apparently going to be the thing in Ruby's bag in V6E1 and was going to be important to the Apathy storyline before being cut due to being 'cheesy'. I am a fan of cheese and thought it would be fun to include that element in this version of the story.