Oh, I love all the lovely reviewers berating me for leaving off on a cliffhanger. Your reviews give me life. I drink your anticipation and rage with my morning coffee. *sip* I feel that I will be nourished several times before this story ends. *sip* (Aint I evil?)

Seriously though, I hope you enjoy this chapter, as always.

"She attacked you!"

"I was attacking her friend!"

"She shouldn't consider any of those beasts to be her friends, you dolt! It just goes to show how much her mind has been corrupted!"

"But, what if she's still in there?"

"If that's the case, we should kill her now, while her soul still has a chance of being saved!"

Jaune listened to Weiss and Yang argue, nursing the beginning what promised to be a horrible headache. He hadn't said much since the hunt, and wasn't sure if he could think of anything coherent now.

His entire world had been turned on its head, even more so than before. Ruby was alive, but as a werewolf. Weirder still, she was with the same wolf Jaune had saved years ago. He had little doubt that it was the same creature. The green eyes and red fur were all too familiar, and the way it had stepped back and stared told him that it had recognized him.

It remembered me. And Ruby remembered us. This is all wrong…

After the hunt, Jaune's group had returned empty-handed. A few of the other groups had been luckier, dragging in several wolf corpses to be carefully drained of blood before being skinned. Looking at them had made Jaune queasy.

What about Blake? Is she out there too?

"Why didn't she kill herself, though?" Ren spoke up. "She knows that people who are bitten have to die. Why'd she let herself turn?"

"Maybe she didn't have a choice!" Weiss said, throwing her arms in the air. "Maybe she's being held hostage by them in some way!"

"If she's being held hostage, that means she's not just an animal." Yang folded her arms. "We need to find her."

"And do what? Give her bones and keep her in a doghouse in the woods?" Weiss shook her head. "There's no hiding from the truth, Yang. We need to end this."

"I just… I don't…" Yang clutched at her hair, scrunching her eyes shut. She desperately wanted a drink, but didn't want her brain getting any foggier.

Weiss placed a hand on Yang's shoulder. "I know, Yang," she said gently, her voice cracking. "I don't like it either, believe me. I just don't want her to suffer."

"I don't know if I can do it," Yang admitted. "I lost her once already."

"She's still lost," Weiss said firmly. "That hasn't changed. The only difference is that her soul is in our hands. We must do this for her sake."

Jaune stood up and started toward the door. "I need some air," he muttered before leaving. He walked down the streets, clutching his head.

All around him, the villagers were in good spirits, as they usually were after a hunt. Near the center of town, Cardin was bragging about the giant beast he had taken down with his bare hands. One of the pelts had been cleaned and was drying in the sun. It was a gray and white pelt. Jaune found himself thanking the Maidens that it wasn't black.

Don't be stupid, he scolded himself. Blake is probably dead, and Ruby'd might as well be dead. Stop seeing things that aren't there.

The problem was that he had seen things that had been there. He had seen the horror in Ruby's eyes, the sadness on the face of the red wolf. Most of all, he reflected on the fact that none of the group had truly been attacked. Other than a defensive headbutt from Ruby, the werewolves had done nothing. They should have lashed out like cornered animals, but they hadn't.

Jaune came up short, yelping in surprise as he walked into something that looked like a Grimm's face. He realized that it was a werewolf skull that had been put on a stick. He looked around, noticing that he was at the entrance to the Faunus District, and kicked the stick over, giving the skull a look of disgust.

They killed their werewolves. Why can't they just leave the Faunus alone? He walked down the path until he got to where the Faunus community was working diligently on one of the burnt houses. "Hey," he called.

A few of the other Faunus glanced up and nodded before going back to work. Velvet ran over immediately.

"Jaune! How was the hunt?"

"Not too bad." Jaune decided not to mention the wolf skull. "Are repairs going well?"

"They're a bit slow today," Velvet admitted. "Everyone's celebrating the hunt."

Jaune felt a sad smile coming to his face. "Well, hand over some tools. I'm not really feeling like celebrating right now."

…

Weiss knelt in front of the altar of the Spring Maiden, the one she had always associated with Ruby, the one who had always given her comfort in her darkest hours.

The gentle, smiling face of the Maiden offered no solace in that moment. In fact, it almost looked mocking when Weiss looked at the portrait. "Why can't I just mourn her in peace?" she whispered. "Why do you feel the need to test me now of all times? Haven't we all suffered enough?"

The Maiden, of course, said nothing.

Weiss bowed her head, staring at her knees. She couldn't stop thinking of that moment when she had seen her beloved friend's eyes on the face of a monster.

And Yang might not be able to see reason, when it comes down to it. Weiss honestly didn't blame Yang for being hesitant. She wasn't entirely certain if she'd be able to deliver that final blow, especially if Ruby was in her human form when they found her.

After Jaune left, the four had agreed to go into the forest that night. There might still be some signs in the woods to follow, and it was best to get this done as soon as possible. One way or another, Ruby would be given the peace she deserved.

But, what about Blake? Weiss's gaze traveled to the serene face of the Winter Maiden. The candle she had lit for Blake on that altar was almost a stub now. If Ruby got turned, is Blake out there somewhere?

She scrunched her eyes shut, willing the rising tears back. Of course the beasts hadn't had the decency to leave Ruby and Blake's corpses behind. Now, none of their friends would be truly satisfied until they had two bodies. That was the only way to be sure that both souls would be saved.

The Hymn of the Maidens was being hummed by a few of the churchgoers near the back of the pews. Its melody washed over Weiss, giving her a momentary feeling of peace. She took a shaky breath and started to softly hum along.

When the Hymn ended, she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Winter staring down at her. "You're more troubled than usual, Weiss."

Weiss nodded. She wasn't about to tell her sister what had happened, but she couldn't stop herself from asking: "Winter, do you think the Maidens ever test us?"

"Yes," Winter replied immediately. "Every day, we are tested. In our interactions, in our hunts, and in our everyday lives, we always have choices. Making the right ones brings us closer to God and the Maidens."

"How do we know what the right choices are?"

Winter pondered the question for a moment, looking at the portrait of the Spring Maiden. "Well, one can always read the sacred texts for guidance, but they can't account for every situation. I think that we should do what feels right inside. Everyone has a sense that tells them when something is right or wrong, even if the answer isn't clear. It's the same part of you that lets you know when you're in danger, and the same part that judges the characters of others. The Maidens don't expect us to be perfect. If we always try to listen to what we know is right, they will forgive us any mistakes we make."

Weiss listened to her sister's words, her heart relaxing a little as she took in their meaning. She thought of Ruby and took a shuddering breath. This would be a hard decision, but she had to be ready to make it when the time came.

"Thank you, Winter." Weiss stood up and briefly hugged her sister. She bowed once to the altars before exiting the Church.

Winter watched her leave, a confused frown on her face. Weiss hadn't lit any candles for Ruby or Blake during her visit.

….

"Ruby, you need to eat something," Pyrrha said, holding out a piece of meat from the previous night's hunt. "You always need to eat after transforming. It takes a lot out of you."

"I'm not hungry," Ruby muttered. "You can have it."

"I've eaten my share," Pyrrha replied firmly, her eyes flashing like green flames. "I don't want to use my powers to make you eat, but I will if you force me."

Ruby shot her a sullen look, but finally accepted the meat. She hadn't liked the sensation of being on the receiving end of Pyrrha's alpha powers on that first night, and it wouldn't do much for her mood now. She continued to glare at Pyrrha as she took a bite. She felt a moment of satisfaction and exhilaration as the taste of raw meat and blood flooded her mouth. Then, she hated herself for feeling that way.

She hated every part of her monstrous self.

"Ruby, you did better than most would have done," Pyrrha told her. "Most werewolves have absolutely no control when changing for the first time. Another whelp would have at least bitten someone before snapping out of it the way you did." It looked like, in this case, Ruby's fear of werewolves had worked to her advantage, acting as a form of self-control, even when in the depths of the moon's spell.

"I still attacked her," Ruby mumbled through a mouthful of meat. She ripped off another chunk, inwardly wincing as she imagined what Weiss would say if she could see her. Weiss… Another pang of grief went through her and she let out a sob, clenching her teeth to keep food from spilling out.

"Yes, and you probably saved my life." Pyrrha studied her small friend for a moment. "You don't…regret that, do you?" A trace of unease entered her voice. If Ruby were to be given the choice again, would she defend Pyrrha from her own sister?

"Mmph!" Ruby swallowed hurriedly, nearly choking on her meat. "Of course I don't regret that part! You're my friend, werewolf or not!" A small part of her mind, a part that had been getting smaller and smaller over the past few days, scolded her for saying such a thing to an unholy abomination. She pushed the thought aside. "I know now that a lot of what I was taught is wrong." She looked at the ground. "I'm just worried about what'll happen next."

"Do you think they'll still try to kill you if they see you?"

"More than that," Ruby said. "They'll probably try coming after me specifically, now that they know I'm like this."

Pyrrha let out a horrified gasp. "They'd do that? But, they're your friends and family!" Her thoughts drifted back to the blond boy she had seen in the woods. She remembered that young face and blue eyes vividly, the younger and older versions melding into one picture in her mind. She kept going over in her head the way he had looked at her that night. He had looked scared and confused, but not angry or murderous. He had called out to Ruby, probably keeping the smaller wolf from doing something she'd regret. He wouldn't kill his friend, would he?

"You don't understand," Ruby urged. "In Vale, werewolves are seen as being as bad as Grimm. A person who has been bitten gets killed immediately. If it's a Huntsman, they're allowed to do it themselves. Everyone believes that a werewolf's soul is damned. Now that the others know I'm one, they'll be determined to kill me. In their eyes, they'll be saving me."

Pyrrha stared at the ground, a creeping sense of dread coming over her. "If that's true, they may track you here."

"I know." Ruby finished her meat, chewing slowly before swallowing. "That's why I'm leaving tonight."

"What?" Pyrrha gasped. "Ruby, no!"

"You've been so nice to me, Pyrrha. I'd feel awful if you and your pack were hurt because of me," Ruby insisted. "It's better for you if I go, anyway. You've been spending all your time with me instead of your own people."

Pyrrha let out a humorless laugh. "Ruby, during these past few days, you've felt more like 'my people' than the rest of my pack ever has."

Ruby tilted her head. "Huh? Why's that? Don't they like you?"

Pyrrha sighed. "Some do, some don't. Some of them like me too much." Seeing Ruby's confused expression, she shifted her body so that she was sitting more comfortably and proceeded to explain.

"You see, Ruby, I was born on the night of a full moon. That's considered very fortuitous for werewolves, as you can probably guess. It was the moon before the Solstice, what we call the Fire Moon."

Ruby nodded. "We call it the Summer Moon, since it's the full moon before Summer. We have a festival for the Summer Maiden during the Solstice."

Pyrrha smiled. "That's interesting. You'll have to tell me what you humans and Faunus call the other moons. Anyway, it was the same moon Cinder was born under."

"Does that mean something?"

"It shouldn't have." At this point, Pyrrha's voice became bitter. "But, I was born to two alphas who disagreed with many of Cinder's ideals. They were positive that I would grow to be an even stronger alpha than they were. That, combined with my fur color, prompted them to name me Pyrrha. I was given a name to mean fire, just like Cinder. From the moment I was born, my parents were convinced that I would grow up to lead the pack myself."

Ruby frowned, brows furrowing thoughtfully. "I guess Cinder doesn't like that, huh?"

"On the contrary, Cinder generally seems to be the least concerned out of the whole pack." Pyrrha looked sadly toward the outside. "But, everyone else came up with their own opinions. Those who are loyal to Cinder look at me with distrust. Those who don't like the way she leads the pack give not-so-subtle suggestions on how they'd help run things if they were second in command. Even those I'm somewhat close to act submissive around me without realizing it." She thought of Sun, Scarlet, Sage, and Neptune, and how they would always avert their gazes if she looked at them for too long.

"I'm either seen as a threat or a savior. Ever since I was born, I have been placed on pedestals by some before getting torn down by others." She smiled at Ruby. "That's why I was so eager to take you in. You aren't part of these pack politics, at least not yet. With you, I'd at least get the chance to have someone know me as a person rather than a symbol of one thing or another."

Ruby listened to Pyrrha. When it was clear that the older girl was done talking, she scooted over to hug her with one arm. "Well, I think you're a good person." She thought again of how she'd have to go soon, leaving her friend in this lonely state "I wish you could've been born a human. My friends back home would have liked you a lot."

Pyrrha returned the hug, closing her eyes. "I'm flattered by the sentiment, Ruby. However, one thing I'll never regret is that I was born a werewolf. There are times when the transformation and the hunts are the only things keeping me sane." She was quiet for a few minutes. Her mind was in a jumble as she thought about Ruby, her pack, and the human with the blue eyes.

One thing was clear: If she let Ruby go off to be killed, she'd regret it for the rest of her life. In just a few days, this young whelp had become Pyrrha's most trusted friend and companion. She wasn't about to let someone like that go. She couldn't. Entering that numb, lonely state she had known for most of her life would likely drive her mad now. There was really only one thing she could do.

In a resolute voice, she spoke. "Ruby, if you leave the pack to confront your friends, I'm going with you." Her tone left absolutely no room for argument.

….

Jaune packed his supplies as quickly as he could, keeping an eye on the setting sun. He knew that what he was planning was crazy and immoral and would never work, but he didn't care.

"We go tonight." That's what Ren had said to him a few hours ago. Translation: "We're killing Ruby tonight."

No matter how many ways Jaune tried to justify it, no matter how many times he tried to comfort himself, the idea made him sick to his stomach. He couldn't stop thinking about the all-too-human expression he had seen on both Ruby's face and the face of the red-furred wolf. They had known what was going on. They weren't just savage, Grimm-like animals. On some level, they were still people.

Of course, Jaune already knew that. He thought back to that night eight or so years ago, when he had made a deal with a supposed avatar of evil. He didn't know if it had kept its end of the bargain. For all he knew, it had been part of every attack and raid on Vale, and he just had never seen it specifically. Still, the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to ask it personally.

You really are going crazy, he told himself as he slung his bag over his shoulder and left the house, pausing briefly to check his armor. Talking with werewolves, warning them, making deals. You're lucky you haven't been smited by God himself.

He took a deep breath before going into the woods, glancing upwards at the clear sky as he walked. No lightning. I guess that's as good of a sign as any.

Aaand, you'll see what happens during the hunt next Friday. I really do love this system of making a backlog and having an update schedule. In an earlier chapter project in the Generator Rex fandom, I'd just post as I typed. So, there would be times when I'd put up a chapter a day, and others when there would be a month between updates. I think this system works pretty nicely.

I'll see you next week! Peace out.