Greetings, everyone! All you people fuming at the cliffhangers finally get to be satisfied today. It's the chapter you've been waiting for! (One of them, anyway.) Enjoy!

The sun was a red orb in the distance, the air was becoming cooler, and people were beginning to settle in for the night. Nora sat outside the house she shared with Ren, staring at the sky with troubled eyes. She glanced up as Ren approached.

"It's almost time, huh?" she murmured, her voice uncharacteristically heavy.

"Yes." Ren sat down next to her. "Are you okay?"

Nora shook her head. "What if aren't doing the right thing, Ren? Maybe Ruby's supposed to be alive. She survived the raid, didn't she? Out of all the werewolves we could've run into, it was her we found. And then she didn't attack us. We all thought she was dead, and now we're gonna kill her again. It doesn't feel right." She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them.

Ren wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I understand. It's not just you. None of us are thrilled about this. I'm not even sure if Jaune will be joining us tonight."

"Really?" Nora wiped her eyes, leaning into Ren. The comforting, subtle scent of flowers that always lingered around him soothed her nerves just a little. "What did he say when you told him?"

"Nothing. He just nodded." Ren rested his cheek on top of Nora's head. "I think we should enter the forest tonight with an open mind. Be ready for any outcome. Don't be opposed to adapting to changes, if they happen."

Nora looked up at him. His words were vague, but she knew him well enough to find the meaning behind them. He was ready to let Ruby go if he thought the situation would allow it. She smiled, wrapping an arm around his middle. "I'll follow you and Jaune. That's never failed me before."

Ren smiled at his best friend's simple, trusting nature. "Things will be okay. One way or another." His heart wavered a bit as he watched the setting sun. Though his tone was sure, he couldn't have felt more nervous. He could tell that, no matter what happened, things would never be the same after this hunt.

…

When night fell, Pyrrha and Ruby slipped away from the denning area, Ruby in her old clothes and tattered cloak, Pyrrha naked and ready to change into her wolf form. It had been relatively easy, since most of the pack assumed that Ruby was still being trained.

Also, Pyrrha was beginning to realize that anything that separated her from the rest of the pack was borderline encouraged by Cinder. Any other wolf, particularly an alpha, would normally be scolded for neglecting so many hunts and going off on her own so often, even if the purpose was to train a new whelp. She thought about what Sun had said a few days ago about Cinder allowing Ruby to stay because she'd be a distraction.

Cinder won't miss me when I go, she realized. And she won't shed a tear if both Ruby and I are killed. Then, she'll be free of a new whelp and a potential challenger. She had always told herself that Cinder was above the gossip and politics of the other wolves, but was that really true? Had the years of whispers concerning Pyrrha's destiny whittled down the pack leader's cold, calculating nature? Was it possible that she was afraid, somehow?

They approached the forest's edge and Pyrrha allowed the change to take her, pushing her unsure thoughts aside. She welcomed the moon's rays as they seeped into her eyes and naked skin, drawing out the fur, fangs, and wildness that always lay dormant within. She shuddered with pleasure as the change ended, shaking out her fur with a satisfied sigh.

Ruby watched Pyrrha, feeling only the slightest traces of revulsion. Now that she had experienced the transformation herself, she was more fascinated and awed than disgusted. Every night, it was possible to change their very forms, and all due to the moon's light.

She had once wondered why werewolves relied on the moon for transformations. Pyrrha had explained to her that Beowolves became more active in the moonlight and were at their most vicious when the moon was full. There was also "moon sickness," which sometimes befell humans and Faunus, making them wilder during a full moon.

When the transformation ended, Pyrrha crouched down on all fours, tilting her head at Ruby while lowering a shoulder. Ruby grasped the thick red fur on the back of Pyrrha's neck and hoisted herself onto the wolf's back.

Pyrrha grunted at the weight. Thank goodness you're so tiny. She started off at a trot, feeling Ruby's knees tightening as she moved. Once she was sure that her charge wouldn't slip off, she broke into a run.

Ruby pressed close to Pyrrha's back, squinting as the air whipped at her face. She had never ridden a horse, and imagined that riding a werewolf was significantly harder. She held on tightly with her knees, trying to find a rhythm to Pyrrha's rocking gait. Trees flashed by her and she closed her eyes whenever they came close to hitting one, only for Pyrrha to swerve to the side at the last minute.

After a few minutes of running, Pyrrha stopped abruptly, sniffing at the air. A human was nearby. Her ears twitched, discerning its exact location. Carefully, she crouched down and crept closer, peering through the shadows.

She stopped short just a few yards away from him. He was walking through the trees, looking around frantically, one hand on the hilt of his sword.

It's him, she realized, ears perking up as she caught a glimpse of blue eyes and blond hair. She looked over her shoulder at Ruby, who nodded before sliding off of her back.

Ruby hesitated as she watched Jaune. Why is he alone? Are they going to ambush me before I can say anything? Pyrrha would have smelled more people, though. Taking a deep breath, she called out. "Jaune?"

Jaune, whose nerves had been on edge ever since his departure from Vale, spun around, pointing his sword at the voice. "Who's there?" he called, his voice cracking a little. His arm shook. "Ruby? Is that you?"

Slowly, Ruby stepped out of the trees. She stared down Jaune's sword, swallowing loudly before looking at his face. His eyes were wide and filled with emotions: fear, confusion, indecision, and a slight hint of relief. "Hey, Jaune." She looked up at her old friend and smiled.

In an instant, Jaune felt all of his muscles relax as a sense of calm that he hadn't known since the attack flooded him. After going over every horrible scenario in his mind, after spending days thinking she was dead and hours wondering if she was corrupted, he was standing face to face with his oldest friend. For a moment, he forgot the gravity of the situation and grinned back, lowering his sword. "What, no hug?"

Ruby took a step forward, then froze, eying Jaune's sword. She saw a hurt expression come to his face and was immediately flooded with guilt. "Jaune, I…" She shook her head and stepped back again. "I'm sorry. Can you put that down?"

"Yeah, okay." Jaune dropped his sword, feeling numb. Did she really think I'd stab her in the back if she came over? He thought about the others, who were probably entering the woods right now, and sighed. I guess I can't blame her. "Listen, Ruby. I don't want to hurt you. Looking at you now, I know I can't do it. I just came to warn you that-"

"I know," Ruby interrupted. "The others are coming to kill me, right?"

Jaune winced at how easily she said those words. "Yeah." He glanced over his shoulder. "They don't want to, but…you know how it is."

"Why are you here?" Ruby asked. "You've been taught the same things they have. Why did you come to warn me?"

"Because…" Jaune stared at his feet. "Well, I saw the way you looked that night. No animal or Grimm could have such a human expression. Also…there was the werewolf you were with."

Ruby blinked. "Oh, that reminds me." She looked over her shoulder. "Pyrrha, you can come out. It's safe."

Pyrrha froze momentarily when Ruby called her, before giving her fur a shake, mentally scolding herself. Why are you so nervous? He already dropped his sword. Yet, somehow, she knew that her nervousness had nothing to do with fear.

Truthfully, ever since that night, she had entertained the idea of seeking out the blue-eyed human again. If one could see past her bestial nature, it made sense that more could. Every now and then, she would indulge herself in daydreams of befriending this human and uniting the civilized towns and the wild packs.

Those thoughts had always been mere fantasies, yet here she was, about to meet her human, who she had never truly expected to see again.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward, standing in the moonlight and taking a close look at him. He had grown a lot, so he was no longer small or scrawny. He had a nice, young face that complimented his blue eyes, which looked like they sparkled often with laughter. She felt a small amount of sadness when he instinctively took a step back from her.

Jaune gaped, momentarily speechless. I'm practically nose-to-nose with a werewolf, the part of his brain that had tried talking him out of this venture whimpered. It was just like eight years ago, except that this werewolf wasn't being held by brambles. Also, it was much, much bigger.

If he had any doubts concerning this werewolf's identity, they were removed when it turned to the side, presenting its hind leg to him and pushing the fur back. He saw a scar wrapping around the ankle, left by those brambles years ago.

Ruby watched the silent exchange, her brows furrowing with confusion. "What's going on? Pyrrha?" She looked up at her friend. "Why are you doing that? Do you know Jaune?"

Pyrrha nodded once before looking at Jaune. She cocked her head and allowed a smile to come to her muzzle. She hoped that it was a comforting face.

Jaune swallowed loudly, his mouth going dry as he counted the white fangs lining the inside of the beast's mouth. "Pyrrha, huh? That's your name?" His voice came out a bit higher-pitched than he intended. He looked at Ruby. "I, uh, guess I owe you an explanation." He quickly recounted his story to Ruby, who stared at him in utter shock.

"How did you never tell us about that?!" she asked. "Something like that is huge, Jaune! Maybe people would have started to think differently about werewolves. Maybe-"

"Maybe the Elders would have hung me for freeing her," Jaune cut in. "You know how they are." He turned his gaze toward Pyrrha. "I'm just gonna ask this really quick: Have you ever attacked Vale?"

Pyrrha adamantly shook her head, growling softly to emphasize the point. She locked eyes with Jaune and didn't blink.

Jaune forgot how to speak for a moment as those brilliant green eyes fixed on his. He still remembered how they had looked years ago, like layers of green fire entrapped in two orbs. Now, they were older, wiser, and fiercer than they had been before. He started to tremble, feeling more than a little overwhelmed by this powerful, wild presence.

Ruby noticed Jaune's discomfort. "She wants you to know she's telling the truth," she whispered.

Jaune nodded slowly, unable to do much else under that fiery gaze. "I…I believe you." He felt a flood of relief as the werewolf blinked. He realized that he had spoken the truth. Against his better judgment, he believed this werewolf. Everything he had ever been taught was being turned upside down. The others would never believe this.

The others! "Ruby, we shouldn't be chatting. You need to run! You and your friend need to get out of here before the others get here!"

"I can't, Jaune," Ruby said. "If I run, they'll only follow me. I'm going to try talking to them. It's the only chance we have of saving Blake."

"Blake?" Jaune let out a breathless laugh despite himself. "She's alive too?"

"Yeah, but she's in trouble," Ruby explained. "You see, there are actually two packs in this forest, and-" She stopped when Pyrrha stood on her hind legs, ears perking forward. "Do you hear the others?"

Pyrrha nodded, her lips curling back in a snarl. This would be the moment that determined their fates. If the humans stopped to listen, there would be a chance. If not, only the smallest amount of Dust would spell her and Ruby's doom.

Jaune groaned, turning toward where the red wolf was looking. "Oh boy… Um, get behind me both of you!" He picked up his sword and held up his shield before shouting into the trees. "Hey! Guys! Lower your weapons!"

Weiss's voice immediately responded. "Jaune, you dunce! Stop shouting. You'll summon every wolf in the-" The white-haired Huntress broke through the trees, brandishing her saber. The words died on her lips as she took in the scene in front of her. Her gaze shifted from Jaune to Ruby to the red monstrosity casting a shadow over all of them.

"Weiss, what's…wrong?" Yang stumbled to a halt as she broke through the trees. Her eyes locked with Ruby's. Her breath hitched as those all-too-familiar eyes looked at her, no longer tainted by a wolfish face. Her hands trembled. I can't do this, she thought simply. There's no way I can do this.

Ren and Nora followed closely, also stopping short when they saw the odd trio before them. They looked at Jaune and slowly lowered their weapons.

Ruby's heart pounded as she looked at her friends. "H-Hey, guys," she muttered. She looked at Yang, whose eyes were starting to well with tears. She looked at Weiss, who looked frozen with shock. She looked at Ren, whose face was hard to read but seemed to be contemplating something. She looked at Nora, who just looked confused. She wanted desperately to run over and hug all of them, forgetting about the last few days entirely.

Jaune cleared his throat. "Uh, guys, I think we need to lower our weapons and talk a bit." The others looked at him. "Obviously, Ruby isn't a savage beast. She was just telling me something about Blake when you showed up. Something about her being in trouble, right?"

Ruby nodded. "Yes. It's why I'm still alive. I need to save her." She looked at the ground. "Also, I found out that being a werewolf really isn't as bad as people think."

"Nonsense!" Weiss snapped, raising her saber and taking a step forward. "Jaune, come back over here. She's obviously been corrupted by those creatures. The red one is probably feeding her words! We have to do this quickly!" She looked at Ruby, her lip trembling. "I'll make this quick, Ruby. I promise. I know your soul still has a chance."

Jaune moved to stop Weiss and Pyrrha let out a sharp growl. Yang clenched her fists, eyes darting between everyone as she tried to figure out what to do. Ruby raised her hand before any of them could do anything. A tear trickled down her cheek as she stepped forward, stopping when the tip of Weiss's blade was just touching her chest.

"Weiss, Blake is in danger. Whatever you believe, you won't be able to save her without my help and Pyrrha's." She nodded toward Pyrrha. "If you want to kill me when this is over, you can try to do it then. We've been friends for years, Weiss. I'd take the risk to hear you out if you were the one standing here." Her eyes shone with desperation. "Please, Weiss. Listen to me."

Weiss's hand shook. Don't look at her eyes! Don't look- Her gaze locked on that familiar, gentle, innocent face she had grown to love so dearly over the years. It really was Ruby standing before her, even though her clothes were tattered and filthy.

The Maidens are testing you! she told herself. You have to stay strong! Yet, she still didn't plunge her saber forward.

Winter's words surfaced in her reeling mind. "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."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her hand twitched, but still didn't move forward. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to hurt Ruby. She thought of watching her beloved friend's lifeblood pouring to the ground and onto her blade. She thought of how she would feel every day for the rest of her life, haunted by that image. Slowly, shakily, she lowered her hand.

"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."

Maidens, forgive me. Weiss opened her eyes to see Ruby smiling at her. To see that smile again was so overwhelmingly wonderful, she started to sob. She dropped her saber and stepped forward, throwing her arms around Ruby.

Pyrrha tensed for a moment, trying to see if the human was going to pull a dagger or something out of her belt. When Ruby hugged back and started to cry, she relaxed.

Jaune, however, stiffened. "Uh, Weiss? The Dust vials?"

Weiss immediately jumped back from Ruby, hurriedly checking the vials at her belt before breathing a sigh of relief. "They're all secure." She looked nervously at Ruby. "I almost forgot. I'm so sorry."

Ruby stared at the vials, shivering a little as she realized how close to death that simple hug had brought her. "It's f-fine."

Yang, unable to hold back anymore, dropped her gauntlets and rushed forward to pick her sister up, hugging her tightly to her chest. "I don't have any Dust. God and Maidens, Ruby, I missed you!"

Ruby groaned, her vision going blurry for a moment. "Yang," she wheezed. "Need air…" She gasped for breath when Yang dropped her. "Ugh… Hi, Ren and Nora."

Nora zipped over, hugging her almost as tightly as Yang. Ren settled for a gentle pat on the shoulder while keeping a wary eye on the red wolf.

After a few more minutes of tears and confused smiles, the group finally settled down enough for Ruby to fully explain the situation. The others listened gravely.

When Ruby was done, Yang let out a low growl. "So, Blake's being kept prisoner by a crazy, human-hating werewolf leader who likes killing for the fun of it? Is that the gist of it?"

"Yeah." Ruby nodded. "Pyrrha already said she'd help, but I don't know what to do. Cinder's pack won't attack Adam's pack directly, and we can't lead the Huntsmen in town to them. They'd just kill Blake along with the others."

Weiss folded her hands thoughtfully, still shaking a little with all of these revelations. "I think…we won't be able to figure all of this out in one night."

"Good point," Jaune agreed. "We'll need to plan this together."

"What if we planned things out in town and met with Ruby and Pyrrha on a regular basis?" Ren suggested. "Plenty of Huntsmen are going on solo food hunts, especially now that spring is here. We could go in pairs and come back with deer or rabbits so we don't arouse suspicion."

"Pyrrha's a good hunter. We could give you meat to take back," Ruby suggested.

They eventually decided that Jaune and Yang would meet Ruby and Pyrrha the following day at a clearing a few miles into the forest. It would be during the sunlit hours, so they could easily play it off as a deer-hunting trip.

Weiss looked up at the moon before standing reluctantly. "We should probably go back," she muttered, looking sadly at Ruby.

Ruby, on the other hand, couldn't stop smiling. Her friends hadn't killed her! Better still, they all acted like they just might accept her, wolf nature and all. "Don't worry. I'll see you in a few days."

"I know, but…" Weiss bit her lip and shook her head. "Never mind. I'll see you then." She picked up her saber and walked briskly into the trees.

Yang scooped her sister into another hug. "She's still getting used to this. So are all of us. Take care, sis." She glanced at Pyrrha. "And, um, thanks for taking care of her."

Pyrrha nodded her head, smiling a little. These humans are far more reasonable than I thought they would be, she mused, glancing at Jaune. Perhaps we can all be friends, after all. After we find Blake, I could talk to Cinder, and… She quickly reined her thoughts in. One thing at a time, Pyrrha.

Jaune cleared his throat as he looked at the red wolf. "It was, uh, nice seeing you again." He hesitated before holding out his hand. Pyrrha blinked and let out a loud huff. He jumped in surprise, wondering if he had done something wrong. Then, he noticed a cheerful glimmer in the wolf's eyes. Was that…a laugh?

Still chuffing with amusement, Pyrrha extended her clawed hand, gently grasping the human's. It felt so small and soft compared to hers. Were these really the hands of a Grimm and werewolf killer?

Jaune barely squeezed Pyrrha's paw as he shook it, still trying to reconcile the sensation of pawpads touching his palm and sharp claws brushing his wrist. He managed to return her smile. Is that a smile? I can't tell.

Ruby stepped close to Jaune, hugging him tightly around the middle. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you at first," she murmured. "Thank you so much, Jaune."

Jaune readily returned the hug, nuzzling the top of his friend's head. "Take care of yourself, okay?" he whispered.

Ruby nodded. "I will." She stepped back, smiling at her friends and casting a sad look toward where Weiss had left. Pyrrha crouched down next to her and she climbed on, urging her back into the trees.

The cool night air on her face wasn't enough to push back the emotions rising within her. She bent down so that she was close to Pyrrha's neck. "Do you think we have a chance?" she asked.

Pyrrha, of course, said nothing. The same question was running through her head in that moment. She just continued to run as she tried to sort out her jumbled thoughts.

One way or another, she thought. There's no turning back from the path we've set ourselves on.

And now, we finally reach the chapters showing interaction and development between the humans and werewolves. These will be the meat of the story. As for the people wondering when we'll know what's going on with Blake, don't worry. It'll be a few chapters, but she will get her spotlight. See you next week. Peace out!