The sun came shining brightly that morning, a sharp change from the previous months when one would be lucky to catch even a glimpse of it in the sky. Leaning on the balcony, Weiss could feel her skin warming up pleasantly. And if she was able to feel that warmth… then the seasons truly were changing.

It was a silly thought, maybe, but this felt fitting. At last, she felt safe, like everything bad that had been happening… finally, all that was over. The end of winter marked that transition. It was time to move forward.

Hearing a faint shuffling behind her, Weiss turned around to inspect her room, and more specifically, her bed. Winter was moving under the many blankets she had been buried beneath, only her head out in the open. Her eyes were shut tight, but Weiss could see they were moving fast, as if she were in some sort of distress or panic.

"Winter," she whispered, going to stand by her side. "Everything's fine. You're safe," she snuck a hand under the blankets, searching for her sister's own. "I'm here with you."

Finding a hand, Weiss wrapped her fingers around it gingerly and smiled. Winter stiffened momentarily, then at last, her eyes opened. They weren't as blue as Weiss remembered, as if they had somehow dulled while she slept. She wondered if she was imagining things, or deliberately trying to find something to worry about – as if she didn't have enough on her plate already.

"Sister," Winter spoke quietly, her lips barely moving. She looked up at her, then started to move again. "Let me… I want to sit."

"Careful. Let me help you."

Winter rose slightly, letting Weiss pass an arm under her so she could lift her more easily. Slowly, Weiss moved her until she was sitting upright, then guided her so her back was resting against the bed's headboard.

"How… how long did I sleep?" Winter asked.

"A few hours only," Weiss faltered slightly. "But of course, you meant…"

"Yes."

"Months," Weiss answered. "If it isn't spring already, we are surely entering it now."

"What's changed?" Winter shook her head, as if regretting that question. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Weiss smiled, her chin trembling. "It's been… difficult without you. But I've managed. And now that you're back…"

She stopped talking, realizing there were no words that could translate how relieved she felt. Winter seemed to understand, though, as she returned the smile promptly. It was stunning how beautiful she looked at that moment, even as weak and tired as she was.

Weiss pressed her lips together, holding back a sob of happiness. Winter raised an eyebrow slowly, preparing another question.

Weiss was almost relieved to hear someone knock at the door, because as happy as she was about having her sister back, she feared she was about to break down if this moment between them went on any longer.

Mouthing an apology, Weiss moved to the door and opened it. Ruby stood in the hallway, clad once again in her uniform and cloak. Blake was leaning against a wall, with a distant, dreamy look in her eyes.

"Your Highness," Ruby bowed, a little more excitedly than was protocol. "We heard the good news. I'm so happy for you!"

Weiss smiled, closing the door behind her. "Thank you, Ruby. I'm happy too… obviously," she chuckled, then assumed a more serious expression. "How are you feeling, though? About yesterday?"

"Yesterday?" Ruby repeated confusedly, casting a quick glance at Blake.

"Yes. Yesterday," Weiss tilted her head dubiously. "…The burial?"

"Oh! Right," Ruby rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "That thing. I'm fine. Great, even."

Weiss hummed. This was a rather curious response. She looked at Blake, wondering if she would yield any context for that, but she once again looked as stoic as ever.

"Congratulations, Weiss," the faunus said. "I hope your sister recovers well."

"Thank you. I believe Ruby can be very helpful regarding that matter, actually," Weiss turned back to the redhead. "You are the only one with experience on waking up from Fall curses, after all."

"I guess that's true. I'll help anyway I can," Ruby nodded. "I'm going to be around here, anyway, bodyguarding you and being a good friend."

"Thank you. Though the latter is not in the job description." Weiss noted lightly.

"There's a job description?" Ruby frowned.

Weiss shook her head in wonder. Blake looked from her to Ruby, then bowed slightly and turned to walk away.

"It was nice seeing you, Weiss. I had some things I wanted to talk to you about, but that can wait until Winter is well," she looked at Ruby. "I'm going to town to look for Yang. Will you be back home by nightfall, or are you staying here overnight?"

"It depends," Ruby shrugged. "Ask my boss."

Blake looked at Weiss questioningly. The queen put her hands on her hips, making a show of pondering the question, then nodded solemnly. "You may spend the night at home."

Ruby cheered silently. Blake smiled gratefully to Weiss, bent down to plant a brief kiss on Ruby's lips, then walked away.

The queen and her bodyguard stood in silence in the hallway for a long, drawn-out minute, the former just watching in amusement as the latter's face grew redder and redder by the second.

"Well, Lady Rose. I know you move fast…" Weiss smiled mischievously. "But I must admit, this is exceedingly fast, even for you."

"I-it's not a big deal," Ruby said. "Don't make fun of me."

"I'm not making fun. I'm happy for you and Blake," Weiss crossed her arms. "But you should know, the job description of a royal bodyguard is very strict about matters concerning relationships and love. You must be careful not to overly distract yourself on duty. I cannot tell you how many guards have lost their jobs because they were caught forni-"

Ruby whimpered. "I-I'll be standing g-guard here, alright? G-go check on your sister."

Weiss decided to oblige her. She could make Ruby squirm some more, but that would be cruel. She gave her a knowing wink, then turned and entered her bedroom.

Her moment of glee was cut short when she saw Winter still sitting on the bed, her face twisted into a mask of despair and fear. Weiss sped to her side, taking her hand again.

"Winter?" She called, trying to sound calm. "Winter. I'm back. Talk to me."

Winter blinked, her expression softening, though there were still traces of unrest in her. "Weiss…" She spoke quietly. "You are still protected by that girl?"

"Ruby?" Weiss asked. "Yes. She's a friend."

"She's the devil's daughter," Winter corrected, looking her in the eye. "She mustn't… If you can't get rid of her, then at least make sure she stays away from you and me. She will only bring us misfortune otherwise."

"Winter!" Weiss exclaimed, anger coloring her voice. "Why would you say that?! Ruby has always been by my side. She suffered the same fate as you, but she came back and she helped me!"

Winter wrapped a hand around her arm, remaining obstinate. "She's not what she seems. She's like her mother," her eyes wavered. "The devil's daughter."

Weiss's lips parted, her anger fading as quickly as it had come. She sat down on the bed, looking at Winter. How easy it was to forget she had missed so much. She didn't even know why she had been put to sleep, and by whom.

"Winter…" Weiss steeled herself. "There's a lot I need to tell you."

Raven held her hand in front of her face, protecting her eyes from the blizzard rushing at her. Somehow, the wintery wasteland Ruby had discovered seemed to have gotten even worse than it already was. Where before she had been able to make it to her destination, albeit it slowly, now she had to struggle to as much as take a single step.

To make matters stranger, the temperature inside the blizzard was fluctuating wildly. Perhaps she was imagining things, perhaps the decades spent in this surreal dreamscape were finally taking its toll, but she could swear sometimes the snow would feel scalding on her skin, and in the next second, as cold as ice, as expected.

Everything must be falling apart, was the most rational explanation she could come up with. With Cinder dead, all that she had changed and influenced in this land was coming to an end. Raven could only imagine what that entailed, considering how many centuries that witch had lived for.

But there was a bright side to all that. Cinder had had a prisoner, someone she had stopped Raven from helping before. With her gone, Raven could now rescue whoever that person was.

Raven had never considered herself much of a hero. Even in her days of rebellion in Remnant, she had often depended on her companions to keep her on their path of righteousness. Not that she had ever aspired to do evil deeds. But she had a monster inside her - or so she had thought for a long time.

Now… now she didn't need anyone to help her be a hero. And neither did she have someone like Ruby that needed her to be good, so she could give her guidance. For the first time, Raven was being a hero out of her own decision.

And she had to admit… it felt damn good.

The whole world was red, the air rippling like invisible flames. She was connected to it and everyone around her, yet at the same time, so far out of their realm it was painful. The people of Vale, with their fires burning inside them, small, big, gentle, furious, drawn to each other as if to form one gigantic bonfire.

If this was how Cinder Fall had seen the world for all her life, Yang couldn't blame her for going mad. Not when she was so close to suffering the same fate.

Gritting her teeth, Yang turned around and walked away from the cluster of people in the town square, keeping her eyes trained on her own feet. She could feel the heat of others that passed by her, and she had to summon every bit of strength in her to not stop and take them, right then and there.

Whatever taking meant. She couldn't deny there was an urge growing inside her, but for what it was, she had no clue… except that it couldn't be good for anyone but herself. She intended to keep herself uninformed for as long as she could.

She turned a corner and entered an alleyway, deciding it was best that she stay far away from human contact. That included going home, as much as it pained her. She couldn't risk hurting Ruby or Blake, and she didn't want them to see her like this, not because she feared they would abhor her or anything… but just the contrary.

Yang didn't want to be helped. She didn't want to be coddled. Monsters didn't deserve any of that.

She was so immersed in her own little world, Yang never noticed the pair of amber eyes that watched her from above, and the soft footsteps that followed her through every minute of the day.

The bullet sped through the air, hitting the wall far to the side from its intended wooden target, chipping off a bit of the stone. Velvet mumbled something as she reloaded her pistol, her ears pressed to her head in embarrassment.

Coco shot Jaune a quick glance, then sighed and got up from the bench. She walked through the castle courtyard to stand behind Velvet, taking her elbow in her hand to lift her arm, correcting her stance.

"You're behaving like your gun is going to somehow hurt you. That's where your problem is coming from," Coco said. "You control the gun. The gun doesn't control you. Got it?"

"G-got it," Velvet nodded hesitantly. "Also, p-plant my feet on the ground. Stand firm. Right?"

"Exactly. See, you've got it all figured out. You just have to do it."

Velvet breathed in deeply, preparing herself. She raised the gun, aiming it for a long while, and shot. The bullet landed even farther away than the previous one.

"I-I'm sorry!" Velvet exclaimed in frustration. "I can't. I just can't."

"Yes, you can!" Coco crossed her arms. She pursed her lips, thinking for a moment, then decided to air out what she was thinking. "You shot the queen, first try. If you had aimed a little higher, she would be dead. So, yes, you clearly can use a gun, the question is, why aren't you?"

Velvet looked away, hiding the pistol under her arm. "I… I was angry, I guess," she said. "I barely thought of it. There was an opportunity, and I took it," she paused. "I'm not proud of it."

Coco's shoulders slumped. She took a step back, looking at Jaune. He got up and walked to them, smiling slightly.

"Hey, Velvet. Don't worry about it, I know exactly how you feel," he said. "I'm terrible with guns. Even worse than you. But when I saw the opportunity to kill Cinder, I just did it. Sometimes your emotions get a hold of you, and you do things you shouldn't be able to."

"But that was Cinder," Velvet said. "She was evil."

"She was. I don't regret killing her. But killing, or even hurting anyone is not something you can just brush off. It leaves a mark," Jaune paused, his face somber for a moment. Then he looked at her and smiled. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"Yeah, I…" Velvet looked at Coco. "I don't really want to be a soldier or anything."

Coco stared at her, then shrugged. "That's fine. I wasn't going to force you or anything, it was just a suggestion," she said. "I'm sustaining you anyway. You can make up for it by cooking me some nice meals."

"W-what? But I'm not a cook!" Velvet pointed out.

"Better start learning then," Coco said. "Thank you for the help, Jaune. Have a good day."

Velvet waved to him, then was roughly dragged away by her friend. Jaune chuckled, happy to see Velvet had found a good place for herself in the world, with a friend who truly cared about her. There were still faunus slaves in the castle and in other properties in Vale, but this was a sign of good things to come.

Turning around, he unsheathed his own pistol and raised it. He lined it up with the target, narrowing his eyes slightly, imagining he was aiming it at something else entirely, soft flesh between two red eyes…

He missed, obviously. "Heh. Still horrible. Some things never change."

"I disagree."

Jaune jumped, almost screaming as Ozpin suddenly appeared at his side. The general smiled, as if that reaction was the exact one he had wanted.

"W-what do you mean, sir?" Jaune asked, his voice cracking a bit.

"Things do change. You've changed, Mister Arc," Ozpin said. "To think a few months ago, you could barely hold a conversation with anyone. Frankly, that was much worse than your aim. Somehow."

"Thank you?"

"You're humble. That's good, but only so far," Ozpin looked at him significantly. "Be careful not to let opportunities go by. Sometimes you have to rise up and grasp what destiny offers you."

"I don't really believe in destiny, sir," Jaune said. "Yes, sometimes we have no choice about where we end up, but there are always decisions to be made. Stances to be taken. We shape our own destinies."

Ozpin's lips curved into a slight smile. "Then you already understand what I'm telling you," he paused. "I think it's time you hit that target, Mister Arc."

Jaune nodded. He raised his pistol and took aim.

"Winter?" Weiss entered her sister's chamber, looking around curiously. The bed was undone, but Winter was not lying there. Good. It meant she was strong enough to walk on her own.

She found Winter in the balcony, looking at the night city lights. Weiss went to lean beside her, letting herself relax at last.

"Was your day long and tiring?" Winter asked knowingly.

"Are they ever not?" Weiss smiled. "Work is picking up. The nobility is back on its feet, so swiftly forgetful of the atrocity they were forced to commit… And as always, they have a list of demands to deposit on my lap."

"Don't let them get to you. Nobles are like dogs; they bark and bark and bark, thinking they will get their way by doing so, but all you need to do is turn a deaf ear to them," Winter said. "And don't feel guilty about it. That will be your undoing. Pick the battles you know are worthwhile."

Weiss nodded faintly. "I believe prince Neptune is angry at me. At everyone in Vale, even," she sighed. "He is justified, of course. We brought him into a rebellion he had no business supporting, and he almost died because of it. He still feels the pain of his injury to this day."

"He is absolutely not justified in his anger," Winter objected, her voice becoming harsh. "You made a proposal. He accepted, knowing fully what that entailed. And when he became a target, when disposing of him became the safest move for our side, Glynda Goodwitch put her life on the line to save his. Ultimately, that almost led to our ruin."

Weiss bowed her head, grimacing. She felt like a child, listening to her sister speak of matters of state with such wise and experienced words. Weiss' view of the world was tainted by emotions which blinded her to how things truly were. Winter's was as clear as the surface of a lake.

"You are so much better than me when it comes to these matters. You should be the one sitting on the throne, sister."

"You sell yourself short," Winter shook her head. "Were it not for you, I would still be sleeping in the royal crypt."

"Maybe, but fighting Cinder Fall was not nearly as complicated as placating our own allies," Weiss said. "It's much easier to bring people together when you're suffering under the thumb of the same maniacal tyrant."

"Hmm. Well, then," Winter looked down at the city. "If you speak from the heart, if the burden truly is too hard for you to bear… I will ease you of it, as soon as I have my strength back."

"Thank you, sister. But I will always be there to help you."

They shared a moment of silence, Weiss leaning closer to her sister, inspecting her appearance. Her face hadn't got any less pale during the last couple of weeks since her awakening, but there were hard lines crossing it now, as if she were fighting off a terrible sickness.

"Winter," Weiss frowned. "Are you ill? Perhaps you should go back to bed?"

"It's only a slight headache. Nothing to worry about," Winter said. "Besides, I already slept for too long today."

"You mean, longer than usual?" Weiss asked. "Winter, you must tell me these things. If there is something bad happening to you, we must know of it as soon as possible."

"I'm fine," Winter turned her head up, breathing out exasperatedly. "Will it ease your mind if I lie down in bed?"

Weiss shook her head. Winter was not a child. If she thought she was fine, then so be it. If anything happened, there were always people nearby to help her.

She turned to look at the city, following the light of distant torches curiously. Dealing with the nobles was being difficult enough, but she had yet to address the common people. When the time came for that, she had no idea what she would do.

Suddenly, Weiss raised her head, an idea taking form quickly in her mind. "Winter, have you thought perhaps that you are not so weak physically, but more… emotionally?" She asked. "It has been a long time since you've left your room, and besides me and Ruby and Ozpin, you've barely talked to anyone."

"I… suppose you're correct." Winter said, tilting her head slightly.

"Perhaps that's the key to healing you," Weiss smiled. "A party. A big party to celebrate your return and Cinder Fall's demise."

Winter closed her eyes. "That… sounds nice, but… Wouldn't the nobility view that as tactless? I cannot imagine them being very receptive to the idea after all the horrible things that have happened."

"That's why they won't be the only ones invited," Weiss crossed her arms triumphantly. "Nobody will be left out. Nobody."

Winter frowned, following her line of sight to the city below. "That would be… different, certainly," she said. "It's unprecedented. But maybe you're threading a good path here, sister. If that's what you want, go ahead," she smiled. "You are Queen, after all."

Ruby hugged her arms, an intense shiver running through her body. She felt a fierce wind blowing against her, and hundreds of snowflakes melting on her skin. Her eyes opened slowly to a vast whiteness, only the vague silhouette of Raven at her side breaking the monotony.

"Alright," she said, huffing in frustration. "This is just getting annoying now."

"Ruby?" Raven approached, dredging through the snow with great difficulty. She looked her up and down with a strange mixture of relief and worry. "Again. For the fifth time."

"You don't need to tell me," Ruby said, drawing her cloak around herself. "And you're still here."

"Indeed. Just when I start to think progress can't get any harder, the blizzard pushes back with even more force."

Raven pressed her palms together, then separated then, conjuring a small fire to drive away the cold in a small area around them.

"Maybe you should stop, then," Ruby said. "I mean, if you're having so much difficulty getting there… whatever you're gonna find at the end is not going to be any good."

"Oh, there's no doubt about that. It's only a matter of whom it isn't good for," Raven grinned. "No, I must keep going, at all costs. Besides, it's not as if I'm in any real danger."

"You don't know that." Ruby stated somberly.

Raven shrugged. She willed the fire to float on its own, then put her hands on Ruby's shoulders.

"Before I send you back… Have you found Yang? I haven't been able to sense her lately."

"No. Yes. Blake follows her every day, but she never tried to talk to her," Ruby said. "She has a feeling Yang wouldn't appreciate that very much."

"She's probably right," Raven sighed. "Don't worry yourself too much about it. Yang will come around eventually. Now, let me send you back."

Ruby closed her eyes. She felt Raven's power starting to take its effect on her, easing her back into the real world…

"Wait," she said, looking Raven's eyes. "When you get there… When you find out what Cinder was trying to hide… I want to know. I'm kind of very invested after getting dragged here so many times without an explanation."

"Of course. I did not expect anything less," Raven nodded. "Perhaps I can find some way to contact you. And I'll feel safe having you by my side when the time comes."

"Thank you, Raven," Ruby smiled. "For everything."

Ruby sat up in her bed, yawning and stretching her arms over her head. She blinked a few times, her vision slowly adjusting to the faint light illuminating her house. There were the usual candles, but also a small fire in the stove, over which was a pot which Blake was mixing with a spoon.

Being strenuously silent, Ruby stood up and snuck over to the faunus. Smiling mischievously, she wrapped her arms around her belly and leaned her head on her shoulder. "Surprise!"

"Or not," Blake's ears fidgeted slightly. "I heard you coming as soon as your feet hit the ground. Also, that yawn was monstrous."

"Hmm. It's the effort that counts," Ruby said. "What are you making?"

"Soup. With vegetables. At least that's the plan," Blake twisted her nose. "Don't blame me if we end up with something gooey and rancid."

"I don't know what rancid means." Ruby complained quietly.

"A very unpleasant smell."

"Ah. I should borrow some of your books."

"That would be difficult, since I borrow them from the castle library. Perhaps you could-"

Blake stopped talking, her ears perking up. She looked to the door and stepped away from the stove, guiding Ruby towards a wall with the back of her arm.

Suddenly, the door slammed open, and Yang came in, storming right through to the cage at the back. She grabbed the door and closed it, then looked at the two of them fiercely.

"Lock me up," she said hoarsely. "And don't ever let me out."

Ruby brushed Blake's arm aside, stepping over to face her sister. She felt herself shaking as she looked Yang up and down, taking in her tense posture and fiery eyes.

"Yang. You've been gone for two weeks," she said. "Are you alright…?"

"What do you mean am I alright? What kind of question is that?!" Yang exclaimed, wrapping her fingers around the iron bars. "Of course I'm not alright! I'm going mad! I… I almost killed someone today!"

"Wait, what?" Blake took Ruby by the hand and pulled her back a little. "Who did you try to kill?"

"I didn't try, obviously! I didn't get around to doing it, but I wanted to. Well, I didn't, but I did," Yang pressed her forehead against the cage, closing her eyes. "Listen. This is all you need to know. I'm turning into a monster, like when the Moon gets to me. Except now it's every minute of every day. So lock me up, or I swear…"

She cut herself short, a pained grimace twisting her face. Ruby looked at Blake for a moment, then walked forward, evading her grasp. She opened the door and walked in, then closed it behind her.

"You want to be locked up?" Ruby's eyes narrowed obstinately. "Fine. But I'll right here with you."

"Ruby!" Yang grabbed her arms. Her hands were hot, almost too hot, but Ruby didn't care in the slightest. "Stop being stubborn. Get out. If you stay here, I'm going to… I'm going to tear you apart."

"No, I won't leave, and no, you won't do anything to me," Ruby said. "You're not a monster."

Yang let go of her, stepping back until her back hit the wall behind her. She slid down to the ground and lowered her head. "You don't understand. I'm going to hurt you. I'm going to hurt everybody… I'm just like Cinder. I'm a Fall."

Ruby crouched down by her side. "It doesn't matter if you're a Fall, or a Xiao Long, or anything," she said. "You're my sister. That's all that matters."

Yang sobbed, falling towards her. Ruby wrapped her arms around her head and rested her chin on her hair, smiling slightly. She looked up at Blake, still standing at the other side of the bars… and winked.

Blake stood still for a few seconds, then sighed and walked over to their bed. She shuffled around it for a while, then finally retrieved something from under the mattress. Silently, she returned to the door and inserted the key. She shared one last look with Ruby to confirm this is what she wanted, then turned it.

Click.

Finally. Now Blake can run away from Vale, knowing that Ruby won't be able to chase after her. She's free at last. (but that's just an alternate universe, of course)

Sorry for skipping an update. I actually inflicted myself with incredible self-loathing after writing a horrible, horrible take on that first scene. Seriously. I reread the first draft before getting back to work with this story... Dear God. It was so badly written. And while I do feel bad for skipping the update, I sincerely believe that was for the best. I simply wasn't going to come up with anything decent during that time period. Sorry!

Also, every time I think I've nailed down how the last chapters of the story will go, things change. Of Vale Blood is the fanfic that keeps on giving. (except when the author skips an update I guess THAT ROTTEN BASTARD)

Anyway. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. The next one will be up at the expected time, promise.

-Zeroan