Shattered Destiny (ch5)

EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL PATRONS! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

This is where we really begin to branch off from the show. Everyone is in different locations than we knew them to be in during the show, but I'll still be keeping up with essentially what happens to them, to some degree...

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														Chapter 5. Bloodbath

She needed to find her teammates.

She wasn't sure how precise her visions had been, but her gut was telling her to trust them.

She'd seen Blake go down first, followed by Weiss, then Ruby, and finally Pyrrha. So that meant Yang needed to find her partner first.

The last time Yang had seen her teammates, they'd been stunned into horrified silence in their seats in the stadium. But if Yang knew anything, it was that her friends and sister would be fighting these Grimm now, in hopes of saving lives.

But where the hell could they be?

She didn't know why she'd decided to run in the opposite direction from the stadium, but she wasn't about to stop trusting her instincts now. Something told her that her teammates weren't in the arena anymore. They'd probably escaped from another set of exits and were elsewhere, ensuring they didn't trap themselves in an enclosed area to fight.

There was chaos all around her though, and Yang hadn't the slightest clue of where to start searching for them. Grimm were howling and screeching, people were screaming in terror, all against a constant background noise of whirring airships and unflagging gunfire. The Grimm that weren't swooping in with their own two wings were still being dropped out of the sky.

It was a living nightmare.

But Yang knew for a fact it could – and would – get much, much worse unless she found her teammates quickly.

She swerved to avoid an oncoming boar and took cover behind an abandoned food stand. Frantically, she pulled out her scroll. There were no messages, but she tried not to let that worry her.

She swiped to the screen that allowed her to track her teammates via their scrolls. Ruby's wasn't anywhere within range, so she must have been back at Beacon or in Vale. Yang wouldn't consider any other options.

But luckily, Blake and Weiss seemed to be together. Hopefully, that would make her helping them a little bit easier.

And they weren't too far away, either.

She pocketed her scroll and took off once again, firing round after round of bullets and punches as she went, breaking canine jaws and avian beaks alike.

Strangely, it was almost easier to keep her cool during all of this panic and disorder. Security breaches and Grimm attacks were things she'd handled several times before. She'd rather deal with this than the potential deaths of everyone she cared about.

With a good general idea of where Blake and Weiss should be, Yang kept running. She only ever engaged with the Grimm if they instigated her first, or if there was someone nearby in dire need of assistance. But for the most part she focused on running and on searching.

However, somewhere along the lines, she realized Grimm weren't her only enemies anymore.

Mingled amongst the herds of bloodthirsty monsters were people. But they weren't trying to kill the Grimm. They were trying to kill other people.

Yang's heart screeched to a halt as she recognized the masks of the White Fang.

/So they're in on this too? Damn it!/

She would've loved to take out every last one of them. But there were too many here, and she'd have to go through a few dozen more Grimm to get to them.

Besides, she needed to stay focused on her main objective. She needed to find Blake.

For now, she felt the other huntsman and security personnel could handle the citizens' safety.

She didn't stop running, but a poignant chill ran up her spine when she thought about how her partner might react to having the group she'd formerly associated herself with here at their doorstep now, amidst all this turmoil.

Yang didn't know how much time she had left. She didn't know how much time Pyrrha - or any of them - had left, for that matter. For all Yang knew, her mother could very well be on her way to kill Pyrrha right now, before anyone else could.

She still had so many questions: Why Pyrrha? Why now? Who was behind all of this?

But answers would need to wait.

A particularly boisterous battle scene came into her line of sight. Several masked people were charging at a lone huntress, but while she was outnumbered, they were outmatched.

Yang felt a surge of relief rush through her at the sight of her partner.

But the White Fang members clearly weren't so thrilled.

There were five of them, all shooting at her. Even from here, Yang could hear them spouting curses:

"Traitor!"

"You'll pay for your treason!"

"Throwing yourself at the humans' feet! You've got no dignity left anyway!"

"You should thank us for killing you!"

Blake didn't retaliate. She only utilized her clones and her abilities to fend them off, effectively knocking one unconscious and avoiding the blows of the other four.

With a final burst of speed, Yang reached her partner's side and punched out a Faunus man who'd been sneaking up on her. Blake gasped and whipped around, the shock in her eyes quickly fading into relief.

"Yang! You're here! H-How did you-"

"I'll explain later!" she said quickly. "Where's Weiss? I saw you guys together on the tracker just now."

"She went off alone so we could cover more ground." Blake replied, then engaged in combat with two of the White Fang members again. Yang took on the other one, once more using her worry to fuel her rage.

/Shit... Now I'll have to go find Weiss after this. But I've gotta focus on Blake first!/

As she fought, she tried to remember what she'd seen in her dream. How Blake had met her end in those visions.

/It was... a sword-/

"Ah-!"

Yang had just finished twisting her opponent's arm back until it snapped when she heard her partner scream. Whirling around, she scoured the area for her.

"Blake?!"

Yang feared it had happened when her back had been turned, that she'd allowed Blake to be murdered just a few feet away from her.

But when she spotted Blake, she was still standing, and the blood splattered on her clothes clearly wasn't her own. But she was frozen in place, rooted to the ground, her eyes wide in horror.

Yang flashed her eyes to the person she was looking at.

A tall, dark-clad man in a red-lined mask emerged from the surrounding chaos. He treaded slowly, calmly, as though he were going to meet an old friend for lunch.

Blake's defenses were down. She was in shock, too terrified to move. She was utterly petrified.

Yang knew who this man was long before Blake rasped his name:

"Adam...?"

He laughed cruelly, and unsheathed a long, crimson blade.

"Hello, my darling. It's been a while."

He was advancing with a threatening slowness, but even so Blake didn't budge.

Part of Yang wanted to shout out to her to move.

But then she realized her own position. She was behind this man. If he was entirely focused on Blake, then maybe she could-

"Argh-!"

A hard blow struck the back of her head, and she crashed to the ground, dirt and grass smearing her face. A heavy boot smashed down on her spine and pinned her.

"Not so fast, girly," the White Fang subordinate laughed. "Now you get to see what Adam does to traitors. He's been searching for that one for a looong time. Bet he'll make it slow."

Yang spat and tried to shove herself up, but to no avail.

"Damn it-! Blake! Get out of here!"

"Oh, not so fast," Adam said cooly. He paused just a few feet away from his old partner, then turned to look down at Yang. She couldn't see his eyes through the slits in his mask, but even so another chill shot up her spine. He grinned at the sight of her, defenseless in the mud. Then, he directed his attention back to Blake.

"They way I see it, you've got a few options here, my dear." He began circling Blake like a vulture, dragging his sword in the dirt, carving a cage of a circle around her. "First, you could try to run. See how far you get. You've always been a coward."

He spat the word, and Yang watched as Blake flinched and staggered back, hugging herself as she began to tremble.

Again, Yang attempted to free herself, but was met with another kick to the back. Adam paid her no heed and simply continued to speak.

"Second, you could try to oppose me. But then I'd have to subdue you and make you watch what I'll do to your pretty friend over there."

He nodded to Yang, and she snarled back at him.

"Try it, you bastard! I'll break your fucking neck!"

"Oh, feisty, isn't she?" he said, stepping in closer to Blake. He raised his blade to her chin and let it run lightly along her skin. She could only stay still, like a lamb headed for the slaughter. "I like them with a bit of life in them," Adam went on. "You used to be that way. That's what I loved about you, Blake."

Yang raised her voice once again.

"Shut up, you bastard!"

"Hey!" Adam rounded on her, but addressed the man restraining her. "Could you keep her quiet? I'm speaking."

"Yes, sir!" With his answer, Yang's captor silenced her with a brutal kick to the face this time.

Blake broke out of her trance for a second to call out for her.

"Yang-! Adam, stop it-!"

"Oh? You really like her, don't you? Then you wouldn't do anything to make me hurt her, right? You'd have to watch the whole thing, after all. You never were one for violence, Blake."

He stepped closer now, and Yang's stomach churned with acid as Blake was forced to let him reach out and touch her face.

"Your third and final option," he went on. "Would be to-"

A sudden roar cut him off as an Ursa trampled its way towards Blake's exposed back.

"No!" Yang closed her eyes, fearing Adam would feed her to it.

But instead, one red slash of his blade killed the monster on the spot, and its corpse dropped to the ground and disintegrated. Clearly, he wanted the pleasure of killing Blake all to himself.

"As I was saying," he continued. "Your final option is to let me have you. I'll do as I please with you, my love. I'll take my time. I'll show you what I do to traitors. And I'll let your new partner live. Sounds good, right? Either way, at least one of you needs to die. But this is the only option where both of you don't have to."

He finally stopped pacing, coming to a stop right in front of her. He used his blade to lift her chin once more, and sneered down into her face.

"So... what will it be, my darling?"

Yang wheezed out a breath and forced her voice to work.

"No... Blake-!" She looked up past the blood and the dirt to catch her partner's eyes.

Blake was terrified beyond explanation or description.

Yang could see it in her eyes. Every last one of the old demons she'd been running from all these years had finally caught up to her. There was nowhere left to run. She was trapped.

Blake held her partner's gaze. Yang watched as she slowly shook her head, and the tears started falling.

"Yang... I'm so sorry..."

"Well?" Adam growled. "What's your answer, Blake? One...?"

He pointed his blade at Yang, then at Blake.

"Two...?"

He next pointed solely at Yang.

"Or three...?"

Finally, he pointed only at Blake herself.

Blake flashed Yang one last silent apology with her eyes. Then, she turned to him.

"You... know my answer."

"Blake, no-"

But Yang's plea went unnoticed.

Adam reached out to grab Blake's chin and forced her to look up at him.

"Not good enough, Blake. I want to hear you say it."

As he spoke, he used his free hand to ready his sword. He positioned the blade at the center of her chest. Then, with meticulous slowness, he began to push it forward.

Blake flinched and whimpered, but he didn't stop, even when the tip of the blade cut through her clothes and pushed onward to meet flesh.

"Well?" he demanded. "I'm waiting."

Yang would've rather watched the world burn around her than witness this.

"Blake... no..."

But Blake gave her answer, softly, but surely.

"Take me."

Adam grinned.

"With pleasure."

He pulled back his arm and his blade along with it, then aimed for her heart.

"No..."

Yang writhed violently beneath her captor. Every fiber of her being was on fire now, fury and fear mixing together to form the ultimate adrenaline rush.

"No..."

Her eyes lit up like flames, and her body surged with torrid energy.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

With an outraged cry, she surged to her feet, threw her captor aside, and lunged at Adam.

She wasn't too sure what happened next.

She didn't know if it was her semblance, or her unbridled rage, or something else. But she found herself with both fists on Adam's arm, yanking him aside just as he was plunging his sword forward.

His blade sliced into Blake's side, but nothing more.

In a blind rage, Yang threw him aside with all her might, and the next thing she knew, she and Blake were running.

Her partner was sobbing, breathing heavily as she held onto her wounded side with one hand and Yang with the other. Yang didn't stop running with her, but she did spare a second to look back.

All of the despair and fear that had been coursing off of them both had attracted a large mass of Grimm.

Grimm that were now Adam's problem.

They didn't stop running. Not until their legs gave out.

Yang made sure to pull Blake aside behind another one of the abandoned food stands, out of sight of any Grimm or other enemies.

Blake was clutching her side with both hands now, and blood was oozing out in a steady flow. She swayed and started to lose her balance.

Yang dropped to her knees beside her partner and slipped an arm around her back to support her. She pressed her hand gently over Blake's where they rested on her wound.

"Blake... Blake... hey..." She sniffled a little, then cleared her throat. "Blake... let me see it. C'mon..."

Her partner blinked up at her, her lashes fluttering as though she were being blinded by some bright light. She grimaced and flinched, but slowly moved her hands aside.

"It's... It's not that bad..."

Yang could see that Blake's aura was already beginning to mend the injury. It was long, but not too deep, nor did it appear to have struck any vital areas to be considered life-threatening.

Yang closed her eyes briefly and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Thank god..."

She covered Blake's wound and shared a bit of her aura with her. Blake squirmed in her arms in protest.

"Yang, don't... save your aura... You'll need it..."

Yang knew she was right. This was only the first of many things she still needed to do.

So she cut off her aura, knowing Blake's own would handle the rest.

The world was still in ruins around them. But they took that moment just to wrap their arms around one another, and cry.

"Yang..." Blake was shaking with little hiccups as she clung to her partner's shoulders. "I'm so sorry... He-"

"Hey, it's all right. Don't worry about it, Blake. Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong."

Yang stroked through her hair a few times, feeling for herself as the blood finally stopped leaking from Blake's hip. Her partner choked on a small sob as they parted, her golden eyes distraught.

"Thank you, Yang... You saved my life."

Her words struck a chord within Yang.

She... She'd really done it.

She'd really saved Blake.

She'd changed what she'd seen in her nightmare.

She'd changed fate.

A small, tiny trickle of hope ran through her veins as the realization hit her.

She pulled her partner into one more hug, firm and defiant. Yang savored her warmth, and the feeling of simply holding her, safely in her arms. Alive.

She wanted to remember that feeling.

Because she wanted to feel it again.

No fewer than three more times today.

She eased herself back, and the reality came back to her, flooding all of her senses. The screams and snarls, the scent of blood and fire, the taste of gunpowder and terror...

Yang looked Blake over quickly. The bleeding had stopped now, and although a bit shaky, she seemed all right. Yang herself was rather sore from all the blows she'd sustained, but it was nothing serious.

She had every intention of taking Blake along with her now. If she could help it, she wasn't going to let any of them out of her sight once she'd found them, not until she was sure this was over.

She slipped her arms around Blake and helped her to her feet, keeping her voice low.

"Easy... Blake, did you happen to see where Weiss went? Which direction?" She knew her scroll was dead by now, so tracking was impossible.

Blake thought for a moment and tried to recall.

"She went away from the stadium. Said she was going to help evacuate people once the rescue air ships docked."

"Yeah, that sounds like something she'd do. All right." Yang looked Blake over one more time. "You good?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Let's go find her."

"What about Ruby?"

"...She should be fine for now."

The images of arrows through her sister's chest flashed before her eyes. But then it was Weiss, being shredded apart by claws and fangs...

Yang shook her head. She'd been right about Blake. She had to believe this would go in order. Weiss was next.

So they set off across the burning fairgrounds, headed for the spacious platforms where the airships docked. They shot and sliced any Grimm along the way that they could manage, but didn't allow themselves to get held up.

More students and other huntsmen and huntresses were beginning to appear now as backup, allowing Yang and Blake to move a little more quickly towards their own destination.

Once they'd gotten near enough to the docks, it wasn't difficult to find Weiss.

Naturally, since all of the panicking people were gathering here to board ships to safety, the majority of Grimm were gathering here as well.

Or were at least trying to gather here.

Weiss' glyphs lit up the area in vibrant colors as she darted around from place to place, cutting down every beast she could reach. There were several other huntsmen and huntresses a little ways off, trying to take on the brunt of the monsters. But whichever ones slipped by were Weiss' responsibility.

Dust clogged the air despite all the motion happening. She must've used nearly all of her supplies by now.

Yang could see the heiress now as she pelted through the herds of beasts and sprinkled red Dust through them. A single bullet shot from Myrtenaster ignited a string of flames everywhere the Dust reached. It set nearly ten Grimm ablaze right then and there.

But even before Weiss had finished one spell, she was already casting another, be it ice to freeze them, lightning to strike them, or more fire to burn them alive. She fought with a graceful ferocity, and almost alluring rage in her eyes as she showed no mercy, hellbent on saving as many lives as possible.

But Yang could tell that the Grimm on the ground weren't the biggest problem here.

Nevermores and Griffons were circling around high above, waiting for the ships to take off in hopes they could be attacked in the air and brought crashing down to a deadly demise. When a ship full of people took off, the flying Grimm attacked.

That was when Weiss was forced to leave the ground.

She'd used her Air Step glyphs to suspend herself in midair and climb as high as the winged Grimm were hovering. Then, she'd repeat her fighting methods in the sky, firing more bullets with precise aim, never wasting a single ounce of energy or particle of Dust.

Yang couldn't help but take a second to admire her. This was the girl who'd used to snap and yell at all of them for just about anything they did, the girl everyone said only cared about herself and her reputation.

"Yang!"

Blake's cry pulled her out of her reverie. With Weiss now defending the ships in the air, the Grimm on the ground were beginning to swarm and congest the space where the next crowd of terrified citizens were waiting for rescue.

Yang quickly checked Blake over again, her eyes trained on the bloody wound at her side.

"Can you fight?"

Her partner gave a firm nod.

"I'll manage. Let's go."

They didn't waste another second.

Charging into the chaos, they started firing, gaining the attention of some of the Grimm. They tag-teamed the Alphas and the Majors, just like old times, but handled the smaller species individually.

Whenever she got a second to spare, Yang would glance up to seek out Weiss.

She was managing to fend the Griffons off and keep them away from the ship, but it was almost impossible for her to fight seriously while still trying to maintain the glyphs at such incredible heights. Sometimes, when she was forced to slash or stab at the monsters, she'd lose focus on her glyphs and fall a few dozen feet before she got her bearings back.

Yang nearly had a heart attack every time, and she could imagine the terror was ten times greater for Weiss herself.

But the heiress just kept getting back up, ascending once again to take on the flying Grimm.

She sliced at their wings when she could, but for the most part relied on her Dust. She'd only use it when she was sure she'd land a devastating hit.

She lit two Griffons on fire at once, sending their charred bodies spiraling down to become ash. She froze one wing of a Giant Nevermore, disabling it from flying. It gave a screech as it fell, alerting the people beneath it to flee the area before it crashed. The ice around its wing shattered, leaving the beast helpless for the other huntsmen to finish it off.

Weiss never used more Dust than she had to, and she never missed her mark.

In this painstaking and harrowing manner of fighting, she managed to keep the Grimm away from the ship until it could pick up enough speed and fly off quickly, out of immediate danger.

Weiss even went so far as to keep the Grimm focused on herself to allow the ship time to get away. She jumped about on her glyphs with astounding speed to gather the attention of all the flying Grimm in the area. They gave chase, and before long, she had a flock of a dozen beasts following her every move.

Yang snapped the jaw of the nearest wolf and spared a second to watch.

"What the hell is she doing?"

Weiss must've been running far past her limits now. She couldn't afford to keep up these insane areal stunts like this.

But before Yang could try to fathom what Weiss was aiming to accomplish, her heart leapt into her throat when she noticed Weiss' supporting glyph fade out.

In seconds, the heiress was plummeting down to the ground at breakneck speeds.

Yang was horrified. This wasn't what she'd seen in her visions. This wasn't how Weiss was supposed to die. There were no Grimm beneath her, just open space.

As she fell, the flying Grimm dove and followed her. It all happened so quickly, even before Blake or Yang could scream her name.

About three dozen feet before Weiss reached the ground, she cast just a few more glyphs in order to slow her fall and ease herself down. Behind herself, she put up a repulsion glyph.

The Grimm immediately behind her smashed into it and were sent spiraling back, squawking and screeching as they all collided with one another. The suddenness and steepness of the dive they'd plunged into was too immense for the beasts. They couldn't angle themselves up or away from the ground quickly enough.

The result of the confusion and their vicious pursuit was satisfying to watch, to say the very least.

While Weiss slowed her descent safely, the Grimm went diving down into the ground, necks, wings, and beaks snapping, killing them instantly. They piled on top of one another, crushing the ones beneath them, or stabbing them in the backs with their claws.

Almost every single one of the flying Grimm was killed upon impact when they landed, and the few that managed to scramble up and try to fly away were instantly shot back down by Yang and Blake.

In this manner, Weiss single-handedly took out a large fraction of the flying Grimm in the area, and ensured the safety of the citizens for at least a short while.

Plumes of black dust clogged the air as the mass grave of Grimm began to disintegrate.

Yang was still in awe as she sought out Weiss once more. She was just limping off the last few of her glyphs, staggering and using her rapier for support as she descended.

Yang and Blake rushed to her just as she all but fell off the final circle. Yang quickly opened her arms and caught her, trying to keep her upright.

"Weiss! Holy shit... that was insane," she wheezed.

"I've never seen anything like it," Blake commented, putting a hand on her teammate's back to steady her. "Are you okay?"

Yang could feel the heiress gasping in her arms, trembling beyond her control. But she still managed to right herself, though she couldn't stand on her own.

"Yang... Blake... it's good to see you two," she sighed, putting a hand to her chest. Her blue eyes scoured the area curiously. "Where's Ruby?"

"We're not sure," Blake admitted. "But we think she's okay."

"Thank goodness..." Weiss swayed, and her teammates quickly held onto her to prevent her from falling.

"Whoa, hey! Easy," Yang soothed. "God, you really overdid it, Weiss."

The heiress grunted, as though this was no big deal.

"And where exactly... have you two been all this time? If you'd... arrived sooner... you would've known that this is the third time I've pulled this stunt since all of this began..."

"Third time?" Blake echoed.

Weiss nodded.

"But it seems... that will be the last time... I don't have enough Dust left to deal with the flying types. From here on out, I'll be stuck on the ground for the most part."

"Hey," Yang murmured. "Weiss, that's damn good. You've saved so many people and gotten rid of so many Grimm already."

"Perhaps..." she rasped. "But there are still plenty more people to save... and plenty more Grimm to take care of."

As she spoke, she directed her gaze behind Yang. Another wave of wolves and bears was approaching, following the next group of citizens, huntsmen, and huntresses seeking the shelter of an air ship.

"You're right," she grunted before turning back to Weiss. "But you need to take a breather. Try to stay behind Blake and I. Just take on whichever ones we miss. Don't strain yourself too much more."

The way she said it was convincing enough. She mainly wanted to keep an eye on Weiss and to keep her as far away from the Grimm as possible.

But the way she said it didn't hint at any of that; she just sounded like the concerned older sister she always was.

Blake nodded her agreement to the proposed plan, and Weiss knew there was no point in arguing.

"Very well. I'll stay behind you two."

Yang flashed her a small, appreciative smile. This would make her task a lot easier if she knew Weiss was behind her. Yang wouldn't let a single Grimm get past herself.

As Weiss staggered back a few paces, Yang and Blake faced the oncoming Grimm. They shared a glance, newfound determination sparking in their eyes. Blake must've had the same idea in her head, that she didn't intend to let any Grimm get as far as Weiss. Yang was glad she was here.

They took off running towards the oncoming herd, shooting at the beasts in front to make them topple, and the ones behind them trampled them to death. There was a handful of other huntsman and huntresses, but probably ten Grimm to every person.

As Yang engaged with the first wolf she could grab, she just kept reminding herself that this was only the beginning. There were still so many people she needed to save. She couldn't allow herself to get tired or sloppy here.

She punched, fired, grabbed, twisted. She did everything she could in order to stop every beast she could get her hands on.

She frequently noticed Blake making good use of her clones as decoys to distract the beasts, or to lure them away from someone else. Even though the Faunus girl was injured and shaken up by what had just happened with the White Fang, she was fighting ferociously.

But in spite of Blake's impressive kill count, Yang still kept an eye on her partner, ready to jump in and assist her if something should go wrong.

She also kept stealing glances behind her to Weiss. The heiress got a stray wolf or boar to deal with at best, but never anything beyond what she could handle right now.

But whenever she got a moment to catch her breath, she'd be forced to use her rapier as a crutch again and struggle to stay on her feet. She wasn't exactly in good shape, but she was a lot better off than when Yang had seen her in her nightmares.

Her main concern now was figuring out when and how she would be able to get to Ruby. The Grimm here seemed endless, and there was no opportunity to slip away or try to search for her little sister. She didn't know how much time she had left, either.

She was just debating what to do, all while leaping up to land on an Ursa's back and send a devastating blow to its spine. The beast crumpled beneath her with a roar, and she finished it with a single bullet to the back of the skull.

She was just about to turn and face her next opponent when she heard a cry of distress.

"Ah-!"

Instantly, she whipped around to look for Weiss.

The heiress was fighting off a few Boarbatusk, keeping them back with her glyphs, forming a barrier of sorts around herself. Despite her condition, she seemed to be doing fine.

So Yang scoured the chaos for Blake.

She spotted her partner backing away from several wolves. She'd sheathed her katana and was now shooting single-handedly to keep the beasts at bay. Her other hand had gone to clutch her injured side.

Yang rushed over to her just as Blake stumbled and fell. She caught and steadied her, then fired a round of bullets at the wolves. Yang scooped Blake up into her arms before carrying her out of the fray.

The Faunus girl was gasping in pain, and fresh blood was pooling at her side. Yang set her down behind a pile of debris and crouched beside her.

"Hey, partner. You okay? Let me see."

She gently moved Blake's hand away from the injury. There was still a stain on her clothes from the last time her wound had bled, but Yang could clearly distinguish a fresh coloring now.

Blake got out a response in between gasps.

"It's... not as bad as before... I just reopened a bit..."

She was sweating, and the vicious battle had clearly taken its toll on her. Yang gently reached up and wiped the back of her hand over Blake's forehead to clear away some of the sweat and grime.

"It's okay. You just take it easy now and let your aura heal you up, okay? I won't let 'em get this far."

Blake nodded and leaned back heavily against the debris, closing her eyes. Yang spared the second to reach forward and hug her softly.

"It'll be okay. We'll make it out of this. All of us. Somehow..."

She felt her partner nod against her shoulder.

But then, Blake's body jolted as another gasp ran through her. Yang pulled back instantly.

"Blake? What is it?"

Her partner was wide-eyed in terror, her gaze going past Yang to what was behind her. A single, horrified word tumbled from her lips.

"Weiss-!"

Yang whirled around and was on her feet in seconds.

In hers and Blake's absence, the Grimm had broken through the other fighters and were now attacking Weiss. She was being forced back another step every second, and her barrier of glyphs was beginning to fade.

Yang didn't waste another second before she was charging forward once again, sending a barrage of bullets into the mass of black beasts.

"Weiss!" she cried. "Hold on! I'm coming!"

She'd let Weiss out of her sight, and now the monsters were at her throat. Yang wasn't about to let them get any closer.

Fueled by her rage and her desire to protect someone she loved, she activated her semblance and went wild.

She blazed the Grimm alive, shattering their bone masks and breaking limbs to immobilize them. That was something she'd learned from Weiss earlier. That she didn't need to waste a hundred blows on the entire body. If she could just take out one leg, it would make the beast lame, and from there it was a slow and easy target to finish off later.

For now, her objective was to delay them, not necessarily kill them.

So she broke their legs and forearms one by one, slowing both their advance and Weiss' retreat. Yang fought furiously until the last boar had been pummeled.

Weiss was left barely standing, her entire body shaking terribly just as her glyphs disappeared. Relief was clear in her blue eyes as she caught Yang's gaze.

"Yang... I-"

"Weiss! Yang!"

Blake's terrified scream cut through the chaos and rose above every other sound. Both girls whirled around, fearing she was being attacked.

But that wasn't the case. Blake screamed to them again.

"Watch out!"

But at the very second she said the words, the Griffons poured down from the skies in an areal attack.

Yang cursed and did her best to shoot them down, but it was almost impossible to aim with so many claws and beaks diving at her from above.

"Shit!"

She tried to fend them off and search for Weiss at the same time.

She found her.

But it was a second too late.

A Griffon slammed into Weiss from behind, knocking the exhausted heiress to the ground. Her rapier rolled out of her reach, and before she could so much as try to push herself up, the Griffon was on top of her.

"NO!"

Yang screamed as she desperately tried to make her way over, scorching every monster in her path.

Weiss shrieked in pain and terror as the claws sunk into her back and sides. The black wings began flapping, and the beast lifted her up off the ground.

Yang reached them just as Weiss was being taken into the air. She jumped up and grabbed Weiss' hand defiantly, forcing the Griffon to pause in its ascent.

For a horrifying second, time froze that way. The bloodthirsty beast flapped its wings and beat the air, trying to pull Weiss out of Yang's grip.

Yang stared up at her as Weiss stared down.

She was speechless in her terror. Her blue eyes were wide and ridden with agony and fear, and they said what her voice failed to:

/Please don't let them take me./

Tears started dripping down from her eyes, and they fell onto Yang's cheeks.

Yang felt as though the muscles in her arm were going to tear as she continued battling against the pull of the Griffon. It wasn't strong enough to carry them both away, so if she could just stand her ground-

Suddenly, the Grimm screeched and gave a violent, impatient flap of its wings, then jerked itself upward. Weiss screamed as the claws in her back dragged deeper through more of her skin.

Yang watched as the blood started oozing through her blue dress, and soon it was dripping down in streams along with her tears. She choked as she was forced to watch her teammate's agony play out right above herself.

"Weiss-" she rasped. "I-I won't let go. I won't-"

But the Griffon screeched again and gave a mighty pull. The force of its wings wretched Weiss' hand from Yang's.

And she lost her.

"NO!"

Yang screamed at the top of her lungs as she watched the beast ascend with rapid speed. Weiss was curled helplessly beneath its talons, her blood still leaking down to the ground below.

It was impossible to fire a bullet at it now without the risk of hitting Weiss. Yang caught one last glimpse of the horror in her eyes before the Grimm climbed high into the air.

"WEISS! WEISS!"

Yang stood there, her arm still outstretched to where she'd been holding onto Weiss' hand just seconds earlier. The heiress' tears were still running down her face along with her own.

She was vaguely aware of Blake screaming behind her, but Yang couldn't take her eyes off the sky.

Weiss was nothing more than a drop of white against a massive black canvas now. The Griffon that had her in its talons was soon swarmed by several others. They pecked and scratched at Weiss to torment her.

Then, she was dropped.

Yang screamed again as she watched her teammate plummet through the air while the Grimm followed after her. One dove in to grab her, then tossed her again. The next one caught her by the arm and let her fall again.

They were... purposefully toying with her in some cruel display of victory.

Yang couldn't watch any longer. She pressed a palm to her mouth and felt her stomach heave. She was going to throw up-

"Yang!"

Somehow, Blake had managed to stagger over. Yang looked up to find she was crying, too.

"Blake... I-I let them..."

"No, you didn't," she snapped. "You... you did everything you could, Yang. But there's... there's still something you can do for her."

Past the pain in her golden eyes, Yang saw one final, floundering spark of determination. Her partner reached out her hand and presented Yang with a familiar ribbon. It was the one attached to Gambol Shroud.

Yang wiped her eyes immediately and took it.

The Griffons continued dropping Weiss before they grabbed her again, and as such were gradually getting lower to the ground again. Yang could anticipate they'd soon let her fall to her death.

But for now, they were still playing with their prey.

Keeping hold of Blake's ribbon, she ran.

She ran as she'd done when training with Blake many times before. They'd done this move a thousand times, but it never mattered more than it would right now.

Yang dashed in circles around her partner, and Blake followed her every step.

They went around and around until Yang had gathered up enough speed for the jump.

She only had one shot.

She ran toward the pile of rubble where Blake had previously been hiding. With her built-up momentum charging her speed, she ran towards the debris and jumped off.

"NOW!"

The tension on the ribbon told Yang that Blake was wrenching herself as hard as she could for the toss. Yang held onto the ribbon until Blake gave her cue.

"Go!"

Trusting Blake's aim and angle, Yang let go of the ribbon and was sent soaring high into the air. Wind whipped at her face and hair, ember sparks of her semblance blasting out behind her.

As her vision rapidly adjusted, she could make out the winged black bodies. Blake had tossed her perfectly onto the back of the one that was holding Weiss.

Yang landed rather roughly on its back, and gave a good stomp to its spine. The Griffon roared in fury, and tried to shake her off.

Yang wasted no time in grabbing its wings, quickly suspending it in midair. Without the use of its wings, the beast began to fall to the ground below.

Yang only held its wings for a few seconds before she released them again. The Griffon's descent stopped. But Yang quickly pulled its wings in again, and it started to fall.

In this manner, she caused them a slow, gradual descent to the ground. The beast kept a defiant grip on Weiss, unwilling to let go of its prize.

Yang realized how quiet Weiss was. When she looked down over the side of the beast, all she saw was Weiss' bloodied back, dress, and ponytail.

/Hang on, just please hang on!/

They were only a few dozen feet off the ground now. Yang clipped the Griffon's wings again, allowing it to fall. Blake rushed in, positioned herself beneath them, and gave a nod.

That was Yang's cue to finally finish it.

She raised her boot and brought it down with bone-breaking force on the back of the Griffon's neck. The Grimm shrieked as its claws automatically released their grip.

Weiss fell the rest of the way to the ground, where she was promptly and carefully caught in Blake's arms.

Yang finished the Griffon off by ripping its wings with her bare hands, cracking the bones and shredding the membrane. She gave one last kick to its head before she jumped off. She landed several yards away from her teammates, and the dead Grimm fell close behind her.

Yang needed a moment to calm herself and get her bearings. Her heart was racing, and her entire body was trembling. She'd never pulled a stunt quite like that before.

But she was less terrified of what she'd just done, and more terrified by what she still might find out.

Blake called out for her just then.

"Yang-!" Her voice was choked by a sob.

Yang lifted her face and sought out her partner. Blake was on her knees with Weiss cradled in her arms.

Yang deactivated her semblance and wasted no more time in rushing over to collapse beside them. She reached out for Weiss, and her heart clenched at the sight of her.

Her eyes were closed, her pretty hair and clothes a shredded mess, her pearly skin covered in a million different cuts and bruises. Blood stained almost every inch of her, particularly her back and sides. Her dress and bolero were tattered, revealing bloody claw marks that cut deep into her flesh.

"Oh god... oh my god..."

Yang's voice cracked and broke as she felt another rush of tears well up. She looked to Blake in a panic.

"Is... Is she...?"

Blake shook her head slowly.

"I don't know..."

Blake rested one of her hands over Weiss' chest and tried to concentrate, but she couldn't detect a pulse.

Yang dipped forward and laid her head against Weiss' collar to listen. She couldn't hear anything at first, just her own strangled sobs.

But then, a faint flicker of motion was detectable. Weiss' heartbeat was slow and faint, but it was there.

Yang quickly pulled away and gave Blake a nod.

Instantly, they began to share their aura with Weiss, just as much as they could spare. Blake's own wound had closed up again, but she still needed to preserve her aura. Yang had a bit more to spare, so she allowed it to leak into Weiss' bloodstream.

A few seconds later, she felt it ignite Weiss' own life energy. It was feeble and thin, but it was there.

She kept her hand over Weiss' pulse for a long moment, just to make sure. She could feel it getting stronger and stronger, little by little.

That heartbeat was Yang's indication that she hadn't failed.

Blake was alive, Weiss was alive...

She looked up to her partner, who was wiping her tears of relief away. Yang cleared her throat to get her attention.

"Blake... I've gotta find Ruby. I think she's at the school."

Her partner knew what she was asking.

"You do that. I'll take care of Weiss."

Yang gave a swift nod.

After that, it was only a few more minutes until the next air ship arrived. The other huntsmen and huntresses had managed to defeat the remaining Grimm, and now the next crowd of people was let on-board the ship. A fresh handful of huntsmen and huntresses hurried out to assist in the fighting, replacing the injured fighters.

Yang carried Weiss on-board and Blake limped at her side. There were a few nurses on the ship, and one instantly decided that Weiss needed her attention most prominently. They laid Weiss down on a stretcher and the nurse went to work with the supplies that she had. Blake and Yang stayed close by.

The ship closed its doors just as a Giant Nevermore started making its way toward them. Once they took off, the masses of terrified, crying people started to calm down a little.

There was a brief announcement made at that point:

"Folks, we will be making a brief stop at Beacon Academy to collect the wounded. Everyone please stay on-board and cooperate to make room. After that, we'll be flying to a secure area in Vale."

It didn't take long to get to Beacon from there. The ship was already descending.

Yang looked out the nearest window and could see that it didn't look good. There were fires all over the school, more Grimm, more White Fang...

The ship lurched as it landed, and the doors opened up to let more people on. Yang turned to Blake, who was still wiping her eyes with one hand and holding her side with the other. Yang got her attention quietly.

"I'm gonna go to the school. I've gotta find Ruby."

She pulled her partner into another brief hug. Blake trembled and held her in return.

"Yang... are you sure...? You've been through a lot already. What if Ruby's already safe?"

"And what if she's not?"

Blake sighed.

"You're right. Just..." She eased back and looked into her partner's eyes. "Be careful, Yang. Please."

"I will." They parted, and Yang briefly reached down to touch Weiss' hand. "Take care of her, will you?"

"You know I will," Blake vowed. "I won't leave her no matter what."

"Thanks. And make sure they patch you up a bit, too."

Blake nodded, and pulled her in for one last hug.

"Be safe. Make sure... you and Ruby make it back to us, okay, Yang?"

Yang nodded and gave her one last squeeze.

Then, she left her two teammates, and made her way through the panicked passengers. While more people were crowding onto the ship, Yang was the only one stepping off.

She landed on solid ground, and a familiar scene painted the world around her. Grimm, fire, darkness, the sounds of roaring monsters and crying people.

The ship closed its doors and took off, leaving her behind. Yang watched it go, until it was out of sight.

Then, she turned towards what was left of her school and took off running.

/I'm coming, Ruby. Just wait for me. Big Sis is coming./

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A/N: Oh man. Though it was absolutely brutal to write (and probably to read, too) but I felt very accomplished after getting this chapter in particular done with. Hope you're ready for all that's to come!