The pristine white walls felt oppressive, like she was being held in a sterile hospital instead of her own home. She hugged herself, seeing her breath come out in a fog. It wasn't supposed to be this cold. None of the others looked cold, and there were so many of them. She looked around the room, where dozens of people mingled around with each other. They were all rich acquaintances of her father in one way or another, but she barely knew them, if she knew them at all. All of their chatter about things that no longer held importance to her made her feel alone. She wanted to leave and hide away in her room, where she could be safe from the lecherous stares of suitors and the hard, unfeeling gaze of her father.

She took a step forward, cringing at the sound of clanging metal. Looking down, she ruefully glared at the iron shackle around her ankle. It was attached to a metal chain, which was nailed down to the floor by a large spike. She could only walk so far before the shackle would tug painfully on her ankle, forcing her to give up her attempts at escape. There was nowhere she could go. No matter how miserable being there made her, she was trapped there forever. She was nothing more than a poster child for her family's legacy, but nobody cared about how she felt. They never did.

There was a strange fluttering of red interrupting the never-ending white. She blinked, frowning when she didn't see it anymore. It must've been something her mind had made up, being starved for anything involving her friends. They weren't there, as none of them could penetrate a place as guarded as Atlas. Even if they somehow made it, there was no way they could get in the Schnee household. Silent tears began to fall from her eyes as she had to come to grips with the fact that no one was coming to save her.

The fluttering of red appeared again, and this time she was sure it wasn't just her imagination. It danced along her vision, darting between waiters as they bustled to and fro. Her heart started to have hope, which was always dangerous, but she couldn't help herself. She was starting to become convinced that she wasn't just seeing things. Someone was actually there that wasn't just one of an endless sea of snobby assholes. It was her.

"Weiss..." Her name was whispered in the still air, making her whirl around looking for where it came from. She stared hard at the people near her, but none of them seemed to react to it. This gave her pause, making her wonder again if she was just hearing what she wanted to hear. "Weiss..." There it was again, closer this time. She searched around with attentive eyes, but she couldn't see what she was looking for. Being in this room for so long was obviously affecting her mental state.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she knew that she couldn't possibly be making that up. Turning around, her eyes went wide at the sight of Ruby standing there, smiling warmly at her. Crescent Rose was in her hands, a declaration of rebellion against the stuffy atmosphere she was trapped in if there ever was one. She desperately looked around, sure that someone had to have noticed this colorful intruder entering the room, but no one seemed to notice or care. They didn't even give her a second glance.

It could've all been in her head, but she was willing to fall into it all the same. She needed this: she needed her, so badly. Sobbing, she fell into Ruby's arms, hugging her tightly and refusing to let go. If she did so, she was terrified that it would all turn out to be an illusion, and Ruby would just disappear without a trace. Ruby lifted her head up, smiling with tears brimming in her eyes as well. Weiss's arms fell back to her sides, but everything remained the same. Ruby was still there. She hadn't abandoned her.

"Come on, let's get you out of here." Tightening her grip on Crescent Rose, Ruby swung down with a grunt. Arcing the blade, she sliced it right through the chains, cutting through it like butter. Immediately the atmosphere in the room changed. A heavy tension fell on the atmosphere as everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at them. "Shoot..." Ruby bit her lip as she quickly hooked the blade of her scythe into the shackle still wrapped around Weiss's ankle. She yanked forward, and that broke as well, falling uselessly to the floor. "Come on, Weiss. We have to go."

As soon as she said that, the guests descended upon them. They charged with empty stares, seemingly tasked with making sure neither of them escaped that room. Weiss shrieked in fright and Ruby gritted her teeth, rapidly putting her scythe back into compact mode. She grabbed Weiss's hand and darted forward. Red petals dotted the ivory landscape as she pulled the two of them through the crowds. They tried to grab onto their bodies, but Ruby was too fast for them. She kept moving just out of reach, willing herself and Weiss towards the exit. Towards freedom.

Standing at the entrance was her father, his arms crossed and eyes cold as ice. Weiss shivered involuntarily, holding onto Ruby tighter as they closed in on the door. She figured that they'd end up in some kind of a standoff, but Ruby wasn't stopping. Looking behind them, her eyes widened at the sight of dozens of nicely-dressed Atlesians chasing after them. They were caught between a rock and a hard place now, and she was dreading what would happen if they ended up trapped between the two.

"Ruby, watch out!" Weiss screamed and shut her eyes as they were heading right for a collision course with her father. Ruby grunted in acknowledgement, but she refused to change course. If he wasn't going to move out of the way, then she would make him. She lowered her shoulders and rammed into him, but she felt nothing but a cold sensation creeping down her skin. They went right through his body, as if he were a ghost. Before either of them had time to figure out what exactly was going on, they were tumbling out of the room.

Yelping, Ruby lost her grip on both Weiss and her weapon. Crescent Rose hit the ground and skidded a short distance away, while both she and Weiss slammed into the ground. "Oof!" She grunted as she rolled over, landing on her back. Weiss, who had slid along the floor on her side, was up in an instant. Her side ached, but she had to see what was happening. Looking at the entrance, she could see her father staring holes through her with cold, uncaring eyes. Then the door slammed shut, and they were left alone.

They were in a hallway as white as the room they'd just left. There were no sounds now that the door had closed, to the point where it was deafening. Weiss felt trapped again, her legs shaking as she turned around. Relief strengthened her when she saw Ruby standing up, knowing that she was real and she was still there. She walked over to Ruby, holding her hands and squeezing them tightly. Letting go was not an option now.

"What's going on, Ruby? Where are we?" A fog that she hadn't realized was surrounding her mind was starting to clear. It was obvious that this wasn't part of the Schnee Manor, which meant they weren't in the house anymore. Had they even been there in the first place? She wasn't sure if she was dreaming then or if she was dreaming now. They couldn't have just moved from one place to another that quickly. Ruby was fast, but not that fast.

"You were trapped in your own mind, Weiss." Ruby held Weiss close, gently running her fingers through her hair. She'd freaked out when she realized what had happened to her teammates, but having Weiss in her arms alleviated some of her fears. Knowing that she could save her gave her more confidence that they could save the others. "I don't fully understand it, but you, Yang, and Blake were all captured and forced to relive your nightmares over and over again. Another one of Salem's plots." She only knew so much about the specifics of what was going on, but she didn't need to know everything. As long as her friends were in trouble, she was going to try and save them no matter what.

"I..." Weiss frowned, thinking back to what she had been subjected to. What Ruby was saying didn't initially make much sense to her, but thinking back on it, she could start to see it. Now that there wasn't this fog encapsulating her brain, she could see how even in his worst rages, her father wouldn't chain her down in the middle of the ballroom. She shuddered, letting go of Ruby to hug herself again. It had felt so real, though. Even as she took in what Ruby was saying, she couldn't shake what she had just been subjected to. She looked down at her legs, still expecting to see the shackle around her ankle once more.

"I know that must have been terrifying for you, Weiss, and I'm sorry I didn't save you sooner." Ruby put her hands on Weiss's shoulders, making her look at her. Their eyes met, and she could see the truth and determination in Ruby's eyes. "But Yang and Blake are still in danger, and we have to save them. Please, help me..." She wanted to go right now and save them both, but she had no idea what awaited her there. As much as she wanted to take Weiss out of this dreadful place and off to safety, any moments of time taken could end up being fatal. They had to go now, and she knew they would have a better chance of success if Weiss was by her side.

"You don't have to beg me to come with you, Ruby." Weiss laughed, a bit of brevity in an otherwise terrifying situation. "You know you'll always have me by your side." She pulled one of Ruby's hands from her shoulders, holding it reassuringly as she smiled at Ruby. "Now come on. Are we going to go save those two or what?" Ruby's eyes widened, but she was quickly all smiles. Squeezing Weiss's hand, she went over and picked up her weapon, then started to hurry down the hall.

"Follow me, then! We need to get you your weapon back!"

"Hrraugh!" Sweat was forming on her forehead as she punched at her wall. Her fist went right through, placing yet another hole in the drywall. Guilt churned in her stomach as she stepped back and surveyed the damage she had caused. It felt so good to do the damage, though. She looked down at her body, wanting to throw up at the sight of the stump where her arm used to be. It made the fires of rage burn within her body. She needed to damage something, because if she didn't, the only thing she had to ruin was herself.

"Ah, you have quite the temper, don't you?" Yang's eyes widened at the sound of someone else in the room. Whirling around, her surprise immediately turned to dread dropping right into the pit of her stomach. Standing against the wall was Raven, the familiar Grimm mask covering her face. "Those violent tendencies of yours would serve you well with my bandits." Even though it covered them, Yang couldn't help but feel those blood-red eyes staring right into her soul. Seeing that mask terrified many people, but it was what was underneath the mask that shook her to the core.

"Like hell I'd be part of your bandits." She put her arm defiantly on her hip, but it didn't seem to phase Raven. The way Yang's legs shook gave away the truth: she was scared. It wasn't supposed to be that way. No one was supposed to be scared when seeing a parent, but she was. She'd known so little about her mom, since Raven had abandoned her and dad soon after she was born. When she finally met her, it was like being dunked in cold water. Her mom was a criminal: the leader of a group of bandits that had kidnapped her friend. Even after the two of them had come face to face, it never once felt like she cared a damn bit about her.

"Of course. How quickly I forget about your morals." She pulled off her mask and set it down on Yang's dresser, her smile smug and disarming. Slowly she walked towards Yang, each step echoing in her ears. "Or perhaps it's your emotions that keep you from joining your dear mother." She stood right in front of Yang, making her feel like a child: a child that didn't deserve her mom's love. "You don't have the spine to join me..." She felt an uncomfortable chill rising up her spine, tingling and freezing her in place. All she could do was stare weak and wide-eyed at Raven. "Or the heart..." Raven reached forward and prodded a finger against Yang's chest, finally causing her to react.

"You don't know anything about me!" Yang slapped Raven's hand away, backing up until her legs hit the bed. "You abandoned me and left me without a mom! I needed you..." A quiet whimper came from her throat as she clutched her shirt, tears starting to tease the edges of her eyes. "I needed a mom..." She let out a sob, just one, but it was enough to change the atmosphere in the room. Like a shark in the water, Raven was staring at Yang intently. Her tears were like blood, and Raven was ready for a feast.

"How curious..." Raven walked away from Yang, turning her back on her. "You cry because you didn't have mommy to bore with your problems. How pathetic." The rage that would've accompanied anyone else saying that was just small flickers in Yang's hair. Hearing her own mom say that only made the tears fall faster, until she was crying openly. Hearing her sniffling, Raven laughed. "I wonder how your sister would feel hearing that. Knowing that you want me back so much that you wish she had never been born."

"No! That's not true!" Yang's blood went cold. It wasn't like that, but... If she'd had Raven as a mom for her whole life, Tai would've never married Summer. Ruby would've never been born. Was that truly what she wanted: for Ruby to have never been born? She'd wanted a loving, two parents family more than anything... Was she so selfish that she would rather her own sister not exist in order for her to feel better about herself? The indecisiveness played on her face, making it extremely noticeable to Raven. She continued to laugh, the noise harsh.

"Pathetic. Why would I ever want a daughter so easily driven to tears?" She pulled her sword from its hilt, and for a moment Yang thought she was going to cut her down with it. "You lost that arm of yours because you were weak. Your father lost me because he was weak. Summer lost her life because she was weak." Each repetition was like a drill being bored into her skull again and again. With a hint of a smile, Raven slashed her sword through the air. A dark, vibrating portal started to form in her room. "Perhaps you all deserve each other more than you realize." She stepped through the portal and disappeared.

"Mom, wait!" Yang reached out, but her words fell on deaf ears. Raven disappeared, but the portal didn't close. It started to grow bigger, taking over more of the surrounding wall. As it grew, she could feel wind making her clothes flutter. The strength of the wind increased rapidly, making her feet start to slide towards the portal. With a surprised shout, Yang whirled around and grabbed onto the headboard of her bed. She tried to walk back towards it, but the wind kept getting stronger, sweeping her off her feet and making her hit the ground with a loud thud. She stretched out for the leg of her bed, but her fingers closed down on air. Her tears were being blown off her face and into the air as she was dragged kicking and screaming towards the portal.

Over the howling wind, she could hear the sound of her door being knocked off the hinges. It clattered to the ground, and she could hear someone shouting, "What the hell?!", which was exactly what she would be thinking walking into this situation. Another voice shouted "Stop that portal thing!", and then the room grew colder. The wind was still howling in her mind, but it wasn't blowing at her body anymore. Turning over on the floor, she saw a huge wall of ice covering up the portal. 'Ice?' Then that must mean... She looked towards the door, seeing Weiss standing there and lowering her sword. Next to her was Ruby, who was already rushing over towards her with concern in her eyes.

"Ruby..." Raven's words echoed in her head: 'I wonder how your sister would feel hearing that. Knowing that you want me back so much that you wish she had never been born.' She felt empty inside, hating herself for even thinking such a selfish thought. How could she not think of Ruby when it was something this major? She curled into herself, staring down at the ground with dead eyes. Raven was right: she was pathetic...

"Yang!" Ruby shook her shoulder, but got no response. It was like she was dead to the world. Looking over at the ice wall, she knew it wouldn't hold forever. They all needed to get out of there now. Weiss came up next to her, looking down at Yang with worry. "Oh no, what are we going to do... Yang! Yang, answer me, please!" She shook Yang's shoulder harder, but still nothing. Yang didn't respond to anything Ruby did.

"Uh, Ruby?" Weiss had started to feel a bit warm, which was odd, since it'd been cool in the room just a moment ago. She looked up and found something had changed. Something that didn't exactly bode well for them. "Ruby, the room is on fire."

"What?" Ruby looked up and gasped. Indeed, the room was on fire. Without any of them realizing it, a fire had sprung up out of nowhere and started spreading around the room. The flames were already lapping at the ice, melting it and revealing bits of the portal. "Oh no! We've gotta go!" With Yang seemingly out of commission, Ruby grabbed her arm and slung it over her shoulder. She tried to lift her up, but was nearly pulled down to the ground. "Weiss, help me!"

Sheathing Myrtenaster, Weiss bent down and wrapped an arm around Yang's waist, helping Ruby lift her up. In her shell-shocked state, Yang was basically dead weight threatening to bring the two of them down at any moment. The room was burning up now, with the ice wall half-melted. A breeze was blowing at their sides, and both of them knew it wouldn't be long before it was back to a raging wind storm. They needed to get out of there as quick as possible, but even both of them together could only move so fast while trying to drag Yang with them.

Each step they took was perilous, as the fires threatened to swallow them up, but they kept pressing on. It was tough enough to move past the flames, but much more difficult when Yang wasn't making any sort of effort to help. Neither of them were willing to leave her behind, though, so on they went. They finally reached the door, and Ruby reached out to grab the doorknob before being stopped by Weiss's stern tone.

"The room is on fire, Ruby. Don't just grab the doorknob! It could be burning hot! Use your shirt to grab it." Rolling her eyes, Ruby grabbed the hem of her shirt with her free hand and twisted the doorknob with it. Warmth seeped out from under the material, but the door came open before it could become a problem. Nudging the door open with her foot, the two of them hauled Yang out of there just as the ice melted entirely, awakening the portal once again.

"C'mon!" Ruby shouted uselessly, knowing that they couldn't move any faster than they already were. They had escaped the room, but the wind was tugging at them through the still-open door. She had hoped they would be home free now, but they weren't in the pure-white hallway like before. Instead, they were still in the hallway of their family home, on the second floor. "Why are we still here?!"

"Don't ask me! This is your house!" Weiss shouted back. They had to be extra careful carrying Yang down the stairs, and being extra careful meant being extra slow. The wind was still blowing against their backs, making them worry they were going to go crashing down the stairs if they didn't hurry it up. Yang groaned when they nearly dropped her halfway down, the only sign she'd made that she was still alive.

"It's not really my- Oh never mind! Come on, we're almost there!" They had just gotten to the bottom of the stairs when the wind came back in full force. It shook the walls and sent the three of them toppling over. With a yelp, Ruby hit the ground, Yang falling partially on top of her. "Ow..." She groaned, rubbing her sore backside. Grumbling, Weiss pushed herself off of Yang and stood up, buffeting the winds as she pulled out Myrtenaster.

"Enough of this!" Planting her foot against the bottom of the stairs, she kept the dust chamber on blue, shooting it forward. A thin sheet of ice coated the ground, from in front of them all the way to the door. Sheathing her sword again, she dropped to her knees and grabbed onto Yang. "Get her on the ice and push!" Understanding immediately what Weiss was trying to do, Ruby nodded and helped shift Yang's body forward. Once she was on the ice, both of them shoved with all their might.

It was inelegant, and it was slow, but it worked. They had to run forward and push Yang each time the wind stopped her, but they were able to get her to the door faster than they would have trying to carry her. Ruby grabbed the doorknob, not bothering to cover it up with her shirt, but it was cool to the touch anyway. The fires were raging upstairs, not downstairs. At least, they had been, but a look over her shoulder showed that the flames had started to peek over the top of the stairs.

"Time to go!" They bent down and hoisted Yang back up, carrying her out of the living room and into the front yard. Of course, there wasn't a front yard: it was the white hallway from before, which made Ruby sigh with relief. She still held onto Yang until she heard the sound of the door slamming shut behind them. Only then did she drop to her knees, with both Yang and Weiss falling down with her. She could hear Weiss breathing heavily on her right, all their exertions having taken a lot out of her. Admittedly she was feeling pretty worn out as well, but she couldn't rest for too long. Blake was still in danger.

"What..." Yang had finally returned to the land of the living. She looked down at her arms, staring blankly at them. The stump was gone down, with her metallic arm having replaced it. She flexed the fingers on it in disbelief, realizing that they weren't in the house anymore. Lifting her head, she frowned in confusion at the hallway she was in. She'd never seen it before, and she didn't know how she had gotten there. "Ruby? Weiss?" All she knew was that those two had saved her. "What's going on?"

"Oh Yang!" Ruby hugged Yang tightly, bowling her over. They fell to the floor, but Ruby refused to let go. "I was so worried about you! You weren't moving when we got there, and I didn't know if we were going to make it-" Weiss tapped her on the shoulder, a grim expression on her face. "Right. I'm sorry, Yang, but we've all got to go save Blake. She's trapped somewhere in here, and-"

"You can explain the details to me as we go." Yang gently lifted Ruby off of her before standing up, clenching her hands into fists. She didn't know what was going on, but if Ruby was saying that Blake was in trouble, then it didn't matter. They needed to go save her: she needed to save her. It didn't matter that there was still confusion and fear snaking their way around her heart. Raven's words were still ringing in her ears, but she had to shut all that out right now. She couldn't let them drag her down when someone close to her needed her help. "Are we going or what?"

Ruby and Weiss exchanged a glance. Smiling at each other, they ran forward, taking the lead as Yang followed them. Only one team member left to save.

The trees never seemed to end, but the forest felt suffocating regardless. It closed in on her as she ran, refusing to stop even as her heart raced to uncomfortable levels and her muscles screamed at her to take a rest. She couldn't stop, though: not with him after her. If he caught her, then... Well, she didn't want to think about it. She didn't have to think about it. As long as she kept running, then she would stay safe. It was going to be okay: running away was what she was best at.

She turned a corner and found herself in a clearing. He was standing there, the light illuminating the darkness surrounding him. She stopped a short distance from him, eyes wide and heart hammering against her chest. How had he caught up with her? She was so sure that she would be able to outrun him. That was a stupid thought, now that she let it run through her mind again. Every time she'd tried to escape him, she'd only gotten so far before he found her again. Before he hurt her again, or the ones that she loved...

"You think you can run from me?" His voice echoed through the trees, cascading down upon her. Her ears flattened on her head as she tried to block out the noise, all to no avail. "Every time you run from me, I'll always find you. You can't escape me, Blake." He started walking towards her, pulling out his sword. She whimpered and started to back up, but his steps were longer than hers. He made it over towards her, placing the tip of his sword right under her chin. "We have history together."

"Please, no..." She shut her eyes tightly, as if trying to will his presence away. "You can't be here... You're dead... You're dead..." She choked back a sob, her hands shaking at her sides. Nothing happened, though. The air was still and the forest had gone silent. Slowly she opened her eyes, finding herself alone in the clearing again. "Where did you..." She didn't hesitate any more than that, breaking into a sprint and crossing the clearing in seconds flat as she ran back into the forest.

After minutes of running without stopping, she saw light at the end of a dark copse. Bursting through it, she halted in her tracks, blinking in confusion. She had ended up in the Vale stadium, where the Vytal Tournament had taken place. Looking behind herself, she saw that the forest had disappeared, being replaced by the stands. Every seat was filled with viewers, and they all seemed to be staring at the stage. Slowly she walked towards it, compelled to step onto it.

As soon as she set foot on the stage, the stadium came to life. The screens that were supposed to broadcast the fights turned on, but they weren't showing anything happening in the stadium. Instead, they were showing footage of her past. Her heart immediately dropped at the sight of herself with the White Fang, committing unspeakable atrocities by Adam's side. The blood seemed so real, like she had been transported back in time and she was killing those people all over again. She could smell the fear, but she wasn't sure if it was theirs or her own.

The sound of the audience gasping convalesced into one sound, loud enough for her to hear from the stage. She spun around, looking at all the faces staring down at her. They seemed so far away, yet she could make out the looks of fear and anger on each and every one of them. Every horrible thing she had done was playing without pause on the screen, allowing everyone to see what she had done. She started to back up, but she was trapped within the stadium. All of the viewers seemed to be closing in on her, suffocating her.

"Blake?" A familiar voice reached her ears, and she felt her throat go dry. Turning around, she found her teammates standing and staring at her, just like the audience. For some reason, their bodies appeared fuzzy, blurring in her vision, but there was no doubt it was them. There was also no doubt about the shock and disappointment in their eyes. They had seen everything too. She felt her heart being seized by fear, and she tried desperately to make them understand.

"I-It's..." She wanted to say'It's not what it looks like', but it was. All of that footage were things that she had done, and she couldn't take any of it back. "I'm sorry, I... I was young-" But she should have known better. At times she knew what they were doing was beyond the pale, but she did nothing to stop it. She didn't try to reason with her fellow White Fang members, and she didn't try to escape until so much later. After so many dead bodies... "Girls, I-"

"I always knew..." Weiss's voice faltered, but then she was right back to the sharp tone she always used when they first met. "I knew that any member of the White Fang would be nothing but trouble. All of those people you killed... You would have killed me too if you had the chance."

"No, I wouldn't have! You're my friend, Weiss!" The words felt acidic on her tongue. Weiss was her friend now, but back then she hated anyone with the last name Schnee. If she had found Weiss back then, she would've felt no remorse in striking her dead where she stood. Things were different now, though! She would never even think of doing such a thing! "Weiss please, listen to me!"

"No! I won't listen to any more of your lies." Glaring at her one last time, Weiss turned and started to walk away. Her visage disappeared into the air, until there was nothing left of her. Feeling fear starting to claw at her insides, she turned to Ruby, trying to find sympathy in her leader's eyes. Instead, all she found was disappointment. Seeing someone she'd always found to be so loving and understanding look at her like she was a monster hurt her much more than she could've ever imagined. Before she could say anything, Ruby had turned around and disappeared as well.

"Yang..." In desperation, she reached out to Yang. She couldn't lose her... After everything they had been through, it would completely break her. She had to understand how sorry she was, and that she wasn't that person anymore. "I'm sorry, Yang. I made mistakes, but... but that's not me anymore. I wouldn't do that. You... You know me."

"I thought I did." The crushed look on Yang's face hurt more than anything. She stepped forward, trying to grab onto Yang's arm, wanting to make her stay. If she could just explain herself, then she wouldn't leave. Her hand grabbed onto nothing, her eyes wide and brimming with tears as Yang faded away in front of her. She fell to her knees. whispering "No..." as she stared at the spot where Yang had stood. Now she was alone on the stage, and she could finally hear the boos and slurs being rained down upon her from the audience.

"Murderer!" "Liar!" "Animal!" Each insult hurt, like hundreds of tiny paper cuts slicing through her skin, but it was nothing compared to the feeling in her heart at watching Yang leave. It was like being run over by a freight train, but she had to keep being alive to feel the pain driving into her heart over and over again. She sobbed openly, her crying, shaking body being displayed on the screen as everyone booed and jeered her.

"You see what I mean?" She looked up, seeing Adam walking towards her through watery eyes. There was no strength left in her to even get up and try to escape again. "This is what they will always see you as. No matter how much good you think you do, you will always be an animal in their eyes." Again he placed his sword right under her chin, poking her skin. "A murderer." She whimpered, but she couldn't deny his words. They were all true, as much as they hurt. She had done so much wrong in her life: hurt so many people. How could she ever think that she could make up for that?

"Leave her alone!" A voice screamed from behind her. It made Adam back away slightly, removing his sword from Blake's skin. With wide eyes, she looked over her shoulder to see Yang standing there, fire in her eyes and her fists clenched. Ruby and Weiss stood at her side, their weapons at the ready. Was it... Was it really them? She had just seen them leave, though. They had abandoned her after seeing all the terrible things she'd done. Why had they come back?

The three of them stepped onto the stage, the audience going quiet. Ruby dropped down to Blake's side and put a hand on her shoulder, looking her over in concern. Blake was barely registering it, though, as much as she appreciated what Ruby was doing. Her eyes were on Yang and Weiss, who stepped forward to take on Adam. She wanted to reach out and stop them, not wanting her friends to keep risking their lives because of her past decisions. Adam was not their battle. He couldn't hurt them... 'Please...'

"You're fools to defend her." Adam readied his blade, which had Weiss tightening her grip on Myrtenaster. "She'll abandon you again, like she always does. All she knows how to do is run." Blake whimpered, bowing her head again. She really had run so many times, even from her friends... Yet they still came to save her. Why? Why would they do that? Ruby pulled her closer, holding her tightly as she kept her narrowed gaze on the battle unfolding.

"Shut up! I killed you once, and I'll do it again." Yang's hair was glowing, burning with the fires of rage burning inside her. She charged forward, fists at the ready. Adam swung at her as she approached, but she dodged to her left, slamming her fist into his side. He skidded back with a grunt, dodging a flurry of blows Yang tried to land on him. His sword went for her arm, but she blocked it with her gauntlet. They glared at each other as their weapons collided, Adam's eyes hidden behind his mask while Yang's burned red.

Suddenly Adam jumped back as a wall of ice cut between the two combatants. He now glared at Weiss, who sneered at him with her sword pointed outwards. Before he could go after her, the ice wall shattered and Yang came crashing through it, yelling as she planted her fist directly into his face. That sent him flying across the stage, landing hard on the ground. Despite taking such a hit, he got right back onto his feet and charged, like it hadn't affected him at all.

Blake watched everything unfolding in front of her, hearing every grunt and clash of weapons loud and clear. She wished it would just stop. Why did he have to keep coming back? Why did her friends have to risk their lives for her when she was such a coward? She couldn't just let them keep doing this. In the end, Adam was her demon. He was the one who tortured and haunted her for years. She needed to stand up to him now, like she had before. If Yang was by her side, then she could do it again. She could do it...

As she stood up, the tides were turning in the battle. Weiss had frozen Adam's legs to the ground, allowing Yang to pummel him with a volley of punches. However, none of them seemed to be doing any damage. No matter how hard she hit him, he seemed almost immune. That just made her more frustrated, which made her keep punching, which didn't do anything. It was a vicious cycle, one that would've kept going if Blake hadn't come up to her and stilled her hand.

"Yang?" She bit down on her lower lip, her hands shaking. "Will you stay with me? Even after all... all the terrible things I've done?" She couldn't look Yang in the eyes. The sight of her vanishing before was still eating at her, and she knew she couldn't take it if those eyes looked away from her again. She felt Yang's other hand on top of hers, gently rubbing it. Slowly she looked up, holding her breath. Yang was looking right at her, her eyes having drifted back to their natural color. There was nothing but love and understanding in them, which almost made her heart stop.

"Blake, you promised me you'd never leave me again, and I believe you. I'm not gonna leave you either." Her words felt so sincere that Blake had no reason to doubt her. Tears pricked at her eyes as she nodded, a hint of a smile on her face. She then turned to Adam, who was just staring wordlessly at the two of them. Her expression became grim, but she knew she needed to end this. She couldn't let him hurt her, or anyone else, anymore.

"You don't hold any power over me anymore." She clutched her shirt right over her heart, refusing to break eye contact with Adam. Staring at his mask, she knew that his eyes would hold nothing but hatred. That wasn't something she needed in her life anymore. She curled her hand into a fist, and with a shout, slammed it into his face. It went right through him, his body shimmering like her friends had before. Without a word, he faded from view, disappearing into the ether. The ice that had kept him down shattered onto the stage, melting.

She fell to her knees, staring at the spot where he had stood. Each time she felt that he was truly gone, he always seemed to come back, like a ghost that always haunted her. Would this really be the last time he terrorized her, or would he just return when she least expected it? She could feel tears tracking down her cheeks, but she made no move to wipe them away. When was her past ever going to leave her be?

"He's gone, Blake." Yang crouched down next to Blake, pulling her into a tight hug. "I won't let him hurt you anymore." Blake pressed her face into Yang's shirt, crying on her shoulder. Knowing Yang was there, and that she could actually rely on her, was such an unbelievable relief. She couldn't lose her again, and she would never do anything that would cause that to happen. Never again. She sobbed openly, tears of worry and relief rolled into one. Behind them, Ruby and Weiss watched them with smiles on their faces, their fingertips grazing against each other.

"C'mon team, let's get going." With a smile on her face, Ruby walked over to Yang and Blake. They both stood up and nodded, falling alongside Weiss as the four of them headed for the exit. Now they just needed to escape.

The four of them ran through the white hallways, looking around for an exit. Even an entrance to a new area would be welcome, because it would at least mean they weren't running in circles. Ruby couldn't even tell if they were in a new place or not, since everything looked the exact same. She was starting to get frustrated, but she kept pushing forward, as did her team. They couldn't give up until they had escaped this place.

After what felt like an eternity of running, Weiss shouted out, "There's something up ahead!" Ruby squinted as she ran, seeing the faint outline of a door. Jackpot! It had to lead somewhere: she could feel it. They came to a stop in front of the door, with Ruby carefully grabbing the doorknob and twisting it. The door swung open, and to their surprise, they found themselves staring into the depths of a dark castle. It was a hallway, but instead of white, it was purple, with shadows casting parts of the walls in black.

Ruby gulped, feeling a strange force coming from that hallway. This was clearly where they needed to go, though, so she steeled up her courage and stepped inside. The footsteps of her teammates echoed off the walls as they followed her in. As they stepped forward, the door swung shut behind them. There wasn't any point in going back, though. This was where they needed to be, and it was imperative that they kept pressing forward.

"Okay girls, let's keep close together." She kept moving forward, but frowned when she didn't hear any reply. "Girls?" She turned around to find her teammates standing in place, staring past her with wide eyes. "What... What is it?" She whirled around, expecting to see Salem or some other horror, but there was nothing. It was the same creepy hallway as before. "I don't understand..." She turned back around, dread starting to creep its way into her brain. Something weird was going on, but she didn't know what it was.

They were still staring at her, or maybe through her. Suddenly, something started coming through their chests. It was a black, tentacle-like thing, stabbing out through all their chests simultaneously. Ruby started to scream, frozen in place as she watched in horror. Blood started to form around the intrusions, staining their clothes. She covered her mouth, horrified at what she was seeing. Then the tentacles were ripped from their bodies, and all three of them fell to the ground. Standing behind them was Salem, a cruel, horrible smile on her face.

Screaming, Ruby pulled out Crescent Rose, firing at Salem with reckless abandon. Seeing her friends hurt made her lose it, and she didn't care how many times she hit Salem: as long as she hit her at all. However, every bullet that would've hit her went right through her body. She tipped her head back and laughed, but Ruby kept firing, determined to finish her off right then and there. Eventually her bullets ran out, though, and Salem was still standing.

"You've failed, Ruby Rose." Her voice was commanding and haunting, seeming to fill up the entire room. "The last silver-eyed warrior... and yet you cannot even touch me. Amusing." She smiled, her eyes void of any emotion but pure evil. "And now your friends die in front of me. The team you were supposed to lead is dead on your watch." Laughing again, her hand casually drifted across Weiss's hair. "How does it feel? To lose everything you cared about most?"

"Don't touch her!" Ruby screamed at her, further losing her cool at the sight of Salem's hand on Weiss. "Don't you dare touch her!" She popped Crescent Rose out into scythe mode, darting forward and slashing through Salem's body. It went right through her, though, like she'd slashed through air. "No..." Ruby whispered, Crescent Rose falling from her hands. "No, it... it can't be..." Desperate, she dropped to her knees, placing a hand over the open wound in Weiss's chest. "It's okay, Weiss. It's okay. I'm here, I'm right here." She applied pressure, but she could feel the blood seeping down her palm. Her voice rose in panic. "I can fix this! I'm going to save you!"

"So optimistic..." Salem continued to taunt her as she reached out to try and block the blood flow from Yang's chest as well. If only she had three hands so she could reach Blake, but her two hands didn't seem to be doing much either. The blood was still flowing, and their faces were growing paler. "You've realized that there's nothing you can do, haven't you? You know that everything you do here is futile. You will just always fail."

"No! You're wrong!" Thinking fast, she pulled her shirt over her head and tried to tie it around Weiss. "I can stop the bleeding..." At least she couldn't see the blood anymore, though her shirt was obviously covering it up. Yang and Blake were bleeding out too, and she didn't have anything else to staunch the flow. Looking around desperately, she saw nothing of use in the hallway: just burning candles and the stands they came in. She had decided to just use their own shirts as tourniquets when she saw that Blake was literally starting to fade.

"Blake!" She scooted over towards Blake, trying in vain to stop the bleeding. There was nothing she could do: Blake was already disappearing. "No please, Blake, stop. Stop!" She shouted desperately, but Blake didn't even acknowledge her. All she did was stare off into nothing as she faded into ashes. They drizzled onto Ruby's hands, making her stomach churn. "This can't be happening..."

She was afraid to look towards Weiss and Yang, knowing that they would likely soon suffer the same fate, but she made herself do so. Just like she'd feared, the same thing was happening to Yang. She sat there helpless, hands hovering in front of her but with no idea of what to do with them. Salem's words kept ringing true in her ears: she couldn't do anything. She couldn't save them. "Yang..." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she faded away, ashes raining down onto the floor.

Choking back sobs, she turned towards Weiss. Her eyes, so full of life just moments ago, were completely dead. She couldn't stand to see them like that. "Weiss, please..." She moved over towards her, tightening her shirt around Weiss's injury like it would make a difference. "You can't leave me..." She hugged Weiss tightly, hoping that feeling her warmth would somehow bring her back to life. "I love you..." She held on as tight as she could, but it didn't matter. Weiss didn't say a word as she disappeared, leaving Ruby hugging the air. Ashes were all that was left of her friends.

"No... Nononono..." She tried to scoop up the ashes, but a breeze rolled through the halls and blew them away. "No..." She watched as all that remained of them was taken away on the wind. "NOOO!" She screamed in agony, slamming her fists against the ground. It echoed off the walls, the only noise except for her painful sobs as she punched the floor until her hands bled. She couldn't see anything through her tears, and she just fell to the floor in defeat. Salem might as well come back and kill her too, to reunite her with her team.

Time passed, and she was still very much alive. Slowly she sat up, wiping away her tears. Her breathing began to return to normal as she picked up her shirt, now cleaned of any blood. She put it back on and stood up, holstering Crescent Rose again. Taking a deep breath, she looked around at the white walls of the hallway she stood in. She closed her eyes and let herself feel where the right rooms were, knowing that she could find where her friends were being held. It was just ahead, and she dashed forward, leaving nothing but rose petals behind.

Salem may have kidnapped her friends, but she wasn't going to get away with it. She'd find them and she'd save them. She wouldn't rest until she did.