3rd Person POV:
Ruby is seen staring at the shattered moon through a window, sitting on the staircase. Snow is drizzling outside. Ruby checks on Blake, Weiss, Yang, and Y/N, who are all sitting on the rug and staring at the fire from the fireplace. Maria reads a book while sitting on the sofa and Oscar is pacing back and forth.
After checking on the others, Ruby stands up and walks toward Qrow, who is sitting nearby the window, looking outside with his feet propped on the drawer.
Qrow: Storm's cleared up for now. We should be able to leave by morning.
Ruby: That's good.
Qrow: No... I don't have a good feeling about this place, especially with me around...
Ruby looks down at a wine bottle on the floor with Qrow's hand hovering near it, then looks at him.
Ruby: Are you... okay?
Qrow: (scoffs) Sure. Tell everyone to get some sleep. I'll wake you guys up just before sunrise.
Ruby walks away as Qrow drinks from the wine bottle. Ruby pauses and looks back at him before narrowing her eyes downward.
Oscar: It's a diary?
Maria: The head of this household, Bartleby. Apparently, he and several other families founded this little settlement to try and live on their own. It sounds like it worked, at least for a spell.
Oscar: Grimm?
Maria: Just one of many hardships. Slowed down their farming, made everything harder... It's a shame, really. He seemed like quite the ambitious fellow, always thinking of new schemes to overcome the odds.
Ruby: (walking back into the room) Hey guys. Qrow said we should get some sleep. We're gonna head out early tomorrow.
Blake: Thank goodness.
Everyone gets up to get ready to sleep. Maria hops off the couch.
Maria: Hmph, the last thing you'll catch me doing is letting some kid tell me what to do. (in a mimicking voice) "Go to bed!" (scoffs)
Y/N: I think I'll stay up too.
Ruby: You sure, Y/N?
Y/N: Yeah, I'll just keep watch for anything.
Maria sits on an armchair, turns on the lamp next to it and continues reading from the book while Y/N sits on the sofa and practices her projections by making small weapons.
Ruby shrugs and smiles before going to sleep herself. The fire continues to burn in the fireplace.
It's the dead of night as Maria can be seen fully asleep while Y/N is keeping the fire up for the others as she then sits back down and continues to practice.
Yuzu: (You sure you're okay with staying up master?)
Y/N: (I'm fine, really)
Asuna: (But *Yawn* You'll be tired in the morning)
Y/N: (Raven trained me a lot for survival skills, I can handle no sleep for up to five days)
Sanae: (But *Yawn* )
Y/N: (It looks like you both need some sleep)
She enters her mentalscape as Asuna and Sanae can be seen leaning on each other trying to stay awake.
Y/N: You don't have to push yourselves to stay awake.
Y/N: Besides I already told you all that you're all on break for now.
Despite some slight struggling Y/N and Yuzu take the two familiars to their own individual rooms that Y/N created after the events of Haven.
Sanae: I can stay with you longer master.
She yawns again as Y/N kisses her forehead as the familiar finally falls asleep from exhaustion.
Y/N walks out the door of her familiars door as Yuzu can be seen doing the same for Asuna.
Y/N: (to Yuzu) Is she asleep?
Yuzu: She really wanted to, but she fell asleep as soon as I put her on the bed.
Y/N: That's good, I wouldn't want them to be completely exhausted in the morning.
The two are seen sitting together looking at the sky of the mentalscape until Y/N turns to see Yasuno keeping her distance from them.
Y/N: Why are you standing there alone Yasuno?
Yuzu: Come sit with us.
Yasuno hesitantly approaches the two girls before sitting next to them as Y/N pulls her into an embrace.
Y/N: Stop being so shy!
Yasuno: H-Hey! N-Not in front of Maria!
Yuzu: Hehehe...I'm glad to see you've both have gotten along since Asuna and I have been gone.
Y/N: Mmhm, We've both been training so much with each other.
Y/N: If I didn't have her with me I would have never beaten Raven on my own.
Yasuno: Y/N...
She turns away so her emotional side and Yuzu could see the smile on her face.
Yasuno: Y-You both can get some sleep, I'll keep watch.
Y/N: Not a chance.
Yuzu: I won't rest either, I'm master's blade and I refuse to sleep unless she does too.
Yasuno: F-Fine.
She then lays on Y/N's lap reverting from her transformation of a desire.
L/N: T-Then let me do this.
Y/N: Okay, whatever makes you comfortable.
Yuzu: Master, can I do what as I wish too?
Y/N: Mmhm, you deserve a break too.
Yuzu then changes from her knight attire to the casual clothes Y/N bought her after the events at Mountain Glenn.
The red haired familiar clings to her master's arm getting comfortable at the warmth it provides her.
The three girls remain silent until L/N breaks it.
L/N: I'm sorry.
Y/N & Yuzu: Huh?
L/N: For all the pain and damage I've done to both of you. I'm sorry for everything.
Y/N: You don't have to apologise anymore, we've already settled our differences and survived together.
Yuzu: I feel the same. Even though you were the reason Asuna and I got shattered, I can feel from your intentions you never wished us any harm.
Yuzu: I've caused a lot of pain as well, and only because I wanted to carry out my own feelings of revenge.
L/N: I guess we both went down a dark path.
Yuzu: (patting L/N's head) Then we'll have to work twice as hard to make up for it.
Y/N: I'll have to join you both too.
The three girls share a smile with each other as they're seen in the same position in the real world.
Timeskip~
It's now morning as Y/N tries to wake up the others with most of them refusing to wake until she lightly shakes Ruby, who awakens before smiling at her girlfriend.
Ruby: Good morning.
Y/N: Morning, my rose.
The two share a quick kiss as Ruby fully wakes up and sees the others are still asleep.
Ruby: Where's Uncle Qrow?
Y/N: Still upstairs. I tried to wake him up but he's still...ya know.
Ruby has a worried expression as the two stand up and walk upstairs to see Qrow sleeping on the chair by the window, barely grasping the wine bottle in his hand.
Y/N: Everytime I try to wake him up he shakes me off.
Ruby: I'll try to get him up, you get the others.
Y/N: Right.
She heads downstairs as Ruby approaches her sleeping uncle.
Ruby: Uncle Qrow. Come on, get up. (shakes Qrow's shoulder)
Qrow: (groans) Leave me alone...
Ruby: You told us to we were leaving by sunrise come on.
Qrow, still groggy, just lightly shoves Ruby away. Ruby looks at the empty wine bottle in his hand, and after a moment, her hand starts shaking.
She angrily grabs it from Qrow's hand before throwing it against the wall the bottle shattering from the impact.
Qrow: (waking up startled) What?
Qrow looks around, seeing Ruby stand before him and then to the shattered bottle.
Qrow: Oh, right. Sunrise.
Ruby's angry expression softens, and she hugs her uncle.
Ruby: You know, you can talk to me about stuff. Yang too.
Qrow: (hugging Ruby back) Let's just get outta here.
Qrow gets up from the chair, with Ruby following him.
Later on, the group moves outside. Weiss is seen using Myrtenaster to weld a metal ball to a makeshift trailer hitch attached to Bumblebee.
Weiss, Blake, Yang, Qrow and Oscar's pupils appear to be dilated, while Ruby and Y/N's remain full of light.
Weiss: There.
Oscar and Blake can be seen sitting on the porch steps.
Oscar: Can we just go back to bed?
Blake: If we're all so tired, maybe we should make breakfast?
Oscar: You wanna make it?
Blake: Not really.
Y/N approaches the two before getting two packs of Poki cookies out.
Y/N: Sorry, it's all I have on me right now.
Oscar: It's fine.
Blake: Better than nothing.
The two take the packs and start eating the snack while Ruby and Qrow push the flatbed trailer behind Bumblebee. Once it's in position, Ruby walks up to Yang.
Ruby: You guys got the bike ready?
Yang just gestures to it.
Qrow: Well, it's done now. So let's hook this thing up and--
Qrow rests his foot on the side of the trailer, and the tire on the opposite side goes flat. He groans in frustration before checking on the tire.
Maria: You people are just beacons for bad luck, aren't you?
Frustrated, Qrow just walks over to a nearby fence post and sits on the ground. Yang also sits on the ground by the well.
Yang: I'm starting to think the universe just doesn't want us getting to Atlas.
Ruby: (sighs) It's just a flat tire, I'm sure there's a spare.
Yang: It's not just that, it's everything. Storms, crashes, monsters...(sighs) I'm so tired...
Blake: Me too. It feels like we're always having to fight to get by.
Ruby: Yeah. But that's what we signed up for.
Oscar: We signed up to try and save the world, not just... delay the inevitable.
Weiss: Last night, I... (putting a hand on her arm) I couldn't stop thinking - why are we even going to Atlas?
Everyone shares troubled looks.
Ruby: Weiss, we have to.
Yang: Why? (standing back up) Ozpin hid the Relics behind giant doors under enormous schools, but... how long would it take Salem to find a Lamp in the middle of nowhere?
Ruby: What? The Grimm might--
Yang: They'd find it eventually, sure, but bury it or just throw it down the well, it would take years. It might not even happen in our lifetime. But we could be done with it now.
Y/N: We can't do that! If we don't do this now all the innocent people that will be hurt in the future will be our fault and we have the chance now to prevent it!
Ruby detaches the Relic of Knowledge from her belt, glancing at it before looking up at her teammates, who appear to all have dazed looks as if they were in a trance. Ruby stares at the Relic one more time before walking over to the well.
Y/N: Ruby?
Ruby: I am... really...(pupils become dilated) tired...
Ruby starts to have the same dazed look on her face as she holds the Relic out above the pitch-black darkness of the well.
Y/N: (taking the relic away from Ruby) What are you doing?!
Ruby: Just drop it...
Y/N: No! We can't just give up and feel sorry for ourselves!
Yang: Come on Y/N, don't you feel tired?
Y/N: No! I won't give up no matter how much pain I'll have to go through!
Ruby: (smacking the relic out of Y/N's hand) Just let it go!
Y/N: (trying to catch the falling relic) Ruby, what the hell?!
She tries to reach for it vain as the relic falls into the well it's glow being lost in the darkness.
Ruby: (snapping out of it) No! No! Y/N, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that!
Y/N gives Ruby a disappointed look before jumping into the well.
Ruby: Y/N!
Ruby: (looking towards the others) We need to follow her!
Her teammates continue to stare at her with dazed looks.
Weiss: Ruby, it's okay.
Ruby: We can't just leave her!
Yang: (putting a hand on her sister's shoulder) Hey, it's okay. You just said you're tired. We should just leave her alone. Now let's go.
Ruby: (smacking her sister) How could you say that about Y/N?!
Yang snaps outta of her trance and has a shocked expression on her face from her own words.
Ruby: I don't know what's happening to you all, but I refuse to leave Y/N behind.
Blake: (sighs) I'll go down with you...
Weiss: We'll go down together.
Qrow: Fine! (getting up) Get the stupid Lamp and bring her back up here.
Qrow: Oscar, fix the stupid tire.
Qrow heads to the house, passing by Maria on the porch.
Maria: Where are you going?
Qrow: Where do you think? (shakes his flask and walks back into the house)
Maria just looks down.
Maria: Stupid...
Maria takes a seat on the porch steps and continues to read another volume of Bartleby's diaries.
Team RWBY hop down into the well together, into a vast underground waterway system. Ruby and Yang take out their Scrolls and turn on their flashlights.
Yang: Y/N!
Y/N: Over here!
They head a few ways up to see Y/N is looking ahead.
Y/N: I think it's a little further ahead.
Blake: Maybe we should turn off our lights and just look for the glow?
Ruby: (nervously) Okay...
Y/N projects a sword while Ruby pulls out Crescent Rose as the both of them proceed forward with caution.
Ruby: Y/N, I'm so sorry for earlier.
Y/N: It's okay, I know you didn't mean to.
Y/N: Let's just keep going and find the relic.
Ruby: Right.
Back above, Maria continues to read, with the words "The huntsman pointed them out to me the other day." visible on the page. Maria narrows her eyes, reading more intently.
Underground, Team RWBY and Y/N continue their search.
Y/N: (pointing ahead) It's there.
Ruby looks in the direction she is pointing towards and notices the blue glow of the Relic of Knowledge coming from a tunnel along the path. Ruby runs forward as Y/N follows behind her.
Above ground, Maria turns a page, revealing an illustration of a humanoid-looking Grimm with its name on the adjacent page: "The Apathy". Maria gasps.
Underground, Ruby arrives at the tunnel, and finds the Relic of Knowledge on the ground. She runs over and picks it up.
Ruby: Guys, I--
Ruby then looks up behind the Relic, adopting a horrified expression on her face. Multiple humanoid-looking Grimm of different sizes are bunched together.
Y/N: We need to go!
The two start running as the others snap out of their trance-like states, their pupils returning to normal.
Yang: (gasps) Ruby?! Y/N?!
Ruby backs away and runs out of the tunnel. Yang, Weiss and Blake see her run out and approach her.
Yang: What is it?
They see up ahead that Y/N is slashing at some of the skeletal Grimm before making it to them as the Grimm slowly trudges out of the tunnel.
Ruby takes out Crescent Rose and fires multiple rounds at them. One of the Grimm lets out an ear-piercing scream, causing Team RWBY to struggle to stand.
Yang: What is this...?
Blake: My weapon... feels heavy...
Y/N: What's happening to all of you?!
Maria: Run!
From behind, the five girls watch the Grimm start to move toward them.
Ruby: Go, go!
Team RWBY and Y/N turn around and run, catching up with Maria. They see daylight coming from the well, but more of the Grimm appear and block their path.
Another ear-piercing scream is heard, affecting the five women with the exception of Y/N, who manages to land an Aura slash killing a few of them.
Ruby notices another tunnel entrance next to her.
Ruby: This way!
They all run into the tunnel, continuing on through the complex underground passages while avoiding more of the Grimm's kind along the way before making it into an underground room.
However, the group notice a much larger group of the Grimm at one end of the room. They make a run toward the other way, but one of the Grimm lets out another scream, causing Team RWBY and Maria to collapse on all fours.
Yang: I can't... do this... I can't...
Maria gets back up, using her cane to support herself before collapsing again. On her fall, she feels a set of stairs in front of her.
Maria: An exit. An exit!
Ruby looks up and notices the stairs leading up to the cellar door. Ruby crawls forward to Weiss.
Ruby: Come on!
Ruby then hears a weapon drop behind her and notices Blake collapse to the ground, while the Grimm continue to inch toward her.
Ruby: Blake... get... up!
Blake: (pupils dilated) It's fine...
Y/N: Leave her alone!
She slashes the air creating a wall of ice between the Grimm and Blake as Y/N grabs her cat faunus girlfriend and tries to run only for one of the Grimm's arm to break through and grab Y/N's leg causing the wolf faunus to let go of Blake as the Grimm pull her closer.
Y/N: Damn!
She tries to slash the arm off with a sword as more Grimm start to grab her and pull her closer.
More Grimm emerge from the entrance the group came from as Ruby looks at the sight of the Grimm dragging Y/N closer to them in horror.
Ruby: Y/N!
She tries to reach for her as Y/N does the same only for them to barley reach each other as the Grimm are about to strike.
Ruby: Y/NNNNNN!!!!
Upon yelling out her partner's name, Ruby's eyes start to glow brightly, causing the Grimm to back away in pain.
Y/N looks at Ruby in shock before getting over and helps up Blake, who's now free from her trance while Weiss, Yang and Maria also get back up.
Ruby: We made it!
Maria: What just happened?
Weiss runs up the stairs and tries to get the doors open, but they do not budge.
Weiss: They're locked!
Yang: Out of my way!
Yang runs up the stairs. The Grimm recover from their incapacitation, and another scream is let out. Team RWBY and Maria collapse once again while Y/N continues to try and keep the skeletal Grimm away from them.
Yang: (reaching for the cellar door) No... No...!
As the Grimm inch closer, Maria crawls toward Ruby, only able to see the world in shades of cyan.
Maria: Ruby... what color are your eyes?
Ruby: They're... silver...
Maria lets out a gasp of excitement.
Maria: You have a family? Friends? Lovers?
Ruby: What?
Ruby looks up to see the Grimm getting closer, but Maria lays her head down and covers her ears. From Ruby's perspective, Maria's next words sound slightly muffled.
Maria: Don't think about them. Think about the people who love you. Focus on the thought of them, the way they make you feel. Focus!
Taking Maria's advice, Ruby closes her eyes and concentrates. While Maria speaks, Weiss tries to budge the doors open, and Yang reaches out in desperation before falling under a trance, her eyes even more blank than before.
Maria: Life... is beautiful. It is precious. And it must... be protected.
After focusing, Ruby opens her eyes, the silver gleaming. She sits up and her eyes glow brightly once more, driving the Grimm back and disintegrating them all.
Maria, Y/N, and Ruby stare in awe while Weiss, Blake and Yang recover. Yang crawls up the stairs and punches the doors open with her prosthetic arm while firing from its gun.
They all try to run out as Y/N is the last to nearly make it out as one of the Grimm grab her leg.
Y/N: Damn! Not again!
Ruby: Y/N!
She tries to pull her out as more of the Grimm's arm grab her.
Y/N: Go without me!
Ruby: No way!
Y/N: There isn't enough time, more and more are coming!
Ruby: I promised you I wouldn't leave you no matter what!
Y/N: Go! Otherwise you'll be dragged down with me!
Ruby: I--
Y/N: (smiles) It's okay, I promise I'll make it back to you.
The wolf faunus let's go as the Grimm drag her down.
Ruby: No!
Her eyes start to flicker with the same light from before but it does nothing as Yang drags her away.
Yang: We need to go!
Ruby: But Y/N is still down there!
Maria: There's no time!
Ruby looks back one more time with tears falling down her face as she runs forward.
The group continues forward making it to the bar seeing Qrow leaning on the counter, passed out.
Ruby: (runs over and shakes her uncle) Uncle Qrow, get up!
Qrow: (slurring his words) Hey! Get off me! What are you doing here?
Maria: We're leaving, you idiot! Come on!
Maria runs out of the room, with Blake and Yang following her. While Weiss and Ruby look at the entrance.
Weiss & Ruby: We're so sorry.
Outside, Oscar has replaced the tire for the trailer and is filling it up with air. The noise from the air machine muffles the sound of people crying out his name.
Yang: Oscar! Oscar!
Maria: Oscar!
Oscar looks behind him to see Yang, Blake and Maria run out of the house.
Yang: Oscar! We have to go, now!
Weiss and Ruby continue to drag Qrow away as the drunk struggles and tries to break free from the two girls grip.
Qrow: Stop it! Stop! What's wrong with you?! What's...
He looks to see the Grimm reach out from the cellar door entrance with sounds of slashing can be heard down below.
Outside, everyone sits in the flatbed trailer while Yang starts up her motorcycle. She wastes no time driving away from the dangerous building.
Yang continues driving Bumblebee down the snowy road with everyone sitting in the trailer being pulled behind her.
Yang: (voice-breaking) We left her I can't believe we left her.
Weiss is crying while Ruby and Blake are trying to comfort her while also having tears fall down their faces.
Weiss: Not again....I can't believe it's happening again.
Ruby: I'm sorry Y/N. I'm so sorry.
Blake: (Why? Everytime we see each other again she slips away?)
The group sit in silence as Yang continues to drive until Blake suddenly hears something behind her.
Blake: Stop!
Yang stops the bike as she turns back.
Yang: What's wrong, Blake?
Blake: Do you hear that?
The sounds of the snow being stabbed accompanied with footsteps can be heard behind them.
Blake: It's getting closer.
The sound continues to get closer and closer to them as the group all draw their weapons until they drop them at the sight before them.
It's Y/N, who's using a broken sword as support to walk as mutliple cuts and bruises can be seen around her as the snow beneath her is red from blood.
Y/N: (weakly) I....told you.....I'd make it back to you.
Team RWBY run towards her as Y/N collapses into Yang's arms.
Ruby: Y/N!
Yang: You're alive!
Weiss: You made it back! (voice-breaking) You actually made it back.
Blake: We need to get you help quick!
Y/N: O-Okay. C-Can I rest for now?
RWBY: Of course! Just please don't leave us!
Y/N: I won't...
Team RWBY all kiss her as the wolf girl has a small smile on her face.
Y/N: Now, I know I'll have sweet dreams.
Y/N: Goodnight, my loves.
She passes out as Team RWBY place her on the flatbed with Oscar, Qrow, and Maria as they all take a sit while Yang gets back on Bumblebee and takes off.
Chapter End