Hey guys, just a word of warning. I don't know if what I've written will set anybody off, but we're going to be covering Blake's relationship with Adam in this chapter, which is pretty… you know. So, for anyone who struggled with an abusive relationship, if it gets to be too much, don't feel bad if you need to skip through the chapter. I'd rather my writing not ruin anyone's day. That said, let's get to it!

Chapter 19: From Shadows

Blake's emphatic denial of her Shadow echoed fiercely off the stone walls of the chamber. For a brief moment, a feeble, silver thread of unsubstantiated hope that nothing bad would happen hung in the otherwise silent air, but it was severed all too soon as Shadow Blake began to laugh. It started off quiet, almost a giggle, but soon turned into a full on howl, and as it increased in volume, so too did her voice grow more distorted. A swirling mass of darkness began to swallow her and Weiss, as her form began to stretch and shift. Weiss stuck a hand out to them, mouthing one last silent plea for help, tears forming in her eyes, before she too was lost to the torrent of shadows. The pure power of Shadow Blake's transformation sent shockwaves and gusts of wind hurling around the chamber, knocking the group back a few feet.

As the Shadow began to grow, the scaffolding underneath it began to let out an earsplitting creak, until finally, it collapsed altogether under its weight. A moment passed, and all was still, the Shadow lying in the rubble motionless, no longer growing. Then, a horrifying ripping sound filled the air as mammoth arm shot out of the mass of darkness, its whole length covered in thick, black fur, matted with what looked like blood. It slammed down a bloody paw down to the ground, razor claws digging deep into the stone floor. Soon, another identical arm protruded from the opposite side, and together, they pushed the Shadow's hulking form up to be supported by a pair of hind legs, both just as massive, and covered in the same hair. The Shadow loomed above them, stretching itself, when the darkness that concealed its true appearance finally fell. It's true form looked almost like a Beowolf, although it was far more gargantuan in size, standing taller than even an Ursa, and its features were far more feline in nature. A coarse mane of black fur lined its head, from which extended two ram horns. Its jowls were curled up in a snarl, flecks of bloody slobber falling from lines of serrated teeth, down to mar its fur.

A long, gnarled tail jutted out from its hind end, curling up and snaking around a golden ring to hold up a human-sized glass container, the contents of which almost made Farran's heart stop. In the middle of the case's golden pedestal stood Weiss, her form frozen in time, encased in crystal, much like a dancer in a music box. She held her hands out in front and above her to support a single rose that stood almost as tall as she was, glowing crimson light emanating from its petals.

It glared down at them with glowing golden eyes, as it reared back and let out a thunderous roar. Ruby, Yang, and Farran readied their weapons, preparing for a fight, but they froze as Blake, who was standing by them, fell to her knees and collapsed, clutching her head. It was then that the beast charged, its claws tossing bits of rubble in its wake as it bared down on them. Farran felt whiplash in his wrists as he broke his chains, summoning Minotaur between them and the Shadow. The bull-man charged forward, and with its Herculean strength, grappled with the beast and stopped it in its tracks, just as it was about to reach Blake. Using the brief opening, Viola sprinted through, picking up Blake as best as she could, and pulled her back out of the room, taking cover behind the door to the stairwell. A moment later, a soft light spread throughout the room, as Viola scanned the Shadow.

"This is gonna be a tough one, guys." She projected her voice into the others' ears, "It has no weaknesses. On top of that, it completely blocks light and dark attacks, and is highly resistant to electric-based skills as well!"

"Thanks Viola. What's wrong with Blake?" Farran barely managed to get the words out through gritted teeth. Despite Minotaur's immense strength, the Shadow was already managing to overpower the Persona.

"She's fine for now, just in a lot of pain. Her mind has become a battlefield for control between her consciousness and her Shadow. Shadows crave acceptance, and when a Shadow wants something, they will do whatever they can to get it. Even fighting for control over their host, or outright killing them. I don't want to add any more pressure on you guys, but I don't know how long a human or Faunus can last under this kind of duress, and more importantly, her Shadow will continue to rampage in that form until it kills her, or is somehow stopped. You guys need to find a way to beat it, and fast!"

"Tell us something we don't know, V…" Yang grunted.

The floor beneath them began to shake, as Shadow Blake managed to outmuscle Minotaur, picking it up off the ground, and swiftly tossing it to the side. Its sole roadblock out of the way, the beast steamrolled to them, swiping hard at Farran once he was within striking distance. Pain exploded from his chest, the contact knocking all the air out of his lungs, as he was tossed like a ragdoll through the air. Yang tried to take advantage of the Shadow now being on her level, summoning Pele, who unleashed a barrage of fiery punches at the beast. The first two struck home, leaving deep singes on Shadow Blake's chest. The third, an uppercut to its jaw, appeared as if it had made contact as well, however, it somehow missed its mark, catching nothing but open air. The Shadow, which was now much lower than where Pele had been aiming, lashed at her, its claws slashing deep through the Persona's torso, which exploded into a shower of sparks. Yang let out a grunt of pain, falling to her knees and grasping at her chest, where her Persona had just been lacerated.

The Shadow pounced on Yang, raising its claw high to strike her down, but before it could move, Ruby called forth Lupa, sending a cyclone of wind right to the heart of the beast, launching it off her sister and across the room. The she-wolf gave chase, trading blows with the beast, and countering its colossal strength with her speed. Shadow Blake lashed out at Lupa in a rage, but its strikes found nothing but air, as the Persona bobbed and weaved around, picking away at any of the Shadow's exposed limbs with her scythe. It seemed as if Lupa had managed to swing the momentum of the fight back in their favor, as the Shadow began to stumble. At Ruby's command, Lupa swung her scythe once more, but just as it was about to make contact with the Shadow, it vanished. Somehow, the beast had sidestepped the attack, and before Lupa could recover, it reached down and grabbed her, raising her body skyward. It held her there for a moment, before swinging down, and smashing her hard across its knee. Ruby and Lupa let out simultaneous howls of pain, as Lupa exploded in a burst of blue light, disappearing from the Shadow's grasp.

Farran picked himself from the spot he was landed in time to see Lupa disappear. His chest still felt as if someone was holding a torch to it, and his back and sides weren't faring much better after skidding across the floor. A bright light started shining behind him, as he channeled a bit of energy to his back, summoning his wings. With a grunt, he kicked off the ground, soaring as fast as he could manage at the Shadow. As drew Silverbreak, gripping it tight as he drew near, staring down the Shadow, which seemed to be preoccupied with Ruby and Yang. He swung with all his might, seemingly burying Silverbreak's blade in the back of the beast's neck, but just as it made contact, it vanished once again. Farran didn't even have time to blink before something heavy slammed into his back, as Blake's Shadow spiked him out of the air. He was barely able to tuck his head before the unforgiving stone floor rose up to meet him. He wheezed, grimacing as his entire back roared with pain. The Shadow squatted down and leapt up, pushing its massive frame far higher into the air than it had any right to go, aiming its hind legs to stomp on Farran, forcing him to roll out of the way before he could be crushed. He put as much distance between himself and the beast as he could once he righted himself, breaking the chains around his wrist once again to summon Salamander. The beast and the fire-lizard stared each other down, trading thunderous roars that echoed off the stone walls, Blake's Shadow rushed forward, reaching out for the Salamander, but just as its claws closed around the Persona, it let out a howl of pain, pulling back away. It howled in pain, as the flesh and fur of its paw had become visibly seared through to the bone from the Salamander's burning scales. Salamander inhaled deeply, its body glowing brighter, as it let loose a stream of white-hot flames from its mouth, setting the beast's entire body alight.

The Shadow thrashed about, howling maniacally, as it tried to put the flames out, but to no avail. It fell to its knees, looking as if it might collapse, but before it could, the glass container that held Weiss began to glow with a fierce light. The light spread across the beast's form, somehow dowsing the flames that covered it, but more than that, the singe marks left by Pele and Salamander, as well as the slashes across its limbs from Lupa's scythe, all seemed to heal in an instant. The Shadow rolled, leaping back to its feet, as the light began to shift. Instead of spreading out from the case, it turned inwards, coursing through the Shadow's tail, into its stomach, and then finally resting just below its throat. It leaned back, coughing hoarsely, as the light began to move up its throat. Then, after a moment, its head snapped forward, as a thick beam of electrical energy shot from its gullet. The beam crackled through the air, and before Farran could react, it slammed into Salamander's side, piercing straight through, Time began to slow, as every inch of his body was covered in blistering pain, and he dropped to the ground like a stone. He lay there uselessly as the Shadow plodded over to him.

"Blake… stop…!" Farran wheezed, "You don't… have to do this!"

"Don't I?!" The Shadow's voice was much lower and heavily distorted, but even through the distortion, it was unmistakably Blake's voice, "Do you really think I can just let you live? Let all of you walk out of this place after everything you've seen? You know everything about me now, you know that I'm a criminal! The second you all leave, you're going to run to the police and tell them everything!"

"We wouldn't… do that to you, Blake…" Farran grunted, "You're our teammate… our friend! We would never… do something like that!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Blake's Shadow howled, "Teammates… Friendship… Trust… Do you really expect me to believe all of that? To believe you?! That whole 'trust in your teammates' bullshit was made up by a man that knowingly kept someone who was actively harming and harassing students employed! And you… You told me Weiss wouldn't hate me for being a Faunus! You told me she was trying to change! And I believed you… For once, I actually believed that everything would be ok, that I wouldn't have to run any more… That I finally found a place to belong. Only for that hope and the trust I put in you to be thrown back in my face. This is all your fault, Farran!"

"I just wanted… to help you, Blake…"

"If you're serious… If you really want to help me…" Shadow Blake reared back, her throat shining once again with a harsh light, "Then you'll die!"

It was almost as if Farran's arms moved on their own accord, snapping apart the chain that bound them. In a flash of blue light, Salamander dissipated into thin air, only to be replaced by Nekomata, who stood between Farran and the beast, almost immediately becoming engulfed by its lightning. Once again, Farran felt burning pain throughout his body, but this time, it was far less severe, thanks to Nekomata's resistance to electricity. Enraged that he managed to survive again, the Shadow raised a claw heavenward, looking to put an end to him, but before it could move, the beast was lifted off its feet and thrown through the air by a massive ball of fire. A green light started to emanate over Farran, as he felt a wave of cool energy wash over him, slowly healing his wounds. After a second wave of healing, and then a third, Farran was finally able to push himself back to his feet.

"Farran!" Yang's voice rang out behind him, "Over… Over here!"

He spun around to see her standing there, panting heavily. Ruby was next to her, barely supported by wobbling legs, and between them stood their Personas, neither looking much better than the two that wielded them. Farran rushed over to them, just barely reaching Ruby before she toppled over. On the opposite side of the chamber, the Shadow had finally pulled itself back up, but instead of continuing its attack, it pulled the glass dome connected to its tail around, checking over it greedily for any damage it might have suffered.

He held onto Ruby, keeping her upright long enough for her to heal herself, "Are you guys ok?"

"I'm fine. It just really hurt my back when Lupa got hit like that…" She rubbed the small of her back with a grimace on her face, "Owwie…"

"I hear you on that, Rubes. That thing hits like a shit brick house. Doesn't help I'm still sore from fighting that cat thing earlier..." Yang glared at Blake's Shadow, "Anybody got any ideas? Cause it looks to me like every time we hit that thing, it just ends up healing itself."

"I think you're right, Yang…" Viola's voice came from around them, "It seems that glass dome that girl is in is what's keeping it going. The only way you guys will be able to beat it is to cut the Shadow off from it, somehow."

"Cut it off? But that…" Ruby gave the crystalline figure inside the dome a worried look, "If we do that, is Weiss gonna be ok?

"I think so, Ruby. Remember what happened when I fought Cardin's Shadow?" Farran spun Silverbreak around in his hand, "The second my sword got knocked out of his hand, it went back to normal."

"Farran's right. Once she falls away from the Shadow's influence, the distortions will no longer affect her, and she'll return to normal. However, there's one big issue with that…" Viola paused for a moment, "Once she's back to her normal self, she'll immediately become a target for the Shadow. She'll be in danger, and completely vulnerable. Which means, your best bet to free her is right when it's about to heal, then take it out before it can attack."

"Which is a problem in and of itself…" Farran groaned, "How are we supposed to do this when we can't even hit it. It keeps teleporting out of the way of our attacks."

"Teleporting… No, that's not it." Yang's eyes lit up, "That thing's using Blake's Semblance! I didn't even realize cause I was so focused on the fight."

"Her Semblance?!" Ruby turned back towards the door, "Is it even possible for a Shadow to use a person's Semblance?"

"I… I have no idea." Viola stammered, "I'm going to be honest, nothing like this has ever come up before, to my knowledge at least. I will say, it makes sense that a Shadow could use someone's Semblance, considering they're a part of them."

"Well, if it's using her semblance, then…" Ruby chewed her lip for a second, "Alright, I have a plan. It's going to be hard, but we're going to have to time our attacks so that either her Shadow can't dodge, or if it does, it will be in a position where it can't dodge a follow up one."

"Sounds good enough to me. Not like we got a whole lot of other options at the moment." Yang flexed a bicep, "You gonna be ok, Farran? That thing used u as a chew toy for a bit."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I don't think I have enough energy to use Salamander or Minotaur for a bit, but…" Farran smirked, "I still got a whole bunch of other Personas to work with here."

"Alright. How about you, Rubes?" Yang frowned, slightly, "Don't push yourself too hard, ok? You're the only one of us that can heal, remember? If one of us goes down-"

"I'm fine." Ruby cut her off, "I'm… I'm fine. Even if I have to use my last bit of strength to heal you guys, I'm fine. I have to be. What's most important is that we beat this Shadow, and save Weiss and Blake, no matter what."

Shadow Blake's thunderous roar echoed across the chamber, snapping them out of their conversation. Evidently, the trance the glass dome had once had over it had been broken, as it found its way back to its feet, rearing back and preparing to attack once more. Ruby motioned for Farran to stay back, while she and Yang stepped forward. Once the Shadow took a threatening step towards them, the two took off, circling around the room towards it, Yang firing Ember Celica behind her to keep a pace just slightly slower than her sister. Farran watched the sisters race to the Shadow, summoning the Musketeer to his side, and having him aim in preparation for an opening. Ruby and Lupa swung their scythes as the reached striking distance, but just as before, once they should have made contact, the Shadow seemed to vanish. It was then that Farran saw it, the Shadow stepping back while its clone remained to take the hit, but he was prepared for it. Now that the Shadow was backpedaling and focused on Ruby's attack, he had the Musketeer open fire, its attack tearing through the air right above Ruby, and striking the beast in the neck. Just as it started to reach up to its new wound, Yang caught up to the skirmish, as Pele leveled the Shadow with a clubbing lariat. The Shadow fell flat on its back, but as Ruby and Yang drew near, it let out another burst of electrical energy, forcing them back away from it. As the battle raged on, the trio continued utilizing that strategy, coming at the Shadow from different angles to prevent it from using Blake's Semblance to dodge their attacks. Farran found himself falling back into a support role more and more as the battle rolled on, as the Personas he still could use worked much better in that role. Charon's ice and Alraune's spells kept the Shadow vulnerable, while Echo, Kijimuna, and the Musketeer proved far better at providing long range attacks, as well as covering fire for Yang and Ruby. The sisters bobbed and weaved around the Shadow, moving far too fast for it to counterattack, as Pele and Lupa pummeled and slashed the beast at every opening. Eventually, the beast managed to force them back, even for just a moment, when the glass dome began to glint with light.

"Now!" Ruby bellowed, "Farran, Cardinal!"

At her command, Farran kicked off the ground, launching himself at the Shadow, keeping pace with Ruby. Just as they'd practiced, Ruby and Lupa ducked low, swiping at the Shadow's legs, only for it to leap up out of the way, where Farran and Abel were waiting for it, slicing through each of its shoulders. The Shadow let out a howl of pain as it fell back to the ground, barely able to stand.

Ruby planted Crescent Rose in the ground in front of her, "Strawberry Sunrise!"

Yang shot forward, leaping on top of her sister's scythe, as Pele did the same to Lupa's. The two launched Yang and her Persona skyward, both aiming uppercuts straight at the jaw of the beast. However, the Shadow managed to pull its head back just in time, as their fists harmlessly soared by. It waited until Yang was at the apex of her jump before it slashed at her, spiking the blonde out of the air and across the room. Yang gritted through the pain, contorting her body so that as she hit the ground, she rolled through and skidded to a stop.

"Farran, do it!" She barked.

Taking her audible as his cue, Farran dove back behind the beast, aiming to slash its tail with Silverbreak. Just as he got within reach, he felt a heavy force on his back, as the beast spun around and smashed him down into the ground. Blake's Shadow glared down at him, letting out another horrendous roar, but even so, Farran smirked through the pain, snapping his wrists apart. Lady Luck materialized behind the beast in a blue light, leaping up, and slashing through the Shadow's tail. With nothing left to support its weight, the dome fell, shattering upon the stone floor. Flecks of shadow started to rise from the destroyed dome, surrounding Weiss's still frozen form, until the whole of what was once her glass prison was surrounded in darkness. After a moment, the darkness finally fell, leaving nothing behind but Weiss's unconscious form, sleeping atop a bed of rose petals. The Shadow reared back, freeing Farran from its grasp, as it let out a howl of pain and fury.

From where she was standing, Yang watched the exchange, having Pele charge up as big of a fireball as she could muster with her remaining strength. As the flames in Pele's hands grew, they began to change color, from a deep red to a bright yellow, and finally to a fierce blue. The temperature in the room began to rise, as the air around her began to warp and ripple from the heat. Finally, once the beast released Farran, he rolled out of the way, giving her enough distance between him and the Shadow to launch it. The fireball crashed into Blake's Shadow, carrying it a good distance away from Weiss and Farran. For a moment, it appeared as if that were enough, as the Shadow lay still, embers smoldering in its fur, but after a moment, it slowly forced itself back upright, letting out one last defiant roar.

Ruby dashed forward, speeding right up to the Shadow. On her command, Lupa let out a howl, causing a gale of wind, strong and loud as cannon fire, to slam right into the Shadow's chest, lifting it high up in the air until it slammed into the chamber's ceiling. Persona and user gathered underneath the Shadow, timing everything up, and once it began to fall, they leapt up towards it. The two rose up to meet the Shadow, and with simultaneous slashes, the twin scythes cut through the belly of the beast, slicing it in two. Ruby landed in between the Shadow's remains, which quickly dissolved in a mass of darkness, leaving behind Shadow Blake in her original form.

Blake croaked out a barely audible groan as she forced herself to sit up. She'd lost any sense of how much time had passed after her Shadow had transform. The only thing she could remember was a giant mass of darkness forming, immediately followed by agonizing, searing pain that wracked her whole body. Days, weeks, maybe even months could have passed for all she knew, as the only sense she felt was that pain. Even now, it still felt as if her head were in a vice, although even that was preferable now that the rest of the pain had started to quickly die down. She took a quick look around, trying to get her wits back about her. Kneeling right next to her, with her hands tightly curled around the large door they had entered earlier, was the golden haired girl who Farran, Ruby, and Yang had referred to as Viola. She was peering into the next room, a relieved expression on her face, although she hadn't yet realized Blake had woken up. Blake followed her gaze into the room, where her three teammates started to gather together, each just barely standing on wobbling legs. And just past them, laying still on a bed of rose petals was…

"Weiss!" Blake blurted out, scrambling to her feet. She made it all of three steps into the room before she fell right back down to one knee.

"Easy, now! Easy…" Viola's gentle voice came from right beside her, as the golden haired girl helped her back to her feet, "Don't push yourself."

Blake took another worried look towards her unconscious teammate, "But Weiss is-"

"Going to be completely fine." Viola gave her a kind smile, "Trust me."

"…Can you at least take me to her?" Blake's ears flattened against her head.

"That, I can do."

Viola led a limping Blake through the chamber, and over to her teammates. She watched as a wolf in a white cape, which she believed was Ruby's Persona, prodded over to them, letting off a soft howl. A faint, green light surrounded the three, which began to cover and heal all of their more apparent injuries. Satisfied that they would be alright, Blake nervously turned to Weiss, heart beating faster with each second that the silver-haired girl didn't move, only to be overcome with elation once she saw her chest rising and falling. Viola helped Blake sit down next to her, where she gingerly took Weiss's slender hand.

"Weiss…" She muttered, softly brushing a lock of Weiss's usually immaculate hair off her face, "I'm so sorry… This… All of this is my fault."

"Well, I must say. I can't help but feel disappointed in you." A new, but familiar voice called out from across the room, sending tremors of terror down Blake's spine, "And yet, I can't say I'm surprised. Killing her should have been so simple for you, but it appears you're a traitor to the end. Aren't you… Darling?"

Blake looked up to see him slam the door on the opposite side of the chamber, which would normally lead to the exit in the real world, shut. He stalked towards her, looking as if he had just stepped out of her memory, or her nightmares, of the last time they had seen each other. He wore the same black trench coat, red shirt, and black pants he'd worn that day, and his crimson hair was swept back behind his horns just the same as well. Despite the top half of his face being covered by his Grimm mask, he gave off an aura of a calm and collected man, if a bit irked, but Blake knew far better. Everything about his demeanor contained the telltale signs that Adam Taurus was about to snap.

From off to her left, her Shadow, that thing that claimed it was a part of her, got up to her feet and ran over to him, "Adam, please! I'm sorry! I tried, but-"

"That's Warden to you!" Adam cut her off. He backhanded Shadow Blake across her face, knocking her to the ground, "We had an arrangement. You kill the Schnee girl, and you could take back your rightful place at my side. But you…" Adam turned back to Blake, "My love, you would stand against me and protect, not just a human, but the heiress of the Schnee family! You say I'm the one whose changed, but you… I can hardly even recognize you."

"Adam… How?!" Blake's pupils shrunk to pinpricks, "You can't be here! If what they told me is true… This should be impossible!"

"It's very simple, my love. No matter how far you run, no matter where in the world you hide, there is nowhere you can go where you can hide from me."

"Viola, what the hell is this guy? Another Shadow?" Farran grunted as he, Ruby, and Yang readied their weapons.

"No, not a Shadow." Viola muttered, "He's more like the prisoners downstairs. A living doll. But… He's strong. Very, very strong."

"You have betrayed everything we stand for, Blake!" Adam snarled, his voice booming, "You and I were going to change the world, remember? We were destined to light the fires of revolution! Yet here you are, running like a coward! And for what?! To save the lives of humans?!"

"I never wanted a revolution, Adam!" Blake cried, tears in her eyes, "Everything you did… All that violence… All the people you killed… I never wanted any of it! I wanted equality! I wanted peace!"

"LIAR!" Adam roared, "Even now, even after everything you've seen here, you'll still deny it?! This is your cognitive world, my love. The world of your desires! Everything here, all the humans and blood traitors imprisoned and tortured… Deep down in your heart, you know you want the same thing I do! Equality… Peace… Even if that was what you wanted, then what you want is impossible!" With a sigh, he drew his sword, Wilt, from its sheath, "But I understand because all I want is you, Blake. And as I set out upon this world and deliver the justice mankind so greatly deserves, I will make it my mission to destroy everything you love."

"Get away from her!" Yang's voice cried out.

To Blake's horror, Yang's hair began to glow as she activated her Semblance, and launched herself in the air towards Adam. Adam stood there, watching her, his lips curling slightly into a hellish grin. Everything seemed to move in slow motion for Blake, as she watched Adam ready his blade, as his own Semblance activated. The same Semblance that she had seen slaughter countless people, and turn powerful security robots into nothing more than dust with one slice. Blake wanted to scream for her to stop, but no matter what she tried, she couldn't make a sound. She watched in horror as the two drew closer, but just as Adam started to swing his blade, a blue light appeared before him. The blue light spawned a towering figure that looked as if it were half man and half bull, which grabbed his sword by the blade, stopping his attack. Adam grunted with annoyance, using his free hand to unhook Blush, the rifle which served as Wilt's scabbard. Despite the figure's death grip on his blade, Adam was able to sidestep Yang's attack with ease, clubbing her a few times with Blush, before spinning it around, pointing the barrel at her chest, and firing, sending her flying back across the room. Without much struggle, Adam pulled his blade free of the figure's grasp, and in one motion, cleaved it in two. Next to her, Farran let out a gasp of pain, clutching at his chest as if he were the one who had been hit by Adam's attack as he collapsed on the ground. With no one left to help her, Ruby summoned her Persona, and both jumped into the fray, attacking Adam in tandem, but it soon became clear that they were outmatched, even with the numbers advantage. He toyed with them for a moment, then with a sneer, he ran Ruby's Persona through with his sword, and while she reeled from the pain, he smashed Blush across her face.

"Stop this, please!" Blake finally managed to force herself back to her feet. She dashed forward, putting herself between Adam and her downed teammates, "Please!"

"Get out of my way, Blake." He glowered down at her. When Blake didn't budge, he shoved her to the ground, "I said move!"

"Adam, please! I'll do anything!" She pleaded as he simply moved past her, murderous intent on his face, "Just… Just please let them go…"

Adam simply turned back to her with a sneer, "I'm sorry, my love. But you have no one but yourself to blame for all of this."

Blake watched as Adam stepped over to Yang, his grip tight on his blade. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the whole scene, knowing there was nothing she could do. No matter what she tried in the past, she couldn't stop Adam then, and she knew she couldn't now. Her teammates, her friends, were going to be killed right in front of her, and it was all because she ran away again.

"He's right…" Tears began to stream down her face, "This… All of this is my fault…"

"Blake…"

A soft, soothing voice spoke to her. It was then that she realized that all sound around her, from Adam's boots tapping across the stone floor to her teammates struggling to stand, had ceased. She opened her eyes to see that time had stopped around her, Adam frozen mid-stride on his way to her teammates. She turned towards where the voice had come from, only to see that the one thing that hadn't been frozen in time was the last person she wanted to see. Her Shadow, or the thing that claimed it was her Shadow at least, stood over her, looking down at her. However, the manic grin she once had was now replaced with a deep, concerned frown.

"What? What do you want?" Blake hissed, "I don't want to hear any more of your-"

She was cut off by a warm, soft pressure on her chest, as her Shadow sped over to her, and pulled her into a tight hug, "Shh… Please Blake, just be quiet a moment, and calm down. I know how you feel right now, but there's still time for us to save your friends."

"Wha… Save them?!" Blake tried to struggle out of her grip, "But I can't… There's nothing I can do to stop Adam, he's-"

"I know, Blake." Her distorted voice was much more firm this time, "I know you think you can't beat him. Believe me, I do. But you can. All you need to do is accept that I'm a part of you."

"Accept you?!" Blake forced her shadow off her, "How can I accept you? How can I accept any of this?! I'm not… I didn't want any of this!"

You can say that all you want, but you're wrong. All of this really is a part of you." Her shadow paused, "But even so, just because this is a part of you, that doesn't mean you can take everything here at face value."

"…What do you mean by that?" Blake murmured.

"Think about it. For all your life, you hated humans. You know that much is true. You were born into the White Fang, and saw first hand the some of the atrocities humans put the Faunus through. But even so, you hated humanity only as much as those who were around you in the White Fang. The ones who left when Sienna Khan took over. And honestly, when you first met Weiss, knowing she was from the Schnee family, and seeing how haughty she acted, you hated her too. But this, all of this!" Blake's Shadow gestured around her, "Humans locked in cramped cages and tortured… Faunus who stood against the White Fang locked up as well… Even wanting to kill an innocent girl, just because her father exploits the Faunus. You once thought like that, too. But you didn't start thinking that way on your own, did you? Something forced you to think that way."

Blake grabbed at the sides of her head, "I… I don't remember…"

"You do remember, but it's painful, so you don't want to. I know it's hard Blake, but you can't run from this forever." Shadow Blake frowned, "Adam. He made you think like that, didn't he?"

"Wha-What are you-"

"After you ran away from home with him, to continue working with the White Fang, you were stuck on another continent, and the only people you knew were Adam and the people in your squad. That was when he started to become more vicious, wasn't it? He became more and more violent on missions, and started attacking any humans he could get his hands on. He tried to get you to do it too, and when you tried to resist, he… He hurt you, didn't he? Until you did what he told you, and started thinking how he thought, he would hurt you, because back then, you were much smaller, much weaker, and much less skilled in combat than he was."

"How do you know-" Blake shook her head, tears forming at the memory, "No… You're right… After a while, I didn't even question him anymore. I just did whatever I was told."

"But then, you left." Shadow Blake gave her a kind smile, "You finally had enough of the senseless violence he was causing, and you left."

"Not for a long time, though…" Blake grumbled, "I still did everything he said for years. Everything I did, all those people I hurt…"

"But it's not like you had a choice. You were all alone on a whole different continent! You didn't really have anywhere to go, and even if you did, once you started doing what Adam told you, he drilled it into your head that you were a criminal, and nobody, not even your family, would take you in. He manipulated you Blake, you can't really blame yourself for that…" She sighed, "But that's what you've been doing since that day, hasn't it? And that's what this place represents. You've locked yourself in a self-hatred, blaming yourself for crimes that were forced on you by Adam. Too afraid to go home or to make new friends… Protecting yourself from everyone else, and protecting everyone around you from your past. But tell me, Blake… Do these friends of yours look like the type who would let you keep running from your past? Or do they look like people who would stand by you while you faced it, even if it would get them hurt?" She gestured to their frozen forms. Ruby, Farran, and Yang still had looks of complete determination on their faces, despite the impossible odds, "Honestly, they look to me like they'd be more hurt by you pushing them away."

"That, or just push harder to get close to me, no matter what." Blake choked out a short laugh, but then paused, "Look, I get what you're trying to say, but even still, I'm not completely innocent."

Shadow Blake shrugged, "Innocent, no. But you're hardly the criminal you think you are, either. And I can guarantee you, they'd all say the same. So what do you say? Will you keep running? Or will you accept me?"

Blake took a moment to wipe away her tears, then gave her Shadow a determined look, "No, I'm done. I'm sorry for rejecting you for so long. Gods know, for as bad as its been for me, it must have been worse for you. But that ends today. You are me."

As soon as the words left Blake's mouth, a burning pain rushed through her head again. Her hands rushed up to her temples as she doubled over, kneeling on the ground. Just then, a booming voice filled her mind. My, my… How you have forced yourself to suffer, my poor girl. But no longer. I have heeded your resolve, and you are truly ready for my power. But before I can grant it to you, we must forge a contract. I am thou… Thou art I… Do not sit back and let others craft your image. Instead, take control of your own destiny, and bring forth the prosperity of your people, with your own hands!

Farran laid there, face down on the stone floor. All of his muscles burned, and it felt as if some great weight had been pressed down on top of him, making it impossible to move. Summoning Minotaur after all the damage he'd taken in the fight with Blake's Shadow was reckless, and he'd completely overexerted himself, but he didn't have a choice. His body had reacted on its own, instinctively trying to protect Yang, and Minotaur was the only one of his Personas strong enough. Not that it did much good, considering cognitive Adam had been able to take Yang out anyways, and still managed to destroy Minotaur with only one slice. Even now, laying there on the floor, he knew he had to do something. All of his teammates were down, and from his limited view, Blake seemed to still be suffering from rejecting her Shadow earlier. If he didn't do something, they were all going to die. He strained every muscle in his body, trying to get his hand over to Silverbreak, but the second a finger managed to touch the hilt, the cognitive version of Adam kicked the blade away from him.

The living doll turned back to Blake with a sick smirk, "But I am not completely cruel, my love. If these humans really mean so much to you… I'll let you decide the order I kill them in. That way, you can spend a little more time with the ones that matter most to you." He let out a devilish laugh, "But I'd choose quickly if I were you, otherwise I'll just kill them as I please."

"Stop." Blake's voice rang out, calm but forceful, accentuated by what sounded like the crackling of thunder, "Don't you dare touch them."

"What did you say?" Adam turned on his heel and stormed back towards her, "Blake, you know damn well what happens when you talk to me like that."

"Tell me something, Adam. Who exactly is the real you? Is it the one who would willingly slaughter an entire train full of innocent workers?" Blake slowly stood up, staring him defiantly in the eye, "Or is it the boy who ran to Menagerie, scared half to death because he'd accidentally killed the sweatshop owner who'd been abusing him?"

"Are you seriously going to stand there and lecture me about who the real me is?" He snarled, "You, who has been running from your true self for years!"

"I'm. Not. Running." As she spoke, the ground began to shake, punctuating each word. Much to Farran's surprise, a set of ethereal manacles appeared around her wrists. Does that mean she's… "Not anymore. I know exactly who I am… And none of this is me!"

Blake snapped apart the chains around her wrist, flooding the room with a flurry of wind. Overhead, wisps of storm clouds began to form and converge, blocking off the ceiling, letting off low rumbles of thunder. A scintillating blue light erupted in front of her, burning bright for a few seconds, before fading away to reveal the beast that Blake's Shadow had transformed into, its tail fully intact.

The cognitive version of Adam cackled, "Do you see now, my love? You can't dent the truth, no matter how far you run, or where you try to hide! And the truth is that hideous, disgusting, foul beast is YOU!"

"WRONG!" Blake balled up her fists, "For so long, I believed that this was the truth… That this was the real me, and I needed to hide who I was. I had to hide that I was a Faunus, hide that I was in the White Fang… No matter what, I had to hide everything. And I believed all of that because of you, Adam. You manipulated me, made me think I was some sort of monster, just because I followed you when I had no other choice! All this time, that's what I was running from. My memories of you, my fear that I would lose everything I worked so hard to gain after I left, I let them control everything, from where I went to who I allowed myself to get close to. But I'm done running. I'm not going to let you control who I am anymore!" Blake shivered slightly, as electricity began to crackle around her, "Come forth, Hatshepsut!"

Adam stared dumbly as Blake's Persona began to rise in the air above them, shining with a bright golden light which completely enveloped its form. It began to shrink, its gargantuan body slimming down to the size of a normal, if a bit tall, human, as its more monstrous features began to fade away. After a moment, the light dimmed, as the figure lowered back to the ground, its true form revealed. Blake's Persona took the form of a woman in a shimmering dress that looked as if it were somehow made of onyx, her head adorned with a gold and black headdress and fake beard. In her left hand, she held a small golden crook, while her right held a black ankh. The only sign that this stunning figure and the beast that had appeared before were one and the same, were a pair of black cat ears that poked up from the woman's headdress, and a tail that curled up her back.

"Tell me." Blake took a dangerous step forward, "When I was in the White Fang, you always used to talk about all the things that humanity took from us. But what about you, Adam? What about all the things you took from me? I trusted you, Adam. I loved you. And yet you did nothing but take from me. You took my happiness… my innocence… my self respect… my pride… You robbed me of everything! And now… I'M GOING TO TAKE BACK EVERYTHING YOU STOLE!"

Lightning crashed down around them, carving out deep holes in the floor and walls, and filling the room with the ear-piercing sounds of thunder. Hatshepsut looked down at Adam mercilessly, as she raised the ankh in her hand heavenwards. For the first time since the cognitive figure appeared, Farran saw a look of true fear upon his face, as a bolt of lightning thicker than his entire body crashed down on him. Whether or not the living doll let out a scream, Farran did not know, as the lightning brought about a clash of thunder so loud, he had to cover his ears, lest he let his ear drums pop. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust after the intense brightness of the lightning strike, but by the time he could see again, the cognitive version of Adam Taurus was no more, reduced to nothing but a pile of ash.

A thousand emotions flitted across Blake's face, tears streaming from her eyes despite her lips curling slightly into a shocked, but relieved, smile as she collapsed down to her knees, staring at the ashes. Viola came over to Farran's side, gingerly helping him back to his feet. Somewhere behind them, Farran could hear Ruby groaning, as she pushed every last bit of energy she had left into summoning Lupa to heal everyone. A golden blur shot past Farran before he could take a single step, as the freshly healed Yang zipped over to Blake, pulling her partner in a tight hug. For a second, Blake looked stunned by the contact, but nevertheless, she pulled the blonde in even tighter.

"I'm sorry…" She sniffled, "I'm so sorry! I-I should've…"

"Shh… It's ok Blakey, it's ok…" Yang cut her off, lightly stroking her back, "We're all ok. You don't have to worry now."

Beneath them, the whole Palace began to shake, as if it were in the middle of an immense earthquake. Cracks began to form throughout the walls and floors, and dust and debris began to rain down around them.

"I think you should save saying that for later, Yang… We gotta get out of here, or none of us are gonna be ok." Farran picked Weiss up off the bed of rose petals, carrying her bridal style.

"But how are we gonna make it all the way down before this place caves in on us?" Ruby bent over, letting out another groan, "I dunno if I can run anymore…"

"I think we'll be alright." Viola's voice stayed calm as she tried to get them moving, "If I'm right, there should be another way down…"

Instead of heading back the way they came, Viola led them forward, towards the door Adam had come through. Farran wasn't sure what to expect on the other side. Whether they'd end up in some cognitive version of Menagerie, or even some kind of villainous lair, given it was supposed to be where Adam had been staying as the Warden. They pulled the towering doors open, only to find that on the other side was a near perfect replica of their dorm room. Everything looked to be in the right place, from their desks, to the beds, and even the books that served to support Yang and Blake's bunk were in the correct order. The only difference they could find was a brightly glowing white glyph, the same as the one they found in Shadow Richards's tower. The group sped to get on it, feeling the floor fall away, as the glyph transported them all the way back to the entrance of the Palace. Viola quickly thumbed the button on the Metaverse app, and within seconds, the six of them were swallowed by the burst of light.

"So… You're sure Weiss is gonna be ok?"

It didn't take long for the members of Team RWBY to occupy the closest bit of comfortable furniture they could find once they bailed out of the storage closet in the real world. After Farran laid Weiss down on her bed, Viola busied herself with making sure she wasn't suffering any ill effects from her time in the Metaverse, while the rest sat around watching her work, Farran from his futon, Blake and Yang on Blake's bed, and Ruby, who couldn't pull herself up to her bunk on her own in her state, resigned herself to using the closest chair she could find, while using another as a footrest. When Viola was finally satisfied, she turned back to Yang and nodded.

"Weiss is going to be just fine. She just needs some rest after today. Spending seven hours in the Metaverse and being involved in Blake's Shadow's transformation… Poor thing must be exhausted." She muttered.

"She isn't the only one!" Ruby flopped over in her seat, "Farran, you gotta find a Persona that can heal, so I'm not stuck doing it all myself…"

"I warned you not to push yourself, Rubes." Yang raised an eyebrow at her sister.

"I know, but we had to get Weiss and Blake out of there! That's what was most important. Not that it helps any now, though…" Ruby whined, "Yang, you're gonna have to help me up to my bed tonight…"

"Yeah, yeah… Whatever you say, sis." She turned and elbowed Blake in the ribs, "How about you, Blake? Are you ok now? You got a bit emotional back in your Palace. Everything alright?"

"Oh, yes. Sorry… about that…" Blake let out a bashful laugh, "I just went through a lot. Between finally standing up to Adam, and having all that power coursing through me, and well… everything really, I just got pretty overwhelmed. I didn't even realize I was crying until you got to me, Yang."

"So, you're sure that guy was another cognitive being, right Viola?" Farran sat up, expectantly, "Not his Shadow?"

Viola nodded, "I can say for certain that's the case, yes. For one, had it been a Shadow, it wouldn't have been destroyed when Blake attacked it. Instead, it would have remained in a much more vulnerable state, like the Palace rulers you've all encountered to this point. Second, it behaved exactly like a cognitive figure should. When you all attacked it, Blake believed its real life counterpart to be untouchable, and so none of you would have been able to hurt it, even at full strength. However, once she was finally able to stand up for herself, she changed her own cognition of him, which was how she was able to beat it so easily."

"Huh… That's weird…" Yang prodded Blake in the ribs with her elbow, "You really think your boyfriend's that strong, Kitty Cat? I mean, he did look tough, but I wouldn't ever really think of him as invincible or anything."

"Ex-boyfriend." She corrected, rolling her eyes at Yang's persistent nickname, "On my last mission with him, when I cut the connection between the train cars, that was my way of cutting all ties with him as well. As for why, well… It's a long story."

"So what? We have time! I mean, uh…" Ruby twiddled her thumbs, "If you're ok telling us. It's alright if you're not."

"No, it's ok. It's about time I got it all off my chest anyways. I can't keep running from it." Blake closed her eyes, smiling sadly, "…I've known Adam for a long, long time. Adam first came to Menagerie back when my dad was still the High Leader of the White Fang. Apparently, he was running for his life because he had accidentally killed the owner of a workhouse that had been abusing him and the other Faunus laborers. At least, that's what he told us then. I believed it for the longest time, because he looked dead inside for weeks, but I'd learn a long time later just how easily he could manipulate people. After a while, my dad took him under his wing in the White Fang, and he quickly started rising the ranks. That's when the 'real' Adam started showing his face, getting into brawls with humans at rallies, even putting them in the hospital. My dad would always try to keep a close eye on him, but there was only so much he could do. Of course, I didn't know any of this until later, after I started dating him."

"Which was?" Yang couldn't hide the interest in her voice.

"It wasn't too long after Sienna Khan took over when we started. Honestly, it was one of the deciding factors in me staying with the White Fang. When dad and I had our big fight over me leaving, I think our relationship was what really set him off. Had I just been staying in the White Fang, that would have been one thing, but when he heard I was planning on running off with Adam… Dad was furious. He tried telling me all of the horrible things he did, but stupid me wouldn't believe him, and instead just thought he was angry and jealous about Sienna taking his job, so he was taking it out on Adam for following her. I should have listened to him. After that, when all the red flags started showing up for me, it was too late."

"…What do you mean by that, Blake?" Farran frowned, taken aback.

"The two of us ended up taking a boat to Sanus with a bunch of other White Fang members. So, essentially it was me, a stupid teenage girl all on her own, with a bunch of adults I barely knew and Adam, who pretty much turned into a whole different person. So pretty much, I was all alone in a group of strangers on an entirely different continent." She grimaced, "Which made the idea of leaving once Adam started killing humans so much harder. I didn't think I could just go home, I had nowhere else to go, and even if I did… Adam was adamant that I do exactly what he said, and thought exactly how he told me to think, and he made it crystal clear what would happen if I didn't. So it seemed like leaving wasn't an option for the longest time."

"Wait, Blake… You're not saying…" Ruby gaped, "He didn't…?"

When Blake only answered with a sad smile, Yang leapt up off the bed, "That son of a bitch! That worthless… I'll kill that asshole! I'll kill him!"

"Yang, calm down. I can understand you being angry, but there's no point to it. Even if you could beat Adam, I haven't seen him in over a year, now. I have no idea where in the world he is by now. Those White Fang members from the docks weren't from his group, at least when I was still a part of it, so I can't imagine he's anywhere around here right now, at least. Besides, I'm not going to let what he did to me affect me anymore. Because of how he treated me, and manipulated me, I believed that there was nowhere left for me to go. That I was just a criminal on the run… But I'm done running. I'm not going to let Adam, or my memories of him, control who I am, or what I do, anymore." Blake leaned back a bit, smiling.

"You're… taking this surprisingly well." Farran tilted his head

"I don't really know how to explain it, honestly. It's weird… After talking to my Shadow, and awakening to my Persona, I feel so much better. Like, I know I'm not completely better. There's still things I know I have to work out on my own. But that's the thing, for the first time, I feel like I can fix it. It doesn't seem like some completely impossible task. So, in a way, you could almost say that facing my other self was a… get out of jail free card." Blake waggled her eyebrows at Yang.

Yang plopped down next to her amidst a sea of groans from their teammates, "Leave the puns to me, Kitten. They really don't suit you."

"Well, I thought it was funny…" She grumbled.

"While we're on the subject of relationships…" Yang's gaze turned to Weiss, "So… You and the Ice Queen, huh? Honestly never saw that one coming."

Blake's ears flattened against her head, "Yeah…"

"Alright, that wasn't the answer I was expecting."

"I just…" She looked away, "I don't know…"

"You mean, you don't love Weiss?" Ruby gave her a worried look.

"That's the thing… I honestly don't know how I feel." Blake bit her lips, fumbling for the right words, "It's like my Shadow said before, ever since the White Fang, since Adam, I've built up walls around my heart. I never really thought about dating since then, much less… any of you…"

"Well, you said you feel differently after getting your Persona, right?" Farran offered, "Maybe now that you can think clearly without all that other stuff weighing on you so much, you can talk it out and get some better idea of what you're working with?"

"I suppose it's worth a try…" She leaned back and closed her eyes, "It's weird, really. I can't deny what my Shadow said about her. I actually felt relieved when she first said it. Maybe I really do love Weiss… But even saying that now, something feels weird? Like, I was happy to finally get that off my chest, but there was something more to it."

"A good something?" Yang asked, "Or a bad something?"

"I don't… Bad, I guess? Yeah, a bad something. Definitely bad…" She sighed, "Even though I was happy, at the same time, it hurt too. Not even like I was embarrassed about her saying it, more like… More like by her saying I loved Weiss, it permanently closed a door for me that I didn't want closed, or at least wasn't ready for it yet. Does that make sense?"

"Kind of like… Now that you have some kind of feelings for Weiss, there's something that you wanted, but now you can't have?"

Blake's ears perked up, "Yes! That's exactly it!"

"So… Maybe it's cause of Adam." Ruby hummed, "Your Shadow was telling you to go back to him. It could be that, deep down, your still love him. But now that you have us, and especially Weiss, you decided not to ever go back to him."

"No… I know that isn't it. With Adam, I had already accepted the fact that I wouldn't be going back to him from the day I first left. And even if that was it, I wouldn't still be thinking like that now. I can honestly say I want nothing to do with him. It's something else, but…" She shrugged and shook her head, "I don't know. I'm just going to have to think about it some more. At least I have somewhere to start from now… Thanks guys."

"Of course, Blake. Any time." Yang gave her a playful bump, "That's what we're here for, remember?"

"Well, unfortunately, I think it's time for me to be off." Viola muttered, looking at the clock on Farran's scroll. She set it on a nearby desk, then waved her hand, summoning the door to the Velvet Room, "My Master will be expecting a report about today's events, and I believe he will be elated at your victory, my dear guest. You all have plenty to be proud of, after taking down another Palace." She turned to Blake with a smile, "Especially you, Blake. Despite it being your own Palace, you managed to overcome your fears and accept your hidden self. Accepting your Shadow is no easy feat, as I'm sure your teammates will tell you, but to do so within your own Palace is extraordinary. I look forward to working with you in the future." She pushed open the door, giving the group one last wave, "I hope you all rest well tonight. After today's adventures, you've more than earned it. I hope to see you all again soon!"

They all bid her goodbye as she disappeared into the blue void. When the door finally faded away, Blake got up off her bed, stretching her back, "On that note, I better get going too. Gotta find somewhere to stay before it's too late."

"Wha- Wait, what?" Yang leapt to her feet, "Are you kidding me?! You're going to up and leave again?!"

"Nuh-uh! No, no, no, no, no." Farran stepped in front of the door, blocking it, "We did not go through all that shit just for you to go running off again."

"Blake, I thought you said you were better now! Don't tell me we have to go beat your stupid Shadow again." Ruby puffed out her cheeks.

"What are you all- Oh! No, that's not what I meant. I really am fine now. It's just…" She gave Weiss a sad look, "I can't blame her for how she feels about the White Fang. Not after everything they've done to her family. Now that she knows I used to be one of them, it'd just be a completely unnecessary distraction for her. Not to mention what happened with her Shadow… She probably wants nothing to do with me right now. I'm just going to stay at the café for a while, even if I have to commute to classes until everything calms down with all this, and if it never does, well… We'll go from there, I guess. But until then, I can't force her to be near me, so it'd be better if I-"

"Stop." Blake had turned to leave, but froze in her tracks when an annoyed voice called out from behind the group. They turned around to see Weiss, now awake and sitting upright on her bed, glaring daggers at Blake, "Don't you dare take another step, Blake Belladonna."

"Weiss!"

Farran, Yang, and Ruby sped across the room in unison, assaulting the silver-haired girl's ears with a barrage of questions, making sure their friend was ok. It took her a moment to wave them all off, quieting their relentless worrying with assurances that she was most certainly fine. With the gap between them once again cleared, her gaze returned to her Faunus teammate, her glare unwavering.

"Weiss, I…" She lowered her head, her cat ears drooping, "I'm sorry… Everything that happened today, everything you had to go through in that other world… It's all my fault. You almost died because of me… I'm sorry…"

"And that is exactly why you are not to move another muscle until I have said my peace." Weiss folded her arms, "Understood?"

"I… O-Ok. I understand."

"Honestly…" She pinched the bridge of her nose, "Do you have any idea just how long we were all looking for you today? Eight hours. We spent eight hours searching every nook and cranny of this city, looking for you. And that's not even including how long the three of them spent yesterday." She got up out of her bed, striding right up until she was face to face with Blake, "On top of that, I just spent seven hours trapped in another world, being threatened by a part of you. That makes fifteen hours of my life, directly affected by you running away, which gave me plenty of time to think about this. And in those fifteen hours, I decided…" Weiss took a long pause, causing Farran, Yang, and Ruby to exchange worried looks, "I don't care."

Blake blinked at Weiss in surprise, "You don't care?"

"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?"

"No, I-I haven't been since I was younger-" Blake stammered.

"Ah-bah-bah-bah-bah! I don't want to hear it. First, you're no longer a part of that group. Second, while you were a member, you were forced to go through some… awful things whenever you tried to resist."

"Wait… How do you know that?" Yang gave her an amused look.

"I… may have been awake long enough to overhear your conversation…" Weiss's mumbled, color quickly rising in her face, "Anyways, how I know is beside the point. What matters is that I can hardly hold your past, or any of this really, against you. All I want to know is that the next time something this big comes up... you'll come to your teammates. And not some..." She cleared her throat, catching herself, "Someone else. And don't just keep it pent up inside of you, either."

Blake looked at her teammates, who each gave her supportive grins. She wiped away a tear that had been forming in her eye, "Of course."

After a beat, Ruby waved her arms frantically, "Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!"

The room filled with an air of happiness as the members of Team RWBY crowded around each other, relieved to have things finally back to normal, their friends all safe and accounted for. However, this feeling would be incredibly short lived. Farran opened his mouth to join in the celebration, but before he could say anything, the fatigue that had been building up after spending most of the day searching through Vale, two trips through the Metaverse, and the repeated beatings he had taken finally set in. It took a significant amount of effort for him not to pass out right where he stood, and from the look on his teammates' faces, it seemed like he wasn't the only one.

"Alright, I don't know about you guys…" He backed over to his bag, pulling out a change of clothes to sleep in, "But I'm running on empty. Maybe we can save the celebrating and all that for tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yes, I think that would be best. After all, any fatigue caused by that other world isn't an acceptable excuse for missing class. Unless, of course, you all intend to fill in Professor Goodwitch." Weiss moved over to her dresser, rummaging through her drawers, "Not to mention, I expect us to have a serious discussion soon about what that world's existence means for all of us as a team moving forward."

"Yeah, yeah… We know. Now's not the best time for a lecture, Ice Queen…" Yang grumbled.

"O-Oh, and Weiss…" Blake spoke up, "About what my Shadow said… about us…"

Everyone froze in their tracks. Weiss nearly dropped the nightie she had pulled from her dresser, fumbling with it as she nervously turned to face Blake, "Y-Yes?"

"I don't know how you feel about what she said. I don't even know how I feel, really. I need… I need some time to think about everything, so I can fully understand my feelings. And I was hoping, once I do understand how I feel, maybe…" She gulped, "Maybe you and I can talk about it? Even if you aren't interested… Just to get everything out in the open, you know?"

Weiss gave her a sweet smile, "I think that is a very prudent decision, Blake. There's no sense in rushing into anything until you're entirely sure how you feel, especially after everything we've been through today. And of course we can. I did say that I don't want you keeping anything pent up, remember?"

"Thank you, Weiss…" Blake nearly started tearing up again, "Thank you."

Satisfied that his teammates were placated, at least for the moment, Farran took his change of clothes into the bathroom to get ready for bed. A little bit later, Yang came to the door, giving him the all-clear that they were all decent, and allowing him to finally stumble back to his futon and collapse on top of it while the girls went about the rest of their usual nightly routine. Within minutes, the exhaustion that had built up throughout the day, and the relief of having his teammates all back safe overcame him, as he finally succumbed to the heavy veil of sleep.

Author's Notes

Hey guys!

It's done! It's finally, finally freaking done! Sorry this one took so long. A lot's been going on, and the fight scene took WAAAAY longer than I would have liked. But, we're back in the swing of things now!

Hatshepsut – The fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, and the second confirmed female pharaoh. Hatshepsut has been considered one of the most successful pharaohs of ancient Egypt, reigning for 20 years, and beyond that, her reign was one of peace (something I think Blake would really connect with). She re-established international trade that had been lost before her time, and commissioned a number of building projects during her time. I also felt it fit the "Beauty and the Beast" aesthetic I wanted to include. A beast turning into royalty after learning a life lesson, and all that. Plus, there's the connection between ancient Egypt and cats, and well… I had to make Blake's Persona a catgirl, didn't I? :3

That's all I got for this week. Hope you guys enjoyed, and I hope to see you in the next chapter!

Inferno :D