Chapter 7

"When...when I was young, I trained to be a Huntress." Pyrrha started. "Port was the village Huntsman for a long time, but Winter had arrived. She did that for a few years until Weiss replaced her. Anyway, that allowed Port to retire and start training the next generation. I...I guess I was his star pupil. There were four of us, and we were all young. I was the oldest at fourteen, and Port made me the team leader. The others were Coral, just a few weeks younger than me, Jaune, about a year younger, and Helia, about the same age as Jaune. Mostly we just fought weak creatures Glynda summoned as our training, along with some sparring and lots of physical fitness. Even before Port retired, we were already training, just not as intensively.

"After a few months of full time training, Port decided we were ready for a real mission. It was supposed to be easy, just a small pack of Beowolves near one of the roads running from the village to the coast. I felt like we were ready too...well, except for Jaune. He was really committed, but he'd never really shown any talent. Still, it should have been easy enough for the other three of us to handle on our own, so he could watch and learn. Port gave us a flare gun, to shoot off if we got into trouble, but none of us expected to need help.

"We found the Beowolves, right where they were expected to be. Taking them out was pretty easy. Coral got a gash on his leg, but otherwise we were fine. Jaune even managed to take out one of the wounded beasts. He was so proud...and I was happy for him. He was always trying to impress me...I think maybe he had a crush on me…"

"What's a crush?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, um...a crush is a...hmm...an immature romantic attraction." Pyrrha explained. "Basically he liked me."

"Did you have a crush on him?" Ruby asked.

"I wasn't interested." Pyrrha sighed. "I was too polite to rebuff him, but...it doesn't matter. We killed the last of the Beowolves, then spread out to check for stragglers. Coral and Helia went one way, Jaune and I went the other. Something didn't feel right, but I thought I was just being paranoid. Then Coral screamed. I rushed back toward him, just in time to find Helia fighting a huge Ursa. Coral's arm was mangled, and Helia wasn't doing well. The creature was clearly far too powerful for us to handle. It knocked Helia down and stomped on her. I fired the flare, and that drew the Ursa's attention, just as I'd hoped.

"It charged at me, and I blocked with my shield, but the impact was powerful enough to lift me off the ground. I landed awkwardly, and my counterattack was sloppy. The Ursa caught my spear with its teeth and pulled it away from me. It bit down and bent it in half. It didn't hold up, bashing me with its arms as I blocked with my shield. I wasn't strong enough. It was pounding me into the ground, my shield was falling apart...I didn't have much time. I saw a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye and the Ursa stopped. I heard grunting, and turned to see Jaune hacking at the beast with his sword.

"Jaune was cutting a lot, but he wasn't cutting deep. The Ursa roared, swung its arm around, and sent him flying into the forest. He dropped his sword as he sailed through the air, and I was able to pick it up. The Ursa stalked in the direction he'd gone, and I guess it forgot about me. I jumped on to its back, and stabbed it in the neck with Jaune's sword. It flailed a bit and managed to knock me off. I hit my head, hard, but it only took a few more steps before falling dead.

"I was feeling dizzy, and struggling to keep my balance. I headed for Jaune, I could hear him groaning. When I found him he was...he...there was a fallen tree, and he was impaled through the abdomen on a broken branch." Pyrrha stifled a sob as tears flowed from her eyes. "I made it to him and collapsed. I apologized, for failing him, for everything...and he just told me he loved me. He said he just wanted to hear me say I loved him. I...I couldn't say it. I knew he was fading but...I just couldn't say it. He took a deep breath, then stilled. I lost consciousness a few seconds later.

"When I regained consciousness I was in the hospital. I had a few broken bones, but overall I was in pretty good shape. The others...weren't so lucky. Coral had to have his arm amputated. Helia's back was broken, and even though she wasn't paralyzed, she was never the same. Jaune...Jaune was dead. I blamed myself. I was supposed to be the leader, I was responsible for their safety, and...I failed, when they needed me most. I felt unfit to be a Huntress, so when I recovered, I didn't return to training. Instead I went to Glynda to train as a witch."

"Why would you train as a witch instead?" Yang asked.

"I still wanted to help the village, to protect people, and I had some magical talent." Pyrrha replied. "That and...witches have a power...one no others possess...they can...they can raise the dead. I trained and trained so that one day I could resurrect Jaune. I couldn't accept his death, I couldn't accept my failure, and it was the only way I could think of to make it right. That's what I was doing when I summoned you, Ruby. I was trying to raise him, but I guess something went wrong, and you appeared instead."

"You were trying to raise the dead?" Yang gasped. "Are you insane?! No one fucks with Death! My dad's a god and he wouldn't!"

"I know, it was stupid of me, selfish." Pyrrha sighed. "But I had to at least try. In the end it didn't work, so I guess it doesn't really matter."

"Pyrrha...I'm so sorry." Ruby sniffled. "If I could trade places with Jaune or summon him I would-"

"No, that's alright." Pyrrha cut her off. "I'm...I'm actually happy you appeared instead. New life instead of death...perhaps that's why you're here, to help me move on. Maybe I'm supposed to protect you, teach you, in his stead. I failed him, but I won't fail you." She held her spear and shield before her. "I'll protect this village too, as a witch and a Huntress, and I'll help Weiss overcome her condition!"

"Take it easy." Yang advised. "You're only human. Don't overextend yourself. You won't do anyone any good if you don't keep within your limits."

"You're right." Pyrrha pulled back. "I need to know my limitations, or I'll only repeat my mistakes. Thank you, both of you."

"Any time." Yang smiled.

"Yeah, we're here to help you too." Ruby declared. "We'll all help each other."

"Like a family." Yang added.

"Like a family…" Pyrrha repeated. "I like the sound of that."

Seemingly, death was not so bad.

The fear, the pain, the jagged pieces of her broken heart faded away to be replaced by sheer nothingness. Void, dark and unending, like an ocean, casting her adrift, it was peaceful, almost blissful, if only it were not so cold, if only she could breathe...breathe? Why was she unable to breathe? Why did she need to breathe? She was dead, was she not? Was this hell? Was she doomed to an eternity of suffocation in an endless void?

Had she not been noble enough in life? She had served the people, protecting them with her life, mixing and brewing salves, tonics and creams to sell at their markets. Sure, she could be somewhat cold, snippy and quick to anger, it ran in the family but she had been trying to curb those habits. And yes, perhaps her prices were a tad too shrewd, but the ingredients were expensive and difficult to gather. Grimm teeth in particular were difficult, with so many applications, yet so hard to preserve. But that was beside the point!

Was this the fate that awaited those killed by vampires? Were the gods so cruel as to punish those who fell prey to their seduction? Was that not torture enough? Did Willow meet the same fate, betrayed, drained of life, and then thrown into this realm, a nightmare? She did not deserve this, Weiss did not deserve this, no one deserved this. It was so cold, so crushing, the isolation and suffocation...all she wanted to do was breathe.

"Please gods, please." Weiss rasped into the void. "Let me breathe, just once more, just once m-"

Weiss awoke.

Noise, beating, breathing, chirping, scuffling of nervous feet, crackling of flame, wind whipping through the trees, rain pounding the ground. Smell, overwhelming fragrance, lilies, daisies, lavender, roses, so much, suffocating even as she gulped in air as though she were surfacing from a deep dive. The sheer sensory overload left her lost. Scrambling to cover her ears, she felt the fabric of the pillow, wrapping it around her head and muffling the world.

Slowly, Weiss calmed, her hunger for oxygen diminishing, continually, until she felt barely any need to breathe at all. The floral scents lingered, heavy upon the air, and the roar that had deafened her was but a dull rumble now, barely increasing as she let the pillow fall from her head. Finally, she opened her eyes to take in the room. It was dark, except it was not. She could see everything, clear as day, but still she knew it was dark. There were no candles, no lamps, and the window was shut, all light blocked by a curtain, pinned around the edges to complete the blackout.

"Weiss." A voice called.

Weiss flinched, looking to her left to meet golden eyes, pale faced with ebony hair. Weiss' first reaction was fear, but then it dawned on her that it was not Cindy's voice, and this was not her face. Her cheeks were softer, eyes larger, her lips in a perpetual frown as if unimpressed by the world. "Blake?"

"How do you feel?" Blake asked.

Weiss shivered, suddenly aware of the frigid...feel of her being. "Cold...where is Cindy?"

"We don't know." Blake replied. "She fled upon our arrival. Yang and the Huntsmen have been searching for her."

"Huntsmen?" Weiss asked. Blake nodded. "What...what happened, exactly?"

"Glynda received two Huntsmen as guests, Ren and Nora, werewolves both." Blake explained. "They were tracking a vampire, all the way from Vale. She would hunt, seduce, then kill virgin maidens, going from village to village for new prey. They didn't have a name, just a description: 'tall, dark haired, golden eyes.'" Weiss stared past Blake, fixating on a crack in the wall, but nodded. "Pyrrha made the connection, and told us where you were meeting Cindy. Glynda, Yang and the Huntsmen teleported, but arrived too late. Cindy was already feeding."

Weiss flinched, the phantom pains of fangs flaring in her neck. She reached up to find two small scars, flinching again at her own frigid touch, its familiarity sending a shock down her spine.

"Nora tried to take her, but Cindy used you as a shield." Blake continued. "Glynda protected you, but in the process Cindy got away, fleeing through the window and dissipating into mist. With her gone, they turned to you, bringing you back for treatment but...you'd lost too much blood, Weiss. Glynda had to make a decision. She could let you die, breaking her word, or she could turn you, and face the consequences when you awoke."

Weiss felt a chill descend upon her shoulders, like being submerged once more in that unfeeling void. "You turned me?" Blake nodded, chewing her lip, looking distinctly more somber than she ever had before. "Oh." Weiss felt many things in that moment. Hatred, for Cindy. Anger, at Glynda. Fear, for her soul. Mourning, for her humanity. But it would not do to let this overwhelm her, now more than ever she needed to maintain her composure. She was a vampire...gods she wished she was not so cold. "May I have another blanket please?"

Blake nodded, standing and approaching the door. Even Blake's light steps were audible to Weiss now. The light almost blinded Weiss when Blake opened the door, and she was forced to squint, making out a flash of red. "Ruby." Blake called.

"Is she okay?" Ruby asked.

"Weiss is cold, can you fetch some blankets for her?" Blake requested.

"Sure, is there anything else I can do?" Ruby pressed.

"Not yet, just give me that." Blake replied. Ruby handed Blake something Weiss could not make out through her still adjusting vision. Weiss surmised it was a book, based on the shape and the smell of leather.

"What happens now?" Weiss asked.

Blake returned to her seat beside the bed, placing the book in Weiss' lap. "That is up to you." She answered. "Glynda wished for you to have a choice: live as a vampire, or die by your own hand."

Weiss was taken aback by the bluntness of the statement, but swallowed her shock. "Absolutely not. I am alive, regardless of my soul and body."

"Good, Ruby would have been devastated." Blake smirked.

"That dolt still cares about me?" Weiss raised a curious eyebrow.

"Her faith in you has been unwavering." Blake declared. "She has hardly left your side these past few days."

"Even after my treatment of her?" Weiss sighed.

"If anything, it made her more determined to earn your approval." Blake noted.

Weiss scoffed, shaking her head. She felt a smile tug at her lips for the first time. A loud knock, probably light but amplified by her vampiric senses, rung from the door. "Come in."

The door opened slowly, and Weiss shielded her eyes until it shut again. The sight before her was comical, a large pile of blankets almost dwarfing the girl carrying them, silver eyes peeking over the top. "Hey Weiss, I didn't know where the blankets were so I took the ones off mine and Pyrrha's bed."

"Thank you Ruby." Weiss said. She took a thick maroon blanket from the pile, wrapping it tightly around herself as Ruby lay the others across her lap. Weiss felt less cold, but the chill seemed internal. Still, Ruby's blanket smelt nice, like roses, all the flowers really. Weiss took them in properly for the first time, a dozen bouquets of different species, all vibrant and fragrant, as if freshly picked. Weiss had to admit, it was a beautiful thing to wake up to.

"Do you want me to stay?" Ruby asked.

Weiss nodded, giving Ruby a smile, which she returned, almost shining, even in the dark. "What's with all the flowers?"

"When people asked where you were, we told them you had been injured in a hunt." Blake replied. "Word travels quickly, and wellwishers started bringing you flowers."

"I added a few drops of my blood to the spray bottle, and they seem to love it!" Ruby cheered.

"Fascinating…" Weiss trailed off. "Blake, why am I still cold?"

Blake tapped the book before opening it, flicking through a few pages before coming to her destination. After scanning the page she tapped a line. "Vampires do not generate the body heat of a human. This manifests in newly sired vampires feeling a temperature dysmorphia. This usually passes within a few days, though some have reported this condition lasting upwards of a month."

"Ah, unfortunate." Weiss sighed. "What book is that?"

"We're still working on a title." Blake answered. "Current candidates are 'On Vampirism', 'The Vampire Almanac', 'The Vampire's Diary' and 'So You Want to Know About Vampires'."

"We?" Weiss asked.

"Glynda wrote it." Ruby explained. "It's almost all she's done since that night."

"We don't know any vampires who can mentor you, so Glynda broke out every book she had and started taking notes." Blake added. She handed the tome to Weiss, who ran her hands over the thick leather. Whatever anger she felt before seemed to diminish.

"She wrote all this in...how long was I out?" Weiss asked.

"About five days." Ruby replied.

"On top of the time dilation she cast in her office, she's probably been working on it for a little over a week." Blake noted. "She's been going basically non-stop. I have to remind her to eat and drink."

Weiss opened the book, taking in the foreword, seemingly one of the more recent writings, after the book had become more than just a series of notes for Weiss. It was addressed to any fledgling vampire, or curious scholar who might pick up a copy, expressing a hope that they use the knowledge within for noble purposes, to help rather than hinder, for not all vampires are evil, and not all need be treated with fear and scorn. Glynda always did have a way with words. Static as they were, they gave Weiss hope.

"It seems I will need to study it thoroughly." Weiss noted.

"Would you like some time alone?" Blake offered.

"Hmm, I assume the others wish to see me?" Weiss asked.

Blake and Ruby exchanged a look. "Winter should be first." Blake suggested.

Weiss froze. Her sister had not previously entered her thoughts. Winter Schnee, former apprentice to High Templar Ironwood, the only thing stronger than her hatred of vampires was her hatred of her father. "Oh...fuck." Weiss groaned.

"Yeah...Winter doesn't like me very much...or any of us really." Ruby sighed.

"Weiss, you don't have to see anyone until you're ready." Blake advised. "This was a lot to take in."

"We're just happy you're alive and recovering." Ruby smiled.

Weiss managed to smile back, grateful for their consideration. Regardless, it needed to happen, sooner rather than later. "Is she here?"

"She comes to visit you everyday at noon." Blake replied.

"And currently it is?" Weiss asked.

"Almost midday." Ruby answered.

"Very well." Weiss nodded. "Then, in the meantime?"

"Pyrrha really wants to see you." Ruby declared.

"And Glynda...well...if you wish it." Blake added.

Weiss carefully maintained a blank expression. Rationality, she thought, she needed to be rational. "I'm ready to see Pyrrha then."