Neo took a deep breath from relief. When she had returned from the bathroom she had seen Gray's frozen corpse as well as the frozen hallways, and immediately realised something was wrong. Hiding in the closet, she had waited patiently, the commotion happening elsewhere telling her that she had made a wise decision. Whilst there she carefully listened out for any sign that the fighting was over, the occasional sounds of footsteps running back and forth indicating someone was running through the halls. She waited for another 20 minutes, the lack of sound meaning it was most likely safe to exit, so she left and headed deeper into the facility, her destination being Gray's office.

And that led her to where she was now. Trying to find the key to open his door, she realised that it was most likely on his body which was now encased in ice, in which case she wouldn't be able to break through. The ice had a faint feeling of aura from it, meaning it would be much stronger than ordinary ice. Forced to find a different entrance, she attempted to break the door down, but the reinforced steel that the door was built from was far too strong to be broken by her small blade. Her weapon was specialised in single combat, crafted with speed in mind rather than power. Frustrated, she knew there was no other way into the room. She had tried several times before, but not a single window adorned its walls. It felt much more like some kind of bunker than a person's private quarters, but Neo refused to simply leave. Not until she had gotten what she came for. Eventually, she decided to go search for the others, opting to come back at a later date, hiding Gray's body as she did.

When I come back, I will get into that room. You will not keep what I want away from me, Gray.

The frustrated girl looked around the facility, noticing that not a single soul was left alive. It was like a giant tomb, hidden by the snow and preserved in ice. Honestly, the atmosphere around her gave her the creeps. It felt as though there was always someone there, constantly watching her, even though the building was almost completely silent. It wasn't helped by the fact that every now and then she would hear the sound of a few pots crashing to the ground or a door creaking open, or a voice.

Wait... a voice?

'I know you're here, girl.'

Shivers went down her spine. How? How were they aware of her presence? She had been quiet as could be! There was simply no way that she could have heard her, and then she realised.

Gray's door alarm!

His door was fitted with a device that detected DNA. If you weren't authorized to access his room and you attempted to open the door, an alert would be sent to Gray's room, Gray himself and the security room. In her rashness she had completely forgotten about that fact, and realising just how big of a mistake she had made, she bolted for the entrance to the facility, her heart stopping dead when she saw how defeated she had been. In place of the entrance, a gargantuan block of ice covered the doorway and the hallway. There was no escape.

Think, Neo! There has to be some other way out of here! They wouldn't build a facility like this if they could be trapped here, but where the hell is it?!

Hearing the sound of crackling ice quickly approaching, she realised that the Grimm was aware of her presence. As she ran for another hallway, she quickly thought about everything she was wearing. Nothing on her had been given to her by Gray or anyone else at the facility, so it wasn't a tracking device that was giving her location away.

What then was it that was broadcasting her location for the Grimm to be able to follow her so easily, she wondered. It was possible that the Grimm was skilled in aura detection, but she had masked her aura to the best of her ability, so if that was the case then she had no hope of evading her pursuer. Speeding through the hallways, she realised that in her blind panic, she hadn't been paying attention to where she was running. In the large room in front of her, she saw the frozen body of Ozpin, his face wearing a permanent look of anguish.

'I found youuuuuuu…'

That cold, taunting voice told Neo she had met her match. She knew that the chances of escaping now were nigh impossible, and even if she could she was unaware of any other exits, meaning that even should she get away from the Grimm she wouldn't know where to go.

So, this is where it ends, huh? Dying in this stinking shithole without even managing to take the Heart of the Philosopher? I really screwed up this time.

Turning to face her adversary, Yuki stood there, her calm expression defying her true feelings of joy. Neo figured if she was going to die anyway then it was worth trying her luck against the Grimm, but to no avail. The second she raised her arm even an inch her hand was impaled by a shard of ice, but she did not scream. She didn't want to give her killer the satisfaction of hearing her suffer before her death.

'Tell me, human. Do you regret your sins?'

Neo was confused by her statement, but decided to play along to amuse herself one last time before her death.

'…Yes. Yes, I do. I regret a lot of the things I've done in my life. The thing I regret the most though, well that's gotta be the fact that I let the man I loved die. If I could just get the Heart of the Philosopher then I thought maybe I could see him one last time. I don't know if you've heard, but it supposedly has the property to allow a person to speak with the spirits of the dead. More specifically, it lets a person speak with the spirit of the person dearest to them. But that's just a fruitless dream now. Do it. I'm ready.'

Hanging her head, she awaited her death, but it never came.

'Would you like to be given the chance to repent for your sins?'

Upon sensing even the slightest opportunity to survive, she took the offer without hesitation.

'Yes.'

'Very well. I shall allow you to live. I will also grant you the Heart of the Philosopher you speak of.'

'What's the catch?' Neo asked, knowing it the Grimm wouldn't spare her if it wasn't of some benefit to her.

'You will help me find and kill humans. That is all.'

Neo was overjoyed. She was being granted her one wish and the protection of an X-Class Grimm? It was an offer too good to let escape her grasp.

'Happily,' she responded, a smile returning to her face.

Oh Ruby, I can't wait until we meet again. Now that I've got what I want I have no reason to play innocent with you.

As a smirk crossed her lips, she knew that the next time she saw the redhead would make for an unforgettable encounter.

'We should split up,' Adam told the two women.

'What?!'

Their unified cries of disbelief fell on deaf ears, Adam continuing his speech despite them.

'We have no idea how long that door will hold Yuki for, or where she is right now. For all we know, she could come out of that tunnel any minute now. She's already proven that she's much faster than us, so if we stay together she will find and kill us all. At least if we split up there is a chance of some of us surviving.'

As much as what he had said made logical sense, the girls were sceptical about it. If they separated now, then there was definitely a greater risk for all of them, specifically because if they got into any trouble they would have nobody to help them. However, they knew he was right, and reluctantly agreed.

'This might well be the last time we see each other. I don't know if we'll ever meet again, but I wish the two of you the best of luck,' Adam said, standing as he gathered some supplies and unlocked the door to the shack.

'I'm gonna head out ahead of you. I'm no good with goodbyes.'

With not a word more, he headed out, the cold air rushing in as he opened the door. And then he was gone. Venturing on his own path, he headed for the mountains. Staying in the Snowpeak Valleys wouldn't get him anywhere, so if he wanted to get anywhere he would have to head south first. Glynda decided to leave soon after, the two of them sharing a tearful hug and saying their goodbyes.

'Just one thing,' Ruby said with a smile. 'Don't die.'

'I'll try my best,' Glynda shot back, returning her gaze with a wistful smile of her own. In truth, Glynda had left because she didn't want Ruby to have to see her in such a pitiful state. She had barely held back the tears of mourning over Ozpin's death, and as soon as the door closed behind her they flooded out, the teacher unable to stop them.

I'll make you proud, you old fool. I promise.

Ruby sat for a while longer, relishing the small portion of peace she still had. She was surprised that she had managed to hold onto her sanity for so long. Everyone she knew was gone, and she was left alone in a barren wilderness to search for her sister, with nothing but Crescent Rose by her side. In fact, her weapon had been her only constant through her traumas, and she was sure that it was the reason she was still able to carry on as though nothing had happened. Exiting the door, she too ventured out into the snow, forging her own path forward.

Yang's condition had slowly been growing worse. She knew she had very little time left, a day at most. Since she hadn't been resisting the process, the Grimm asserted control much quicker than usual. She didn't care though, she just wanted it to be over. She wanted the pain to stop. The fear grew stronger every second. However, it was as though she actually desired it in a way. A small part of her was happy that the Yang she once was would soon be gone. Even she didn't know the reason, but the only thing she could think of was that it would be like a fresh start for her, a life without the memories of watching her friends die, scream and cry in front of her. A life where she might be able to find some happiness, instead of the despair she had been met with over the past year. But as she thought these things, Ruby always came back to her mind. That once naïve young girl had grown into such an amazing woman, capable of hiding her pain with a smile that you could swear was genuinely happy. A talented leader and a great friend. A woman with a future. But most of the, the girl who Yang could proudly call her sister. As she walked, she began to see things. Hallucinations and illusions, which she took to be a sign that her Grimm side was just about ready to take control. These went on for a couple of minutes, when…

'YANG!'

I'm even hearing things now. I guess the Grimm is giving me one last kindness before it takes control of me completely.

'YANG! LOOK AT ME!'

No, that voice was definitely not a hallucination.

Please… don't say it. Please tell me you didn't, Ruby…

Please, tell me you didn't chase after me!

Furiously fighting off her Grimm transformation, she tried to run from Ruby, but the pain coupled with her sisters speed meant she had no hope of escape.

Don't do this! Just… give me a little bit more time, PLEASE!

She knew better than anyone that Ruby would hesitate to harm a person she loved. Back when they were children they used to play fight all the time, but Ruby would never seriously fight back. She would always give Yang the gentlest of taps.

'Big sis, I'd never hurt you because you're the bestest sister in the world!'

Those innocent words of a small Ruby still rang in her head to this very day. She didn't want Ruby to see the big sister she cared so much for in such a pitiful state, much less transform right in front of her!

Please… don't make me the person to kill my own little sister!

'Yang!'

She felt Ruby's hand gripping tightly onto her arm, and heard Ruby's sobs of joy as she panted. She didn't look her sister in the face, but she didn't need to. She knew that Ruby would be wearing a face of pure, blissful happiness, which made Yang feel even worse. Her sister had found her after all this time, and yet the first thing she would be greeted with was the almost complete Grimmification of her most treasured person.

'Yang, I… I looked for you for so long! Why did you leave, Yang? Why… tell… going?'

Huh? That's weird… my hearings going all funny…

She didn't know for certain what was happening, but she was fairly certain she could make quite an accurate guess.

As she turned to her sister, she knew that the process was finalizing. Her memories were quickly fading, her instincts desiring blood.

'Who… are you?'

In the blink of an eye, she had forgotten her sister. Ruby was shocked, but she could see that it wasn't some kind of sick prank. She could see the confusion in Yang's eyes, and knew that she had legitimately forgotten.

'Yang… Yang, it's me! It's me, Ruby! Your sister!'

Her words were useless. Yang grew more and more confused, and with it more distressed, worrying who this strange red haired girl was.

'I… Yang?'

Even her own name was lost to her now, her mind flooding with thoughts of killing the young girl in front of her.

'No… please… don't take my sister away…'

Ruby watched her sisters face one last time, as the golden haired woman she had grown to love with all her heart began to change. She had noticed her eye, but hoped it was simply an infection, knowing all the while that it wasn't. She thought if she could deceive herself then maybe, just maybe she could keep convincing herself that the woman before her was still her sister.

But that was not the case. Even Ruby couldn't deny what Yang had become, and she had no words for what she was witnessing, but she didn't need them as she dropped to her knees, broken, beaten and sobbing.

The mask covering Yang's face said everything for her.