'…Yang…?'

Ruby didn't want to believe it. The sister she cared so much for, who she believed was strong enough to overcome anything had fallen.

'No…'

Backing away slowly, she realised that she would never have Yang back. Sure, Taiyang had managed to break through and reclaimed his body for a short while, but it wasn't permanent. A sinking feeling of despair manifested inside of Ruby, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from her sister, even though it caused her so much pain to look. She had a little bit of hope that maybe Yang recognized her because of the fact that she tilted her head as she looked at Ruby, indicating that she was confused and maybe wouldn't consider her an enemy, but that dream was shattered when her face turned to one of hostility, cemented by the vicious snarls that she was letting out.

'Don't do it! Don't you dare touch my little sister!'

Deep inside the Grimm that stood there, fragments of Yang still existed, desperately trying to regain control before the unthinkable could happen.

'Dad, why couldn't you tell me how you did it?! Damn it… if I don't regain control then my sister will die!'

I'll always protect you, sis! You can count on your big sister to always look after you!

'What…?'

In front of her, Yang was seeing herself. More specifically, she was seeing her younger self, way back before the two had become aspiring Huntresses. A time when they were living in innocent bliss, content with the world. A time when they were happy together.

Yang, make sure you never let anyone hurt Ruby, OK?

Alright, dad. It's a promise!

'How… how am I seeing these memories right in front of me…?'

Then, visions of her in her early teens began to project themselves, Yang's eyes watering up from a confused mixture of happiness and grief.

Ruby, you know I have to go to school now.

I don't want you to go!

You'll be able to come to my school next year, OK? Sorry sis, but until then you're gonna have to put up with dad.

She smiled to herself. She always remembered teasing Ruby like that. Her sister was simply too adorable to ignore, and she always had fun when Ruby was around.

'I wonder… did she enjoy those times, too? Or was I slowly pushing us apart without even realising it?'

And then, she saw something else. Something that made her all the more determined to protect her sister no matter what she had to do.

Yang, you'll always be there when I need you, right?

Of course I will, Rubes. What's up?

I… there's something I need to tell you, but I'm not sure how to put it.

What is it?

She remembered being frantic with worry over what Ruby could be hiding. It seemed so silly and innocent now that she looked back on it, hardly even worth mentioning.

I… was rejected yesterday.

By who?

A boy I liked.

Don't worry over it too much, sis. Whenever you're hurting, I'll always be there to save you, 'cos I'm super Yang! Whenever you need me there, I'll be there. That's a promise.

'That's right… I promised her that. How could I have forgotten…? Ruby, I've let you down so many times already… I swear that this time I will protect you!'

Ruby was sure it was over. She had tried to run, but the Grimm that was her sister soon caught up to her. It didn't kill her straight away, seeming to examine her beforehand, almost as thought wondering if she was worth killing. Ruby had been pinned to the ground, and was prepared for the absolute worst. First, a claw dug into her arm, then her shoulder. And then finally, those claws came flying at her face. But they didn't kill her. The claws sank into her cheek, Ruby closing her eyes instinctively, but they had stopped. When she dared open her eyes, she saw a sight that seemed impossible. Her sister, in a bid of rabid desperation, had somehow managed to stop the Grimm from finishing her off. The Grimm claws retracting from her face, Yang desperately struggled to tear the mask off, to be the real Yang one last time. As though it was welded to her face, the mask wouldn't budge, distorted screams of pain emitting from the brawler instead before she stopped trying and faced Ruby.

'Yang… Yang, is that you…?'

'Ruby…' her strained voice made it apparent to the redhead that her sister was using all her strength just to stay in control of her actions.

'Ruby, I always said I'd protect you, right? I've screwed up so much since this all started, so it's time for me to finally come through on that promise.'

Ruby couldn't help but cry. After all this time, her sister still remembered a silly little children's promise like that. Overwhelmed with emotion, she finally let out all her pent up sadness.

'Yang…! Yang, please… don't leave me again…!'

Speaking through sobs, she knew she was asking the impossible. But it was still something she felt she had to say, even in this situation.

'Ruby… listen to me. I can't control the Grimm for much longer,' she admitted, Ruby's heart shattering as her request was denied.

'Hell, I can barely keep my hand from plunging downwards, even as we speak. So I need to ask something from you, Ruby. Or rather, I need to tell you to do something.'

Don't say it. Please, don't say it.

Ruby already knew the exact words that would come out of her mouth, yet she couldn't accept them. Even when Yang spoke, it was as though silence had fallen, her very being refusing to listen to Yang's request. But she still heard them. Not from her ears, but her head was repeating over and over what she knew Yang had said.

Please, Ruby, you have to kill me.

'I can't!' Ruby said through pained words, tears raining down her cheeks. 'I can't kill you!'

'Ruby, please. You have to! I know it hurts, but… if you don't kill me, you'll die instead!'

'Then let me die! If it means I don't have to kill you then I'd gladly die!'

Yang was distraught by her words, yet strangely happy at the same time. Her sister was saying that even though she had been turned into a monster, she would still rather be killed than murder the one she had called her sister for so many years.

'Ruby, please,' Yang begged, a pitifully desperate tone in her voice. 'I don't want to live as the person who killed their little sister with their own hands!'

'And I don't want to live as the person who killed their big sister!'

Thinking for a moment, she knew she would have to soothe Ruby's distress before she would listen to a word she said. Taking a deep breath, she surprised Ruby with her next words.

'Ruby… you won't be the person who killed their big sister. You'll be the hero who saved their big sister from an eternity of suffering.'

Those words struck a chord with Ruby. Her sister was right. If she didn't kill her now, who knows how long she might suffer for? That in itself was a fate far worse than death. Her hands quivering, she took hold of Crescent Rose in its gun form, holding it against her chest as she pointed the barrel of the gun at Yang. Her finger hovering over the trigger, she tried to shoot but just couldn't bring herself to do it.

'I can't do it, Yang… I can't kill you…'

Yang understood. She had suspected all along that even if they reached this point that Ruby wouldn't be able to do the deed, which is why she had devised a plan for this situation.

Feeling the Grimm take over, she knew it could well be too late for her plan to work, but at the very least it was worth a shot.

BANG.

The bullet pierced her skull, ending the life of the Grimm who had once been Yang.

'…What…?'

In a frenzy, Ruby looked around desperately, searching for the mysterious assailant who had fired that gun.

And then the horrifying realisation dawned on her. The bullet was not from another person.

The hole in her head was dead centre. It was a bullet which could only have come from one weapon.

Crescent Rose.

But… but I didn't fire it! I didn't even have my fingers on the trigger!

And then she saw.

She saw the thumb pressed against the trigger. The claws which had familiarly sank deep into her skin earlier. The smile of a person who should not be smiling, given what was about to happen.

The shooter was not Ruby, nor was it an outsider.

The person who had fired the gun was Yang herself.

With her final ounce of strength, she had forced her fingers to press down against the trigger, making sure she was staring straight into the barrel of the weapon which Ruby held so dear to her.

'No… Yang… YANG!'

Coming to terms with the shock, she remembered that her sister had just been shot by a bullet. She desperately hoped that her sister might have survived, but it was useless. Yang was dead, and Ruby was truly alone now. She didn't even have herself anymore. The small remnants of her sanity which had kept her intact had shattered, leaving the cheerful façade behind, a new, broken girl taking its place. She cradled her sister's corpse for hours, the body finally fading as she desperately tried to keep her in the world for just a little longer, but life was a cruel, fickle thing. It tormented people on a whim, and seemingly had no boundaries as to how evil it could be sometimes. Sitting in that meadow, Yang was not the only one who died. The old Ruby had died with her, along with her dreams of a peaceful existence living with her sister. Getting up to leave, she wiped away her tears, determined not to let her emotions get the better of her ever again. Taking one last look at where her sister had died, she finally left the Snowpeak Valleys. Through the mountains, she came across several Grimm, all of which were happy to make attempts on her life but were viciously cut down, the red haired girl not even flinching as she carried on casually strolling through the mountain pass.

Soon after, she came across a group of White Fang thugs, men who seemed eager to pick a fight with her.

'Hey there,' one of them said in a disgustingly creepy tone. Ignoring them completely she carried on walking, not even glancing in their direction.

'Hey, bitch! You think you can just walk away from us?'

Turning around, she saw the five men advancing on her, and without hesitation she cut the head off of the man who had propositioned her.

'Speak to me again,' she said in a ruthless, unforgiving tone, 'and you'll regret it.'

The men were infuriated with her tone, one of them charging her with a shabby blade which was promptly knocked out of his hands. Or rather, his hand was removed from his arm with a skilful flick of the wrist, Crescent Rose slicing through it like butter before she rammed the blade into his chin, the weapon going straight through his skull, impaling him upon her blade. The next two henchmen were hesitant to attack, Ruby instead taking the offensive. Her blade neatly cut through the stomach of one of the men, splitting them in two before attacking the other, half the man's head sliding to the floor before he even realised what had happened. The final man who was obviously the leader of small group was attempting to flee, but Ruby easily caught him.

Pinning him to the floor, she pointed Crescent Rose at his throat.

'We're going to have a nice little chat, you and I.'

Fearfully cowering, he gave a slight nod of understanding.

'Question one. What were you planning to do to me?'

'We… we were going to beat the hell out of you.'

Ruby tut-tutted.

'Now now, you shouldn't lie. You'll only make things worse for yourself,' she said in an intimidating tone, lowering the scythe to his lower half.

'ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! We… were going to rape you.'

'Much better. Question two. What were you doing out here?'

'Nothing, we were just sitting around passing the time!'

'What did I say about lying?'

Cutting open his jeans, his penis attempted to shrivel away and hide from her blade.

'Please… don't…'

'That's not answering my question.'

With one swift swoop, she had cut it off, blood spurting from where his manhood once was. Screaming in pain, the man begged to be forgiven.

'I'm sorry! We were working for someone! Please, that's the truth!'

'Who?'

'Cinder Fall!'

'Wait, so when I saw White Fang at the city a month ago… what did you do immediately after the attack on the city?'

'We we're told to make sure nobody escaped the city, and we ended up coming across some rabbit Faunus so we beat her up and left her to the Grimm!'

Ruby's eyes lit up with fury.

'Was she pregnant?'

'What?'

'Was. She. PREGNANT?!'

Not wanting to invoke her wrath more, he answered, masking the pain from his lower half to avoid aggravating her.

'…Yes…'

What he had said angered her enough, however. Changing Crescent Rose to its gun form, she pressed down hard against the stump, earning a yelp from the man as he pleaded with his eyes.

'Let's see how you like being tortured.'

With a single bullet, his groin was blown open, bits and pieces of his pelvis flying everywhere. He wouldn't be able to walk again even if he survived the blood loss, Ruby knew.

'You left a pregnant girl to be eaten by the Grimm. Now it's your turn.'

'Wait, please! Don't leave me like this!'

As she abandoned the man, she heard the faint sounds of rustling from amongst the trees nearby.

Go. Teach that man a lesson in revenge.

Ruby smiled to herself.

I'm surprised, but this is actually a lot of fun.

I'll survive for you, Yang. And I'll destroy anyone and everyone if they even make the slightest hint that they'll stand in my way.