"Did you ever think it would end like this?"

"Honestly? Yes I did. I liked to pretend I would have a happy ever after just like some of the heros from my stories growing up. Maybe I thought I would after I graduated, or when we stopped Cinder, but as I got older I came to realize why most heros from my books sacrifice themselves to save everyone else."

Weiss let out a sigh. The fire had yet to reach any of the explosives on the floor below them, but it was only a matter of time till they did. She turned on her butt so she was facing Ruby who had her back up to the heiress's till that point. Ruby turned to look at Weiss curious as to her distress, but couldn't get a word in before Weiss grabbed her jaw.

"That's the wrong answer Ruby, coming from you at least." She took a moment to adjust her voice before giving a very poor attempt at imitating her partner, "Of course not Weiss! We're Team RWBY, we'll find a way out! When has a few couple tones of rock at steel stopped us!"

Ruby couldn't help, but smile as Weiss moved her jaw as she spoke. Maybe there were some fumes in the air that were getting to her head, or maybe Weiss had gone a little mad from fear.

"Aren't you suppose to be the serious one that always looks for a way." She commented, pulled the heiress's hand from her face.

"You're the leader. You're the one who is suppose to get us out of trouble, or preferably keep us from getting into it."

"Oh Weiss, you should know by now I like jumping into trouble." Ruby commented leaning back to get some sense of comfort before their inevitable end came.

Weiss sat still, her demeanor quickly going from playful and humorous to more somber. Ruby watched her, apparently deep in thought.

"Ruby?"

"Weiss?"

"I know you're family isn't particularly religious. Mine isn't either… But what are your thoughts on the afterlife?" Continuing to look forward as she spoke, still partially in thought.

"What do you mean?" The red leader responded, her leader instincts kicking in from seeing her partner in distress.

"Like… What do you think happens after we die. Do you think we just return to the void? Or do you think something else happens."

"I can't say I know." That wasn't the answer Weiss wanted to hear, "And really I don't care too much. I've always lived in the moment, for better or worst that might be. Besides, does it matter if we know? Maybe we just enter a deep sleep, maybe there is some kind of paradise waiting for the heros of the world to arrive. Maybe we're reborn as someone else in this world or another. Does it matter?"

"I just… You, Yang, Blake. You're all my friends and I'm not sure how I could manage if I knew you guys weren't there at my side."

Ruby shifted herself so she was right in front of Weiss. The heiress looked up, greatly saddened by her train of thought. Ruby just flashed her a smile, one so innocent and naive of their surroundings that Weiss would have thought she had hit her head.

"We'll always be friends, and if there is another life after this one, you better believe that we'll find each other again!"

"Promise?" Weiss asked, causing Ruby to raise her hand, only the pinky extended toward her.

"Promise."

:::::

"Rose. Why do you cry?"

"Master?"

"Why do you weep for me? I have told you for many years this day would come, and surely you yourself should have known it was coming."

"I know master, but that still doesn't make it any less sad." The red haired girl continued to bawl her eyes out beside her master's death bed.

"Don't feel sad for me, young rose. Death isn't the end, just a new beginning." The old master commented, before taking on last breath. She let her eyes close so she could relax waiting for the end. Rose ran a hand through her master's white ponytail.

Despite their position as master and student, they were closer to friends than anything else. She had climbed to the top of a mountain to find her, then climbed up another one because she realized she took the wrong path. Her master though never seemed to notice her failures. She was complete garbage at almost everything she did, but never once did her master berate her over it. All she ever cared about was her desire to help people.

"Enjoy your new adventure, Master." Rose commented one final time after the white haired woman before her took her final breath.

:::::

"Any plans?" Long yelled over the clashing of steel.

"We just need to hold out till your sister arrives with the cavalry!" She yelled back, raising her sword to intercept an incoming attack.

The white knight kept her grip loose, letting it give when the two blades met. Her foe's slid down the length of her rapier before sticking in the ground. With expert precision she rolled the thinner blade in her hand, before delivering a perfect strike to the levy's unarmored throat.

As the man felt to the ground holding his neck in a desperate attempt to save himself, she took a glance around the battlefield. Her besieged forces were sallying forth from the castle to attack the enemy once the relief force had arrived, but the enemy had set up spear wall formations on both sides and were holding off both forces admirably. Her knight retinue was more than a match for these minimally trained levies that made up the bulk of both armies, and the crack they'd made in their formation was starting to grow, putting the entire formation at risk.

She had sent Red to gather the knights of the relief army and lead them for a follow up charge, but she had yet to show up. Another levy rushed her, making her step forward, raising her arm to intercept his forearm, before delivering a quick thrust through his leather armor. Another charged from the flank, and she responded with a parry, knocking the blade to the side; before grabbing his wrist and flipping her foe over her shoulder. He landed flat on his back, but before he could even try to get up, a large war hammer came down crushing his chest.

Long flashed a smile at her lord while tucking a blonde lock behind her ear. They continued fighting their way deep into the ranks of the enemy. Despite being vastly superior to every foe she met she made sure not to let her confidence become arrogance. They might not have had the same skills as her; but their blades were just as deadly should they meet flesh.

A horn sounded behind her, and she turned to see a red banner waving in the wind behind her. As she suspected The Red Knight was riding full gallop with a host of knights and lancers at her back, her signature red cloak tailing in the wind as the horsemen took up a wedge formation behind her.

"Look out!" Long called out, pulling her attention away from Red.

Long was running at her full sprint a look of desperation on her face. Looking around she noticed that the enemy troops were either running to the side or diving to the ground. The behavior confused her, till she realized the line of twenty men holding a formation, each armed with an arquebus. Her mind screamed for her to dive out of the way, or to move; but for some reason she didn't respond to it, only looking on as they leveled their weapons at her and her retinue.

"FIRE!"

:::::

"This way Madame President!" Bella called as she pulled a gun from under her suit. Long and Rose took up similar positions around the president, guns pulled and ready to shoot or intercept anything the shooter could throw at them.

The rest of the crowd was screaming as they scattered to find some form of shelter, despite the fact the sniper clearly only wanted to take out the president. The three escorted their white haired charge as they made their way to a back room

"Are you ok Madame President?" Bella asked as they entered a prep room behind the stage. The president took a seat on one of the nearby seats. she was breathing heavily as she struggled to catch her breath.

Long didn't wait for a response, instead opting to rip open her suit, revealing the bullet proof vest underneath. There was no blood, but both of them gasped in horror as they saw a small metal dart of some kind right below her collarbone.

"Call an ambulance! Tell them the President of the Global Federation has been shot!" She called to the others, not noticing her sister was already on it.

"I… I can't-" She wheezed struggling for breath.

"Don't talk, not till the doctor gives you a look over."

"I can't breath." She struggled out, despite her bodyguard's orders.

"Oh no. Oh no! What do I do?! What do I do!?" She said in a panic just as Bella fell to her knees next to her.

Both desperately trying things in hope of keeping whatever poison was on the dart from spreading.

"They're here!" The redhead of the trio called, leading the doctor over to her.

"Madame President. Just stay calm, help is here." He told her as he started examining her.

Her vision started to go black. As he took off her vest and examining her skin underneath.

"Stay awake, Miss President. Stay awake-" but despite her efforts, she couldn't.

:::::

She ran through the village as fast as she could. Buildings were burning all around her, people screaming or yelling, for mercy or loved ones. She dashed down the streets at a speed only a master like her could achieve. Bodies laid on the ground, arrows, or sword wounds being the cause of their silence.

The sound of wood breaking drew her gaze to a pair of black armored samurai as they forced their way in. She drew her blade as she charged them. The further noticed her first and pointed her out. By the time the second caught sight of her, her rapier was already already punched through his armor, piercing his heart. She removed the blade from her foe as he crumbled to the earth, the last one pulling his katana from its scabbard.

"You'll pay for that you island whore!" He roared slashing at the white haired duelist before him.

She leaned back, avoiding the deadly cut, before delivering a counter thrust while he was exposed. The black armored figure physically jumped to the side to avoid the attack, but slammed into the wall he was next to with an audible thud. With perfect grace the rapier tip lashed to the side, leaving a cut across his neck. His hand slapped over his neck as he fell to the ground, blood already leaking into his throat and spilling from his lips.

"There you are." A low voice growled, followed by the stomps of metal on stone.

Another man armed in black stepped forth to oppose her. A nagamaki in one hand and a tanto in the other. His metal faced boots sounded with each step as he approached her. His shadow looming over her as the red sunset started to approach the horizon.

"So many villages. I was starting to wonder if I was even in the right province." He taunted, while adopting a fighting stance. His nagamaki being appropriately sized for the giant of a man to hold in one arm.

"I should have killed you all those years ago." She spoke out, her words easily getting under his skin.

"Do not speak like you could have! We both know you were in no position to strike me down!" His low voice swelling with anger as he spoke.

"So you admit that you lost then do you Koroku?" A smile behind her face mask, glad she got the satisfaction of getting him to say it.

"I never claimed I didn't. I claimed that next time I would kill you!" Finally snapping.

He charged forward his blades slashing through the air, causing the wind to sing with each strike. He surged forward at the white haired duelist, as she took a defensive stance. He knew her game. After his defeat so many summers ago, he seeked out those taught in the islander's style to spare with. He was ignorant before, but this time he didn't have that weakness.

She planned to end this just like she did last time. No doubt he would see through the same move as last time, but she could use that to her advantage. Get the brute comfortable fighting her before she shifted into her 'Island Style' and dance circles around him just like the first time.

He was almost in position, both readied their blades to strike.

Then everything flickered. Koroku was paused in mid air, but why? Everything flickered again and her vision warped. Blinking cleared her sight, but it wasn't the sight she had a moment before. Koroku was gone, replaced with a cherry blossom tree. petals fell through the wind softly passing by here. She spun on her heels to see a village burning in the distance.

Wait, it was her village. What happened, how did she end up so far away? She couldn't think now, she just needed to get back. She stormed through the green field recognizing it was the same path she had walked upon earlier that morning. While focusing on the village, a stone caught her foot and she fell to the ground. She picked herself up, but when she saw her arm she jumped.

It wasn't bleeding. Actually I didn't seem like it could bleed, as it was completely metal. from her forearm to her fingers. She sat up and brought up her other arm for inspection too. Sure enough it was also metal, she looked at them contemplating what it could mean.

The ground behind her hands flickered again. When it stopped she was in a seat of some kind and her arms were restrained to the arms. She pulled on them, testing their strength. They held firm, causing her to pull harder in response. Her metal arms slammed on the restrains with a force that would hurt them if they were still organic. Her heart rate started to raise as panic and confusion took hold. She looked around hoping someone would be able to see her and provide help.

Her village remained in the distance, burning like it had been before. The scene flickered again, and there was a man, in a white coat of some kind, looking at… something; some kind of device. The field and village was gone, replaced with a metal room. He looked over to her, and fear crept into her mind as she saw the right side of his head was metal, his eye glowed is a sinister red glow. He started to walk toward before everything flickered again

Koroku appeared before her. Their eyes met, so close she could make out the fine detail of his irises. A cold shiver came across her, as the feeling of cold steel pierced her skin and passed through her body. The cut was so fine it didn't even hurt till it reached or inner organs.

Before she could process what just happened, the screen flickered back to the man in the white coat. He was in her face just as close as Koroku's. causing her to jump in her seat.

"Ms. Schnee please remain calm, the intruder will be dumped soon."

He said in a calm voice, but not a single word processed in her mind. He produced a needle of some kind with a blue, soft glowing substance in a glass tube connected to it. Before she could protest against it, the needle was plunged into her arm. The sudden move causing her to panic even more, as she struggled against the restraints with all her might. They started to whine against the strain as she pulled. The man kept the needle inside her, the blue liquid emptying out.

Blue lightning erupted around her arm, and soon the other arm mirrored it. Strength surged through her body, and her core started to feel a strange warmth flow into her, before turning into a blazing heat in her chest. With one final pull she struggled against the restraints, the tension was almost too much for the the metal cuffed around her wrist; but only almost. As she pulled on them the man before her took a step back as the electricity grew more intense. The fire in her center flared to her arms, and with violent force finally snapped the metal circuits freeing her.

The man took a step back covering his face as metal and sparks flew through the air in front of him. A second later the way cleared and he stepped back up raising his arms to grab her shoulders.

"Ms. Schnee, Please-"

He was interrupted as the metal hands slammed into his chest. The electricity that sparked around her forearms flooded into her wrist, causing her palms to glow white. She could feel all the energy gathering up, despite being metal, she could feel a burning sensation coming from them, before suddenly it was all gone.

The power erupted from her hands violently throwing her back as well as consuming the metal room in blinding white light. The metal chair she was in broke free from the ground, and fell backwards from the force of the blast. Her head slammed into her seat with a metal bang, her brain felt like a bomb had gone off within it, and she couldn't work up the energy to remain conscious.

Been a while hasn't it? Don't worry the next chapter will be out real quickly so don't worry.