RWBY:The Defeated Shall Rise 

The small hand gripped the shaft of the tall red scythe; the fear-filled silver eyes of the Huntress stared down the corridor, glancing at the abyss of black oily liquid concealing the battle raging beyond briefly. The sounds of Grimm, hideous monsters of pure destruction, roaring and snarling as they spawned out on the fields of Atlas.

“Ruby?” 

Ruby jumped, turning to see her sister, Yang Xiao-Long, resting a hand on her shoulder. 

“You okay, sis?” Yang asked, tightening her grip on her sister’s shoulder.

Ruby nodded, “I can’t believe what is happening. Just seeing this battle reminds me of Beacon. Salem is here, though. How are we going to stop her?”

Yang lowered her head, looking away from her sister, “I honestly don’t have the answers. That’s why we need to focus on finding Oscar and Ozpin. Ozpin will know what to do.”

Ruby went to speak, breaking off as she felt a hand gently grasp her right hand. Her head turned slightly to see Weiss Schnee, former heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, smiling comfortingly at her.

“As long as we stick together and keep our spirits up, we’ll get through this. We survived Beacon and Haven. We've stopped her forces before as a team,” Weiss stated.

“Weiss is right.”

The trio looked towards Blake Belladonna, peering briefly over her shoulder before turning back to keep watch on the corridor that spanned further into the monster.

“If we stay together and keep under the radar, we’ll be okay, but there’s just one problem,” Blake continued, glancing around at the red fleshy corridors, pulsating as a loud droning sound echoed around, “This creature, we’re inside.”

“It’s like nothing we’ve faced before,” Yang chimed in.

Ruby furrowed her brow, “Even if it takes us all night, we’ll find our friend.” Her scythe clicked and whirred, transforming into its compact sniper form whilst she nodded at her teammates, “Let’s go, girls!”

Together the four girls set off heading deeper inside the creature, following the bony paths, looking for any sign of doors or Oscar whilst occasionally ducking out of sight as Grimm stalked about patrolling the inner depths. 

“How deep do you think we are?” Ruby asked, leaning against the wall, cringing as it squelched under her weight. 

“No idea, but so far, we’ve found nothing to indicate prison cells,” Weiss pondered thoughtfully. 

Blake glanced ahead, her cat ears perched upright, keeping a close guard for anything that could indicate incoming Grimm, “What if,” she began, “It’s closer to the top.”

“Aren’t cells normally below?” Ruby quizzed. 

“Think about it. This Grimm flew in like an airship meaning it would have a bridge,” Blake continued. 

“Where Salem most likely is commanding the battle,” Yang chimed in, kneeling, “And we need to avoid her… you know, because she can’t be killed.”

“Exactly,” Blake said, smiling, “We’ve seen the past. We know about Oz’s history with Salem. So wouldn’t it make sense for her to keep him close to the bridge?”

“I think you're right,” Ruby commented, “So we need to head up rather than straight.”

Blake glanced from left to right, eyeing the two branching paths closely. The left seemed to curve downwards whilst the right sloped upwards with the faint hint of stairs ascending around the curved.

“Let’s scout the right path out first. Then, if that fails, we’ll double back and take a left,” Blake suggested.

Ruby smiled, gripping her weapon, “Sounds like a plan. You know you’d make a fine leader as well, Blake.”

“Nothing like you, though,” Blake retorted, blushing as Yang winked at her. 

The team moved off, following the left path. The heels of their shoes clicked against the hard off-white flooring as they hurried along with Ruby leading the way. As they headed down a long corridor, a loud series of roars echoed around them as Beringels dropped from the ceiling, one landed on top of Ruby whilst one nearly landed on Blake, the cat Faunus deploying a shadowy clone as she leapt backwards. 

A dark purple glyph decorated like a snowflake appeared on the ceiling, pulling the Beringel up into the air and freeing Ruby, who sped back to her teammates in a flurry of red petals.

“What’s the plan, Ruby?” Yang asked as a glassy squid-like Grimm chittered into view; a loud, ear-piercing screech echoed around them, causing Blake to clutch at her cat ears.

Ruby gave a confident smile, lining up her shot on the strange Grimm hovering above the Beringels dropping from the ceiling. Then, with a loud crack, a bullet fired out, piercing the glassy head of Grimm, sending it spiralling to the ground, smoke pouring from the wound. “Well, no more sneaking around. Let’s clear them out!” 

The girls nodded at each other. The Grimm charged towards the intruders whilst Yang lunged forward, fists clenching as a cry of rage as she threw heavy lefts and rights, loud shots firing out of Ember Celica, a pair of yellow shotguns gauntlets. The Grimm snarled as the hits impacted its body, with a final one hurling its dissolving body down the corridor.

A Beringel lunged towards Yang, its bulky feet stepping on two light blue glyphs. Spurs of thick ice erupted out of the glyphs, traversing up the lower limbs of the creature. Yang prepared herself for the fight stepping into her stance as Blake leapt over her cutting off the upper limbs of the Grimm before jumping and leaping around the Beringels, driving her cleaver sheath and katana across their bodies. 

Yang cracked her knuckles, delivering one heavy hit to the trapped Grimm’s skull. She rushed forwards to aid Blake, glancing back at Weiss and Ruby standing close together. The two Huntresses, turning in small increments as they cut down the Grimm surrounding them. Bursts of Ice, Fire and Lighting Dust erupted out of glyphs, augmented quickly by the Dust housed within Weiss’s rapier chamber. The Dust helped stun and knock back the Grimm, allowing Ruby to cut through their thick bodies with her scythe. 

Loud snarling and paws pounding echoed down the corridor as two of the strange Grimm led a horde of Grimm into the corridor behind the girls.

“We need an exit, people!” Ruby cried out, slicing the head of a Beringel off

Blake leapt back, her cat ears twitching at the sound of rustling, squelching flesh. She ducked under a swipe from a Beringel, glancing up the corridor to see a doorway open, “Found one!” she called, stabbing the Grimm in the back.

Ruby smirked, grabbing Weiss and pulling her close as she transformed into a red and white petalled blob that sped through the Grimm, zipping past Yang and Blake as the duo hurried for the door. Ruby panted, deactivating her Semblance just short of the door, allowing her and Weiss to set up and cover their teammates, firing bullets and fireballs past their friends. As they stepped through the door, the door squelched, sealing shut as Grimm snarled and bayed on the other side.

“Everyone, okay?” Ruby cried out.

“Yeah/ But that was something else,” Yang said, resting her hands on her knees, catching her breath.

“At least the door closed,” Blake chimed in, “I suggest we keep moving before they get through.”

“Right,” Ruby said, turning on her heel.

The team made their way along the corridor, following its steep spiralling curve until they entered a vast chamber. Patches of red flesh littered the ground whilst Grimm mulled about the room.

“Yang Xiao-Long, Blake Belladonna, Weiss Schnee and Ruby Rose,” a soft feminine voice with a sinister tone called out, “Welcome, ladies.”

The team steeled themselves, eyes locking on the pale woman with black veins strewn across her face and hands. Her slender body attired in a long flowing black dress that hugged her legs as she stood up from the bony throne. A canine-like Grimm moved to stand and strolled up next to the woman.

“Salem,” Ruby muttered darkly.

“At last, the heroes of Beacon, we meet face to face,” Salem said, clasping her hands together, “I must say I’m somewhat honoured yet disappointed that children can best my forces. But, then again, Ozma always had a habit of exploiting those around him for victory.”

“I don’t care what you say,” Ruby stated, “We’re here for our friend, and we will get him out of here and deal with you.”

Yang and Weiss glanced over their shoulders, eyeing the Grimm crawling up the spiral behind them.

“I’m afraid, Miss Rose, just like your mother before you. Your heroics stop now. You will fall much like she did, crying in pain and burning with failure,” Salem replied, clicking her fingers.

The Grimm snarled and growled, charging at the girls from all sides. Salem turned, nodding at the large canine-like Grimm, promoting it to leap to the floor below and charge towards the girls. Ruby sped forwards alongside her sister, driving the scythe blade across the neck of a Griffon, following through with slicing Beowulf in half. The two sisters worked together, making their way through the horde with Yang knocking the Grimm into Ruby's slashes. 

Ruby lunged at a Lancer, buzzing overhead, her scythe making short work of the exoskeleton hide. She peered up after landing, the dissolving wasp-like body dropping to the ground around her as she took stock of her surroundings, her eyes landing on Weiss, activating a time dilation glyph under Blake as Griffons converged on them. Ruby’s eyes couldn’t keep up with the Faunus moving at such speeds. Ruby gasped as she heard a loud howl closing in on her, her Semblance scattering rose petals as she sped back, avoiding the colossal slam from the bulky canine Grimm.

“So this is the Hound Yang faced,” Ruby muttered, recalling the nickname her sister had given it whilst the creature towered over her, “You may have caused problems for my friends, but I’ll take care of you!” 

She jumped forwards, bursting her Semblance as she darted around the Grimm, cutting at the skin with her scythe whilst the Grimm stood there taking the hits for a while before swatting the girl knocking her back. 

Ruby gritted her teeth, glaring at the creature, “That’s enough.”

A sharp glint washed through her silver eyes with a sudden blink; a blinding white light flashed out of her eyes, spreading outwards, encompassing the Hound and the surrounding Grimm. Shrill roars and howls of pain echoed around as the blackened skin of the Grimm turned to stone whilst the Hound stumbled back, its skin peeled back like an onion revealing the nightmarish layer underneath.

The light died, revealing the petrified Grimm; her teams took the opening, attacking the frozen Grimm, cutting them down before they had a chance to recover. However, Ruby's eyes stared, her pupils dilating with fear whilst tears trickling like undeterred streams down her face as she watched the Hound piecing itself back together as it lumbered toward her.

The burned white flesh was assailed by tendrils of Grimm skin whilst tar-like ichor encompassed a blinded eye like the night sky around a full moon. The blind eye, at one point, had been silver, much like the other healthy eye that focused on her. Ruby's attention remained frozen, becoming deaf to the sounds of her friends fighting back the Grimm, unable to even avert her gaze through sheer terror from the figure trapped within the Grimm. Chills ran through the young Huntress, a hand reaching for her hair as she became fixated on the black hair with red highlights very much like her own.

“M…Mom?” Ruby croaked, her legs wavered as her weapon clanged loudly, dropping to the ground. Her throat went dry as if all the moisture had just evaporated at the sight of the Hound’s identity.

“You see now, child,” Salem stated, smirking triumphantly as the canine face and mask form reformed, concealing the true iniquity of the Hound. “The power of silver is no longer a weakness; you, like your mother, will succumb to this, my dear precious Rose.”

The Hound towered over Ruby, its body cracking as it drew up its paws above its head, aiming to crush the tiny human as if she were just an insect. The stench of the black smoke that crept from the Grimm's nostrils stung Ruby’s eyes and choked her throat as she tried to speak.

“RUBY!” Yang’s voice rang through her ears.

Before Ruby could react, her body was struck in the ribs by a great force; the sound of shots firing echoed through her ears as her body tumbled through thick red smog that concealed the rough floor that scraped against her Aura. She steadied her vision and body, focusing on her sister dancing around, firing shots off at the creature, her left arm occasionally wiping her eyes. 

The Hound snarled, sweeping its monstrous hand at Yang, grabbing her by both of her legs. Ruby frantically looked around for her weapon, the sense of dread and helplessness washing over her as the Grimm, her and Yang’s mother, gripped Yang’s head and began to apply pressure to Yang’s Aura, stretching the blonde Huntress out like a piece of elastic. Finally, with a violent growl, the Hound drove Yang's spine hard into one of its knees, rippling the orange Aura.

Yang cried out as she was hurled into the bony wall; splinters of bone showered the ground as the wall. Yang grunted, catching herself as she dropped to the ground, glaring at the creature, her lilac eyes shifting to a vibrant red, signalling the start of her Semblance. 

Ruby stared as everything seemed to happen at once; one minute, Yang erupted with fire as she activated her Semblance in full force; the next, she was gone. Ruby leapt forwards, bursting her Semblance, to get her to the spot where her sister had once been standing. Tears blurred her vision as she landed on two soft gelatine-like flaps that pulsed under her fingers.

“Ruby, watch your back!” Weiss called.

The Hound grabbed Ruby by her head, hurling the human over its shoulder. Ruby’s Aura flicked as she crashed into the ground whilst she grunted from the impact. She glanced up at Salem, just watching her, the facial features creased by her smirk. The Hound snarled and growled, crashing into Ruby’s back and smashing heavy fists into the human.

Ruby grunted, activating her Semblance, her body transforming into a red-petalled blob, but before she could tuck her legs into the blob, the Hound grabbed her by her ankles, ripping her out of the blob and slamming her hard into the ground, quickly pinning her to the ground.

“Mom, please!” Ruby cried out, choking back her tears, as she held up her hands, “It’s Ruby…your daughter. You have to get a hold of your mind and help us!” 

For a brief moment, The Hound stopped, growling. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Ruby saw Weiss cutting through a Beringel with an icy slash. The elegant Huntress pirouetted as she struck her rapier into several white glyphs before launching dozens of burning fireballs that hurled through the air and exploded into the Hound’s body, causing the creature to stagger backwards, allowing Ruby to get up.

A loud droning filled the air as the walls pulsed with an ominous red light as thick clouds of red smoke poured into the room from bony vents, clumping together as it rose to the height of Weiss’s knees. Ruby glanced around, trying to find her weapon as she got to her feet.

“Such resistance and need to fight,” Salem said, in a motherly tone, “But all futile in the end.

She raised both of her hands; purple orbs crackled around the palms of her hands as she fired out streams of purple energy that transitioned to greens and yellows as it struck Ruby in her back. The young Huntress screamed at the searing hot burn spreading throughout her body as she dropped to her knees.

“Leave her alone!” Blake cried out, rolling under a heavy swing from a Beringel, rapidly firing several shots at the witch. 

Salem grunted, the bullets impacting her face causing her magic to stop as Ruby’s Aura shattered abruptly. Black smoke wafted from the bullet wounds on her face as the skin steadily healed. The Beringel threw an uppercut into Blake’s back, throwing her toward the wall. Quickly, Blake shifted her weight, altering her body’s position so that her feet came into contact with the wall, allowing her to launch toward the Beringel, scissoring her blades, and cutting off its head. Salem’s facial features creased with her smirk as the sound of violent coughing and gagging came from Ruby.

Ruby turned her head toward Salem, her vision blurring from the tears welling in her eyes as the smoke stung them and lingered around her mouth and nose. She clutched at her chest, feeling an uncomfortable burn building within. Salem’s cold eyes stared at her, studying her closer for a few seconds before turning and raising a hand toward Weiss and Blake. Ruby jolted her head around, trying to stand only to fall to her knees, unable to help her teammates as more Grimm sprung up from flaps in the floor, from the wolf-like Beowulfs to wasp-like Lancers beating their wings as they hovered around.

A startled shriek echoed around as Weiss deflected a Lancer’s stinger with her rapier just as the floor opened up, seemingly swallowing her.

“What…are you…doing?” Ruby asked, choking from the dry burn in her mouth.

Salem didn’t reply, coldly watching as Blake was encircled by the Grimm, her cries echoing throughout the room as she danced around, cutting and slashing at the Grimm. Her eyes shimmered as she deployed a shadowy clone of herself to take the hit of a swooping Lancer. Ruby watched the Grimm closely; they weren’t trying to kill her; instead, their strikes and attacks seemed to be toying with Blake, trying to push her towards the wall.

Before she could utter a word, Ruby felt the floor give out. Her startled scream echoed around the vast room until she hit the floor. Four long red tendrils wrapped gently around Ruby, binding her legs and pulling her arms behind her back whilst dragging her across the floor.

“Ruby!” Weiss’s voice rang through her ears, drawing Ruby’s attention towards her teammate.

“Weiss!” Ruby exclaimed, her voice croaking.

The tendrils dragged Ruby into an open spot. Translucent red flesh grew around her, forming a tall, boxy cell whilst a faint tingle spread across her body as the tendrils binding her glowed a soft, vibrant red. Ruby looked across to Weiss, holding her within a fleshy red translucent cell like hers. Her wet silver eyes followed the tendrils from Weiss’s waist, eyeing the fading blue glow pulsating along the tendrils briefly before continuing to follow the tendrils to a large glassy-looking sphere with thick black smoke swirling around the inside. It chittered to itself as it floated close to the ceiling.

A loud grunt and thud pulled Ruby’s attention over to Blake just as the tendrils curled and dragged her across the ground. A cell quickly formed around her whilst Ruby craned her neck toward her friend. Blake grunted, straining against the tendrils grasp, trying to get to her knees, spurred on by the weakened state of her leader.

“Resistance is futile, my dear ladies,” Salem’s voice called as the corrupt woman floated down into the room on a thick black cloud, “My new beauty has been syphoning your Auras…well, what’s left of them.”

Her bony heels clicked against the floor as she strode toward the cages, gesturing her hands upwards. The creature chittered, seemingly acknowledging the presence of its Mistress. 

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Salem asked.

“Only someone as vile and cruel as you could see beauty in Grimm!” Blake retorted, gritting her teeth.

Salem turned towards Blake, her lips curling into a smile, “And you would know being part of Adam’s little revolution now, wouldn’t you, Miss Belladonna?”

“Leave her alone!” Yang cried out, “You so much as lay one finger on her or any of them, I’ll….”

“Foolish girl. You think you can stop me!” Salem interrupted, a look of joy crossing her face, “Your leader once told me you’ve seen my past, so you know any attempts will fail.”

“But we can stop you,” Ruby stated, closing her eyes and trying to focus her mind.

Salem stood there outstretching her arms, locking her eyes on Ruby. Then, with a vicious look, Ruby snapped her eyes open; her face fell as Salem cackled, moving towards Ruby’s cell.

“Oh, I’m sorry, my precious Rose, “ Salem stated, “The smoke you’ve inhaled prevents your silver eyes. You honestly think I wouldn’t have prepared for that little trick. Your precious mother tried that once before.”

“So what now?” Weiss asked, “You going to torture us for information? Kill us?” 

“My dear Miss Schnee. I’m ashamed you’d think I'd do such a thing to such prized fighters as the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. I want to think you’d understand about the value of assets,” Salem replied, sounding slightly offended. 

The four girls all stared at each other, trying to figure out what Salem’s words could mean. Salem stood before Weiss’s cell, grinning broadly whilst resting her hand against the cell’s front wall. 

“Your Aura has already been depleted,” Salem began, eyeing the lack of shimmering pulses on the tendrils that bound Weiss whilst the tendrils that bound Ruby and Blake pulsed slightly, glowing a vibrant red and a deep purple, respectively. As for Yang, the pulsation was growing fainter by the second.

Salem threw her hands into the air, snapping her fingers. The Grimm growled slowly, tightening its tendrils around Weiss whilst a small storm brewed within its glassy head. Crackles of red lightning flashed through the twisting black smog. 

“I call it Demise. So very fitting for what comes next,” Salem said, folding her arms. 

The tendrils swelled with red energy crackling down them, following the fleshy appendages to the young Huntress. Weiss screamed in discomfort at the searing burn that preceded her loud continuous scream as red energy shot through her body. Her teammate’s watched on with pure horror crossing their faces as Weiss’s body dropped to the ground, the tendrils adjusting but still pouring energy through her spasming body. Wisps of red lights slither around under her skin. As the storm within Demise’s head intensified, so did the power surging into Weiss’s body. Thick plumes of black smog sprayed out of the tips of the tendrils, clinging and gathering around Weiss.

“What’s….happening?” Weiss groaned, the smog stinging her eyes and nose, seeping into her mouth as she spoke, burning at her throat and mouth.

“Salem, stop this, please!” Ruby cried out, choking through her tears. 

Yang and Blake grunted, straining as they tried to reach a standing position, desperation filling their minds. Then, with a final groan, Weiss’s body limped, slumping against the ground as the shock died.

“Weiss?” Blake called, “Come on, please.”

Ruby watched the smog still flowing from the tendrils whilst they pulled away from Weiss, releasing her from their grasp. Weiss coughed, her body shivering as she pushed herself up on her hands and knees.

“You okay? Please tell me you're okay?” Ruby pleaded, tears sliding down her cheeks.

“I-I honestly don’t know,” came the reply that sent chills through Ruby.

Weiss held a hand to her head, shaking it slightly as a thumping headache grew within. She grunted as a sickening series of cracks emitted from her body, forcing her to double over and cry in pain. Salem stepped away from the cell, sitting on a bony throne that rose from the ground.

“Pay attention, Huntresses,” she stated, “Time to learn something new.”

Ruby’s eyes widened in disbelief and horror as her friend cried out in pain, sounding like a snarl of a wounded animal. Weiss’s back arched, her spine cracking and snapping violently, mirrored by her body twisted from side to side.

“S-So c-cold,” Weiss groaned, exhaling a small black cloud as she breathed, “My back hurts!”

Her dresses' pale blue and white fabric shifted, stretching around six lumps forming in her back. The delicate, soft fabric tore around five lengthening curves of white bone whilst a clump of black skin erupted out of her lower back, growing longer and thicker, popping loudly at its sway.

“That can’t be,” Ruby muttered, glancing over at Salem.

“Is that…a tail?” Blake asked a look of disgust washing over her face. 

Thick white plates of vertebrae grew out of the top side of Weiss’s new tail, running down to an overhanging pointed section on the tip. Elegant curved red markings formed two flicks on each section of vertebrae as Weiss screamed in agony. Sickening cracks filled the air, and her clothes tightened around her body whilst her back and chest surged outward. Jagged tears formed in her dresses whilst a crooked larger one began down the back of her shrug; her petite breasts sank into her chest as it swelled.

Ruby and Yang could effortlessly see the patrician figure fading as Weiss’s chest and back widened. The corset belt and three white belts fastened around her waist protested against her growth whilst the side seams of her dresses burst open, exposing the thick patches of black fur sprouting out of her blackening skin. Weiss snarled, yelping as her skin bulged around her expanding ribs. Wisps of black smoke erupted out of her skin as her ribs broke through her skin, and the skin sizzled as it healed underneath the bones. 

“Ruby…help me…please,” Weiss pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.

As her belts snapped, the torn pieces of her dresses shifted from her body, revealing the blackened animalistic chest and back. Ruby whimpered, helplessly watching the black fur thickening as it grew out of her friend's back.

“Ruby….please….” Weiss cried, snapping her head around to her leader.

Ruby sobbed uncontrollably, her tears blurring the vision of Weiss’s upper canines lengthened and thickened, breaking through her upper lip. Thick divots of white bone formed around the tops of her deforming canines as the skin around her upper lip hardened into bone. Weiss turned towards Yang, hoping the fiery blonde could do anything.

“Those teeth,” Yang muttered, “Weiss….No, Salem, you can’t!”

“Yang, what’s happening to her?” Blake cried out.

Yang slammed her cybernetic hand into the ground, the floor cracking as she fought against the tendrils, “She’s turning her into a Grimm!”

Salem smirked, locking her gaze with Weiss’s pained eyes as the changing Huntress looked around. Weiss groaned in discomfort as her nose crunched, flattening into her face whilst the surrounding skin hardened into white bone. Pain flared within her hands and fingers, drawing Weiss’s attention. Yang’s words fluttered around in her mind as she watched sharp white claws tearing through the fingers of her gloves.

Bones snapped and crunched, drowning out her cries of anguish, her fingers swelling, tearing through her gloves whilst her thumbs receded into her hands. Her hands jerked and spasmed, her gloves ripping around her bulging, elongating hands.  

“P-Paws….Claws…no, this is imposs….” Weiss began, her words interrupted by neck swelling; choking noises filled the air as it lengthened slightly. Chunks of thick white bone pushed through her blackening skin alongside clumps of thick black hair. Her cries twisted into snarls and roars as the strap of her shrug was torn in half. 

“Weiss?” Ruby asked cautiously, jumping as Weiss only replied in snarls and growls.

The puffy sleeves that bore the Schnee crest tore around her ballooning arms; violent snaps and crunches sounded out whilst her shoulder blades widened, ripping her overtaxed shrug even further. Curved points of bone burst from the backs of her boots as white talon-like claws tore through the fronts; the sound of her expanding bones snapping like twigs became drowned out by the stained growl escaping Weiss’s mouth. The seams of her boots tightened, snapping like elastic as swollen toes pushed through the fronts of her shoes, the skin becoming blacker and hairy as it stretched alongside her feet. Her boots tore further as her lower legs expanded in unison with her thighs.

Her torso lengthened as she growled lowly, lowering her head whilst loud snaps and cracks emitted from her skull. The snow-white human locks began to fall from her head as her ears lengthened, grew broader and more pointed on the tips. The bone around her nose cracked and crunched as her mouth and nose pushed outwards, with the skin on the top and bottom of the forming muzzle hardening into bone.

Weiss shot a pleading look towards Ruby and Blake, the force of her movement shaking the long braid loose from her head. Her mangled widening face resembled more foe than friend, sending chills throughout the girl’s spines. Her eyes parted and moved to the sides of her head. Blood splattered amongst her human teeth as curved pointed teeth erupted violently from her gums, all the while, the overgrown canines grew more extended and broader. The skin around her eyes and forehead hardened into bone as she lowered her head to the ground, the bony mask popping at it tightened around her skull.

“Weiss? Weiss, please don’t give up,” Ruby pleaded, her tears blurring the sight of the Sabyr standing where her once elegant friend had stood, “We can find a way we can…” she broke off as Salem began to chuckle gently. 

Demise’s tendrils shot down at the Grimm's body, penetrating through the thick hide, causing Weiss to jerk her head upwards, letting out a loud howl of pain as energy crackled into her body. A light blue tint spread across the edges of the bone chunks littering her body whilst a soft white spread throughout portions of her fur. Sharp white spikes erupted from the back of her head, curving inwards slightly. The Sabyr growled and snarled, spewing black smoke from its mouth as its body shook off the tattered Huntress’ fabrics. Ruby’s silver eyes locked with the single light blue eye watching as the white sclera disappeared under the black void spreading across them. A burning, glowing red with hints of yellow seeped across the light blue of her eyes, eating away at her pupils as a red lining appeared on her bony mask with a miniature jagged version of the Schnee crest appearing in the space above her eyes.

“Weiss?” Ruby asked, her voice crackling, “Weiss, please.” The Grimm sat down, snarling at Ruby as Salem rose from her throne, slowly approaching the captured targets.

“I’m afraid Miss Schnee no longer recognises you, my little Rose,” she stated as Demise withdrew its tendril from the Sabyr, “Even if she could, my subjugation would prevent her from being anything other than a Grimm.”

“You're a monster!” Blake exclaimed, glaring at Salem.

“You'll all be monsters by the end of the night,” Salem replied, “You only need to look at what became of Miss Schnee for your proof, girls.”

Ruby bit her lip, looking from Yang to Blake before finally looking at the Sabyr, “Salem. Do what you want with me, but please change Weiss back. Let Yang and Blake go.”

“Even as the gravity of the situation sinks in, you're trying to do the noble thing, Miss Rose, very much like your mother. There is no going back. What happens now is destiny,” Salem said, locking eyes with Ruby.