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Blake had always considered herself to be pretty strong.  At least, she was decently strong for someone of non-royal lineage.  Her spark had served her well over the years, especially when the war broke out and the Badlands fell apart.  She could fight.  She could protect herself.  She could protect others, even.

But she was no match for Yang’s spark.

Yang possessed such raw, unrelenting power that Blake had long since exhausted herself trying to hold the heat at bay.  Every minute by Yang’s side was a battle that she consistently lost.  She understood that Yang benefited from a royal ancestry, but she was still disheartened that she couldn't stay with Yang, especially as Yang’s health worsened by the hour and the remaining seconds grew numbered.

As much as Blake hated it, she had to take breaks.  And, as if being forced away from Yang wasn’t bad enough, she couldn’t just sit outside Sun’s house recuperating.  With the Badlands unnerved by the happenings in Vale and the Resistance scrambling to provide reassurance, people once again turned to her for guidance.

She could insist on meeting near Sun’s house, but someone would inevitably hear Yang’s agony or feel the absurd waves of heat and ask questions.  No one could know Yang was there.  So, as much as it pained her, she forced herself away.

An abandoned storefront in Menagerie had become her base of operations.  The shelves had been stripped bare long ago, and a layer of dust had settled over every surface, but it had four walls, a roof, and a working door.

The last thing she wanted to worry about was the Badlands, but she had to.  With Vale in Cecelia’s grasp, they were suddenly in an extremely precarious position.  Based on everything she knew about the mercenary leader, there would be no mercy for a group of loosely connected, already destroyed settlements - not until Yang was handed over, at least.  And Blake would never do that, for more reasons than simply abhorring the idea of Cecelia having Yang in her clutches.

Standing in front of the store, staring at Vale in the distance, she sighed.  Her spark hadn’t recharged yet - it felt completely spent, actually - but she wanted to return to Yang soon.  Handling anything else felt impossible when Yang was suffering a fate worse than anything Blake could have imagined.  Not even during the worst of the war had she seen someone so mercilessly torn from this life.

But the Phage knew no mercy.  Everyone knew that.

“Blake!”

The thought disappeared as her eyes snapped toward her name.  As soon as she spotted Sun flying over to her, a wave of relief rolled through her veins.

“Sun,” she breathed out as he skidded to a stop in front of her.

“Did she make it??”

“She did.  She’s at the house now.”

“Thank god.”  Sun put both hands on his knees and sucked in deep breaths.  “Damn.  I’m tired.”

“Come on, sit down.”

Leading him over to the porch in front of the store, Blake motioned for him to sit.  While he practically collapsed onto the wood, Blake sat beside him.

“Atlas is far,” he said, still catching his breath.  “And so cold.”

“You did it though.  Thank you.”

Blake couldn’t express how important it was for Yang to see Ruby again, but she didn’t have to.  Sun shook his head and powered past his selfless act.

“Now will you tell me what’s going on?”

If Sun hadn’t just run all the way to Atlas and back, Blake would brush off the story until later.  She didn’t want to think of everything that had happened over the past few days, but he deserved to know what they were dealing with.

“Do you want the long or short version?”

“Whatever you have time for.”

While he watched, still sucking in deep breaths, she sighed and looked down at her hands.

“Well, you won that bet.”

She expected him to celebrate.  Instead, he set a hand on her shoulder and waited for her to continue.

“I fell for her…” she whispered as her eyes stubbornly filled with tears.  “I didn’t mean to, or want to, but it just kind of...happened.  She’s so kind, and funny, and hardworking, and…”

“And has the Phage.”

“Yeah,” Blake sighed, wiping a tear from her eye.  “She’s had it for as long as I’ve known her, but recently...she started getting worse fast.”

Thinking about Yang, whose life was fading away in that little house not far from here, Blake sniffed and brushed away another tear.  She didn’t want to cry in case Yang noticed her puffy, red eyes.  Not that Yang was in any condition to be that observant anymore, but if she had a moment of clarity...knowing that Blake cried would only make her feel worse.

“What’s that got to do with mercenaries taking over Vale and you showing up in the middle of the night?” Sun eventually asked.  As the conversation shifted away from Yang, something closer to anger seeped through Blake’s veins.

“You remember those soldiers in black armor we saw?”  When he nodded, she did too.  “They aren’t part of Vale’s army - they’re mercenaries.  Their leader, Cecelia - she and Yang go way back.”

“So the Queen of Vale is friends with a mercenary and brought them in to help win the war?  What was in it for them?”

“Yang made a deal.  If Cecelia helped Vale, then…”  Blake didn’t want to say the rest, so she shook her head and said, “Needless to say, she doesn’t like me.”

“Because you took her girl,” Sun concluded.

“I don’t know what happened though...” Blake carried on, mostly to herself.  “She must’ve gotten impatient or thought Yang would back out because suddenly she’s staging a coup.  I was afraid of what she’d do to Yang, so I got her out of there as fast as possible.”

“Sounds like you were the one in danger.”

“She would have killed me,” Blake answered simply.  “But with Yang and Winter...there was just so much at stake.”

Replaying that night in her mind, she still wondered if she made a mistake.  Should she have stood her ground?  She’d been so worried about Yang that she hadn’t considered other options.  She just got Yang out of there fast.  In hindsight, should she have helped Vale fight back?  The doubt might bother her forever, but she let it go with a sigh while Sun calmly rubbed her back and asked, “How’re things going here?”

“Everyone’s stressed.  They just started believing they could get their lives back, then this happens.”

Thinking about the turmoil the Badlands had gone through, Blake closed her eyes and put her head in her hands.  The last thing she’d wanted to do was destroy the fledgling hope they’d fostered, but there was no other choice.  Once this was over, they would start again like they always had and always would.

“It’ll be ok,” she added more to herself than to Sun.  “We just need to figure out Cecelia’s plans, stop her, and get back to rebuilding.”

Easier said than done when dealing with a maniacal killer obsessed with Yang.  On a good day, that would be a monumental task.  Having missed several nights of sleep, Blake didn’t know how much longer she could continue like this.  Exhaustion would eventually catch up to her, but heartbreak would reach her first. What would she do then?  How could she handle any of this with a broken heart?

“Blake...are you ok?”

“What do you think...?” she whispered to her hands.  “I wish...I wish I never went to Vale.  Never talked to the queens.  Never met Yang.”

“Never fell in love?”

She’d never told Sun or anyone that she loved Yang, but she didn’t bother arguing.  She buried her head in her hands instead.  If she hadn’t gone to Vale, she wouldn’t have met Yang.  She wouldn’t have fallen in love.  She wouldn’t have made Cecelia jealous.  Cecelia would have no reason to take over Vale.  The Badlands would still be better off with the war ending.  And Blake wouldn’t feel like her heart was being ripped in two.

“I don’t wish that though.”  When Blake looked over, Sun shook his head.  “I know it sucks right now, but think of all the good that’s come out of it.  The war’s ending, the Badlands gets help, I won three cases of scotch, and I got to see Blake Belladonna, of all people, fall in love.”

“You’ll get to watch my heart break, too.”

“Well, that part really sucks,” he agreed, slouching beside her before sitting up.  “But you found someone, Blake.  I watched you wall yourself off so fast when Adam came around.  I thought you’d always be that way, but seeing you talk about her...”  Sun paused, and then a slow smile spread across his lips.  “You’re so whipped.”

Blake shoved his shoulder when he burst into laughter, but she couldn’t help smiling.

“You would be, too.”

“Oh, definitely.  No denying that.”

Chuckling at his agreement, Blake felt, for that short moment, a little better.  That was part of what made him such a great friend.  She needed someone to lighten the mood sometimes.  Still, her heart was heavy as she stared at her hands.

“I just met her…I don’t want to lose her.  I don’t even know what I’ll do when she’s not here anymore.”

“Throw yourself into work, as usual?”

“Nothing seems to matter as much anymore…”

“I know.”  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her close.  After taking a deep breath, he let it out in a long sigh.  “It’ll suck for a long time, but...eventually, things will get better.”

Right now, Blake couldn’t imagine that future and didn’t want to try.  Still, without Sun saying it, she knew that he would be there for her.  She could cry on his shoulder as much as she needed until her heart stopped hurting like this.

Even after the initial pain faded, she would probably think about Yang for the rest of her life.  She would wonder what could have been.  She would cherish the time they’d shared and regret every minute they’d lost.

“Thanks, Sun.  You’re a great friend.”

“I try.”

“And thanks for letting her stay at your house,” she added, but he waved off the gratitude.

“When the Queen of Vale needs a place to stay, best believe the Wukong family manor is at her disposal.  Besides...she took care of you, didn’t she?”

Thinking back on her time in Vale, Blake looked at her hands and swallowed around the growing lump in her throat.

“She did...”

“Then I owe her a lot.”

“I do, too.  Just like I owe you a lot.”  When another memory popped into her head, she smiled and nudged his shoulder.  “I’m glad I didn’t kill you when I caught you stealing our firewood.”

“I wasn’t stealing!” he argued while she smiled.  “I was only borrowing...” he playfully grumbled at their age-old argument.  Was it stealing if the thief sincerely intended to replace what they took?  She’d given him the benefit of the doubt back then, and she’d never regretted it.

Actually, that was a lie.  She regretted it when he refused to stop following her around and developed a knack for pointing out whenever she behaved irrationally or hypocritically.  But, overall, his friendship and support had helped her through some tough times.  She would need him again soon.

Hooves racing down the street caught their attention then.  Turning that way, Blake stood when she recognized one of their scouts tearing toward them.

“What’s going on?” she asked as he pulled his horse to a stop in front of the store.

“We found someone leaving Vale.  He says he has a message for you.”

“For me?”  As soon as the man nodded, Blake shared a glance with Sun.  “Where is he now?”

“Other side of town.  We blindfolded him and led him around a bit - he probably thinks he’s in Atlas by now.”

When Sun scoffed, Blake sent him a look before thinking through their options.  No one had entered or left Vale since Cecelia took control.  If this person made it out, it would only be with permission - and a message from Cecelia.

“Bring him here,” she decided.  “Don’t let him know where we are.  We’ll meet him inside.”

While the man raced off to do as told, Blake glanced at Sun before hurrying into the abandoned store.  In the short wait, she searched for anything that might give away their location.  Fortunately, there was so little inside that they could easily be at any settlement in the Badlands.

“What do you think the message is?” Sun asked while she paced.

“She wants Yang.”

Sun’s eyes widened at the simple response, but Blake paced until she heard heavy footsteps outside.  The door opened then, and several members of the Resistance led a young, blindfolded man into the store.  Shockingly, Blake recognized him.  As one of the official palace messengers, he’d delivered many messages to Yang during Blake’s time in Vale. When Blake nodded to one of the man’s escorts, the blindfold was removed.  He blinked several times before locking onto Blake and bowing.

“Miss Belladonna,” he practically sighed in relief.  “I’m so glad you’re alright.  There were rumors and...regardless, I’m glad they weren’t true.”

Taken aback by his sincerity, Blake glanced at Sun before carefully regarding the young man.

“What are the rumors?”

“That you died in the uprising.  Killed in combat, but no one knew how or why…”

When Blake and Sun shared another look, the young man wrung his hands.

“What’s happening in Vale?” she asked, knowing this might be as much information as she could get without returning to Vale herself.

“I’m not supposed to say.”  Eyes darting side to side, he leaned closer and lowered his voice.  “No one really knows what’s going on.  No one’s allowed to leave the city, but no announcement or proclamation has been made.”

“What about in the palace?” Blake pressed, remembering the sounds of battle as she, Yang, and Winter slipped through the walls.

“The staff were given a choice - realign their allegiance or leave.”

“She’s giving people a choice?”

That sounded unfathomable to Blake, but he nodded.

“Many left, but some stayed, if only to figure out what happened...”  After trailing off, he gave Blake a pleading look.  “Miss Belladonna...do you know what happened to Queen Xiao Long?  We can’t find any trace of her.  We worry...she’s gone for good...”

Again, his genuine concern caught Blake by surprise.  Unfortunately, she couldn’t trust him.  Maybe he was sincerely worried for Yang’s wellbeing, but Cecelia chose him for a reason.  Blake couldn’t risk telling him that the Queens of Vale were a ten-minute walk from where they stood.  He could deliver that news to Cecelia, and Cecelia would be here with an army by sundown.

“I don’t know…” Blake lied instead.  His crestfallen expression made her feel guilty but, if he truly cared about Yang, he would understand the need to keep this secret.  “I slipped out and haven’t seen her since that night.”

“As I feared…” he whispered before falling silent.  He appeared to need a minute to digest the bad news, but Blake didn’t have time for him to grieve.

“What’s your message?” she pressed.  She already knew what Cecelia wanted, but she needed to hear any additional details.  Recovering quickly, the young man cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders.

“You’re to immediately, and personally, return what you stole to the palace or suffer the consequences.”

As expected.  And Cecelia wanted Blake to show up in person, either for the opportunity to gloat or to kill her.

“I won’t do it.”

When Blake shook her head, Sun shot her a look.

“Blake...”

“No, Sun.  I won’t.”

Sensing her unwillingness, Sun motioned for the messenger to give them a minute before pulling Blake aside and lowering his voice.

“Listen, I know how you feel about her, but she doesn’t have long left...”

“That doesn’t mean I’ll give her up.”

“You know it’s what she’d want.”

Blake had no idea how Sun knew that, but she hated that he was right.  Yang wanted Blake to let her go, but this wasn’t only about Yang right now.  This wasn’t about Blake either - this was about Cecelia.

“If we give her up,” Blake replied in a low voice, hating even the thought of entertaining the idea.  “We’re only proving that we can be walked over.  Besides…I don’t think she’ll last long enough to even make it back to Vale.”

Sun’s eyes widened at the awful prognosis, but Blake turned away when tears stung hers.

“What happens when Cecilia learns about the Phage?” she whispered, shooting a glance at the messenger to make sure he wasn’t eavesdropping.  “You’ve never met her, Sun.  She’s not the good type of crazy.  What do you think she’ll do when her ‘prize’ disappears?  Who do you think she’ll blame?  And what will she do to us then?”

It was a horrible situation.  She knew it and Sun knew it.  They could either give Cecelia what she wanted - giving up on Yang, which Blake would never do, as well as risking Cecelia’s future fury when Yang succumbed to the Phage.  Or they stood their ground and risked Cecelia’s fury now.  The real question was...what would make her angrier?  A stolen prize or the prize disappearing entirely?

“We’ll think of something else,” Blake said before turning back to the messenger.  “Tell Cecelia that I respectfully decline.”

“But...you realize…”

“I understand what it means,” Blake interrupted before he sputtered much more.  By turning down the offer, she told Cecelia to come take Yang herself.  Which she would do, because she had her band of mercenaries and Vale’s army under her control.

“Are you sure…?” the messenger replied, looking even more shocked by her resolute nod.  “Ok, then...I’ll tell her.”

After giving her a second to change her mind, he turned toward the Resistance members who’d brought him there.  Blake motioned for them to return the blindfold to his eyes.  Before they escorted him back to Vale, however, she pulled Sun aside.

“We’ll have to fight,” Sun sighed, but Blake shook her head.

“Only those who are willing.  This is my decision.  I’m not forcing anyone to do this.”

“You know we’re with you.”

As reassuring as the response was, she wasn’t sure that she wanted the Resistance’s support for what felt like a personal vendetta.  The result might greatly impact the Badlands though, so she didn’t turn it away entirely.  Instead, she took a deep breath and glanced at Cecelia’s messenger.

“How tired are you?” she asked Sun.

“Not tired enough to turn down whatever you’re about to ask for.”

“Can you follow him back to Vale?  And make sure he doesn’t know where we are?”

It felt like a lot to ask, but she trusted him with the task more than anyone else.  Fortunately, he nodded, said “You got it,” and walked over to the group waiting by the door. “Be back in a flash,” he added before motioning everyone after him.  They followed Sun outside, leaving Blake to wonder if letting the messenger leave was the right decision.  If he figured out where they were, he could tell Cecelia their location, and Cecelia might be here soon.

Or maybe Cecelia would out-strategize herself.  She didn’t know that Yang was sick.  She might think that Blake and Yang split up for safety, making Menagerie the last place Yang would be.  Of course, Cecelia could decide to kill Blake first and then search for Yang.

Eventually, the battle would arrive.  For now, Blake pushed the thought from her mind and focused on Yang.  The messenger had delayed her return, and now she worried that she’d been away for too long.  Her sluggish, tired spark protested the idea of returning to duty so soon, but she ignored it while hurrying back to Sun’s house on the edge of Menagerie.

Same as every other time she’d returned to the little cottage, her anxiety increased with every step.  Someone would have found her if things took a turn for the worst, but only Winter and Ruby knew that Yang was there.  What if there wasn’t time?  What if everything ended too soon?

Spotting the home exactly as she’d left it, she sighed and rushed up the front steps.  The instant she opened the door, however, a wall of heat welcomed her to the sweltering abode.  A cool breeze filtered through the open windows but did nothing to dispel the blistering heat building up inside.  Her spark immediately sprang to life, sheltering her from the abrasive environment as she crossed the living room and opened the bedroom door.

Yang was sleeping, or possibly unconscious, as the fever ran its course.  Ruby sat beside her, holding her hand regardless of how hot it must be.  Ruby’s tears had finally dried, but she looked on the verge of crying at any instant.

After experiencing a wave of relief that Yang was sleeping, Blake instantly felt horrible for that relief.  As gut-wrenching as it was listening to her suffer...whimpers and cries of agony that cut like a thousand blades across Blake’s heart...the silence was almost worse.  The silence meant the Phage was winning.  Yang’s body was shutting down.

Blake had never felt so weak and helpless.  The only measure of solace was that, besides Yang’s furrowed brow, the perspiration on her forehead, and frequent waves of punishing heat, she looked almost...peaceful.

“Where’s Winter?” Blake whispered while taking the seat beside Ruby.

“I told her to get some rest,” Ruby replied softly, her eyes never leaving Yang.  “She was exhausting herself trying to keep up.”

Blake nodded but said nothing.  For as much as Winter tried to help, fighting Yang’s rising temperature was a never-ending and thankless task.  Maintaining the constant chill was bound to deplete her spark at some point, and what was the point in wasting her energy?  They were only delaying the inevitable.

They weren’t there yet, but it would happen soon.  Yang couldn’t possibly hang on much longer.  The fact that she’d lasted this long was already a miracle, albeit not the miracle they’d hoped for.

Sitting in silence, they watched Yang’s fitful sleep.  Sometimes, she murmured unintelligible words.  Sometimes, her fingers clenched into tight fists.  Heat pulsed from her every so often, deepening the red glow of her veins before lifting again. The uninhabitable heat made Blake wonder how Ruby had remained for so long without leaving.  The drain on her spark must be incredible, but she didn’t complain.  She just sat there, holding Yang’s hand, never leaving Yang’s side.

After briefly considering telling Ruby about Cecelia’s message, Blake decided against it.  That knowledge would only increase Ruby’s burden, and Blake didn’t want to pile on any more than necessary.  Once...things changed...she could fill Ruby in on the state of Vale.  Until then, they would sit here and wait.  But they weren’t waiting for a miracle anymore.  They were waiting for the end.

“You know…” Ruby eventually whispered, keeping her voice low and her gaze trained on Yang.  “She’s looked out for me my whole life.  Taught me how to fight, taught me how to lead, taught me how to put others first…but she never taught me how to deal with this.”

When Ruby sniffled and wiped a tear from her eye, a lump of emotion grew in Blake’s throat.

“I’m sure…” Blake began before pausing and quietly clearing her throat.  “I’m sure she never wanted you to deal with this.”

“But now I have to, don’t I?”  After wiping away another tear, Ruby shook her head.  “I have to watch her die...knowing that I wasn’t smart enough, fast enough, or good enough to save her.”

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Ruby let it out in a long sigh and rested her chin on her knee.

“I spent all this time trying to save her…and I couldn’t.  Now Vale’s lost, too…”  Ruby shook her head again, as if dislodging that fatal thought, and clenched her jaw.  “We have to get Vale back.  We can’t let her legacy end here.”

The comment transported Blake back to the hallway of murals in Vale’s palace - the one celebrating Vale’s history.  Her heart cracked when a painful realization swept over her: Yang’s story was about to end.  Soon, her life would be inscribed on that wall in too few words to capture how amazing she truly was.

“Her legacy won’t end here,” Blake whispered.  “I promise.”

If she had to, she would spend the rest of her life shouting Yang’s name from every rooftop that she could climb.  She would leave the Badlands and tell Yang’s story to anyone who would listen.  But first, she would fight for Vale.  She would win Vale back for Ruby so that Ruby could choose what Yang’s mural looked like.  Cecelia wouldn’t write Yang’s ending, even though she’d helped bring it along.

“I really thought I could find a cure...” After lifting a trembling hand and wiping away another tear, Ruby sighed.  “That’s the only reason I went to Atlas...”

“Atlas has the cure…” Blake whispered to herself.

“But they don’t.  All they have are lies and ice.”

While they lapsed back into silence, Blake looked at Yang but quickly turned away.  She wanted to remember Yang as the vibrant, lively, cheerful queen who’d wormed so quickly into her heart.  She didn’t want to remember the immeasurable pain and suffering.

When another burst of heat spread throughout the room, Blake flinched, but Ruby hardly reacted.  If anything, she only leaned closer to her sister. “Too bad Yang can’t borrow Winter’s heart…” she murmured before glancing at Blake.  “Weiss said their sparks are in their hearts.  That would probably be such a relief…”

“Their sparks are in their hearts?”

Imagining their sparks in physical form, Blake held her hand over Yang’s heart but quickly pulled away when the heat threatened to burn her palm.  She’d always considered her spark to be...everywhere.  Creeping through her veins, always ready to protect her where needed...it never seemed to settle in one place for long.

If Yang’s heart lived in her heart, Blake could only imagine the fire burning there.  Ruby was right - if only they could extinguish the flames somehow.

“Ruby…” she said as a thought popped into her head.  “If Yang’s spark is in her heart too...what if we freeze it?”

“Freeze Yang’s spark...?  Like...to put it out?”  When Blake nodded, Ruby frowned.  “But…what would that do?”

“I don’t know...but the sparkless are just fine without a spark.  Why couldn’t Yang be fine without hers?”

The more Blake thought about it, the more she couldn’t believe that she hadn’t thought of it before.  Probably because no one knew exactly how sparks worked.  People were born with or without one, and with varying degrees of strength.  Removing or destroying someone’s spark had never been done.  Probably never even attempted.

Ruby’s foot bounced now, the anxious energy infecting Blake in a heartbeat.

“If we can get rid of her spark...we get rid of the Phage?”  As soon as Blake nodded, Ruby frowned at Yang.  “But how would we do that…?”

The question hardly left Ruby’s lips before Blake shot to her feet.  She was fast, but Ruby beat her to the door.

“I’ll get her!” Ruby shouted before disappearing in a gust of wind. Left in Ruby’s wake, Blake shook her hands and tried to calm her sudden jitters.  The idea sounded too ridiculous and dangerous to work, but they were desperate enough to try anything.

Without a spark, the Phage would have nothing to hijack.  Its purpose would be erased.  And without a purpose, it should cease to exist.  Of course, the only reasons fueling this idea were exhaustion, desperation, and unfounded hope for a different outcome.

It wouldn’t work.  And if it didn’t...

Looking at Yang, Blake bit her lip and moved as close as she could tolerate.

“Yang?  Can you hear me?”

Foolishly, Blake thought that Yang might open her eyes and smile.  Her eyes remained shut instead, and her veins continued burning a fierce, sickly red.

Blake couldn’t imagine the torment that Yang would face if she ever woke up.  Her mind had shut down for a reason - it probably couldn’t stand the pain just as much as Blake couldn’t bear hearing it.  Would the Phage eventually force her awake though?  Would it insist that she feel its full wrath before letting go?

Blake wouldn’t wish that fate on her worst enemy, and especially not on Yang.  So, rather than try to wake her, Blake sighed and gently touched her hair.

“We’re going to try something,” Blake whispered while her heart raced with fear.  “I don’t know if it’ll work...it probably won’t work...but we have to try, right?”

Now, more than ever, she wished that Yang could hear her and respond.  Tell her that she was on the right track.  That of course they should give this a shot.  What did they have to lose?

“It’s better than nothing, right?” she added.  “But...please forgive me if this doesn’t work.  You know I’d never suggest something like this if...if there was another option.”

If another option existed, Blake had failed to find it.  And if she messed this up...then these were her last moments with Yang, and they were already over.  Hearing footsteps hurry into the house, she turned around as Ruby and Winter rushed into the room.

“I don’t understand…” Winter said while Ruby led her to Yang’s side.  “You want me to...freeze...her heart?”

“Your spark’s in your heart, right?”  Once Winter haltingly nodded, Ruby hopped back and forth between her feet.  “We think Yang’s is too, so if you freeze it, maybe you can get rid of the Phage.”

Again, the idea sounded ludicrous.  Winter didn’t say as much, but she looked between Ruby and Blake in obvious shock.

“But...that will kill her.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Winter replied definitively.  “Applying that much cold to someone’s heart will make it seize, and I don’t know how to restart it, if that’s even possible.”

Blake shared a look with Ruby, but Ruby didn’t immediately give up on the idea.  She bit her bottom lip instead and, after several seconds, said, “But if her heart’s on fire...maybe she can take more than a normal person.”

Winter still looked stunned that they were even considering this, but her gaze eventually fell upon Yang.  Regardless of their past animosities, Yang had welcomed her to Vale.  Yang had provided a sanctuary when few others would have.

“If you think it’s a good idea…” Winter eventually said before turning to Ruby.  “She’s your sister.  If you want me to try, then...I will.”

Burdened with the decision, Ruby stared at Yang for a long time.  If Yang had any lucidity left, they would ask for her permission.  Considering how much pain she’d been in before falling into this semi-comatose state, she would probably accept the risk.

Before responding, however, Ruby looked at Blake for an answer.  They hadn’t explicitly talked about this, but they both knew it would eventually come up.  At what point was granting mercy the kinder, more humane option?  At what point should they step in and say that enough was enough?  That Yang had suffered too much already, and they loved her too much to let it continue?

They’d reached that point, and they both knew it.  From the way Yang’s skin burned, they shouldn’t want her to wake up.  They still did, of course, but if Yang woke up right now...she faced the most indescribable torture imaginable.

“If you don’t try...” Ruby began, pausing when her bottom lip quivered.  Tears filled her eyes, but she still met Winter’s gaze with certainty and sorrow in her own.  “I’d rather her go peacefully than...than how it’s going.”

As much as it hurt, Blake agreed.  Right now, Yang looked relatively peaceful and calm.  If they let the Phage run its course...she would endure even more agony.

“Please,” Blake added.  “It’s not your fault if this doesn’t work.  It probably won’t, but...we have to do something.”

Blake understood Winter’s hesitance.  They weren’t asking her to try to save Yang - they were asking her to potentially be the one ushering Yang out of this life.  Blake would hate to be in the same situation but, after looking between her and Ruby, Winter nodded.

As soon as Winter agreed, fear raced through Blake’s veins.  She nearly shook her head, wanting to back out and hang onto every second Yang had left, but Winter had already moved closer to Yang’s side. Chilled air combated the overwhelming heat as Winter’s spark sprang to life, and small puffs of frost left her lips as she gently set her hand over Yang’s heart.

A patch of ice formed beneath Winter’s hand, but the first noticeable change was the temperature in the room.  The temperature dropped.  The vicious heat began wearing off.  The room almost felt...comfortable.

Just when Blake considered easing up on her own spark, a scorching wave of heat blasted across her.  The strength forced her back a step, but she didn’t run.  Her heart pounded harder now, but she didn’t run.  She watched Winter’s brow furrow while the puffs of frozen air coming from her lips grew larger.

“She’s...fighting it…”

When another blast of fire swept the room, Blake opened her mouth and glanced at Ruby.  Ruby looked equally troubled by the response but clenched her jaw.

“It’s not her.  It’s the Phage.”

“I should stop.”  Immediately after another burst of flames, Winter pulled her hand away and shook her head.  “I can’t keep going.  It will kill her.”

Unfortunately, it was too late to back out.  They’d woken the beast; they couldn’t let Yang suffer the consequences.

“Please try harder,” Ruby begged, her desperation growing when Yang groaned.  “We can’t let the Phage win.”

Winter might not believe that this would work, but she understood mercy and compassion.  They had limited time left.  Yang’s restless motions suggested that she’d wake up at any moment, and they couldn’t let her wake up.

This time, Winter set her hand on Yang’s heart and closed her eyes.  The room grew colder, then much colder, but Yang’s spark fought every step of the way.  The bursts of heat grew more frequent.  Patches of flames broke through Yang’s skin.  Winter clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut - the two royals matching sparks.

For a split second, it felt like Winter might lose.  That Yang’s spark, even in its uncontrolled state, would overpower her.  Then...the flames slowly disappeared.  The fire tampered down.  Yang’s skin lightened.  Her lips turned blue.

Before Blake could even hope for the best, Winter opened her eyes and jerked her hand away.

“Her heart stopped.”

Winter looked distressed while Ruby leaned her ear down to Yang’s mouth.  “She’s not breathing,” she said before pressing her fingers to Yang’s neck in search of a pulse.

The longer Ruby stood there without moving, the more Blake’s heart broke.  For those first few seconds, she hoped for a miracle.  For the next few seconds, she prayed for one.  But as more seconds passed and nothing happened, she realized that there would be no miracle after all.

Stifling a sob, she moved forward and touched Yang’s cold hand.  She’d never felt Yang so cold before, so...lifeless...and doing so now filled her eyes with tears that spilled over when she saw a stream of them rolling down Ruby’s cheeks.

She knew that this day would eventually arrive, but she still wasn’t ready.  She didn’t want to let go.  She’d only just found someone who she could trust - how was it fair that their time together ended so soon?

But this moment wasn’t about her or her selfish desire for more of Yang’s time. After fighting for the good of everyone else for so long, Yang could finally rest.  The pain had finally stopped, the suffering was over.  She left behind a kingdom that loved her, a sister who loved her even more, and a broken-hearted fighter from the Badlands who’d never gotten to say she loved her too.