Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride. The creator of many fantastic masterpieces such as: Fire Emblem: Eternity Unto Reformation, Code Geass: Lelouch of the R-eset, The Crow: DxD, Highschool, DxD: Shatter Destiny, RWBY's Reaper, Code Geass 00, Fractured Reality, Code Geass: Suzaku of the Counterattack, Devil Survivor: Destiny Rewind, and some of his new projects, such as Lagrange 111: You Are (Not) Alone, Tokyo Ghoul: A Flowered Colored Darker Than Black, Persona 4: The Unseen Truth, Monarch, Kill the Deadly Sin, Code Geass: The Butterfly Effect, DxD: Final, DC Heroes: FORGOTTEN BLOODSTAINED LEGACY, DxD: Nocturne, Project, A Tale of Three Dragons, A Dragon Darker than Black, Code Geass: Kill the Rebellion, RWBY: Colorless Memories, RWBY: Black Rebellion, and more.

I highly recommend you check them all out.

I really appreciate your help, man. Couldn't have done this without ya!

Thank you to all who continue to support this story. Please Read and Review.

Also…..ALL FLAMES CAN JUST BURN IN HELL!... So don't even bother.

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Chapter 7: Forever Intertwined in the Falls

"You have ten seconds to explain why Ruby is a crying mess!"

"W-wait, hold on a minute here! C-calm down-WHOA!"

Yang grabbed him by the collar and held him up in the air. "Eight seconds!" She growled, her hair blazing in all directions.

Nico frowned as he struggled against Yang's grip. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Six seconds!"

"Yang, please!" Nico tried to reason with her. But he then processed what the Blonde had said four seconds ago. "Wait, why is Ruby crying in the first place?! Did something happen to her?!" He asked in concern.

"Two seconds!"

"H-hey, you skipped a nu-"

"TIME'S UP!"

Yang pulled one of her hands from Nico's collar and cocked a fist, ready to smash his face in.

He brought up his arms, and activated his Semblance, pouring his Aura into his hands.

His black tattoos glowed violently as he pulled his arms up to shield his face.

Yang threw a punch. Her weapon opened fire, but the blast merely served to throw him further into the wall. He winced slightly, feeling small pieces of concrete debris piercing into his skin. He then shifted his weight as Yang swung her leg at his head, her heel making contact with his arms, and thus throwing him further into the hallway. "Yang, hold on a second-!" he tried in vain to reason with her, but Yang was charging at him with feral, almost demonic eyes set ablaze with rage as she threw shot after shot with Ember Celica, leaving him no time to properly counterattack. "Just stop for a sec-!" He was unable to block one of the shots, and it collided with his face, causing him to stagger back. Yang rushed in, and rammed her fist straight into his abdoment, knocking the wind right out of his sails, and then delivered a harsh uppercut, knocking him into the air, following up with a roundhouse kick straight to his back.

Nico struck the wall hard before bouncing off and landing further down the corridor. He struggled to pull himself back up, a bit disoriented from the strike to his chin. The blonde brawler refused to give him a moment of recovery as she stomped right up to him and grabbed him by the scruff of his collar.

She reared her arm back, fist clenched. Nico was sure this hit was going to be a doozey.

Thankfully, however, help arrived in the form of a black blur wrapping around her arm, and pulling her back. Nico dropped to the floor, wheezing slightly while Yang, bewildered glared at Blake, who had her restrained, Gambal Shroud's thread wrapped around her arm. "Let me go, Blake!" she warned, eyes still burning red. "I'm going to kill him!"

"Yang, enough." her partner said calmly. "I can understand why you're angry, but have you asked Nico for his side of the story?"

"What's there to ask?! He hurt Ruby, she cried, and I'm gonna-" She was cut off when ice was suddenly planted in her mouth, causing her to blink rapidly in confusion. Weiss gave her a warning glare as she holstered Myrtenaster.

"I believe you've caused quite enough damage for one day, Yang." the heiress said, folding her arms. Yang would have snapped at her, if not for the ice that was in her mouth. "And don't talk with your mouth full, either."

The blonde tightened her jaw around the ice, which threatened to break under the strain.

"Whoa...what the hell's going on here?" a certain Blue Devil questioned as he walked in on the commotion. He was curious as to what was happening when he saw Yang rush out of her dorm room looking as if she were about to murder someone with her team mates trying to calm her down. Naturally, he was curious and followed, which led them to now.

"What in the-?!" Jaune, who was also following Eden, saw the battered form of Nico on the ground, and immediately ran over to him. "Crap, Nico! What the heck happened?!"

"Urgh..." the tattooed boy groaned. "Misunderstanding... and led to me getting my ass kicked."

"Misunderstanding...? What do you..." Eden trailed off after looking up to see Yang struggling to break free from Blake's hold, glaring daggers at the berserker.

"...um," the knight cocked his head. "Why does Yang have ice in her mouth and look seriously pissed off at Nico?"

"It's because Ruby barged into our dorm room and crashed into Yang in a sobbing mess." Weiss explained. "We asked her what was wrong, but the only words we could make out were 'monsters', 'pain', and 'Nico', which led Yang to assume that Nico had done something to her to make her like this."

Nico's eyes widened at this as Jaune helped him up. He shared a look with the knight, who also nodded in understanding. It was clear by that explanation that the red reaper had overheard them talking about his past. "Jaune," Blake said, keeping her hold over the still furious Yang. "Do you know something?"

"Er, yeah..." he nodded hesitantly. He looked at Nico, who gave him a nod, as if saying it was alright. "Um, I think Ruby might have overheard our conversation up on the rooftop."

"And what exactly were you talking about?" Eden asked curiously. "Must have been pretty serious if it turned short-stuff into a crying heap."

"To put it bluntly?" Jaune said. "Me being an idiot, Nico knocking some sense into me." He paused, shooting the man in question a glare. "Literally. And then hearing about his parents."

Yang finally broke free from the ice, ramming her teeth together and causing it to shatter. She then spat out the chunks of ice before turning to face Jaune with a narrowed glare. "Start talking." she said dangerously, cracking her knuckles. "NOW."

"O-Okay, okay!" the blonde yelped, not wanting to be on the receiving end of Yang's fury. He proceeded to explain what happened on the roof. He left out the bit about his falsified transcripts though. While Weiss, Blake, and Yang were his friends, he didn't feel comfortable telling them about that piece of info yet.

XXXXXXXXXX

"...okay, first off, sorry I ever beat the shit out of you." Yang apologized, her eyes having lost their red color and returned to their lilac luster. "Secondly, if I ever meet your parents, I am going to introduce them to my Ember Celica."

"You'll have to get in line Yang..." Eden interjected. "...That will be after I incinerate them and rend them to pieces."

Weiss shook her head, her face set into a snarling scowl. "I had always believed the Bodaveg family to be the paragon of what it meant to be a Huntsman, but after this?" she said, hostility clear in her voice. "Now, I want to run them through, and make sure their licenses are removed, and throw them behind bars on grounds of child abuse."

Blake didn't say a word, but her features were twisted in clear disgust. She knew that people could be monsters...but this was on a completely different level.

"Yeah, I think that sums up mine and Pyrrha's thoughts about Nico's parents in a nutshell." Jaune rubbed the back of his neck. "Still, I know you were overprotective of Ruby, but were you seriously gonna kill Nico?"

"Well...sorta..."

Nico sweat-dropped. "...remind me never to do anything to Ruby period." he said simply, followed by a collective nod. "Well, then again, I'd do the same for Celty if someone did anything to her."

"Celty?" Yang raised a brow.

"My younger sister." Nico elaborated.

"Well, as much as I'd like to continue this conversation, can we move elsewhere?" Weiss suggested. "I'd hate to explain to Professor Goodwitch why we're out so late."

"Agreed, let's-" Nico was cut off when a familiar blur, followed by red petals, dashed straight past him and rammed into Yang.

"YANG, YOU MORON!"

"Oof!"

The blonde brawler was flung backwards and crashed into the wall behind her.

The girl could have sworn she saw Nevermores flying around her head, her mind spinning, while Ruby straddled her hips, flailing her arms wildly and delivering weak hits to her older sister.

"You idiot! Moron! Dummy!" She kept hitting Yang.

But none of the hits actually did any damage. Anyone in Signal, much less Patch, knew that when it came to fighting without her Crescent Rose, Ruby was practically a sitting duck. Hand-to-hand combat was her weak point, thus to Yang, it felt like small pebbles whacking against her shoulders. As she snapped out of her daze, shaking her head, she pouted. "Oh, come on, Ruby!" she whined. "You're my precious baby sister! Anyone who hurts you're feelings is gonna get it!"

"And what was there to get?!" Ruby snapped childishly. "What did you think Nico did wrong?!"

She stared at her younger sister flatly. "Uh, that he rejected you?"

Her sister's face flushed to a bright crimson. "N-No! That's not it at all!" She didn't even notice Nico behind her.

"Rejection?" Nico raised an eyebrow. "What does she mean by 'rejection?' What on Remnant are you two talking about?"

"N-nothing!" Ruby said quickly, her face still red. "Nothing at all! Don't mind Yang, she's just a big stupid head!" She glared at the blonde as she grinned amusingly. "And don't you are dare say another word!"

"Alright, alright~" She held up her hands in defense.

The group shook her head, though Nico was even more confused. Eden seemed to understand what was going on as he chuckled, patting the teen on the shoulder. "Congrats, man." he grinned. "You just got yourself a girl~"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Nico deadpanned.

"Whatever you say~ Oh yeah, before I forget, what was taking you so long to get back? Jaune and Pyrhha came back earlier than you did." Nico looked at Ruby, who was currently trying to reprimanded (cutely, he may add) Yang for trying to beat the crap out of him, and then turned to Eden, leaning in and whispering in his ear. The Blue Devil's eyes widened as he looked at Nico incredulously. "No shit?" The boy nodded. He grinned. "It's official, Nico Bodaveg. You are now my new best bud."

"Huh? Why? What happened?" Not RWBY and Jaune were curious.

"Nico dangled Cardin over the roof!" Eden laughed. "He practically threatened to drop him if he said anything about Jaune!"

The others then looked at the berserker with horrified expressions.

Nico shrugged. "What?"

He had no idea why they were so strung up over this. Cardin threatened to blab about Jaune's fake transcripts and he retaliated. Simple as that.

Obviously, they were unaware of the transcripts bit, as their faces showed nothing but horror. "Are you out of your mind?!" Jaune screamed with wide eyes. "Nico, if Cardin says anything about this, you could get kicked out!"

"I doubt it." Nico shook his head. "I think dangling him over the roof has made it perfectly clear what will happen if he tries anything. That, and a dislocated shoulder should serve as a reminder." He then turned to Eden. "If not that, Eden could set him on fire."

The mercenary grinned. "Oh, I can do ya better." he said, chuckling evilly. "By the time I'm through with him, Hell will sound very much like paradise."

Everyone else, sans Nico, felt chills crawl up their spines. It didn't help the fact that Eden's hands were lit with blue flames as he rubbed them together in a malicious manner. Eden truly is a Devil.

"...Eden?" Yang said, her face set evenly. "You know, I dig tall, dark, and gruesome guys from time to time... But you're way too dark."

The blue-haired teen grinned back at her. "Well, Yang, since you feel that way about me..." He walked over to her, and patted her on the shoulder. Leaning in, he whispered into her ear, "I have a thing for blondes who can break a bone or two."

To the rest of Team RWBY's amazement, Yang's face actually became tinted red.

"W-what?" came the spluttered response. "What did you just say?"

"Well, time to hit the sack!" Eden said as he patted Nico' shoulder, as if gesturing for him to follow. "C'mon, guys, let's go to bed! I don't wanna be hear when Glynda talks our ears off!" With that said, he walked down the hallway, Nico following behind him.

Yang, however, was still a fumbling mess. "Yang?" Ruby called out. "Hello? You there?" There came no response from her, as Ruby continued to try and snap her back to her senses. Meanwhile, Nico raised an eyebrow as he looked at Eden. "...what on Earth did you do?"

"Just a little teasing is all." Eden shrugged, smiling half-heartedly. "I mean, hey, I find her attractive... But if I'm gonna date someone; I want to get to know them better." He smirked back at Nico. "I assume you want to learn more about Ruby too, right?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Suuure you don't~" Eden rolled his tongue amusingly.

"...No. I seriously do NOT know what you are talking about."

"Okay, okay, fine~ If you wanna play it off, fine by me." the Blue Devil chuckled. "Just be sure to use protecting when you two get at it."

Nico frowned in confusion. "What in the world are you talking about?" he asked. "What do you mean by, use protection? Is that a slang term?"

XXXXXXXXXX

For thousands of miles, foliage of the trees and the grass of the bloody forest painted the landscape a dusty red. As the leaves fall from their branches, one could mistake them for crimson snow. This morbid yet beautiful sight lasts continuously all year, hence the name, Forever Fall.

For the eyes that first see it, it is a magnificent spectacle to behold.

For the eyes of the experienced, it is a reminder to the blood spilled by the Grimm who lurk in these woods.

For the eyes of one Nico Bodaveg, it is nothing more than a hateful, bitter memory.

He couldn't help but stare at the surroundings with a sense of loathing. Teams JNPR and RWBY, as well as Eden, knew how much pain it must have caused him, to be back in the place that he, at one point, used to call home, albeit with disdain and hatred. Being here must have created some rather bitter memories for him. Ruby in particular look at him with worry, hands fiddling with her skirt.

She wanted to talk to him...but had no idea how to approach him. Ever since the other night...things have been rather awkward. Although...it was more on her end than Nico's.

While it wasn't clear at first, Nico was shown to be rather oblivious to any sort of romantic feeling. He was apparently confounded and confused when Ruby apologized for Yang's teasing and told him not to take any of it seriously, and given his upbringing, she assumed that it was because of the people who dared to call themselves parents. Having lost her mother, Ruby didn't know what it was like to live the sort of life Nico had. She always had her sister and her father, as well as Zwei, but all Nico had was his sister, and she was being threatened with being thrown way, all because she was afflicted with a rare disease that made her future of being a Huntress uncertain and unlikely.

She couldn't even begin to understand why his parents could be so heartless. This was their own flesh and blood they were talking about! Honestly, she was glad that Nico took Celty and ran away. Somehow, the thought of him carrying a little girl in her arms made her blush as her imagination began to work differently, the image of her being carried in those big, strong, well-defined arms, held close to those chiseled abs.

'No! Bad Ruby! Bad! Stop thinking of him like that!' Ruby mentally chided herself with a flushed face. Why was she thinking of such things?!

She glanced over at Nico, whose face was void of any emotion, though she could tell that he didn't like being here.

If his clenched fists and scowling expression mean anything, he looked like he wanted nothing more than to tear down the entire forest.

"Yes, students," Glynda said, bringing everyone's attention to her. "The Forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. But we are not here to sight-see. Professor Peach asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside the forest. And I'm here to make sure than none of you die while doing so."

"And I'm here to do the same, as well as lighten the atmosphere!" An upbeat, male voice chirped. Glynda's eye twitched as Eden facepalmed.

"Here we go..." He sighed.

Beside Glynda was none-other than Maes Hughes, armed with a gun at his side, and a jovial grin. Jaune couldn't help but chuckle as he scratched the back of his head, noting how lively the man seemed before he looked over his shoulder, noticing Cardin and his team. The heavily-armored man had his arm cast into a sling, and dark rings around his eyes. When the two made eye contact, the man suddenly backed away, eyes wide with fright.

'Good grief, Nico wasn't kidding.' the knight thought, both in slight terror and amazement. 'Cardin looks like he's ready to bolt at a moment's notice!'

He was both impressed and disturbed by his friend's actions. While he was glad that Cardin was no longer bullying him, he was worried for the Berserker.

"Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap." For emphasis, she held up a jar containing the fluid in question.

"But, don't think that this forest is safe." Hughes said. "This place is also home to the Creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay with your teammates!"

Teams LNCE, RWBY, and JNPR nodded. Nico on the other hand scowled as he looked away. He didn't need to be told that. He knew this better than anyone. Wordlessly, he grabbed his glass jar and went over to a tree.

"We'll rendezvous back here at four o'clock." the man said as he waved at them. "Have fun, kids!"

The students nodded as they went to work. Ruby, on the other hand, simply stared in the direction where Nico walked off too.

"Are you worried about him?" Eden asked as he appeared next to her.

The girl squeaked. "E-Eden!" she yelped in surprise, panting with her heart racing. "D-don't... don't do that!"

"Sorry." he apologized. "So, you think he's gonna hold up? Being here doesn't exactly have good memories."

"I...I don't know. I've never seen him so...angry before..." She admitted.

As they spoke, Nico was glaring at the very tree he was gathering sap from.

Eden sighed. "Yeesh, with a glare like that, he could start a forest fire." he remarked before looking to Ruby. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked.

"It's obvious you're worried about him. Just go talk to him."

Ruby glance back at Nico. "B-but how?" she asked nervously. "I-I mean, he looks ready to punch something."

"Well then, guess you're gonna have to be his corkscrew." Eden said with a smirk as he put his hands on her back. Her eyes widened, realizing what he was going to do. "Now, come on! Get going!"

"W-wait!"

Too late. Eden shoved her forward, causing her to stumble and nearly fall flat on her face. Her scrambled steps caused her trip, and land on Eden's back. Her face blew up, realizing that she had wrapped her arms around his waist, getting a feel for his body. Nico, however, dropped the scowl as he looked over his shoulder. "Ruby?"

"S-SORRY!" she squeaked, leaping off of him. "I-I'm really sorry! I just tripped on something, so I was trying to find something to hold on to, a-and well you were right there, s-so I grabbed onto you! And, omigod, that sounds really, really perverted when I put like that, I cannot believe I just said that, I am so sorry!"

"It's fine..." he assured her. "You just surprised me."

"B-but-but!"

Nico smiled somewhat, his scowl gone slightly, as he waved it off. "Really, it's fine, Ruby." The rosette pouted somewhat before she noticed that his jar had a slight crack around it. Her eyes softened in concern. This look did not go unnoticed, as Nico cocked his head. "Ruby?"

"...being here doesn't bring up much happy memories, does it?"

Nico frowned. "...No...no it does not..."

"Did you... want to go elsewhere?" the little reaper asked. "I-I mean, if we tell the teachers you feel uneasy being here, they can let you go."

"It's fine, Ruby." he told her. "Besides, it's a school assignment, so I don't have much choice."

He brought up his half-filled jar of sap and begun to fill it up.

"H-hey, um..." Ruby said, but her words died in her throat. What was she going to say? She wanted to get to know Nico better, but she was unsure of how to actually approach the subject. How should she ask him? "W-w-would you mind if..."

"Mind if what...?" Nico raised a brow.

"D-d-do you mind if I...I...!"

'C'mon, Ruby! You can do this! No chickening out!'

She has to do this! She has to!

"If I... If I... C-Come with you?!"

"Uh…Sure?"

Nico was utterly confused by Ruby's sudden demand. Her face was red, looked to be incredibly nervous... What was going on with her? Did she have some sort of fever? Moreover, what could she be so nervous about?

Oh well, not that he minded. In fact, he could use the company. It could keep away the dark thoughts he was troubled with earlier...

However, unbeknownst to the Berserker, a pair of dark red eyes watched him afar, perched from above a nearby tree, well hidden by the dark red leaves.

"...I've found you, Young Master..."

XXXXXXXXX

"Hm?" Weiss frowned as she noticed the missing presence of RWBY's team leader. "Hey, guys? Where's Ruby?"

"Dunno." Yang shrugged. "For all we know, she could be with Nico."

"That seems like a strong possibility." Ludger agreed. The rest of the teams were gathering tree sap in a clearing not too far away. Although...Nora and Cielo kept emptying their jars of sap by consuming them, much to their chagrin.

"...Nora," Ren deadpanned. "Can you please stop eating the sap?"

"You too, Cielo." Ludger requested politely.

The two girls immediately pouted in unison. "Awww~"

Blake sighed, shaking her head before turning to find CRDL still gathering their sap. While the rest of his team looked ready to pounce on them for whatever reason, Cardin was definitely not willing to do anything. "Whatever Nico did, he's made his point across." the girl said with a disturbed tone in her voice. "Though, seeing Cardin so scared... I have to admit, it's still throwing me for a loop."

"You and me both." Weiss nodded, before her eyes narrowed into a glare at Eden. "Though, personally, I believe a certain SOMEONE here has been a bad influence!"

"Hey! I'm a good influence!...some of the time. I'm just glad Cardin finally knows his place."

"A good influence," Weiss growled. "Wouldn't have been so crass and vulgar, and willing to actually kill someone, much less publicly humiliate them!"

"Oh, come on, Ice Queen~" Eden grinned widely. "You know you loved seeing Cardin knocked down a peg."

Weiss bit her tongue. While she admitted that the bully deserved it, she wasn't gong to give him the satisfaction of being right. And dammit all, what was with that infernal nickname?! She really didn't understand why people are putting such a label on her! It was so infuriating! Sure, she was an heiress, but this was completely uncalled for! Besides, she wasn't that bad!

...right?

"...hey, Yang?" Cielo called out as she set down her empty jar of sap after having consumed it, to her team's annoyance. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it, short stuff?"

"Are you and Eden like besties?" the girl inquired, causing the brawler to raise an eyebrow. "I was sleep walking and I heard Eden say something like blondes and breaking bones?"

Yang's face flushed upon remembering what transpired the other night. She was used to being the one who teased others, not the other way around. She was more than willing to admit that Eden was quite cute, if not roguishly handsome when compared to the other boys she's encountered in her life. They were just passing flings, simple curiosity, but they had progressed no further than that. Half the time, they were either too timid or too arrogant for her liking, used her like some kind of trophy, or were just dating her for the sole interest of her body.

She wasn't quite sure where Eden stood, but she could tell that he wasn't the type be interested in her for her body, or simply use her as a trophy. Actually, now that she thought about it, she didn't know much about him at all, other than that he was Maes Hughes' son. And that's a fact that struck off to her. He said that his name was Eden Flaemis, yet his father is named Maes Hughes. Why were their names different?

Perhaps he was adopted, or maybe he was like Ruby, and took on the name of his birth mother? She wasn't going to pry about his past, but she couldn't help but feel curious.

"Heeeeelloooooo~" Yang returned to reality, and noticed Cielo waving her hand in front of her face. "Earth to blondie~!"

"Oh, sorry." she apologized, smiling sheepishly as she scratched her cheek. "Just got to thinking... It's nothing at all. And I suppose Eden and I are good friends..." She then wiggled her eyebrows. "And I'd like to get to know him a bit better... But, I'm fine with just being friends."

This comment went completely over the bluenette's head as she cocked it to the side, her eyes white ovals and her mouth open with a finger at her cheek. "...ara?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, what's Celty like?" Ruby asked as she gathered sap from a tree. "Oh, um, if you don't mind me asking!"

"No, it's fine..." Nico waved it off. "It's understandable that you are curious, since I don't really talk about her. But I don't mind at all." Both teens had ventured further into the woods. Not too far away from the rest of the students and staff, but enough to make sure that there would be no eavesdroppers.

"S-so..." Ruby nodded, now relieved. "What is she like?"

Nico chuckled. "To put it bluntly? Try to imagine Nora, only bed ridden."

Ruby tilted her head at the description. A thought bubble manifesting above her head showing an equation of Nora plus a bed equaling an excited Nora smiling in bed. "So...she's hyper, but stuck in bed?"

"Essentially." He nodded. "She is always a bundle of energy. But due to her illness, she doesn't exactly have much freedom for her actions."

"Ah."

"My father... Kiritsugu, he's a rather empathetic man when you meet him." he explained. "He knew that I was from the Bodaveg, as he used to work under them for a time, since he's a freelancer. Despite that, he took us, when he saw how much of a bad shape we were in."

The little reaper grew curious. "Freelancer?" she asked. "So, he's self-employed?"

Nico nodded. "Yeah." He gestured to the wide variety of markings spread all across his body. "These marks you see? Every Bodaveg has them. It's sort of a hereditary Semblance, passed down from person to person in my family, though it's power and shape is unique for every person. For me, I can push my body to the limit, though I can't stay like that for too long." His face contorted with shame. He remembered back when he and his father trained together shortly after he was brought into a new life, one his sister could enjoy. His hands shook, recalling the vivid memory with slight disgust and horror. "I... can get pretty scary."

Ruby didn't pry any further than that. Instead, she moved on. "So... What's Kiritsugu like?"

"He's a great man..." Nico replied, breaking away from his scowl. "He was kind, compassionate, everything that those bastards aren't..." He added, referring to his birth parents. "He trained me into becoming a better fighter and not a weapon, gave me a proper education, and taught me one important thing that I live my life by..."

"What's...that?" Ruby asked.

Nico smiled widely. "The best way to live is to act on one's emotions"

Ruby didn't seem to understand this, as she cocked her head. "What does that mean?"

"It doesn't mean much to other people..." he confessed, still smiling. "But, for someone like me, it's that, even if you are a weapon, if you follow what your heart tells you, you will truly be a living thing, rather than some tool." He held his hand close to his chest, remembering the day Kiritsugu spoke those words to him. It was his most cherished memory, something he remembered even to this very day so vividly, it were almost as if he was reliving the past. When he heard his father spoke those words, he felt... liberated. As if he had finally found the peace he sought. He felt as if he had reached enlightenment, that someone had told him that he, perhaps he was a weapon, but he was something that held a heart he could act on.

Ruby smiled as well, seeing his peaceful expression. "Nico..."

"...what rubbish." A new voice cut into the touching moment. Ruby was confused while Nico's eyes widened as his hands balled into tight fists. He knew that voice. How could he forget it? His eyes darted around the branches overhead, trying to discern where the voice came from. Finally, he saw it; the humanoid shadow hidden in the leaves in the tree on the right.

"Show yourself! Demon Fist!" Dropping his jar of sap, Nico shot out a blast of energy from his fist at the hidden figure. The shadow jumped out of the way just before the impact and moved through the branches like an acrobat. He finally landed on a branch that was clear of leaves, leaving him wide open to be seen by the two teenagers.

"Impressive. To be able to discern my location and firing a basic arte packed with enough power to cause extensive damage. You truly have improved...young master..." The figure spoke.

Nico's face contorted with rage. "You... Why are you here?!" he demanded. "Answer me, Talon!"

The figure before them was a man in his late forties, his hair dark brown and shaggy, reaching down to the shoulder blades, and sporting heavy facial hair that encompassed his chin, while becoming lighter at the upper lip. His cheeks were sunken, and dark rings were below his eyes, which were dark red, and seemed to have a sharp, almost penetrating gaze to them. He was garbed in a worn brown trench coat, tears visible at the hem and at the cuffs, and underneath, he wore a dark green hoodie, coupled with a black dress shirt underneath, and leather jeans with black combat boots bearing studded straps. The defining feature about him was his hands; they were armored, with the fingertips sharpened, almost like the talons of a hawk.

"I believe you are aware of that answer, young master..." the man said, his voice deep and aged. "I have come to take you home... Where you belong."

"You're wrong!" Nico snapped angrily as he flung his arm across his body. "I'm never going back to that hellhole! Those bastards can go die for all I care!"

The man known as Talon shook his head. "I am afraid you have little choice in the matter," he informed the young teen. "My orders are clear. I am to bring you back..." Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and his pupils developed into sharp slits as he fell into a stance. "Even if I am to break every bone in your body."

"Then go ahead and try." Nico fell into a stance of his own. "I'd rather die than go back!"

"Yeah!" Ruby spoke up, surprising Nico as she took out Crescent Rose, unfurling it into its scythe form, and falling into a stance. Talon only now noticed her presence, and narrowed his eyes on her. "Nico's finally having the life he wants for himself and Celty! Why are you trying to take that away from him!"

"...silver eyes..." the man murmured, his frowning growing. "I know only one other Huntsman with such eyes... Would I be correct in assuming that you are the daughter of Summer Rose?"

This struck a chord within Ruby. "You...knew my mother?!"

"Yes." the man nodded.

"Any man who can fight worth his salts knows about her. She was a talented Huntress, second only to a master scythe wielder called Qrow. We had fought once, and I knew how powerful she was. She is someone who holds my dearest respect." His face hardened. "However... Simply because you are her daughter does not mean I shall show you no mercy if you interfere. My orders are to return the young master to his family, and any who stand in my way shall be eliminated."

Nico grimaced at that. He should have known that his parents would give him such orders. 'This is bad...' he thought. 'If we fight here, we might attract Grimm... I can handle them fine, and to someone like Talon, it's child's play, but if Ruby were to get caught in the cross fire...'

"Ruby," he whispered to his friend. "When I give you the signal... Run."

"...What?" Ruby looked at him as if he grew a second head.

"You heard me." Nico repeated. "I want you to run away as soon as I tell you."

"But Nico! I can help!" She insisted.

The berserker shook his head in a grave manner. "Talon is not the type of opponent you can just fight, Ruby. He is on a completely different level than the opponents we faced thus far."

"B-but!"

"This isn't up for debate, Ruby! I know you've fought someone like Torchwick and beat a Nevermore, but Talon's different." Nico told her. "In all the battles he has fought in... In all the spars we've had, he has never lost a single battle. He is the Bodaveg family's personal retainer. He's known as the Hawk's Talon because once he has found his prey; he will never let them escape." He scowled. "I've even heard he had defeated 100 men all by himself."

"An exaggeration," Talon stated, startling the two. "Defeating 100 men may be a feat, but only if they possess some actual skill. They had none." His eyes shifted to Ruby, who froze underneath his gaze. "I dislike killing children... but if you intend to interfere, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Ruby glared back at him, and cocked the hammer back on her rifle. "No way..." she stated, her voice showing no signs of backing down. "Nico is someone I care about... And I'm not about to let you take him!"

"Ruby!" Nico protested, pleading for her to go. "You need to go!"

"No way! I'm stating!"

"Don't be a stubborn idiot! You can't win against him!"

"And like you can?!" she shot back. "You said it yourself! You've never beaten him!"

"Maybe not...but I can at least stall for time until you make it away safely." he answered. "And like I said...I'd rather die than go back to those bastards."

"But Nico!"

"Are you done, young master?" Talon interrupted. "If so... Allow me to take the initiative! DEMON FIST!"

The Bodaveg retainer snapped his arm back before flinging it forward, a sharp burst of energy tore along the ground straight towards the two teenagers.

Ruby used her Semblance to get out of the way while Nico used the same art only aimed at the ground beneath his feet, knocking him into the air.

The opposing Demon Fist skidded harmlessly beneath his feet. It crashed into the tree that used to be behind him and shattered it to splinters.

Ruby's eyes widened. "N-no way..." she gaped in shock. "Just from a Base Arte?!"

Nico scowled. "Even with my Semblance, my own Arte can't obliterate a tree in a single strike..." he muttered under his breath before turning his attention to Falcon, who had his eyes trained on him. "However, I won't go down!" He brought both arms back as the tattoos along his body began to glow. "BEAST!"

He thrust both arms forward, creating a mass of mana in the form of a spectral beast's head. The burst of energy hurled toward Talon, who maintained a mask of indifference.

"…Cerberus Strike."

Talon lashed out his fist, dispersing the approaching arte. He then disappeared into a blur, reappearing before Nico. While the teen was startled by his swift movement, he struck out another fist across his face, then adding a final strike to his stomach, forcing the air from his lungs. He was flung back from the force of the punch, crashing through a tree.

"Nico!" Ruby cried out. Her eyes widened. "Oh no you don't!" She shot forward, using her Crescent Rose to shoot forward. "Dancing Scythe Mayhem!"

She raised her weapon and used the momentum of the gunshot to spin wildly. The surrounding foliage was cut to miniscule pieces as she advanced to strike Talon.

However, he easily intercepted it, catching the blade with easy. "You should have run when you had the chance." he said with regret, shaking his head. "Such a shame... If only you had escaped when the young master told you, you would have-"

"Bloom Blast!"

Suddenly, the muzzle of Crescent Rose began to glow. Talon's eyes narrowed, and in the next second, Ruby pulled the trigger, firing off an explosive blast. The power behind it created a dust cloud that danced all around them, though the retainer danced through the air, leaping out of it before landing atop one of the branches, completely unscathed.

"I told you before..." Ruby said, a determined gaze in her eyes. "I'm not going to let you take Nico back!"

"R-Ruby..." Nico coughed as he struggled to stand. His vision was still blurred and he had difficulty breathing from Talon's attacks. But he wouldn't fall here. He had so much riding on this.

He gritted his teeth as he forced himself up, his fingers digging into the bark of the trees around him. "I... don't have a choice." he muttered. "I can't let... Ruby..." The runes on his body began to glow fiercer. His gold eyes began to develop specks of red. "I hate using this blood of mine..." he wheezed. "B-but... If... If it's to protect someone close to me...!" His fingers broke the wood in his hands as the tattoos seemed to be burning. His irises flushed away the gold in them, replacing it all with a bloody red. A black aura seemed to manifest all over his body. "Then I have no qualms!"

His tattoos glowed an almost blackened red, and his heart became overcome with utter rage.

His head snapped up toward Talon, who immediately noticed the change in the air. He looked down and his eyes widened upon seeing the new form Nico had adopted.

"What?!"

"DEMON'S HOWL!"

Nico thrust a hand towards Talon. A massive blast of power exploded from his palm. It tore through the air, bearing the visage of a raging demon.

The Bodaveg retainer frowned and reared his arm back. "Beast!" he roared, throwing his fists forward, creating the visage of a raging lion. It clashed with the head of the demon, creating a shockwave. Ruby was nearly thrown off of her feet, keeping in place with her weapon stabbed in the ground. "To think the young master would force his Semblance this far..." Talon's expression twisted into a scowl. "What is he thinking?!"

To his surprise, Nico was already in front of him. However, his form had changed, as the dark aura surrounding him had grown quite thick, obscuring his form heavily, and was given an eerie visage with the dark, red glowing markings on his body, and his red eyes glowing like fire. "DIE!"

He threw a right hook at terrifying speed. Talon barely managed to react in time. He ducked underneath the blot and dropped from the branch he stood on. The fist continued and impacted the trunk of the tree, blowing the spot he struck to splinters.

"Rising Falcon!" Talon cried, delivering a powerful uppercut to Nico's chin. The berserker was thrown upward, but was sent down to the ground when he rammed his heel into Nico's jaw.

His body impacted the earth beneath them, causing it to cave in with numerous cracks spanning the impact radius. The Bodaveg retainer jumped off of his wards face.

However, not a second sooner did Nico spring up to his feet, his hand buried deep into the ground as he whipped his own heel straight into Talon's ribs, following up with another kick, this time to the face, only for him to defend with his hand, grabbing Nico by the ankle, and tossing him aside. The teen landed on a tree, bouncing off of it and breaking away all of the bark on it's body, and launched forward, his head ramming straight into Talon's abdomen, and sending him flying, breaking through several trees, and was sent ramming straight into a giant boulder, causing it to break apart, and the shards, sent flying.

"Guh!" The assassin grunted. If it weren't for his aura and the armor he wore underneath his clothes, he would've broken his back from the landing. He pulled himself out of the debris...only to be greeted by the appearance of his master aiming another punch to his face.

"BRUTAL FANG!" Nico roared in a malicious voice.

The power behind the Arte was brutal. After all, it was several punches thrown in rapid succession. The force was enough to send a shock past Talon, though he himself was thrown further back, tumbling through the ground before he came to a stop, fingers digging into the ground to halt his retreat. Sweat caked his forehead as he wiped away some blood dribbling from his mouth with his thumb. "Impressive, young master..." he said as he stood to his feet. "You have learned to hone your Semblance well..."

A regretful look passed through his face.

"Yet, I'm afraid you're time is up."

At that moment, Nico's body erupted in pain, the dark aura dispersed, and blood gushed from his mouth. The red in his irises faded until they returned to their smoky topaz color. The glow emanating from his tattoos died down until they were dull and black once more. "Guh...GRAGH!" Nico howled in agony as blood began to pour out from his eyes, ears, and nose.

Ruby's eyes widened in horror. "NICO!" she cried, dropping Crescent Rose and running toward him. Just as he was about to fall to the ground, she caught him. She became even more panicked when she felt his body shiver, his skin ice cold. Her eyes narrowed into a glare, and a snarl ripped from her throat. "What did you do to him?!"

"I have done nothing." Talon stated coolly as he dusted off his clothes. He gave himself a once over to make sure all the dust was clear before continuing. "The young master did it to himself."

"What?! What do you mean?!" She demanded.

"It's his semblance." Talon then begun to walk around her, all the while explaining. "You see, the young master has already told you of the Bodaveg's hereditary semblance...the semblance of Berserker, has he not? Every Bodaveg's Semblance is the same, but its aspects vary. In the young master's case, he can heighten his aura and physical prowess to uncharted heights. He becomes so focused on his enemy that he becomes uncaring of his own being and his surroundings; a true behemoth of rage." He stopped just short of them, bringing up his hands. His clawed hands extended, glistening in the light. "Remember, child of Summer Rose... You brought this upon yourself."

Ruby's eyes widened in horror, realizing what the man was about to do as he reared his arm back, fingers poised.

"Now... Peri-!"

"Punishing Light!"

"Dancing Ruin!"

Suddenly, two attacks emerged from nowhere, striking Talon dead-on. One attack was a blast of light that exploded as soon as it struck him, while the second was debris thrashing up against his body at high speeds. Were it not for his Aura, he doubted that he would have survived the attack, but the force behind them was enough to throw him aside, only to recover mid-air, landing on the ground. He lifted his head up, and scowled, seeing two figures standing there with their weapons poised.

"...Well, if it isn't the Witch of Beacon and the Horseman."

Glynda Goodwitch and Maes Hughes glared at the man before them. They recognized him. There was no mistaking those clawed gauntlets.

"And just what brings the Hawk of the Bodavegs to this neck of the woods?" The Horseman of Famine questioned as he kept his gun trained on him.

The retainer dusted his clothes off as he stood to full height. "I am here to take back the young master." he stated, glaring at the two with hostility. "Get in my way, and I will not hesitate to crush you both."

"Think you can take us both on?" Hughes dared. "Glynda may not look it, but she's had her fair share of battles, and considering you know my title..." With his free hand, he pushed up his glasses. "Then you ought to know what's going to happen."

"I care little." Talon rebuked, falling back into his own stance. "Stand aside!"

The man chuckled. "Yeah, no thanks." he said with a smirk. "Besides... If you've been observing Nico all of this time, then you ought to know who's in Forever Fall..." His smirk grew further as he looked at who was behind Talon, blade at the ready. "And just who exactly his partner is."

Talon immediately knew the look on the teacher's face, and looked over his shoulder just in time to see the face of Eden Flaemis, bearing down on him with a flaming blue blade.

"Pyre Sword Parade!" he announced the name of his Arte. The retainer immediately went to grab the blade, but no sooner did he did had the flames around the sword implode directly in his face.

"Gruagh!" He yelped as he scrambled back. He clutched his face with his other hand, still feeling the searing pain. He then took note of the pain coming from his other hand. He opened his hand and examined it with his exposed eye, which widened upon seeing the gashes present on his palm and fingers. They went straight through the metal of his gauntlets. Blood dripped through his fingers and onto the red earth. He...he cut through his aura and gauntlets? That was impossible! No arte could do such a thing so easily! No weapon could...wait a minute...there...there WAS one thing...Talon looked up at the blue haired teen, his eyes trained on the unsheathed sword. Every so often, he saw a crackle of electricity along the blade. That was then he realized it. "That sword...It is a High-Frequency Blade, isn't it?"

The infamous mercenary's eyes became dark, and for a moment, his eyes burned dark purple. "...a word of warning to you, ya freak." he said, his voice cold and seething. "Any who lay eyes on this blade...has a date with their maker."

"I see..." Talon stood up straight, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "That sword...those flames...those eyes...So you must be the Blue Devil..."

His eyes shifted to the corner of his field of vision. Standing on either side of Ruby and Nico were two people. One of them was Ludger, and the other was Yang. The former had already brought out his dual blades, Law and Trial, and held them in an underhand grip. The latter had Ember Celica transformed and ready. Both sported intense glares at the Bodaveg retainer.

"...very well." He closed his eyes as he stepped back into the shadows. "I shall retreat... for now." He then glared at Hughes and Glynda. "However, I will take back the young master... One way, or another."

With that, he jumped high into the trees. Despite the rustling and falling of the red leaves, there was no sound. Eden reluctantly sheathed his blade into its holster, glaring at where the retainer vanished. "Bastard," he growled. "If he goes anywhere near Nico, I'm gonna burn him to a fucking crisp!"

"You should count yourself lucky you've got that sword of ours, Eden my boy." Hughes said, holstering his pistol. "Talon's not like those White Fang punks you've been fighting. He's had quite a bit of experience, and he's far deadlier than you'd think." His eyes narrowed as he adjusted his glasses, turning to where the assailant vanished. "Still, for him to appear here... I suppose it was only a matter of time before those Bodaveg pricks finally got tired of their child's rebellious attitude." He then faced Glynda, who was checking up on Nico. "How is he, Glynda?"

"It's pretty bad, Maes." The blonde shook her head. "His body is suffering from aura exhaustion and extreme fatigue. His body is going into shock from the state he was in before."

Ruby, who was still holding onto Nico, almost as if acting like some sort of lifeline, looked at Glynda with tears in her eyes, wet streams flowing down her face. "H-he's going to be okay, r-right?" she pleaded. "P-please say he's gonna be okay!"

"We'll do what we can, Ruby." Hughes told her as he took out his Scroll. He immediately began to dial for an ambulance, while Nico remained unconscious in the little girl's arms. She couldn't help but feel so useless in her fight with Talon. She knew how weak she was, that she didn't stand a chance against Talon, but all she could think about was trying to help him. She didn't understand why someone from his old life was trying to take him back. Couldn't he understand that his 'young master' didn't want to go back? How could he be so heartless?! Nico was fine with his life! For the first time, he was happy!

So why?! Why was he trying to ruin his happiness?!

"He's gonna be okay, Ruby." Yang said as she knelt down, holding her sister for emotional support. "I promise, he's going to be okay."

Internally, however, she was both worried for her sister, and angry. Worried that she might once again suffer the heartbreak of losing someone precious again, and angry over the fact that she wasn't there to try and protect her. If it wasn't for Nico, chances were, she'd be dead. 'Dammit...' she cursed herself. 'How can I be so weak...?' She let out a mental cry of bitterness. 'Hah, it's just like back then...isn't it?

XXXXXXXXXX

Elsewhere, somewhere deeper in Forever Fall, Talon rested against a tree, wrapping bandage gauze around his hand. "To think that both the Horseman of Famine and the Blue Devil would be there." he muttered under his breath, tightening the grip on the bandages, and ignoring the flares of pain in his wounds. "It would seem as if the young master has found some capable allies." His eyes then softened, recalling the girl with the scythe from earlier. "And to think I would encounter that woman's child here as well..." A bitter smile crossed his face. "How odd fate works."

He turned his head slightly to the side, to the figure leaning against the tree not far from him.

"Wouldn't you agree... Emiya?"

The figure turned his head to look at him, revealing his vacant, black eyes. He had messy black hair that seemed to jut out everywhere. He was dressed in a black suit and trench coat. His expression remained blank.

"...you screwed up."

The man stated bluntly.

"...I know..." Talon admitted.

Screw up was a mild word in his opinion. His mission had gone awry when Hughes and Goodwitch appeared, as well as the appearance of the demon known as Eden Flaemis. Truly, the boy lived up to his reputation. "The young master has found capable allies..." Talon stated once again. "Although, he has yet to fully realize his true potential."

Kiritsugu Emiya said nothing. Instead, he pulled out a cigarette from his breast pocket, and took a light from his pocket, bringing it up to the cancer stick, and lighting it as the flame danced around the butt.

"...You know..." Talon started as he dropped his hands. "Those things will definitely kill you."

Again, Kiritsugu remained silent as he puffed the cigarette, letting the nicotine flood into his system. Once he had his fill, he exhaled a plume of smoke.

After a while, Talon chuckled. "Then again, I suppose after everything you've done, death might seem like paradise to you."

"...maybe," the man shrugged. "But if I died now, Celty and Nico would have my head on a platter." A wry smile formed on his face. "Hell, Nico would drag my ass out of hell, just so he could kill me himself for leaving them behind."

"Haha...That definitely sounds like something the young master would do..." The man mused.

In truth, he was glad to see that the boy was doing well. His skills were sharpened, and he carried the resolve he needed...but the real question was; could he uphold that resolve?

That was something he would have to test, if the young master was serious about continuing this life.

XXXXXXXXXX

Team's RWBY, JNPR, and LNCE all hung around near the entrance to Nico's room, awaiting the news from the doctors who were looking after Nico. He had been administered several hours ago, and he was only just recently released from ICU, and placed into a room where he could recuperate. Ruby was sitting by the bench next to his room, her legs curled up to her chest, and her head against her knees. Blake was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest, a worried expression on her face. Weiss sat beside Ruby, trying to comfort her as she patted the girl gently on the shoulder. Nora, for the first time, lacked her usual grin and cheerfulness, and was instead looking heavily concerned, as was Ren as he stared at the door, waiting for the doctor to give them the news. Jaune was pacing around, anxious, while Pyrrha sat on the bench opposite of Ruby. Neo and Cielo were waiting right by the door, the tri-colored girl looking concerned, as was the bluenette, who held a sad, depressed face. Ludger was sitting on the floor, one knee at his chest while he glared at his hand.

"If only we had gotten there sooner..." he muttered angrily before his hand curled into a fist, and slammed it on the wall behind him. "Damn!"

From afar, Yang watched the group, staring mostly at her younger sister with worry, leaning against the wall. "You know, you should be there for her." Eden said, walking up from behind her. "She needs her sister."

The brawler smiled sadly. "Already tried," she said, depressed. "Ruby hasn't said so much as a worse since Nico was sent to ICU."

"...I see..." Eden nodded lightly.

"What about you?" Yang questioned back.

"What do you mean?"

"Aren't you worried about Nico?"

The blue-haired male shrugged. "He's a tough nut to crack, so I'm not too worried about him." he said before his eyes became cold. "However, when I find that Talon guy, I'm running him through. I don't care what anyone says. You mess with one of my friends, and you have a date with the Grim Reaper."

Yang involuntarily flinched from the sheer malice in his voice. But she soon relaxed, realizing that he was just as concerned with his friends as any of them. "...I thought you were called the Blue Devil." she said half-jokingly, giving a teasing grin.

"Same difference." He shrugged. "But I'll be damned if I lose another friend..."

Yang frowned when she heard this. "Another?"

The boy smiled sadly. "You ever heard about Mountain Glenn?"

"Yeah. It was an extension of Vale...until it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city..."

"That's right." He nodded somberly. "Grimm attacks occurred due to the settlement's lack of natural barriers like Vale. However, it was not always like that. In the beginning, the people residing there actually led peaceful lives." His smile became slightly more cheery. "I don't really remember much from back then, but what I do remember...is that my life was dull as hell." Yang's eyes widened at this as she looked at him in shock. "I remember having this friend, though... She was a Faunus, and she was beautiful. Everyone picked on her because of her horns, though. Some of the more religious assholes called her a devil." He couldn't help but laugh. "But then my birth father came around and burned them at the ass. That's really the only happy memory I have back then."

"Eden, y-you..."

Then, his eyes lost their light, and his smile fell. "...and then came the day when the settlement was overrun with Grimm."

He could still remember it all vividly. The screams. The cries. The burning air. The sounds of conflict...the maniac laughter. It was the day where his entire life was turned upside down. "Many of the Huntsmen stationed there, including my dad, did their best to hold them all back. But in the end, they were being picked off one by one. The scary part? It wasn't a Grimm that killed them..."

"Then...what did...?"

"It was a man. A single person. For some strange reason, it seemed as if the Grimm were being LED by him. He brought the horde into the city and let them run wild, slaughtering countless innocents. I grabbed my friend and ran for safety. We tried to go underground like the rest of the civilians who managed to escape. We made it...but when we got there...everyone underground was already dead."

Yang's eyes widened in horror, listening to Eden's story.

"They all lied on the ground, unmoving. Some remained in one piece but with multiple gashes, others were unrecognizable, sliced to countless pieces." He pressed a hand to his face. "I don't remember what happened after that... Part of me is glad that I don't."

"Eden..." Yang spoke softly.

"But when I came to...they were all gone." He shook his head. "Everyone I knew, my Mom, my Dad...my best friend, Mary...all gone...All I had on me were my dad's sword, an old photograph, the clothes on my back..." He slipped a hand to his pocket. "...and this..." He pulled an item out. It appeared to have been a charm of some sort.

It resembled a blue, crystalline pendant, however inside of it was a dancing, bright flame, almost as if there was something inside of it.

"Is that...?"

"Mary made it for me." Eden nodded. "I have no idea how, but she managed to make something like this. I've kept it with my ever since."

A small smile formed across his face. "This is the only thing that I have left of her. Along with what I have left of my family..."

Yang's eyes softened, her eyes softening as she looked back at Ruby. Memories passed through her mind, days from happier times. Her eyes turned back to Eden as he slipped back into her pocket. "...you know, you're not the only one who lost someone." The boy looked up to her. "You remember how I told that Ruby and I are half-sisters?" she asked, earning a nod. "I never got to know my birth mother. She just... disappeared. Despite that, Summer raise me like I was really her daughter. She was like super mom, and she made AWESOME cookies." She grinned. "I think you would have liked her."

"...What happened to her?" he questioned tentatively. He noticed how she referred to Summer in the past tense, meaning something happened.

"...I don't know." Yang confessed, shaking her head mournfully. "That's the thing. We have no idea what happened. The only thing we actually found was her cloak, and her weapon."

"Really?"

Yang nodded. "Yeah... It was really bad for us, Dad most of all."

"I can imagine that..." Eden nodded with sympathy. To lose two loves in a short span of time...that'd be enough to shatter anyone.

"It was hard on me and Ruby both." the brawler said as she slid down to the floor, curling her legs close to her chest. A sad smile formed across her lips. "There was this one time I found a picture of my mother, so I tried looking for her. I took Ruby with me, since I couldn't leave her at the house all alone." Her face contorted with remorse. "But when I thought I had found a lead... All I found was Grimm. Uncle Qrow had been tailing us since then, and saved us both. Ruby probably doesn't know about it because she was asleep when I took her with us, but... I kept asking myself; what if Uncle Qrow hadn't been there? What if Ruby got hurt because of me." She looked back at Eden, her eyes steely. "That's when I made up my mind... That I wouldn't let my search for her control me."

"...I see." The blue haired boy nodded. "You're still resolved to find your mother, but refuse to let it control your life. That is a good decision." He slid down to the floor and took a seat next to her. "At least you have something to search for...I have nothing."

"I don't think so." Yang shook her head, earning a frown in confusion. "I mean, you have Nico, Neo, Cielo, Ludger, and us, right? Maybe something you've been looking for without realizing it is right there in front of you."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "...that doesn't even make sense, Yang." he deadpanned before smiling sheepishly. "But, hey... Maybe your right."

"Of course I am!" the girl said proudly. "Oh, and one more thing."

"Hm?"

She leaned over, whispering in his ear. "...I have a thing for boys who like to light things up, if you catch me drift~"

Eden's eyes widened upon hearing those words. But his lips curled into a small grin. "Well, if that's the case..." He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a plastic bag. Yang saw this and read the words on the package.

"Marshmallows?"

"Watch this." He opened the plastic bag and took out a couple marshmallows. He then held them above his open hand. In the next moment, a small blue flame manifested in his open palm, slowly roasting the marshmallows.

The girl smirked. "And may I ask why you have those with you?"

"Never hurts to be prepared." he shrugged. "Besides... I'm not moving from this spot until Nico walks out of the room."

XXXXXXXXXX

Elsewhere, in a small room, the entire floor was clattered with books and pieces of scrap metal, with the only illumination being a small light at the desk. Sparks soared through the air as a young teen sat at the desk, a pair of welding goggles set over his eyes as he worked on the object in front of him. In one hand was a small electrical tool, which he used to poke at and fix the object. Eventually, he stopped prodding at it, and set the tool aside, taking hold of a small hardware tool, and began to fiddle around with a few of the parts around it. "Okay, adjust the fibering here, and move the limiter there..." the teen mumbled as he worked on the object. Eventually, he stopped as he leaned back, wiping the sweat off his forehead and pulling the goggles up. "And done!" The boy was elated. Finally, after five years, it was finally repaired. It took so long, but he eventually managed to do it. He pulled the object up, and decided to put his hard work to the test. He clicked the small button near the trigger, and the object unfurled.

Now, in his hands, was a dark red scythe.

But that wasn't all. He pressed another button on the handle and a second blade appeared from the back of the original. The difference was that this blade wasn't made of metal or mechanics. Rather, it was bright red and transparent. It was a blade made of Aura.

"Awesome! The secondary blade works! Now, if I can split them..." He begun to fiddle with the head of the weapon, but stopped when he heard clapping from the doorway behind him.

"Man...Not only did you repair that scythe...but you added several upgrades and modifications that it's in a completely different league..." The voice chimed. "Then again, I always knew you had it in you, cuz."

The boy looked over his shoulder, and grinned. "Oh, Yin!" he greeted. "Sorry! I didn't hear you come in!"

The figure walked into the room and out of the shadows that obscured his form. He had curly blonde hair that dropped down to his chin and sapphire colored eyes. He was dressed in a leather jacket with yellow trims and tribal markings with a dark blue v-neck underneath. He also wore a pair of worn out denim jeans and gray sneakers. He had three intersecting belts at his hip, one of them hanging lazily off to the side. Around his left wrist was a dark blue bracer, while a bright yellow bracer encircled his right wrist. "It's fine. I was just dropping by to see how you were doing, Quartz."

"Great!" the teen chirped. "I finally got my mother's weapon back in action, and it's ready for the front lines!"

"Whoa, easy there!" the blonde teen called Yin said, rubbing the boy's head. "No need to get excited." He sighed. "I swear, sometimes I wonder what exactly you inherited from your dad."

"Hey!" Quartz pouted. "I take great offense to that!"

"Whatever~" Yin rolled his eyes. "Anyway, come on. Lune and the others are waiting for us down at the lobby."

"Oh, okay!" The youth nodded. He put the newly forged weapon down and removed his goggles, apron, and gloves. He then zipped over to the other side of the workroom and picked up a red hoodie and black wind breaker that hung off the hooks. He placed them over his white dress shirt, the windbreaker going over the hoodie. He then crouched down and took off the steel toed work boots he wore and replaced them with the black, gothic boots that were against the wall. His clothing blended well with his dark colored jeans.

As he stood up, he glanced over at the image staring back at him in the mirror, revealing the face of a boy, only sixteen, with black and red hair, and a pair of silver eyes. He stared at the small photograph taped at the corner of the mirror, showing a younger version of the boy, accompanied by two people, likely his parents, as they sat beside Quartz, each of them having smiles, and one hand on either shoulder.

"Wish me luck," Quartz whispered. "Mom... Dad..."

With that, he slipped the dual-scythe back to its original state, slipping it into the holster on his hip, and ran over with Yin, the two leaving the door, and closing it behind him.

XXXXXXXXXX

At another place, a young woman looked up at the broken moon above her, the sky painted black with a multitude of stars. The scenery around him was quite beautiful, as it was a cliff that overlooked the ocean, green pasture flowing past her. "...no good, Edna." Someone called out to her from behind. It was a young man with green hair, bearing silver streaks. He was slightly of short stature, standing at 5'5" feet, and had tanned skin. He is wore a black sleeveless shirt revealing his abdomen while wearing a long green trench coat with torn sleeves that ended at his knees, along with gray jeans pulled up above his calves, complete with brown leather boots. To complete the look, he had on fingerless black gloves with metal guards and three intersecting belts at his hip, and a pouch attached to his left leg, along with a necklace carrying the tooth of an Ursa Major. "I've checked out the roads. White Fang's locked it down tight." A sigh escaped him as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Talk about annoying... Just remind me again, whose bright idea was it to jump on this Fractured Dimension without a damned dagger?" Another sigh escaped him. "Damn that Olivia... Why does she keep screwing up?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." The female shook her head, letting her long, black hair sway in the night breeze. She opened her eyes, revealing soft blue irises. A black choker and blue scarf were seen wrapped around her neck. She was dressed in a red jacket over a black thermal shirt and a black skirt with velvet rose patterns, along with black leggings and red shoes. "She always was an impulsive one."

"Yeah, but come on..." the boy whined. "How did she forget the freaking Chrome Dagger of all things? Gels, I can understand, but the DAGGER?"

"Enough, Matt." Edna snapped. "Come on. Let's go."

"Tch! Fine..." The tanned teen drawled. "Doesn't change the fact that we're stuck here. All because of one forgetful teammate!"

"It can't be helped." she responded before looking back at the sky. For a moment, her eyes burned golden, as if a flame was set ablaze in them. "...I really hate the moon on nights like this." she said coldly. "It reminds me of back then."

XXXXXXXXXX

"...Caaaaaaiuuuuuuus!" a young girl's shrill scream echoed. "Waaaaaake uuuuuup!"

"...Mrgh...alright, alright. I'm up already..." A young male's voice grumbled. He sat up from where he slept, rubbing the drowsiness out of his eyes. His hair was long, reaching down to his upper back, even when it was tied up in a ponytail. His hair color was odd...as it was composed of three different colors: Pink, brown, and white. He opened his eyes, revealing them to be bright green with a gold ring around the pupil.

"C'mon, you need to get up faster!" the owner of the scream shouted. It was a little girl with the same eyes as the boy, green with a gold ring. She was wearing a light green blouse that extended past her hips, giving off the semblance of a skirt, and a collared pink jacket over it. She also wore a pair of black leggings with light blue stars beneath it. On her feet were turquoise colored sandals. Her light brown hair was long and tied into twin tails that fell to her hips with yellow clips holding them in place. On top of her head was a black hat with a blue X in the front. She was carrying a yellow back pack with an unusual design: it had two rounded ears and a large, single eye and a smiling mouth with a tongue sticking out as the design on the front. Around the girl's neck was a golden pocket watch.

"Sorry about that, Elle." The teenage male chuckled. "I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"Hmph." The girl pouted.

"...mou..." a voice called out from the other side of the room, hiding underneath the covers of the bed. "...what's with all of the noise...?"

The figure popped their head from beneath the covers, revealing the face of a young girl. She had a light complexion and dark blue hair that seems to curl as it approached her shoulders.

"Sorry, Tico." The man, Caius apologized. "Our dear little sister was just trying to wake me up."

"...oh..." the girl yawned as the covers fell from her body, revealing a black tank top and light blue shorts. "Is it time for breakfast already...?"

"I guess so." The man shrugged as he got out of his own bed.

As they did so, however, Caius paused as he looked out the window of the small room. His eyes bored into the window, as if gazing at something outside of it. "Big bro?" Elle called out, tilting her head. "Is something wrong?"

"...no." he shrugged, turning back to leave. "It's nothing."

-Forever Intertwined in the Falls: END-

Next Time: Nico Bodaveg; the Berserker's Plight