Just for the record, I haven't forgot about the Happy Huntresses. It just isn't revealed as to whether or not they survive Salem's attack yet, so I simply didn't include them for the time being. There are enough characters as it is. If they do survive, they're definitely one aspect I will keep in mind when modifying this story to fit the events of Volume 8. Speaking of which, some spoilers are here.

The interior of the crater was much more condensed than one would have imagined from its namesake. Rather than a large open area with a huge gaping hole above, as one would imagine a crater, the walls were crammed with makeshift tents and sleeping bags just around the rim of the crater. The rim was large enough to fit even a few wooden towers for people to keep watch from. There were even large walls half-constructed from some of the debris that once made up Mantle's infrastructure.

Most notably, of course, were the sheer number of people trying their best to survive. Many of them huddled together nearby small campfires, trying to keep warm to the point that it was overcrowded. It made sense. These were the survivors of an entire city, and possibly the remnants of another one along with it. As for Grimm Ruby, it seemed like it couldn't walk even a few yards without bumping into someone. At the very least, it offered one more reason on why some people would choose to be outside, despite the cold and the constant threat of Grimm attacks. It was much less crowded outside.

Strangely enough, Grimm Ruby couldn't feel the bitter effects of the cold. Despite Herb's claims that the crater was just as cold as outside, if not colder, it didn't feel any worse for wear either way. Then again, it may just be related to the way its body was constructed when Salem first built it. One thing for sure; it was much sturdier than humans when Aura isn't taken into account, and even a bit sturdier when it is. With that in mind, it had to be extremely careful. It always made sure to keep its claws curled inward into fists and give its legs a slight drag as it walked. One wrong move, and someone might end up gashed by its claws, or even burned.

It wasn't that difficult to stay away from people, despite the meager space to walk in. Most were visibly unnerved by Grimm Ruby's appearance, and either backed away as much as they could from it, or mumbled unsavory words to those they sat next to. Some even had their hands reach for their weapons when they saw the dimly lit red eyes in the dark crater. Judging from the sudden spike in fear, they must have thought they saw a Grimm.

"Wait!" Grimm Ruby exclaimed, holding its claws outward in front of itself. "I'm not a Gr…I mean I am a…I mean I…uh…"

The people around it were still very nervous, though not hostile. At the very least, the few that reached for their weapons pulled their arms back.

"I…I should go," Grimm Ruby said awkwardly. "I'm, uh…actually looking for somebody. Actually, I'm looking for a lot of somebodies…people, I mean I'm looking for some people."

Nobody raised their hands or offered any kind of aid, but they didn't necessarily shoo it away either. They simply sat silently, remaining as bundled under their clothes and blankets as possible, and stared at Grimm Ruby. Having so many stare at once made it consider just how many people were really next to it at this moment. There must be at least a hundred people in this one space alone. To say that all those eyes staring at it at once made it uncomfortable was an understatement.

"Yeah," Grimm Ruby said. "Not used to have so many people just…stare. Has anybody seen a group of Huntsmen? One of them kinda looks like me, only she's actually a per…I mean, she looks like a normal person. Anybody?"

No response. Not even a hand signal. They just stared uncomfortably. It considered lighting some more fires down here, but the sheer size of the crowd made it too risky to actually try it down here.

"Uh…I guess not," Grimm Ruby muttered. "Excuse me."

It wandered aimlessly, keeping its claws close to its chest and its eyes facing the ground to make sure it didn't step on somebody. Finding anybody in Ruby's group was like searching for needles in a haystack, or so the saying goes. Even trying to get a sense for any negativity they might be giving off right now wouldn't help with so many people being equally as gloomy about their situation. It was like navigating through a thick fog of sadness. So many of these people had just given up already.

"Ruby!" Grimm Ruby called out, then paused to think of other names. "Weiss? Blake? Yang? Are you down here? I just finished lighting that huge bonfire outside. I know we didn't get off on the right foot, but if you just come with me now, it'll be a lot warmer outsi—"

Before it had a chance to finish, the hundred or so number of people within earshot quickly got up and tried to make for the exit. Everybody was shoving their neighbors, trying to get a little relief.

"Ah! I didn't think that through," Grimm Ruby berated itself. Soon enough, the hundreds of hands pushing and shoving each other ended up coming in contact with Grimm Ruby, who did all it could to keep still and not push back. "Careful! Careful! Don't shove! Don't—"

"Everyone! Everyone!" a female voice that Grimm Ruby didn't recognize said. "Remain calm and you can all walk in an orderly—"

Grimm Ruby heard a pained scream right next to its ear that muffled what that woman was trying to say. When it turned to see the cause, it found another young woman shoved into its arm by the man behind her. Its shoulder was embedded so far in her cheek that blood actually dripped down the side of her face. Another person resorted to climbing over everyone else, only to come in contact with Grimm Ruby's hair…and subsequently get his hand pricked.

"Careful around me!" Grimm Ruby yelled. "I'm like a titanium cactus!"

After four hectic minutes of shoving and moving, most of the people finally escaped outside. It was ironic that the one place that was considered a sanctuary for those that survived by coming together would be like a prison for those that tried to leave together. Not everybody actually left, either. Some people simply didn't leave and stayed bundled in their nice, warm blankets. It was probably because they knew it would be less crowded after so many others left. There were about fifty or so people in Grimm Ruby's vicinity now; still crowded, but nothing compared to what it was just a moment ago.

"At least it's easier to walk now," it muttered, quietly berating itself for blurting the 'new campfire' outside among such panicked people. As a being that had actually sensed their sorrow just a moment ago, this result should have been obvious. It should have known better. That shame only grew when it noticed the woman trying to keep everyone orderly just a moment ago now glaring at it.

"We did see that black fire you lit," she said. "We just needed more time to get everything up there organized before we let everyone out. Did you see how many people were holed up here?"

"Sorry," Grimm Ruby said, looking away. It walked deeper into the crater as carefully as possible to avoid hurting anyone else. Suddenly, those innocent children outside seemed a lot wiser than anyone else right now. It continued mumbling to itself as it explored the crater. "What is it with me? It's like people lose their minds around me."

Horrific thoughts about the people of Aisufurawa crossed Grimm Ruby's mind, and it stopped walking for a moment. If this was just like what happened there…if the two were connected, then…

"No!" Grimm Ruby exclaimed, going in complete denial over its own worries. "No, that's…that can't be it. There has to be another reason. There's always a light, even…when I can't usually see it. Aaand I'm talking to nobody. I'm really starting to lose it."

It ignored its own question and went back to walking. The deeper it went into the crater, the darker it got. Fortunately, there were electrical lights and florescent signs that, while dim, were still enough to help it navigate. After a while, it ventured to a more crowded part of the crater. There were many people huddled around one another, just like before. It got the same fanfare like last time: the collective gloomy disposition, the nervous reactions, and even those few that reached for their weapons.

This time, Grimm Ruby didn't say anything. It didn't want to do anything that might incite another panic, no matter how abrupt and out-of-the-blue it really is. It just kept walking, avoiding eye contact with anyone that isn't Ruby and her group.

"Let's see," it mumbled to itself. "Herb said one of them was using their hair like a campfire. Sounds like Yang; didn't know she could do that with her Semblance. Kinda wonder why she didn't do that after that train crash on the way to Argus." It paused. "And I'm still talking to nobody."

After about six minutes of aimless wandering, avoiding stepping on people's legs, and accidentally stepping on a few legs, Herb's advice turned around to be effective. Like a candle in the darkness, it saw a glowing mane of long hair that illuminated its surroundings. From the looks of it, this part of the crater was a bit wider than the rest. This was probably why they chose here to rest. After that Grimm attack came out of nowhere in the middle of the night, they were probably tired. Probably. Exhaustion wasn't a negative emotion it could sense.

Everybody was having their own conversation as Grimm Ruby approached them from the dark. They didn't seem to notice the red eyes slowly approaching them.

"We had to find another airship to even follow you," Weiss added.

"And all of Salem's forces were on that whale, just waiting for us," Blake added. "They slowed us down. We couldn't even get inside that gate before it closed."

"And a huge horde of Grimm came out before it did," Ren added. "We had to stay together to even survive."

"All of us were together," Jaune scolded Ruby, "except you. You just broke away from the group, right after we came together again. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I…I was trying to get the Relics back," Ruby said, looking away. She couldn't look anyone in the eye and keep her composure at the same time when that grueling ordeal was brought up. "I was thinking on my feet. I thought if I could just swipe them and leave…if I could do the same 'molecular thing' Penny figured out earlier and get in and out without being seen, I—"

With its claws behind its back and its shoulders slouched, it tried to look as benign as possible; a difficult thing for any sentient Grimm to do. Despite these attempts, Weiss, Jaune, and Ren, who were sitting in the back and facing Grimm Ruby, immediately drew their weapons from their holsters.

"Get down!" Jaune yelled to Ruby, Blake, and Nora, who were closest to Grimm Ruby. They did so, not knowing the reason, but trusting his judgment to make split second commands. Ren, who was the quickest of the three on the draw, put a bullet between the sentient Grimm's red eyes. Most of the group, save Nora, who was used to the sound of Stormflower's gunshot, flinched at the sudden loud impact so close to their ears.

The split-second decision to open fire in such a crowded area was a poor one, for everyone in said crowd started panicking. Most of the people were only civilians, after all.

"Um…" Grimm Ruby muttered, scratching the sudden itch on its forehead. It heard the bullet fall to the ground after digging it out of its skin, and was no worse for wear. Ren immediately lowered his aim. Though his face didn't show it, a horror-filled guilt crept through his heart that Grimm Ruby detected. Everyone else in the group, save Ruby, was noticeably uncomfortable with what Ren just shot.

"I, uh…" Grimm Ruby tried to speak, only to be cut off by the screaming people around them.

"They're breaking in from the surface!"

"Someone started shooting!"

"I'm getting out of here!"

"Wait, I'm not…" Grimm Ruby said.

"Everybody calm down!" Ruby exclaimed.

Both of their pleas fell on deaf ears. The fifty or so people in this part of the crater yelled so collectively that it was impossible to make out any further words, let alone communicate. It fell to those working with the Happy Huntresses, that remained with Mantle…or what's left of it, to quell the panic.

"Maybe we should just…go," Ren said, clearly guilty of what happened. A few members of the group wanted to protest, though couldn't even speak due to how disorienting the crowd's noise was. Once the group reached the surface, the screaming quieted. That, or they were no long in earshot. After a few embarrassed glances, specifically between Ren and Grimm Ruby, everybody needed a moment to collect themselves.

"I…I'm sorry," Ren apologized. "I'm not usually one to start a panic."

"You're usually the strong silent type," Nora added, noting her boyfriend's unusual behavior.

"It…it's cool," Grimm Ruby said, trying to ease the situation with an awkward teeth-baring grin that only made everyone even more uncomfortable. "I, uh…just came to tell you I lit a huge bonfire outside. Is…this a bad time? I didn't mean to…make everybody scream."

It was an awkward moment when someone realizes it's impossible to tell if it was a sentient Grimm or a sudden gunshot that got people terrified. For a group of Huntsmen and Huntresses now standing in the middle of the snow, it was even more so. Only the dark flames coursing through Grimm Ruby's arm and the Semblance burning Yang's hair provided any heat in this weather.

"It's fine," Ruby said, somewhat discouraged. "We were just…having a team meeting."

"I was asking them," Grimm Ruby said, gesturing everyone else with its claw. "I…know we didn't get off on the right foot. You're all still freaked out by me, aren't you?"

Blake and Yang glanced downward, being the most disturbed by Grimm Ruby. The dark flames it coursed through its arm just now didn't help their disposition.

"I, uh…thought you might want a break," Grimm Ruby said to Yang. "Your Aura should be spent with all the time you kept everyone warm."

Though alarmed, Yang turned off her Semblance and let Grimm Ruby's flames keep the group warm.

"I don't think I need to say this," Grimm Ruby said, glancing at Ruby's arm, "but be careful around the fire. It's not normal."

"I'm sorry…again," Ren apologized. "I've…we've all been on edge. We thought—"

"It's okay, Ren," Grimm Ruby said with a reassuring smile, looking down at its flaming claw and flexing it. "If it makes you feel better, it…didn't hurt. This body's…really strong. Could take a sword to the face, only to watch the metal snap on contact."

"Yeah, she's…not kidding," Ruby said, thinking of the moment she fell back first on her Grimm self's skull. After a pause, her mind drifted back to the conversation they were having earlier. She thought of her mother, Summer Rose, and what she might have endured at Salem's hands before she died. "As I was saying before…that happened, what I did wasn't my best moment. I get it. I didn't win. I didn't even come close. I couldn't even give one final brave speech."

She looked at everyone who began to doubt her during Salem's attack, especially Yang. She, along with everyone else, was still with her, despite her failings.

"All that time I spent learning how to fight, how to lead, how to be a Huntress…and I was just…helpless. I had to be saved," Ruby said, then glanced at her Grimm self, who gave her a reassuring smile and a gentle tap on her shoulder with its other closed claw. "If it wasn't for…'Grimm me,' I would have joined Mom that night."

Everyone else in the group, save for Grimm Ruby, who already understood her feelings without further words, looked at Ruby with agape mouths. Judging from the doubts clouding each of their minds, Grimm Ruby assumed they weren't used to seeing the original just admit she screwed up without a way to bounce back.

"I don't know whether it was when I chose to keep secrets from Ironwood, or when I chose to break apart from everyone to get the Relics back, but…somewhere along the lines, I really messed up. I'm so sorry."

"I messed up, too," Grimm Ruby admitted. "I chose to take her with me through an Evernight Gate, hoping it was the same one she was dragged in. It wasn't. I ended up getting us both lost for days. We ended up backtracking through Argus again. And…I left a huge burn on her arm. I didn't completely get just how much this Grimm body was capable of, and Ruby paid for it. I'm sorry, too."

"Oh, don't get all down on yourself! Both of you!" Maria exclaimed, having stood with the group all that time, unnoticed by Grimm Ruby.

"Wait, were you just sitting in the dark?" Grimm Ruby asked. "Weren't you cold? And how did I not see you earlier?"

"I had a blanket," Maria shrugged off its concerns. "And maybe you're just simple. Both of you are."

Both Rubies gave Maria the same deadpan stare, at the same time.

"Some of us needed to rest after that big attack, and kids these days just don't stop complaining!" Maria exclaimed, then looked at Ruby. "And you? So you nearly died. So what? Nearly dead isn't dead! Think of it this way: you survived against Salem herself! All the odds were against you and you're still breathing! I don't think anybody's ever come out of Salem's domain and lived without bending a knee!"

"Well…I guess," Ruby mumbled. "Wait, how am I still breathing? How exactly did you know where I was?"

"Well," Maria started, but didn't finish. Her prosthetic eyes simply blinked in response.

"Maria, how could you possibly know I'd be in a village miles away from Atlas?" Ruby asked, very curious as to what possible explanation could justify something like this.

"I didn't."

"You…didn't?"

"From what I've heard, you were dragged into an Evernight gate," Maria explained. "I figured if there was one, there would be more all over the world. Where do you think all the Grimm came from? They're all too doom and gloom to be born of this world. So then I figured, what if another Evernight Gate was open? And what if you were able to save yourself? That man owed me a favor, so I just threw it up to blind luck. We had nothing to lose. And you know what? It paid off in the end. You did save yourself…well, in a matter of speaking, thanks to your Grimm self."

"Uh…I have a name," Grimm Ruby said. "Well, kinda. It's Gruby. You know, 'Grimm Ruby' for short."

"'Gruby?'" Maria asked, visibly cringing at the nickname. "You know it also means 'fat,' right? Anyway, when we first met, I thought you were just Ruby." She tapped her prosthetic eyes. "It might just be these eyes, but you don't look like a Grimm to me. You never did. You don't act like one, either."

"You say that now," Yang said, glaring at Grimm Ruby. "You didn't see what she was like in that Grimm attack."

"Yang asked her if she was on our side," Blake added.

"And instead of answering like a normal person," Yang said, crossing her arms, "she bit a Sabyr's face off."

"What?" Weiss exclaimed, slightly disgusted.

"Ew!" Nora exclaimed.

"She took her fangs," Yang explained, making fang gestures with her hands, "bit down on a Sabyr's face, tore it off, and threw the rest of its body next to us, like we weren't worth her breath. She did that to intimidate us!"

"Is…that true?" Ruby asked her Grimm self, slightly disbelieving. Only slightly.

"I…yeah," Grimm Ruby explained. "I did. I could feel…everything. Everyone that died or lost their loved ones; I could actually feel what they felt. I still do, actually. I saw a little girl die in front of me that night; taken by the Grimm. That just drove me crazy; even more than these 'hangry' Grimm urges do. It took all my self-control to even…speak words to Penny after the fact."

"Penny said you snapped," Yang concurred. "Is that why?"

"Yeah," Grimm Ruby said, looking at Yang with sadness in its eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't know if I could have actually…if I would have killed you the way I was. I still don't completely get this Grimm body. I was afraid to take chances, so I wanted everyone to stay away, just in case. But my voice came out all 'grr' and 'raah' at the time. I couldn't even communicate if I tried!"

It looked at everyone's reactions and sensed their doubt. Judging from this response, this explanation only made things worse.

"Forget it," Grimm Ruby said solemnly. "You don't have to trust me with your lives or anything. I know there's a monster lurking beneath my soul. I'm not gonna try to hide it and I'm not gonna make any more excuses for it. But…I want you to hear me out. I can leave you alone after I'm done, but this is important. I don't want to do what Ozpin did and hide things. It's about why I'm the only Grimm that can defy Salem…and how the God of Darkness set everything up, behind the scenes."

"The God of Darkness?" Blake reiterated in astonishment.

"The one Jinn showed us," Weiss added. "The God that made the Creatures of Grimm?"

"This should be good," Maria said, intrigued.

"Gruby," Ruby said in a quiet, but accusatory manner. Maria let out a snicker when she heard that name again. "What are you talking about?"

"Everything that happened up to this point," Grimm Ruby said, glaring down at the eyeball watching from its coiled scythe. "He…set it all up. I don't have all the little details, but the God of Darkness has his own scheme. Just as the God of Light chose Ozma to carry out his will, his brother…chose me."

Everyone else, save Maria, who was mostly interested, looked at Grimm Ruby with open mouths.

"I…found out the night I was…born," Grimm Ruby explained. "I left Ruby to sleep for the night and sat outside. He…pulled me into some kind of dimensional rift. At least, I think that's what it was. Sounds kinda…'sci-fi-ey,' now that I think about it. Anyway, the reason I could defy Salem…was because I was meant to be his servant, not hers."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Ruby asked. Her sad eyes made her Grimm self look away in shame.

"Because he's always watching!" Grimm Ruby exclaimed. "I thought even saying anything would put you in danger!" It glared at the eyeball again. "See this eye? He can see through that! You already know I can't get rid of it! And when I realized that he made this scythe just as much a slave as I am, I…I couldn't bring myself to kill it either!"

"But you made that scythe," Ruby pointed out. "Kinda flawed logic there."

"And now you're sympathizing with another Grimm?" Blake added. "Even though, by your own admission, you hate them all."

"I know that," Grimm Ruby said, looking at Blake. "Look, it…it was definitely a lot for me to take in. I think…I think it's because I didn't want to hurt something I made the same way that god hurt me."

"He hurt you?" Weiss asked. A quick pang of sorrow in her heart revealed the emotional abuse she went through as a child to Grimm Ruby, if only for a moment.

"I'll…get to that in a minute," it answered, then looked at Ruby. "And Ruby? That god was the one that sent those Grimm against us. The ones with those arms that were like scythes. They were his Grimm, not Salem's! He…he was able to predict that I would adopt your fighting style. He told me later that night, after I already made the scythe…after the attack. I swear I didn't know all this until then."

All was quiet again, save for the gust of cold wind. This was getting more and more absurd with each passing second.

"So…Salem's not watching us through you," Weiss said. "The God of Darkness is."

"If he's telling the whole truth," Grimm Ruby said, "and I'm not even sure if there's more he's hiding from me. But the really horrible thing he told me is that the whole point of Remnant, or what the world Remnant used to be, was to settle a bet."

"A bet?" Yang asked with a scowl.

"Basically, it's a popularity contest between Creation and Destruction."

"Between Light and Darkness," Maria figured out. "The Two Brothers."

"That's all Remnant really is to them," Grimm Ruby said bitterly. "At least, that's what the God of Darkness told me. When I…when I brought up all the people the gods hurt for their experiment, that's when he hurt me…with his powers; literally twisted my body because I spoke against him! He shoved me to the ground in my own fire, just to make a statement! I…I was thrown out of that dimension after he gave me his command. I landed back in that forest and…I just lost it. I snapped…and all this fire came from me and burned the trees and…"

"That's how that fire started," Ruby said in realization. "You said the most terrifying Grimm you've ever…oh. Oh!"

"I caused that…because my own negativity set that fire off. I…I'm afraid of him! Okay?" it said weakly, trying to hold back tears that might corrode the ground beneath it. "I was helpless against him! Even with this scary strong Grimm body, I couldn't do anything! He…used his magic to…put me in my place. I got angry because he let Salem control his Grimm, because he let Salem do what she wanted to the world for so long, because of everything Ruby went through for his scheme to even work!"

It covered its eyes, unable to hold the corrosive tears back anymore. Its arms were shaking with a fear that matched that which it inflicts upon its fellow Grimm with its existence. It only stopped shaking when the original Ruby put her hand over its shoulder; the same gesture it gave her only a moment ago.

"Then…then…"

"You keep saying 'what I went through,'" Ruby interrupted, glancing down at her Grimm self's claws, "but I can barely remember anything except reliving those painful memories."

"You really don't remember?"

"I…I only have bits and pieces. Feels like…something empty in my mind. I…I keep getting these nightmares and…"

"And only closure can help you," Grimm Ruby concluded.

"So," Jaune inquired, "what did the God of Darkness command you to do?"

"He…he wants me to kill Salem," Grimm Ruby said. "He wants me to burn her soul."

"But Salem can't be killed," Blake pointed out.

"That's normally true, but…" Grimm Ruby began. "You know what, this is just gonna leave you with more questions, so I better start from the beginning. Both Salem and Ruby; I can explain both things from there. It all started before I rose from that pool…but maybe we should get somewhere warmer, somewhere…more private."