Warning: Some of the content in this chapter is disturbing, even for RWBY Nightmare Fuel standards. Though it may or may not as disturbing as the content in Chapter 29, those that read it may still find themselves unable to forget the contents of this chapter, no matter how much they want to. Reader discretion is advised.

To say that Grimm Ruby had a cold reception was an understatement. Though it was partially related to the fact that everyone else's spirits were all but crushed and their continued exhaustion hadn't helped their moods, the fact remained that a potentially volatile Creature of Grimm was working alongside them; one that was intimidating to be around at best and outright dangerous as worst. The potential for wrathful gods manipulating things behind the scenes was just icing on the cake. Given their frosty situation, however, its ability to channel bonfires on command was simply too useful to pass up. The one thing to remember in this situation was to stay at least five feet from the sentient Grimm at all times. The last thing anyone needed was another "accident."

At the very least, Weiss' presence meant that she could put out any flames with her glyphs, should they get out of control. After a couple hours of bonfires and mechanical maintenance, the worst never came to pass. In spite of how volatile its flames, and anything formed of hatred in general, could be, Grimm Ruby never lost control. From an outsider's perspective, it was actually capable of precisely wielding its own negativity as a tool, as opposed to resisting or being consumed by it. Considering how a common "rule" of Huntsmen is not to delve too deeply into negativity, this was doubly impressive. A bit frightening to some, but impressive nonetheless.

Once the last bonfire was finished in this part of the city, Grimm Ruby walked back toward the wary, but otherwise appreciative group. Along with Weiss, who was there as "potential damage control," there was Ren and Nora. Ren was there as emotional support. There was no telling what could happen with prolonged exposure to a sentient Grimm, even one with Ruby's personality copied into its mind. Nora did most of the heavy lifting, moving hundreds of pounds of metal, wiring, and other necessities where necessary, though the other three pitched in every now and then. Also, she just preferred Ren's presence over anyone else, as she always had.

"All done," Grimm Ruby said with the same gusto the original would say when a task was completed. At least, it looked like gusto. It was just using it as a way to mask its sadness. Things were still desperate here.

"Me, too," Nora said, panting with exhaustion. Her voice had an irritated tone, possibly related to their current situation.

"Well, at least this went by without a hitch," Weiss added, also exuding the same irritation. "I was beginning to get used to everything falling apart around us."

"Well, things tend to get worse before they get better," Ren reasoned. It wouldn't be the first time. Grimm Ruby couldn't help but silently agree with the assessment, though it may have less to do with being pessimistic and more to do with lacking the original Ruby's optimism. Either way, it knew better than to voice its feelings.

"So what do we do now?" Nora asked Grimm Ruby, who in turn sensed how nervous doing so made her. It was easy to figure out why. The young Huntress saw Jaune and Ruby as leaders, and while Grimm Ruby resembled the latter greatly, she knew it wasn't actually the same person that risked everything to journey with Team JNR to Mistral, even if it did "remember" doing so.

"I…I'm not sure," Grimm Ruby answered after a pause. "I guess…just help out however we can?"

"Are you telling us or asking us?" Weiss inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh…telling," it said unconvincingly, only to be met with deadpan stares. "I-I mean…asking? I mean…uh, I don't know."

"That's comforting," Weiss said sarcastically. Nora gave a disgruntled huff.

"I'm sorry," Grimm Ruby said. "I'm…not really comfortable pretending I'm your leader. I don't have that right. I don't want you to think I'm…replacing her."

"We don't," Nora assured. "You're like the 'identical cat.'"

"Uh…right," it sighed.

"This…will take some getting used to," Ren said, spreading his arms ahead. "We haven't exactly—"

"It's okay," Grimm Ruby interrupted. "You don't owe me anything."

From his body language, one could easily assume he was trying to stop a fight before it started. This actually makes sense. Even though nobody said any barbed words or acted truly hostile, there was definitely negativity present. Grimm Ruby could sense it, and so could Ren. Ever since his time in the custody of the Ace Ops and Winter Schnee, his Semblance had evolved in a manner that allowed him to discern the emotional states of others. Unlike Grimm Ruby's ability, it could also sense positivity. It was that ability that revealed to him that Weiss and Nora were more than just irritated. They were angry; very angry. Both of them had red petals around them; more petals than usual, like something was lingering in their minds. He looked down at his feet, noting the petals beneath himself. They were also red, though not as much as the other two.

"I wonder how Ruby's doing," Weiss pondered.

"Horrible. She's just now coming to terms…" Grimm Ruby answered with thinly veiled anger, curling its claws inward like fists, "with what Salem did to her. I hope Yang can help her through it."

"If things weren't so desperate out here, we'd be by her side!" Nora complained. "There's just…so much left to do out here. We can't even get to Vacuo until everything's settled!"

"I know," it agreed. "There's still a lot of sadness in the city. I can feel it."

"But you're not struggling," Weiss noticed after a brief delay.

"What?" Grimm Ruby asked.

"You have the same memories as Ruby," she explained, "so obviously, you remember what she went through from her perspective."

"Yeah," it said, unsure of where Weiss was going with this. "What's your point?"

"She broke down when you told us what happened to her," she said. "She started crying, but you didn't. You're not struggling with it like she is. Don't you think that's a little odd?"

Grimm Ruby turned away, not wanting anyone to see her frown.

"Actually, I never stopped struggling with it," it said quietly. "Never. I still feel it; the shame, the filth. I feel it every day, but unlike her…I have to keep it bottled up."

"That can't be good for you," Ren said. "It's okay to be hurt, you know. You don't always have to hide it."

"You clearly don't understand," Grimm Ruby said with a grimace, then dark flames coursed through its body. It turned back toward the group and looked directly in Ren's eyes. "I told you before…when we first met. This fire comes out when I let out my anger, or move fast, or if I'm just not careful."

"You mean…your feelings—" Nora began.

"They're one and the same," it summarized. "And Aura won't even protect anyone. Anything I do to someone is gonna stick, no matter what. If I'm not keeping this monster caged inside me…if I'm not keeping constant control, someone could get hurt." It curled its claws inward again and bared its fangs. "Someone could die."

"That's…not healthy," Ren said dejectedly.

"I know, but I already burned Ruby because I was careless. I nearly burned Blake because I got angry. There's no excuse to be dangerous to the people around me."

"But…you still are," Weiss pointed out.

"Yeah. I am," Grimm Ruby said dismally, glancing back at the latest bonfire it lit. "I try to do what's right. I try to consciously choose when and how to use this hate inside me, but it's hard. And when I do want to use it, when I actually do want to light something on fire, I'm reliving what Ruby went through…in my mind."

All three humans stared at Grimm Ruby with wide-open mouths.

"I'm only here with you now because I think I can still do some good," it concluded. "It's just like how I stayed with Ruby because I couldn't leave her all alone in the cold, even though I probably attracted a lot of Grimm to her…and probably put her in danger in the first place all because I didn't think things through."

Grimm Ruby closed its eyes when it came to that realization. It really did risk her life with its very presence, though at the very least she also made the conscious decision to give her Grimm counterpart a chance. As Ruby once said, it wouldn't have been fair to turn her back on it without giving it a chance. That was never the kind of Huntress either Ruby wanted to be, even if their choice was inherently foolish. Not everybody could take a risk like that, but their willingness to do what they think is right was steadfast, for the most part. That, and their shared memories, were what forged their bond so quickly.

"Yeah, well…maybe you should think things through if you're so dangerous," Weiss argued. She was right, of course.

"I know," Grimm Ruby concurred. "I'm…still getting used to this Grimm body. I know it's not an excuse, but…being a Huntress; being Ruby…it's all I know. It's all I have that separates me from a monster."

It turned to walk away, both to seek out the next thing to help the people here and to give itself some distance from the other three, but it stopped after a single step.

"You know," it said, glancing at Weiss. "You once told her that Ozpin made a mistake when he made her a leader. Maybe this is your time to step up."

Weiss looked at Grimm Ruby in shock. That was a long time ago. The last thing on her mind now was something as petty and childish as her behavior in Beacon, yet she couldn't deny its words. This was an opportunity, if only to give Ruby some time to heal.

"I…" Weiss muttered.

"Just an idea," Grimm Ruby clarified. "You'd all be more comfortable if it wasn't a rage-filled Creature of Grimm telling you what to do."

All three humans glanced down. It didn't take an ability to sense negativity to tell they all wanted to say something. Seeing this disinclination, it gave them a forced smile.

"You don't have to explain yourselves," Grimm Ruby said. "I told you. I just want to help however I can. You don't owe me anything."

"Wait," Ren called out, stretching his arm out as Grimm Ruby was about to leave. It glanced at him with a curious expression. "If…if you need to talk to someone—"

"I just did. I'm perpetually angry, I constantly have to hold it back, and I'm always one clumsy misstep away from giving someone a fourth-degree burn. Anything you want to add to that?"

Ren didn't immediately respond, but he did use his Semblance to delve into Grimm Ruby's feelings. Once he did, however, he saw no petals. At first, it seemed like his Semblance simply wasn't working as it should, but as he delved deeper, he felt a burning sensation crawl down his spine. His whole body quivered. Something in his mind knew this was very wrong, begging him to turn his eyes away, but his heart filled with terror and his mouth went agape.

"You okay, Ren?" Grimm Ruby asked, oblivious to what was happening.

"You…you…you…you…you…" Ren muttered, over and over again. His body seized like he was about to have a stroke.

"Ren?" Nora called out with worry, rushing to his side. "What's wrong?"

Visions of tentacles twisting within each other in impossible ways and gaping maws sucking each other in like whirlpools that curved in on one another filled his mind as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. Within each maw, there existed its own empty void containing the anguished form of a newborn baby, half-formed and not yet ready to be born in the world. Their twisted forms mirrored themselves again and again, ad infinium and their collective cries filled his ears, blocking out everything around him.

He felt his will sink deeper into despair when he heard the voices of helpless innocence cursed into unlife. To gaze upon the anguish of those trapped between birth and death was to learn the very concept of defiled purity, and even those words didn't do it justice. All that could truly be understood was that it was a feeling that Grimm Ruby carried in its heart. Even the tentacles in his mind now beckoned him, inviting him to fully comprehend the forbidden knowledge that threatened to corrupt his mind and damn his soul. As the saliva leaked from his mouth and his eyes rolled to the back of his head, all pretense of calm stoicism disappeared.

"Eh…eeeh…EEEEEYAAAAAH!"

"Ren!" Nora cried, catching him before he fell to the ground.

"What's happening to him?" Weiss yelled, barely louder than Ren's screams.

"I can sense it!" Grimm Ruby shouted. "Something in him just…snapped!"

"What do you mean snapped?" Nora exclaimed, clutching Ren as she shook.

"I-I don't know! One second he was calm, the next he's like this! It just came out of nowhere!"

In his attempt to help the situation, to understand and connect with this clone of Ruby, he delved into its feelings. To look beneath the infernal soul of a being wrestling with eternal hatred, one would see incomprehensible horrors that were never meant for mortal eyes. He clutched his head, wishing with all his heart that he could forget what he saw.

"It's…all…w-wrong…it…c-can't have it…won't have it…so little…s-so precious…"

Nora forcefully turned Ren on his back, resting his head on her lap. His pale face was drenched with sweat and veins formed under his eyes. His teeth chattered incessantly, desperately trying to form words, only for saliva to ooze from his mouth like foam. His pupils dilated when he saw Nora's face; a shining light that keeps the darkness at bay.

"Ren! Tell me how to help you!"

"N-Nora…" he muttered, calming down. "I…I s-saw…saw…"

"What? What did you see?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he remained focused on Nora's eyes. He needed her light, her bubbly compassion; anything to rid himself of the terror that now plagues him.

"Ren, talk to me! Please!"

"Evil," he whispered, staring blankly at nothing.

"What?" Weiss asked skeptically.

"S-so evil…s-so wrong…"

"Ren, what are you talking about?"

"So much…torment…violating every inch…screaming," Ren barely answered, unable to stop his tears. "I saw…worse than…anything…I-I lack…a better word. I-if…there really is…an eternal darkness beyond death…it would be…what I-I…"

The rest of his words were an indecipherable mess. Even in the comfort of Nora's arms, what he saw lingered in the deepest recesses of his mind. She caressed his cheek, trying to bring some impression of the Ren she knew, but to no avail.

"It's hard to explain in words," Grimm Ruby said, kneeling down to his level, "but what he's feeling now…it's not just fear. It goes beyond it. Something inside him…changed."

Ren turned toward Grimm Ruby, who was looking at him with concern, and the horrors came flooding back to his mind just by looking at its face. Beneath this compassion, it was now clear that something far surpassing simple hatred lurked underneath the surface. It was Destruction incarnate; the urge to slaughter and destroy Creation itself, and even that description was only vague at best. From Grimm Ruby's perspective, it was simply "the monster caged within, always clawing at it from the inside." As it possessed a human's memories and understanding, that was all it could comprehend.

From Ren's perspective, however, he could see beyond this veil. It was no mere monster, but an evil far more pervasive than Salem. Though her sins were great and included the creation of Grimm Ruby to begin with, they could at least be comprehended with words of the human tongue. Words like "defile," "murder," and "manipulation" could describe Salem's deeds. Even traumas like losing one's parents at childhood and the Fall of Beacon were so trivial and pointless in comparison. This "monster," for lack of a better word, couldn't be fully understood or fought, and it was older and stranger than anyone could ever know. It was simply there.

"You…you…you…" he said, hyperventilating beyond his control.

"Ren, why are you acting like this?" it asked. Instead of a response, he gave Grimm Ruby a demented grin that directly contrasted with the usual difficulty he had with expressing himself.

"What are you?" Ren ranted, even as the urge to vomit crept up his throat. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?"

"R-Ren! I…" Grimm Ruby muttered, unable to say anything else. The very sight of him behaving so bizarrely caught everyone off guard. Even as he sat on the ground, tracing symbols in the dirt with his finger in a manner understood only by him, the other three could only wonder one thing: why?

"Ren, you're scaring me!" Nora cried.

"F-find it," Ren mumbled, frantically drawing more symbols in the dirt. "Have to find it…so precious…here…something I…I've lost."

"You…lost something?" Weiss asked.

"Please…help find it…lost something…very precious…and I can't name it."

"Ren, you're not making any sense!" Nora exclaimed, wiping away some of the symbols Ren drew in the dirt. He wailed in a panic, clearly upset that his precious symbols were being taken from him. With great haste, he drew them again, in the same pattern as before.

"Ren, I can only figure out so much," Grimm Ruby said, putting its open palm on Ren's shoulder. "You need to tell us what—"

"Get out of my head," he snapped, wrenching his shoulder away. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD! Must find it…have to find it…so precious…"

Noting his reaction, Nora gave Grimm Ruby a hostile stare. It looked back at her, failing to understand what it did to make him so hostile.

"What did you do to him?" she asked in a furious whisper.

"N-nothing!" it exclaimed, taking a step back from the angry Nora. "I swear I didn't do anything. H-he just stared at me and—"

"No, this…" Ren mumbled. "This is all wrong."

"I'm calling the others," Weiss finally declared, pulling her Scroll from her pocket. "This isn't making any sense."

Meanwhile, Ren hastily wiped away some of the symbols, replacing them with different ones. Whatever twisted puzzle in his mind he was trying to decode, it was being given physical form on the ground in front of him. Oblivious to the cause of his plight, the other three couldn't fathom his actions. For on the day that Lie Ren looked into the heart of darkness, he lost something very precious.