Chapter 1 – The Inhumane Necessity

Pyrrha

Pyrrha had been reincarnated into a world that was both familiar and yet completely unfamiliar to her…

She returned to Vale, her feet had been cut from walking over so much rubble, her boots worn down from time and the damage she suffered from the explosion and the rubble which impaled her body six years ago. Everything seemed so different, she could see the Crop Fields of the Farmlands in the distance… and something was definitely wrong with them. There was a black fog in areas of them, farms completely different to ones she had ever seen, and there were bubbling pits of Grimm Tar. Farmland turned into entire stretches of Tar Fields for Grimm to spawn and prowl both the wild landscape…

… and the civilised land.

Pyrrha clutched onto what little remained of her shirt as she hobbled on bloodied feet, every step sent jolts of excessive pain into her body, leaving behind claret footprints on the warm tarmac beneath her. Grimm were here as well, yet thanks to the Brother of Darkness' spell, they could not see her yet. But if she got spotted then it would not be able to protect her any longer, and the Grimm would know of her existence.

And consequently… so would Salem.

People looked different, they were still Human and Faunus, however there were some people that actually had some kind of Grimm Sickness in them. Skill had paled and there was a bit of red in their eyes. They coughed and struggled as they walked, however it did not seem contagious… or at least not in the normal sense. It was not lost on her that these people afflicted by this illness all looked like Farmers, or others who worked in hard labour. They shivered as they walked, and there were Homeless People who reached out, begging for money by the innocents.

Very few people seemed to speak to each other, like they just wanted to get what they came outside for and go home. However there were others, others who appeared to relish in this new world that Pyrrha was reborn into. Cheering Men and Women, Human and Faunus, drinking and partying. Black Gallows Soldiers could also be seen, patrolling the streets in more force than she had ever seen.

The Black Gallows had very clearly grown in numbers since she died, however she had no idea how many of them could be around now. Six years ago, they were simply a Black Ops Faction from the Atlesian Military, but now? Now it seemed like they were the Brutal Law Enforcers that patrolled every single city, town, village and even road of Remnant.

Pyrrha winced in pain as she looked at her cut open feet, thick red blood leaked from the gashes cut by sharp rubble and broken glass left behind from the Fall of Beacon. "Keep moving, find something to cover yourself with." The Brother of Light advised with a calming voice.

"What has happened to the world? This is nothing like I remember… why are Grimm walking around like it is normal? Why aren't they attacking these people?" Pyrrha softly muttered as she walked around.

"Remnant is Salem's now. She has won, and your world is nothing but an old memory. These people who you see around you have become accustomed to this brutal world… you have not. Keep moving and find a disguise. The Spell will not work again if you are recognised and the Black Gallows learn of your resurrection." The Brother of Darkness explained, his voice felt like sharp nails moving down the back of her neck.

It made her grow goosebumps whenever she heard him.

Pyrrha swiftly moved towards an alleyway, where she saw someone giggling and scratching his own face as he stumbled through the streets. He bumped into someone and started to scream as he tackled him down to the ground. "What the hell?" Pyrrha gasped.

"You are baring witness to the effects of the Scourge. A condition formed in both Humans and Faunus after spending too much time around the Tar Pits." The Brother of Light answered.

"W-Why? What happens to them?" Pyrrha stammered.

"The Pools of Grimm act as… doorways… to my domain. The land of Death and Darkness, where all who are underserving of my Brother's Light shall fall. It is believed that those who spend too much time around them begin to hear the screams of the damned trapped inside, hearing the sound of everlasting suffering. Tis not a sound for Mortal Minds to handle." The Brother of Darkness answered.

"Can any mind… withstand that?" Pyrrha stammered with shock.

"We are… beyond… Mortal Weaknesses like madness." The Brother of Darkness chuckled sinisterly as he watched her from the darkness, his hands held behind his back. Pyrrha turned her gaze to the light where she saw the glowing gold Apparition of the Brother of Light stood beside a Drying Line, where a brown and white dressing gown hung, alongside some slippers sat by the doorstep.

"Come… child… your body is frail… you need warmth." He said, and Pyrrha weakly shambled towards him, and the Dark Brother chuckled in the darkness.

"There it is, Brother… caring for something small like a Mortal… but given the chance you would destroy her if it pleased you." The Brother of Darkness spouted, Light glared at him.

"Surely you of all people shouldn't judge someone for such actions after your atrocities." Light retorted.

"I am a product of your negligence! Of your lack of understanding of how things must be! And you dare to judge me?" The Brother of Darkness barked as he stormed towards him.

"Yes I do judge you, for you are nothing more than a petulant child." Light replied as Pyrrha carefully pulled the soft Dressing Gown from the line. But as she started to wrap it around her thin malnourished body, the pain in her feet became too much, and she collapsed to the ground with a soft cry of pain, clutching the bloodied pads.

The Brother of Darkness turned his head past Light, staring directly at Pyrrha as she walked straight through the Apparition of his Brother.

"Get up." He simply growled. Pyrrha stared up at him, her face void of any emotion, the glow to her green eyes dampened. She just laid there, tearful and not even looking at him anymore.

"Why? What's the point… it's all over…" Pyrrha sniffled with defeat.

"I said… Get… Up." Darkness commanded once more. Pyrrha still remained on the floor, not looking at him as blood dripped from her toe. Darkness plumed into a purple cloud and a huge dragon's toothy head erupted from within the violet smog. "GET UP!" He bellowed in his dragon form. Pyrrha showed no shock, no horror. She simply rolled over and fumbled to her feet as the dragon lowered it's head and curled into the vanishing purple smoke.

She continued to wrap her nearly naked body up with the Gown, tightening it, and pushing her wounded feet into the slippers.

As she limped, Darkness appeared over her shoulder again. "Do not falter again." He snarled.

"Will you just leave me alone? Just let me suffer in peace?" Pyrrha questioned.

"DO NOT MISTAKE YOUR RESURRECTION FOR KINDNESS! You are a tool to something greater, nothing more!" The Brother of Darkness barked, pointing his suddenly sharpened dark purple finger at her face, yet there was none for her to glare at… just a featureless skull.

"And you think I've never been in this position before?! I wasn't a champion fighter at the age of twelve for fun! You think Ozpin picked me to be the Fall Maiden because I thought it would be an enjoyable project?! I have always been a tool for someone else's gain! Now leave me alone." She spat. Darkness snarled loudly, deep in his throat.

"Keep. Moving." He growled, before disappearing. Pyrrha, eyes watering, scoffed.

"Grand idea." She tugged the Gown tighter around her frame, trying to keep walking, the slippers helped but they still hurt a lot.

But then…

"Hey, are you okay?" A grey-haired woman asked from the alleyway. "I heard you talking, sweetheart."

Pyrrha stared at the woman, shocked and embarrassed that she'd heard her, but before she answered, the Brother of Darkness spoke over her shoulder, his voice grating like chalk.

"Do not speak to her, you will compromise us." Darkness commanded.

"Honey? Are you okay?" She asked.

"Ummm, I-" But as Pyrrha tried to walk, all that pain rushed right back up her leg, and she fell onto the ground.

"Oh goodness! Ma'am, hold on." The woman worried as she approached her.

"Do not say a word. Do not go with her." Darkness repeated.

"C'mon sugar, up you get." She smiled, helping Pyrrha up. "Let's get that old Gown of mine off-oh my lords above you're naked. Okayyy."

Pyrrha blushed and stared at her slippers, hugging the Gown tightly. Her green eyes scanned over the woman, and the red and yellow uniform she was wearing with a cartoon Ice cream sundae on the left breast pocket.

"Alright, come with me, I work in the diner, we'll take you to the break room and I'll pick out some clothes for you. It'll be from the lost and found box, but... better than nothing, right sugar?" She smiled. Pyrrha swallowed thickly, nodding.

"Yes. That sounds lovely. Thank you." Pyrrha went to follow her, until suddenly the woman collapsed, passing out on the grass, she gasped and went to help her, only for Darkness to block her path. "What did you do?" She gasped.

"There are Black Gallows soldiers in the Diner, no doubt she recognised you by your recognisable face. She was going to turn you in." Darkness told her.

"You don't know that! She could have just been a nice lady." Pyrrha argued, but then Darkness stared directly at her as he leaned forward.

"Here is your first lesson, child – nobody helps a thief who was stealing their belongings unless it would be for their own gain." Darkness assured as he glared at her. His words sent a chill down her spine as she stared at him. "Now… Keep… Moving. And do not attract any further attention."

"Did you kill her?" She asked as she stared past him, looking at the body of the woman, she could not tell if she was breathing or not.

"What does that matter?" He questioned.

"What does that matter?" Pyrrha gasped with disgust.

"Life is nothing more than an abnormality… why should I care about one mortal life when your entire existence is at risk?" He questioned with the shrug of his shoulders. Pyrrha walked straight through his Apparition, and she painfully knelt down and put her fingers on the lady's neck…

… there was no pulse.

"You killed her… how could you do that?" Pyrrha snarled with anger as she faced the God, he just stared at her and shrugged his shoulders.

"She had a tumour in her brain, she was going to die anyway." He answered tranquilly.

"You… monster." Pyrrha hissed.

"I have been called many things… that was one of those words. One life is meaningless in comparison to the extinction of everything." Darkness commanded, she turned and saw Light stood nearby but he did not say a word.

"What about you? Anything to say?" She questioned but Light said nothing as his head was bowed.

"If you expect anything contrary to me then you are mistaken… I at the very least can be trusted to stick a knife in you… but he would smile… and drive it into your back when you least expect it. Now – for the last time. Keep. Moving." He commanded with a dark gravelly voice.

Pyrrha looked back at the lady, she choked up as she started to walk away. She slowly walked out into the street and kept her head down as she moved, not letting anyone see past her hood, just in case if they ratted her out to the Black Gallows presence in Vale. So many things looked similar, yet different at the exact same time. Most of the buildings looked the same, but others were forged from some type of glowing purple crystal – she did not know it, but it was the same crystal that was scattered across Salem's Sanctum.

A Nevermore swooped overhead, screeching and roaring as its shadow cast upon the ground. Blocking out the sun with its massive black wings. Pyrrha shuddered as the Grimm and Black Gallows soldiers passed by her as she walked.

"These Men and Women have been charged with execution for breaking the laws placed by Queen Salem!" She heard a man yelling, she turned her gaze and she approached, and her eyes widened to what she saw.

There were two men and a woman stood with their hands and legs bound with rope, and they had nooses wrapped around their throats. Black Gallows Raven Talons and an Onyx Consul stood atop the Gallows itself, guarding another prisoner who was on his knees. Right next to the Gallows was a pit, where she could hear savage growling Grimm inside, foaming at the mouth. Pyrrha stood with the crowd she watched as the man read out their crimes.

"These three men and women are charged for stealing food from the Markets, what say you in your defence?" The Spokesman asked as he lowered the Data Pad.

"We were starving! The Schnee Dust Company got rid of us because my husband contracted Noctis Putrida! It was unjust what Arthur Watts did to us!" The Human Woman argued, that was the first thing that Pyrrha noticed. There was not a single Faunus up there, yet they worked for the Schnee Dust Company. It was sadly quite expected for the Company to do this to their Faunus Workers, but to Humans? This was different.

"Unjust? The Schnee Dust Company had been unjust to their Faunus People for decades before Salem showed up. Tell me, are there any Faunus here who were once enslaved to Jacques Schnee?" The Spokesman called out.

Ten people raised their hands. "And how have your lives been since Salem took charge after the Huntsmen and Huntresses betrayed the U.G.R to try and take over?" The man asked, Pyrrha's eyes widened when she heard that.

That is not what happened… what have they done?

"My family have not lived this comfortably in years!" A man yelled.

"I can actually lay food on the table for my children for once!" A woman also called out.

"Queen Salem freed us!" Another man yelled, then the entire crowd started to cheer for the monster who butchered Pyrrha's friends. She started to seethe with anger at how devoted these people had become to the woman who was responsible for the deaths of thousands. The Spokesman smirked and turned to the people in nooses.

"You see? Now you understand what it was like for the Faunus to suffer." The man said to them.

"No! We fought for you! We tried to get Jacques removed for years! You can't do this to us!" A man desperately yelled.

"That was then… but now? Stealing food from people just trying to get by?" The Spokesman scoffed.

"We were starving! We have nothing left!" The other man answered, and the Spokesman pouted.

"Aww… poor thief… want me to cry for you?" The Spokesman asked curiously. The woman gritted her teeth with anger, then she spat at him.

"Fuck you, you piece of shit!" The Woman yelled, and he chuckled.

"Well… they have some fight in them after all, don't they?" He asked them. "What shall we do with them?"

"HANG THEM!" They all started to yell with anger, all repeating the same two words over and over. Pyrrha desperately wanted to scream spare them but Darkness could read her thoughts, and she saw him stood amongst the crowd, staring directly at her with his hands held together, shaking his head silently.

"Well, I think we have the answer!" The Spokesman laughed as he turned back to the fugitives. "Any last words, thieves?"

"Plea-"

The Spokesman bumped his leg into the lever, causing it to slam down and the floor beneath them opened, and their necks snapped as the noose tightened around their throats. However they did not die immediately, they dangled, suffocating and gasping for air as they writhed, faces turning blue, eyes wide. Until their lives ended, the ropes creaked as they swung back and forth.

The Spokesman grimaced. "Whoops… looks like I slipped." He sadistically joked, making the crowd laugh. Pyrrha clenched her hand into a fist, listening to all these people laughing at the deaths of the three people.

This new world? It was sick and cruel…

He then turned to the chained man down on his knees with soldiers beside him. "Ah… and you… we have something special for what you did." He growled, forcing the man up to his feet. "Do you all know who this scumbag is?"

"P-Please… I…" He stammered.

"Jonathan Dudley. Wanted for the Rape and Murder or Mary Ashford. You showed her no mercy, did you? You pathetic disgusting scoundrel?" The Spokesman snarled, and Pyrrha stared at the man. Someone who, unlike those thieves, really was a bad man. He should have been the one with the noose around his neck – but as she was about to see – the thieves got the easy way out.

"Please… I…"

"Huh? You what? You didn't mean to? Tell that to Mary Ashford, pal. No… no you aren't getting hanged. We have something special for you." He said, gently pushing the criminal towards the Grimm Pit, where they were foaming at the mouth. There were Beowulves inside, mangy fur and thick foamy saliva pouring from their jaws.

"No… please no! Anything but the Pit!" He begged.

"You know how it works, it was noticeably clear in the Laws and Punishments granted by Salem. Lower crimes like Thievery are met with hanging, Huntsmen and Huntresses who survived the Inhumane Necessity are swiftly Beheaded, and people like you? Murderers, torturers, rapists, paedophiles – you know, the lowest of the low? Well… you don't deserve a quick end… you deserve to suffer." He said as he stared at the man.

"Come on man… you don't wanna do this." He begged him.

"Tell me… did you know that Beowulves actually prefer to eat their prey when they are still alive? They like to make them suffer, the fear and the pain? It makes the meat taste better… at least that's what the eggheads say." The Spokesman shrugged his shoulders, then leaned into his ear. "So how long do you think they will make you suffer for?" He asked.

"I'm begging you…" He whimpered.

"I bet Mary did… when you did what you did. Did you show her mercy? You just said I didn't wanna do this – the truth is? I really do." He answered, shoving him into the pit, and the entire crowd cheered, but over it all – she could hear his screams. She could not see it through the walls, but she heard the agony and terror inside of the pit as the Beowulves ripped him to pieces. Blood splattered against the walls, and he screamed for roughly two and a half minutes, Pyrrha blocked most of it out, but eventually he died. And the Beowulves gorged on what remained of him.

"Would you look at that? He lasted longer than I expected… those boys look well fed!" The Spokesman laughed as he clapped his hands with the crowd. Pyrrha walked away, feeling sick to her stomach. She felt no pity for the man who died, what made her feel that way was what the world had turned into.

"Welcome to the New World, Miss Nikos." The Brother of Darkness said.

"This… this is not what we wanted…" Pyrrha stammered as she walked through the streets in a panic. "This isn't what he would have wanted."

"He is dead. Dead and forgotten." Darkness told her.

"Shut the hell up! He isn't forgotten." She growled.

"Really? You think that? Come… follow me." He said, Pyrrha turned and she saw the Brother of Darkness stood on the path. She watched as he walked down the path where leaves fell upon it and Pigeons pecked and bits of bread thrown. She found herself in a beautiful garden in the City, she remembered this place – however it had been renamed since she died.

Once known as The King's Garden – it was now known as the Memorial Grove.

She walked out and she gasped at what she saw, and the Brother of Darkness was beside them. There were large Marble Plaques built, with names listed across them all. All the names of the men and woman… and children… who died during the Inhumane Necessity. Even a statue built to commemorate them, a statue of a Huntsman and a Huntress together with their weapons held high.

But something was wrong – they were completely overgrown and abandoned. The statue had graffiti sprayed on it, and some of the marble plaques had been smashed with sledgehammers, and the rest where smothered in Hateful Graffiti. "What… why is it like this?" She gasped.

"Salem had these built in every Kingdom – to remember all the lives lost. To pay her respects to their families, however we believe there was an ulterior motive. To give the enraged a target to spew their anger at the new change." Darkness explained.

"What? Why target us? The Victims?" Pyrrha questioned.

"You are not victims in their eyes." Light chimed in. "Salem built this out of honour, using the idea that even their enemies deserved to have graves so their families could mourn them, despite their sins. But… Salem and her Minions worked hard to make the slaughter of the Unified Governments of Remnant appear to be by your hands." Light explained.

Pyrrha closed her eyes, remembering what Salem said on that Terrible Night.

"Your time is over. All your Academies are aflame or soon will be. And the world is cheering for it, thanks to my friend's preparations."

The footage… Watts had altered it to the point where nobody could even tell it had been doctored, where instead of the Children of Salem and Black Gallows murdering the Councillors and all the other workers in the Foundations of Sovereignty, it was replaced… with their faces.

The Hunters and the Rogues together, all of them… slaughtering them. Weiss killing Jacques Schnee, Ruby shooting Vance Ackerman in the head. The footage… it was more than enough for people to believe the Huntsmen and Huntresses wanted to overthrow. And it was more than likely not the only proof fabricated by Watts since everyone seemed to be so inclined to believe the lie.

And the evidence of their willingness to follow the lie was present here…

Liars

Murderers

Traitors

Monsters

They deserved what they got

And many other terrible words and phrases had been sprayed in pain. The flowers left behind had decayed long ago, nobody had been here in an exceptionally long time, and only vegetation had claimed this land. Vines wrapped around the statues.

Pyrrha stared at the names, and she gently pressed her hand against it.

Jaune Arc

She squeezed her eyes closed, tears streaming down them. Then Darkness stood beside her. "Is… is it like this everywhere? Did anyone else survive?" She desperately asked.

"Would you like to see?" He asked her, he held his hand out to her. She looked at it, and then took a deep breath… and placed it where his was.

And she saw it…

… the Inhumane Necessity.

The Inhumane Necessity

It showed Watts aboard the Gyrfalcon on their way to Beacon with Killian kitted back up, and the rest of the Children of Salem aboard, flying over the massive Army of Grimm headed directly to Vale with Salem at the front of it.

He brought up his scroll, contacting every single Black Gallows Commander across Remnant, stationed at all the Academies, and Combat Schools. Alongside all contacts of Huntsmen and Huntresses out on mission.

Killian stood up to face them with Watts stood out of shot, since it would be better coming from their leader.

"Commanders – the wait is up. Initiate the Inhumane Necessity." Killian commanded, delivering the Command Codes. All the General's on their Holographic Displays nodded their heads.

"It will be done, Dark Eclipse." The Commanders assured, identifying Killian by his Codename known only to the Black Gallows.

Watts closed his Scroll and he smirked as he looked at Tyrian. He giggled maniacally as he looked at the Doctor. "Let the games begin!"

All across Remnant, the Kill Order was given.

Students at Haven Academy walked towards their Dorm Rooms when the Raven Talons suddenly drew their Rifles on them and opened fire on them. Screams erupted as the bullets shredded through their unprepared bodies, killing them before they could even lift their auras. But even those who did lift their Auras had no chance, from the overwhelming numbers – and Grimm that were allowed inside thanks to inside men and women who lifted the lockdowns. Swarms of Grimm poured in, ripping the students apart.

At Beacon, when the Attack was happening, the Grimm burst through the windows at the Cafeteria on the unsuspecting Teens and Students. They jumped across tables and tackled the kids to the ground, alongside Black Gallows soldiers, pinning them to the ground and firing their guns into the back of their heads. Nevermores flew through the sky and grabbed them, carrying them off to be ripped apart by their talons.

Even at Atlas Academy, the same thing was happening there as well.

Students fled for their lives as the Black Gallows unleashed their weapons of destruction upon them, using their Airships to block off their escapes, gunning them down. Team F.N.K.I battled together against the soldiers, but their fired their Electrical Cables and wrapped them around their bodies, breaking their auras.

"Please! Stop!" Flynt begged, until one of the soldiers drew his gun and shot him in the head, knocking his hat off.

"FLYNT!" Neon screamed, only to face the same fate, alongside Kobalt and Ivory. Atlas' Tower was aflame as the soldiers killed absolutely everyone, destroying the Dorms and the memories of James Ironwood.

The same thing happened at Shade, as the Grimm and Black Gallows invaded Shade Academy, massacring everyone inside. Nebula fired her Crossbow and the arrow hit a Beowulf straight through the eye as she tried to fall back with Dew as Octavia and Gwen were dragged towards the Grimm by a Nuckelavee, screaming desperately. But as the two of them turned, they saw the Black Gallows behind them, firing all their guns repeatedly until they were dead.

Dew tried to block and deflect the bullets, but she could not stop them all, and Nebula got hit in the shoulder before impaled by a Deathstalker and pulled into the Grimm Horde. Nobody made it out of Shade, and the same could be said for every other Academy.

In Haven, inside of his Academy Lionheart stood as he watched the Grimm and Black Gallows invade, he looked around and he placed his hands behind his head, hoping they would spare him. Only for him to be dragged out and executed just like all the rest. At Shade, Theodore battled against every single Grimm and Black Gallows soldier until the very end, but even he fell as well.

Not even the Huntsmen and Huntresses out in the world were safe either.

A Winged Huntsman flew through the sky as Black Gallows Wasps suddenly caught up with him and shot him out of the sky, sending his burning corpse crashing down into the rocks below. Another Huntress turned her back and was unable to defend herself as the Black Gallows gunned her down, and another roared through the Mistraalian Countryside, only to be hit by a huge Armoured Truck from her left, killing her instantly, sending her body hurtling across the road.

And the same happened… at the Combat Schools…

At Argus, Saphron was stood up with Adrien cooing as he watched her, confused at her stress as the news came in. Listing all the names from the Inhumane Necessity. "Please… please don't let it be you…" She sobbed, and then…

Pyrrha Nikos

Jaune Arc

Sun Wukong

Neptune Vasillias

The names continued, but when she saw Jaune's name, Saphron felt her heart break and she shook. "No!" She sobbed, loud as she collapsed to her knees, screaming into the floor as she felt the anguish rush through her like a storm. Her distress caused Adrien to cry as well as he reached out for his mother in his cot.

Moments earlier, Terra left to investigate Sanctum, which was aflame, smoke rising high into the sky. She roared across the road towards it on her motorcycle and she swiftly approached the Black Gallows checkpoint. She took off her helmet as she approached. "The hell is happening here?" She questioned.

"Ma'am, you need to get out of here. The Huntsmen and Huntresses massacred the Council, their last order was to eradicate them all to stop them from taking command of the Government." The Soldier explained.

"W-What? No that doesn't make any sense, then why I are Grimm in there?" She questioned.

"Don't worry, Ma'am, the situation is under control." The Soldier assured.

"Look, I'm a Detective, alright? I'm good friends with the Chief of Police here, he has given me permission to investigate this. Just look at this." She said as she showed her badge and the Warrant to enter the Academy.

"Negative, it's too dangerous." The Soldier said.

"I can handle myself." She assured, but then all the Raven Talons drew their guns on her, staring her down.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but it's time for you to leave." The soldier sternly commanded, finger on the trigger.

Terra glared at them… and she clenched her hand into a fist. There was nothing she could do, she just stared at the school, feeling a cold chill as she heard the screams inside. "There are children in there…"

The soldiers did not budge. She closed her eyes and had no choice but to turn and walk away, she then felt her Scroll vibrate and she pulled it out and saw the name.

Nathan

She tightened her grip on the scroll to the point that the screen cracked, knowing that Killian had something to do with this in her bones. She then threw her scroll on the ground and stormed off, angrier than she had ever felt towards the man she once called her brother.

"Killian… what have you done?"

Pyrrha

She fell to her knees, her eyes wide after what Darkness had just shown her after the past six years.

The slaughter…

… she knew for certain now. "It's all gone… it really is all gone… isn't it?" She gasped.

"It does not have to stay that way, Pyrrha." Light promised her. "If we defeat Salem then maybe this dark era can come to an end… and something better can come afterwards." She lifted her head and stared at the Shining God.

"How?" She questioned, and the Brother of Darkness looked down at her.

"We must find the Relic of Creation and the Relic of Knowledge – and keep them out of Salem's Hands." Darkness answered. "Destruction and Choice are already in her grasp, alongside the powers from the Summer and Spring Maidens, only Fall and Winter remain."

"Why? Why is this so important to you? You already have admitted you don't care one wit about us. Why do this?" She questioned, and Darkness chuckled.

"You're right, I care not for your existence. I am the Creator of the Grimm after all. However there is a balance to all existence… Salem disrupted that Balance. It must be repaired." Darkness explained.

"How am I supposed to do that?" She questioned… but neither answered… they just disappeared. "How?" She asked again as she looked for them, but neither gave her an answer. "ANSWER ME!" She screamed out, her voice echoing amongst the rustling trees. She then punched the floor with rage, before standing back up on her pained feet. She growled with annoyance at them, they could sometimes be so clear cut with what they were talking about, and then ten seconds later they would go back to cryptic or completely vanish off the face of Remnant once more.

She limped back towards Vale, leaving behind the Forgotten Memorial Grove, and she just started to wander, hoping to find something to eat, and she passed by the Gallows when she noticed a commotion, and someone was forced to their knees – by the Guillotine.

She had not forgotten – only Huntsmen and Huntresses died by the Guillotine.

She watched as the man writhed desperately, she did not recognise him, but the men and women watching spat and threw rocks at him. "Traitor! Murderers! Tried to control us! Burn in hell!" They yelled over and over, until the Spokesman returned.

"As you can plainly see – this was a student who survived the Cleansing at Beacon Academy." He grabbed the back of his head, lifting his face. He had been beaten and tortured, covered in blood as he had his head fitted under the massive blade. "His kind are a blight, one from a world long past. It is said that diseases can linger, return after many years… but if we cut or burn it out? Then none of us will suffer their hellish ways ever again." He said, and immediately pulled the lever, dropping the Guillotine down onto his neck.

Blood sprayed, and his skull dropped into the sack. One of the men grabbed it and laughed, kicking it across the floor. Pyrrha felt sick to her stomach as she looked away, his body slumping from the Execution Device. But as she limped, she bumped into someone, so hard it nearly knocked her hood down. The man did a double take at her, staring at Pyrrha as she pulled the hood back up and started to walk away. "Hey! I swear I recognise your face." He said as he followed her.

"U-Um… no sorry, just a traveller. I doubt you know me." She stammered.

"No, I definitely remember your face. Your pretty mug was all over the place, I worked in the Supermarkets six years ago." He said, he grabbed Pyrrha by the shoulder and turned her around, but she suddenly pushed the Snapped Crocea Mors upwards, pressing the snapped point against his throat.

"Don't you say a goddamn word." She threatened, he stared at her and gasped.

"What the hell? How can you possibly be alive?" He stammered with disbelief. "You're her…"

"No I'm not, I'm nobody. Don't say a word or I will kill you." She warned.

"Paul? Are you okay?" A woman asked as she approached.

"IT'S PYRRHA NIKOS!" He screamed, Pyrrha felt a dark force come over her, and she pushed the blade straight into his throat, killing him, spilling blood over her hand. His body collapsed and she stared at the Spokesman who stared at her. The Black Gallows Soldiers all slowly raised their rifles in her direction.

"Run…" The Brother of Darkness said, and a Nevermore landed atop one of the buildings, roaring at her with its huge wings splayed out. "RUN!" Darkness bellowed, and the soldiers opened fire on her.

Pyrrha quickly sheathed Crocea Mors and she ran as fast as she could, it was hard with her hurt feet but luckily her regenerating aura had healed her feet just enough for her to be able to run for a while.

"STOP HER!" The Spokesman bellowed, but Pyrrha barged through the crowd as the Black Gallows chased after her, and one of the soldiers fired his machine gun up in the air, breaking the crowd. They opened fire on Pyrrha when their line of sight was cleared, so the Spartan threw herself through a window, shattering it. She tumbled across the floor, and a couple screamed, covering their naked bodies with the bedsheet.

"Sorry!" She apologised before she ran through the doors, and opened the other window, jumping down into the garden outside. She kept running but that massive Nevermore was circling the sky. It was so strange, the Nevermore was not attacking yet, like it did not actually want to risk harming the innocents, but it was always following her.

She looked over her shoulder as she ran, seeing the Black Gallows still chasing her, breaking down doors. She kept running, coming out onto a road, and a huge Black Gallows Armoured Personnel Carrier suddenly drifted and blocked one way off, causing Pyrrha to charge through a weak wooden fence, breaking it apart around her as she ran. She held her hand out and used her Polarity to bring down the guttering, creating a small blockage to slow the soldiers down.

"Watch your left!" Light warned.

"Can't you guys help?" Pyrrha begged.

"Our power here is miniscule!" Darkness responded.

"Oh of course it is!" She argued as she ran. Pyrrha jumped and climbed up the side of a building, feeling the slippers falling off, but she kept on moving, her aura could actually protect her feet for now. She sprinted across the rooftops and the Black Gallows caught up with her. But then she looked up as the Nevermore screeched as it flew directly towards her, talons and beak open.

Pyrrha dropped down, sliding underneath the monster, and then sliding down the sloped roof. "AAAAHHH!" Pyrrha screamed, grabbing onto one of the metal gutters to stop herself from falling to her death. It broke and swung her down onto a Metal Catwalk, she ran across it and smashed through another window, running past a kid playing on his game console. "Sorry!" She apologised as she kept on running.

She ran down the stairs, but the Black Gallows busted the front door open. Pyrrha stopped and held out her hand, yanking the saucepan from the Mother's hand. "WHAT THE FUCK?" The Mother screamed as Pyrrha used her Polarity to throw the Saucepan of nice food into the soldiers.

"I'm so sorry, that looked really nice!" Pyrrha called to the mother, then holding out her hand to try and throw the soldiers back, but the Polarity had no affect on their armour anymore. Non-Ferrous metals, damn it! They had learned since she was last alive. Pyrrha turned and she ran to the back door and smashed her shoulder against it, breaking the lock as she fled. The Black Gallows were right behind her as she kept running, she looked back and used her polarity on the chains of a swing, throwing it in front of the soldiers, tripping one of them over.

She ran out into the road, narrowly missing a car, and she looked ahead, spotting there was a way out…

… the Emerald Forest.

"I'll take any escape I can get!" Pyrrha said to herself as she sprinted as fast as she could. Pyrrha looked ahead as the Nevermore landed atop the steeple of a Church, it roared down at her as she ran. She pulled a Drainage Lid from the road, and held it like she would hold Akoúo, and she launched it up towards the Nevermore, it smashed into its head and the huge Bird crashed down into the road. It was not dead, just dazed, and Pyrrha used that chance to get ahead. Cars beeped as the Nevermore got back up, and the angry Grimm roared at the stupid impatient drivers who swiftly hid back inside of their cars.

Pyrrha jumped and climbed over the fence into the Emerald Forest, running into the trees, but both the Nevermore and the Black Gallows were still chasing after her. She sprinted for a while through the trees, dodging the bullets which whistled through the air, cracking through trees as they narrowly missed her. The Nevermore flew through the sky above, casting a huge black shadow over the forest as she fled.

Pyrrha covered her face as Splinters of Wood flew her way from damaged trees as the Black Gallows continued to pursue her.

She stopped, wide eyed, because she found herself at an impasse – where the Bridge had been destroyed years ago, most likely from a storm. There was a huge, raging river, with a current too powerful for her to control.

But she had no other options.

The Black Gallows were closing in, drawing their Aura Breaking Cables, spinning them like Bolas as they approached. "No choice! Screw it!" Pyrrha yelped, jumping into the water, getting dragged into the water. The soldiers stopped at the river's edge, firing their guns at her as she started to drift away from them.

"Damn it! We need to report this to Killian! You three, continue to track her!" The Captain ordered.

"Roger that!" The soldiers nodded, following the river.

Pyrrha struggled in the water, she was a good swimmer but even the best swimmers could not fight this current. She desperately gasped for air as she struggled, hearing the roars of the Nevermore echoing across the Valley, until suddenly…

… the stump of a broken tree smacked into her face.

Knocking her unconscious.

Author Note - Remnant is indeed a very different world to what Pyrrha once knew

This was a really cool chapter to write, showing Pyrrha learning about this whole new world she was resurrected into was so much fun. And showing it for how dark and bleak it really was, and yet there is law and order now. A brutal and extreme one, but not survival of the fittest. You have two types of people, the ones who have grown accustomed to this world, and those who haven't and are very quiet and stay out of it.

The Black Gallows are everywhere now and the Grimm are patrolling the streets like soldiers, a very weird and scary world indeed.

The relationship Pyrrha has with the Brothers Grimm is so much fun to explore, especially considering she seems to talk to Darkness more than Light, that will play an interesting role I can promise you that.

The Inhumane Necessity... seeing it like that? Shows how monstrous that Order was, but Terra is starting to realise what her Brother really is. Bless her, how was she to know that he really was a monster?

Poor Pyrrha, poor gal can't catch a break can she? Althought that chase was fun XD

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!

Stay tuned for the next chapter - The Storm

- Matt