Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/Stay Night or RWBY, or any of its characters.


Taint.

Her taint.

A disease that kills from the inside of the body.

The corruption that devours and extinguishes all life.

She, the one who willingly embraced the taint, had become one with it.

A curse was placed upon herself, and the very lands she walked.

Plague given form of a human being.

All that she desires and tries to caress shall be corrupted and wither away.

The cross that she had to bear for her hubris.

One that she may never admit to being of her own doing.

Forever doomed to be a lonely diseased tree within a forest brimming with life.

That was the preordained destiny that she had eventually come to accept and embrace.

The truth that became her reality.

Or at least… that was what she accepted until that fateful day.

When the night sky shattered like glass, everything changed.

A stab was felt at the core of her very being, the source originating from her very domain.

She had to search for the root of it all.

There, it arose from the very same corruption that had tainted her.

"What sort of abomination are you?"

Animalistic shrieks echoed that night, as the creature rampaged before her.

A mass of moving flesh, bone, and steel.

One single emotion seemingly emanated from it.

Rage.

A rage that burned all that stood in its path… a rage like her own.

The two irregularities were bound to clash.

"... You would dare challenge me?" Bones resounded as they crackled back in place, an inferno born ablaze in her eyes. "Me?!"

A vortex of magical power opposed the storm of blades.

The landscape itself shattering and breaking beneath the force of their might.

Vile black blood was spilled, bubbling and boiling from the woman's wrath.

This was unacceptable.

"Vile beast! Know your place!" Tendrils of energy danced around her hands, illuminating the night sky as her power flared in rage. "Agonize beneath the heel of my wrath!"

"For I am Salem!" She proclaimed coldly, a testament to her absolute authority over the monsters that tormented mankind. "The true Queen of the Grimm!"

And so it was done.

Her enemy laid defeated, yet not dead.

It was merely the beginning.

The chains of fate had shattered and freed the one standing before her, an outer shell of flesh and steel crumbling away to reveal the true abomination hidden within.

An existence that mirrored her own.

"Forgive me…"

Rejecting the pre-established laws of the world, one whose very existence denies the rationality of man.

Perhaps he could also shatter the chains that bound her?


It was late in the afternoon, yet no light illuminated the sky.

Such was the curious case with the area appropriately named the Land of Darkness. Researchers till this day were unable to find the scientific explanation as to why such a phenomenon was possible.

Sunlight simply did not reach these lands. Thus it wasn't at all surprising that there was little to none of the common vegetation and fauna within the area.

As such it was rare for people to venture and explore the landscape, the very lack of life in it hardly made it enticing enough to call their spirit of adventure.

The natural resources that could be found in the area might have been a strong source of temptation for those desiring wealth, however obtaining said resources was far too perilous.

Far too many attempts had been made in this regard and they all resulted in severe loss of human lives.

As such, all knew that these lands were a death sentence for those who dared to venture in.

Very few knew of the many deep secrets the area held. Such as the ancient castle that was erected at the center of it on the highest plateau.

The few that did succeed in discovering this millennial structure, unfortunately, do not get the opportunity to spread the word of their achievement.

The ruler of the castle was one that did not appreciate trespassers.

Her eyes and ears were spread all over her domain, and she was awake and aware at all times.

There will never be an intrusion on her lands without her knowing. Such was the rule of the lands infected with the creatures bent on mankind's destruction.

… However that was only the case until very recently, someone had managed to do the impossible and elude her gaze.

By all means, it should have been impossible for one to enter her territory without her knowledge.

That alone was just one of the many new mysteries that plagued her mind.

Her dreams weren't spared either.

The woman kept rolling and twitching in her bed, making one believe that she was having a nightmare.

There was a pause and her struggling came to a halt, not long before her eyes snapped open and she recoiled in shock.

She stared with wide eyes at her surroundings, taking a moment for her mind to process itself and everything that had happened previously.

"Aghh…" slowly she placed the tips of her fingers on her forehead, the pale digits massaging the aching spot.

It was like a nail was being pulled out as she put in order the disarray thoughts, her head feeling as if a storm took place within it.

.

Slowly her hand slipped down to her lap and she took a moment to stare at where she was.

Confused was one way to describe how she felt. "Did I… fall asleep?"

Such a silly question to some, but to her, it was far more crucial than one could ever realize.

This very simple action was something she grew unaccustomed to. Why wouldn't she, after all, she had long lost the need to rest and sleep like a normal person.

Quite frankly she forgot how it felt.

The woman took a deep breath and let out a tired sigh. "It's been so long."

After sitting on her bed for about an hour and recalling the events that previously transpired, she finally got up and walked into the center of the room.

She voiced a command with her mind and a minute or so later, a creature appeared before her.

This was a creature known as a Grimm, a being of many shapes and forms, known and recognized by all as the enemy of mankind.

The one that was summoned looked like a cross between a jellyfish and calamari. It was easily human-sized and bore a deep red and black coloration.

The most predominant trait it possessed were the hooks at the end of its tendrils and the fangs at the bottom of its head.

This was a Seer, a Grimm that she personally shaped and evolved, capable of acting as a communication device between its kind.

A very useful form of surveillance, its many brothers spread out in her domain, enabling her to keep a close eye on everything that occurs within it.

It also served as an organic phone for her to contact her subjects.

She stared in the Seers foggy dome, waiting for the other line to connect. The tentacle creature eventually let out a soft hiss, signaling success. "Watts, I expect to find you in the throne room within ten minutes."

The reply came in shortly. "It shall be done."

With that out of the way, she ordered the Seer away.

The woman walked to the nearby mirror and gazed at her reflection.

It appeared that she fell asleep fully dressed.

She truly must have been exhausted to let that happen, quite unbecoming of a woman such as herself.

She was Salem after all, an ancient existence and ruler of these lands since time immemorial. A being that had long transcended the logic of mankind.

For those few who knew of her existence, she was seen in different ways.

To her enemies, she was an abomination that should not exist in this world.

To her followers, she was a goddess walking among mortals.

Right now, however, she was a poorly dressed woman.

The dress that she wore was high quality and elegant in nature, but it was also shredded in many areas while other places were covered in dirt and dried up blood.

In other words, her dress was ruined, hurray for that.

With a flick of her wrist, the ruined dress crumbled away to ashes, exposing her bare body to the world.

Her appearance was a bizarre sight when compared to the humans roaming this world.

A chalk-like skin with dark veins covering her extremities, upper chest area, and face paired with a pure white mane of hair that reached all the way to her calves.

What was probably the most disturbing feature for the many that encountered her were without a doubt her eyes.

Blood red eyes surrounded by a pitch-black sclera.

A monster's eyes.

A notion that Salem herself would think to herself whenever she gazed into a mirror. Whenever she recalled the way she used to look.

A silent pause followed as Salem examined the current state of her body, at the bandages wrapped around certain areas.

She actually forgot those were there.

~Badum!

With a frown, she tugged onto the pieces of medical supplies with the intention to rip them off.

~Badum!

She kept tugging on them, yet she could not pull them down.

~Badum!

… Salem hesitated.

Something in her mind made her anxious at what she would find hidden beneath them.

Her frown grew deep in disgust as she realized how pathetic she was acting.

Without any warning she ripped the bandages off, revealing what was hidden beneath them.

What she saw left her utterly baffled.

Closed wounds.

Something that should not exist on her body.

Her fingers trailed across the stitches, a foreign shiver running down her spine as she was hit by discomfort.

They were healing, that much she could tell, but it was far too slow. For her, a being that could regenerate her body in its entirety in a matter of minutes, these wounds were healing far too slow.

… it was almost like she was a regular human.

Red eyes widened in disgust, her fingers yanking back as if she burned them.

No!

She mustn't let such nonsense plague her mind and give rise to any ridiculous ideas ever again.

The time that she allowed herself to be so foolish had long passed.

A long tiring sigh would eventually escape her gray lips, the woman recalling that she had other matters to attend to.

Her display of naked flesh was cut short as a brand new dress similar to the previous one manifested and clothed her.

After a moment of basking in the feeling of silk caressing her skin, she faced the nearby mirror once more and stared at the mess that was her loose unkempt hair.

She waved her hand and a gale of wind manifested around her, circling around her head.

It wasn't long before the previous cascade of hair was tied perfectly in a very large bun behind her head, with six additional small braids hanging off the sides, giving her a visage reminiscent of a deadly spider.

The woman gave herself a nod in approval. It would be unbecoming of her to walk around in a sorry state, she had an image to maintain after all.


Her stroll through the castle was a dull one as always, nothing but the sound of her footsteps and the occasional growling from one of the many Grimm hidden in the shadows.

The sound of the massive doors cracking open was a welcome change as she stepped in the throne room.

"It is good to see you once more, your Grace."

Salem didn't immediately respond and first seated herself, crossing her legs before gazing at the man.

Her expression was one of bored acknowledgment. "You talk as if I've been gone for a long time, Watts."

Arthur Watts could easily sense the subtle irritation in his esteemed leader's tone. While it was rare, her wrath was not something one without a death wish desired.

It was obvious this discussion will be difficult for him.

"It has been a mere two days, however, the lack of your presence has been felt." The middle-aged man remarked courteously. "Tyrian for one would not stay put during this time."

There was no visible reaction from the woman, yet she seemed to ponder on his words. "Two days you say…"

Watts couldn't help but raise a brow at this. "Were you not aware?"

"Time has long lost any real meaning to me, Watts. Decades passing by means very little to me." she waved her hand in dismissal. "Yet, I would be lying if I said I didn't find my two-day slumber a curious situation. Especially when I do not require sleep the same way humans do."

"To be fair, your Grace, when has it been the last time that your hand was forced and required your own interference in battle? " He remarked calmly. "And when was the last time you fought against a being that actually gave you a sliver of challenge?"

If his words were meant to placate Salem, they had the opposite effect.

Red eyes glowed dangerously as she glared at him.

"I would measure my words carefully if I were you, Watts. One would assume you are comparing me to that thing, something which I do not find entertaining."

As confident as Watts was with his words, he couldn't help but swallow a dry lump of air.

Luckily for him, what he said only mildly annoyed Salem and she didn't linger on it, the glow in her eyes dissipating. "Still, you're not wrong. I honestly cannot recall if I was ever challenged in such a way before, not even by Ozma when he was still in his prime."

This had been only one of many that she faced throughout her existence. For as long as she could recall, people had tried to put an end to her existence.

Those seeking justice, those seeking vengeance, those seeking freedom.

They all met the same fate.

She was the one that stood at the apex of power in this world. The ones that had dominance over her had long since abandoned this world, and Ozma, the one man that could pose a threat to her is but a shell of his former self.

It came as a shock to her when she encountered one that was close to beating her.

This very idea was annoying her in many ways.

Yet, also at the same time strangely exhilarating.

"What is the status of the others?"

"Most of them are out of danger and are making quick recoveries in our medical ward," Watts reported, a small snicker forming under his mustache. "Tyrian however will be bedridden for a more extended period of time given that he was the most injured one of the group. He will also require some prosthetic augmentations I'm afraid."

There was no change on the Queen's visage. "As long as he can still be of use, I see little problem."

"How coincidental, he responded exactly the same."

Salem shouldn't have expected anything less from Tyrian, his borderline obsessive dedication towards her was unquestionable. There were however some other people she had certain doubts about. "What of our new recruits?"

Watts took a moment to recall their names, he didn't really bother with them all that much since they were all reckless kids, the kind that tend to get themselves killed in most ludicrous ways. "Emerald had quite a number of stab wounds, but most of them were manageable and did not sustain any long lasting damage to any vital parts. Mercury fortunately only lost his legs, which I can easily replace."

That was easy to do since he had prosthetics, to begin with.

As good as that information was, Salem didn't care that much for the two, it was their team leader however that she had a mild concern about. "What about Cinder?"

"Yes, Cinder... " Watts hummed to himself, unsure of how to explain her current state. "While her injuries are not concerning, her mental state is another story."

That remark intrigued Salem, but not in a good way. "Elaborate."

"I suppose the spectacle that was your fight with the thing was a bit too much for her to handle." The scientist remarked, feeling rather inadequate himself as he recalled the event. "Psychiatry is hardly my field of expertise, but I can speculate that her newly acquired Maiden powers might have been getting to her head, giving her the feeling that she was unstoppable."

He took a moment to caress his mustache. "So imagine the shattering realization of how little she really is even with that power when compared to what you displayed in your fight."

"Children." Salem sighed and endured the urge to roll her eyes. "The moment they acquire a smidgen of power, they believe themselves to be Gods."

It was like a broken record playing since ancient times. The scent of power always intoxicated the weak ones, blinding them to their place in this world.

"This will be a good lesson for her," Salem stated dryly. "She should learn early on how insignificant she truly is in the grand scheme of things."

Cinder's journey had just begun, as is her role on the chessboard that she is building. As it stands Cinder had only attained a fragment of Fall Maiden's powers. Incomplete as they may be, they are still a power that can blind the user with the feeling of absolute superiority.

If she were to let it get to her head even before obtaining the rest, it will most certainly cause problems down the road.

The arrogance and thirst for power of humans is something she had witnessed firsthand countless times, Salem knows how self-destructive it can be.

Salem could care less about Cinder as a person, she only tolerated her because she needed her to act as a vessel. Should she cripple or even kill herself, the most she would feel is a slight annoyance for wasting time on her.

The Queen of the Grimm could only hope this event will serve as a proper life lesson for her and make her see beyond the looking glass.

"Now... about our 'guest'," Salem spoke with ice in her tone, the very air in the room dropping a couple of degrees. "Is it still alive?"

"Surprisingly so, he is," Watts answered directly. "However you may find him to be a bit, let's say, difficult to communicate with."

"In what way?" Salem's eyes narrowed.

"Perhaps it is better to see it with your own eyes." Watts gestured elegantly for her to follow after him, something which Salem reluctantly did.

Their journey lasted about twenty minutes, and judging by the way they kept descending down the staircase towards the dungeon, the thing was being held there, as per her orders.

They eventually arrive in front of a heavily plated set of doors, the kind that one could not dent by mundane means.

Watts stood in front of the doors, proceeding to knock loudly against them.

Immediately after an animalistic screech resounded from within the cell.

The sound honestly took Salem by surprise and almost recoiled back from it.

Almost.

"It seems our guest is awake."

"What is the meaning of this?" The pale woman demanded.

"For the past two days he would wake up for a certain amount of time, then pass out again." the middle-aged man as he recalled the many screaming sessions that took place. "Every time he is conscious he starts screaming his lungs out like a rabid animal. Exhausting himself until he passes out."

He knocked on the cell door once more to prove his point, the screams intensifying. "Rinse and repeat."

A tired sigh was heard beneath the screams, Watts showing his obvious disappointment. "As such communications have been rather fruitless."

This was hardly the sort of explanation she desired. "Have you tried to calm him down in any way?"

"I have administered enough sedatives to knock out a raging bull, but it mostly makes him go into a hissing fit." There was a moment of pause and Watts played with his mustache, inwardly admiring the advanced constitution of the being. "Speaking of which, I'm quite curious how his vocal cords are still in one piece."

Salem nodded lightly and placed her hand over the cell door, small vibrations caused by the animalistic screams surged in her. "So I take it that there hasn't been any progress in identifying who or what he is?"

"You would be correct." Watts nodded. "I've checked all of the security footage planted within our territory but it was all for nothing, there was never a breach."

"Then where did he come from Watts?" her dark fingernails trailed along with the doors' metallic surface. "He couldn't just appear out of thin air."

"That isn't out of the question, your Grace." The middle-aged man speculated. "He might have infiltrated your territory via a semblance of some kind."

Salem took a moment to ponder on that. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility. With the sheer number of diversity they can take, it would be the logical explanation. "Are you suggesting he might possess a semblance similar to the leader of the Branwen tribe?"

"Either he possesses it or was helped by an individual possessing one." Watts paused and kept listening to the screams, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Though it may be the latter, otherwise I don't see what is stopping him from using it to escape his cell."

If he indeed had any sort of ability that allowed him to sneak on them like this, then by all means he should've used it by now instead of slowly rotting away in a cell.

That was of course if he had any ability that functioned in such a way. For all he knew, there may be some sort of conditional trigger that needs to be activated in order to be utilized.

Or perhaps it was a type of concealment semblance, which would be completely useless when considering how he is restrained from head to toe.

So many options and variables, so little time and so oh so little cooperation from the prisoner.

The doctor had so many questions piled up on his notepad.

Though there were some more important to him for personal matters. "Besides, I'm far more intrigued if those abilities he used to battle you were all the result of a singular semblance or something else entirely."

What he saw in the battle could not be the result of a mere semblance no matter how strong it may be.

Those displays were akin to one having taken some of the best of augmentation and combat semblances and implanted them in one singular entity.

Which many in the world of Remnant would find preposterous, since a semblance is a unique and singular ability an individual can have, that's been an undeniable fact since their very discovery.

Then again, to men of science like Arthur Watts, sometimes the things that have been labeled as 'impossible' are merely something that has yet to be properly understood or analyzed. It was the very same with the idea of a person possessing multiple semblances, it is not as ridiculous as some made it.

Individuals such as Marcus Black did exist.

Existed.

Such a shame the man died before he could conduct some tests on him.

Watts personally was quite disappointed when Cinder brought back his son instead when she tried to recruit him.

The good doctor was fairly certain young Mercury would fail to be as useful in their endeavors as his father could've been.

"That wasn't a semblance."

Watts broke out of his mental debate and stared curiously at the Grimm Queen. "I'm sorry, but how can you be so sure it wasn't-"

"That wasn't a semblance." She reiterated, the dangerous glow returning to her eyes. "I've seen many things, Watts, so I know. That power he displayed was not a mere semblance."

She took a moment and stared at her fingers, dark energies swirling around them menacingly. "It was something closer to my own powers".

Powers that have long become extinct in this world.

Magic.

The primordial force of nature, gifted to them by the Gods of old.

Only fragments of the lost mystic arts remain in this world.

And she was the sole remaining existence still able to invoke it in its purest form, the final user left capable of utilizing it to its full extent.

Not a crippled husk like Ozma or fragmented pieces like the Maidens.

For all intent and purposes, magic has become extinct in this world.

Yet, behind those steel doors, chained inside was a being that displayed powers similar to that of the lost magic.

Salem had many doubts about this, but her mind refused to write off what she saw and experienced as a poultry semblance.

Questions had to be answered, one way or another.

"Were you able to learn anything after inspecting his belongings?"

"Very little." Watts shook his head. "His clothes were utterly tattered, and whatever objects he may have kept on his person were ruined beyond recognition."

"So we have little to no knowledge of him." Salem sighed in mild annoyance. "That is something I need to correct."

She slid her hand over the cell's doors, her magic forcing the locks to undo and for the massive steel doors to open for her.

The doctor felt a wave of unease as he understood what was about to happen. "Are you sure you wish to speak with him unattended?"

"Watts." her voice was flat, but a dark smirk was present on her face. "Do you think I'm the one who needs protection from him?"

It was clear as day.

As it stands, the thing inside the cell was dangerous. So much so that he single-handedly almost killed all of them.

Salem being the sole exception.

Only she was capable of fighting on equal footing and defeating him. It didn't take a genius to realize that out of everyone present in the castle, she is the only one capable of stopping him should things go awry.

Which is something the doctor was honestly glad about. After almost getting his head chopped off by a giant sword, he quite frankly wasn't too eager on being alone with their prisoner. "Of course not, your benevolence is most welcome."

Salem silently turned around and forced the doors to close as she stepped in. "Go and tend to the others, I want them back on their feet as soon as possible."

"It shall be done." Watts nodded as the doors closed.

The doctor could only hope that no further incident would arise.


Dark.

That was one way of describing the cell Salem stepped in. Now that she thought about it, this cell hasn't seen any residents in a long time, give or take a few hundred years.

It didn't even have electricity installed in it.

Though in hindsight there were many wings and sections in her castle that lacked modern facilities or equipment.

She did tell Watts that he had free reign to add whatever upgrades he sought fit, which he most likely applied to the areas he and the others utilize.

Not that this was a problem for her.

The Grimm Queen brought her hand forward, in the palm of her hand a ball of wildfire manifested, exploding and scattering in the room, hitting and igniting the candles in the cells, bringing a soft dim orange light to the cell.

Allowing her to see the person strapped against the wall.

The restraints she made before falling asleep had done their job. Black flesh tentacles throbbed as they held the prisoner strapped against the wall, bulging eyes embedded in them staring back at her.

What Salem found curious was how silent her prisoners suddenly became the moment she entered the cell.

She took a step forward and her heel made a loud clanking sound against the stone floor. The sound caused him to twitch and stir, slowly he lifted his head, before long her eyes made contact with his.

This was the first time she got a close look at his face without anything else distracting her.

Chalk-like white skin.

A mop of pure white hair.

Vein-like marks spread across his body.

Such peculiar emotions were rushing through her.

It was like looking into a distorted mirror. The similarities she saw made her feel very uncomfortable.

Disturbing was a good word.

Still, there were some particular differences between them.

The entirety of his left arm was pitch black as if it was charred. With the dark surface extending in small tendril-like marks, as if reaching down his pectoral towards his heart.

A black circle lay at the center of his chest, glowing in eerie violet color.

Lastly were his eyes.

Pitch black like her own, but they were a pale yellow, not red like hers.

So similar, yet different at the same time.

The Queen took a deep breath as she took all of this in.

Now that she saw it first hand, at what was chained before her, there was only one thought that lingered in her mind.

Disappointment.

Was this really it?

That abomination that stood on the same threshold as her?

A mere child?

He couldn't be any older than Cinder or her two lackeys.

Salem couldn't help but chuckle in a condescending manner.

"My, aren't you a pathetic sight."

It was at the sound of her voice that the boy finally reached.

He screamed.

Struggling and pulling at his restraints in a blind attempt to reach her.

Quite similar to how some dogs would bark and pull violently on their leash.

A sight perhaps far too similar to a said dog. Right now he was more bark than bite.

Just as Salem had previously stated, he looked absolutely pathetic.

"What's the matter, did your mother not teach you proper manners?" Salem asked, condescending as she got closer to him. "Or am I not important enough to receive a mere greeting?"

Her questions were answered by more howling, which Salem found rather annoying. "You can keep growling as you please, it will only make things more difficult for you."

In spite of twisting so violently within his restraints, her eyes never wandered to the arms that could snap her neck or the legs that could stomp her heart should they get free.

Her unfettered attention was fixated on his face.

At those eyes of his.

Unfettered rage burning in them. A flame meant to scare away all who dared to approach.

A futile effort to hide what really lay behind it.

A gaze that she herself knew all too well.

It disgusted her.

Pale hands whipped instantly at him, grabbing onto his face, locking it in place.

Her black nails dug in the boy's face, squeezing and pulling him close to her, making sure he looked her dead in the eyes.

This action made the boy go silent, but his face was still morphed in an animalistic snarl.

It mattered little, so long as she got his attention.

The red orbs of the disturbing woman glowed menacingly as she spoke.

"I do not know who or what you are, but do not think for a moment that you are fooling me, child," Salem stated coldly, any of the pretenses she previously had gone and replaced by bitter fury. She eventually let go of him and let his head drop back in its place, slowly making her way to the exit. "Expect my visit tomorrow at the same hour, it would be in your best interest to cease this nonsense by then."

The very moment her foot stepped out of the cell, whatever stupor the boy was in got lifted and he reverted back to a howling animal.

This guest will be a difficult one, that much Salem was aware of.

Salem halted in her tracks as she felt something warm trickle down her fingers.

It was blood.

She most likely had dug her nails too strongly in the boy's face.

Her gaze remained fixated at the liquid coating her black nails, lips parting ever so slightly in bewilderment.

Slowly she lifted her opposing hand all the way to her throat, slicing it in a swift motion.

Before her clothes had the chance to get stained, the wound closed and healed itself, unblemished skin returning.

She lifted both hands up in the air and gazed at the sets of blood coating them.

During her fight with the boy, she failed to notice this key difference between the two of them.

Her blood was pitch black.

The boy's blood was red… like a normal human.

… Truly peculiar.

The more Salem learned about him, the more confused she grew.

She will get answers.

One way or another.

The one question however that perhaps plagued her mind the most was his final words at the end of their battle.

Those words seemed like nothing but a desperate plea.

To her, much to her own confusion, they held an unbearable weight.

"Forgive me."


What Salem had done in that cell, regardless of her awareness, was something that temporarily dimmed the rage that was eating the boy from the inside.

Or perhaps she did realize?

Of what sort of internal struggle might be taking place within the boy.

If so, her choice to leave him alone in this dark cell was the cruelest one she could've taken.

Without someone or something to keep his mind occupied, the boy was now left to wallow in his own despair.

All he could do was roar.

He struggled in his binds, a primal rage burned within him as the tentacles kept him at bay.

Die!

Die!

Die!

The monster had won.

Devouring all that he ever cared about.

It stood there, waiting for the time of birth.

"We are too late."

Those words severed whatever thread of hope he may have had left.

He knew it deep down.

Admitting it was however impossible.

"It breaks my heart to say this…"

He already knew what she would say.

"You have to put an end to this."

In a single moment.

The world turned to glass and shattered.

At that moment, his heart shattered.

All that was left was a husk that acted on its final directive.

"Please… end it…"

Cracks spread on his body as his last weapon was created.

"Shirou."

The world was engulfed in light, consuming all that it reached.

He was no exception.

Not that he cared anymore.

There was nothing left for him.

Not even his own self.

He roared like a feral beast.


Author Note:

So apparently after who knows how long, I come back with this thing.

A RWBY fic of all things.

Yep, sometimes i wonder if i'm a masochist that likes complicating himself to induce self torture.

My questionable mentality aside, I do like the RWBY series and its characters as a concept, but as most of you can agree, it was poorly executed in so many ways due to RT being the genius that they are.

Most of the time nowadays I'm just cheering for Salem to go all Thanos on the cast and it has a bad ending, just so they are forced to re-adapt the series and get some actual writers this time around for it.

Okay, imma stop the ranting right there before it degenerates…. Like it always happens, when a RWBY debate is made.

Now regarding this story.

The man, the myth, the legend that is Alex-Kellar has hosted another fanfic contest and decided to participate this time around. A bit late with this, but at least I got to submit something this time around.

And so, this thing will be focused on Salem and the dark side of RWBY.

While I doubt I will give her character the justice she deserves, I doubt I can do a worse job than RT.

Also, I may or may not have got corrupted by Coeur Al'Aran's 'White sheep'. Interpret that warning however you want.

The second chapter of this is almost done, so it will probably be updated in 2 days, 3 tops.

I also find Salem's whole Grimm look super hot, judge me all you want.


Don't forget to review... no seriously review; I could use some constructive criticism.