Hey guys, first I want to apologize upfront as I am going to probably go on a 1-month hiatus for exams, granted I should have a chapter out for the anniversary of the fic, but yeah, exam mode so I'll be gone for at least 25 days.

Also over on my Twitter I edited a map of the Dark Continent of Remnant if you guys want to check that out, its teasing what I have planned for Volume 9 and 10.


Chapter 84: The Worst Monsters Are Inside Us


-Salem's Castle, Dark Continent of Pandora-

The air was thick and heavy after their loss at Atlas. The Dark Continent's atmosphere was always dismal and nightmare-inducing, but today it was especially vile.

Every creature that had a semblance of instinct could feel the tremendous spite that poisoned the very air itself. It was almost like an invisible dark cloud hung over the dark fortress, even the Grimm dared not approach without reason.

Emerald and Mercury cautiously wandered into the meeting hall, the dark presence building pressure that made their shoulders unconsciously tense from the threat. The two had been out of action since the Fall of Mistral, as Salem had deemed their assistance unnecessary.

"Any idea why the big boss lady called us back?" Mercury voiced, not even daring to kick his feet onto the table as he usually did. He knew better than to show any form of disrespect when the situation was like this.

Emerald took her seat opposite to him, not able to meet his gaze, "I… don't know. I thought we had a few more weeks left on our assignment…"

As they conversed, the doors to the chamber swung open as a mass of dark energy flowed in accompanied by the queen herself. Though her expression was stoic, there was no hiding the telltale signs of aggravation. Following closely behind her was one they'd never met before. She bore a striking resemblance to one Ruby Rose.

"Now that we're all here…" Salem said as the unknown figure took a seat obediently. "Allow me to welcome you back, Emerald, Mercury," she said idly.

"We exist to serve your majesty," the two said and bowed their heads.

Salem didn't bat an eye, she could tell they were withholding their curiosities out of fear, "Do you not have questions? Feel free to speak up child," she eyed Emerald.

The green-haired girl held back a nervous shudder under her glare, "Y-Your majesty… where is Cinder and Onyx…?"

At the mention of their names Salem grit her teeth, "Due to unfortunate circumstances, young Cinder Fall and Onyx are missing in action." She crossed the room and stopped at the unknown woman and rested a hand on her head, "Which is why I will introduce you two, to your new comrade… or rather my oldest comrade. This is Summer Rose."

Emerald's eyes widened, "WAIT ISN'T THAT…?!"

"Indeed, Ruby Rose's mother," Salem released Summer's face and walked back to the large window at the forefront of the room, "You need not worry. She has become our complete ally now…"

Emerald sat down bowing her head, "Then… your majesty. What do we do now?"

"Now, we bide our time. We wait." Salem said almost distastefully.

Mercury was one to speak up now, "You brought us back to tell us… to do nothing?"

"Not nothing child," Salem beckoned them over to the glass. Swallowing hesitantly, Emerald strode to her side as Salem grasped her shoulder firmly, Mercury right behind. "Tell me, what do you see…"

As the two gazed onto the vast expanse of brimstone and dark rock, the oozing black pools of Grimm.

"I see… Grimm?" Mercury voiced. Salem rolled her eyes at his bland observation.

Emerald held her gaze firm, squinting her eyes as she chose her words carefully, "It's… empty."

Salem smirked, "Very astute my child. Our forces have dwindled tremendously. I've lost several strong and unique Grimm and most importantly I've lost two of my most powerful commanders. We may have gotten a desirable outcome from the assault on Atlas, but our losses were severe…" she clenched her fists in fury. The darkness around her became almost suffocating.

"But, there is one silver lining…" the queen finally said after reigning in the darkness.

At that moment Tyrian Callows stumbled in accompanied by the hulking Wendigo Grimm. The normally mad lunatic was pacified as his bouncy nature had devolved into an idle strut.

"Tyrian," Salem addressed him as he entered, "I trust that your brother has carried out the plan?"

Tyrian sat on the chair, his new tail drooping, "He has, my queen, but…"

"His untimely demise. I am aware." Salem addressed him.

"That…" Tyrian clawed at his face, "THAT ACCURSED HATCHLING MURDERED MY BROTHER IN COLD BLOOD!"

"I am aware you want revenge my dear Tyrian, but the plan has already taken hold. His death was not in vain…"

Emerald perked up, "Plan…?"

Salem smirked, "Tell me Emerald, those children… whatever they call themselves. What do you think of them?"

Emerald pondered for a moment, "They are… strong. Each one of them on their own is very powerful. At first, they weren't much of a threat, simply bumps in the road but now… they can no longer be ignored. Especially their leaders, Nova and Ruby."

The Grimm Queen smiled slyly, "Think of their structure, the team and their forces at Vacuo. I envision it as a pantheon. Their forces are the roof, the team members are the pillars." Salem folded her arms, "Young prince Nova and his dearly betrothed Ruby Rose are the strongest of those pillars. They are the ones holding up the most weight. What do you think would happen when you corrode one of the main pillars?"

Emerald frowned as she began thinking, envisioning the metaphor before responding, "Well… if the weight is distributed evenly across the pillars then if one falls… the next one will try to keep the structure but eventually it will begin to fall too… if the two main pillars break then the roof will collapse very quickly despite the efforts of the other pillars…"

"I can see why Cinder took such pride in you," Salem smirked, "The White Fang has infected the dear prince with my latest creation. A Grimm that infects the blood and poisons the mind," she flexed her long nails, "It was quite a bit of effort to create something that could withstand that brat's body… but Onyx's analysis of his biology proved very useful. It's only a matter of time before Nova falls to corruption and becomes a rampaging monster that can no longer differentiate friend from foe."

Emerald gasped, "That's… how long will that take?"

Salem hummed, "It can vary. The brat has proven his resilience, which is why we had a special… boosting event in place to jump-start it," she chuckled darkly, "His hands are now stained with more blood than he was ever prepared for. He will fall, and when he does… we will claim our victory."

"Then… what should we do?" Mercury asked, finally finding his voice.

Salem looked at him and smiled, "For now… we're going to make you worthy of standing against them…"

"How do you plan on doing…"

The crystal ball Grimm floated in cutting Mercury off, clicking morbidly as its tendrils loomed near his face causing him to recoil.

"By making you like me…" Salem smiled coldly.


-Vacuo, Shade Academy-

The funeral took place the next evening, the team, Citrine and the others were gathered on the plateau cliff, facing the open desert. The air was still and frigid as the small gathering congregated on the Academy grounds, solemn looks plastered on the faces of everyone there.

There were no grand decorations or a plethora of food, and there was only one buried mound since the only body recovered was Skye's. The most tangible thing present was the simmering dark feelings of everyone there.

Facing the academy, just on the edge of the cliff were two plaques, one engraved with the Flareheart symbol and on it wrote 'Bortz 'Flint' Flareheart. A Father, an Engineer, and a Friend'.

The other wrote 'Skye, Operator Nine, Sister with a Heart of Gold.

Nova took to the front with Gauge, the two had spent the entire day crafting these memorials together, and in that time Nova had come to understand more about the boy who shared his DNA. He hadn't fully grasped the whole 'clone' ordeal, but he was willing to accept Gauge as a person.

"My family, friends," the dragon began, "Most of you all know by now, as of twenty-four hours ago, our father," he gestured for Luna to join him, "Passed away."

The dragon swallowed dry, "Skye, though we did know her well, also passed not too long before."

Gauge flinched but kept his cool, but Nova could see he was trying to reign in his feelings.

Nova cleared his throat, "I… I'm not sure how to talk about my dad, for all intents and purposes… I barely knew him. Tragedy separated us," he held his sister close, "And tragedy took him from us, so I guess I should start at the beginning."

"From what I remember of my dad as a kid, he was always working. He never stopped working," he laughed airily, "Despite that, he always spared his free time for us. He was warm, and caring to those he considered family, and friendly to those he didn't know. I remember wanting to be like him as a kid… he was a symbol of strength in our family. He endured years of pain and struggle in hopes of one day he'd get to see us again... and for a brief moment, he got his wish."

The dragon felt tears brimming in his eyes, his body felt weak but he pressed on, "I don't think he had many regrets when he passed. I'm not going to sugar-coat it, he didn't get to live a full life, he was afflicted by the cruelty of fate and those that put him on that path, but in the end, he found just a little happiness."

The elder Flareheart sibling began to choke up so he passed the stage to his sister.

Luna gripped her brother's arm tightly as she spoke up, her voice shaking, "I didn't really know dad… honestly I don't remember much of my childhood before the tragedy. Nova did his best to fill that hole so I can't say I would have known what it was like to grow up with my dad. I would have loved to have gotten to know him, he was so sweet and loving to the daughter he barely knew… I just… he deserved better…" she broke into sobs, burying her face in Nova's chest as the older dragon stroked her hair tenderly.

Elain took to the stage now, she had a glassy-eyed expression marring her features, "My husband was an amazing man. He was a genius in his field and above all else was the kindest, sweetest, most loving person I've ever met. He was like an unbreakable diamond, he never faltered in even the worst of times. It took real struggle to make him crack, and he would always recover quickly. I loved him, to the very depths of his soul and I will always love him."

The wolf Faunus took a deep breath and wiped the stray tears from her face, "I… remember when we had Nova. Flint spent every waking hour of the day in the hospital, he took every measure to ensure I was comfortable after childbirth and… I still remember the days he would hold Nova in his arms and sing him to sleep at night. When Luna was born, Flint was on cloud nine, he was willing to go above and beyond for his daughter. He had planned so many things for them, how he was going to teach the kids how to be engineers, to give them the best life he could give…" she was quickly breaking down as she spoke, "I curse the people that took all that away from him," she turned to the grave, "I promise you darling… they will pay in blood."

When Elain was done, a deep silence filled the air, not even the owls were crying.

Gauge gripped his arm tightly as he shakily walked to the centre, "H-Hey everyone," he started off unsure.

"I… most of you don't know me. My name is Gauge… no last name. I was born in a lab with my sister Skye, we were clones of Nova," no one dared say a word. They wanted to respect his courage.

Gauge took the silence as his motion to continue, "W-When we were born, we didn't have names. Just Agents and numbers assigned to us. As experiments, we were trained to only carry out orders… but Skye was different. She always felt we had a bigger purpose in life… it was her idea to give us names. She gave named me, she was my emotional support in the short time I've been on this earth, and she was the closest thing to a friend I ever had. It… honestly doesn't feel real that she's gone. I just feel like I'm going to wake up tomorrow and she'll be sitting in my room with that stupid grin on her face…" his eyes were distant.

"I don't have any family, she was the only one I had left… and now she's gone…" his voice cracked as his knees threatened to buckle beneath him.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself, but her last words to me were to promise to live for the both of us… so I guess that's where I'll start," he turned to her grave, "I promise you, Skye, I'll do my best… for both of us."

The funeral ended with Elain bringing out Flint's brain and placing it on a small bonfire at the edge of the cliff. Luna held Nova's right hand while he used his left to generate a bright orange flame and placed it on the dry wood.


The fire burned long into the night as everyone began to disperse. Ruby and Oscar hung back with the Flareheart siblings and Gauge as they spared a few minutes to watch the fire embers die out.

Ruby held Nova's hand in hers as he stared out to the open sky, leaning her head on his shoulder as she relayed feelings of comfort and reassurance to him. Tenderly he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead, "Yeah, I know, but we'll just have to make sure we don't lose anyone else."

As he glanced over he noticed Gauge still standing there, looking down at Skye's grave in silent contemplation.

He unlinked his arms from Ruby and walked over to the young boy and put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey… Gauge?"

The one in question glanced up, his face hazy from grief, "Oh… sorry. Was I… loitering around?" he looked as if he needed permission to be there, and Nova felt a wave of sympathy wash over him.

He'd been in that same position before, but even then he'd had his sister to keep him focused. Right now, Gauge had no one.

"Gauge, listen… you said you had nowhere to go right?" Nova started awkwardly.

Gauge instantly became alert, "I… yes. It's fine, I can make it out there on my own. I got a wealth of knowledge programmed into me… I'm sure I can manage…" he looked like a kicked puppy.

Nova sighed and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, "I get that you want to try and live on your own, but… what about staying here? With us?"

Gauge was taken aback, "What? I can't encroach on you any more than I already have… I know you're like my genetic father or something but you don't need to take responsibility for that."

Nova snickered, "No, not like that. I mean… you're a strong fighter, you've seen Salem's plans and you know more than most of us when it comes to them. If you're really looking for purpose, a place to call home… then you can join our team."

He looked at the dragon with hesitance, "I… I'm not sure…"

Nova shrugged, "You don't have to decide right now. Citrine can hook you up with a room, and you are your own person. You're free to make your own choices, but if you want to join us at the frontlines and take a shot at the people that did this… then our doors are open."

"I… I'll think about it." Gauge said briefly as he nodded a thank you.


The walk back to Ruby and Nova's room felt longer than usual. Every step Nova took was wearing him down as a painful throbbing sensation came back to his head. It pounded, hammering at the inside of his skull, threatening to break it open from the inside. His peripheral vision blurred, the lines between reality and delusion mixing as his breathing became ragged and shallow.

Every time he blinked, he saw six red eyes staring back at him from the dark. He wanted to chalk it up to a hallucination from exhaustion but it felt painfully real.

Ruby sensed his discomfort, "Hey, love, are you alright?" she could tell something was wrong, but there wasn't a clear indication of the extent.

Nova teetered as they stepped through the hallway, he felt the blood rushing to the surface of his skin, "I… I'm fine. I'm just tired…" his vision began to blur as he wobbled on his feet. They were just a corner away from their door. If he could just make it before…

Suddenly his vision began dipping upward before he registered his body falling forward.

"NOVA!" Ruby yelled as she caught him in her arms.

"I… I'm okay… I'm… fine…" he panted heavily, his cheeks flushed and his eyes shut, beads of sweat trickling down his face as his breath came in uneven bursts.

Ruby placed her palm on his forehead and recoiled in alarm, "Shit! Nova, you're burning up!"

He snorted weakly, "That's… normal…"

Groaning she hoisted him in her arms bridal style, "No you're not! I know you're normal temperature and this is borderline boiling!"

"Just… hot… why is it so hot?!" he groaned, for the first time in his life he was complaining about the heat.

She felt his forehead again and then checked his eyes. His pupils were dilating and unfocused.

"I need to get you to Elain, this isn't normal…"

Ruby contemplated using her semblance but in his weakened state, she wasn't sure how he would fair. Instead, she broke into a full-on sprint, bolting past their door and straight to the infirmary.


It was nearing midnight when Ruby arrived in the medical ward, exhausted and out of breath, carrying a barely conscious Nova in her arms.

"ELAIN! I NEED HELP!" she shouted, panic filling her voice with unsteadiness.

The wolf Faunus, who was nodding off at her desk, bolted awake and turned to the sound of the noise, "W-What?"

Ruby rushed over and put Nova on the bed, "Something's wrong with him! He's got a soaring fever and he's barely conscious. I think he's sick!"

Elain startled out of her sleepy haze, immediately went to check on her son, hooking up the various monitors as she began performing routine checks.

Ruby waited patiently at his side while Elain performed a full medical sweep of the dragon. First his heart, then his breathing, his eyes and his vein colouring. When she was done she turned to Ruby looking perplexed and worried.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked unsteadily.

Elain shook her head, "That's the problem… aside from an intense fever and unsteady brainwaves from exhaustion… he doesn't have any disease that I'm aware of."

"T-There has to be something wrong. This isn't normal exhaustion… I'm sure of it."

Elain nodded and tried to apply her semblance, trying to locate any abnormalities with the boy. Her blue Aura flowed over his and for a few moments, Nova's breath seemed to stabilise before Elain was hit with a powerful burst of black energy and she recoiled in pain.

"FUCK!" she yelled, shaking her hands, "There is definitely something abnormally wrong here. The problem is… I don't fucking know what!"

Ruby looked at Nova who was steadily becoming worse, beads of perspiration began streaming down his face in rivers as his temperatures shot up again, his skin paling.

"It's not poison," Elain began inspecting his pulse, "Shit… his heart rate is spiking."

Ruby leaned into their connection, desperately appealing to Nova, "Sweetheart… you're going to be fine. Your mom will fix you up soon, so hold on…"

Nova grunted as he reached out for her, he was barely conscious but he knew where she was. Ruby took his scalding palm and held it tightly, as she did his breathing seemed to even.

"I don't know what you just did but keep doing it," Elain said as she began putting probes on Nova's forehead, "Can you think of anything that happened recently? Like back in the facility?"

Ruby scrunched her forehead in concentration as she tried to recall what happened, "There was fighting… Gauge shot him but Nova blocked it… but I think it still did something to him," her mind recalled the main fight, "Wait! During the fight Nova started getting these really dark thoughts… like they were uncharacteristic of him. I think it has something to do with what he got hit with…"

Elain nodded, "Go back and find Gauge, see if you can get some answers out of him. I'll stay here and keep an eye on my son."


Ruby didn't spare a moment of hesitation as she petal burst all the way back down the corridors, almost colliding with Gauge on the way out.

"YOU!" she snarled venomously, the rage uncharacteristic of the normally gentle girl. It seemed that Nova in danger had brought forth her protective instincts, and at this moment her anger was directed at the boy before her.

Gauge, startled at her sudden animosity, jumped back, "W-What?!"

"Back in the facility, you shot Nova with something. WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Gauge could see her Aura physically trembling the air around her as her eyes were glaring dragon slits at him, "I don't know! I swear! Did something happen?!"

"You better tell the truth or I swear to god…" she reached for Crescent Rose, "Nova is in bed with a roasting fever and barely conscious. I'm almost a hundred percent sure it has something to do with what you shot him with. Now tell me, WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?!"

Gauge frantically raised his hands in surrender, the raging murderous intent directed toward him combined with the intense Aura was suffocating, "I swear on my life, I don't know what I did!"

"How can you not know?!"

"At the time, Stein just handed me a white bullet and told me to shoot Nova. I don't know what it was, all I know is that when I shot it and he blocked it, the bullet shell turned into some kind of Grimm Spider that bit him and that's it! I don't know what it did or if it was even supposed to do anything at all!"

Ruby furiously scanned his body language and eyes until she was sure he was telling the truth. She calmed down and the suffocating feeling around Gauge eased up altogether.

"Is that all? Nothing else?" Ruby glowered, still angry.

He nodded, "Stein just said that it was some new plan. I swear I don't know any more than that."

She took a deep breath and moved her hands away from Crescent Rose, "Fine, I believe you. I can't fault you for just doing your job."

Gauge shook his head, "No, I am still partially to blame… so if there's anything I can do… please just tell me."

Ruby turned to walk back to the infirmary, sparing a moment to glance back, "Just… let me know if you remember anything. You can find me or Elain in the medical ward." With that, she left in a burst of petals.


Scrambling back through the doors of the medical ward she found Nova on the bed, finally asleep as Elain had just retracted a syringe filled with his blood.

"Oh good, you're back," Elain tried to sound as calm as possible, "Did you get anything?"

Ruby shook her head, "Gauge said some type of Spider Grimm bit Nova and caused this but that's it…" she looked at Nova's sleeping form. His brows were furrowed in pain and his usual caramel skin was sickly pale. Their connection was filled with groans of pain and delirious sounds.

"FUCK!" the reaper clenched her fists so hard they bled. "FIRST HIS DAD AND NOW THIS?!"

Elain sighed and walked over to her, embracing the younger girl, "I know… it has been a rough few days, but getting angry won't solve anything."

Ruby buried her head in Elain's chest, "Sorry," she mumbled, "It's just so frustrating…"

"Shhh," Elain soothed her, "There is something you can do for me right now."

Ruby nodded and looked up, "Anything."

"You said something bit him right?"

Ruby nodded again in affirmation.

"Well, it's a good thing I took a blood sample. I'm going to spend some time analysing it and running a few tests. In the meantime, there's not much I can do for him here. What he needs is to rest in comfort, so… can you take him back to your room and look after him until I can find a cure for whatever is doing this?"

Ruby spared a glance at Nova, the pain on his face was disheartening. She walked over to his side and slipped her hand into his outstretched, open palm. His fingers tenderly closed around hers and the pain on his face was alleviated to a degree.

"I'll take him back. Is there anything I need to do specifically?" she asked, picking him up bridal style again.

Elain nodded, "Keep him hydrated, the fever has him perspiring a lot so, you'll also need to wipe down his sweat and keep him cool. I know he's built for high temperatures but this can't be good for his organs… normally I wouldn't be worried because of the nanomachines but there's no telling what could be going on in his body right now. It's best to play it safe."

"What about food? He's going to need to eat…" Ruby said, hesitantly looking at his face.

"Nothing complex. Soups, fruit, if he's conscious that is. The important thing is to keep him hydrated, if it gets terrible then I can supply you with some IV bags but I'm hoping he's strong enough to regain consciousness tomorrow."

Ruby sighed, "I hope so too…"

"And Ruby?" the reaper turned around, "He's going to be fine. You know him better than I do… he's a real fighter."

The red leader offered a sad smile, "Yeah… he is."


She ventured back to their room, placed Nova down on their bed and began undressing him, quelling the furious blush building in her system as she reminded herself that he was in pain and its not like she hadn't seen it all before.

Nova barely registered the feeling of his shirt coming off and his jeans followed, leaving him in just a pair of shorts on the bed. Despite the lack of clothing the room seemed to still remain hot, beads of perspiration trickling down his chest and face.

Peeling his eyes open he saw his beloved, concern marring her features as she was drying him with a towel, "R-Ruby…?" he asked deliriously.

Her expression softened as she used her free left hand to cup his face, "I'm here my love."

A painful stabbing sensation shot through his head like someone took an ice pick and jammed it into his brain, and unlike normal ice-pick headaches, this one persisted, forcing a pained groan from his throat.

"It's going to be okay, Nova. I'll take care of you…" she cooed, kissing his scalding forehead. She left to get some ice and a cloth to cool his forehead, leaving the dragon alone in the room with the creeping darkness that seeped around his eyes, dancing out of the corner of his vision.

"Having fun~?" the strange voice returned, sinisterly mocking his plight.

"Is… this your doing…?" Nova asked back, struggling to even retain his thoughts.

The voice snickered, "This isn't really my fault… it's mostly yours…"

"The fuck do you mean?"

"Well, I was originally sent to seep darkness into your mind, but your body registered me as a disease. Your semblance is acting like your immune system."

Nova snarled, "The fuck?! Get out of me!"

"Nope! You're stuck with me, and I love what your own body is doing to you. Semblances and Grimm don't mix, yet here we are. An unstoppable force meets an immovable object. Your body trying to fight me off while repairing itself, while I'm unable to die and constantly damaging you. Salem really did wonderful things making me…"

"So you are Salem's creation. I should have known…"

Nova could feel it sneering at him as it said, "Of course, engineered just to make you suffer. I can't wait to see what's going to break first… your mind, or your body!"

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!" Nova roared.

Like a ray of light in the dark, Ruby's voice echoed into his head, "Love, are you okay?! What's going on?!"

The voice hissed and began retreating into the depths of Nova's mind.

"That stupid voice is back… it's… in my blood…" Nova relayed the past conversation to her and she gasped.

The door sprang open as she rushed inside and dabbed his forehead with an ice cloth.

"How do we get it out of you?!" Ruby asked, gently caressing his face.

He shuffled around, trying to sit up but the very act made him dizzy and forced him back onto the bed, "Not… sure. Maybe mom will find something… god I'm so tired…"

Ruby dried him off once more and fed him some water, "Then rest, my prince… regain your strength…"

She got up to give him space when his hand reached out and clutched hers, "Don't… leave… please…" he pleaded, his voice sounding so sorrowful.

The reaper felt her heart crack at the sight and decided to just toss her jacket and cloak onto the couch. Kicking her shoes off and climbing into bed with him, she held him close, his skin burning.

"You… don't have to do that… I just… need you close," Nova struggled, noticing the redness of her skin where she held him.

She shook her head furiously, holding him tighter, "I'm not letting you go. Whatever it is, it goes away when I get close. If I have to suffer a few burns to make you better then it's a small price to pay."

"But… you'll get hurt…!" he mouthed, feeling his resolve fighting his delirium.

"Nothing a little Aura won't fix. I'm not going anywhere and you can't make me even if you wanted to!" she kissed the side of his head and felt her lips tingle from the heat.

He chuckled weakly, "You'll… be the… death of me…"

"I'm trying to stop that from happening," she rolled her eyes. "Now get some rest."

He nodded and buried his head in her arms, "… Love… you… so much…"

She smiled warmly and stroked his hair, "I love you too."


-Nightmare and Gore warning-

At night, Nova's dreams took a turn for the worst. If fever dreams were non-sensical and crazy, for Nova they were dark and gritty.

It started off calmer than his normal nightmares. He was not chained to his torture chamber, nor was he at death's door. This time, he was standing in an open field of lush green grass, a circle of trees blanketed his left and right while before him stood a large icy mountain that stretched high into the clouds. The smell of spring was in the air and the sounds of soft winds rustled the leaves of the evergreens.

Breathing in deeply, he looked around to find a large wooden park table with an array of foods, ranging from bread and cheeses to fine wines and meats. His ears perked up to the sound of mirthful laughter as he recognized his team sitting at the table, enjoying some much-needed time off.

His shoulders relaxed as he no longer felt the weight of the world crushing him, for once everything felt at peace.

"Are you just going to stand there all day or are you going to get some food?" It was Ruby, waving to him from the benches, a spot of strawberry ham on the side of her face as she held a sandwich in the other hand. "Hurry! Before Nitro eats the whole thing!"

Nova chuckled as he strode over and sat down, "What's all this?" he asked, picking up a chicken leg.

She swallowed the last morsel of her food and beamed, "Vacation, duhhh. This was your idea after all."

"My idea?" Nova looked at her confused.

She nodded, "Yeah, you even got your mom and dad out of their lab and dragged us out here for this trip. You of all people should enjoy it." Getting up from across the table she glided over to his side and rest her head on his shoulder, taking his hand in hers, "Come on, the war is over. You should relax a little… after all, you deserve at least this much right?"

He didn't know if it was the soft lull of her sweet voice or the calming atmosphere, but he gave in and leaned close to her, noses touching, "I guess you're right. I do deserve this much…" he tried to lean in for a kiss when someone shouted across the field.

"NOVA!" his head whipped around to find Flint standing there, fully Faunus again. He was wearing a loose-fitted Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts, his glasses propped on his soft face as his silver hair blew in the wind.

"Dad…?" Nova asked hesitantly, leaving Ruby to greet the older dragon.

Flint placed a hand on his shoulders, staring into his eyes with his own bright red ones, "Son, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost?"

"But… you… died, I saw it…" Nova struggled against his own thoughts that were being overwritten by the dream state.

Bortz laughed, "Boy, what have you been reading? I told you to stop reading those horror novels at night. They give you nightmares," he flexed his arms, "See? I'm fit as a fiddle."

Nova shook his head furiously as he felt his mind clouding, "I…" something caught in his throat again, "I… guess I need to lay off then?"

"You sure do. I swear, you get your bad habits from your mother," Flint placed his hands on his hips, "I was meaning to ask you…" he got serious and looked at Nova again, "Did you get anything for Ruby for your anniversary?"

Nova blinked in confusion, "Huh… wha…?"

"Your five-year anniversary. Don't tell me you forgot to get your wife a present?!" Flint looked mortified.

The prince took a step back, "Wait… HUH?!" he glanced down at his left hand, which was fully normal with no draconic scales or claws. On the ring finger sported a fine gold band, as he squinted closer, he noticed an engraving with 'Nova and Ruby, Friends, Lovers, Soulmates.'

Suddenly his mind was flashed with memories of a grand wedding, all his friends were there, family too. Luna was the bridesmaid and Oscar was his best man. Memories of their honeymoon followed and…

"DAD! LOOK WHAT I FOUND!" A small voice drew Nova's attention to his right, where a little girl with silver hair and silver eyes scampered out of a nearby brush. She held out a squirrel in her hands which had transformed in silver-scaled dragon claws.

Nova opened his mouth and somehow the name fell gracefully on his lips as if he'd called it a hundred times before, "Lilith Summer Flareheart, what have I told you about picking up stray animals?"

She pouted cutely, "That wild animals should be left alone in their natural habitat… I know…"

Nova placed his hands on his hips, "Good girl, now, what do we say to Mr Squirrel?"

"Sorry Mr Squirrel…" she said as she released it, watching as the creature scurried back into the woods.

"Now," he said with a small smile, ruffling her hair, "Where's your brother?"

She pointed to the bush she came from and Nova just shook his head, a vision of a little boy with black hair with red streaks and crimson eyes, "Umbra Morganite Flareheart, where are you?" he called. He received no answer so he ventured into the bush to check.

As his back turned to the scene, he felt a cold chill prick at the back of his neck, like ghostly fingers grazing on his bare skin. Spinning around he found the scene had changed.

No longer was it bright and clear, but the sky had suddenly become painted like a bloody ocean and the white clouds stained black.

"Nova Flareheart…" a familiar, sinister voice thundered across the atmosphere, "You thought you had beaten me… but you were so very wrong..." the visage of Salem appeared over the skies drawing Nova's attention.

"You can never kill me. I once lived to spite the gods, but now… it is you who will suffer!" she boomed.

Nova reached for Helios but found nothing as he snarled at the skies, "WE DEFEATED YOU ONCE! WE WILL DO IT AGAIN!"

"Defeated me?" Salem chuckled maliciously, "You and what army?"

"TEAM, ASSEMBLE IN BATTLE FORMATION!" Nova called back without looking.

There was not a sound that dared pierce the deafening silence that followed. A sick feeling was growing in Nova's stomach as he feared to look behind him.

The once-filled tables had been scattered, the food on the floor. His friends and family all face down on the cold grass, blood pooling at their corpses.

"G-Guys…?" he looked at Nitro and Hex who were still at the table, their bodies bent inhumanly as blood seeped from their gaping mouths.

"Luna…?" his sister's body was near Oscar's, both torn in half and scattered about the field.

He dared not look further, but he couldn't control himself, "D-Dad…?" Flint was lying dead, impaled on a tree branch. "RUBY?! LILITH?! UMBRA?!" he looked around desperately for his family when three objects hit his feet.

Swallowing hard he looked down to find their heads, bleeding onto him, their eyes missing and faces warped in pain as if their passing was anything but peaceful.

Tears sprang from Nova's eyes as he shouted back at the sky, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THEM?! I'LL KILL YOU I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL…!"

"Me…?" Salem mocked.

"This was all your doing…" Onyx's voice thundered out of the treeline as he strode in, machete in hand.

Nova felt the air leave his lungs, "M-me?! I wouldn't dare… I couldn't even dream about…!"

"You think you're not the killer?" Onyx snarled, "When the evidence is staring you in the face?!"

Nova glanced down and found his arms had completely dragonified, his claws covered in blood that wasn't his own. Frantically he looked over his own body and found that his clothes had been stained, soaked with the same sticky crimson.

"N-NO! THIS CAN'T BE!" he cried, falling to his knees as the blood seeped into the dirt.

Onyx sneered, "It can't? You spent your whole life hunting us down for what we've done… but you… to kill your own friends and family. It almost makes me proud…"

"I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS! I WOULD NEVER HURT THEM!" Nova exclaimed in frustration, almost trying to convince himself.

"HAHAHA! You're even more delusional than I thought!" Onyx cackled, "YOU CALL US THE MONSTERS, BUT HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED IN THE MIRROR?!"

Nova's eyes glanced up from his bloodied hands as he was now staring into a large mirror, he saw his blood-covered face, the jagged fangs that stuck out of his jaw and the blood that stained them. His eyes were wide and draconic.

"NO! NO NO NO!" Nova paled as he reached up to feel his own face, the bloodstained hands dragging marks along his cheeks as he raked them across his flesh. He broke into a despair-ridden sob as guilt ate away at his soul.

His reflection, once mimicking his actions had changed, Sitting in front of him was himself… but the eyes were black like darkness manifested, his draconic irises turned blood red and his skin paler than moonlight. A twisted smile was etched on the reflection, showing off the impressive array of sharp teeth.

"In the end…" The reflection spoke, its voice sounding much like his own, but layered, "We're nothing but a monster."

Suddenly the reflection looked up in fear, and the roaring of blood in Nova's ears subsided as it gave way to, "…Up!... WAKE UP!"

-Nightmare Over-


Nova bolted awake to find himself sitting in bed, his body covered in sweat and a pair of deeply concerned silver eyes staring back at him.

His heart was beating so rapidly that it threatened to burst from his chest as he felt the rush of a headache overwhelm him.

"R-Ruby…?" he asked, unsure of reality.

She cupped his face gently, "Sweetheart… you were having another nightmare. It's okay… you're back in the real world…" her arms wrapped around him and he felt himself break down.

He began violently sobbing into her shoulder as she caressed his back, "I… I saw everyone… I… killed them all I…!"

"Shhh, none of that happened. It was just a nightmare…" she held him firmly.

"Oh god, it felt so real… I…"

"You don't need to tell me, my love. I know… I watched the whole thing."

He looked up at her, releasing the hug but still holding close, "You saw…?"

She nodded mournfully, "I was trying to wake you through the mind link but something was holding me back. I didn't get through until I bled my soul into yours and… I didn't see the entire thing, just the last bit."

Nova shuddered as he gripped the fabric of her shirt tightly, "Ruby… am I a monster?"

Her heart broke at his sorrowful voice, "No, my love, you're not a monster. I don't know what that thing is trying to do to you but, you are a hero… not a monster."

Nova looked down at his hands after releasing her, "Then why do I feel like one…"

She didn't have an answer for that. Instead of words, she poured as much reassurance and affection into their connection as she could, pulling him back down onto the bed.

"We'll fix you… I promise." She whispered, stroking his cheek.

Nova leaned into her palm, "I don't want to be a monster…"

"You won't become one. I will make sure of that…" she whispered, kissing him lightly.

As Nova fell back into slumber, the sickening voice came back, quiet, but still there, lingering like a bad smell. "You will fall into madness…" and Nova could only pray that it meant just him.


-Vacuo Desert, White Fang Facility Ruins-

It had only been two days since the destruction of the facility, and due to the complications at Shade, there hadn't been any retrieval or clean-up teams sent to survey the site. Fires still burned where machines had exploded, and most of the gasoline and oil had soaked into the dry sand but wreckage still remained strewn about the desert in heaps.

Stein's corpse still lay untouched, impaled on the iron beam that stuck vertically out of the ground.

*CRACK* *SNAP* The disfigured limbs began snapping and reorienting themselves as a black layer of skin began to overlap the old one. Unearthly groans and growls escaped the man's throat as his eyes shot open wide, the pupils blood red and his sclera black. The animalistic eyes surveyed his surroundings as his throat let out rasping noises.

With a heave he gripped the beam impaling him and wrenched his body free from the wreckage, his wounds began closing quickly as blackened Grimm matter filled the holes.

Stein took a deep breath as he looked to the sky, the sounds of incoming airships alerted him that he was pressed for time.

"I live to see another day... Grimm matter truly is marvellous..." he muttered with strained whispers. Pulling his bloodied coat against him, he looked to the horizon, "I am on my way... my Queen..."


And that's a wrap! Begin the descent into madness!