The Ruinverse Chapter 104- Rhwymau Cariad Chwaledig, a rwby fanfic

The screen began to bubble and boil as the familiar silver door rose from it's depths, the thick purple chains corroding and breaking apart as the door opened up and bathed everything in dark purple.

From the tainted light, came a single red eye that glared at the screen before the door slammed shut and everything became static, a crumbling rose symbol appearing every so often as the title began to form.

The Ruinverse: Chapter One Hundred and Four, Rhwymau Cariad Chwaledig.

Xxxxxxx

-Remnant, Solitas, Outskirts of Atlas/Mantle-

Wooosh!

Snow and hail rained down upon the icy ground of Solitas as heavy winds and thick frost obscured visibility to almost nothing at all, a five inch layer of snow forming on the ground itself with every passing minute.

Woooosh!

Crunch.

Yet, moving through the blankets of fog and frost, was a lone figure, draped in a long tattered dark brown cloak that went down to their feet and obscured by the low visibility, who seemed on a mission as the cold seemed to not affect them in the slightest.

Crunch.

Striding forth into the unknown, this figure seemed determined…or perhaps just motivated by some unknown factor, unfazed by the sub-zero cold or the threat of the local Grimm roaming the permafrost, their cloak flapping around from the gale force-like winds.

Wooooosh.

RUMBLE!

The figure stooped in their tracks, feeling the very air vibrate around them, as they saw the clouds parting away in the distance, the fog and snow ceasing to fall as the night sky loomed overhead, a large hole punctured by the rapidly rising….city of Atlas?!

RUMBLE!

VOOOOOISH!

A trail of exhaust formed around the city's sides as the 'beacon' of humanity's hope and safety rocketed towards the void, making the figure cock their head to the side in confusion and bewilderment.

"...so, the rumors were true." the figure muttered under their breath. "She really is going to destroy the world with Atlas as the bullet, gods...she is going to end us all." 'And it's all my fault.'

VOOOOOOOOIIIIISSSSHHH!

"I...I must stop her, before everything is obliterated." the figure said before the winds picked back up and obscured their form, the camera zooming upwards towards the capital of Alas itself, a small black blur inching towards the lower portion of the screen every second.

(Elsewhere)

-High above the Atmosphere, Atlas, Atlas Academy, Alpha CCTS Tower-

WOOOOOOSSSHHHH!

RUMBLE!

The wind swirled and toiled across the five dark silver tinted towers as the clouds evaporated upon contact with the city itself, the light cyan rings phasing violently in and out of reality akin to static as the sky above started to change from a light gray to an obsidian black.

RUMBLE!

The dying embers of previously warehouse-sized infernos disappeared into nothingness as numerous 'dots' stained the ground, the cars and other objects scattered across its surface buckling under the intense gravitational pressure from Atlas' sudden acceleration upwards.

Yet, as the camera zoomed towards the central tower's top, a circular observatory covered in frost coated cyan glass at its peak, a figure moved near the glass in a slow yet monotonous manner, seemingly the only one unaffected by the changes in gravity or the sudden cold outside.

RUMBLE!

The figure looked outwards into the distance as the very sky became clearer and less cloudy with every second, their own shadow growing behind them as the sun started to rise in the distance, revealing the office of one James Ironwood, his body laying on the floor unconscious due to lack of air and the gravitational difference from the city's acceleration.

WOOOOSSSSHHH!

"Soon." the figure said while crossing their left arm behind their back, the shadows covering their form as they held a blood stained black Scroll in their right arm, the words 'Dust Engine Control', 'Overloaded', 'Automatic Backup Systems Destroyed', 'Password Error', 'Virus Detected. Error', 'Propulsion Systems Critical', 'Life Support Systems on Emergency Power', 'Artificial Gravity Error', and 'Atmospheric Radiation nearing Critical', flashed on the screen every few seconds as they ignored the warnings and watched the city rise into the heavens. "He will come. He can't escape or deny me anymore. Not after I destroyed the CCTS' central hub and made it impossible for him to stop Atlas' descent." 'And all after several attempts at hacking Ironwood's Scroll…ugh! How was I supposed to know that adding a virus would erase his password!? UGH! At least I got the engines going up, that's all that matters now. Only he matters now.'

Woooish!

The figure blinked as a fast moving black blur moved closer and closer to the windows, making them smirk as they stepped backwards and to the left side in an almost choreographed manner. 'Right on time.'

CRASH!

SHATTER!

Glass flew across the office floor as the intense vacuum forming outside began to send Ironwood's body out into the cold expanse, the unknown entity holding their ground as the tattered cloaked figure stood near the center of the fragmented glass epicenter, their cloak violently flapping in the wind.

"..."

"You took your time." the figure said while walking towards the cloaked individual, cracking glass filling the room with every step they took. "But that's your MO lately. Always late until the last second."

The cloaked figure turned their head towards the shadows, their left hand gripped tightly to their torn attire. "I am never late, but this is madness. You plan to use this city as a weapon."

"Yep, and then." the figure said as their form escaped the embrace of umbra, revealing themselves to be a short fair skinned young woman with long disheveled orange hair that went down to her ass, turquoise eyes with faded pink eyeshadow on the far upper corners and thick black circles, a E cup chest and wide ass, thick zigzagging scars all across her arms, legs and face, wearing a tattered white sleeveless turtleneck top with a heart-shaped cutout above her breast line in the center that had a diagonal cut in said heart, an open cropped sleeveless navy blue bomber jacket with a torn red lined collar, a damaged hammer and lightning bolt emblem on her back that was covered in scorch marks, a long tattered dark brown cloak that went to her knees and was covered in numerous holes and scorch marks, thick iron gauntlets with thick black wires going from her wrists towards her upper shoulder blades and needle-like claws, a bulky metallic silver generator-like backpack with four large tesla coils fused to her back by thick metallic staple-like clamps on her waist and shoulders that seemed to spark with electricity from its four yellow Dust crystals embedded in the coil's tips, a tattered short pleated pink skirt with a white layered tulle coated in dried blood, two wide pink belt loops that were rusted with age, a pink belt with numerous cut marks around the sides tied around her waist, knee-high pink socks and wore out white calf-length pink laced boots sporting black low heels, soles and toes, whose extresion was one of anger and frustration. "I will use that stupid sword to increase the power of the impact and then BOOOM! No more Remnant and no more evil. No more Grimm of Death, and no more 'Queen'. Just purification for all!"

"I get you want me dead but killing everyone for…'purification'? That's over the top, even for you Nora."

"Maybe, but you were the one that started it! You killed for that 'Queen', you killed everyone that tried to help us, and you killed my heart!" Nora frowned in anger. "You are a Grimm in human skin and if this impact does not help cleanse you of that title, nothing will!"

The cloaked figure sighed in frustration before shaking their head. "Please, just stop this or I will be forced to kill you."

"Heh, bold words for a killer. But no way, I'm not ending this, not by a long shot!" She snapped while cracking her neck. "I have come too far to stop now! And I know you have come too far to stop yourself, after all, you were the one that chose the scorpion over the ranger."

"A means to an end." the figure frowned before casting aside their cloak, the cloth flying out the window into space as their form, a tall fair skinned young man with long black hair that went to his ass, a magenta streak on the left side of his hair, magenta eyes with faint dark circles under the eyes, a long narrow scar going from his lower chin to the right earlobe, two large black bird-like wings with two white clawed fingers near the wrist joint and coated with obsidian laced feathers attached to his shoulder blades and nearly touched the dark gray tiled ground, slim jet-black curved scorpion pincers with white bone-like plates covering the upper portion of the 'hand' and thick red markings going from the upper pincers to the lower elbows, two circular openings under the upper pincer with a single bright gold curved stinger and five finger-like claws near the base at fixated in its center, wearing a black sleeveless overcoat with red lining near the sides and collar along with a silver Wyvern emblem stitched onto the lower left side of his torso, three silver strap held buttons going down the front, thick gray metallic armbands around the shoulders, a black sleeveless turtleneck with long red tasseled ropes over the hips, black hip length shorts with red lining, and long jet-black semi muscular fur-lined wolf-like legs with three long sharp white clawed toes, hexagonal bone-like plates around the knees and jagged bone-like spikes near the knees and upper thighs, was revealed for all the world to see as their eyes were filled with an almost animalistic glaze of fury. "A means to keep you safe!"

"Ha! Safe from what? You?" Nora mocked with a smirk as the tesla coils began to glow a bright yellow color, the electricity surging down the wires and causing her scars to glow a dark pink hue. "Because I don't need protection from a freak of nature like you, Lie Ren!"

Wooooooosssshhh!

SIIISH!

Nora smirked as two large stingers shot towards her, attached to Ren's claws by a thick armored 'tendril', in an attempt to stab her through the chest, only for her to grab both of them with her arms and chuckled maniacally. "Another MO of the Grimm of Death, two 'blades' on 'wires' hitting someone at high speeds. But news flash!"

Ren's eyes widened as Nora lifted him into the air and spun him around with almost bodybuilder-like strength as she quickly released him.

CRASH!

BOOOOM!

CRASH!

BOOOOOOM!

And sent him flying through several reinforced walls, each one breaking into tiny fragments of metal and plaster as Ren crashed into a metallic CCTS terminal, sparks of electricity released from the indentation as he quickly stood up and shook his head in pain.

'Ah…that one hurt.' he thought before seeing Nora running towards him, forcing him to jump to the right, the terminal exploding into metal and wires from her right fist. 'Shit!'

"I'm stronger than you now!" she roared while pulling her arm out of the destroyed wall and turned towards Ren with the intent to kill.

BAM!

Only for a pincer to block the oncoming punch.

"Ugly! So ugly!"

"You aren't the pinnacle of beauty either." Ren retorted as he used his pincers as shields against the flurry of punches, his eyes looking for a solution to her rising feats of strength. "Especially with that thing on your back."

"It's my new weapon, an Atlasian Electric Dust generator. Useful for making me stronger without relying on outside forces." she said while Ren narrowed his eyes. "Better than a hammer don't you think."

"The hammer was an improvement." he deadpanned before using his wings to fire feathers at the former partner as he quickly used this as an opportunity to retreat.

WOOSH!

POW!

"Gah! REN!" she growled while several of the black feathers embedded themselves into her shoulders, only for her to rip them out and throw them at Ren, who used his legs to outrun the projectiles and duck behind a corner towards Nora's right side. "You bastard!"

Clank!

Moving quickly down the hallways with inhuman speeds, Ren's eyes darted around in search of the woman's presence, knowing that in a full on brawl…he would die by her almost herculean strength.

Yet, even as his heart raced and his body was working overtime, his mind began to…remember. Remember the events of the last year, the last three hundred and sixty five days since…since Kuroyuri, no…since the day Vale fell to darkness.

So much lost…so much taken from him. His parents, his home…his friend, Pyrrha…so many lives lost to the Grimm, to the actions of evil men and women…lost because he was weak.

He was held down because of nation and weakness….yet he didn't lose all hope…not when Nora was by his side…in the line of fire…on the chopping block to his own 'bad luck'.

'Damn it Nora, why couldn't you just see that my actions were for your sake!?' he thought while hearing the sound of footsteps behind him. 'I did everything to keep you safe! I KILLED to keep you safe!'

Clank!

ZAP!

The crackle of static echoed in Ren's ears as he quickly side stepped to the right, just as Nora, her right fist outstretched and scars forming around her eyes, ran straight towards the assassin's former direction.

BOOM!

And destroyed the ground he was standing on, causing him to fall as Nora jumped towards him, her fists ready to pummel him with reckless abandonment.

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

POW!

BOOM!

CRASH!

"THIS IS FOR JAUNE!" Nora yelled while punching Ren with her fists, his pincers blocking each blow as they fell through several floors. "THIS IS FOR OSCAR! THIS ONE IS FOR YANG! AND THIS ONE IS FOR RUBY!"

"They were-ah-in the way-ow! Of the Queen-ow!" he grunted in pain as his pincers started to gain cracks around the sides.

"How!? Jaune was trying to HELP you!" the enraged Huntress yelled while using the tesla coils to increase her strength even more. "But you SHOT HIM IN THE HEAD!"

POW!

BAM!

"AH!" Nora grunted as Ren kicked her in the chest with his legs, pushing her back as he grabbed her by the shoulders and flew upwards…only to do a barrel roll and slammed her right through even more floors towards the center of the city itself.

"He was a threat! He wasn't my brother!" he yelled while using the momentum to increase his devastating descent, breaking through solid granite and light blue Dust crystalline strata in the process as the cold steel of Atlas gave way to a dark cavernous void, a large rectangular gateway looming underneath a massive crystal as a stone platform came increasingly closer to them. "He was holding me back!"

BOOOOOOM!

CRASH!

CRACK!

Stone and crystal exploded in every direction as the impact formed a small crater within the platform's structure, the assassin's form looming over a faint dust cloud.

"Stay do-" he said before getting grabbed by the throat from Nora's left hand and lifted high into the air, the tesla coils glowing even brighter with electricity as she stood back up with no faint injuries whatsoever.

"You aren't the boss of me, traitor." She said with a snarl as she threw her former ally across the platform and right into a large cubed stone torch, causing it to shatter in one hit as she narrowed her eyes at the spot. "Come on 'Renny'! I know you're not this weak! Take me seriously for once! Fight me like the Grimm of Death or I'll make you!"

Clunk.

Nora growled in anger as she saw no movement from the rubble, making her witcher fingers in a jerking manner as pink static began to form all around her body. "You…idiot! You coward!"

ZAP!

"You are ignoring me, AGAIN!" she roared with fury as the tesla coils expelled numerous bolts of lightning, her body glowing brighter as her scars covered her body like spider webs. "STOP DENYING MY EXISTENCE! STOP ACTING LIKE HIGH AND MIGHTY AND COME BACK TO ME! COME ON OUT AND FACE ME!"

ZAP!

The former 'N' of Team JNPR growled before using her electrically changed muscles to sprint towards the rubble and looked downwards…seeing nothing but an empty void where the torch used to be, making her raise an eyebrow at this 'weirdness'. "What the?"

Flap.

Her eyes widened as she quickly looked up towards the ceiling.

SWISH!

SKISH!

"AH!" she gasped in pain, her aura shattered as two golden stingers impaled her through her chest, breaking the generator and causing blood to drop from the gaping wound as Ren flew in the air with his wings. "Y…You…stupid…idio…t…" 'Damn him…damn him! Damn everything!'

"I didn't want to do this…but you are delusional, insane." Ren said coldly before landing on the ground and narrowed his eyes. "Nothing but daydreams of the past, and for what? Destroying the world to spite me?"

"A…Ah…a…"

"Where is the Relic of Destruction?" he frowned while twisting his arms, allowing the tendrils to bury themselves deep into the girl's flesh.

"AH!" she cried out as Ren pulled her closer to his face.

"Where is the relic!?"

Nora hissed in pain before…chuckling a little, making Ren frown in confusion as he pulled the tendrils out of her body.

"What's so funny? You have a weapon of destruction!"

"Heh…about that…ow…I…" she groaned as blood oozed down her front like a river. "I…lied…"

"...what?"

"I lied…there…there isn't any 'relic'." Nora said with a low groan of pain, her feet giving way as she fell into Ren's arms, his expression filled with confusion and bewilderment. "I never even saw it."

"B-But the plan, the destruction of Remnant!"

"Just hot air…I wasn't even planning that." she groaned in pain.

"You sent Atlas into the sky!"

"And it will…fall back eventually…"

"You killed millions of people!"

"...slight stupidity…but we are both killers." Nora said sadly. "You killed for the Queen….I killed….because…gods…I was so….angry."

"You were. But why? Why lie about destroying the world? Why do all of this!?" Ren frowned while feeling hot tears of anger filling in his eyes. "Why couldn't you just stay away from all of this!? Why couldn't you accept the fact that I did everything in my power to keep you safe!? Why can't you see that I'm PROTECTING YOU!?"

The Huntress' eyes widened for a second before slowly smiling a little. "Protecting…me…I see…and here I…thought it was a lie to…rile me up."

"I would never lie to you, ever!"

"I…know…but…I'm glad…" she coughed while blood splattered on Ren's chest, her lips slowly filling with red ichor. "That…I wasn't-COUGH COUGH!"

"What? You weren't what?"

"COUGH COUGH COUGH! Ah…I…wasn't…the reason…Pyrrha died." She groaned as Ren's eyes widened in shock, memories of his former friend surging through his mind like a thunderbolt.

"I…I…what!? I never-"

"Ren." Nora whispered, her eyes growing heavy as her life slipped from the mortal coil. "I'm sorry…I didn't…know you left…because of love…I thought…that you left because…I somehow…killed Pyrrha…."

Drip.

Blood fell upon the stone platform as Ren carefully held Nora in his arms, tears falling down his face as he realized his mistake…one that he never realized had made.

He failed her…he never properly told her of his plans.

No…he left her…he killed his brother and left her alone, abandoned her for a noble cause…he killed to protect her…

And now…she was dying because of his actions.

"Ren…"

"I-I can still get you out of here. Get you-"

"No…I'm too far gone…" she said as she tried to move her left hand towards Ren's face, but stopped short of his chest. "My aura is gone…and I'm blacklisted from every Kingdom…I can't…be with you again."

"Please Nora! I can fix this! I can save you!"

"Ren…we lost so many people. But….we need to let go." she said while weakly clutching his shirt. "Move on…before the taint takes us."

"Please…don't leave me. Don't leave me." Ren said while feeling his heart ache once more, a pain he knew too well…..one that stuck with him since Kuroyuri. "I…I-"

"Ren…promise me…you bury…me in…Kuroyuri…in the spot we first met." Nora asked as her eyes started to close, making Ren panic internally. "I…I want to give that spot…hope…"

"N-Nora…please."

"Promise me…for the sake of our lo…ve." she said as Ren looked down at his feet before nodding weakly.

"...I'm sorry, I never…meant for this to happen." Ren said as he felt Nora's grip loosening on his shirt.

"I know…" she said before moving her hand near the assassin's nose. "Love…makes people…do stupid…stuff…."

B…oop.

"H..eh…boop." she chuckled weakly before her breathing stopped, her hand falling on the ground as Ren felt his heart shattered into pieces.

For Nora Valkyrie…his friend, enemy…partner was gone…the reason for his existence, the reason he sacrificed everything for power…died in his arms with a smile on her face.

Memories…filled the assassin's mind, each one featuring himself and Nora, as he felt regret eating away at whatever remained of his humanity.

"Nora…gods….I'm…so sorry." he muttered as he hugged the girl closer to his body, ignoring the blood and the heavy generator on her back as he felt the ground shake under him, yet…he ignored the sudden weightlessness and thought back on the events that led up to this point.

Fear, pain and loss spurred him on the path to Beacon, hope and bliss mellowed his stay, deja vu spread the seeds of paranoia, temptation made way to surgical grafting, and death…begot death.

Death of the soul….death of redemption.

All spurred on by…his fears…no…by her.

She sent her 'messenger' to Kuroyuri, she allowed him to speak of her powers, she accepted his proposal and granted him power, she sent him to kill without rest, she forced him down this path.

She did this…she did ALL of this!

She killed Nora!

She killed the only woman he ever loved!

She turned him into a monster!

SALEM KILLED NORA!

"...Salem…" he growled while his pincers snapped rapidly with anger. "You knew she would attempt this. You knew that she was alone and driven mad by it. You KNEW that I would attempt to save her from her madness! You KNEW my love would bring tragedy! YOU KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!"

SNAP!

RUMBLE!

The walls of the cave began to glow with a fierce red hue as Ren carefully ripped the clamps off Nora's back and carried the body, akin to a princess, as tears landed on her paling face.

"Nora…I will honor your last wishes…but I can't let it go…not yet." he frowned as he unfurled his wings and took flight. "Not until Salem pays for what she did to you…to us. She will not see the next sunrise, I promise you…I will make her suffer! Even if my own limbs abandon me and my humanity gets stripped away, I will make that bitch pay!"

FLAP!

Moving faster than an airship, the assassin disappeared up the makeshift 'entrance way' as the rock walls began to glow a luminescent orange color, liquid steel pouring from the elevator shaft and the sides of the ceiling as the enlarged crystals began to explode from the rising temperatures.

BOOOM!

BOOOOM!

Which covered the screen with an azul light for a brief second before a thunderous shockwave enveloped the cave as everything faded to black.

KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Xxxxxxx

Name/Designation Title: Lie Ren/Grimm of Death (Rhwymau Cariad Chwaledig Lie Ren- RCCLRRWBY)

Age: 19

Affiliation: Normal Evil~Mega Evil (Depending on the mood and mission taken at the time.)

Dimension: - 30992- 31 RCCLRRWBY

Abilities: Enhanced strength (increased due to Grimm implants), speed (increased due to Grimm implants), durability (via Grimm implants), stamina (via Grimm implants), endurance (via Grimm implants), acrobatics, agility and reaction time, high aura pool, high extrasensory perception, Dust handling and knowledge, hand to hand combat skills, high aura handling and knowledge (limited due to mental trauma), high martial arts skills and knowledge, pistol handling and knowledge, sickle handling and knowledge, StormFlower handling and knowledge (formerly), dagger handling and knowledge (formerly), fight (via Grimm implants), sharp pincers and claws (via Grimm implants), bioluminescence (via Grimm implants), venomous stinger (via Grimm implants), burrowing (via Grimm implants), projectile launching (feathers via Grimm implants), high marksmanship, high espionage skills and knowledge, high assassination skills and knowledge, limited knowledge of Remnant's true history.

Semblance(s): Tranquility

Bio: In this timeline, set after the events of the Fall of Vale, the R of Team JNPR, Lie Ren, felt…like enough was enough in his already tragic life. For him, he lost too many friends, lost too many that he cared for, from his own parents to recently, his teammate Pyrrha Nikos, and the only one left that he had any sort of attachment to was…his friend Nora Valkyrie, his partner, childhood friends and…possibly more. In his eyes, her safety was in constant danger and he needed to protect her at any cost, even if he had to become uncomfortably clingy to her in the process. This line of thinking lasted a few weeks before the newly made Team RNJR made it to the ruins of Kuroyuri, where Tyrian Callows appeared to capture Ruby for an entity known as the 'goddess'. Interested in the notion of a 'goddess', having heard stories of the Brothers Grimm as a child, Ren decided to use his semblance on the assassin to calm him down for a conversation, which soon led to a deal being formed….Ren would join Salem's side and become her loyal servant in exchange for Nora's safety. This act of betrayal shocked his team to the core and Jaune Arc attempted to stop him from making a terrible mistake, only for Ren, to better his chances to get the madman's good graces, killed his 'brother' with StormFlower, shooting him in the head at point blank range before walking away with the faunus, using his semblance to put everyone into a tired state as a means of escape. Upon meeting the Queen of the Grimm, Salem, Ren pledged his services to her and explained his reasoning for his betrayal as a means of protecting the only girl he ever loved, intriguing the immortal due to his 'purity' of heart and allowing him into her circle, yet in order to 'help' the Huntsmen in his new role as her assassin, she replaced his arms and legs with various Grimm body parts to make him stronger than a normal human while also keeping him on a tight leash to prevent him from rebelling against her. With the legs of a Beowolf, the clawed arms of a Death Stalker and the wings of a Nevermore, Ren discarded his old weapons and became the Grimm of Death, Remnant's greatest assassin that Salem sent for missions deemed too sensitive for Tyrian to handle yet also more important than any mission his 'ally', Cinder Fall, could manage. For an entire year, Ren would use his powers to kill off highly dangerous or important players in the battle for Remnant's fate, from Oscar Pine to Jacques Schnee to even his former ally Ruby Rose, whose eyes he tore from her skull with his own 'hands'...all for the sake of Nora's safety. Yet…within that time, Nora, her heart broken by Ren's betrayal and lacking any guiding force to keep her restraint, began to rage against the 'goddess' for turning her 'Renny' into a monster and decided to kill her at all cost, even grafting a portable Atlasian Electric Dust generator onto her back to increase her strength via her semblance to kill anyone associated with the unknown 'deity'...but due to not knowing of the 'goddess' true name or her location, she decided to do something so drastic that it would completely destroy the entity completely…she would use the Relic of Destruction, an artifact she heard about from one of her victims, one Mercury Black, and the flying city of Atlas itself to create a massive asteroid of metal and destruction that, when hitting the planet from the mesosphere, would create a massive explosion that would detonate the planet's core and…BLOW UP THE PLANET IN THE PROCESS! This plan, in her mind, would help 'save' Ren from the clutches of the 'goddess' and 'cleanse' him of his evil heart at the cost of billions…something Ren, once he heard about it from the grapevine, was horrified by as he didn't expect his partner to become insane without him around. Thus, he traveled to Atlas, his loyalty to Salem coming into question during the trip, as he attempted to talk to her, but upon seeing her, he learned that she was trapped in a delusional world of her own making, where Ren was always on her mind and her friends still 'talked' to her about 'saving' Ren, due to him abandoning her for an entire year and seeing no peaceful solution to this, chose to kill Nora to save the world. Yet…as Nora was defeated and bleeding out due to the gaping hole in her chest, made by Ren's Death Stalker stingers, she revealed to him something that made him flinch…she didn't have the Relic of Destruction nor did she have ANY plan to begin with, she just used the 'blowing up the planet' idea as a ruse to get him to notice her…as deep down, she felt that 'the goddess' stole Ren's affections from her and that somehow, he hated her for being the cause for Pyrrha's death. Horrified by this revelation and holding his childhood friend in his arms, Nora told him not to worry and that she loved him, regardless of his actions, before she died in his arms with a smile on her face. This one moment would change the course of history even further as Ren, his mind now filled with regret and despair over losing the woman he loved to his own fears and paranoia, decided to turn his anger against Salem, the one that 'made' him kill his partner, and stop her mad plans…knowing full well that his own Grimm implants would turn against him if he ever tried to betray the queen. Thus, he flew back towards the Grimmlands, his mind set to end the immortal even at the cost of turning into a mindless Grimm, not realizing this choice would haunt him for the rest of his life…corrupt him further and send this broken hero down the path of a monster. For as the saying goes, vengeance, no matter what form or purpose, is still as grim as the beasts that the hunter seeks. A fate even worse than death in a way, for one that only wanted to protect…an act of love turned twisted and wrong.