A/N: Alright, time for another announcement. I'm gonna be putting AIS onto hiatus until around mid-January. Apparently, as the break starts, I actually have less time to write than I do when I'm at school. Sorry. I'll be doing the same with AAA. Think of this week as a mid-season break XD Anyways, with this chapter out, the ending for both stories is coming to a close, so I think these two will be finished sometime around March, maybe earlier of next year. :) Hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas! Enjoy!

With the encouragement of not knowing when another attack would be imminent, the group only took a quick breather before moving into action, taking the last leg of the trek towards the city of Niege.

Reaching the city was almost anti-climactic compared to the journey they had. In fact, when they arrived at the looming gate along the city, there was almost no sound as they walked around.

In fact, there was no one in the city at all.

"Still no one?"

Ruby shook her head, eyes concerned as she zoomed back towards the ARC Unit.

"I didn't look everywhere, but there wasn't anyone around where I was looking." Ruby scratched her cheek. "And I looked at a lot of places."

Jaune nodded, letting out a quiet breath. "Alright. Abandoned city. That sounds like fun." Jaune turned to the rest of the group. "Everyone be one their toes. I don't like this at all." The unit didn't say anything, only taking out their weapons. "Let's split up into our own teams and spread out, try to find out what happened here."

With that, the unit split up into their own teams, spreading themselves outwards to poke around the town. Professor Goodwitch was assigned to head towards the center of the city, and to make sure that it was safe to rendezvous at after they were finished.

Team JNPR took towards the eastern side of the town, opening up houses to scavenge for supplies and trying to find any sign of life, or at the worst scenario, bodies. There wasn't much talking, and even Nora could understand the gravity of the situation, keeping her quips to a minimum. After almost an hour of spotting nothing even vaguely human-like, Jaune decided to consult Vedrahgol.

Hey, do you have a bad feeling about this too?

The dragon-soul nodded slightly, letting out a rumbling breath. It's not just a bad feeling Maldovah. Feel the air little one. Do you feel that? Jaune shook his head, turning his body left and right to find what Vedrahgol was talking about. The dragon let out another breath, this one tinged with frustration.

You humans and your lack of sensitivity. There is a malaise in the air. Something is here, hiding.

And watching.

The hairs on the back of Jaune's neck rose, and Jaune couldn't help but turned around to try and find what the dragon was talking about. It wasn't very discreet, but the knight wasn't really trying to be. Ren caught the movement and took a step closer.

"Is there something wrong Jaune?" He asked in a whisper, eyes flicking back and forth in front of them. Jaune did the same, lowering himself a little bit to whisper back.

"There's something watching us, and it's not something good."

Ren didn't respond at all, except for tightening the grip on StormFlower. "I'll make sure we're all looking out for it." He faded backwards, towards Nora and Pyrrha, where a few quiet words were exchanged with the two in the back, who simply nodded and the four continued on their way towards the next unexplored sections.

Checking the time, Jaune made a quick gesture for them to head towards the center of town, the time for them to meet back up at the rendezvous nearing. Once they came back together, the groups discussed what they had found, to their eventual disappointment.

"Nothing? Really?" Jaune bit his thumbnail, frustrated. "What happened to everyone in Niege? They can't have all just disappeared without some sort of reason why." Cardin shook his head, arms crossed.

"Yeah, the only thing my team could find was a few cans and bottles of water. Clothes, perishable foods, everything else is gone."

Closing his eyes, Jaune sighed. "Well, if that's the case, then let's just find a house to stay the night in before we move on. At least we won't have to worry about getting ambushed in the open again for once." Everyone agreed on a decent house, where Professor Goodwitch used her semblance to unlock the front door. The Unit spread out and divided the bedrooms for each team, all of them used to living with each other, with Professor Goodwitch getting her own. With a quick dinner, they decided that locking the doors and closing the blinds should be enough of a warning for them, and agreed wholeheartedly on not needing someone to keep a night watch.

Yang found Jaune sitting in the kitchen of the house, staring into a wall as everyone else got ready for bed. Sneaking up on him wasn't hard when he was in this mood, as she probably could have slammed the doors open and jump into a chair and have him not react at all. So Yang decided to wrap her arms around the knight, resting her chin on his shoulder, expecting him to jump up in surprise.

The only thing that the brawler didn't expect was to get sucked into Jaune's mindscape as he conferred with Vedrahgol, getting dropped right next to the boy, who screamed in surprise.

"Wh- Yang? What're you doing here?"

Yang looked at Jaune blankly, before turning to Vedrahgol.

"I… was trying to surprise you by hugging you. But I got sucked into… here, wherever here is, instead." Yang shrugged, standing up. "Well, at least I got you to jump." She said, grinning. Jaune scowled at the girl.

"Not funny." He said shortly, which Yang outright ignored, walking up to Vedrahgol.

"Hey there Veddy! How've you been?"

The dragon dipped his head in a sign of greeting. I have been well, thank you Krienmon. Yang grinned, reaching up to pat his snout.

"So, you got any idea why I got sucked in?" She asked, looking at the dragon, who could probably snap her up in one bite. The dragon-soul looked contemplative, before shaking his head.

I am not sure krienmon. I will admit that Remnant has done many things with the powers I know so well, and I can only hazard a guess of what has happened. Perhaps after being exposed to me, you have become more receptive to my soul? Vedrahgol shrugged. I cannot be sure.

"Oh." Yang said. "That's pretty cool actually."

Again the dragon nodded. Yes. Very 'cool'.

Jaune just stared at the two of them conversing as if nothing strange had happened. Then again, this is normal for them, Jaune guessed. Crossing his arms, he frowned, eager to continue the subject that the two of them were talking about before Yang dropped in.

"Vedrahgol, about what we discussed earlier?" The dragon turned to his host, looking at Jaune for a second before nodding.

Ah. Yes. I can think of a few beings that could stir unrest simply by their presence. Yang looked between the two of them, catching on quickly.

"You think there's something that's causing the bad feeling here?" She asked, to which Jaune nodded.

"Yeah. Vedrahgol pointed out that we were being followed while we were scouting the place out, and I have a feeling that you guys were followed too." Yang looked concerned about that, nodding once or twice, tapping her fingers while she thought back.

"Yeah." She said. "Yeah, I can think of a few times I felt like that was happening. Which is weird, 'cause usually Blake would be able to hear them." Jaune nodded, knowing that Blake's ears were a lot more sensitive than human ones.

Yes, but these would not be heard, nor seen. If one is not searching for them, one may only feel a gust of cold wind past if they get too fast. Jaune blinked, pairing up the dragon's description with things that he knew, and paled quickly.

"You can't mean..." Jaune didn't even want to say the word, afraid that saying it would mean his fear would come true. Yang wasn't exactly sure why Jaune paled, but knew it couldn't have been a good thing. Vedrahgol simply nodded.

Yes. Spectral beings. Intangible and invisible, until they decide to strike.

Jaune put his head in his palms, despair growing. "In other words, ghosts." The dragon nodded.

Some would call them that, yes.

The knight sat down with a plop, not even caring anymore. "First zombies, then ghosts." He muttered despondently, rubbing his face. "Can't wait for the vampires and werewolves to come too." Yang snickered a little at the display, but knelt down to console her boyfriend. Vedrahgol simply tilted his head upwards, before shaking it.

No, I doubt he would have the magic to pull those creatures into Remnant. Demons on the other hand...

"Please, Vedrahgol," Jaune held out a hand, stopping the dragon. "Please stop talking." The dragon-soul snapped his jaws shut, dipping his head. Jaune resumed his quiet display of despair, burying his head again into his hands.

"This isn't going to get easier, is it?" Jaune whispered, to which Yang shook her head.

"Nope. That's why you need to get stronger Jauney. I'd rather not see you fight two dragons at once or something, 'cause you can barely kill one." Yang teased softly, shaking his knee. The boy turned to smile at her, hand placed on hers.

"I meant would getting used to the weird stuff that always happens to us be easier. But that works too."

Yang laughed at that, shaking her head. "Jaune, the sooner you give into the fact that our lives are always going to be weird, the sooner life gets to be a lot easier. Trust me." Jaune raised his head, lifting a skeptical eyebrow.

"No."

"Thought so."

Jaune sighed again, Yang laughing along with Vedrahgol.

The night was filled with restless sleep, as Jaune tossed and turned under the malice filled air, choking his lungs. He dreamed of death and horrors, with his friends and family disappearing and dying off, indescribable monsters tearing them apart. Then came an oasis.

A man stood in the center of the dream, around him an air of serenity, calmness. The only thing that Jaune questioned were the slight protrusions that appeared to be sticking out of his lower lips, little tusks not unlike the ones of boarbatusks.

He held out his hand, and Jaune didn't need to hear him speak to know what he promised. Freedom. Sanctity. All under his protection. All Jaune would need to do was kneel and... submit. It would all be over. The great responsibility of protecting Remnant would be lifted off of his shoulders, to be placed under the man's will. All the knight needed to do was take the man's hand and kneel.

Submit.

Jaune reached out with shaking fingers, wanting the torment and pain to stop, wanting everything to feel safe, only for another man to grab hold of his hands, shouting something that Jaune couldn't hear. Jaune crinkled his brow in confusion, trying to make out the words that the man was shouting. But...

Jaune could still feel the pressure inside his head, the tusked man urging him silently to disregard whatever the other man said and push him aside, and hold the serene man's hand. But...

Again the man in front of him shouted, almost looked like he was begging him. Jaune could almost hear the man, but it was murky, unclear, as if he was speaking through thick liquids. The pressure inside his head increased, almost painfully as the message repeated itself. Submit, submit, submit, submit, SUBMIT.

NO!

Finally Jaune could hear the other man's voice, rough and low, almost as if it could rumble the ground below when he spoke. It sounded incredibly familiar, in fact...

Jaune looked closer at the man's eyes and found them slitted, yellow, and wise, although panicked, frantic. He knew those eyes.

"Vedrahgol..." Jaune whispered, eyes widening in realization. "What're you trying to tell me?"

The sound started to become stronger as the knight realized who was in front of him: his ally, his friend, a part of his soul.

... WAKE UP!

And Jaune opened his eyes, looking around to find himself standing in the middle of Niege's town square, surrounded by his Unit. Beside him was Yang, who stood there like a puppet, arms held stiffly by her side, head tilted upwards, but eyes closed.

What was...?

Tracing the path of where his group was supposedly looking, Jaune looked straight above him, finding a glowing staff swirling with energy, pulsing in a sick light.

What's going on? The dragon spoke quickly, but also urged Jaune to move outside of the circle.

This is the work of two Daedric Princes, trying to subjugate you and your humans.

Subjugate, what're you talking about?

As if Jaune had spoken out loud, the staff pulsed once, and the group surrounding him opened their eyes, shining with a sickly green color. In an almost practiced manner, each and every one of them slid the weapons out and stood in a battle-ready stance.

"Oh. Huh. Crap."

With those words, several dozen ghosts appeared, wielding kitchen implements and makeshift weapons in their hands.

"Well. Shit."