So if anyone was wondering why this took as long as it did: I was working on the Dragon's Rise x RWBY Crossover so if you haven't gotten a chance to check it out, the first 5 chapters are up + 1 bonus chapter. Once I'm done with these two DR Chapters I'm gonna do another 5 for those and upload it when I can.

Totallynotaduck: Your time is now.


Chapter 92: The Aftermath of A Soul


Nova found himself in a hauntingly familiar environment. The grass was a vibrant green and the trees were flourishing, a crisp spring wind blew through the air and the smell of blooming flowers filled the atmosphere. Standing in the middle of a clearing was a wooden house and a small garden. It was Ruby's house on Patch.

"How did I get here?" he asked aloud, searching around, "The last thing I remember was…"

"You passed out kid," a young voice beside him spoke as if the air shifted someone manifested in the space to his right.

Nova turned around to find Agni standing beside him with a tired expression. It looked like the little boy hadn't slept in days, his face covered in lines of worry.

"Agni? Then… this is a soul space?"

The spirit nodded, "Your girl's soul space to be precise, and it ain't looking good," the dark expression playing on his face made the prince's stomach twist with concern.

Nova raised his eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Go inside and you'll see…"

The dragon cautiously approached the wooden door that seemed to beckon him with a taunting air, though it appeared harmless, something was daunting behind it. Upon opening it, much to his surprise, he saw Tai, Ruby, and Yang sitting on the couch watching tv, almost as if the daunting door was nothing more than a manifestation of his own worry. They were giggling and laughing at something showing on the device.

"Hey, guys?" Nova waved through the doorway, but no one seemed to acknowledge his existence.

"They can't see you," Agni said coming up alongside him, "Well, they're not real. Only Ruby is."

His eyes grew concerned, "What's going on Agni?"

The spirit of the Agniseki sighed, "She's… it's complicated… Fall can probably explain it better than I can…"

As he spoke a soft feeling landed on Nova's head and he glanced up to see the little Amber look-a-like resting on his head.

"Is she dying?" Nova asked glancing up at her.

Fall shook her head, "Not exactly. You managed to stop the soul-decaying process before she could die, but now we have another problem."

"That is…?"

"Her soul has deteriorated to a point where it can no longer gather enough energy to awaken her consciousness. What you're seeing here is Ruby's soul manifesting a time in her life when she was happy and free of any form of worry. It's trying to keep her stable, but she also won't be able to wake up."

"What do I need to do?" Nova was serious. He noted a few things, the Ruby he saw was much younger, probably around twelve, and there wasn't any sign of Summer. Perhaps her subconscious was blocking imagery of her mother to prevent a traumatic episode. Part of him wondered why he wasn't projected, but thinking back on their past he could see why his face might incur trauma.

A bitter feeling rose in his throat. Maybe Ruby would have lived a happier life if he never showed up. Was it all his fault from the start?

"Stop that," Agni said glaring at him, "We know that's not true."

"You gave her some of the most precious memories she ever had, and she's never once regretted being with you for a second. I know… I've seen her soul." Fall said patting his head. "It's just a shame that with all the good there's been some rough times…"

Nova just swallowed the vile emotion, "Just… tell me how to save her…"

Agni and Fall shared a shaky glance, "Well… there's really only one way to save her," Fall started.

"Her soul is damaged beyond repair… in order to fix the damage, you would be to give her enough life energy to fix it by transferring more of your soul… to fill the gaps…" Agni continued.

"I'll do it," Nova said without a shred of hesitation. "Whatever it takes. Just... fix her... please..." he begged, his voice almost sobbing.

Agni folded his arms, "Are you aware of what this means? You'd be giving her your lifespan. Meaning your average lifetime would be shortened drastically just to give her even a chance of waking up."

The dragon just smiled sadly and looked at Agni and Fall, "It was never a choice. The world just… isn't worth it without her."

Agni cursed, "I knew it but fucking hell kid… alright…"

Fall just sighed and jumped off Nova's head, "I'll start the process…"


Nova awoke with a searing pain in his head, his body felt encompassed in layers of pain as the sunlight gleaming through his eyelids sent sharp stabs into his mind, forcing him awake.

His blurry eyes slowly adjusted as he observed the room he was in. It was a grand room with white walls and gilded accents, the floor was carpeted in red. He was resting on the heavy sheets of a large and luxurious bed.

Trying to move he found his sheets rustled to the edge of the bed where a soft groan erupted, glancing to his left he saw Luna stirring awake. It seemed she hadn't left his side.

"Mmmnfff…" she slowly raised her head and the moment she realized he was awake she launched her arms around his neck and bawled her eyes out, "YOU'RE AWAKE!" she sniffled while clinging onto him.

He smiled warmly and returned her hug, "Hey sis, ugh…" he rubbed his head, "What happened? Where am I?"

She released the hug and settled down in her armchair, "We're in the castle. King Hadar let us stay here while the doctors and mom took care of you and Ruby."

Nova's eyes shot open wide, "RUBY! Where is she?! Is she okay?!" he tried to reach into their bond but it was silent, which did nothing to help his nerves.

Luna grabbed his hands and tried to calm him, "Easy… you've been asleep for three days. The poison was eating away at your body… then at some point, you started…"

He faltered, "I started what…?"

"Your heart stopped beating…" she said softly, "For a few seconds, but fuck… we really thought we lost you for a moment…"

Noticing the sheer pain in her eyes, Nova leaned off the bed and held her in a tight hug, "Hey... it's okay. I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere."

She softly sniffled into the thin linen of his shirt before raising her head, "No one else was hurt like you guys, aside from a few civilians who got caught in the crossfire, everyone else is okay... and in case you were wondering they burned Tyrian's corpse with the rest of the bodies."

He inhaled sharply, and swallowed hard, "I… see… what about Ruby? Is she a-alive?" he stuttered the words.

Luna nodded, "She's fine, though she hasn't woken up yet. At first, her pulse was low and barely beating but… around the same time your heart stopped, hers started to pick back up. The doctors think she'll make a full recovery within the week…"

Breathing a sigh of relief, he tried to get up only to find his legs felt like jelly, "I need to go see her…" he said, struggling out of bed only to be caught by Luna.

"Easy… I get it. Come on, I'll take you to her."


They worked their way down the grand hall to another room similar to his own. Along the way Nova spotted several armed guards standing watch at various points, though none seemed to pay them any mind, some still nodded their heads at their approach. A few servants bowed their heads before scurrying along, such their route was mostly unhindered. They opened the doors to find Elain standing next to a similar bed, the red leader laying still in its covers.

"Mom?" Nova asked, closing the door behind him and Luna.

Elain, upon hearing her name, whipped her head around and saw her son, shakily standing in the doorway.

"NOVA! Oh, my baby boy!" she ran up and wrapped him in a tight embrace, "You finally woke up… gods we thought we…"

Nova detangled from her and gave her a reassuring smile, "I know. Luna told me… but more importantly what about her?" he looked at Ruby's sleeping form.

The doctor planted her hands on her hips and sighed, "More importantly he says… well that's love for you," she chuckled, "She's doing a lot better than before. Her body has healed so now it's just a matter of waking her up. I'm not sure why she hasn't yet but…"

"She'll wake up soon, I know it." Nova tapped his heart and Elain understood.

He neglected to tell her the true state Ruby was in, and the reason why she hadn't awoken was that her soul was regenerating. The reason his heart stopped was because that was the moment the soul transfer process started.

They didn't need to know. Ruby especially, of all people didn't need to know. Taking the information and squashed it deep within the recesses of his mind, locking it behind a mental vault so not even Ruby could pry into it through the soul bond. He would take this secret to his grave if he had to.

If she knew, Ruby would feel guilt-ridden for the rest of her life, she couldn't know... she could never know...

At that time, Leandra barged in through the door clad in her armour, the sounds of the metal clanking loudly as it echoed off the near-empty halls creating a cacophony amidst the peaceful silence.

"I heard the prince was awake!" she announced rather loudly with a smash of the door handle.

Everyone in the room instantly jumped, startled at the yelling in the otherwise quiet room.

"Quiet down there are patients asleep!" Elain reprimanded harshly, causing Leandra to shrink back.

She cringed, "Whoops, sorry…" her eyes landed on Nova, "AHA! There you are!"

Nova flinched, "Yes your highness?"

"Father wishes to meet with you. There are some important matters to discuss..." She looked at him properly, seeing his withered state she sighed, "But… you just woke up. It can wait. We'll give you some time to regain your strength."

Nova breathed a sigh of relief, Leandra was more understanding than he thought. "Thank you, princess."

With that, she promptly left.

Nova looked at Elain and his sister, "Ruby should be waking up soon, in the meantime I think I need to recover a bit more of my strength… may I?" he gestured to the bed with Ruby in it.

Elain understood, "Right… soul bond thing. I'm not going to pretend I know how it works so I'll leave you to it. Come on Luna, let's go find the others."


The dragon curled onto the bed with Ruby, wrapping her in his arms and holding her close to his chest, the girl snored softly and contently as he held her, almost as if she'd been subconsciously waiting for him.

"I almost lost you," he whispered, "I'm supposed to be the one to get almost killed, I'm the one who's supposed to take the fall." He knew she was strong, he never doubted that, but when it came down to it, he could heal faster, take more hits and get back up than she could. Ruby was speed, charisma, and determination, he was the stamina, strength, and durability. She was hope, he was resilience. She was never meant to take the big bullets, he swore that a long time ago, as long as he was around he would be her shield.

She shifted in his arms and it seemed his presence was enough to force a change in her, as her breathing became more rhythmic and she nuzzled her head into his chest, gripping tightly to the fabric of his shirt.

He smiled and stroked her hair, he couldn't fall asleep again, instead, he decided to continue stroking her hair while humming.

"For you, I'd steal the stars, and lay them at our feet, so we could own the night~" he began trailing off as she stirred.

As he sang a small smile graced her lips, her colour seemed to come back, so he continued.

"So I swear you'll never be alone. When you're lost, here I am. Forever with your soul~"

(Paper Moon- Soul Eater Opening 2 Cover by AmaLee)

Something magical began to happen, as silver light began to flood Ruby's skin, the vibrant rays danced over her frame and began to lap at Nova. "W-what?" At first, he was startled but he couldn't release her, not that he wanted to.

Soon her entire body was cocooned in light before a familiar fiery-red flame began to flow from the Agniseki onto the light. He could still feel her steady breathing below the light but the comforting rays flicked at his fingers as if telling him it was going to be okay.

After a few minutes, the light and fire dissipated, and Ruby began to stir in his arms.

"Mmmn…" she murmured.

Nova saw her eyelids scrunch up so he gently stroked her cheek, "Ruby? Are you awake my love?"

She stirred more before her eyes opened, at first they were disoriented but soon she felt the comfort of his embrace and the rhythmic motion of his chest, the beating of his heart, and all at once their soul bond awakened from its slumber.

"Ugh… Nova? W-What time is it?" she asked still trying to get her brain to work, still burying her head in his chest.

He chuckled, the vibration of his chest soothed her, "That's the first thing you ask after you've been asleep for three days?"

She instantly shot up and looked around in panic while Nova sent calming emotions through their bond.

"Easy there Red, it's okay. You're okay," he soothed.

"What happened? I remember I was fighting Mom and then…." her face began to contort in horror as she remembered the fight in grotesque detail. "Oh god... I... I lost it I... mom wasn't giving me a choice I..."

He reached up and held her face, "It's alright… well… you almost died. The Grimm took over and I had to force it onto me before your soul got consumed. It turned out alright in the end… I think."

Her eyes went wide as she stared at him.

When their eyes locked, Nova saw something incredible. The silver light behind her eyes seemed to be resonating with her emotions as her irises weren't a static silver, instead, they seemed to move and flicker like a flame.

The most jarring thing was that her irises weren't human… they were perfectly draconic. Similar to the times when she channeled his soul energy… except now it seemed more prevalent.

"Fuck!" she swore, slamming her fist down onto the bed, "I fucked up! I couldn't fight Mom and…" She suddenly got flashes of his memory and grimaced, placing her hand over her mouth she gasped. "You… had to…" she tried choking back a sob, a single tear escaping her left eye.

Seeing her react, Nova sat up and wiped the tear away, "Hey, Ruby… it's fine. I understand what you were going through… so please don't berate yourself."

"But Nova I…"

"Nope." He cut her off.

"E-Excuse me?"

"Nope!" he popped the 'p' sound.

"Are you pulling the same trick I use?" she squinted at him.

"Maybe…? Is it working?" he shot her a sheepish grin that melted her anxieties away instantly, causing her to laugh.

"Ugh, you won't even let me feel guilty about it?" she smiled.

He just shook his head, "Nope! No dwelling on what you couldn't control. It's over and done, what matters is what we do going forward, right?"

She groaned and rolled her eyes, "Fine… you win this round."

He snaked his arms around her waist as they sat up on the bed, with his back to the headrest and she was in his lap.

"Now that you're calm, I need you to not freak out but…" he grabbed a hand mirror from the nightstand and showed it to her.

Ruby took a moment, wondering what was wrong then she saw her eyes and they widened in surprise. "Oh… my… h-how?!"

The dragon felt some guilt clawing into his throat but he quickly swallowed it, "I gave you some more of my soul energy to heal you. It tethered us a little more than before… this might be a side-effect." Once again neglecting to tell her that he'd sacrificed a chunk of his lifespan to preserve hers.

Ruby reached into her hair and felt around, as she parted the strands above her forehead she felt two hard nubs. Angling the mirror so she could see it better, she almost fell over in surprise.

Sticking out in her hair, barely noticeable, were two small bright silver horns, like Nova's black ones but much smaller. They were translucent and made of light, but tangible.

"Oh, my god…" Ruby mouthed as she grabbed Nova's hand and he began to feel them, and his eyes went wide. "A-Am I a Faunus now?! A dragon?! H-How does that work?!"

It was then that the Agniseki chirped in a high-pitched tone and Ruby blinked rapidly, recognition dawning on her features.

"Wait… I can turn them off?" she asked the arm, which baffled Nova.

"You can hear it?!" he exclaimed in surprise.

The Agniseki hummed a few more times and Ruby mouthed an 'O'.

"So…. Because our souls are deeply tied now, I can kinda hear it. It says that I'm not a Faunus but I have dragon traits… that react to my eyes?"

The Agniseki made a long, confirming beep.

"I can turn it off? I just need to focus…" she responded to it, and closed her eyes, calming her heart and willing the eyes to deactivate. As she did, the glowing stubs on her head faded and her eyes returned to normal.

Nova made a slight pout, "Aw, and here I thought your eyes had gotten even more beautiful," he teased.

She snickered, "Oh, are you saying my eyes aren't as pretty anymore? My natural eyes?" she batted her lashes.

Nova coughed and turned red, "Um, no, of course not! Honey, you're gorgeous no matter what."

She grinned and leaned in closer, "Smooth save~"

"Well you know me, charming as ever~" he closed the gap and captured her lips in a deep kiss, pulling her tightly against him.

She smiled and kissed back feverishly, getting lost in the romance and washing away the pain of the past.

That's when Nova got an idea, if Ruby was experiencing Dragon traits then maybe…

To test his theory his hand snaked behind her ear and scratched gently at a tender spot just under the earlobe. This earned a throaty growl from Ruby, like the dragon's equivalent of a purr as she seemed to kiss him harder.

It was a weak spot even Ruby didn't know about him since he was embarrassed about it, but Luna had it and so did he, so he assumed it was common for dragons. He was right.

Their kissing would have continued had both their ears not twitched at the sound of someone fumbling with the door handle.

Of course, they were too tangled in each other to react in time as the door swung open the moment their lips split apart.

Team ASHNRWBY, Oscar, Neo, and Sun fumbled inside.

"Nova! I heard you were awake and…" Weiss started but upon seeing the two she immediately turned red and hid her face, "OH! I see… you were um… busy… and Ruby's also awake…"

Luna sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "I tried to stop them… I really did…"

Ruby and Nova detangled themselves and looked at the team, Ruby smiled brightly, "Hey guys! Glad to see no one else got hurt."

Yang placed her hands on her hips and shook her head, before walking up to them and giving them a bear hug, "You both scared me half to death… honestly… we were so worried."

Ruby and Nova hugged her back, "We're okay now." Ruby gave her a light squeeze.

Nova looked at Oscar, "Hey man, how's your injury?"

Oscar rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "It's fine, Oz says he wants to talk with you but we heard the king wants to have a meeting with everyone so he'll save it for then."

The prince nodded, "What time is it?"

Hex pulled out her scroll, "About three in the afternoon."

Nova and Ruby shared a glance before turning back to them, "Can you guys let the King know we'll be ready by dinner time? If he wants we can talk then."

Hex made a note on her scroll and gave her leader a thumbs up, "Aye aye cap'n."

Ruby then wrapped her arms around Nova, "Good, then for now, I hate to say you should leave but, Nova and I just got through a life or death event so we'd like some more alone time, if you catch my meaning."

Hex snorted, "Right…" as she grabbed Yang by the arm and pulled her off. Blake gave a salute to her leaders before grabbing Sun and disappearing into the shadows.

Luna made a gagging sound before grabbing Oscar and walking out the door while Neo offered a two-finger salute before escorting Weiss out of the room.

Once they were reasonably far away and the couple could no longer hear their footsteps, Ruby turned to her fiancé.

"Now, where were we?" she asked innocently.

He tapped his chin, "I think we were… not worrying about the past?"

She snickered, "I can do with some of that... just a few hours to not think."

The two lay back down on the bed, and a few more hours until dinner time. As Ruby lay on his chest, tracing the scars along his torso she suddenly remembered something.

"Hey," she spoke in a soft voice, "When I was… asleep earlier. I heard someone singing to me."

Nova made a throaty cough, "Uh… you heard that?"

"So it was you!" she smiled and snuggled into his arms more. "You have a great voice, you should sing more."

He blushed in embarrassment, "Randolf said that our voices were an instrument, so if we needed to make quick cash, we could be performers… it's a little embarrassing though."

She hummed, "Can I hear you sing more?"

Rolling his eyes he placed a kiss on her forehead, "Only for you."


Dinner time rolled around and they had no choice but to give up their peace to face the world again. Hadar was kind enough to provide them with outfits to wear, and his taste was quite good.

Nova donned the clothes the king maids laid out for them. A white long coat with black accents on the shoulder pads and the sleeves, combined with a skin-tight black undershirt and black jeans. The cuffs of the coat were embroidered in gold and plated in orange.

It seemed that the king knew their fit since Ruby's clothing had also been upgraded. She now wore a black long coat similar to Nova's but with red accents, and a grey sleeveless top that sat under a black corset.

"Time to engage in political discussion," Nova dramatically leaned over and gagged, "Man I hate this part."

Ruby pinched him before tightening her sleeves, "Suck it up, you're leading the conversation since it's technically your country."

"I do not want to make this a habit," he replied dryly.

They rived at the dining hall where a series of staff were awaiting their arrival, a grand reception ceremony as the pair entered the room, arms linked.

Inside was a large golden table covered in royal red cloth and ornamental banners hung from the walls. Varying tapestries lined the walls and decorated them.

The team was already there, each sporting similar outfits except Yang opted for a yellow bomber jacket over her brown undershirt and Weiss was wearing a blue dress that turned white at the skirt.

The king sat at the head of the table accompanied by his queen and the princess, Aurelios was next to them while the team had separated into ASHN and RWBY on the opposing sides of the table near the other side, leaving space for Nova at the foot of the table and Ruby to his left, Luna to his right, Elain to Luna's right.

"Good evening, your Highnesses," Nova and Ruby bowed simultaneously before taking their seats.

Leandra beamed at them, waving energetically while Hadar held a stoic expression.

"Welcome, now that you're here we can begin the dinner," Hadar said without moving his expression.

The staff came in bearing plates of piping hot foods, roasts of all kinds, salads, and side dishes galore. Each goblet was filled with dark red wine.

They began politely eating but Team ASHNRWBY were confused as to which forks and spoons to use so Weiss and the leaders gave them small signals by making their choices obvious.

Throughout dinner, Nova was noticing Hadar stealing glances at Nova as if he had something to say but was unsure how to bring it up.

The prince smiled and decided to open the conversation, "King Hadar, how goes the aftermath of the banquet? I understand after the destruction I caused, it would be difficult to repair. I deeply apologize for that… and if possible offer anything I can to make amends."

It was a strong starter, asking a polite question to voice his concern, apologizing for inconveniences, and offering a solution.

Hadar coughed into his hands, "Quite alright your highness, you assisted us greatly, a little burning won't affect us. After all, the real perpetrators were dealt with by you all." He raised his glass, "I would like to formally thank you all for your help. Had you all not been here, then things would have been much worse."

Nova held back a grimace, if they hadn't been there then maybe Salem wouldn't have launched that scale of an attack.

"You know that it was only a matter of time," Ruby chastised him, "Focus love, remember why we're here."

Closing his eyes briefly, Nova began, "King Hadar, Queen Sharlene, Princess Leandra, what exactly do you know about the Grimm Queen?"

King Hadar choked for a moment before settling his coughing, "We know that she exists to the far north of the continent, beyond the Badlands. She holds an infinite number of forces that we are at constant war with."

Nova let the information sink in, "You say constantly at war, but this city is quite peaceful."

"The war exists between the Bladewing Mountain Range and the border. Our kingdom and the Oceanis Kingdom send forces to the borders occasionally to stave off the threat, but there hasn't been much discourse, as the Grimm are unable to cross the rift."

This prompted Hex to look at her leader with concern. It seemed this 'rift' was not on her maps.

Normally the team would be giving their input but this was a royal discussion, there were rules to follow.

"What is this rift you speak off?" Nova asked, glancing at his allies briefly to ensure they paid attention.

"The rift is a large canyon separating the base of Bladewing Mountain and the badlands. It's quite deep and most Grimm are unable to scale the cliffs or bridge the gaps." Leandra explained, thus opening the conversation for others to pipe in.

"Can't Nevermore or Flying Grimm cross it?" Luna asked Princess for princess conversation.

Leandra shook her head, "They can but the Blade Wing mountain range is very tall, they have the height advantage and are capable of shooting them down before they get in range."

"So the mountain is essentially a fortress," Hex said, making a note of that in her mind.

"Yes, one that combined with support from our Kingdom and the Oceanis Kingdom, creates a delicate balance of peace." Queen Sharlene spoke.

This prompted Ruby to turn to her, "Balance that as you can see, has already shifted," she referred to the disaster party incident from earlier.

King Hadar frowned, "Which brings me to my question: What do you know about that Grimm Queen?"

Nova smirked, the King was good at using conversation to elicit information, "Salem is powerful and possesses the ability to create Grimm. How she does this is something we don't know. What we do know is that she intends to collect the four relics and bring about the destruction of the world."

"Destruction of the world? That's outrageous, what would she even hope to gain from that?" Hadar's brow twitched. It seemed that he disbelieved Nova's words. There was an underlying tone of suspicion ever since the banquet started. The King was testing the waters to feel out what type of people they were, whether they were a threat or not.

"She is trying to die," Nova responded calmly, "Rather, she's trying to bring the entire world down with her as well."

He then began to explain the story of Salem, how she's an immortal cursed by the gods.

"Do you have any proof? This story is… ridiculous!" Hadar narrowed his eyes at them.

"I do," It was Oscar… no, Ozpin, who spoke, "I am the spirit that has lived since the beginning with Salem. I can confirm this… of course not without proof." He demonstrated by getting up from the table and using Oscar's semblance to project the warrior as an Aura version of Ozma.

The royals were taken aback but quickly settled down, "That's assuming that isn't just some parlor trick."

Leandra's eyes glowed faintly and she looked at her father, "They speak the truth, Father."

The king looked at his daughter, "You've confirmed this?"

She nodded, "Yes, my eyes tell me that the man speaking was indeed a different soul from that of the boy who was sitting previously. They also speak no lies, as their Aura's have not fluctuated once."

This prompted Ruby and Nova to share a glance and then look back at Leandra. Nova spoke, "Forgive me if I'm overstepping, but what exactly do your eyes do?"

Leandra looked at her father before the man nodded, "My eyes allow me to see the truth. Well… to be more specific, they are called the Eyes of Truth. It is my semblance that allows me to see other people's energy and the different aspects of it." She thought as to how to explain it better.

"For example," she continued, "When a person harbors ill intent, their Aura flickers wildly and unpredictably. Well, there's a lot more to it than that but I'd rather not spend any more time on it."

Deciding to accept her words, Nova continued, "Now that you understand the situation, I would like to explain our plan, the reason why we're here."

The King stopped eating, took a long sip of his wine, and leaned forward, "Go on."

"The only way to defeat Salem for good is by uniting the three kingdoms against her, launching a full-scale assault on the Badlands, and taking her out for good." He spoke seriously.

The King's eyes widened, "Are you mad? A head-on clash with an infinite army? That's your grand plan? It sounds like suicide! On top of that even if it could work, getting the other kingdoms to heed the call would be near impossible. Do you realize what you're asking?"

Nova nodded with confidence, "I know."

"You're asking us, and the other kingdoms to agree to disrupt our lives, focus all of our resources on a chance for true peace… which sounds good on paper but if this plan fails… which it has a high chance of, we will be essentially destroyed completely!"

The prince sighed, "I know it sounds ludicrous, but we have a real chance. Why do you think Salem hasn't done anything like this before? Why hasn't she already claimed everything?"

The King thought, "Because of the balance?"

"No, because she fears loss. She's not invulnerable, her forces take a long time to gather, and her plans need time to take effect. She's purposely given into your balance because she knows that united, we're stronger."

Hadar let out an exasperated sigh, "Alright, let's say I entertain this insanity, what proof can you give me that it will work?"

Nova grinned and pulled out the sword of destruction from his storage cube, "This is the relic of destruction, capable of destroying anything it slashes."

Leandra's eyes glowed again as she peered at it, "He's not lying Father, I see an immense amount of unknown power radiating off that weapon."

"And using that you could destroy her…" the king trailed off.

Nova knew that the sword couldn't kill Salem, but he specifically never said that. He just explained it and they came to their own conclusions, thereby bypassing Leandra's eyes.

"Well… that's certainly something," Hadar continued, "Alright, I'm willing to at least entertain the idea… but first…" he glared at Nova.

The prince matched his stare.

"You would need to rally the other Kingdoms to your side. Are you, perhaps… attempting to reclaim the Flareheart throne?"

Nova didn't even flinch at his accusing tone, "If that is what it takes, then I will bear that responsibility."

"AHAHAHA! A dragon heir finally returns to the continent, spits an insane plan, and then says he's going to retake the throne!" the King burst into a fit of laughter, "You are truly ludicrous!"

Nova folded his arms and sat back, "Are you saying that my family name no longer holds the respect it once did?"

The King narrowed his eyes and stopped laughing, "I'm saying that if you think wielding your family name is all it would take to become the next King of Pandora then you've been sorely mistaken, prince." He said the last words as if spitting. It was a blatant show of disrespect, not out of animosity, but as a test of character.

Nova's reaction to this would determine Hadar's next course of action.

Thus the prince simply offered a confident smile, "King Hadar, I will do whatever it takes to ensure we succeed."

"Your words are empty without proof to back them up."

The prince ignited his eyes and let the translucent wings erupt behind him as he reclined in the chair. It was an imposing sight as one of his arms was propped onto the side of his head and the other resting relaxed on the armrest. At the same time, Luna's eyes glowed and her scales erupted over her skin.

Ruby's eyes ignited and the shroud appeared behind her.

Neo and Weiss held halos of ice that began to chill the room. Weiss's Knight appeared in a glyph standing with its sword down.

Oscar's avatar appeared behind him standing at attention.

Yang's hair ignited in bright yellow.

Blake's shadows sprouted beside her while Sun's clones leaned on the chair.

"That's not an offer, it's a promise." He glared with a daring smile at Hadar.

Hadar felt a chill run down his spine. This prince, this... dragon he was watching before him was no mere boy. This team wasn't a simple gathering of powerful people... they had drive and purpose. That was no prince he was looking at... the atmosphere he gave off, surrounded by a plethora of loyal allies that would gladly walk into hell with him... Nova looked like a King. A real King.

Aurelios immediately got up and bowed before Nova and Luna, "Hail the Prince and Princess!"

Hadar guffawed, "Brilliant display!" he clapped as they all calmed down. "Well, you certainly are strong, but if you want to ascend to the Flareheart throne then you need to complete the Right of Passage."

Nova's wings dissipated, "Right of Passage? Explain."

Aurelios stepped forward, "My prince, the right of Passage is a series of 3 trials each by the three kingdoms. By completing each trial, you will earn a mark of trust from each Kingdom's leader and present them at the Flareheart Throne. This will earn you the right to wear the crown."

The dragon looked at Hadar, "I see… then how do I take your trial?"

Hadar tossed the boy a single gold medallion, "You already earned mine, your highness. My trial is the test of strength, normally you would have to fight a series of rounds against the strongest in the kingdom… but you already proved your worth there. Through our conversation, I learned you're a calm and capable individual, and your team respects you quite a lot."

Nova glanced at the members of his team, "What's he talking about?"

Luna giggled next to him and Yang shot him a thumbs up, "Hadar was testing you. Before the dinner, he interviewed us about you and we just told him the truth."

Nova blinked rapidly then looked at Hadar, "What? This was… a test?"

Hadar chuckled throatily, "AHAHA Sorry, it had to be done, after all, your highness."

Aurelios then spoke up, "Tomorrow, young master, I would like for you to visit Castle Firestone, the original Flareheart estate."

Nova frowned. He wanted to visit his so-called home, but he was still worried about Gauge and Nitro. They were still missing…

"I would like to but… currently two of our friends are missing. If possible, we'd like to find them…" Nova said worriedly.

King Hadar nodded, "About that… I received a letter from the Oceanis kingdom. It seems that they found a boy with red hair and bearing no Faunus traits."

Hex shot up, "That's my brother Nitro! Is he okay?!"

"Yes, it says here he's saying in their kingdom for the time being though they aren't sure how to handle the situation, so they were asking for my council. Should I respond by letting them know you'll be on your way?" Hadar asked.

Nova smiled genuinely, "I would be most grateful, King Hadar."

Aurelios clapped his hands, "Oh this is perfect! The Oceanis Kingdom is on the way, Castle Firestone lies in the middle of the three Kingdoms. We can stop there and rest before heading to Oceanis."

"Wait, how long would it take us to get to the other Kingdoms?" Nova asked curiously.

"If we're going by carriage then three weeks to Oceanis and about a week to Bladewing Mountain," Leandra explained.

"Totalling at least four weeks… that's at least a month of travel alone if nothing else happens…" Weiss murmured.

Nova frowned, "Time we don't have…"

"That's what I wanted to talk about," Ozpin voiced, "Salem's forces are currently dwindling, and that defeat of Tyrian and Summer left a significant impact. She won't be able to move for a while. On top of that... I can sense that her focus is elsewhere, almost as if this act with Tyrian was nothing more than her welcoming party." he said.

"Right… your Salem radar power…" Ruby said almost distastefully.

Ozpin grimaced but remained calm, "I expect we have about six months before she's ready to make her final move."

"Then we have no time to waste," Nova said.


-The Everafter-

The Crimson Castle sat atop a large hill past the kingdom's town square within the Red Acre. A long stone pathway accompanied by rows of tall hedges led into the great doors. There was next to no green within the castle as if everything was bathed in a crimson red from the grass to the stone of the castle. The building itself was structured in a complex way with five tall towers that shot into the air at varying heights, and three smaller towers at the front.

Onyx and Cinder were being 'escorted' by the toy soldier they'd 'persuaded' to lead them to the prince. As they approached the entrance, many other soldiers lined up across the courtyard with several others performing duties around the grounds such as trimming hedges and sweeping fallen leaves.

"Halt, who are these men?" the guards at the entrance stopped their comrade with Onyx and Cinder behind.

"Guests for the Prince's birthday party, they come baring gifts," the guard responded stiffly.

The guards eyed them, "They don't seem to be with presents..."

Onyx cast a sideways glance at Cinder and let a dark smile play on his lips as he placed his large hand on the thin soldier's frame, "Thank you for escorting us this far," he said in a low voice, "Allow me to show you some appreciation...!"

"W-WHA?!" the soldier was picked up with one hand and thrown into the other two as the trio crashed through the wall and shattered into pieces, their limbs splaying on the floor.

"What's all the ruckus?!"

"What's going on?!"

"Intruders?!"

The other soldiers began to swarm the courtyard as Onyx and Cinder stepped through the entryway. Cinder sighed, "You really are a menace..." Extending her arms forward they transformed into Wyvern heads as the darkness pooled under her and Grimm began to spawn from the black liquid.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE THINGS?!" the soldiers were thrown into a panic as Beowolves, Berengel, and Ursa began to storm the palace. The soldiers could do little but fall to pieces as the creatures destroyed them one by one.

"STOP THIS NONSENSE!" A childlike voice shouted so loudly it shook the palace grounds, "WHO DARES INTERRUPT MY BIRTHDAY!" being carried by three soldiers was a small doll-like child with pale white skin and blush marks on his cheeks as if his face was painted on. A large red crown embroidered in gold sat atop his head.

With a swift flick of his hands, the Grimm destroying his garden froze in place as a wave of magic shot through the area like a shockwave. Onyx and Cinder faced the magic unsure of what was happening, Cinder was caught in place, frozen stiff while Onyx on the other hand flashed a dark light before folding his arms.

"Who are you, people?! How dare you trespass onto my castle and start all this?!" he gestured wildly to the chaos.

Onyx, the eight-foot-tall man was vastly towering over the Red Prince, "You must be the prince," he looked at him sternly, "An entitled child with a temper tantrum... reminds me of someone."

The Prince blinked rapidly, "YOU DARE...!"

"I do... what are you going to do about it?" Onyx glared, growling fiercely.

"I-I...! HYAH!" The prince shot another wave of magic that was supposed to do something but it passed over Onyx like a gentle breeze, "W-WHAT?! WHY ISN'T MY MAGIC WORKING?!"

Onyx reached down and grabbed the child by his cape and held him up to eye level.

"Put me down this instant! GUARDS OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" the prince pointed while comically flailing in the air.

The guards rushed Onyx but his Miasma flared out and began to suffocate the toy soldiers as they crumpled to the floor like paper.

"Now..." Onyx glared at the prince, "Where is the staff?"

"W-What staff?! Why should I even answer you?!"

Onyx sighed and began squeezing the boy's neck, Little who was watching the entire ordeal shivered as the poor mouse felt for him, "A golden staff bearing a blue crystal, where is it?"

"MMMFF!" Cinder was trying to speak but she was still frozen stiff and Onyx made a groan.

"I might know what you're talking about, maybe not," the prince defied.

The bear-man felt his brow twitch in irritation, "Fine... then I shall just consume you as well..." Onyx began to spread his dark energy over the prince as the Kuroseki around his neck began to vibrate violently and Onyx suddenly retracted his power like he'd touched fire. "What the...?!"

For some reason, unlike the townsfolk, Onyx's power could not devour the prince, when he tried it felt like the force of the entire universe was pressuring down on him, preventing him from moving forward. Mustering up the willpower he tried again, as his power crept up to the Prince's face, Onyx felt a searing pain in the back of his mind, "ARGH!" he yelled out in pain as he saw a pair of glowing eyes watching him and the sound of hammering metal.

The violent jerk reaction caused him to drop the prince and clutch his head, "What did you do?!" Onyx drew Draco Belthor and was about to strike at the prince when Little cried out.

"WAIT!"

Onyx halted his strike mid-swing to the cowering prince.

"What did you say rat?!" he glowered.

"W-Wait great sir!" Little pleaded, "T-The prince holds a special power! J-Just like all other people here, w-when we fall we Ascend! Y-You cannot destroy him!" Little spoke in a squeaky voice.

"What do you mean? I killed those in the town did I not? And these soldiers..." he looked around for the bodies only to realize all of them had disappeared, "What the?!"

Little clasped his hands in a pleading motion, "P-Please don't hurt him anymore..." The mouse had no connections to the Red Prince, yet he felt it in his heart to protect him. Why? Little did not know.

Onyx was about to grab the mouse out of Cinder's hands when a new voice spoke up, "Ascension, at the end of one's purpose they are sent to the tree to be ascended, to be given a new purpose," the voice was silky smooth and held a bit of charm.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Onyx spotted a luminescent blue cat jumping out of the bushes, it was spotted in purple checkers and moved about unnaturally as if its body wasn't made of a solid mass.

"A... cat...?" Onyx questioned as the cat walked up and touched Cinder, the Grimm girl dropped to her knees gasping for air as she unfroze.

"W-What was that...?!" Cinder gasped as she spotted the cat, "The Curious Cat?!"

"More fairy tale bullshit?" Onyx folded his arms, "Cat, what are you talking about?"

The cat meowed as it jumped onto Onyx's shoulders, the man roughly tried to hit it off but his hands just passed through thin air as the cat's body split in two before rejoining, "Creatures here do not die, they simply ascend! It's quite simple really~" the cat stared into Onyx's eyes with his glowing white ones.

Onyx stared back and the longer he stared the less he understood, as behind the gaze he saw something distant and incredibly powerful, almost unfathomable as if he possessed no way to defeat this creature, an instinct that was almost animalistic.

The cat jumped off his shoulders and touched the prince's chest as a bit of blue square-like patterns crawled onto the prince's heart and he got calmer.

Onyx and Cinder marveled at the strange power as the cat calmly walked in circles around them, "What are you?"

"Onyx, and that's Cinder," the bear-man pointed to his ally.

"And what exactly is... and Onyx?" The cat tilted its head curiously.

He narrowed his eyes, "That's not exactly easy to answer..."

"Why is that? Are you or are you, not an Onyx? What do you do?" the cat continued to ponder.

"That doesn't matter," Cinder got up as she calmly walked over to the cat and knelt down, "Do you know where the staff is? Golden rod, blue crystal on top?"

Onyx was taken aback as he witnessed Cinder... attempting to be civil.

The cat tapped its chin with its paws, "Hmm~"

"It was supposed to be in the Prince's possession but he doesn't seem to know about it," she said feigning distress, "It is quite important to us."

"What the hell is she acting?!" Onyx thought in bewilderment.

The prince who'd calmed down greatly was drawing circles in the ground with his forefinger, "I lost it..."

"OH!" the cat suddenly shot up with wide eyes, "A lost thing! Well, that makes it so much easier to be found!"

"What do you mean?" Onyx narrowed his eyes at the cat, "Stop speaking in riddles..."

"Well it's simple, lost things are lost, and go where all lost things are found!" the cat smiled fondly as it jumped onto Cinder's head and began prodding around, "Curious... what are you?"

Onyx was growing impatient, "Where is it?!"

"Over there!" the cat pointed its paw toward the giant tree in the distance, "I can take you there if you'd like!" the cat then sniffed the air, "Do I smell a mouse?"

"EEP!" Little crawled into Cinder's sleeve to hide.

Based on previous experience, Onyx knew they needed a guide to get where they wanted to go, but he was suspicious of the cat, "And what do you gain from taking us to the tree?"

The cat jumped off Cinder's head and tilted its own in confusion, "I don't understand. Gain?"

Cinder walked up to Onyx and whispered, "Based on the story, the curious cat is supposed to be a guide that helped Alyx get back home. It's like his job."

Onyx narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "Hmm... I see... then we'll be in your care cat."

The Curious Cat smiled and did a little spin on the ground before skipping across the courtyard with its hindquarters walking and its front legs jumping, the midsection completely separated as it trotted, "Fantastic! Come along and follow me!"

Onyx groaned, "I fucking hate this place..."


-Approximately 36 hours Earlier, Oceanis Kingdom, Pandora-

Castle Seastone stood a colossal structure that sat on the edge of a long sea-green stone bridge that extended into the ocean. The castle itself rose majestically out of the sparkling crystal clear waters of Pandora's coast, the medieval design accentuated by a unique take on the architecture by which elements of the sea were combined into it. Each wall, arch, and pillar seemed to be designed as if mimicking the melodic waves of the ocean, there were no tall spires like the Kingdom of Luxaria's Castle Lightstone, but rather it was much wider and fortified at the base, seemingly to account for its coastal location.

The walls were made of the same blue-green stone that reflected off of the crystalline waters whose waves gently lapped on the rocky shores below. The entrance was accessorized by a grandiose assortment of statues depicting warriors of the sea, wielding hooked spears and nets.

Within the hallowed halls sat a moderate throne room accented with dark blue carpets and banners embroidered in gold, the symbol of Oceanis: a trident with turbulent waters rising around it, was etched into the fabric.

Atop the throne was the queen of Oceanis, Marina Prismafinn, who was engaged in an audience with her chief advisor and right hand, Morgan Tidefinn. Morgan stood around 5ft 7 inches in height with skin as blue as the bay waters, her eyes were green as the seastone, and a future as bright as the light reflected off a clam's pearls. At least, that's the way people talked about her.

She was heralded as the beauty of the Oceanis Kingdom before Marina birthed a daughter.

"Morgan," Queen Marina spoke in a commanding voice, her hair was a deep navy blue and her eyes a light sandy brown. The Queen was tall, standing about 6ft in height, and held a strong build as if her muscles were used to fight the very tides they swam in.

"Yes, my queen?" Morgan asked, kneeling before her, clad in a thin white dress that flowed down to her feet, a blue sash marked with the symbol of Oceanis tied around her shoulder to her hip. As she knelt the sounds of her bangles clanking against each other made little noise against the fabric.

"I have a request for your brother, as he is the finest fisherman on these shores I would like him to head out and catch a moonfish and bring it before the next sunrise," she commanded.

Morgan hesitated, "My queen, surely this would be better left to the royal hunters..."

"Why do you hesitate Morgan? It has been almost two weeks since you were last home, and your brother's skills are quite adept. Take this as an opportunity to take a break, after you relay my message you have the rest of the day off." The queen gave a pragmatic smile.

Morgan held back a bitter taste in her throat, "I-I see... indeed you are correct my queen. It would do me well to see my brother again and to take some rest..."

"Do be quick about your task, as you know the anniversary of my daughter's disappearance is tomorrow, and we must perform the ritual," Marina said firmly.

The Ritual of the New Moon. An ancient ritual by which a moonfish, a creature that only comes out once a month on the night of a new moon, is sacrificed at the Ocean Altar. It is said to bring blessings to the kingdom's prosperity and once a year has the chance to grant a wish to the one performing the sacrifice. Of course, the queen has been wishing for the last two years with no luck. Wishing for her daughter's safe return.

Morgan knew better, after all... she was the one that got rid of the Queen's daughter in the first place.

"Yes your Highness," Morgan said before getting up, bowing lightly, and leaving.


Morgan cursed as she exited the castle grounds, "Foolish woman," she swore under her breath, "Your daughter will never be back. It is I who should be sitting at your side, I've worked harder than anyone to earn your approval, yet all I am is your aide?" her heels dug into the stone as she marched toward the city.

"That child is long dead," Morgan growled, "I just want you to see what's right in front of you..."

As she made her way through the streets her anger boiled down but simmered quietly as she put on her public face. Citizens greeted her with cheer and glee as they saw the beauty of Oceanis. She had to keep up public appearances after all.

On the far eastern side of the coast was the familiar wooden fishing hut and the house that loomed over it ever so slightly. "I wonder how he's doing..." she muttered, approaching the house ready to knock on the door and announce her arrival when she stopped her voice in her throat.

Voices were speaking inside, which shouldn't be the case as her brother lived alone.

"Nitro, how're your wounds?" it was Sami's voice that sounded bright and cheerful.

"Who's Nitro?!"

"Sami, I told you I'm fine, I heal quickly remember?" the stranger's voice answered back, "You made sure I was taken care of... I can't repay you enough for helping me."

Morgan moved quietly along the side of the house to the window of Sami's bedroom where the window was slightly ajar. Doing her best to stay out of sight, she snuck a peak inside. Standing with a bright smile on her face was her brother Sami, chatting cheerfully with a man about his age on the bed. The man was strange, from his bright red hair to his accent that didn't sound like their own. A foreigner?

"And I told you that I don't need you to repay me. Your company in this lonely house has been the highlight of my life these last few months..." Sami said wistfully.

The stranger named Nitro chuckled, "You're too nice for your own good... at least let me help you with the chores, maybe run some errands for you if I need to."

Sami snorted, "Nitro the moment you walk outside they'll notice you're not a Faunus..."

Nitro groaned, "I know... but I need to at least stretch my legs, not that your house isn't nice."

"Maybe I can work on a disguise for you? That could be an option."

Morgan's eyes went wide, "Not a Faunus? Then is he..." She looked the man up and down and registered his features.

"How? I'm a human, we look so different that..."

"Human?! As in Faunus eating human?! With her brother?!"

Sami walked over and sat on the bed close to Nitro, "Hey... we might look different but you're the nicest person I've ever met... and you're really sweet so..."

She'd heard enough. A plan began to form in her mind, if she wanted to get the queen's attention away from the futile ritual... then maybe a human was the best distraction she needed...

Marching back to the front door she knocked loudly, "Sami? Little brother are you home?" she called sweetly, acting as if she'd heard nothing.

There was the sound of desperate shuffling and something falling over before the door was opened, "Morgan?! Dear sister what brings you back home?!" Sami said slightly out of breath.

Morgan smiled sweetly and hugged her brother, "It's good to see you healthy Sami, you look well!"

Sami smiled awkwardly as he returned the hug, "Uh... surely my busy sister hasn't come all this way to see her brother? Not that I don't want you to, this is quite a welcome visit!"

She felt her brow twitch but swallowed her anxiety, "The Queen requests you to be this year's hunter of the Moon Fish, you have until tomorrow's sunrise to obtain the creature."

Sami's face fell immediately, "S-She wants me to live now? As in right now?"

"What's wrong brother? This is a great honor, you should be proud she has acknowledged your skills!" Morgan patted her brother on the shoulder.

"I-It's not that I don't want to it's just..."

"Is it not a good time? Should I go back and tell her royal majesty that you have declined her request?" Morgan eyed him slyly.

Sami felt a sneaking feeling crawling under his skin... but he could not disobey a royal request. "I-I... I'll get my things, please tell her majesty that I will fulfill her request."

Morgan smiled coldly, "Perfect. I'll tell her at once. It was nice seeing you dear brother." with that she left. Her plan was set in motion.


Sami returned to the room where he hid Nitro, the poor redhead boy falling out of the closet and onto the floor, "Owie... who was that?"

"That was..." Sami rubbed his hands through his hair, "My older sister."

Nitro blinked, "You didn't tell me you had a sister," he looked at him with confusion.

"It's... complicated. When we were kids our parents wandered too far out of the reef and got caught in a hurricane... they never made it back home. Since then Morgan has distanced herself, choosing to become a student of the royal family while I was left to be a fisherman. Of course, most of our living expenses were paid by her job until I got situated in mine... it's just that... she lives in the castle these days and rarely ever comes to see me."

Nitro's expression softened as he clasped Sami's hand gently, "Hey... I know a thing or two about siblings. Thankfully my sister is like my best friend, we're not blood-related but she's the best partner I could've asked for... but she wasn't always like that..."

Sami blushed as Nitro held his hand, "What was she like in the early days?"

"Distant, and cold. It took a lot for her to finally warm up to me. It's never easy but I'm sure your sister cares a lot for you." Nitro gazed into his eyes.

Sami looked away from his intense gaze and coughed into his hand, "Yeah well... we got a problem."

"Oh no..."

"The Queen wants me to hunt a specific fish tonight before tomorrow's sunrise, which means I'll be gone for the rest of today and possibly most of tomorrow depending on how the tides are..." Sami explained with a solemn look.

Nitro put on a brave face as he squeezed Sami's hand, "Hey, it'll be okay. I'm a big boy, I can hide by myself for at least a day."

Sami looked at him with worry, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine, you do what you have to do!"

That evening, Sami loaded up his boat with all his gear and set out into the ocean to hunt the Moonfish. Morgan watched him depart from the windows of the castle with a dark look on her face, "I'm sorry brother... but it has to be done..."


Deep into the night, Nitro was reclined in the living room of the Tidefinn house with a glass of what he assumed to be pineapple juice but it tasted like it was mixed with mango when the sound of heavy footsteps alerted him to someone outside.

"What the...?"

Before he could make a break for his gear stashed in the room, the door was busted open as heavily armed soldiers clad in seastone green armor and wielding hooked spears barged in with their spears pointed at Nitro. Within seconds the boy was surrounded.

"What's going on here?" Nitro asked warily as he gauged his opponents. With the right Aura application he could barge through them and escape... but where would he go?

"Morgan was right... he isn't a Faunus!" one of them said as they eyed Nitro.

"Shit"

"Human! You are to come with us to the palace immediately under the orders of Queen Marina Prismafinn!" one of the soldiers said pointing the spear into Nitro's chest.

"And what if I don't comply?" he eyed them.

"Then we will be forced to use extreme measures... after all you humans are dangerous!"

Weighing his options again Nitro sighed and raised his arms in surrender, "Fine... I'll comply."

The soldier nodded, "Cuff him."

Two larger soldiers grabbed Nitro's arms and restrained them behind his back before slapping a pair of cold stone cuffs that felt harder than steel around his wrists. As they escorted him to the castle through the cold night air Nitro looked toward the ocean, "Sami... I could really use some help right now..."


What's going to happen to Nitro?
Will Sami be able to save him?
Find out in Chapter 94 because the next one is the conclusion of Shade arc