Jaune and Kidnapping. Name a more common combination.

Surely this will be the absolute last time something like that happens. Surely, truly.

Okay anyway here's the other half of the chapter. Yeah, after speaking with my beta Luffy, decided it would be best to split the previous chapter and this one down the middle, because both of them together had quite a lot of info and things going on that putting them together would be a bit much.

I say, as someone who's written 20k chapters. Packed with content. Hah.

Anyway, let's get to it!

Summer and Ruby were both sitting idly on the edge of a cliff, looking out towards the calming night sky. Summer prepared several snacks for the both of them, which Ruby was in the middle of munching on. A batch of strawberry muffins, and by her side were several gallons of strawberry milk, which had already emptied due to several refills of Ruby pouring them into her cup. The smell of strawberries was fresh and pleasant to their werewolf noses. Paired with the other aspects of their picnic, it was proving to be a very relaxing outing for mother and daughter, once again. It was further helped with how Salem packed them several strawberry shortcakes, and dozens of sandwich sliders. It wasn't quite by a large amount like they usually eat, but it was still enough to hold them over for their extended mother-daughter outing.

Currently the result of their ravenous picnic outing resulted in both having their bellies nicely stuffed and filled with various foods. Summers was especially so, large enough for Ruby to be able to lie the back of her head against it like a wobbly waterbed. Her werewolf mother, much larger than she was in her beast form, laid back against a tree, and Ruby laid her back against her mother's food-filled belly. Both of them relaxed together with the breeze smoothly blowing against their furs.

After a moment of serenity-and releasing simultaneous howls mixed with belches, making them both laugh-, Ruby stretched slightly, before lifting her head to meet her mother's eyes. "Hey, Mom. How did you and Dad end up meeting each other?"

"How did I meet Taiyang, precisely? Well..." Summer rubbed her chin and closed her eyes, then reopening them with a wagging tail. "Well, it's not a very grand meeting if you're expecting it to be so. It's more along the lines of a chance meeting that ended up turning into something completely different, with time and dedication. As well as plenty of adventures along the way." Summer wistfully wagged her tail. "Taiyang was the first person I've met face to face when I left mother's home for an extended period for the very first time."

"Dad was the very first person you met away from grandma's home?"

"I wanted to explore the world more, and I felt that I was confident enough in myself and my own strength to take on the world around me, head-on. And yet somehow, my first and greatest meeting right from the get-go was with the man who world eventually become your father." Summer lifted herself up and adjusted her position, so that Ruby could lay against her softened stomach better. "We were both in our early twenties, and Taiyang already had Yang with Raven relatively young. And around this timeframe, Raven disappeared without a trace. For all he knew, she left him with a baby without saying a word. The actual truth goes a bit deeper than that, but during those days, Taiyang only had Qrow and Yang by his side, and they have been taking care of her in their own for a year before they met me."

Ruby tilted her head a bit, seeing how Summer spoke of Taiyang so warmly. "So, it was only Dad and Uncle Qrow around to take care of Yang..." That must have been difficult for her father, at least for a little while.

"I remember that we jumped into each other in Vale, and I initially got Taiyang's attention when I held a crying Yang in my arms and got her to calm down almost immediately. We took to each other's names, and we figured that since it was my first time around Vale at that point, he could give me some pointers on how to navigate it, and I could help him and Qrow take care of Yang." Summer lightly scratched her cheek. "It was initially supposed to stay that sort of arrangement. Neither of us really planned for it to happen. But well, the two of us became closer. He chose to trust me in certain things, I did my best to help him because I wanted to see him smile more. We risked our lives here and there, in order to best provide for Yang together. And those intense moments brought us closer together, which had us unexpectedly falling in love. And then..." Summer gestured her fluffy tail towards Ruby. "Well, you happened."

Ruby lifted her head a bit and turned about, hopping atop the werewolf Summer's wolf belly, stuffed and rounded with food as it was, so she could better look her in the eyes. "Dad still loved Raven, but he also fell in love with you. And that still led to me?"

Summer's ears flicked, remembering the complicated emotions she felt during that whole ordeal, scratching her head with a winded sigh. She managed to pull herself together easily enough, caressing Ruby's fur. "We were happy to have you in our lives, and we were glad to give Yang a sister. But so long as Raven was not there, there would always be a lingering void in their hearts." Summer softly smiles. "So, I went out of my way to look for her myself. I'll tell you the full story another time, but I eventually managed to bring her back home to Taiyang, Yang, and Qrow. Taiyang accepted both of us into his heart as his wives, and we all became closer than ever." Summer saw Ruby's eyes blink and shine slightly at the note of her deeds and dedication to Taiyang, her tail flicking a bit more, wagging. "And it was because I couldn't bear to not help Taiyang at least seek closure for Raven. Whether he accepted one or neither of us, I at least wanted him to do so with full knowledge of everything that happened, and why. I wanted to bring some sense of peace to his heart, especially after I managed to claim it."

"You were willing to go so far, Mom? You really wanted to bring her back to Dad, even if you didn't know that you would be able to stay with him. And you also wanted to bring her back for Yang, too." Ruby wondered, realizing that their family was a bit of a mess in regard to how they came together.

"I admit, I was afraid of what might happen, but I couldn't just leave things the way they were. That's why I dedicated my efforts to that. And to my happy surprise, it paid off. I had Raven's respect, and we both maintained Taiyang's love for us. Just as importantly , I managed to bring Raven back into Yang's life, after she ended up missing the first six years of it, making her return on the seventh. You were four when Raven finally returned." Summer reasoned while clasping her paws. "I was willing to do whatever it took to help them and make them happy, even if it came at the risk of my own happiness. And Taiyang did the same for me. We came through for each other, fought for each other, occasionally rescued each other, and did our best to understand each other. Things weren't perfect, but we did our best with what we had." Summer softly smiled as she placed a hand on her chest. "We made each other feel fulfilled. And in a relationship between lovers, that's especially important to maintain and protect."

"It is?"

"It goes for all forms of love, of course. The love for one's significant other, their family, their friends, their home, all of them are equals to one another, even if they're expressed differently. No one love is superior or inferior to the other, and all of them are worth sustaining and protecting once you gain them. This calls into why returning Raven to her daughter was my other big reason for setting out to find her." Summer lightly hugged Ruby closer, touching her currently canine nose with her own. "When you find these relationships, that make you feel truly fulfilled, you should make sure that nothing takes them away from you. Nurture them and sustain them, keep them close and cherish them. Become capable of this, and you'll find yourself living a truly wonderful life."

Ruby briefly wondered about this, and thought back to her grandmother, Salem. She had a strong bond with the one she romantically loved that gave her lonely life fulfillment, but she wasn't careful enough to preserve it before things got out of hand, which ended up causing her a great deal of pain. It caused a wound that Summer herself could still vaguely sense in her heart, that silent longing for a time long since passed. And a solemn acceptance that going back to those times was not possible. She looked upwards as she gazed into her mother's eyes again. "So, Grandma was able to find new happiness after everything that happened, after she found you?"

"And that happiness was further increased, once she bonded with you and Yang. Having us all slowly integrated into her life did some much needed healing for her soul. And now she's at a much more peaceful place of mind and heart. That is because of us, and we should cherish that whenever we can. She wishes better for us, better happiness for us. We'll be making her proud by sustaining the happiness we gain for ourselves." Summer hugged and nuzzled Ruby, who began nuzzling her in return. "We should strive to become capable of protecting and maintaining these precious memories and experiences, so that they don't slip through our fingers. Mother told me something to that effect, and now I tell this to you. Do you think you can remember it, Ruby?"

Ruby smiles resolutely, closing her eyes and relaxing in her mother's warmth. "I'll remember it, Mom."

Ruby needed to find Jaune. She had to.

She needed to save him from whatever was going on, because an instinctive warning was going off throughout her body saying that this particular kidnapping was different, and it drove her to want to find him as soon as possible. She was running up ahead on all fours, with Cinder soaring right next to her with flapping wings. Each of them was irritable about the fact that their shared mate was swiped from them so quickly and were locking onto his scent to hunt him down and rescue him. And while they were at it, they would deal with the captors responsible for it.

Up ahead, they were able to see a glowing silver cathedral. Shimmering and shining radiantly, with occasional golden glows pulsing off of it as well, it seemed to give off an ethereal and dignified atmosphere that betrayed the menace that Ruby could sense from it. Though that didn't matter to her in the slightest, for she could smell Jaune within this cathedral, and that was enough for her to want to take it apart in a bid to find and save him.

"He's there, I smell him." Ruby snarled as she stepped forward, only for Blake to place a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll go on ahead and help Jaune from within the cathedral. You all should create some chaos so that we'll be able to focus on escaping while they're distracted." Blake offered as Ruby looked towards her with a bit of a worried whine. "I'm the one who can sneak in there the easiest and free him. As I do that, you keep the enemy forces occupied. Leave him to me during that time, Ruby."

"But I..." Ruby sighed and shook her head. Now wasn't the time. "Okay. Please make sure he's safe."

"If chaos is what you need, I can more than provide." Cinder uttered as her hands shifted into claws. "Do whatever you must, Belladonna. I'll be busy making these wretches pay."

"Nn." Blake nodded as she stepped into the shadow of a nearby tree, and promptly sinks into it. Ruby and Cinder soon went ahead, with the former leading everyone else into the fray, Ruby locking onto Jaune's scent. She didn't know why, but her instincts were warning her of trouble, more unique than what she's sensed before. She wonders if she's going to be able to face it.

No. She would be.

She had to be.

Jaune barely felt it when it happened. For several seconds he couldn't even tell exactly what had happened. He just knew that he was not by Ruby's side anymore, and that he was somewhere completely different. Though what he noticed before that, was that he was in restraints. His arms were completely bound to his sides, by what appeared to be bright beams of light. Grimacing, he tried to futilely struggle in them, only to be tired out quickly.

He couldn't believe he managed to get abducted again. Singled out, it seems, for he didn't see anyone else from the Guild with him. Despite the situation, he managed to not descend into a panic, instead trying to get a gauge on his surroundings so that he could figure out his next course of action. The first thing he could see was that he seemed to have been put in a bright white room within a golden monastery. Several windows could be seen, the sky was similarly bright, at least from his perspective. His head was pulsing with pain, so he didn't entirely trust everything he was seeing at the moment.

Though he did trust the gut feeling that he was in serious danger.

"Ah, you're awake." Jaune was startled from his thought process as he turned towards the sound of the voice, noticing that it was the woman he saw before everything faded into bright lightning. It didn't take long for him to realize that he was captured by her. "You must have many questions about what's currently going on, but I implore you to please not panic. You're welcome here."

Jaune wasn't quite sure she understood that being restrained was not the best way to display hospitality.

"Where am I?"

"Why, you're currently within one of the monasteries of Radiance, where our worships are held. It is where fellow followers gather and provide the fruits of their fealty." She clasped her hands together. "I have accumulated a surplus of worth and praise with my attainment of you. My worth is proven, and I have hope that the results of my devout service shall be of further use." Jaune looked to her eyes as she walked up and placed a hand on his chest. "You needn't worry. Your newest purpose is vastly important. We all have a purpose to our lives, and this one shall be yours."

Jaune shook his head. "Purpose? And what purpose is that?"

"Your potent healing abilities will serve well for many of our followers, for years to come, a wellspring of Aura to serve the new era. Fret not, you will be well taken care of, your services will be acknowledged."

"What are you talking..." Jaune eventually came to more of his senses once the light ceased to blind him as much, and he realized that he was surrounded by many who were bathed in golden light. And furthermore, with this realization, that he was currently glowing as well, he put together that his abilities were forcibly being activated to boost them to their leisure. Several of the gathered men of the crowd were a healthy distance, but more than one female had latched onto him so that they could be boosted by him more directly, effectively. It didn't take him too long for him to realize the implications there, and the almost motherly, expectant smile on the face of his captor.

Though once he took a better look at these people, he could sense that they were content with this arrangement. And then Jaune was able to see the source of it, with how the women were clinging to him. Not out of any source of affection, but as a sort of lifeline. The smiles they wore did not match the emptiness in their eyes. Something was off about all of them, though he doubted he would have time or space to figure it out in detail. Then he managed to sense their Aura, and immediately dread managed to weigh upon him.

Their souls...this different than what happened in Shion...

It was in fact, much worse. At the very least, there was a silent echo of emotion going on within their souls, they were just severely suppressed. And in other circles they were simply accepting in their lot of life once it became clear to them that nobody was in a position to help them. No, this was something of a much more thorough degree, and once he sensed it, he couldn't unsee it.

"W...What happened to you...?"

"Hm? Nothing happened. I am simply at peace." The woman smiled at him, but Jaune wasn't blind to how empty it was.

"But your soul..."

"Knows true peace. I once knew of pain, but now it is a distant memory. At a time, I was fearful, and yet now I only know of my purpose. Being able to live free of those things is a worthwhile trade for the brief pain I did feel." The woman gently hugged his arm. "I no longer suffer the agony of dreaming, that brief period of submitting to the darkness during slumber. Negativity can no longer claim me and influence me into malevolence. I am content and at peace."

'Peace' is not how Jaune would have put it. It wasn't even that her negative emotions were being suppressed. It was more like something within her soul was messed with, to where neither positive nor negative emotions could seriously affect her. In a sense, her entire emotional center has been removed. It was like the individuality that came with having a soul has been seriously warped into something completely unrecognizable from what it was before.

"What did they do to you?!" Jaune uttered, too horrified at the prospect to even try and break away by that point. He soon noticed that a similar blank and compliant look was on the looks of everyone else he could see within the room. It was as if their very souls had been lobotomized. "You can't tell me that you're all actually alright with this?! Your souls have been messed up!"

"The proper word for it would be cleansed." She smiled with a soft hum. Jaune winced as he felt more of his Aura used to empower the others, against his will. "There's no need to worry. You are treasured here. You will be taken care of properly, throughout the entirety of your new life."

Jaune grimaced, unappreciative of the implications of this, until he noticed the shadow under him beginning to expand. The woman was briefly curious, before her eyes widened at the further expansion of the shadow. In the next second, something shot out from the expanded shadow, giving her a scare, before she felt something strike her head. Swiftly enough to not feel the pain once she was knocked out. Jaune sighed as he no longer felt siphoned, and he saw the new arrival.

"Blake?

"I had a feeling something was about to happen, so I attached myself and emerged from your shadow." She utters while turning towards Jaune. "You vanished in a flash of lightning, and it freaked out your wives. You should probably apologize to them later; they're currently rampaging to this position as they're sensing both of our energies." The intensity of the oppressing light emanating in this room meant that she could only bring herself up through Jaune's shadow. The others would have to rely on Ruby and Cinder's enhanced sense of smell to track them.

Jaune shook his head. "I think that we might be in trouble here, they're manipulating my Aura. I don't have any control over it right now. And then there's..."

Blake narrowed her eyes as they shifted about several times, seeing numerous women glowing brighter as they seemed prepared to attack her. "I don't believe they appreciate my interruption. They do seem to be siphoning power from you. But in a slightly different way than the succubus tried to." Blake tilted her head as she pieced together something else due to the 'other' way the females were looking at Jaune. She dryly turned towards him. "Oh. This is bad."

"You know what's going on, huh?"

"We should honestly get you out of here as soon as possible, but I can't leave the way I came, not under this light. It's drastically different." She slashed through Jaune's restraints and handed him his sword and shield. "Better option, you should leave. I'll keep them from following you."

"But Blake-"

"Jaune, I have a reliable instinct for things like this. It's far more important that you leave this place and not get caught again. I'm much faster than you, so no one will pursue you without getting past me." Blake gripped Gambol Shroud as shadows danced around her. "You keep moving, and I'll cover your escape." Jaune still wasn't sure about this, but the flashes of light were already launching at them, forcing Blake to slash through them and Jaune to block them with his shield. There was no time to discourse over the circumstances, they had to move quickly. Blake could only hope that Ruby and the others could reach their location quickly, because the current conditions wouldn't allow for her escape with Jaune the same way.

Her reliable instinct, as well as pure experience, also told her that things were very likely going to go wrong.

Far outside of the complex, Ruby had swiped another wave of flowing rose petals across the area, blowing the approaching crowd to her. Her animalistic glare accompanied her every movement, which included several instances of her hand enlarging into a massive wolf's paw and slamming into the ground to scatter them about further, irritated at them all for having the gall to stand in her way. Crescent Rose soon flew into her hands as she spins the curved blade around and slashed clean through some of the projectiles launched towards her, sending a lot of the attackers away. She didn't remain distracted for long, her nose sniffing the air and remaining locked onto Jaune's scent, and Blake's as well to a lesser extent. If things went well, she managed to find him, but couldn't bring him back with her the same way, so they would have to make their way towards them instead.

Hence why she couldn't help but feel that the hordes of enemies currently attacking them at the moment was specifically to gatekeep her, and she really did not have time to deal with that. It was fortunate that she had Cinder, who was similarly infuriated with how her love was just snatched from her claws with such insulting ease. This plays a part in why she was burning everything in her way with wrathful vigor. She had already smashed through the next gate with an enlarged dragon fist, her eyes fiery and her wings ignited in a coat of flames.

"I absolutely abhor these ingrates trying to steal from us what's rightfully ours." Cinder growled furiously while callously tail swiping away another group right into the wall next to her. "Whoever's bright idea it was to do something like this, they're going to die."

"Don't think I'll be against that all that much." Ruby narrowed her eyes as she gripped her scythe and cleaved through several chunks of the room, slashing rose petals spiraling about and slicing everything currently in her sight. "He shouldn't be too far away; we just need to keep tracking him while making our way through." She leapt across several pillars, landing atop one of the tallest. "Something isn't right about these people, though. I can't put my paw on it, but something is seriously wrong here. But we need to focus on Jaune first and foremost. We can't let anything s-" Ruby jumped over something attempting to blast her from afar, landing on all four as her claws skid across the ground, with Cinder flapping her wings to help her become airborne. Both of them turned towards the source of the attack.

"It would seem that intruders are amongst us...and one of them feels rather familiar." Ruby could see the woman up ahead of her, particles of lightning emerging off of her in waves and surges, flicking along her arms and across her fingers. Her silver-colored hair flowed softly around her in the wind gathering around her, the crackles of lightning occasionally lashing out and blasting the walls around her. The sound of buzzing lightning and cracking lightning filled the room and filled Ruby with a sense of unease. She was flying right in the center of a sphere of electricity that surged all about and threatened to electrocute and blast anyone that could possibly come by, almost giving off a divine feel with how bright and shining, glowing radiance that the silver glowing lightning. It was then that Ruby immediately got an idea of what she was dealing with, along with the color of the woman's eyes themselves. "I don't remember inviting anyone else here, especially you of all intruders. So, I'll have to show you the door and ask you to leave." Juno eventually utters, silver lighting surging immediately towards Ruby. Ruby reacted quickly as a bolt of lightning shot towards Ruby. She dodges via jumping high upwards and avoiding the blast that resulted.

Silver Eyes, Ruby immediately put together.

Celestians.

Cinder watched as the two of them began clashing against each other in flurries of rose petals and streams of lightning. She turned around towards the other woman, who gradually descended to the ground, with her hands still pressed against one another. "Hello there...dragon." The woman greeted with an unnatural tranquility to her. The energy surging around her was calm and centered, and yet something about it was also unsettlingly sinister. Her cape flowed gently around her, as well as her tied up hair. Refined muscles could be seen through her state of dress, emphasizing a powerful future despite the deceptive look of serenity. The silver glow around her was emitting a calming vibe that felt utterly warped and dissonant, but one wouldn't be able to tell immediately without having a high sense for danger. Cinder also notices her Silver Eyes immediately upon seeing them. "Seeing you in the flesh is eye opening indeed."

This woman, she was potentially problematic.

"You have eyes like Ruby's. I'm guessing that's significant, but that doesn't matter to me." Cinder held up her hand as a flicker of flames. "Are you the one who sent that woman to kidnap Jaune? Answer carefully, it decides whether or not you're merely burned or obliterated." Cinder glared at the woman who simply looked at her with her eyes flickering with a silver light. She looked around and sees more of her followers coming out from several rooms that have opened from her appearance. She realized that the woman was indeed responsible for Jaune's abduction, picking up even more of her scent. "Never mind, I can already tell. You do realize that you need to be punished for such an insult, right?"

"Punished, you say? I wouldn't say that what we're doing here is considered condemnable." The woman casually brought forth, slowly approaching Cinder, who began noticing a brief sheen around the woman, or how several men have gathered around her, submissively kissing her hands and feet as she walked by them. "I've graced these people with true peace, so that the demons would never desire to attack them." Cinder narrowed her eyes as she watched the people near serenely gazing towards her. It slowly came to her whilst their Aura emanated in incomplete waves, echoing inwards and outwards. She launched herself forward and punched with a pillar of flames, only for a silvery barrier to block the onslaught and push Cinder back. She flapped her wings with a grunt.

"What the hell did you do to them?"

"A path to a peaceful and useful existence. Pacified both their fear and their sense of self, in which neither will ever again bring chaos to their souls." The woman clasped her hands. A barrier formed in front of her, which shaped itself into a canon that fired a beam of silver light towards Cinder, which she countered with a firey blast of her own. The destructive collision rocked the room they were in, causing bits of it to collapse around them. "A better life from this current one awaits all of Mistral, their minds and souls at peace, and their existence dedicated to serve a higher purpose."

"That's not what this is at all." Cinder blinked as she noticed Ren landing next to her, glaring towards the woman in front of him. "These people are only at peace because their emotional center has been removed, drastically affecting how their Aura manifests. Their sense of self is silenced, and their desire to resist is suppressed. So long as they feel useful and at peace, they'll do anything they're told." Ren cautiously gathered his Aura around him. "I've seen this somewhere before. The blank and expressionless look in their eyes and the lack of focus in their Auras. This is different than what happened back at Shion, drastically worse, even."

"...How so?" Cinder asked, dropping several explosive fireballs onto the woman, who deflected them all with another silver barrier. She responded by shaping the barrier into a sword and launching it towards Cinder as it quickly increased in size. She dodged around it with a flap of her wings, and Ren managed to barely deflect them with Aura infused strikes. There was no doubt about it, this power was extremely similar to Ruby's, with their very natures the same. Cinder felt it packed a lot more power into them than regular barrier attacks would.

"Their souls have essentially been lobotomized." Ren uttered coldly, and the pervasive ugliness of the statement actually managed to garner true horror from Cinder, as she took a second look at all the people gathered around the woman with a newly disgusted perspective. The woman formed another barrier weapon, shaping them into a quartet of tridents, and launched them. Ren speedily jumps away whilst Cinder flies out of range, the projectiles causing several silvery bright explosions in the process.

"I've freed them from the burden that comes with negative emotions. They are completely undesirable to the negativity feeding creatures that are the Grimm, thus they are safe from them, and not a threat to themselves or others. The torment and agony that swelled within them has been smothered and erased by a calm, peaceful silence, which can never be disturbed again. They are useful, and they are at peace. So long as those aspects are maintained, they are happy." One of the men monotonously declared while raising the nicely muscled woman's hand and kissing it, which made her smile serenely to him. "And they make me happy, too. Peace is a cherished thing to gain and protect." Celimene smiles softly towards Cinder. "Sir Arc seems to be the type to be happy to be useful. He has quite a potent amount of life force ad just as potent healing abilities." Her eyes softened further. "I can think of various different uses for him, that will surely keep him peaceful and happy."

Now that the full implications of what she had in store for Jaune clicked to her, the floor around Cinder began to melt, and she glared heatedly at the nonplussed Celimene with blazing eyes of fury, the waves of heat crashing against the woman's barrier constructs. "You dare?! I've already claimed him! He's MINE!" And Ruby's as well, but Cinder could forgive herself a bit for focusing on the fact that Celimene was making this threat specifically towards her.

"You haven't been taking care of him very well, have you?" Celimene shook her head. "Then again, I don't really expect dragons to take proper care of their things, particularly living things. Orella told me some interesting things about you." A flash of flames was blocked by a spiraling shield barrier around herself. "After all, you were unable to take care of the peace and happiness you had with Rhodes. What makes you think you can protect something like this? Seems like he'll be far safer with me. You have no idea what anguish you're soon to cause him through your joined union."

A threshold has been breached, with Cinder's fangs extending while the flames around her grew more intense. "You're dead."

Pyrrha and Penny were moving through the building with a cautious uncertainty, with Weiss and Yang right behind them. Everyone was scattered about, and it seemed that Cinder and Ruby have both run into powerful enemies. Weiss figured that it wouldn't be as simple as going out to rescue Jaune, it never progresses that simply for them. Thus, she was prepared for everything to go wrong in a single second. Yang herself was quietly worrying about Ruby, though she found it better if everyone stuck together for the time being and attempt to find their way through.

"We need to be careful, there's no telling what kind of enemy we're dealing with." Weiss narrowed her eyes as her Glyphs manifested around her in a guarding manner. "I don't have a pleasant feeling about this place." She looked around cautiously at the numerous, glamorously glowing statues lining up the halls, golden flames flickering about the golden chandeliers. Weiss immediately stopped everyone in place as the Glyphs stopped them, guarding them as flashes of silver light appeared in front of the both of them. "As I thought."

Penny quickly made note of the enemies in front of them, and was immediately on the alert, eyes flashing bright green. Several swords manifested around her while her Aura flared in response to the newest arrival. "Everyone, we must exercise extreme caution. The kind of creature we face before us is an ultra-rare, dangerous one."

"How dangerous are we talking about?" Yang wonders warningly.

Penny got a good look at the creature; it appeared to be a humanoid creature of sorts, but it was also an avian sort with bright silver feathers, and glowing bright eyes. Though the eyes didn't stop just in its head. Once it comes a silvery speed in its arms, it's glowing wings on its back spread outwards, multiples of more eyes appeared across them, each of them blinking differently and locking onto the group right in front of them. Its sharpened talons landed ground, a glowing silvery beak, a bright flowing and glowing sash of energy around its torso. It tightened its grip on its spear while swirling the silver glowing weapon, before it pointed the top of the blade towards them as it pulsed with power. As Penny processed the intensity of its power and what category it belongs to, it eliminated all doubts in her mind about what it was.

"Creature identification complete: Angel."

At this, the creature screeched. The sound itself was almost incomprehensible; it was like the combined sounds of a roaring cyclone and the crashing of a tidal wave assaulting the ears simultaneously. Both sounds mixed together to form something unrecognizable, while only the tail end of the screech resembles something along a warped static version of a hawk's screeching. Before long the angel slashed its spear towards the gang which forced them to dodge the onslaught quickly. They separated due to the swift attacks the angel attempted to land on them, piercing through walls in the process.

Penny and Pyrrha in particular landed on their feet away from Yang and Weiss, attempting to find a way to drive the angel back. Though instincts called out to Pyrrha, she pushed Penny out of the way whilst she herself leapt backwards, numerous silver glowing chains erupting from the ground and shattering it before them. Both of them turned towards the source of the attacks, but a whip of chains already smacked Penny across the face, separating her from Pyrrha's before they attempted to ensnare her in them. Grunting, her swords appeared around her and sliced through the chains in seconds, freeing herself without a hassle.

"...So Orella was right. The effects of my chains didn't work on you for even a second." Themis landed on a pillar a few ways away from Penny, her bright silver eyes catching the cyborg's attention. Multiple silver chains swirled around her while extending from her, glittering and clacking against each other in a separate occasion. Her sash lay gently around her hips, slightly emphasizing how wide they were, and a silver flowing cape adorned her shoulders as the silver glow around her intensifies. A sword laid in a hilt hanging to one of said hips, and the emblem of a silver glowing scale adorned her cape. More chains gathered around her as she grabbed onto one, extending it with her touch and tightening it. "The very nature of your existence is bothersome, Penny Polendina."

"Your eyes are Silver, like Ruby's...!" Penny noted immediately, before another set of chains emerged from the ground and attempted to smack her what with a whip-like chain attack. Penny guarded against it, landing in another platform whilst Themis chased after her all the same. "You are both from the same lineage, and these powers feel similar too!" She dodged right over an array of whipping chains, each of them sending out waves of energy that narrowly missed her. "But what is the meaning of this?!"

"You are an acquaintance of Ruby Rose, someone of our bloodline who's guilty of impiety. She can't be allowed to go unpunished." Themis lashed several silver glowing chains towards Penny, who dodged past most of them and deflected some of them with her swords. She parried a trio of them attempting to run her through, though the blades at the end detonated a bright silver explosion that threw Penny across the ground, where she barely regained her bearings. "She's turned away from the core duties of her bloodline, which cannot be forgiven. A sacred duty that she has voluntarily turned her back on. Meaning she has turned away from the light; those who turn away from they might have relinquished their right to exist."

Penny shook her head. "That doesn't-!" Penny wasn't allowed to finish as several larger silver chains descended from the skies and attempted to run her through with the blades attached to them. Her swords parried the chains and sliced through some of them, and several of them fired beams back towards Themis, where she brought forth a wall of silver chains to block them. "That sounds unfairly excessive!"

"There is no excessive measure to making one pay the price for impiety. Those who turn away from their sacred duties are not worthy of respect or mercy." Themis lashed multiples of chains towards Penny from all around the room, to which Penny places a green glowing barrier around herself to deflect them all. "The God of Light abandoned Remnant once, decided it was no longer worthy of them. And that is why we had to step in. The Silver Eyes, Celestians."

"What do you inquire...?!" Penny leapt as several explosions of light went off from the places of impact that the chains hit, flying through the air whilst her swords spun around her.

Off across to the side, Pyrrha readied herself as Orella descended in front of her, glowing a soft silver sheen around her entire body. She held up her shield, preparing for a potential onwards attack. Orella simply gazed towards Pyrrha, her silver eyes blinking softly, glittering. They were radiant and softly shimmering like mirrors, mesmerizing and beautiful. It made Pyrrha really remember that eyes like Ruby's are supposed to be a rarity. "Have you ever thought about your future?" The woman stood before her in form fitting white and gold robes, in which her cape flowed behind her due to the influence of her psychic powers at work. She had a glowing orb levitating above her palm as silver swirling energy pulsed within it, with several images passing through it that Pyrrha couldn't immediately decipher. "Pyrrha Nikos." Orella hummed, which briefly made Pyrrha tighten her grip on her weapon and shield. "Have you ever considered that Mistral was unworthy of you?" Pyrrha blinked at this, wondering what she was on about.

Orella took the time to keep her rabidly busy as she thought; an orb of psychic energy formed over Orella's head, colored a bright shining silver, which she launched towards Pyrrha. She rolled to the side and was nearly launched by the shockwave of the impact, but managed to right herself in due time, skidding across the ground. It felt like Glynda's telekinetic abilities. A completely, inherently different source of it.

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen just what you're capable of, what you have the potential to achieve." Several more psychic orbs formed around Orella's head, and each of them launched towards Pyrrha in rapid succession, forcing her to dodge them as they came, barely deflecting one of them with her shield. "But alas, Mistral in all of its corruption, mishandled you. Abused you. Tore you from multiple directions to the point where you easily could have lost that spirit of yours. That would have been a tragedy." She shaped another gathering of psychic energy into a sharpened blade and launched that towards Pyrrha was well. Pyrrha braced herself and pierced right through it with a surge of her Aura though she winced as it still managed to slice her hand slightly.

"Why are you..."

"Mistral out of all the lands, have lost themselves in the throes of luxury and glory, rather than focusing on honing their reverence and devotion towards safeguarding their homelands. The seeds of darkness have been planted deepest in this region. Safe to say, Mistral has not earned a prosperous future, for how it treats gifted individuals like yourself." Pyrrha blinked as several more enlarged psychic knives formed over her head. She raised her shield and winced as they all fell down on her with such force that the ground cracked below her, nearly bringing her to her knees. "Which is why I ask, Pyrrha Nikos: Will you accept becoming my champion?"

Pyrrha gawked in astonishment at the offer whilst she recovered from the sheer psychic force being sent her way. She managed to slice through another, nearly being sent by a wave of psychic energy uprooting the space where she stood. She flipped backwards and landed perfectly on her feet, keeping her shield up. "What kind of offer is that? And why would you want to make it with me?"

"Because you are worthy, Pyrrha. Talent like yours only comes rarely per generation. And honing that talent, makes you one of the few who are truly worthy of living in the world that I foresee." Orella descended with open arms. "A potential that Mistral has failed to utilize, and I intend on helping you realize. You'll see your true potential through me. Will you accept?"

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes, unsure of what to think of this woman.

Further upwards...

"Oh man, I think I lost Blake. This isn't good." Jaune huffed as he hid behind a pillar, wincing as a blast of light blasted s chunk of it away where he almost stood. He looked around the corner to see the Angelic Beast, one of which he could see was a silver glowing version of a Grimm Spinx but with even more eyes on its forehead and tail, roaring an otherworldly sound and looking around for its target: him. "They haven't tried to kill me, just subdue me. Of course, I'm getting singled out...!"

"You're not the only one." Jaune immediately turned to see Oscar stumbling to him, panting softly as he hid behind the pillar with him. "It's the opposite with me; they seem dead set on killing me. I don't know why!" He ducked as a blade nearly caught him by the head, specifically a feather blade. He looked up to see the Angel Beast, looking akin to a Nevermore, screeching at him...and he was greatly bothered by the glowing eye within its beak.

"HiYA!" A surge of pink lightning flashed across the room and slammed into the Angel Beast, sending it crashing through the wall. Nora landed on the ground several seconds, before hurrying over to pat Oscar's shoulder. "You alright, little buddy? Jaune?"

"Not really...but I'm alive. That's a start."

"I feel targeted, but so far they haven't caught me again yet."

"Stay close to me, boys. I'll protect us!" Nora declared as lightning surgery from her missing eye, beneath her eyepatch. "I never thought I'd get to smack angel in the face. It was kinda neat!"

Jaune sighed. "Somehow that's feels wrong. But these guys are trying to kidnap me again, so you know what, go nuts."

"I must say, it is funny to see you panicking and running about like that." The trio paused and turned towards the sound of the voice, where they could see a checker patterned feline gazing at them with a casual smile. As much as s feline could, anyway. "Oh, I do wonder how you're going to approach this. Are you going to keep fighting? Will you tire out and collapse? Gain some kind of second wind? I wonder which will happen first?"

"...Who are you?" Jaune cautiously asked as he and Nora stood protectively in front of Oscar.

"Who am I? I don't think that matters. I've never really mattered enough to anyone to be given a true name." The feline stood up and casually began levitating in the air. "But if you're asking what I am, that's a teeny bit easier. I suppose you could say that I'm a cat that's not quite from this world." They twirled in midair with a stretch. "More to the point, you could say that I'm a cat that's most Curious. And what I'm curious about right now is...are you going to dodge that?"

"Hu-OOF!" Nora held up her hammer and was slammed into by one of the Angel Beasts, impacting the walk behind her and being smashed through the next one.

"Ooooh, guess not. That had to hurt." the feline winced. "Slightly different question, the young lad over there is the next inheritor of a legacy of...well, wizards that did not do so well serving the world at large. How is he going to do any better?" Oscar blinked and was surprised to find the cat on his shoulder all of a sudden. "Just being associated with the wizard successor line puts a huge target on your back, you know. Much like how badly my Mistress wants to kill you."

"What-" Oscar began to ask, only to turn and hurriedly out a barrier around himself, as another Angel Beast sending him flying back as well.

"Oh, I guess he doesn't have time to answer. Shame." The cat briefly kicked the back of its paw, only to find Jaune holding his sword towards it. "You don't look very pleased to see me. Did I say something wrong?"

"Just what is your game?" Jaune glared.

"A game? I don't remember playing a game, but I want to play now! Can I play?!" Jaune swung his sword at the cat, only for it to gracefully jump over it and land perfectly on the tip of the blade, swishing its tail. "I don't think I've ever played this game before. What's it called? Dodge Sword? Doesn't sound very catchy."

Jaune pulled his sword back as the feline levitates in front of him again. "These people are your masters. Then that makes you an enemy too, doesn't it?"

"Maybe? Perhaps? So-so? I don't know, my thoughts like to wander." The cat yawns as it lies on the ground, rolling on its back to expose its belly. "Have you ever thought about the risks? Knowing you're associated with someone who has close ties to the wickedest witch of them all? Have you thought about the kind of danger that might put you in?" The feline tilted their head at Jaune's widened eyes. "Don't tell me this hasn't seriously crossed your mind? Someone associated with Salem is bound to bring calamity sooner or later, probably through her will. You really never thought that coupling yourself with Ruby Rose would be more trouble than it's worth?"

"What are you talking about!? This isn't about her!"

"Oh, such a confused, misinformed fellow you are..."

Further above Ruby landed on all fours as she growled at the woman before her, silver lightning surging from her being. Wordlessly, multiple lightning chains bounced off the walls and shot towards Ruby. A barrier of rose petals surrounded Ruby and blocked the blasts as soon as they approached, giving her the opportune moment to circle around them and dash towards the woman. Crescent Rose donned in her hands as she slashed diagonally. Her enemy parried it with another chain of solidified lightning, which briefly created sparks and caused the two to glare at each other.

"I've been hearing much about you, Salem's Grandchild." Juno utters to the younger woman, the acknowledgement briefly breaking Ruby's focus; the surprise was enough for Juno to swiftly kick her in the chest and sent her hurtling across the room. Ruby clawed at the ground and stopped herself from crashing against the wall. She glared back at Juno as she appeared before her in a flash of silver lightning. She dodged backwards as a crash of said lightning nearly came down right atop her head. "And I must say, you're about as naive as I was expecting you to be."

"What do you mean?" Ruby glared as she slashed Crescent Rose in her direction, sending a crescent wave of rose petals towards her. Juno effortlessly dodges out of the way, leaping over and zipping to Ruby and kicking her in the side. An explosion of lightning went off and launched her into the wall. She grimaced while holding her side. "What's the point of all this? Why did you have Jaune kidnapped?!"

Juno tilted her head to the side as Ruby's claws nearly sliced at her face. Just as quickly a lightning infused blow slammed into Ruby's chest as she collapsed across the ground, dodging another crash of lightning. "The vastness of his life force will be useful to all of us. Not to mention, I knew that you would immediately sniff him out to hunt down and rescue. It was the most reliable way I could get your attention." Juno leapt upwards as Crescent Rose briefly slashed across her face, leaving a slight gash across it. It didn't seem to bother her that much aside from a nonchalant hum. "Having watched over this world for so long, we have descended from our Sanctuary to finally take actions towards healing Remnant in its entirety. Beginning with Mistral." Ruby had to dodge quickly to the side as a beam of lightning nearly got her through her side. "It pains me to have seen Remnant falling so far."

Ruby leapt over several waves of lightning, as she dodged several more of them in midair, forcing herself to drop back to the ground to avoid them blasting her out of the air. "Remnant is doing just fine!"

"As I said, naive. Evil pollutes this world at every corner. And it is about time we did whatever it takes to cleanse the world of evil and darkness, once and for all." Juno held out a blade of solidified lightning, which crackled several times. "And you, Ruby Rose, have attached yourself to this world's greatest evil. The dreaded wicked witch of the Grimm, Salem."

It wouldn't do well to deny her claim, she had her ways of deciphering the truth, it seems. But even with that in mind, she wouldn't allow things to go down that route if she could help it. Instead, she clashed with Juno and leapt over another blast of lightning. "You kidnapped Jaune for something like that?!" She resisted the urge to lash at her for badmouthing her grandmother, she realized where that would go and refused to give her that advantage.

Juno stomped the ground as further crackles of lightning descended and crashed into the ground, spread outwards in a spiral. "Are you worried about him? You should not be. Thanks to the bond you share with your 'Grandmother', the one you have with him is infinitely more fragile." She noticed Ruby's affronted glare at the accusation, casually dodging a slicing wave of rose petals in the process. "As soon as your goals, intentions, and mindsets begin to diverge, it will not be long before he displays his treachery. That mutual love you share will be corrupted into detestation for one another. Pray tell, who will he serve next once he betrays you? Or will you end up killing each other? Your 'love' will not last. It is doomed to result in mutual destruction."

"Is that seriously why you're trying to kidnap him?!" Ruby exclaimed again as her eyes flashed, slashing downwards with Crescent Rose, Juno parrying and deflecting the curved blade with ease. "You and I share the same eyes; this doesn't involve him! Leave him alone!'

"You truly are an unworldly, foolish young woman." Juno pushed her solidified lightning against Ruby's Crescent Rose, the crackles and rose petals swirling and flashing around her. "'Hero' types like him will never stand by you in the end, not so long as you remain similarly strongly attached to Salem. One of the greatest 'heroes' of Remnant's history, Ozma, had to choose between his duty to safeguard the world and the loyalty to the love of his life, once he realized that the two of them could not coincide. And history knows what he ultimately chose, and the consequences it wrought. That's why he fails as a hero for letting himself form such an attachment to someone unworthy of it." Juno's eyes softly glowed silver, her blade crackling with glowing silver lightning. "You attach yourself to Salem of all people, you are doomed to repeat that history. "'True' heroes will always uphold their precious morals and duties over the lives of their loved ones, should they truly be forced to choose to keep only one between them. The knight's loyalty to you is not as strong as you both delude yourselves into thinking it is."

"That kind of thing could never happen to me and Jaune! Is there something you're trying to say, here?!" Ruby glared as she viciously headbutts Juno, which did take her by surprise for a moment and forced her to step back a few paces to nurse the bruise on her head. "As for Ozma and Salem...that was a sad, tragic day for the both of them! Both of them were in pain. And their daughters died in their fight!"

"That was a blessing to the world."

Ruby nearly saw red.

"...What?"

"Those four girls from back then gestated within the womb of the worst witch in Remnant's history. Their very conception was sinful." Juno softly declared as a sudden breeze from outside blew her hair across her face. "By that merit alone, they did not deserve to be loved, they did not deserve to live, and Salem deserved to feel misery from their deaths. The world was spared from further corruption through her spawn. Ozma's legacy is permanently tainted by involving herself with her in the first place." Juno nonchalantly parried another vicious slash from Crescent Rose, though this time the sheer force behind it still managed to crumble an entire chunk of the building and make it collapse outright, fully revealing the sun shining upon Juno, and leaving Ruby in the shadows. "Are you going to tell me that I'm wrong?"

"Yes! Absolutely! How could you say something like that?!" Ruby growled as she pushed against the woman's Aura, attempting to cut through it and her in a single swing. "They didn't do anything wrong!"

"They were born from the womb of a demoness. That is the worst wrong they could ever commit. Dying as they did was not only deserved, but it was also justice."

Ruby's fangs grew fiercely, and a feral look began making its way into her eyes. "Ozma and Salem loved their daughters! And they loved each other more than anything!"

"And yet, that alone was not enough to reconcile their differences or save their children's lives, which did not deserve to be saved, for they never should have come to be in the first place." Juno responded coldly. "Twisted and wrong as it was, their love was indeed the strongest Remnant has ever known, and yet all the same it died once Salem showed her true colors. Granddaughter of Salem, answer me this: Do you really believe you and the knight can avoid suffering the same fate?"

Ruby was onto her game, and she still was. She knew what Juno was trying to do, and she was attempting to not letting it get to her. As one of the few people who were truly aware of Ozma and Salem's history together, she out of many would be able to know how their story began and ended. One that began out of love and strengthened throughout the years, an inspirational adventurous tale. Until...

Until...

"Salem had faith in no one but herself. Was it really so surprising that life justifiably went as terrible as it did?" Orella calmly whispered, Ruby quickly realizing she was speaking to her in her mind. "How much faith could your beloved possibly have in you, when you're the granddaughter of someone so terrible? Will he abandon you like Ozma did Salem?"

"The wicked witch who would demand everyone be devoted to her yet would show no measure of devoutness towards anyone but herself. Not even her beloved Ozma was a primary thought on her mind. Only her own desires." Themis condescendingly reminded. "Will you demand such fealty from your knight that you can't return?"

"A woman who is willing to tear apart peace and tranquility at her leisure, simply because no one would listen to her every word down to the letter. Someone like that could not ever live a peaceful life, nor could she ever bring peace and tranquility to others." Celimene soothingly whispered. "As her granddaughter, you've surely inherited her penchant for chaos. The knight could never be happy or content or even safe, with you around. You know what he'll choose, if it's solidly between upholding peace and staying with you."

She couldn't allow them to get her. She couldn't she knew what they were doing. And yet all the same, fleetingly...

'We finally had freedom...'

Ruby hesitated. Just for a second.

It was enough.

She found himself flying back again, blood leaving her lips as she was blasted in the abdomen with a beam of silver lightning. She crashed against the wall and slumped to the ground, blood beginning to gather around her. Juno watched her with a rather nonchalant expression. "What a feeble heart you possess." Juno decried as lightning crackled around her fingertips. "So long as that remains the truth, there's no way you could hold a candle to mine." She appeared before her in a flash of lightning, and was prepared to blast her again, point blank.

The air around her shifted, and she found herself being kicked across the face, she ended up landing on her feet, rubbing her cheek from the sudden blow. Several seconds later, Blake emerged from the shadows, holding Gambol Shroud within her hand as she stood over the gravely injured Ruby, seeing her struggling to stay conscious. She narrowed her eyes at this, before she conjured the shadows to expand to each of her guild members. Soon enough each of the members emerged from the shadows, confused at having been pulled from their fights. Jaune was confused by this, until he immediately saw that Ruby was injured, and he immediately tended to her.

"RUBY!" Jaune exclaimed, holding her in her arms as her eyes were somewhat glazed over. He could feel her Aura still pulsing, but her body was currently stilled. "Ruby, stay with me! You're gonna be okay!"

"What the fuck happened?!" Yang exclaimed with a fiery fit of rage, locking eyes with Juno whilst the woman gazed back with a composed stare.

"Ah, Yang Xiao Long. Daughter of Raven Branwen. Another Remnant has no room for, yet another Remnant has no love for. And yet you expect to be more loved than her?" Juno remarked calmly, pushing her hair away from her face. "You would spare the world a lot of headaches if you had died in the loveless womb of a wicked woman."

Yang stepped forward, the resulting stomp causing the room to shake, until Blake reached out and grabbed her arm, shaking her head. "Dragging this battle out is unwise, our guild leader is gravely injured." She tightened her grip when Yang didn't relent. "We need to go, Yang. Helping Ruby comes first."

"...Damn it." Yang grits her teeth while stepping back closer to Ruby and Jaune.

"Like we're going to let you get away." Juno fired off several blasts of lightning, though Yang flashes with them in a blazing inferno punch, keeping them from going too far. Themis, Celimene, and Orella soon appeared as well with some of their own attacks. Penny, Cinder, and Pyrrha appeared before everyone and defended them with an expanded barrier, assisted by Jaune. His focus was divided due to focusing on Ruby. Celimene gazed at him with a serene hum, while Cinder viscously growled at her as she stepped in front of Jaune to keep him out of Celimene's view. "Using the shadows to slip away and retreat into the darkness in order to avoud having to face the light of judgement. How typical. My light will burn all shadows away."

"Careful. You mind also end up burning yourself out." Blake calmly deadpans, bringing her hands together. Soon enough the shadows around them expanded once more and brought them downwards, vanishing into them in a shroud of shadows. Juno narrowed her eyes as she expanded her senses, immediately realizing that they've indeed escaped the area before she could properly lock them down.

Curious Cat soon descended next to Juno, sitting on their haunches. The created angels also gathered around the quartet. "Well, look at that. She's a sneaky kitty, isn't she?"

Juno paused for the moment, as Orella, Themis, and Celimene eventually appeared around her as well. "It's of no matter. Progress has already been substantial within this area. We can continue onward as we intended." Juno turned about faced and vanished in a flash of lightning. Outside on top of a tower, she appeared on the very tip pf it, lightning surging around her body as she watched over the city of Boreas.

She made sure that many were listening, through her apostles.

"Heed us, denizens of Mistral." She uttered strongly, her whispers reverberating throughout many of the operational Scrolls and Screens in Mistral, and through the minds and souls of her apostles. "The time has come for us to begin the cleansing. Too long has this world continued to fester in darkness and wickedness. These concepts must be culled from this world once and for all, in order for this world's purity to truly shine through. And we will be starting with Mistral." Juno looked about as lightning crackled around her and began spreading across the skies. "The Sacred Selection has begun in earnest. Our Shining Apostles will be to help us decide who among you is worthy of protecting the new world that we see, as champions. Accumulate favor by any means necessary, and we shall welcome you with open arms. Those who do not prove themselves, will be expunged." Juno's eyes flashed silver. "If you doubt the seriousness of my words, allow me to enlighten you..."

The skies split apart slowly, glowing bright silver and briefly shining down upon everyone. And soon enough, silver lightning began crashing down upon the city of Boreas/Wind Path. Multiple crashes resulted in violent explosions of lightning, destroying whatever was unfortunate enough to be in their way. Wayward citizens included. Warriors were beaten back and blasted by the force of the lightning, crashing through buildings. Woman and children ran fearfully as people nearby were occasionally outright vaporized by a blast of lightning crashing right on top of their heads, obliterating them on the spot.

Juno barely paid it all any heed. Neither did the others. Aside from Curious Cat, who eyed the scene with a bit of unease, before turning away to occupy themselves with something else.

"Stage one is in full effect, and the set paths are now viewable to me. The future has been laid out for us, and naught a single soul is capable of detracting from them." Orella hummed while flowing with a gentle psychic power.

"A peaceful and content Remnant has no need for things like darkness or negativity. They will have to be completely removed, for there to be a sense of true serenity." Celimene adds, placing her hands together.

"We are the ones most devoted to our sacred duty, and that is why we shall be victorious over all who are impious." Themis utters as her chains clanked together.

"My love for the world is boundless. The God of Light no longer loves this world, so I shall love it in his place. The world Remnant will once again be as beautiful as I know it can be, as I cleanse it of all of its repugnance." Juno uttered as silver lightning continued to crash upon Boreas, the sheer brightness of the flashes beginning to take up everything the scurrying people could see. "Those with darkness in their hearts have no place in this world, where darkness and negativity are unnecessary. In due time, light shall become supreme once more, to reward the reverent and obliterate the unworthy. That is the beauty that the God of Light strived for, and the truth that we shall expand and improve upon."

The lightning gradually beginning to let up, the crackles dying down whilst the light remained shimmering upon the ruins of Boreas. Everything was silent, and not a single soul was left after the relentless onslaught. Juno watched over the wreckage and the dead, unmoved.

"The defiant wails of the wicked and unloved are ignorable. All discarded and unneeded souls will be erased by the brilliance of light. They will fade away under its almighty radiance; and be forgotten."

So... uh...interesting experience.

Once I had this chapter up and ready for beta author Luffy to check out, it was given the okay, all clear. Little to no problems.

What I wasn't expecting was for him to adore Juno so much. I don't know what it was-I was completely expecting to fumble-, and to an extent neither can he. Apparently from his perspective my writing skyrocketed with the dedicated Juno sections, with how she talked down Ruby here, expressing her ideals while also kicking Ruby's ass all over the place. He's liked plenty of sections of my story, but this is one of the few sections he's gushed so openly about.

I'll take that as a sign that I might be doing something right. Hopefully I can keep that up, because that means to him, she's fantastic antagonist material. Again...so long as I don't screw it up. I'll do my absolute best with this little dynamic.

(Appreciate him lots and lots)

So anyway, this Silver Eyed quartet came prepared to make a mess out of everybody's day. And they are personally targeting Ruby due to being a 'rogue' Celestian, and Oscar because of his close connections to Ozma, who they despise alongside everyone in his wizard succession line. There's a bit more to it, but it'll have to be saved for another time.

Juno said some pretty brutal line-crossing things here. Will Ruby eventually make her eat her words? Clearly not today, unfortunately. Not anytime soon, either.

She'll have much to do and experience first, before we get to that point.

Hope this was enjoyable!