Hello Everyone! I'm back and I apologize if this is late, thanks to some unforeseen shenanigans my schedule went out of whack. Happy 4th Anniversary to Dragon's Rise. (Technically 5 for me cuz I was preparing it for a year)
As a form of celebration, extra long chapter and new announcement!
I'm working on a RWBY Space Pirate AU version of Dragon's Rise featuring Ruby the captain of the United Forces Space Huntsmen military and Nova 'Silver' Flareheart the dastardly evil space pirate. A little high-tension enemies to lovers, maybe long fic maybe not.
I'll give a full summary when I post it but the short version goes:
Humanity discovered Dust through a meteor that reformatted Remnant and brought on the space age. Grimm are aliens, Faunus are also an alien species. Corrupt governments, political drama, cosmic horror, angst for days and most importantly Mech suits and spaceships with a little Cyberpunk in there!
It's about half done-ish, so once it's finalized I'll drop it, so be on the lookout for that!
Chapter 98: Don't Fly to Close to The Sun
Nova stepped into the royal tea room dressed in his normal attire minus the white coat, simply a tight-fitting plain black t-shirt. He made sure to look as suggestive as possible if he wanted to lure Morgan into a false sense of security, not that Ruby didn't strongly oppose to it. He promised he would make it up to her later.
He made sure to cover up the marks Ruby left on him as she was heavily adamant about marking her territory before he left. Thankfully the Mermaid Faunus weren't sharp on their sense of smell otherwise he'd basically be advertising it was a setup with Ruby's scent all over him.
In the meantime Blake was to make her way into the dungeons and free Nitro, if all went according to plan they'd ruin Morgan's reputation, throw all blame on her and make it out without becoming enemies of the state. His role was to ensure Morgan took the drug and confessed to her crimes before heading to the trial, after that, everything was in the team's hands.
Operation Honey Trap was a go.
The royal tea room was a luxurious white space with blue carpentry and banners, thin translucent ghostly white curtains hung from the large stone windows and beams of glistening sunshine shone through, casting a warm and inviting atmosphere. Despite that, the room seemed to hide an underlying coldness of disingenuity and lies.
Morgan had laid out gracefully, reclining in a thin teal dress on a blue cabriole couch. "What brings you to have tea with me? Dear prince?" she asked in a sultry tone. "I notice your betrothed isn't with you." She took extra care to lilt her voice and peer at him through her peripherals, the sun glistening off her face and accentuating her sharp facial structure.
Nova swallowed a small bout of queasiness and took a seat in a plush armchair near the tea table where the pot sat steaming. "I feel like we ended off badly last night, I'm here to make amends of sorts," he offered a light smile through closed lids, daring not to let his eyes give away any intention.
She slowly got up, making sure to arch her back in full view before lazily leaning on the backrest, one arm propped on the edge of the couch, "I see~" she lowered her eyelids, "Taken an interest in me perhaps?" She seemed to read more into it than he was letting on. He carefully chose his words so they were ambiguous and left to interpretation. "The key to being a liar was never to blatantly lie."
Nova deigned to sip the tea and almost choked but kept his calm, swallowing the liquid and all at once his senses were abuzz with the drug. Adaptability went haywire as it worked to eradicate the effects. It seemed Nova was not only being more forward this time, she had brewed a stronger potion.
"Something like that, you did… stand out quite a bit," he took a spoon and began swirling the tea, "I dare say, could you turn around for a second?" thanks to the drug his face was flushed. He tried to be as suggestive as possible without gagging.
Morgan seemed to buy his false pretence as she smirked slyly, "Oh? See something you like?" she carelessly let one of the straps of her dress fall off her shoulder while she made frivolous movements for no other purpose than to make the dragon stare.
"Maybe, I need to check… of course," he emphasized. Surely it wouldn't be this easy… right?
She grinned and stood up, turning around and stretching like a cat making sure to tense her back muscles. Turns out she wasn't wearing anything underneath and the back of the dress down to her waist was uncovered. This woman knew no shame apparently.
Nova sipped the tea and sucked in a breath of air through his teeth, "Mmm, so, tell me…" he spoke as she waltzed over to the table and sat in close proximity. "What could your kingdom offer should I… join hands directly with it?"
She perked up, thinking her drug was working she reached across the table and slid her fingers along his forearm, "Quite a bit, you'll find that our assets are… plentiful."
Oh god he was going to throw up. This woman was so full of herself and down bad he was struggling not to run out of the room and smash his eardrums to drown out the filth he was hearing.
Granted he was no stranger to suggestive words, hell he's heard worse come out of Ruby's mouth but this lady was just creepy.
"Inner peace, Nova, think of Nitro, you're doing this for your buddy…" he kept convincing himself.
Swallowing the bile rising in his throat he leaned closer, "I find it odd you haven't had any of the tea Morgan, not thirsty?"
She began to lean in closer, letting her hand snake around his shoulders until they were but a few inches apart. Nova was screaming inside and desperately seeking a shower now that his skin was crawling.
"Oh I'm plenty thirsty~" she said through lidded eyes.
"No shit…"
Nova reached up placing his hand on her chin and parting her mouth a little, leaning in closer, "Then maybe you should taste some of it…" good gods he wanted to puke. While her focus was on him, his sleight of hand from years of being a master pickpocket was dumping the contents of the stolen elixir into his cup.
No doubt Morgan had some resistance to the drug if she brewed it herself, but a double dosage should be more than enough... now it was a matter of getting it down her throat. He could think of two ways, and one would probably have him hung, drawn, and quartered by his bride to be.
He had to take a gamble, and if it payed off he wouldn't need to administer the elixir directly.
"I think I shall…" she closed her eyes ready for him to take her lips there, when suddenly she felt something cold pressed against them. Before she could react there was a flow of warm tea being sent down her throat while Nova's fingers ghosted her lips. He'd used his fingers to tempt her mouth open whilst his sleight of hand slipped the cup in between them. This would've gone two ways: the first was she instantly reacted and recoiled, whereby he'd need to resort to plan B, and the second was she swallowed the liquid in her lust-filled stupor and he'd gotten away scot-free.
She recoiled quickly, unconsciously swallowing the liquid and her eyes widened in horror, "What have you done?!"
He looked at her feigning confusion, "I don't understand. I simply gave you tea. You didn't think a kiss from me would be so easy would you?"
She touched her lips and began to sweat, "W-What…? Yes I did," she answered honestly. The drug was working.
Nova still pretended he knew nothing, "Oh, you almost had me… but I like to play a game of chase~" he teased her, walking up and cupping her face, leaning in once more, "It's much more fun."
She blushed furiously as Nova's hand retracted leaving a cold spot where his warm hands were.
"Calm down Morgan, he doesn't know about the drug, if anything this makes it easier," she tried to convince herself.
Morgan shot him a seductive smirk, "Oh? You play a dangerous game my prince…"
"I am a dangerous man," he half warned half teased. "I'm also a dangerous woman," he shifted into female form and spread her hair across the back of the chair, letting out a sigh of relief, Nova always felt more free in her female form.
Morgan was awestruck as where the handsome prince once sat was now a gorgeous beauty, "O-Oh… how intriguing," she swallowed hard. She was unaware she was into girls until this moment but the woman sitting before her was doing things to her brain she found hard to control.
"Does this form disinterest you?" Nova offered, dragging a single finger up her thigh.
Morgan felt her mouth dry up as blood rushed to her face, "Quite the opposite I'm… finding you more alluring by the second."
"You're quite forward Morgan," Nova pretended to look at the clock on the wall, "Oh it seems I need to meet with the queen soon."
Morgan whimpered, "No please stay, I can make her delay the trial a little. It would be a shame to damage such a pretty body before it's had time to work its way over me…" The drug was making her a little too forward.
Nova swore she was going to have to spend the next twelve hours in Ruby's company before any of today's trauma washed away, "Speaking of the queen, didn't she have a daughter? Whatever happened to her?"
Morgan stiffened and held her mouth tightly.
Nova noticed this and quietly placed her scroll on the table to record the conversation, "Come on Morgan, I'm really curious. Please tell me~" she begged giving her big puppy-er dragon eyes.
"I can't say no to you," Morgan sighed feeling all of her inhibitions die faster than her coherent thoughts, "I got rid of her. That child was in the way of me becoming close to the Queen, to ruling this kingdom, so I threw her in a barrel and tossed her into the ocean!"
Nova's eyes widened, "Wow, such conviction! Not many have what it takes to do that, I'm impressed!" she ended the recording and forwarded it to Hex for processing.
Morgan felt her body shiver, "Y-You don't hate me for that?"
The dragon got up and shifted back into male form, "Of course not! What you did was certainly a bold move, something I can relate to." He lied through his teeth. "Oh I'm going to be late, perhaps we shall catch up later Morgan. I'm hoping to see you in the town square for my triumphant return."
With his award-winning grin he walked out leaving Morgan breathless and flustered, confused and in turmoil, but not in a state of animosity. Exactly as they had planned.
Just as he was about to step out of the door he cast one final glance at Morgan, "I think you should host a public event and tell everyone about those wonderful things you've just told me. I'm sure the public would love to hear it."
The moment Nova was free he heaved his stomach's contents into the ocean, "I AM NEVER, EVER DOING THAT AGAIN!"
-Trial of Endurance-
Nova was pulled onto a small rowboat along with two of the Queen's guards. The midday sun was burning intensely threatening to boil the ocean but the dragon felt no discomfort in the heat.
"So… lovely weather we're having today," Nova said awkwardly as the guards silently rowed him out to sea.
The one rowing was non-responsive but the other shrugged, "It's a little hot, not the best day to be doing this sort of thing."
Nova scratched his head in confusion, "So what's this trial about anyway? Queenie only told me it was test of endurance."
The guard who was wearing a ceremonial necklace of runes he didn't recognize hummed, before pulling out a large, ancient looking book, "You are to face the titan of the depths and come back alive. A good king has the fortitude to surpass any situation."
"Cool… cool… that explained everything so thoroughly," he responded sarcastically.
"I can't tell you anymore than that your highness, it's not that I won't, rather there's nothing else detailing it. No one's undertaken this trial in… well ever. These were designed after the fall of King Alexandrite the First and no Flareheart has been there to ascend the throne since."
"So mystery trial, got it, anything else I should be aware of? For example, how long is it going to take?"
"Could be anywhere between five minutes to several days, it says the Titan determines when you are done, he will retreat into the ocean."
"And the Titan is… the Grimm living on the ocean floor? Those gigantic serpents?" Nova asked genuinely curious as to how they managed to rope a wild beast into this. There was little known about ancient Grimm, only that they were around long before Salem rose to power and were far more intelligent.
"This one's bigger."
"Oh… how much bigger…?"
-Oceanis Dungeons-
Blake slipped past castle security like it was child's play once again, smugly grinning to herself as she dusted off her shoulders, "I am way too good at this~" she picked at her claws casually while strolling down the staircase toward where Hex said Nitro's cell was located.
Just like she had been told, there was no security down here, just rows of empty cells and pale sunlight gleaming through the small brick-sized window illuminating the aquamarine-coloured dungeon. She approached Nitro's cell to find him curled up in a fetal position on the floor, naked and shivering. He looked so thin...
"Nitro?" she asked hesitantly, keeping her voice as low as possible, "You awake in there buddy?"
Nitro slowly peered out of his position with a semi-derranged look on his face before calming down, "B-Blake? Oh my favourite kitty cat!" he said weakly, "Man I missed you, how's it going?"
Blake gave him a soft smile, "I missed you too dude, come on I'm busting you out of here."
Nitro's eyes widened, "WOAH! Stop! If Morgan catches you she'll...!"
She silenced him by throwing a set of clothes in his face, "Pfft, the others are handling her. We have a plan so it's safe to get you out, besides, any longer and I'd have to strangle Morgan myself. No one keeps my friend locked up like this."
He blinked slowly before donning the clothes, it was his usual steel gray vest over a red carbon fibre shirt and tracks, "Fucking finally..."
Blake unlocked the cage by picking it with her claws. The moment Nitro tried to step outside however, he stopped dead in his tracks before the open door.
"Nitro? Why'd you... stop? The door is open." Blake looked at him wierdly.
He returned her puzzled gaze, "Uh... no it's not? I can't leave."
"What do you mean you can't leave, the bloody door is open. Did your time in the slammer mess with your noggin?"
"Blake, the door is still there..." Nitro still looked at her like she was the crazy one.
Blake threw her hands in the air in defeat, "Oh for the love of..." she reached through the open door and grabbed him, yanking him through.
"WAIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he exclaimed as he grabbed the bars with all his strength resisting her.
"JUST WALK OUT THE DOOR!" she yelled back.
"I CAN'T LEAVE!"
"WHY?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
Blake dropped him after minutes of struggling and made a strangled noise, "Nitro the drugs have messed with your head too long! COME ON LET'S GO!"
"NOOOO!" he screamed and thrashed violently. "I can't leave! I can't leave, I can't leave, she won't let me, she won't let me!" he continued to devolve into a mad rambling to the point he started crying and laughing hysterically.
Blake looked on in pity, "What have they done to you..." she murmured, stepping into the cage with him and giving him a tight hug to calm him down.
"Shhh, it's okay," she soothed, "I'll fix this."
Nitro sniffled and looked at her through tear filled eyes, "I'm losing it Blake... I can't..." he couldn't finish his sentence, he couldn't bring himself to.
"I'm sorry in advance," she said summoning a series of shadows.
"What are you...?"
He didn't say much more as the shadows encompassed him in a cocoon, blacking out his vision and body until he fell unconscious in her arms.
"This bitch will pay for what she did..." Blake swore, clenching her fists in rage as she threw him around her shoulders and marched out.
Their thrashing had alerted the guards it seemed, the moment she exited the dungeon dozens of castle guards were ready, aiming their tridents at her.
She glared coldly at them all, "I don't have time to deal with your shit."
The last thing those guards saw were the cold yellow eyes of Blake and the darkness that swallowed them whole.
-Back with Nova-
Eventually, they arrived at a small rocky outcropping that was barely an island. A series of black, jagged rocks where the waves crashed violently and the water thrashed malevolently.
The guard that was rowing stopped and the one who seemed to be the officiate grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Hey, what are you…? WHA?!" Nova was instantly pulled off the boat and submerged in the torrential waters. The officiate held him in an iron grip as he swam at blinding speeds through the waters like a jet against the currents before surfacing at the rock in a majestic pillar of water.
Nova, slightly dizzy, was placed onto a flat surface amidst the rocks where several of those strange markings were carved into the ground, unfazed by the eroding waves. Four handlebars were carved into the rock, two on the ground and the other two atop small stone pillars that seemed about seven feet high.
"Forgive me your Highness but, as part of the ceremony and… as per Mistress Morgan's orders we are to ensure you are tested thoroughly…" The man then unstrapped his bag and took out four heavy shackles with chain links almost two inches thick.
"Oh no you are not going to…" he got flashbacks to when he was chained and tortured by Salem and her goons. He was so lost in that moment that he didn't realize his feet were already chained down, the clanking sound of the shackles clamping around his ankles roused him.
"Fuck me…" he reluctantly let the man string him up.
The boat was well out of sight by the time the sky turned dark, storm clouds began clouding the atmosphere drowning the world in a pale grey. The sea began bubbling and frothing, the violent waves grew even worse as they battered the rocks, shaking the island with a dread rumble.
The ocean sloshed and the currents turned, reversing the flow until a whirlpool began to form. An oceanic black hole began to suck in everything around it as the winds picked up, lashing sea water against Nova's body soaking him before the waves even touched him.
Slowly, the whirlpool began to spout upward until water exploded all around, a massive pillar of shadowy skin covered in barnacles rose out of the depths spanning Nova's entire field of view, blocking out whatever sunlight was left until he was bathed in darkness. The ocean itself seemed to herald its arrival as the monster let out a massive roar that threatened to split his head open.
This beast was at least twice the size of the other titans he'd seen and its head was covered in a spikey, helmet-like bone mask that arched into a three-pronged crown. Its blood-red eyes stared down at Nova.
It opened its mouth revealing three rows of jagged white teeth that fed into a gaping maw that seemed like an endless abyss.
"When they said big…" Nova swallowed hard as he struggled against his chains, only to realize it was futile. The cold air and lack of natural sources of fire meant his Aspect powers were almost at a bare minimum, and he couldn't reach his armlet to transform into the Fall Maiden.
"ᛈᚱᛁᚾᚲᛖ ᛟᚠ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛋᚨᚲᚱᛖᛞ ᛒᛚᛟᛟᛞ, ᛏᚺᛟᚢᚷᚺ ᚨᚱᛏ ᛏᚱᚨᚡᛖᚱᛋᛁᚾᚷ ᚨ ᛞᛖᚨᛞᛚᚤ ᛈᚨᛏᚺ." the creature uttered a series of sounds forming words in a language Nova didn't understand.
"Holy shit it talks," Nova stared at it wide-eyed.
"ᚤᛟᚢ ᚨᚱᛖ ᚠᚨᛏᛖᛞ ᚠᛟᚱ ᚠᚨᛁᛚᚢᚱᛖ." It spoke again and its voice reverberated heavily against his ears.
"I don't understand what you are saying…" Nova answered back, his voice small against the massive vocals of the beast.
The Grimm Titan closed its eyes and its mouth before opening them again and looking Nova dead in the eyes.
"I see the language of dragons has changed," the titan spoke, "You dragons once referred to me as Jormungandr, and what are you called fated one."
"Uh… I'm called Nova Alexandrite Flareheart," Nova couldn't believe he was having a conversation with a Grimm.
"Ironic you are named after the last King, the failure," it mused, "It has been centuries since I've last spoken to anyone."
"Glad to be the first in a while then," Nova felt awkward, his fear slowly fading, "I'm um… supposed to be doing some sort of trial of endurance, I think? Is this part of the trial?"
The titan snorted, "Just like your predecessors, your mind is focused on your task and you never stop to treasure what you have before it's too late."
"What do you mean?"
"It matters not," The titan leaned down to Nova's eye level, "I sense one of my kind within you, a child of darkness born not of natural circumstances."
Nova felt the Grimm in his blood stir, having been dormant since the party, "I've been… infected by Salem's creation. I've been trying to get rid of it but…"
"You can no longer remove that child," Jormungandr spoke in a serious tone, "It is as much a part of you as you are of it."
"W-What…?!" Nova felt a cold sweat drip down his back.
"It has become one with you, your being, your soul, your blood. I also sense you are connected to another, one who shares your heart and soul," The creature stirred, its head circling Nova then eyes darting toward the mainland. "Love is a dangerous thing, it can be your greatest strength… or your worst downfall."
"I know, but we're making it work despite all of that," Nova answered with conviction, "What about the Grimm's connection to her?" Maybe this creature had the answers to solving their problem.
"I sense it is only bleeding into her soul because of you. If this soul bond did not exist, then she would be free… though the only way to sever a connection this deep is for one of you to die." It answered apathetically.
Nova grimaced, "Then we'll figure it out somehow, there has to be a way to fix us before we face Salem…"
"Perhaps the witch of the forest has the answers you seek," Jormungandr grumbled, "She will find you in time."
Nova was getting irritated with all this roundabout cryptic nonsense, "Alright, can we get on with the trial, I'm a little pressed for time."
"As you wish, but be warned… I have no control over what happens now…"
"What do you…?!" Nova didn't have time to finish his sentence as the Grimm reared its head back, collecting energy as all at once it breathed a torrent of red water at him with pressure enough to cut steel.
His thoughts were drowned as his lungs burned for air, an endless stream of violent water that ripped and cut away at his Aura.
Minutes passed, and his Aura began to wane until after a full hour his Aura shattered, dragon scales enveloping his skin to protect him.
The pressure was immense, and the lack of air was murderous. Had it not been for his semblance he'd have suffocated a long time ago. His lungs were burning now, his body unable to keep up with the lack of oxygen as his organs began to slowly fade.
As if responding to the rapidly deteriorating body, his scales began to retract from around his arms and legs until only his heart and chest remained protected while the nanomachines began working overtime to repair him.
Nova wanted to scream as the blade-like water tore away the exposed skin on his limbs, ripping it clean off the flesh like paper. Blood mixed with the red water turning the ocean a deep crimson.
Yet… physical torture was not all the titan had in store.
After another hour, Nova's arms and legs had been stripped down to the bone.
The Grimm in Nova's blood awakened as the remnants of his tattoo began to glow.
"I can't let us die!" it screamed in his head as black skin and flesh began to replace the eviscerated parts of his body.
Soon a purple mist sprayed into the water mixing it into a deadly poison that ate away at Nova's bloodstream, bubbling his veins from the inside.
Nova began to retreat into his mind, as the physical pain turned into a dull drone.
"And now we begin phase two of your test…" he vaguely heard Jormungandr's voice in his mind before he faded to black.
-Meanwhile in Town-
Morgan gathered the people in the town's square as instructed, her mind felt heavy and riddled with the desire to comply with Nova's whims.
The stage was set, a large podium just outside the castle gates, even Queen Marina was present amidst the large gathering of people, including the team.
Morgan stepped onto the stage, fully prepared to confess to her sins, "People of Oceanis," she addressed, her head was beginning to feel less fuzzy but the potion's effects were there.
"I have come to confess to you all, a deep secret I've been hiding for many years…" she began.
Ruby in the crowd looked on in anticipation, it'd been about an hour since Nova left for his trial and Hex had processed the evidence… but it seemed Nova had managed to get her to confess all on her own. Maybe they didn't need the evidence.
"Four years ago, on the night of the royal princess' birth, I…" as she was speaking, her mind became clearer and clearer until suddenly like a gust of wind blowing into a musty room she sobered up, her thoughts now running their natural course and for the first time in a while she was truly disgusted with herself.
What the hell was she doing?! Was she really just about to confess to her crimes? Did the prince spike her drink?! The memories came flooding back to the tea party.
He used her, he took advantage… he knew… but how?!
Her eyes scanned the audience leaving her sentence hanging.
She spotted the same faces she saw at the earlier reception, amongst others she didn't recognize. Almost everyone in town was there, even the queen and her brother.
Sami had a dark look on his face, as if he too knew of her crimes. The scorn in his gaze made her feel a twinge of guilt.
"What did you do Morgan?" Marina asked in earnest, "It must be concerning my daughter's whereabouts right? You can tell us, dear…
Then suddenly the sky turned black, thunder rumbled and the rain began to pour down from the heavens like a hurricane.
*ROAAAR* A monstrous rumble erupted from the horizon as all eyes turned toward the ocean. A massive Grimm shot out of the water twice the size of the Titans she saw on the way to Pandora… and it was staring down the island where Nova was headed.
She felt a sick feeling worm its way through her soul, like something horrible was about to happen, and her fears turned for the worst when the creature breathed an intense breath of something that looked like red water on the island.
"It's the Titan! Hail Jormungandr!" The towns folk cheered in admiration, they were unafraid of the beast. The most bizarre sight the team had seen was towns people heralding the arrival of a Grimm instead of running in fear and panic.
Ruby was preoccupied with her worry… her dragon horns and eyes were flickering in and out before slowly stabilizing…
That power was connected to Nova's soul… if it was dying out then…
She didn't want to think about it, she had to believe he would be okay.
Luna walked up to Queen Marina, with earnest confusion marring her features as she instinctively felt apprehension toward the beast. Their whole lives they were taught to hate and fear the Grimm yet these people of Pandora were treating one like a deity, "Are the people not afraid of that monster? Why are they celebrating?"
Marina smiled and looked at the little dragon, "He has risen from the depths to challenge your brother. Jormungandr has guarded our people and our kingdom, while he is a beast of darkness, he is wise and gentle. It is the first many have seen of him, as he was only ever recorded in fairy tales before."
Luna looked worriedly toward the horizon, somehow the queen's words did not spark confidence.
Nova awoke in his bed with a start, sweat dripping down his body as he looked around. He was back in Castle Flareheart, in the royal bedroom.
Frantically he checked his arms and legs to find they were all intact.
"W-What the…? What happened?" he muttered, looking around.
*Sniff, Sniff* the sound of sobbing alerted him to his left where he saw Ruby kneeling at the bedside, a dark spot on the bed where her tears had pooled at soaked into the fabric. She looked... battle-worn and covered in scratches and scars. Her face had a long scorch mark running across the left side of her face as if she'd been splashed by acid.
He was immediately concerned, what happened to her? Who dared to harm her?
"Ruby?" he reached out to touch her. Instantly her head shot up. She had a wild look on her face as if she'd been crying for hours. Her cheeks were stained and her eyes were bloodshot.
"You…"
"Hey, I'm alright..." he tried to soothe her, reaching out but she slapped away his hand, a visceral scowl appearing on her face.
"YOU ROTTEN FOOL!" she snapped, punching him hard in the face causing him to recoil. "WHY DIDN'T YOU RUN!"
Nova was confused, "What are you talking about? What's going on?"
Her hands trembled in rage, "How can you not remember? After everything you did! After they all... after this?!" she pointed to the scar on her face.
Nova reached for her hand, "Wait, Ruby, I don't understand…"
"Don't understand? Nova we were spent! Our supplies were low and we were all so fucking tired… yet you just HAD to chase Onyx!"
"I did… what? Ruby, we were just at the Oceanis Kingdom how…?"
"Did that bullet knock your memories out? Did it scramble your brain?" She looked at him with hurt-filled eyes. "You're the one that took us out there and you get to be the only one that…"
Nova felt something drop in the pit of his stomach. He tried to reach through the soul bond but there was nothing but static.
"Where… where is everyone? Where's Luna?" Nova hesitantly asked.
"Where do you fucking think?!" she yanked him out of the bed and pushed him to the balcony and what Nova saw made his heart stop.
Graves as far as the eye could see, the gardens of the Flareheart manor had been torn up and was now a mass graveyard. Most of them were freshly dug aside from Aurelios with a shovel, covered in dirt and tears streaming down his face as he started digging a new grave. A pair of caskets lay at the forefront of the dirt piles, silver and blue with sapphires adorning a white bedsheet covering a hauntingly small frame, the other was larger, the Frostfang insignia on it.
He spotted one for Nitro, Yang, Hex, Weiss, Neo and… one for him…
"How did this happen…?" Nova stared at the desolate land and saw that the green hills that surrounded the castle were burnt black, the soil corrupted with the devastating ichor of destruction that bubbled and frothed from the cracks in the earth. Howls of monstrous creatures filled the air and the stench of burning almost made him recoil in disgust.
"You failed, WE FAILED BECAUSE OF YOU!" she snapped at him with tears in her eyes, "If you hadn't been so focused on vengeance we could've retreated and taken the victory… but now… because of you, everyone is gone. You're no longer the person I fell in love with, you're a monster…"
Nova tried to reach for her, "Ruby I…"
"No… I don't want to hear your excuses anymore," she pulled back, "I'm done… we're done. Salem's won. I'm going back home to spend whatever time I have left with people I actually care about…" she made her way to the door, words dripping with poison so lethal they were killing him.
"I never want to see your face again… or I will kill you myself…" she spat venomously before slamming the door, leaving Nova to slump to the floor, his heart shattering into a million pieces amidst his incoherent downward spiral of confusion and heartbreak.
-Town-
Ruby felt something off, Morgan had suddenly stopped speaking and was now looking directly at her. Where they found out? If so this could be bad. She just had to hope they could stall whatever was about to happen long enough for Nova to finish the….
Then, like a knife stabbing her in the chest, sharp and cold pain shot through her but she had no wound… no this damage was intangible. Almost all at once she knew what happened…
Nova's consciousness, his soul was dying. It was the most heartbreaking pain she'd felt in her entire life, like part of her was being crushed into a ball like paper before being set on fire.
He was dying… and she had no way to stop it. Was this how he felt when she was dying? Gods it was horrible… and he still fought back like this?
If he could do it, so could she. Deciding to trust his resilience, she ignored the pain in her heart and turned back to the situation at hand.
Morgan was still standing at the pedestal, her gaze cast smugly at the Titan currently attacking Nova. Now was the time, "Hex, give me the recording," she put out her hand.
Hex noted the pale look on Ruby's face, the shadow cast over her eyes, "Are you okay…?"
"Fuck that nonsense just hand me the recording," she hissed, swallowing her beating heart.
Hex wordlessly handed over her scroll and Ruby marched up to the podium, startling Morgan out of her daze.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Morgan hissed as Ruby looked at her with murderous intent.
"Shut the fuck up and move," she shoved Morgan so hard she was flung off the stage and landed square in the middle of the people.
The audience sensing the commotion turned their attention back to them.
"What's the meaning of this?!" Queen Marina looked appalled seeing Morgan violently pushed to the floor.
Ruby cleared her throat, "All of you are being deceived!" she yelled as loudly as possible so everyone took notice of her. "Morgan is a liar and a traitor to the kingdom!"
Morgan dusted herself off with a haughty smirk, "Oh really? Who the hell are you to come in here and just accuse shit like that?"
"My name is Ruby Rose, and I'm engaged to Prince Nova Flareheart," she held up her promise ring as proof. "Look, we don't have much time so I'll be brief…"
Ruby waved her hand and pointed her index right at Morgan, "This witch has been manipulating you all for years, and its only gotten worse. She's been poisoning Queen Marina and the castle staff, drugging them with an elixir that warps the mind to her will!"
Morgan felt sweat drip down her neck but she had to play it cool, they had no proof. She wasn't sure how they found out, but it didn't matter right now.
"You liar!" she hissed back and pointed at Ruby, "How dare you accuse me without proof?! I'm the most trusted member of the royal council and you're just some outsider! Maybe you're just jealous that the prince seemed to fancy me more than you!"
Ruby looked at her disdainfully, "Not in a million years, in any lifetime would Nova ever look your way for a second. Get over yourself."
"That's not how he acted when he came to meet me before his trial~" Morgan smirked, thinking she had an elbow up on the conversation. "He was all over me, mmm just thinking of what we could have done…"
Ruby was getting tired of this bitch. She had stomached it long enough, "That actually brings me to another point, ontop of drugging you, Queen Marina," Ruby turned to the ruler. "She's also the reason your daughter went missing four years ago!"
"WHAT?!" Morgan was shocked, "How dare you continue to slander me like this, I will not stand for it! GUARDS! ARREST HER!"
The guards made a move to get to Ruby when Weiss, Yang, Neo, Oscar, Sun and Hex formed a perimeter with weapons drawn. Luna made her way to the podium with Ruby and held her hand.
"What reason does she have to lie?" Luna asked earnestly appealing to the people, mostly keeping her gaze fixated on Marina, "As princess of the Flareheart Family, she has my full support in her statement."
"We have proof," Ruby held up her scroll. "This is called a Scroll, it's a communication device from our country, and it's got some handy features…" she tapped the screen until she found the recording and played it.
"I can't say no to you, I got rid of her. That child was in the way of me becoming close to the Queen, to ruling this kingdom, so I threw her in a barrel and tossed her into the ocean!"
Queen Marina felt something stab at her heart as her mind swam like fighting through thick mud. She looked at Morgan with hope in her eyes, "Please… tell me this isn't true…"
Morgan had to salvage something. Years of working toward climbing the ladder was about to go up in flames. She held up her hands in defence, "Of course it's not, Your Majesty! I never said those things! It's witchcraft!"
Ruby grit her teeth, "Could you not be a snake ass bitch for two seconds?!" she scrolled to the photo gallery and displayed the picture of Mira with Belle and Adam. "This is Mira, she was found washed up on the beach on an island called Menagerie by two of our friends. They've been raising her as their own for almost two years now."
Queen Marina scrambled up to the stage, the team allowed her to pass through as she peered at the image close up. "T-This…" her hands trembled as tears streamed down her face, "That's my daughter! MY DAUGHTER IS ALIVE!" she wailed profusely with tears of joy.
"She's so grown up now... my baby girl…" Queen Marina sniffled through the sobbing, "I-Is she safe?"
Ruby nodded and smiled with sympathy, "Belle and Adam are two of the best parents I've met, they're raising her into a fine young lady. In time we can get them across the ocean and have you reunite with your child."
The Queen took Ruby by the hand, "Is it really possible? C-Can I really see her again?"
"Of course my queen, but first…" Ruby turned her attention back to Morgan, "We need to get rid of her…"
The queen turned on Morgan with a hard glare, the potion's effects were waning with the sudden emotional shock, "Morgan, you've been my trusted aide for years… if you were to tell me with certainty that this isn't your doing… I will forgive you…"
Morgan began to shake, her legs were turning to jelly but she had to save face. She was a liar by trade, "Of course it's all fake my Queen, I would never do anything to…"
"Look me in the eyes and say it." Marina was glaring hard.
Morgan locked eyes with her and lied as naturally as she breathed, "I didn't do it. You believe me? Right?!" she looked around frantically, finding Sami in the crowd and locking eyes with her brother.
Sami looked at her with disgust, "I wish I could… but you're not the sister I knew…"
Sensing a shift in judgement Hex scrambled onto the stage as well, "Morgan's also kidnapped one of our friends! She's kept him locked in the castle dungeons for the last few days, using his blood to poison you all!"
The Queen frowned, "Blood? What makes the blood so special that she can do such a thing?!"
"It's because," Ruby swallowed, "Our friend is human."
Gasps of shock and fear rang out in the audience.
"A human?! Is she for real?!"
"There's no way right? Humans are a myth!"
"This is all a hoax!"
Ruby shook her head, "It's not a lie. Humans are not evil as your stories say! We're not the monsters you paint us out to be! Sure we're not saints, but we're just like you!"
Morgan looked up at Ruby with morbid curiosity, "We?"
As if by perfect timing, Ruby's flickering dragon features fizzled out, leaving her with no Faunus traits.
"I'm not a Faunus, I apologize for deceiving you all for so long but… we were afraid you would hate us or fear us, but I assure you, we mean you no harm!" Ruby pleaded.
Hex, Oscar, Neo, Weiss and Yang removed their disguises and were now in full display.
The audience, shocked in silence at first would have reacted harsher had they not been more confused. They'd never seen a human before, but what they saw were people that looked similar to them.
They didn't have fluffy ears, tails or gills, no claws, no fangs, no whiskers, but they still looked almost the same.
"Are you really a human?" Queen Marina asked hesitantly, "I thought you would look more… monstrous? Like the Grimm…"
Ruby locked eyes with her, holding the gaze with intensity as if trying to silently convey that they were hardly any different, "If we meant you any harm… we would have done it already."
Marina then looked at Luna still holding Ruby's hand, "I've grown up around humans," Luna took to the stage, "Many of us have. On the other continents, Faunus and Humans live side by side. We had differences in the past but we've sorted them out, united under the banner to bring down Salem. The Demon Witch of the Badlands, she's the real threat!"
Morgan grimaced, things would only be worse if…
"I found him!" it was Blake coming out of the castle's main entrance with Nitro slung over her shoulder.
He looked unconscious and his body was exhausted, but at least Blake had got him some clothes before bringing him outside.
"NITRO!" Sami yelled as he raced passed the crowd and straight to Nitro.
The audience gasped in shock and Morgan's heart sank. Her fate was sealed.
"You're finished Morgan," Ruby glared at her, "The proof is all around us."
Blake fished a leather-bound book out of her bag and tossed it on the ground, it was the alchemy tome, along with a few vials of the drug. "Got your evidence right here~"
Morgan looked at Queen Marina and got down on her knees before the podium, "Please! My Queen have mercy on me! I only meant good for the kingdom! It was all done in the name of our future!"
"So you do admit to it all," Marina felt a bitter taste coat her tongue, "Guards… seize her!"
"Please wait! LET ME EXPLAIN!" Morgan begged as she looked at Sami, "Please, I did this all for you! For us! I had to be something because if I didn't who else would?!" she looked mad and frantic. "Our parents died and left us, left ME to pick up the pieces! I HAD TO BE BIGGER THAN THEY EVER COULD TO...!"
"Shut the fuck up!" Sami exploded and marched to her with hate in his eyes mixed with sorrow, "OUR PARENTS LEFT NOTHING FOR YOU TO SALVAGE! I needed my sister, I needed someone there for me, but you chose this path. YOU chose to deceive the world. YOU CHOSE to ignore me for YEARS and suck up to the queen! This was never about us so don't fucking make it about us! This was always about your greed, your lust for power, your need to always have MORE and NEVER be satisfied with what you have. Don't fucking tell me what I needed because all I needed was my sister. All you chose to be was a monster."
Morgan's heart shattered as her world crumbled down around her. Yet despite her loss she was still looking for a way out, before the guards could come near her she grabbed the Monsterfication potion from her pocket, "If I'm going down, I'll make sure the prince hates you for the rest of his life!"
"STOP HER!" one of the guards yelled as Morgan threw the black potion into the air, aiming straight for Ruby.
*BANG!* A shot rang out as Yang fired a shotgun blast toward the flying vial before it got within range of Ruby.
They all watched in slow motion as the black liquid exploded out of the vial and splashed back… onto Morgan… covering her in the inky substance.
"OH GOD… NO NO NO! OF ALL THE THINGS NO! NOT ME!" She screamed as smoke started to appear off her skin, the stench was horrendous forcing everyone to recoil, leaving a clearing in the ground while surrounding her.
Morgan screamed in agony as she convulsed on the floor, her flesh bubbling and warping, veins popping out on all ends, her eyes leaking and bulging in their sockets, mucus flowing out of her nose as she turned into a grotesque, malformed pile of flesh.
The beauty she so closely treasured had now turned into a crawling, disfigured creature with limbs growing out of its torso, no structure to even hold itself up.
Ruby looked at her, "You remained pathetic until the end…"
"Let's put it out of its misery…" Yang was ready, she had been sick and tired of hearing her sister be disrespected.
Ruby held her back, "No, it's fine… just let the kingdom handle her. She's not our responsibility," the dark look on her face was growing, shadows looming under her eyes.
Throughout this entire ordeal… there had not been a single shred of hope in Nova's situation. Their soul link went dark the moment the horns on her head disappeared. She couldn't tell if he was alive or dead… just a dull buzzing noise like old filament bulbs. No warmth or feeling of his constant energy that was always lingering.
It was something she realized she'd taken for granted, now that it felt hollow… she felt empty.
"I knew you would fail,"a familiar voice echoed in the air and everyone felt a cold chill run down their spine as the air shifted.
The people were confused, the Queen recoiled and the rest were on high alert.
Salem was here.
"Poor Morgan, a foolish woman far too caught up in herself that she failed to realize she'd been played from the start." Shadows erupted in wisps of smoke pooling from around Morgan until Salem's visage appeared before them.
"Children, it's been far too long…"
Ruby reached for Crescent Rose, "Salem…" she seethed.
"I see you're all doing well, I can't say the same for your mother, however." She narrowed her eyes at Ruby, "You did quite the number on her, and with dear Tyrian now resting in oblivion, it seems my commanders have dwindled once again."
"We're coming for you, Salem, we're not going to let you recover!" Ruby was staring at her with intent to kill.
"Cute, I never said it made me weaker," the witch queen looked at Oscar, "I see you came with them Ozma, finally deciding to stop being a coward?" Oscar's demeanour shifted and his eyes flashed.
"Salem, your reign ends now, with us, with them," he gestured to the team, "I'm just here to help them when they need it. My role in this is long over. There is nothing more for me to teach them. My only hope is that once your head is rolling, that our souls can be set free."
"You disgust me, Ozma…" she turned to Ruby, "And you, Ruby Rose, I will be waiting for you at the end of the road."
"We will defeat you…"
"You will die with braver than the rest," The smoke dissipated as it collected around Morgan's body, "One last parting gift, Morgan deserved to go out with a bang after all… she was fun to toy with…"
Their eyes widened in horror as they realized what was happening.
Morgan's flesh pile began to be coated in blackened skin that spread across, warping her body again.
The resulting beast grew in size, climbing higher until it was the size of the castle, the flesh pile covered itself in a thick white layer of bone as eyes sprung from its abdomen, a maw of jagged teeth and black octopus-like tentacles sprouted by the dozens.
"What the actual fuck is that?!" Yang was ready to throw up.
"I don't know but we kill it before it hurts anyone!" Ruby yelled as they all sprung into action.
The monstrosity roared violently as its tentacles slammed into the city, crushing buildings with ease.
"Sun, Weiss, Oscar, get the people to safety, Hex and Blake you guys take care of Nitro and get the queen into the castle! We'll handle this thing, join us when you're done!" Ruby ordered everyone around.
"Yes ma'am!" Sun saluted as he split into three clones and began getting people out of the streets.
Weiss began fortifying the nearby structures with ice to prevent breakage while Oscar used his spectral body to fend off stray tentacles.
Neo flew into the air and summoned an ice storm that began to rain dagger-like icicles at the monster.
Blake used her shadows to grab Nitro, Sami, Hex and the Queen and made a bolt for the castle.
Meanwhile Ruby, Yang and Luna stood at the base of the beast with weapons at the ready, "Let's take this shit down…"
-Back with Nova-
Nova felt the bitter taste of regret covering his mouth, his throat dried up and he couldn't bring himself to speak. He'd seen all manners of horrors and trauma from the Grimm, from his nightmares… trauma that kept on building…
But Ruby was a constant in his life, the thought of her leaving… hating him… was something even his nightmares couldn't fathom.
If he had to describe what hell felt like, it would be that conversation replaying on an endless loop in his head.
The person he loved with all his heart, his soul, his being was gone… and it tore him to pieces. He wanted to fight back, to tell her she was wrong but… she was of strong mind and soul. If she had decided something like that then… it was after much debate and pain… after all it might have hurt her just as much as it hurt him.
That thought ate him alive, knowing it had gotten so bad that after all they'd been through together, this was her choice.
He could blame her, but he wouldn't. He sacrificed so much for her… but so did she for him, their love was a two-way straight. They gave as much as they took, they built what needed to be built and fixed what was broken.
They made each other stronger… so if she saw there was no way forward he… had no one to blame but himself.
Despair began to overwhelm him, seeping into his soul like poison, until out of the corner of his eyes something happened.
He saw a beam of light shoot down over the horizon as the sky turned black. The sign of the end.
The resounding earthquake caused the mirror to crack, shards splaying across the room and one embedded itself in his leg, drawing blood.
The pain seemed to shock him out of his stupor as he stared despondently at the fragment.
"WAKE UP IDIOT" were the words etched into the mirror, painted in blood.
Nova snapped out of it, "What..?"
"Are you going to let this pathetic excuse for an illusion best you? I couldn't do that, but you see your girlfriend break up with you once and that's it?!" the mirror wrote back.
Suddenly it dawned on him, the reason he didn't understand the situation was because this wasn't real.
He was still in the trial.
"Atta boy," the mirror wrote back.
"You're… the Grimm in my blood?"
"I have a name you know, it's Mephistopheles," it wrote back, and Nova suddenly heard its voice.
"Did you name yourself?"
"Maybe, now wake the fuck up before we die!" it jabbed the mirror deeper into his leg until the bone split in half.
The sharp pain sent Nova spiralling into reality as he opened his eyes once more and he was back in the torrent of water.
He felt his body dying and repairing itself in a slow but painful process as every cell in his body screamed in agony.
He had to stop this anymore, any more and he wouldn't be able to take it…
This was a test of endurance, but it was more than that, he realized… it was also a test of will…
He couldn't lose here.
The vision was telling him something, whether it was fake or materialized from Jormungandr's projections, it was teaching him, showing him what not to become.
"I see," Nova came to a realization, "To endure I need to persevere through it all… to become more than I am…"
He closed his eyes… and stopped fighting back, letting the nanomachines retract his regeneration and let his body be torn apart.
Bit by bit, flesh to bone… and bone to dust.
In order to ascend to the throne, he needed to cast aside his inhibitions, to endure is to face everything and still move forward… no matter how much he didn't want to face it. To come back from nothing.
His existence needed to be eternal, to stand when everything else failed. That's what Jormungandr was trying to teach him. To not be his ancestors, to not make the mistakes they did, to not make the mistakes he would have made on the path he was walking down.
The water jet stream turned blue, then to a forest green as the coloured water that had ripped his body to nothingness, began to repair him.
Bone reformed, flesh grew back onto bone and he felt life breathe into his body.
Soon the water stopped, and Nova was left standing in the same state he had entered, albeit soaked thoroughly.
"Was any of that real?" Nova asked the creature.
"What you felt was as real as you made it. I only started it, you finished it." Jormungandr responded.
"I… understand sort of. This was more of a test to teach me than to prove myself, teaching me to become more than I already was…"
The Titan snorted, "If you had failed, you would've died… had you not used everything in your arsenal to survive, you would most certainly have become a stain on the rocks…"
Nova felt a shudder go through his body, "Then… I passed?"
"Indeed you did. I look forward to seeing what kind of ruler you will make, my king…" The Titan bowed its head and a circular piece of bone from the crown broke off, landing at Nova's feet. It bore the insignia of the Oceanis kingdom.
"Was the test supposed to be that hard? I don't think anyone else would've survived…" Nova looked hesitant.
"I adjusted the difficulty based on your physical and mental capabilities."
Nova's jaw hung open, "Did you… make it HARDER?!"
"Hard is but a concept of oneself."
"I'm really starting to dislike you…"
Suddenly an explosion rang off in the distance as Nova spied smoke coming from the mainland, "Looks like something is happening…"
"The one known as Morgan has begun a rampage, shall I escort you, my liege?"
"Uh… sure…?"
-Back in Town-
Sonic Frontiers OST- Break Through It All
The gigantic octopus Grimm that used to be Morgan was running rampant, its tentacles were flailing wildly crashing into everything in an attempt to squash Ruby. No attacks were being made to anyone else in particular besides her.
Ruby petal burst to the side, easily dodging the slow-moving behemoth's slam, "She really wants me dead," Ruby rolled her eyes as she hooked Crescent Rose under the appendage and bolted up the arm while carving it in half.
Neo was trying to stall its movements using her ice to prevent it from destroying the town but all her efforts did was slow it down.
It was slow but destructive as Yang entered Burn state, her hair flaring up and eyes turning red as she blocked three slams at once for Ruby before covering her fist in Aura, the punch aimed straight at the gigantic underbelly of the creature. Upon contact the air itself rattled and the ground shook as a yellow explosion of Aura rippled the town sending the nearby area into a pile of rubble.
"I'M NOT DONE YET!" Yang screamed as she began to hammer it with a flurry of blows so fast it competed Ruby's speed. Each strike hammering like with a rupturing explosion that sounded like thunder crashing.
Ten punches.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Fifty.
It didn't stop and Yang refused to let it, Aura reserved be damned she was going to smash this thing into oblivion, "NEVER, EVER DISRESPECT MY SISTER LIKE THAT!"
"NEVER TOUCH MY FAMILY AGAIN!" Hex screamed from the ground as she threw hundreds of small beads that exploded around its sides, her chains flying into the air and slamming down over its legs, electric dust coating the metal conductors as it shocked the beast with kilovolts worth of electricty.
"KEEP AT IT!" Ruby exclaimed above the noise as Yang barraged it so hard that the massive monster began to be pushed back.
Outside the fight zone, Sun and Weiss had gathered the other civilians to safety, "That looks like everyone," Weiss said as she looked over them all.
"W-Who exactly are you people?" one of the townsfolk asked, he was a small old man with drooping fin-like ears.
Sun smugly beamed, "We're the good guys, and those fighting over there to save you?" he threw a thumb at the explosive battle. "They're humans, just like her." he pointed at Weiss.
The people were in awe, one kid from the crowd shot up, "HUMANS ARE AWESOME!"
Weiss smiled, "Yeah we are, but so are you."
While the monster was distracted, Ruby tried to call on her silver eyes again, begging them to work. She feared activating it without Nova as her soul anchor but... from the looks of it this monster was near indestructible. Yang's attacks that would have levelled a city block were only denting its torso.
Neo's ice was barely keeping it at bay and from the looks of things she was running low on stamina.
The winter maiden in question was hovering above like an orbital artillery, raining ice and summing walls the size of the castle to block its advances but the sweat on her brow and shaky movements suggested she wasn't going to last much longer.
The Silver Eyes roared to life in Ruby as her Silver Heart and Soul all activated at once, the shroud of silver covering her red cloak as she entered the battle state they coined as True Silver, "Yang! back off..." Ruby petal burst up to her sister and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm going to end this... before it gets worse."
"Yes ma'am!" Yang saluted before relaying one last thunderous kick and back-flipping out of the danger zone leaving Ruby to face down the monster on her own.
Ruby landed on the floor with her scythe arced to the left, "Let me show you why you shouldn't disrespect me..."
The reaper petal burst forward in a sonic boom of silver rose petals, the ground shattering with the force of acceleration as she rocketed past the barrage of tentacles that rained down on her. Left, the tentacle was slashed instantly turning to stone, Right, cut in half.
Three came from the front and she spun Crescent Rose in a deadly spiral, cleaving through all of them at once as she reached the creature's head. She was miniature compared to its gargantuan size but it didn't matter, its slow movements were like a standstill in her vision.
Eyes darting around as more kept coming, springing out of its body like grass, "All you amounted to in the end was a mindless beast," she said with disgust before carving right down its middle, then arcing left, then right, then diagonally until she zoomed so fast around it in the blink of an eyes silver lines where the blade carved it shone brightly before the flesh had been severed.
"NOT ENOUGH!" she screamed, firing up even more, her eyes turning draconic and horns growing out of her head. She hadn't noticed the dragon traits had come back but she did notice the spike in power, she could do this...
It thrashed about violently the silver cracks were quickly being covered up by the black ichor as if regenerating.
"NO YOU DON'T!" she burned in anger, silver flames erupting out of her petals and the scythe as she retracted the wounds, this time the fire burned so intensely it left lingering scorch marks. As it tried to regenerate the flames lapped at the blackened ichor violently burning it and spreading it more.
*SCREACH* It let out a high-pitched howl as its body was severed into eight pieces, all turning to stone, with one final slash Ruby carved downward splitting the central head in two before landing on the ground safely.
The stone pieces crumbled to dust as she spared one last glance at what used to be Morgan.
As the dust settled, Ruby approached the rubble to find a humanoid figure standing amidst it all.
"This fight's not over yet," Morgan spoke, her voice layered with venom.
Ruby was caught off guard as she saw Morgan's figure standing there, her skin pale white and etched in blackened scars, "How?!"
Morgan smirked, "It seemed the potion and Salem's power merged... that beast was merely a cocoon for my rebirth! NOW YOU SHALL ALL FEEL MY WRATH!"
Ruby was about to retort when she noticed a gigantic black titan-sized serpent rising out of the water behind Morgan.
"FOR MORE THAN A DECADE I'VE SUFFERED THIS KINGDOM, BUT NOW IT WILL SUFFER ME! I WILL DESTROY ALL OF IT AND MAKE YOU BOW BEF-!" She was cut off as the titan's head clamped down over her, silencing her forever.
Ruby instinctively reached for her scythe when she noticed a silhouette jump down off the creature and land just in front of her. A familiar silhouette that she grieved to see.
Nova landed in front of her and gave her a toothy grin, "I brought it back up but I see it wasn't needed."
Tears sprung from her eyes as she felt the soul bound re-kindle, "NOVA!" she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, hanging from him and burying her head in his neck, "You're alive!"
He smiled warmly and hugged her back, "I'm home," he squeezed her burying his head in her hair, making sure to savour the feeling of her soul reconnected to his. They felt whole again.
-In the Castle-
The stone walls of the castle shook violently as they fought outside, dust falling from the ceiling and amidst the throne room more than two dozen unconscious guards restrained by shadows. Nitro was laying unconscious in Sami's arms while Marina and Blake were sitting on the steps of the throne room.
"Shouldn't we go out and help them?" Sami asked while still cradling Nitro.
Blake looked at them with a half smile, "I appreciate the enthusiasm, and I'm sure you're strong but you're not us. No offence."
Sami looked around and saw the soldiers, "R-Right... sorry I'm just... so filled with anger against my sister that..."
"Hey, it's alright. We all have family issues every once in a while though yours is a bit... extreme."
Queen Marina placed a hand on Sami's shoulder, "It'll be okay, Morgan made her bed and now she has to lie in it." she turned to Blake, "I can't thank you all enough for what you've done for us. If it hadn't been for you we..."
Blake held up a hand, "You can thank us after, my leaders will handle the talks going forward once we win."
Queen Marina eyed her, "You look familiar... are you a royal?"
"Blake Nightshade-Belladonna, a descendant of clan Shadow Claw, aide and friend to Prince and Princess Flareheart," Blake properly introduced herself.
Marina's eyes widened, "A Descendant of clan Shadow Claw? I thought you all died out! It's lovely to see you're still thriving."
Blake shot her a half smile, "You know us?"
"My family was once close friends with your ancestors, perhaps we can rekindle that friendship?"
Blake was about to respond when suddenly the rumbling stopped. The room went quiet as the explosions and screaming calmed down outside.
"Is it over?" Sami asked hopeful, part of him was happy but if it had stopped then either his sister had won or she was dead. Neither option made him much happier.
"MMmph..." Nitro groaned as he stirred, eyes moving beneath the lids. "Sami...?"
The Tidefinn boy's heart picked up as he quickly held Nitro tighter, "Nitro? I'm here, are you okay?"
The redhead grumbled and opened his eyes, green staring back and blue, "Hey beautiful, see you found my friends..." he slowly sat up and saw Blake.
"Yup he's fine," Blake snickered as Sami was turning bright red at his ears. "Glad to have you back speedy."
Nitro clutched his head groggily, "Man... I feel like there was a dense fog in my brain but... it's gone now... MORGAN!" he shot up only to fall back into Sami's lap woozily.
Sami held him gently, "Easy, my sister's been dealt with..." he had a soft look on his face, almost forlorn.
Blake looked at Marina, "I think we should go check on them, Sami you uh... tend to Nitro."
The queen took the hint and followed Blake outside leaving the two alone.
Nitro looked at Sami concerned, "Hey... I know she was your sister so if you..."
"It's fine," Sami looked at him despondently, "She was evil and there was no saving her. I mean just look at what she did to you!"
Nitro slipped his hand into Sami's, "It's not a bad thing to grieve, she was a villain but..."
Sami squeezed his hand, interlocking their fingers, "Look at you, worrying about me when you just got out of a drug-induced craze."
"What can I say? I can't help but worry about the people I care about," he leaned in closer.
Sami felt his heart beat spike rapidly, "You care about me?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Nitro spoke in a whisper.
"Just checking..." Sami closed the gap between them, closing his lips around Nitro's for a kiss that was a long time coming.
Nitro felt part of him die and go to heaven as he pulled Sami closer. He tasted like the ocean... and a little like seafood. Still, he didn't care, he was no longer a kissless virgin (That time with Nova didn't count) and he had found someone to give his heart to.
-Castle Seastone-
With the conclusion to the battle, a small portion of the city was left in ruins thanks to Morgan's rampage. The Queen and the other guards seemed to have fully recovered from the effects of the drugs, staff included. The moment Morgan died everyone's mind lifted free of her control.
Hex pilfered Morgan's lab, taking her alchemy supplies and stowing the book away for safekeeping. Sami went back to his place with Nitro, and now that the castle was safe the team could finally have their own beds to sleep in for the night.
Nova and Ruby finally had some time to themselves, Ruby wistfully looking out at the open night sky from the balcony of their suite at the castle.
"I thought I was going to lose you," Ruby said without looking at him. Nova met her on the balcony, his presence warming the cold night air.
"I felt your soul dying, shattering until there was nothing but static," she continued softly, "It was... horrible. Like part of me was breaking away and I couldn't stop it. Was that how it felt for you?"
Nova felt his heart crack again hearing the hurt in her voice, his mind recalling that hellish exchange the illusion put him through. The image of Ruby hating him was still fresh in his mind and it ate him alive, but he knew this was real now.
"Yeah, it was..." he responded by holding her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing the top of her head. Every touch, every moment he could have with her he was sure to savour it now. She was always precious to him, but now above all else, he learned to treasure what he had before it disappeared.
He couldn't become what he saw in that vision. He couldn't do that to her, and if that meant telling her the one thing he'd been keeping from her... then so be it. Nothing could be worse than the pain he felt back then.
Releasing her he gently turned her to face him, "Ruby... listen I need to confess something."
Ruby felt something cold form in the pit of her stomach, she didn't want to hear it, but she knew she had to.
"Remember back when you fought Summer, and you were in a coma for a few days?" he found it hard to speak the words, his throat seizing up. Would she hate him just like that Ruby did? Would she leave him?
"Nova, there isn't anything you could tell me that would make me hate you... so whatever it is, please, tell me." She reached up and slid her palm around his face, her cold hands against his warm skin.
He leaned into her touch, "You were dying... I stitched a bit of my soul onto yours again to heal you but it wasn't enough... in order to repair the damage the Grimm did I needed to..."
"What did you do...?" she let her hand come to rest on his shoulder, almost dreading what he would say next.
"It ate away parts of your soul... in order to regenerate it I had to give you back what you were losing..." he swallowed the lump in his throat and looked her dead in the eyes, "I sacrificed a chunk of my lifespan to bring you back to me..."
Her eyes hollowed as tears began to form, her throat quivering as she tried to remain calm, "You... what...?"
"I'm so sorry..." he fell to his knees before her, "I'm so... so sorry. I know you wouldn't want me to do but I couldn't bring myself to see a world without you in it."
"How many years did you give up? How much longer do you..." have left? she didn't want to finish it.
He sucked in a breath, he couldn't look at her, the guilt and shame were too much, "A few years maybe? Agni and Amber estimate maybe ten more at best... five at the very least"
She felt her heart shatter as the tears came pouring down, "Nova... oh gods I..."
"I'm so sorry Ruby, you don't have to forgive me. I'd understand if you hated my guts for that... I mean, how could I just make that decision for you? How could I decide that in only a handful of years I'd leave you alone? Fucking hell Ruby I'm only twenty now... we'd get married, sure, but can we even raise a family when I only have..."
Ruby was silent for a moment before she knelt to the ground and picked his head up in her hands, making him face her. They were both crying, "It's not your fault. I'd have done the same in your shoes," she gave him a smile through the tears.
Nova was shocked, the cracks in his heart healing with that one smile, "You don't hate me...?"
"How could I? Nova, you literally gave up your own lifespan for me, if that isn't the dumbest... sweetest thing I've ever heard. Yeah, I want to be mad at you, I want to ring your ears and yell at you but how could I? If anything this is my fault for almost dying!" she laughed emptily.
Nova reached out and wiped her tears away, "Hey, it's not your fault. The Grimm in my blood infected your soul..."
"And that came from Salem, so if anyone is to blame it's her, and it only got that bad because Onyx and his fellowship of evil or whatever were trying to ruin you!"
He leaned his forehead against her and closed his eyes as she wrapped her arms around his head, "We'll figure it out somehow, just like we always do. We can worry about the future after we take down Salem and Onyx."
Nova leaned up an nestled his head against her cheek, "I'm glad you're my ray of moonlight in the dark, have I told you how much I love you?"
She giggled and kissed his forehead, "Yeah, but I could use a reminder."
He wrapped his arms around her, tilting her chin before placing a gentle, love-filled kiss on her lips, letting all of his frustrations and worry fade away, letting their love flow through the bond until nothing remained but bliss.
That's a wrap folks! Next chapter, we begin the march on the Blade Wing Mountains.
This is marks the official 4th Anniversary of Dragon's Rise, and I don't know if we'll make it to the 6th but we'll see.
On another note I've been thinking about moving to AO3 since I feel like this site is dying. Dragon's Rise might still be here, and I might just straight up start cross-posting on both site. Let me know what you guys think!