Attack on Titan: A New Path

by The Court of Talons

Ozma and Salem have been at war for millennia. The fight has taken many lives and taken many years. The champion of the Brother of Light has failed countless times to complete his task. Now, more than ever, Remnant needs a new protector. It needs a man who knows the cruelty of life. A man who doesn't falter in doing the unthinkable. A dark guardian. Remnant needs... Eren Yeager.

32. Chapter 32

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles."

Sun Tzu

Chapter 32: Into the Fire

Words couldn't describe how pleased the God of Darkness was.

Eren Yeager, Darkness' chosen champion, was incredibly close to achieving the destiny he had been given. Years of patience and watching his champion grow were beginning to pay off, as Eren had declared that he was ready to finally finish the fight. The first attempt may have gone awry, but Darkness knew that Eren would stop Salem next time.

And next time was growing closer by the second.

Along with being pleased, Darkness was also very proud of himself. He knew he had chosen the perfect champion, and that he had been granted enormous power. The new Founding Titan had served Eren well, as did Darkness' advice of creating a special kind of Grimm. Darkness knew he was wise to share this knowledge with Eren, and that he was even wiser to grant Eren the ability to make more Titans.

The small band of rebels and outcasts Eren called his friends and allies may not have all been Darkness' choice for an army, but each of them had their merit and potential. Whether they were new Titans or people who chose to rely on their own skills, their abilities were not to be doubted.

However, Darkness possessed only one doubt in his mind: Cinder.

At first, the dark lord took an interest in the young girl when Eren introduced him to Cinder. At the time, Darkness believed her to be a candidate for a Titan. While he was proven to be right, he could see that there was something else about Cinder. Something that Eren didn't know himself.

Darkness knew that Eren would need friends and allies to stop Salem... but he never expected one of them to fall in love with him.

Whether it was his dark and twisted nature or his cold and calculated logic, Darkness found Cinder's feelings towards Eren as sickening. Not only that, but he also began to sense that they could pose a threat or distraction to Eren should he ever find out the truth. However, in Eren's case, Cinder's feelings were kept a secret. And because of that, Eren had come far with achieving his goal. Now it was only a matter of time before everything would be perfect.

It seemed that Darkness would have to do one more thing first: deal with the familiar presence he sensed in the Coordinate.

"Eren," the deity addressed his guest once again. "Back so soon?"

"Yeah..." Eren reluctantly admitted. "I wasn't expecting to be here either."

Darkness sensed the negativity resonating within the young man's soul. "Why so glum? Surely the prospect of imminent victory must be satisfying."

"I'm not giving up, if that's what you're saying. I just... need to talk to you again."

Darkness was starting to grow impatient with Eren. "I can only aid you so much, Eren," he said. "I would think my warning of Dark Dust and my display of the Grimm Beetle would be most helpful. What more could you ask for?"

"Information," said Eren. "Just information. Then I'll be on my way."

"..."

Darkness considered the idea of being generous with the knowledge he possessed. He believed Eren had all the knowledge he needed to fight and stop Salem, so why would he need more? What purpose would that serve in the grand scheme of things?

Unless... Eren wanted to know about something else. Something besides Salem.

"...Go on," Darkness calmly ordered.

"I just came back from talking with Watts," Eren began. "You were right about him being useful. He'll make our fight easier."

"I knew he would. The time has come where he must destroy what he created."

"Right. But we just talked about something else, something outside the plan." Eren suddenly had the idea that Darkness might know what he was planning to talk about. "Were you watching us? Like, just now?"

"I was... preoccupied at the moment. What you say now is news to me."

"Okay. Well... we got Watts talking about Salem's plans. He says he knows why she's doing all of this. Controlling the Grimm and attacking people."

Darkness' impatience with Eren began to fade as his curiosity began to pique. "Oh, does he?" he asked inquisitively. "And you choose now to trust him?"

"No," Eren quickly denied. "That's why I'm here. To see if he's telling the truth."

"Hmm..."

"..."

Darkness turned around and watched a throne made of purple crystal emerge from the ground. Content with his work, Darkness took a seat and gave Eren his undivided attention.

"Continue."

---

Minutes ago

"Well then... it seems your world is about to get a whole lot bigger."

"..."

Eren, Cinder, Ren, Nora, Emerald, and Midori were all giving Arthur Watts their undivided attention at the moment. He had earned this when he mentioned that Raven Branwen was a "Maiden," something Salem had tried to make Midori into. When she demanded answers, everyone else in the Dark Wing followed suit. So now, all anyone could do was listen.

"A Maiden is a woman of extraordinary power," Watts began. "Not as strong as Salem, mind you. But they do possess a fragment of an ability once thought to be extinct. Believe it or not, that power is-"

"Magic," said Eren. "We know."

"Oh." Watts needed a moment to recollect his thoughts, given that describing the Maidens would be easier than he believed. "Well, the Maidens do possess Magic. Magic gifted by Salem's enemy, from long ago."

Given what Darkness showed him when they first met, Eren had a good idea who this enemy was. "You mean Ozma."

"Who?"

"Ozma." Eren was slightly surprised by Watts' apparent confusion. "You know, the one guy who was sent to stop Salem?"

"I believe you're talking about Ozpin," Watts explained. "That's who Salem's been fighting ever since I joined her."

"Wait, Ozpin?" Cinder asked out of surprise. "You mean Professor Ozpin? The Headmaster of Beacon Academy?"

"The very same. He's the one who created the Maidens, years ago."

"Darkness told me Ozma was the one who created the Maidens," Eren corrected. But when he realized how similar the names were, he had another idea. "Wait a second... he's Ozma?"

"It seems likely," said Ren. "Perhaps he changed his name to hide from Salem."

"That would mean he's been around for as long as Salem has," said Emerald.

"So he's been giving parts of his Magic over and over again?" Nora asked. "To make more Maidens?"

"Not quite," Watts corrected. "I suppose you can say the Magic each Maiden possesses has a mind of its own. When the host dies, it seeks out another."

"Wait, this Magic is killing people?" Midori assumed. "It's like a parasite?"

"No, no, no!" Watts was growing annoyed by the lack of knowledge his captors had. "If one Maiden is killed or dies of natural causes, that's when the Magic leaves. Understand?"

Everyone was beginning to make sense of it all. And Midori had a good way to add everything up. "So, let me get this straight," she began. "Salem wanted to kill a Maiden like Raven, and then have me take that power from her?"

"That's correct," Watts confirmed. "About time too, might I add."

"You trying to be funny?" Emerald asked sarcastically. "Cut it out."

"Hold on," Ren requested. "So capturing a Maiden's power, a piece of Ozpin's Magic, is Salem's goal. But why is she doing this? What does she get out of it?"

"The Relics, of course."

"..."

Nobody was expecting an answer such as this. After they all shared glances and expressions of confusion with each other, everyone asked the same question.

"The what?"

Watts remembered who he was talking to, so he was forced to explain himself once again.

"Salem has had her eye on objects of enormous power for quite some time. Somewhere in the world, four ancient and powerful Relics exist. They've existed for as long as she has, to be exact. They were created by the same Gods you serve, Eren."

"..."

"The power within them grants people with control over Creation, Destruction, Choice, and Knowledge. The only way to find and claim them is through the Maiden's powers. When Salem gathers them all, she plans to use their power to rule the world."

"..."

Everyone could describe the story in their own unique way. Obviously, nobody believed such a thing. It was crazy, it would take the craziest people in the world to make such a story and believe in it.

After everyone had time to process what they heard, they chose to share their opinions.

"You... can't be serious," said Emerald.

"How serious do I look?" Watts asked sarcastically. Everyone could see that he didn't appear to be joking.

But that didn't mean he wasn't lying.

"That's... absurd," said Ren. "That makes no sense at all."

Watts immediately took offense to this claim. "Are you calling me a liar, young man?" he asked as his anger began to reveal itself.

"Well, we're not calling you a truth-er!" Nora impulsively declared.

"Uh... what?"

Everyone looked to Nora, who didn't back down from her stance. While they shared her sentiments about Watts not being completely honest, they weren't sure if Nora was using the right words to describe the doctor's story.

"They're right," said Emerald. "Why should we believe something crazy like that?"

"What reason would I have to lie about their existence?" Watts retorted.

"To save your own skin."

"Alright, let me rephrase that; why would I risk telling a convoluted story if it wasn't the truth? When I could have shared something simple like... exterminating humanity?"

"..."

Everyone was starting to see that he could have said something more simple, and yet he chose something like his story instead. But they still weren't on board with it all.

"So what you're saying is that you've seen these 'Relics?'" Cinder asked. "You've actually held them and used them before?"

"I..."

Watts was seeing where Cinder was coming from with these questions. And yet, he knew that lying would be risking Eren's ire. And he wasn't exactly strong enough to handle it all.

"Um, well... technically, no," Watts replied. "But I-"

"Alright, then," said Eren. "So how do you know they exist?"

While this question was to serve as proof that Watts was either lying or there were no such things as these Relics, it served as Watts' chance to explain why he followed Salem.

"Mr. Yeager," the doctor began politely, in an attempt to remain on Eren's good side. "I'm a man of science. A man of logic and the real world. But ever since I met Salem, I've seen things I can't explain. Namely how she can survive a direct shot in the head and heart simultaneously."

"..."

"And I've seen the Maidens for myself, mind you. Well, one of them, to be precise. So tell me, everyone... what reason would I have for doubting such an idea when I've seen reality defied over and over again by the one who told me about the Relics?"

"..."

Nobody had an answer for Watts at the moment. Given how they knew about Salem's existence and capabilities, and after what happened with Raven, they knew something was going on. Whether or not it was exactly how Watts described it, they had no idea. Nothing they could say or ask could show if this claim was true or not.

But Eren realized there might be a way to know for sure.

"Eren?" Cinder called out when she saw her friend leave the car. "Eren!" she called again as he began to march towards the woods. "Where are you going?"

"To get some answers," Eren replied.

---

Present

"...Curious."

That was the first response Darkness had after Eren finished sharing what Watts told him. Eren was still skeptical about the whole thing, but the last question Watts asked had some merit to it. Darkness seemed to think the same thing, given that he had no immediate response.

"But what does it mean?" Eren asked. "Is Watts lying? Or is there really something else Salem wants with all this?"

"Calm yourself, Eren," the deity calmly ordered. "Do not let stories cloud your resolve. Not when you're this close."

Eren began to relax as he saw what Darkness was implying. "So he was lying."

"Eren, I know all of Remnant. Even after I took my leave, I kept a watchful eye. And I can assure you, I have not seen anything like the doctor described, let alone created anything like it." As soon as Darkness said this, he took another moment to think again. "Although... what did he say each 'Relic' controlled?"

"Creation, destruction, choice, and knowledge," Eren replied. "In that order."

"Hmm... strange."

"What?"

Darkness rose from his throne. "You recall how my brother and I decided to create mankind?" he asked confidently. "We decided to make them with four concepts in mind. The first two were Creation and Destruction, obviously. The other two were, as Watts said, Choice and Knowledge. In which they can choose which to do and learn how to do so."

"...Okay," Eren said as he followed along, despite not being interested in this history. "So he was telling the truth?"

"Nonsense. I've seen the current age of humanity worship false gods and idols, but never 'Relics.' That may have been the name they chose for these idols, but they surely held no power." Darkness walked over to Eren. "Does that answer your question, Eren?"

"...Yeah. Yeah, it does."

Darkness was content with the answer. "And what of the Beetle I showed you? Has it proven itself to be useful?"

"It did, actually. I found one of those Magic-users you mentioned, somebody Watts called a 'Maiden.' And I found a Grimm to use it on too."

"Excellent. And you're ready to attack Salem?"

"We're leaving at dawn."

"Good. Then don't let me keep you here any longer."

Eren vanished from Darkness' sight, but the idea that Eren gave him refused to disappear. It was interesting, to say the least. Darkness indeed recalled creating mankind with the four ideas Watts told him, but he had been keeping an eye on Remnant for years. To be unaware of four items of power was ridiculous.

Darkness entertained the idea of him not being able to see the so-called "Relics," that they were somehow hidden from him. But he dismissed the idea and focused on his current goal.

Eliminating Salem.

---

When Eren found himself back on Remnant, he was greeted by just about everyone. The only exceptions were Winter, Raven, Mercury, and Vernal. Mercury was still explaining how he became a Titan and Winter was watching Raven like a hawk.

Eren had to admit that Winter was taking the job she had given herself seriously. He would make sure to deal with both of them later, but first he had to tell everyone what Darkness had told him.

"Did you talk to Darkness?" Cinder asked. "What did he say?"

"He said the same thing we did," Eren explained. "It's impossible."

"That's good to hear," said Emerald, who had joined Eren with Ren, Nora, and Midori in tow.

"But can we trust him?" Ren asked. "I wouldn't be surprised if he chose to keep something like this a secret."

"He didn't dismiss it right away," said Eren. "He wanted to talk about it a little more. I think he would have been a little more demanding about forgetting about it if he knew something we didn't."

"Makes sense to me!" said Nora. "So, we gonna teach Artie back there a lesson for lying? Oh, I know!" Nora slammed one of her fists into her hand. "We'll break his legs!"

Eren couldn't help but chuckle at the sentiment. "Nah, let's just forget about it," he said. "I don't really care about it anymore."

"Me neither," said Cinder. "Let's just focus on Salem. She's more important than some fairy tale."

"Agreed," Ren said as he looked upwards. "It's getting rather late, actually. Perhaps we should fix some supper."

"Oh, yeah!" Nora shouted. "Let's make pancakes!"

"For supper?"

"Why not?! Let's make the night before our big fight special!"

"That might be akin to celebrating too early." Ren began to lead Nora back towards the Dark Wing. "I think we still have some grilled chicken left from last night."

"Boooorrrrring!"

Cinder chuckled as she began to follow her friends. "I'm actually pretty hungry too," she said. "Let's see what we got."

Eren began to follow Cinder, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him from moving. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Midori asked politely.

"Oh, sure," Eren replied before he turned to Cinder. "We'll catch up later." Cinder nodded and left Eren with the young medic. "What's up?"

"Did Darkness say anything about the Maidens? I mean, about Watts being right or wrong?"

"Not when I just talked to him. But he knows they exist. He said that Ozma... I mean, Ozpin, split up his Magic among some people." Eren pointed towards Winter and Raven. "That's how I knew Raven was one of them."

Midori turned to Raven. "Oh. So that stuff back there was Magic."

"Yeah, it was. Which reminds me, I better go see what we're doing with her." Eren began to walk over towards Raven and Winter, but Midori stopped him once again.

"Sorry," she apologized. "But can you just... not do anything drastic?"

"Drastic," Eren repeated. "You mean kill her?"

"..."

Eren took this chance to have a much needed talk with Midori. He knew that she had misgivings about the idea of murder, but Eren knew the idea wasn't as black and white as most people thought it was. Everyone else, save for Midori and Winter, seemed to understand that. Winter wasn't on Eren's mind, but he could convince Midori.

"Midori, I know you don't like the idea," Eren began. "But I don't do things like this on a whim. I'm not someone who just kills for the hell of it." Eren pointed back to the Dark Wing. "Everything I do is to keep all of them out of harm's way. I want to do the same for you, Midori. But I can't if you won't let me."

"..."

"I'm sorry, but it's not as simple as you think. It's just... complicated." Eren had to remember that Midori wasn't a soldier like he was. "You wouldn't understand."

"Maybe not," Midori agreed. "But that's not why I'm asking." Midori pointed over to Raven. "If you did kill her, the Magic she has might find a new place to go. I just... don't want it to go to me."

"...Oh."

Eren had forgotten that Midori was Salem's candidate for a Maiden. And Midori had a good point; if Raven died now, where would the power go? Going to any one here would bring nothing but trouble.

"I won't kill her," Eren promised. "Maybe I can convince Winter to take her to the nearest city. The Kingdom's authorities will know what to do with her."

"Really?" Midori asked hopefully. While she understood the concept of Eren killing people was indeed a complicated one, she appreciated that he was willing to end this matter peacefully. "Thanks, Eren."

The young man nodded as he looked back towards the Dark Wing. "Why don't you get some dinner? I'll come in when I'm done with Winter."

"Okay. See you in a minute."

As promised, Eren made his way towards Winter and Raven. Raven was currently bound by rope to a tree in a way that prevented her from cutting the rope with her hands or flying off the ground in case her Magic came back. And to make things better, someone had put a piece of duct tape on her mouth.

But as soon as she saw Eren, Raven tried to speak angrily towards him. As he expected, all Eren could hear was mumbling.

"Mmmph! Mmm hmmm kmmm mmm-!"

*BAM*

Winter was quick to deliver a swift punch at Raven's gut, which was enough to make the former leader of bandits quiet down. "Quiet!" Winter ordered nonetheless.

Eren witnessed the event with mild satisfaction. "Not bad," he said. He knew that Raven deserved more than a simple punch to the gut, but he was surprised that Winter seemed to believe this too. "Wouldn't think you were the kind of person to do that to prisoners."

"One would think," said Winter. "But last I checked, nobody in Atlas is watching or expecting model behavior."

Eren looked at the woman's eyes to see that they were Winter's and not Ymir's. He was starting to wonder if Ymir was beginning to rub off on Winter after all this time. But he believed that now wasn't really a good time to ask. There were more important things to do.

"I think it's time we let her face justice, though," Eren began. "We want you to take her to the nearest city, which is... that way." Eren pointed towards a part of the forest away from the camp. "Mistral will know what to do with her."

Winter looked at the direction Eren pointed in before she looked back at Raven. "But... what about the plan I offered?" she asked. "I can still help with-"

"It's time for you to leave, Winter."

"..."

As he made his decision and demand, Winter recognized the look on Eren's face. It was the same one he had when Eren accepted her challenge to a duel, and practically every other time Winter and Eren disagreed on something. It was a look that could send chills down people's spines, regardless of whether or not they knew who Eren really was. Winter knew a look like this meant that there was hardly any chance of changing or compromising with Eren.

With this in mind, Winter did the only thing she knew she could do.

"No."

Eren knew he should have expected defiance from Winter once again, but he was mildly surprised by the simple answer. Nevertheless, he was ready to fight Winter once again.

"This isn't an option," he said. "You need to leave, now." Eren clenched his fists. "Don't make me fight you again."

"I won't," Winter promised. "But all I ask is that you hear me out. No fighting, no arguments over Atlas' army. Just let me tell you why I want to fight with you."

"..."

"I meant what I said in the woods, after you stopped Raven. After I saved Cinder."

Eren had to admit that saving Cinder did have some merit for Winter in this case. "Look, I appreciate what you did back there," he admitted. "Cinder could've been killed if you didn't step up, that's true. So first off... thank you for saving her."

"You're welcome. And I can-"

"I meant what I said too. After I stopped Raven."

"..."

If Winter's memory served her correctly, there was a time in the woods where Eren expressed his distrust of her. Not in regards to turning them over, but in regards to actually helping with fighting Salem and protecting his friends.

And given how many disagreements she had with him, Winter didn't exactly trust Eren entirely. The only thing she did trust him with was his ability to stop Salem.

"I understand," Winter said honestly. "And... you may be right. I don't wish to fight simply to protect your friends, I admit it. I do have my own reasons for fighting."

Eren believed Winter when she said this. He knew that she didn't care about him or any of his friends, but he was wondering what these reasons were.

"What are they?" he asked.

Before Winter replied, she had her own question for Eren. "Before I answer that, I just need to know one thing. When you fight Salem, what do you believe will happen?"

"That we win. That we end this now."

"But... do you expect to survive?"

"Is that a threat?"

"No. If there's one thing I've learned from Atlas Academy, Eren, it's that no soldier expects to live forever. So when you go tomorrow, with or without me, do you expect to survive?"

"..."

The conversation was getting very personal all of a sudden, more than Eren was comfortable with. But after he slowly turned around to see if everyone was inside the Dark Wing, Eren shared his answer.

"No, I don't."

Winter believed Eren in that instant, but decided to show that he wasn't alone. "Me neither," she said. "If I go with you, that is."

"..."

"Eren, if you take me with you tomorrow, I understand that I may not be coming back. But if I leave tomorrow, I know that everything I've done in my entire life has been for nothing. As the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, as a soldier, as a Huntress... you and Ymir showed me that I haven't done anything to make things better. If I wasn't upholding the law, I was helping the company expand through ways like what almost happened to Kuroyuri."

"..."

Winter lowered her head and straightened her posture. Her next action wasn't necessarily begging, but humbling herself before Eren. "Please," she asked. "All I want is a chance. To let myself know that I've done one thing right in my life. Just one."

"..."

Eren may not have expected such a confession from Winter, let alone an answer. However, he couldn't help but find it to be believable. Winter had nothing left back in Atlas since Lieutenant Infrigdando had previously placed her under arrest. Turning anyone in would serve Winter no purpose in life.

But stopping Salem just might.

"What does Ymir say about this?" Eren asked. "Risking her life doesn't sound like anything up her alley."

"...Let me show you," Winter said as she closed her eyes. When they opened again, they were a dull gray color; Ymir had emerged.

"Ever since I came to this stupid world, I've been locked inside a person's head, hit by a rock, bound and beaten, kidnapped, taken advantage of, and flat out ignored," the woman recollected. "Eren... anything's better than this."

"..."

Eren also found himself believing this once he heard it. He now believed he had everything he needed to make a choice.

"I'm not saying yes," Eren began. "But I'm not saying no either." He gestured back towards the Dark Wing. "We're all in this together. We'll talk it over and let you know what we decide."

"Whatever."

Eren turned heel and began to walk back towards the car. But as he did, Ymir called out to him to say one more thing.

"Tell your friends to take their time!" Ymir said as she cracked one of her knuckles. "I'm gonna have a talk with Raven." With that, Ymir smacked Raven across the face to wake her up. "Hey, bitch. Got a present for you."

*BAM*

"Mmph!"

*BAM*

"Mmm!"

*BAM*

"MMMMMPH!"

True to his word, Eren returned to the Dark Wing and shared the details of his conversation with the rest of his friends. Once he was done, he announced his plans to put Winter's presence to a vote. They could either bring Winter and use Raven as a diversion or they could send them both away. Rather than being the first vote, Eren decided to abstain.

In regards to the first option, Nora, Emerald, and Midori voted in favor of letting Winter stay. Nora and Midori believed that Winter had earned her chance of redeeming herself in their eyes. Midori mostly felt sorry that Winter had nowhere else to go. Emerald, on the other hand, saw the logic behind Winter's proposed plan and would feel comfortable knowing they had every advantage possible over Salem.

In regards to making Winter leave with Raven, Ren, Mercury, and Vernal voted for this. While Ren also saw the logic behind her plan, he remained skeptical of the ability to control Raven in this manner. Mercury and Vernal didn't exactly trust Winter either. And Vernal had previously restated her intention to stay with the team, after she promised to stop keeping secrets and would let everyone know if she was about to transform again.

Given how Watts wasn't exactly an ally in the manner, he wasn't given a vote.

Eren knew that he could break the tie with his vote, but he also knew that Cinder didn't vote as well. Whatever she chose, Eren would respect and follow her choice. So he patiently waited for Cinder to choose.

"If she's sure that she can keep Raven in check for now... she's got my vote," Cinder decided.

Most of the group was surprised that Cinder of all people was voting in favor of letting Winter stay, but Eren respected her wish and left to tell Winter that she would be staying.

"Are you sure about this?" Ren asked calmly.

"Yeah, it seems kinda risky," said Mercury. "Besides, you hate Winter."

"I know, I know," said Cinder. "Gods know I hate Winter. And how risky it is to use the woman who keeps trying to kill us as a diversion for Salem." Cinder looked back towards Nora, Emerald, and Midori. "But Winter risked her life to save mine. And... I guess that's earned her a second chance."

"..."

All three girls were proud of Cinder for putting aside her grudge to do something good. They were all familiar with how Cinder disliked Winter, and how it may have been to the point of being biased. But now they were happy to see that Cinder was willing to put aside her own feelings to make a good decision.

Though it was a little strange to see it for the first time.

"But I'm going to let her know that she's on very thin ice," Cinder declared as she left the table.

"Ah, that's better," Nora said as she recognized and welcomed Cinder's behavior. The sentiment was shared through laughter by everyone else.

---

The next morning came rather quickly. Today was the day that Eren and his friends would end it all with Salem. And this time, failure wasn't an option.

The first one to wake up was Cinder, who decided to stay quiet when she saw that everyone else was asleep. She wasn't very hungry, so she didn't bother to make any breakfast for herself. Instead, she decided to hook herself up to Dancing Midnight and load it with a few arrows. While one could argue that it wasn't wise to waste any supplies, Cinder didn't let that stop her from leaving the camp for a little while.

She needed to clear her head.

A lot had been on her mind since last night. Between Watts' dubious reveal about certain "Relics" and fighting Salem today, Cinder did nothing but think about what the future would hold for her. A few hopeful ideas came to mind, mainly how she and her friends would beat Salem and finally go home.

But most of all, her thoughts led to one person: Eren.

[Play Amy Lee's "Sally's Song"]

As she flew and danced through the air, Cinder began to unpack all of her feelings about her best friend. First off, she couldn't help but feel that the battle ahead would be even harder for him. She would be there to help with the Grimm, but Eren was the only one who could stop Salem. But given how the witch came remarkably close to killing him before, Cinder couldn't help but feel that the plan would be easier said than done.

She prayed that Eren wouldn't get too hurt from this battle.

But more than that, Cinder hoped that she could have some kind of resolution with her own emotions in the matter. Once again, Cinder felt the sting of her feelings with Eren in her heart. Mainly, how she loved him more than a brother or a simple friend. And how she wanted to show him how much love she had for him. This had happened before, more times than she could count. It had gotten to the point where Cinder wondered if Eren ever noticed how she felt. She had her doubts, but she couldn't help but wonder if he knew how much he truly meant to her.

More than that, however, Cinder wanted to know for sure if he was going to be okay during the fight.

Eren's plans and actions would be the most important steps for stopping Salem today, but also the hardest. Whether they would lead to victory or defeat, she had no idea. Cinder wanted to join in the enthusiasm Nora and Mercury had last night, but she knew she had to face the reality of the situation.

Mainly how not everybody might be making it back alive.

Cinder landed on the ground and soon began to walk through the forest. She made sure to be aware of her surroundings while walking so she wouldn't get lost, but she still focused on the nagging voices in her head. Truth be told, Cinder was becoming exhausted about all of this. She had thought about her feelings towards Eren over and over again, more times than she was comfortable with. Such time could have been spent with other thoughts. She could be thinking of ways to help the people of Mistral who were ignored by Huntsmen or how she could maybe live a simple life in Kuroyuri again.

This epiphany helped Cinder's thoughts turn to the future. She chose to think of what would happen if, by some miracle, everyone escaped from Salem alive and well. Without any more conflict, Cinder knew that she would be going back home with Eren. In this time of peace, she would have the perfect chance to fully admit her feelings to Eren. She could share the truth, let go of the burden of carrying them.

The one thing that held her back was the idea of Eren rejecting not only those feelings, but her as well.

As soon as she was reminded of this possibility, Cinder took to the air once again. The idea made her uncomfortably hot all over and the cooling air was the only remedy that could help. She felt better as she continued to fly, though her mind was still uneasy.

*ROAR*

*GROWL*

Cinder landed on the ground when she heard the familiar sounds of Grimm. There wasn't much of a clearing, but Cinder made the best of what she could and used her swords to kill Beowolf after Beowolf. Once she was done, she danced in the air again and found more Grimm to kill. Each one turned to ash and gave Cinder confidence in her abilities to fight once again. She even managed to kill an Ursa without help from her arrows. It was about time Cinder started to use her swords more often than the bow she liked.

As she fought, Cinder felt her focus on her feelings with Eren disappear like the Grimm before her. Perhaps it was because they should disappear, she thought. That she should stop being selfish and be thankful for what she had with Eren already. After all, she wasn't Mikasa. And Eren had made up his mind about how he felt, so now it was time for Cinder to do the same thing.

But if that was true... why did she feel so bad about it?

"..."

Cinder couldn't help but let out an exhausted sigh as she made her way back to camp. Today was going to be a long day, after all.

Everyone else was starting to wake up when Cinder made her way back. Eren was the only one who went outside, however, when he saw that Cinder was missing. "Oh, hey," he said as he saw Cinder return. "I was wondering where you were."

"Just wanted to get one last flight in," Cinder explained. "Don't worry, I didn't use too much fuel."

"Good. We're gonna need everything we have for this."

"..."

Eren began to have an idea as to why Cinder decided to get one last flight in before they left. "So... are you ready?" Eren asked calmly.

Cinder was expecting a question like this, but she knew exactly what to say. "Yes," she replied confidently after she took a breath. The flight she took with Dancing Midnight had given her a clear head after all. "Are you?"

"I'm ready," Eren replied, even though he didn't sound as confident as Cinder. Though she may have come across as overly confident. "I have to be."

Cinder was wise to expect that Eren understood the burden he carried with him. She may have just begun to understand it as well, but she was ready to help him see that he didn't need to carry it alone.

"You holding up okay?" Cinder asked as she moved closer to Eren. "I, uh... I'm sure this is hard for you."

"What, with Salem?" Eren asked.

"Yeah. I mean, it must be hard knowing you're the only one who can make that stone around her."

Eren took a brief pause before he answered Cinder. "I'd be lying if I said the thought hasn't crossed my mind."

"..."

"But it should be easier today, since I know what to do." Eren thought about what he needed to do with Salem before he encased her in a prison. "Yeah, we have everything we need to stop the Titans, and I have the new Beetle Darkness showed me to weaken Salem." Eren looked at Cinder when he finished talking to himself. "We can do this."

"I know," said Cinder. "We can definitely stop the Titans. But you're forgetting something else you have for Salem."

"I am?" Eren believed the Beetle and his Titan were all he needed, but he decided to humor Cinder. "What?"

Cinder smiled as she answered. "...Me."

"..."

"Eren, I know it's going to be a hard fight when you meet her again. But you don't have to be alone in there. I'll fight with you and do everything I can to help you. I promise."

"..."

Eren appreciated the promise, as he knew the fight would be one of the hardest ones he would have to fight. Cinder had saved him from Salem before, and he was confident that she could help. However, given his doubts about survival, Eren didn't want to see Cinder die with him.

"Cinder... I-"

"Hey, there you are!"

Eren and Cinder turned to see Mercury at the Dark Wing's entrance, and he was waving. "We were wondering where you went, Cinder," he said.

"Oh, nowhere," Cinder replied. "Just wanted to get some fresh air before we head out."

"Well, since you're here, I think we're good to go," said Eren. "Everyone inside doing okay?"

"Yeah, everyone's awake," said Mercury. "Well, except Raven. Ymir clocked her as soon as she woke up."

"That's probably for the best. We don't want Raven trying to escape when we're over the water."

"Uh... Yeah, that's why she did it."

Cinder chuckled as she moved towards the car. Now that everyone was inside, and that they all seemed to be prepared, Eren gave Mercury the okay to set a course for the Land of Darkness.

But first, Mercury said he had a surprise for everyone.

"What the hell is this?" was all Emerald could say at the sight in front of her. Everyone else didn't seem to have any disagreements.

The makeshift area that Mercury and Watts were working at now resembled a sort of ceremonial altar that was cobbled together with random junk. The table was covered in a tablecloth that many in the group recognized was one they sometimes used for dinner in the Dark Wing, with a case resting squarely in the center. Around the table were four flashlights that lit the area with an orange glow. In front and leading away from the table was a series of gray tarps that were laid out on the ground, written in were the words "Red Carpet."

"What do you think?" Nora asked with a smile as she joined Mercury at the altar. "The decorations were all my idea!"

"Those carpets are gray," Ren pointed out.

"Which are written in red!"

"Wait, what am I looking at right now?" Winter asked with a look of utter confusion on her face. She tried to make sense of the occasion, but her mind came up as blank.

"This is new," said Eren, who also had no idea what was going on.

"This outta be good," Vernal said before she looked over to her boyfriend, who was doing something with his Scroll. "Mercury, what exactly are you-?"

"Uh, uh, uh!" Mercury said as shot his hand up and cut Vernal off; he was still looking at his Scroll. "One second, babe, just putting on the finishing touches!"

"Must we really go through these pointless theatrics?" Watts groaned as he shook his head in annoyance.

"Silence in the peanut gallery, please!" Nora shouted clearly.

"Peanut gallery?" Watts questioned, as he adjusted his collar with a huff. "I would think I would be something a little higher than that since I'm risking my life being here."

"Annnndddd... done!" Mercury pressed on his Scroll before he set it down on the table behind him. Just then, music began to play.

[Play Scuta Scalamanta's "Nighthawk"]

"Seriously?" Emerald said in deadpanned disbelief. And she wasn't the only one thinking that as Ren raised an eyebrow, Winter's eyebrow twitched, and Ymir laughed on the inside. Eren and Cinder simply looked confused, as did Midori. But something about her confusion seemed more... adorable.

As he flashed a typical smug grin on his face, with his arms spread out as if saying "Behold my glory," Mercury stood in front of the company before him while Nora held up a sign she had made on her own.

"Accept my gift!"

"Ha!" Mercury clapped with a grin on his face as he walked to the front of the makeshift altar and faced everyone. "Gather around, everyone!"

"Mercury, what are you up to now?" Emerald snarked at the gray haired boy. "'Cause this is definitely up there with the other stupid crap you've pulled off."

"Hush, my minty friend," Nora said while Mercury ignored the insult. "It's starting!"

Mercury cleared his throat as he began to make a speech. "Friends, girlfriend... Ice Queen."

"Excuse me?" Winter growled with narrow eyes.

Mercury found it easy to ignore the Atlesian. "Before we go off into the dark world, kicking ass and taking names, I would like to welcome you all to my first Weapon Inauguration. Huntsmen and Huntresses, or those who are skilled like us, make use of custom weapons suited to them and their unique style. We have Emerald with Thief's Respite."

"Um... thanks?" Emerald said in confusion.

"Nora with Magnhild."

"Perfect for breaking legs!" Nora cheered with a grin as she slammed her hammer on the ground.

"And Eren with Soaring Freedom."

"And it's only gotten better," Eren praised.

"That it has." Mercury snapped his finger towards Eren before he returned to his inauguration. "Well today, it brings me great pleasure to formally announce the arrival of the bouncing, badass, baby sibling of this group's collection of weapons."

"Midori!" Nora yelled as she pointed her finger. The girl in question jumped from the sudden call out. "Please step forward and walk down the Red Carpet-"

"That is neither a carpet, nor is it red," Winter deadpanned.

"-and accept your gift from the altar!"

"That's no altar either," Watts groaned.

"Um... shut up!" Nora protested. "Don't ruin this for us!"

"O... Okay," Midori said, still confused by all the theatrics as she walked down the "red" carpet.

"Oh, this is so exciting!" Nora was practically bouncing off the walls in excitement. "Ever since Midori said she wanted a weapon, I've been wanting to see it so badly!"

"Oh, is that what this is all about?" Ren asked confidently. "Well, I have to admit, I'm curious to see it too."

"Wait, I thought you already had a weapon," said Eren. "I saw you use it with Raven yesterday."

"That was just a prototype," Mercury explained. "What I got right now makes that thing look like a sham of its existence."

"This outta be good," said Cinder.

Midori finally stopped before the makeshift altar and looked down at the case resting there. She gulped as her throat suddenly felt dry and her nerves began to intensify. She was so nervous... but at the same time she felt excited. Was this how the others felt when they first received their weapons for the first time? Or was it just her?

Taking a deep breath, Midori unlatched the clasp on the front of the case and opened up. When she saw what laid inside, her eyes widened in surprise and excitement.

Resting on top of soft foam was a pair of green gauntlets that greatly reminded Midori of ancient knights. Unlike the prototype weapon Mercury initially designed, these would greatly offer better defense for her arms; there were even segmented plated gloves attached to the wrists for her hands too.

Reaching in and taking them, Midori slipped them on and strapped them firmly in place. They started at the wrists and extended upwards and slightly passed her elbows. And though they fit perfectly, the plating made them look like they were bigger than they really were. As she wiggled her fingers around, she discovered the gloves didn't hinder her movements like she thought they would.

Midori turned and faced the others. It was time for the moment of truth.

She flicked her wrists, and a section of the gauntlet near her wrists split open and a mechanism lifted up-

*SHING*

-and a pair of blades the length and width of her forearms shot out. Midori gasped and gazed at the blades in awe as they glinted in the glow of the flashlights.

[End music]

"Everyone, may I present the new and greatly improved Scalpel!" Mercury said as he motioned to Midori and her weapons.

"WOOHOO! Alright!" Nora cheered with raised arms while the others around her gave a round of applause.

"Mercury, you've done it again!" Cinder said as she gazed at the bladed gauntlets.

"Those look like they can cut through almost anything," Winter chimed in as she had an analytical look in her eyes.

"And what damage they can cause." Mercury stepped forward and gestured to the blades. "The blades are made from a blend of materials to make them light enough to carry while still keeping their strength and sharpness, meaning that it will take a lot of effort to break them. I mostly used tungsten, titanium, and some of Eren's hardened crystal."

"Wait, what?" Eren asked. "How did you get a hold of that? I never gave you any of that."

"I, uh... may have secretly swiped some off your dead Titan when I had the chance."

"Of course you would," Emerald said as she rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face meant she didn't really have a problem.

"Hey, Mercury?" Midori suddenly called out. "What are these for?" She pointed to several empty slots located on the underside of each gauntlet. They looked like some kind of compartments.

"Oh, right!" Mercury said as he reached into his pocket. "That right there is a new addition I added for more options in combat." He then pulled out a Dust Crystal, Fire Dust to be exact, and gave it to Midori. "Those slots are designed to incorporate different Dust types for you to use in battle. Try this one out."

Midori nodded and inserted the Dust into the top slot with a noticeable clicking sound. Almost immediately, the blades began to glow a yellow-orange color while embers danced around it. "Whoa."

"Now see that large rock there?" Mercury pointed off to the side where a fairly large rock was sitting on the table. "Hit it."

Midori looked back at Mercury with a perplexed look. "Hit it?"

"Hit it."

Although confused, Midori complied. Facing the rock, she took a deep breath and raised her arm. As she aimed for the rock and swung her arm down, something amazing happened.

*HISS*

*SIZZLE*

The blade cut right through the rock with no resistance. With a slight crack, the stone fell into two halves with an angry, orange glow on both faces.

"Holy shit!" Emerald jumped in surprise.

Nora whistled. "Talk about cutting power," she said.

"Impressive indeed," Ren nodded in agreement.

Midori turned and looked amazed at what just happened. She then looked at the blades and smiled. "Amazing," she said.

"I figured you'd like it," Mercury said at everyone's reactions. "As you all know, Fire Dust's been known to heat up any blade and almost make it like a fiery plasma. When done correctly, of course."

"..."

"With this baby, you could slice through almost anything, and even shoot out fire for ranged attacks." Mercury pulled out some more Dust Crystals. "Different types of Dust also give the blades different effects. Wind Dust can make the blades shred targets to ribbons almost like a chainsaw. Lightning Dust will increase the piercing power of the blade, so even the toughest Alpha Grimm bones will be like cardboard. It can also electrocute whatever it strikes, as well as shoot small bolts of Lightning similar to Fire Dust."

"Sweet! Midori, we can be Electric Sisters!" Nora cheered before she reached out and wrapped an arm around Cinder. "And you and Cinder can be Flame Sisters!"

"I actually like the sound of that," Cinder said as she smiled at Nora's antics.

"Mercury..." Midori collapsed the blades back into the gauntlets and wrapped Mercury in a tight hug. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes as she embraced the most generous gift. "Thank you! Oh, thank you so much! This is even better than I had hoped it would be!"

"Hey, don't mention it," Mercury said as he patted the girl on the back. "Now, let's go kick some creepy pale-skinned ass!"

---

The Dark Wing soared just above the water as it did before while Mercury steered it. As he carefully looked out the window, everyone else behind him began to do their own thing. Winter placed herself in charge of watching Raven and Watts, while the latter of the two was working to create a temporary weapon for Winter.

Eren's friends were more laid back than Winter was. Nora was talking Ren's ear off about how she planned to utilize both her weapon and the Electro Titan to kill as many Grimm and Titans as she could. Ren simply remained silent as he heard Nora talk nonstop. Cinder was talking with Emerald and Midori, mainly with sharing advice on killing Grimm in the Land of Darkness. Vernal also wanted to talk about the Land of Darkness with them, given how she had never been.

Eren simply sat by himself as he ate a light breakfast and listened to everyone.

All around Eren were beliefs and ideas about what was going to happen at the Land of Darkness, but one thing seemed to be clear; nobody really knew for sure. Eren didn't even know for sure how the battle was going to go. He had a plan, he had everything he needed, but there wasn't much telling how well Salem was ready for another fight, or how quickly she planned to finish one.

However, Eren didn't face this reality with fear or second thoughts. He knew that today was the day he either stopped Salem or died trying. While he wasn't a fan of the latter, Eren knew it was a possibility.

And he was willing to make it happen if the need arose.

But to ask the same of everyone else in the cabin, whether they deserved it or not, wasn't exactly doing any favors for Eren's conscience. While he had no intention of sacrificing anyone to Salem, Eren knew his friends were all risking their lives by being here.

The least he could do was address this.

"Hey, Mercury," Eren said as he moved to the front of the car. "How's everything looking out here?"

"It should be a while before we get there," said Mercury, who was staring out the windshield as the car flew. "Just like last time."

"Good." Eren began to back away from the driver seat. "Gives me enough time for this."

"Huh?" Mercury turned around. "Time for what?"

Eren didn't give a direct response, but he gestured for Mercury to join him. When he heard his friend leave the driver seat and engage the autopilot, Eren spoke again.

"Could I have everyone's attention?" Eren requested. As he did, everyone in the Dark Wing turned to look at Eren. "There's something I want to say."

"..."

Everyone save for the two rogues in the back moved closer towards Eren and either sat down or stood close to him. Winter sat closer to the back so she could keep an eye on Watts and Raven while listening to Eren.

"Last time we were here, I remember two things," Eren continued. "The first was that all I decided to talk about was our plan to stop Salem. The second, well... there was definitely more arm-space in here than before."

Everyone was familiar with how cramped the Dark Wing had become, but Eren was the first to address the Goliath in the room, as Remnant put it. And so they all shared a small laugh at the joke while they listened to Eren.

"I remember the first time we took a stand against Salem. I remember it like it was yesterday. And I saw that I made a lot of mistakes that day. It's why we're all here again."

"..."

Everyone looked at Eren with pity as he said this. None of them, save for Ren, recalled saying that the attack was a mistake. But they didn't choose to interrupt him as he continued.

"I made myself a promise that I was going to correct those mistakes. The first one was actually with talking to all of you." Eren sensed the confusion among the crowd, so he decided to clear it up. "I did nothing but share my plan and see if you were still on board with the fight. But what I should have done instead was thank all of you. Thank you for being here with me."

"..."

"When I first came to Remnant, I came alone. I knew what I was supposed to do, but I didn't know how to do it. That all changed when you all came into my life, when you called me your friend and ally. Almost ten years ago, I had no idea that any of you even existed, or this world existed. But now that I do, I'm ready to do what I do best; fight for it all. Fight for all of you. To keep moving forward."

Smiles and nods were all around Eren as he continued this speech. While everything he said was true, Eren was nervous stiff. He wasn't good at giving speeches like Cinder was, and he knew he wasn't as inspiring as Commander Erwin was. But nevertheless, he continued to keep moving forward.

"You all have your reasons for being here, for choosing to fight with me," Eren continued. "And for me to keep fighting without acknowledging them or acknowledging how much you've already done... I think that would be insulting you all. So before we meet Salem again, before whatever happens next, I'd like to change that."

"..."

Eren had decided that in order to acknowledge everyone's presence and deeds, he would have to do this one by one. The first person he decided to do this with was the one sitting closest to his left: Nora.

"Nora, you've never let this conflict change who you are," Eren began. "Whether it was Grimm, bandits, or even Salem, you fought them the same way you always fight; with a big smile and an even bigger battle cry." Laughter filled the Dark Wing once again, but not when Eren shared his next point. "I once mistook the way you acted for innocence or ignorance, but I was wrong. I didn't understand it before, but you've always reminded yourself to smile as you faced the darkness of Remnant. We could all learn something from you; that there's still a lot of good in the world that we can fight for. You understand that better than anyone."

This time, the Dark Wing was filled with cheers and applause as Nora smiled with red cheeks. She couldn't remember the last time anyone, save for Ren, had accepted her rowdy behavior and saw it as an inspiration. Where she once saw it as a burden that some people had to deal with, Nora could see that Ren was right; that she was showing how big her heart really was.

And she was incredibly grateful for Eren deciding to notice it.

"Aw, Eren!" Nora said as she pulled her friend into a tight hug. "You big lug!" All of Eren's friends laughed as they watched Nora practically squeeze the life out of Eren. Fortunately, Nora was able to realize that she had to let him go before she hurt him.

But Eren didn't seem to mind. Instead, he looked towards Ren next. "Ren, there's actually a lot I can say about you," he began. "The first is that you're a great teacher. You taught me the benefits of meditation, how I can clear my head and focus better on the task at hand. How I can't let anything distract me when I need to give it my all. You showed me that there's more than one way of being smart."

Ren smiled as he bowed his head towards Eren. "And you've been a great student," he said. "I'm proud to have been able to help you."

Eren stopped smiling. "I know that this fight's been hard on you. And it's more personal for you too. Hearing about your dad broke my heart too."

"..."

Ren remembered everything that he did and said after he lost his father, and how much of a toll it took on him. It was true that the fight ahead was indeed a personal matter, given that it was Salem herself who caused the herd of Grimm to come to Kuroyuri.

The loss still weighed on Ren's mind, but Nora holding his hand at the moment was enough to ease his troubles.

"I was the same way when I lost my mom," Eren continued. "People like you and I, we had to pick ourselves up afterwards. It wasn't easy, and I'm not sure if I've completely found myself again. But you should be proud at how far you came afterwards. And while I can't speak for the dead, I know your dad would be proud of who you've become."

"..."

Ren remained silent again, but he smiled and nodded at Eren in gratitude. He had to admit that he was more grateful for Nora hugging his side, but everything Eren said was greatly appreciated.

Eren realized that he said enough, so he focused on Midori this time. "Midori, you may be new to fighting Grimm and people, but the best thing about you is how you're always there to help," he said. "Whenever one of us is hurt, you're the first to respond and get us back on our feet. But now, it's time that we... that I... make sure you get back on your feet if you get hurt."

Midori was incredibly touched by the short sentiment. It was true that she always responded to anyone who was hurt, whether it was in Kuroyuri or with everyone here. There were times when it proved to be a burden, always needing to heal her friends when she was in just as much danger as they were.

So the promise of being helped when she needed it most was incredibly heartwarming.

"Thanks, Eren," Midori said with a smile as she dried one of her eyes.

Eren nodded to Midori and looked to Emerald next. "Emerald, I think out of everyone here who chose to come with me... you're the one who's grown the most," he said. "Back on Mom's farm, I saw how and why you worked yourself to the bone. I was always afraid that you weren't allowing yourself to be who you really were. That you were afraid of losing what you were given."

Emerald was surprised by this accusation, but she didn't feel as insulted as one would normally feel. "I, uh... can't really disagree with you there, Eren," she said. "But that's over now. If there's one thing I learned being out here, it's that there's a whole lot worse to be scared of."

"Damn straight, there is," said Mercury. This was followed by laughter that even Emerald couldn't resist joining in on.

"But you grew past it all," said Eren. "You became brave, and you showed us all how loyal you really are. You should be proud of who you've become right now. I'm sure as hell proud to call you my friend." He then extended a hand towards Emerald.

But rather than shake it, Emerald stared at it and did something better.

"Not friends," she said calmly. Before Eren or anyone could reply, Emerald moved to give Eren a hug with a smile. "Family."

"..."

Eren silently agreed as he returned the hug. He then turned his sights on Mercury when Emerald let him go. "And Mercury's the reason we have our home away from home," Eren said. "You've fixed and built a lot of things for all of us, like my new swords. I don't think there's anything on Remnant you can't fix or build."

"It's true," Mercury said with a chuckle. "There isn't."

Everyone joined him in a small laugh, but Emerald was a little annoyed at his antics once again. "What, really?" she asked. "Not even a 'Thank you?'"

"Come on, Em. Do you thank the sun for being in the sky like always? It's not my fault Eren knows what he's talking about."

Laughter filled the room again before Eren continued. "Not to mention I'm pretty sure this guy's invincible."

"..."

"You've been beaten and broken down over and over again this week, but you've always gotten back up again a little stronger than the last time you got knocked down." Eren looked to everyone as he said this. "You know he's the only one around here who took down Hazel? That guy tossed just about everyone in here like we were nothing, but Mercury's the one who took him down!"

Everyone spoke in agreement with Eren, and even Emerald admitted that he was right. And so, Eren restated his point. "What didn't kill you only made you stronger, Mercury. I only regret that I'm the one who almost got you killed over and over again."

"Dude, are you kidding?" Mercury asked. "You never gave up on me, even when I was at my lowest. I'm still standing, but you're the reason I'm standing here, with everyone else. And I can't think of another place I'd rather be right now."

Eren smirked at the idea. "Really?" he asked sarcastically. Given where everyone was going, Eren was sure that Mercury could think of a better place to be; even if he was joking.

"Okay, maybe a nice warm bed in Kuroyuri sounds pretty awesome right now," Mercury replied with a laugh. "But that can wait. I still got bubblegum to chew and ass to kick."

Eren laughed again before he turned to Mercury's girlfriend. "Vernal, I wish I'd gotten to know you better like Mercury did," he said. "But all I can say right now is you have a lot of guts for coming out all this way. And wanting to go even farther."

"Yeah, I wish I got to know you more too, Eren," Vernal admitted. "Mostly how you're from... you know... another freakin' planet?!"

Eren awkwardly chuckled at that. "Yeah... sorry you had to find out so late."

Vernal rolled her eyes as she smiled. "Nah, I'm just messing with you. We'll get to know each other better once this is all over."

"...Yeah."

Eren looked over to Winter next. Even though they were still mostly hostile towards one another, Eren had come to respect Winter's determination to be here. "Winter, I know we have our differences, but it takes a lot of character to know when you want to change something about yourself," he said.

"I'm not changing everything, mind you," Winter warned. "But yes, I see that I have a lot of thinking to do."

"My point still stands. Thank you for being here today."

Winter nodded at the sentiment. "You're welcome."

This was all Eren had to say to Winter, but he didn't look away from her just yet. "Oh, and you can tell Ymir that... it's good to see her," he said after he took a moment to think of something good.

Winter looked off to the side for a second before she responded. "Ymir says there's no need to lie to her face," she said calmly.

"Isn't he technically lying to your face?" Mercury asked sarcastically as he pointed at Winter.

Winter turned to Mercury with a blank expression. "Now she wants you to be quiet."

"..."

"But yes, that appears to be the case."

Everyone laughed once again at the joke. It was even funnier when it came from Winter of all people. She didn't join in the laughter, but she hid a small smile as she turned back towards Watts and Raven.

With that, Eren saved his best sentiments for last. For the person who he believed deserved nothing but the best.

Cinder.

"Cinder... you were my first friend on Remnant," Eren began. "But there's a lot more about you that makes you my best friend too. You've always been there for me, whether it was on the battlefield or when I was stuck in a rut. I honestly don't know where I'd be if you weren't here."

"..."

Cinder was touched by the sentiment, but to her surprise, Eren wasn't done just yet.

"But you didn't just help me while being out here. You took this as a chance to find out who you really are. Standing up to the Huntsmen, sharing your struggles with the entire world, and convincing a Councilwoman to take up your cause... you've become more than a force for change. You've become this... this unstoppable force, one that always fights the good fight. They say nobody knows what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, but I think you wouldn't crash into it. You have the ability to move through it, unscathed and ready to do it again."

"..."

Eren smiled for a moment before he said one more thing. "You've always told me that we're the same, you and I. But I think I can safely say that it's not entirely true. Because you're more than just a reflection of me. You're better than me."

"..."

Cinder felt like she should say something now. She knew that she should be thanking him or humbly saying that it wasn't entirely true. But every word Eren said had made the young woman lose her voice. Fortunately, the look on her face spoke a thousand words.

A smile and multiple tears told Eren that what he had said meant the world to Cinder, and then some. It was as if she had been waiting to hear those words all of her life. But hearing them from Eren of all people made them even more special than they already were.

All Cinder could do right now was hug Eren. All she wanted to do was hold him and silently promise to never let him go. Eren returned the hug, but couldn't help but feel that it wasn't as meaningful as the one Cinder was giving him. But he knew that his words had already done that for him.

And there was one more thing he had to say.

"Ah, sorry, sorry," Cinder said as she let go of Eren and dried her eyes. "That was just-"

"Don't worry," Eren said with a smile. "I understand." When Cinder took a step back, Eren took his chance to say the last thing he wanted to get off his chest. "There's actually one other reason I wanted to share all of that."

"..."

"The night before we attacked Salem... I had a dream. A nightmare, actually."

"..."

This wasn't easy for Eren to confess, but he knew that he couldn't stop now.

"There was a time when I surrounded by the friends I made back on Paradis. Where I told them how much they mattered to me. What I said to them was true, just like everything I said just now. In the nightmare... they all told me that what I feel for you isn't real. That I'm just replacing everyone I lost and abandoned on Paradis."

"..."

Eren didn't have the heart to look up and see how everyone was looking at him, but he continued to talk. "I spent a lot of time wondering if they were right, if I was being your friend for the wrong reason. But now, I need you all to know that I never saw you as replacements. I never saw you as a way to fill up the empty spaces of my life. You're important to me, just like all of them were. But you're not them. You're all special, unique... you're all one of a kind. Each and every one of you."

"..."

"I'm sorry if I ever made you feel otherwise."

"..."

Eren was finally finished. He had said his piece, and there was nothing more to do. As he stopped talking, he couldn't help but think that he should have opened with an apology rather than end with one. It might have taken away the positivity he had just shared.

As silence filled the cabin, Eren didn't know what to expect next. He believed more silence would follow, or that everyone would be angry with him. He even believed that resignations from the fight ahead would be the first thing he heard.

Eren didn't regret what he said, he truly felt that it needed to be said. It was mostly due to the belief he had that he wouldn't survive the battle, but he also believed that everyone deserved to hear the truth. Now he was wondering if they would like it or not.

The answer to his question came with silence, but it also came in a way that defied all of his expectations.

Eren was hugged once again, this time by nearly everyone else who was with him. Just as he had been there for them, Eren's new and special friends chose to be there for him now.

Eren silently thanked them, and reminded himself how lucky he was to have friends like these.

---

It took some time, but the Dark Wing had arrived at its destination. After passing through a red mist on the water, Eren and his allies found themselves on a beach covered with red rocks and large crystals coming out of the ground. And above them rested a blood red sky, which showed everyone that they had literally reached the end of the world itself.

When Winter and Midori volunteered to guard Watts and the still unconscious Raven, everyone else left the Dark Wing to scout ahead and see what, if anything, changed about the Land of Darkness since they left.

"Well, here we are," said Ren, who began to take in the familiar sights of the Land of Darkness.

"There and back again," Nora joined in as she also looked around.

Eren and Cinder took the lead on the scouting mission, where they relied on their pistols and bow for self-defense. "Okay... so far, so good," said Eren, who looked at both the ground and sky for any Grimm.

"Doesn't look like there's anything here," said Cinder, who was surprised by the lack of Grimm. "Do you think she's really arrogant enough to not step up security?"

"I doubt it. Guess we didn't hit it yet."

"Or the Grimm are good at staying out of sight."

Eren nodded in agreement. "Tread lightly."

Everyone followed Eren and Cinder at a slower pace. Vernal did as well, but for a different reason. "Jeez, this is it?" she asked as she examined the Land of Darkness for the very first time. "This is really something else, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I know," said Mercury. "Darkness really had a fetish for red, I'm telling you."

"I'm kinda getting that." Vernal noticed the red ground and red sky, but she also noticed the dark crystals protruding from the ground. "That looks different though. What is it, some kinda Dust?"

"Uh..." Mercury knew Eren had mentioned it before, but he didn't exactly remember what it was. "Hey, Eren. What'd you say this stuff was again?"

Eren turned around to see that Mercury was pointing towards the unique crystal. "Darkness called it 'Dark Dust,'" he explained. "Apparently, he made it as some kind of sick joke."

"Come again?" Emerald asked.

"You know how the first age of humanity could use Magic? Like what Raven can use?" Eren pointed to the crystal again. "Well, apparently that stuff could make anyone's Magic stronger than anyone knew possible. But it's extremely toxic to people too. If you infuse it into your body, you die."

Emerald backed away from the crystal when she heard this. "So you're saying that people tried infusing this Dust into their bodies?" she asked.

"And they died before they could grow stronger?" Mercury asked. "Well, that sucks."

"Like I said, it was some cruel joke by Darkness," Eren repeated. "But it doesn't work that way for Salem. Ren, remember when we were wondering what it was about Salem that makes her control Grimm?"

"Yes," Ren confirmed. "But I believe you said she simply taught herself over the years."

"It seems that way, but you weren't too far off with your crystal idea. It's a shard of Dark Dust, and given how she can't die, it makes her Magic stronger than it was before."

"Oh, I see." Ren used this information to draw a logical conclusion. "That makes her more dangerous than we believed."

"Looks that way. But we can't let that stop us." Eren still had doubts about survival, but he knew one thing was for sure. "One way or another, Salem's gonna lose her hold on the world. Today."

"Hell yeah," said Mercury, who was confident about the battle ahead. It was this confidence and Eren's reminder of why everyone was here that made them all feel sure that this battle was going to end today, once and for all.

*ROAR*

A new but familiar sound made everyone lose focus on the hope they were all feeling and look towards the direction in front of them. From that moment on, everyone was silent as they slowly approached a familiar flight of stairs with a decaying skeleton at the bottom.

Once again, Eren and Cinder took point as they ascended the stairs. Once they were at the top, they looked towards the land to see what they were dreading to see.

Titans.

All across the Land of Darkness, Titans roamed the land with the rest of the Grimm. Nevermores were either perched on crystals or flying overhead as they screeched at the blood red sky, while the Titans roared and marched across the land. Some of them even stepped right on the smaller Grimm without a care in the world while others were standing by the dark crystals and watching.

Eren and Cinder quickly moved back down the stairs and looked down to see Ren and Nora moving towards them.

"Titans?" Ren asked.

"Titans," Eren confirmed. "Dozens of them."

Nora gasped at the news and chose not to see for herself. While she was afraid of something like this, Nora cast these fears aside as Ren reached out to use his Semblance on her. "I'm okay," she promised as she gently pushed Ren's hand back. "Don't waste the Aura, we're gonna need it."

"What's our next move?" Mercury asked as he joined everyone with Vernal.

"Yeah, what's the plan?" Emerald asked as she also joined the group.

Since this was a scouting mission, Eren remembered that all they needed to do was get a good lay of the land. Therefore, he cut his own hand as he explained himself.

"Once we get a good look, we'll get back to the car," he said. "Cinder, your Scroll."

Cinder looked down to see a small Nevermore was emerging from the puddle of Grimm Eren had made. "Oh, right!" she said as she started a video call with Eren's Scroll. She then gave her Scroll to the Nevermore before it took flight.

"Maybe we should get back now," Emerald suggested. "Midori and Winter might wanna see this."

"It wouldn't hurt," Cinder agreed.

"And we wouldn't be out in the open like we are now," said Ren.

"Alright, let's go," Eren agreed as he made his way down the stairs. Soon enough, he and everyone else were back at the car and watching Eren's screen.

"Whoa," said Nora, who couldn't take her eyes off the screen. Nobody else could either, as the sight of more Titans filled the whole screen.

"That's not good," said Midori.

"How can there be so many?" Winter asked as she looked up from the screen. Her eyes fell on Watts, who immediately sensed that someone was looking at him. "How could you help her make all of this?"

"Oh, please," Watts said as he refused to let the insult affect him. "You expect me to think your hands are so clean, Schnee?"

"Listen, you-!"

"Stop!" Cinder yelled as she pushed on both of the Atlesians. "Both of you!"

"..."

Cinder usually found pride in being victorious over Winter, but today was different. Because she couldn't exactly disagree with how disgusted Winter was with all of these Titans. And the one responsible for their creation was in the car with them.

"She's right," Cinder finally said as she let go of the Atlesians. Her eyes were glued on to Watts, however. "Salem could send all of these Titans out into the world right now because of you. People could die."

"Relax," Watts said as he remained unintimidated by the two women. "My terminal will terminate them before they can even think about leaving here."

"Right," Eren said sarcastically. "Your terminal. Which is in Salem's castle, across a field of Titans that you helped make." He then let out a quick sigh as he looked back at the screen. "This is gonna be a problem."

"Hold up," said Vernal. "How'd you guys get in last time?"

"I made some Lancers to take us over the field and straight into Salem's castle. But that's not gonna work this time."

"Why not?" Midori asked. "We'd be high up in the air, way out of the reach of those... things."

"Yeah, but that's not enough," said Cinder. She had a good idea why Eren was concerned, and she shared the same idea. "Watts said he and Salem programmed the Titans to hunt us. If we made any attempt to cross that field, even if we're above them, they might be able to catch our scent."

"Oh," said Watts. "That... That's true."

"We know," said Eren. "The only way to get in there is for us to go through them."

"But we'll be exhausted by the time we reach the castle," said Ren. "There has to be a way we can get there without them noticing."

"Maybe there is," said Nora. "We're still planning on using me to get Watts inside, right? Let's do that now! Even if the Titans catch my scent, Watts will be with me!"

"They may not attack if they detect me," Watts hypothesized. "I could deceive them. But there's one problem."

"..."

"The entrance to Salem's castle is close to the top of that crystal you came in last time. Everything below that is just rock."

Eren recalled seeing a door high above the ground, but he didn't know that it was the only conventional entrance. "How did you usually get inside?" he asked.

"I always had an airship to get me to the top. We should have gotten one before we came here." Watts suddenly stopped himself when he had an idea. "Although... how high did you say this thing can fly?"

"..."

Everyone looked at each other as they understood the idea. The Dark Wing could take them both to the castle with no trouble at all. There was still enough fuel reserved from the trip, so they could use the Dark Wing to let Watts and Nora enter the-

"No way."

Everyone turned to Mercury, who was staring daggers at the Atlesian scientist. "You think I'd trust you of all people with the Dark Wing?" he asked. "The one thing that can get us all outta here when we're done? Fat chance."

"Your mistrust is misguided, but very well," said Watts. "I suppose you could fly us up there yourself if you love this tin can so much."

"Call the Dark Wing a 'tin can' again, and you'll be the one who needs a tune-up, pal."

Cinder broke up the second argument she had witnessed in the car, but not in the way she did before. "Wait a second," she requested. "Say that again?"

"Uh, I just said he'll need some fixing if he trash-talks the car again," Mercury repeated. "I mean, Midori could fix him up, and-"

"No, not you, Mercury." Cinder pointed towards Watts. "What do you say just now?"

"Me?" Watts asked. "All I said was he could drive use there if he wishes."

Midori spoke up when she saw what Cinder was thinking. "No, wait a minute," she said. "Don't drive just you. Mercury could take us all up there!"

"Exactly!" Cinder replied. "We'll have a one way ticket to the castle with the Dark Wing!"

"And even if the Titans sense us... Watts will be here too," Eren stated.

"That could work," said Watts. "I'll take Nora out while you all wait in the vehicle. When the time is right, you can follow us inside."

"And we leave Raven in the middle of the land," said Winter. "I'll hold her for a few minutes and then wake her up. If we play our cards right, she'll create the diversion you'll need to get to that terminal. I'll join you when the Titans are done for."

"Not alone, you won't," said Ren. "If there's one thing we've learned from Raven, she can be incredibly stubborn. Holding her off on your own might be a challenge."

"So you want to stay with me?"

"I would..." Ren slowly turned towards Nora. "But I'd like to stay as close to Nora as I can." Nora smiled at the idea, as did Ren.

"But your Titan can turn invisible. We could use that advantage out in the field."

"No, Ren's right," said Emerald. "His Semblance can hide negativity from the Grimm. He could camouflage himself and maybe someone else in the castle." Emerald suddenly had another idea. "I'll go with you. My Semblance should be enough to trick a Titan or some Grimm. Maybe even Raven if we need to."

"Having a Titan to watch your back wouldn't hurt either," said Mercury. "Oh, wait. That... kinda takes a lot of us away from the castle."

"..."

Everyone could see a problem with the plan of leaving Raven to fight the Titans. Having a group of protectors for Winter would indeed divide their forces, especially when they needed extra strength for Salem.

"I'll stay with Winter too," Cinder decided. "And I'll help with the Titans too."

Eren was the first to object to the idea. "Cinder-"

"I'll stay," Cinder repeated as she turned to Eren. "We might be better off if we divide and conquer."

"How so?" Eren asked.

"You said Salem was luring all of her Grimm back to the castle when we first attacked her. But if they're busy with us, Salem won't have as much manpower as she did last time."

"And if we're fast and careful," Watts began. "I'll terminate the Titans with my terminal. But Salem needs a diversion."

"I hate to say it, but he's right," said Ren. "This is our only hope."

"So let it be me," said Eren. "Salem might not think it's the real thing if I'm not on the field."

"No," said Cinder. "The closer you are to Salem, the better."

"..."

Eren didn't like this idea, not one bit. It was risky to divide everyone when they were stronger united. Weakening Salem could require more than just one person at his side, and he didn't want to fight alone.

Bur he knew everyone was right.

Raven and her powers were the best hope for a diversion, no matter how long it lasted. And the Incinerator Titan was perhaps one of the best options for protecting people like Winter and Emerald; people who didn't have Titans of their own.

Besides... maybe it would be better if Cinder was far away from Salem.

Cinder also knew that she was right about dividing their resources. And she was confident that she could kill Titans and Grimm alike, just like she did in Vale. However, there was a more personal reason for choosing to stay behind.

After Eren shared his feelings about his friends in the Dark Wing, Cinder thought about her own feelings with Eren. In that time, she came to a good, but painful conclusion. There was something that she had to do for Eren, something that she believed would help him today. It was something that not even Mikasa understood.

Cinder had to let Eren go.

"...Okay," Eren finally agreed. "Let's do this."

Winter nodded and moved towards the unconscious Raven Branwen. She then wrapped her arm around Raven's shoulder and picked her up. "Could someone lend me a hand?" she asked.

Emerald took Raven's other arm and dragged her outside with Winter. "Good luck up there, guys," she said with a smile. She received smiles and waves on her way out.

Mercury was the only one who said something.

"Hey, Em," he said to make her look at him. "You, uh... You be careful down there, okay?"

"Yeah," Emerald replied with a nod. "Will do."

"Good." Mercury smirked at Emerald. "Because if you break your weapons again, I'm gonna kill you."

"Right. And if you almost die again, I'll kill you."

Mercury chuckled at Emerald before he moved to the front of the car. "Okay, guys. Let's get to work." Everyone else, save for Cinder, began to look for a seat so they could stay out of sight.

"This is it," Eren thought to himself as he prepared to leave. "Here we go." With this in mind, Eren walked deeper into the Dark Wing and moved to get his weapons.

But something stopped him.

*SMECK*

Eren felt a soft and quick pressure on his cheek. He had felt it before, and it became instinct for him to turn and face the source. And sure enough, it was Cinder.

"For luck," she quickly said as she ran out to join Winter and Emerald. Once again, she missed Eren smile at the notion.

"Yeah... good luck."

---

Today seemed to be like any other day in the Land of Darkness. The Creatures of Grimm were roaming the land while either howling or shrieking at the blood red sky. While the black tar spawned more forces of evil, the stagnant clouds blocked out the majority of light and warmth the sun provided the rest of Remnant.

One other thing that remained the same was that Salem, the Queen of the Grimm, found herself all alone.

The dark witch was currently in her empty meeting room, sitting on a throne of what the God of Darkness now called "Dark Dust." The servants she gathered who would normally fill these seats were either abroad or dead. She allowed herself no company at the present time, given how disturbed she found herself to be; which was something that hadn't happened in a long time.

News of death and failure reached Salem not too long ago, namely with Tyrian's death and Hazel's attempts to recruit the White Fang. Both of these factors unsettled Salem, given that she knew something was off. Tyrian and Hazel weren't the first servants she recruited over the years, and she was confident that they wouldn't be the last. But the circumstances that resulted in their current conditions were something new. Namely, that there was one person responsible for this.

Eren Yeager.

Salem had thought long and hard about this man ever since he defied the sanctity of her home and somehow revealed himself to be something she created herself. The only conclusion that Salem had reached from her thoughts that whoever Eren Yeager was, he was not associated with her other opponent.

Eren Yeager wasn't with Ozpin; he was a new player.

Ozpin was always one who preferred discretion as opposed to open attack. Salem also preferred this tactic, but she was almost ready to change her strategy. So if Eren Yeager was working with Ozpin, he wouldn't have invaded the Land of Darkness and challenged Salem to a duel.

But that was exactly what he did.

Not only that, but Eren had delayed Salem's plans over and over again. He had proven himself to be more than just an annoyance or a thorn in her side. Eren proved himself to be a threat.

A threat who believed he could be victorious.

Salem couldn't understand how Eren had seen so much and understood so much about her that caused him to try again and again to stop her. Not just to stop her, but to crush her. To remove any power she held over Remnant. Whatever the reason, Salem knew one thing was for certain.

This couldn't be allowed to continue.

But despite her best efforts and that of her servants, Salem had come no closer to her current goal. Death and chaos were all caused by Eren and directed at Salem, and Salem was left with hardly anyone or anything to use to her advantage. The new and tamed Titans at her disposal were promising, but Salem knew she needed more. She knew she needed Eren Yeager right in front of her, she knew that she needed one chance to kill him.

Little did she know that her chance had finally come.

*WHOOSH*

An unfamiliar noise caught Salem's ear and caused her to turn to the nearest window. When she picked herself up off her seat, she moved to the glass and looked outside to see Nevermores and crystal-spires high above the ground.

But she also saw what appeared to be an airship. The only thing was... Salem wasn't expecting any visitors.

"He's back," Salem believed as she watched the small vehicle fly closer towards the castle. "I must hurry." With that, Salem swiped her hand along the glass as she concentrated on the Grimm outside her castle. Suddenly, some of the Nevermores that were minding their own business began to pursue the vehicle as she left the room.

Salem made her way to the nearest exit of her castle, which also happened to be the landing pad her servants usually used when they left or returned to the Land of Darkness. Her goal wasn't to retreat, but rather meet her enemy head on before he could gain the element of surprise. That was why as she walked through each hallway, more and more Grimm seemingly broke out of the walls and followed their Queen.

By the time Salem had reached the landing pad, four large Nevermores hovered above the vehicle and about twenty Beowolves were crowding behind her. The one thing they had in common was that they were all ready to face whoever stepped out towards them.

Bloodlust and impatience coursed through each and every Grimm as the door to the vehicle opened. Salem lifted her hand to hold them back, given that she wasn't sure exactly who or what was inside. She chose to be patient rather than swoop in and fire the first shot. The last time she underestimated Eren, she payed dearly. So Salem knew she couldn't afford to make the same mistake.

Instead, she decided to see if her patience would pay off.

"AAAAAAAHHH-!"

*BAM*

"Oof!"

"..."

Though she didn't show it, Salem was immediately taken aback by the sight of a red-haired girl dressed in white and pink fall out of the vehicle, like she had been pushed out. However, the woman's surprise revealed itself when she was greeted by the person who pushed her.

"Your Grace," Watts said with a bow after he stepped out of the Dark Wing.

"...Arthur," Salem addressed her servant. When she saw that the arrival of this vehicle appeared to be a false alarm, she approached closer to the doctor. "This is certainly a surprise. I expected you to remain in Atlas for some time."

"As did I." Watts straightened his posture as he gestured towards the car behind him. "But a rare opportunity presented itself and gave me the chance to return. Do you recognize it?"

Salem looked at the vehicle for a moment. "I can't say that I do." When she was directly in front of Nora, who was revealed to be bound by her wrists, Salem looked down and smiled. "You, however, I do recognize. Eren Yeager's friend, I believe."

Nora looked up at Salem without a trace of fear on her face. "Let me go, you-!"

"Silence!" Watts said as he stepped hard on Nora's back. "For once in your miserable life, shut that thing you call a mouth!"

"..."

Watts immediately recomposed himself as he looked back to Salem. "I apologize, ma'am. Capturing this one was... challenging, to say the least."

Salem looked down again to see Nora struggling to stand up and break the tie around her wrists. Salem remembered how the girl was an energetic one, as well as a strong one. So it was easy to believe Watts' claim.

"I see," she said as she looked up again. The Dark Wing immediately captured her attention. "Is that how she came here before? With the rest of that little band of Yeager's?"

"It is," Watts replied with a smirk. "Hacking into it and stealing it was simple."

Salem found herself to be pleased with this idea, but not as pleased as finally having an advantage over Eren Yeager. With a soft smile, Salem finally waved her hand at the Grimm above and behind her. One by one, the monsters left Salem alone with the doctor.

"Now then..." Salem said as she knelt down to Nora. She smiled once again as she moved close into Nora's personal space. "What to do with you?"

Nora looked back to Salem and refused to be afraid. Not because she knew she had the upper hand, despite being tied up. But rather, Nora simply couldn't find a reason to be afraid of Salem. Nora knew Salem had power and was immortal, but she didn't feel scared in her presence. Instead, Nora felt more determined to fight than ever.

And to have some fun while she was at it.

*PBBBBTTT*

Salem stopped smiling as she watched Nora childishly stick her tongue out and blow. "How amusing," she sarcastically replied as she moved upwards and snapped her fingers. Two Beowolves immediately leapt out of the doorway behind Salem and grabbed Nora. Instead of attacking or attempting to eat her, the Beowolves began to drag Nora up the flight of stairs and into the castle.

Salem followed closely, as did Watts.

"I trust you tried interrogating her?" Salem asked as she returned to the wooden door.

"Emphasis on tried, ma'am," Watts lied. "This one's not very bright, but she's incredibly stubborn."

"I heard that!" Nora yelled back as she was recovering from each step she hit while she was being dragged.

Watts knew this wouldn't contribute to the plan, but he couldn't resist the urge to insult Nora even more. "You were supposed to!"

Salem didn't choose to insult anyone. Instead, she focused on what Watts had said about Nora being reluctant to share any information she had about Eren. "Let's see if we can change that attitude of hers," she suggested as she turned to the Beowolves. "Take her away."

The Creatures of Grimm silently obeyed their master and searched for the nearest room they could leave Nora in.

"Finally," said Watts, who watched as Nora left his sight. "Good riddance." Despite the fact that he was happy to get rid of someone he found incredibly annoying, Watts remembered the current mission he had been assigned.

And while he knew defying Salem now had its risks, defying someone like Eren Yeager would bring consequences on a whole other level. So Watts decided to stay his current course and make his way towards his lab. Once he used his terminal, there was no going back.

"And where do you think you're going?" Salem asked as she put a hand on Watts' shoulder.

Watts immediately froze as he tightened his posture. He told himself to remain calm, given that any negative emotion would compromise him. "Um... my lab?" Watts replied. "I thought I could pick up where I left off since I left."

"..."

"..."

It felt like an eternity before Salem let go of the doctor and spoke again. "You will," she promised. "In time."

"..."

"Right now, your services are required elsewhere." Salem began to walk the opposite way of Watts' lab. "Come."

"..."

Watts looked back in the direction of his lab. Even though it was five floors down like he said it was, the direction Salem was going was far away from his lab. Breaking his promise to Eren wouldn't look very good if he indeed won today.

But Watts knew he couldn't blow his cover with Salem just yet.

So he made his way down the dark corridors and soon found himself back with Salem. The dark Queen indeed led the way for her servant, but she couldn't help but notice that something was off.

"You seem nervous, Arthur," Salem pointed out.

"Nervous?" Watts asked in an attempt to deflect the accusation. "Me?"

"Yes, you."

"Of course not. How could you think I'm nervous after stealing from someone such as Eren Yeager?"

Salem stopped walking. "Keep your ego in check, Doctor. And be mindful not to question me again."

"I-"

"..."

One look from Salem was enough to not only remember who he was talking to, but also enough for Watts to question it he had made the right choice in the matter of betraying his Queen.

"Um... of course," Watts replied as he fixed his collar. "Forgive me."

"..."

Salem began to walk down the corridors once again with Watts behind her. Rather than walk in silence, Watts decided to indulge Salem in an attempt to hide the true purpose for his uneasiness. "I have to admit, I am somewhat concerned about our current predicament," he said.

"Predicament?" Salem asked. "And what might that be?"

"It seems aside from that child you sent to Vale, I am the only one left loyal to you. And given what I stole from Yeager, I would expect retaliation soon."

Salem briefly hummed as she thought of the idea. "You are correct, of course," she said. "The ball, as humans would say, is now in our court. We have little choice but to simply await for Yeager's attempt to rescue his friend. And expect the unexpected."

"..."

"As for your first point, I think we have a chance to change that." Salem stopped walking when she reached another wooden door. "Here we are."

Watts looked at the door and recalled his current location in Salem's castle. As he did, Watts soon realized he was in an operating room; not his lab, but a place where he would spend time with Midori healing Salem's servants after their missions.

"What brings us here?" Watts asked curiously.

"To do what you do best," Salem replied as she opened the door. "Look."

As soon as Watts stepped inside, he received an extraordinary surprise.

In the center of the room was an operating table, one made of stone rather than metal. Not that it made any difference in the matter, since Watts would use it to operate on anyone who needed surgery. Today, it seemed that someone was in need of surgery. For resting on the stone table was an extraordinarily large man, one that was severely scar-ridden on his arms, torso, and especially his face.

But the scarring didn't prevent Watts from recognizing the man before him.

"Hazel?" Watts asked as he stared in awe at the man. "Alive?"

"Just barely," said Salem, who gently pushed Watts forward so he could enter the room with her. "But yes."

Watts walked forward and looked at the damage done to Hazel. While he didn't see what had happened to put him in such a state, Watts had previously believed Hazel to be dead. So why was he here?

"I don't understand," Watts said as he studied the damage done to Hazel's face. "I was told that Hazel had died. How did he come to be here?"

"Our mutual friend in Vale," Salem explained. "She found Hazel severely injured in the Forever Fall. Crippled, but alive. I discreetly moved him here and used all of my abilities to keep him alive." Salem gently waved her hand towards Hazel, where colored lights moved towards his body and spread all around the sleeping man. "I can keep him alive, but I cannot fully heal him."

"But if that's true, why did you allow me to believe he was dead?" Watts asked.

"Eren Yeager is strong, but he has proven himself to possess a fool's judgement," Salem explained. "By simply assuming Hazel had died, he has given us the element of surprise. The less anyone knew of this, the greater our advantage." Salem looked up to Watts. "I require you to finish what I have started. You are free to use any methods necessary, but only to make his recovery as soon as possible."

"..."

If Watts didn't think joining Eren was a mistake before, he was certainly thinking it now.

With Hazel alive and showing the potential to be back at full strength, Salem had indeed gained the element of surprise over Eren and his friends. Watts had heard that Hazel nearly destroyed everyone before Mercury inflicted these injuries and saved his friends. If Eren failed to stop Salem once again, having Hazel by her side would only make another attempt harder.

And Watts had to remember that he was in the Land of Darkness, which was currently inhabited by Titans. He had his work cut out for him, given the amount of trouble Eren and his friends went through to kill some of them. In short, Eren's chances for victory were not as large as Watts initially believed.

But then again... they weren't exactly slim or nonexistent either.

Salem didn't take Watts' silence and apparent hesitation with ease. "Is there a problem?" she asked impatiently.

Watts returned to the present and remembered that he couldn't allow Salem to see his true intentions. "No!" he quickly replied. "Of course not, ma'am!" He then turned around to see his medical bag had been brought up for him. "I'll start immediately."

"...Very good." Salem began to move to the door once again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to have some words with our guest."

"Certainly." Watts placed the bag on the table and began to study Hazel once again.

"One more thing."

Watts looked up from the table and saw that Salem was closing the door. "I would prefer if you weren't... distracted from your task," she said as the door fully closed.

*CLICK*

Watts easily recognized the sound as the door locking behind Salem. Given that it was the only entrance and exit the room possessed, the doctor seemed to be trapped like a rat in a cage.

"Oh, bloody Hell."

---

"How long's it been now?"

"About five minutes."

"I don't like this. We should've seen something by now."

"Do you think they were caught?"

"It's too quiet out there. The Titans would all be going crazy if they were caught."

Everyone silently agreed with Eren as they looked out the window. Ever since Watts and Nora left with Salem, they did nothing but wait inside the Dark Wing and wonder what was taking Cinder and everyone else so long to create a diversion. Ren's Semblance was doing a good job at keeping them hidden, even though he needed to use it on Midori more than anyone else.

As Eren pointed out, all of the Titans outside would be running amok if Cinder, Winter, and Emerald were caught. So something else must have been keeping them preoccupied.

And there was something else to consider too.

"All those Titans are still alive," said Mercury. "Artie didn't pull the plug on them."

"He has been inside for a while," Ren pointed out as he agreed with Mercury.

"Do you think he changed his mind?" Midori asked. "Is he working with Salem again?"

"Anything's possible," Eren replied. "We need to be ready for whatever happens next."

Everyone silently agreed as they looked over their weapons. Everything was fully charged and fully loaded, so they were ready for an attack.

But there wasn't one.

"Watts may not have turned on us," Ren pointed out. "If he told Salem about us, wouldn't she have blasted us over the side by now?"

"That's true," said Eren, who didn't take his eyes off the castle. "What's going on in there?"

Vernal was still in the Dark Wing with everyone else, but she had lost all of her patience. "Only one way to find out," she said as she jumped to the door and opened it.

"Vernal, wait!" Eren quietly yelled.

Everyone immediately ran after her, but they didn't follow her outside. Instead, they watched as Vernal began to secure the area. She turned left and right, and then looked upwards, before she lowered her weapons.

"It's clear," she said as she gestured for her friends to join her.

Everyone was reluctant to follow, but the reluctance began to pass one by one for them. "No good waiting in here anymore," said Mercury. He immediately followed his girlfriend.

"Leaving may be for the best," said Ren. "If Salem finds out about us, this will be the first place she'll look." Before he left, Ren went back and took Magnhild off the ground and put it on his back. Nora had left it behind when Watts threw her out.

Eren turned back to Midori, who began to have doubts about being here. She had been a prisoner here for a long time, and she wasn't planning on being a prisoner again; not after everything she had to experience here.

"Midori, come on," Eren said as he took her hand. "We shouldn't be here."

"..."

Midori let Eren lead her outside and on to the crystal platform. Everyone looked around the area while they readied their weapons and climbed up the stairs to the door. Rather than be out in the open, everyone decided they would be more comfortable inside rather than be potential food for the Grimm.

"Stand back," Eren ordered as he put his hands on the large wooden door. With all of his strength, and a little bit of his Semblance, Eren pushed the doors open and let everyone inside as he closed them again. "Let's hope nobody heard that."

Everyone looked around the dark corridor as they became aware of their surroundings. "Looks like we're in the clear," Mercury observed. The doors were very old and loud, so he was sure someone would be coming now if they heard it. "So what do we do now? Wait for the diversion? Or try to find this lab ourselves?"

"Neither sounds very promising at the moment," said Ren. "We don't know how big this castle is, let alone where this lab is."

"If there even is one," Vernal muttered.

"We'll find it," Eren quickly countered. "If not, we'll find another way to stop the Titans. But I know what we should do first." Eren looked towards Ren. "I'd feel a lot better knowing where Nora is."

Ren felt the weight of Magnhild on his back, which reminded him that it needed to be reunited with its owner. "Agreed," he said. "We have to find Nora."

Eren looked back to see that his present company also found themselves in agreement. It was actually this action of looking back to his friends that gave him an idea. "Midori, you've been here longer than any of us," Eren stated. "Do you think you might be able to guide us through this place?"

Eren's assumption was very logical, and Midori decided to take a few seconds to see if this was possible. "I think I remember where Salem kept me prisoner," she said. "There's a good chance that's where Nora is."

"Think you're up to lead us there?"

"..."

Midori took a moment to consider this. This was the first time she had returned to Salem's castle, and it was already making her extremely nervous. She may have had a new and improved version of Scalpel and her friends, but Midori knew that she wasn't as strong as them. She wasn't the best fighter, she wasn't the strongest person of the group, and she wasn't entirely sure where she was at the moment.

But there was only one thing for sure; Nora, one of the most kind and selfless people Midori had ever known, was in trouble. Nora had been there for Midori when she was rescued, and now it was Midori's turn to return the favor.

*SHING*

The blades of Scalpel quickly extended as Midori begins to move deeper into the castle at a very fast speed.

"Try and keep up," she said as she led the way.

---

Eren and his friends were somewhat right to be concerned about the diversion they had planned. While they hadn't been caught by any Grimm, navigating the barren wasteland on foot had proven itself to be a challenge for Cinder, Winter, and Emerald.

The plan was simple in hindsight; they would find a place where they could be out of sight and wake up Raven, where she would take the Titans by surprise.

The only problem was that... there weren't many places to stay out of sight. There was a small cave in the distance, but it was hard to traverse with the Grimm. The only way they could get there undetected was Emerald's Semblance, which she had used countless times today.

"They're gone," Emerald said as she watched a pack of Beowolves leave their area. She stopped using her Semblance again, but it didn't make the headache she was experiencing go away.

Cinder easily noticed the toll Emerald's Semblance was leaving on her, so she made a quick decision. "We can't go any farther," she said. "Not until Emerald gets some rest."

Emerald was grateful for the chance to rest, however risky it was. Winter, on the other hand, wasn't too keen about staying out in the open like they were. There were no Grimm around, but that could change at a moment's notice.

"We can't," Winter said. "We're too vulnerable out here."

"We'd be even more vulnerable if Emerald can't use her Semblance at all," Cinder firmly replied. "She needs to rest."

"But we're close too the cave to stop now!"

"What good is getting there if we're not strong enough to fight anyone?!"

Emerald's head hurt too much to withstand anything other than peace and quiet. "I don't care what you two do, just do it quietly!" she said as she held her head. "Are you trying to lure more Grimm here?!"

"..."

Cinder and Winter immediately knew that Emerald was right. Fighting against each other was a common habit between the Atlesian and Mistralian, but now wasn't the time for arguments. And so, as they kept quiet and waited for Emerald to regain some strength, Cinder and Winter began to keep the Grimm at a distance the old fashioned way.

By removing negativity.

Winter had learned that Grimm could pay no heed to humans when emotional control was at play. Burying any negative thinking and feeling would result in the Grimm paying no heed to anyone. It served as a sort of camouflage for the Grimm, as long as they didn't detect your presence to begin with. Since there weren't many Grimm close by, all Winter had to worry about was keeping her emotions in check.

And so, by remembering the mission at hand, Winter stopped thinking about her disagreement and dislike for Cinder and looked at the situation through neutral eyes.

Cinder, on the other hand, decided to use positive thinking rather than burying any of her feelings.

The first thing Cinder thought about was her mother. She missed her dearly, just like she missed Kuroyuri. But the prospect of returning very soon was enough to warm Cinder's heart. A welcoming hug from her mother and the simple pleasure of sleeping in her own bed again were like Heaven itself for Cinder.

The next thing Cinder thought about was a happy memory instead of a possibility. The memory she thought of was the night she delivered a heartfelt and passionate speech to the people of Mistral and the entire world. She may have faced criticism and apathy from the Atlesians Winter knew, but Cinder remembered how proud she felt when the silent room erupted in applause. Cinder was curious to see what results her speech had back home.

More happy memories came to Cinder, mainly of spending time with her friends and family. Each memory was unique, but a majority of them had a common factor: Eren.

Cinder was always happy when she was in Eren's presence; it was almost impossible for her to be upset or depressed when he was with her. Whether it was playing games, sharing meals, or being in the same room as him, Cinder was happy. Unfortunately, Cinder felt a little sad and worried that he wasn't with her now.

But Cinder quickly remembered that she made a promise to Eren. And now he was depending on her to keep it. Now wasn't a time to be worried, it was a time to be focused.

More importantly, it was a time to succeed.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Cinder turned to see that Emerald had moved next to her as she recovered from overusing her Semblance. She too had been using positivity to keep the Grimm at bay, but she was curious as to what Cinder was thinking.

"Oh, nothing new," Cinder replied. "Just thinking about how good home's gonna feel when we get back."

"No arguments there," Emerald said with a smile. "I gotta admit, though, it's gonna feel a little weird working on the farm for the rest of my life."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. I just did so much out here, you know? And after everything Eren said to me... I really did grow out here." Emerald sighed as she looked at the wasteland. "And... I don't know if I'm ready to just stop."

"Well... you don't have to."

Emerald looked back to Cinder in confusion. "How's that?" she asked.

"You don't have to give something up if you don't want to," Cinder insisted. "And Eren was right, you did grow up by being here."

"I know. And you keep growing. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, definitely not being a Huntress."

"Oh, God, no."

Emerald and Cinder shared a brief laugh before they continued talking. "No, I was thinking about something else," Emerald said as she looked at her Scroll. "I think we did something really good with this whole 'Hunt Inquisitorius' thing Mistral had going on."

"I got a few nitpicks about it," Cinder confessed. "This whole thing was supposed to be a trial run, after all. But you're not wrong. We stopped Watts from making more of those collars. I mean, nobody's gonna know about Salem, but they'll know we did our best in Atlas. So you don't have to give it up if you don't want to."

"I know, but... Ms. Yeager will understand, right? That I might not want to work on her farm forever?"

"Of course she will." Cinder smiled as she made a promise. "Eren and I can talk to her if you want us to. We'll figure it out."

Emerald smiled back. "Thanks, Cinder."

"..."

After a few seconds of silence, Emerald realized that she was starting to feel better. "I think I can use my Semblance again," she said.

"You sure?" Cinder asked.

"Yeah, I'm feeling better. Much better."

*THOOM*

*THOOM*

The two girls looked up to see that a Titan was coming too close for comfort, and the cave was looking much more comfortable.

"Might wanna use it now."

"Already on it."

---

"Heellloooo!"

"..."

"I'm getting bored here!"

"..."

Nora wasn't lying when she said that she was getting bored. Her current predicament, which consisted of being hanged by her wrists above the ground, was in no way entertaining.

After the two Beowolves had dragged Nora by her arms and legs into the castle, they led her into an empty room and threw her inside. Her first instinct was to stand up and try to get the door open, but it appeared to be made of Grimm itself. She had pinched and kicked it, but all it did was get black sludge on her hands and feet.

And to make matters worse, a long and inhuman arm reached down from the ceiling and grabbed Nora's hands before it hoisted her in the air. With her wrists now bound again, all Nora could do was swing to and fro as she tried to break the arm's grasp.

She had even tried biting it, but the taste in her mouth made her gag and nearly throw up.

Nora had stopped swinging around and was now trying to think of a way to escape. She didn't have Magnhild with her, so she couldn't use that. Her brute strength would be more useful if she was on the ground, so that option didn't stand.

All Nora could do was wait and see if someone could come to her rescue. She couldn't help but hope it would be Ren in this case. Such a thing would be romantic after all.

*CLICK*

*CLICK*

The Grimm-like door descended into the ground to reveal someone standing on the other side. Unfortunately, it wasn't Ren.

It was Salem.

"Ah... there you are," the witch said as she entered the room. The Grimm door reappeared and closed Nora off from the outside world once again. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting for too long."

Nora wasn't afraid of Salem when she saw her earlier, and she wasn't scared of her now.

"Oh, no," she said as she continued to dangle from the ceiling. "Don't mind me. Just hanging around."

"Hm." Salem had to admit that the lack of fear from the girl, given where she was, came to her as surprising. But then again, the humor could easily be disguising the fear. "You think yourself so comical," she noted with a soft smile. "How amusing."

"Well, you're the one who's looking like a clown," Nora retorted with a smile. "Maybe dye your hair and get yourself a tiny car and you'd be perfect!"

"..."

Salem's face transformed into a soul-piercing glare as she grabbed Nora's face and brought her closer to the ground. Nora was immediately taken back by the strength of the woman, but she was more surprised by how cold her hand was.

It was like she was in Death's grip itself.

"You can pretend, girl," Salem said through grit teeth. "But you're not the first person I've broken here. And you certainly won't be the last."

"..."

Nora found herself unable to speak, given that Salem's hand was crushing her jaw. And when she let go, Nora needed a second to regain her bearings and breath.

"Now... let's try this again," Salem proposed. "Nora, was it?"

"Oh... so you do remember me," Nora said as she caught her breath.

"There's a lot I remember. And a lot I wish to talk about." Salem began to walk in a circle around Nora. "Namely, about your friend Eren Yeager. I admit my understanding of him is... lacking." Salem stopped walking when she was at Nora's right side. "I'd like to know more about him. First... where I can find him."

"..."

Nora didn't have any plans to betray Eren or anyone else. However, she could still tell the truth. Namely, that Eren could be anywhere right now. In the Dark Wing or maybe in the castle itself.

And Salem might still be following the idea that Watts kidnapped her.

"I... I don't know where he is," Nora admitted, which was technically the truth. She was sure this wasn't the answer Salem was looking for, but she couldn't say for sure where he was right now.

"I see," Salem said quickly. "Watts did take you away from him, after all."

Nora sighed in relief when she heard that Salem still believed this lie.

"How about something easier?"

"..."

Salem put some distance in between herself and Nora as she asked her next question. "His plans. Tell me what you've seen."

Nora knew that she couldn't lie about this or technically tell the truth. Salem wasn't stupid, and Nora wasn't going to betray her friends by giving Salem an advantage. What she did next wasn't very smart, but it was necessary to keep the plan going.

"...No."

"..."

Salem silently turned around and examined the defiance of Nora Valkyrie. Her face expressed the same meaning of her response, how she wasn't planning on giving up any information willingly.

But Salem knew how to change that.

*ZAP*

A black ball of energy formed in Salem's hands right before streams of lights escaped it and struck Nora's chest. Nora couldn't activate her Aura in time or activate it when the lights hit her; all she could do was scream in agony.

Nora had never felt a pain like this. She wouldn't even wish such a pain to be inflicted on her worst enemy. It was as if the light was burning a spot on her body while sending pain across all of her nerves. She could feel pain in her head, arms, and legs despite the Magic light not reaching any of these parts.

As Salem had said, this wasn't the first time she broke a person before her. Her Magic granted her many abilities, but torture was its main use for her. As she listened to the screams of the girl before her, Salem knew that she had made her point.

But it wouldn't hurt to keep going for a little while longer; which was exactly what Salem did.

About half a minute had passed before Salem finally stopped using her Magic. When she did, Nora took rapid and sharp breaths as the pain in her body began to subside. Salem was ready to use her Magic once again, given that she remained doubtful that her feat would be enough to make Nora break.

"How about now?" she slowly asked.

"..."

Nora didn't want to experience such torture again, but she didn't want to betray her friends either. As she recovered from the pain, Nora couldn't help but wonder how many times Salem had done this, since she said this wasn't the first time she tortured someone.

The mere thought of someone suffering what she was suffering was making Nora angry.

"This... is why..." she said before she began to cough.

Salem lowered her arms as she approached closer. "Yes?" she asked calmly.

Nora finally found the strength to look back up at Salem and speak normally. "This is why... we hate you," she said. "Why we want to stop you."

"..."

Salem was prepared to punish this defiance once again, but she was patient. Giving Nora the chance to release her sport and bravado would only make it easier to break.

"You think you're so high and mighty, that you can get what you want with Magic," Nora continued. "You think you can just hold Remnant hostage with your Grimm and your goons. Well, here's a newsflash, lady." Nora swung herself closer to Salem. "You're wrong!"

"..."

"You're just like the rest of them! The people who think they can take whatever they want from me and my friends just because they're stronger! We've beaten them time and time again because we're strong too! And we may not be immortal, but we can stop you! We can save Remnant!"

"..."

In a way, Salem had gotten something she wanted. She now knew that Eren was aware of her immortality. This was surprising, and it wasn't something she was expecting to hear. But if Eren knew this, then his plan might have a way to work around it.

But how?

"The only one you can save now is yourself," Salem, said when she saw Nora had finished her rant. "Share your knowledge of Yeager with me, and I will spare you any more pain."

Nora glared at Salem as she caught her breath. "I said no," she repeated.

"...Very well."

Salem backed away again, but she didn't raise her hands. They were right at her side, and she didn't appear to be ready to blast Nora with any more Magic.

But she was ready for something.

"She's all yours."

"..."

Nora looked around the room in confusion when she heard Salem; it was as if she was talking to herself. But one brief glance to the left and another to the right told Nora that she was alone with Salem.

Or so she thought.

*BAM*

"Ugh!"

Nora felt a strong strike to her side. She looked down to see what had hit her, but she didn't see anything there. Since Salem was the only company she had at the moment, Nora assumed she had hurt her somehow.

"Nice trick," she said with another smile. "What's next? You gonna pull a bunny out of your hat?"

"Not exactly," Salem replied.

*BAM*

"Ugh!"

*BAM*

"Gah!"

*CRACK*

"Aaugh!"

Nora felt a series of punches to her side again, but the last one had hit her face. As she looked around once again, Nora became confused at the lack of another attacker. She was aware of Salem's Magic, but this felt like it was something else.

She couldn't see it, but Nora could tell that a fist was punching her.

"Enough of this," Salem ordered. "I require your full assistance."

"..."

Nora had lost her patience with this apparent mystery. As she was about to ask Salem who in the world she was talking to, a dark shadow began to form on the ground. The shadow began to form into a shape, one with arms, legs, and a head. Nora could tell by the shape that it wasn't her shadow, and it didn't appear to be Salem's either.

Its owner revealed himself when he emerged from the ground.

Nora gasped at the sight of a man dressed entirely in black before her. He appeared to be wearing clothes, mainly battle armor over a black tunic. The most disturbing sight, however, was that his body itself appeared to be as black as a Grimm's body. The man's face was covered by a face mask, save for a pair of white eyes, which scared Nora even more.

But despite it all, Nora couldn't help but feel that something about this man was... familiar.

"Recognize me, Nora Valkyrie?" he asked in a deep and grating voice.

The voice was also familiar to Nora, and she was beginning to put the pieces together. Despite the fact that she didn't hear it until after she recovered from a deadly attack of his, Nora knew his name:

"What the... Rod Reiss?" Nora asked.

"Yes," the specter of a man replied as he slightly spread his arms out. "It is I."

Nora shook her head as she marveled at the revelation. "But... you're dead! Ren killed you himself!"

"Some Grimm do not die easily," Reiss explained as he gestured to the other woman in the cell. "Salem offers me a new approach to obtaining revenge." He suddenly reached towards his chest and pushed his hand through it. After a few seconds, Reiss ripped it out and watched the black tar in his hands make another human shape.

A Chill.

"My shadow will darken Yeager's soul," Reiss promised. "And yours."

The Chill lunged forward and disappeared right as it touched Nora's body. Screams filled the cage again as the Chill took control of Nora's body and mind. She fought it as best as she could, but everyone knew it would be a losing battle.

Salem smiled as the fruits of Reiss' labor began to pay off. "How long until she breaks?" she asked calmly.

"Not long, Your Grace," Reiss promised. "Not long."

---

Whether it was by skill or by pure luck, Cinder found herself at the small cave with Emerald, Winter, and a still unconscious Raven. The trip had been long and arduous, and Emerald was completely out of Aura.

Needless to say, everyone was on edge about the next part of the plan.

"Emerald's out of Aura," said Cinder, who was talking to Winter at the moment.

"I know," said Winter.

"We're putting a lot of this to chance, Winter. This had better work."

"I know!"

"..."

Winter sighed as she began to calm down again. "This will work, I promise," she said. "Let me wake her up and I'll show you."

"No," said Cinder. "Not until Emerald gets some of her Aura back."

"But Eren might need the diversion now."

"We can't draw Grimm on us until we're all up to fighting speed."

"It might be too late by then!"

"Eren wouldn't want us to be at any more risk than we are! Emerald needs to be ready!"

"She can fight without her Aura! So let's stop wasting time arguing, again, and just-!"

Winter stopped yelling as she suddenly grabbed her head. When she opened her eyes again, they were a full gray instead of an ice blue. It seemed that Ymir had shown herself again.

"Hold it, hold it!" she said. "Let's just calm down here! You don't wanna see your friend get hurt? Fine. But let's not wait forever for a full charge, okay? Just enough to get her to fighting speed."

Cinder took a minute to think of the compromise. When she received a simple nod from Emerald, Cinder decided to agree. "Alright," she reluctantly said.

"Okay, then," Ymir said. "And seriously, can't you and Winter have a normal conversation without the two of you arguing all the time? I've lost count of how many headaches you two have given me."

"..."

As she began to calm down, Cinder had to see that Ymir was right. She may have been willing to give Winter a chance to help, but she couldn't deny that she found herself arguing more and more with her every time they spoke. Cinder didn't see her dislike for the Atlesian being the cause of this, but rather how Winter was more concerned about the mission instead of keeping everyone alive.

Then again, these arguments were doing more harm than good at the moment. Mostly to Ymir, in this case.

Cinder chuckled at the idea after she finished thinking about it. "Never thought I'd see the day when I get under your skin," she said in an attempt to clear the air.

Ymir chuckled herself. "First time for everything, I guess," she said. "But don't get me wrong." She moved closer to Cinder. "You're cute, but not that cute."

Cinder smiled as she accepted the compliment. While she wasn't attracted to girls, not to mention that her eyes were set on Eren, Cinder found Ymir's witty remarks about her appearance to be flattering.

"Besides, you got a lot more in common with Winter than you might think."

Cinder's smile vanished in an instant. "Sorry, what?" she asked. "You wanna run that by me again?"

"I'm serious," Ymir said as she picked up the skeptical tone of Cinder's question. "Different Kingdoms aside, you got a few things in common with Winter."

"Really?" Cinder leaned against the side of the cave as she waited for Emerald to say when she was ready. She decided to humor Ymir with the idea that she had a few things in common with Winter. "Name one."

"You both hate her dad."

"..."

Ymir saw that she had Cinder's attention, so she kept talking. "Well, I think that's something you got in common with me too." Ymir laughed for a second before she explained herself. "Yeah, that guy's exactly what your friend Mercury calls him: Jackass Schnee."

Cinder wasn't surprised to hear this from Ymir, but she was surprised that Winter didn't seem to have any reaction to this. "You're not worried Winter's gonna be mad for saying that?" she asked.

"You think she cares what I say about that guy?" Ymir retorted. "He may be her dad, but he's not a good one. You know he smacked the shit out of her after you guys left Atlas? And that wasn't the first time, either."

"...Oh."

This was the only response Cinder had for this. It was true that she hated Jacques Schnee for trying to raze her home, but she had no idea that Winter hated him just the same. And given that he abused her more than once, it seemed only natural for Winter to resent her father.

"Cinder, it never occurred to me that I never apologized to you. For helping my father nearly raze Kuroyuri."

"I don't know what it is, but whenever I get angry or hold a grudge... I can't really let it go."

Cinder was starting to feel ashamed of herself as memories from yesterday replayed in her head. She had refused to let go of her grudge with Winter today, even after she had apologized for her actions. Being here today, while not exactly agreeing on how to stop Salem, showed Cinder that Winter was willing to risk her life to see this mission through.

Cinder was starting to see that Winter had earned a second chance. And if she wanted to change the world, Cinder was going to have to be a better judge of character first.

"Hate her all you want, I don't care," Ymir said as she turned around. "Just do it from a distance, will you?"

"..."

"Hey, Cinder?"

The young woman turned to see that Emerald was walking towards her with Thief's Respite drawn. "My Aura's not fully charged... but I'm good to go," she declared.

"Sweet," Ymir said before Cinder could say anything else. "Alright, let's wake her up. Ready?"

"Yep," said Emerald.

Cinder snapped out of her daze and took out her two swords. "I'm ready," she declared honestly.

Ymir smirked. "Alright, then."

*SMACK*

Raven awoke with a jerk when she felt something hit her cheek. When she recovered, she came face-to-face with Ymir. "Up and at 'em," the woman said sarcastically.

Raven angrily stood up and clenched her fists. Emerald and Cinder prepared themselves for another fight, which seemed inevitable. Raven appeared to be feeling better after her defeat at Eren's hands and subsequent beating from someone she enslaved. The chance to repay everyone for this inconvenience was right in front of Raven, and the first thing she did was reach for her sword.

But it wasn't where it was supposed to be.

"Oh, looking for this?"

Raven looked back up to see that Ymir was in possession of her katana and unique sheath. Both had been taken away from her while she was unconscious, and Winter saw it fit to take them for herself to survive the Land of Darkness.

"I would've been fine with a copy of Eren's equipment, but... Damn, this thing's fine," Ymir said as she looked at the sword in her hand. The sheath was somewhat heavy on her side, but it was worth it to keep the sword.

Its owner, however, wasn't pleased with this idea.

It took a unexpected amount of concentration, but Raven had managed to reconnect with the power of the Maidens once again. Eren's Grimm Beetle managed to feed on it, but it didn't seem to do anything with the power. And when Eren broke the connection he had with it, the Beetle withered away and died after it was unable to contain the Magic. But it had left its mark on Raven; using the Maiden's power may not be easy this time.

"Whoa, there, fireball," Ymir said as she moved the katana back. "I wouldn't do that here if I were you?"

"No?" Raven asked. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you here and now."

Ymir was no stranger to the art of deception, and she knew exactly how to handle this situation. "Well... we kinda fucked up," she said. "And we took you down with us."

"...What?" Raven asked as she slightly lowered her fists. She then realized that she didn't appear to be in the forests of Mistral anymore. "Wait... where am I?"

Ymir moved aside while she nodded at Cinder and Emerald. While the two didn't lower their weapons, they moved aside so Raven could see where they were. "Go and see," Cinder ordered. "Just don't leave the cave."

"..."

Raven slowly walked towards the exit of the cave and spent a good amount of time looking at the wasteland before her. The three women behind her knew that the sight of the Grimm and the sight of a red sky would be enough to give a Raven an idea as to where she was.

As well as an idea as to how bad this was.

"...No," she said as she fell to the ground. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" She began to take deep and sharp breaths in an attempt to calm down and recollect herself, but it was in vain. Raven was familiar with this place, namely who it now belonged to. She couldn't be here.

She couldn't.

"Uh-oh," said Emerald. "She's freaking out." She had to admit that she was expecting anger and another attack, not being on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"I got it," said Ymir, who nudged Raven's shoulder to make the woman look at her. "So, we got your attention?"

"..."

Raven didn't need to speak to answer this question; it was written all over her face. And so, Cinder took it upon herself to present what they needed to do to survive.

"We need to clear a path outta here," she said as she pointed in a random direction. "Our car is that way, and the only way we can get to it is if we kill as many Grimm as possible. We got our weapons and my Titan, but you can pack a better punch with those powers of yours."

"And I'm pretty sure you need this to make one of your special portals," Ymir said as she held up the katana once again. "And no, we're not using them to get outta here. Not according to Cinder, at least."

"We all know that you'd just use it to get yourself out of here. But our friends come first, then we leave. And we never see each other again."

"And I wouldn't try killing us with those powers. They're not making you look so hot right now."

"..."

Raven knew that Ymir was right. It took an impressive amount of concentration and willpower to keep the flames in her eyes burning. She was certain she could use some kind of elemental power to slow them down and take her sword back, but she couldn't kill them.

They had the advantage over her.

Raven looked behind her to see the Grimm all across the area. Some were big, some were small, and some of them were even Titans. Fighting would be a fool's task.

But when she looked back to the three women, Raven knew that their minds were set. Whether this was revenge or a bigger plan at stake, they wouldn't be leaving as long as this many Grimm survived.

Raven was confident about her ability to kill Grimm right now; just like she was confident about being a strong warrior who could make strong decisions when the time called for it. And now, the time was calling for it. Raven looked back to the Grimm one more time before she spoke slowly and clearly.

"I hate you."

With that, Raven took to the air and landed her eyes on the first Grimm Titan she saw. Without a word, she raised both of her hands above her head, created a large fireball, and hurled it at the Grimm.

*BOOM*

---

"What was that?"

Salem's attention was drawn from the screaming Nora and towards the outside of the cell. Where she only heard screams of pain moments ago, now she heard another noise. This one was familiar, but unexpected.

And it was followed by similar noises.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

Rod Reiss also heard the noises, and they too had drawn his attention away from Nora. "Explosions from outside," he realized. "Yeager?"

"...Perhaps." Salem walked over to the door and watched it fall into the floor again. "Stay here. If this is another attack, we must know how he expects it to proceed."

"Very well." Rod Reiss watched as Salem left the room and left him to conduct the interrogation further. "Now, where were we?" Reiss' focus on Nora had been lost by the explosions, but he managed to find it again. "Oh, yes."

Nora continued to scream and cry as Reiss' Chill took hold of her even harder. The pain was unbearable, and Nora was growing incredibly cold. It was as if her body was giving up on her more and more by the second.

"Your body is mine, girl," Reiss proclaimed confidently. "And soon, your mind will be mine as well. One way or another, we will see what Yeager has in store for us."

This was the only thing that Nora could hear other than her screaming. And since she was losing touch with her body, the young girl knew that the ghost of a man was right. However, in her desperate search for any chance of hope, Nora realized that Reiss made a mistake.

He said that he didn't have control over her mind. Not yet.

If this was true, Nora knew that her secret wasn't out just yet. She could still keep it hidden, even though her body was out of her control. While it was rather unorthodox of her, Nora chose to fight in a different manner.

For the first time in a long time, Nora chose her brain over brawn.

"Don't say it, don't think it," she mentally told herself.

"..."

Despite this command, Nora felt the pain in her body moving up towards her head.

"Don't say it, don't think it," she repeated. When the pain continued to rise, Nora thought of it again. "Don't say it, don't think it."

"..."

"Don't say it, don't think it."

"..."

"Don't say it, don't think it."

"..."

"Don't say it, don't think it!"

"..."

"Don't say it, don't think it!"

"..."

"Don't say it, don't think it!"

"..."

Nora could feel the coldness of the Chill rising, and it was making her hurt even more. However, it was also making her angry at everything right now. That anger was directed at Rod Reiss, who was being undeniably cruel for hurting her.

If she really was going to be possessed, Nora could at least show her anger.

"Don't say it, don't think it!" she yelled. "Don't say it, don't think it! Don't say it, don't think it! Don't say it, don't think it! Don't say it, don't think it! DON'T SAY IT, DON'T THINK IT!"

"..."

Reiss was impressed with the girl's bravado, as well as her strong will. It wasn't as strong as Eren Yeager's, but it was unique. It seemed to be the only thing that Nora was saying and thinking, so it was preventing Reiss from learning anything more.

But Nora had just told Reiss that she indeed knew something; most likely about the explosions from outside. Reiss would need time, but Nora wasn't the first girl he broke.

And he was ready to do it again.

*BOOM*

An explosion from behind made Reiss fly forward and crash into the wall. Nora was flung back as well, but she didn't hit the wall with Reiss. Instead, she continued to swing around since the Grimm arm was still holding her wrists. She was incredibly cold, but Nora didn't feel any more pain.

"There she is!"

"Nora!"

"Cut her down!"

Nora felt herself fall to the ground before she felt something warm on her forehead. After a few seconds, she let out another scream as the feeling in her body came back. She couldn't see it, but the Chill that Reiss had created was leaving Nora's body and turning into ash.

After she took a loud and deep breath, Nora sat upright and began to cough heavily. When she felt something hug her tightly and help her stand, Nora welcomed the returning of warmth and life as well as the hug.

"Are you okay?" Ren asked as he let go of Nora. When he looked her over, Ren could see that Eren had successfully expelled the Chill from Nora's body. "We heard you screaming, and we saw-"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Nora quickly replied as she remembered what had happened. "But listen! Rod Reiss made that Chill! He's alive!"

"What?" Eren asked in disbelief. He knew that Nora was being affected by a Chill when everyone found her, given what happened to Vernal and to everyone outside of Mistral. But he wasn't expecting to hear that Rod Reiss was the cause of it all.

"He's right there!" Nora pointed behind her as she turned around. "He's right-!"

Rod Reiss was gone.

"Forget about him," said Ren, who picked up Magnhild off the ground. He had previously used it to open the Grimm-like door, but now he was ready to reunite the weapon with its owner. Nora took it and hugged it with a wide smile as Ren looked her over one more time. "Just rest up for a second and we'll get moving again."

"We can't be too long," said Mercury. "Raven started her diversion, we gotta do this now."

Everyone was starting to agree with Mercury, given that they were inside the castle. "Here, let me help," said Midori. She put both of her hands on Nora's shoulder and began to use Healing Wish.

"I'll get a head start," said Eren. "If Watts was telling the truth, we should find this lab first and kill those Titans."

"I'll go with you," said Vernal. "I'll back you up."

"I'm going too," said Mercury. He wasn't planning on abandoning Vernal any time soon.

"No, wait," Ren insisted. "We shouldn't be splitting up. Not in here."

"Raven's diversion won't last forever," Eren insisted. "You can wait with Nora, but we-"

"No."

Everyone turned to Nora, who was gently pushing Midori off of her. "We're not splitting up," she said calmly. "And I'm not keeping you waiting any longer."

"..."

She opened Manghild's ammunition compartment and saw that only one grenade had been fired; she had plenty of grenades left. "We're stopping Salem, Reiss, and whoever else wants to hurt us. Today."

Nora looked over to Eren with a determined look. "You said it best, Eren; it's time to fight for it all. To keep moving forward." With a simple push of a button, Nora transformed Magnhild into its hammer-form. "That's what I'm going to do."

Such resolve and determination was a rare sight for Nora. However, it wasn't unwelcome by anyone in the room. Especially Eren, who was proud and a little inspired to see that Nora was ready to end this all today.

So with a quick nod and a flick of the handle, Eren watched as his Hard-Light blade activated and spoke his mind.

"Then let's go."

---

Author's notes: hey, everyone. Hope you're doing good. Thanks for being patient while we worked on this chapter. We're approaching the end of this arc as well as Act I, hope you're excited.

We also hope you all enjoyed Volume 9 of RWBY. I thought it was alright, a decent beginning and end. The middle, though, was probably the best part for me. Besides that, AT and I have a few ideas on how we can incorporate the Ever After into the story. But that's a long way away, you'll see it eventually.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Leave your thoughts before you go, we're always happy to hear from you.

See you next time!