"How are you holding up?"

"I can't feel my arms... or legs... or really anything right now."

Ruby could understand that, but not for the reasons one might assume. Semblances were unpredictable on the best of days, so when suddenly having control taken away by someone else, via yours getting wrestled free, it was understandable that Thorn would experience a period of blatant nothing. This, however, would only be a possible explanation if their opponent possessed a semblance to begin with, which was not exactly the case.

Accidental pain killing aside, she was relieved he was back in control again. Although, to be fair, Ruby was almost certain said bout of ability wasn't earned by their own actions. Monolith was not Human or Faunus, so really it was thanks to her mercy that Thorn wasn't suffering like he had been during the overshadowing. Whatever dark powers she'd used were not the concern right now.

Pulling back, Ruby turned to Veronica, who firmly clutched Pebble's hand. The boy stood beside her, just as concerned as she'd expected him to be. He had no personal ties to Thorn, other than owing him thanks for a safe place to stay; really, he was worried because Veronica was worried, and he probably cared for her because on the surface she appeared sickly. No, Pebble was a good boy; she was falling into the habit of explaining away things, as if it hadn't been her go-to constantly.

The trip to the mansion went impossibly smooth, which had Ruby suspicious of foul play on Monolith's part. The creature knew its fate at her hands, and had most likely ordered those under its control to leave her be. Despite this, the return wasn't perfect.

Their entry point had been through an open window of all places, and while that normally wouldn't have meant anything, it just so happened that the room they'd shot into held both Pebble and Veronica themselves, who awoke frightfully to the serenade of crunching footfalls on the floor. Unfortunate as it was, Pebble was the first to act, leaping from the bed and standing resolutely between the perceived intruders and his host.

Once his little eyes adjusted to the moonlight, he recognised her.

"Is he-?"

"Injured: yes, but he'll be fine." Ruby saw the spring of relief splash over Veronica's face, before turning back to Thorn. "He will, however, be out of commission for a while."

"I can deal with the pain, you know." He tried getting up, but a sharp intake of air later and he was back down. Ruby could only sigh at the sight.

"It's not the pain I'm worried about."

"T-then what are you worried about?" He tried to hide it, but that 'pain' he claimed to be able to stomach was showing just how strong it really was. Putting on a brave face wouldn't shield his wife's worry, but it did show that he was one-hundred percent himself. Thorn had been through worse before, meaning whatever pain he felt wasn't natural, and Monolith's meddling most certainly had a part to play in it.

Now, she could have told him the truth about Monolith, but revealing that it was possible for Grimm to take Human form would do no favors to either him or the rest of civilization. As obvious as it was to admit, the people of this era weren't capable of being able to even comprehend that information, let alone make use of it. No, for the time being, she opted for different excuses as to why he couldn't go running around after being internally molested by dark magic.

"You only just regained control when we got back, didn't you?" Ruby began, seeing his expression skew.

"Yes..." And with those words alone, he looked to understand at least a little where she was going with it.

"And, seeing as your aura did nothing to protect you from her semblance before, I'd wager her reach has its limits." She crossed her arms, furthering home the point. "It's pure chance that your home seems to be the cut-off point of her reach. What do you think will happen if you try running back out there?"

"It would most likely end the same way as last time." His expression hardened. "I understand why you're concerned, but you can't just run out there alone."

"I'm strong."

"It's not your strength I question, but the cleverness of our enemy." His gaze was piercing. "We've already had to save you once, so who's to say you'll be able to avoid every trick and trap she has set for you?"

His logic was reasonable, but he lacked one key piece of information; a key she chose to provide.

"She won't."

"And why not?" His eye was critical, but waived a little when she let her arms drop, looking at him with a relaxed mask and posture.

"When she set me free, did you ever question why it was only you who was taken control of?" Pausing for a second to let it sit, she saw his eyes shut as he thought it over.

"... I'll admit, I had not."

"She didn't loft you on me with the intention of taking my life. She knew I'd win the fight, and that I would, if not kill, then incapacitate you." Ruby stepped closer, resting her hand atop his on the side of the bed. "Monolith wants me, and will not risk anything that could potentially hinder our meeting."

"What does she want with you?" His gaze was fairing near the edges of suspicion, but that was another secret she could not tell.

"That's something you're safer not knowing." Pulling away, she felt a pang of guilt at his faintly perplexed face. "All you need to know is that she'll do whatever it takes for me to meet with her, at the crux of where all this little town's problems lie, and it is here, with this in mind, that I need to ask of you a favor."

"A favor? After shrouding an apparent rivalry to secrecy, you ask of me a favor?" The irony was par for the course by now, but compared to the buckets of hypocrisy she'd drank from for years by now, it was far less bitter. Somewhat surprisingly, he didn't actually look all that bothered at it, slipping on a sideways sort of smirk. "You know what? Fine: what do you need?"

"This whole block up with the merchants and other nobles is what allowed Monolith to construct her plan in the first place. She's guaranteed by this point to be on her way to their meeting; a meeting whose location is not yet known to me."

"I see, so you're asking for directions." His smile became a little more lively, and he chuckled. "I guess you're lucky you were born a woman. Men such as I wouldn't dare wound our pride admitting when we're lost, even if we desperately need them."

"And yet, kings see no issue when being expected to lead kingdoms." Sharing a chuckle of her own, Ruby shook her head. "It's a wonder civilization has lasted as long as it has."

This got a laugh out of him, which he then toned down with a series of coughs.

"Kingdom's are easy: any direction is good so long as you can lock up your heart."

"I suppose that's why you have queens. After all, we can't exactly trust men not to lose the keys to their cages."

Such back and forth would be unheard of back in her time - or she supposed forward if she was being technical. And yet, there was something strangely warm about the blatantly sexist back and forths the people of this time period so often engaged with. Unlike the mean spirited counterpart history always liked to focus on, this variant was more related to schoolground play, where each group would separate itself with little jabs here and there: taking comfort from, and making fun of, the group stereotype each individual was a part of.

It wasn't designed to demean, but to be laughed along with. The only people she even remotely remembered doing this back when she was young were the old folks: elders and the such. However, it was clear to her Thorn was using this little poke as a way to stall for time, albeit brief it may be. A way to lighten the mood before giving his answer, meaning it wasn't the one she was hoping for.

Her assumption was proven only a moment later.

"No fairer hands than a lover to unlock our hearts after battle." He seemed to settle down after that one. "Still, I'm not quite comfortable with giving up that information." His eyes trailed outwards, towards the shattered moon shining in the open window they'd entered through. "Monolith surely seeks your demise or suffering, one way or another. By the time you arrive she'll most likely have a plan set into motion. I cannot, with good conscience, send you into that ambush: not when the odds are stacked so highly against you. I'm sorry, but I don't want to send you marching towards your death."

"She won't die."

For a second time Ruby had been about to speak, but that was cut off by the claim, one which was followed up by the approach of the one who made it: Pebble. He was joined by a silent Veronica, who'd let go of his hand. He came to stand by her side, and the soon to be mother took to her husband's. Ruby felt his hand slide into hers, wearing what looked like an irritated glare, he spoke.

"She's smart, and strong. Nothing can stop her." His voice was small, but the suddenness of which he spoke had everyone listening, especially Thorn, who watched with growing interest. Still, it seemed the old warrior's mind was not yet swayed, and he responded with calculated caution as to not downplay the boy's courageous attempt at standing up for her.

"That she is, but with the army our foe has at her back, I'm frightened she'll be weakened along the path. Had it been a fair fight, I'd have no problems with letting her have at it."

Thorn was trying to dial down the complexity of the scenario, ignorant of the boy's experience with the world and its dangers. But Pebble had seen the world for what it was, and he'd seen it with her. Pebble had faced phantoms of the past, metaphysical monsters, and horrors she'd not fully known herself, who had been encased in crystalline beauty. Needless to say, Pebble made himself a man long ago, and despite how much she internally wished he could retain his childish mind, that he could be her innocent little boy for just a bit longer, it became clear in this moment such a thing was no longer possible.

And so, when he opened up again, she knew he did so with complete honesty and faith in his claim.

"I've watched her face an army before, and they lost. I saw how the world fell apart after that, with the dark itself trying to get us, but even then it still lost. If ghosts can't stop her, and the world can't stop her, then what hope do regular people have?" His grip on her hand tightened. "She'll win like she always does, because no matter who or what tries to stand against her, she'll burn it away with light."

He was referring to the desert, and the creatures within. Merely witnessing that tale would have driven most men mad, and yet, both Pebble and Prim had seen the void and lived to tell of it. An impossible adventure, witnessed at the cusp of manhood, had done nothing but strengthen the boy. Alone his tale was outlandishly bombastic, but the impenetrable will he told it all with cut short any counter arguments.

Thorn had always been the bleeding heart however, so even if it were a lesser story he would have caved; he never could say no to the whims of youth. His careful expression eased off, and what would have been an eye roll from many others became a soft breath of acceptance from him.

"While I'm unsure what to make from any of that, I do know what it means." His eyes twisted back to her, and behind the fear within was a sense of allowance. Although it was small, Pebble had managed to instill some of his own beliefs into the elder, more world weary man. "If whatever she's shown you is enough for you to forge such a strong faith in her, then who am I to deny it?"

Although the pride wasn't hers to hold, Ruby allowed it to paint her heart in pompous colors. Pebble couldn't fight, no, but it seemed his skill of thieving had given him the ability to pick the locks of both mind and soul. Maybe it was because he was young, but for some reason Ruby found it a little easier to believe in their success when he spoke of it. He twisted, tossing a wink her way, as if letting her know he had everything in the bag.

Thorn's look lightened towards her, but his eyes still bore within them a sturdy caution. Still, he'd already made his decision, and as much as he didn't like it, Thorn would not backtrack now that the idea had fully settled.

"At the crux of town, situated in full view before the Embracer, is a church. It's massive and usually under watch by at least twenty percent of the town's total guard. It will not be an easy break in, but if you're anywhere near as skilled as your boy believes, you should have no trouble getting inside. Be careful, and remember: it's not cowardly to run should everything crumble to bits. Victory is a collection of many wins and losses; one measly battle, though it may appear serious, is not the deciding factor of war."

"I will." She knew that better than anyone alive, perhaps even Ozma and Salem themselves. Endless warfare, it was the reason she'd been fighting so hard for so long: all in the hopes of removing the cancer rooted deep within Remnant's endless cycles. Salem may have been the infected, but she was not the cause. No, that honor belonged to the one she was going up against: one who was ignorant by design.

Despite their divinity, the conflicting pair themselves were subject to the crown's magic. When taking into account their lacking omnipotence, it was rather amusing to know they'd created a tool with just that - apparently, they could forge powers which even they themselves did not possess.

Part of her itched: the darkness within so desired to produce one final seed, and with it, she'd be allotted the final glance at the outcome of her work. Through the display of things yet to come, she'd learn if her work had really been worth it, or if this was yet another failure just waiting to show itself. Regardless of which it turned out to be, she'd finally be free of it all; for good or ill, death would be her reward when all was said and done, and she welcomed it.

With her fires renewed, Ruby turned around, starting towards the window she'd entered through. Monolith awaited her own demise, surely, and yet Ruby was determined to make it a painful one; if these ancient colossal were created to fall at her hand, then there were no rules against how she granted them their end. Sure, the creature probably had a reason to do what it had, it seemed intelligent enough to possess a consciousness of its own, but that did not excuse what it had set in motion.

Nobody had permission to damn an entire kingdom: nobody that was, but Ruby herself. At the end of the day, the Grimm did not operate on Human or Faunus morals, and so the next best creature to decide who lives and dies was her; although for how long, she could not say. She didn't like it, but this was Remnant's best chance at survival, and despite how vast the kingdoms of the era were, none of them would survive or be remembered.

A small pressure pressed into her arm, and as she looked back, Pebble was standing there. He looked up to her, wearing a serious mug, and Ruby ducked down. She'd been a little startled when he wrapped his arms around her, but she returned the hug; it had been a while since they'd seen one another. It didn't last long, and he'd let her go again, but before she could stand he spoke.

"Don't worry about us: I'll keep everything under control."

Under lock and key she assumed, and letting show a small smile, Ruby ruffled his hair and stood. If there was anyone with the skills to keep both husband and wife from making a ruckus, it might as well have been him. He'd already kept Veronica company, and while she didn't know what he'd done during his time with her, the woman appeared less glum than before. Seeing him make his way back to said woman, Ruby spied how her hands subtly found their way on his shoulders, and it was here it became clear.

A young boy, so quiet and observant, and so desperately in need of guidance; Veronica had fulfilled such duties before. He might not have been her first son, but it seemed he was unknowingly filling some sort of hole in the grieving lady's heart. While he'd never replace Vermillion, the sudden responsibility of looking after a child occupied her thoughts anew, to the point she didn't have any time left to endlessly recount the tragedy every parent feared.

His presence also acted as a herald of the future, her future, involving the hefty bump in her belly.

Now, more than ever, Ruby yearned to put an end to the conflict consuming the streets, but once more she was stopped from taking to the night skies, by the bedridden father, who called out with a peculiar tone.

"Wait!" She stilled, and he eased up his tone. "Before you go, I need to know: which one is it?"

"You're referring to my name, yes?" Ruby already knew the answer before he even gave it.

"I know now isn't exactly the best time, but..." His jaw tightened, and his squint wore tense along his brow. "Should anything happen while you're gone, I want to know the true title of our kingdom's savior."

The kingdom's savior... now that was a title she knew certain was undeserved. This tiny port town, while important to the whole of the kingdom for trade with the rest of the world, would not be the end of it should everything fall apart. And yet, there was a chance Thorn was right, and the fate of the nation lay in the success of their victory here; none of them survived to the modern era, after all. Monolith was here, and while to the ordinary man that might not have meant much, Ruby knew the dark secret of its heritage.

Like the beast coveting mass of the tourist dubbed Sand Coffin, the dreamscape of Dreallive, or even the precious dunes of Halvali: wherever these creatures made their home was bound to hold significance for her quest. With each and every meeting presenting stronger and more distinct beasts, Ruby was wary of what the next meeting would hold. Something within this port town must have drawn the ancient monster in, and she was about to discover what it was.

"Ruby Rose." She turned away, calm in her stride towards the shattered moon. All noise behind her died, and while she knew it had shocked them, she wasn't about to leave them wondering. It would be a lie, but enough of one to keep their minds from wandering. "Despite my name, I do not hail from your prestige... although..."

Twisting around, she offered a single wink and grin.

"I don't mind being called granny."

Leaping out into the open air, she took in the peaceful breeze of midnight, knowing it was the last of its kind for the hours to come. Below her the city was rampant with chaos, and while the bodies could be seen from up above, she could not tell which were living or dead. Somehow the guard was putting up a fight, but it was clear to all they did not wish to take the lives of their companions.

Many were faithful to the kingdom's religion, and to that of the Embracer who made its home just outside of the nation's most important trading port. Such proximity to the holy site meant the one's housed around it usually lived their lives by the doctrine. From the highest born noble, to the lowest of farmers: everyone knew the faith, as they did the law.

Killing their fellow men, the one's they'd prayed alongside, would shatter the hearts of all but the unfeeling.

Landing atop the spire of the local place of worship for this section of the community, one holding the bell which would call out for the local believers to attend a scheduled mass, Ruby stared off into the distance at the centerpiece of the faith, and the guilty target of Monolith's machinations before it.

From this high up one would not be mistaken for believing the port town a city in its own right, but even with its massive size, Ruby knew the rest of the kingdom's cities were much, much larger. The entirety of the landmass beyond this simple port was teeming with villages and towns and cities, all clumped together and only separated by walls constructed to act as borders between them.

A far cry from the Mistral of the future: a land of sparse gatherings living only on the cliffs below the jungles of the upper mountain tops.

Setting an unseen scowl on her face, Ruby took off, with only a single silent declaration on her mind towards her not so Human opponent.

You won't escape me this time.

Author's note

…

So a chapter only featuring one perspective wasn't exactly expected, I'm sure, and double that with it being centered solely on Future Ruby's excursion in the past makes it especially strange. I know this disappointed some of you who were probably wanting to see the fight between V and JNPR, or even regular Ruby continuing along her 'dream' or even waking up.

Sorry, but I needed to move this section along. Next chapter we'll be back in the present, but I felt like putting special focus on the past; seeing as we're so close to the conclusion of Veilroot's arc.

I'm still a bit tired, but things are moving alone enough that I'm regaining a little of my will to write, so things might be picking up later on.

Anyway, that's all for this one. See you next time.