Secrets Forgotten By Time

by ol-11jrw

Secrets such a small thing on the surface but even the small secrets could lead to consequences, wars or even changing the very foundation of the world and Ruby Rose will soon learn them all with the help of the Seven Deadly Sins and her world will never be the same again. Dislcaimer: I don't own RWBY or Seven Deadly Sins.

3. Chapter 3

SFBT CH 2

The Forest of White Dreams was very creepy. With fog so thick that Ruby could barely see the path ahead, trees lacking any leaves left bare and creepy, the whole thing looked like something out of a horror movie. Ruby glanced uneasily to her companions Meliodas and the pig Hawk; Jaune, Ren and Nora having stayed outside the forest to guard the Boar Hat.

"This place is creepy." Ruby couldn't help but state and immediately jumped in shock, deploying Crescent Rose as she felt something grab her from behind.

"Relax just me." Meliodas spoke as he blatantly groped her butt, causing Ruby to sag in relief about the fact she wasn't being attacked. She wondered what it said about she wasn't that bothered about him groping her, embarrassed definitely, but not really offended by it.

"Honestly Ruby just feel free to cut him to ribbons with your scythe." Hawk growled out, taking offence to Meliodas's blatant groping.

"You can stop now." She told Meliodas who hummed in response as he withdrew his hand from below her skirt and walked ahead.

"I haven't noticed any grimm." Ruby couldn't help but state. She would have thought the Forest would have been teeming with them and the grimm being the main reason why the forest was avoided by travellers and even experienced huntsman, but they hadn't encountered a single one. It should reassure Ruby, but honestly all it did was make her uneasy because if there wasn't any grimm then what was it that make people avoid the Forest of White Dreams?

"Ah don't worry Ruby, no grimm would dare attack us, not while the captain of the order of scraps disposal is here." Hawk loudly declared, causing Ruby to grin. She really liked the talking pig, and upon meeting him, she had learnt that Zwei was not the only animal to have developed aura. She wondered if Hawk had a semblance, he hadn't mentioned having one, but it would be awesome if he had a semblance.

"If you believe the stories there is a monster of the forest, I had thought it might be a really old grimm, but its possible it might be something. Hell, it might be one of the Sins." Meliodas responded. "There don't appear to be any grimm in this forest which we can consider good news."

As Ruby took a step forward she couldn't help but notice how different her skirt felt, including a breeze between her legs. 'Wait don't tell me he…' making sure that neither Meliodas nor Hawk were looking at her, Ruby subtly felt through her through her skirt between her legs.

'That perverted little imp,' she thought with a blush as she stepped forward to demand her panties back before a call from Hawk drew her attention. Maybe Hawk's suggestion of cutting him to ribbons with Crescent Rose wasn't such a bad idea.

"Come on slow pokes, pick up the pace would yah!" Hawk bellowed, already quite a bit ahead of them.

"Hold your bacon, not a lot of fun travelling with a nervous piggy." Melioidas called back, walking forward at a leisurely pace, only to stop in surprise, along with Ruby. "Whoa."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A NERVOUS PIGGY? HUH?" Nine identical voices called back taking everyone by surprise. Ruby blinked in surprise at the sight of nine different versions of the talking big, all of them simultaneously freaking out at the sight of each other.

"Nine versions of Hawk. Is it some kind of illusion based semblance?" Ruby wondered, the matter regarding her underwear momentarily forgotten. Illusion semblances were bad news, they'd tricked Yang into injuring Mercery and caused Pyrrha to kill Penny. If they weren't careful, they could end up injuring the real Hawk.

"I hope so because nine versions of Hawk would be absolutely terrifying." Meliodas deadpanned.

"Meliodas, you have to belief me I'm the real one."

"Whatever you faker."

"Zip it porky."

The versions of Hawk all rushed towards them, everyone insisting that they were the real one, while hurling insults at each other.

"How do we know which ones the real one?" Ruby yelled at Meliodas, who simply rushed at the pigs, knocking them all on the heads, causing them to collapse on to the ground in pain.

"What are you doing?" Ruby yelled deploying Crescent Rose, pointing it directly at Meliodas. Seriously what the hell!

"Ruby help. Please, even my mom never hits me like that." They all yelled, rushing to hide behind her.

"Hawk, are you ok?" Ruby asked, only she didn't get a response, looking around she could only see one version of Hawk, along with…

Ruby blinked once, then blinked twice as she stared at the eight identical copies of herself. The hair, the clothes, facial features, eye colour it was all identical. They all had their own versions of Crescent Rose! Normally Ruby would be drooling at the sight of eight versions of her baby, but she was too freaked out by the copies of herself.

"You do realise I'm the real one." One of the copies told Meliodas, which immediately caused another to object.

"No it's me."

"Oi you fakes I'm the real one." Ruby found her voice, objecting to the illusions of herself.

"Wow what a bevy of boobies." Meliodas called out, enjoying the sight of nine different versions of her.

"This is not the time man." Hawk bellowed.

"Leave this place. Get out of the forest human." An ethereal sounding voice called out, seemingly to have no original source as the voice travelled the forest.

Ruby looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, while also wondering if she should simply attack the duplicates of herself. 'They have my appearance and weapon, but do they have my skills?' Ruby wondered, fighting eight versions of herself who might have the same skills was probably not a good idea, especially if Meliodas and Hawk wouldn't be able to tell the real her among the fakes.

"Oh my goodness, however will I tell which of you is the real one?" Meliodas spoke out loud, drawing her attention, standing atop of a large rock, overlooking them all.

"It's me." Ruby called out, hoping to convince him she was the real one.

"No it's me."

"You can trust me."

"Ok starting now I want you all to do exactly as I say." Meliodas ordered with a massive grin. "What do you say?"

"Ok." Ruby reluctantly conceded, with all the other clones of herself doing the same.

"Alright first things first put Crescent Rose in its contained state." Meliodas ordered.

Reluctantly Ruby put Crescent Rose away, noticing all the other versions doing the same. 'Ok good news every other clone is now unarmed. Bad news I'm now unarmed!'

"Okay, right hand up in the air, left hand on your cheek. Now call out my name and be naughty." Meliodas told them.

Unimpressed Ruby followed Meliodas orders, calling out his name in a sultry voice along with eight identical versions of herself.

"Now squeeze your boobs."

Blushing Ruby raised her hands to her breasts and began ahem squeezing. Despite herself, Ruby couldn't ignore how much her breasts had grown. Though nowhere near as big as Yang's her chest had definitely ahem grown over the last year.

"This is amazing." Meliodas spoke enjoying the site before him, which only enraged Hawk.

"Could you just find the real one."

"Get out. Leave now. You will never make it out of this forest." The ominous voice called out again.

"I got it, one last thing! Jump as high as you can!"

"I am NOT doing that you pervert." Ruby yelled holding down her skirt, only realising that she was the only one who hadn't jumped in the air. Barely a second later Meliodas had attacked all the clones, causing them to disappear in a puff of smoke, leaving behind small dwarf sized creatures dressed in cloaks.

"Hide and seeks, prankster imps." Hawk identified, leaving Ruby baffled. 'Just how many types of races are there?'

"Wait, Meliodas. Were you just being a pervert or were you trying to find the real one." Ruby demanded.

"Bit of both, needed to find the real one, and with how you flustered, I knew you wouldn't do anything you were truly uncomfortable about doing." Meliodas responded, "Oh by the way you might want these back." Meliodas said, holding Ruby's rose patterned underwar

"You bloody pervert." Ruby yelled as she swung Crescent Rose, missing Meliodas as he jumped out of the way. As for the tree behind him, that bore the brunt of her anger, cutting right through it as started to fall to the side with a loud bang.

"Wow, timber." Hawk called out impressed as the tree fell.

"Scary. Uh by the way Ruby, you do realise you destroyed panties right." Meliodas holding up a ripped half in his hand, the other half falling to the floor.

Ruby stuttered and blushed, realising she had destroyed her panties, leaving her naked under her skirt. "We can head back to the Boar Hat if you need to." Meliodas offered, showing despite his perverseness, he could be a gentleman when he wanted to be.

"It's fine." Ruby managed to stutter out, blushing heavily. She was a huntress (in training) she was wasn't going to let something embarrassing interfere with the mission. Even if the entire situation felt like something out of Blake's Ninjas of Love novels, which had been the most poorly kept secret in their dorm at Beacon. "Let's just go after them. And don't even think about mentioning this to anyone." She warned Meliodas and Hawk, both of them nodding.

Once that was said, they all chased after the imps, with Ruby pointedly ignoring the reaction between her legs from her ahem groping.

"Wait is that a girl?" Ruby questioned, seeing a seemingly sleeping figure in the distance.

"And their heading right for her." Hawk responded.

Due to her semblance, Ruby rushed ahead of the group, and deployed her scythe at the imps, as she got between them and the sleeping girl, but as Ruby took another look at the girl, she noticed that she was not an ordinary girl.

"A giant, a real honest to god giant." Ruby whispered in awe as she gazed at the woman as Meliodas and Hawk caught up to her, the imps standing quite a while away as they stared wearily at her scythe. Ruby had never seen a giant before, she'd seen pictures and video recordings but that wasn't the same as seeing one in person.

"Lady Diane, Lady Diane. There's huntresses and hunters in the Forest."

'Wait Diane?' Ruby thought giving a look to the giant and then back to Meliodas. Was she one of the Sins? It was just occurring to her that perhaps she should have asked Meliodas about the other Sins.

A loud groaning sound emerged from the sleeping giant as she began to awake and Ruby took a few steps closer to Meliodas, hoping that this wouldn't turn into a fight. Hopefully this giant was the Diane, the Serpent Sin of Envy, otherwise they might have a fight on their hands.

"Some hunters are here huh?" The giant spoke sitting up, glaring down at them. She didn't have any weapons on her as far as Ruby could see, but considering how big and no doubt strong the woman was, she likely didn't need any weapons.

Ruby readied Crescent Rose, mentally thinking about the best ways to attack the giant, if a fight broke out. Aim for the eyes with the sniper, rush forward with her semblance and try to attack from behind, were some scenarios and ideas running through the rookie huntress's mind as she mentally debated the best option.

"Whoa she's huge." Hawk whispered, trembling at the sight. Ruby, Meliodas and Hawk all stood before the giant who glared down at them. Only Meliodas seemed completely at ease, only for Ruby to blink as a single swipe from the giant's arm, and Melidas disappeared, the giant holding him in her hand.

"Captain. I've missed you so much." The giant squealed with say, nuzzling her face against Meliodas, as if he was a tiny plushy toy. Despite the absurdity of the situation Ruby couldn't help but giggle, the sight was very cute after all. Ruby relaxed and lowered her weapon, confident there wasn't about to be a fight against a giant.

"Hang on, a giant with pig tails is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Diane the Serpent Sin of Envy?" Hawk exclaimed, not quite able to believe what was happening.

"Ah captain, you've thought of everything haven't you. You remembered how much I love whole roasted pig." Diane exclaimed excitedly as she began reaching forward.

"Wait what?" Ruby gasped. Don't say she was going too…

"Hey don't eat me lady." Hawk yelled as a hand grasped around him.

The next five minutes were confusing and tiresome to say the least. Before Ruby could have even blinked, the giant Diane had Hawk tied up above a small fire to cook, Meliodas throwing jokes while grasped in Diane's hand, while Hawk yelled for help. The absurdity of the situation had baffled Ruby for a moment before she had put out the fire and freed Hawk.

"Are you ok Hawk." She asked the pig, seeing his pink aura flaring slightly. His aura had protected him from the flames, but it was still a scary event for the pig. It was not every day a giant tried to cook you and eat you after all.

"I'll be fine Ruby, take more than that to scare me." Hawk declared, but still eyed Diane wearily and was sure to keep Ruby between himself and the giant.

"All right fine. But who's this girl?" Diane asked taking notice of her.

"Oh, I'm Ruby Rose, me and my friends are traveling with Meliodas. It's a pleasure to meet you." Ruby spoke, her words coming out a little faster than intended, but Ruby was more than slightly nervous about meeting an honest to god giant!

"So, there's more of you?" Diane questioned with a small smile, though it was directed at Meliodas rather than her.

"Three more, plus the talking pig." Meliodas answered.

"Oh, is that so." If anything, Diane's smile seemed to get wider, and Ruby slowly backed away. Those smiles reminded her of Yang when she was ticked off but trying to hide it and failing badly.

"Yup, and we—" Meliodas never got a chance to finish his sentence as Diane threw him into the ground with nearly all her strength, causing the earth to crumble in the impact, creating a dust cloud.

"You filthy womanizer." Diane screamed. A loud banging sound followed as Diane fell to her knees and started sobbing. "After all this time, I'm finally back with the man I love, but now he's with another woman, having a whole group of them but not me. You just broke my heart into a million pieces. Still, if you have an explanation. I'm ready to listen."

Ruby just blinked, stuttering as she tried to speak but having no idea what to even say as the giant sobbed.

"Honestly there's not a—" Meliodas wasn't able to say any more before Diane started pummelling him into the ground in a barrage of punches. A part of Ruby wanted to help Meliodas, but another part of her still annoyed about him stealing her panties, along with a good dose of fear towards the temperamental giant, convinced Ruby it was better to stay right where she was.

"I don't want to hear your excuses! You're nothing but a lying, perverted, philandering little…" The tirade went on and on as Diane destroyed more of the ground in her rage.

"Do you think he's ok?" Ruby asked Hawk as they both backed away from looked like a battlefield.

"She is nuts." Hawk whispered back.

"You're a big jerk! You hear me?" Diane punctuated those words with slamming both fists into the ground, creating the largest impact so far.

"So basically, Ruby and her friends are on their way to Mistral to find those responsible for the attack on Beacon. I agreed to help them with their mission, if they agreed to help me track down the rest of the Sins." Meliodas finished explaining. Once Diane had vented her frustration and jealously, they had finally been able to explain the circumstances of their meeting, with Ruby being sure to clarify that she was not Meliodas' girlfriend and risk drawing the giant's ire onto her.

"I didn't know about that. Guess I'm always the one jumping to conclusions, aren't I? Forgive me. And I'm sorry I tried to eat you, piggy." Diane apologised, very heartfelt in comparison to her earlier anger.

Though Hawk was far from forgiving. "You think that makes it all right? You stuffed my belly full of fruit and burned my backside." He yelled indignantly, though the glare Diane gave him, quickly made him change his tune. Of course, that led to more blustering and trembling with Hawk threatening his mama's wrath if Diane tried anything, though he had not realised that Diane had shifted her attention from him to Ruby.

"You positive you're not having that kind of relationship with the captain?" Diane asked, leaning over her and glaring down.

"Yep, absolutely positive." Ruby responded, not wanting to get pummelled into the ground like Meliodas was a few minutes ago. She did not think her aura could withstand a giant's anger.

"You know you and I don't have a relationship like that either." Meliodas pointed out, causing Diane to gasp in horror. "Anyway, we help Ruby get to Mistral, she helps us find the rest of the Sins. A deal's a deal."

"Well, if you're sure that's the case then I'll come along with you guys." Ruby was pretty sure she saw Hawk shiver at those words, but paid no mind as Diane stood to her full height, taking Ruby by surprise. The first time, Ruby had been too shocked at the sight of an actual giant, but now she made sure to take a closer look. Diane stood near thirty feet tall, though her face was very youthful and cute, to the point that if Diane had been human Ruby would have thought Diane to be the same age she was. But despite her size, Diane looked human. Ruby had heard stories about giants, with some being described as having an almost monstrous appearance but the only think that Ruby noticed different was her height.

"Really, that great." Meliodas stated

"It will be lovely to have you Diane." Ruby added.

"But let's be clear. The only reason I'm doing this is cause the Captain's with you." Diane warned her. Ruby wasn't sure how to respond to that, Diane sounded even colder in that moment then Weiss was when they first met.

"Oh thank goodness. Finally, we can live in peace again!" A voice exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention towards the imps. With everything going on, Ruby had honestly forgot about them.

"For years she's been threatening us, saying she'd make us all pay if we didn't give her shelter."

"They can be free now, so beautiful." Hawk whispered with great sympathy, and Ruby felt a bit bad for the imps.

A moment later a cawing sound put them all on edge. "Is that a crow?" Ruby asked, looking around for the animal, easier said then done in the thick fog.

"That's strange, there aren't any animals in this part of the forest." Diane spoke, instantly alert and on guard.

A second later a vial of powdered lightning dust was thrown on the floor between them all and exploded on impact. A moment later lightning seemed to surround them all in the form of chains, keeping them all immobilised. Ruby frowned at the lightning keeping her in place, her aura was protecting her form any harm, but the lightning was definitely stopping her from moving her body. Ruby tried focussing her semblance, seeing if she could speed out of the lightning chain, but that just seemed to make it tighter around her.

A man emerged from the fog, clearly the one who had thrown the dust vial to use against them. "And you are?" Meliodas asked calmly, as if they weren't all currently immobilised.

"It would seem we meet at last you Deadly Sins." The man spoke dramatically, making Ruby resist the urge to roll her eyes. She'd read enough comics to the point she swore the man was pretending to be an amateur villain. 'Ok if he monologues, definitely pretending to be a villain and thinking himself cool,' Ruby thought to herself.

The man looked to be in his early twenties, as was quite tall at over six foot, with pink hair and purple eyes and wielding a long, short that was coated with lightning dust. Not unlike the sword in Vanya, Ruby couldn't help but notice, wondering if this man was responsible for cursing the town.

"So you're a huntsman aren't you." Meliodas stated rather than asked. There was a tense silence before Meliodas seemed to perk up, or as much as he could while immobilised. "Your Gilthunder aren't you?"

"Wait you know this guy?" Ruby asked.

"Yep, I gave him lessons a couple of times while in Liones in between missions." Meliodas answered her cheerfully. "Wow you've really grown up. Then again, it has been ten years since I've last seen you."

"If you had time to prattle on, it might be better spent trying to escape those bonds." The man, Gilthunder responded, which only raised more questions then answers. Why was he just standing there instead of trying to keep them more secure and capture them?

"This lightning is familiar." Hawk pointed out, having come to the same conclusion as Ruby.

"I know what you mean. When a certain someone blocked up Vanya's water supply. That was you wasn't it." Meliodas stated.

"Why did you even do that? Because a kid played a prank on you, are you really that pathetic that you'd destroy a town's only source of income because you are that petty." Ruby demanded, lingering anger and disgust over what had happened in Vanya filling her. Gilthunder didn't answer the question, but the look he gave her at her words was anything but friendly.

A large grunting sound from Diane drew everyone's attention as the giant pulled at the restraints containing her "These chains can't hold me." Diane spoke.

"Diane, just save it. Don't bother." Meliodas ordered. In fact Meliodas seemed completely at ease, even having his hands in his pockets, looking completely relaxed.

"But Captain." Diane objected, but also complied while Ruby frowned as she looked at Meliodas. 'What is he planning?'

"Do you know why the huntsman of Liones are after the heads of the Seven Deadly Sins?" Gilthunder asked as he held his sword to Meliodas' throat.

"Not really." Meliodas responded.

"Half of them are seeking revenge and total eradication of the rebel order that plotted to overthrow the kingdom. The other half want to do glorious battle and vanquish the legendary warriors to prove their own strength."

"And which half are you in?" Meliodas questioned. Ruby frowned, this exchange seemed very weird, and she was pretty sure she was missing something.

"Both of them. No, I want more."

"Is that so."

"Yes. To avenge the death of my father, Zaratras." Ruby blinked in shock. Zaratras, a legendary huntsman and the former headmaster of Liones Academy was Gilthunder's father! And the Sins were accused of assassinating Zaratras. No wonder the man hated the Sins.

"And to show that I am greater than he, the most powerful huntsman ever known. Killing you will prove that." Ok, Ruby might be biased, but she was certain that wasn't true.

"So, you're under the impression that I'm the one who murdered your father, is that it?" Meliodas asked.

"Are you saying you're not?"

"No idea." Wait what! How do you not know if you are responsible for murder! "See the thing is, I don't actually remember very much from back then. The last thing I remember is all of us being summoned to an old base out of the edge of the capital." Meliodas clarified as he then proceeded to explain how he and the Sins had arrived at the location to find Zaratras already dead, with a host of hunters and soldiers already prepared to attack the Sins under the believe that they had killed Zaratras.

"The last thing I remember is one of the Sins saying, "Captain I'm sorry," the rest of pretty blank." Meliodas finished explaining.

Ruby looked at Diane, but the giant appeared surprised and even a little unnerved at Meliodas' words.

"The next thing I knew I was waking up in a cellar, that's where I met Hawk." Meliodas

"Well nice to know you aren't murderers and traitors." Ruby spoke, feeling intensely relieved that she hadn't spent the past couple of days with a murderer.

"That makes no difference to me." Gilthunder responded.

"Wait what?" Ruby gasped.

"Rebels and traitors who plotted to overthrow the kingdom. That's all you people are." Gilthunder declared.

"Seriously are you messed up in the head or something? Even if you think he's lying don't you owe it to your dad to try and find out the truth?" Ruby tried to reason with him.

Gilthunder turned his attention from Meliodas, facing her directly. "You are Ruby Rose, a huntress in training at Beacon Academy before the attack a few months ago. I do not know what your reasons are for collaborating with the Sins, nor do I particularly care. But if you found the people responsible for the attack on Beacon, and the death of Headmaster Ozpin, would you not attempt to bring them to justice? And yet you question and argue against me doing exactly that for my own kingdom, and because of what? Misplaced loyalty, sense of duty."

"It's not misplaced. Meliodas saved my life, that's all the reason I need to help him." Ruby responded.

"Such a shame then, misplaced loyalty to a traitor." Gilthunder sighed dramatically, clearly ignoring her words as he turned back towards Meliodas, sword at the ready.

"Are you sure about this? In the old days, you were never able to beat me, remember?" Meliodas advised, still looking completely calm.

"But that was a long time ago." Gilthunder countered. He'd been eleven years old at the time, only just started training a combat school. Now he was licenced huntsman with years of experience. "I am now more powerful than any of the Seven Deadly Sins." If she wasn't bound by lightning chains, Ruby would have laughed at the utterly cliché villain line, and even then, she had to stifle a giggle.

"I don't know. You might be right, but you could be wrong too." Meliodas pointed out.

"Then we should find out, first I'll release your bonds."

"Well, I appreciate that, but I got it." Meliodas stated and a moment later both Meliodas and Diane simply stretched their muscles and the lightning chains simply shattered. "Could have escaped whenever we felt like it." Meliodas pointed out. 'So cool,' Ruby thought, she couldn't break out of her bonds, and certainly not for a lack of trying, her semblance and aura had both proven useless.

"Don't suppose you could release me and Hawk then?" Ruby asked, and with a grunt from Gilthunder, the lightning dissipating around her and the pig. No doubt the lightning was semblance controlled then. Ruby didn't waste time in deploying Crescent Rose but refrained from shooting or rushing at him.

"Just know if I wanted to, I could annihilate you instantly." Gilthunder threatened, but Ruby had a feeling that was more bark than bite. The huntsman had been able to take them by surprise at first, but three on one was not good odds, especially when two of the three were members of the Seven Deadly Sins. And Gilthunder had long since lost the element of surprise.

"Mm… kind of doubt that." Meliodas responded.

"I shall use my sword to kill you."

"Then right back at you, big guy. Don't interfere Diane, Ruby." Meliodas told them.

"Aw, you get all the fun." Diane pouted but seemed to stand down.

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked sceptically.

"Yep, it'll be fine." Meliodas grinned at her, and Ruby couldn't help but smile back, feeling a bit reassured as she lowered her weapon. She kept it in its deployed state, just in case though.

"Don't want to risk me defeating you all at once." For the first time, Gilthunder seemed to truly angry, beyond the level of annoyance and disdain he had shown since they met him.

"Can't you tell when your elder is trying to be nice," it was funny when you thought about it considering Meliodas was actually the older of the two, despite looking like a teenager and a foot shorter than Gilthunder.

The fight started and Ruby was amazed. Gilthunder was fast and strong. His semblance seemed to be an even more powerful version of Nora's coating his sword with lightning and using it to enhance his strength and speed. And unlike Nora, he did not need to be hit by lightning but seemed capable creating lightning to boot. And yet Meliodas was able to block and dodge his attack.

"Got to admit, you've really improved over the years." Meliodas complimented.

"Yet you believe that you're superior to me." Gilthunder responded with a charge at Meliodas. "Admit it, you're starting to feel a little fear creeping in."

"Am I?" Meliodas grinned as the fight continued for a few moments, before Gilthunder used his lightning, to rush behind Meliodas, slamming him into the ground from behind.

Ruby blinked in shock and fear. Meliodas lost?! A moment later he stood back up, laughing as he did so. "I can't believe that you've gotten this powerful."

"Don't worry I'll be bringing down the others soon enough." With Gilthunder's next attack a blurt of blood came from Meliodas's shoulder as he fell face first into the ground, seemingly unconscious.

"Captain?" Diane asked, shock and a bit of horror in her face.

Ruby blinked, tears started before she used her semblance to rush at Gilthunder, swinging her scythe at him, forcing Gilthunder away from Meliodas as he blocked her attacks. If Gilthunder had been fresh, and not distracted and tired from battle with Meliodas, the fight might have gone differently.

But while Gilthunder could use his semblance to enhance his speed, Ruby was still much faster, and Ruby managed to get the edge of the blade against his throat, but not before Gilthunder had managed to lay his sword against, Meliodas' prone form.

The fight seemed to be at a stalemate, with Gilthunder holding his sword to Meliodas's neck and Ruby holding the blade of Crescent Rose to Gilthunder's own throat. "Do you have the resolve to kill me?" Gilthunder questioned her.

"Do you really want to find out?" Ruby threatened, trying not to think. She didn't want to kill anyone, but if Gilthunder tried to finish Meliodas off while he was weakened, then Ruby would do what she had to do.

"Ruby, stand down." Meliodas managed to grasp out, injured and hurt. Before she noticed him giving her a cheeky grin and wink, before it was replaced by a look of defeat and agony. A look that appeared more feigned then it had seemed a moment ago. 'Is he…' Suspicion clawed at Ruby, causing her to step back slightly.

"Meliodas, Dragon Sin of Wrath. Do you have any last words?" Gilthunder questioned.

"The Sins what happened to them? You must have heard something, right? Where have the other ones gone?" Meliodas tone seemed to perfectly convey desperation and hopelessness, as if it truly was his dying wish to learn the truth.

Ruby glanced at Gilthunder. Did he suspect anything? Would he give the information? To her further surprise he even went as far as to sheath his sword. Considering both her and Diane were still present and able to fight, the fact he was putting his weapon away was baffling.

"Very well, I'll tell you. Of the remaining five, four are still at large, but one has been dealt with. The Fox Sin of Greed is being kept under tight security at Baste Prison."

"Thank you." Meliodas seemed to close his eyes, about to die at peace before he yelled "awesome, little Gil," jumping to his feet as he did so.

"Baste Prison huh? Honestly, I was hoping you had more information, but oh well. I'll be sure to check it out." Meliodas shrugged.

"So that was it. You wish to know your comrades whereabouts. So, you allowed me to strike you down, right?" For someone who had supposedly been tricked, Gilthunder was remarkably calm about what happened. He still hadn't even drawn his sword! Ruby felt like there was more going on then she knew.

"I think not." Gilthunder responded, finally drawing his sword and attacking. This battle was much more onsided, Meliodas dodging Gilthunder with ease, and then Diane literally picked up Gilthunder and threw him out of the forest.

"Nice throw, that brace is ruined though." Meliodas said to Diane, noting that the brace on her left arm had been torn to shreds by Gilthunder's lightning when she had picked him up, causing her to groan in disappointment.

"Meliodas, are you ok." Ruby asked seeing the blood pouring down the wound on his shoulder, staining his clothes.

"Oh this. It'll be fine. Anyway, let's get back to the others. They are probably wondering what's taking us so long."

Line Break

"Don't bother trying to break out of those cuffs, they are made to suppress one's aura and semblance, you won't escape." One of the Liones huntsmen who had ambushed and captured them told them, a short man with blue hair, wielding a shotgun-shortsword hybrid weapon, told them as they were tied up outside the entrance to the Boar Hat. His companion however was dressed in complete plate armour, covering his entire body, like you would expect a huntsman to wear in medieval times, and his weapons of choice, seemed to be a pair of overgrown rattle instruments that were lined with gravity dust. Despite his stupid appearance, he had proven to be formidable opponent.

Jaune, Ren and Nora glared at the two huntsmen who had defeated and captured them. The roly-poly one had somehow used the gravity dust in his weapons, to increase the gravity in a certain location, leaving team JNR completely immobilised, while the other huntsman had proceeded to use ice dust to trap them in that location and then proceeded to relieve them of their weapons and slap aura suppressing handcuffs on them.

For the rookie team of huntsmen, it was humiliating just how quickly they had been defeated by the two Liones huntsmen. 'Is this the difference between a fully graduated huntsmen and ones who should still be in the academy?' Jaune wondered to himself.

"Why are you doing this? We have done nothing wrong?" Ren questioned calmly, no doubt using his semblance to maintain calm in this situation.

"Besides working with a criminal wanted for attempting a military coup." The 'roly-poly' huntsman responded, his voice revealing that it was a man beneath the armour.

"What's it to you, roly-poly." Nora yelled angrily, thrashing as she tried to break free from the handcuffs.

"Who are you calling a roly-poly you criminal." The man yelled angrily.

"Calm down Marmas, she's just trying to wind you up." The other huntsman scolded, giving a name to roly-poly.

"But why are you doing this to us? We haven't done anything wrong." Jaune objected, struggling with his handcuffs.

"You don't call collaborating with a wanted criminal questionable?" The other, still unnamed huntsman scoffed. "We also have video footage of you attacking soldiers from Liones in the town of Vanya, so don't act innocent."

"Those soldiers were harassing those people." Jaune yelled at the huntsmen.

"Vicious slander." Marmas sneered, though the armour hid his face, Jaune could practically hear the sneer in his voice.

"It's not slander if it's true." Ren responded, and though he looked calm, Jaune could tell his friend was angry.

"Why you-"

"Marmas." The huntsmen yelled, clearly annoyed. "Don't bother responding to the prisoners."

"But Gustaf."

"Just don't. Once we hear back from Gilthunder we'll begin transporting them back to the capital. Till then keep quiet and pay attention to our surroundings."

"You should listen to your own advice." A voice snarked. Before the two Liones huntsman had a chance to turn around a man with a massive sword slammed it onto the ground, no doubt using his aura to enhance his strength as the ground shook, forcing Marmas and Gustaf to stumble.

Jaune looked at the man in shock, recognising him as Ruby and Yang's uncle Qrow Branwen, who Team JNPR had briefly met prior to the Fall of Beacon. Jaune hadn't really known what to think of the man, both Ruby and Yang had described him as an elite huntsman and Weiss had complained about him attacking her sister, but the man had the appearance of a scruffy drunk, not what you would expect from a supposedly elite huntsman, so yeah a pretty mixed response to the man.

But this supposed drunk was now their only hope if Ruby and Meliodas did not arrive soon, so Jaune prayed that Ruby had not exaggerated her uncle's skills.

"Mr Branwen, Marmas's rattles manipulate gravity dust, allowing him to increase the gravity in a specific location." Jaune called out when he saw the man raise his rattles to attack.

"Thanks for the tip squirt." The man called back as he rolled away from a shotgun blast from Gustaf and went on the offensive against Marmas, guessing that the man specialised in ranged combat, and close quarters wasn't to his style. Qrow was quickly proven right as he managed to disarm the man of his rattles.

However, the proceeding attacks failed to pierce his armour, even without the man using his aura for protection. 'So that's why he wears such bulky armour, it means he doesn't need to rely on aura for protection, allowing to focus primarily on attack.' Qrow realised after his third hit with his sword managed to scratch the armour but did no harm to the person underneath. Backing away from Marmas, focused all his attention Gustaf.

The huntsman from Liones was good, but Qrow was stronger, faster, more experienced and simply put the better fighter. Though he put up a better fight then Marmas, Gustaf was quickly disarmed and two more attacks from his sword completely knocking out his aura, and with an aura infused kick to the stomach, Qrow kicked him next to his teammate.

"Why you, you fiend." Marmas growled out.

"You are disarmed, and your friend's aura has been destroyed. You are incapable of fighting, now leave while you still can." Qrow ordered them.

"Marmas, we should retreat. We can't beat him." Gustaf told his comrade. Not wasting a moment, the two of them retreated, with Qrow using his sword to destroy aura dampening cuffs on them.

"Was letting them go a good idea?" Ren questioned.

"We are currently in hostile territory in Liones, where would we imprison them? Besides I'd rather not kill any Liones huntsmen unless it is absolutely necessary. Best the let them retreat and lick their wounds while we use the chance to retreat. Now you three, perhaps you can tell me where my niece is." Qrow demanded.

Line Break

"Uncle Qrow." Ruby yelled rushing to the man in a hug. Ruby, Meliodas, Hawk and Diane had exited the Forest of White Dreams to find Team JNR still guarding the Boar Hat, but they had been surprised to find someone else with them.

"Good to see you too pipsqueak." Qrow responded hugging his niece back.

"What are doing here?" Ruby asked, beyond pleased to see her uncle.

"He's been tracking us for a while. Apparently since we left Beacon." Jaune grumbled more then slightly annoyed.

"Wait what?" Ruby questioned looking at her uncle. "Is that true?"

"Well, its not like I've been following you every day, I have had my own business to do. But when I had the chance, yes." Qrow admitted.

"Anyway, these two Liones huntsman attacked us. If it hadn't been for Qrow, things might have gone badly." Ren spoke.

"Are you guys, ok?" Meliodas asked them.

"Forget about us what happened to you?" Nora asked looking at the blood on Meliodas' clothes.

"Oh we were attacked as well. But honestly this looks worse than it is." Meliodas reassured them, completely unbothered by his injuries. "Anyway, time for introductions. This is my teammate Diane, the Serpent Sin of Envy. Diane this is Jaune, Ren, Nora and Qrow."

"Real pleasure." Diane spoke, but the flatness in her tone made it clear that she didn't mean that.

"Ren, Ren, look a giant another giant. It's been years since we saw a giant, we haven't seen one since we were kids." Nora excitedly pulled on her partner's arm.

"Yes Nora, it has been a long time." Ren responded, a lot less shocked at the sight of Diane then Jaune was, or Ruby herself had been.

Before anyone could blink Nora was at the base of Diane's feet waving happily at the giantess. "Hello nice to meet you, I'm Nora Valkyrie. You're the second giant I've met. Ooh can you pick me up, the other giant I met picked me. I can ride on your shoulders, or you can give me a piggyback. Or better yet, I'll give you a piggyback. Bet no human has ever given a giant a piggyback ride, I will go down in HISTORY."

Diane blinked once, then again and resisted the urge to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. 'Was this human insane?' she wondered. "I don't think you're strong enough to give me a piggyback ride." Diane finally managed to respond.

"Aww too bad," Nora sulked, holding her head down.

After introductions the lot of them went inside the Boar Hat for food, all of them feeling quite hungry at this point. Luckily Ren had already prepared food beforehand, so everything was ready, and they didn't have to risk stomaching Meliodas' cooking. Though when they asked about what Diane would eat, not sure how much food a giant required, she had told them she had already eaten. Though they all noticed the looks she was giving Hawk, and the way the pig was hiding behind Ruby.

"Well, I'm going to go get changed." Ruby said as she started walking up the stairs, with Nora quickly following her, saying she needed the toilet. But as Nora followed Ruby up the stairs, she noticed something when Ruby's skirt shifted from the movement. 'Don't tell me she's…'

"Ruby why aren't you wearing underwear?!" It wasn't until the words left her mouth that Nora realised, she has spoken a bit louder then she had intended, with the looks of shock Jaune, Ren and Qrow were all giving them. Meliodas was behind the bar whistling away unbothered, while Hawk was grumbling about perverts. Diane had crouched down outside the Boar Hat and was looking through the window. In fact, the old crow looked ready to burst a blood vessel and didn't waste any time drinking from his flask, wanting to forget what he had just learnt.

"Gee thanks Nora." Ruby blushed at the looks everyone gave her, while Nora looked a little abashed. Honestly with everything that had happened between meeting Diane, Gilthunder, seeing her uncle again, learning her friends had been attacked, the fact that her panties had been destroyed had been forgotten.

"Why would she wear underwear anyway. Honestly, you humans are such prudes, giants never wear underwear." Diane remarked loudly, not getting why the fact the girl in red not wearing any panties was apparently a big deal. Jaune, Ren and Nora only blushed even more when they realised that Ruby was not the only one going commando.

"I- I- I'm going to go get changed." Ruby spoke, her face as red as her cloak as she used her semblance to rush up the stairs.

Line Break

Meliodas frowned as he looked at the man. He knew Qrow Branwen by reputation, an elite huntsman from the kingdom of Vale, but this was the first time he had met the man in person. But what caught Meliodas' attention was the fact he could sense magic from him. It was faint and weak, but it was there. Which in itself was an anomaly, humans in general did not have magic, granted there were exceptions, but he hadn't thought that this man would be one.

It made Meliodas wonder what Qrow was capable of, the magic itself was weak, but that didn't mean he should be underestimated. And he knew that the man didn't trust him, the glances he kept sending his way and Diane's combined with the fact his sword was constantly within reach to be drawn at a moment's notice was proof of that. Though he hoped the man didn't try anything, Diane was tense enough surrounded by humans she didn't trust and if the man reached for his weapon his friend would not hesitate to retaliate with lethal force.

Ruby had been overjoyed to see her honorary uncle, but he had noticed that Jaune, Ren and Nora had been more on edge around the man, which from the current discussion had quickly been revealed to be about their deceased teammate Pyrrha Nikos and what had truly happened in the Fall of Beacon, something Meliodas himself was curious about. Salem had obviously made a move, but he did not know exactly what she was after, or if she had succeeded in her goals.

They were all sitting around a campfire outside the Boar Hat, having retreated beyond the Forest of White Dreams to avoid any more huntsmen from tracking them. Little Gil and the two huntsmen he had brought with him had been forced to retreat but there was telling that they wouldn't arrive with more allies. This was the first chance they had the sit down and rest, while they planned the next move.

Meliodas could see them all wearily eyeing Diane, for many of them this was probably the first time they had ever seen a giant. Diane was also tense, eyeing the humans wearily with a frown on her face as she glared at them, almost daring any to try or say anything towards her.

"Not many people are super religious these days, and over the centuries people have come up with all types of gods but if you believe Ozpin five of them are real." Qrow began explaining. Clearly not a run of the mill huntsman if Ozma had told him about the true history of Remnant. He could see Diane's growing interest despite herself, along with the interest of their human companions.

Qrow had already explained about the Maidens, and how they were among the few humans capable of using magic without dust, and how they were chosen. Meliodas and Diane had both stayed mostly silent as Qrow explained what had happened at Beacon, and why their friend Pyrrha had died. He could see that it was hard for the group to process, it wasn't every day that your understanding of the world was pretty much turned upside down. Especially as Qrow explained the silver eyes. Of course, Ruby did not have normal silver eyes, but the group didn't know that.

The news was worrying to say the least. Over the centuries no one had ever been able to steal a Maidens power before, and it was worrying. Were there any drawbacks to stealing the power rather then being chosen? Could anyone, man or even another race inherit the powers? Lots of new questions that made Meliodas wish Merlin was present. She was always more knowledgeable than him in matters regarding magic.

"Five of them?" Nora questioned, not doubt thinking of various myths, legends and religions, trying to work out which five were actually real.

"The Demon King, the Supreme Deity, The God of Animals, The God of Light and the God of Darkness." Meliodas answered, drawing attention to him when he saw Qrow looking a little hesitant to answer. Ozma had always been secretive, a trait he had encouraged into his followers. He saw Qrow frown, whether out of annoyance or because Meliodas had interrupted him, he didn't know.

"But aren't the Demon King and God of Darkness the same thing? And the Supreme Deity and God of Light?" Jaune questioned.

"Similar but they are different beings. It would be more accurate to say the Supreme Deity and the Demon King are kin to Gods of Light and Darkness due to the similarity in their powers." Meliodas answered.

"It's said that the gods created the races of Remnant to embody the traits they found desirable, and the last race to be created was humanity, which was the combined work of the Gods of Light and Darkness, embodying the four traits they found most desirable; creation, destruction, choice and knowledge." Qrow continued his explanation.

"Pretty arrogant, all the races have those traits." Diane sneered. With rare exceptions Diane did not like humans, even when they served as huntsmen of Liones, many had looked down on Diane as a giant and she had been more than happy to return the disdain.

Qrow nodded in agreement but decided to point out. "Indeed, it's difficult to tell if all races always were like that though or whether they were different earlier in their creation. Anyway, its more accurate to say that outside of Faunus who were said to be creations of the God of Animals and Humans who were the perfect mix of each trait, all the remaining four Races are more predisposed to a certain trait."

Meliodas interrupted again, making Qrow give him an annoyed look, which was honestly only encouraging him to continue. The looks were quite amusing.

"The Giants who possess a close bond to the earth in their desired image are masters of Creation. The Goddess Clan value Knowledge in any forms and desire to keep it save as much as possible. The Fairies embody Choice as they are very much a free-spirited race who mainly do what they enjoy and when they are restricted, they tend to become moody and unhappy. Finally, the Demons represent Destruction, but not like the Grimm and more instead in how natures cycle works, as the Demons believe that anything that doesn´t change is basically just dead, even if it might not look like it at first glance."

It was an oversimplified explanation of the races of Remnant, but a fairly accurate one.

"But where do the grimm take place in all this? What God created them." Ruby asked curious about the creatures that had plagued Remnant since the dawn of time.

"Not only that but aren't demons and goddesses a myth? I mean next thing you'll say the holy war actually happened." Nora spoke with a laugh but when she saw the looks Meliodas, Qrow and Diane, all gave her she grew silent. "Wait your saying that they are real, that the mythical war really did happen!" She exclaimed.

"Well after thousands of years it's hard to say how accurate the stories are, but yes, the war did happen and the demons and goddesses do exist, or rather did exist. As for your question Ruby, the creatures of grimm were created by God of Darkness, for seemingly no purpose then to prey on the other races." Qrow answered.

"But what does this have to do with the fall of Beacon?" Ren asked.

"Because these traits; knowledge, creation, choice, and destruction aren't just metaphorical. They exist in the form of relics, left behind by the gods before they abandoned Remnant. And if someone was able to collect all four, it's said they be able to remake the world as they see fit. The huntsman academies of Vale, Vacuo, Atlas and Mistral were created to act as a fortress to protect the relics. Not only would they be easier to defend, but they'd be constantly surrounded by trained warriors. And of course to prevent people from misusing the relics and keeping them out of her reach."

"Her?" Hawk asked curiously, the pig having remained mostly silent during the discussions as he recovered from the injuries Gilthunder had inflicted on him, plus Diane's short attempt to cook him.

"The queen of the grimm, that's who you're referring to isn't it? The witch Salem. There are stories told about her amongst the giants. They aren't pleasant, never met her personally but she is not a woman to cross." Diane explained. The giants and fairies, due to having a much longer lifespan then humans, both races easily being able to live for centuries, were more aware of Salem then humans and faunus.

"The queen of the grimm?" Ruby asked.

"As good a title as any, since by all accounts Salem is indeed able to control the grimm. And now she is after the relics hidden in the academies." Qrow continued.

"Four relics, but five academies." Jaune brought up. "What does Liones protect?" Jaune asked, but the question was directed to the two former Liones hunters rather than Qrow.

"The Coffin of Eternal Darkness." Or most of it anyway. "At the end of the holy war, the Goddess clan sacrificed itself to lock the demon clan away. But as with every prison there is a key, and that key is the Coffin of Eternal Darkness. If someone were to get hold of the Coffin, then they could use to release the demon clan and the holy war would begin anew." Meliodas explained.

Everyone shivered at that, the prospect of war, especially against the demon clan was not something anyone wanted to consider. It was not without good reason, legions upon legions of demons all having ample reasons to despise the races of Remnant and this time without any of the goddess clan to counter them, it would be a catastrophe for all of Remnant. And unlike the creatures of grimm, demons were sentient and powerful, they would overrun the kingdoms.

"And that's another thing to be concerned about." Qrow grumbled. "There have been a lot of rumours coming from Liones, apparently the academy there has been graduating huntsmen at an alarming, almost unprecedented rate."

"There's also been increased military spending and rearmament over the last decade." Meliodas added. Being a bar owner was a very useful profession for gathering information, and it had allowed him to keep tabs on the affairs going on in the kingdom. "But at the moment Salem is arguably a bigger problem. The attack on Beacon was direct and destructive, far different from her usual working from the shadows methods. If Salem is acting directly, we have cause to be concerned, especially since she has already sent one of her lackeys after Ruby."

"Ok and what is up with my eyes, why are they special? Why does Salem want me?" Ruby demanded.

"Because silver eyes are remnants of the goddess clans' power." Meliodas answered. "During the Holy War, the goddess clan blessed several human and faunus, gave them the ability to utilise the power of ark, the ability of their clan through their eyes. The trait was then passed down onto their descendants. As for why Salem is after you, honestly, I have no idea." Meliodas sighed. The thought of Salem after Ruby was a worrying thought. Did Salem know about her, about Elizabeth? Or simply for the power of the silver eyes? Lots of questions but no answers.

"So Ruby is part goddess!" Nora questioned.

"Not quite, she just might have some of their powers." Qrow answered.

"And what do my eyes even do?" Ruby questioned with doubt and even a bit of fear in her voice. It wasn't every day you found out you had a power that you never knew about, or any concept on how to use or control it. Or that a witch that controlled the grimm was after you.

"Technically they can be used against grimm and even demons, but there have been occasions of some silver eyed warriors developing further powers. It all depends on the user and how experienced they are." Meliodas answered. Granted Ruby wasn't a normal silver eye wielder, but the abilities were pretty much the same.

"So what are we all going to do now?" Ren asked. "We had planned on heading to Mistral, and Meliodas agreed to help us if we help him find his teammates."

"We have a lead on one of the Sins. Ban the Fox Sin is currently held in Baste prison. Once we free him we can head to Mistral and find out what Salem is up to in that kingdom, because letting her get her hands on the relics is not an option." Meliodas declared.

"Look, I don't know what we might find in Mistral, and an extra Sin would be of great help. But we must assume that the only reason they haven't killed your teammate is for the purpose of using him as bait." Qrow analysed.

"Yep, most likely." Diane agreed remarkably cheerful, knowing that Ban would be alright no matter what.

"And you don't need to worry about them killing Ban, he's tougher than most people think." Meliodas added, him and Diane sharing a private grin. The Sins had always gotten a kick out seeing people's reactions to Ban's immortality, and something told Meliodas that these people's reactions would be especially amusing.

"So how are we going to free him?" Ruby asked.

"Well if this flying pig is as fast as you claim…" Qrow began.

"Which mama is." Hawk interjected, earning a glare from Qrow.

"Then we can get to Baste in less than a day, hopefully before more soldiers and huntsman from Liones can reinforce the prison. Now giants don't exactly blend in so as soon as they see Diane they'll no doubt come out in force to apprehend her." Qrow theorised.

"In turn leaving the prison defenceless." Jaune stated excitedly.

"Exactly, or at least less defended."

"But that still leaves sneaking in and freeing Ban." Diane objected, only to cause Qrow to smirk.

"Let's just say I have a way of sneaking in undetected." The knowing grin on his face made Meliodas smirk in return. He wondered if the man's certainty about being able to sneak into Baste prison undetected had something to do with the magic Meliodas sensed emanating from him. Or maybe Qrow was just that skilled.

Meliodas was impressed it was a risky and daring strategy, but it could work. "Well then, what are we waiting for, we better get a move on."

Line Break

As it turned out Meliodas' injuries were actually a lot worse then they had realised and he had collapsed almost as soon as they had arrived at Dalmally, a town near Baste prison. Finding a doctor had been much easier said then done, in part because small towns like this, far away from a kingdoms capital and cities, rarely had hospitals, and more often then not simply had a few skilled doctors who did what they could with the supplies that they had.

The presence of a giant might not have helped in trying to find a doctor, but luckily a doctor Dana greeted them and took them to his clinic, that also doubled as his home where he proceeded to treat Meliodas. Meliodas was taken to a small, private room with bandages wrapped around his upper body and shoulder.

"This mediecial blend is my own special concoction." Dana informed them as he began pouring it down Meliodas throat. "I guarantee it will ease his suffering."

"Thank you, Dr Dana." Ruby told him relieved.

"Based on his injuries, it's a miracle that he's still alive, and I'm baffled by the fact that he his aura isn't speeding up the healing process." Dana admitted with some surprise. "In addition to the sword wounds, I'd also say that has been exposed to lightning dust considering his burns. How did he get these injuries?"

Meliodas' aura should have blocked most of Gilthunder's attack, and healed what it didn't, but that wasn't the case. In truth Ruby hadn't seen Meliodas use his aura or semblance at any point. "We were attacked by bandits while travelling." Ruby answered the question, while not adding her thoughts about Meliodas's aura.

They decide to leave Meliodas at the clinic, with RNJR, Hawk and Diane exploring the town. Most people give them a wide bearth, or more accurately Diane, but no one had tried or said anything. Probably not wanting to anger a giant and risk her flattening the town in a temper tantrum.

"Is that a cloud." Ren pointed out in the distance, near Baste prison that was heading rapidally in the direction of Dalmally, where they all were.

Ruby looked through the scope of her sniper and saw what it was. "Insects their all insects." She spoke.

"Not just insects. It's a whole swarm of poisonous insects." Hawk warned.

Poisonious insects that apparently spit acid rain, began attacking the town, forcing everyone to try to find cover. Ruby and Ren, both having guns used their weapons to try to shoot the insects and prevent them from causing too much damage to the town, while Jaune and Nora tried to lead people to safety away from the town centre.

But shooting the insects was easier said then done, considering their small size and how fast they moved.

"Damn this must be an attack from Baste prison. Diane you have to do something." Hawk yelled at the giant, who was completely motionless.

"Ahh. Bugs are the one thing I can't stand." Diane yelled as she crouched down, causing everyone to look at her in shock. It seemed almost baffling that a massive giant, easily a million times the size of these bugs could possibly be scared of them.

"At this rate their going to destroy the town." Nora yelled. Most of the people had already fled, and all of RNJR had their aura active, but while that protected them from the damage, it would still drain their aura if the fight continued.

"And the clinic where Meliodas is." Ruby realised, currently unconscious and completely defenceless.

But if nothing else, her words appeared to knock Diane out of her fear induced by the insects. "I might hate bugs, but if it means helping the captain, then I won't let anything get in my way." Diane declared as she threw her arm into the air, the motion followed by dozens of pillars rising from the earth, slamming into the bugs with enough force and speed to kill them all.

"So this is the power of giants." Jaune spoke with awe as they watched the rising pillars that had destroyed the poisonous bugs attacking the town.

"Do all giants have this power?" Ruby wondered.

"Supposedly, but this is the first time I've ever seen it in person." Ren responded to the question.

Diane turned to face the four humans, in truth she couldn't stand the sight of them, especially the one in red that the captain seemed to be crushing on. Well so far, the plan that the drunken human had suggested appeared to be working, the hunters and soldiers from Baste had noticed them and had attacked, unfortunately their little plan hadn't accounted for Meliodas being injured. And in his injured state, they couldn't afford to leave him alone, but at the same time, Diane needed to deal with these hunters and soldiers, and she would rather not have to fight them all alone. The older human, if his plan had worked, was likely already infiltrated the prison and working to free Ban, but that meant her only backup would be these kids.

'Great,' Diane thought sarcastically, breathing heavily despite herself. Using her powers of Creation so extensively without Gideon was much more draining than she would have liked. "Ok humans, listen up. Jaune, Ren and Nora are coming with me to deal with the hunters and any other soldiers that are here. You Ruby are staying to protect the captain."

"Wait. I can't just—" Ruby began objecting before Diane interrupted.

"The captain is unconscious and defenceless. I am choosing to trust you to protect him, don't make me regret that." 'Or else,' wasn't spoken but the human had clearly heard it anyway.

"Ok, I'll look after Meliodas." Ruby answered, trying not to wilt in the face of Diane's glare.

"You better," Diane warned. "Now you three with me."

Line Break

"So who do you think will win? The Weird Fangs or the Seven Deadly Sins? They're fighting right now." One of two guards standing outside a massive steel door, that kept the only prisoner in Baste concealed.

"That's not much of a bet. From what I heard, the Sins are just down to their Captain, one other member and a couple of brats from Beacon Academy who aren't even official huntsmen yet. They're no match for four active-duty huntsmen, especially with all the other troops at Baste. So-"

"WELL, THAT'S AWESOME NEWS. Sounds like it ought a be fun!" A bellowing voice drew the attention of the two guards as they looked towards the steel, a massive banging sound drew their attention as they saw a literal foot imprint through the steel door as it proceeded to collapse to the floor, the force of the kick breaking it from its hinges.

Both guards jumped away from the door, seeing the prisoner walking out of the cell. The man's arms and legs were dripping blood from where the chains had held him imprisoned and from spikes that had been driven into his limbs, two still lodged into his arm and leg, blood dripping from his wounds. He also had long hair and scraggly beard, having not shaved since she was first imprisoned five years ago. There was also a massive odour coming from the man who hadn't bathed since being imprisoned.

"It feels so good to walk around after all this time!" The prisoner declared, stretching his back, making it click loudly.

"The Seven Deadly Sins, Ban. The Fox Sin!" One of the prisoners exclaimed in fear.

"Damn you, how did you get out of there?" The other guard demanded as they both readied their weapons, pointing their guns at Ban who was completely unbothered by the weapons pointed at.

"Isn't it obvious, I kicked the door down. And as for why, well you happened to mention something very interesting. You mentioned he was alive, our captain." Ban responded as he pulled the remaining spikes from his body, not showing any sign of pain as removed the sharp spikes from his limbs, causing blood to spurt from the wounds.

That more than anything seemed to kill the fight in the two guards. Fighting someone who was completely unaffected by his wounds or half a decade of imprisonment and starvation was not on the agenda, and the two looked almost a second away from bolting.

"Well, isn't this interesting." A voice called out drawing all their attention, where they saw a man dressed in a buttoned shirt with a torn red cape, holding a massive sword in one hand. "Here I am sneaking in to free you, only for you to do it yourself. Talk about wasted effort." The man grumbled as he took a flask from his pocket and proceeded to guzzle some down, despite the situation, to the bafflement of the guards and the amusement of Ban.

"So, I'm guessing you're with the captain." Ban stated rather then asked. Over the last few years, he had grown very familiar with all the hunters and huntresses located at Baste prison and this man was not one of them. His accept was also not Liones, sounding more Vale in origin making it unlikely he was reinforcements from the capital.

"Yep. He and your teammate Diane are causing a nice little distraction to get all the soldiers out of the prison. Amateurs, they fell for the bait hook, line and sinker." Qrow grumbled, almost insulted at how easily the Liones hunters had fallen for they trap they had cooked up.

The two guards were even more unnerved by what was happening, taking on Ban had certainly not been on their plan for the day, never mind another unknown huntsman helping him. "What is going on here?" Another different voice called out.

Drawing their attention they saw a young girl, probably around seventeen walking towards them, a sword at her side, wearing armour in the style of the Liones kingdom. She looked like someone who was either in her first year at the academy, or due to start in the upcoming year. To her credit though she looked much braver then the two guards.

"Uh… Jericho?" one of the guards exclaimed at the sight of her.

"You should return to your cell, Seven Deadly Sin." The girl warned Ban, before turning her attention towards Qrow. "And you should throw down your weapon while you still have a chance."

Qrow snorted in response. "No thanks girl, kind if beets the purpose of coming here after all."

"What he said." Ban added.

"Very well, you two report to the huntsman Jude that I was forced to execute both the Seven Deadly Sin and the intruder." The girl declared.

Qrow blinked in surprise. Was this girl really that arrogant? She didn't look any older than Yang yet she thought herself capable of taking on both himself and one of the Seven Deadly Sins! Either way, the two guards did not waste any time before they bolted to the end of the corridor, away from the upcoming fight. 'Damn, Liones soldiers are really low quality,' Qrow thought with exasperation. If this was the standard for the average Liones soldier, then he truly feared for the future of the kingdom. Either that or the kingdom had been scraping the bottom of the barrel when it came to finding guards for this prison. Which was very suspicious, you'd think the guards at the prison containing one of the kingdoms most wanted criminals, would be filled with the best, but that was not the case.

The girl Jericho rushed forward with a sword at Ban, making doing have a dozen swings and slashes. Qrow was impressed, that took skill. Not with the girl but with the Sin, dodging every last one of those attacks, and leaving the girl unaware of it was an impressive feat.

"Your turn now." Jericho declared pointing her sword towards the intruder, who simply snorted as he continued drinking his flask, completely unbothered by the threat she posed.

"Listen sweatpea you really want to put that sword down," Qrow told her, only for him to duck from a sword slash from the now enraged girl.

"What did you call me?" Jericho snarled, ready to slice the man to ribbons before a voice behind her called her attention.

"You got some real talent kid; you could be a barber." A voice doled out, causing her to look back and see that Ban was still standing. On the contrary the man didn't have a single injury, and the only affect Jericho's sword seemed to have had was in cutting him his beard and shortening his hair.

"So I'm guessing your title 'undead Ban' is not just for show." Qrow stated as he stared at the man, every last one of his injuries healed, not leaving a single scar. In fact, the only injury he seemed to have was running alongside the left side of his neck up to the bottom of his jaw and cheek. Though he was curious about how his healing worked. A type of healing semblance? Or was it something else?

"Something like that." Ban laughed.

Jericho now looked back and forth between the two, feeling a growing sense of dread. "But how? Your body was pierced by spikes and covered in injuries." She demanded, hoping to mask her fear but by the smirks on the two men's faces she wasn't successful.

"Injuries, what injuries?" Ban asked mockingly as he raised his arms and did an overly mocking look over his body.

"Bu-but how?" Jericho asked trembling as she backed away slightly, the realisation having completely sunk in how much trouble she was in.

"It'd be good if you remember this, kid. There's only one wound on me… and it's this one right here, got it?" Ban stated, pointing to the scar along his neck. "So, you could say that injuries I get from that guy are kind of a special case, I guess."

To Jericho's credit, the girl was no coward, even if hopelessly outmatched. She rushed at Ban with her sword raised, unfortunately for her, this time Ban was in no mood to entertain her attacks. Because the girl could blink Ban's hand around her throat and then he proceeded to slam her into the wall, the force knocking out her aura.

"If you're going to kill me just do it." Jericho spat, refusing to give him to satisfaction of begging.

"You know what, barber?" Ban spoke as he brought Jericho to eye-level. "That's nice-looking armour you got on you. But I just don't think it's your style."

"Is that really necessary?" Qrow exclaimed as he watched the Sin strip the girl Jericho down to her underwear, avoiding his eyes. Honestly were all the Sins just massive perverts! He still hadn't forgiven or forgotten the fact that Meliodas had stolen Ruby's underwear!

"Hey, I can hardly walk around half naked after all." Ban responded, leaving the blushing and sputtering girl huddled on the floor, using her arms to cover her breasts and crossing her legs.

Angrily grunting Qrow pulled off his torn cape and threw it at Jericho, who quickly wrapped the cloak around herself. The girl was angry and embarrassed, though did let out a small sigh of release, even as she glared hatefully at him and Ban's retreating back. "Sorry about that kid. Though count your lucky stars that he only removed your clothes and not your underwear or tried raping and killing you." Qrow warned her, because the situation could really have gone much worse.

"Damn I knew it wouldn't fit. Shame I really dug it too." Ban grumbled, having dropped the last pieces of armour onto the floor.

"Considering your nearly seven feet tall, and the armour was made for a girl nearly two feet shorter than you, there'd be something wrong if it fit you." Qrow grumbled, still annoyed about the man stripping the girl Jericho.

"Eh what can I say, barber girl had style if nothing else." Ban responded as just that moment a loud alarm blared, no doubt alerting the entirety of the prison of their actions.

"Looks like they finally noticed us, took them long enough. Honestly are the guards here incompetent or did the others simply draw out all the skilled ones." Qrow muttered in annoyance.

Ban simply laughed in response. "There's a reason most guards are incompetent. Baste prison is not meant to exist. It's one of those dirty little places, where dirty, off the book, jobs are handled. So to avoid detection from the authorities, those in charge are using those who are considered expendable. Those not able to get into the huntsman academy, or dropouts from smaller combat schools. People not on the system, that no one would notice. Basically, the bottom of the barrel. And because this place doesn't exist, most people except the higher ups in the kingdom, weren't even aware I was here." Ban explained.

"'Bottom of the barrel' Fox Sin Ban." An ominous sounding voice spoke from further down the corridor, as a man wearing armour, and a helmet in the shape of spiked vines, covering his face. "If we are truly the bottom of the barrel then what does that say about you, the Seven Deadly Sin who was captured by us?"

"Hey what's up huntsman Jude?" Ban called back, almost cheerful if it wasn't for the bloodthirsty grin on his face.

"I've come to destroy you, along with this rogue who is helping you." Jude declared as he stalked towards them.

Qrow held his sword at the ready for the upcoming fight before Ban stopped him with a raised arm. "Stay out of this mate, this is personal." Ban spoke stepping forward. "So, you want to off me, after all this time."

"You have no further use to us, you have already served as bait to draw out the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins. Even at this very moment, Dragon Sin Meliodas and Serpent Sin Diane, are being eliminated. And when I'm finished with you, that would bring the total to four Sins who no longer live to wreak havoc on this world."

The fight between the two did not last a second before Jude shoved a knife through the man's heart. Qrow readied his sword to fight but before he could attack, Ban pulled out the knife, unbothered by the fatal wound on his chest. Qrow watched wide eyed as the wound healed.

"You wanted to know how you able to capture me so easily?" Ban asked as he pushed Jude into the wall, pushing the man's dagger through both his armour and breaking his aura with ease. "It's because back then I was in mood for some pain, but I'm over it now, and with the captain gathering the team again, well things are going to be fun."

"Are you going to continue your plans to overthrow the kingdom?" Jude gasped, as blood began pouring from his wound as Ban continued to drive the blade even deeper towards his heart.

"'Overthrow the kingdom,' I remember something about that. Sounds exited." Ban mocked as he drove the knife deeper, until the huntsman died.

"So, I'm guessing it's not a healing semblance." Qrow spoke, still struggling to come to terms with what he had seen and just happened.

"Lets just say my healing was a gift." Ban responded and his tone of voice made it clear he would not say any more. "Now lets get out of here."

Line Break

Ruby returned to Dr Dana's clinic where they had kept Meliodas who was still unconscious, something Hawk couldn't help but remark on. "Can you believe this guy is still out cold even after all that racket outside?"

A knocking at the door, drew her attention to Dr Dana who entered the room. "Dr Dana, you stayed in town?" Ruby asked, surprised and a little impressed.

"Well, I can hardly abandon my patients now, can I?" Dana responded with a kind smile, which Ruby returned. "How is he?"

"Better it seems, he doesn't have a fever and it looks like his wounds have stopped bleeding. Whatever medicine you gave him has him sleeping it all off." Ruby answered.

"Yeah, it's almost like he's dead or something." Hawk muttered in response.

"Hawk don't say stuff like that." Ruby scolded the pig.

"In fact… it's quite accurate." Dana stated, his voice notably colder and hostile, putting her and Hawk on edge.

"Doctor you've done well. It appears you were successful in your task." A voice called out, but Ruby couldn't see where it came from.

"Belladona, Spanish fly, nightshade, and henbane were all ingredients that I used to create the poison. My condolences, but this boy will never wake again." Dana said in a monotone voice.

Ruby didn't another second before deploying Crescent Rose, pointing the blade at the Doctor. "The antidote. Now." Ruby ordered coldly.

"Hahahaha. You're a bold one girl." The same voice spoke before a man appeared out of thin air. "I am Golgius, a member of the Weird Fangs."

At the sight of the armoured man, Ruby didn't waste a second before swinging Crescent Rose and swinging it at the man, who quickly brought up a thick bladed short sword to block the attack. "Well, that's an awfully large weapon for such an adorable little girl." Golgius responded as he immediately vanished.

Ruby blinked in surprise and kept her guard up, looking around the room to try to find where the man had disappeared off to. She later saw him in the reflection in the blade of her weapon and quickly turned around to face the huntsman.

"A teleportation semblance?" Ruby theorised as she brought up her weapon to block his sword attack, then pulling the trigger and using the recoil to put some distance between them, only for the man to disappear again.

Ruby glanced at Meliodas who was unconscious on the bed, wrapped in bandages from his wounds, and apparently poisoned as well if what the man said was true. He needed medical assistance, actual medical assistance, not help from a phony doctor.

"Good guess." The man spoke, yet Ruby could not see where he was.

"Ruby behind you." Hawk warned as Ruby used her semblance to dart to the other side of the room. This was not good, Ruby's fighting style relied on a large amount of space to shoot around in and to wield Crescent Rose, a massive scythe, to its full potential, a tiny room like this was only hindering her ability to fight.

The man stood above Meliodas in his bed, holding his knife at the unconscious man's throat. In response Ruby pointed the sniper part at the man's head. The man chuckled in response. "Even if you did shoot me girl, my aura would protect me, and I would still slit his throat. So be a good girl and put that weapon down."

"Not a chance." Ruby responded but didn't shoot as the man kept his blade to Meliodas' throat.

"You got guts girl, but we both know you won't risk that shot." Golgius stated. "But luckily for you, you're not the one I'm after." Golgius then grabbed Meliodas' broken sword and only for Meliodas to keep hold of it, despite being injured, unconscious and poisoned. "Ugh it's mine now, you've no use for it." Golgius growled out.

"Performance issues." Ruby mocked, causing the man to growl at her. Only for Meliodas to sit up and knock the blade away from his throat.

"But that's impossible, he should be dead from that much poison." The corrupt doctor called out from the background.

"Too stubborn to die. But you will release this sword!" Golgius ordered.

"Even if I die, this sword is the one thing I'll never let go of." Meliodas declared as the air in the room became very heavy, to the point Ruby actually found it difficult to breath. "It's the only way I can ever atone."

"Spout whatever nonsense you wish; the weapon will still be mine." Golgius declared, only for the pressure in the room to increase rapidly, making everyone feel like they were about to be crushed.

Ruby shivered, feeling very cold, and she blinked rapidly, feeling an itchiness behind her eyes, before the feeling vanished as Golgius jumped out the window. 'Wha—what was that feeling?' Ruby shivered slightly as she approached Meliodas.

"He got away." Hawk said as he rushed to the window.

"Meliodas, are you ok?" Ruby asked breathing heavily.

"Yep I'm fine. Hey Ruby, hey porky." Meliodas greeted them. "So where are we?" he asked looking around the room.

"In the town of Dalmally, near Baste prison." Ruby answered.

"Who was that weirdo?"

"A huntsman who said his name was Golgius." Hawk answered. "He was after that broken sword of yours. That phony doctor was working with him."

It was then Ruby realised that the fake doctor had used the opportunity to escape as well. "Come on let's go after him." Hawk declared, trying to rush out the door before Ruby grabbed him by the ear.

"Wait Hawk, we can't just chase after him unprepared, that huntsman could have backup, and Meliodas is still injured." Ruby spoke.

"Ruby… that hurts!" Hawk whimpered, causing Ruby to let go and apologise, all the while Meliodas undid the bandages covering his wound.

"Looks ok now." Meliodas stated as he looked at the scab healing over the wound. It still hurt a bit, but nothing he couldn't handle.

"What, already?" Ruby spoke as she rushed over to inspect the injury, making sure it was ok and to her surprise it was. Ruby was no doctor, but first aid had been a compulsory course at Signal academy, and one of the main reasons they tried to find a doctor was because Meliodas' injuries had appeared to severe for their own limited skills and supplies.

Checking Meliodas' shoulder, Ruby's eyes couldn't help but trail down across his body, noticing his sixpack, becoming distracted by the sight as her eyes looked at his bare chest.

"What's with you? You're being really aggressive today, you know that?" Meliodas stated.

"Huh? Sorry I wasn't thinking." Ruby muttered with a blush as she pulled her hands back, realising how distracted she had gotten.

"It's not like I mind you feeling me up. You can touch me all you want." Meliodas declared with a shit eating grin as he put his hands on his hips and puffed his chest out, smirking when he saw Ruby's embarrassed but still hungry gaze turning towards his body.

"That's not what I was doing." Ruby muttered, but still decided to enjoy the sight before her.

"Just get dressed already you pervert." Hawk muttered in annoyance.

At Hawk's words Meliodas got dressed, with Ruby still watching. But despite Meliodas' pervy suggestions, she couldn't help but notice that Meliodas wasn't using any aura to speed up the healing process. In fact, now that Ruby thought about it, aura should have been able to block Gilthunder's attack in the first place but it hadn't, which meant Meliodas hadn't been using his aura. But the question was why not?

Once Meliodas was finished dressing their quickly entered the now abandoned town of Dalmally and managed to find Golgius who was strolling a street without a care in the world. "Got you." Meliodas declared as they stood across from him at the other end of the street.

"Impossible how did you find me?" Golgius asked.

"My nose can sniff out slop from a mile away, so you better not underestimate me." Hawk declared proudly, but Ruby couldn't help but frown slightly. You'd think a man who teleported wouldn't leave a trail to follow but he had, which was… curious.

"I'm going to have you give up the name of the person who ordered you to retrieve my sword. Otherwise, I'll have to beat you black and blue." Meliodas declared.

"Of course, I surrender." Golgius responded dramatically.

"You surrender?" Ruby asked sceptically. This man had attacked them, tried to kill them and steal Meliodas sword, and now he was surrendering! Just seemed a bit unlikely.

"Too be honest I'm pretty much a coward by nature. Fighting isn't really my style, especially when my adversary is the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins." Golgius dramatically raised his hands he spoke.

A flash in the air, and Meliodas raised his sword to block the two daggers that had been thrown. "I released those blades when I raised my hands. You could see them?" Golgius asked, grudgingly impressed, despite himself.

"My eyes can spot panties from a mile away, so you better not underestimate them." Meliodas responded, completely seriously, causing Ruby to roll her eyes.

"Seriously not the time." She muttered.

"Sir Golgius, I've been looking for you." The corrupt doctor, Dana called out from behind them, drawing everyone's attention.

Ruby frowned at the sight of the corrupt doctor, resisting the urge to shoot him with Crescent Rose. "Now I know I wasn't able to end the boy's life, all right? But I still poisoned him as I was told! A deal's a deal. Please return my daughter as promised." Dana begged the man.

"You kidnapped his daughter." Ruby gasped, anger turning to pity as she glared at Golgius who immediately disappeared.

"He said he had a teleportation semblance." Ruby informed Meliodas who nodded slightly, eyes darting around to find out where the man had gone.

"No need to shout, I shall reunite you with your daughter." Golgius declared, his voice coming from near the doctor but there was still no sign of him.

"Thank you, sir, she means everything to me." Dana praised, relief making him headless of the growing danger.

"Doctor get away from there." Meliodas bellowed in warning as Golgius appeared behind him.

"I shall send her to join you in the afterlife." Golgius declared menacingly as he stabbed the doctor in the back. "We can't have you ruining the huntsmen of Liones' good name by revealing we ordered you to poison the boy, now can we?"

Ruby stared in shock as the man, Dana fell the ground, blood pooling around him as Golgius stood proudly, completely unbothered by the murder he had just committed. Ruby's mind wandered to the night at Beacon, atop that tower as anger, sadness and rage filled her, making her eyes itch.

"You monster." She yelled as her vision filled with white.

Line Break

Meliodas stood above Ruby's unconscious body, letting out a sigh of relief as her breathing normalised, showing she was just sleeping. He had not expected Ruby's eyes to manifest at that moment and he had been forced to grab Hawk and run. As a demon he was already vulnerable to her eyes, and though Hawk wasn't a demon or grimm, the powers of light, through ideal for creatures of darkness, could still be used against other races. And in that uncontrolled state, there would have been no guarantee that the pig would have been safe.

He was surprised about how quickly Ruby had tapped into her eyes but considering how the powers of light reacted to the powers of darkness, it was possibly his brief use of his demonic powers to heal himself not long ago, might have contributed. And with Ruby's anger at the sight of blatant murder right before her eyes, her eyes had activated subconsciously.

"Wh-what was that?" Hawk trembled slightly.

"That was the power of her eyes that we were talking about yesterday." Meliodas answered as he carefully picked Ruby up bridal style.

"I didn't know they could do that," Hawk whispered in awe. "That huntsman fled for his life, but why did she pass out?"

"Because she has no control over it, nor any idea of how strong she is. It's not surprising it overwhelmed her." Meliodas answered as carrying Ruby he walked over to where Doctor Dana was on the ground, to confirm his suspicions, nodding slightly.

"His wounds have healed! Are you saying her eyes can heal?!"

"Yep, but again no control." Meliodas answered. The doctor would be fine, the huntsman had fled, and the rest were dealing with the others as they spoke. "Now let's find the others and be sure to grab her weapon."

Nodding Hawk placed Crescent Rose on his back and the two of them rushed to find the others.

Line Break

"Really, your semblance allows you to control bugs. I mean I've heard of some disgusting semblances but that is just blgggh." Nora announced making a fake gagging sound as Team JNR stood across from the Liones huntress who had used poisonous bugs to cause havoc on the town.

"So you are the dropout brats from Beacon are you. Hmm just a bunch of children trying to play with grownups. Go home kiddies, otherwise I will show you no mercy."

"'No mercy,'" Jaune repeated angrily. "You attack that town, injuring dozens of people, and you dare mention mercy. What mercy did they get?!"

"When it comes to defeating the Sins, no method is beyond reproach, no price too great." Friesia countered, without any kind of remorse.

"That's not right," Nora couldn't help but whisper, but everyone still heard her.

"And that's why I hate Valean hunters like you." Friesia snorted with disgust. "You like to pretend there is a moral high ground in the world, having a kind of good versus evil mentality that simply doesn't exist. You call my tactics wrong, maybe even thinking me evil. But I fight to protect my home and kingdom from those that would destroy it. What makes any of you better than me?"

"The fact we don't believe in the ends justify the means. That's what allows us the 'moral high ground' as you call it." Jaune responded and not giving the woman a chance to respond, JNR rushed at the woman. Nora rushed forward, swinging her hammer, while Jaune quickly followed with Ren provided ranged support by shooting at the woman.

Friesia slashed her whip at them, to try to keep them at a distance, with Jaune using his shield to block the attack, while Nora jumped out of the way, while Ren made sure to stay out of the range of the woman's weapon.

The fight was not an especially long one, with Ren chipping away at her aura from a distance the end began when Jaune yelled "Nora hammer time." With a grin Nora jumped on his shield and used the explosives in her rocket to launch her self in the air, with Jaune using his aura to enhance his strength and give her an extra boost.

After that both Jaune and Ren rushed forward to keep Friesia distracted while Nora prepared her attack. "Woo hoo." Nora yelled as she slammed down onto the woman from the sky, her hammer raining down onto the woman, destroying her aura and knocking her out cold.

"Not bad rookies," A familiar voice called out as they saw Hawk running towards them, with Meliodas running up behind him and in the Sins arms was…

"Ruby." Jaune yelled, with Ren and Nora quickly following him. "What happened?" He demanded.

"She tapped into her eyes, but the power was too much for her and she passed out." Meliodas answered. "She'll be fine, she just needs plenty of rest. Look after her, I'm going to help Diane." Meliodas ordered as he rushed off to help Diane, who had already defeated the remaining Liones huntsman and was dealing with a group of soldiers surrounding her.

Line Break

Ruby was having a wonderful sleep as she cuddled her nice and soft pillow, feeling completely relaxed and content as she snuggled into her comfortable pillow. She could feel someone trying to shake her awake and telling her to get up, but she stubbornly ignored them as she tried to continue sleeping.

"Ruby time to get up." A told her, but Ruby stubbornly ignored it and continued snuggling into her pillow. "I know I'm comfortable, but I think you need to get up."

Those words forced Ruby to reluctantly open one of her eyes, to see what the person was talking about. But when she opened her eye, she couldn't see her pillow. Instead all she saw was a buttoned white shirt. Trailing her eyes up, her gaze met Meliodas' grinning face and Ruby felt herself blush, especially as she felt that her chin was wet and no doubt had been drooling in her sleep.

Ruby felt a blush creeping on her face as she frantically pulled back only to fall off the bed. "Ow," she whispered rubbing her head.

"You ok down there." Meliodas was certainly not laughing, nope not at all!

"Yeah." Ruby mumbled, "Wait what happened in Dalmally, why are we in the Boar Hat, what happened to the Doctor?" Ruby rapidly asked.

"We managed to free Ban and the Liones huntsmen fled the area. We finished up in the town, and will be on our way soon. The doctor was injured but he'll live. We also managed to free his daughter," Meliodas answered all the questions causing Ruby to sigh it. "And you passed out after you used your eyes when you saw Golgius attack Dana."

"I did?" Ruby asked.

"Yep. You're not used to using them, hence you falling asleep."

"Ok but why were you in my bed?" Ruby demanded.

"Well after you passed out and we freed Ban I carried back to the Boar Hat and put you into bed, but you refused to let go, so I let you sleep on me." Meliodas grinned, causing Ruby's adorable blush to only spread.

"And how are the others?" Ruby asked, desperate to change the topic.

"They're all good, eager to see you. Everyone's up on the roof."

Without wasting any time Ruby and Meliodas headed to the roof of the Boar Hat, where like Meliodas said, everyone was already there.

"How are you pipsquak?" Her uncle Qrow asked when the got there.

"I'm good uncle." Ruby responded.

"Alright everyone, allow me to formally introduce you all. This is Ban, the Fox Sin of Greed." Meliodas formally introduced the third member of the Seven Deadly Sins. Ban was a very tall and muscular man, seemingly nearly two feet taller then his captain. He had short, spikey pale blue hair, and red eyes that looked quite similar to Qrow's. But arguably his most notably feature was a jagged scar on his left jaw, running down his neck.

"Nice to meet you all. I am the faunus fox Sin of Greed Ban." Ban greeted them with an elaborate bow.

"Faunus, ooh cool what's your trait?" Nora asked excitedly.

Grinning back Ban raised his left hand and they could see his nails grow about two inches forming sharp claws before he retracted them. But even in their retracted state, they looked very sharp. "Retractable fox claws. Useful for combat, lockpicking and getting out of a tight situation." Ban bragged.

"Hey where did you get that suit?" Meliodas asked curiously, noticing the different clothes Ban was wearing.

"I can't very well parade around naked now can I." Ban responded.

"How'd you buy clothes without any money?"

"I kind of stumbled across them. It was a total fluke!" he declared with a false innocence that none of them believed. Though considering they had broken a man out of prison, stealing some clothes was honestly a pretty low bar by comparison. "So, yeah, haven't seen you in a while, Diane." Ban couldn't help but remark as he looked at his giant teammate.

"I'd have been perfectly happy to go a hundred years without seeing you again." Diane responded with a dismissive look.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ban." Ruby greeted as the man walked over to her.

"Likewise sleeping beauty." Ban responded. "It's a pleasure to meet you all and since you all came to help me escape, lets the eight of us all be friends." He declared.

"You mean the nine of us." Hawk stated.

"Um captain, you need glasses. There's only eight of us here." Ban said, mistaking the words for being Meliodas's.

"Um, there are nine of us. Are you sure you haven't got a couple of screws loose?" Hawk responded a little annoyed. As a talking pig it was rare that he was blatantly overlooked.

"Huh? Who said that?" Ban asked looking around the group.

"I did." Hawk answered.

"There's a talking pig here!" Ban yelled, looking completely freaked out.

"You're just noticing that?" Hawk yelled back, obviously offended.

"Oh, no way! A pig talking like a person? That is more than I can handle, man. Hold on. I get it. You're King. You were cursed and finally turned into an actual pig." Ban exclaimed pointing excitedly at Hawk.

"I can't tell if he's joking or not." Ruby whispered to Nora who nodded in agreement. The Fox Sin of Greed was certainly an eccentric fellow.

"Guess again." Diane said to Ban's proclamation.

"We don't know where King is." Meliodas responded. "Or Escanor, Merlin and Gowther for that matter."

"It's just the three of us until we find the others." Diane added. "Plus these humans and the delicious looking piggy." At those words, Hawk immediately hid behind Ruby who cuddled and comforted him.

Despite her words, Diane's voice was a lot less hostile then when they had first met the giant. The battle had gone a long way in thawing Diane's coldness to them.

"So we are heading to Mistral to try to find out what happened at the Fall of Beacon." Meliodas informed his teammate.

"Fall of Beacon? Are you saying Beacon's destroyed?" Ban yelled, his demeaner a lot more serious at that news. It wasn't every day you found out one of the five huntsmen academies of the world had been destroyed.

"Destroyed by Salem." Qrow informed Ban, causing him to swear loudly. As an elite huntsman in the kingdom of Liones he was privy to information that the average huntsman was not, and that included knowledge of Salem, Ozpin and what the huntsman academies were protecting.

"Damn, that's bad news. But seriously, Mistral?" Ban grumbled angrily. "So, we are going to an asshole kingdom, run by asshole councilmen and controlled by criminal assholes. Just great, let's pray it's not a long visit."

"Controlled by criminals?" Jaune asked.

"Let's just say that Vale is not the only kingdom that suffered an increase in crime rates over the last couple of years." Qrow answered the question, taking a long swig after talking. His sister had no small part in the rising crime rates throughout the kingdom of Mistral.

"Pretty much." Meliodas added, both to Ban and Qrow.

"Great well in that case I'm going to need more booze if I have to stomach going to Mistral." Ban declared.

"You are completely right," Qrow cheered.

Everyone else just rolled their eyes at the two drunks.

Line Break

Ruby tossed and turned as she tried to get to sleep, but found herself unable to. Her mind kept turning back to what happened in Dalmally and before at Beacon, both times she apparently used what her eyes for… she didn't even know what for. At Beacon she had turned the massive vyvern grimm to stone, and in Dalmally she had been able to use her powers to make Golgius flee.

Unable to get to sleep Ruby crawled out of bed, hearing Nora snoring loudly and unbothered. Still wearing her rose patterned pyjama pants and dark top, Ruby slipped on some socks and headed down the stairs to the bar area, hoping to grab something to drink. As she got down to the bar, she saw that Meliodas was still up, cleaning the bar.

"Hey Ruby, still awake?" Meliodas called out when he saw her.

"Yeah I couldn't sleep." Ruby said as she sat down on a stool opposite Meliodas. "What about you?" she asked, wondering why Meliodas was still up.

"Eh don't really need much sleep." Meliodas shrugged. "Are you still bothered by what happened in Dalmally?"

"A little." Ruby admitted "Meliodas, have you ever met someone with silver eyes before?" Meliodas had clearly known about her eyes, but she was curious if he had ever met one in person, or if he simply knew of them.

"Did your family really not tell you anything about them?" It seemed like a pretty short-sighted decision on their part. Summer had made it clear when he let her take Ruby after the destruction of Danefor that she intended to raise Ruby fully aware of the abilities she would one day possess, but her dad and uncle had clearly decided not to.

"Well not really. I mean my mom had silver eyes, but I never thought it was anything special. Plus, weird eye colours just seemed to run in the family. My uncle had red eyes, and Yang's eyes change colour when she uses her semblance. So having silver eyes just never seemed to stand out. I mean Ozpin said something about having silver eyes before I started Beacon, but I never gave it any thought." Ruby admittedly babbled her way through the explanation.

"Are you sure Beacon is the first time you've ever used those powers?"

Ruby frowned as she thought deeply about it. Honestly the only similarity both instances she had using her eyes was that their was extreme danger, she was about to see someone be killed, and she couldn't recall anything in the aftermath. But as she thought about it, she could recall one instance.

"There is, isn't there?"

"I'm not sure," Ruby admitted. "But a year ago my team encountered a nightmare grimm."

"You and your team encountered a nightmare grimm? And you actually managed to defeat it." Meliodas exclaimed. He felt it was a fair reaction considering how dangerous those types of grimm were. Considering they attacked your mind and soul, rather than your body, they were some of the most dangerous types of grimm in the world.

"Well first Jaune was infected, and then Weiss was infected. So we went into their minds to destroy the grimm." Ruby explained excitedly. Despite how terrifying and dangerous the entire experience was, it really had brought their team closer together.

We were helped by a hunter named Shion, they had a semblance to like enter people's minds and they helped us stop the nightmare grimm." Ruby frowned slightly, honestly in the relief of stopping that grimm and Weiss being freed, Ruby didn't actually know how she had killed that grimm.

Meliodas couldn't help but whistle in appreciation. Shion sounded like a very powerful hunter, with a semblance remarkably similar to Gowther's magical ability invasion.

Had she managed to use her eyes against the nightmare grimm? Ruby honestly couldn't say for sure, the entire thing was pretty much a blur. "I don't remember exactly what happened but at the end, when the grimm had nearly consumed Weiss, I was fighting the grimm, and then… nothing. The grimm was destroyed and Weiss was safe."

Ruby's voice trailed off as she wondered back, particularly to her meeting with headmaster Ozpin after the fight. Where he asked her about the encounter, it almost seems like he had been expecting something else from her. 'Did I use my eyes and not realise it?' Ruby honestly did not know the answer.

"Meliodas, I was wondering if you would be able to teach me how to use my eyes?" Ruby asked nervously, resisting the urge to fidget. Honestly, she wasn't even sure if Meliodas could actually help her. But her uncle was being annoying tight lipped about it, saying she would have to come into her powers on her own and that there wasn't much he could do to help her.

"Yes. I will." Meliodas told her causing her to squeal in joy and pull Meliodas into a hug. She also decided to ignore his hands going straight to her ass.

End of chapter 2. Please review.

So, I decided to make Ban a faunus because I liked the idea, and this way each of the Sins will all be a different species.

The next chapters will focus on the Mistral Arc of RWBY, after that we'll return to Sins and I've delayed tracking King down because I felt like he would be too OP for the Mistral fight.