There is smut scenes in this chapter that have been censored and cut. To read the uncensored chapter, read on Ao3. A link to the story can be found on my profile page.

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Pain… Agony…

The sun seared her flesh. Ashen particles rose and sparked as her skin lapped the pale skin of her frail figure. Her breath labored as she stared deeply through the canopy of trees and lay in the sun-streaking grass under the rising sun. This place was the only place she retained her control. It was her prison… She would stay here to keep her contained.

She exhaled pitifully as she felt ash particles tend from her body. But the grass against her bare skin, her clothes long since seared away, felt divine. Both the pain and relief simultaneously reminded her she was still alive. She still had some control. That she hadn't become a monster. She hadn't taken complete control. This place she had stumbled upon after finally regaining control after her failed attempt to take the remnants of Beacon had some sort of power here. It was like magic.

But the insatiable hunger… The murderous desire that swelled within…

She bit her lip. She had to stay in control. She had to find other ways to sate her hunger. She knew despite how much food she devoured, the feeling never ceased. She was always hungry. She constantly desired more…

You know what we need… What we desire. Feast upon them. Sow chaos and demoralize those who remain. Burn everything… And destroy that fool who embarrassed us! Show him…

"Shut up…" She growled, tightly closing her eyes. Her stomach rumbled and roared as an overwhelming presence of hatred swelled within her. A lustful desire to destroy and conquer everything…

"Ah!" She screamed, her eyes snapping open. Lilac eyes shone brilliantly before burning into a sinister, fierce amber. Her body convulsed and spasmed wildly. Her limbs flailed, and she rolled side to side, gripping her temples. "Get out of my head! Get out, get out, get out! This is my body!"

"Here," She felt a hand firmly grasp her left wrist and wrestled her onto her back. Amber eyes shimmered with raw hatred and agony as a blurry image of a young man with tanned skin shoved a red object into her mouth. "Chew."

"No!" She snarled viciously, a second voice echoing alongside hers. But as she did, her teeth bit into the crispy and refreshing shell of the red object, and what felt like juice splashed onto her tongue.

Amber eyes shone before fading into a violent red as a fiery orange flame shimmered around her. Her right hand snapped around the hand, forcing the apple into her mouth. She took a firm grip on it as she sat up and bit deeply and ravenously into it, nearly chomping it in half with a single bite.

His hand slid out of her grasp as she took the apple and devoured it whole, leaving the blonde man to jerk back as she pushed him away. Geez, if I didn't know better, you were trying to take my hand with it. I'm not on the menu to satiate your hunger, you know?"

Gasping and catching her breath, her burning red eyes flickered, shifting between red, amber, and lilac. She howled as she leaned forward, holding herself up with wisps of misty smoke expelled from her mouth despite the sweltering heat, her eyes flickering fully amber.

"Yang, don't give in. Keep fighting her." The tanned young man calmly spoke, a light green aura generating around him and focusing on his hands as he placed them squarely on her back. "Here, allow me to assist…"

"Get off me!" Yang sneered; the black veins of her pitch-white skin pulsed and popped visibly as she pushed the young man away from her. "Don't you dare touch… No! Stop!"

"Get out… Get out of my body!" A fiery aura shrouded Yang's body as she threw her head back and arched back before letting rip an earth-splitting roar that bellowed out of the heavens. The ground shattered beneath her knees, and the foliage shredded. Suddenly, the aura dispersed, and Yang collapsed into a heap.

"Yang!" The tanned man rushed over to her side, checking on her. A thin smile spread on his lips, and he let out a relieved sigh as his lilac eyes wearily looked up and gazed into his hazel eyes. "Ah, thank Oum. I thought I lost you again…"

Yang pounded it several times, panting, clenching the ground, and let out a hellacious scream. Tears flooded her eyes as she lowered her head and bit her lips, sobbing hysterically. "Why?! I'm so tired of this! I just want this to end!"

The young man winced, sitting on his knees before Yang. His head lowered, eyes clouded over, a sense of understanding. "I know… I understand your despair… It haunts us too… We… I failed everyone. I could have done more…"

Black blood drew from Yang's lip as she bit further. His hallowed words hurt. But if there was someone that understood the pain of failure… It was her. All the people that she hurt… Unable to stop her… Her head hung further, and she closed her eyes before finally gaining the courage to look back at him. "Oscar… Why are you still following me? …I can't be saved… She's with me forever… There's nothing we can do… If you had just let him finish me then, you…"

"You know I won't break my promise to Ruby." Oscar defiantly responded, his eyes shimmering with vehement determination. He fiercely shook his head and gnashed his teeth. "I promised her before she entered the void that I would keep you all safe until she returned. I've already failed her as I couldn't find Weiss… And I lost Blake, too… His fierce features faded as despair set in before he gnashed his teeth, regaining his strength. "So no matter whatever I do, I refuse to let her control you anymore! Even if I have to chase you all over Remnant, I won't lose you again!"

Listening to him, even as he lost his confidence before regaining, Yang winced and lowered her head again. She knew it was because of Ruby. It always came back to her. Her determination kept everyone's spirits up, even when she faltered and lost her way several times along the way. She kept rising back up, refusing to give up… Even when everyone ignored her when she was on the edge and finally snapped… When she thought her sister had taken her own life, she rose from the ashes stronger than before.

She was able to reach people and inspire them to action.

And Oscar's belief in Ruby pained her and caused her stomach to knot. Ruby was gone. Weiss had disappeared… Blake was lost. Hope had long since faded… Yet he still believed.

Crippling despair swallowed her. The love of her life… Was gone. She was still here… Having become a monster. Yang swallowed the lump in her throat. Even if they found Blake and she was okay, she could never show her face before her again. Not after what she had done…What the witch made her do…

"Yang…" Oscar placed his hand on her back, rubbing small, gentle circles on the center of her back. "I know… Everything is painful… It doesn't feel like there is anything left… But if we stop fighting, what else is left? We must keep fighting."

Yang grimaced, clenching her fists tightly and scraping her fingers through the grassy dirt. She didn't want to hear those words. She didn't want there to be any hope. She just wanted the end.

But it hadn't come. She was still here… And if there was a chance to overcome all this… Maybe she could see her again…

So, biting her lip harshly, Yang pushed herself onto her knees, trembling. She faintly smiled with a weak nod, even as her stomach rumbled and hunger consumed her. "Okay… But first…"

"Great… Huh, hey, wait!" Oscar gingerly smiled. He had reached… Why was she grabbing him by the collar… And dragging him to the ground beneath her… Oh no. "Yang, what are you doing? I can't… Think about Blake!"

"I'm hungry," Yang growled as she knelt on top of Oscar, legs wrapped around his waist as she mounted him. Her hands sensually trailed down his chest before she firmly planted one hand between his pecs to keep him firmly pinned as her other hand shifted to his waist. "I'm always hungry. Food from anywhere else but here doesn't do anything to satiate it. The only thing that works is energy. I need to find any way possible to try and keep her from taking over."

"And don't you dare say her name again! If she were here, I'd be using her instead! So praise Oum that you get the privilege of sating my hunger!"

The night shift for the guard was intense. Velvet was exhausted, her muscles aching and cramping. And their shift wasn't even over.

Velvet exhaled, gazing upon the horizon. She was thankful that she would be returning to her bed soon… Even if it was old and had lost some of its cushioning. After years of surviving in the Wastes, she honestly didn't care if this mattress wasn't in the best condition. It was leagues better than anything she had slept on in years!

She wasn't accustomed to being this tired despite all her time surviving in the Wastes. She wasn't sure if it was because Harriet ran her crew militaristically or because of how much they had to move throughout the night, but she was drained!

Still, she now had a better concept of what they had to do to survive here. It wasn't easy by any means, but that was nothing to be surprised by. Not after the Flash.

However, Velvet wasn't sure about the uniform. After seeing it, it reminded her too much of the uniforms she wore while attending Beacons but modified for combat. Now she knew she had met several of the day shift, and she could recall that there seemed to be hardly anyone on patrol…

But if the day shift was understaffed, there was hardly a soul on the night watch! It felt like there was only a handful! …And she met all of them before the Flash.

It was almost too ironic… In the end, everything returned to where it all began for her. It was as if it was destiny that it all came back to Beacon.

Neon Katt was a familiar face she remembered first seeing during the Vytal Festival… When the first signs of what was to come became apparent.

She was still as pristine as she was when she first met her. She still had a playful side, skating around them as Harriet tried to debrief everyone. Harriet told her to be quiet several times, and even after that, throughout the night, Velvet could hear her humming through her comms while she watched from the tower. Her heritage as Faunus was invaluable at night. She could be the eye above, keep a lookout, and spot things others couldn't immediately see…

And take them out with a custom silenced rifle made for her…

To her surprise, Cardin Winchester, of all people, was one of the night watch. Velvet couldn't believe her eyes when she saw him for the first time. She was almost in disbelief at how much he had changed. He was kind, courteous, and, above all, serious about his job and what needed to be done.

The Cardin she knew didn't seem to remain any longer. The racist bully that picked on Faunus and those weaker than he was replaced by this… Model human being?

Those words and Cardin didn't belong in the same sentence!

But it all made sense when their eyes met. The horrors he had seen changed him. The loss of his friends… His family. All he had left was being a Huntsman. And in that, he found purpose.

The next to last person she met on shift nearly caused her to break… It was Neptune.

He had survived the Flash. Velvet wanted nothing more than to have a moment to talk with him. To see how he was doing… But Neptune purposely avoided her. Grimacing the entire time… She understood his hesitancy. But all she wanted to do was check on him.

She knew if Sun wasn't here with his best friend… He…

Velvet choked back the tears, turning her head away from the horizon. She knew it was likely the case. She had come to terms with it a long time ago. After the Flash, so many people perished. But now, with all these familiar faces around, hope briefly returned… And it had felt like her hope had been shattered.

"How are you doing?" The last of the patrol she met, Elm Elderne inquired, frowning as she caught Velvet's sob. She furrowed her brow before her features softened, and she grimaced. "Ah, I think I know…"

"I'm okay…" Velvet wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. She exhaled as she looked back toward the sunrise over the horizon. "It's just difficult… To see so many people I know…"

"And realize how many friends we lost… And how many others we lost to that disaster." Harriet placed her hand on her hip, stepping next to Velvet and looking upon the horizon. "The pain never subsides. It gets better, but it never goes away… But we can't afford to dwell on it. We have to survive for all of them… Especially the ones we loved."

Turning her head, Velvet faced Harriet, and their gazes met. A thin smile gently crossed her features. She didn't know Harriet before, having only briefly seen her in Vacuo, but those words carried weight to them. Her determined expression and the shine in her eyes told her the rest.

She, too, lost someone she cherished.

Velvet's gaze returned to the rising sun. Everyone here was the same. While they had different paths to arrive here, everyone set aside their baggage and worked together toward the same goal. Survive for those who have fallen.

She could get behind that. It was what she had been doing in the Wastes all this time. And now, she was in a place with friends…

A place of healing…

"Huh?" Velvet's eyes sharply glanced over the horizon. There was something out there. During the night, while her vision was clearer than most, it was difficult to see that far. Sliding Crescent Rose from the sheath off her back, she looked down the scope. An audible gasp escaped her lips as she nearly fumbled the rifle. "What… What is that?"

"What is what?" Harriet stood on guard, prepared to draw her knuckles, glancing upon the horizon. The sun may have risen, but there were still threats beyond the Nyghtmares. Following her gaze, she recognized where she was glancing but still kept her guard in case it was something further away. "Is there something there…"

"There's a forest!" Velvet looked upon the greenery in the distance. She didn't understand. How could a forest survive in this climate? With the sweltering heat and the destructive nature of the Nyghtmares, a forest seemed impossible!

"Oh, the Oasis?" Elm let her hand slip off her hammer's handle and looked off in the distance. She smiled before wincing. "It's something alright… The boss nearly died creating."

Velvet's head snapped toward Elm. Her heart skipped a beat. The same man that had parted the sandstorm… Created a forest? How was that even possible?! What was he?

A very peculiar tune of drums beating followed by the roll of music began to play. Harriet rolled her eyes as she reached for her pouch and withdrew her scroll. "Speaking of… What's up, boss? You need me for something? …Trivia didn't break you this time, did she?" Harriet snickered as a humorous smirk made her way to her lips.

It was quickly dashed by Naruto's response on the other end. "I heard you took Velvet Scarlatina on a night watch. I need you to bring her to the med bay immediately… And you might want to come yourself."

"We found Weiss Schnee… And the situation has become extraordinarily complicated."

It was another long day and the night was even longer.Even with all the technology they had managed to manufacture with the limited resources available, it felt like they were losing ground. The inevitable change of the world around them set every step gained in the fight for survival back several stages.

The increasing heat turned the world into nearly a wasteland. Oxygen was declining with hardly any plant life left, and their ability to generate more seemed virtually impossible. If it wasn't for his power and the creation of the Oasis their fight would all have been lost at the first obstacle. They survived, but for how much longer?

Not to mention, expanding the Oasis and terraforming the land around it had become a trial. With the limited population, they had to make sure everyone was capable of defending themselves in the waste—even the children. While their leader had a sense of understanding, he often defaulted to compromise with that woman. She understood her plight, as no child should see those horrors…

But they had already faced them. They were a daily threat in their lives. Some had lost their parents because of the hardships, and more would face the same or even more challenging trials. And they needed every person to keep up this fight.

Robyn exhaled and grimaced. In these short few years, she had begun to understand James' plight. Understand why he went in the direction he chose. And she felt herself sympathizing with him. It was a difficult choice. It is the wrong choice but an understandable one to make.

And now, she would evade those pitfalls. She would lead these people out of this despair and be the hero he failed to become. But first, she had to get everyone to understand…

"Ms. Hill," Robyn turned from her monitoring screen toward one of her subordinates. "I've been monitoring a storm to the west, which has been gathering and picking up strength."

"What is the projected path and speed?" Robyn returned her attention to her monitor, bringing up a storm tracker on her projection. They had a warning system in place if a storm was approaching, and they set it off if needed…

A gasp left her lips, and she slammed her fist onto her desk. "Dammit! It's projected to hit the Oasis?!"

"If the reports are correct, the damn witch's apprentice has confined herself there!"

Back in the saddle again. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. Like stated above, if you wish to read the E rated version of the chapter, head on over to Ao3. If you have a moment, I would love to hear from ya. Your comments always make my day!

But like always, my friends, until next time, Peace.