Prologue

To Ruby, it had all happened so fast. One moment, the citizens of Mantle and Atlas were being safely evacuated throughout the pocket dimension, the golden, winding pathways tinged with a faint sense of hope, that the death and desolation brought upon Atlas’ demise could have its devastating blow at least softened. But when Cinder made her fiery entrance, when Ruby bore witness to tens, if not hundreds of innocent being sent to the void below as a burning, flailing corpse, she nearly lost all resolve. Ruby watched as her teammates and friends tried to quell the panic, her body frozen still as she watched Cinder drain Penny with her grimm claw. Ruby’s heart nearly stopped in her chest when she saw Weiss try to intervene, only to be met by a scorching blast of flame from Cinder, Weiss shrieking in pain as she fell to the ground. Jaune tried to gather what little aura he had left between his efforts of rescuing his comrades and the civilians they tried to protect, his breath shallow and his face pale. “W - Weiss!” Jaune called out, kneeling down beside her, reaching his hands forward only for Weiss to swat them away. “...no.” Weiss let out, gritting her teeth and waving towards the dimension’s exit. “S - Save… yourself… p - please…” Weiss pleaded, Jaune looking up to see the newly empowered Cinder erupt in a roar of flames, Penny’s drained body falling down into the void as Cinder began to engulf the dimension in flames. Life was granted only to those fortunate enough to be a far enough distance away; a writhing death, wrapped in flames was all that was granted to everyone else. Blake tried to run forward on her injured leg, biting back the pain as she and Yang tried to outrun the flames. “Go!” Yang shouted, bringing her hands back and shoving Blake forward, Blake narrowly dodging away from the flames that enveloped Yang. Blake watched in horror as Yang burnt to ash before her, tears welling at Blake’s eyes while she covered her mouth. The pathway beneath her began to give way from its burnt supports, Blake slowly trying to stand up, reaching her hand out and missing the ledge, plummeting to the void with the platform beneath her.

Unrest and panic overwhelmed the crowd, the pathways crumbling beneath the power of Cinder as she slung blasts of elemental power across the pocket dimension. Ruby looked between the flames to see no sign of her friends, seeing only bodies and ash between the growing fire expanding across the pocket dimension. Ruby turned to see Neopolitan’s approach, watching as the human woman slowly marched towards Ruby, a fierce look in Neopolitan’s eye as she approached. Ruby could barely manage the willpower to even raise her weapon, her hands trembling while her entire body froze. “Just…” Ruby looked down, seeing the pathway holding up her and Neopolitan begin to crumble away. “Just… make it quick.” Neopolitan stopped, looking down to see the cracks forming beneath her feet. Neopolitan drew in a sharp breath, her grip on her weapon loosening as she saw the portals leading out of the dimension all closing, sealing her, Ruby, Cinder, and whatever straggling civilians were left inside. Ruby’s eyes flashed at Neopolitan’s hesitation, a newfound feeling of anger brewing in her chest while she and Neopolitan stared at one another “You… y - you won, Neo. You killed everyone I loved, you… you destroyed what little hope I had left… and for what?” Ruby asked, her teeth grit while she dropped her weapon down on the pathway beneath her. “You’ve killed thousands of innocent people, you - you’ve helped Salem destroy our world, all to avenge your lost boyfriend?! There’s something seriously wrong with your head, you twisted, sadistic thug!” Ruby shouted, reeling her fist back and swinging it into Neopolitan’s chin, a pained grunt leaving Neopolitan as she stumbled back. Snorting, Neopolitan regained her footing, dropping her weapon as she and Ruby fist-fought above the crumbling platform. Their rage, their hatred, it was all they had left after the loss that happened around them. Grabbing Ruby by her shoulders, Neopolitan sent her knee up into Ruby’s stomach, Ruby groaning in pain, shoving her shoulder forward and breaking Neopolitan’s hold. As Neopolitan went to dash around Ruby, Ruby swung her foot up and slammed her heel into Neopolitan’s side, causing Neopolitan to stumble nearly off the edge of the pathway. Ruby lunged towards Neopolitan, the two grappling one another for a moment, before Neopolitan butt her head against Ruby’s, the two concussing one another and stepping back in a momentary daze. With one final shared jab into one another, the platform finally gave way, Ruby and Neopolitan tumbling down to their demise, looking up to see Cinder slipping away through a closing portal. Ruby looked around the darkness swirling around her and Neopolitan, seeing only further black that reached into the very depths of the void, leading to nothing. Ruby sighed, looking over at Neopolitan, the two’s earlier rage subsiding in the face of their imminent demise. “I’m…” Ruby began, Neopolitan eyeing her as Ruby continued. “I’m sorry. For what I’ve done to you.” Ruby said, Neopolitan’s expression softening slightly from Ruby’s words. “I wish… I - I wish that this was all different. That we weren’t born into a world with so much… death, and destruction. That maybe…” Ruby hesitated for a moment, swallowing her feelings as she reached her hand out towards Neopolitan. “That maybe… we could’ve been friends, if our fates hadn’t pit us against each other like this.” Neopolitan sighed, a slight tear pricking at her eye as she brought her hand forward, holding Ruby’s hand while the two fell through the void.

With refugees piling out of the portal, Lie and Jaune failed to create any semblance of order in the passing horde. People stampeded and pushed over each other, with screaming and fighting being all that could be heard. As Jaune tried to step to the front of the crowd, he turned over his shoulder to see Lie laying down on his knees, tears falling down from his face while his face planted against the ground. “Ren, we - we have to go.” Jaune spoke, Lie looking up at him with bloodshot eyes, his fingers digging into the soil while he spoke. “Where?! Where can we even go after this, Jaune?!” Lie yelled out, Jaune stepping back while the other boy continued to shout. “Everyone we know is dead! And w - we’re next! How can you just stand there and - “ “You don’t think I know that?!” Jaune retorted, his face bending into a scowl, him stepping towards Lie while he balled his hands into fists. “We were both there! We… we ran like cowards, all while they fought for their lives. We let everyone die, but we - we have to keep going. We can’t forget their sacrifices.” More screaming came from the front of the crowd, Jaune turning around to see a massive horde of Grimm advancing towards them. Exhaling deeply, Jaune kneeled down, burying his face into his hands while Lie wept behind him. “I’m so sorry, Nora…” Lie muttered to himself, a large shadow overcasting the two of them, before a large Nevermore swept into them.

Standing over the body of James Ironwood was Cinder, two relics in her hands while she faced Salem. Sticking the two relics forward, Cinder bowed her head while she kneeled down, Salem grabbing both of the relics and holding them up. “How many questions remain?” Salem asked, Cinder looking up to her as she answered. “One.” Salem grinned, laughing to herself as she brought the relic up to her face. Before Salem could activate it, James, in a final act of defiance, pulled out his weapon and fired it towards her, the bullet pitifully deflecting off of Salem’s flesh. The witch turned to James, watching as he tried in a futile effort to crawl away from his failed intervention, his broken limbs flailing while his torso wriggled forth. This flailing ended when Salem stuck a long, opaque limb of flesh into his chest, James gasping out while his consciousness slipped through the gaping wound in his torso. “You’ve done good, Cinder.” Salem spoke, Cinder having a slight smile on her face. “Th… thank you.” She replied, standing up as Salem stepped in front of her. “But you’ve betrayed me once. You’ve put your own ideals above my cause, and you’ve slain your fellow apostles.” Salem took another step forward, Cinder staring at her with wide eyes as Salem spoke again. “And you’ll do it again.” Walking backwards, Cinder shook her head, holding her hands in front of her chest. “No. P - Please, I would never…” Bringing her hand forward, Salem pointed her palm towards Cinder, the latter not even being able to react when Salem sent a multi-colored blast into their chest. Falling against the ground, Cinder writhed in pain while Salem stepped over her, the witch dangling the relic of knowledge in her hand while she went to leave the building. Cinder weakly reached out towards Salem as she watched her leave, Cinder trying to channel her absorbed maiden powers, only a spark of flame leaving her fingers as life rapidly drained from Cinder’s body and into a pool of red and black blood beneath her. “Now then.” Salem began, licking her lips as she angled the relic in front of her face. “I have a question.”

Time suddenly froze, a slight, grayish hue enveloping everything visible. Not even Salem was lifted from the spell, her standing completely still while two figures materialized within the room. Seemingly mid-conversation, the purple, humanoid figure spoke first, the yellow humanoid listening. “I told you this would be nothing more than another failure, brother.” The God of Darkness spoke. Light sighed, resting his arms behind his back as he stepped over in front of Salem, bending his head around her and further inspecting her. “Most of the Remnant’s military power has been systematically vanquished. What little is left can barely afford to defend themselves, let alone the relics. We only watch dead men walk.” Darkness continued, Light nodding his head while he rubbed at his chin. “I suppose you are right.” Light began, Darkness snickering while Light continued to speak. “I had strong hopes for this instance. But it appears that its people were simply overwhelmed.” “They are weak. We had given them everything they ever needed.” Darkness hissed. Light shrugged, looking towards Darkness, chuckling before he spoke. “Then perhaps we’ll give them more next time.” “You must jest. A ‘next time’? Really? What more could we even give them?” Darkness questioned. Standing tall before his brother, Light gave another nod in response. “You just want these weaklings to live in constant bliss, don’t you? Why, if I wasn’t here, you would rid them of every struggle, have them live in constant ecstasy.” “I didn’t mean simply placing them in a utopia, brother.” Light corrected. Darkness tilted his head, listening while Light explained. “They will have more resources and power. They will be more in number, and will become closer allies with each other.” Before Darkness could interrupt, Light resumed speaking. “But, there will be more struggle. More turmoil. Stronger creatures of evil to hunt them. For however stronger they get, so will their enemies.” “...alright. But how is that going to change anything?” Darkness questioned. “That, I’m not sure.” Light answered, Darkness laughing out, shaking his head as he turned to walk away. “That's why I’m going back to the Tree. To ask for help - ” “Ugh. Let's not return to that place. It reeks of soft-skinned pacifists no different than you.” Light chuckled, his hands behind his back while he walked over towards Darkness. “The Tree of Life houses many gods, brother. I’m sure there’s some that even you would get along with.” “I’m sure you think that. Whatever, go to that wretched place if you so desire. I don’t care.” Darkness spat, crossing his arms while glaring at Light. “Very well. I may need you to stay here, anyhow.” Darkness cocked his head, Light inhaling before speaking again. “Once I return with help, we will need a… blank slate to work with. I’m sure you understand.” Darkness chuckled, his mood visibly brightening up while he began to hover up into the air, his earlier pessimism fading at the thought of a cathartic release of his powers. “Oh, I understand well, brother. You go fetch those other gods, then. I will be busy here, forging you your ‘blank slate’.” Light nodded, waving Darkness off as he vanished out of sight. Laughing to himself, Darkness slowly levitated further up into the air, channeling an intense, purple light from his palms. Once he finished preparing his power, time unfroze, the gray light fading away as those around him came back to life. Salem slowly turned to Darkness, a fierce glint in her eyes as she dropped the relics from her hands, gritting her teeth while she stared up at him. “...do it, then.” Salem ordered, stepping closer to him as her eyes narrowed upon the god. “Do it! Destroy this place, you hypocritical, self-worshipping curr! Rid me of this suffering you’ve plagued me with!” Salem shouted, stepping back as an intense, rapidly growing pulse of purple energy emitted from Darkness’ palm.

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Jaune managed to swing his blade up into the incoming Nevermore, slicing it through the creature’s abdomen. Lie sat up, looking up towards Jaune while the latter helped him up back onto his feet. “We have to find a way out of here. Now.” Jaune stated, Lie giving a hesitant nod, tears still built up in his eyes while the two ran away from the crowd of people. That was, before the same purple light headed towards them, annihilating both the earth and those standing on it in an instant. Neither Jaune nor Lie could register their fate before it swept over them, bringing their souls to a lifeless void in a mere instant.

Ruby looked down in her hand to see Neopolitan still holding it, the two’s eyes remaining on one another while their hair pushed up from their quickening falling. Hours had passed since they fell through the void, the passing and howling of the wind around them now mostly unnoticed. In their passing moments, the two hesitantly opened gradually to one another, Neopolitan listening in earnest while Ruby spoke of her own fears and regrets. “I… I j - just wish I… could’ve been closer to my family, closer to… Yang.” Ruby let out, her lips quivering slightly while her eyes wet with tears, Neopolitan rubbing her thumb along Ruby’s palm while Ruby spoke. “We’ve… g - gotten so distant since everything happened, we’ve been… fighting more, ignoring each other’s pain… I don’t know if it’s my fault, if I… h - haven’t been a good enough sister.” Ruby’s breathing hitched for a moment, a tear trailing down her cheek while she continued. “If there’s one thing I regret the most, it’s… i - it’s my relationship with her. Yang’s wronged me in the past, but I’ve… I’ve abandoned her when she needed me the most. I put my… m - my naive, pointless missions ahead of my own sister. And I’d do anything for a chance to start over.” Ruby drew in a shaky breath, her looking over to Neopolitan, the two sharing a slight smile while they pulled closer to one another. As a purple light neared, Ruby and Neopolitan held one another in a tight embrace, enjoying the warmth of another before their demise arrived. They parted when the God of Darkness arrived, snorting as he raised his hand. “...stragglers.” He let out, Ruby watching wide eyed as Darkness swept his hand forward, firing a blast of purple energy that tore through Neopolitan and caused her physical form to dissolve in the air. Clenching her teeth, Ruby petal bursted away from Darkness’ next blast, a sneer forming on his face as Ruby readied herself. “And what is it you’re trying to accomplish here, mortal?” Darkness questioned, watching as Ruby reeled her hand back, a resolute, almost maddened look in her eyes as she charged at him. As Ruby charged him, Darkness stared at her, closing his eyes and feeling a newfound energy form in a distant future.

Darkness opened his eyes for a moment, seeing a time millennium from now, him floating up in a swirling realm of red and purple, with a warzone beneath his feet. Mortals who worshipped him clashed with those who didn’t, Darkness’ own faithful faltering in their fighting as their grimm allies fell before the military supremacy of the Remnant’s forces. Darkness looked forward to see a far different Ruby charging him, her blinded eyes fiercely set on him as she reeled her scythe back and swung it towards him. This future Ruby’s more battle-scarred and powerful form crackled with a red, petal-infused energy as his blasts of destruction phased harmlessly through her body.

As Darkness blinked again, he opened his eyes to see this incarnation’s Ruby floating towards him, driving her elbow into his side and floating away from him. “I… I might not be able to stop you, but…” Ruby inhaled, her breathing heavy while she raised her fists. “I w - won’t just… lay down without a fight.” Snorting, Darkness swept his hand towards Ruby, enveloping her in a wave of destructive energy that caused her body to fade out of existence. “...hmph. I’ll have to keep my eye on that one.” Darkness stated, shaking his head before returning to the empty realm of the Remnant. The once vibrant and futuristic world was now nothing more than a wide field of grey, Darkness resting his hands behind his back while he stepped across it. “...hah. Peace, quiet, emptiness… I suppose I should appreciate this while I have it.” Darkness said to himself, looking over to see Salem laid down on the field, her entire body writhing while her eyes rolled back into her head. Froth left her mouth while her mind was forced into another realm, her body contorting to unnatural, painful angles from the sheer stress and insanity while Darkness stepped to her side. “It will take us quite some time to finish this new world, Salem. And in the meantime…” Darkness grinned. “You can enjoy your own world. One where you will bear witness to your failings, time and time again. An hour in our realm will pass like a century in yours.” Darkness chuckled softly, shaking his head and turning away from her. “Hopefully by then, you will be a better avatar of my will. A maddened monster of nigh infinite power is all these cretins deserve.” Darkness stated, gripping his hands into fists as he went to return to his brother.

“A more direct approach?” Light asked, him standing in front of two other godly individuals, the three of them surrounded in nothing but an endless, empty white. One, a purely white-hued, feminine figure dressed in adorned, similarly colored armor, and another, an iridescently colored, faintly masculine-looking figure, dressed in only a chiton. “If you have a goal for your creations,” The armored one began, her voice powerful and with reverb. “Then the goal shall be their worship. Let a word of gospel be their light in the darkness.” The other chuckled, shrugging their shoulders while giving their input. “Nah.” They spoke, their voice sounding as if several people were all talking simultaneously. “Ya just gotta make yourself known. Outta fear or to kiss up to you, it doesn’t matter, a bit of the ol’ iron fist will make them do whatcha say.” Light nodded his head, standing between the two newer gods while he spoke. “Both of your ideas could work. Perhaps personal intervention would better suit our goal than simply laying relics about.” “Gonna need a proper makeover, then.” The iridescent one spoke, Light turning to them, visibly somewhat confused. “Hmm?” “Y’know, give yourself a more unique, godly look. And maybe give yourself an actual name. ‘God of Light’ isn’t very inspired, y’know. And Light’s barely any better, like,” The iridescent deity snickered, shaking their head while floating up in the air and resting on their side. “You’re gonna make people think you write in some notebook that kills people with a name like that.” The armored one eyed the other. “...what?” “Oh, it’s just some… other reality I was peepin’ at earlier, don’t worry about it.” The two turned their attention back to Light when he spoke up. “Very well. Once we are finished constructing our new plane of existence,” Light began, conjuring a yellow light from his palms. “We will make ourselves known. We will act as proper gods for these new people, with titles, rites of worship, and an established culture.” Light stated. He then sent out a pulse of yellow light, creating earth, flora, and water in its wake. After some time, it began to reach high into the sky, leaving a black sky with many stars wherever it traveled. As he began construction, Darkness appeared from around him, walking past Light and looking at the two other gods. Darkness let out a sigh, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “...ugh. We truly are scraping the bottom of the barrel, aren’t we?” Darkness spat, the iridescent one laughing out as they looked towards Darkness. “Well hello to you too, purple and grumpy.” They jested, Light giggling softly to himself before responding. “My apologies. We were here by ourselves for quite some time, and… even before then, my brother was not the most sociable.” “Hmph.” Darkness let out, sitting down on the ground and kicking his legs out. “Not that this matters. This test will be pointless, as the past ones have. We’re merely doing the same thing again, and expecting a different outcome.” Light smiled, turning his head from side to side. “Just you wait. I think we might just get something out of this one.”