My Goddess Brings Apocalypses 4

"What… is this place…?" Shizuka asked, awestruck.

She was in a… tunnel? Everywhere she looked, Shizuka saw colors of impossible hues. From the edge of her vision, things better left unspoken danced outside the tunnel. And in the center of it all, Will the Wizard and an inhumanly beautiful woman stared back at her.

On any other day, Shizuka would have said that what she was seeing with her own two eyes was impossible. But today was already impossible enough. She'd watched the dead walk amongst and eat the living. She'd experienced magic (real magic!). She'd witnessed and survived the beginning of the end of the world.

So Shizuka's suspension of disbelief was more than a little flexible at the moment. And it was a good thing it was. Because now, she found herself cast out of reality, out of everything she'd ever known. If she was going to survive, she'd have to adapt to the impossible very quickly.

She was doing well with that so far. Very well! Shizuka was never one to be overly sober or serious. Secretly, she'd always suspected (and hoped!) that the world wasn't as simple as it seemed.

Rika said that made her a bad adult. Shizuka pouted at that accusation. So what if she still believed in Unicorns and stuff? She was right! Will tumbled into her life during the apocalypse and proved that!

Of course, things got a bit hectic after that. But that point never left Shizuka's mind. Magic was real! The thought made her giddy with excitement. So cool~!

The more she learned about Will, the more fascinated she was by him. By everything he represented and talked about and everything she didn't understand. He spoke of another world so casually and Shizuka wanted nothing more than to see it with her own two eyes!

Perhaps it was a bit silly and selfish, that hope Will inspired in her. But it was a way for her to escape as the world fell apart around her. The undead didn't seem so important when you had a Wizard on your side.

And now, she'd been caught up in some magical event or another. They obviously weren't where they just were moments ago anymore. The bus was gone. So were the students.

That fact did make Shizuka feel a bit bad. She felt sort of responsible for them. She was the only adult they had at the moment. But they would be fine, right?

They handled the undead well enough on their own. Shizuka certainly didn't help with that. She couldn't swing a weapon to save her life. And the students were smart. They would manage without her. Especially now that Shido was taken care of. Shizuka didn't like being mean but even she got the creeps from her slimy colleague.

Shizuka's head cocked to the side slightly, focusing on the here and now and her only current companions, "Are you an Elf?"

The inhumanly beautiful woman sniffed imperiously, "I'm a goddess. William's goddess. The Great Nocturna!"

Shizuka blinked, "Oh… Okay, cool~! Nice to meet you, Miss Goddess. I'm Shizuka Marikawa! You can call me Shizuka~!"

"I know," Nocturna deadpanned. "I was watching over William that entire time. I saw everything."

"Mou~, I didn't see you though," Shizuka cutely tapped her lip in thought.

"I was in his shadow. Your world couldn't support my full presence. I would have suffocated," Nocturna answered.

Shizuka gasped, "Oh, no~! That wouldn't be good at all! It's a good thing you had your Wizard to keep giving you life. You're amazing, Will~!"

Nocturna preened for Will, "He is, isn't he? You have good taste, mortal. I suppose I'll be generous enough to let you travel with us for now due to your proper appreciation of the finer things."

"You don't have a choice," Will said bluntly. "Whatever that reality did to force us out caused Shizuka's soul to partially bond with ours. It's honestly a bit worrying how malleable her soul is because of how low-level her world was. We'll have to see about improving that for the future."

"Aha!" Nocturna exclaimed in realization. "I knew I felt some sort of kinship with you, Mortal! Yes, that must be why we were called to your world! You are one of my champions!"

Will rolled his eyes, "Yeah, champion… And it had nothing to do with the apocalypse going on, did it, Nocturna?"

Nocturna shiftily averted her eyes, "I-I'm sure I don't know what you could mean, Darling…"

Will fixed her with a knowing look as she avoided his gaze, "Three for three can't be a coincidence, Nocturna. Our original world: the gods exiled us to ward off an apocalypse. Our second world: we were exiled once again, this time for setting off an apocalypse with our arrival. Shizuka's world: we arrived during an apocalypse, even if you had no control over it."

"A-And…?" Nocturna stuttered slightly.

"I think I know what kind of goddess you are now. Your divine nature has something to do with apocalypses, doesn't it?"

"It's not my fault!" Nocturna threw her hands up, venting long-hidden frustration. "Everyone blames me but it's not my fault! I can't control my nature! No one judges Tempus for bringing war or Myrkul for bringing death! But if I just exist, oh, everyone gets all up in arms! All for a measly apocalypse that's usually averted by the heroes in the end anyway! It's not fair…"

"So what's your full official title?" Will asked, curious more than afraid.

"… Nocturna, She-Who-Brings-The-Night, Goddess of the Cycle… And Rebirth, the Black, and Things That Go Bump In The Night. But of course, no one cares about those," Nocturna grumbled.

"Fascinating…" Will mumbled. "I suppose that changes the type of worlds I should expect us to land in. I'll need to prepare for Dead-End scenarios more."

"Y-You're not… mad? Disgusted? Afraid…?" Nocturna nervously asked.

"It would be rather silly of me to be afraid of my goddess," Will said, putting emphasis on 'my' while shaking his head.

"Plus you said 'Rebirth' as well," Shizuka chimed in reassuringly. "So you can't be all bad~!"

Nocturna felt a shiver run down her spine as Will claimed her as his aloud. She stared in shock as he easily accepted her true divine nature. And not just him. Shizuka too! Warmth took root in her heart and a wide smile bloomed across her face.

"Yeah! Screw those stuffy old gods and realities! I've got William Darling now! And Shizuka too, I suppose… And together, we'll find someplace we belong! I won't let some pesky apocalypse rain on my happiness anymore!"

"Yes," Will hummed consideringly. "I'm sure in the infinite expanse of existence, there are more than a few realities that could use an apocalypse or two. We'd likely be quite comfortable in those. Perhaps comfortable enough to put down roots and stay for a while? It's hard to really explore the deeper mysteries of reality if they keep changing with every new world."

"Other worlds?" Shizuka asked innocently. "Is that where we are?"

"Not quite. We're currently in the Space Between. The Void. The Blind Eternities. Here, everything exists, everywhere, all at once. It's only a matter of finding it. When we were exiled from our original world, Nocturna and I were forcibly given tickets to come and go freely from reality. A travel pass — if you will — to explore existence so long as we never return to our original world. It's slightly involuntary and uncontrollable at the moment but we're working on that," Will explained.

"And now you seem to be stuck with us, Shizuka~! Welcome aboard~!" Nocturna exclaimed giddily, still riding high.

"Wow… A-Are you sure you want me…?" Shizuka asked, absently worrying at a strand of her hair. "Won't I be kind of… useless? Will's a Wizard and you're a goddess. I'm just a nurse."

"Ah, I'd been meaning to mention that," Will nodded, his blunt nature accidentally putting Shizuka further on edge. "Nocturna, were you lying when you claimed Shizuka as your champion?"

Nocturna winced, "Kind of? Technically, I could create a contract with anyone. But I'd like to keep it to just you, William Darling. That way it's something special, something only we share."

Shizuka's spirits fell. She drooped almost pathetically. Oh well… No magic for her… At least she could still be a nurse and help nonmagically…

What Will asked next brought Shizuka's hopes back from the brink of despair, "What about having your own cleric? I noticed a spark of holy potential in Shizuka. It was what originally convinced me to stick with her.

"The others had their own potential. Saeko as a Monk. Takashi and Rei as Fighters. Kota could have been an Artificer. And Saya was more than intelligent enough to try her hand at a Wizard's magic. But Shizuka's holy potential is considerably rarer than any of those — especially in a world without any active gods — and we can make use of it if Shizuka takes you as her goddess."

"I suppose that could work… Yes! And since you're still my only champion — my right hand —, she'll be just as devoted to you as her goddess! As it should be!" Nocturna quickly talked herself into agreeing.

Shizuka had pure hope in her eyes, "I could do magic?"

Nocturna puffed herself up arrogantly, "Not just any magic. Rejoice, mortal! You shall be blessed with my divine might! All you must do is have faith in me, your new goddess! Never let go of that faith and show it often to me and, more importantly, my champion William Darling~!"

"Okay~!" Shizuka agreed, too easily and innocently.

The displaced, apocalyptic goddess grinned. Good, the silly, naive mortal didn't notice Nocturna's devious plan to convert her to the path of light, of truth, of loving William as much as Nocturna did. Soon, Shizuka would be second only to Nocturna! In faith! In devotion! In love~!

Will rolled his eyes. Shizuka had no idea what she was getting herself into. Hell, Will barely had an idea. His 'relationship' with Nocturna was still too fresh. They'd only been tied together for… a day and a half? By the Weave, it felt like much longer than that.

Time got all wonky during stressful situations. Like being exiled and unanchored from your home world. Or like apocalypses, Nocturna's bread and butter. Apparently.

That'd been a bit of a surprise but not an entirely unpleasant one. At least now, Will knew all of his future 'travels' would be as interesting as they could be. After all, good or bad, nothing quite beats an apocalypse when it comes to things happening.

And it presented an interesting academic opportunity. Perhaps Will could focus his academic efforts on this 'Cycle' that was a part of Nocturna's domain. Delve deep into its mysteries and intricacies until he knew more about it than the goddess herself. Every Wizard needed a good existential mystery and concept that they could dedicate their lives to pulling apart and studying.

"Ahem, yes, you'll have to train and develop your abilities but you will be able to do magic, Shizuka. You won't have to worry about being useless," Will reassured. "Now, Nocturna?"

"Yes, William Darling~?" Nocturna perked up at being addressed, her harem-building schemes pushed to the side momentarily.

Will changed the subject, "Any idea where we're going next?"

Nocturna hummed, pontificating grandly, "Somewhere abandoned by its gods. A Remnant of what it once was. A broken moon fills the sky. Creatures of Grudge and Curse roam the lands. Magic has been long since forgotten."

Will twitched at that last sentence, its contents anathema to his worldview, "I'm sorry… Did you say forgotten magic? Oh, that won't do. That won't do at all.

"It seems my purpose in this new world has already been decided. I'll have to see that magic is revived and nurtured until it fills the world once more. Even if I have to open my own Wizard's College to accomplish that."

"Oh~! Wonderful, William Darling! You'll make an amazing magical teacher!" Nocturna quickly worked herself up in excitement at the idea.

"So Cool~!" Shizuka agreed, apparently equally excited by the way she gasped. "Oh, Maybe we can get you a cute little professor's outfit~!"

"Yes, brilliant, my devoted mortal minion! Now, you are cooking with fire! I knew it wouldn't be a mistake to take you in," Nocturna was practically drooling at the possibilities. "William Darling, why don't you take this time to rest? My new cleric and I will be… busy… Busy crafting greatness, one tweed patch at a time!"

Will sighed but didn't argue as Shizuka and Nocturna descended into hushed, excited whispers. He knew better than to resist the women in his life — no matter how recent a development that might be — when they got like this. Besides, he would look good as a professor…

IIIII

Salem stared out the window of her throne room at the endless wastelands below. So Drab. Boring. Gray.

At some point during her countless, unceasing millennia of life, the world had lost all of its color. No, Salem knew exactly when everything she saw became so monochrome. It was the instant she was forced to crawl out of that cursed Grimm Pool after her last attempt at finally meeting Death.

When even that did not end her damned existence, she felt the color of the world fade into nothingness. Some thought immortality would be a blessing. Salem knew it was nothing but a curse.

Salem, the Witch Queen of the Grimm, was suicidal. Of course, she would not label herself as such. She would say she was simply wise. Wise enough to recognize her immortality for what it was. Wise enough to want it to end once and for all.

She was twisted, driven by that desire for death, for sweet relief after so long. Most would call her evil. Even those who willingly followed her and her ambitions.

But after so long, did it really matter? She was selfish, unashamedly so. She would ruin the world to get what she wanted. But did that make her evil? Or merely forced into an inescapable position? A position of endless struggle against her former lover and Humanity itself. She didn't want for much. Just death. Was that so wrong of her, so evil?

"To be fair," Salem scoffed, able to be completely candid with herself when she was alone. "That kind of unceasing selfishness does tend to indicate evil. Not that it matters. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't stop now."

A flicker of pure Grudge pulled her attention to her endless armies of Grimm. Deplorable creatures of Cursed Hatred. Even after all this time, Salem despised them more than she despised Humanity. But she certainly wasn't above using her position as their queen to her every advantage.

Still, this flicker of Grudge was odd. It was focused on her throne room. The twin Alpha Beowolves Salem kept as attending 'guards' were reacting to something. As if there was a Human in the room for them to direct infinite Hatred at.

Then their reactions became even odder. The Alpha Beowolves — peak amongst their kind — started panting…? Like overgrown puppies. And Salem still couldn't sense what was setting them off. Both her eyes and magic alike were failing her. There seemed to be nothing in the throne room with them.

When she finally did sense something, it started as an insignificant point of space. That point expanded, somehow without disrupting the space around it. As if from in between space itself, a tear opened.

For a moment, Salem saw color again. Color she couldn't bring herself to understand. A tunnel of infinity, between everything and everywhere. The tunnel spat out three figures. Three Human figures… Or at least, two Human figures and one that was… more.

Without heeding her command to wait, Salem's Beowolves rushed toward the figures. Salem sighed to herself. The company would have been appreciated, if initially unwelcome. But it seemed the Grimm would tear her unexpected visitors apart as they did everything else.

"Oof! Oh, hello, fellas~ Aren't you a good murder puppy~ Yes, you are~ And you two, big guy~ I'm not forgetting about you~ Yes, yes, good, good boys~!" The woman who could have matched Salem's inhuman beauty was suddenly cooing over the two murderous Alpha Grimm.

'What…?' Salem could barely blink in complete and utter shock.

"Made some new friends already, Nocturna?" The only man of the three asked.

Nocturna — this beautiful creature who was so much more than Human — smiled, "Aren't they just adorable? Just big piles of fluffy apocalyptic Darkness!"

"M-May I pet them…?" The third figure — another woman, this one undoubtedly Human — asked, conquering her fear.

The Beowolves snarled at her initially. This Nocturna fixed them with disappointed glares. That was all it took to pacify them completely as if Salem herself had given the command.

"Yes, you can, Shizuka. They'll continue to be very good boys and not try to maul my new cleric, won't they?" Nocturna 'asked' firmly.

Salem witnessed another impossibility. The two Grimm nodded… Cursed beings of Grudge and Hatred that could barely be called creatures at all… nodded… Like submissive, all-too-intelligent puppies. And meekly let a Human pet them.

"Hmm," The man hummed curiously as something flickered into existence over his eyes. "What interesting beings. They appear to be entirely made of emotion. Or rather, a void of emotion."

Yet another impossibility. Salem knew magic when she saw it. And what the man did was unmistakably magic. He wasn't Ozma or Salem herself. And yet, here he was, in [current Remnant year], doing magic.

The man let out an impressed whistle, "And that is one strong Curse. It has to be divine in origin. I thought you said the gods abandoned this world long ago, Nocturna?"

"They did," Nocturna nodded, still scratching the apocalyptic murder puppies behind their ears. "These creatures must be remnants of their will. Do you want me to keep one for you to study, William Darling?"

"That would be ideal but not necessary. I wouldn't want to start dissecting something you and Shizuka think is cute. Perhaps a more physically unappealing specimen?" Will suggested.

"Do they come in smaller sizes? I think I'd like to have one I can carry around and hug," Shizuka's innocent wholesomeness was unmatched.

Nocturna sniffed haughtily, "For my most favored cleric and truest devotee, I suppose I could manage something… 'pocket-sized'."

"She's your only cleric," Will deadpanned.

Nocturna blushed but covered it with an even haughtier demeanor, "Irrelevant! She is but the first of many! All shall see the light of what I preach! Well… all that I approve of at least. And no more goddess! I wouldn't want them to get… ideas about their place next to William Darling's side."

'Are they… ignoring me…?' Salem thought, struggling to comprehend anyything that was going on.

As Will sighed, not arguing with Nocturna, it certainly seemed that way. Never in her many, many millennia had Salem been ignored. It was almost refreshing in the strangest of ways. Absently, she called a Seer Grimm to her side. It appeared, spawned from the shadows of her throne.

Before Salem could command the Seer into action, Nocturna perked up, noticing its presence, "Oh, another new friend! Oh, eww… tentacles. Sorry, little guy, the only one who gets to molest me is William Darling. The same goes for Shizuka. But… your little head sack is… cute, I guess?"

The Seer floated away from Salem's side without even acknowledging its Queen. Salem's control was usurped, her Grimm taken over by this new goddess of Darkness. And Salem was becoming slightly annoyed by all of this.

"Ahem…" Salem cleared her throat. "Excuse me, don't you think it is slightly rude to appear in a castle uninvited without introducing yourself to its host?"

Shizuka gasped in excitement, "A castle~?! Oh my, how exciting~! Does that make you a Queen~?"

Salem nodded regally, "It does. I am Salem, Witch Queen of the Grimm. And you are intruding upon my throne room. And usurping my subjects. What do you have to say for yourself?"

The menacing question would have made any Human fall to their knees and beg for forgiveness. Nocturna just shrugged, sniffing pompously, "It's your fault for not greeting us properly when we arrived. Not even a rolled-out carpet or welcoming entourage. If you want to be treated as a queen, perhaps you should act like it."

"I was not expecting… guests…" Salem said through gritted teeth.

Nocturna waved her hand, "That's no excuse."

"And where is your excuse, trespasser?" Salem shot back.

Nocturna mimed checking her nails, seemingly unaffected by the tension in Salem's voice, "Do we need one? We are guests. Unexpected or not, we should be the ones being accommodated."

"Your arrogance does you no favors, child," Salem scowled.

"Child?! I am a fully mature adult! Just because I was sealed for thousands of years does not mean those years shouldn't count! I was awake for at least half of them!" Nocturna rankled at the insult.

Salem held herself arrogantly, "To my many millennia, everyone is a child. If not in age, then in experience and wisdom."

Will stood back and watched his goddess argue with the Witch. His magic still lingered over his eyes, examining and analyzing everything. And quite frankly, Will liked what he saw from this Salem.

A Witch! Maybe Nocturna's prediction of forgotten magic wasn't so all-encompassing for this world. Because this woman was certainly magic. She lived and breathed it, her presence heavy on this reality. Specifically, the very concept of Curses.

They were essential to her being. Everything about her was cursed in one way or another. Her soul with immortality and power. Her appearance with inhuman beauty and grace. Her magic with Shadows and Darkness.

She was fascinating. Will saw the connection between her and these apocalyptic shadow creatures. These 'Grimm'. It ran deep, bathing and dying her very soul with a pitch-black tar. On the other end, the Grimm and their Curse were seemingly infinite.

Her beauty was as dignified as it was tragic. Her skin was even paler than Nocturna's. Her eyes were dyed red with blood and ancient, tempered rage. Hair as white as the driven snow fell about her shoulders. Her body was elegantly seductive, clad in a flowing, figure-hugging dress of black and red.

Before Will knew what he was doing, he was examining her face up close, "You are… enchanting. Let me study you. Tell me your story. Show me everything you are, Witch Queen Salem."

Salem recoiled in surprise. It was too sudden, too unexpected! No living being had gotten this close to her in eons. And the request! U-Unthinkable! She felt herself blush. Salem didn't even know this form could do that!

"H-How bold…" She stuttered.

"Will?!" Nocturna gasped as if she'd been betrayed. "We said no more goddesses!"

"She's not a goddess," Will replied absently, taking in every inch of Salem, inside and out.

That brought Nocturna up short, "She's not? Huh… No, that makes things worse! I will not be shown up by some false divine!"

"She's also intruding on your domain, Nocturna. Salem and her connection to the Grimm are the reasons this world counts as 'apocalyptic'," Will said, mesmerized by the data his spell was feeding him.

"You bitch!" Nocturna exclaimed, completely abandoning her mask of nobility.

"And she's Human…? Or at least, she used to be. But different still? Humanity as I know it can't compare to what she once was or now is. How fascinating…" Will continued, oblivious to the danger his curiosity was putting Salem in.

"That's it!" Nocturna shouted. "I will not be shown up by some jumped-up Human!"

The world seemed to pause as the divine once again descended upon Remnant. Salem stiffened. She knew this feeling. Divinity… The magic that cursed her so long ago. But it wasn't the same. This divinity was new, unfamiliar, and almost exotic.

Salem realized something in horror. Even with all of her power and all her years of experience, she couldn't do anything against a god. Or goddess, in this case. And her unexpected guests were all related to the divine in some way or another. Nocturna, at the very least, was actually divine — a goddess from beyond Remnant's borders.

Her eyes darted between her three guests. Salem knew she was in over her head for the first time in an almost literal eternity. Will was oblivious, struck by a fugue-like need to study Salem herself. Shizuka was just innocently unconcerned by the divinity standing next to her.

The goddess' power swept out of her. Like the hungry darkness of midnight rushing to fill the void left behind by light. Salem's monochrome world flickered Black. She felt her soul plunged into pitch-blackness. Salem waited for the Black to consume her, almost at peace despite the way she was to finally meet her end.

The end never came for Salem. Instead, the Blackness engulfed her soul. It clung to the Grimm tar that already coated Salem's being. In a dark flash, the tar was sucked away from Salem's soul and absorbed by Nocturna's Black domain. Then, the divine power was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"Nocturna!" Will snapped. "I was studying that!"

Nocturna pouted, "That's the problem… You haven't even studied me yet! I won't let this random witchy woman beat me like that."

Will barely acknowledged her pout, still examining Salem, "Though… I suppose this is also interesting enough in its own way."

"Wiiilllllllll~" Nocturna whined.

Salem could barely process the fact that she still lived. She was so sure that would be the end. And yet, here she was, still breathing… Breathing? That wasn't right. How long had it been since she felt the need to breathe?

Everything else felt different as well. Had the world always been this… colorful? Her castle was cast in hues of magenta and violet. The very sky outside was red. And Salem was seeing it truly, for the first time in millennia.

"What… did you… do…?"

Her voice! It was soft and sweet. As if Salem was suddenly millennia younger than she actually was. She slowly raised her hands before her eyes, expecting to see deathly pale skin and black veins. She saw a healthy pink instead.

With a start, she realized the largest difference. Salem felt so free, so herself. More so than she had in literal ages. It was gone. That unending Hatred and near-physical Grudge that constantly buzzed on the edges of her mind. They were gone. Salem couldn't feel the Grimm anymore.

She didn't realize how much the connection was affecting her until it was gone. It was like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. Her mind was free to think to its fullest again. She could feel again. Awe and disbelief — emotions other than the constant simmering Hatred that came with the Grimm.

"Stripped the apocalyptic Hate Tar from your soul and made you purely Human again. I was hoping it would make you less interesting to my darling," Nocturna answered with a scoff that quickly turned into a pout. "… That obviously didn't work out the way I intended it to."

"Yes, she's still a fascinating specimen," Will said. "There's plenty still here for me to study. She's Human but more somehow. Like some kind of conceptually powerful, primordial base of the Human race. First Humans? I'll need to study some 'normal' Humans from this world as well for a control group…"

"Human again…? B-But I was cursed by the gods!" Salem stuttered, not yet used to the voice she once had.

Nocturna was dismissive of her concerns, "Eh, you're still kind of cursed. Mostly immortal, though I suppose a powerful wish or magic could kill you. But no more usurping my dominion over the apocalypse for you! Not while I'm here, at least."

"But you could grant me death?" Salem asked. For some reason, the idea wasn't as appealing as it once was.

Will tapped her on the forehead. It was gentle but there was enough force behind it to be chastising. And condescending! As if Salem were a child! H-He dares?!

"No, bad Witch Queen," Will chided. "I can't study you very well if you're dead. Or suicidal. So perish the thought."

Salem was filled with a strange mix of emotions. She didn't appreciate the condescension. But at the same time, she felt… warm inside…? Feeling the emotions at all was enough to put her off-balance. The tingling warmth made that doubly so. How long had it been since anyone had cared for her? Even in the twisted way Will did it, Salem found the action alarmingly effective.

"Y-You dare?!" By her stutter and the blush on her face, it was clear Salem wasn't as offended as her words made her sound.

"I dare," Will nodded calmly. "Now, stay still so I can poke your magic and see what happens."

"D-Don't be so bold!" Salem squeaked. Squeaked! Her, the Witch Queen of the Grimm! Humanity's greatest enemy! She squeaked! H-How utterly embarrassing~!

In the background as Will performed 'experiments' on a blushing, newly-Human-again Salem, Nocturna sighed, "Yeah… This may have backfired on me. Well, at least she's no longer a pseudo-goddess. Yes, everything will be fine so long as I'm the only goddess by William Darling's side."

Shizuka agreed, "I'm sure it'll all work out~! More friends are always good~! And she seems nice now that she's Human again~!"

"Hmm, friends…" Nocturna hummed, mentally translating 'friends' into 'believers'. "It'll be good for Will to have another mage to talk about magic with."

"Yep~!" Shizuka cheerfully agreed. "And you've taken over the Grimm now, right?"

Nocturna nodded, "They're an apocalyptic force for this world. It was easy enough to assume control of them without other divines to interfere."

Shizuka went quiet for a moment before asking hesitantly, "Could you… stop the apocalypse? Tell all the bad Grimm to be good and stop hurting Humans?"

"It's not in their nature but…" Nocturna smirked. "I think I could manage to keep them under control. And the paradoxical phenomena of Cursed Grudges going against their nature will give us something to distract Will from his new 'subject' with and win his attention back over to us!"

"Yeah~! Science words~! And we'll be saving the world~! No one else has to die~!" Shizuka cheered.

"Yeah, yeah, that too," Nocturna waved dismissively. "Now, I think you should give the order. I'll broadcast your voice to the Grimm and make sure they listen. This way I'll be letting you claim a small portion of the credit when we tell Will."

"Okay~!" Shizuka agreed without a care in the world. Nocturna grinned. She'd won when it came to impressing Will but Shizuka mostly just cared about making such a big difference for this world.

That's right~! Shizuka Marikawa, Tamer of Monsters and Savior of Worlds~! She took a deep breath and Nocturna motioned for her to begin.

"Stop!" Shizuka's voice to every Grimm through Nocturna. "Bad doggies! Bad birdies! Bad lizards and scorpions and piggies! Bad… elephants…? No more hurting Humans!"

Shizuka's voice echoed all across the planet, heard only by ears of pure, apocalyptic darkness. Creatures of Cursed Hatred and Shadowy Grudge froze as one. Shizuka's innocence and wholesome desire to do good resonated, bouncing off the insidious shadows over and over again.

And together, the Grimm knew Guilt…

IIIII

It happened in an instant. Its effects would be felt for a thousand years. As one, the Grimm — mindless beasts of chaos and rage — stopped what they were doing and turned around. Everything everyone on Remnant thought they knew was turned on its head.

Grimm in the wild turned away from their targets. Defenseless settlements were left alone. Raids and vicious assaults paused as if someone had flipped a switch.

On a small island off the coast of Vale, a girl in a red cloak visited her mother's grave. A solemn occasion. One that was interrupted by Grimm that lurked in the shadows.

Ruby Rose flipped and twirled through the air. Her Semblance propelled her with a trail of rose petals. Her weapon — her baby Crescent Rose — twirled with her, unleashing a constant barrage of deadly attacks with each motion.

Bang! Ruby chambered another round into Crescent Rose's rifle half. Swish! The scythe at the end of her rifle whistled through the air. Flesh of darkness split, carved open as Crescent Rose danced its fatal waltz.

As Grimm after Grimm fell to her bullets and blade, Ruby just grumbled to herself. This wasn't special. It was quite routine for her. Even as a junior at Signal — Patch's Huntress Academy —, she was more than capable of dealing with the island's Grimm.

'Stupid Beowolves…' Ruby pouted internally. 'They can't even let me talk to Mom without making it into a whole scene! How rude! No cookies for you! Or you! Not that Grimm can have cookies anyway. Cookies are for good girls and boys and definitely not for mean, nasty monsters!'

Then the world stuttered, the Grimm heard a voice in their shadowy ears, and they knew Guilt. They stopped what they were doing, stopped their mindless attack on this girl from a fairy tale. And they turned to walk away. Sheepishly, as impossible as that was. Their shoulders were hunched and their heads were bowed. For the natives of Remnant, it was the most curious of sights.

Ruby also stopped what she was doing, watching the weird Grimm even as she easily came to land on her feet, "What the huh?"

That scene repeated itself all over Remnant. Countless, nameless Hunters, Huntresses, and civilians were saved at the last moment from the slobbering jaws of mindless Grimm when those very same creatures seemed to grow a conscience in the blink of an eye.

A blond boy with dreams of being a noble knight had been ambushed on the road away from home. Untrained and completely out of his depth, he felt that all was lost. Then the Grimm threatening him just up and walked away.

Jaune Arc watched it leave, confused but beyond relieved, "… I might need a new pair of pants."

Deep in the wilds of Remnant, an energetic girl and her calm partner experienced the same thing. Lie Ren watched curiously as their enemies began to ignore them but didn't do anything that might change this new development. Nora Valkyrie wasn't so calm. Ever.

"Heyyyy!?! What gives?! Get back here and let me break your legs, you stupid Ursa-bear thing!" She shouted after the retreating Grimm.

Against all common sense, the Grimm seemed to speed up. As if it was running from the embodiment of pure chaos in the form of a teenage girl with a strong love of pancakes.

In an Academy that could have been mistaken for a castle, a Wizard caught in an endless cycle of reincarnation sat at the top of a clocktower, drinking cocoa in his office. A crow flew in through his window, transforming into a grizzled and worn man.

Qrow Branwen reported to his boss, "It's happening everywhere."

Ozpin — Headmaster of Beacon Academy and reincarnator — hummed but didn't say anything in reply.

"Think she's had a change of heart?" Qrow asked with a snort, sipping from his ever-trusty flask.

Ozpin almost smirked, "For some reason, I very much doubt that's the case."

"Yeah, we wouldn't get that lucky," Qrow said, knowing all too much about bad luck.

"The pieces will likely only make sense after Salem's schemes have been put into action. For now, all we can do is take the respite offered to us and prepare for anything."

"I'll keep my eyes and ears open. It's a shame about what happened to Amber."

"Yes, a shame…" Ozpin sighed. "Now, I have an interview with a new perspective professor for Beacon. I'll have to take the rest of your report later, Qrow."

"Yeah, yeah, have fun," Qrow grumbled. "Give Glynda my regards. I'm gonna go check in on the girls."

Ozpin didn't acknowledge Qrow's request as his friend transformed back into a crow and took off from the windowsill. He wasn't foolish enough to get involved in Qrow's taunting back and forth with the Deputy Headmistress. That way lay madness and pissed off deputies who would make him do paperwork.

He took a moment to enjoy his cocoa. Most thought Ozpin was constantly drinking coffee like Professor Oobleck. He wasn't. He just really liked chocolate. But he never corrected others' assumptions. And if he occasionally spiked his cocoa with a dash or two of the good stuff, well, he deserved the treat.

Now, where was his appointment? Ah, there we are. As if on cue, there was a knock at the door to his office and Glynda let herself in. Behind her came an intelligent-looking young man. He looked unassuming enough but seeing him — truly seeing — very nearly made Ozpin drop his mug.

A Wizard? Now? In [current year]? That should be impossible. Magic was just a myth. Even if one scoured the whole world, they would be hard-pressed to find anything of substance on the subject. And Salem wouldn't take on an apprentice. It wasn't like her at all.

The next person through the door definitely made Ozpin drop his mug. His ex-wife — Salem, Witch Queen of the Grimm and his eternal enemy — casually waltzed into his office. But something was wrong, different. She'd been restored, impossibly, to her youth and Humanity.

"Hello, Ozma."

She smirked at him and Ozpin's ancient heart ached, his mind rebelling against what it was seeing. Ozpin wasn't a particularly proud man. But even he was ashamed of what he did next. Ozpin, the Immortal Reincarnating Wizard… fainted outright.