Chapter 28: Connections

Sol-System, Planet Remnant

Emerald Forest

Unknown Date

"What? Where am I?" Jaune asked, looking at his hands. He was able to easily look through them as if he were a Ghost.

"These are the last few weeks of Interaction between this world and the one you call Remnant." Jaune looked beside him and saw the one person he didn't expect: Ozpin. He was just hovering there, sipping his hot chocolate.

"Ozpin?" Ruby asked excitedly. "What are you-"

"Stop, for he is not who you think." A large frame got between Ruby and the Headmaster. It was the Arbiter. It looked like all four of them were here in... Wherever this was. "This is the parasite."

"A Sangheili with good deduction. Interesting." 'Ozpin' smirked. "Indeed, I have taken on this form to make it easier for you. After all, you still got a task to perform, and it'd be no good to leave you children confused."

"He's even taken on his mannerisms," Jaune growled. He hated the Flood more with every encounter. "All right, what is it you want to show us? The last firing of the Array?"

"No, not quite. In fact, what I want to show you takes place thousands of years after our 'defeat'" The Gravemind put air quotes around the word defeat. "As I said, this is the last interaction between this world and Remnant."

"So there was actual interaction between the worlds?" Ruby asked. "For how long?"

"Long enough. The artifact you uncovered was, in fact, hidden there by a Forerunner I highly despise. No, not hidden. But you shall see."

"The Gods have put artifacts on human planets?" The Arbiter asked. "No matter, I should not be surprised."

"What? I thought they were rare." The Masterchief asked.

"No, they are not. In fact, small artifacts are scattered everywhere. It is harder to find a hospitable planet without them then finding one with artifacts."

"What I wanted to say..." The fake Headmaster took hold of the conversation. "While you found it after a mudslide, it wasn't always hidden. In fact, for a bit of time, it formed the center of an old kingdom."

"Let me guess, that's where we are?" Jaune asked. He looked around and looked at the room they were in. It looked incredibly old, being made out of sturdy stone. The entrance door was made out of heavy wood, while the middle of the room was a large table... With roughly nine people in heavy-looking armor. There were more seats, however, so a few were probably missing.

It looked like a war room, with a wide arrangement of maps in the middle of the table. Thanks to them, Jaune was quick to make out that they were somewhere in the Emerald Forest.

"Can they see us?" The Chief asked.

"No, they cannot. They are not even real." 'Ozpin' replied. "This is but a projection if you will. A dream inside your minds. I've used the information stored inside all the countless bodies I consumed, as well as the Domain, or the tiny fraction I still have access to, to recreate the events that took part in eons past."

"And who are these-" Jaune was interrupted, as the door flew open. In came a man, somewhere between thirty and forty years old. He wore an armor far more expensive than the others, as well as a red rope.

It was a King.

The warriors in the room immediately got up and bowed down. Now that he looked at them, Jaune noticed that only one of them was wearing a helmet. Maybe to hide some horrific scar or something.

The King walked up to the table and sat down at its head. "Finally, everyone is here." He said with an exasperated voice.

"Are you all right, my lord?" One of the warriors asked. "You seem to be tired."

"The fallout of the last affairs have been taxing, nothing more, nothing less." He replied. "Sadly, I could not reach our comrade. I do not know if he will return or not."

"He shouldn't. After what he's done, he should be banished to the Grimm lands." One of the warriors replied. He had bright blonde hair, reminding Jaune of the sun itself.

"Anyways, that is not what we are here to discuss. It does not concern the kingdom. Only me." The King paused for a second. "In a few weeks, we will use the portal to finalize our plan."

"Right. We have written down the name and profession of every citizen this side of the gate." The knight in the helmet replied with an undiscernable voice. "There should not be a single one missing unless they are mauled by the Grimm."

"That is good. How are the affairs on the other side?"

"The kingdom is secure, and should have enough resources to sustain everyone." Another knight replied. "We've also managed to wipe out the last encampment of the Saxons in the kingdom."

"Very well." The King nodded, with a smile on his face. "And remember, on the day of the transition, everything has to go well. We cannot let the Grimm take a foothold on the other side, or all would be ruined."

"Still." The knight in the helmet muttered. "We have to keep our hold on this side, and transitioning every time is too taxing. Yes, I would suggest putting one of us in charge on this side."

"Is this another one of your plans?" One knight asked.

"Plan? No. I simply believe it to be a good way to confirm my worth as an heir." He replied, and looked at the king.

"No, we won't. I am quite able to handle this myself."

"Ugh." The knight growled. "But goldie over there gets promoted to the general of our army on the other side?" He pointed at the man with the golden blonde hair.

"Yes, because he is capable, and I trust him fully with this task."

"Capable? Don't make me laugh. This morning, I saw him trip in the garden. And you know what happened then? A bird shat on his back. You call that a general?"

"If you don't stop with your insults, then I swear I will-" The blonde knight stood up, but the king gestured him to sit back down.

"Calm yourself, Sir Gawain." The King yelled in a strict tone befitting of a king. It even made Jaune want to bow down.

"Sir... Sir Gawain?" Cortana asked confused. "Is this... Is this the-"

"Yes, the people you see in front of you are known as the Knights of the Roundtable, along with their King, Arthur Pendragon."

"That's a cool name..." Ruby muttered to herself quietly. Jaune had to agree, it sounded pretty awesome.

"But... But that's impossible." The Chief replied, in a tone, Jaune had never heard of him before.

"How so? Are Humans so inept as to forget their own history?" The Arbiter asked.

"No, that's not it," Cortana replied. "But the Legend of King Arthur, the Kingdom of Camelot... It is only a Legend. Magic... Holy Swords... All of this should be impossible."

"And yet, it is true." 'Ozpin' said with a smirk. "You may call it magic today, but back then, those abilities were simply known as Semblance."

"Then what Johnson said was true?" Jaune muttered in disbelief. "Those old legends... Might be connected to Remnant?"

"Yes, that is true. King Arthur is not the only one." 'Ozpin' replied. "The Mahabharata, the Nibelungenlied... Those and many others are true in one way or the other. Of course, the passing of time has changed them, but at their core, there is truth in them."

"But why aren't there any Semblances left?" Cortana asked.

"My dear Construct, this will be revealed as we progress through this story. For now, listen to what these honorable warriors have to say."

"I am Sorry, my Liege," Gawain replied and sat back down. "But Mordred has just been getting on my nerves lately."

"It is fine," Arthur replied. "Now then, I trust all of you to watch over our operation. And do not forget, the fate of Humanity hangs upon this Transition." The King stood up and left.

Most of the Knights followed him.

"So... What operation are they talking about?"

"Easy to answer." Ozpin started to explain. "Back then, Camelot was split into two parts: One half on Remnant, one on Earth, connected through a Forerunner Artifact. With the Grimm constantly threatening them, the King decided to evacuate the Remnant half to Earth, to a world free of the Darkness."

"A large scale evacuation."

"But that doesn't make sense," Ruby replied. "The artifact brought us to Installation 04, not Earth!"

"All will be revealed, my child." The Gravemind replied. "And I hope you are ready to stop them."

Wait, what was that? Jaune asked himself. That last sentence seemed different. Genuine.

"Now, to the next part." The whole world around them shifted, from the cold, yet warm inside of the castle to a Garden at night.

Sol-System, Planet Remnant

Emerald Forest

Unknown Date

Beautiful flowerbeds were covering the sides of a marble-walkway, while the green leaves were moving thanks to a light summer breeze. However, the peaceful atmosphere was ruined by one knight.

Mordred, rampaging through a batch of flowers, trampling them under his armored feet. "Damn him! Damn him to hell and back!" He yelled in anger.

"Calm down, Mordred." Behind him, a woman appeared, hovering slightly over the ground. Her body was wrapped in long, purple clothes, while her long hair was leisurely hanging down.

"How could I?" Mordred swung around. "That damn King is still not seeing me as a worthy heir!"

"Yes, that truly is sad, my child." The woman replied, and embraced Mordred in a tight hug. "You are his only offspring. There is no need to worry."

"But if he doesn't acknowledge me, then how-"

"Show him by force." The woman replied.

"Is this... Morgan?" Cortana asked.

"Who?" Jaune, Ruby and the Arbiter replied at the same time.

"A character from the Arthurian Legend. Depending on the source, she was a witch, Arthur's sibling or something entirely different. And she was Mordred's mother. In some sources. Sources on Camelot conflict and vary greatly." Cortana explains.

"Even in those where she was his sibling?" The Arbiter asked, disgust in his voice.

"Yes." Cortana deadpanned.

"... Your Species is weird and disgusting."

"Trust me, that's pretty much common sense," Jaune added.

"Sadly... I know everything through the Marines I infected. I agree Humanity can be disgusting." The Gravemind added nonchalantly.

"By Force?" Mordred asked, time moving again.

"Yes, my dear. By force. Take his kingdom, seize it for yourself. There are enough people unhappy with his reign. And if they are, then it is their right to take up arms and stop it."

Mordred nodded. "You're right. I... I have to make some preparations."

"Very good, my child. Very good." Morgan had a nefarious grin on her lips as her son left. However, it soon stopped, as another voice came out of the shadows.

"Morgan le Fay." It was a male voice, belonging to an elderly man. He walked out from below an oak tree and shook his head in disappointment. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"It is good to see you too, Merlin," Morgan replied. Merlin sighed in response. "Still helping out your King I see?"

"As always. I have been with him since the beginning, and I swore to stand with him until the end of times."

"How sad," Morgan replied, walking away. "Tell me, was this your plan? The Exodus?"

"In part. I came up with it together with King Arthur and Sir Kay. We believe it to be the best course of action. As you know, Salem is getting more and more aggressive."

"Who- Who's Salem?" Ruby asked. "Is she an enemy of Camelot?"

"Not that I know," Cortana replied.

"She is of no concern." 'Ozpin' replied. "At least not yet, Miss Rose."

"Huh?" Ruby gasped.

"True. True. Salem is indeed more and more dangerous as time goes on. But do you think you will be able to keep the Grimm out of the artifact? They will breach through eventually. And once they gained a foothold on the other side, they'll be impossible to remove."

"We already prepared for that," Merlin assured. "I found scriptures while scouring ruins in the mountains, and I believe there to be a way to raise a barrier, one that repels Grimm."

"A barrier? Still trusting in your Semblance, I see? No, wait. You call it magic, don't you?" Morgan turned her back to Merlin. "Very well, do as you please. But don't come crawling to me when you get slaughtered like cattle." She left, disappearing into the darkness of the night, leaving Merlin alone in the garden.

He sighed and looked at the trampled flowers as if mourning their loss. "I should inform Arthur. If Mordred goes through with what that Witch told her... Oh dear, I can't imagine how it will end." He pulled out a staff from under his robe and swung it over the flowerbed. "By the will of the gods and all of humanity, I shall save your soul." Green and blue mist scattered over the plants, instantly revitalizing them.

Merlin nodded and left into the castle.

"So... His Magic was his Semblance?" Cortana asked. "Interesting..."

"That's one powerful Semblance..." Ruby muttered.

"Yes, back then, Semblances and Aura, in general, were much stronger. It is one of the things that deteriorated over time. Sadly, the genes needed for Aura are recessive, meaning that, over time, they weakened."

"Oh, that sucks," Ruby replied, her hand on her chin in thought. "With even stronger Semblances and current technology, we could've kicked the Grimm's butt easily."

"Are you ready to move on?" 'Ozpin' asked. "There's is still a few things to cover."

"Yeah, I guess," Jaune said.

"Why..." The Arbiter muttered silently. "Why does humanity of all creatures have such powers?"

"Long story." The Gravemind snipped with his finger, and the garden quickly turned into another large room inside the castle.

Sol-System, Planet Remnant

Emerald Forest

Unknown Date

The cobblestone chamber was only lit up by torches on the wall. Other than that, it was full of swords, lances, and other medieval weapons, some simple metal blades, some far more distinguished and elaborate in their design.

One of the Knights was inside, alongside multiple workers. He held a small piece of paper in his hand, approvingly nodding whenever one of the weapons was brought to a carriage. Jaune noticed his lack of a second arm and wondered what happened to it.

Suddenly, the door opened, and the King himself entered. "Sir Bedivere."

"King Arthur." Bedivere, along with the workers, kneeled down.

"Are all our weapons categorized?"

"Yes, we are currently transporting them towards the portal," Bedivere explained, showing Arthur the list. "We have accounted for almost every weapon in the armory."

"Very well. Is Rhongomyniad in good shape?"

"Of course. No one would dare to touch your holy Lance. Is there something more specific you would like to ask?"

"You know me well, Bedivere," Arthur said with a smile. "I'd like to take it out for a few hours. Sir Gawain, Sir Kay and I are going out to destroy a nest of Goliath, and as you know, that Lance is far more effective against large, armoured Grimm than even Excalibur."

"Of course." Bedivere walked over to a weapon rack and took an ornamented spear. It almost lit up the room itself with the pure radiance it emitted. "Here, my liege."

"Thank you very much." Arthur was about to leave, as his Knight stopped him.

"I am sorry, but there is something I wanted to know..."

"About the Transition? We talked about it enough, did we not?"

"No, not that. Something is missing. We have no idea where Clarent is." He looked up from his list. "You haven't seen the sword, right?"

Arthur looked at the ground and tapped his foot on the ground. "No, I have not. I suppose it did not slip past your eye?"

"We have searched the entire armory five times over. It is nowhere to be found."

Arthur sighed. "Well, I guess it isn't much of a problem. One Sword is not the end of the world. We can do without Clarent. Maybe it will turn up somewhere along the line. Continue with your work, and then visit the kitchen. I am sure you will be quite hungry."

"Gawain isn't cooking, is he?" Bedivere asked.

"No, he is not," Arthur said, and both shivered. "I explicitly forbid him to enter the kitchen alone."

"Good luck on your hunt, King."

"Good luck to you too." Arthur left, leaving Bedivere alone.

He looked back at his list. "But still... Something doesn't feel right."

"Sir Bedivere?" One of the workers asked, and picked up a metal object from the ground. "I think I found something!"

"Let me see." Bedivere took the piece of metal and turned it around in his hand. "Hmm. This is a lock. Did... Did someone break in?"

"The lock on the door is still intact." The worker replied.

"How curious. Maybe it is an old lock that was left in the corner?" He looked at the door and frowned. "Something's definitely wrong here. I've got a bad gut feeling."

The world froze, and Ruby sighed. "Man, I can't follow."

"It is clear who stole it." The Arbiter replied. "You don't seem to have the mental capacity to realize that it was that other knight."

"Yes, Mordred stole Clarent. That would be obvious." The Gravemind said. Jaune looked over to Ruby, who was pouting. "Now, I do have a question. Is anyone interested in seeing all the political-"

"No." Jaune and Ruby shouted in unison.

"All right. Still not big on history I see." He snapped his finger once again.

Sol-System, Planet Remnant

Emerald Forest

Unknown Date

All changed to a medium-sized Forerunner structure at the base of a mountain. Wooden palisades were erected around it, and warriors stood atop them.

Merlin, Arthur, and Sir Kay were standing inside, looking over the basecamp. "Yes, this will do."

"I shall erect the barrier now," Merlin explained. "Then, we can start with our plan." He started drawing on the floor.

"You think this will work? We've never brought such a large amount of people over to the other side." Kay asked.

"It will. It has to." Arthur sighed. "The Grimm... It might be possible to live around them... But at what cost? We live our lives in fear. Cities, Towns, and Villages are razed constantly, their people slaughtered and torn apart. If Camelot would not have had such luck with the surrounding mountains... We would have never been able to survive either. I do not want our Kingdom to have this future."

Now that e mentioned it, Jaune realized that the Emerald Forest had a lot more mountains than he remembered.

"The Grimm... We are able to tear through the smaller ones and bring down the large ones. But there is no dent in their numbers." Kay murmured. "I suppose it is impossible to beat them."

"Precisely. When I have grown old, I don't want to watch people living in fear. I want to watch over citizens who can live their life without a worry in a prospering kingdom. They shall cherish every second in their life, not fear sudden destruction by the Darkness. That is only possible on the other side."

"I am done," Merlin said and stood back up. He clapped his hands together and started murmuring something inaudible. The circle he drew on the ground started glowing, and soon, glowing green and blue orbs rose into the air and formed a dome around the mountain. "The barrier is working."

Arthur simply nodded towards Kay, who walked up to the edge of the walkway. "We will begin with the transition at once! Every knight and guard, stand ready to defend our people!"

The mass of humans surrounding the structure started to move inside, bringing along their families, cattle and most treasured belongings.

"I will accompany them onto the other side, and make sure that Sir Mordred is doing his job. Merlin, Sir Kay, stay here and watch out that all goes smoothly." Arthur went back into the structure, leaving the courtmage and Knight alone.

"Hey, Merlin?"

"What is it?"

"The King... Do you think Gwynevere and Lancelot... That all of that is still bothering him? You seem to have a better understanding of him than everyone else."

"It is. I would hope that it did, otherwise he would be heartless, and not fit to be a King. But he decided to ignore the pain, and focus on the task at hand. That was something Arthur was always good at."

"Sir Kay!" A Guard ran up to the two, out of breath. "The Grimm are closing in from the East."

Merlin sighed. "Of course they wouldn't let us do this. Let us depart, Sir Kay. We have to push back our eternal enemies."

The Knight nodded and looked at the Guard. "You, take a few cavalry units, and scout the area once again, and set up archers around the entrance. We can't let the Grimm come in."

"Of course, Sir!" The Guard ran away, and Kay turned towards the mage.

"Merlin... You said this barrier-"

"I did. That's what concerns me. The Grimm shouldn't even be able to find this place. There is something else going on. But I cannot say what."

Once again, the scenery around them changed, turning into a large hill, with a Forerunner structure at its base. The complex was towering over the surrounding forests like a mountain, casting a large shadow on a fort. Humans started to come out.

Sol-System, Planet Earth

Britannia; Camlann

Unknown Date

"Where are we now?" Ruby asked.

"Fool, on the other side, of course." The Arbiter replied. "If I am correct, then this should be your home planet."

"Earth..." Cortana muttered. "A hill... This must be Camlann..."

"Camlann?" Jaune and Ruby asked in confusion.

The doors of the complex opened, revealing a large crowd, led by both King Arthur and Sir Gawain. The two Knights were riding on their horses and stopped as they left the Forerunner structure.

In front of them stood Sir Mordred, carrying a large, red sword. "Hello, Arthur."

"Sir Mordred. Is everything ready on this site?"

"Arthur..." Mordred muttered, almost remorseful. "I have a question for you."

"Sir Mordred... That's Clarent..." Gawain said, looking at the sword in the possession of the Knight. "But it was missing..."

"My King, what did you do with Gwynevere?" The Knight asked. "Why did you execute her, not Sir Lancelot after he slept with her, and slew Sir Gareth and Gaheris. But you let him go, and why, I ask?"

"Sir Mordred... This is a really, really bad time."

Behind Mordred, multiple men armed with swords, bows and other medieval weapons appeared. "And tell me, do you possess an heir?"

"No, I do not. Not yet. That matter will have to wait until we successfully saved our people. Now let us through."

"No." Mordred picked up his sword and went into a battle stance. In response, Gawain grabbed his own sword, while the guards assigned to the refugees did the same. "My name is Mordred. Mordred Pendragon. The one true son of King Arthur. The son who has the rightful inheritance to the throne of Camelot."

"Mordred!" Arthur yelled. "Stop this at once!"

"And today, I shall claim my rightful place!" Mordred and his army charged forward, while the guards ran at them.

"Get the refugees back until we dealt with this rebellion!" Gawain yelled behind him, causing a few guards to break off and lead the civilians back.

The two armies met in the middle, and the sound of metal clanging against metal filled the afternoon air. Soldier after soldier fell, staining the earth blood red. However, in the chaos, three warriors shone brighter than anyone else, tearing through their opposition with a precision and speed Ruby had never seen before.

It almost felt as if they weren't human.

Gawain, still on the back of his horse, decapitated one enemy soldier after the other, trying to make his way to Mordred. However, he stopped still, as he spotted another knight in shining armor charging into battle. His face turned into pure anger, as he yelled out a name: "LANCELOT!"

"Sir Gawain?" Arthur asked.

"My King, I am sorry, but I cannot let Sir Lancelot join the battle. He is no doubt on the side of Mordred, and there is something I have to avenge."

"Of course. Do not die, Sir Gawain."

"I would never, my liege." The two knights parted ways, and Arthur charged directly at Mordred, Rhongomyniad in hand.

"Arthur!" Mordred screamed, and let his sword down at Arthur. He jumped off the horse, which was cut in half by the slash.

The King holstered his lance, knowing that it would be disadvantageous in this situation, and pulled the Holy Sword from its sheath.

Mordred spun around on one foot, and clashed blades with Arthur, none of them budging. Under their feet, the ground started to crack and broke into pieces as no knight was willing to give in.

"Sir Mordred!" Arthur blocked another attack, and they started trading blows at a speed at which the swords turned into golden and grey blurs. "Why are you doing this?"

"You denied me the throne! I cannot let that stand! You may be a King loved by the people of Remnant, but you are not in this world. You rarely show yourself and do not converse with the people here. They do not care how much of Britain you conquered!"

"I denied you the throne because you are immature, not fit to be a King!" Arthur jumped back, and slashed at the ground, throwing dirt and rocks at Mordred, before jumping towards him with enough force to create a small crater where he pushed himself off. "This is the perfect example!"

"This isn't two humans fighting..." The Masterchief muttered in disbelief.

"Indeed," Ozpin replied. "They are primitive Remnants. People who had much stronger Semblance, Aura and physical prowess. It would be no stretch to call them superhuman by today's standards, even when taking into account the modern people of Remnant."

Ruby had to agree. Every clash made the air vibrate, every jump or charge broke the ground as if nature itself was giving in to humanity. But if they were capable of that, but were not able to defeat the Grimm...

The fight was interrupted, however, as Lancelot was thrown between them, flying against an oak tree which shattered upon impact. Gawain charged after the Knight of the Lake, his own sword held high.

The King and Mordred watched them, before continuing their battle.

"Yes, this is the battle of Camlann." Cortana pointed out. "In legend, this was the battle in which Camelot fell."

The two warriors continued relentlessly, none of them showing even a sign of fatigue. "You call me immature, you bastard? You will not let me have the throne because of my mother, that is the truth! Just because you despise Morgan!"

"Morgan?" Arthur asked. "What are you saying?"

"Morgan La Fey. She gave me this idea. She was always right. I once envied you, Arthur. But after you rejected me... All of my love turned into anger!"

"She gave you this idea?" Arthur asked in shock. "But... But how? She was found-"

Suddenly, both stopped as explosions erupted around the Forerunner artifact. Everyone on the battlefield turned their attention on the structure, and a few started to flee in panic.

Out of the alien building crawled a massive, black shadow. It quickly sprouted wings, covering the entire hill under them. A snake-like head emerged from the four-legged body, and let out a mighty roar, forcing everyone to cover their ears.

Finally, the massive Grimm fully emerged from the portal and was at least as large as the Forerunner structure. Its wings darkened the sun, and the mere sight of the monster sparked fear in Ruby, Jaune, the Chief, and the Arbiter.

White bone plates grew out of its body, turning into a heavy armor around the body, legs, and head.

"What are the Grimm doing here?" Mordred asked in shock.

"I don't know. Merlin... Sir Kay..." Arthur muttered. Behind them, Lancelot and Gawain stopped their fight and stared at the creature.

Under it, Beowolf, Ursa, Creeps, Lancers and hundreds more Grimm emerged, attacking both armies.

"We have to stop them!" Arthur said.

"Ugh, I hate to say it right now, but yeah." Mordred agreed. "Even if I wrestled the throne from you, I won't rule over a giant bonfire!"

"Sir Lancelot! Sir Gawain, you two shall help us too!"

"I... I was not here to fight you, Arthur." Lancelot said as he got back up. "I was here to stop Mordred."

"What?" Gawain asked. "But-"

"Be quiet, Sir Gawain. For now, we have to pay all our attention to our new enemy. We cannot allow the Grimm to get a hold of this world too."

"Of course." The four knights readied their swords and charged at the Grimm Dragon.

"That Grimm's huge!" Jaune gasped. "But... Since when did Grimm of that size exist?"

"Mom and Dad told me bedtime stories about giant Grimm, old ones, or ancients," Ruby explained. "However... I don't think that this thing matches any of them. And they are just legends anyways."

"We thought King Arthur was a mere legend too." Cortana pointed out. "Is this one of the Grimm Ruby is talking about?"

"No, it is not. This is a simple Grimm, an incredibly old one, yes, but not one of those twelve Grimm."

Their attention snapped back towards the battlefield, as the Dragon opened its mouth. Energy built up between its jaws, unleashing a devastating beam of energy that cuts through the earth.

Under it, Grimm emerged from puddles dripping of its body and attacked the soldiers that were fighting against each other just a moment ago.

The Dragon itself paid them no heed, and marched onto the battlefield, crushing human and Grimm alike under its massive claws.

It started flapping its wings, throwing those unfortunate to stay under them away. Most of them did not get back up, as their bones were broken from the simple force of the wind created by the Grimm.

Contrary to what Jaune believed would happen, the Dragon actually took off, it's wings creating a crater under it akin to a rocket flying into space. However, the flight was short, as a blade cut through its membrane.

The dragon roared in agony and crashed back into the ground. Mordred stood under its wing, wiping black goo of Clarent. "Man, it's a good thing you're slow."

The Dragon pushed itself back on its feet, and unleashed another energy beam, trying to hit Mordred. The Knight, however, dodged the attack just in time and continued slashing at the wings.

Lancelot rode towards the other wing and started doing the same, all while the dragon continued to fire off beams of energy, cutting even the clouds above them into pieces.

Both Gawain and Arthur came up to the Dragon, heavy ropes in their hands, and started throwing them over the beast to pin it down. Of course, that wasn't enough, and the Grimm broke free, though it seemed to have the intended effect.

Arthur and Gawain held onto the ropes and were thrown into the air, landing on the back of the dragon.

"We did it," Arthur said and looked at the wings. The membranes were torn, and the creature would never fly again. "As I thought, the armor is missing here."

Suddenly, the membranes of the wings started to glow and reformed themselves. "It can heal?" Arthur asked, half annoyed and half surprised. "If that's the case, then we won't be able to defeat it before it heals itself again." He looked back at the Forerunner structure and hummed to himself. "Maybe..."

"What is your plan, my liege?" Gawain asked, trying to hold onto the struggling dragon.

"Merlin mentioned once that incredible familiars are hidden within that tower. Maybe he can get them to move out and destroy the dragon."

"Do you think that will work?"

"It is our best bet. You and Lancelot are to hold off the Grimm here. If necessary, use your Semblance to keep them away from the surrounding land, and do not let the dragon off the ground."

"What about you?"

"Mordred and I will go back and find Merlin. Then, we will summon the familiars."

"Understood."

Arthur nodded silently and jumped off the dragon, his Aura flickering as he hit the ground. "Sir Mordred!"

"Arthur!" Mordred replied, still with hate in his voice. "This bastard's healing!"

"I know. We have to find Merlin. Would you come with me?"

He growled. "If it means defeating this giant lizard, then sure." The two Knights started running towards the Alien structure, slaying every Grimm that stood in their way. A few minutes later, they disappeared into the Structure.

"Gawain! It is trying to flee again!" Lancelot alerted.

"I will not let it!" Gawain said and held his sword into the air. The light seemed to move into it, appearing to come straight from the sun itself. "In the name of my King, and the people of Camelot, my Semblance shall be unleashed! O great sun, grant me the power to strike down the darkness, and let your light be my blade!" His eyes glow silver for a second, before the energy moved over into his arm, and into his sword.

A second later, the sword slashed, releasing a large wave of energy, which effortlessly cut through one of the wings.

Gawain started to breathe heavily, as his Aura flickered and shattered.

"That's... That's one powerful Semblance..." Ruby said in awe.

"And thus, the battle continued to wage on for hours." 'Ozpin' said. "Shall we see what the other side is up to?"

"Yes," Jaune said. "I want to know what happened."

Sol-System, Planet Remnant

Emerald Forest

Unknown Date

The scene shifted back to Remnant, specifically the fortifications in front of the Forerunner structure. Or what remained of them. The palisades were on fire, and the forest around them was cut down. Bloody corpses covered the ground, with only a few soldiers left standing.

One soldier was currently in a scuffle with an Ursa. The bear managed to slap the sword out of his hands and pinned him down. But before it could crack his head, it was cut in half.

Mordred helped him back up. "For how long have the Grimm been attacking?"

"Sir Mordred? For a few minutes now. A giant Dragon-"

"Yes, we know," Arthur said, stepping up to the two. "We need Merlin. Have you seen him? Or Sir Kay? Bedivere?"

"Sir Kay has returned to the city with a small contingent of troops, to try and defend the city gates. Sir Bedivere and Merlin are up there." He pointed to a few caves leading into the surrounding mountains. "They try to bring the civilians to safety."

"Thank you. Get back to your men." Arthur replied, handing the man his sword back. He left, leaving the two alone. "We have to get to them fast. I don't know how long the gates will hold against this mass of Grimm."

"Yeah, I chose a shitty time to rebel, didn't I?"

"Anytime is a bad time to rebel, Mordred." Arthur deadpanned. "Do you see any horses here?"

"Only dead ones. Seems like we have to go by foot. Dammit, we may not make it in time."

"No, we will. Bedivere and Merlin can hold their own against the Grimm." Both started running towards the mountains. "I am more concerned about the city gates. Most of the Grimm will concentrate there."

"I have to admit, your species does have the right mindset when it comes to war." The Arbiter muttered.

"Thank... you?" Ruby replied. "Not sure if that's a good thing or not."

"From the mouth of a Sangheili? It is." Cortana added.

They followed the two knights as they ran for the mountains, helping out wounded soldiers whenever they could. The mountain itself, or rather the path leading up to it, was overrun with Grimm, though a large pillar of black smoke was rising up from its top, alongside flashes of light cutting through the air.

Mordred and Arthur ran up the path, cutting through the smaller Grimm and ignoring the larger ones until they arrived at the top. The civilians were hiding inside a cave, with Merlin and Bedivere holding off the Grimm.

One of the Alpha Beowolf went down as a beam of energy blew a hole through its chest, with the pack behind it getting blown away by green and red orbs.

The last few Grimm between Arthur and Merlin were cut down by Bedivere.

"Arthur? Mordred? Thank the Gods you're here." Merlin sighed. "I suppose you saw that dragon?"

"We did. Trust me." Mordred replied. "Merlin, we need your help."

"Of course you do. What is it you need? A field? Tomes?"

"No. You once mentioned that there are familiars hidden in the portal structure. Do you know how to activate them?"

Merlin put his hand on his chin in thought. "Yes, I think I do. There's a room in there where we should be able to activate them. Even someone who is not a mage can do it. I can show you where it is."

"That would be great, Merlin," Arthur replied. "Bedivere? We will try to cut off the path with some rocks. That should keep the civilians save until this problem is resolved."

Bedivere nodded in agreement. "All right, but if I may, I would like to stay here. There are more than enough Grimm that can bury underground. They need someone to keep them safe."

"Understood. We will return once this is over." Arthur looked at Mordred. "Will you accompany us?"

"It's the best thing I can do. I kinda caused this mess, so..."

"Yes, it was pretty much your fault. Now come on, we don't have much time. Even Lancelot and Gawain cannot hold off that dragon for long." The Knights, now in the company of the mage, begin to run down the path and stop about halfway down.

Merlin held up his staff and cast some sort of spell towards the mountainside. It destabilized the cliff, and large rocks came crashing down, burying the path and blocking the way for the Grimm.

The team managed to make their way back to the Forerunner structure and entered through a small door at the Earth side of the portal. Ruby instantly recognized the hallways as Forerunner in origin, even if they had a slightly different style to them as if they were built by different architects then the rings.

All noise from outside was drawn out in an instant, only leaving a quiet hum in the background.

"Man... Who the hell built this?" Mordred asked in awe. "It's like it's made of metal." He touched the wall slightly, trying to gather its surface texture. "And yet, it's smooth."

"Let's say the ones who built it were far beyond our reach. For... multiple reasons." Merlin replied. "Maybe we will achieve their status one day. But I highly doubt any of us will live long enough to see that."

"The Gods were impressive, weren't they? I've never been in here myself, but even I can recognize the aura this place emits." Arthur added.

"So your people recognized the Forerunners as Gods?" The Arbiter asked.

"The people in Camelot, apparently," Cortana replied. "But that structure is not around anymore, for some reason. There's not a single Forerunner relic on Earth, so we never evolved a large religion around them."

"All right... I suppose that is a fair point..." The Arbiter replied quietly as if contemplating something. "Then what the Prophets said about your Heresy..."

They followed the Knights as they entered a large room, littered with interfaces and terminals. All of them seemed alien, but at the same time familiar. A large window gave sight onto the battlefield.

Flashes of light were dancing over it, indicating that at least Gawain was still fighting. However, the Dragon was still alive and kicking as well, though it was kept in the area by the soldiers.

"We have to summon those familiar quickly," Arthur said.

"Then come over here," Merlin said. Arthur walked up to a rather large terminal. "You just have to put your hand here. After that, everything will come to you naturally."

Arthur nodded and put his hand onto the interface. It sprang to life, and a light blue outlined his hand. A second later all the machinery in the room came back online. Arthur quickly moved his hand over the interfaces.

"Yes, that's exactly it," Merlin muttered and walked up to the window, where Mordred was watching. "Sir Mordred? Are you all right?"

"This is all my fault, ain't it?" He asked, clutching his fists.

"Well, in a way. But you were manipulated by your mother. Morgan is a snake, never forget that."

"Arthur said she was found dead..." Mordred replied.

Merlin seemed shocked for a second. "What? But I talked to her recently... No."

"What?"

"This is bad. Dammit, I should've known. That damn witch!"

"Wait, what's going on?" Mordred asked. Merlin looked outside, as multiple Sentinels flew away from the structure.

Their energy beams started cutting through the landscape, and pillars of smoke rose into the air.

The dragon looked up, as one particularly large Sentinel approached. It launched missiles from its body, breaking the armor on the back of the dragon. The Grimm jumped towards it, pulling the Sentinel out of the air, and crushing it under its weight.

However, the resulting explosion threw the dragon off its feet, and a second later-

Two large slashes hit the neck of the fallen beast. Its head tore off, and the two knights, Lancelot and Gawain, watched as the giant monster started to disappear. More Sentinels started and continued to take down the Grimm.

"We did it!" Mordred cheered and turned around. "Arthur! We did it!"

"Looks like it."

"No, it is not over yet," Merlin said. "The real danger is still out there. This facility only has a limited number of Sentinels, and her Grimm are endless. No, we have to stop their source itself."

"Their source?" Arthur asked. "Do you mean-"

"Yes. Salem."

"Wait, that witch?" Mordred asked in shock. "Where..." He stopped, as the realization hit him. "Salem... She killed Mother, and then-"

"Yes. That person that made you do this was, without a doubt, Salem." Merlin replied. "She has found the structure. And now she can get her hands on the relic."

Arthur looked at the ground. "And both sides are at her mercy... Dammit, this has all gone to hell."

"Yes." Merlin looked out. "We have gotten a considerable amount of people through, right?"

"Around one-third of the people." The King sighed. "I... I think I have a plan."

"What is it?" Mordred asked. "Slay Salem?"

"She cannot be slain. We know that." Arthur yelled. "No, we need to destroy this structure."

The Arbiter said something in Sangheili, undoubtedly curse words, Jaune guessed. He watched as Mordred and Merlin looked at each other in concern.

"Destroy it? What about the plan-"

"The plan is no more. Salem ruined it!" Arthur lashed out. "Merlin? Can we destroy it?"

Merlin nodded. "I suppose it is possible. The entire complex is powered by an engine deep in its bowels. If we overload it, then it should be enough to completely destroy it. The other side could survive, but it would be unusable."

"There is only one thing that can do that then," Arthur said. He drew his lance.

"Rhongomyniad?" Merlin gasped. "My King, I must disagree on this. We both know how powerful that lance is-"

"I am not talking about it. No, it is true that it would be enough to do the job, but it is too important. Who knows what would happen if one of them got destroyed." He threw it to the side. "I will entrust it to Gawain."

"But why?"

"We can make sure Salem is never going to get it," Arthur said. He drew his sword. "No, the combination of my Semblance and Excalibur shall be enough."

Merlin closed his eyes and shook his head. "In some aspects, you're still the same as when you were a child."

Arthur looked towards one of the doors. "You said it was deep in the basement, right? I will find my way there. I will give you twenty minutes, I should've reached it by then. Give Rhongomyniad to Gawain, and tell him to get everyone as far away from here as possible."

"What about us?" Mordred asked. "I mean... We haven't had a real talk."

Arthur grabbed Mordred by the shoulders. "Sir Mordred... It is true that you are a brat. You are rash and hotheaded."

"Ugh, of course, you would-"

"But, through all this, you have shown that you can take responsibility, and that, in the end, you realized your mistakes. I will be frank, I won't survive this. But Camelot, or what is left of it, needs a King."

"Wait, are you-"

"Sir Mordred. This is your last duty as a Knight. Got to Remnant. Lead the survivors, and make sure that they have a future."

Mordred nodded determinedly. "Of course, King Arthur."

"Thank you, my child," Arthur said, and left, leaving Mordred dumbfounded.

"He... He acknowledged-"

"Yes, yes. We only have twenty minutes. Come on, we have to get to Gawain and through the portal."

Mordred shook his head and followed Merlin out of the Forerunner structure. The battlefield had calmed down a bit, and most of the soldiers had started to treat the wounded, as the Grimm were occupied with the Sentinels.

"Gawain! Gawain!" Mordred yelled. "Dammit, where is he?"

"Let me call him," Merlin said and put his staff into the ground. "I call to thee, Gawain."

A few seconds later, the blonde Knight came running. "Mordred! Merlin! Where's Arthur?!"

"Arthur... He chose to sacrifice himself." Merlin explained. "Listen, he gave you one last order. Mordred?"

Mordred handed him the lance. "Here. Arthur wanted you to take it. It cannot fall into Salem's hands."

"Wait, I don't understand-"

"He is going to destroy the portal," Merlin replied. "After that, we will be separated. He told Mordred and me to go back and stop Salem. You and Lancelot are supposed to stay here and take care of the civilians that got through."

"But... What about Camelot?"

"Camelot is finished, Gawain," Mordred said in a strict voice. "Just do what he said. And get everyone away from here. When that thing gets destroyed, then it will probably cause a lot of damage."

Gawain let his head hang low, and sighed. "If... If that's what the King wanted, then I shall agree with it."

"And try to hide the lance as good as possible," Merlin added. "We will be off then. Goodbye, Sir Gawain."

"Goodbye, Merlin. Goodbye Mordred. It was an honor to serve with you."

Mordred nodded. "Same." He and Merlin ran towards the portal, while Gawain ran towards Lancelot.

"Lancelot! No time to explain, but we have to get everyone away from the portal."

The Knight of the lake raised an eyebrow. "If... If you say so? Everyone! Pack it up! The familiars will take care of the rest. We will retreat towards Londinium!"

"So... Who's Salem?" Ruby asked. "Some sort of Grimm?"

"No, not exactly." The Gravemind said. "Though one could say she was created by the same being that created the Grimm."

Sol-System, Planet Remnant

Emerald Forest

Unknown Date

The scene shifted again, going back to Camelot, where Merlin and Mordred were just leaving the portal. The corpses of soldiers littered the battlefield, with only a few humans still standing amongst the masses of Grimm.

"Merlin!" One Knight yelled and came running towards them. It was Kay, quickly followed by Bedivere. "What happened?"

"Arthur... He's not here anymore." Mordred replied. "He sacrificed himself."

"What?" Both Knights stepped back. "But why?"

"Because this isn't a simple Grimm invasion." Merlin started to explain. "No, this had a perpetrator behind it. Salem."

"The Witch? How?" Bedivere asked. "She shouldn't be-"

"It was Morgan, wasn't it?" Kay asked. "I saw her a few days ago during the night... But I just thought it to be an illusion."

"Yes. I suspect Salem killed Morgan and used an illusion to disguise herself as her."

"Bravo! Bravo!" A female voice called out behind them. Morgan was hovering a few meters above ground. "You figured it out! Took you longer than I anticipated. Merlin, is your mind deteriorating? That old age must get on your nerves."

"Stop mocking me, witch," Merlin replied. "Everyone, we cannot let the Grimm get through the portal. One undetected puddle would be enough for the other side to endure the same hell as Remnant."

Kay looked towards the portal and drew his sword. "I agree."

"This could be our last battle." Bedivere agreed. "I already lost the people on the mountain to the Grimm. I shall not disappoint Arthur another time."

"Well, as the one who caused this mess, I will fight you too," Mordred said and drew Clarent. "Prepare yourself, witch. You are about to face off against the finest of the Roundtable! Except for Gawain and Lancelot. And Tristan. And, eh you know what I mean!"

"Cute," Salem replied. "Merlin... You of all people should know that this is futile."

"We can die trying," Merlin said. "It is more honorable than giving up."

"The human spirit truly is admirable. But it will not save you." Beams of energy fired out of thin air around Salem, directly towards the knights.

Merlin stepped in front of them, and put up a barrier, blocking the spells. He swung his staff around, summoning vines and plants from the ground below Salem. The plants wrapped around her and pulled her down onto the ground.

However, it did not hold for long. She simply burned them away. However, that short amount of time was more than enough for the Knights to jump into the fray.

They surrounded Salem and tried to slash at her. Salem gracefully dodged all three slashes, and surrounded herself with a ring of fire, forcing the Knights to step back.

Merlin stabs his staff into the ground and summons a wave of water, which quickly washes away the ring of fire. Thus, the Knights went in again.

Their heavy armor is keeping them steady in the wave, while Salem has trouble standing on her feet. Sir Kay gets close and manages slash over Salem's chest, only to be lifted into the air, and thrown away.

Still, Salem stepped back and started hovering. "What... What is this? Why... Why does it hurt?"

Merlin grins. "Thank Sir Kays Semblance for that."

Kay stands back up, his right arm has gone limp from the impact. "None of my slashes will heal, no matter what you do."

Salem moves her hand over the wound, which starts to close. It stops halfway, and black veins start sprouting over her snow-white skin. She growls in anger. "You-"

"SALEM!" Mordred yells.

Salem turns around, just as the Knight launches himself into the air with a single jump. He brings Clarent down, right into her shoulder. It does not do damage but the sheer force is enough to force Salem back to the ground.

Bedivere comes in, an stabs his sword into her other shoulder, pinning it to the ground.

"ENOUGH!" A ball of fire erupts from Salem, instantly melting Bedivere's sword.

Bedivere and Mordred are thrown away, their armor scorched black. Salem rose back up and started casting spells at the Knights. Mordred was able to block or deflect a few with his sword, but eventually, it became too much.

A large spell hit him in the chest, throwing him into a barricade. The wood shattered upon impact.

A second one hits Kay, burning a massive hole through his chest. The last spell hit Bedivere and sends him flying several meters.

Merlin, in return, sends dozens of spells towards Salem, who returns the favor. Both attacks hit mid-air, creating multiple, large explosions.

Jaune, Ruby and the Arbiter instinctively shield their eyes with their arms until the bright light was gone.

What was left was a scorched battlefield, with both sides gasping for air. Sir Kay had collapsed, and Bedivere had trouble getting back onto his feet. Mordred was missing pieces of his armor and was pushing himself up with Clarent.

But the one who was worse off was Merlin. His legs were scorched, his robes burnt up and streams of blood were running down his face. But he was still standing.

"And so, it ends once again," Salem says proudly. "Die, Merlin."

"Salem. I have to admit, your plan almost succeeded." Merlin laughed. "I know full well that we cannot beat you. That's why we were just stalling."

"Stalling?" Salem asks.

That question, however, was answered immediately, as bright light started streaming out of the Forerunner structure. Space around it folded in, while the earth started to grumble.

"No!" Salem pleaded.

"Father did it, huh?" Mordred sighed with a grin on his face.

A second later, the structure disappeared in bright, blue, red and purple light, as if a slipspace portal opened to swallow the planet itself. The ground broke into large chunks, and the shockwave unrooted trees disintegrated mountains and buildings. Pieces of the land flew into the air, as the rules of gravity gave up.

Now, Jaune didn't know much about space. After all, he only really experienced it for a few months by now. But, he guessed that the explosion was equal to a Supernova, the second largest force in the universe, right after the big bang.

The explosion would've swallowed and destroyed Remnant, the moon and disrupted the entire Solar System if it weren't for the fact that this was a Forerunner structure. The Slipspace portal opened, swallowing the entire force of the explosion in itself, saving Remnant in the progress.

The chunks of the planet fell down, equal in strength to a small shower of meteorites. The entire Emerald Forest was turned into a wasteland, with only a few mountain peaks surviving the catastrophe.

From the glimpse of his eye, Jaune was able to see a bit of the Forerunner structure being buried under earth and rock. Was that...

"Is... Is it over?" Ruby asked. She was rolled together, a reaction to the catastrophe she just witnessed.

"It is." 'Ozpin' replied.

The dust settled, showing the wasteland. Jaune wasn't sure if anything survived. Ozpin once mentioned that a great many civilizations had risen and fallen in the Forever Fall.

The world in front of Jaune's eyes vanished, making place for the inner parts of a large Forerunner chamber. And wrapped around him were tentacles, made out of dead biomass. No, not dead. Undead.

And in front of him was the creature that mass belonged too.

Coelest System, Installation 05, Inner structure

Unknown Chambers

November 2; 2552

"We're... We're back..." Ruby muttered in disbelief. Was what she just saw real? Was it an illusion? A vision? She couldn't tell. It felt real. As if she was there. Like a Ghost.

"Why did you show us that, parasite." The Arbiter asked, with a sign of disbelief and unsureness in his voice.

"So you understand." The Gravemind replies, his voice no longer coming out of Ozpins mouth, but once again vibrating through the air.

"Remnant... And Earth..." Jaune muttered.

Ruby wasn't sure what that meant. Why did he show them? He's Flood. He could've just assimilated them. Hell, the air could probably infect them. But... He was preventing that. And he showed them that both worlds were connected once. That could only mean... He needed them to understand something. Yes, as he said. But what was that? And... He needed all of them alive.

Her head started to feel like a jackhammer was hitting her. He needed them for some task, so much was clear to her. But why? And why were Remnant and Earth connected? Why did the Gravemind know about that? And why did he take the form of Ozpin? How did he know about her Headmaster?

"Hello! I am 2401 Penitent Tangent. I am the Monitor of Installation 05!" A familiar, annoying voice said, ripping her out of her thoughts. She wasn't sure if she missed a conversation, thinking about what happened.

But, what she knew was that in front of her was a shape she didn't want to see. A tiny, grey-silver ball with a lightbulb as an eye. A red one, this time. Figured this ring had a Monitor. But it was captured, fused to a tentacle of the Gravemind.

"And I am the Prophet of Regret, Counselor most High... Hierarch of the Covenant!" A second, even more, annoying voice, added.

The Prophet she fought just a few hours ago was in front of her. But by now, he had become part of the flood, fused with the tentacle, and resurrected by the collective. The mere thought of it made her feel sorry for him. This was a fate she didn't wish anyone.

"So many Reclaimers!" The Monitor cheered. "We must activate this facility at once if we are to control this outbreak!"

"Stay where you are!" Regret interrupted. "Nothing can be done until my Sermon is complete!"

"Good luck with that..." Ruby muttered to herself and glanced at the Arbiter. He was staring at Regret. He was a different species, but she noticed his eyes darting everywhere. She had no doubt that he felt his entire world crumble before him.

"Not true. This installation has a successful utilization record of 1.2 trillion simulated and one actual. It is ready to fire on demand."

"A successful?" Ruby thought to herself. "Right, Guilty Spark mentioned that."

Regret turned towards the Arbiter. "Of all the objects our Lords left behind, there are none so worthless as these Oracles! They know nothing about the Great Journey." Ruby had to agree with the first part. Monitors weren't something she was too fond of.

"And you know nothing about containment! You have demonstrated a complete disregard for even the most basic protocols!" That was also true.

"This one's containment..." The Gravemind shivered in disgust while lowering Tangent back into the mass below. "And this one's 'Great Journey'... Are the same." He lowered Regret back down, and the Prophet let out one last cry of help.

"Your Prophets have promised you freedom from a doomed existence, but you will find no salvation on this ring. Those who built this place knew what they wrought. Do not mistake their intent, or all will perish as they did before."

"He's right, Arbiter," Jaune added. "Halo is a weapon that, if activated, would wipe out every living being in the galaxy. The Forerunners didn't use it to ascend, but to wipe out the Flood."

Ruby waited for a retort, but none came. The Arbiter lowered his head in though, and simply stayed silent.

"And now they got the Index." Jaune continued. "They'll activate Halo... And everything will end."

Ruby's eyes went large. They had the Index? That's bad. She started to struggle and was about to use her Semblance to escape. Maybe she could get away, and stop the Covenant.

"There is still time to stop the key from turning, but first it must be found." The Gravemind interrupted, gaining everyone's attention. He lifted up Jaune and the Arbiter. "You will search one likely spot,..." He lifted up Ruby and the Chief. "...and you will search another. Fate had us meet as foes, but this ring will make us... brothers."

Golden rings appeared around them, and in one second, everything around Ruby disappeared. It was the same feeling as when Spark teleported them around the ring.

Sol-System, Planet Remnant

Emerald Forest

Unknown Date

A lone Knight wandered the remains of a once glorious kingdom. The entire forest had been uprooted in one swift move, leaving nothing but rubble and destruction. But... The Knight survived.

Through some miracle, the mage had intervened and created a barrier around him and the two survivors. He was on his way to meet them, returning from a search for survivors.

It wasn't his first. He went out a few dozen times and found maybe two, three hundred people who were still alive. Most of them soldiers. Only a handful of civilians had survived.

Overall, it was a catastrophe. The plan had failed, Salem had destroyed Camelot, and the King was dead.

It's easily the worst possible outcome. The Knight pondered his deeds while returning to the makeshift camp. He betrayed his father after falling for the trick of a witch. For a cheap one at that. In the end, this was his fault.

"Mordred." Bedivere greeted. He was the other Knight that survived. Kay had passed away from his wounds. "You didn't find anyone, right?"

"No..." Mordred replied, and followed him into the camp. The Mage was waiting in a tent, looking onto a map of Camelot before it was destroyed.

"No survivors," Bedivere said, taking the burden of bearing bad news off of Mordred's shoulders. After the fight with Salem, the two of them had become comrades in the following search for survivors and worked together to wipe out the remaining Grimm in the area.

"All right..." Merlin sighed. "We can stop with the searches. We won't find any more." He straightened his back and looked at Mordred. "This is it. This is all we have left."

"What about Salem?" Mordred asked.

"Salem is gone," Merlin replied. "She is not dead. She will never be. But... What happened with the gate... She does not possess barriers such as I do. She was under the full force of the shockwave. She's not dead, but I have no doubts that even she was wounded."

"So she's out of the picture for now, huh?" Mordred asked. "How long will she stay hidden?"

"I can't say for sure, but I'd guess for a long amount of time."

"So... What now?" Bedivere asked.

"I would like to ask that myself," Merlin replied, and walked over to Mordred. "Sir Mordred Pendragon. Tell me, what is it we should do now?"

"I? Why should I say what-"

"You're Arthur's son," Merlin replied. "You're the heir to the throne. Camelot has not been destroyed. As long as it's people are alive, it is alive."

A small smile came upon Mordred's face, even though no one could see it behind his helmet. "You... You're right. Salem won't bother us for now. We can rebuild."

"Do you want to rebuilt?"

"Yes. Not here, of course. A bit more to the north, between the mountains and rivers. That is where Camelot shall be rebuilt. We can include the existing farmland and villages."

"All right." Merlin pulls a sword from his belt. "As the courtmage of Camelot, and trusted advisor of Arthur and Uther Pendragon, I hereby declare you, Mordred Pendragon, as the new King of Camelot." He moves the sword to Mordred's shoulders and sheathes it again.

"No..." Mordred said while standing up. "It isn't Camelot. I always wanted to be the King of Camelot. But... After everything that happened, it doesn't feel right to take the throne. You said Camelot is still alive, but that is not necessarily true. Camelot has died with Arthur Pendragon."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that the new kingdom is not Camelot. It is the successor, its heir, if you will. And its name shall be..."

"It shall be?" Bedivere asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm thinking. I got it. The Kingdom ruled over by Mordred Pendragon. The heir to King Arthur and Camelot... Shall hereby be named... Vale!"

And here is Chapter 28.

Well, definitely the longest Chapter yet. And a different one at that. This is one I was excited about writing all the way back when I thought about how both worlds could be connected. I'm a fan of Arthurian myth, so it seemed like a good choice, and fits pretty well with RWBY's theme of legends and myths.

Also, I don't think I have to say who Merlin actually is.

Anyways, now to replies:

Tronmaster5704: Thanks. It took a little bit to release this one, but that's mostly thanks to the wordcount, background checks of sources and the size of the Chapter getting a bit out of hand.

djmegamouth: Yeah, a normal Elite doesn't stand much of a chance against Pyrrha, but experienced ones have been shown to be good enough to block bullets with their swords.

Animeak116: Thanks. Well, here's the rest of the conversation.

Steelrain66: Well, you're gonna see next Chapter.

archive4465: Honestly, all of them are great, but I had to settle on one.

ChronoHyperion: Thanks for sharing that idea. I'll look into it.

Yes, I know Mona Lisa. (Definitely have to rewatch that though).

I haven't seen that Trailer yet, but I'll look into it.

Roboman: Thanks.

PhoenixClaw2128: Well, here you go.

kpmh2001: Thanks. I hope I'll be able to release the a bit quicker in the future.

seraphimnight: Thanks.

red october700: Well, here's the reveal. Little fun fact: I always listen to music while writing, and the one I put on while writing the fight was 'The Battle is to the Strong' from the Fate/Zero OST. And yes, the Writer's block was hell.

Mecharic: While she won't have it the way you described, Salem is going to have an 'Oh shit what have I done' moment. Though interesting to see someone who hasn't played Halo reading this. Hope you have fun.

SpaceAlchemy7: Thanks. Yes, there are plans for the Banished.

ptl: Thanks.

Azaira: Thanks for the criticism. I'll try to change that in the future.

CliffySilver66: Yes, yes it is.

True, but the Grimm aren't regular biomass, and don't have much of a neural system. They can be infected, but the Flood would only be able to do that at a later stage. (Conviniently the one they are at on Installation 05)

Halo belongs to 343 Industries and Microsoft; RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth