#Sisters grimm au

[wolfpropaganda]

"We all got that one friend who’s afflicted by an ancient curse and is always killing the vibe because of it"-Twitter user @Psybele

[phantasoba]

Villain Sabrina

Just au things

Sabrina but she never got over her magic addiction. Her addiction gets progressively worse throughout the 3rd book, (but she still stops Jake from killing the Everafters, only to admit later that she wished she had taken the power instead. She still goes to New York to save Puck but when she meets the fairy godfathers, she starts planning to take their wands. Upon meeting Moth, Oberon and Titania, her dislike and resentment of the Everafters grows. She hates feeling powerless, and being around beings made of magic certainly doesn't help. Throughout the rest of the series she steals bits of magic from places she goes (omitting Baba Yaga, no way she's stealing from her again)

I don't quite have this whole thing planned out in my head, but I just really like the idea of Sabrina having an evil arc

[acediaedeus]

he was a punk, she did ballet typa story with grimmichi, but both of them are punk, and both of them do ballet.

this one is an AU where they're just humans, but Ichigo is still a weirdo who sees ghosts, cause why the fuck not. also, long-haired Grimmjow.

in Ichigo's case, it's that he did ballet. why? let's imagine Masaki sending Yuzu to ballet classes when she's four because the girl is fascinated by the beautiful women dancing in white tutus on TV in one of her mum's shows. Masaki is afraid her small, gentle, and shy daughter will have a hard time making friends with all the new kids, so she tries to convince Karin to go with her sister, at least for the first few classes, but the girl is unwavering in her refusal. she would hate to pressure her children into anything, so accepts, and as a last resort goes to her older son. young and filled with the desire to protect his family and please his mother, Ichigo says he'll go with Yuzu.

and so on top of his karate, Ichigo also does ballet for a while, so his baby sister will have an easier time adjusting. he actually likes it too, but then mum dies, and the beautiful women dancing on TV she used to watch no longer bring fascination, only tears. so they no longer do ballet and that is that.

everything else after that is much the same: Ichigo gets bullied, puts the karate classes to use and becomes a delinquent. all is well until one day Yuzu comes to him, timid and unsure, putting Ichigo on high alert, fearing someone has hurt his sister (a big mistake they'll regret and learn not to repeat), but all she says is that she wants to try dancing again. he, of course, encourages her to try.

like the good older brother Ichigo is, he comes along for her first class as moral support. Yuzu is amazing, as expected, and he definitely feels some water in his eyes watching her dance, which no one needs to know that. BUT, there's this guy, who seems to be his age, training on the opposite side of the room. beautiful and mesmerizing, and so ethereal Ichigo can hardly look away. the way he moves is enchanting, his long blue hair swaying and spiralling into a snake with each spin. he leaves with a happy Yuzu for their little sibling celebration with Karin, filled to the brim with confusion.

time goes on, but he simply can't get the guy out of his head, and one evening he comes to walk Yuzu home (he is not about to let his baby sister walk alone in the darkness of winter). he's a little early, so the class is yet to finish, but oh wait, there's the guy standing outside. one thing leads to another aaaand... they're fighting. positively rolling on the ground like children. and like a child Grimmjow (cause that's his name apparently, which Ichigo doesn't even remember when he was told that) bites his hand, so like a child Ichigo tugs on his blue hair. it's soft and nice, and he's getting distracted. but then Yuzu is yelling at him, calling him a foolish boy (and he won't even argue, because he really is a fool).

so yes, turns out they both were punks and both did ballet.

[enbeemagical]

thank you @curls-cat for making a couple thousand people look at my post about my gay little book! this is for you!

ID 1: a pencil sketch of Sabrina from "The Sisters Grimm" sitting in Puck's trash throne from his introduction. She has a similar pose and is wearing his same grin, hoodie, and crown, and has insect wings coming out of her back. Next to her are the words "Sabrina Goodfellow, Queen of Sneaks", and looking up at her are Puck and Daphne (very roughly sketched), with the words "Robin and Daphne Grimm". Image 2 is a close-up of Sabrina, and image 3 is a close-up of Robin and Daphne /end ID

reference picture:

ID: the official art from the first Sisters Grimm book depicting the scene where the pixies take Sabrina and Daphne to see Puck /end ID

[everafterdisaster]

question for you.

how do you think Alison and Emma would fit into the dark future book 5 au

Omg I’m sorry this has been sitting in my ask box for ages.

Ok so in this AU I cannot imagine Puck or Sabrina wanting to bring a child into things so they would probably be extremely careful.

HOWEVER, for arguments sake, if by some accident they did end up having a child I don’t imagine it would be a happy situation.

I think they’d both be terrified of what was going to happen to their kid so I think they’d have to have Sabrina leave town before the baby was born because otherwise the baby (an ever after by birth) would be trapped in the town. Of course the sad implication of that is that Puck would never get to meet his daughter.

After that I think there are a couple of possibilities, either Sabrina stays with Alison and the two of them can never return to Ferryport landing, or Sabrina leaves the baby with family and returns to Ferryport landing alone.

I guess she could leave Alison with Pucks brother in New York or even Veronica’s sister in Australia.

All that being said I don’t really see Alison existing in this universe and Emma definitely would never exist because they would not be allowing that to happen twice.

Thanks for your patience, sorry it took me 10000 years to respond to this

[this--is-serious-business]

I wanted to see Baz as a nun

[rqt-sistersgrimm]

Day 22: Curse

Below the cut is my first gif! (so please don't be mean)

ATTENTION! BEWARE OF FLASHING LIGHTS!

[nonuggetshere]

I am curious, in your Usurper AU, would Grimm have anything to say to Hollow about just who they allied with? Being her brother might have some more insight into how terrible of a person she is for Hollow

To be honest, I never thought about Grimm in this AU before! But that's a good idea, maybe he'd just observe from afar for now and judge everything that's going down. Maybe he'd pop by Pale King's new home and annoy him a little for sport.

Idk what to do with him for now, but I'm open to suggestions :]

[bi-panic-at-the-disco]

y’know maybe I should just try to continue working on my fics

[bluegekk0]

AU references for NKG and The Radiance! They both got new looks which I'm really happy with

Some lore below the cut, as usual

Grimm, once known as The Nightmare, was one of the two children of The Dream Lord, born soon before their father perished in a fight against The Shade Lord. As his final wish, they both inherited an equal chunk of his realm and were meant to rule it together. Grimm's sister, The Radiance was tasked with watching over the mortals’ dreams and be their guiding light in hopeless situations. The Nightmare’s role was to guard the mortals’ nightmares and help them overcome their fears.

Grimm was always the more rebellious of the two siblings. He would frequently pull pranks on his sister, and it was clear that he wasn't as interested in the godly matters as she was. But more than anything, he was naive. As he grew up, he believed he could leave Godhome to mingle with the mortals with no consequences, and he ignored the growing tension between him and The Radiance. As time went on, the two siblings grew more and more distant. The Radiance was dedicated to fulfilling her father’s wishes and preserving his legacy, while The Nightmare spent most of his time away from Godhome. While he did his duties and watched over their nightmares, he held no attachment to his father’s legacy, which infuriated The Radiance. She saw him as unworthy of the power given to them, and he responded to it with annoyance. He would continue with his mortal plane activities, seeing it as his playground.

The Radiance, on the other hand, was obsessed with living up to her father's legacy. She saw the old ways of the gods as the correct one, and thus she never created a physical form for herself. Her obsession eventually turned into paranoia, and she saw every disagreement with her brother as a sign that he may be conspiring against her.

Their disagreement culminated after The Radiance created the Moth Tribe - a tribe of bugs who would serve as her main way of reaching the mortals, capable of entering the Dream Realm with the use of a dream nail. To get back at his sister, Grimm decided to disturb the tribe, often interrupting their rituals and even inciting them to rebel against her and her stuck up ways. In his eyes, this was nothing more than a mere prank, he could not care less whether they would remain loyal to her. Unfortunately, as a result, some of them started doubting their creator, which infuriated The Radiance. She found out about her brother's scheming, and after he returned to Godhome, she attacked him without giving him a chance to explain himself, seeing his actions as a direct threat to her authority, and even as an attempt at obtaining complete power over their realm. Ultimately, Grimm lost the battle, caught off-guard by her sudden aggression, and was subsequently banished from Godhome and trapped him in his Nightmare Realm, now separated from Godhome.

Years passed, and The Radiance's influence over the mortals of Hallownest weakened. As it turned out, they were more drawn to beings they could actually see and touch, and by the time she realized her mistake, they all turned from her in favor of the two new rulers of Hallownest, The Pale King and The White Lady. Blinded by her rage and the fear of being forgotten, she retaliated with the terrible infection: a deadly mutation of the dream essence, which took over the minds of those affected and made them susceptible to her voice. Her rampage was temporarily halted by The Pale King, whose Pure Vessel absorbed the infection. Unfortunately, this solution did not last, and she eventually broke down the vessel to the point where they could not contain the infection anymore. Years later, she was defeated by another of Vyrm's offsprings, Ghost of Hallownest, who united the void to form The Shade Lord, ascended Godhome and overpowered her, ending the infection for good.

While Grimm eventually found a way to walk the mortal world with a physical body, his godly form remains there. The Radiance's eventual death squandered his only chance at reversing the seal which keeps him trapped, though with his new life in the mortal world, he does not care for it. His sister, meanwhile, will be remembered as a ruthless, self-absorbed god who met her end at the hands of the same being that once destroyed her father.

[the-artist-grimm]

Hey, Grimm, I've been meaning to ask, but what other information do you have about the vessels (besides 7, 12 and 13, which you explored already)? I know 9 is gender fluid as well, but that's about it.

Also, credit where credit is due, you were the inspiration for my Forneus to be a former vessel as well, though I went with tarot instead of numerology as theme.

Crimson Angel AU - Vessels 1-12

(I don't have too much on the others but I got some notes!)

Vessels #1 and #2 - Tasked with breaking into Shamura's archives to find a way to break the spell

#1 (Unity) They were Narinder's only witness, and after their Lord was chained, killed themself to reach his side, knowing he'd resurrect them. They worked diligently but abdicated after 150 years, as after well over a century of having no luck in freeing their god, they were tired. They did not die in pain, they simply stabbed their heart and asked Narinder not to revive them. Narinder only realized it a while after, but they had loved him-and though he'd not felt the same, he did feel guilty for letting them go on for so long. Their lengthy service was because of their unrequited love, and had he'd known, he would've insisted they go live their life and leave him.

#2 (Duality) Was actually a set of twins, a Brother and Sister whom died together and asked to share the crown. Tag-teaming crusades and the cult, they managed to finally help him understand the spell, yet after 120 years the two were tired as well, and thus he released them from service, wanting time as well to contemplate what to do from there. To his horror, however, they returned to him in less than a year-executed by War for their 'crimes' against the Old Faith. He offered to revive them again yet they refused, and thus passed on.

Vessel #3 - Originally tasked with the archives again, then the first to try killing the Bishops

#3 (Trinity, the Spirit Realm) She was once a budding seer, yet died after one of her card-readings angered a client. Narinder originally asked her to try searching the archives for another way to be freed, but eventually came to understand he had no choice, and sent her to try and fight his siblings. Somewhat stable at first, her mind, however, gradually began to crumble under the weight of death and blood, and eventually his once calm vessel became violent and un-predictable. Narinder forced her to abdicate after 100 years of service, and she died a month later after her cards said she could take on War alone without a crown. It was her who made Narinder order Red to keep closer watch on vessel mental states.

Vessels #4-#6 - Tasked with trying to kill the Bishops

#4 (Balance) The oldest vessel at age 55, he was a former guard captain. An effective leader, he, however, was not physically fit to fight as much as required, even with the crown's aid. He voluntarily abdicated after only 60 years then was executed by Leshy after 5, he'd not heeded Narinder's warning to be careful of the Bishops.

#5 (Freedom, Curiosity) The youngest vessel at 18, they were very eager to serve, but were very lax about their cult. A wildcard in battle they somehow managed to do ok against witnesses, but in the cult it was more like college students throwing a party. After 130 years they still proved just as reckless, so Narinder requested them to abdicate. They managed to calm down after and even settle down, yet after 10 years they and their new family-a husband and child, were executed. Just as #5 had realized there was something nice about a peaceful life, a former follower ratted them out.

#6 (Perfection) Another ok vessel, but highly vain. They followed Narinder's requests at first, but gradually grew more fond of gaining their own power, to the point where for 30 years managed to avoid all contact with their god. It was Red who threw a bit of a rebellion that got them back into the gateway after killing them in their sleep, and Narinder forcibly took Red back. Their own cult murdered them come morning, once they realized their 'god' was nothing more than a vain false idol-one whom had grown very fond of violence towards their own people in later years. Murder was the followings' payback. They held the crown for 135 years.

Vessels #7-#11 - Tasked with trying to kill the Bishops' following/disciples, all under STRICT orders to not engage with the gods

#7 (Lady Luck) Forneus. you know her already, but lets review. Strong sense of justice, very capable in a fight, the picture of a perfect vessel-if she wasn't just a little arrogant. Her overconfidence never hindered her however, and while he did grow uncertain about how many lovers she took it wasn't a point where Narinder felt concerned. After 80 years, however, she called out to him via the crown more serious than she'd ever been-she'd discovered that she was pregnant. A trip to the gateway could kill the unborn, and resurrections could only affect her. Having never considered raising a child she suddenly was at an impasse and unsure, yet after a long talk with Narinder kinda uncertainly giving her encouragement, she decided to take it as a sign to step back, and relinquished the crown.

#8 (Infinity) #8 was not as effective as Forneus, yet they also were highly determined to do their best no matter how many deaths they faced. Served for 40 years and only abdicated upon the realization they were outliving their loved ones. Life was infinite for them, but not their family. Died 6 years later of grief, after watching their youngest sibling die peacefully of old age. Narinder had gotten lucky with them as a note-he'd chosen them on a whim after the twins had arrived, and it was by pure chance they proved competent. They, however, never noticed the twins, they were so small and quiet.

#9 (Sorrow) #9 was genderfluid and had once been a lover, and wanted revenge for their spouse who died after stealing from Chaos' domain. Though Narinder was hesitant about another anger-fueled vessel, they begged for a second chance, and he decided to give them a try. 25 years was all they lasted, since Red reported they were becoming increasingly cruel and violent in later years and Narinder took quick action to avoid it progressing further. They were executed for murder not long after, after becoming a vigilante killing anyone who dared praise a god's name. They willfully ignored Aym and Baal out of anger for never having children of their own-and once actually lashed out at them when they'd gotten annoyed at hearing the toddlers playing. They made the twins cry about 5 years in, and while they actually did apologize after that Narinder was more wary about letting vessels interact with the twins.

#10 (Completion) Vain similar to #6, yet not to the point of selfishness. He managed a Cult just fine and was decent at combat, but he served only 30 years, however, after falling in love. He died not long after marrying though, since as he could not rely on a doctor of Pestilence's cult for assistance, his spouse could do nothing to save him after he'd fallen ill. He ignored the twins but sent food when asked-including uh...corpses. He'd been born into Heket's cult and cannibalism had been an old habit he'd never kicked. He used to hide heretic bodies in the offerings chest forgetting it was a one-way system.

#11 (Potential) Decent leader, decent fighter, served 30 years where-upon the Prophecy was heard of. During one crusade through Darkwood they managed to hear from Clauneck about it-he'd given the reading to the bishops, and while the duck typically allowed fate to pass as it desired, their discussion of executing all sheep concerned him enough to give a warning. Narinder initially wanted 11 to take on the role of mentor for this promised liberator, but 11 did not like the idea of babysitting and abdicated, leaving on poor terms for either side. As such, they did not heed Narinder's warning to be wary, and were captured and executed a few months later. They in general disliked kids, and made sure the cats were all made aware of that every visit. Aym and Baal's later hesitance towards Anthea is partially because 11 often complained about how loud/rude/annoying children were, despite Aym and Baal having only whispered to each other once or twice during a visit. Narinder had tried to convince them it was 11 who was the issue not them, but neither can really forget that and 9's previous scolding. Anthea encouraging them to talk had them a mix of surprise and a little nervous early on.

Vessel #12 - Tasked with just learning how to fight, manage a cult, and hopefully act as a bridge to pass it on to the Lamb.

#12 (Stability) Ratau was the vessel with the largest gap between him and his predecessor. 35 years separated them since Narinder spent too long trying to find someone perfect to no avail, and Ratau's anger at the Bishops, the realization that the Sheep were nearly down to 1, and the frustration of not having anyone lined up made him decide to just do it. Ratau only lasted around 10 years however, his initial rage had faded and while he was well-liked by his following he was not strong in the face of conflict, and after the Fox incident, abdicated of his own will, with Narinder simply telling him that when the Liberator arrived he'd call upon him once more. Of all former vessels Ratau was the only one who took Narinder's parting warning of the Bishops going after him seriously-he set up his lonely shack, and lined his territory with traps. The friends he'd made also proved useful, and he managed to avoid capture for the next 40 years. He did notice the twins, and actually did kinda awkwardly wave at them a few times, but Narinder's protective glaring scared him off from doing it again. Had he not Ratau honestly might've tried getting to know them since he did like children, but because he was too scared he never even looked at them after out of fear.

Anyway, thank you! Though as a note I believe it was @/waokevale who was one of the first to make Forneus a vessel, but I'm glad my work inspired you too! Forneus is such an interesting character so its fun to play with her background! :D

And cool!! As pointed out by @/parememi Forneus, Ratau, and Anthea actually line up with the perfect tarots for themselves too which was a happy little accident, (Forneus is The Chariot, Ratau The Hanged Man, and Anthea Death) but while I thus have tarot associations for them because of that, the rest just got numbers.

I went with number symbolism mostly since I see the vessels as points on a clock, with them being a countdown to the '13th Hour' of the Last Lamb-the impossible vessel not meant to survive.

Boarders are by @/lambouillet

[wolfpropaganda]

so. Mirror. he's a character. I drew him

This is a color/form test for my version of Mirror, so it's 'sketchier' than most of my other digital paintings. I plan to stylize his design more, but my version has some unique traits that I wanted to figure out. This Mirror never possesses anyone—he doesn't need to due to some altered lore/plot. With certain changes I made, him possessing Relda would be...redundant. I also wanted him to be 'himself' because it works better with his interactions with other characters once he's out of the mirror—and I wanted Relda to be around in book 9 to complete her character arc.

Instead of being a possession-type villain, this Mirror is more along the lines of an inhuman being that appears to be human—until he doesn't. My version of Mirror isn't organic, meaning he can't be injured in the 'typical' way (in this AU, Jack takes him out with an anti-magic object in Book 1). I wanted to give him a unique form/magic that sets him apart from the human magic users, so he's essentially an intelligent glass/metal/magic being. He can change his shape and appearance and transform his magical energy into heat—which is the ability this painting is trying to figure out. I think this works well for Mirror's character because it helps him compete in terms of danger and memorability with other villains.

It also has a 'metaphorical' element because I LOVE metaphors babey! Mirror's physical form isn't that dangerous unless he's physically damaged: he only gains the ability to change his form of his own free will around book 6, so he doesn't have enough fine control to create a sharp edge. Part of his body has to be broken, shattered, or removed. He doesn't experience pain the way a human would, but part of my version of his character is kinda exploring whether it is pain if it's not felt in the normal way. Mirror wouldn't be a villain if he didn't know some form of pain—but I think he'd deny that's what it is. There's also the fact that metal is highly conductive—that’s kinda a funny pun with him being the Master, but if you see rage and heat as being one and the same in a character like this there's a bit more to it.

In terms of neat design lore: Mirror's thumb is at an impossible angle for most humans. I couldn't find any references of overstuffed key rings, so I did my best. In addition to the metal/glass effect, I wanted to give Mirror a kinda sunset palette—because Sabrina's is probably going to be similar to a sunrise. Mirror also has a family resemblance to my designs for Snow and Bunny—even though they aren't biologically related.

[phantasoba]

Puckabrina hunger games au yes or no

[wulvercazz]

🍓Just Alike💕

A really soft, soft comic I did for the Family AU,,, Junichi is soso much like daddy ;w; a bit of a crybaby but a huge momma's boy, can't possibly cry when Grimm comes to his rescue.

Also 💕Grimmjow being extra protective of his little ones💕He wiLL bite people's limbs off for making his little ones cry, do not try him. Ichigo's a huge helicopter parent himself, but,,, he's been human for a while, had sisters; he knows sometimes kids just got to cry. To Grimm such prey-like sounds mean danger, and his kids aren't, and will never, be anyone's prey.

[howi99]

Pet Au: Can we get Illa trying to talk about crushes with "Bleiss" but it goes awkwardly?

Ilia: Soooo..... *Look at Bleiss* You ever got a crush? A boy or girl you fancy? Hm?

Bleiss: Uh...

Ilia: *cocky smile* Someone you wouldn't mind seeing in your future, hm? Doing things together with them?

Bleiss: *blushing* W-what sort of question is that!?

Jaune: *rolling his eyes* Ilia, Bleiss isn't a deviant like you or Blake.

Ilia: *laugh* Relax J, i was just messing with little miss princess.

Bleiss: *still blushing* Rusted Knight...

Ilia: *couldn't hear* Hm?

Bleiss: *blushing harder* I... Might have a crush on the Rusted Knight...

Ilia: Oh! So you like the father type, eh? More of a hand holding type or you'd Fancy sheathing is sword in-

Jaune: *whispering to Ilia* i will send Adam after your ass if you finish this sentence.

Ilia: Tsk, i'm just bored, okay? Not my fault if she's easy to tease.

Jaune: *shaking his head* She isn't easy to tease, it's just that i've got seven sisters and Adam is Adam. The guy's blind to innuendo.

Bleiss: *completely red* Sh-sh-sheathing h-his sword!? N-n-never! I-i c-could never! The st-tories says it is his most prized p-possession! We would need to be married first! A-and maybe then we could hold hands and- *Begin to talk in great detail about what their lives together would be. It is sweet enough it could kill a grimm*

Ilia: ... *Whispering to Jaune* Dear gods, it's a good thing she seems blind to innuendo too, uh?

Jaune: *nodding* You probably would have killed her if you had been more blunt. Poor girl can never find you or Blake's hardcore stach.

[howlingday]

Witcher 3 is giving me brain worms so how about a RWBY AU where Jaune is possessed by a Hym after killing Penny.

Possessed

'Uncle Qrow, can you help us look for Weiss?'

The request was simple, but dire. His niece's partner had disappeared some time ago, gone without a trace, and Qrow Branwen had taken it upon himself to help search for her. When he told Winter, Weiss Schnee's elder sister, she'd admitted that she'd already known and said that the one person who might know where she went was Jaune Arc, the leader of Team RWBY's sister team, JNPR. The two men weren't usually on the best of terms, and he doubted the sudden vanishing act would make their friendship, or lack thereof, grow any further from this.

Stepping into Team JNPR's home was unsettling. The sun was high in the sky, yet the common area was as dark as midnight, save for the fire blazing in the hearth. Lie Ren, a thin, young man from mistral in a green tunic looked to Qrow, waving him to the side.

"We'll be done soon."

As Qrow leaned against the wall, he glanced at Jaune and noticed how miserable he'd become since arriving in Shade. Dark bags hung beneath his eyes, proof that he'd not been sleeping well. Worse yet, he had bandages running up and down his arms and legs. As he spoke, there was a quake in his voice, like he'd seen a Grimm for the first time.

"She came to me again." Jaune said as he shook. "Came and ripped my arm off with her bare hands." He blinked, wiping and rubbing his eyes clear of any tears. "She's demanding a sacrifice."

"Or it could just be a nightmare, Jaune."

"No, no, no." Jaune shook his head. "She's wanting a sacrifice. There's no other meaning. I have to do this."

"That sounds like an extreme." Ren reasoned. "Maybe you should talk to someone-"

"I don't need to talk to anyone." Jaune nearly snarled at his teammate. He stood from his seat, addressing Qrow at last. The veteran huntsman approached, wasting no time for pleasantries.

"I'm looking for the little Ice Queen. You seen her?"

"Weiss? Yeah, the other day."

"Where is she now?"

Jaune was quiet for a moment, then looked to the side. "Hm? What?"

"Weiss. Where is Weiss?"

"I... I dunno..." He shook his head, waving his hand. "I don't have time for this." He then walked past Qrow, climbing the stairs and out of sight. Qrow looked to the remaining huntsman.

"I say somethin' wrong?"

"He's..." Ren pursed his lips, trying to think of the best way to explain the situation. "He's been through a lot recently, and I think this whole thing is starting to get to him."

"You don't say? He did seem kinda distant at the war meeting. Think it-"

"AAARGH!" Jaune shouted from upstairs.

"Excuse me, I need to check on him." Ren stepped away.

"Wait, what about Weiss? I need to find her!"

"I don't know. Try asking around." Ren said, halfway up the steps. "Maybe Nora or Oscar have seen her." Then he was gone.

"Great..."

--------------------------------------------------

As Qrow walked around town, he noticed a lot of people steering clear of the JNPR home. It made sense; that scream wasn't one of joy, or anything positive. He'd heard stories of lonely villagers being ostracized to the outskirts, if only to keep them from drawing the Grimm closer with their negativity. Unfortunately, Vacuo took those stories as history and embraced the tactic.

Asking around, a girl mentioned seeing Weiss going to the top of a nearby cliff, carrying something wrapped in cloth. Following directions was simple, but walking through the cave to get there was unnerving, despite not seeing a single Grimm as he passed through. At the mouth of the cave, lying unconscious, was Weiss.

"Weiss!" Carrying her out of the cave, he checked her neck for a pulse. She stirred, confirming his suspicions of her vitality.

"What... What happened?" She winced. "Oogh... My head..."

"Looks like something hit you on the head. Knocked you out."

"Qrow...?" She blinked slowly. "Why are you here?"

"I came looking for you. Your team and half of Shade is worried about you." He stood up. "We're heading back-"

"Not yet!" She stood, but stumbled into Qrow, who caught her. "Not until I help Jaune." She patted herself. "The doll! Where's the doll?! I need to-"

"What you need to do is rest." Qrow scowled. "You were half-dead when I found you."

"But I-"

"-need to tell me what's going on." Qrow helped her back to the ground. "Why were you out here?"

"I'm helping Jaune."

"By wandering off into a cave in the middle of nowhere? How will that help?"

"If I had the doll, it would."

"What doll?"

"It's a Penny doll." Weiss explained. "I was coming to make an offering to Penny's grave."

"An offering?"

"It's a long story." Weiss took a deep breath and used the wall outside of the cave entrance to help her to her feet. "Jaune told me that his family are Ancestrians, believing that the spirits of the dead friends and family help us become stronger. The best way to make those bonds stronger is to make offerings. Offerings like a doll made in the likeness of the deceased."

"Ain't there a grave for her in the middle of Shade?"

"A shrine, but not to her, but to everyone else who didn't make it from Atlas. The grave has to be individual, personal."

"So why here?"

Weiss stepped away from the wall and stopped halfway to the grave. "From here, you can see the entire town. Ruby, Jaune, and I thought this would be the best place for her to look over the people she died to protect."

"I remember Winter saying that Jaune killed Penny himself."

"To stop Cinder from taking the Winter Maiden's power, yes." She turned to Qrow. "I choose to believe Jaune when he says she told him to."

"Even though you weren't close enough to hear her tell him?"

"The only people who know for certain are Jaune and Penny." Her fists clenched a bit, with her lips pursed to match. "And I've already told you my thoughts on Jaune's words. Regardless, it's affecting him now as we speak. And I think the doll offering will help him."

"By leaving a doll at Penny's grave. Alone."

"Ruby is busy with her own thing and Jaune... Well, you've seen Jaune. What his guilt is doing to him."

"You mean the scars?" Qrow quirked a brow. "Thought he got that from his time in the Ever After."

"Hardly!" Weiss balked. "The only scars he took from any Grimm is have completely healed by now! No, this is much deeper scarring than any Grimm could do. I asked him about it, and he said that Penny AND Pyrrha are demanding he inflict pain on himself- to make things right. But I'd never think it could be either of them. No, this is all Jaune. That's why I need that doll-"

"What you need is to rest." Qrow jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "I'll go look for the doll. You stay here and recover."

She gave a harrumph and sat down by the cave. The sun began its descent from the sky, casting shadows along the cave wall. In the newly brightened cavern, he could see the doll, or what remains of it, shattered inside the cloth on the ground. Qrow hummed as he picked it up. To the side, caught in the sunlight, he saw a dark figure with horns, and it snarled as it stared at him.

"What the-?!" As fast as Harbinger came out, the shade had disappeared. Checking around him, he couldn't see the Grimm, or whatever it was, and cautiously scooped up the remains of the broken doll. Something strange was going on, and Qrow had a feeling Jaune was more deeply involved in this than he'd originally thought.

"Do you have the doll?" Weiss asked as Qrow returned.

"What's left of it."

"What's left of- Agh!" Weiss slapped her forehead. "Of course it would be broken when I passed out. Nothing can ever go my way..."

"You're complaining to the wrong guy about that." He hummed. "So what now?"

"Well, now I have to go back and buy a new one." She sighed. "So much hard work undone by bad luck."

"Again, not the right guy complain to about that."

--------------------------------------------------

"Where is my sister by the way?" Weiss asked as she and Qrow walked towards JNPR's dwelling.

"Now? No idea." Qrow answered. "Why?"

"Oh, I just wondered why she let you look for me on your own."

"What do you mean 'let me'?" Qrow's voice had a dangerous tone to him.

"Oh, nothing." Weiss turned away. "I just thought she didn't like having you out of her sight. Oh, there's Jaune and Ruby!"

Correct in her statement, Jaune and Ruby were standing on the balcony of the home. As they approached, going through the inside of the building, they found Ruby rubbing Jaune's back while he rubbed his eyes with one hand. The other hand was wrapped about a hundred times over with a bright red spot from the center.

"It's too bright." Jaune groused. "My eyes are stinging."

"The fresh air is good, Jaune." Ruby comforted.

"Penny won't like this, Ruby..."

"Ahem!" Qrow announced himself.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby gasped. "AND WEISS~!"

"What's with the hand, kid?" Qrow pointed at Jaune's injury. "Penny tell you to do that?"

"Penny needed an sacrifice."

"I tried to explain it to him, Jaune." Weiss spoke before Qrow could. "He didn't know about your belief until I told him just a while ago. But what I failed to mention is that some older offering methods is the pain of the living. It brings you closer to the spirits, helps build strength inside of you."

"It's more than an offering," Jaune gave Qrow a dead serious look, "it's a sacrifice."

"Right." The veteran nodded. "So, about these voices in your head-"

"Penny's voice." Jaune snarled. "HER voice."

"Penny's definitely related to this alright."

Jaune had a flash of anger in his eyes. He stood up, his wounded hand moving to his sword. Weiss stepped between, holding her hands up. "I told him about the grave! I showed him and-"

"Penny's grave could be the key to solving this. That's why I think you need to apologize to her, there, in person."

"I..." Jaune shook, his voice breaking. "I didn't want to..." Tears began to well in his eyes as raised his bandaged hand to his face. "She asked me... Begged me, even, but I... She's so angry."

Qrow could keep pushing the issue, explaining his doubts that this is really Penny's ghost talking in his head. However, he doubted both Ruby and Weiss could calm him down together if Jaune got angry. So, he pulled out an ol' trick he learned in his younger years. A little thing called empathy.

"Let me help you." Qrow offered. "I promise to do everything I can to keep Penny from being angry."

"Listen to Uncle Qrow, Jaune." Ruby said, trying to be as soothing as possible. "I don't think Penny is angry with you, and even if she is, she's not the kind of person to say no to someone saying, 'I'm sorry'."

Jaune looked down the balcony to his team. They had just come back from grocery shopping, and Nora was playing with a cheese knife set, still in box, while Ren and Oscar expressed their concern, annoyed more so at Emerald's goading Nora. He smiled, then took a deep breath. "What do I need to do?"

"You know how to get to the grave, right?"

Jaune was quiet. "I do, but..." He shook his head. "My team won't let me leave. Not until my wounds are all healed."

"Even with Jaune's healing semblance," Ruby further explained, "he cut deep and nicked a really bad spot. Ren said he shouldn't be moving around too much."

"Well, we don't have much choice, do we?" Qrow shrugged. "I'm sure we can get a wagon to haul ya, if need be."

Jaune looked to the grave and winced. "No. No, I can't. Penny... She'll be angry. I can feel it!"

"She won't, though!" Ruby tried to calm him. "Uncle Qrow knows what he's doing, and Penny would want you to go with him!" Despite these words, though, Jaune refused to look away from the grave, even as the sun began to sting his eyes.

"Well, if you won't go, is there anything I can say on your behalf?" Qrow was getting tired of this charity case, moreso dealing with a fanatic like Jaune than his actual beliefs.

"Yeah... Tell her..." Jaune swallowed. "Tell her that I wish she was here instead of me."

"...Alright then."

--------------------------------------------------

The doll costed a hefty amount of lien, but that only made sense when you considered two facts. The first was that this was a figure made in the homage and likeness of a hero, a hero who died protecting Remnant. The second was that he was in Vacuo, which wasn't exactly known for thrifty prices, especially with how much they already pay for supplies, or "pay" by other means, either with coercion or intimidation. Or just plain stealing.

As he made his way up, he caught a few huntsmen walking in the opposite direction of the JNPR house. This normally wouldn't bother him, since huntsmen and huntresses make house call visits all the time. But what bothered him was what was on their shoulder patches; green wings, meaning these were triage huntsmen.

"Dammit..." Qrow began moving faster, almost sprinting as he could hear yelling from inside. He doubted they were Penny's voice this time.

"WHY?! WHY'D YOU DO THAT?!" Ruby screamed.

"I... I had to..." Qrow rounded the corner, finding Jaune in the middle of a crowd of his friends. Some, like his nieces and Ren, were angry. Others, like, well, the others, were concerned to varying degrees, ranging from face-holding like Yang or almost bawling like Nora. All the while, Jaune spoke with a shaking voice. "Pyrrha... Pyrrha and Penny demanded it..."

"Neither of them would tell you to do anything like this!" Weiss wailed.

"What the hell's going on?" Qrow asked, getting everyone's attention.

"Jaune... He-" Ruby started, only for Nora to shove her out of the way.

"HE ALMOST STABBED HIMSELF IN THE EYE~!"

"What?!" Qrow flinched. Looking to Jaune, he had a bandage on the side of his face. Though it was likely stitched and cleaned, he could still see blood oozing from the wound. "Why'd you do it?"

"Because..." And with the coldest, most distant stare Qrow had ever seen from a huntsman so young, answered. "Penny and Pyrrha demanded a sacrifice..."

With a glare, Qrow barked to the room. "Everyone out except Jaune, Ruby, and Weiss!" There was slow movement at first. "NOW!" The movement became much quicker. Taking a deep breath, Qrow began to calm down.

This had gone far enough. One voice was strange enough, but two asking for the same thing? Too strange to be a coincidence. And the shadow in the cave leading to the grave could be the key. But he couldn't rely on a hunch. He needed facts.

"What did Penny and Pyrrha say? Exactly. Do you remember? What did they tell you?"

Jaune was quiet, shivering despite being so close to the alight firepit. "They were angry. Penny said, 'You coward, you could kill me but you can't face me yourself?' and Pyrrha said after, 'You haven't changed since your failure at Beacon.' and together they said, 'Cut out your eye and suffer and regret the failure you are!'."

If this were a romance, this would be the point where the hero shouts that 'They would never say that!' but life is way more complicated. Especially since Qrow was the hero of this story, he thought, and he didn't know Pyrrha or Penny well enough to say this. Still, even with so many people arguing that this isn't true only doesn't proves how untrue it is when he was there at their final moments. But everyone is so focused on who said it that no one thought to ask WHY it was said.

"When did Penny and Pyrrha talk to you? Was it after I left?"

Jaune numbly nodded. "A bit after. I felt tired, so I thought I'd take a nap." He lifted his hand. "Heal my wounds with a bit of rest. But instead, they came to me in my attempts to dream."

"They always talk when you're asleep?"

"A-Always."

"What do you see then? Where do they talk to you in your dream?"

"Penny's grave." Jaune answered. "They tell me to make a light, then talk to me from the shadows."

Things started to click in Qrow's head. It explained why the JNPR house was dark, even in midday, and why Jaune screamed shortly after he left earlier that day. Combine that with the location they talk from, the shadow on the cave wall, and what Jaune was being told, everything lined up almost perfectly with the exact Grimm he was thinking of. Just one thing left to ask...

"Did they ever appear in front of you? Did you ever see them for yourself?"

"Once," Jaune swallowed, "I decided to be brave and speak to them, face-to-face, bringing the light around. I saw a hazy figure, shaped like a person, covered in shadows."

Qrow nodded. He looked to Ruby and Weiss, then stepped away. As he did, though, he noticed the shadow coming from Jaune looked different. Almost wavy. Not human.

"Everybody back in!" Without hesitation, or not much if there was any, the people he told to leave shuffled back in. He pointed at them, barking different orders; change Jaune's bandages, clean his wounds, keep him calm. The only ones he didn't bark orders to was Ruby and Weiss. He walked upstairs, to the balcony, with Ruby and Weiss following close behind.

"Uncle Qrow, what's going on?"

"The doll isn't going to do anything." Qrow said, setting the gift on the balcony.

"What's wrong with him?" Weiss asked.

"It's a Zimora." Qrow answered. "Old Grimm. Never seen one outside of a fairy tale. It latches onto huntsmen overcome with guilt for their crimes. It drains them of their aura, using the person by fueling their guilty conscience. In the end, they force their victims to mutilate themselves."

Weiss gasped and covered her mouth.

Ruby tightened her hands into balled fists. "So what do we do?"

"If I remember right, there's two ways to kill it," he raised his hand up into two fingers, "in theory." He flicked one finger. "The first option is the huntsman way; we bring Jaune out to Penny's grave and wait for it to show up. The fairy tales say that if you spend a night with the victim in the Grimm's lair, it'll show up."

"So we just need to wait with Jaune by Penny's grave?" Weiss asked. "Shouldn't be too difficult."

"Afraid it is." Qrow shook his head. "Not only will the Grimm be fighting for all its worth, but it'll heal its wounds using the victim, eventually to the point of their exhaustion and-"

"What's the other way?" Ruby asked, not wanting to hear more of this clearly worse option.

"It's a Grimm from the old age, back when Salem had rules for them." Qrow explained. "And this one's rule, supposedly, is that it needs a host. Without one, it'll be weak and easy to kill." Before Ruby could ask for clarification, Qrow held up a finger. "The host has to be one with incredible guilt. Fresh guilt. If we can trick it into believing there's a new host when there isn't one, it'll panic and suddenly become weaker."

"Then let's do that!" Ruby said with a smile.

"This is just a theory I came up with, Squirt. Haven't heard or read of anyone pulling this off."

"Well, then that just means no one's thought of a trick that good yet!"

"It seems impossible, but it's something we should at least try." Weiss added.

"Tricks are never simple, though. Even then, neither method is perfect. A Zimora only attacks those with a guilty conscience, someone who truly believes they've committed a great sin. The Zimora strengthens this regret and feeds off it. In other words, if the new host doesn't feel true agony and sorrow, the Zimora will sense that."

"Then... in order for this to work..." Weiss tapped her lip. "If anyone comes up with a plan, the other can't know about it."

"Exactly."

"Both are dangerous, but..." Ruby nodded. "I think we should try to trick it!"

"Sorry if I don't sound convinced."

"What, do you need my sister to think for you~?" Weiss teased, earning a scowl from Qrow. "If all else fails, we'll try the huntsman's way."

"Still, why'd you keep bringing her up? You jealous of her?"

"No, but... I've just noticed you're a bit... distracted around my sister."

"What, saying I'm hen-pecked?"

"Hen pecs?" Ruby asked, imagining a chicken with a buff chest.

"No, just of one mind about her. Like all men are." Weiss waved her hand. "Take an Atlas Specialist, a Mistral wizard, or a Vale Huntsman- you all end up wrapped around someone's finger."

"Sure," Qrow rolled his eyes, "I guess you've seen it all before, huh?"

--------------------------------------------------

The hike to the cave late at night was its own trial. Some Grimm and wildlife in Vacuo don't care for the heat, so they hunt at night. There's even a saying in Vacuo about soft men last longer on cool nights, though the context for the statement may vary between survival advice and inappropriate tavern jokes.

Passing through the cave, Qrow saw a woman in a familiar white cloak on the ground ahead. "Summer!" He ran up to her, kneeling next to the unmoving body. "No, it... It can't be..." At these words, 'Summer' faded away into the shadows. Qrow growled into the darkness. "Trying to make me run?" He chuckled. "Good. Means you're scared."

Once at the grave, Jaune was already there. He was kneeling before the makeshift headstone, a rock painted bright green with a Penny doll sitting above it. The huntsman wept as he mumbled apologies and pleas for Penny and Pyrrha to forgive him. Qrow looked around for any signs of Ruby or Weiss, but only saw Jaune.

Looking at Jaune, Qrow felt something in his chest. Pity? Some form of rapport? After Summer disappeared, Qrow was a lot like Jaune, kneeling in front of the grave of someone you can't help but feel like you played a part in killing. He didn't think he'd have something in common with this guy when they first met, but here they were now.

Footsteps ran up behind him. Qrow turned and saw Weiss and Ruby coming from within the cavern. Better late than never, he guessed. The three looked between each other and shared a nod.

"You girls got a plan?"

"Yup!" Ruby beamed.

"Kind of?" Weiss shrugged.

Neither answer filled him with confidence.

"Jaune!" Ruby ran out to him, distracting the boy enough to look her way. "Jaune, over here!"

"So, what's the plan?" Qrow asked. The answer surprised him.

"He's a lost cause. We have to kill him."

"What- But-"

"Trust me. It's for the best." Weiss answered.

So this was the plan, huh? Make Qrow feel guilty enough for the Zimora to cling to him? It didn't feel right, but Weiss did have a point. Even if it's the death of one, dozens if not hundreds of lives would be saved from attracting more Grimm. So Qrow level Harbinger, hoping this would be some kind of trick Weiss planned that wouldn't actually kill him, but it did... He'd understand.

"KILL HIM NOW!" Weiss screeched as she turned away.

"WHAT?!" Ruby stopped, looking back to Qrow. He squeezed the trigger and Ruby pushed Jaune out of the way, getting shot in his place.

"NO!" Qrow ran out, tripping over himself as he tried to reach out for his niece as she fell from the cliff. "No, no, no, no, no!" Qrow looked over the side, straining to see her in the darkness. "RUBY!"

"Ruby..." Jaune fell to his knees, looking down over the cliff. He dropped his light down the cliff, hoping to find her.

And there she laid, her blood soaking the sands of the Vacuo desert. Qrow began to feel hot tears pouring down his face, his hand futilely reaching for his red-caped protege. Suddenly, the world was deaf all around him as he could only feel pain in his chest. Pain... and guilt.

From behind the two huntsmen, emerging from the shadows, was the Zimora. It stood almost eight feet tall, its humanoid body covered in black all over, save for the white rings acting as tunnels through the monster's head. Its real eyes were the fiery red orbs dotting around the white, all while its long black horns and talons remained as pure dark as the rest of its body.

Plucking its dark digits from Jaune, it began to sink its claws into Qrow, hissing in delight of its new prey. The former victim looked to his side to ask Qrow why he shot his own niece, only to reel in horror at the beast gripping the veteran huntsman. He was about to scream when a gunshot sounded from the cave.

Everyone turned to the familiar sound, finding Ruby Rose, alive and well, standing next to Weiss Schnee and Emerald Sustrai. With a grin, Ruby and the rest of her team, along with Team JNPR, emerged from the cave, all armed and ready to fight. "Gotcha~!" Ruby giggled.

"What..." Then everything started to click. Qrow was completely tricked into thinking he killed his own niece. The guilt would have attracted the Zimora, relieving Jaune of his burden, and the reveal would free Qrow of any guilt he may have. He'd be proud if he wasn't so angry at being tricked. Not as angry, though, at the Grimm he was about to carve up, which writhed in agony as its power waned.

"ATTACK~!" Ruby called, as the Grimm was overwhelmed by the power of Team RWBY and JNPR combined.

--------------------------------------------------

"It's over." Qrow said, looking back to the grave as they left the cave for what he hoped would be the last time.

"Over?" Jaune repeated, carried by Yang and Ren.

"You're free, Jaune." Ruby added, giving a soft smile to her fellow team leader.

"Free?"

"The Zimora's dead, kid. Hopefully it'll be the last one." Jaune didn't say anything in response this time. He was just so tired. It wasn't until they got back to the house that Jaune spoke, left to stand on his own two feet.

"What... What happened..." He put a hand to his head. "My head is spinning..."

"Uncle Qrow, what's going on?" Ruby asked. "I thought we killed the Zumba?"

"Zimora." Weiss corrected. "And yes, I agree. Why is he still... drained?"

"It's fatigue." Qrow answered. "His body just needs time to get back to normal."

"What... What do I do now?"

"My advice?" Qrow offered. "Lay off the self-pity. Grimm or no Grimm, it doesn't do you any good."

"It..." He stumbled, catching himself before anyone else could, though they all tried. "I feel like I'm missing something from inside me."

"That's normal. Zimora's are parasite Grimm. Bonds between parasite and hosts can be strong, and their removal makes you feel empty." Jaune opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. "Give it a few days and you'll be fine."

"Th... Thank you... I think." Jaune stumbled his way to the stairs. "Good night." As he climbed the stairs, Oscar, Ren, and Nora helped him all the way up.

"I should stay with him." Ruby said. "He seems really out of it."

"Good idea, Squirt. Good night."

"G'night, Uncle Qrow. G'night, Weiss." Ruby left Qrow and Weiss alone at the door.

"Well, I can't do much worse here." Qrow shrugged, turning to leave. "G'night."

"Yes, I'm sure my sister is getting impatient with you by now." Weiss teased.

"I thought we already talked enough about that." Qrow groused, making Weiss giggle.

"We did." She nodded. "Good night, Qrow."

Qrow nodded. "So long."