“You’re asking me to come to Summit’s Blight with you, are you insane? Do you have a death wish or something?” Lucifer broke off into another tangent. Some chilly night-sky air might compliment the mood and calm him down, Alecto theorized, pushing open the window.

“Cool down, dude. Last time we went there, it wasn’t that bad. Sure the White Fang showed up, but we attacked first. Just take a compass or a map. Boom, I just solved all our problems.”

“Boom, you just devised the worst strategy I’ve ever heard in my life. You’ve only been in the Blight once. Selene and I tackled the mountains head on, and if you knew what I knew, you wouldn’t be so headstrong.”

“Give me a lesson on tactics then, sir. How do we leave Summit’s Blight?”

“You don’t. There’s only one person who can. If we were to go inside, a bullhead is a must, and every single one is dealing with the invasions at Forever Fall. Augustus himself is likely there.” Lucifer checked his scroll in the event of an emergency situation requiring their assistance. He surveyed the view, prepping a hands on demonstration by pointing at the fragmented satellite above. “Do you see that big ball up there?”

“You mean the moon, stupid? Of course I can see it, the holes in this mask aren’t that small.”

“The sections of land shuffle themselves at all times based on the moon’s phases. I was told this much by ‘Nomad.’ The freak somehow knows everything about Summit’s Blight, if we go in then he’s our only hope. Ha, to think I’d be begging for help from a faunus. And I have reason to believe he’s in the White Fang.”

“Not every faunus is in the White Fang, you know.” Alecto came to the stranger’s defense, sitting at a table loaded with school supplies.

“If you saw him, you wouldn’t be so idealistic. He’s got antlers, and his jacket, which can somehow block bullets by the way, is covered in symbols reminiscent of the White Fang.”

“Hold up. He’s got antlers, can traverse cursed areas of Remnant, and has a bunch of patterns on a cloak that doubles as a shield? Draw the symbols, then.” He handed him a pen and paper.

“What?” Lucifer reluctantly took the items. “Do I look like an artist?”

“Draw them. A big guy with antlers navigated around land forsaken by- oh, never mind. Just do it. You’re the one talking about it, you should be able to remember them.”

“Fine. A majority of the design is just a bunch of these, but on the side is this big one.” He drew several two-pronged lines, then an emblem resembling three pins with a symbol on top.

“Aha!” Alecto swiped the page away in a hurry. “See? This is the symbol of- Oh! N-Never mind.”

“I need to teach this entire team how to lie. Clearly you recognized this. Spit it out.”

“What’s important is Nomad, whoever he is, is not in the White Fang. Trust me on that.” She crumpled up the sketch and threw it in the trashcan with enough speed to bypass Lucifer’s curiosity.

“Fine. Explain to me this, though. Why are you so hell-bent on returning to Summit’s Blight?”

“We’re going to Summit’s Blight? Neat!” The door opened, and in Selene trotted. Merlin surged into her arms, perking up at the sound of her voice.

“No! Stop! Enough of this nonsense. We’re not supposed to go back there, it’s too dangerous!”

“Well now it’s two against one. That means power goes to us ladies.” Alecto tried to fist-bump Selene, but all she received was a failed high-five. “Let’s go.”

“No!” He reached forward and pulled Selene back by the arm. “You’re not to enter Summit’s Blight, you might get hurt! I won’t allow it! Why are you doing this, Alecto?”

“Let her go, and I’ll tell you.” She bargained. Following a brief pause, he complied. “I thought since Nadia was nowhere to be found, maybe she ended up lost in Summit’s Blight. Who knows, maybe she’s still there now. Think about it, that’s the only place we haven’t checked since she disappeared. If it turns out she’s not there, then we’ll finally have closure and know she made it to Mistral safely. We have to look there, Lucifer. You can’t stop me, and if you try, know that’s the behavior that caused her to leave, too.”

“I… I, um.” For once, he was at a loss for words. “Okay. Let’s get this over with. Does Selene have to come?”

“There’s no way you two are going to find Nadia without me! We’re a team, right?” She crossed her arms to sulk. He nodded, accepting what was coming next.

“Do you think we should invite Blazer?” Alecto prematurely hit the door a few times. Rade of all people opened it, and the mess inside answered her question. Beleth seemed to be fencing an imaginary opponent with his violin, Lexy was spinning around in Rade’s sleeping bag while the ceiling fan was switched to the highest setting, Rade touted a paper bag over his head, and Zara was coiled up in her own hooks, wrestling with the extendable pitchfork.

“Greetings, fellow knaves! What can I do you for?”

“…I don’t want to know.” Alecto closed the door in Rade’s face and looked at Lucifer in bewilderment, expecting nothing short of what she received: a shrug. And with that, all three left to the stormy clouds of the east. Never before had anyone from Beacon entered Summit’s Blight under the guise of nightfall, and during a particularly brutal storm no less. The road leading inside the amalgamation of maze-like ravines, thunderous clouds, and perilous inclines did almost nothing to ease their anxiety.

“We don’t have an umbrella, do we?” Selene shivered, sporting only the iconic dress to fend off the elements. They weren’t even in the depths yet, only standing at the border, and Lucifer was already drenched with water and second guesses.

“Here.” He unclipped his cape and draped it around her shoulders. “Pretty soon, I’m going to run out of these.”

“Haha. You could borrow some of Alecto’s. I hear you look good in purple.” She held Merlin close to share body heat.

“Not gonna happen. Nobody wears my armor but me… Okay, fine. Here you go.” Alecto gave Selene the same treatment, sheltering her with the beloved but partially tattered piece of fabric. A rocket-locker lodged itself into a chunk of stone nearby, a fortified capsule holding many of Lucifer’s assorted firearms and a spare cape. Alecto called a locker as well, the Keraseer Heirloom more than necessary for the challenges ahead.

“W-Was that thunder or Grimm?” Selene referenced the barrage of indistinguishable crackling, the sort that shook the heavens and instilled fear into the hearts of trespassers.

“I can’t tell. It echoes around here, making that sound last much longer than normal. My guess, though? It’s lightning. It’s like a warzone up there.” Lucifer, in an unusual ploy, had Selene go first. Defending from right behind, he could see anything approaching. As for threats from the rear, they’d have to go through him first. “Don’t let it get to you. With perseverance, and some luck, we might get out of here without attracting too much Grimm.”

Selene broke off to read a sign up ahead. “What does this say? ‘Anti-Citadel,’ huh?

“This is generally the first landmark found in here, at least in my experience. After this, there’s no turning back. In fact, there’s usually a door down there. We could escape this rain if we go underground. Practically anyone with half a brain would do the same, so our chances of finding Nadia increase if we go ahead with it.”

“Then let’s do this.” Alecto wouldn’t use the staircase, understandably so. The steps were concealed by loose gravel and wet dirt. So she left. Her metal armor let her surf down the mudslide.

“I can’t really do that. My dress will get all ruined.” Selene said.

“Leave it to me. Hold on, alright?” Lucifer put both his arms out. Selene fell back into his encouraging cradle and the two met the edge, with her guardian lifting her far above the bog of ooze and sludge. He veered down with the same procedure showed off only a moment prior. She was lowered as soon as Lucifer shook his feet clean of mud.

“There’s that gate. Still closed.” Alecto pointed to the wooden door. Huge as ever, somewhat fortified, and splintery in nature, it hadn’t changed a bit. Such familiarity did not apply to the entire area, though. With the staircase taking them between the gate and a huge pitfall terrible enough to have no visible end, it didn’t take much to deduce the old tricks were back in play. Summit’s Blight was changing more than usual this night. Alecto took a breather, prepping a lengthy jog.

“If that’s the gate, would the Gatekeeper be that spider Grimm we’ve heard so much about? I think that’s what the name ‘Grand Gatekeeper’ would imply.”

“Where’s the giant spider Grimm, then?”

The wooden double doors, regardless of the fact it was a great distance away, sent trembles detectable even from their position once it was slammed open. Whatever was responsible for this, it couldn’t be good. Previously it had taken an exhausting amount of effort just to budge the gate enough for one to slip through, and now someone, or something, had it hit with a slug powerful enough to pin the planks against the mountain.

Nomad soared through the air and landed hard near Team Lance. From the looks of things, he had been thrown outside. His head craned onto the three latecomers.

“A-A Keraseer!? But that means!” They took his full focus, condemning him by accident. A relatively calm and silent pause acted as a lull, and then at long last the Grand Gatekeeper arrived. Galathyn broke through the door, exploding it into a hailstorm of makeshift projectiles, while also shattering pieces of boulder everywhere. It was on Nomad in an instant, all of this taking place in less than a second.

The titan plucked Nomad off the ground with hands big enough to enclose every finger around him. Through the wails and flooding they fought, Nomad somehow able to survive by breaking out of the monster’s fist. Galathyn chucked him high into the air, caught the faunus on his return, and then threw him back towards the floor.

“Argh!” Nomad’s landing wasn’t an easy one, but he flipped onto his feet just in time to intercept an ear-splintering screech. Team Lance covered their ears, never coming as close to the beast as they were now. Nomad simply braved the shockwaves, stared down Galathyn, and held the crossbow to his side.

“At long last. It’s about time one of us put this thing down.” Alecto raised her blade.

Nomad blinked over to her and put his arm in her way, preventing the action. “Enough! You may be a Keraseer, but the Gatekeeper is too powerful for children such as you! Get back, now!” It wasn’t in Galathyn’s nature to give enemies time to recover, and without waiting for approval it pivoted one of its six pointed legs above Nomad, and by extension Team Lance. Everyone scattered, but he intercepted and upheld the appendage.

“Behind me, Selene! As for you, I trust you can hold your own? Even against that?” Lucifer nodded in Alecto’s direction.

“How could I be so dense? Of course! I call myself a master of Kingdom Lore, and yet I didn’t even recall the Grand Gatekeeper!? Now I see it- The legendary spider Grimm that invaded Summit’s Blight in the absence of-” Her tirade was cut short as Nomad, along with a stinger-tipped leg of unmatched size, blasted into the floor nearby.

“Argh!” Nomad shrieked as Galathyn snatched him out of the air with a grab far more absolute than the last few. A crushing grip and devastating throw later, and Nomad was out of the fight for now, smashed through a huge boulder. He was routed. But it may have been worth it. Such power required Galathyn to clash his hand against the floor and keep it there. Alecto rushed over and shoved her blade through its palm.

Galathyn exploded into a scream troubled with girth and pulled back. Alecto tried with all her willpower to hold onto the still-stuck sword, but with all the flailing she couldn’t last long. Unfortunately for her, and contrary to Nomad, she wasn’t hurtled horizontally, but vertically.

Her silhouette carved itself into the clouds. In spite of her ability to tango with the Grimm for an admittedly profound measure of time, Lucifer couldn’t just sit there and watch.

“Stay here! Count on my immediate return!” He left Selene, relying on the idea that if she waited in the backlines, she’d be safe. His stampede barely saved Alecto. Diving ahead, he swept her off the ground and the two rolled on their feet with Alecto in Lucifer’s arms. He didn’t want to imagine the consequences had he not intervened, as where Alecto laid there was now a huge leg of Galathyn buried into the arena.

“What do you want a kiss? Let me go!” Alecto slid out of his arms.

“Don’t flatter yourself. A thanks wouldn’t go amiss. Hey!” The two were pushed aside by Nomad, who met Galathyn at the crossroads. The incoming roar only tested his patience, and soon enough he was skittering by strikes and once again ascending the organic levels.

“This thing’s too powerful. What do we do?” Lucifer reconvened with Selene while offering the Grimm-slayer a chance to prove herself.

Alecto cleared her throat. “I don’t think I need to explain why Galathyn beats Grover in nearly every way except maybe mobility due to that tunneling move employed back in the Emerald Forest. Well, I guess I just did. Anything stabbed by either one of the six legs is good as dead, no questions asked.”

“You’re telling me it can pass through Aura? It has an insta-kill attack. Fantastic.”

“But that extends to itself. A pioneer of the Old Arts once endured that move, and his hypothesis is that giving Galathyn the same treatment would be its undoing. It’s either that, or attacking its exposed underside enough to bleed it out. But that would put you right in the blast zone for its stingers, and that’s suicide.”

Nomad once again took the fight to them, still brawling this entire time. His landing put him between all three with a solid grip on one of the poisonous members. There was but one thing left to do. He threw the Grimm overhead.

“Woah…” Selene wasn’t the only one to watch a Grimm multiple stories high swoop through the air and demolish a mountain.

“It’s still alive.” Nomad walked up to the trio . “As far from death as you are from home. What did I tell you about coming back here?”

“I take it you’re the deer faunus these two talk so much about?” Alecto held out her hand.

“What!? You’re telling Beacon Academy my whereabouts?” He snarled at the conspirators.

“W-We didn’t know it was supposed to be a secret! Sorry..” Selene pled, but her fear was misplaced. If the faunus wanted to challenge her, he’d have to get through Lucifer. He was already standing guard, with his weapon pointed at Nomad.

“Right now, I am your ally, Atlesian Vanguard. Do not take that for granted.”

“So it’s true! You hold the Idol’s Cloak!” Alecto overextended for the jacket permanently resting on Nomad’s shoulders, before bowing. “Extraordinary. You must be the Arbiter, Kyradin Bael. Do I have permission to speak?”

He squinted. “Kyradin? I promise I am not who you mistaken me for. You could not possibly know who I am, even as a Keraseer.”

“Someone please tell me- what is the big deal about being a Keraseer!?” Lucifer yelled over the rain. Before an insult or demand from Alecto or Nomad could be conducted, Galathyn threw in its own answer with a howl.

Nomad raised a hand to silence everyone. “Keraseers, why you’re here, it all matters not at this time. You’re here now, and not a moment too soon. You were taught you how to kill Grimm in Beacon Academy, and I cannot take down this beast on my own. So, show me what you know.”

The two elders of Team Lance plowed onward together, leaving Nomad and Selene in the dust. The former didn’t feel it necessary to back up the efforts yet, the latter simply had nothing to offer.

“Still cannot fight?” Their eyes met.

“No… I came to Beacon Academy for that reason, even though I can’t do what Lucifer and Alecto can. But they tell me my semblance has great potential! I’ve been trying really hard to strengthen and control it! We could sure use it now…” She froze, furthermore reluctant to accept the crossbow gifted forth. Her deliberation didn’t last and she took it, once again relying on Nomad’s weapon to assist her friends. It wouldn’t have been the first time.

“I know who you are, Empress Selene. You wish to protect those who cannot protect themselves. You chose that, abandoning a simple life you were resigned to. At so young an age no less.” He stood tall and held his outstretched hand high into the air. His coat, referred to for the first time by name thanks to Alecto, pivoted off his back around his open hand to then whirl away. It settled over Selene. “You remind me of someone I once knew very well. I only wish that ambition, not Idol’s Cloak, had the strength to keep you safe.”

“Thank you.” She whispered, a spectator to his now barreling charge.

The new brigade held well enough against the unsurmountable foe. Chunks of rock substituted as perilous projectiles, a severe assault honorable enough to test even Lucifer in strategy. Sword strikes, gunfire, and masterful hand-to-hand techniques wore the Grimm down. And, as shockingly as it arrived, Galathyn dropped, defeated.

“Wait, what? That’s it?” Alecto couldn’t believe her eyes. Lucifer, on the contrary, understood the nature of a good skirmish.

“A battle of attrition can never be won by one enemy alone. Grimm may be plentiful, but they are not exempt from the rules of war. After all this buildup, that creature wizened up and broke, just like that. I’m not complaining.”

“You did it! That was awesome!” Selene ambushed the two with hugs aplenty.

“Only the best for you.”

Alecto laid her hands on her waist. “Pshh, I told you the Gatekeeper would be a cakewalk. Now that it’s gone, maybe Summit’s Blight’s going to let up. I mean, that was always the intention. These rainstorms are the result of unrest, you know. A little tidbit from Kingdom Lore. I’ll tell you all about it as soon as we get back.”

“There’s no telling what’s going to happen to the corpse.” Lucifer checked the hour on his scroll. Now would be the optimal time to return home. “Here’s hoping it gets lost somewhere thanks to the maze-switching complementary of this place. Or, ideally, it’ll fade to dust like all Grimm. I can’t imagine a scenario in which we could ever need it, nor indeed return at all. Let’s get going.”

“Wait a second, remember the reason we’re even here? Nadia! You don’t think Galathyn… You know, got to her, do you?” Alecto rubbed her shoulder nervously.

“You know as well as anyone. She’d be fine. Galathyn never would have never even seen her. We wouldn’t even see her. A Grimm taking out the greatest rogue in Vale? Don’t make me laugh.” Their celebration and immediate speculation gave Nomad the perfect cover to disappear.

“If your survival didn’t rely so much on my assistance, I’d leave now. Why did they come back?” He exhaled too quietly for anyone to hear, approaching the brink of the Anti-Citadel’s abyss. His muttering seemed to satisfy no one but himself, and it would have continued if not for a subtle movement seen out the corner of his eye. Thoroughly separated from Team Lance, petrified, he was too slow to escape with no casualty.

“Ah!” Selene felt a foreign force shove her to the ground. Nomad saved her from one of Galathyn’s spikes, as its death was but a cruel illusion meant to pick off one of the traducers. It worked. Nomad was impaled through the chest, his Aura completely demolished, and a sizable portion of the stinger sticking through the bandages visible under his suit. Fatal couldn’t even begin to describe the injury, as Galathyn was sure to leave a gigantic hole through his body.

“N-Nomad! No!”

“B-But… V-Victory! It’s… It is my destiny!” He exhaled, shaking, reaching forward with one hand for somebody purely imaginary. Morbid, if fascinating, his skin slithering into a cracked and darkened state. Galathyn retracted his leg, and Nomad fell to the ground, finished.

“Leave him! He’s done for!” Lucifer wrenched Selene away by the wrist for a tactical retreat, followed by a flustered Alecto. Galathyn rose, threw aside Nomad out of spite, and gave chase slowly but surely- everyone knew there was no way out.

“What do we do?” Alecto panicked. Lucifer looked over the brink of the trench and ruled out jumping.

“Alone, terribly outmatched, and no backup to speak of. I couldn’t think of a worse setup for an encounter. And there’s only three of us.” Merlin unveiled himself, taking the place of Nomad. It was a good if unequal substitute. “Merlin, I need you to stay here and keep Selene safe. Do you understand?”

The bunny smiled and nodded, always optimistic even in the direst of circumstances.

“We can take him down! We just have to somehow pierce it with its own poison! There must be a way. Can we rip off one of those legs and return fire with it?”

“M-Maybe we can try getting it to hit itself by waiting on its back and hoping it misses? I don’t think anyone here has the strength to pull one of its leg off except… Nomad.” Selene looked away, shuddering at the thought of his fate.

“Well we can’t stand here and let Galathyn close in on us. Let’s move with purpose, and focus on footwork. Fight defensively, punish any missteps.” Alecto handed Selene her sword and upgraded to the bisque glaive. Now armed to the teeth with two capes, Idol’s Cloak, Nomad’s crossbow, and Alecto’s short sword, Selene was capable of defending herself, and Lucifer knew it. Now he, along with Alecto, could mount a counterattack without tending to her wellbeing. “C’mon! Let’s kill this thing once and for all!”

“You’re unusually adept at giving motivational speeches. I’d claim it was an honor to fight alongside you, but I’m not ready to die. And nobody on my Team is perishing before me. To the frontlines!” Lucifer fled forth for a last engagement.

A whirlwind of firepower and steel did wonders, although keeping in mind the low number of mistakes to capitalize on, these offensive maneuvers only bought time.

“Wait a minute!” Alecto caught glimpse of a curved talon spearing out the back of Galathyn’s abdomen. “Could that be it?” There was no time to second guess, she whistled to garner an audience. It blared yet again and tried smacking Alecto, but a swift feign opened an opportunity to scale the giant.

Every step proved a trial indeed, but it wasn’t until Lucifer sniped Galathyn in one of the eyes that it jerked forward to pike the trooper. Alecto cartwheeled past the withering clouds and used her claws to get a foothold on the coveted back end. A critical success. But now Galathyn had free reign to decimate the literal one-man-army below.

“Think, Alecto! Think!” She grappled to her shoes, and repeatedly sheathed her weapon into the fur. Black blood spurted out, coating her armor and mucking up the skies with amorphous mist.

Besides penetrating the skin, all that Alecto had accomplished was reduce not only her vision, but the vision of others. A true stalemate. That was the state of affairs. A third entity would need to intervene and tip the odds for this dispute to go any further. Fortunately, besides Galathyn and Nomad, the last faction occupying Summit’s Blight was ready to make their move.

“What!? You stragglers are back!?” Herald slunk over the ledge and greeted Selene with appropriate hospitality given the situation. “You’re fighting the Gatekeeper!? Arrgh, no! It’s too dangerous for me, let alone you!”

“Y-You!?” Selene gasped, aiming her new repeater at the villain. “You’re the commander of the White Fang! Stay away from me!”

“Erm- wait! You’ve all had it wrong this entire time, all of you have! We are not in the White Fang!” He yelped over the crossfire apposite the canyon.

“You’re lying! Don’t come near me!” She fell backward, losing aim on Herald. “If you’re not the White Fang, who are you?”

“Argh, ignorant! We are the-” It was Herald’s turn to trip over, completely unprepared for Galathyn’s unnerving hollers and, at this time, unable to use his semblance in the rain. It wasn’t all bad though, a battalion of his men climbed onto the field. “Gah! There’s no time! Attack the Gatekeeper!”

Lucifer was too enamored with the blaze of explosions and never ending volley of bullets to notice an extra set of salvos join in. The black haze of blood didn’t help, but once cleared, an immense hand ripped Alecto away and mopped her across to ground into Lucifer. The abuse knocked her out temporarily, and conclusively put the soldier into a position fit to see Herald and a batch of grunts near Selene.

“No!” He sputtered. His blitz towards an unhinged Herald would have worked had Galathyn not taken advantage of his tunnel vision. One of the barbed supports drilled down, right onto him. It seemed he was fated to be the second apparent death of this carnage.

“I-I don’t understand! Why are you helping us?” Selene lowered the crossbow, now protected behind Herald’s crew and clearly not the target of their assault.

“Ack! Our group is seldom the murderous organization you’ve come to know as the White Fang! There is far more to this conflict than you could possibly know, princess! And by order of, um, my Lord, it is to stay that way! Just know this, we are here to help! We always have been, it was your friends who started each and every conflict!”

“But why here and now? Who sent you?”

“She did!” Herald’s voice turned extra shrill as he gestured in Lucifer’s direction, where Selene could see him facing certain death by poison. Galathyn showed zero restraint, and if Nomad couldn’t tolerate it, Lucifer stood no chance. He braced himself.

“Lucifer!” Selene reached for him, completely helpless.

Somebody intercepted Galathyn’s jab, driving their weapon deep into the bone, causing it to veer off course and miss into the floor by more than a few feet.

“Huh?” Lucifer looked through the slits formed by his fingers and blinked a few times. He even had to retract his mask to make sure he was seeing right. Responsible for halting Galathyn was a hooded assassin with needles strapped to her fingers as weapons. “This cannot be.”

“Nadia! It’s Nadia!” Selene hopped up and down, applauding. A few cuddles with an equally excited Merlin was a welcome remission. “Herald! It’s Nadia! Yay!”

“Y-Yeah, rather, she’s the one who brought us here! What’s the big idea?”

“Wha-who? Nadia?” Alecto picked herself off the ground. Her recent blackout subsided at the most opportune of times. Then she saw her old teammate back in the fray. “Nadia!? No way!”

“It’s going to be alright!” She looked back at Lucifer with her old signature grin, winking. The last reserves of her strongest venom would have put any Grimm before her to sleep, but all it administered to Galathyn was a weak case of temporary paralysis. Lucifer took this time to hug her. “Ah! You got all affectionate while I was gone! I guess all those kindness lessons worked, huh?”

“Nadia. I’m sorry.” He didn’t bother reversing his helmet back in its standard form.

“Sorry? For what?” She was taken aback.

“For everything. The White Fang, all the times I dismissed you out of spite, and my betrayal. I never should have put my hands on you. I thought I’d never get the chance to make it right again.”

“Aw, c’mon Lucifer! Friends fight all the time, it was nothing but a disagreement that tipped the boiling point. I realize that now. Lighten up a little! The Lucifer I remember would have thrown playful banter and then played it modest! Where’s the ‘Affirmative!’ and all that?”

“Shut up. Haha.” He chuckled, letting her go. Next it was Selene’s turn.

“Nadia!” She lifted her dress a bit to make running easier.

“I’d recognize that cute little voice anywhere. Ah!” She kneeled down, but didn’t expect a second huddle. Nor a third from Merlin. Historically, she could never resist his tenderness. “Wow. You guys went soft.”

“It must have rubbed off on you. We’ve looked all over Remnant for you, haha… Don’t ever leave us again!” She huffed out, pouting.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Always? You promise?”

“I promise.” Nadia set a hand on Selene’s shoulder until an array of spiked fingers tapped her own. She quickly turned to see a suit of armor stand proud. She’d nearly forgotten what Alecto looked like.

“You have… Absolutely… No idea… How long we’ve been searching for you. And after all this time…” Alecto growled in short burst, her tone quivering with fury. But on a dime she shifted to pure joy and fell into Nadia’s arms. “You’re back! Thank the gods you’re back! We missed you so much!”

“D-Don’t cry. Just smile a little bit!”

Besides Team Lance, there was a last associate not only willing to greet Nadia, but provide an explanation- albeit this answer wasn’t sensible in the slightest. Galathyn stomped with a cacophonous bellow.

“No room for pleasantries. It is time to fight!” Lucifer clamped his reticles.

“Let’s show everyone what happens when a Grimm challenges a Keraseer!” Alecto twirled her epee.

“Yeah! Team Lance is ready to roll! We can do it!” Beacon’s adored empress chanted.

“…I’m glad to see nothing’s changed.” Nadia readied her semblance.

Herald coasted over with every remaining lieutenant acting as backup. “Just say when, and then I will say when, and then my men will know when to fire!”

All of Team Lance, finally reunited, led a garrison straight from the White Fang. They collected themselves for a last rally against the insurmountable Galathyn. One side would win soon and eradicate the other for the rest of time. But as the preparations for this finale commenced, Nomad’s groaning postponed it another minute.

“No… Ugh… We are not… finished.” Amazingly, he was still alive. Unconscious but rambling in breathless murmurs, he laid prone. “…I have no allies here…”

“Nomad!” Selene abandoned her post in hopes of somehow reviving him.

“No.” Lucifer stopped anyone from changing her mind. “She’s better as the backline anyway.”

“Erm, uh, s-so am I! Fire at will, brothers! Someone has to cover the flanks!” Herald scrambled away out of fear, everyone assumed. The two watched over the dying traveler and began discussions of rekindling his spirit.

Galathyn found itself temporarily outmatched by three gladiators and a bunny, each displaying the brilliant expanse of practice and teamwork acquired over their training. Even Nadia, in her absence, had retained an impressive number of techniques formed with her friends.

“How is it still alive!?” Alecto couldn’t believe the amount of damage Galathyn could sustain without slowing down. Her job was to clear the path below, hacking away chunks of horrific flesh.

“Why won’t you die!?” Team Lance’s leader had landed an urgent advantage by somehow using Galathyn’s momentum to launch onto the head. He grabbed one of the horns and heaved. With a uproarious crack, he tipped off the edge and jammed this newfound javelin into an unprotected portion of Galathyn’s shoulder.

A responding attack might have been mustered if not for Nadia. “Haha! I didn’t realize how much I missed this!” She was working with Merlin, both of them taking extreme advantage of their mobility to chop around Galathyn’s body, using velocity perfect for stealth. As long as they couldn’t be found, Herald’s assembly could spill out a constant stream of damage.

“Wait… I can’t go on without you. We… need you.” Nomad mumbled.

“What is he talking about? What do you know about the symptoms of this poison?” Selene flinched at the ferocity heard behind her. Herald was on his knees same as her, examining the condition.

“Galathyn’s ruined a number of my squadrons, and death is always guaranteed! It’s a miracle my- Ack! What do you call this faunus?”

“This is Nomad. I met him with my friends first time we came here. How long ago that seems, now.”

“Gotcha! My, err, Nomad here must be powerful enough not to give into the arms of death as anyone else would. He’s clinging into something, his intent determination upholding the last remnants of life. We must find him help, as soon as possible!”

“I… don’t know how to do this without you…” Nomad chocked out another senseless fable.

“What should we do? We don’t have any medical supplies. All we brought were instruments meant to harm, not heal.” Selene covered her face, completely distraught.

“I think, um, he’ll end up okay. On second thought, it’s best we worry about our own wellbeing, not his.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Ah- Um, I mean, err, it just seems like he’s pretty durable, heh heh… I-I just meant if he could survive the attack from the onset, he should have no problem riding it out… Right?”

“Wait… What do you know that we don’t?” Selene narrowed her eyes on the captain.

“Argh! L-Listen to me, princess! Whatever smarts you think I have, forget about it! A truth to a mystery that brings only anguish ought to remain a mystery!” Herald said.

“What are you talking about? If you know something about Nomad, tell us!”

“…Some things are best left buried, the past lost to time, never to be remembered. Arghh!” Galathyn put a stop to this. It had somehow grabbed ahold of every single fighter save for the White Fang. Incredibly so. The colossus believed the next step was to bludgeon the last scraps of resistance, using the bundle of hostiles like a club.

Everyone landed together, worse for wear, but Selene was thoroughly isolated by virtue of her tail ended stance. Herald found no sanctuary, falling into the deep confines of Summit’s Blight to an uncertain destiny. That needed to change. Everyone else had been knocked out of commission, completely exposed and more vulnerable than ever.

Galathyn had had enough. One more excruciating screech, packed to the brim with as much passion as possible, marked its need to cease the havoc. Two of the foremost legs waned high into the air, lined up to form one gargantuan trident, and piled on Team Lance without mercy. They all realized escape was hopeless, and shielded each other in desperation. The time had come for Selene to act.

“No! I am ordering you to stop!” She shouted, holding her palm up with a look of sinister devotion clear on her face.

The portal characteristic of her semblance reverberated into existence among the clouds, and from this nightmare realm Selene invoked Royal Necrocyst. A skeleton hand, far bigger than the others, stretched its ossified fingers and locked all five around Galathyn’s two descending halberds.

“Royal Necrocyst!? B-But how? This can’t be happening…” Lucifer spoke for everyone. Royal yanked the contending limbs away from Team Lance, then winded up a cataclysmic vise that connected without fail. Galathyn twisted backwards into the entrance of the Anti-Citadel, suffering inhumane levels of damage.

Based on the arm’s sheer size, the full form of Royal Necrocyst would have beat Galathyn by a multitude of double. This was just the hand. And he now established himself above and behind Selene as a defensive measure, ready to lash out should the hazard return.

“Incredible! I don’t believe it!” Alecto celebrated.

“Uh, guys? What is that?” Nadia gasped.

“That’s her semblance, silly!”

“S-Selene summoned that?” Nadia pointed at the conspicuous Royal. “…How long was I gone?”

“We’ve been working on it all semester! It turns out I’m a better teacher than I thought. And you, a better student, Selene.”

“Aww, I’m so proud of you!” Nadia cheered.

“Th-Thanks.” Selene appeared exhausted, her call upon Royal taking a toll.

“Are you alright? Y-Your eyes. They’re black.” Lucifer upheld her chin.

“They are?” She blinked a few times, somehow oblivious to the changed pigment.

“Must be a byproduct of her semblance. My eyes glow extra red, more so than they already are, when I strain myself. It’ll pass.” Alecto calmed him down. “Speaking of glowing red eyes, we should probably focus on that.” She pointed at Galathyn. “Do you think that thing’s still alive? I mean, did you see that punch?”

“T’was impressive, but I doubt that alone could end things. Case in point.” Lucifer alerted every one of the approaching atrocity.

“Ugh. How do we kill it?” Nadia had a lot of catching up to do.

“Nothing works, and believe me, we’ve tried everything. All that’s left is to give it a taste of its own poison.”

Alecto added in an important distinction. “I’d say we’ve evened the odds. I doubt Royal can fully replace Nomad, but we’re about to find out. Remember, he died because we weren’t paying attention. He was far too good to ever get hit like that on his own. The idea that he’d sacrifice himself like that, it’s no wonder he works alone.”

“I wouldn’t say he’s dead yet.” Selene’s gaze wandered to his still twitching body, but it was quickly drawn back to the war crying Galathyn. “Ah! What should I do?”

“Tell your new friend to attack!”

“Okay! Um, R-Royal Necrocyst!” When Selene said it, the floating hand jolted at attention. “I need you to kill Galathyn. Only the poison from its legs can do it!”

Royal gave a thumbs up and coasted as appointed.

“Ooh! I-I’m back! No need to worry about me, I assure you! Bunch of ungrateful brutes!” The unmistakably scrawny voice of Herald travelled through the wind.

“You’re okay?” Selene had to turn her concentration to him.

“Never better, princess! I wish I could say the same about my fleet! Look at this. There’s nothing left!”

“Sorry about that. But look!” She pointed at the culmination of not only the last few minutes, but her constant coaching.

“…Today is just full of surprises, isn’t it? Wait, what’s that? A weapon!” He creeped over to Nomad’s crossbow. It was soaked the rain and mud- not that it mattered. Herald could operate it skillfully no matter the condition, contributing in his own way. Even from a distance Royal’s brawl shook the heavens, but the much needed killing blow was an impossibility. He needed more aid.

“Hya!” Alecto and Lucifer took upon themselves the blind spot and helped each other tackle Galathyn’s arms by vaulting one after the other, hands interlocked. Using whatever suited them, they pierced each extremity. Finally, those fearsome nails were subdued.

“Haha! Perfection!” Nadia participated in tandem with Merlin in hopes of dealing with the back legs. The bunny found solace in the joy of bountiful leaps, dodging a flurry of stake jabs. But it was too much. It was then he landed in Nadia’s arms, and being the sly ace, she evaded each and every thrust.

Once out of stamina, she exacted a devious fabricated duck, and kicked out Galathyn’s footing. Continuing the combo, Nadia pitched Merlin across the terrain so he could do the same. Now with no arms or hind legs, a calamitous attack was available to Royal. It was up to Selene to order such a blow.

“Now! Destroy it!” The phantom snared around the forward-most legs, fastened his grip, and tore them clean off. One climactic clamor to bid farewell may have complemented the extra typhoons of dark liquid spurting out of Galathyn’s stubs, but it was cut short. Royal skewered the spear through Galathyn’s chest.

“Yes! If you can bring it to the table, we can dish it back out! How does it feel!? That’ll teach you to hurt our friends, you disgusting Grimm!” Alecto mocked, falling back with everyone else.

“D-Did we actually win?” Herald stuttered.

“Stay back! It might have a reserve attack!” Lucifer had everyone take refuge behind him. He couldn’t be more wrong. Galathyn staggered back, stiffened, and then fell into one of the deeper chasms to its death. The Grand Gatekeeper was gone, never again to plague Summit’s Blight.

“…Can I go home, now?” Nadia sighed, making light of the situation.

“Admit it, you had fun.” Alecto giggled.

“Yeah, real fun fighting to the brink of death, running around the literal Blight of Remnant. And it’s all thanks to you.” Lucifer scoffed.

“It doesn’t matter I brought us here, what matters is, I was right! Why are we here? That’s right, use your remembrance to solve that one!”

“…We’re here to find Nadia. And it worked. Let me be the first to say, it’s great to have you back.”

“It’s great to be back, Team!” She reassured everyone with a peace sign.

“Ah!” Selene, to the immediate alarm of Lucifer, toppled to her knees. Royal Necrocyst departed, sinking into the currently evaporating hell born port. In accordance with this, her eyes faded back to their pearl hue. “I’m fine, I really am. I just need to catch my breath.”

“Hmm, hm hmmm…” a series of inaudible hums lurked just as well their owner. Herald was hoping he could meander away undetected and resume his duties, but Nomad would not allow it. His stream of idioms prevented Herald from forgetting his presence, and the subsequent outburst cemented this. “Eep! My- Err, Nomad!”

“What should we do? We can’t just leave him here?” Nadia prayed.

“What can we do?” Lucifer crouched down as a pulse check was badly needed. “He’s still alive. Barely.”

“C’mon Nomad! You can’t die on us now!” Selene tried to shake him out of the coma.

“You’ve given me… everything… You gave me the greatest gift of all…” He droned on. Nadia fanned her needles over his head, seeing just how unconscious he really was. No reaction.

“We need to get him to a hospital. Standing around here won’t do anything. Augustus Correctional! They have an infirmary there! It’s his best shot.”

“I’m open to carrying him out of here, but I think you may have forgotten something.” Lucifer hoisted the body onto his shoulder. “We’re in Summit’s Blight. We’re like rats down here.”

“Well, erm, I may know how to get out.” Herald sheepishly admitted.

“You.” Lucifer stood eye to eye with him. On account of their size difference, Herald barely matched half the height of the aggressor. He gulped. “You actually helped us. You know, Nadia, I’ve been thinking for a while about this. Maybe the White Fang isn’t all bad, after all. You seem tolerable at least, irritating as you are.”

“Alright! I didn’t think you were capable of changing!” Nadia playfully wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Not so fast! I still have my reservations about the White Fang, but Herald here gets a pass for now. Move, before I change my mind.”

Herald tapped his fingers together, fidgety as always. “Eh, well, actually, I’m not in the White Fang-”

“Silence. What did I just say? Are you braindead? Move!”

“Nghhhh! Okay, just please! Don’t hurt me!” Herald flexed his fingers while guiding Team Lance out of Summit’s Blight. His method was eerily similar to Nomad’s, just as ridged and confined as the act moon-watching and obsessive examination could be. Into the Anti-Citadel’s mine, up a manmade staircase, through a gorge, and around a hillside they went. Rinse and repeat a few times, and it was done.

“There, there, you’re good to go. See, Vale is right in that direction!” Herald pointed west.

“Thanks for your help, Herald.” Selene said.

“Um, it’s fine. I don’t need your thanks. And don’t worry about me. I’d come see to it that Nomad is healed myself, but alas. My job here is not done. The rain may give in, but I cannot.”

“What are you doing in Summit’s Blight, anyway? You’re not after the Relics, are you?” Selene brought forth her knowledge gained in the library alongside Boreas.

“Relics!? No, no, nothing like that!”

“Aha, so you do know what they are!”

“Ack! Noo! You rascal! Fine, I know of the Relics. But I don’t care! By command of my Lord, I cannot tell you what I and my forces are doing here. But I can tell you what we aren’t doing.”

“Lord?” Alecto repeated. “There’s only one of those, and I don’t think you’re a Keraseer. What’re you talking about, what Lord? What’s going on here?”

“You’ve got to tell us something! What is so important within Summit’s Blight?” Selene frowned.

“…I’m sorry. As I say, some things are best left buried. Till next time, princess!” Herald ran back into the silver peaks. Nobody dared race after him, afraid of getting lost again. And if Nomad didn’t find treatment soon, his demise would persist all the more.

Fortunately, while Herald’s trail was at an end, Nadia had braved the path to the prison many times, and knew the perfect route. She picked up where he left off. The Warden pursued was not far off from his hospital, busy with his own mission. A repository of files and mugshots were under heavy scrutiny, but even the pursuit of a peculiar criminal could be put on hold to welcome back his old friend.

“Augustus! We need your help!” Nadia found him fast. He was difficult to miss.

“Nadia!? I thought you’d be in Mistral right now, least that’s what you told me.”

“Absolutely not! I’m staying here in Vale, where I belong.”

“Oh, you have no idea how glad I am to hear that. I made it out of Forever Fall with all limbs intact- well, the ones that are left, anyway. And now I come back and find you? Could this day get any better? A guy like me doesn’t feel happiness that often. You were among the few who could change that. You still are!” He pat her shoulder.

“Thanks, but we have a problem! Our friend here is dying!” To make her point, Lucifer held the limp form of Nomad forward.

“Damn. What happened to him?” Augustus used his semblance to levitate Nomad onto a stretcher. He glided with purpose, everyone else running just to keep up.

“He got hit by Galathyn, a poisonous Grimm. He’s been in this state for a while. I still can’t believe he survived this far.” Alecto explained.

“I see. Here, we’ll take him where he needs to be. Get this faunus medical attention, now.” He pushed the gurney to a line of emergency nurses.

“Is he going to be alright?” Selene asked.

“I can’t say for sure. Who is he?”

“Nomad. At least, that’s what we call him. We don’t know much about him, but he’s a faunus from Summit’s Blight.”

“Once he wakes up, if he wakes up, I’ll figure everything out. I’d check the records for him now, but in his condition I doubt anything would come up. So many people meet their end in this place… Oh, also! I’ve been running the scans on that rifle collected from Servus Portum. I can’t thank you enough, we now have a solid understanding of Servus-engineering. And it’s been confirmed. Caligula is providing criminals with guns. The next step is to bring in an authority to rival him, and I already have a good idea on who that’ll be. The Good General in question won’t back down. I’m just happy you’re back, Nadia.”

“N-Nadia?” A timid tone accompanied the stature of a hologram. The outsider met her best friend in a tight hug.

“Um, who is this?” Alecto squawked.

“Oh, that’s right! You guys never met. Everyone meet Ella!” Nadia briefed the details.

“Ah, Ella.” Lucifer said. “This is the colleague I’ve heard so much about. It’s good to meet you, Ella. Nadia, you didn’t tell me she was from Atlas.”

“I-I’m not.” Ella sheepishly admitted.

“Really? My apologies, I just assumed because of your… Virtual aesthetics.”

“That’s just the way I am.”

Nadia assumed her defense. “There’s a lot we don’t know about her, same as Nomad. That seems to be a reoccurring theme around here. Ella’s got a minor memory problem, she can’t remember anything that happened before I met her. But believe me, she’s super sweet once you get to know her!”

“I really like your dress!” Selene smiled. “Oh, that reminds me, here’s your capes back. And I’ve still got Nomad’s jacket. Could you return it to him, Augustus?”

“How interesting. This belonged to Nomad, did it?” He accepted the overcoat.

“Yep! I think Herald still has his crossbow, though. Nomad should be able to get it back pretty easily once he’s cured. I don’t think Herald is really that threatening to him. Or anyone, really. I mean, the White Fang scares me, but he doesn’t seem that bad.”

Lucifer tightened the straps around his forearms. “He’s a scoundrel for sure. A slippery, slimy, scheming little freak. But he did help us. Can’t fault him there. Ha. If you told me when we first met that I’d be sitting pretty with the White Fang here and now, I’d have laughed in your face.”

“You? Laughing? That’s a rare occurrence.” Alecto solicited a chuckle from Nadia.

“Oh, I almost forgot how much I liked these antics! Get her, Lucifer!” Team Lance and the inhabitants of Augustus Correctional conversed all in good fun. The quirks, quibbles, jokes, and squabbles were just as enjoyable as Nadia remembered. It was then she decided she had made the right choice in not only choosing Beacon Academy, but staying there. “Anyway, Ella, you’re still in Sector Two-One-Four right?”

“Yes.”

“We should probably go settle down there, then.”

“What?” Alecto stopped her right there. “You’re not coming back to Beacon with us? I can’t wait to see what Team Blazer says when they see you back where you belong, with your team!”

“Sorry. I just fought the strongest Grimm in Remnant after hiking from the harbors to Summit’s Blight, and it’s really late. I’m dead tired actually, and I’m guessing everyone in Beacon is winding down as well… But I would want to talk to them again.”

“C’mon, I bet Team Blazer isn’t anywhere near asleep! They’re probably playing games right now, as we speak.

“Okay, okay. Ella, I’ll be back tomorrow. I really need to get some sleep.”

“O-Okay! Just seeing you today, and being able to talk to you again was the best time ever. See you all tomorrow!” She waved everyone goodbye. On their trek back, as they crossed the tremendous bridge holding the institution to the continent, Lucifer pulled himself from the group to speak in private.

“Nadia? I have a question.”

“Of course. What is it?”

“When we fought, you said you hated me. I just-”

“I could never hate you, Lucifer! You’re my friend! I shouldn’t have said that to you. I’m sorry.”

“Well, I shouldn’t have pushed you to that point. I guess we’re both regretful, then. But there was one other thing I was wondering. There’s more to the friendship between you and Ella than you’re letting on, isn’t there?”

“What makes you say that?” Nadia couldn’t look him in the eye.

“Your appearance. You two are wearing similar robes. Your capes have the same emblems on them, the same design seen on Idol’s Cloak- the jacket worn by Nomad. And the tip of your hoods are marked with the same symbol. You claim she can’t remember anything. Did you know her in the past, and you’re not telling anyone?”

“N-No! I can’t. It’s nothing, I’m serious.” Her words came out muddled.

“Come to think of it, he’s right. You two were wearing the same thing. What is it about her? I thought your hoods were unique, custom made for you alone.” Selene joined in.

“It is! We’re just… Ugh!” Nadia collapsed to the floor and covered her eyes in shame. Everyone hurried to make sure she was alright. “Can I really tell you guys the truth? I just got you back, I don’t want to lose everything again…”

“…You can tell us anything. We’ll be there for you. Right, guys?”

“Yes.” Lucifer pulled back his mask.

“Okay. I trust you.” Nadia took a deep breath. “I am an Amaryllis. That means I live by a religion lead by a Goddess named Lady Hestia. We share her bloodline as Descendants. There are many customs to this practice, like my uniform, but that’s not important right now. The main element of my Amaryllis heritage that I’ve been hiding is the Soulcess. Every one of us Descendants knows of it, we’ve all come to respect it.”

“Soulcess?” Selene grimaced at the word.

“To the Amaryllis, it’s the required practice that leads to believed reincarnation.”

“Life after death?” Lucifer couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Yes. It requires a sacrifice to work. As my religion dictates, I must participate and depart into the Soulcess. It comes every one-hundred winters, and the last one was no more than eighty-three years ago…”

“So, you have to die when you’re thirty?” Selene choked.

“Not die. There’s no telling what happens when I cross the threshold, but I won’t be here anymore. My time in Remnant will have come to a close.” Nobody spoke for what Nadia estimated to be ten whole seconds. Taking in the story was no easy feat, but what she feared most of all was the incoming reaction.

“…Alright. That means we get something like thirteen more years guaranteed with you. Better make it last.” Lucifer held his hand out, waiting to help her up.

“What? You guys aren’t mad at me? I-I’m sorry I didn’t say anything earlier, I just didn’t want you guys to leave me. Anytime I’d ever told anyone about this, they abandoned me before I could abandon them, when the Soulcess comes. But it’s something I must do.”

“Mad? Why would we be mad? Truth be told, I already knew about that.” Alecto teased.

“You did?”

“Yeah. We Keraseers know all about religion. Lady Hestia herself was a skilled champion in the Old Arts, in which we live by. Listen, Nadia, we’re not going to beat you up for this. It certainly couldn’t have been easy for you, withholding such a burden- but the sooner you told us, the better. Even still, you’re crazy if you think we’re gonna leave you behind. Nothing will ever drive us apart again.”

Nadia didn’t speak, prompting a more intimate response.

“Listen.” She held both of Nadia’s hands. “As I am a Keraseer, and you an Amaryllis, there is a special bond between us that can never be broken, even by the Soulcess. You have nothing to fear.”

“…I understand.”

“So, if you’re an Amaryllis, does that mean Ella is, too? Is that why you befriended her?” Selene chirped.

“Yes. Maybe it’s her semblance, but because of whatever condition she has, she doesn’t age. And she doesn’t remember anything about herself. Therefore, she would be the friend that always stood by my side, never needing to achieve Soulcess but always understanding... I guess that extends to you guys at this point, though. I’m so grateful everything’s out on the table now.”

Lucifer looked at Selene, hesitant to respond. “Exactly. There are no more secrets between us. But there’s still one thing I don’t understand. Why is it that you have such fondness for the White Fang? I take it you’ve got some sort of connection to them, as an Amaryllis?”

“You couldn’t be more right. Every Amaryllis knows the White Fang’s origins. The worship gained for it, partly due to its architect, is rivaled by few. Although, back then things were very different. It wasn’t even called the White Fang.”

Alecto threw in a demonstration of her own knowledge. “The Old Fang, led by a mortal ally of Goddess Hestia.”

“I can’t wait to hear more about it as soon as we make it to Beacon Academy.” Lucifer snorted.

“Oh, I forgot! Were you guys missing this?” In Nadia’s capote relaxed the Black Knight chess piece.

“So you do have it! Aha!” Alecto asserted.

“Yep! Isn’t it strange how, even at night time, it shines? I guess it must be the moonlight, or something. If you’re wondering, it’s a really long story how I ended up with it, actually. I’d be happy to tell it once I get some sleep. You’ve got the other knight, right? It’s about time they rejoined. It’s just not the same without both, you know?”

“…Affirmative.” Lucifer said.

“To the Black Knights.” She boasted, not only reclaiming the memento but wreaking one last embrace onto everyone. So it was that Team Lance came together not just as teammates, but treasured companions they could confide in. It would be prudent for Lucifer, Alecto, Nadia, and Selene to cherish the time they all held each other dear.

Perhaps our heroes were in fact ready for the dangers that came with being Huntsmen and Huntresses. It’d be foolish to believe that this was the last of the threats Remnant had thrown at them, but maybe there was a chance those journeys could be bested as well. Whether or not these young souls would come out unscathed is another tale entirely.

Team Lance will return.

Entry No. 10 complete.

This volume may be finished, but the Archive is not.

There is so very much work left to be done.

The end of my expedition rests idle beyond the twilight.