-Then-

  Nix couldnt help feeling at home in the village Io had founded as he wandered its streets with her. The buildings and houses looked a lot like the ones they had grown up in, although now with more modern day technology built into them. He looked at his sister with curiosity. "This is really something, Io. But why build it in the first place? What is it doing here?"

  Io smiled as a group of children passed by before answering. "To be free, Nix. Free to live the way that we used to, living the ways of old."

  The boy cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

  A loud crash came from their left and Nix quickly turned to the sound of the commotion. A small child about thirteen came running out of a nearby alleyway, stumbling onto the dirt road of the village. The girl backed away from the ally as a large figure lumbered out of the darkness. A pair of red eyes dotted the darkness and Nix felt his heart skip a beat. The thing moved into the light, its large body lumbering on all fours.

  It was an Ursa. In the village.

  "Grimm!" Nix cried as he made a move towards the girl. "Get out of the way!" He begn to summon his weapons when he felt a hand grab his arm. He quickly turned to see his sister holding him back, a knowing look on her face. She shook her head, not saying a word. He felt a twinge of confusion and looked back towards the girl just as the Grimm lunged.  Nix could only watch as the young girl flailed under the creature, its head moving back and forth over her as she cried out.

  Nix pulled himslef free in a burst of energy, desperate to save the girl. "Get away from her!" He ran over a few steps but stopped suddenly at what he saw, sliding to a stop only a few feet away.

  The girl was still flailing, but unlike what Nix had first thought, she was unharmed. The Grimm was on top of her but licking her face rather than biting it. And the girls cries were not of pain, but laughter. Nix couldnt belive what he was seeing. A girl and a Grimm, playing together. Iolite walked over to her brother with a warm smile. "This is what I meant, Nixy. Grimm and man, side by side."

  He turned to her now more confused than ever. "Are you sure I'm not really dead?"

  Io laughed lightly. "Nope, still alive." She looked back at the playing couple. "And this is what real living looks like."

  "I dont understand.."

  "We found a way to live among the Grimm as co existers, not enemies. The Grimm no longer see us as threats, but one of their own kind. Together, we have opened the door for limitless growth and advancements." She smiled at her brother, the pride in her people radeiating off her. "This is how the world should be Nix. Peaceful at last."

  Nix smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "This..this is amazing. Why hasn't the world heard abouut this?"

  His sister shook her head slowly, her chin now droping. "Sadly the rest of the kingdoms do not embrace our way of life here. People do not seem ready to see Grimm as equals." She stopped herself before her emotions got to her, putting her voice in check. "But we do things differently here, and soon the world will see it as we do."

  Nix opened his mouth to as more quistions when a shout cut through the crowded street. "Move!" He looked over as the people parted for two guards walking towars them, dragging a man by his arms. The man wore ragged clothes and his face was brused and cut, showing that the guards were not very kind when they caught him. The guards threw the man at Io's feet and stood at attention. "We caught this man stealing money from the tavern. He is also the one who stole from the bakery two days ago."

  Io stood over the man sternly, her grip firm on her staff. "What do you have to say for yourself, thief?"

  The man looked up at her and spat blood onto the street, smirking at her. "Bills to pay, mouths to feed. You know how it is.." His weak attempt at humor failed to diffuse the situation and one of the guards kicked him hard in the back. "Show some respect to your Queen!" The man coughed and looked up again, his smirk replaced with a grim sneer. "Do what you will, but I only stole so I wouldn't starve. Is that so wrong of me?"

  Ios face was like stone as she spoke. "By taking the things you did you stole more than food and change. What if the ones you stole from could no longer care for themselves because of your actions? You survived at the expence of another, and that is not acceptable."

  The man looked down, her words cutting through him like a hot knife though butter. The guards lifted him up then. "We'll take care of this, Mistress Io."

  "No. I shall do it myself." She looked back down at the man coldly. "Put out his left hand."

  The guards hesitated but did as they were told, forcing the man down and dragging his arm out. The crowd around them was silent as they watched, no one daring to step in. The man struggled to free himself as Io walked up to him. Nix put a hand on her shoulder in concern. "Io, what are you doing?"

  "Delivering justice. As I said, we do things differently here." She brushed him asside and yanked on her staff, pulling it apart at the middle. A long blade sat on one side as the other held the crystal on top, turning into a sword and mace. The girl stood over the arm as her blade glistned in the sulignt. "This is the price you pay for stealing."

  Nix move to stop her but more guards blocked his path. "Io, dont do this!"

  The girl looked at the crowd with a stern look. "But I must. It is a leaders duty to set the example for her people." She raised the sword high. "Nothing is beneth her." And with that, she brought the weapon down, severing the mans hand off at the wrist. The man screamed in pain as the appendage fell free, blood turning the ground a deep brown as it mixed with the dirt. Nix's jaw hung open as he watched, never seeing his sister act this way before. Io flicked the blood from her blade and slid it back into place before looking back at the crowed again, the spectators mumoring among themselves. "This is the price you pay for cheating your fellow citizen. We do not steal from each other, we work together. This is how we survive, by working as one. For any of you who wish to destroy this system that we have worked so hard to build, your punishment will be ten fold. Now go about your day, there is nothing more to see here." She looked at the guards as they hoisted the mutilated man back up. "See that he gets proper medical attention and is fed. Then return him to his home."

  The guards nodded and carried him off, the crowd now dispersing. Nix was still in shock when his sister came back over to him. "Now then;" She said with a smile. "How about I introduce you to the mansion staff?"

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

  -Now-

  Yang sat at the side of Nix's hospital bed, hands holding his. She looked at him with sad eyes, the sounds of the heart monitor beeping steadily like a metronome. She didnt turn when the door opened behind her, Ruby enteritering and closing the door behind her soflty. "Figured I find you here."

  Yang smiled lightly as her sister sat beside her and sighed. "Just making sure he's alright."

  Ruby looked at the small table beside her and frowned at the tray of untouched food. "You still haven't eaten." It was a statement more than a question. Her sister glanced over at the tray. "Guess I wasn't hungry."

  "Its been hours Yang. You should get some food and rest. You know you need it."

  Yang looked at Nix's face and gently pushed some hair away from his closed eyes. "I know I need it, but I just can't stand being away from him again. Not after already loosing him once."

  Ruby put her hand on Yangs with a soft smile. "Nix is a tough guy, he'll recover soon. But you need to look out for yourself too. I doubt he'd be happy to wake up to a skeleton for a girlfirend."

  Yng smirked and playfully slugged her arm. "I ate breakfast, didnt I? Got to keep this body looking good." She sighed and stood. "Its getting late, better head back for lights out." She touched Nix's arm and gave him a small kiss on the cheek before leaving, her sister following her out. To Yangs surprise Weiss and Blake were waiting in the hall for them, Blake leaning agains the wall while Weiss sat in one of the chairs. Both girls stood as she and her sister walked out of the room.

  "How is he?" Weiss asked. Her voice was soft and genuine, her honest concern touching in Yangs eyes. She gave the white haired girl a hug and smiled lightly. "Still alive, but still in dream land. Nothings really changed lately."

  Weiss nodded, giving a small smile of her own. "He'll be back soon, I know he will."

  Blake moved over and smiled softly. "You know, they say true loves kiss can wake a sleeping price."

  Ruby giggled at that. "Don't you mean princess?"

  Yang smiled at her sister. "With him, I think princess is more fitting anyway."

  The girls laughed and Yang put an arm around Rubys shoulder. "Come on, lets head back before they kick us out of here." The girls walked down the hall of the hospital, Yang looking over her shoulder one last time as they left, silently pleading that Nix would wake up soon. She wasnt sure if it was just her head, but she could swear she could still hear the beeping of his heart monitor all the way back to Beacon.