Volume 3 Episode 12: Jaune has been launched in the locker to a safe location. He calls Weiss and Ruby to help Pyrrha. He knows he can't help, he's too weak. But that's never stopped a hero before! He intends to change the world and his semblance his here to help.
"I'm sorry."
Those words. I knew they would be the last she ever said to me. I knew she wasn't going to win. No matter how strong she was, that woman defeated Ozpin, and Ozpin might as well been god to us students. Pyrrha sacrificed herself to save me.
I landed and immediately called Weiss. She had to help her. Both Weiss and Ruby answered the Scroll. I pleaded, no I begged, that they go save her. They agreed, but I could hear the Grimm in the background. They would have to fight through them all just to reach the tower. Then, they'd have to climb it. They were both exhausted from the day's events.
They wouldn't make it, and what about the civilians that they were supposed to be saving. How could I be so selfish and ask them to forsake the civilians! I'm pathetic.
Wait. I still have some aura left. I'll go help the civilians. I'll be there knight. No, even better! I'll be there commander and unlock their auras so they can be my knights! Then we can repel the invasion. I kind of remember how Pyrrha unlocked my aura. Now I just need to do it on a larger scale.
I start to reach out with my aura, soaking the world around me. I feel a few civilians nearby and push my aura into them, activating their aura with mine. Mine lingers, and begins to form a sword and shield. It imprints my own knowledge into them, teaching them how to fight. The twelve civilians I've encircled with my aura begin to fight back. It's not enough.
I draw deep into my aura reserves and spread it further. If I can equip twelve people near me, why can't I equip this whole section? Why can't I equip the whole city?! My aura flared with my newfound resolve and it raced out from my position. I felt it envelop one hundred and thirteen more people. They all had swords and shields. They all knew how to fight. It wasn't enough. This wouldn't help Pyrrha, Weiss, or Ruby. I needed more.
I hit what felt like a wall. This couldn't be the end of my reserves could it? She said they were massive. This felt like a limitation. Was this just my fears and insecurities that limited my potential. They couldn't stop me anymore. I broke through the wall and I felt my aura levels skyrocket. I began glowing. I looked kind of like Yang but in white.
My aura rushed out and began enveloping more and more people. I had given almost a thousand people weapons and aura. Then my own aura began to flicker. I could feel my strength fleeing. This can't be my end! This can't be it! I've come this far!
I reached deeper. Another wall was blocking my path. I didn't even debate with myself. I shattered the wall. My aura exploded around me. However, I suddenly developed a massive migraine. My nose began to bleed. I think I was releasing too much aura at once. I didn't care. A hero sometimes has to suffer for their goals. I forced my aura to envelop more people. The number quickly grew to about five thousand. It was starting to strain me to keep reaching this far, but I hadn't reached Beacon yet. I hadn't helped Pyrrha.
I knew I could reach her. I knew I could reach all of Vale. I was a hero! Heroes never fail. And so I reached deeper. Pulling up all the aura I had available. There was another wall. This wall seemed to be directly connected with my body. I knew from the last gate that this was going to hurt, but I am a hero!
I broke the gate. Pain. Oh so much pain. It felt like every cell in my body ignited. By the look of my body, they did. My aura looked like a bonfire around my body. However, I felt powerful. My aura must have quadrupled. I could reach so far. I pushed through the agony. I equipped everyone I felt. I was almost to Beacon when it began falter. I tried pushing it further, but it wouldn't budge. I had helped all the people. Civilians and Hunters. Lives saved by my aura. But they weren't the ones I truly wanted to save! I needed to save Pyrrha. I needed to save the one that mattered. The only one that believed in me. I needed to save her, so I dug deeper.
The world seemed to stop. This wasn't a wall like the other barriers. This was a gate. It felt like death. Was this the barrier between life and death? Was this the way to release the true powers of my soul, my aura? Was I willing to die for my friends?
I knew the answer once I asked myself. I would do anything for them. I walked up to the gate and threw it open. A wave of true power rushed through me.
The world snapped back into focus and I let out a scream. It hurt so bad. I could see my feet dissolving into pure aura. I pushed my aura out and enveloped the entire city. Every civilian was equipped with sword and shield. Every Huntsman and Huntress was refilled on aura and their wounds healed.
Ozpin who was trapped under a pillar and on death's door. I healed his crushed ribs, his skin sizzled as the burns healed, and his aura came back to him.
Blake's stab wound, so poorly wrapped in medical tape begin to steam. The cells were being healed by my aura.
Yang's missing arm began to regrow.
And Pyrrha. Pyrrha who was kneeled down about to embrace her idea of Destiny. Pyrrha who was completely out of aura and had a severed achilles tendon. I pushed the remains of my soul into her.
(P.O.V. Change)
I accepted my Destiny. My Destiny was to die to this woman. She had the cruelest smirk on her face. She released the obsidian arrow. My only regret, was not telling Jaune sooner. I loved him.
Then, I felt it. His aura. It wrapped me in a warm embrace. I felt my own reserves refill like they had never been used. I felt my ankle heal to perfection. I felt and saw all my bruises disappear. I saw a white shield appear in front of my heart. The obsidian arrow meant to end my life shattered against the aura construct.
I felt Jaune urge me to fight. To take advantage of the woman's shock. A sword appeared in my hand. It felt exactly like Jaune's. I rose up and I swung.
The glowing blade neared the woman's neck, but her reflexes kicked in. She jumped back, but the blade still cut into her hand that was wielding the bow. A bloody gash appeared on her wrist forcing her to drop the bow. What truly shocked the both of us though, was that her aura didn't protect her.
She screamed in pain and tried to throw a fireball at me. A shield appeared in front of it taking the blow. I felt Jaune nudge me forward again. Telling me to end this. To become greater than my Destiny. With newfound strength, I surged forward. I knew the sword penetrated aura, and I was aiming to kill.
My first swing was dodged, but my next clipped her already crippled hand severing her thumb. She looked at the falling appendage in shock. I took further advantage. Using my semblance on my own armor, I surged forward and stabbed the aura blade into her chest.
Our eyes met. Hers filled with so much anger and hatred. As she died, the Fall Maiden's powers surged into me.
The sword began to crack. Then it dissipated. I felt Jaune's aura begin to leave my body. I saw his visage. Like a ghost. His smiling face looking at me. He mouthed four words to me and ascended.
"I love you too."