The End

The last confrontation. The final truth. To the death, my loves

[Author's Note: This story follows the story What Friends Do, and is the tenth and final episode of Volume 8.]

They were boarding the airship when Klein came running up to them. He handed them a small covered basket.

"You might get hungry on the flight," he said.

Weiss peeked under the cover. It was four cupcakes, each with a different colour of frosting. Red, white, black, yellow.

Weiss chuckled. "You always know the right thing to do, Klein," she said. "And you have made my life so much richer."

"And you have made my life … interesting."

He looked at the team. "Are you prepared?" he said. "Well-armed?"

"We have everything we need," said Ruby. "Blake's courage."

"Yang's strength," said Weiss.

"Weiss' will," said Blake.

"And Ruby's heart," said Yang.

Klein nodded. He turned to Weiss. "Goodbye, Weiss," he said.

She stared. "Thank you, Klein," she said. "For using my name." She hugged him.

The airship began to lift off. Weiss ran up the ramp as it closed.

They were off.

RWBY

In Anima, in her tribe's encampment, Raven felt a sudden pang of instinct. She guessed what was happening. For a long moment, she considered creating a portal to Yang.

Then: No, she thought. This is her destiny, not mine.

"Goodbye, my beloved daughter," she said.

RWBY

Salem was slumped on the throne, alone in her castle. Her arm was still seeping blood. The bullet in her shoulder nagged at her. The ice from the one with the sword had left a savage, half-paralysing pain down one side of her body.

She looked at the Creation relic on one side of the throne, and then the Knowledge relic on the other side.

Not much longer, she thought. She did not know how they would find their way to her, but she had no doubt that they would.

RWBY

Blake turned the airship onto the course she had plotted from May's directions. "In the pipe," she said to the others. "Weiss, take the controls for a moment."

Weiss did. Blake removed her leggings and tore a hole in the back. When she put them on again, her long, silken tail unfurled. She swished it from side to side.

"Nice," said Ruby.

"I have always thought so," said Yang. "After I got over the surprise."

Blake smiled, and took the controls again. Weiss laughed, and handed her a cupcake.

RWBY

General James Ironwood was holding Magpie in his arms, feeding her with a bottle of milk, when she gave a long, piercing cry. She reached out.

He put his finger into her little hand. She clutched it, and then began to drink again.

Ironwood smiled. "Drinking, holding on, and generally being a troublemaker," he said softly to her, with a tenderness he had not known he possessed. "Just like your dad."

RWBY

The wide passage of ocean between Sanus and the un-named continent was known for bad weather but on this day the water was bright and sparkling, and the sky was clear. Even the patches of mist seemed to have a glimmering quality.

And then, not far, there was a mountain peak rising from the fog for a moment. No, not a mountain; an ancient volcano. Even as the four of them watched, a Giant Nevermore climbed out of it. It perched on the edge for a moment, shaking its wings. Then it took to the air and began to circle.

Blake checked the airship's weapons systems. "We can take it down if it attacks," she said. "But I don't think it's going to."

Indeed, the Nevermore was merely circling, slowly. Another two came up out of the mist and joined it.

As they drew closer the mist cleared. A small, somewhat decrepit castle emerged.

Blake headed for a paved courtyard near the main entrance to the castle. She brought the airship down and they disembarked.

There was a hundred Grimm around them. Watching.

Weiss began to draw her sword – and then let it slide back into its sheath.

"This way," said Ruby. They went through the rotting wooden doorway and down a long stone hallway. Grimm creatures growled at them from nooks and alcoves.

"Uh, for this to work I need … an object," said Ruby.

"This," said Weiss, taking the locket from around her neck and handing it to Ruby.

"But that … well, that's very important to you, isn't it, Weiss?" said Yang.

"The most valuable thing I own," said Weiss. "Which is exactly why it is appropriate. And you can think of it as Jaune's revenge."

They entered a large, almost empty room. But Grimm eyes peered at them from niches in the walls. Salem was at the far end. "Welcome, Hunters," she said to them. "I have been expecting you."

"In that case you might have given the place a bit of a clean," said Blake.

"And do you think you could have got a room closer to the front door?" said Yang. "Sorry you lost a hand, by the way. Oh no, my mistake, I'm not. Still got one of my bullets, I see. Any chance I can get it back? Happy to pull it out."

Salem levered herself out of the chair.

"We can come back another time, if you're not feeling up to it," said Weiss.

Salem gave a crooked smile.

Blake, Weiss and Yang readied their weapons. Ruby took the Book of Relics from her pack.

"Ah, so that is what happened to it," said Salem.

Ruby turned to a particular page. "Guys," she whispered, "just keep her and her pets off me for long enough to do the spell to draw the power of the Destruction relic out of her. We can't defeat her while she has it."

"How hard can it be?" murmured Weiss.

"I am prepared to make you an offer," said Salem. "If you leave the little girl to me, I will allow the others to go in peace."

"Hey, that sounds like a good deal," said Yang. "Let's take it. I've never really liked Ruby, anyway."

"True, she can be a bit of a pain," said Blake.

"So now the real feelings come out," said Ruby, with an impish grin.

"Uh, we have discussed it, and our answer is, fuck you," said Weiss to Salem.

Salem nodded. She said: "Then … DIE!" She threw a blast of energy at them.

But Weiss had already created a wall of ice. The energy blast smashed into it, destroying the wall but dissipating.

Yang was running one way, and Blake was running another, both firing at Salem.

But now Beringels and Beowolfs were flooding in, some leaping from hidden panels in room. "They're coming out of the goddamn walls!" said Weiss, as she unleashed a burst of flame, trying to protect Ruby, who was reading the spell aloud.

Blake was leaving a trail of shadow clones across the room; Salem did not know which one to fire at. And then suddenly Yang was close. She switched the gauntlet on her mechanical arm to automatic mode and fired a long burst at Salem. Salem threw up a shield, and the bullets did not reach her.

Ruby was continuing to recite the spell, in a weird and complex language, with ordinary phrases mixed in. Half-way through.

"Yang!" shouted Weiss. She was fighting desperately against the horde of Grimm but they were close to overpowering her, and reaching Ruby. "Help!"

Yang fired at the Grimm, dusting a half-dozen and driving the others back. But it gave Salem the opportunity to slam an energy wave into her. She went flying into a wall.

Blake converted her weapon into Gambol Shroud form and threw it. The anchor end sank into Salem's flesh and pulled her back. There was a gush of blood. Salem gave a grunt of pain. She grasped the cord and sent a current of energy along it. Blake staggered back as it hit – and then a bolt from Salem slammed into her. She fell.

Weiss was hacking through the Grimm, with fire and ice and steel.

Salem caught her eye.

"You should have been on my side, pretty," said Salem. "Much more suitable for you."

"Is there a part of 'fuck you' that is unclear?" said Weiss.

Salem hit her with a bolt that sent her down. She extended a tentacle of energy around Ruby and pulled her to her.

"And now, silver eyes," she said, "you will help me destroy the world."

But Ruby was still reciting the spell, from memory.

There was a blast of lightning connecting Salem, Ruby, the Knowledge relic, and the Creation relic. A column of white light leaped upwards, smashing through the ceiling.

And then Ruby came to the last line of the spell, which was in plain language.

" … and will be one with the Power no more."

She opened her hand. The locket.

A surge of energy burst out of Salem's chest and into the locket. Salem screamed, throwing Ruby down.

Ruby hit the stone floor hard, and for a moment there was only blackness. When she opened her eyes, she saw Salem …

But not Salem. Even as Ruby watched, she transformed into an ancient crone. She collapsed to the floor, and gave a final, rasping cry.

Yang, Blake and Weiss helped Ruby to her feet. They watched as Salem slowly turned to dust.

From above them there was a noise like a terrible thunder.

They ran out onto the balcony and looked up.

The sky was disintegrating, a hole spreading out relentlessly from the point where the white light had hit. The fabric of reality was beginning to tear apart.

"We … we failed," said Weiss. "The world will be destroyed."

"No," said Ruby. "When I spoke to the Knowledge relic, it told me that the world would be not only destroyed but also remade. By the Four. Together. If we choose."

"By … us," said Blake. "We are the Four."

"And always have been," said Yang.

Ashes and dust were swirling around them. Everything was growing dark.

They were standing in a circle. Ruby put her hand into the middle. Weiss took it. And then Blake and Yang put theirs in. There was a crackle of energy between them, growing stronger, ever stronger. "See you on the other side, guys," said Weiss. "It has been … the time of our lives."

Ruby could feel the power within her beginning to rise. Mother, she thought. This is why you gave me the power. This is where my path leads. Where all of our paths lead. Thank you, Mother. Thank you for everything.

Darkness.

RWBY

Ruby Rose hurried along the path to Beacon University. She was apprehensive; as the recipient of a special scholarship she was younger than all of the other students. And the only person she knew here was her half-sister Yang.

She looked at the people on the concourse. A number of students were standing still, staring around them, as if the place was both familiar and strange.

Worried that she would be late on her first day, she didn't see the other student until she cannoned into her. Ruby went down, her books going everywhere.

"Watch where you're going!" said the other student, pushing a remarkable ponytail of long white hair back into place. "You're … say, do I know you?"

Ruby struggled to her feet. Yes, the student looked somehow familiar. "I … I don't … I don't think we have met," stammered Ruby.

"Hmm, I don't think so either," said the girl. "Can't imagine when we could have. And yet … "

Yang came up to them. "Hi sis," she said. "Good to see you again."

"Is it?" said Ruby.

"Why, yes," said Yang, as if surprised at the feeling. "It is. It really is." She looked at the other student. "Huh," she said.

"Huh," said the other girl.

A black-haired student walking by suddenly stopped. "Hi," she said to Ruby and the white-haired girl. She looked at Yang and smiled. "Well, hul-lo," she said.

Yang smiled back. "Hul-lo to you too," she said.

The four of them looked at each other. "Well, this is odd," said the black-haired girl. "Very odd."

"Odd or not, maybe we'll be friends," said the white-haired girl.

"Yes," said Ruby. "I think we will be."

END AND AMEN

[This concludes Darkpenn's involvement with the RWBY-verse and those who dwell there. He gives his best regards to everyone who has accompanied him on the journey.]