AN: So... what the fuck am I doing writing a fix like this, considering my disdain for Arkos? Simple, really; I wrote this for my friend UhhICanExplain for being an awesome dude and my partner in crime. He was in charge of the prompt from which this story spawned. Granted, it took far longer than I had hoped (I started writing this thing right after the finale had aired...) to finish it, but I am proud of what I managed to create considering my feelings on both the ship featured here and canon RWBY as a whole.
This will most likely be the first of three things I post before me and Lonely start writing together again. When I've gotten those out of my head I'll be ready to tackle Attachment Issues, Brotherly Love, and You're Awesome again with renewed strength.
Please enjoy.
Martyr
Five seconds... that's how much time he had. In the manual for the rocket lockers, Jaune remembered reading that it took five seconds for the thrusters to become primed and ready, so that's how much time he had left before he was launched into the sky with the knowledge that Pyrrha was walking, willingly, to her death. He wanted to believe she could defeat Cinder, he wanted to believe that more than anything, but he had felt just how much power she had when the new Fall Maiden had just batted him away like it was nothing. And that was while she was holding back.
He could still feel the warmth of Pyrrha's lips against his, could still feel his heart beating at a million miles per second from the emotion he had felt within their kiss. He couldn't let her her die, he wouldn't. She was Pyrrha Nikos, his partner, the most incredible girl he had ever seen, and Jaune wasn't going to let her become a martyr for him, or anyone else for that matter. He wouldn't allow it.
His mind whirling from all the thoughts running rampant within it, Jaune frantically looked for some way to open the locker. He could recall every single word written within the manual for the lockers at that moment, every single little detail, and he searched every nook and cranny of his mind for where it said the emergency release switch was located. 'Come on, Jaune! Think! THINK! Page 236 subsection b, locking mechanisms... no. Page 422 paragraph 8, emergency procedures... no! Come on! I have to help her! I can't let Pyrrha die like this!' Jaune let out a frustrated growl as he slammed his fist into the wall of the heavy, steel locker. He just had three seconds left before he would be launched into the sky, unable to help Pyrrha anymore.
The rumbling of the locker's rockets becoming primed beneath his feet only served to push Jaune to think harder, faster, searching through every single thing he knew about these blasted things. 'Dammit! Where is the release! Arrgh! PAGE 518 PARAGRAPH 4 LISTING 8, STRUCTURAL WEAK POINTS!'
Pushing as much Aura as he possibly could into his arms to accommodate for the small area he was in and to make sure he had enough strength to pull it off, Jaune thrust Crocea Mors into where the lock to the locker was, gritting his teeth harder and harder as he pushed against the strong metal.
Two seconds...
"BREAK! LET ME HELP HER! LET ME HELP PYRRHA!" Jaune screamed at the top of his lungs, tears of sadness, rage, and frustration pooling in his eyes as he pushed even harder against the door of the locker.
One second...
The tiny, barely audible, metallic click of Crocea Mors partially severing the locking clasp holding the door shut was the loudest sound Jaune had ever heard. It was as if a million cannons had fired at once right next to his ear, and he let out one last, furious cry of desperation as he pushed against the locker's door with all his might. Pain lanced throughout his already beaten body and the tears previously pooling in his eyes were running freely down his cheeks, but Jaune took no notice of any of it. All he was focused on was the slight budge in the door as his entire body and Aura pushed against it.
Zero seconds...
With the screeching moan of metal being bent while it scraped against other metal, as well as the roar of the rockets taking off, and the glorious, angelic sound of the locker's lock snapping apart heralding his release, Jaune fell out of the locker which would have taken him to safety.
He hit the cold, hard ground with enough force to shake his bones and the fire shooting from underneath the rocket locker as it took off burned his shins, but Jaune didn't even feel it. He didn't have time to scream in pain or check if he had broken anything. He had to get to Pyrrha. "Pyrrha..." he whispered as he shakily pulled himself up off the ground, focusing some of the Aura he had left to help him regain his balance as he checked quickly around him for Crocea Mors and his shield.
Crocea Mors laid just beside where he had fallen, the blade showing no signs of being bent or even damaged, and Jaune quickly picked it up, feeling a small amount of relief wash over him when the sword was once again in his grasp. His shield, however, was nowhere to be found. "It must have gotten stuck in the locker somehow..." Jaune mused for less than a second before his attention turned to the tower looming over him, at the top of which he knew Pyrrha was soon going to be fighting Cinder to the death. And he had no intention of letting Pyrrha die.
He set off in a sprint towards the stairs spiraling up to the top of the tower, ignoring the pain in his body and pulling out his scroll as he begun ascending. His fingers flew absentmindedly across the screen to his scroll and within seconds he had it pressed against his ear as he begged silently for Weiss to pick up. He figured she would be the one most likely to pick up their scroll out of everyone he could all, even while this massive battle raged on all around them, and his prayers were answered, it seemed, as Weiss' tired, but still familiar voice rang out from his scroll's speakers.
"Hello? Jaune! Are you okay?! Where are you?!" Had Jaune not been so focused on taking the stairs four steps at a time to reach Pyrrha before it was too late, he might have picked up on the honest worry in Weiss' voice, but, as it stood, he merely made sure he got out the information he needed.
"I'm fine, but forget about me right now. Pyrrha is on her way to fight that woman and she's going to die if we don't help her! She's on the top of the tower and I'm heading there right now, please get Ruby and come as fast as you can!" He was halfway up the tower at this point, his muscles burning from the frantic pace he was keeping as he ran up the stairs. Just a little more and he would be able to help her. He could save Pyrrha.
"We're on our way-" the line cut off. For what reason, Jaune had no idea, but sending a quick look down at his scroll all he was met with were the words No signal.
Another frustrated growl made it's way from Jaune's throat, but he was too close to Pyrrha to let something like this distract him. He jammed the scroll back into his pocket and just kept running, sending a glance over his shoulder at the Wyvern Grimm flying in the sky. He had no idea how in Dust's name they were going to take the monstrous beast down, it was simply terrifying, but with a shake of his head, Jaune decided to come up with a plan for that later. Reaching Pyrrha was his top priority at the moment, everything else could wait.
Even while not at the summit yet, Jaune could still hear the sound of fighting from above him, despite being so far away, and it filled him with hope to know that at least Pyrrha was still alive, even if he had no idea just how she was faring against Cinder in the battle. She had looked almost sickly ever since they had left Amber's chamber to follow Cinder, and Jaune knew Pyrrha was far from top shape, the shape she needed to be in to stand a chance against a full-fledged Fall Maiden.
He wanted to call out for her, let her know he was here and on his way to help her in any possible way he could, but Jaune knew that it would only serve as a distraction, and a distraction at this time could, and most likely would, be fatal.
The sound of Milô hitting something as well as both Pyrrha's and Cinder's grunts and cries filled Jaune's ears, spurring him to run just a little faster up the stairs. He was moments away from being able to help, mere seconds, or at least so he hoped, and Jaune refused to let those moments be when Pyrrha died. 'Please be okay, Pyrrha! Please!'
A scream of pain, Pyrrha's scream of pain, met Jaune's ears, however quiet it had been, and his blood ran cold as his step faltered for just a fraction of a second before he started pushing himself further than he ever had before. He didn't care if his legs felt like they were going to fall off, he didn't care that the only help he could most likely lend would be to distract Cinder for a short time, he didn't care that his Aura was slowly running out as it tried to heal the joints in his legs, and he didn't care if this meant his death. Jaune was going to help Pyrrha in any way possible, he was going to stop her from becoming a martyr, and he was going to tell her that he loved her as soon as this whole deal was over. Because he realized how she felt now, and he felt like a fool for not noticing it before.
Pyrrha, his partner, was in love with him, that kiss had proved it, and Jaune hated himself for never seeing any of the signs. Looking back now, he could see them all. Their heartfelt conversations on the roof, her constant support, her close friendship, her willingness to put up with anticts and stand by him even when he acted like the idiot he knew understood he was. It all felt like it made a little more sense now, at least to Jaune. He felt completely undeserving of any affection Pyrrha might feel from him, but that didn't stop Jaune from now wanting to return it.
He could feel it in his heart. He didn't understand it, but he could still feel it. He had feelings for Pyrrha too, he had just never noticed them before. They had been dormant until now, but Jaune knew they were real. He didn't care how or why, he could still tell these were different from anything Weiss had made him feel. And he was going to use them to set things right later.
As the spiral staircase he had been ascending came to and end, Jaune was not surprised to see destruction laid out before him.
Scorch marks and rubble littered the floor, and from the limp wires hanging from the elevator shaft, Jaune knew that he would have to climb the rest of the way. He slowed down just a little to put Crocea Mors in a makeshift sheath on his back, in between the straps holding his cuirass together, sandwiching it between his armor and his back, before jumping into the dented, metal shaft that had housed the elevator once, grabbing onto the wires hanging there with all his might while securing whatever foothold he could against the still slick walls. His muscles screamed at him for the exertion but Jaune was long past listening to his body. It was going to listen to him for once, and he didn't give a Grimm's hairy ass about the consequences. He would rip his own legs off if that was what it took for him to be able to help Pyrrha.
'Please hang on just a little more, Pyrrha! Weiss and Ruby are coming!' With gritted teeth and what little Aura he had left surging into his strained muscles, Jaune began climbing up the long elevator shaft, hearing explosions and cries from above him. Every movement hurt, but none of the pain affected Jaune's resolve. All that was within his mind was a number counting down how many meters he had left before he reached the top and the higher he got, the faster that number began dropping. He wasn't using his legs anymore, he was just pulling himself upwards with his arms alone, involuntary grunts coming from his throat in time with his movements.
For just how long Jaune climbed, he had no idea, but not once did he so much as think about stopping. He ascended slowly to the sound of Cinder and Pyrrha fighting above him, every cry of pain from Pyrrha making him move faster, and by the end of it, his Aura was as good as gone.
Finally, with his lungs burning and his heart pumping furiously in his chest, Jaune reached the top of the tower, pulling himself out of the elevator shaft, and his already cold blood froze to ice as the sight of Pyrrha sitting on her knees on the ground with an arrow through her ankle and Cinder standing above her aiming a second arrow laid on an obsidian bow at her heart met him. He was tired beyond compare and his Aura was pathetically low, but he still got to his feet and pulled out his sword without hesitation. Time slowed down as Jaune started running, not even hearing his own voice or seeing the way Pyrrha's body tensed up at the sound of it. All he saw and heard was the phantom image and sound of Cinder's arrow being fired into Pyrrha's chest, the real Cinder too tensing up as he announced his presence.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" He roared, throwing himself at Cinder with nothing but ferocious anger burning within his normally happy, cobalt eyes, slashing in a vertical arc with Crocea Mors in a two-handed grip. His sudden arrival was just enough of a surprise for Cinder to not immediately counter-attack after reflexively dodging the attack that left Jaune completely open as his sword only hit the stone she had been standing on, letting him get enough time to reposition himself in front of Pyrrha to act as a human shield.
"Jaune!?" Pyrrha yelled in a mix of disbelief, relief, and despair. Disbelief at how he was actually here after she had thrown him into the rocket locker, relief from getting to see him once again, and despair over that she hadn't been able to get him to safety. But now he was here, standing before her, staring down a shocked Cinder with his sword held at the ready. Defending her.
"How did you get up here?" Cinder growled, annoyed at having some weakling stop her right as she was about to kill the great Pyrrha Nikos. She could kill him right now, he looked to be in just as bad a shape as Nikos herself, but something stopped her from turning the frustrating Arc boy into ash. She still remained ready to attack, but she wanted to know just what the hell this weakling was doing here. She had thrown him aside like the nothing he was, yet still he had somehow ascended the tower to try and stop her. If anything, she at least respected his perseverance.
"I climbed." Jaune replied in serious, cold voice that Pyrrha had never heard him use before. He knew he was in mortal danger at the moment, she could feel it radiating off of him and see it in his posture, and he was fully aware that his chances of survival were miniscule at best. All for her.
Cinder chuckled lightly at both his comment and his tone as she summoned a wisp of fire on her palm, making sure the Arc boy knew that she could incinerate him with a flick of her wrist. "Of course you did, all to stop me, I presume? If that's the case, I'm afraid you're a little under-equipped and beyond outmatched, Jaune Arc. Pyrrha Nikos is laying behind you, bleeding and Aura-less, and you expect to stop me?" Suddenly, Cinder's tone turned from amused to deadly serious and her fiery, amber eyes blazed with power and pure malice. "Don't make me laugh, weakling."
Jaune met her gaze without backing down, heavy breaths making his chest heave as he thought of a plan. He had no delusions about his chances against Cinder in a fight. Even before she had obtained the Fall Maiden's powers he would have been destroyed by her in a fight, but now, when she was basically a demi-god... he knew he was as good as dead, but he also knew of a way that could make everything right, and he might even survive if nothing went wrong. Though, before any of that, he needed to correct Cinder. "I'm not here to stop you. I'm here to help my partner, Pyrrha Nikos, defeat you."
Cinder just snorted and the flame in her hand grew in intensity. "Cute, Arc, very cute, but ultimately pointless. I know you're not stupid enough to just charge blindly at me, especially not when you're almost out of Aura and Nikos is completely drained and immobilized. I know you're just stalling for time, but I think I'll indulge you. I can incinerate whatever support it is you're waiting for, so I don't mind you stalling. However..." a cruel grin made it's way onto Cinder's beautiful features as she spoke, "You stopped me from ending Nikos, and for that I'm going to make you pay..."
Jaune's tight grip on Crocea Mors shifted slightly as a bead of sweat ran down his forehead. He was scared, terrified even, at what Cinder could and would do to him, but he wouldn't back down now. Pyrrha's life depended on him, even if he hated it. Pyrrha was far stronger than he would ever be, so having him protecting her... it just didn't feel right. But still, Jaune refused to let any harm come to her. He was her partner, and he was an Arc, so the only way Cinder would get to Pyrrha was over his dead body.
"Jaune..." Pyrrha sighed from behind him, sadness clear in her voice, and, despite not letting his attention move away from Cinder, Jaune listened intently to whatever his partner was going to say. "Why did you come here...? Why do you want to throw your life away for this? For me!? This is my destiny, Jaune! Not yours! You're not destined to die!" The desperation in her tone made Jaune's heart sink in his chest for a moment, and it brought with it a moment of absolute clarity.
Just what was he doing here? Why was he throwing his life away, along with Pyrrha's, just to buy her a few more seconds? He had no chance against Cinder, none what so ever, yet he had still risked his life climbing up a broken elevator shaft, and now he was here, facing one of, if not the most powerful and horrifying opponent- nay, monster he had ever seen. All because he wanted to buy Pyrrha a little more time.
Jaune smiled, though it was more to himself than anyone else. His attention was split completely between Cinder and Pyrrha, ready for whenever Cinder decided she had had enough of this talk of theirs, but a smile still made its way across his features. "Pyrrha..." he started, his voice steadier than ever before, despite the seemingly hopeless situation he was faced with, practically feeling the Spartan's painfully dull eyes gazing up at his back, "Remember when you asked me if I believe in destiny?" Pyrrha nodded, though Jaune couldn't see it and didn't wait for an answer. "Well, if it's your destiny to die here, then I've decided I don't believe in it. I've decided that I believe in Pyrrha Nikos, my partner and friend, instead. And I'm going to fight for what I believe in. Because that's what an Arc does—we fight for what we believe in and for our loved ones. That's what I do."
With those words finally uttered, Jaune shifted his stance slightly, and then charged at Cinder Fall. He caught her eyes widening just oh so slightly, she hadn't anticipated that he'd be foolish enough to actually charge right at someone who held the power of one of the maidens it seemed. His footfalls were heavy against the already ruined ground crowning the top of the Beacon tower, and once he was within range, he swung Crocea Mors in a horizontal arc, putting as much as strength as he could manage into the swing.
Cinder merely swatted the blade away from her, altering the trajectory of the weapon with an ease that Jaune had expected completely. This woman had gone toe-to-toe with Pyrrha and won after all, there was no way Jaune could possibly overwhelm her with physical strength. However, that wasn't what he was planning on in the first place. He had an idea, a stupid, foolish, and incredibly risky idea, but an idea nonetheless. A plan that could potentially set everything straight once more, and there was just one more detail he needed to know before he could put this plan into action fully.
With a grunt, Jaune followed the altered motion of his sword, using its weight to quickly spin with it and gain some distance from the obsidian haired maiden, taking immense relief in the fact that Cinder apparently wanted to play with him a little before ultimately killing him and Pyrrha. Jaune was sure that if she had wanted to, Cinder would have made sure he was nothing more than a pile of ash on the floor by now, but she didn't launch a counter attack after having so effortlessly deflected his. Instead, she just stood there, facing him as he came to a halt, his body once more obscuring her view of Pyrrha, with one of her hands resting on her hip akimbo while the other surged with fiery energy. Her eyes too were glowing a blazing orange color, and the pure contempt and malice, along with sadistic joy, shining from deep within them would have made Jaune's heart stop had this been any other scenario.
Now, however, Cinder's burning, hateful gaze only made him shift his grip on Crocea Mors and steady his stance once more. He couldn't afford to be afraid now, not when it would mean the death of Pyrrha, his friend and loved one.
Slowly, Cinder began to advance towards him, her posture and stance being one that screamed confidence and superiority to Jaune, but he still remained undeterred. He had to.
"Pyrrha," Jaune said lowly as he carefully kept his eyes on every single one of the fire manipulator's movements, searching for any sign of that she might be attacking. "Can you still use your Semblance? Just once?"
The Spartan in question almost forgot to answer the Knight before her as she was basically stumped by what his inquiry suggested. Did Jaune really have a plan? One that could stop Cinder? Was that really possible?
A grunt of pain escaped her throat as Pyrrha sat up more from her crumpled position on the ground, the arrow still lodged in her ankle stopping her from getting back on her feet. Pain lanced from the wound with every movement she made, but Pyrrha ignored it, her mind far too occupied with what was happening before her.
"Y-yes. I think so." She answered eventually, her voice sounding far weaker and unsure than she had hoped it would have been. Jaune was here now, and he apparently had a plan to defeat Cinder, so even if Pyrrha didn't like it, she would have trust him. He was her partner after all, and there was no way either of them would survive if she just gave up. She was fine with dying herself for the greater good, she was fine with sacrificing more than even her own life if it meant her friends would make it out okay, but now her death would also mean the death of Jaune. And there was nothing in the world at this moment that terrified Pyrrha more than that thought.
The exclamations of pain coming from Pyrrha as she slowly got onto her knees behind him, even if they were quiet, made Jaune grit his teeth and forced his grip on Crocea Mors to tighten even more than before, his knuckles whitening beneath his gloves. This woman was going to pay for what she had done to her, Jaune was going to make sure of it, and him and Pyrrha were going to set things right once and for all. Who she was or what she had done previously didn't matter right now, not to Jaune, all that mattered was that she had hurt the people he loved and that her defeat would be the first step to fixing this whole mess she had apparently roped them into, or so he hoped.
"Good. On my signal, use your Semblance on my- on Crocea Mors. Send it flying. I will take care of the rest." Jaune knew Cinder could hear them, she was far to close not to, and her constant smug, almost sadistic smile unnerved him as much as it enraged him. He didn't want to give away everything about his plan though, so he really hoped that Cinder didn't know the name of his sword, though how she could have known he had no idea. No one outside the Arc family knew the names of their heirlooms after all. "Please trust me, Pyrrha. We're going to set this right, together, as partners."
"Jaune..." Pyrrha whispered, feeling her heart ache from pure dread at the thought that she wouldn't be able to protect or even fight along side him. Without her Aura and the ability to stand on her own, Pyrrha knew that she was pretty much just dead weight, even if she had been able to reach, or even find her own weapons. She didn't know what Jaune was planning or how it would make things right, but she would trust him, and help out as best she could, even if it was just by using her Semblance on his sword. "I... I trust you. Let's do this. Together." Had he been facing her, and had this been any other time, then the smile that briefly crossed Jaune's lips would have made Pyrrha blush.
Because it was completely unlike any of the goofy ones he had worn before.
Jaune parted his lips to say one last thing to Pyrrha, one last thing he wanted her to know, but he was cut off as Cinder decided that she had had enough of his and Pyrrha's chatter. "Are you two done with your feeble attempts at planning? Because if that's the case, then it's time for you to die."
With a snap of her fingers, a wave of fire suddenly surged forth from where Cinder stood, smiling darkly, the flames barreling down towards Jaune and Pyrrha's at an almost blinding speed. Jaune didn't hesitate for a moment before charging headlong into action, throwing himself backwards towards Pyrrha to quickly pull her behind any form of shelter before they both turned to ash, letting Crocea Mors fly out of his hands in the process. He succeeded, taking a hold of the Spartan's waist and hurling them both behind a stray piece of debris just seconds before the fires engulfed the room.
The immense heat from the flames made Jaune's own cuirass sting his flesh through his hoodie as he pushed his back against the boulder he and Pyrrha took shelter behind, clutching the Spartan to his chest from cheer instinct alone. Fortunately for them both, the flames where short-lived, and as they died down, Jaune took a second to breathe. What he was planning on doing right now would hurt. A lot. It might even be suicide, but it was the only plan he had. So he was going to go with it. Though, not before doing one last thing. Something that he needed to do.
"Pyrrha..." he whispered, much like she herself had done less than a minute ago. "I'm sorry." With those words said, Jaune leaned in as Pyrrha raised her head in confusion and softly captured her lips, making her eyes shoot open wide.
It was nothing like the one they had shared before, as she pushed him into the locker to assure he didn't get caught up in her destiny, but now, as they kissed and time seemingly slowed down, Pyrrha almost felt thankful Jaune hadn't been carried off to safety in Vale. There was just as much desperation and sadness in the kiss as their previous one, but this one wasn't as rushed or hurried. It was more emotional and slow, even if it wasn't as deep. It hadn't come about from a selfish emotional outburst from Pyrrha, it had come about because Jaune wanted to apologize for something big.
In actuality, the kiss lasted no more than a second, but to Pyrrha it almost felt like an eternity, and when Jaune broke it off she felt as if she was breathless. She could only stare in confusion up at him as his cobalt eyes shimmered in the night, looking far more sad than she had ever seen them before.
"I'm sorry I never understood how you felt. And I'm sorry I didn't understand how I felt either."
Then Jaune got onto his feet and ran.
He ran as fast as he could, grabbing a hold of the still glowing hot Crocea Mors from where he had dropped it when he had rushed to save himself and Pyrrha. The scorched metal burned his hands, but the sword itself was fine from what he could feel, and that was all that mattered to Jaune. He charged straight at Cinder, just like he had before, only having a millisecond to take in her disdainful gaze before he raised Crocea Mors in an upswing that the new Fall Maiden deflected with a wipe of her hand and a shower of sparks from where her fire and the redhot Arc-heirloom met in mid air.
The sudden reversed shift in Crocea Mors movement sent a jolt of pain lancing throughout Jaune's arms, but he had once again expected that outcome. So he just adjusted his footing and swung again at Cinder, his blade coming down from her left in a diagonal slash that she just stepped out of the way off, taking the moment to raise a powerful knee into the exposed Knight's abdomen. The force of the blow was powerful enough to cause an indentation in Jaune's cuirass, and he let out a groan of pain as his legs failed him.
He fell down into a heap before Cinder's feet, but Crocea Mors remained firmly in his grasp, and he bit back the pain to roll out of the way of the foot coming down to crush his head into dust.
"Is this all you have, Arc?" Cinder spat out as Jaune staggered onto his feet just in time to redirect an almost claw-like fiery hand coming to rip out his throat with his blade. "Isn't your pathetic family supposed to be filled with great heroes? Are you the sorry excuse of what they now pass as a warrior, huh? How you can even think that you could possibly defeat me is insulting." She ducked under another of the Knight's wild swings, his sword not even managing to cut a single strand of hair off of her head, and when she rose up again, Cinder decided that playtime was over. Her hands lashed out before Jaune could even hope to react, finally swatting his word out of his hands before grabbing his wrists and raising them above him so that he just barely could remain standing on the ground. "And for insulting me, you will die. Slowly. And painfully."
Crocea Mors hit the ground with a clattering sound and Jaune bit back a scream of pain as his wrists were slowly crushed by Cinder's monstrous grip. He could feel and hear his bones snapping and there was only one thought going through his head that kept him from completely giving in to the immense pain;
'Everything is going according to plan...'
Then Cinder laughed, and a new wave of pain shot through Jaune's brain as his wrists and hands, having broken completely, started to scatter into ashes. An unfathomable heat burned within Cinder's hand as she tortuously burned his hands into nothing but charred remains of flesh and bone, and this time Jaune couldn't focus on his last thought. Because this wasn't what his plan had been. Instead, there was a new thought within the reaches of Jaune's mind not yet fried from the agony he was experiencing;
'Thank you... you just dug your own grave for me, Fall Maiden...'
With his teeth gritted hard enough to almost force them to shatter, Jaune held in his groans of pain as best he could while filling his lungs with as much oxygen as he could manage. Then he roared.
"DO IT PYRRHA!"
Tears pooled in Pyrrha's eyes as she used the last of her strength to magnetize Crocea Mors and send the sword hurtling through the air towards Jaune and Cinder, the blade gleaming in the night like a silver arrow. Or a thrown spear.
Jaune's plan had all came down to luck at this point, but when Cinder had burned his wrists, Jaune had gotten a way to escape the wretched chance. He could hear the sound of Crocea Mors flying towards him and he was eternally grateful Pyrrha had understood what he had meant. Time passed in slow motion, it felt like to him, as he took in Cinder's slightly surprised features, her having not anticipated this somehow he prayed, and Jaune used this small amount of surprise to enact the final, newly added stages to his plan.
Jaune finally screamed in pain as he ripped apart what remained of his wrists, freeing his arms from Cinder's grasp, and he felt elation rise within his heart when the slight surprise in the Fall Maiden's expression only increased. She had not been expecting this, Jaune surmised, and he thanked the gods and his ancestors for that while he encircled the stunned Cinder with his now hand-less arms, catching her in a crushing embrace just in time for an object to smash into him from behind, almost causing him to fall forwards had Cinder not been there to support him, and for a new source of pain to erupt in his body along with a distinct squelching and squealing sound.
Like a blade, flying with tremendous speed and force, had just ripped through the back of a cuirass, impaling the owner of said piece of armor.
Along with the obsidian haired woman in his arms.
Blood began rising within Jaune's throat and had he not been so close to her, he knew he would have enjoyed seeing the sadistic bitch in his grasp cough up blood just like he was going to do in a moment. Crocea Mors was firmly lodged in his back, causing untold damage to his internal organs. He could feel that his right lung was completely destroyed and that his heart was aching like nothing had ever before.
Despite all of this, though, Jaune smiled, even as blood began to trickle from the edges of his lips. Cinder was almost shaking in his arms, he could feel, shock locking up her body, and Jaune took this opportunity to let her go and pull the sword protruding from his chest out of her. He glanced down at the now crimson blade, noting where the entry wound was located on Cinder's body. His own heart was undamaged, Jaune hoped, considering the blade had entered through the right side of his back, but so was Cinder's too, it seemed.
Which was a problem Jaune needed to fix.
"T-this i-is for P-Pyrrha..." he hissed out as he lined up Crocea Mors, letting his head rest tiredly on her shoulder, right next to her ear, "Witch..." before he tightened his grip on the Maiden and crushed Cinder against his chest once more, making sure that it ran the blade straight through her heart this time. There was a new squelching sound and once more Jaune felt pain erupt from his back, but with what was left of his Aura working on feebly trying to repair the damage in his body, it didn't feel as awful as could.
From the shuddering gasp escaping Cinder's throat and the stillness taking over her body, Jaune also guessed his aim had been true. Her heart was pierced.
"JAUNE!"
Pyrrha's voice made a calm settle over Jaune's body as he slowly and carefully pulled himself and the sword lodged in his back away from Cinder, his legs failing him once he no longer had her as a support. He collapsed onto his knees and what was left of his hands, new sparks of pain shooting through his body as his kneecaps and shins practically groaned in agony now that he had no Aura left to protect them with. All his soul power had been used making the sword still impaling him not kill him.
'Or at least not yet...' Jaune added grimly within his own head, a small, severely weakened chuckle escaping his chapped lips. It was interrupted, though, as a cough rocked his body and a large splattering of blood emerging from his maw stained the ground right beneath his face.
There was a shuffling behind him, but Jaune didn't have the strength left to look over his shoulder to what the source of the sound was. He was too tired to even move anymore. He was too tired to keep himself from collapsing fully onto the cool ground of what remained of Ozpin's office. He could feel the blood slowly trickling out of both the entrance wound in his back and the exit wound in his chest, the last of his Aura having sealed the wounds themselves as best it could along with all the internal damage he still suffered from. Had he been able to look back, though, Jaune would have seen the limping form of Pyrrha Nikos making her way closer and closer to his collapsed form.
"H-h-how..." Cinder stammered out just before she too, just like Jaune, collapsed onto the floor knees first, the burning glint in her eyes dulling by the second as her life-essence flowed from her chest. She was the Fall Maiden, yet still here she was, on her knees just like Pyrrha had been not long ago, dying from the unhealing wound in her heart. He heart had been run through completely by a sword that had been passed down the Arc family since the first great war, its silvery blade having ripped the life out of her body like it was nothing. "T-t-this i-isn't my d-destiny..."
With those final words uttered, Cinder Fall's body went limp and she collapsed in a heap on the floor. There were no aftershocks going through her body or any twitching as her life was extinguished lick a flickering flame. The only thing that occurred was the gentle orange glow of her former Maiden powers leaving her body along with her life, the whisps of energy flowing across the floor of the ruined tower until they reached the one who had slain the fire mistress. The one who would now inherit the powers of the Fall Maiden.
Pyrrha Nikos.
To the Spartan herself, however, the immense surge of power entering her body, returning her to her former glory within moments, meant nothing. Her only concern at the moment was the unmoving form of her partner.
She dashed forward as soon as she felt her Achilles tendon heal, skidding to a halt once she stood over Jaune's seemingly lifeless body. His eyes were closed and she couldn't see any movement in his chest that suggested he was still breathing, but Pyrrha wouldn't, couldn't, believe that he was dead. Not Jaune. He was stronger than this, right? She just needed to keep him awake until help arrived, right? Then he'd be completely fine in no time, right!?
"Don't die, Jaune... please don't die..." Pyrrha whimpered as she knelt down before him, carefully pulling his head onto her lap as tears began to fall from her eyes. Her fingers gently combed through his messy, blonde locks, and, as she gazed down upon him, Pyrrha felt her heart ache like it had never done before. There was no expression of pain or distress on Jaune's features, he looked completely calm and almost peaceful, a soft smile playing on his lips. Like he was sleeping and just having a pleasant dream. One that he would never wake from.
A sob rocked through Pyrrha's body and she couldn't hold back the scream of anguish forming in her throat as she clutched Jaune's head to her chest.
For seconds, or minutes, or hours, or even days, Pyrrha let her sorrow flow into her voice, making it echo out over what remained of the Beacon grounds, everyone even remotely close by being able to hear and practically feel the sadness the Spartan felt. This was the exact thing she had hoped- nay, prayed would not happen. It was why she had pushed him into the locker and tried to send him to safety on Vale, letting her and her alone be the one who died by Cinder's hand.
But now Jaune was dead, his body motionless in her grief stricken embrace. He had saved her life, at the cost of his own, and given her the power of the Fall Maiden, the power to right the wrongs Cinder had committed towards her, her friends, and her school.
Still, Pyrrha cried, letting her grief out in the only way she could think off in this moment, and she would have continued to project her emotions into a scream for who knows how long had it not been for one small thing.
As she feebly pushed his head against her chest, Pyrrha felt Jaune stir.
It was a tiny, miniscule action, but she had felt it. Jaune's head had shifted slightly in her arms, and that's why Pyrrha slowly released him from her embrace and looked down upon him with more hope flowing through her body than she had ever experienced.
Emerald eyes shimmering with tears and hope met dull, tired cobalt ones.
"S-sorry, Pyr... sorry f-for not seeing f-feelings earlier... and s-sorry for n-not telling you a-about my plan..." Jaune croaked out weakly, Pyrrha forcefully shaking her head in response as she hugged his head tightly against her chest again, burying her face in his matted blond locks.
"N-no! Don't apologize! You've done nothing wrong, Jaune. You're going to make it through this. We're going to make it through this. Everything will be okay..." even Pyrrha herself had trouble believing her own words, even if she desperately wanted to. Tears still flowed freely down her cheeks, dripping gently down on Jaune's. She was at a completely loss of what to do. Jaune was in critical condition still, yet she had no way of getting him to help or getting the help to him without putting his life at a greater risk.
There were still Grimm swarming the entirety of the Beacon grounds, and at the moment there seemed to be no end to them thanks to the massive Dragon still circling above the school.
"I-it worked, though... r-right...?" Jaune's question made Pyrrha raise her head and look down upon his blood stained, tired features. "Y-you're the F-fall Maiden now... killing t-that... that w-witch... you gained h-her powers... r-right...?"
Now Pyrrha was starting to understand what Jaune had been planning, what his plan had been all along. He had wanted her, Pyrrha,to be the one to end Cinder's life so she could her powers instead of letting them disappear by killing her himself.
"Yes, it worked. I can feel it, but that doesn't matter, Jaune. We need to get you some help, somehow. You need medical attention as soon as possible." She whispered while trying to make her voice sound as hopeful as possible while the mounting despair of the situation only continued to grow.
Jaune just let out a small, pathetically weak chuckle, still smiling up at his partner. "I-I called Weiss and Ruby earlier... help... s-should be on the w-way..." every word that left his lips sounded like it hurt to utter to Pyrrha, and the ragged, raspy way he drew in breaths genuinely scared her.
"Good... then everything will be alright soon enough. Everything will go back to normal-..." The feeling of what remained of Jaune's hand gently touching her cheek, his few remaining fingers sloppily yet gently wiping away the tears staining it made Pyrrha trail off. With that hand, he tentatively guided her head downward until she hovered just above his own face. Then he rose up slightly and kissed her with as much passion as he could muster from his exhausted and wounded body.
Every movement he made hurt more than the last, and every breath he took burned in his on remaining functional lung hotter than the one before it, but Jaune still wanted to do this. He wasn't even sure if he was going to live through the night, he had lost plenty of blood and every once of his Aura, one of his lungs had collapsed, at least three of his ribs were broken or at least cracked from the knee Cinder had delivered into his chest, and his hands were just charred stumps cut off right below the wrist. All in all, Jaune felt his chances looked bleak, so he wanted to be sure Pyrrha knew something should he die tonight, so he could leave Remnant with no regrets.
He held the kiss for a couple of seconds longer before breaking it and smiling up at his Spartan, seeing a weak smile start to emerge slowly on her face too. "I love you, Pyrrha..." for once, his voice did not crack or quake, "And I-I'm sorry i-it t-took me so l-long to see it... can y-you forgive m-me...?" Jaune could feel his consciousness fading slowly, he'd pass out soon. And he might not wake up this time.
New tears sprung to life in Pyrrha's eyes, but these were not once of sadness only. These contained joy, along with sadness. "I love you too, Jaune. And you have nothing to be sorry for... nothing at all..." closing her eyes, she leaned down to rest her forehead against his, and Jaune was thankful for this. It let her not see how his smile faltered for a moment.
'That's not true... I'm sorry for this being the end... or at least I'm going to be sorry for make you think this is the end... because I don't even know myself... I love you, Pyrrha Nikos...' he thought solemnly as his eyes slowly began to close, all his senses dulling along with them.
The last thing Jaune registered before he was greeted by darkness and nothingness was Pyrrha's muffled voice, asking him something, her voice sounding extremely distressed, even as dulled as his mind was, along with a scream and a flash of white.
A scream he could tell belonged to Ruby.
And then there was nothing.
AN: Reviews are, as always, very much welcome. Flames especially this time, I want to know how I bullshitted my way through this idea in your minds.