Ruby's brain went into overdrive as the man raised a hand, gravity magic flowing from it like a waterfall. There was no doubt in her mind, this was what Diabolos had warned her about. Opening Dark Corridors below each of her friends, Ruby reached out and activated her D-Link with Diabolos. Ruby grit her teeth, the coat around her billowing as she gripped her armored arm, "No, you don't!"

Magic energy ripped down her arm as she swung it down. A year and a half of theory came to the front of her mind as the spell was fueled. Iron bit her tongue, pain roared in her ear, but the hardest part, the reason Eraqus had never gotten around to helping her learn it before, was without a question...

"Heartless-"

Amplifying her Bloodlust…

"Song of-!"

...To the point it kept the spell on track.

"Angel."

"ANNIHILATION!" Ruby roared, the magic blasting into the ground below her feet. For a brief moment, Ruby didn't hear anything, and her heart nearly stopped in her chest. Had she fai-?

Before that question could even finish, the giant head of a dragon made gravity magic exploded from the ground. Ruby grinned a shark's grin full of bloody teeth as Sephiroth's eyes widened within the jaws of the dragon. The spell, his spell, disrupted and exploded as he tried to dodge backwards with a beating of his wings. The teeth closest to him glowed a bright purple before Sephiroth was forced forward and deeper into the maw of the dragon.

A laugh ripped out of Ruby's chest, different from her normal laughs. Wetter, with blood flecking the inside of her helm's visor, and more maniacal.

The opposing waves of energy crashed down in a massive detonation, sending rocks scattering and waves crashing across the shore of the wake. Ruby raised her hand as the dragon turned into a ball of gravity magic, ragged gasps coming from her throat as she released the D-Link and felt the pain burn through her. That would have done-

Ruby's eyes widened as a bloodied and lacerated Sephiroth burst from the ball, sword aimed at her in a swi-

"Stopga!" Mickey called, freezing Sephiroth in place with a grinding of gears before landing next to Ruby and wrapping and arm around her. Despite his size, he easily hauled her away, "You three need to buy me time to heal her!"

"Can do!" Yang said, hair flickering as she charged at Sephiroth, "C'mon, girls!

"Right," Pyrrha nodded, Miló pulled back.

"Lie back and rest," Mickey said, pointing his Keyblade at Ruby, "Miracle!"

"I have an idea, when this is done," Ruby said, seconds before the orb of white magic swallowed her.

"Then tell me when it's done," Mickey said.

-X Yang X-

Upside, whatever that dragon head thing had been, it had slowed Sephiroth enough that Yang was actually able to keep up with him. On the downside, it took both Ruby and Mickey out of the fight for a bit. And that was bad, because just because Sephiroth was injured to the point where Yang was of the opinion he shouldn't be moving, didn't make it so he wasn't also doing his best to kill them.

And that, in turn, was another problem. Beacon didn't exactly have classes for fighting crazed swordsmen to the death. Probably should, given the vocation, but that would probably be really, really hard to simulate. It wasn't like there was a club of crazy men willing to march into the school and try and murder the students.

Yang shifted, ducking under the swing of his sword and driving her right fist fist into his temple with a bang and a crack. Sephiroth took a step backwards towards the lake, blood rolling down the side of his face as one eye jumped in a daze. The other stared at her, the slit flaring as he drew back his sword.

Then Blake exploded from the water, wrapping a ribbon around Sephiroth's neck like it was a garrote wire. It wasn't nearly as effective as one, but it did distract him long enough for Yang to deliver another punch to the other side of the head. And then another, and another, and another, and-

Sephiroth fell back falling into the water with a splash. Blake climbed out of the water, huffing and taking Yang's offered hand, "Thanks."

"Where'd you get that ribbon?" Yang asked, "I thought he-"

Blake's ears twitched, flecks of water flying off them. Oh-

And then Sephiroth exploded from the water, slitted, glowing eyes staring death at Yang.

-you had to be fuckin' kidding her!

"What does it take," Yang growled and whipped towards him, "To keep you do-"

Sephiroth's longer arm latched around her face in a grip like a vice, hoisting her into the air so she was even with him, then his eyes jumped to Blake, "I have a gift for you. An example. Shadow Flare."

Yang bit back the scream of pain that rose up as a black explosion went off in her face, and continued burning it. Oh, fuck, oh-

Then Sephiroth dropped her, Miló flying by him seconds later and would have taken off his arm. Yang closed her eyes, breathing in and out. And then she rushed forward, pushing the energy of her Semblance into an uppercut from hell and sending Sephiroth flying.

Wings flared, sending blood flying across the area before he plummeted into the water like a bird of prey. Seconds later, Blake was dodging out of the way of a stab, a clone taking it to the chest… and blasting Sephiroth with an X made of fire. A second came flying from the real Blake seconds later, but was dodged by Sephiroth in a blur.

Ragged panting filled the chamber. Were they… were they wearing him down?

-X Pyrrha X-

How hot did fire have to burn, to leave marks through Aura? That was the first question on Pyrrha's mind as she looked away from the slowly mending injury on the right side of Yang's face and blackened hair, golden sparks spitting around it. The second was 'how much was going to be left when the Aura finished healing it?'

Either way, it didn't matter. For now, fighting Sephiroth was what was important …

Under Akoúo̱, Pyrrha fingered a small pouch, biting her tongue. Was it worth it? Was-

And the Sephiroth bolted. Not towards them, not towards the exits, but towards the white shell holding Ruby. Nevermind, definitely worth it!

Mickey threw himself between Sephiroth and the sword, his Keyblade blocking it with a crack. Using her finger to loosen the string around the pouch, Pyrrha fired Miló with her free hand, ignoring the protests of her wrist and the fact that she wasn't hitting the broadside of a barn like that. Well, except the one shot that hit Sephiroth's side through pure luck and was stopped by its own tumble.

Abandoning the fight with the string, Pyrrha threw the sack at Sephiroth, grabbing the contests within with her Semblance and pushing.

The results were as devastating as she was hoping. And considering this was the first time she was using this on another person, that was saying something.

Steel screws ripped through the pouch with a spin, the black energy of her Semblance glowing around each of them as she kept them spinning along their threads. Sweat poured down Pyrrha's face, huffs of air coming from her mouth. This wasn't easy, there were more factors than she was used to involved, keeping each screw on target, spinning in the right direction and moving fast enough that they wouldn't just bug Sephiroth.

But she managed to keep it all going perfectly. Sephiroth recoiled as the screws ripped into his back, stopping flush with his skin as blood flew from each wound. Mickey took that moment to push off him, pointing his Keyblade into Sephiroth's face, "Holy!"

A pillar of light smashed into Sephiroth from above, forcing him back from Ruby. He turned towards Pyrrha, sword drawing back as he glared at her. Pyrrha's breath stopped in her throat, her grip on her weapons growing tight.

And then Sephiroth's eyes jumped to the side, and he was left deflecting explosive flare after explosive flare. Yang was rushing towards him, the burn on her face still healing, "Get away for my sister!"

"You have no self preservation," Sephiroth said between parrys. Drawing his sword back, Pyrrha grabbed it with her Semblance. Just for a second, but a second was enough.

A flare went off in his face, sending Sephiroth skidding back. He ground his teeth and, "Curaza."

Oh…

That wasn't good at all.

Wounds sealed shut, screws popped out with a sickening squelch and Sephiroth stood, looking completely unharmed.

"Don't worry!" Mickey called, "It's only his body! He's still gonna be tired and outta magic!"

A small victory, but one they were gonna have to take. Alongside another seconds later, in the form of the cocoon cracking open and spilling Ruby out onto the ground in a roll. She wrapped a hand around Crescent Rose, while the other wrapped around Master Defender.

A changed Master Defender. The grey metal that made up the guard had gained a purple finish. Then she began to mutter under her breath.

-X Mickey X-

"If you can hear me," Mickey's ears twitched towards Ruby's low voice, jumping to the helmetless girl, "Don't say anything. Just spin Star Seeker twice."

Mickey did so, the Keyblade a blur of motion. To most people, it would look like he did it once.

"Ok, good," Ruby said, gripping Master Defender tighter, "I'm gonna get you an opening. Hit him with a couple of Holies the minute you get the chance."

Before Mickey could point out how terrible an idea that was, Ruby's hair lightened to a sandy blond color, Crescent Rose vanishing. She lowered herself into a familiar stance, span Master Defender in a familiar way.

And then threw the Keyblade at Sephiroth with the exact same way Ventus would have, Gravity magic wrapping around the blade. A blade of purple light formed in Ruby's left before she tossed it, catching Master Defender the second Sephiroth deflected it and throwing it again, faster.

Sephiroth's right hand lashed out, grabbing Master Defender and swinging it for the whirling blade. Then the Keyblade vanished at the last moment, appearing in Ruby's left hand. The blade Sephiroth had been swinging for impacted his hand with a loud crunch. Fingers twisted horribly, bone shattering out of place and ripped his hand apart. Sephiroth's eyes blazed, and he pointed the destroyed hand upwards.

A loud cracking came from the cavern roof far above them. And then faster than any of the five fighters gathered could respond, a stalactite plummeted from the sky and smashed through Ruby's armor, pinning her to the ground. Sephiroth leveled his broken hand at her and magic began to form around it. Gravity and fire magic pulsed, bloodlust amplified with every second.

Some worlds believed you could tell when someone was aiming to kill without looking. Without seeing the attack, or the attacker, or anything. Well, Mickey could see the attack, and there wasn't any doubt in his mind that Sephiroth had decided he didn't want Ruby Rose amongst the living anymore.

"Catch!" Ruby barked, throwing Master Defender towards Mickey as her hair darkened back to its natural color.

"Ru-!" Blake started.

"Supernova."

The energy flared, before launching forward and blasting Ruby away from them in a roar of fire like a sun under the earth. The water exploded in a spray as Ruby skidded across it like a pebble before she smashed into the far wall and sank with barely a noise.

"RUBY!" Yang turned towards the water, only stopping as Pyrrha wrapped her arm around her, "Let! Go! Of! Me! RUBY!?"

"We can't just," Pyrrha gasped, "We can't just ignore Sephiroth! He'll-"

"-pay," Mickey said, his grip on Star Seeker and Master Defender growing tight. Holy magic wrapped around him as he glared at Sephiroth, "Divine Justice."

Holy magic flared, silver wings appeared on either side of Mickey-

Deep within a castle, silver eyes flickered open for the first time in centuries.

-And thousands of bolts of silver light flew from the wings, each aiming for someone within the chamber. Mickey kicked off the ground, charging for Sephiroth with both Keyblades glowing with Holy magic. Sephiroth grinned, dodging each streak of magic as it came.

But he was slower now, even slower than before. Or maybe Mickey was quicker, he couldn't tell. It didn't matter, really.

-X Ruby X-

For the second time in less than an hour, blood filled Ruby's mouth, and her helm formed around her head seconds before she impacted the stone of the cave. Breathing in, and ignoring the blood in her mouth, Ruby sank below the surface of the water.

Alright, this was getting ridiculous. Master? If you could hear her, no more off world trips for at least the end of the year unless she initiated them.

Fair enough, but I'd like to point out you did initiate this one.

Fu-

Ruby settled on something soft face first, focusing on breathing. She hoped she had enough oxygen in the bubble to keep her alive long enough for someone to get her. Because she wasn't moving, couldn't move, with a leg crushed by her own armor and agony through her body. She'd done all she could, she'd leave the rest to Mickey.

He'd win, it's why she brought him. He was stronger, and better, and had actually done everything to deserve his Mark of Mastery instead of being handed it like she had been. All she had done since then was screw up and get hurt, even during the Unversed incident, Vanitas and beat her, Braig had beat her, Yeager had beat her…

Keyblade Wielders were supposed to be strong, so why did she keep losing?

Lux...

Ruby closed her eyes, focusing on breathing as light began to shine through the water. Mickey must be throwing around tons of Pearls, more than she-

Then dozens of the motes hit her, with hundreds more hitting the ground below her. The ground shook, rumbling as Ruby's pain faded. Opening her eyes, red rimmed with silver met glowing red. Ruby looked at the dog, and then said quietly, threading her fingers into waterlogged fur, "You mind helping me?"

Claws dug into the silt, like being underwater wasn't slowing or weakening it… and then they took off under the water. Ruby summoned Crescent Rose in shotgun form, preparing herself.

And in front of them, something exploded from the silt as several streaks hit a cocoon and shattered it, a familiar claymore in hand.

Oh…

Well there was Zack, at least.

-X Zack X-

Zack's head felt like it was splitting in two as he burst from the water, eyes trying to adjust to the rapidly switching shadows and flares of light. Opening his mouth, he coughed up water that was glowing a dull green. Alright, take stock of things, quick.

Uh… Athena, he didn't remember much. C'mon, Zack, now wasn't blank out, but if someone was willin' to turn off the strobe light, that'd be great because it wasn't helpin' the spike in his head.

Let's see. He… uh… crap… He vomited up another mouthful of water? Nope, that was the present.

There had been a new guy in the arena. Strong, silver hair, used his left hand like Ruby and Ventus. And Zack had asked him for some tips and…

Yeah, whole lotta nothing. Just woke up in the water, where there was a… a…

A winged mouse fighting Silver guy? What the heck?

"Hey!" Zack blinked as he looked at the pretty blond girl who crouched down in front of him, part of her hair blackened and a half-healed welt on the right side of her face. Red eyes met his, worry clear in them, "Did you see an armored girl down there?"

"That's what you ask?" A Black haired girl around the same age said, "Not why he was down down there-"

"Did you see her!" Blonde barked, ignoring the other girl.

"I-"

"-Or how about his name?"

"I'm Zack," Zack said, "Zack Fa- woah!"

Blonde grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and threw him over a shoulder, "Good. We'll get you out of here while you answer the damn question then! Did you see Ruby down there?"

"Ruby?" Zack said, eyes jumping back towards the… lake? River? Sea? What the heck was it? "Ruby's down there?"

"Ye-" Zack turned, elbowing the blonde, "Hey!"

"Then put me down!" Zack said, "I gotta help her! We gotta help her!"

"...I like you," the Blond said, putting Zack down, "C'mon-"

Before the sentence could finish, Cerberus came exploding from the water, Ruby hanging onto the center most head and aiming at Sephiroth.

"...Nevermind… I'm Yang, by the way. Ruby's sister."

"Oh," Zack said, smiling, "Great! It's nice to meet you-

Bloodlust.

Amplified.

-X Ruby X-

Ruby tensed from her spot on the back of the dog, which suddenly ground its feet into the ground. No way… there was no way Sephiroth had a Third Limit Break in him. Aqua had been limited to one, Eraqus to tw-

Ruby's eyes scanned the frozen group, mouth falling open as the shadows behind Sephiroth blossomed in a familiar way. Oh…

That clever son of a gun…

"It's not a Limit!" Ruby called, throwing herself from the dog and dispelling her armor so she could run, "He's trying to make a run for i-!"

"I know when a fight isn't worth it anymore," Sephiroth said, "Flash!"

Ruby blinked as an explosion of light went off in his mangled hand, changing Crescent Rose and swinging wide. She heard a rustle, before Sephiroth's voice spoke in her ear.

"Next time, that sword will be mine."

And then he was gone. The Dark Corridor he had summoned fading into wisps. Ruby's eyes scanned the area, making sure he wasn't trying to ambush them and…

...landed on Zack standing next to Yang and Blake. The black haired boy grinned at her, raising a hand, "Hey! How've you be-?"

"I'm sorry," Ruby said, immediately.

"Sorry…? For what?" Zack said.

"I should have been here sooner," Ruby said, "I should have remembered you and found you and helped you and-"

"Hey," Zack said, walking over to her on wobbly legs and hooking an arm around her neck, pulling her into a light hearted noogie, "You're here, aren't ya? That means you definitely remembered me!"

"But I should have done it sooner!" Ruby insisted, tears pricking at her eyes.

"I'm sure you were busy," Zack said, an easy going smile on his face, "I mean, you were busy last time I saw ya, and considerin' how Ven, Aqua and Terra were all also busy, I didn't exactly get the feelin' you guys were the lazy sort… anyways, you're here now, with friends! Friends, Ruby! Ya made some friends! Not sure how many beatings it took you, but you have them."

"I don't make friends through beatings," Ruby said.

"Just me then?" Zack said with a grin and a laugh, punching her armored shoulder and wincing, waving the hand back and forth, "And here I was thinkin' you didn't like me after turning down me down on that date!"

"I-" Ruby gave a wet laugh, rubbing her eyes, "I'm sorry-"

"Water under the bridge," Zack said, grinning at her, "and don't say you didn't even get to say what you were sorry for. It's still water under the bridge. Anyways, introductions! Yang's already introduced herself to me."

"You didn't say he asked you out on a date," Yang drawled, "not sure I'd have come if I'd known that."

"Can you blame me?" Zack said with a laugh, poking Ruby's cheek, "look at how cute she is! I had to at least try!"

"Yang," Ruby said, "Your hair-"

"Yeah," Yang said, touching the burned hair with something between a scowl and a pout, "looks like I'm gonna have to got short for a bit. Wish I'd gotten him for it…"

"You did," Pyrrha said, before holding out her hand, "I'm Pyrrha. Pyrrha Nikos."

"Nice to meet you!" Zack said, before turning to the mouse and black haired girl, "and you are-"

"Getting out of my place," Hades drawled, appearing in a gout of fire with four small chests, "Thanks for kickin' him out. Here's your cash. Do me a favor a leave so I can patch Cerberus up."

"That's a king's ransom?" Blake asked as she caught the chest thrown her way, weighing it.

"I'm a king. That's what my family would pay for me," Hades said bluntly, "Bout twenty thousand gil. Total. You're welcome."

Ruby bit her cheek. Should've seen that one coming honestly.

"C'mon," Ruby said, opening her own Dark Corridor, "I've got a place we can patch up and Zack can stay."

-X AN X-

Man, I love firing three Chekhov's Guns in one chapter. And yeah, Seph ultimately decided that this was a fight better saved for another day (Read: A New Land) and without a right hand reduced to the consistency of marmalade. Not like he's ever been worried about just fuckin' off in KH proper (though I did try to imply this was his first run in with a Keyblade, leading him to making a rookie mistake for a fight with one).

So yeah, Zack's safe! And off to a world where his dream is both paradoxically closer and farther away! Let it never be said I don't reward characters for hard one victories (unlike Hades). He's gonna be recovering from that bath offscreen for a while… or, well, I'm torn. I promised last chapter that we would focus on Remnant from here on out, and I do intend to keep to that, but would people mind a small chapter at the Mustafu safehouse for recovery and introductions or should I just move straight into A Clash of Unkindnessess (Hunters of Monsters is officially being relegated to an off-screen Noodle Incident. Without the setup for A New Land, all it really does is bloat the word count. Braig is enough of a dick that him throwing Skuld at Ruby to get rid of her is still the most likely response outside of just going 'think of the rabbits')? I've gone on record saying I perfer writing character interactions over fighting (and in fact, treated this entire fight as if it were one big character interaction for everyone involved, including Sephiroth slipping more and more into a Tranquil Fury as time went on... something I kinda hope was clear by his slow decent into more lethal spells as it went on), and I'd really like to do so with Zack before we jump into the a pair of Huginns yelling at each other and refusing to acknowledge any similarities between them and Cinder moving her plans forward

Thoughts? Questions? Opinions? Good? Bad? Meh?