Chapter 71

Years ago

Maria looked at the giant nevermore through her skull mask. The giant nevermore she just turned to stone with her silver eyes. The former monsters fell to the ground crumbling into debris. Maria got up and picked up her small scythe's. Now that that was done, she could be on her way… or she thought.

She quickly blocked the shot from a gun. As if from nowhere, Maria was surrounded. They didn't look like bandits, more like bounty hunters.

"That's a fancy trick ain't it," Maria looked to see a faunus woman. Her skin was covered in green scales. Maria quickly recognized her, she'd seen her wanted poster before; Tock, a faunus criminal, her semblance, she can make her aura absolutely impenetrable and invincible for exactly sixty seconds.

The crocodile faunus held a piece of the nevermore before crushing it, "Fraid it comes with a price though, love."

"I'm not sure you know exactly who I am," Maria spoke with confidence.

"Course I do," Tock's voice was thick with confidence and her accent, "You're the grimm reapah!" Tock smiled, to reveal not teeth, but nails embedded in her gums, "And these," Tock picked up the alarm clock she had hanging off her hip and set it, "Are the last sixty seconds of your life." Tocks aura activated as she pulled out two swords.

Maria fought off the bandits and Tock with her twin scythes. The sound of the clock ticking, only adding more intensity, like Maria was truly on a timer. Maria took down Tock's crew easy, Tock was another matter however. Maria combined her scythes into a double edge staff. She spun it around her, but Tock was able to block it all, and her aura really was unbreakable.

Maria defended with her staff, the swords were pushing against wooden staff, however the swords were not Tocks only weapon. Tock bit through the staff with her nailed teeth, splitting through Maria's barrier. Tock headbutted into Maria's mask, shattering it and revealing her face and her silver eyes. Maria's aura was low… too low. When Tock took a slash at her face, all Maria knew then, was darkness and pain where her eyes used to be.

Maria landed on the ground screaming. Her eyes had been slashed out, the pain in her sockets was unbearable. Tock sighed as her alarm clock went off. She turned off the obnoxious noise and disengaged her aura.

"It was a close call, I'll give you that," Tock's voice said. Maria could hear her coming closer. In desperation she tried to shoot Tock, but only wound up running out of ammo.

"Funny," Tock taunted, "The only reason my master wants you dead, is cause of your eyes. But since you don't got them, no more. You might be able to convince me to spare your life."

Maria just threw her weapon at her. She doubted Tock would keep her word. She didn't seem merciful.

"I can respect that," Tock said dodging the weapon, probably getting ready to kill her, "A fighter till the end."

Maria felt her other scythe on the ground. She built them so that way her scythe's could attract to each other with gravity dust. That power activated every time she pushed the button. She was blind, out of aura, and out of options.

Maria pushed the button, the scythe she threw at Tock propelled back to the other scythe, the blade went straight into Tock's back, and the other scythes blade, went into her neck.

From the thumping noise, and the fact Maria had to kick a body in the other direction. Maria assumed Tock was dead.

Maria breathed heavily, from the adrenaline, from the near-death experience, but most of all, from the fact she was blind. Her eyes were gone. Lost in battle, she didn't know what to think, what to do, what could she do? How was she supposed to get back to civilization without her sight? How was she…

"What happened here?"

"Who's there?" Maria shouted in fear, holding up her other scythe in its gun form.

"Your eyes," the voice said, "Just calm down, we need to get you help."

"Who are you?" Maria shouted, "Are you with them?"

"No, I heard screaming and came to help."

Present day

"I never got his name," Maria solemnly said finishing her story, "But he did get me to the nearest town safely. I went into hiding soon after."

"I can't believe it," Qrow said astonished, "You… You're the grimm reaper. You were a legend, then you disappeared."

"How does a legend disappear?" Oscar asked.

"We assumed you were laying low, then had to believe you died," Qrow said, "but the stories about you. I based my weapon off yours, I wanted to be as good as the grimm reaper."

"Well, I'm nothing but a disappointment," Maria said, "So you're well on your way."

"How can you say that?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, you killed grimm and took down someone blind," Sora said, Weiss slightly smacked him for the last comment.

"A huntress is supposed to look after others till the bitter end," Maria said, "But after I lost my eyes I only looked after myself. Even after my surgery I was too afraid to fight," Maria let the years of shame fall onto her, "You shouldn't aspire to be like me. Especially, since some of you are clearly stronger." Maria looked at Yang, and her robotic arm, "It's comforting to know that your generation seems stronger, I'm sorry I couldn't leave the world in better condition."

"You can help now," Ruby said, "Teach me to use my powers the way you did."

Ruby's scroll began to ring. She pulled it out and smiled when she saw the caller i.d, "It's Jaune."

Ruby quickly picked up the call. "Jaune."

"Ruby! Oh thank you, I've been trying to call you all day."

Yang drove over a hill to see the city of Argus. They parked in a paid parking garage, and team SFHR and RWBY reunited with Team JNPR.

"Guys," Roxas said, "We may have a problem."

"Come on," Yang grasped the gates of the Atlas military base, trying to reason with the guards, "You didn't even hear us out."

The two guards stood in absolute attention, "Our orders are clear, the Mistral and Atlas border are closed."

"Please have a good day."

"But-…"

"A good day," they said in unison.

"Hey, if you don't believe I'm friends with James Ironwood-…"

"General Ironwood!"

"- Then fine," Qrow said, "But we got Weiss Schnee here and we're trying to get her home safely."

"Approach."

Weiss approached the closed gate, and the two guards looked at her. Sora felt irritated. Where exactly were they starring so intently on his girlfriend?

"Very well," the two guards said in unison, before speaking individually again.

"You may speak to our commanding officer."

"We shall fetch her at once." The two guards then turned around and 'hupped' away.

"They were…" Blake began.

"Super weird?" Ruby finished.

"And their hats looked ridiculous," Heather said.

"Agreed," Fern said.

"I may know this commanding officer," Maria said.

"That's good isn't it?" Ruby asked.

"If she's your friend, she'd be more willing to help us," Sora suggested.

"I wouldn't call us… friends," Maria said.

"Acquaintances?" Weiss asked.

"Not quite."

"Colleagues?" Blake asked.

"Warmer."

"Partners in crime?" Fern asked.

"Nope."

"Enemies?" Yang asked.

"That's the one," Maria confirmed.

"Wait, What?" Oscar asked.

"I come through here, once every ten years to get my eyes checked up in Atlas," Maria explained, "You bring outside cashews on, one flight. Then suddenly you're placed on the additional screening list for life!"

"Cashews?" Fern asked.

"This is not going to end well for us is it?" Riku asked.

"Now, now let's not give up hope yet," Maria said, "Maybe she's dead."

Everyone slumped.

The guards came back, "Introducing, special operative, Caroline Cordovin." The two stood aside to reveal… another little old lady.

She immediately approached Maria with a scowl, "Witch."

"She-Devil."

"I see you decided to bring bigger contraband to smuggle," Cordovin looked at the group.

"Ah Cordovin," Maria began, "They say time changes people, but I still see you have that stick right up your-…"

"Hello, miss Cordovin," Ruby quickly interrupted.

"All this hatred, over cashews?" Fern whispered.

"My name is Ruby Rose, and I was hoping you would hear us out," Ruby said taking over negotiations.

"I already heard what your little friends had to say, Ms. Rose," Cordovin then saw team JNPR and Roxas standing behind them, "What are you kids doing here? I thought I told you to leave!"

"And I told you," Nora shouted, "That we wouldn't rest until you let us through!"

"Nice to see you again," Ren called.

"Sorry," Pyrrha called.

"You civilians," Cordovin turned back to the group in front of her, "Are clearly incapable of understanding the important of our mission."

"Civilians?" Heather asked.

"So let me explain it to you slowly, with smaller words," Cordovin said, "This base, that relay tower, the very safety of Argus, are gifts from the glorious kingdom of Atlas. And it is my duty to uphold them as only I have the wit and tenacity for such a task."

"Such wit!" Said one guard.

"Such tenacity!" Said the other.

"Is every person in Atlas such a hard ass?" Fern whispered.

"Or maybe, Atlas just wanted to get you as far from the kingdom as possible?" Maria said.

"You're just like the rest of these Argus ingrates," Cordovin growled, "This city wouldn't even be here if it weren't for our Atlesian ancestors."

"Wasn't the kingdom called Mantle back then?" Heather asked?

"Be quiet! We have given so much and the world is ready to go to war with us."

"We know you had nothing to do with the fall of Beacon."

"The general is just worried," Weiss tried, "And…"

The general is no coward," Cordovin declared, "If the world wants to go to war with us, then so be it, Atlas will prevail!"

"Atlas will prevail!" The guards cheered.

"Do you guys seriously have to do that?" Yang asked.

"If miss Schnee has come to her senses and wishes to return to her family, then of course we will be willing to escort her home. However, the kingdom will not be responsible for her friends of," she looked at Blake and Fern with a sneer, "questionable background."

Blake's ears went droopy at the accusation.

Fern's ears went sharp, "Boys dig the pointy ears."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss defended.

"It means we're done here."

Then the gates were slammed shut in their faces.

I decided to push Jaune's sister to the next chapter, because I really wanted Fern to say the cashew line.

I'm going to be honest. I like Sora's KH 2 outfit better than his KH 3 outfit. And while I don't dislike RWBY's volume 7 outfits, I liked there volume 4 outfits better.

I love Ironwood, no matter what. I finished volume 7 today, and I feel it must be said, I love Ironwood.