"James!" The voice was faint, his vision still a mess from the flash. Ironwood rubbed his eyes willing the stars to fade.
A distinct bun hairstyle on a face appeared before him. The precise details still impossible to make out. He couldn't tell what color the hair even was, it was light, very light.
"Winter?" He asked.
The figure chuffed.
"Glynda." She corrected.
"What happened?"
One minute they were welcoming port and the vytalians on board, the next it felt like there had been an earthquake followed by a flash.
It must have been some sort of bomb, something Oz- no Loki - he wouldn't besmirch his friend's name like that - had in his possession.
"Status report!" He barked out.
"Damage minimal sir, sensors down but no structural damage."
"Almost like turbulence..." ironwood murmured.
"Heavy turbulence." Glynda said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, as she hauled him up.
"Yes."
"General..." One of the officers said, pointing out the window.
Glynda stared, wide eyed.
"What is it?" Ironwood demanded. Damn his eyes!
"The island. It's burning."
"What?"
A fire? Was that Ozpin-no- Loki's plan? Burn the heavily forested island so he could escape in the chaos?
It wouldn't work, the only bullheads leaving the island would be returning to the Atlesian Airships, any bullhead going to a different destination would immediately be suspect, and he couldn;t hide among the other gods, they apparently all hated him.
Ironwood blinked, shapes slowly becoming more distinct. Squinting he looked out towards Vytal again. His eyes burned, it was like the sun being reflicted through a mirror.
"Why is it reflective? He asked,
"It's glass." Glynda said, her voice quiet.
Ironwood growled. This was not the time for cryptic statements.
"Visor now!" He barked, feeling as much as seeing a hapless trooper hand over his helmet.
Ironwood placed it on his head, gritting his teeth as he realized the helmet was a size too small. the pressure on his temples would worsen quickly but he did his best to ignore it. The headache would be worth seeing what was going on.
The visor darkened and Ironwood's eyes relaxed. he looked out the window again. The sight nearly took his breath away.
Glynda had been literal when she said there was glass. The waves roiled, swirling as they were sucked out to sea. The ruined vytalian ships and several Atlas bullheads dragged under by the waves. trees floated above the water, too light to sink. Vytal itself had been transformed. The island that had once been paradise had become a wasteland of glass and ash.
A bay had formed at the selected landing zone. water swirling inside as it rushed to fill the empty space that had once held sand. The beach now reflected the sun, the sand superheated into glass, charred remains of trees littered the glassy surface. The few trees he could see were burning.
The teams!
"Scan the island! We have a battalion down there and several huntsman teams. Find them!" He ordered.
"James..."
"We know they are exceptionally resilient. There may still be several injured-"
"James!" Glynda said, her voice sharp.
He whirled her.
"What?" He snapped.
He had a battalion of his soldiers on that island, he had sent pilots, he had sent their allies down there. What was he supposed to do? Shrug and leave? Never. He would resign before accepting that was the right choice.
Glynda paused. a scowl on her face as she closed her eyes and shook her head. She let out a sigh.
"Do as you wish." She said before turning and walking away.
"General?" an officer asked.
'What are you waiting for? A written order?" he demanded, slamming his robotic fist down onto the railing, which bent under the force.
"Right away!" The officer said, snapping a salute before rushing off.
Ironwood turned back to the island of Vytal. It burned and melted before his eyes.
Damn Loki! When ironwood got his hands on that bastard...
Team RWBY would have nothing left to punish.
Ironwood stared at Vytal. The glass surface reflecting light. his eyes narrowed. Was it him or was the island was cracking?
Ozpin opened his eyes. his first breath sucked iun water, he spun retching as he coughed. Sitting up he gasped for air. As teh coughing subsided he turned, it was dusk here, or near so. As far as he could see there was nothing, but it felt damp none the less.
"Where am I?" He muttered.
"Where you belong." A voice came. He turned, eyes wide as he took in the the figure.
She was different, perhaps a perk of the afterlife that she was as she had been before Odin. The red hair, the green eyes the freckles, so similar.
"Hel?" He asked, a smile playing on his face.
"Penny." The figure corrected. Eyes dully appraising the god, as if staring at an insect.
Ozpin's smile fell, he straightened up.
"This is not Nieflheim." He mused.
"No" Penny said as she approached.
"Then Gigiungap?" He asked.
"For now. But the seed has been planted, and it shall be empty for only a little longer."
"A little longer?" Ozpin asked his voice quickening, "I ended Yggdrasil, the cycle is over."
"And it begins again." Penny said placing a hand on Ozpin's chest, ignoring his gasp. "and thanks to you, the seed has been fed, the shapers have all arrived, and the reign of the gods is over."
"No." I spared them, I brought them somewhere safe!" He said quickly.
"And led them all to their deaths." Penny said with a rueful smile "You have killed more gods than Fenrir ever did."
"Necessary evils!" Ozpin screamed pushing forward only to be halted by Penny.
Penny stared at him, a dull expression on her face. The pressure on Ozpin's chest slowly increased as she leaned in close, scowling at the last of the Aesir.
"I have spoken to Summer Rose. We have decided your punishment." Penny said.
Ozpin opened his mouth to speak, but felt no words come forth.
The eyes that bore into him, the eyes he had once associated with hel, now stared at him with something akin to distain. Did he ahve no sway? Surely he could explain his way out of this, soothe whatever rage was being directed at him. He had done evil things, but that did not make him an evil person. He was Loki, a trickster, and by nature, a trickster was an excellent talker.
He inhaled. All would be well. He just need to to explain his reasoning. Penny was clearly a powerful, old being, she would understand his choices. Maybe even sympathize.
"Penny-"
With one push she shoved him backwards. Ozpin toppled, slamming into the water with a splash. But nothing stopped him as he continued to sink.
"See what you have wrought." Penny said to the sinking figure as he only grew farther and farther away.
She saw ozpin claw his way towards the surface, but continue to be dragged deeper into the depths. Soon he faded completely from her vision.
Salem opened her eyes, She stared upwards, Silver eyes meeting her own.
"Ruby?" She asked.
"Close." Said Summer.
Salem groaned as she liufted herself.
"We're in gigiungap." Summer explained, preempting the inevitable question.
Salem nodded. Glancing at her clothes. She was no longe rdressed in black, but rather her old battle skirt. Her hands had regained all of teh color they had lost due to yggdrasil. As she she stood facing summer she glanced up and rolled her eyes.
She had lost that extra height as well.
"Is she awake?" a very familiar voice said.
Salem turned to see Ruby approach. Belladonna and Yin stood behind her.
"Damnit." She hissed.
"Not happy to see me?" Ruby asked.
Salem stood, a flash of annoyance coursing through her as she realized that she was shorter than Ruby. the imposing height of the queen of the grimm denied to her. It only added to the fire within her.
"No! Don't you know what this means?" Salem shrieked as she let all her emotion out. How could this happen? She had done so much to avoid this. Now, it was as if Yggdrasil was mocking her! Keeping its promise by denying them a future.
"We're dead." Summer said.
"Yes! I did everything to avoid this! I sacrificed everything!" She clenched her fists. The quizzical look on Ruby's face was too much.
"Everything I did was for nothing!" She screamed, the sound quickly becoming a sob.
Two arms wrapped around her. She turned, seeing the a red cloak and two arms.
"I thought you hated me." she said, voice quivering
Ruby shook her head. "There's some perspective in being dead ya know?"
"No." Weiss responded in a small voice.
"Well..." Ruby paused, "There's time now right?"
Weiss returned the hug, squeezing Ruby tightly.
Everything she wanted, Vytal safe, seeing Winter, talking with her team again. Yggdrasil had promised her one of those.
Perhaps this, well maybe, just maybe, this was enough.
Summer watched as herdaughter and Sa- no, Weiss, hugged. Ruby looked happy. It was the first time in a many years that Ruby had looked happy. She glanced over to Yin and Belladonna, the two talking animatedly, seeming oblivious except for the brief glances towards Ruby and Weiss.
Summer smiled. But it lasted only a moment before she felt the weight of a hand on her shoulder.
"He's been punished." Penny said.
Summer nodded.
Ozpin had been an important person in having the gods last as long as they had. He had led them through many of their early struggles, and won the admiration of many. Did his final choices dirty his legacy?
Yes, Summer thought. But they did not make his early actions any less valuable. It was a cruel irony, that he had single handedly ended what he had meant to save, but perhaps it is what the gods deserved in the end, for proclaiming themselves a such. For thinking themselves above those they chose to protect. Ozpin had sacrificed everyone to save the gods, perhaps utter destruction is what they deserved.
"I punished him as he deserved." Penny said
Summer turned. "so, what now?"
Penny smiled, "Now to build new worlds."
Penny walked past Summer, heading towards the the four girls who had stopped Ozpin.
"Listen up!" Penny shouted, bringing all the discussions to a grinding halt.
"It's time to make the worlds anew. And you get to do it!" Penmmny said, one hand on her hip as she pointed at each of them in turn.
Summer smiled as she watched. Looking at her daughters as it dawned on them the enormity of their task.
She couldn't have been more proud.
Fenrir looked out across the hanger. It was empty, but the bay door was open. Unsurprising really, especially with what was growing out of the once bountiful island of Vytal.
The glass sheen that had covered the island only two hours ago had cracked and given way. Limbs, the deep brown-grey of oak reached up and out, the trunk of the tree growing higher and higher. As the limbs stretched out, leaves grew, bright green.
If they could be seen at this distance they must've been larger than Ironwood's airship. Each one spreading and fluttering in a breeze Fenrir could not feel.
A pit opened up in his stomach, the roaring fires and waters of Ragnarok had receded, and now sprung new life. His role, whatever it had intended to have been, was surely over.
"Is that a tree?" One soldier asked lamely.
"Not like any I've seen." Another said.
The roots of the tree spread, engulfing much of the island, shattering glass, and tearing the burnt husks of the remaining trees asunder. soon the roots would spread beyond the boundaries of the island, a spread underwater, the roots becoming the basis of coral reefs in the centuries to come. thrumming with life.
Fenrir stepped away, feeling a tug on his chest, back towards where the new Yggdrasil was. He glanced back briefly, eyes narrowing at the the new Yggdrasil. It was brilliant, yet something in his heart told him it could be even more so. It was as if it was incomplete, lacking some small piece of itself.
Not yet.
He continued back towards the bridge. ignoring the overawed soldiers milling around every window to see this new remarkable tree.
He had things to do, and apparently, little time to do them.
He had to make sure everyone left was alright, he had to mourn with his friends, and then he had to say goodbye.
His stomach churned at the thought. His tongue grew dry, dread pooled in his gut.
It felt like drinking a vanilla milkshake.
A/N: So, the next release may be in two sections: a very brief finale and then the epilogue. Or, it may just be all together, I haven't decided yet. But we are at the end. The last year and a half have been challenging, and sporadic releases were a constant thing that I apologize for. But here we are, the story is almost wrapped up. for those interested in some of the background for ideas in the story after the epilogue I'll post another chapter. Maybe it'll be some interesting light reading for you guys.
For those who have followed and favorited, and especially to those who have commented (shout out to merendinoemiliano and random 65 especially) Thank you!
