Taiyang punched, and the head of the Ursa cracked, along with the neck of the Grimm. The creature slumped to the ground, broken and quickly dissolving. The man took a deep breath. Not having his weapon was a damn shame, but he could still do something, so long as the Grimm wasn't too big. 'Note too self, never go out without it.' He thought, before looking around. The wounded had already been carried out, and now they were moving to the civilians. He looked down. The ground was growing dangerously close, Amity not more than a kilometer in the air at this point. 'I have to find those kids and book it.'
If he could help in any way, he gladly would have of course. And if he had his weapon, he would have probably fought to protect the civilians. But as he was, he was a civilian. Without the means to recover his armaments, he could only rely on his fists, and as much as he believed he could count on them, Grimm weren't exactly pushovers. Otherwise, humanity wouldn't have been backed in a corner for the entirety of history.
Looking at the stream of fugitives, he finally noticed the man he was searching for. Busy shooting at the Grimm with his beloved weapon, Peter didn't notice until Tai put a hand on his shoulder.
"Ah, Tai. Good to see you. Do you need something?"
"Pete, I need help. Did Team CFVY leave for Beacon yet?"
The man tapped his chin a moment, thinking. "Mmmh, I do not believe I noticed miss Adel and her companions here, and all Valean students should be on this side of the Arena." Port smiled "Why, let's solve this." He took a deep breath and immediately followed with a bellow. "As anyone seen team CFVY?! Anyone?!" He shouted at full volume.
"I saw them!" A voice said. They looked that way to to see a student, his armor stained by the blood of the Grimm. "They were going back into the Arena. Said something about being able to help."
"What?!" He made his way through the crowd, reaching the kid. "What way? Where?"
"I-I don't know, down I think, they took one of the doors for the staff. Just down that corridor, to the left."
"Shit." Tai cursed "Thanks kid." He turned around, making his way back to Port. "I'm going to go search for those three and see what they are doing. Keep up the good work."
"You know I will." Port said, just as Amity shook. The tilting became more evident and a few people had to grasp the tiles on the ground to hold themselves steady. There were screams and a few Griffons turned their attention to the crowd. A ball of fire emerged from the crowd, and Tai could tell it was Bart's weapon, and Port once more prepared his gun.
"Go. And please, inform miss Adel that once this is over I expect an explanation. I thought I already explained her why communication is important on the field."
Tai nodded "Don't die on me Pete."
"As if. Peter Port won't croak just for a little Grimm invasion." The mustached professor slapped Taiyang back, and the blonde man started to run. He quickly found the door, the only one to the left. It opened to a series of stairs going both up and down. The tilting had made them hard to follow downward, but Tai started to make his way down.
'What are those kids doing?'
-x-
"I told you we can help!" Coco shouted, "Are you seriously going to not let us through just for this?"
"I'm sorry miss, but our instructions are clear. Only the Ace-Ops and their superiors are to be allowed beyond this point. Please, head to the evacuation points."
"What's the point of evacuating if Amity is going to fall on the city anyway?!" Coco replied, trembling in rage.
Fox shook his head. He could tell Yatsuhashi was feeling uncomfortable, and he partly shared his opinion. It would have definitely been better to evacuate to Beacon. On the other, hand, Coco had been convincing. They did have a good way to help, even if reckless. If it worked, the plan their team leader had come up with could save the city.
'Should we just knock them down?' He asked in Coco's mind using his Semblance.
'Not if we can avoid it.' She answered 'I wish we could, but if we do it, who knows how their Specialists are going to react.'
Fox grimaced, then Ada pinged. He listened to the mechanical female voice message and relayed it back to the others. 'Someone is coming. Walking down from the stairs.'
They all turned to look to the other hand of the corridor, and soon heard the steps walking forward. The man that stepped in was a blonde man with a stubble and a rather imposing figure. "You team CFVY?" He asked, and they noticed that, despite clearly having run down the tilted stairs, he wasn't breathing heavily.
"Yes, though one of ours…" Yatsuhashi started, but the man raised his hand.
"Miss Scarlatina is still in Beacon from what Ozpin tells me. I was asked to look for you three and bring you back there."
"You heard the man kids." The guard on the right said "Scamper."
"What did you just call me?" Coco replied, walking closer to the man.
"I… Errr…"
"That's what I thought." She grinned, and Fox could not help but shiver. Coco could be scary at times. Case in point when she turned to the man "As for you, I'm glad to hear Velvet is doing well, but we won't just run away when we can potentially save Vale."
"You can?" The man asked, raising an eyebrow "And how?"
"The White Fang have bombed the base of the arena to make it fall, planning to destroy the Gravity Dust that keeps it up."
"And the auxiliary motors I suppose, but you are right. What can you do to help?"
"My Semblance can help. Amity is still falling, so the Gravity Dust didn't get destroyed entirely. More likely, it's not enough to hold up the arena. My Semblance powers up Dust. If I use it on the remaining Gravity Dust, we can stop Amity from crashing into Vale, at least for long enough to complete the evacuation and maybe to avoid it falling on Vale entirely."
Fox saw the man's eyes widen and could not help but smile. Coco's idea had merit, him and Yatsuhashi recognized it as well. "Do you have enough Aura?" The man asked.
"I avoided combat for that very reason. I doubt I can hold for much, but every minute counts. Even if it only holds for a few minutes, we can save a lot of people." The Huntsman – Fox had decided he had to be a Huntsman, given the situation – nodded quickly and turned to the soldiers. "Their plan is solid. Why won't you let them pass?"
"Orders are to keep out everyone."
"Are you insane?! People are going to die! Is not like the orders consider the exception of 'if someone has just the right Semblance at just the right time'! Now let them through."
"But…"
"Did I stutter?"
The soldiers gulped. Fox could understand. An angry huntsman could be scary, far more than a student, at least as far as perceptions went. If he wanted to, he could unscrew their heads from their shoulders and pass through. Coco probably could too, thinking about it, but the threat wouldn't sound as believable.
"N-no, sir. Please, go ahead." The two soldiers moved aside, letting them pass through.
"Good. Move it kids." The three nodded, following him ahead.
-x-
Adam sheathed Wilt and stepped forward on the warship's deck. He scowled looking at the White Fang members lying defeated and scattered around the landed ship. There stood Winter Schnee, surrounded by various Nevermore and three Beowolf of the uncharacteristic white color.
"Winter Schnee." He said, putting up a smile "I am touched you decided to attack my ship. Atlas has been so generous by gifting us this and then the head of a Schnee."
"Silence, Taurus. The White Fang has crossed a line. You were already a terrorist group, but this?! How does this help your 'cause'? Unless the cause is slaughtering people."
Adam clenched his hand on his sword's hilt, and shook his head "Sometimes a sacrifice is necessary for a great cause. All those that die today, do so for the sake of a better world."
"Are you mad?!"
"Of course not. After this, humans will finally fear the Faunus. The Schnee Dust Company will have to surrender to our requests or watch as an Atlesian warship attacks any labor camp they try to set up. Atlas will have to accept our requests, unless they intend to admit one of their ships were taken over by a group they like oh so much to describe as small and weak."
"You are foolish if you think Atlas will negotiate with a madman!"
"Really? Then why did you come here, instead of attacking Torchwick and the admiral warship he has taken over, from where the Paladins can be controlled?" He smiled "Is it because you put on a scale the damage he could do to Vale and the damage we can do to Atlas, and decided we were the biggest threat? How loyal of you." The smile faded "How so typically Schnee to look at their own interests rather than those of others." The Specialist was fuming, he could tell, and he prepared his stance. "No one interfere. She can beat any of you." He said. The few remaining White Fang members nodded, stepping away.
"I'll take care of Torchwick right after you."
"I doubt you'll get the chance." Adam replied.
The summons charged forward, as Mountain Glenn started to crack open like an egg.
-x-
The head of the Ursa fell to the ground and Jaune breathed in relief, only to be silenced as the ground started to shake. He looked up towards the cracking Mountain Glenn, and his eyes widened.
'A… Dragon?' He thought, stammering, as the great black, red and white Grimm rose from the mountain top and roared as it came down towards the city of Vale, the enormous shadow of the beast against the sun extending over the city. He looked up at the warships and hoped to see them fire, but knew immediately it was an absurd wish. No one there was going to take down the creature.
Jaune tried to think. The White Fang and the Grimm were attacking Beacon, and he had seen the Atlesian bots turn against the city as well. Did that mean that the video was right? Had Atlas turned against Vale along with the White Fang? 'No, General Ironwood and Professor Ozpin are friends. He wouldn't betray him, would he?' He thought, pondering the situation while taking a breather. 'I should try to make my way to the Bullheads. The others are probably there anyway if they are making their way back from Amity.'
Of course, it was also possible that the others were evacuating to the city instead, but with Amity about to fall on a good portion of it, judging by the tilt, that seemed unlikely. Also, he had seen some Bullheads land there, and honestly doubted that the White Fang were just calmly landing there in an orderly fashion, what with the whole 'launching Grimm off the Bullheads' thing they had going on.
He looked around the corner, watching a Creep run towards the landing pods… completely ignoring a White Fang patrol. 'That's weird.' He thought, before starting to sneak his way to the Bullheads. He wished more people were around to fight with, but anyone he had found so far was either running or dead. He grimaced thinking at the students that had been caught without their weapons. Jaune cursed silently the White Fang as he made his way through the cafeteria, deciding to risk crossing it rather than going all the way around.
Only Pyrrha's training saved him from the axe that almost hit him in the face. He brought up the shield and his aura in time, blocking the attack. He prepared to strike back when he stopped, recognizing his opponent.
"Sky?"
"Arc?" The blue haired teen stopped as well "I thought you were one of those Faunus."
Jaune chose to ignore the way Sky said Faunus, since it wasn't the time to focus on that, and instead move the conversation forward "What are you doing here?"
"I stayed in Beacon with Russel when Cardin and Dove left this morning. Then the White Fang attacked…"
"And you decided to hide in here."
"Hey don't make it sound like I didn't fight at all. I'm low on Aura, that's why I retreated." He replied showing him his scroll, and pointing to his aura on the verge of going to the red.
"Same here!" Russel added. His Aura was in the low yellow, but there was a point there, Jaune admitted. Russel was never particularly gifted in Aura reserves, so that amount was already enough to worry. The memory of his dream flashed before his eyes for a moment, but he stopped himself from thinking about it. 'It's just a dream. Just a dream.'
"Fine." Jaune nodded "Here is an idea: we work together and make it to the Bullheads. You two need to get out of here, and I need to find Nora. What do you say?"
The two looked at each other, and Sky was the first to speak. "Are you insane?"
"Oh, come on! Do you want to stay here? There is a fire spreading, sooner or later it will reach the cafeteria!"
"He has a point Sky." Russel replied "We can't stay hiding here forever and he makes for a good meat shield."
The armored teen sighed "Fine, fine. Well then, oh great leader, lead us to victory as you would do to the Invincible Girl. Or was it the other way around?"
Jaune scowled but ignored the taunt, thinking. Going directly through the street meant running into the Paladins, but maybe there was another way.
"The enemies and the fire haven't reached the CCT yet. If we pass from there, we can then high tail it to the Bullheads cutting through the bushes. We will run in some Grimm, but the White Fang and Atlas' robots are still fighting their way there."
"Good idea." Sky admitted, and the pained expression he made was almost comical to Jaune. It was like he was trying to swallow a bitter pill. "Let's go."
Jaune put himself ahead, with Russel watching their back and Sky in the center. It was the most basic positions they could use, the person with most Aura leading on the front, someone that could at least take a blow on the back, and the weaker in the center, but it helped keep at ease. Making their way in the shadow of the cafeteria and then past it in the school halls, they could only experience the dreary screams that so contrasted with the light of day.
Finally, they reached the CCT. The large tower was still relatively free of Atlesian robots and there were no White Fang in sight. The Grimm were there, but even they were clearly still only a vanguard, Beowolves, Boarbatusk and Creeps rather than larger enemies like Ursas or, Brothers forbid, Goliaths. The skies were still filled with Gryphons and Nevermore, but they hopefully would ignore them. Hopefully.
"Well, that's it." He said "We run through there" He pointed at the large park of the academy, the green area that stretched past the tower to the edge. "We should be able to sneak to the Bullheads. There I can check if Nora is around and you can get yourself patched up."
The other two nodded, and Jaune noticed the grasp on their weapon growing tighter. He nodded and they prepared to charge.
Then the large, imposing figure of a Grimm he had never seen before, a horned creature with the head of a lion, the torso and arms of a man and the body of a horse, entered their field of view. Jaune sucked in air as he stared at it. On his back rode a woman with dark hair and burning eyes. As in, one eye was emitting flames, surging from the eyeball and staring around. Jaune felt the danger she emitted, even if from the distance couldn't recognize her clearly. Until he noticed the young man besides her, filming with his phone. Silver hair. Black trousers. A smile on his face even with everything that was happening. He should have been happy to see them, and yet the situation filled him with dread.
"Good job." The woman said, and the voice sounded familiar before he realized something weird. The snarls and roars of the Grimm had grown lighter. "The Wyvern will awake soon, Mercury. Make sure to film that as well. The Grimm are doing a good job, but we need to really drive the point home."
"I certainly will." His 'teammate', Cinder Fall, replied. Jaune felt a wave of confusion.
'They are with the Grimm? What… How?! Why?!'
"Hey Jaune, isn't that your teammate?" Russel asked, his voice a scared whisper as he eyed the creature of Grimm they had never seen before. Jaune did the same and a second realization hit him. The creature had weapons. A shield on his side, a gigantic blade in his hands, a bow on his human back.
"I'm not sure what's going on." He whispered back "I think… I think she is an enemy."
"So… We attack her?" The teen asked.
"Hell no we don't." Sky replied "Have you noticed the Grimm are staying away from her? I'm not going to just charge someone like that."
Jaune grasped his sword even harder "You are right. I'll…"
"Wait, she is talking again." Sky said.
"- and I believe the Fang is going to kill Winter Schnee. All that's left is to take the prize and we will leave Ozpin without both his current body, a Maiden and a possible Maiden."
And then it was the monster that spoke. The Grimm they had never seen before, speaking, a voice that left Jaune rattled to his core. "Remember what Master Agahnim said. The Goddesses will not…"
"You 'Master' warning are of no interests to me." Cinder cut him short "Nor those 'Goddesses' he seems to believe in. Go take care of the Bullheads and leave me to take care of this."
The creature frowned, but then turned away, the hooves crashing loudly on the field and rushing to the Bullheads landing point.
"Well. Shit." Russel's whispered comment broke the silence "What do we do now?"
"We need to… To take care of something… Either the creature or the woman." Sky mumbled "Any idea Arc?" The silence that welcomed his words made him turn around "Arc?"
'It's the same. It's what I saw. It's the creature… And this situation… That dream…'
"Arc!" Jaune gasped loudly as Sky shook him, whispering his words, "Don't chicken out on me now Arc. I hate to say it but you are our best shot to get out of here in one piece, so stop day dreaming and give us a plan. That thing is going for the Bullhead. Where do we go?"
"I…" Jaune looked around, at the Grimm that were now moving once more "Go to the Bullheads, we need to tell them what's going on. The plan still works. The Grimm are behaving normally, but that… thing that can speak is coming for them."
"Yeah, seems right. What about the… Wait, you aren't saying what I think you are saying, right?" Sky asked, staring at him. Russel looked surprised.
"Look, we are the only ones that know what's going on. There is no telling what she wants to do, but we can't let the culprit go!"
"And you think you can take her?" Sky's question was like a slap to the face because of the pure disbelief in it "Look, I understand you have been all excited about Pyrrha Nikos teaching you…"
"How do you know?"
"Our room is right under the roof you train on, genius, we have been betting for months on when we would hear you do some other kind of training, but that's not the point right now! You aren't strong Arc! Me and Russel could kick your ass if we put some effort into it!"
"Look, I… I had this weird dream and…"
"This is reality Arc, I don't care about your delusions!" Sky shook him "Get yourself back together, and stop…"
"Enough!" Jaune moved his hand away from his shoulder "I'm not going to fight her! I just need to figure out something, ok?! You won't believe it, but I had a dream that showed me this. That showed me the Grimm, and the Paladins, and that thing fighting us. Killing us! I thought it was just that but that can't be right! I never saw that beast before. None of us has! Do you think it's just a coincidence?" Sky and Russel both looked at him like he was crazy. To be fair, he would have agreed with them about that. It sounded absolutely absurd, but he remembered the dream vividly. He knew what he had seen, the creature that fought with many students at once, the destruction, the Paladins with a black queen on them… "Look, I will just go see what's happening. I need to do this, and I'm not asking you to come with me. Just go to the Bullheads!"
Russel nodded "Yup, we are going. I'll tell hammer girl you have snapped."
"You would probably be right. Good..." His response was cut by Sky holding him by the shoulder once more.
"Arc, I'm a huntsman in training. I won't claim I'm brave. Heck, I run from a single Ursa just a few months ago. But I won't let you die just for a dream. Snap out of it, because you aren't making any sense!"
'Sky Lark, his neck bent and broken to the side unnaturally…' The image came back to Jaune's mind even if he didn't want to think about it. Was he saving him, or was he condemning him? Was the vision he had seen the future? "Sky, I… I don't know how to explain this. I've seen that Grimm before but none of us has. Something bad is happening, and… I don't know what to do but… I've seen this already. This battle, the Grimm, the Paladins, that creature… I need to do this. I don't know why but…"
Sky stared at him straight in the eyes, and they locked for a long second, before he let him go. "Go die then." The other student said, "I don't know why, but you aren't lying. You are scared, but you think you have to do this. Do it then."
"Thank you."
"I'm sending you to die Arc." Sky replied, and for the first time Jaune noticed something behind the guy that had been first his bully and then just a classmate he never talked to "I can't drag you with us without losing time, and you seem convinced for some stupid reason that this is something you have to do. But I'll tell everyone at the Bullheads. If the redhead smashes me into smithereens I'll haunt you."
Jaune nodded. He was doing something insane, he could tell. He didn't even know why.
He looked outside, and the three rushed in two different directions.
-x-
Nora looked around the Bullhead landing when the ground shook. Once. Twice.
"An earthquake too? What is going on today?!" She grumbled desperately before caving in the head of a Beowolf that had thought she was distracted. The ground shook again.
"This doesn't feel like an earthquake…" Aslan mumbled, her dagger planting itself in the skull of a Creep.
Nora really wished Ren or Jaune were here. She did her best to try and keep a positive attitude, but the day was turning into a massacre. Vale was invaded and the Academy had moved past defending into retreating by now. So much for Professor Oobleck's words. She helped May Zedong up into the closest machine and then turned right back around.
"They are strangely focused on getting to us, aren't they?" Scarlet asked as his sword cut through the neck of a Gryphon. "I would have thought they'd be more split up."
"It's like they are all planning this." Nolan Porfirio, a student from Mistral, commented, gasping as his cattle prod electrocuted a White Fang member, the Faunus screaming before falling unconscious. Everyone stared at him, and he coughed "I mean, I know it's impossible, but it's like these Grimm know this is our only way out. I know the White Fang could tell but the Grimm shouldn't…" He stopped as the ground shook once more, and then there was a loud crack.
Everyone momentarily turned to Mountain Glenn as a gigantic crack started to open on the mountain side. Like an egg, the mountain seemed to hatch, and from it emerged a Grimm like none they had seen before. Nora felt a chill down her spine as she watched the creature take flight and roar, ink black droplets falling from its body and turning into Grimm upon touching the ground.
'What is going on?' She wondered, gripping Magnhild tightly. Everyone around her was either shouting or going pale and still, and she could understand them. 'Why is this happening…'
"Guys!" A voice shouted, they turned around in time to see three people running towards them. One was Brawnz Ni, Nolan's teammate, while the others were Russel and Sky, the latter helping the limping Vacuan student. His right leg looked broken, and he had a deep gash on his side.
"Brawnz!" Nolan shouted "Where were you? I lost you when the Nevermore took…"
Brawnz sniffed "I'm… Sorry. I ran after the Nevermore that took Roy and put you and May in danger. Where is she?"
"On a Bullhead headed for the closest shelter with other wounded. Roy?"
The Shade student's face darkened "I… Lost him. I'm sorry."
Nolan fell to the ground "What?" He whispered.
"Hey!" Another Huntsman shouted, one of the many fighting to protect the perimeter "If you kids haven't noticed, we have a situation here! Giant fucking dragon in the sky to mention one! Where did that monster even come from?"
"Shit, the monster!" Russel shouted "I need to tell you! A giant Grimm is coming."
"Yeah we can see that." A new voice said, and they looked at Dove moving closer "Where have you two been?!"
"Fighting up in the Academy. Part of the campus is still safe. Safer than this place, anyway. Of course Arc was wrong…" Sky replied, muttering the last sentence.
"Wait, you have seen…" Nora started, but Russel stopped her.
"No time! Jaune is doing something on his own, something about a vision, or dream. He has gone insane probably, sorry to break the news. But yeah, short summary, Cinder Fall is the enemy, she has brought here a big Grimm that can talk and has weapons, and Mercury Black was riding it, and they are coming here!"
"Wait, wait, slow down." Dove replied "What is coming here?" The Huntsman in question asked
"A… I don't know! It looks kinda like a Grimm but it speaks and has weapons."
"Speaks?" The Huntsman frowned, a hand passing through his messy black hair "Well fuck me, the day gets more ridiculous by the second. What is Ozpin doing?" He brought a hand to his hip and took out a flask, downing it before moving his hand to the Scroll. "How long before they are here?" He asked.
Before Russel could reply, there was a sound like a horse charge and everyone turned ahead. A Paladin, one of the few surviving ones after the gruesome fight, was charging their way, when something else charged through it. The jewel of Atlesian technology and the Faunus inside were equally torn to pieces as the creature that, judging by Russel's incoherent scream was the one he was talking about, started charging against them, a sword in one hand and a shield in another, roaring savagely.
"A few seconds?" Sky asked.
"Ozpin doesn't pay me nearly enough for this." The man complained, before his sword mechashifted into a large scythe.
Nora gripped Magnhild tightly, when there was a sound like the cracking of a thunder, followed by a gasp. Everyone turned around to watch Aslan roll on the ground, hit by what seemed to be a arrow crackling with electricity.
"And there is more?!" Dove shouted as more of the same Grimm emerged from the side, charging right next to the ravine with bows or swords in hand. Two were red, one was blue, which made her question if they were Grimm at all. Four in total. And they were all strong, Nora could tell.
Nora had never considered death an option once she and Ren had started to fend for themselves together. They had survived for so long, she was sure they could survive anything.
For the first time in years, she wasn't anymore.
-x-
Ozpin sipped the last remnants of his coffee, as he waited in the room next to the remains of the Fall Maiden. Well, calling them remains was a bit cruel on his part. Amber had been his student, before she started her phase of rebellion against the authority and tried to go live on her own. And to not be a monster that would cage what amounted to a child, Ozpin had been forced to go along with the charade, though he kept Qrow on her. 'Another mistake to be added to the pile. Millennia of hindsight don't really prepare you for anything it seems.'
The elevator pinged. He had expected the woman to know of the caveau, of course. She must have spied on him and his companions for a long time to figure out where they were keeping the Maiden, so of course she would come straight for them. It was also possible she was feeling a need to search for the other half, but he doubted the power could recognize itself at a glance. Maidens didn't have some secret sense to perceive each other. All she knew was where he had stashed Amber.
"Welcome." He said, turning around and slowly putting down the mug "I fear the school is currently not open to visitors, miss Fall, even if they are students from other Academies. Though, I do believe you aren't really Leonardo's students. I might make a guess at who really taught you."
"Ozpin. Salem would be extremely pleased if I killed you."
"I sincerely doubt it. You are aware of what I am, I suppose." He looked at her sternly "Though why someone would choose to serve her will always elude me."
"I would explain, but I'd rather be done with this. The animals and the Grimm will only buy me so long, and my needs are…" She paused, her eyes finally focusing on Amber. Ozpin couldn't help but smirk. "She is…"
"Dead. Deceased. No longer with us. Off to the far shore. I do not expect you to feel any remorse, but know I feel enough for both." He replied "Amber was cursed by my mistakes, like so many others have been and will be."
"What did you do…" She asked, angrily.
"I took the power back." He lied. A bold lie, since Salem would have probably known he didn't have enough magic to do something like that. Of course, that depended on whether she had told Cinder.
"You are lying. She said you couldn't."
He gritted his teeth. "I see she prepared you more than I expected." He replied, preparing his cane "Still, it's not for you to know what happened to the power Amber once wielded. You aren't going to be a Maiden for long, after all."
He rushed forward and she blocked his cane with a sword that formed out of thin air. He moved his free arm around, grabbing her other arm just as a second blade rushed out of it. He felt his skin burn, like he was grasping a piece of burning wood, and kicked, forcing her back. Looking at his hand, he saw it burnt, and felt the smell of scalded flesh. 'Heat control. A troublesome Semblance.'
She was angry, he noticed as she swiped at him with the twin blades, forcing him back. And she was a skilled fighter, even if without the Maiden powers she had no hope against him. "Give it back!"
"It's not mine to give, miss Fall." He calmly replied, hitting with the tip of his cane multiple times and sending her fly back "I will merely make sure to give it to the proper bearer."
She grunted, and charged forward. The fight grew intense, her attacks going from ferocious to desperate as he hit time and time again.
He was still pushing forward. For Vale, for his students, and for everything he had built in his life. He wasn't going to let Salem win.
-x-
She was losing. Cinder Fall could tell that with only half of the Maiden Power she was at a disadvantage against an immortal wizard. Plumes of fire, arrows and "Velvet Scarlatina." She hissed after a particularly painful hit to the rib "I sent Mercury to hunt her down to kill her."
"How unfortunate for you. He will not manage to."
She grinned "I see." So she really is the one then."
"It won't matter. I'm going to kill you first and then protect Miss Scarlatina with my life if it comes to it."
'She is close enough he knows he can make it in time. She is the holder of the Maiden powers. And if I had to guess…' She knew Ozpin wanted to keep his pieces close whenever possible. The Maiden was the most precious. 'Still in this tower. But I need to get rid of him first.'
She sliced with her blades, changing midway the left one in a block to stop the incoming thrust of the cane and going in for the right with a ferocious hit that should have cut Ozpin in half. Instead, a barrier came out of nowhere, stopping the blade and sending her back. 'Damn wizard.' She thought, grunting as she stood back up and jumped back moving out of the way of the cane's impact, watching the ground crack. 'There must be something to destroy him…'
Then she remembered. The gift. Her hand fumbled with her hidden pocket and she pulled out the small orb. Fire was still crackling inside, along with the eye. 'To destroy anything in my path, uh?' She asked, as Ozpin attacked her and she frantically defended herself with her remaining blade.
"Do it then." She said, and threw the orb to the ground, shattering it on impact.
For a moment, she thought the pitiful flame inside would wimper and die, the eye in the center getting squished by one of their feet soon after. Instead, the flame instantly exploded in a roaring inferno before taking shape. Fire seemed to become of flash and bones as the beast grew to fill the room, roaring its challenge. Cinder looked in terror and amazement as a beast with a long, swiping tail, a body large enough to make a Goliath look small, and a mask of metal covering its face, opened it's mouth, and its mouth was fire, a large orb of fire flying towards Ozpin. The ancient Wizard moved out of the way, protecting himself, but nothing else was spared, the fire becoming Amber's funeral pyre.
"What have you done?!" Ozpin shouted.
As she watched the beast that she could only call a monster rush to attack once more, its tail destroying the columns of the room and striking Ozpin's shield, Cinder could only rush away. She told herself she wanted the prize, but the truth was different.
For the first time in many, many years, she was scared.
(xx)
Guess who's baaaack *readers' guns pointing at me*
But no, seriously, so sorry. December was an hell of a month and I couldn't focus on both of my fics, but this is back for real. 100%, no enormous hiatus anymore. The Fall Trilogy will only be interesting if read in a row, and I won't make it too long of a pause between chapters. So, this chapter. Oh boi, So much going on. The big stuff of course is Jaune following is vision, because things are going to shit and he isn't going to question a vision that was right until now if it means saving his friends, and Cinder deciding that summoning a Helmesaur King is a good idea.