Chapter 104 – The Final Maiden
Pyrrha
The fire crackled around her eyes, embers of green shone endlessly as everyone surrounded her. Cinder crouched down beside Pyrrha, and they both looked at each other. There was once a time where Cinder would have killed Pyrrha for this power – now they were both in the same boat once again. Cinder gently squeezed her shoulder, and Pyrrha sat upright as she then extended her hand to pull her back up.
Hazel limped over to them, growling from the pain he suffered from Salem's claws and blades that slashed him, and the hold left behind when the Dark Queen stabbed her. Oscar limped across the ground with Emerald supporting him and he sat down on one of the broken chairs, looking at Pyrrha. "You did it… you got her…" Oscar chuckled in awe, looking at her large burning eyes.
"I saw her… Cynthia…" Pyrrha softly said as she stared at her hands, closing her eyes as she remembered that vision that hit her the second the power threw itself into her.
"Cynthia?" Jaune asked her as he held his shoulder in pain, whilst Cinder set Crocea Mors down on the ground after she took it from where it was left behind.
"Just before Salem must have passed completely… she was still in there… the old Cynthia, not the monster that she became. Not the monster that her Curse transformed her into…" Pyrrha softly explained, for whatever reason she felt herself becoming more and more emotional as she thought about it. "It was like it was her last chance, to actually try and make things right. All the wrong she did… she gave the power to me… because she believed I could do better than she ever could." Pyrrha explained, and Oscar sighed, closing his pained eyes as he rolled his bleeding shoulder, being wrapped up still by Emerald, using bits of cloth from his own sleeve.
"She was still in there, despite it all, there was still part of her there." Oscar sighed.
"But not enough, that damn stone that was in her head did far too much damage to who she once was. I mean hell, look at the Knights of Grimm, they are still in there. But these curses change people into monsters, the opposites of who they once were. Like some kind of cruel irony." Cinder explained as she started to cauterise Jaune's stab wounds. He strained from the pain, but he took it, nonetheless.
"Well, she at least she had the chance to try. It's all any of us can hope for, right?" Hazel asked them as he knelt down, pressing his hand against his shoulder.
But as they spoke to Pyrrha, Ozpin landed behind them, walking back inside of the Fortress, and he saw the destruction left behind – and the Burning Eyes of Pyrrha Nikos. She looked at the Professor who looked at her.
"I guess… you've gotten what you wanted… six years later…" Pyrrha said to the Professor who gently bowed his head.
"Forgive me, Miss Nikos… I…"
"No… it's okay. I stopped believing in all these… pre-decided Destinies… after what I went through with Umbra… I didn't want to believe in it anymore. Cynthia trusted me to take this power after she died, it was her last wish after being freed from Salem once and for all. I will do whatever I can to make all this death and sacrifice worth it. Not just all the people we lost in this battle… but for Cynthia… for Herakles… for Ares… Vyrryk… for everyone." Pyrrha promised as she stood back up, and Ozpin nodded his head.
"Selflessness… that was the reason I chose you for the power of the Fall Maiden Powers all those years ago. Did you know that?" He asked her, her eyes widened, and she looked down at the floor. He then looked at Cinder and chuckled. "I think the biggest surprise was… you… showing you were more than just a killer."
Cinder shrugged and chuckled. "I have all these idiots to thank for that. They helped me join this crazy fight of yours." Cinder admitted, rubbing the back of her head.
"And I am sorry – for how I treated you… I was an asshole who didn't want to accept that you had changed. We're not the same without you, Cinder." Jaune assured, which made Cinder smile and she walked over to him and put her arm around him to help move him.
"Come on, you two hopeless romantics. The battle is ending out there, the Military is clearing out what remains of Salem's forces now that they are thinning out." Cinder explained as they made their way towards the exit. But as they approached, Ozpin went to follow but he stopped and looked over his shoulder, seeing Hazel looking at him. They all looked at Hazel as well, there was once a time where he would have tried to kill Ozpin on sight, but now he just looked… like he was done with it all.
All the vengeance…
… all the anger.
"I won't ever forget what you did, Ozpin." Hazel said as he stared at the Old Professor. "My daughter… I didn't want her to inherit the Fall Maiden's Power. I was enraged at Cinder for killing her, but I understood that was part of Salem's plan, and she was only following orders. Salem would have done worse… she did do worse to her." Hazel explained as he glanced at her, Emerald looked at Cinder and gently squeezed her shoulder. "But Salem… she filled my head with lies and left out many important details."
Ozpin listened to his words. "She told me you used my little girl… like she wanted to use Cinder, as a Vessel for the power. And I believed that was all you saw in her, just some other tool for power. But over the past few months and weeks… I think I am starting to understand it all a lot more now." Hazel said.
He approached Ozpin, looking directly at him. "You wanted to be ready… and you were afraid of what Salem could do if she claimed the power. And you knew that my daughter and the Maiden were… close… so you let her in… you gave her the choice to reclaim the power from her after she died." Hazel explained. "So that the woman she loved was always a part of her… and the power was safe."
Hazel exhaled a breath, his eyes were glazed with tears, then his head rose as he looked at Ozpin. "I understand now… and… I forgive you." He finally said, and Ozpin's eyes widened.
"H-Hazel…"
"No… accept this, Oz. Please… I can't keep carrying this around on me anymore… it was all I thought about for so long. And I have seen what vengeance does to people. And we saw what it did to you." He said, and Ozpin closed his eyes. His days of being the Knight of Vengeance might have indeed been over, but he had an exceptionally good point, because Vengeance felt like dragging an unbearable weight behind you every single day. And it never got easier, even after you cut the line… the body still ached… and so did the soul. "It's not what Amber would have wanted – and I have to move on. And so do you." Hazel explained, and he held out his hand to Ozpin.
The Professor looked at it and he gently placed his in Hazel's, and they shook. Hazel nodded his head and he walked away from Ozpin, and the Professor stood there whilst they all walked down the steps.
Ozpin stood amongst Salem's Throne Room… and he felt the tears stream down his cheeks… then he collapsed to his knees, feeling that very weight suddenly disappear from him in an entire moment.
And he sobbed.
Not only had Hazel actually forgiven him for one of his greatest regrets…
It was over…
… the conflict against Salem… was finally over.
It took them some time to navigate through the decimated remnants of Salem's Sanctum, walking down the steps, past the body of Vyrryk. They took a moment before him and Jaune gently placed his hand down against the stone where he laid. "We did it… Vyrryk… it wasn't in vain…"
But to make it all worth it… we have to kill Vir Nominis Umbra… and that is a whole other monster
They continued through the castle, making their way down to the bottom, and they walked outside, feeling the cool air against them. As soon as they killed Salem… it was like a dark spell was lifted, because the sky lightened, and the purple hue and the Shattered Moon started to fade, as if it were not even what the sky really looked like.
And the sun shined through, warming their skin.
Some Grimm remained, but there very few left, not retreating but being cut down or shot down. Not enough to kill anybody, just enough to clear out. They watched as the huge, and damaged, Colossus walked across the terrain and crouched down. Deep slashes, dents and scorches covered the armour plating, alongside sparks that bled out from it. Cordovin was inside, and she climbed down the ladder which extended from the cockpit to check on her men.
But they had a much larger, and daunting task, ahead of them.
They had to collect all the dead, or whatever was left of some of them, so their remains could be buried in their homelands. No Victories are won without sacrifice, and this victory truly did show that, from all the body bags that scattered the ground in multiple areas.
Pyrrha looked ahead and her green eyes widened with grief.
Because she saw Weiss beside Neptune's body, softly sobbing.
Weiss
Tears trickled down from her eyes as she sat beside his body, his eyes closed as he seemed to rest so peacefully. His chest was covered with a bandage, hiding the wound that killed him. She held his hand as she stayed beside him, wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks. Sun was there as well, sat next to his best friend, the last member of his team, gently holding his shoulder with his head mournfully bowed. Weiss looked at Sun as she sniffled, and she gently held his shoulder as well.
"You took him down… he would have liked that." Weiss assured, which made Sun chuckle softly, but he too pushed his tears away with his wrist.
"Neptune… he was one of those guys, y'know? I always thought that… nothing could kill him. That… he would make it to the end, that he would be the kind of person who would see this thing through to the very end." Sun explained as he looked at his lifeless body laid between the two of them.
"So did I… no matter how dark things got… he always knew how to make people laugh. How to lighten that mood… I mean hell… I can't count how many dumb jokes he made when we were stuck in Vale for the past few weeks." They both laughed as they remembered all the funny and great things that this important soul did that helped keep them all in high spirits.
"I failed them…" Sun softly said as he shook his head, but Weiss looked at him and gently held his hand.
"No. You didn't."
"I did… Weiss… they're all gone now. Sage… Scarlet… Neptune… my team is gone. They were my brothers…" Sun buried his head in his hands, but Weiss shuffled up next to him and she pushed her own grief down, and she wrapped her arms around Sun in a compassionate hug.
"We all knew the risks of becoming Huntsmen and Huntresses. Every single one of us knew that when we wanted to take up this life that it could all end in a single moment. You couldn't have done more." Weiss assured.
"I left them… more than once…" Sun said.
"Don't start doing this to yourself, Sun. Don't. Don't start looking back on past mistakes and regretting them… we can't change the past; it's written in stone. But just remember… did any of them leave your side? Did Sage? Did Scarlet? Did he?" She asked, looking down at Neptune's body.
"No…" Sun softly said.
"No… because you were their leader, and they understood why you went. You could trust them to look after each other, but Blake needed you. And when you came back, they were immediately there for you. They didn't even hesitate to let you back into the team… because they could trust you just as you could trust them." Weiss explained, and Sun sighed. "You didn't kill them, Sun… this is on Vir Nominis Umbra. And on him alone… because Death is simply a weapon created by that son of a bitch. And we will kill him… and in doing so we will avenge every single soul that has died." Weiss promised as she looked at him.
Sun looked at Weiss and he smiled. "You're one tough gal, aren't ya?" Sun chuckled.
She looked down at Neptune. "He would never want me to give up… and I won't. Not ever… I will keep going. It… it's gonna be hard… but I'm not alone anymore." She said as she smiled at her friends, seeing Blake, Ruby and Yang walking over to them. Blake crouched down and immediately hugged Sun, kissing him gently. Weiss released Sun and she stayed beside Neptune, and she exhaled shakily as she zipped it over his face, closing the bag.
Ruby sat down next to Weiss and immediately gave her a hug. "I'm so sorry." Ruby apologised. "I…"
"Oh don't you start." Weiss scoffed.
"Huh?" Ruby responded.
"I know you – you were about to blame yourself for his death because this attack was your plan, right?" Weiss asked her, and Ruby just closed her eye with grief.
"Y-Yeah…"
"Well don't. Because just as I told Sun, Umbra is the only one responsible for this. He is the master of this conflict that he started, and we all knew the risks. And… you were right. We had to take Salem out of the picture." Weiss said as she shrugged her shoulders. They turned and saw Pyrrha sit down and she looked at her hand, as a flame formed in it. Their eyes widened – because they knew exactly what that meant. "What the…"
"She's the Final Maiden…" Ruby gasped. "Salem gave her the power before she died…"
"This war… it just seems to throw crazy twist after twist our way doesn't it?" Weiss sighed as she wiped the rest of the tears from her eyes as she sat there, gathering herself and her emotions as she breathed in and exhaled.
"Doesn't it just?" Ruby agreed with a chuckle, she then winced in pain, holding her stomach where the pain was still there, wrapped up in a bandage.
"Are you okay?" Weiss asked her.
"Yeah… just need to have this looked at later. I got cut up a lot during this fight… the Whisperer packed a punch." Ruby explained.
"I'm not gonna lie, Ruby… if it weren't for you and your Mom's Silver Eyes… I don't think we could have beaten the Whisperer." Weiss admitted.
"I know… but we know that it does have a weakness now. It feeds off our negative memories, and that hitting its head seems to do a lot of damage. It kicked our ass this time around because we didn't know what we were up against… next time? I don't think it will be the same for the Whisperer – we know how the game works now." Ruby explained, Weiss softly chuckled. Ruby looked at her inquisitively. "What?"
"I just… don't know how you do it."
"Do what?"
"Always find the good… the silver lining… I mean even after you lost your eye and things became… darker for you… there have always been these moments where I could see the old you again. The side of you that no matter what the circumstances are… you could always find the best in it." Weiss explained, and she smiled. "It's good to have the old you back, Ruby."
"Yeah… thanks… it feels good to feel this way again." Ruby said.
"What… changed?" Weiss asked.
"What do you mean?" Ruby replied.
"I mean… I could see you were healing over time… but there must have been a moment that helped bring you back… what was it?" Weiss asked her, Ruby thought and she nodded her head.
"When the Whisperer revealed itself to us all." Ruby answered. "Because in that moment? I realised I wasn't going crazy this whole time… I finally understood what was happening, and now I know that I can fight back… and end it." Ruby explained to her. "I'm not crazy…" She repeated with just awe, finally feeling free.
Every single day, she felt like she was drifting away, but now she understood the truth. "The Whisperer… it had been following us for so long. Turned Raven against us, fed falsehoods and negative ideas into her mind… I can't believe we never noticed."
"How could we have?" Ruby asked her. "Raven was always fatalistic, even when we were on the same side."
"I know…but… it really shows how effective that monster is. Makes you wonder how many other people suffered the same fate." Weiss said.
"Too many." Ruby sighed.
"Do you think we can save her?" Weiss asked, Ruby looked at her, and she was genuinely surprised. She killed your sister… But Ruby understood what she meant, because at the end of the day, Ruby managed to fight back and break free from its manipulation.
"I don't think so." Ruby said. "I might have fought back, but Raven? She always was fighting her own inner demons… she spent most of her life in the Tribe… she was always afraid. The Whisperer fed on that and kept on multiplying her fears until she broke away." Ruby explained.
"What did it feed off you?" Weiss wondered.
"I… don't know. When I was captured I… I had a lot of feelings. Humiliated… scared… but mostly rage and hate." Ruby admitted. "I always felt this strange sense… either a burning or a cold sensation… whenever I saw Roman or Tyrian. I despised Roman because he caused so much conflict in my earlier years… and he died right in front of me. But Tyrian? He tortured me… humiliated me… I felt nothing but hate whenever I saw his face." Ruby explained. "But… I also had Oscar. Back then… I didn't really have feelings for him, not early on… but he always was there for me. Kept me hoping… and when you all saved me, and I was back with my family again? I felt free – I think that was it. The Whisperer tried to use my rage to make me merciless and cruel, but all of you managed to keep me being kind… and forgiving." She then looked up at the sky and closed her eyes.
"My mercy prevails… over my wrath…" She softly said as sat there. Ruby looked at Weiss, and she smiled.
"I forgot… just how much I missed those speeches of yours, too." Weiss joked, which made Ruby laugh. The two best friends sat together, and Weiss rested her head on Ruby's shoulder. But then they both saw Yang sat there.
Alone… for now.
"The only thing I worry about Raven… is that Yang will lose her mother… after all it took to find her…" Ruby said with a sigh.
"I know…" Weiss agreed with sadness.
Kassius
He spoke with Team C.F.V.Y, and Velvet was helping carry Cardin's body with Yatsuhashi towards one of the trucks. He smiled and patted Cinder on the shoulder as she helped the team with Emerald. He stopped Mazen and Kaa as they walked past, Kaa had been patched up after her fight against Kannix, covered in a few bandages. "How are things looking?" Kassius asked them.
"Not good, I'm not gonna lie. We've all lost over half our forces in this battle. That loss will make things hard in a couple days when the Oncoming Shadow arrive." Mazen stated.
"Yeah… I know… but let's be real, from what we know of them? Military is not how we win that fight; we can't beat the Oncoming Shadow conventionally. We just need to hold them off long enough to get all four Relics… or at least one… back here to the Embered Grove." Kassius explained.
Either way, their future was still bound to Arkhonex, one way or another.
"Well… we can still find more soldiers. There will be more than enough people who will want to help us… the conflict against the Acolytes of Lien is known. And Atlas is still under Acolyte control… those who still remain loyal to Jacques Schnee that is." Kaa explained.
"Yeah, but I doubt they will be an issue. I have a sneaking suspicion that Vir Nominis Umbra is done with the Mercenaries and will kill everything on sight with his army." Kassius explained.
Kassius looked past them and saw Yang sat down on her own. He felt his heart tremble, so he gently patted Mazen on the shoulder. "Alright, find all the dead and get them on the Airships. Alongside the half that are still alive. We need to get to Vale and Mistral and prepare them for what's coming. With Vacuo claimed by Grimm and Atlas under siege… Vale, Queen's Cove, Argus and Mistral are the only places we can protect."
"We can discuss the plan in more detail on the flight back to Vale." Mazen assured as he walked with Kaa to assist with finding more bodies. He approached Yang and gently stroked her hair, she jolted but immediately calmed down when she saw it was him.
"Whoa!" He laughed. "A bit on edge, huh?" He asked her as he sat down next to her, taking off his stetson. "Hey… you okay?" He asked her as he noticed she looked really lost.
"We didn't see my mom… after Weiss and I fought her she just… disappeared." Yang explained, Kassius sighed through his nose.
"I know…"
"I don't know what to do, Kas…" She said as she looked at him. "I mean… I spent… years… trying to find her. I desperately wanted to have a mom, especially after we lost Summer. And then… I did… and she actually wanted to be there for me. But… then she turned on us? Killed Winter? Helping Umbra? How long have I been too stupid to see it?"
"Hey… you're not stupid for just wanting to have a mom that is there for you. You deserve ten times better than Raven Branwen, you always have. Even when she was there for you… I still always wished you had someone who was right for you." Kassius explained, gently holding her hand in his.
"What am I supposed to do if… when… she shows her face again?" Yang asked.
Kassius looked at her as she looked at him, her eyes were slightly bloodshot from the pain she was feeling. Whenever Yang was in pain – which in truth was not a lot, she was always the toughest person he had ever known – it really hit him hard. He gently rubbed his thumb atop her hand in circles. "If she tries something… we fight her. And if she tries to kill us… then we kill her."
"But… she's…"
"She's your mom." Kassius finished. "I know – and I am so sorry. I really am. But… the Whisperer has turned your mom against you. If any of the good that was there before Tai died was real… then that Raven would want you to stop her."
"Do you… think it was real? Any of it?" Yang asked him, Kassius' amber eyes looked at her and he thought about his answer.
"I hope so. I mean… she was there for you multiple times… she had your back. She only really started to turn on us after Tai died." Kassius explained. "When Cinder told me about that… I… I was heartbroken. Because I knew that you had no idea."
Yang wiped a tear from her cheek. She looked down at her legs and she held her stomach. "I don't want to be a mom like that…" She softly said. "I wanna be there… for my baby… all the time. No matter what." She promised herself.
"You will." Kassius promised.
"If… I can have one…" She softly said, Kassius held her hand.
"You can." Kassius assured, but Yang shook her head.
"We don't know that Kas." She softly said, but he held her hand with both his metal and normal hands.
"You can… I know it." He assured.
"How can you know that?" She asked with a smile, enamoured by his devotion.
"Because you are one of the strongest people I have ever known… you're stronger than I could ever hope to be. You helped me through my darkest time, even when I didn't deserve it. If anyone can overcome the odds, it's you… hell… you beat Horridus Morbus, didn't you?" He asked her.
"I-I… guess?" Yang stammered softly.
"So who's to say the witches are right? Also, a Fifty-Fifty Chance? If you look at it my way… that's still a good chance that you will be fertile." He promised. "But to be honest? None of that matters." Kassius said.
"Why?" Yang asked.
"Because I will always be here for you… and whether we can have a kid that way… or through another method, like adoption. I don't care – I am with you to the end of the line." He promised her.
A tear streamed from her eye and she smiled lovingly, and she kissed him passionately, pulling him close. He lopped his arm around her back as he kissed her, and when their kiss broke she gently pressed her forehead to his, caressing his cheek. "Well… I guess we have a bet then." She giggled.
"Ten lien I'm right?" He challenged.
Yang laughed. "Deal." She laughed, kissing him again, before hugging him tight.
Qrow
He stood before her, glowing white and translucent.
Qrow slowly approached the Ghost of Summer Rose who looked at him with a loving smile. With the battle over, they could finally actually speak. "She's become such a strong and beautiful woman… and that is all thanks to you. Thank you, Qrow… I am so proud of her… and you."
"Y-You're back… again… how?" He asked her with disbelief in his voice, he reached up to her cheek and she leaned into it, but he could not feel her at all. His hand just passed through her ghostly body. "How were you able to help us fight them?"
"I can interact with the world, but the world cannot interact with me. Only entities can physically damage this form, but like them… I only get sent back to the Grove." Summer explained.
"So… you're like them? Just the opposite?" Qrow asked her.
"In a way… I am a Squire of Light now… when I died I spoke with him." Summer began to explain to him, and he walked alongside her.
"Who?" He asked.
"Vyrryk Arc." She revealed. "He was waiting and told me of what was coming. And he told me that he was going to need me… and the day he needed me and all the others for is coming." Summer assured.
"All the others? What do you mean?" He asked her.
"I cannot say, not yet. I cannot risk Vir Nominis Umbra knowing… me showing myself over the years has been risky enough." Summer explained as she stood before him, bowing her head sadly. "I'm sorry – I wish I could tell you."
"No, it's okay… I understand… I just… I miss you so much." Qrow softly said as he looked at her. She smiled as she approached him again… she held her hand to his cheek… and he could actually feel her palm. It was not cold… it was warm… like she was actually alive. He closed his eyes as he felt her hand.
"I have missed you too, my love. I have never stopped loving you…" Summer promised. "And I am so sorry… I should be by your side… for what is about to happen."
"What are we supposed to do?" He asked her, then she smiled.
"Fight. As hard and for as long as you can. It may seem hopeless… and many more will die…" Summer explained. "But death? It is not the end. It is… for now… a second chance. Vyrryk has a plan – I know he does. And the day will come where light will roll over the darkness together – and one simple soul will end Vir Nominis Umbra once and for all."
"Is that another Prophecy? Or do you know?" Qrow asked her.
"Well… no I don't know… I hope. But what I said about death? It is true… I mean look at me… I stand before you, don't I?" She asked him.
"I still… can't understand it." He stammered.
"You will… I promise you, my love. I wish I could stay longer, but I have spent too much time here as it is." She said as she gently pressed her head against his. "Be ready, my love – the path ahead will be challenging and dark. Paved in flames and blood. But never forget – that no matter how dark it gets… one light no matter how small can light the way." She promised, he closed his eyes, and she faded away in front of him.
When he opened his eyes, and she was gone. It hurt, to see her gone again… but for a reason he could not understand, he actually felt – joy. Because she was there, she said things that did not make sense… yet… but her words gave him hope.
He walked away from where he spoke to her, and he saw Ruby sat down, still recovering from her injuries. Qrow sighed and approached his daughter, sitting down beside her, looking at her. "Hey, kiddo. You okay?" He asked her.
"Yeah… just… thinking." Ruby said.
"Heh… you sound like your mom." He said with a smile, she looked at him and he smiled at her.
"Did you see her?" She asked.
"Yeah… I just spoke to her. Then she disappeared again. Third time now… she hadn't appeared since she saved Yang from Kannix five years ago but then she shows up once again to save you from the Whisperer. She's definitely watching over us… still can't understand it." Qrow said to Ruby as he kept bouncing all those questions and thoughts around in her mind.
"Neither can I. But with everything we have seen and learned? For some reason, this one doesn't seem to shock me as much anymore. Trans-Dimensional Universe Killers have kinda made Loving Mother Ghost saving me a bit… stale… in comparison." Ruby laughed, which made Qrow laugh.
"Oh yeah, you're definitely your mother's daughter alright." Qrow assured, she looked at him and smiled as she sat upright.
"What… was she like? Back when you guys were at Beacon?" She asked him.
"I told you some of these things, didn't I?" He asked.
"Yeah… but… you never told me you were my real dad." Ruby said with a shrug.
"Yeah that's true… I guess I did kinda tell the stories as Tai would have wanted you to here them." Qrow said, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the picture. He looked at them, Summer, Taiyang… Raven… and himself. He glared at Raven for a few seconds but shook it off and looked back at the beautiful Summer Rose. "Yeah you're definitely a lot like her. She could always see the good in… well… everything and everyone. But wasn't afraid to be a bit of a brat from time to time. I think that was what made me fall for her, we both liked to cause a bit of trouble."
"You do surprise me." Ruby laughed.
"Hey? What am I? Irresponsible?" He chuckled, which made Ruby laugh. "But she was wise, way smarter than any of us. And a tough egg to crack, like you." He said.
"I'm tough? I let a demon get in my head." She chuckled.
"Yeah, it took the most Powerful Higher Demon in Umbra's possession to try and break you and even that didn't work." Qrow pointed out.
"Well… when you say it like that." Ruby laughed.
"She's so proud of you… you know that?" Qrow asked her.
"Did she say that to you?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah… you've grown into such an incredible person. I know things haven't been easy for you… but… I want you to know that I am so proud of you as well." Qrow said as he gently put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, gently kissing the top of her head.
"Thank you… dad…" She softly said.
Hearing her actually call her dad? That really melted his heart. They both looked ahead as a Medic approached, with her brown hair tied up behind her head. The Witches were all speaking with Kragen and the others as well. "Ma'am? One of the Med-Vac Ships has landed, I can get you and some of the wounded up to the Drift of Wandering Star so we can patch you up."
"Okay… probably be a good idea, right?" Ruby softly chortled.
"Yeah it may be." Qrow agreed. "Go on, I'll go see what the Witches are up to." Qrow assured. He walked away as Ruby and the Medic left. He then noticed Crescent Rose leant against one of the crates. "Uh, Ruby? Don't you want Crescent Rose?"
"Nah, Penny said she'd fix it up. It got banged up from all the fighting." Ruby answered.
"Okay. Get yourself fixed up, kid." Qrow said, and he kept on walking towards the Witches.
"… where will you go?" Yenna asked as he approached the conversation.
"We will help spread the Horridus Morbus Cure across Anima, alongside doing what we can to prepare them for what is coming alongside the rest of your forces." The Sorceress assured.
"You're leaving?" Qrow asked.
"We are. But worry not, we shall meet again. The Omens are certain of this fact – we will all be reunited on the Night of Dragonspire Keep." The Sorceress assured them all.
"We also… want to thank you all." The Enchantress said, with her hands held together.
"Thank us? For what?" Kragen asked.
"Well… it had been an exceptionally long time since people actually treated us as human beings. It felt nice to actually help people again, instead of casting curses on them. We will never forget the chance you gave us… a chance to be… human again." The Sorceress answered.
"Here… pass these around. I managed to conjure some, give them to the gravely injured, it will not just ease their pain, but will help their bodies recover." The Alchemist assured. Glynda looked at the bag she was handed, filled with glowing gold potions inside.
"Thank you…" Glynda said.
"Until we meet again." The Sorceress said, she opened a glowing orange portal, and they walked through it with the Undertaker alongside them. And the portal closed behind them.
"When I first met those Witches, I never expected them to be who they are now." Qrow chuckled.
"You're telling me." The Architect chuckled in agreement.
Blake
She gently rubbed his back, comforting Sun still. Weiss did indeed make him feel a bit better, but the grief was still there. But luckily he was no longer blaming himself for both past mistakes and not being able to save him from the Knight of Death. "How are you feeling?" Blake asked him. Sun just looked down at the body bag that was being carefully and respectfully carried to one of the airships to be taken to the Drift of Wandering Star.
"I… I don't know…" He softly sighed. "I just feel… I dunno…"
"It's okay, take your time." Blake assured as she held his hand.
"I guess… I just wish I could have been faster." He sighed.
"We all did what we could, Sun." Blake assured, gently resting her head on his shoulder as she held his hand gently.
"I know… but… I dunno it's all a mess. I don't understand how Weiss is managing to keep a level head right now." Sun said as he looked at her stood there.
"She's strong… but she is struggling too. But just remember, Sun… I'm here. We all are…" Blake promised, gently cupping his cheek in her hand, before kissing him lovingly.
"Thanks… Blake." He whispered, pressing his head against hers, his tail softly curling around her. They both looked forward to see Mazen, Kaa and multiple White Fang Members approach her. Mazen pressed his hand to his chest, Kaa and the White Fang Soldiers did the same in unison.
"Mr Wukong, I am deeply sorry for your loss. I did not know Neptune Vasillias, but he struck me to be an honourable and brave man to the very end." Mazen respectfully said to him.
"Thanks." Sun said, he then turned to Blake Belladonna.
"In truth… I have also come here for your forgiveness, Miss Belladonna." Mazen revealed, she looked at him with confusion.
"Forgiveness?" She asked.
"I… stood against you… turned Adam Taurus into a monster despite all the good you did for him. I do not deserve your forgiveness, especially after how I turned everything you built against you. And yet… I am asking for it." Mazen explained.
She shook her head and stood up.
"You don't owe me an apology, this was all Vir Nominis Umbra. He played all of us, both the White Fang and the Acolytes of Lien. And even the Academies. You do not owe me everything, your bravery here today has been more than enough." Blake assured.
"No… I am not fit to lead the White Fang. I turned to using dangerous criminals as soldiers which lead to the deaths of too many innocents. Including good people, and nearly your boyfriend." Mazen explained, Blake looked at Sun, and he sighed. Remembering Kardas and Tock.
Mazen looked at Blake and he exhaled. "The White Fang were once lead by your father, Miss Belladonna. And… before we came here, and on my journeys I gained access to old documents that belonged to Sienna Khan. She wanted… you… to follow in her footsteps as the next High Leader of our cause. Hopefully… the Last High Leader." He revealed, Blake's eyes widened with disbelief.
"W-What? No… I…" She stammered, she looked at Sun, but he just smiled and nodded his head encouragingly.
"Back in Menagerie… you told me you wanted to restore the White Fang to what it once was. I believe in you… and I know you can do it." Sun assured.
Blake looked at him and Mazen just nodded his head.
"I…" Blake softly said as she closed her eyes, and she pictured both Ghira and Kali in her head. She then opened her eyes and looked at Mazen. "Okay…" She finally agreed, and the Former High Leader knelt down and bowed his head to her.
"Our Path Lies Before Us… In High Leader Blake Belladonna… We Pave A Better Future For All Faunuskind." Mazen spoke at first, but all the White Fang including Kaa repeated the words as they knelt down in front of her. Blake stood before them with disbelief, but she swallowed her shock and doubt.
Finally…
… she could finally make a difference.
Ruby
Ruby and the Medic approached the Medical Airship together, and Ruby looked around as they got closer to it. She saw all the people being tended to, but she started to sense that something was increasingly wrong. She looked around more and more because it felt like she was being watched.
A red flash suddenly burst in front of them, and the medic started to choke in agony on her own blood as it sprayed from her slit throat. She collapsed onto the ground, directly into Ruby's arms, covering her in the woman's blood. She gasped and suffered as Ruby tried to stop the bleeding. "No! No!" She cried out, but the Medic died quickly, Ruby suddenly felt a hand grab her by the back of the neck and drag her away from the corpse, and gunfire sounded, only for her to suddenly pass through another red glow and end up somewhere else.
The person threw Ruby ahead, tumbling across the floor, and she reached back to Crescent Rose.
No! I left it behind!
They stood amongst the now Desolate Tar Pits beneath Salem's Castle, and Ruby stared through her long hair, pushing it aside. Her Silver Eye widened…
… to see that it was Raven who flicked the blood off Omen.
"You…" Ruby snarled as she clenched her hands into fists, still hurting from her wounds that needed desperate tending to.
Raven held Omen tight in one hand, pointing the long Odachi at her. "I am not gonna die because of some suicidal brat who thinks they can save the world." Raven snarled as she circled her.
"What have you become?" Ruby questioned as she watched Raven circle her.
"This is who I have always been, Ruby. I'm sorry to disappoint you, and Yang, and Qrow and everyone else. But… I will not die for your childish ambitions. I admired your bravery… but it's nothing short of suicidal. You cannot kill him." Raven stated.
"You don't know that." Ruby stated.
Raven stared at her sword and she saw her reflection in the Medic's Blood. She narrowed her red eyes and pointed the sword at Ruby again.
"I told you how the world works… the weak die… and the strong live." Raven stated.
Ruby knew what that meant.
Raven was not going to change her mind… and with Crescent Rose too far for her to get and no backup? She was severely outmatched with her injuries…
Ruby swung her leg up and pulled her knife from the sheath attached to her boot, spinning it through her fingers, staring Raven down.
"Then come on, Raven… just try it." Ruby challenged with a snarl.
Author Note - Of course Raven was waiting!
That poor Medic, she was just doing her job :( Raven is easily one of the characters in this I want to strange the hardest XD Ruby is definitely in a deadly situation right now though, she is badly injured and doesn't have Crescent Rose. She may have her knife but against Omen? That won't be very useful.
Always like the Aftermath Chapters, always fun to have little moments like the Kassius X Yang, Blake X Sun and so forth. The Witches have departed, Blake is now the High Leader and Weiss - bless her - is managing to keep herself together.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter - Raven's Law
- Matt
