Chapter 59 - Death's Last Stand

Act VI - Kingdom of Lies

[No One's POV]

In mere seconds of the words leaving Specter's mouth, the arrows plunged into the ground, blinding most of the occupants bar the archer. Her body zipped through, leg cracking against Morana's neck, tossing the Grimm away as his scream shot across the gap, missing Specter who continued to pivot, firing a series of elemental payloads from Thorn and Rose. Fire scorched his face, then an ice arrow froze his beak shut for a second, a lightning arrow locking Morana's muscles for two explosive arrows that pushed him back.

Screaming he lunged, bringing his talons down on where Specter once was, the bladed edges of her bow swiping clockwise across his chest, while she slid under the sharp slice of the wings, plunging two more bolts into his torso, both erupting into flames while her hood was nicked by the right wing as she performed a one-handed flip to evade the sonic beams from the tips of the black appendages, several feathers slicing along her clothing as she spun upright, landing with an arrow plucked from the air the second she fired.

Not a word escaped Specter who kept attempting to land a hit on the unstoppable Morana but he either snapped the arrows like twigs or simply pushed through the elemental blasts, driving his fist down, followed by a returning right hook that forced her back, splitting the bow as his claw came down the middle. Within seconds both axes crossed, slicing between the beak, her backflip cracking the steel-tip of her boots under his chin, performing a helix spin to toss an ax into his shoulder herself appearing almost instantaneously beside the Grimm, prying free her blade while shoving the other forward to block a claw while slitting his throat, cutting off a wail.

However, she gasped slightly, crossing her axes as a wing was brought hurdling down atop her, pinning Specter to her knees. Morana leaned closer, snarling angrily as a cone of sound gathered at the tip, by then she had no time for a reaction, merely to stare down the spiral of pressurized sound as it blasted her in the face with enough force to send her sprawling toward the group again, fragments of her mask littering the ground.

Morana's whole body began to twitch with sudden jerks, a distorted cackling resonating from the closing wound on his throat, while unable to break her aura it only made his desire for her blood further increase to levels of mania.

"Specter - ack!" Sky coughed up flakes of blood, unable to move due to his injury. The hooded woman pushed herself up again, face concealed under her thin veil but he caught her small frown flicker into an assuring smile

Shaking her head she ran her fingers along the frame of the mask that still fixed itself to her eyes, sighing softly. Taking her stand she connected her axes, flicking a hidden switch just under the handle that dislodged the bottom limb, the blade attaching with a spin of the bow as the ax blade across the top limb adjusted for the addition, forming a battleax.

A flurry of wind picked up around her feet, and Specter finally lost all sense of restraint. Holding herself back out of the fear of being found out, she had nearly lost the only thing keeping her identity hidden, it wasn't that she didn't feel ready to say, rather, she felt shame for all the years spent remembering, and even as she did was it really right for her to just... retake her place as a leader, a friend... a mother?

"I'm a dead soul inside a dead thing," Hollow as those words were it suited her just fine as her body felt lighter at the touch. "I don't deserve any of them." She was gone, speeding toward Morana who brought his voice to bear, decimating the ground that tore open under Specter, herself diving over the blast, slicing down Morana's torso

Her foot came back around with a kick, pushing him aside, his eye widened, her form already before his own for a powerful backswing of the battleax, tearing a sizable portion from Morana's side. Pressing her feet to his shoulders she flew away from a sonic blast, two beams from the wings grazing her hood.

The searing rage in her silver eye drew to crimson as her arm brought the ax around for a rising slant, connecting with Morana's slash, then the wing folded downward, forcing her to sidestep then draw the silver edge of her weapon across, finally severing a large portion of the wing that left Morana scream, a dome of sound pushing her away, the resulting stumble led to his fist colliding with her stomach, then the wing to cut into her aura but Specter held strong, grabbing his arm and driving her own fist between the beak, dropping a few red shards.

The beak clamped shut, scorching the inside of his maw that left him hacking, dropping Specter who grabbed her ax in both hands, bringing it up like a golf-club, breaking the right arm's scales and shaving the spines, finally leveling the playing field against the abomination of Death. Morana's eye snapped wide, slicing low in vain to sweep Specter, her form twirling downward with a vertical crash of the ax atop his crown.

Her hand touched the ground, inverting her stance upside down to push back, evading the several feathers that splintered the floor, both now several meters away once more. Morana's head twitched to the side, trying to understand why his rage was boiling at her eye, her clothing, her style, everything made his skin crawl like flames licking his flesh. Specter held the battleax toward the ground, motioning with her off-hand for him to advance, eye unblinking, a silver contrail dancing with her sprint, body low.

Reeling back, his feathers ruffled, Morana's throat gathered sound and air, arms brought forward with a massive whirlwind of serrated screaming, decimating the floor forward, forcing the spectators to move away quickly. His eye hesitated, spotting Specter sliding under the blast radius, her foot swiping his out from under him, claw and blade locking midair for half a second. The fighters backed away, Morana's arms bent back, taut, Specter's ax resting in the same open stance prior to the attack.

In sudden, almost unnatural bursts of speed in a haphazard pattern, Specter drew her battleax from the ground up the blade cast in orange. A scorching arc sunk against Morana's chest, throwing the flightless Grimm skyward in a halo of fire for her to lunge to the balconies, bending at her knees to propel herself as high as him.

Clutching her weapon with both hands she brought it down in an overhead strike, the velocity and impact pulverizing the ground with Morana at the center of the crater, wood, and dust raining afar, the hooded warrior landing a mere two seconds later, breathing a sigh of relief. In all her years, there wasn't a Grimm alive that could undertake that amount of damage, even for a Horseman.

The eyes of her spectators, lost in horror and anger as her split-second of tranquility were shattered, a hand tore her back by the hood, a right hook, and a bellowing scream brought forward toward the only thing in Morana's path through the black haze, another girl with raven hair and red-tipped bangs. Instinct, something unexpected and primal stirred for the first time in her second life, it pounded in her heart, and any conscious thoughts were discarded in that moment.

Ruby couldn't move in time, almost as if the fear of death rooted her in place, having lost focus in order to help move her friends away safely to the sidelines, the last she could see was of a white cloak and flurry of roses as they threw her aside.

*SCREECH!*

The force of the blast threw Ruby aside, and Specter was sent plummeting to the upper floor beyond the Vault lift, cloak shredded and her aura almost depleted. Her advantage was lost and all for a feeling she couldn't understand nor disregard as a wasted effort.

"This guy just keeps going, he's like that Hazel guy but way more intense." Nora sighed, clutching her stomach in pain while Ren kept up his distant assault beside her, firing just one of his weapons, unable to stand himself

"Just what is he?" Qrow gaped, drawing Harbinger to land buckshot across Morana's advancing form, their weapons hardly phasing him. Yang and Blake ran to intercept, weapons live as the binding was stretched between them

Morana sent forth a blast of sound toward Blake who Yang tugged with the binding toward her, swinging the girl around for a dropkick that Morana effortlessly evaded, plucking at the chord and bringing Blake down hard, a gauntlet going off on his wing as he threshed it out, even as her cybernetic continued to pump rounds into his ribcage it did little to stop his arm from bending forward, striking Yang in the gut then a backhand to the side as his feathers sliced along her aura as she was sent spiraling across the room.

Ruby flew back, her sniper ringing as bullets tore into Morana's scales, splitting skin that merely caused him discomfort. Unlike when he fought Specter, Ruby could feel it in his eye, all sense of care for the feeling of pain was just switched off, nothing seemed to be stopping him at all no matter the method. Landing, she drew herself to the left, avoiding the left wing's sonic beam as it stripped the banister along the vault lift apart.

"Red, duck!" She did as she was told, a blazing kick striking the crown of Morana while a series of white lines carved their way through his feathers. Albatross slid beside her, keeping his arm steady. "Something's blocked out his pain receptors, and I doubt he has a limit, just look at him," She did, her sister flung away once more into Weiss who erected a wall of ice to catch Yang. "He's just a mindless husk, Morana died back on that cliffside, this is Charron's marionette now."

Ruby had to make a choice, it was risky but she made a promise and that wasn't going to break now. "Everyone fall back, me and Albatross will take Morana!" It wasn't a request either, she had to be a leader now more than ever. "I mean it, stay back!"

"Let's do this!" He declared, Ruby's hand clutching his as they tore forward as a burst of red and crimson roses. Morana tried to disperse the petals but was met with twin blades carving down his arms, followed by a simultaneous horizontal spin, the force behind their attacks pushing him away for Ruby to lock her blade to the ground, firing a series of explosive rounds, allowing Albatross to close the distance

Albatross turned, blocking Morana's claws with his blade, striking him, and slicing his shoulder, and chest in a spinning motion before he bounced back and threw a right cross into his side, lining a shot to the forehead from Ruby who withdrew her scythe and extended the blade into a polearm, piercing Morana with a high-caliber thrust through the heart.

His wing swung around, dispersing several feathers while a scream was torn between the trio, Albatross pushed through, placing his blade in front, holding the face with his left hand as Morana flew down the hall, kicking his guard before doubled back with a strong right cross, shoving Albatross back. He strained his calves as Morana's left fist clashed with the blade, a sonic eruption slicing feathers across his skin and clothing, sparks reacting between them. He twisted his hold and threw his sword behind him, Morana falling toward the powerful uppercut followed by a right slant.

Stumbling back, Morana readied for Albatross who knelt, allowing Ruby to run up his back, her foot striking his beak, flipping herself over the wing's wide swipe, driving Crescent Rose down and through the muscles connecting the wings, hearing the Grimm shriek in agony. Rolling away from another aura of sound erupting from Morana, Ruby spun Crescent Rose in a whirlwind-like fashion, skimming his feet toward the onyx blade that carved through his damaged wing, the left twisting to fire another beam of sound to keep Albatross back while he leapt toward Ruby.

Taking the time, she threw her weapon high, Morana thrown through roses as he spotted her high above, lining the barrel of her weapon to his head, furious his beak snapped wide, unleashing a most agonizing scream that shattered her aura, the claw reaching out to clamp around her mouth before promptly slamming the back of Ruby's head into the floor, holding her down for Albatross to lunge in, thrusting his weapon forward the lacerate his muscles. Letting the girl go he kicked her aside and focused solely on the last man standing. His body having erupted into bluish-white flames, a contrast to his otherwise bleak appearance.

"Thanks, Red, you bought me the time I needed," Albatross was grinning, swinging his sword casually between his hands. "This world's rules are really hardcore when in terms of magic, heh, I'm kinda excited now, what say you?"

Morana howled, missing the blur of a target, something was different, the moment those flames emerged his posture, speed, everything was kicked into a higher gear than ever before, it was almost inhuman beyond Remnant's standards as white lines were scorched blue from Albatross' rapid assault tearing apart Morana's body. Every sonic attack missed, his claws split, feathers shaved, his eye unable to look away from the blue figure with white eyes as his blade thrust itself forward as a vibrant extension of his sword, piercing Morana's chest from ten meters away, the glassy blade shattering moments later, leaving the Grimm reeling from the large hole through his heart.

This streak of luck would not last, Morana finally caught the second he needed, swiping left, he saw the body of flames pivot over his arm, forgetting about the wing as the feathers straightened and locked with Albatross' sword, his body no longer a blur for his beak to rise to.

*Screech!*

Without anywhere to land and avoid, Albatross took flight from the initial blast, then gasped while bracing for the snap kick that followed as Morana jumped high to greet him. Before long the almost untouchable wanderer landed in a heap beside Ruby, herself only having recovered from losing her aura and suffering from a strange form of paralysis.

"N-no, Albatross, are you okay?" She knelt beside him, his thumb raising weakly

"Think I got too cocky again, ow, hate when that happens," He deserved it and now they'd pay the price. There wasn't a word to describe the primal look in Morana's eye, dark mist rising from charred wounds, black blood seeping from his chest that was as hollow as his undead corpse. He was looming, and no weapon that sunk rounds into his back was stopping him from ridding the world of the two warriors that did this to him, they would join Specter all the same

"Don't you dare..." A voice chimed, and Morana felt his cheek crease inward, flames melting his skin upon contact. "...lay a finger on her!"

The unholy cry from Sky practically sent the shockwaves through everyone's bones, as Morana's body was engulfed in flames, his wounds sealed through the roasting of his flesh, the force of the fist causing a ring of fire that kept Albatross and Ruby safe, the latter smiling gently at the protective stance of the raven-haired boy now given a draconic makeover, she'd be lying if seeing him like this wasn't endearing.

Sky grounded his teeth furiously, propelling himself towards Morana. Both raising a fist, sound, and fire rattling the air between them. When their fists pulled away, Morana just shook off the blow. "Fire Dragon's Fist!" Continuing his retaliation dozens of punches connected to points all across Morana's torso, each blow merely pushing him back a few centimeters with each strike. Sweat formed on his brow, and Morana's cheeks puffed out.

The bellowing scream struck Sky, throwing him backward. Tearing his jagged nails into the ground he returned just as viciously, feeling Iota's spectral hands glide over his left arm, bringing both high. "Fire-Ice Dragon's Brillaint-!" He shoved them against Morana's crossed arms. "-Flame!" If the words were an indication to his adrenaline-fueled anger, then the dilation of SKy's pupils were a justifiable notion, much like Morana, this form brought out something primal, especially in seeing Ruby being beaten to a pulp

The nova of flames and ice consumed Morana for a few seconds, only for him to release a small scream, dispersing the elements while latching his claws around Sky's face, bringing him closer for his wing to slice down across his left arm, blocking the appendage from gouging out his eye. Breathing a torrent of flames his face was pried free, rolling back onto all fours.

However, everyone only watched Sky shrug it off as he grabbed the heel of Morana, throwing the Grimm high above him, and as quickly as he went up, Sky brought him down with resounding force, shattering the hardened floor. While the Grimm slowly recovered, Sky's wounds were beginning to close, surrounded by flames, though it cost every piece of red dust his friends had it wouldn't be wasted.

"I told you before, this hunt is over." Sky hissed

*Blam-Blam-Blam-Blam-Blam-Blam-Blam-Blam-Blam-Blam-Blam*

Each electrical shot stunned Morana at his point of impact, Amber having joined the fight with Erika. Sky's sister appeared from above, her body crackling with green bolts that helped to imprint her forward kick to Morana's nape deeply. She kicked up and over, drawing Infernal in its shield mode for a fiery explosion to the face, leading him into the firing range of Amber, her bullets didn't pierce but the jolt kept the Horseman in place.

Then, Morana ducked, avoiding a swipe from Albatross, who quickly followed up with a cross-slash. Morana then slashed his side but Albatross quickly barrel-rolled while slashing at Morana's now exposed chest like a corkscrew. He followed by slashing another two 'X's' into Morana's defending arms, first from top to bottom and then bottom to top. Breaking his guard, he then made a diagonal slash from the top-right to bottom-left, then spun left and used this momentum to deal a horizontal right to left slash. Albatross ducked under another swing, which was aided by Amber firing another burst of round into his wings, and a shield strike to the calf from Erika while her body zipped away before Morana's foot could stomp down on her skull.

Albatross made one final spin around his wing, performing an uppercut; then another coming downwards. Amber then jumped in to skate her rifle across the side of Morana's right arm, utilizing the butt of the gun to break his beak. The rag-tag group moved to surround him yet only Albatross realized why he was so defensive.

"Do-" Too late as their ears bled from the scream that nullified their auras, paralyzing them for the sonic blast that threw their now useless bodies far and wide. Once more, the paragon of Charron's manipulation over the Grimm's very being was proven as their triumph was stolen like the rug under their feet. "-dge... nevermind." Albatross finally ran out of juice

Ruby ran to Sky and Amber, the two having fallen close to one another. Amber's body was cut, her wings battered and twitching as she tried to fold them, even her tail was heavily bruised. For Sky, he had used up the last of his Draon King form, leaving him with a torn shirt and jacket in need of stitching, his face dotted with blood and dirt, and the raw scar running between his shoulder and chest.

"Sky, Amber, are you-" Sky held up a thumb as Albatross did, Amber wincing but managing a nod

"We've been better, thank you," Amber coughed, Sky nearly falling over if not for Ruby helping him lean against her collarbone, arm wrapped around him tightly

"I don't know how we can beat him, if I'm honest a few more hits maybe but none of have that strength left," His body twitched, trying to raise a hand as Morana shambled toward them. "Crap, can't we catch a break?"

Up above, Specter had recovered, having observed the battle from above with shameful eyes. She was the only one with any strength left and all she did was stand and watch with fear, her cloak torn to ribbons, her mask all but shards, and her stupid guilty consciousness filling her train with malicious scenarios of sorrow and regret.

But what scared her more was losing all she had gained since her rebirth. Albatross and his almost innocent, shy compliments and charming humor. Amber's devotion and smile when she finally let down her walls. Sky, the person who was willing to be in her corner the day she faced her past. These people helped to shape the Summer today, while she cowered under the person she was before, afraid to face the reflection at all, it's why she put on the mask.

"I'm pathetic," She spat, pushing herself up and over the remains of the banister, drawing Morana's eye again, now there was just nothing, a blank emotion, what shadows of Morana that remained had been snuffed out for a puppet of a Vex. Summer knew this had to end, for Morana's sake, and those she would give everything to protect. "Hold this for me." She threw her torn cloak to Sky's lap, his eyes softened with a smile

With both hands Summer tied back her hair into a ponytail, letting her bangs rest just above her eyes while the tail bobbed between her shoulder blades, eye hardened with a consistent trace of silver light. "I may be a coward, a nobody who deserves no second chance, but if you lay a hand on my friends," She kicked up her fallen weapon, Thorn and Rose still combined into a battleax, her frown was anything but sincere. "Or dare to harm another hair on both my little girl's heads, then you'll wish you had died long before now."

There wasn't room to breathe as Morana felt the ax cross his face, battering him toward the right wall as a flurry of white and red roses crashed into his stomach, legs appearing to kick him full force through a pillar. Summer landed, slicing through his flesh relentlessly until his cheeks twitched and her brow rose, quickly vanishing backward as roses as the soundwave tore through the air, the Grimm appearing above her with a powerful right claw that she effortlessly spun away from, locking her weapon with the left while throwing herself up and over his body, kicking his while drawing her ax low, bringing it through Morana's right hand, splitting it in two as the wedged weapon gave her the momentum to pull herself, hand strangling his throat as both turned to black and white roses.

Morana was thrown from the burst, struck from every angle by the roses, unable to scatter them no matter how many roars he brought forth, they merely gathered again. Her body reemerged above his head, striking through his missing eye, carving out a sizable chunk from his head, swatting Morana into the ground while she slid down onto solid ground herself, keeping her distance to fire several explosive arrows that lost their momentum under a low bearing growl.

Reeling his neck back Summer dashed away into the balconies above, the torrent of sound ripping through the upper-level, chasing the roses before cutting them off with a snap of his neck, decimating the level without a trace of a rose petals, but his instincts remained focused on the dust plume, watching for a single petal or glimpse of white.

*Schhwaff!*

No longer numbed the icy arrowhead split his left palm, freezing his fingers even as they broke from the ice, Morana's eye leering toward Oscar and Qrow, Summer standing before them while nocking another three arrows, her one eye locked between her bangs, blowing one aside.

The arrows flew, again doing little to stop his almost uncontrollable charge. Reverting back to her battleax, Summer ran, pressing her foot to the edge of the staircase, evading the first claw swipe, then to the next wall, then the third, the sonic blast missing her by inches as she spun downward, amputating both wings completely, leaving the Horseman wailing in agony as she backed out of the corner, passing by the rest of Ruby and Sky's team who watched, starstruck, but no more than Yang, face utterly frozen on her adoptive mother's face.

Summer dived back, deflecting several feathers while the left arm clipped her hair while she slid under his legs, splitting the muscles located in the back of his knees, bringing the mutated harpy down for a backswing of thorn and rose, the impact with a sonic wail erupting into a large dust cloud, leaving Summer disorientated while back out, rubbing her ears.

"Watch it, Summer!" Albatross' warning pushed her to move backward but she felt fingers clamp to her ponytail, yanking her back with a yelp, slamming her face into the ground before twisting her around by the chin, choking her while lifting the woman off her back, ensuring she eyed Morana as he strangled her.

"M-mom!" That word alone struck her again, forcing her remaining eye open wide as it hardened on the Grimm, then came the small flash of snow-white, resulting in Morana losing his hold, his fingers crumbling to dust, pieces of his form once more falling apart under the divine light that retreated to Summer's iris, giving her a clear view of the beak an inch from her nose

"Oh no-" Another howl threw her toward the vault lift, her back smacking against the statue with a breathless cry, her aura shattered with a loss of white sparks. Her hand tried to pull itself under her but she ultimately fell back on her face with a shudder

A single step was all Morana took before every ranged weapon in Haven unloaded the last of their contents atop him. Bullets of varying elements and sizes ripped, stunned, burned, froze, impacted, and slice through what little defenses he had, keeping him grounded as his beak would open, glyphs would slam it shut. If he moved ice shards from Iota, himself barely able to stand while helping to prop Amber's rifle to the Grimm's legs.

Explosive rounds from Qrow made his arms numb but he didn't care, if by some slither of a chance his mind wasn't playing tricks he'd be damned if he allowed the person he failed the most die again. "Come on... go down already!" He bellowed, even with his bad luck he prayed it would not matter for once in his horrid life, just a single time

"Qrow... I'm sorry," Summer grit her teeth, pushing up with her elbows as her bangs fell before her eyes again. "I should have told you, I should have been there for you like you were for me so many times," A faint warmth gathered in her chest at that. "For Raven, Tai, Yang... Ruby... you."

It hurt but she managed to stand, clutching onto her imitation of a weapon she once held long ago, eye ablaze with hope she never had before simmering inside her. "This ends now!" Her defiant, snappish voice caught Morana's ear, himself swinging his beak down, decimating the ground that missed Summer by a hair, the glint of her ax drawing between his right shoulder, severing the arm completely with one fell swoop as she skated on her metal heels, twisting her form around just as his left hand swiped her cheek, grazing her

Summer inverted her hold, swiping high to amputate the remaining arm, watching the Horseman struggle to stand upright, his limbs no longer regenerating. This made her gasp softly, he didn't stop, trying to bite and kick her with what energy he had left, this finally caused Summer to lose her temper.

"Would you seriously take the hint already!" She just wanted this night to end. Charging through the pain and fatigue her right arm twisted horizontally, driving the blade through the top half of Morana's head, and with a single, clean stroke her weapon sunk through bone and threw itself through the air, everything above Morana's beak being cleaved off completely.

The body stumbled forward, attempting to walk forward with an invisible hand as the legs gave weigh, the torso slumping against the utterly demolished floor in a heap of black mist, whatever remains of the Horseman of Death finally called to oblivion by his namesake. The only sound left was Summer's labored breaths, her hands almost dropping her weapon out of sheer exhaustion.

However, she brought her left hand around, pointing to Albatross with a scowl, the cyborg blinking nervously. "If he... comes back... I quit, entirely," He just put his hands up and nodded, leaving Summer to nod and pull herself toward the exit to Haven, stumbling as she did. "I'll... contact you later..."

It was over, the Battle for Haven was at its end, they had won by a hair but they did it, and the Relic of Knowledge was safely secured. Yet, several occupants couldn't revel in this triumph, not while the woman in white slowly made her exit, or tried to with her occasional stumble. Words, questions, tears, it was all needing to be let out, yet for Ruby, in particular, she couldn't find a single word at all, just... shellshock, the words 'Mom' echoing in her head like a tortuous tempo.

For Summer, she was tired. Tired of fighting, of blood and violence. The pain in her chest returned, emotions and feelings good and bad swam out of control, she had lost her nerve, her secret was out and now she had no idea what to do other than to leave, to pretend tonight never happened, to simply be forgotten to the world. What was it she was fighting for anymore?

"...w-wait, wait!" Someone spoke up, the last she wanted to. Qrow managed to stand only a few meters behind her but that didn't stop her. "Hold on, Summ-"

"Don't call me that!" Her voice made him flinch, seeing the tension in her shoulders. "...I... if I were Summer... she'd have come back prior to all of this, she would have tried something, Qrow!" Even saying his name was painful. "I'm... not her."

Sky had enough himself, forcing himself to sit forward. "After everything you taught me, that's what you think?" He was angry but not at her entirely. "I want to help you as you've done for me when I didn't deserve it at all! You, Amber, Albatross, Eric, you all gave me the courage to face my friends, my family again after abandoning them!" This had to be done, he couldn't let her slip away again, for Ruby and Yang's sake. "Please... don't go, Specter."

It was slow, but his eye met the bandana that covered her missing eye, a small, pained smile on her lips. "...I'm sorry," His own breath hitched, "I... just don't have that strength anymore," She turned away, limping forward.

They had won but it didn't feel any better than losing, Sky hunched forward, placing his head on the ground in bitter frustration. Qrow hung his head low, unable to say a word, Yang was frozen, herself lost in thoughts and memories. And Ruby stared, tears finally breaking from her eyes as her hand reached forward like a child, desperately trying to hold onto the fleeting, white image.

"You've both become so strong," Her voice cut the silence, and this time, only the silver eye peeking between her bangs could be seen, soft and misty. "I'm so proud of you both." Then, it disappeared in a weak gust of roses

To Be Continued...


Thus, the Battle of Haven is over, and I pray my job was done well for all of you. Morana is dead for good I swear, and as for the ending... Summer's got alot on her plate now, so does Sky, Ruby, Yang, and Qrow. The last chapter of this arc is coming soon so I hope you enjoyed the badass fight, appreciate the support, and seeya in the next chapter!

Next Chapter: A Moment of Truth

The battle is over but Summer is still in Mistral. Sky will help her return to her family, just as she did for him, even if it hurts, he won't give up on his friend.