Ruby's side of the final action.

Chapter Forty Seven

Watch Me Burn

"We're closing in on Beacon."

Ruby's silver eyes looked over Vale and clung to hope. Fires raged and many buildings were crumpled rubble. If she focused hard enough, she could see citizens flee and huntress and huntsmen alike slash at the waves of Grimm.

She wondered if her uncle was among them.

"Ready, Red?"

Ruby pursed her lips as Roman appraised her from his spot against the wall and to her left. He didn't bother to look at the chaos below.

Airily, she replied, "No."

Amethyst stepped up beside her, hand on shoulder. "You have to be, Ruby."

She checked Amethyst's scroll to make sure the aura levels of all her friends were now loaded up. Amethyst's pool of intel was so large, all she had to do was specify which people she wanted alerts from. The four remaining on the airstrip stared back at her. Mercury, Weiss, Sun, Neptune. She pocketed the scroll and gripped Crescent Rose tight. In the distance, she saw the airstrip. The air was thick with the decomposing particles of Grimm. Her eyes latched onto the hulking form of the Wyvern that lazily hooked itself to the Beacon Tower.

Ruby whispered, terrified, "How am I going to take on that?"

"You won't. Not alone." Amethyst cracked her knuckles and rolled her neck. "Focus on Cinder, and if you can't get those eyes of yours to blast, then use your semblance to get Pyrrha out of there. Just keep an eye on your aura levels. I'll redirect the beast and try and pin it down."

The newly minted huntress inhaled deep. "Okay. And… Amethyst?" She waited until Amethyst made eye contact with her. "If I don't… make sure the rest of my friends make it out?"

Amethyst blinked. Her panda ears bent at the mere idea. "It won't come to that."

"Please."

"...I promise."

The ship shook as the Wyvern screeched. Ruby wobbled but was stabilized by Roman. She nodded in thanks to him. He merely released her, placed one gloved hand on the edge of the ship's open hatch, and gripped his cane tight in the other.

"Think this thing'll wince at pot shots?" Roman asked with his uncaring drawl. Ruby snorted.

"In annoyance, yeah."

"Ah. Lovely." He twirled his cane, then pointed it forward. "Never a dull moment with ya, Red."

Ruby smiled. Her soul still felt weighted, but it was a genuine one. "I'm glad you're with us, Roman."

The ex-crime lord visibly faltered, but regained his composure. "Of course you are. I'm a catch."

Amethyst called over her shoulder, "Boa, get ready to swing us around."

"Yes, Lady Laverna. I wish you the best of luck, Huntress Rose."

"You've got your gravity dust ready?" Amethyst addressed Ruby.

"Ready."

"Good. Remember, think of the people you want to protect. Of the people you love." Amethyst moved to the other side of the hatch. "Three."

Ruby bent her knees.

"Two."

The monstrous beast pushed off the tower.

"One."

The Wyvern readjusted its trajectory and began to fly straight toward them.

"Jump!"

Ruby jumped.

Amethyst Rai Grendel was… tired.

Ozpin was dead. Amber was dead. Pyrrha's aura, she could feel, was low but actively fueled by… something. She hoped it was enough.

The Summer Maiden hardened her expression and forced her cold facade to gleam with chilling fury. There was no time for mourning. She watched with eyes that could cut metal as the Wyvern circled around to try to ram the Quietus yet again. From the corner of her eye, Roman Torchwick gripped the side of the hatch for dear life while he fired his cane at the Grimm below.

The Wyvern came ever closer. She couldn't use her semblance any longer unless she wanted her aura to flame up and break. If she emerged from this battle alive and without a semblance-induced fever, she'd consider herself lucky. But… as much as she would enjoy the sweet release of death at this point, she had no one to think of in her last moments aside from a silver-eyed girl she wished not saddle with an extra burden, and the legendary S Class Grimm that approached was not about to find satisfaction in her blood spilled.

"If I'm not back soon, order Boa to loop around and pick up the remaining students from the airstrip," Amethyst ordered Roman dryly as she flipped her curved dagger in her hand.

"Oh, sure, I'll just act as a glorified cabbie for kiddies that are more likely to shoot than thank me. No problem."

Amethyst felt the magnitude of sass hit her square in the temple. "I may not be able to kill you, but I'm partial to mild torture."

He wisely stayed silent, and with a sliver of a grin, blue flames began to leak from her eyes as she readied herself for a jump. Lightning brewed around her, and just as she bent her legs to jump, sudden shots zoomed past them both. Her head snapped down to where Ruby's friends were. A blue-haired boy flagged her down with a nervous wave. Grimm rose from pools of Darkness all around them. Amethyst sighed.

"Change of plans. Boa, swing us around to pick up the kids. I'll clear the way."

"Affirmative, Lady Laverna."

Amethyst inhaled deep and reached deep within to muster another large blast of magic. She felt exhaustion set in her bones as her magic reserves dwindled further. Pyrrha tried to ease off her tap of magic in an effort to help, but at this point, it mattered little.

She shook her head, and with a single nod to Roman, she jumped from the ship.

All her life as an agent for Oz, she fought to preserve the Summer Maiden power purely because no other girl would qualify. Now? If need be, she knew who to think of.

She didn't want to die. She didn't want to pass on the power to someone new when they're on the cusp of Salem's attempt to overthrow and obliterate human and faunus alike. But… what choice did she have?

Amethyst only hoped Ruby Rose wouldn't be crushed under the pressure, if it came to it.

Jaune's eyes skirted across the battlefield as Pyrrha moved around the floating gears with great precision. On the ground, White Fang grunts fired up at them with admittedly bad aim. He spied an airship approaching from the distance with White Fang logo on it. Cinder flew around and melted gears one at a time in an attempt to break apart Pyrrha's defense, and Emerald…

Cinder dropped her off at the top of Beacon Tower, where she could wreak havoc on Pyrrha's mind freely.

Determined, Jaune turned to Pyrrha. Sweat built upon her brow and her chest heaved as she breathed hard through gritted teeth. "About that idea you had."

Pyrrha's eyes flicked over to him. "Yes?"

"What, uh, did it entail? Also, right in front of us."

She eyed the tower as the gear they stood on floated to the right, further away from the tower, and the molten hot gear Cinder sent their way flew past. Pyrrha's eyes lit up with green flames and she sent a focused blast of wind in front of her a moment later, warding Cinder back. Right after she used her power, she winced and clutched her hand with the other. "Aime's magic is getting harder and harder to tap into. My idea, it… it might not work. I haven't ever used my semblance like… I'm about to."

"No time like the present?"

Pyrrha schooled her features into a determined mask. "Amp me."

He poured more of his aura into her and ignored the numbing feeling that spidered through his nerves. He may be unfamiliar with how to use his semblance still, but he was willing to take the consequences.

Ruby landed on the floor of Ozpin's wrecked office. She left the Wyvern for Amethyst to handle. She was, technically, her co-worker now, and considering what she saw Amethyst do, running on fumes wouldn't stop her from buying Ruby enough time.

She raised her silver eyes to see a familiar figure at the edge of the tower floor, back turned to her. Emerald's symbol glared back at her as both her hands were pressed to her temple as she focused on the battle below her. Ruby assumed Pyrrha was down there, fighting Cinder.

"Emerald."

The mint-haired woman whirled around and pulled Thief's Respite from their holsters. Ruby couldn't muster an expression beyond disappointment as Emerald pointed her pistols at her without hesitation. Her crimson eyes narrowed.

"Ruby."

She wasn't sure what to think of Emerald now. She wasn't as close to her as she was Mercury or Neo, but she still considered her a friend before… before the match. Emerald was Mercury's partner in crime, his best friend, and because of that, Emerald was special to her too. But now… she was causing so much suffering, all because she believed Cinder had her best interests in mind.

Ruby adjusted her grip on Crescent Rose. Emerald followed the slight movement. With a small shake of her head, Ruby asked, "Why?"

She hissed, "Don't pretend we were friends. We were never close."

"I thought we were." Ruby stepped forward. "I would have helped you."

"Sure."

"You were a part of the deal," Ruby said with a shrug. "Neo told me your choice, and I removed you from it. It hurt. But I'm not going to help you if you don't want to be helped."

A scowl ripped across Emerald's face. "Mercury and Neo may buy into your little found family bullshit, but I'm not stupid. Cinder is my family."

"If you really think that, why did you bother texting me about the bomb?"

Emerald blinked, then fired a warning shot from her pistols. Ruby effortlessly spun Crescent Rose and deflected both bullets.

"Cinder isn't family, Emerald. But… aren't Mercury and Neo?"

Emerald shifted her pistols to kusarigamas and darted forward. Ruby lifted Crescent Rose and blocked her first few slashes and pivoted back with her right foot. Emerald grit her teeth.

"Ugh, just shut up," Emerald moaned in disgust. "You can spout your heroic, 'friendship is magic' mantras, but it's not going to do anything beyond make me throw up."

She felt her heart shrivel at the blatant rejection, but she pushed aside her emotions. Instead, she said, "I don't want to fight you, but I'm not going to let you hurt Pyrrha."

Emerald shook her head. "I won't. Cinder will."

Ruby pulled the trigger on her scythe and Emerald bent backwards to avoid the blade. She fell into a somersault and sprung back. The blades of Thief's Respite extended on their chains and sliced at Ruby as Emerald twirled on her heels. Ruby angled her blade so the chains of Emerald's weapons wrapped around

Crescent Rose, then flicked the mechanism that folded up her weapon with her thumb. Emerald stared, unimpressed, as Crescent Rose folded up as best as it could with Emerald's chain blades wedged in between.

"You're not going to win in a hand to hand, Red."

"Nope."

Emerald had barely any time to react as Ruby burst into rose petals and carried Emerald with her. Ruby carried Emerald to the edge, threw herself off it, and Emerald went screaming after. Below them, Ruby gaped at the display of power by Pyrrha as gears, twisted metal and anything else not nailed down with bits of metal within floated around her and…was that Jaune? She created a large shield from the White Fang down below (who were suddenly shifting their focus to Oobleck and Port, who appeared from the front side) and shifted gears around to ward off Cinder who hovered around the barrier.

Ruby startled as Emerald released her weapons and snaked her arm around Ruby's neck. She brought Ruby to her and tightened the hold. Ruby's hands instinctively flew to try and abate the pressure, and in the process dropped both Crescent Rose and Thief's Respite. Ruby tried to gasp in the air but wasn't able to, and as they free-fell towards the mess of gears and metal Ruby twisted in Emerald's grasp.

"E-... Em-"

Ruby tried to kick her legs back into Emerald but Emerald kept twisting in the air. Down below, Cinder made a move to charge Pyrrha and Jaune only for Pyrrha to push her back with a gust of wind. They were approaching the gears too fast, and Ruby didn't even see where Crescent Rose landed…

"Cinder!" Emerald shrieked as Cinder fell to the ground before she could regain control of her flight. With a growl of anger, Emerald let go of Ruby's neck, grasped her shoulders to plant her heels into Ruby's back, then bucked her legs so Ruby went spiraling faster right towards one of the gears.

Ruby could only manage a wheeze as she slammed into a gear just large enough to hold her lying down, stuck catching her breath from Emerald's impromptu strangulation and the hard impact. Emerald landed much more gracefully on a gear higher up in the air and pressed her fingers to her temple once more.

"Py… Pyrrha, Jaune." Ruby pushed herself to her knees and looked over to her friends. Pyrrha's focus was hardly shaken, but Jaune's brows furrowed as he swiveled his head around before he focused on Ruby. She managed a grin, but instead of the expected shock of how she popped up out of nowhere, Jaune's expression didn't change.

"Emerald's on that gear!"

"What?! Oh-" Emerald's semblance! She must be tricking both of their minds now! "No, wait-"

Ruby yelped as the gear she was on shifted and zoomed to the right. Ruby coughed as she was slammed and sandwiched between the tower wall and the gear with only a sliver of sky and the metal of the gear visible to her. Her aura sparked, and Ruby managed to take a peek to see it just dipped to the red. Ruby winced as she tried to push at the gear, but the sudden creaks that came from Beacon Tower caused her movements to get less organized and more frantic.

Ruby grit her teeth and yelled in exertion. "JAUNE! PYRRHA!"

Above her, Beacon Tower began to tear itself apart, at least, it seemed like it was, and Ruby felt panic well within as she looked up to see through the small gap the sky turned orange. Like the clouds got weighty and suddenly dropped and, oh Gods, was that lava?!

She wasn't sure what happened next. She felt her semblance activate on her whim, but she watched as the petals floated around and suddenly, she squeezed through the small hole in the center of the gear and drifted towards Pyrrha and Jaune. She went to fling her arms out so she could loop them around Pyrrha and Jaune, but rose petals flung out in the same directions before she saw her arms reform from the petals and, finally, she latched herself to the partners.

"Guys guys guys it's me!"

"Ruby?!" Jaune breathed into her ear, and Pyrrha echoed his gasp before she removed Ruby's arm from her and passed Ruby completely to Jaune. Jaune wrapped his free arm around Ruby. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help! What's Pyrrha-"

Ruby cut herself off as the groans of Beacon Tower turned into shrieks and shrill scrapes of metal against metal. Pyrrha cried out as she clenched both hands and brought her arms in close so her elbows were bent and her fists framed her face. The metal vortex around them as well as Emerald, who was hopping from object to object, fell out of sight as Pyrrha tore Beacon Tower completely open and brought the gear they stood upon to the side, away from the suddenly falling parts of the tower.

Ruby yelped as metal flung every which direction but moved around them as if a protective sphere surrounded them, and she peeked over Jaune's shoulder to see Cinder weaving through the crashing half of the tower with a cone of fire in her wake. The lava from above rained down like drops of rain and burned into the metal frame.

"Pyrrha, Amethyst's ship is just on the other side of the tower!" Ruby shouted over the loud clang of metal. "We just have to-"

Jaune barked a sudden shout. "Watch out!"

Ruby didn't notice someone left from the airship she spotted earlier. Jaune moved so he took the blow from Tempest, who had jumped from the airship and slashed at them with what looked to be a sword-gauntlet contraption that mounted on her right hand and ran all the way up to her elbow. Electric yellow orbs floated around Jaune and his aura flickered.

Pyrrha lost focus and her grip on the gear fell away. They fell to the earth in a mess of limbs, and as Ruby and Jaune hit the ground, both their auras shattered. Pyrrha stayed firm, but if it weren't for Jaune's constant boost, she would be down for the count as well. Pyrrha jumped to her feet and lunged for Tempest as Ruby stumbled to her feet and caught Jaune's elbow to help him up.

"I've got to use my eyes," Ruby muttered to herself. "I don't know how but it's looking more and more like I need to pull a freaking deus ex machina here."

Jaune coughed. "W-What?"

"Good question!" Ruby said with a frustrated, fake smile. She tried to push down her panic as she realized they were surrounded. White Fang above, Tempest behind with Cinder and Emerald too close for comfort, and spanning the part of campus right in front of them, meandering Grimm started to take notice of the humans and faunus making noise. Behind her, she heard Tempest shriek and her aura break. "Pyrrha, we gotta go!"

They landed just outside the cocoon of academic buildings, which helped. If they had an impromptu landing in the private courtyard they'd be boxed in with the White Fang and the currently precariously hanging exoskeleton of Beacon Tower. Ruby turned to see Pyrrha whack Tempest with the butt of her rifle and she crumpled in a heap.

Pyrrha turned with flaming green eyes. "You two need to get out of here."

Ruby growled and snagged Pyrrha's hand. "No. Come on."

Jaune grabbed Pyrrha's other arm with a slight limp in his step. "We just need to get to the ship that Ruby mentioned. We're nearly- urgh-"

The blonde leader hissed and stumbled back as a bullet pinged against his chest piece and another punched into his left shoulder. Emerald dropped down with a flickering aura and Thief's Respite back in her hands. Crescent Rose was secure on her back.

"Emerald, that's enough!" Pyrrha roared as she brought her shield up and stepped in front of Ruby and Jaune. Ruby felt her blood run cold as Cinder floated into view just behind Emerald.

She felt her soul lurch within her own body.

"Your aura is low," Ruby said slowly. "And your hallucinations are a lot harder to impose on more than one person. Mercury said so himself."

Emerald tightened her grip on Thief's Respite. In her crimson eyes, Ruby could see a mix of guilt and conviction. Breathlessly, Emerald responded. "Then I guess I better make it count, huh?"

Cinder sent out a blast of fire that hit Pyrrha head on. She went spiraling back, towards the Grimm that were fast approaching, and Emerald leapt forward with her weapons in sickle form. Ruby shied away, weaponless, while Jaune brought up his shield to block her attack. Emerald instead springboarded off Jaune's shield, landed in a crouch behind them, and swung her bladed chains to snag and wrap around Ruby's auraless, unprotected neck.

She felt her eyes begin to burn.

Ruby let herself be pulled by Emerald's chains. As she drew closer to Emerald, her eyes widened as a familiar purple string connected between Crescent Rose on Emerald's back and the ground as lightning roared behind her. Emerald gasped as she hit the ground. From the corner of her eye, Pyrrha pierced a boarbatusk in the mouth before she threw its corpse toward a griffon. Ruby angled herself so her knee slammed into Emerald's stomach and, with that final blow, Emerald's aura shattered. Jaune was quick to join Ruby and restrain Emerald's wrists.

"Emerald, please." Ruby gasped out. "Cinder can't take on Amethyst and Pyrrha at once, and you know it."

Emerald closed her eyes. Her face morphed from a scrunched up, upset expression until eventually it smoothed out to a serene one. She opened her eyes, and Ruby never saw a set of eyes stare back at her that were so deadened, so blank.

And she angled her head, just slightly, to her left, where Cinder was. Ruby followed Emerald's gaze, and choked on air.

Cinder was there, looming over Amethyst, and from her left palm… there was this black gunk, and it was splattered over Amethyst's neck, upper chest, and a part of her chin, and Cinder kept Amethyst pinned as a purple haze filtered through the gunk and into Cinder. Both Amethyst and Cinder's eyes flamed with the Maiden power, but Amethyst's fire dimmed, like she couldn't summon it properly. She kept an electrified palm on Cinder's face, but the False Maiden ignored the pain of the shock.

"W… What is…" Jaune muttered.

"AIME!"

Pyrrha recovered and sprinted forward to slash at the black substance, and Cinder leapt back as amplified flames flew from her eyes. A satisfied smile curled at the edge of her mouth, and Cinder sighed as she batted Pyrrha away with some of her power.

"This… oh, no wonder you guarded this with such devotion," Cinder purred as she rose high into the air. "This power… even without the full power of Fall or Summer, it's… enthralling."

Amethyst, from her spot on the ground, rolled to her side and coughed. Her visible pale blue eye lifted to gaze at Ruby through her golden curls of hair.

The piercing pain, the burn of her eyes, Ruby felt it all. She felt an intense hatred bloom for Cinder, but the way Cinder eyed Pyrrha and Amethyst, like they were meals she was entitled to consume and siphon, ignited Ruby's desire to protect, to shield. She barely noticed as Emerald lashed out to throw Ruby off her, barely noticed how Emerald ran to Cinder with Thief's Respite and Crescent Rose still on her person, because all she saw reflected in her brightening silver eyes was Cinder Fall.

Cinder Fall. The False Maiden who killed her Headmaster. The terrorist who tore down the academy she came to call home.

The woman who dared to try to tear away her family, her friends, and the man she loved and had the gall to smile as she did so.

And with a final, broken cry, Ruby's world turned white.

Pyrrha heard Ruby's strangled cry just as she threw herself on top of Amethyst to shield her from Cinder's arrow.

The arrow never came. Instead Cinder gasped, a disbelieving 'what' uttered from her lips, and Pyrrha turned her gaze towards Jaune and Ruby to see… Ruby. Her silver eyes brightened then shone light. It streaked from her eyes and her body lifted off the dry grass as her back arched and she flung her arms out with her palms up. Silver swirled around her and Pyrrha was blinded by white. It was everywhere, like a flashbang minus the searing heat across the skin and the ringing within her ears.

Faintly, she could hear Emerald cry out to Cinder, hear Emerald throw herself over her boss, but Pyrrha couldn't dawdle. Through the blinding light, Pyrrha grabbed at Amethyst and lifted her onto her back, and she stumbled away from Cinder, towards Ruby, or where she thought she was. Amethyst's arms weakly looped around Pyrrha's neck, and Pyrrha stretched her right arm in front of her.

As she heard the sudden howls of pain from Grimm, including the distant shriek of the Wyvern and, surprisingly, Cinder, Pyrrha's hand landed on Jaune's shoulder. Jaune grasped at Pyrrha and found her right elbow and left shoulder.

"What's happening?!" Jaune asked into Pyrrha's ear, barely heard over the white noise.

"I-I don't know!"

"S…Silver eyes." Amethyst coughed out. "She's… ah."

We can explain once you are safely away from Beacon. Amber assured. Aime, speak to me.

Tired, Ames. I'm… I'm tired.

Try and stay awake. Come on, push through it.

Just as quick as the white light came, it was snuffed out, and Ruby's suspended form fell to the grass. Pyrrha and Jaune blinked to reorient themselves and, after a brief glance at each other, Jaune rushed to Ruby. He kneeled and scooped an arm around her shoulders while his free hand lightly tapped at her cheek.

"Ruby? Come on, Rubaby, talk to us!"

Pyrrha lifted her eyes to the Grimm. What was once a large mass of black, white and glowing red was now a mixture of crumbling stone and blackened ash. Her chest hiccuped as her emerald eyes blew wide with shock. "How in the…"

Distantly, she realized Cinder was screaming. Pyrrha turned to see Cinder squirming on the ground as Emerald cradled her to her chest. Emerald's hands hovered over Cinder's skin but she looked hesitant to touch the wounds that suddenly formed. And Pyrrha couldn't say she blamed her.

As Pyrrha shifted her xiphos to its rifle form and shifted her shield to her back, Pyrrha watched with morbid fascination as Cinder's left leg and arm sizzled and burned. Her aura burst in an orange mist. Her leg only had small pockets of skin burned away, but her arm… parts of it sizzled to stone, and just crumbled to dust.

"C-Cinder?! I- I don't know how- why are you-"

Flames leaked from Cinder's eyes and danced along her eyelashes. Her amber colored eyes locked on Ruby's prone form before she eased her gaze over to Pyrrha, who stared her down the barrel of her rifle. Cinder sneered.

"You… promised a power that isn't yours to take." Cinder grunted as she pushed away from Emerald only to fall to the side as she had no more left hand to prop herself up. "The longer you delay..."

"I'm not the one stealing souls with the help of Grimm… whatever that Grimm substance is," Pyrrha snarled. Her finger curled around the trigger as her aim levelled at Cinder's forehead.

She fired.

Pyrrha gasped as a man in a sloppily buttoned black suit dropped down and blocked her shot with a red sword, and on instinct she gripped the metal of his sword tight with her semblance as he tried to slash it once more. His Grimm mask covered his eyes but his bull horns were on proud display as his red hair glowed. He stared down Pyrrha as he realized he couldn't move it, then slowly sheathed his sword, and his hair dulled to a regular red.

"Pyrrha Nikos." The faunus said with a stoic expression. Behind him, Emerald helped Cinder to her feet. Cinder leaned heavily on Emerald thanks to her injured leg.

She readjusted her grip on Miló. "And you are?"

"Adam Taurus."

She backed away, closer to Jaune and Ruby, and completely blocked them from Adam's view. "I suggest you walk away."

"...I concur."

"What?! Taurus, kill her, use your semblance!" Cinder began to order.

Adam whipped his head to the side so he could address the False Maiden. "This woman just crushed half of my troops under part of a building with her own semblance. The White Fang's attack on Beacon is officially over, and I care not for your Maiden power." He turned back to Pyrrha. "Three of your people are down. Three of mine are down. How about we part amicably?"

She scowled. "I would not call this amicable, but I agree."

The White Fang airship lowered to Pyrrha's left. Adam bowed his head in agreement, and jerked his head towards the airship so Emerald would get Cinder moving. Emerald murmured something to Cinder and carted her towards the airship. Pyrrha kept her rifle settled on Adam and he kept his hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword.

Cinder growled, and just as Emerald was to pull her on the ship, she wrenched free of Emerald's grip and thrust her right hand toward Pyrrha, but Pyrrha's hesitance in hurting another life was wiped away at this point. In the second it took for Cinder to break free, Pyrrha swerved her rifle around and fired a shot straight through Cinder's remaining palm.

Cinder howled and brought her hand to her chest. Her flames flickered but sputtered out as Cinder collapsed only for Emerald to catch her and strong arm her onto the ship. Adam didn't react. Didn't move a muscle. Pyrrha raised a brow.

"She attacked first. Her stupidity got her that hole in her hand." Adam shrugged at his explanation. He then sauntered over to Tempest and lifted her over one shoulder. He walked towards the airship, stopped, and sighed. "Should we meet again, I won't be this agreeable, Pyrrha Nikos."

"Nor will I," was Pyrrha's cool response.

Adam boarded the airship, and Pyrrha kept her rifle up as the airship began to lift off into the air. Just as the thrusters engaged to propel the ship forward, a red object was thrown from the ship. Pyrrha followed it with her scope as the airship headed off towards Vale, and she lowered her weapon as it clattered to the ground.

Crescent Rose.

With a tired slump of her shoulders, Pyrrha placed Miló on her back and brought Crescent Rose to her with her semblance. She stared at the weapon then magnetized it to her shield so she would have her hands free. As she turned, Jaune stood with Ruby in his arms.

"Once we get somewhere safe…" Jaune started with a low tone.

Pyrrha grabbed at Amethyst and helped her onto her back again. "I'll explain everything, Jaune, I promise."

"Okay. Where should we head?" Jaune's blue eyes looked lost. "Beacon and Vale are both wrecked."

"I… if Amethyst's ship is still around, we can go there." Pyrrha began to stride forward, towards the front of Beacon, and Jaune followed. "Amber said-"

"Who is Amber?"

Pyrrha grit her teeth. "Just… let's walk, Jaune. Start walking."

Emerald silently tended to Cinder's palm, wrapped it in bandages as the mixture of Fall and Summer Maiden stared down Adam Taurus, who roused Tempest with smelling salts. She wrapped Cinder's other arm as best as she could, but… some of it was still stone. If Cinder's skin didn't revert back, then she would likely lose her elbow down.

"One slash of your sword and I would have been the fully ascended Fall Maiden. Another and I would have been the Summer Maiden!" Cinder curled her lip in distaste. "If you had just done your job-"

"I believe my job was to lead the White Fang in the attack and to frame Blake for murder, not assist you in your petty attempt at power and place myself in danger in an attempt to kill the Fall Maiden with an equally powerful semblance," Adam shot back without so much as a glance.

"I am the Fall Maiden, not her."

"Oh? Sure doesn't look like it."

Cinder's eyes glowed despite the pain that coursed through her. "We are partners in this. My success is yours. My failure is yours."

Adam whirled around and stormed toward her. "Then I suppose it should be symbiotic! What would you consider the death of a lieutenant, the loss of half my troops, and the radio silence from another lieutenant that you've been attempting to steal from my ranks for the past year?" Emerald jerked back just as Adam clenched a fist around Cinder's neck. She winced but her eyes screamed indignation. "A failure!"

"Hey, hands off-"

Emerald clammed up as Cinder's remaining hand seized Adam's wrist. A moment of contact and Adam's glove burst into flames. He drew his hand back with inhuman speed and ripped the fabric off with a rabid scowl, and Cinder hid a wince of pain behind a grimace.

"Listen to me very carefully," Cinder hissed with a seething tone. Her voice rasped as she pushed herself in spite of her injury. "Lynae Erin was meant to release Tyrian Slate and Roman Torchwick, and if presented with the opportunity, capture Neopolitan. That girl," Cinder spat out the name with a newfound hatred that was exponential compared to her previous level of ire toward her, "Ruby Rose, came in wearing Roman's coat, so it's safe to assume they are no longer with us. Whether that means they are dead or simply another defection, I don't know, nor care. We have larger problems."

"Lynae would not defect-"

"Then she's dead or near it." Cinder cut him down ruthlessly. Emerald eyed Cinder's shaking form, how she desperately kept her eyes averted from her mangled leg and still-crumbling arm. "My goal is to acquire the relics. And I can't do that without the full. Maiden. POWER."

"I don't care about your goal, Cinder, I care about my people."

Cinder's voice was low and simmered. "You should care."

"Oh? What's so important about these damn relics? What do they even do?!" Adam shouted back.

"Oh, nothing really," Cinder said calmly. Then, fire swirled around her. "EXCEPT RESHAPE OUR REALITY!"

A silence settled over the ship. Cinder settled back in her seat as her anger bubbled just beneath her skin, but her stature noticeably drooped. Whatever Ruby did took all Cinder's energy, and Emerald spent time with Cinder for far too long to take notice when she felt drained underneath the bravado.

"So… what do we do now?" Emerald broke the silence.

"I want to look for my sister," Tempest spoke up with a petulant tone. "I don't care about this relic and Maiden stuff. Rama's dead because this lady decided our training needed to be put in the backseat, and now I can't even get that. Cherry knows I'm a turncoat, and Amethyst is more likely to burn me from the inside out than take my word over Cherry's."

"You have improved greatly since you first entered PNTR, Tempest." Adam was quick to return to his original place beside his younger lieutenant and place a hand on her shoulder. "Rama Lake will be honored for his valiance, but don't consider your time here a loss. You've done well, and once you recover your aura, I give you full permission to find Lieutenant Lynae Erin."

Tempest's gaze towards Adam was dangerously close (or was) hero worship. Emerald brought her brows together and tried to untwist the uncertainty on her lip as Tempest replied, "I won't let you down."

Cinder sighed and closed her eyes. "If that's the case, then Tempest will be dropped off at Hei's club. As for the rest of us, Salem is expecting us."

Adam pursed his lips. "I don't remember volunteering."

"I thought you wanted to meet who exactly you're working for?" Cinder cocked her head. "Your work in Vale is done. Why not indulge me? You might even be able to get more out of your partnership."

The White Fang leader ruminated over the offer that wasn't really an offer. He turned fully to Cinder. "Yuma and Trifa will accompany me."

Cinder bowed her head in agreement. Emerald, unable to use her semblance, sheepishly touched Cinder's arm. The Maiden pressed her bandaged palm to Emerald's knee, a signal to keep calm. She shifted so she could whisper quietly into Emerald's ear.

"Once your aura recovers, ask your questions through your semblance."

Emerald lowered her gaze. Her crimson eyes locked onto Cinder's arm once more. This wasn't something she could just wait to ask. "Cinder… what did Ruby do? H-How did she do that?"

Cinder clenched her jaw as Adam and Tempest peaked over, waiting for her response as well. Emerald had no doubt everyone in the vicinity wondered just what happened with that bright white light.

"I underestimated her." Cinder eventually acquiesced in a breathy whisper. "I didn't expect a little girl to unlock that type of power at such a young age, with no training whatsoever."

Adam turned fully, curious now. "And what power does the little one possess?"

With a long, tired sigh, Cinder rested almost all her weight on Emerald. She did her best to accommodate Cinder's weight as Cinder's injuries took their toll on her. "She's a Silver Eyed Warrior."

PYRRHA LIVES!

Some of you may be shocked at the lessened death count. Quite frankly, when I came back and looked over my notes for the Fall, I felt that the other deaths I had planned were, honestly, kind of a stretch. Pyrrha had part of the Maiden power. Jaune unlocked his semblance. The Summer Maiden was on their side. Ruby laid out a tentative plan and left Mercury behind to keep the group organized, and he did. Weiss stayed on defense instead of running with Ruby for the offensive, allowing her to hold the line longer. The gang had a general idea of the threat before it struck. All in all, while Cinder was still successful, Mercury and Ruby were just as prepared, even though they were caught off guard, and to write in certain planned deaths, I would have had to bend the characters in such a way I didn't find believable.

So that's that. The initial action of the Fall is concluded. I'll lay out the plan for the new arc (as in, structure) in the AN of the next chapter, since the dates in which scenes occur are VERY important for the next arc.

Dragon Lord Draco: Slate's fate was sealed the moment he tried to go against Mercury again lol

The Night Whisperer: Weiss's injury is... definitely the most gruesome. Neo's position is precarious too, though they have some time!

Astray-Tech: Slate is down for the count, don't worry! Mercury's definitely not having a fun time, nor will Weiss once she wakes...

Servos New Head: Oh god Perry's voice as Dr. Doofenshmirtz, that's the best one yet! I'm just happy to have a TV Tropes page for this fic, I was shocked when someone on AO3 commented about it!

Next chapter: It Fell (But We Didn't)

Lonessa out.