Well this is what happens when I listen to sad music, the song at fault for this post is 'Voices of the Chord by Hiroyuki Sawano'
Vacuo had fallen, there was nothing they could do. Not anymore, not as the city was flooded, as Grimm came in by the hundreds. As people died, men and women, hunters and civilians. The strength the kingdom had principled itself on meaning nothing to the hordes of Grimm and the one who lead them…
Salem even now commanded her Grimm, compelled them to hunts and kill any who she found a threat to prolonging her goal. How long had they fought and how little had it mattered… Days, weeks and seconds, it didn't matter. The desert kingdom was nowhere near Atlas's military might. It was a practice in futility, especially when the strong only cared for their own lives and abandoned the weak.
So few of them could fight, and even less would do so to protect others in the cruel kingdom. They were no different, Oscar, Qrow, Winter the Ace-Operatives and Happy Huntresses. And of course the seven who'd been fighting ever since Vale fell.
Silver light flooded forth like a tidal wave, swallowing up countless Grimm, consuming the hordes and rendering all who touched it to stone. Ruby breathed heavily, her body week, her form near breaking… Exhaustion, fatigue, pain flooding her little form. And yet…
"A-again…" Jaune looked to her, to his first friend, to his best friend so close to collapsing like the others who even now struggled to move. They'd fought for so long, they couldn't keep this up and yet they couldn't rest either.
However it was ideal to them that their friends were exhausted, because Ruby's plan was the sort they'd never accept.
"T-the Bullheads?" Jaune looked back to one the Pilots from Atlas, like most they weren't comfortable with the older airships. Hundreds of people rested in them, crowding them near full compacity. But compared to the thousands that there were it left a horrible taste in their mouth. And yet it was what they could manage without Ambrosius it was the best Evac they could manage.
"Everyone's ready… everyone we can save." He could see the regret in her eyes, the pain of choosing, of knowing that they'd be damming thousands and only saving hundreds. But, it was what they could do, all they could do. Sometimes he had to wonder how things might've been different had Atlas survived, had James not gone mad, if they hadn't lied to the general.
He shook his head, it didn't matter, not anymore, what did was the present, was saving who was left, no matter the cost. A cost Ruby was willing to pay.
"Ozpin, are they loaded up." The headmaster nodded, dragging their exhausted team on board, each too tired to resist if not unconscious now that they weren't on their feet.
"You didn't tell them did you…" She shook her head, knowing he wasn't really asking.
"You didn't tell Nora or Ren either right?" He nodded, how could he, how could he tell them that Salem would never let them escape. Not with the Relic, he looked to Ruby, the Reapette still trying desperately to draw the blade. It refusing to unsheathe.
It always had, it not obeying Cinder is what allowed them to kill her, but now it responded no differently to them either. If only they could use it, then everyone could, could. But there was no point in thinking of what they couldn't do.
What mattered was what they could do.
"She'll come after it, and me…" Salem had been clear, Ruby's eyes were too much a hinderance to her, she'd sent more Grimm towards her then any other. If not for his aura impowering her she'd had fallen from exhaustion long ago and Vacuo with her. Without their combined power…
That was why they had to stay behind, he wouldn't leave her to die by herself.
"You can still go Jaune…" He could hear the fear, the shaking of her voice, but he knew no matter what she said she was resolved to face this to the end. And that was why.
"I'm not leaving you here by yourself Craterface." He forced a smile and despite it all she smiled back, it was small and ever close to vanishing and ever eyes were tear filled. But her joy was genuine as mingled as it was with guilt.
After all, nobody wanted to face the end alone.
"I'm sorry…" A hand landed on her head and she looked up finding him meeting her gaze, a calm smile at play on his face.
"I choose this, nobodies making me…" She looked like she wanted to say something but Ozpin spoke up then.
"We're ready." They looked back finding their teams loaded, Nora barely conscious, reaching out them him, pleading. The rest though were long sense unconscious from the days of fighting, it was a blessing.
"Yang'll never forgive me… Dying like mom." He shook his head.
"Don't worry she'll blame me." She didn't find that as funny as he did, what surprised Ruby most though was her uncle Qrow. The man looking to them bitter and annoyed, and frankly that was a miracle to Ruby.
"I still don't know how you convinced him." He frowned but forced himself on to speak.
"It doesn't matter, it's time…"
"Yeah…" He saw her move to take off her hood, presenting it to Ozpin, the man taking it and nodding.
"I'll make sure your father receives it…" She nodded and so did Jaune, surprised by the man's acting and then he made a mistake.
"Goodbye mister Arc." Ruby looked confused at why he skipped farewelling her and moving straight to Jaune. Before her wearing body could piece it together though he acted. She felt 'Lighter' suddenly as the Relic was seized from it's strap on her back.
She stumbled before turning back to see Jaune standing there destruction in hand.
"Jaune? What are you-?" A quick blow to the back of her head, her eyes widening, pupils dilating as the shock seemed to make it click suddenly in the moment before unconsciousness took her.
"Jaune…" Her eyes closed as she fell forward into him, her body unconsciously grabbing him, perhaps trying to cling to him, to stop him.
"I'm sorry…" The one who'd struck her spoke then, his voice rough and displeased if not downright pissed.
"She'll never forgive me for this." He looked to Qrow smiling.
"But she'll be alive." He nodded.
"She will." And that was all there was to, no matter how shitty it made him feel, how much he might hate his own guts afterwards or worse how much his niece did he'd happily bare it if it meant she'd be alive. His eyes looked to him with a somber light.
"Nothing I say will stop you will it?" He shook his head.
"You know the answer to that." He did.
"And if I knocked you out to?"
"Then Salem would come after us all with nobody staying behind to distract her." Qrow looked like he'd bitten a sour bug. He could tell Ozpin was about to speak so he cut him off.
"Oscars not dying! Not if I can help it! Besides I have the best chance at keeping her back." He did, they talked about just this and they all but confirmed it when Grimm tried attacking Ruby. For several seconds their was silence before he moved, stepping up to Ruby, looking to her resting form in her uncle's arms.
It would be the last time he saw her, he picked up Crocea's handle, placing it in her hands, the blade gone, but the only thing he could afford to leave her.
"You always said you loved the classics…" His hand rose, unconsciously brushing a lock of hair out of her face, staring at her. At the person who he without doubt trusted most in this world…
"Goodbye Ruby…" He looked to them, to Yang, to Blake and Snow Angel. To his brother in all but blood Ren and sister Nora laying against him. And seeing them there, alive made it so much easier to do. He smiled as a thought occurred to him, of that day where everything had changed, where their simples days had ended.
Was this what you felt Pyrrha…
"Mister Arc." He spared the man a look and found Oscar looking back at him, tears in his eyes as he fought to oppose the headmaster's will.
"Jaune! You ca-Ugh!" Ozpin struggled to keep the boy in check and Jaune smiled.
"Thankyou Oscar, but it's too late now." Ozpin seemed to gain back control and turned, but the tears that flowed down his face were very much JNPR's youngest member's. Qrow was next to speak.
"You won't get tears from me, only my gratitude." He nodded to that.
"I could give you Harbinger, you need a weapon…" He shook his head.
"Sadly there are plenty lying around."
"I see, well then I guess I'll be leaving, leaving and letting a kid like you die by himself." He could hear the Self-derision.
"Promise me then, that you'll be the first I see on the other side, and not one of them…" To that Qrow smiled, as somber as it was. And now he could see Winter carrying her brother on board, stroking Weiss's face lovingly, refusing to look at him, to further shame herself. She'd already said her gratitude when they discussed this plan.
"I promise kid, they won't be joining you for a long time, not if I can help it…" that was enough for him.
"Bye Qrow."
"Same, Jaune." As he walked away he said one final thing.
"You were a great hunter." He waited there for several more minutes, watching as they readied before turning and seeing the battlefield, so few soldiers left, and so many Grimm, like a pool of darkness.
Which was why he needed to act, he rushed to a Vehicle, a old dusty Dust-Cycle, he started the road bike moved. Circumventing the horde, he could see it, the Bullheads lift into the air, Nevermore begun to raise but then paused, noticing him, sensing the Relic.
Confused and unsure what to do gave them the time to begin to move. A voice spoke then, amplified through some horrid means, most likely manipulating Creation.
"You separated the girl and Relic, clever, dividing my goals…" His spine tingled at her voice, at Salem speaking directly into his head, perhaps magic.
"Tell me boy, what makes you think I'll let them go? I can easily take both, watch." He could see it, the Grimm being compelled by her will, all those airborne species turning to the retreating ships.
"You right, I can't stop the Grimm…" Slowly light begun to slow from his form.
"But maybe I can stop them from taking your orders." His aura exploded, all focused on manifesting, on flaring forth like a beacon, drawing in the soulless horde. He only wish he could see the confusion on Salem's face as they turned to him, ignoring her orders, drawn to his soulful light.
"It would seem your control over the Grimm isn't as strong as their natural instincts." He could hear her teeth grind in his head as the beast chased him. The Relic and his massive aura, of course they would follow him. Not the people filled with joy at escaping who were near depleted of aura. Even Salem's will couldn't pull them away from his Beacon-like display that drew them in like a flame.
"You will die boy…" Of course he would, there was no out of this.
"I see, so this is your final act, you last gambit, it shan't occupy me long, once you caught and devoured they'll soon follow." A Nevermore screeched, letting loose a barrage of it's razor sharp pinions, most missed but one hit the wheel. The Dust-Cycle flipped and he was flung, If not for aura he would've broken both his legs or worse.
Regardless he was done for as they approached, and yet in the distance he could see it, the fleet of ships leaving, that alone made it worth it. And yet, he stood, readying to run, to by them even a second longer. And then he heard it.
~Draw me~
Confusions came to him before a pulse of energy ruptured from the Relic and he looked to it confused.
~Quickly Dustling…~
He nodded to the ethereal voice and reached it's handle and pulled, and to his shock and confusion it emerged a beautiful blade. And beside it a avatar, a woman who was riddled with muscles and scars.
~I am Fury~
Confusion am to him even as the horde rushed, he moved on reflex, swinging the sword that somehow seemed paradoxically familiar in his hand despite it being the first time he'd ever drawn it. The air sung a sweet lovely melody as the blade cleaved it before the world erupted in powerful destructive light, the hordes swallowed up and rendered to sunder.
He was speechless, as was Salem, but Fury…
~I see, so you are worthy~
"What, what do you mean?" the djinn spoke then.
~You fight to save them do you not?~
She looked to the Bullheads, but somehow he knew, what she was really looking at was them, was his friends and so he spoke.
"Of course, their worth everything to me…" She grinned a warrior's grin.
~And that is why you are worthy~
He was confused but the Grimm were coming so he acted, assuming that old stance he'd memorized so long ago.
~You aim not to kill your enemies~
He swung and Grimm were torn apart.
~Nor seek power~
Salem growled as more Grimm were torn apart, the Nevermores and other aerial Grimm.
~You seek not to destroy, but to protect, to preserve those innocent lives…~
Sweat dripped from his brow as yet more where returned to nothingness by the divine blades power.
~The only ones who should ever wield the power to destroy are those who'd only ever seek to protect, that was my creator's will~
In a way it made sense. Ozpin had revealed his past lives to them, one being the King of Vale who ended the Great War.
Thinking about it, it explained the King of Vale, how he ended the war, how despite having this power why he only used it then, why he only used it in that one battle when he could've conquered with such power. Why he aimed for peace instead of unification, because it was that desire to end that suffering age that allowed him to wield it.
"I see… So, can I beat her?" Fury shook her head.
~No… her immortality is beyond my means~
"I see… Then I'm sorry, you only just woke up only to soon be sealed again."
~I see, so you won't run~
He looked forward to the encroaching darkness, his hold tightening upon the sacred steel.
"No"
~You intend to weaken her forces.~
He nodded.
"It's all I can do to postpone her plans, to buy them time."
~You will not survive, there is a cost to using me, even the King of Vale could only do so for but a few seconds before he was rendered near the edge of life~
Jaune didn't hesitate, flooding the blade in his aura like he had Crocea Mors so many times before.
~I see, so that is your resolve, splendid Dustling, no Jaune Arc~
"For what little time I can, please lend me you power Fury."
~But of course my master, though it will only be for short time, I will be your blade~
No more words were given, the energy being a waste to use for such. All that he had left would be used to make this miracle matter as much as possible. He charged forward, fearlessly, with no hesitation, not because he knew he'd win, but because he knew he wouldn't.
And that was why he'd use every last fiber of his being to make as much a difference as he could. A single more second he could buy. Even one more Grimm, one more precious chance and enemy less he could ensure they'd never have to face. That was what pushed him to swing Destructions blade, was what let him endure the pain of it's power.
He wondered had this been what Pyrrha felt In those final moments, this need to buy those she loved even a bit more time. To try to oppose the threat to them a futile as it was…
As stingers, slaws, fangs, and pinons pierced his armor and flesh he thought of Penny who endured a similarly painful death for those she loved. He smiled despite it all… He wondered if they'd tell him when him when he saw them again and opened they'd accept him with open arms.
But for now he roared the blade burning with god-like power, fueled by his being, by his aura, by his very life… Ozpin and Qrow, Winter and the Ace-Ops watched alongside the thousands of civilians as waves of power tore through the darkness erasing the ebony hordes of darkness from Vacuo.
~You did well… I will remember you my master~
H couldn't hear her voice, nor see the somber smile she showed him in his last moments. The world was quickly fading to the background as his mind raced. As it turned out one's life didn't flash through their minds in those dying moments.
No, only the important parts, the birth of his nephew, those precious moments with his family… And them.
'Jaune-Jaune'
'You Dolt'
'Heya Vomitboy'
'You should try reading some actual books instead of comics.'
'We can't lose you too…'
'Aren't you the guy who threw up in the Bullhead?'
He smiled, thankful for every second, every moment he had with them…
Did I do enough? Would they be safe, these and so many other questions rushed through his mind, and yet somehow, despite all the odds he held hope. Faith, not in the gods, nor Ozpin or even the Relics. But in them, in those who he'd had the honor of knowing, of fighting beside, of dying for.
There's were many stories where the hero sacrificed themself to stop some great evil and because of their sacrifice the world found peace. But this wouldn't be that kind of story, if Ruby had stayed, had dies, then perhaps it'd fit that mold.
But not him, no, he was but a footnote he was sure, a sacrifice to be forgotten to history, something that'd motivate those he left behind he was sure. That and nothing more, and nothing could make him happier. Because if it was such a story then they'd all live, and he could want for nothing more.
Somehow he had fate, not in Remnant or the kingdoms, but a smaller more honest soul… In her.
As his being faded, his soul leaving it's earthly vessel he heard it… Voices, ones he thought he'd never hear again.
'Salutations…'
Of the one he most regret fulfilling their final wish and…
'Hello again'
In that last instant he couldn't noticed her approach, nor feel her as she seized Destruction from his grip…
Salem looked to Jaune Arc, the human that'd single-handedly diminished her forces to near scraps of it's previous numbers. She saw it, the light leave his eyes, but his form torn apart and barely held together and yet he died standing.
"Why do humans like you always appear right when victory is in my grasp, do you enjoy irking me so…" She felt anger, annoyance and perhaps a fraction of respect for the human before her, the boy, no, the man who died with a content smile on his face. She looked to the Relic, it's amazing power once more sealed, never to be within her grasp, she wondered what allowed him to call upon it. But knew somehow that she'd never understand or qualify for it.
So instead she turned away from him and made her way to the nearest hordes she could sense, she would need to recuperate her numbers and prepare to take Vale.
"You've merely bought time for them, perhaps years, maybe even decades, but nothing more. Still, for that you have my respect begrudging as it may be." She did not know his name, nor would she ever bother to learn it, but somehow she felt that even should she live a thousand more years she'd not meet another like him… She could only hope.