Last Chapter of this story. For more go to Why Are We Still Here? Why?
The sounds of thunder and gunfire are heard, mixed with girlish screams of Franklin Delano Donut and Jaune Arc. Kuroyuri, a degraded town now acted as the battleground for a group of Huntsmen and Huntresses in training. A billowing cloud of dust and pieces of wood rise in the distance around the top of a tree that is barely visible above the town rooftops. Jaune Arc, Ruby Rose, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, Michael J Caboose, Emerald Sustrai, The Malachite Twins and Donut all fall back by the dead cherry tree. Qrow Branwen is still unconscious and propped against it.
The Nuckelavee comes into view, twitching its various body parts. It sends out a shockwave roar that causes all teenagers to flinch, doing more against Caboose as he covered his ears from the effective shriek. The Grimm looks at the teenagers and turns its head to look at Qrow and begins running toward him.
Jaune sheaths his sword and makes a run for Qrow as The Nuckelavee lashes out with one of its arms, able to extend it at a far reach. Jaune avoids it and gets Qrow upright, but the Nuckelavee is heading right for them. When in the distance a small flying object is coming closer, speeding to it's target. Tucker flew at super speed and with the broken piece of his sword slashed the flank of the horse as he passed by. Once he landed with a hard thud he jammed the broken blade into the side of the creature that resembled a horse. Jaune stands still, staring at the Grimm and his best bro standing between him.
"Jaune, ya gotta run. I'll buy you time." Tucker advised as he backed up to pull two of the many swords he had strapped to his back from the cave.
Jaune walks away with Qrow while the battle resumes. He sets Qrow down behind a building and narrows his eyes at the wounded man before turning to leave. Qrow grabs him by the hand, but falls unconscious before he can say anything. Jaune gives Qrow another look before rejoining the fight.
The Grimm is using its arms to grab hold of each of Jaune's teammates, but is continually distracted by the fire of the next one. Delano Donut leaping in the air throwing dagger after dagger from his belt to nail his target from a distance. Tucker and the twins were sneaking up and taking turns rush in for a quick cut or slice. Caboose stood back and started to hurl large rocks the size of cinder blocks as Emerald fired right next to him taking cover to avoid getting hit.
"Guys, keep moving, go in a circle!" Jaune ordered.
The team follows this plan as everyone but Caboose moved around and began getting their own shots during the confusion of the multiple attacks. Jaune got close and went for a large slice but only scratched the horse, who was about to kick him away. Luckily his samurai friend got in front of him and used his last two swords to block the blow. Knocking both back, the swords shattered into multiple pieces. Jaune sheathed his sword causing both Ruby and Tucker to be concerned.
"What are you doing?" Ruby questioned.
That is when the sword was connected to the shield sheath, creating an even longer doubled edged blade. Jaune rushed in and with the heavier sword actually took a larger cut out of it, making it scream. Tucker saw this as an opportunity and unsheathed his relic he found in the hole of the cave. Pressing a button on the side it ignited with the same color light as his clothes, almost as if it were made for him. The two pronged light sword ignited and Ruby was in awe as Tucker was captivated by the strangely familiar feeling of the weapon in his hand.
At this point the beast was evolving and retreated back to get a good distance away from everyone. He gave a roar while bringing it's limbs into it's body and swung his arms around smacking everyone away. Everyone except Caboose, who was tough enough and strong enough to catch his arms, holding onto both of them. He looked around looking for a way to keep the monster still while his team could attack it. Noticing the large tree he smiled as he hauled the arms back while the Nuckelavee attempted to pull back. Caboose made it to the tree as he did his best to tie the arms together.
"I got it guys!" Caboose cheered for himself.
Everyone smiled but Tucker as he realized something since ge noticed about Caboose since Beacon, "Caboose, have you learned how to tie your shoes?"
"Don't worry about that Tucker. I wear velcro." Caboose gave Tucker a thumbs up. A collective facepalm could be heard as everyone couldn't be too mad at Caboose, given the fact he's too innocent. When the Nuckelavee gave a tug he pulled Caboose by his foot back and ragdolled him back and forth a few times in the ground. Then sent him hurling past a building and crashing behind the stone wall in the inner city. Emerald ran over to check on the big guy as the monster roared it's high pitch screech making everyone cover their ears from it's almost deafening noise.
Ren continued to fight as he climbed the dead tree and started to fire shots while the creature was too distracted. The bullets earned the attention of the monster as it threw it's bony hand just before Ren could react. The young ninja ended up pinned to a building by the Nuckelavee's extended arm.
Nora turned to the only person who launch her in time, "Ruby!"
Ruby nodded, and used Crescent Rose to launch Nora in between Ren with a spinning scythe attack. Nuckelavee's would-be fatal strike with its other handa was thwarted as Magnhild is pinned to the building above Ren, with Nora dangling from it.
Ren looked up at Nora only to see her pulling her skirt to hide herself, "Stop looking!"
Ren covered his eyes and looked away, "Ah-ugh."
Nora grinned to herself while Tucker grinned for both the fact he saw their relationship blooming and he saw something else blooming in the breeze.
Emerald made it to where Caboose would've landed to find the place where he cracked the floor before moving from his spot to what looked like a tool shed. She approached him slowly as she knew he must've been angry or stressed out from the battle. Like a calm mother she called out to the big man as if he was a wild pet, or dangerous animal that wasn't in it's right mind, "Hey buddy... you okay? How are you holding up?"
"..." Caboose didn't answer back as he was looking through the shed as if he lost something or looking for something else.
Emerald placed a hand on his back and rubbed a spot between his shoulders, "You don't have to be scared Caboose, or if you do, you don't have to be alone. I'm scared too, but no matter what I'll keep you safe. You don't have to worry, about whether that monster will hurt us or whether we'll love you after all this. We will... just speak to me."
"Oh... hi Emerald." Caboose smiled back as he faced her like nothing was wrong.
Emerald was stunned to find Caboose smiling after what happened, "Caboose? Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"
"Oh well... I think I may have hit my head or maybe someone's scroll was going off too loud because All I heard for a while was just the sound of a ringing." The bear faunus explained.
Emerald sighed as she forgot nothing could bother or scare Caboose, "So what ya doing buddy."
"Oh just looking for something to help us in this shed." Caboose answered turning back to pull out a few gardening tools, "No... Ruby has that..." He said pulling out a scythe, "Nope, not that..." He replied pulling out a rake, "Oh, now that is just silly..." He complained pulling out a hand shovel.
Emerald shook her head with a smile, "Caboose this place had been abandoned for a long time, I don't think you'll find anything use-"
"This should do." Caboose gleefully interrupted pulling out a chainsaw with the length of the blade measuring in about a meter. As he revved up the engine the growl from the mechanical beast was something just like he would make when he would be mad.
As the fight went on The Nuckelavee flung Nora around until she is knocked to the ground with her Aura depleted. Ren used StormFlower to give himself leverage to pull the Nuckelavee hand off of him after multiple attacks. He repeatedly goes after the creature with a spinning attack with StormFlower, exhibiting reckless behavior, his eyes wild.
"Ren! Knock it off!" Jaune attempted to reason with his friend.
Ren ignored him and continued to rush the beast with a fire in his body that was consumed and blinded by rage. The Nuckelavee took advantage of his blind anger and reeled his arm back, grabbing Ren to smash him around. When he was flung back he ends up on the ground beside Nora, separated from StormFlower and his Aura also depleted. The two partners rise together, Nora first as she looks over to her greatest friend. Ren's eyes are only on the creature, so when he rises to face it he didn't see that Nora would tackle him and drag him under a building.
The Nuckelavee advanced charging towards it's target victims but never made it to it's would be target. Caboose, with the chainsaw tied to his back, grabbed each hoof keeping the monster back before pushing back making the horse topple over for a moment. Ruby and Donut took advantage and attacked from a distance until it turned to launch it's arms at them.
Ren attempted to rejoin the fight but Nora holds him back by the wrist, her head down. Ren struggles to break free, "Nora, let go! Nora, they're going to get hurt if we don't—"
Without even looking up, Nora slaps Ren. He stops and turns to face her, and she finally lets go, putting her hands in her lap.
"No. I won't let you kill yourself like this. After everything we've been through, I won't let it end." She raised her head. For some odd reason Ren sees his memory of Nora as a scared little girl before blinking and seeing her normally. Like back then, she has tears in her eyes, "Not like this." Ren sighs and pulls the knife his father gave him out of his boot. He holds it in both hands. Nora places her hand on the hilt with his and closes his fingers around it and looks at him with a fierce, determined expression, "We can do this."
Ren looked at her with big eyes before nodding in agreement. Together they step out from under the building. Nora picks up Magnhild and the two are promptly joined by the whole team.
"We're gonna need a plan." Melanie told the group.
Donut gripped his knives tight, "We have to work together and give it all we got."
"I say the three of us attack it from the side." Militia suggested cracking her knuckles.
"Jaune, Emerald and I can take the back end." Ruby suggested as the leaders nodded to each other.
Caboose turned to Ren and the remaining group, "We'll clear the path for you." Caboose revved his chainsaw, Tucker ignited his blade while Nora gripped her hammer tighter.
"And I'll take care of the rest." Ren agreed.
The twins and Donut take the sides as Donut threw three daggers at the horse's side getting the monster to lunge it's arm at him. The twins did their classic team up move as Melanie launched her sister at the beast while she ran at it as well. Militia just went over it as she scratched the back and and butt of the horse while Melanie slid under the horse with one leg up and cut the under belly.
Ruby nodded to Emerald and Jaune as the she shot herself up in the air as Jaune ran with Emerald getting ready to slingshot herself forward. All together they converged on the back of the beast as another round was fired and Ruby rammed the tip of Crescent Rose into the flank of the horse. Emerald launched herself and stabbed the right leg of the horse while Jaune use his new sword to sever the right one from the body.
"Now! Together!" Caboose ordered as Nora, Tucker and himself ran at the front. The Nuckelavee tossed both arm forward. Nora swatted the right one as Tucker ducked under the left and sent his new sword spiraling forth stabbing into the front of the horse. Caboose smiled with cheer as he revved up the chai saw and dragged it against the floor, let sparks fly as he brought the blade forth to it's target. In a black, bloody mess he sawed through the head of the horse and managed to get to the rider, severing the torso from the rest of it. Tossing the monster aside he began to hack, slash, rip and tear through the already dissolving horse before it was gone for good.
The humanoid rider Grimm tried to crawl away but was stopped as Ren stood in front of it's escape with his knife drawn. The trapped Grimm could only scream at Ren who was already in his mind, clear of any hatred.
The thought of why he fought all these years flooded his mind, "For my mother."
Ren cuts off the Grimm's left arm as he grabbed onto it's horns, screeching louder.
He continued his thought, thinking deeper, "For my father."
He then sliced off the Grimm's right arm.
Still in his thoughts, he began to remember another reason, "For all those that you've slain."
He struck a gash into the flailing torso as Ren closed his eyes and spoke aloud, "For myself." He opens his eyes and swings with the knife, beheading the grimm, dieing in a pillar of black smoke. Ren drops the knife and breathes out a sigh of relief only to be tackled by a giggling, triumphant Nora. He hugs her back and gives a single laugh. Melanie goes over to her twin for a hug who was hesitant at first but opened up to it after a moment or two. Tucker went over to bro hug Jaune as Donut looked to the ground waiting for his turn, which came as he hugged Jaune next, getting a feel for his new growth spurt. Caboose took heavy breaths as he dropped to his knees and calmed himself while Emerald patted his head.
Ruby ran into the alley where Qrow was left during the fight and breathes a sigh of relief that he is still alive.
"It's quiet. Good job, kiddo." Qrow acknowledged her hard work.
How wrong he was as Donut pointed out something, "Guys! I think I hear something!"
In the courtyard two wood and metal airships are coming in to land; Nora points in Qrow's direction. Two men in a brown flight suit with an air tank on his back carries Qrow on a green stretcher with Ruby walking alongside them, her hand on Qrow's shoulder. The two rescue ships take off, everyone on board.
Jaune couldn't help but wonder, "How did you find us out here?"
"We were on patrol and saw the smoke. Nobody's been out here for years, thought something might be wrong." The other Mistral Pilot explained.
Ruby crouched by Qrow and held his hand while she had so many worries, one of which being time, "What if we don't make it in time?"
"Ruby." Jaune spoke up to get her attention.
She looked up and saw the flourishing city before them, bringing a tear to her and a few other eyes.
Ruby choked back her tears, "We made it, Uncle Qrow."
Nora and Ren sat on the edge of the open rescue airship, their legs dangling. Nora is looking out at the city, feeling happy, Ren is watching her, begins smiling and puts his hand on hers. She gives a slight start but turns her hand over to hold his. She looks at him and gives him a smile, as he smiles back. Nora scoots closer and rests her head on his shoulder as the airships fly in to the city.
[Finally in Haven]
As the group had their moments of privacy they began to write letters to the people wgo weren't there to join them. Whether it was teammates or family, or secret somebodies.
To Sarge,
You can rest easy to know that I've made it to Mistral and completed my first objective to keep the team safe. There were a few minor setbacks but we all managed out well, even growing in the process. To be honest, I think I know why you let me go despite the reserved feelings I saw in your eyes. Because I think you knew I'd be ready, somehow in your years of wisdom, military experience and so forth you knew.
I'll be honest I am scared but somehow I always manage to push through, as if someone was always next to me telling me it'll be alright. I can't explain it, but maybe it was you telling me not to give up. After all, no retreat, no surrender, right? I'd love it if you could come to Mistral, I know you're looking after Mercury so I know it'll be a while before we can catch up. Until then I'll be ready for when you'll join us.
From Your Soldier,
Emerald Sustrai.
Hey Dad,
We're doing alright. I know you're probably buried in your work after we left you without your best looking servers. But this is something so big that we couldn't help but join in on the fight. Without us we'd be leaving a team outgunned, outnumbered, and with very little they have they need us now more than ever. We know you'd never leave your old team behind unless it was for us, but we don't have that luxury of a good reason to leave.
Promise after we come back we'll start another business with the three of us, maybe a place more family friendly or maybe a different themed bar. Whatever it is, we'd be happy to let everyone in on it. Including the guys who constantly screw up.
P.S. We promise we'll keep away from boys, not that there are any decent ones out there.
Your lovely daughters,
Melanie and Militia.
Yang,
These moments with everyone, away from everything had given me a chance to take a step back and look at everything. The scenario, the people around us... us and even myself. I'm not writing this as a declaration of love or something. Hell I'm not too sure why I'm writing this. I guess all I'll say is that I'm trying to be a better person now. Guess you had some effect on that, you can say you made me want to be a better man. I'm gonna need that now more than ever. But I think it's safe to say that we're not a thing anymore...
I'm not sure if this'll even reach you, but if it does then just know that I enjoyed our time together and loved every moment we had. I hope this finds you in a better condition then when we last saw each other.
From Your Former Samurai,
Tucker.
Dear Church,
How are you? I am good. I know you are going to say that I am naive, or innocent or some other word I can't think of at the moment. But I am still out here fighting for a better day after today... tomorrow, I forgot the word for a moment.
With everyday it seems like a new threat shows up. I'm scared, but I know others are just as scared if not more than me. I have to do this Church something in me just feels like this is what I was meant to do. What I need to do. If not for the people who aren't here, then for the people who we have left.
From your best friend
Caboose, the rookie.
PS, we made it to Mistral, can you believe it? I guess nothing can go wrong right Church? Church? Oh right, this is a letter. Anyway we'll see the headmaster and get everything situated.
[Elsewhere]
In Leonardo Lionheart's office, his place showed a ladder against a bookshelf with a few books taken out. The mahogany desk is seen along with a plaque and loose papers. On a small table lies a tea set, with gray colored teapots and cups decorated with green accents. The guest, Arthur Watts is sitting at the table together across from the good headmaster. He picked up a tea cup and put his feet up on the table.
"Why thank you, Professor. Salem always did say you were..." Watts takes a sip as he enjoys his company, "...quite hospitable."
Now I wanna say thank you all for staying with me for so long and waiting patiently for this chapter to end. Now I'll try to get the next story started so I can keep before Nov. 28 because that might be the last time I'll be able to write for about 10 weeks at least maybe more at most.