Really sorry about taking this long to upload guys, I will try to post more regularly. Anyway, I decided to cut the last chapter of this Ark in two, meaning the next one will finally end this Ark. Also, the next Ark will focus on Ruby and her friends in their fight against the Kingdoms, and I only mention Ruby because Geo, well, lets say that he isn't in control of his body anymore. I really do hope you guys will enjoy this chapter, I have to go now, bye.

A Shattered Life

Chapter 42: Sacrifice (Part 1)

Ruby stared at the young boy, she had no words. Ruby couldn't believe what she was seeing, Geo was missing his left eye, not to mention his left arm as well. Looking at him just hurt her heart, if she had been faster she maybe could have protected him but there's no point in thinking about that now, what's done is done, all she can do at this moment his be there for her lover and try to save him from his mother, the Queen of Darkness, Salem. "W-What the hell are you doing HERE?!" Yelled Geo as he was furious to see her. "You should have gone with the others! You shouldn't be..." He coughed violently spreading blood across his chest. "...Leave."

"Be quiet, and save your strength you will need it." Said the red girl as approached the injured warrior with a sad expression, she got on her knees and then touched the boy's cheek. "I would never leave you, no matter what, you should know that by now." Ruby removed what was left of her cape and wrapped it around Geo's injured arm so the bleeding could stop. "Forgive me, I should have shown up sooner maybe I could have prevented this from happening." Her voice started to crack as she finished tying the knot.

Salem simply watched them without making any sort of movement, this whole situation was filling her black heart with joy. She loved how broken both Ruby and Geo were. "Damn you..." He muttered under his breath. "We don't stand a change against her, at least not yet. That monster is too powerful for you to face alone, I should know because I tried and look what she did to me." Said the boy in pain. "T-This fight is between me and my mother, so stay out of it and LEAVE...I beg you."

"I would listen to him if I were you little girl."

"You are not your dad!" Ruby shouted, then she paused for a moment. Geo just stared at her without saying a single word. "At first I thought this was about pride but now I realize that I was wrong, you want to fight alone because you want to prove that you can stand on your on without having anyone to fight for you." Said the red girl. "Geo, the people of Gwain follow you because you have showed them that you are capable of leading them and keep them safe. Avala, Sunny and many others know that you are a great leader that takes care of his people, that's why they want you to be their king."

The Queen of Darkness laughed, interrupting Ruby. "Hahaha! Sweet words, but unlike you 'hero', he doesn't care about the world or his people. They all can burn in hell for all he cares the only thing that drives him is you."

"Your wrong." She replied. "It's clear that you don't know him like I do, Geo might say that but he doesn't mean it. He has saved people time and time again. Like when a village was attacked by the Grimm or when Gwain was invaded by the White Fang." Ruby got up and her expression changed to a serious one. "Even when you attacked this ship, he could have run but he decided to stay to slow you down so the others could escape, he stayed and fought to save the weak unlike his dad. To me Geo is...a hero." She showed a strong smile.

Geo stared at her. "Ruby..."

Salem didn't like what she had said, her dark Aura began to rise and overwhelm the room. "As long you are alive my son will still have hope, if I kill you that hope will finally be destroyed and his hate will rise." She replied with a serious tone, then she opened her hands and started to concentrate her power. "Dark Spear!" A spear shaped Aura was launched towards her opponent with incredible speed.

Ruby spun her scythe and aimed. "Crimson Shot!" A powerful red beam was fired and when it collided with Salem's attack a huge explosion happened but before the smoke could dissipate both warriors clashed with their weapons. Ruby using her scythe and Salem using a black staff made out of pure dark Aura. Then the girl jumped backwards to avoid being hit but her eyes never left the target. "Crescent Slash!" A wave of Aura went straight to her enemy but Salem cut the attack in half with her staff. "She can do that?"

"That and much more!" She quickly approached the enemy and launched her staff forward, the tip slammed right into Ruby's stomach causing her eyes to widen at the force that was behind it. A sudden surge of power pushed through her and blood fell from her mouth. Salem then swung her weapon again and slammed Ruby's chin sending her flying towards the ceiling where she hit pretty hard. "What's the matter Silver Eyes? Show me your power, I want to see how you managed to beat Cinder!" She opened her hand and yelled. "Dark Flames of Inferno!"

On her side Ruby was spinning Crescent Rose and when the attack hit it was instantly blocked and sent into another direction. The demon woman was surprised, she never expected her Aura technique could be so easily blocked. "I am going to make you pay in blood for what you did to him!" She showed rage, an expression that was never seen before. Her silver Aura grew and soon her body was surrounded with a silver light. "Crescent Wave!" The red warrior swung her weapon and a very large amount of Aura came out of it.

"Hell's Shield!" A black orb was summoned and within seconds Salem was engulfed by the incoming attack. The impact caused the airship to lose speed and even shut down the secondary engines, only the main engine is keeping the Galeon from falling. "Such destructive power..." Salem whispered to herself as her black orb shattered. "For a moment I actually thought my shield would break." She looked up and saw the young girl approaching with great speed.

Ruby didn't aim at her opponent instead she pierced the ground next to Salem. "Shattering Crescent!" Many cracks erupted across the floor and a silver light came out of those cracks. Suddenly many more explosions wreaked havoc but Salem managed to dodge, leaving Ruby quite frustrated. "How did she even escaped?" She asked herself while thinking about what to do next.

"Just do both of us a favor and give up, seriously no one will blame you, I mean you are facing a God after all." Said the Queen of Darkness with a vile smile on her lips.

"Never!" Her eyes began to glow sliver. "Heroes never give up! Besides, there's too much at stake." The desire to protect her loved ones was increasing by the second, and it gave her more power. "I won't let you hurt anyone else!" Red petals flew around her almost forming a tornado, then she sent all of them towards her enemy. "Petals of Crimson!" All of the petals slashed Salem or that was what it seemed until she burned all of them with her dark Aura. Even though the attack had failed Ruby was still filled with determination.

"You really don't know when to give up do you?" Salem stared at the enemy across her before launching forward, aiming straight at Ruby's figure but the young girl quickly swung her scythe forcing her opponent to blocked the strike with her staff. Then Salem jumped into the air before disappearing from sight, leaving Ruby confused as she had no idea where that demon was. "I'm right here!" She was a few meters behind her. There was a dark orb at the tip of the staff. "Chaos Eraser!" The orb exploded the moment it hit its target.

From the smoke a spinning ring of red Aura suddenly reveled itself and it destroyed the second dark orb. "Double Crescent Slash!" After that it went and it hit Salem, releasing an enormous explosion. "That...that must have done something." She was almost at her limit after using many Aura techniques. Then two white spikes emerged from the ground and slashed her legs. "Ahhh!" Ruby screamed in pain but luckily they didn't cut her flesh too deep. "D-Dammit!" She got on one knee.

Salem slowly walked towards her. "You put up a good fight, I can see why he likes you. You are brave and strong but not smart and thats a quality that you both share unfortunately." She said with her usual tone. "But in the end I always win because nothing can beat the will of a God. Hahaha!" Her laugh echoed through the airship, then her dark staff transformed into a sword. "This doesn't have to end with your death my sweet girl as I see my son goes where you go. So instead of both you dying like dogs perhaps you can join me?"

"G-Go to hell!" Ruby replied while getting back up, even with those wounds on her legs she was still able to fight.

"Thats the type of answer I expected from my son, but not from you. Oh well, just another body to join the countless others!" Suddenly two Aura orbs came from behind the demon woman and it was a perfect it, unfortunately they didn't do anything because Salem had summoned her shield before the impact. "What is this?!"

Both Hydrox and Hacelen (also known as Summer Rose), landed next to the red warrior. Ruby was baffled she had no freaking clue of what was happening right now. "What are you two doing here? No! Better yet why did you help me?"

"I have my reasons Silver Eyes, but let's say that I am here to protect the royal family of the Casterwills, which unfortunately you are included, my Queen." He replied in disgust. Since the moment they met the masked man only wanted to see her brutally murdered for what her people did to his, but things have changed and maybe there's still hope for peace to exist between the two races. "Now, as you probably saw we have no chance of beating her so we need to leave right now!"

"But..."

Hacelen approached her. "The boy has lost too much blood if we keep going like this he will die, can you live with that?" She asked.

Ruby looked at the injured young man and lowered her head. "Your right, we have to leave, I don't want to lose him."

"Enough of this! I am tired of playing these silly games!" She drew all of the attention to herself. "Witness the raw power of darkness!" Salem shouted as a large orb made off pure dark Aura started to engulf the entire airship. "Everything is going to become mine! And you Hydrox, you will pay for your betrayal!"

As the orb grew Ruby aimed Crescent Rose at the incoming attack, even though it seemed the end she was still hanging to her hope and determination. Her eyes released an intense silver light that forced both Hydrox and Hacelen to take a few steps backwards. "This isn't a game!" Shouted Ruby. "You slaughter thousands of people with your Grimm! Innocents that can't protect themselves and if I don't stop you here and now you will continue to murder them all!" In front of the barrel of the scythe an orb was being created. "I will free this world of your evil! Full Power Crescent Shot!"

The beam was fired with such intensity that it destroyed several parts of Ruby's weapon, but when the attack hit the enormous dark orb it was simply swallowed, causing everyone to be surprised and soon they were engulfed by the attack. "Hahaha! In the end I always win." She smiled, until she saw her son slowly walking towards the orb and trying not to fall. "I see you still have some strength left but there's nothing you can do to change destiny my child, they will die a horrible death and because of that you will finally become free of that bond with that idiot girl."

Geo looked at the massive dark orb. "Hero...she called me a hero...why did she do that? I don't understand after everything that has happened how could she say that?" He wondered. "I never liked heroes because in the end they always died...b-but...I think I get it now. They sacrificed themselves because if they didn't then everything they loved would be destroyed."

"W-What are you doing?" Salem asked as the boy placed his hand on the dark orb. "Do not be stupid! You can't absorb that amount of dark Aura, your human side will never..." She paused as she saw Geo reveal a small smile. "...Survive. If you do this the WHOLE WORLD! Will move against you, Ozpin and his allies will kill you the moment they see you in your real form! Are you seriously going to do that because of HER?!"

"Yeah, because that's what heroes DO! THEY GO BEYOND!" Geo pushed his hand inside the orb and a massive explosion erupted.