Had a safety audit at work today (writing this Friday) and all those awkward questions like "when was the last time you did a fire drill" and me like oh shit, we haven't done one since covid. I hate how stupid it makes you feel, especially since it wouldn't have taken much effort, but there's always something more going on to distract you. Always so much work to do, deadlines to hit, and my event next month, but none of those are good excuses when a health and safety official is giving you the raised eyebrow.

We also got a caution because our defib (while it works) doesn't have an alarm on the box, and apparently that's a thing we need. It's meant to go off and alert the building if someone tries to use it. I didn't even realise.


Cover Art: Curbizzle

Chapter 40


What took place between Cinder and Jaune could not be called a good fight. He had seen good fights; he had seen Pyrrha against all of Team CRDL, Yang against Blake and Weiss against Ren. Those were good fights; they were filled with incredible strategy, acrobatic movement and expert usage of Semblance, speed, strength and skill. They were, if he was feeling poetic, choreographed dances between performing artists, especially with Pyrrha who, thanks to her past, knew how to make even a one-sided fight look good. This was not that.

Jaune slashed, and Cinder dodged, and Cinder slashed and he took it with a grunt, and then repeat. He was unskilled; she was exhausted. He had boundless aura; hers had been sapped by Headmaster's explosion. He was prepared to die to defeat her; she couldn't enjoy her victory if she wasn't alive to savour it. He charged in like an Ursa, eager to rip and tear and not caring a jot for the state he came out of in; she danced back, cautious and alarmed, giving ground and knowing she'd have to fight her way out of everyone else even after she was done with him.

It was that which did her in.

Cinder was a skilled opponent and better than him in a fair fight on an even day, but this was an odd day and she was four-fifths of the way through her reserves, surrounded by enemies and having already abandoned her allies. Crocea Mors struck the blade in her left hand and shattered it, but her right came up to his wrist and struck it hard enough to make him drop the weapon. Rather than retreat, Jaune stepped into her and embraced her sword in his stomach, intentionally dropping his aura for a moment to make the blade sink into and through his gut.

It hurt. It hurt like a bitch.

The pain felt kind of good though. It cut through his lethargy and sharpened his eyes to pinpricks as Cinder, trapped and unable to dodge, squawked and fell back with Jaune's hands around her neck. They fell as one, him atop her with his weight carrying her down, his blood spilling out onto her chest as he pushed down with his thumbs directly on her windpipe. Her hands flailed against him; nails scraped his face; fingers sought his eyes and she burned fire directly into his wounded stomach to try and force him off. The joke was on her however, because his body was so numb that he could hardly feel it.

"Magnis," snarled Jaune, pressing down and choking the life out of her. "Knight, Xiong, Headmaster, Fate, Grimm and Ashari. Even your own allies. You've killed me ten times over." He sneered and pushed down with all his might. "Isn't it only fair if I get to kill you at least once?"

"Kakk! Ack!"

Her hand slapped over his face, burning red hot, and her thumb tried to push into his eyeball to roast it out his skull. Jaune closed his eye and pushed his aura forward. It didn't stop his skin bubbling and popping, but it did protect his eyelid. He pushed down harder still. His own health didn't matter, not with the ultimatum from the gods. Win this or everyone had died for nothing. Win this or everything was for naught.

What else could he do but fight until his death? How could he possibly bow out early and look anyone in the eyes ever again? No one else had. Leviathan, Knight, Warchief, Fate, Revolutionary and all the others had all fought to the bitter end, no quarter, given or expected. He had the potential to become any one of them, any of them at all, or to become his own person, someone similar but fundamentally alike. He was spoilt for choice. Even the worst of them were brave in their own way. He would have felt like he was letting them down to be anything less than ready to die here.

The same could not be said for Cinder, who flailed and kicked and bucked and cried – great big tears running down her cheeks. Was she weeping at what she saw as unfairness? That she was outnumbered and weakened and expected to fight? She was the one who chose this; she had chosen to attack Beacon. The hypocrisy was thick. Or maybe she was just frustrated that things weren't going her way. Jaune had always been weak to tears, especially from women, but they did nothing here. He hated her that much.

"Die." He squeezed with all his might. "Die and be forgotten."

Cinder's eyes scrunched shut and she slapped her hands down, palms against the floor. Heat built up and roared out like an inferno, spreading left and right but also pushing back against her like rocket thrusters. Cinder did not fly, she did not have that capability, but the force of it caused a localised explosion that proved stronger than his weight. It launched them both up, casting Jaune onto his back and Cinder rolling several feet away, coughing and hacking for air. Her clothing was burnt, her hands bloody and blackened.

The fire had not been harmless to her, and when she stood and tried to summon a glass bow, it fell from her fingers and shattered on the ground. The woman looked down at her hands, her fingers twitching and oozing pus and blood. They had been crippled, burnt so bad that she couldn't properly move her fingers, let alone grip and handle a weapon. Her yellow eyes sought her foe, hoping against all hope that his surely fatal wounds might have taken him down.

A groan. A grunt. Jaune Arc pushed down with both hands and staggered to his feet, blood running down his legs and one hand grimly holding the wound on his stomach. He took a deep breath, centred himself, locked his eyes on Cinder and began moving again, even stooping to pick up his sword. Unkillable, unstoppable, or at least at that moment, injured as she was. Cinder bit her lip, glanced to the gods and took a step back toward the ring of fire. Jaune took another step forward, sword dipped low but pointed at her.

A thousand things ran through Cinder's head, not least of all that admitting defeat now would mean losing out on the kind of power that a pair of gods could grant her. On the other hand, you couldn't enjoy what you weren't alive to have, and Salem could heal her. Salem could grant her lesser, but still incredible, power. It wouldn't be as good – but at least she'd be alive to experience it. Snarling at the bastard whose face she had seen far too much over the past few weeks, Cinder took a step away and turned, breaking out into a sprint toward the flames.

The Gods didn't even try and stop her – fools. Cinder threw her own fire at theirs, buffering and splashing it back enough for her to leap through with only the slightest singing to her skin. The pain was relative, and Cinder was able to ignore it as she landed in a sprint, rushing for the doors as those idiot children cried out in shock or anger and made to follow.

"It is over," said one of the gods. "You need not chase."

Cinder had only a moment to ponder that as she reached the open doorway and the freedom beyond. She could slip into the Emerald Forest, hide away, recuperate and make her way back to Salem – or fade away into obscurity if she wanted. There were many small and isolated places in the world that she could take over and rule as her own little fief. Better to be a big fish in a small pond than food on someone's plate. Cinder pushed the petty remains of her aura to her back to ward off any chasing shots, racing toward the empty doorway and freedom.

Something obstructed her path – something sharp.

Pain ripped through her lower chest as something – two somethings – were driven into and through her body by her own weight and her own momentum. They burst out her back as she came to a stop against the hilts, eyes wide and breath laboured. Cinder looked down, confused at first by her blood running over nothing, until the illusion faded and the person came into view. Stooped over as she was, Cinder's face was all but touching hers.

"E-Emerald…?" croaked Cinder.

Emerald Sustrai was shaking. Shivering. Her eyes were red, rimmed and red through both, and her cheeks sparkled a darker shade from the tears that had been running down them. Violently, viciously, she tore her two blades from Cinder's chest, causing the woman to stumble as strength fled her and land on her knees in front of her.

"E-Em-rald…"

"You never loved me," said Emerald, voice dull and flat. "I realise that now. I loved you with everything I had; I would have done anything for you. But you would have thrown me away if it suited you, and you did." Emerald's voice choked off. "He was right. Ashari… my father… my champion…" The words were garbled, as though she wasn't sure which fit better. "He loved me. He cared. I only wish I could have realised that sooner. That was for him by the way." Her weapons transformed into her twin handguns, which she planted against both of Cinder's eyes. "And this is for Mercury."

Cinder saw the flash of light in both barrels.

And nothing more.

/-/

Everyone watched, stunned, as Cinder Fall fell back, dead, and Emerald Sustrai stood panting in the doorway. The girl that they had left by the body of her iteration looked to them, then to Cinder, and then closed her eyes and shook her head. She turned her back to them and walked away. No one made any effort to follow her. If she wanted to run, she could, but they didn't know if she would flee or just wait by Ashari's body to be arrested.

"Jaune!" cried Pyrrha, leaping the flames that winked out the moment she jumped. The redhead landed awkwardly and caught Jaune as he dropped, supporting him. "Are you-? No, of course you're not. Please!" she begged the gods. "Can you heal him?"

"Was not your prize to be that we leave and take our influence with us?" asked the God of Light.

"But you-"

"Pyrrha," croaked Jaune, laying a hand on her wrist. "It's fine. I'll live. Is that it?" he asked them. "D-Did I win?"

"The one known as Cinder forfeited her victory," said the God of Destruction. "By human rules it is a win for you." It looked to its brother, who nodded its head. "Those will suffice here."

"We shall honour our agreement," said the God of Light. "We shall depart, and we shall take our curses with us."

"Then Ozpin and Salem?"

"Ozma is dead and shall remain so. Salem will be robbed of her immortality."

"But she'll still be alive!?" cried Yang, throwing an arm forward. "What the fuck? How is that fair!?"

"The terms were that we would take away our curses. She bore the curse of immortality, which she will lose, and Ozma bore the curse of rebirth, which he shall lose. He shall not be reborn and will be allowed rest. Her life will not be guaranteed."

"Time will solve the problem of her existence," said the God of Destruction. "Or you can do what you do best and destroy her. You have inherited plenty of aptitude in that from me." he added, in what almost sounded like faint amusement. "The Relics will be taken. Your future, however long it shall last, will belong to you. Is that not what you wanted?"

Ruby didn't know what to say. It wasn't the best solution, but it was a solution, and it would mean peace eventually. Just not now. "Will the Grimm still exist?"

"They are entities created by my brother. To end their existence is no different than ending yours."

"This hardly feels like a victory at all," complained Weiss.

"No." said Ren. "It is. Cinder is dead, Salem's attack is dealt with and we don't have to worry about the end of the world anymore. Without the Relics and the maidens, it's just a contest of strength, and she isn't immortal. One bullet will end her and she knows it."

"Beacon is-"

"Beacon can be rebuilt," said Ruby. "Unless the gods want to rebuild it for us…?" It was a cheeky request, and the Gods didn't seem motivated to fulfil it. "No? Okay. I thought I might as well try and ask."

"That which is created is destroyed eventually," said the God of Destruction. "That is the natural order of things. Your world will cease one day, perhaps many millions of years from now, or less if you treat it poorly."

"It will not be by us," said his brother. "No more creation, no more destruction. We go now to make new worlds, to broaden our horizons and expand. Perhaps you will find a way to travel between the stars one day and visit them."

"Perhaps you will bring destruction."

"Or creation."

"We shall wait and see," they said as one. Then the lights that formed them warped and distended, winking away into nothingness. The impossible weight in the room, the atmosphere, faded away into nothingness, leaving behind only smouldering remains and heavy breathing, broken by a pained groan from Jaune.

"He needs medical attention," said Pyrrha. "Nora, come help me. Ren, can you run ahead and find someone to help him? Tsune, Glynda or an Atlas medic. Anyone."

Ren nodded and hurried off as Nora came and took Jaune's legs. They lifted him up between them, turning his wounded stomach toward the sky so that his insides wouldn't spill out. Jaune clutched it himself to add pressure as they carted him away. "What about us?" asked Ruby, to her team and to the empty hall. "What do we do now? Ozpin always told us what comes next."

"I, for one, want to rest," said Weiss.

"A good idea," said Winter, clearing her throat. "And in lieu of Ozpin or General Ironwood, I hope you won't have any issue following my orders."

"Depends what they are," said Yang.

"We tell no one of what happened here, of the gods or their deal." Winter's first decision earned quick nods all around. Few people would believe them, and those that did would be split in opinion. There were religious people who might even try and kill them for what they'd done. "We get out of the school before it collapses, find Glynda Goodwitch or General Ironwood and find treatment for ourselves. Then we find somewhere to eat and rest."

"Yeah," said Yang. "I think I can get behind that."

/-/

It turned out that an entire camp had been set up outside Beacon by the Atlas forces who, after fighting back the White Fang, had started collecting the wounded and treating them – Atlesian and faunus alike. Beacon students were a part of that as well, either helping out or receiving treatment, and the reason they had not seen Port or Oobleck helping in the fights inside was because they were organising and running rescue missions into the school to look for people trapped in the rubble. Team JNPR had fund treatment for Jaune, much to their relief, and Winter found first Glynda and then, an hour later, a heavily wounded and burnt General James Ironwood who came out the school supported and carried by Team CFVY. He was limping on one leg and his mechanical arm had been blown clean off along with his coat, revealing the cybernetic remains of his shoulder. It didn't take long for Winter and Team RWBY to be summoned to talk to him and Glynda both, with Team JNPR allowed to rest and look after their leader.

Ruby and Weiss alternated between telling the story, one polite and the other hyperactive. It took a while, and some arguing over specific words from the gods, but they eventually got it out.

"He's dead then," said Glynda, shocked and saddened. "After all this time, after all he's been through, to think that Ozpin would be gone. I don't know what to say."

"He's found peace," said General Ironwood. "I only wish it could have come with Salem dead as well. You say she's robbed of her immortality?"

"That's what one of the gods said," said Yang. "Even told us time and old age would kill her sooner or later."

"That is good news." Ironwood breathed out a sigh. "It will make her desperate, and it'll inevitably mean an attack within the next twenty to thirty years, but she'll be pushed for time and more likely to make mistakes. We can also put genuine thought into assassinating her. It's not ideal that she lives where Ozpin does not, but it's far better than the alternative. If they had won the war then we wouldn't be having this discussion."

"We didn't really win it," said Blake. "Fate was the last and he died, and Headmaster…"

"I know." Ironwood rubbed his eye with his one good hand and let out a frustrated sigh. "He played us for fools and I'm still none the wiser as to what his plan was. Did he always intend to push for a draw? Was he trying to make us – or you – confront the gods? If he wanted to win then he could have just planted those bombs to catch Cinder and Null and detonated them from a distance. He put them on himself, which means he intended to die with them."

"Maybe we can ask Roman Torchwick if we ever catch him," said Glynda.

"I'm loathe to try it," said Winter. "They… Well, I won't say they helped us, sir, as they never showed up other than to hijack an airship, but their actions hindered Cinder as much as us, and they're an enemy we don't need to make."

"Agreed," said Ironwood. "They simply aren't important right now and it looks like they went to ground. Since they were allied to neither us or Salem, I don't even think they were after a wish." He sighed again. "More of Headmaster's schemes? He's dead, so you'd really think I'd be done with overanalysing them but I just can't piece it together. Was he an idiot or a genius?"

"I mean, he beat Null," said Blake.

"He played us for idiots," said Weiss.

"No one could tell what side he was on," added Yang.

"I know. I know. I wonder if he didn't accomplish whatever his objective was, but I suppose we'll never know for certain."

"What happens to Beacon now?" asked Ruby.

"Atlas will help in the rebuilding effort," said Ironwood, with a meaningful nod toward Glynda, who looked more than a little relieved. "We'll provide temporary classrooms and housing until then, or we'll work something out with the city. I don't think there's a need to look at closing Beacon. Quite the opposite. Even when Salem is dead, the Grimm will still exist. Huntsmen and huntresses will be needed in every kingdom."

"At least they won't be controlled," said Winter. "We'll have an easier time reclaiming territory."

"It will be a golden age for humanity, yes," agreed Ironwood, "but let's not get ahead of ourselves when Salem is still alive. That said," he added, voice lighter. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves and suggest that you four should be the ones to deal with her." He smiled faintly. "You've all done well but, and quite frankly, that's come at the cost of us adults doing pathetically poorly. My army was held back by the White Fang and only Winter was able to help you." He nodded to her, and Winter saluted back. "I think it's high past time we put a little work of our own in. You four should have a chance to rest, complete your educations and enjoy your childhoods while they last. If Salem isn't dead by the time you graduate then we'll almost certainly come asking you to join us."

"That's it, then? We're done?" Ruby wasn't sure if she was upset, pleased or relieved, or maybe it was a combination of all three. She looked to her teammates and found them in much the same state. "Will we at least know what's going on?"

"You did this much," said Glynda. "I don't mind keeping you all in the loop."

"As long as it stays with you," said Ironwood. "Team CFVY and JNPR will be informed as you all learnt of the gods when this war started, but ignorance is bliss for the rest of the world. Let's not confuse things by bringing deities, ancient pacts and godly wars into the public domain. The official story will be that a terrorist threat led by Cinder Fall recruited the White Fang and tricked them into attacking Beacon. This caused an explosion that detonated the school, killing the interlopers and Ozpin, who had gone to apprehend them. He fell in defence of the school."

It washed away their own achievements but those achievements couldn't really be said out loud, and honestly they didn't feel all that great anyway. They'd failed to keep their iterations alive, watched Fate die, and then been bailed out by Headmaster. It was Jaune who fought Cinder at the end and secured their victory. Ruby looked to the others, who nodded back, and then turned to Ironwood and Glynda and gave one of her own.

"We're fine with that. As long as you don't try and keep things secret from us."

"Ozpin extended his trust to you. I shall do the same." General Ironwood saluted. "I only hope I can prove as capable as Ozpin has in keeping Remnant safe. At least I will only have to do it for a single lifetime, and not the eternity he was cursed to." He then said, "I will ask all your support with this. Glynda with advice, Winter with your skill and Team RWBY later down the line. Salem has at best thirty years left in which to make her move, and I hope you will look after Remnant in the last fifteen or so might be past our prime."

"We can do that," said Yang. "We owe it to them, don't we? Owe it to Leviathan and Fate."

"And Knight," said Ruby. "They did the fighting for us, but it's our world and it's our job to look after it. Not theirs."

"Together, then." Ironwood pushed his chair back, stood and slapped his one hand to his chest. "One last push for Remnant's freedom, and then an age without the gods, their influence or any remnants of their time. An age of humanity, free will and determination."

That was something Ruby could get behind.


One last chapter to go

Notice: Due to an awards ceremony that I have to organise, foot questions over and chair in September, I'm going to be taking the week starting Monday 12th – Sunday 18th September off. I'll be back Monday 19th. I'd definitely rather be writing fanfiction than doing this as it's always so painful and I hate – well, it's less the public speaking and more the stress of the organisation. People call you at all hours with questions; prize winners say they suddenly can't make it; stuff goes wrong with parking; inevitable errors on Eventbrite. The usual. It's just a long, long week of stressful work so I won't have time to write.


Next Chapter: 3rd September

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