When the Search Ends

by Eliad91

One searched eternally and the other waited patiently eternally. Eventually though the search does end. Shirou didn't realize it but he had finally found his Saber. No longer the petite, poised, and refined king of knights but an awkward and gangly squire with a heart still wanting to do good. Shirou had changed as well but her desire to help people hadn't changed.

4. Chapter 4

I OWN NOTHING! Enjoy the chapter!

Arturia grit her teeth as she clashed blades with the witch Cinder Fall. They had been led into this trap by the nose and Arturia should've known better!

Lionheart's weak will was obvious to Arturia the moment she had met him a month before. Anyone looking at him should have been able to see it, but Qrow and Ozpin had vouched for the cowardly lion faunus, insisting on his strength of character. That dirty coward and oathbreaker gave lions a bad name!

The moment of anger at the betrayer was quickly shelved though as Arturia parried a blow from a flaming scimitar. As she caught the burning obsidian sword against the new heavy crossguard of Crocea Mors she quickly twisted the blade down letting Cinder's own followthrough on the blow throw the witch off balance before knocking her back by placing an aura burst powered kick straight into Cinder's stomach.

Wind swirled and surged around Arturia as she manipulated the wind dust to blow forward and buffet the crimson form of the Fall Maiden and she had the gall to laugh at him! After everything she had done! With that sick smile on her face!

Arturia roared as she brought Crocea Mors above her head before pulling it down in a mighty slash. "HAMMER OF THE WIND KING!" She cried with everything she had as she poured aura into the wind dust of his sword and a horizontal tornado spiraled out of the blade and into the witch, ragdolling her and throwing her across the room to slam against the opposite wall.

"You're gonna pay for what you did at Beacon, wench." Arturia growled as he stalked towards Cinder who still had that same STUPID SMIRK ON HER DAMN FACE.

No… No. Arturia had to maintain her cool. The rage would grant strength but it also made you sloppy. She was not a fighter like her son Mordred. A king must stay cool and collected at all times to lead his people.

Speaking of such, Arturia spared a glance toward the rest of the battlefield as she moved to engage Cinder once more. Ruby was still picking herself up from the cheap shot Cinder had taken at the start of the battle… bitch. Ren battled Ruby's sister's mother's minion and the two seemed evenly matched at the moment. Ren could not match the bandit girl's brute strength but made up for it in skill and technique.

Dear Weiss had taken the battle to Mercury and after a comment about her not being so pretty anymore, had started stabbing the silver haired boy as many times as she could manage, with as many different elemental effects as she could manage. Really he had earned that beating if Arturia was honest with herself. Weiss was acquitting herself quite well with her new shield as well, the training Arturia had given her in Pyrrha's style was paying off. Attacks from Mercury either washing over the polished bronze or bouncing back at him from a defensively layered glyph.

Nora was the last of them, locked in a heated battle with Cinder's toadie Emerald. Arturia wasn't sure what daydreams or nightmares the thief showed the berserker but apparently it wasn't working. Nora simply worked to close the distance and attacked with wide arcs of her sparking hammer, pink electricity trailing off the head. For every three that Emerald evaded one would hit with a punishing force that Arturia could clearly hear across the heated battlefield of Haven's main hall. Good.

Turning back to her main focus, Arturia kicked off the floor with aura burst and in the span of a second the twenty foot gap was closed as Cinder brought up her blade, almost lazily, as the two met in a clash that left a sound like a dozen deep bells ringing and a blast of air that nearly blew the nearby Oscar and Lionheart off their feet. Arturia grit her teeth and pressed against the witch's blade with all her weight and Cinder had the audacity to yawn as she simply adjusted her grip in no great rush.

Whatever other esoteric powers that maidenhood may have granted, it was becoming increasingly clear to Arturia that whether it be from the Grimm pieces she had mutilated her body with or the mantle of the maiden or both Cinder Fall had achieved the constitution of a Servant. Aura burst could allow Arturia to match the maiden but as the name implied it was only in short bursts. She needed something more but she had no Noble Phantasms, no magic core, and lacked the constitution of a servant in this worthless body.

The frustration on Arturia's face must've been plain as day to Fall as she saw the witch's grin widen before throwing Arturia back with a small exertion of effort. She was thrown backwards and landed hard, the back of her armor sliding and scraping across the floor. Picking herself up Arturia once again poured her aura into the dust on the sword determined to once again send the maiden flying. "HAMMER OF THE WIND-"

"No."

And with that Arturia found she could no longer manipulate the air, as there was no air to manipulate. Cinder Fall may have preferred fire but she apparently wasn't against using the other classical elements as Arturia suddenly found herself gasping in a vacuum as Cinder calmly strolled forward with that same stupid smile.

Her lips moved, but no sound reached Arturia in the vacuum. She gasped, but there was nothing to fill her lungs. Her lungs and heart felt fit to burst. Her eyes watered and some small part of her wondered if her ears were bleeding from burst ear drums. Still Arturia refused to let this defeat her, she picked herself up and moved to leave the bubble before being thrown back by the wall of swirling wind at its edge.

Again she pushed forward, and this time slashed at the edge of the bubble with Crocea Mors while pouring aura into the wind dust. Hoping against hope to wrest control of the winds from Cinder Fall. But it didn't work. Spots grew in Arturia's vision as she desperately tried to hold on. Then there was light.

Silver light filled Arturia's vision and all at once sound and breath and her own voice returned to her as Cinder's magic was cut off by a silver eyed burst of energy. Gasping Arturia took in great, greedy gulps of air as her version cleared. A quick glance in the direction of her lover revealed Ruby moving to assist Arturia with the witch. But that wouldn't be necessary. Arturia pulled herself to her feet to see the stunned and weakened Cinder before her and this time she would not be denied.

"Axe of the Wind King."

The energy of dust coated the blade of Crocea Mors and air gathered. There was no great surging of winds or localized hurricanes this time though. No, instead all was still for this brief period of time. No air moved near the angry king. Then Arturia swung his sword down.

The air and energy coating his blade exploded forward in a single concentrated burst, mimicking the edge of his blade. While Crocea Mors bit into the edge of Cinder's shoulder the Axe of the Wind King surged outwards, carving a great diagonal gash across the witch's body as she was flung away from Arturia, and when she hit the ground again she did not move.

With a grim smile Arturia turned towards Shirou as he came closer. Vengeance was dealt and justice had been served. Now it was time to move their aims much higher. At least that was what Arturia thought until she felt the crackling of flame behind her.

Turning Arturia saw Cinder Fall, eyes glowing with the power of the maiden and wide with a madness that Arturia knew was born of rage and desperation. 'Shit.' One moment Cinder was picking herself up and glaring at Arturia and Shirou. The next she was directly in front of Arturia with the hand of her Grimm arm wrapped around Arturia's middle, the fingers stretching and contorting with a cracking sound, and then Arturia's entire world was a blur of motion and aura dulled pain. Cinder was lifting Arturia and slamming her into the ground over and over again. She may have said something but if that was the case Arturia couldn't hear it over the sound of her own body slamming into the hardwood and against his armor.

Then the grip was loosened and Arturia was flung loose. Doing her best to break the fall, Arturia managed a messy roll before picking herself up to see Shirou engaged in combat with Cinder and doing about as well as Arturia had solo. Gritting her teeth Arturia used aura burst once again. The hardwood floor splintered at the strain and with a mighty push Arturia rocketed towards the monstrous woman already swinging and catching her in the side, though this time the blow glanced off of aura.

For a moment the two managed to keep pace with Cinder. Arturia stayed inside Cinders guard using every trick she could possibly think of to keep the beast off balance while Shirou darted in and out with great slashes of Crescent Rose, carving at Fall's aura. Then Cinder lost her patience apparently.

Her Grimm arm lashed out against Arturia, slamming him to the floor and slowly dented his armor as she continued to increase the pressure. There from his prone and restrained position on the floor Arturia could only watch in horror at what happened next.

It unfolded in slow motion to Arturia's eyes. Shirou went in for a slash against the arm in a burst of petals, trying to free Arturia but the monster expected that. In that moment a great burst of flame coalesced into a solid, long bladed sword and swung at Ruby. The blade cut through Crescent Rose like a hot knife through softened butter, destroying the weapon before stabbing into Ruby Rose with a similar effect.

Jaune's world stopped. The Grimm hand let go of him but that didn't matter. Cinder Fall stood above him smirking and saying something, completely off guard, but that didn't matter. Crocea Mors lay behind him easily within reach but that didn't matter. All that mattered was the beautiful, amazing girl bleeding out on the floor that he couldn't live without.

"RUBY!"

Jaune picked himself up and rushed to the red reaper's side, desperately applying pressure to the wound but there was so much blood and it wouldn't stop and it was supposed to be inside and why wouldn't it stop? Ruby was supposed to be red like roses not the darkening crimson of blood. He felt someone shake him but he couldn't tell who it was or what they were saying as he fell apart in the middle of Haven academy.

Jaune couldn't lose someone else. 'God, not like this. Not again! NOT RUBY!' Jaune prayed to whichever deity on whichever world that he thought might listen for something, ANYTHING, to save Ruby. What was the point of it all? Trying to become Arturia instead, throwing away Jaune Arc, all the training, and he still couldn't save the one he cared for.

Jaune racked his brains for some memory, some scrap of knowledge, or forgotten skill that he could use to help her, but Arturia for all her skills was no healer and there was no avalon on hand to cheat with.

Jaune pressed harder onto the wound and tried to push everything of himself into Ruby at the same time. All his love, his hope, his regret, and his deep seated belief in this amazing girl. And then there was resonance.

It was nothing like the times it had happened before. There was no overlay of features or personalities. There was no sudden rush of memories overwhelming everything. It was gentle, a literal meeting of two souls as Jaune perceived everything about the girl before him. A billion lifetimes lived, shaping and changing the soul but two shined the brightest. A boy with red hair forged by fire and one thousand curses and so glowed like a burning forge himself at his center. A boy who became a man driven by regret and guilt and hope and love. Fast forward an endless expanse of time and there was a girl.

A girl with silver eyes like the cool steel of a blade. A girl who knew the harshness of the world they lived in and still chose to live with joy. Because that's what it was, Jaune now realized. Ruby was a joyful person and she came by it naturally but more importantly Ruby CHOSE joy. To live her life the way she believed it deserved to be lived. To save the lives of others and her own. To live, laugh, and love with every single atom of her being every second of every day. And if it was an impossible goal, then she would always have something to strive for earnestly wouldn't she?

The moment was broken when Jaune heard a shuddering gasp come from the wonderful woman before him and opened his eyes to see Ruby and his hands glowing white as Weiss stared in awe. Jaune could feel a small tug at his aura and realized what was happening. His aura was amplifying Ruby's healing her, empowering her.

Jaune felt tears trail their way down his face as he felt the wound in Ruby's abdomen stitch itself shut as her eyes fluttered open with a groan.

"J… Jaune?" Ruby questioned as she looked up at him, eyes dazed. "What happened?"

"Cinder stabbed you, but I'm healing you back up!" Jaune half shouted, desperate tension thick in his voice. "Just stay with me, ok?" the knight begged the red reaper.

"Ok," Ruby said, her voice growing stronger and words coming more clearly. "Love you."

"Heh, you too Rubes." Jaune said as tears flowed freely. Jaune Arc had actually managed to save someone. Someone Arturia couldn't.

Weiss left to protect the two and buy them time and Jaune just nodded in acknowledgment. He refused to risk anything that would break whatever effect he was giving Ruby. It had to be his semblance, his aura spent to amplify her own. Jaune watched in awe as the light covering Ruby shifted from the glowing white of his own aura to the brilliant crimson red of Ruby's as it covered her entire body and only grew in intensity before Ruby's eyes shot back open full of vim and vigor.

Jaune could feel the tears streaking down his face and not much else in his numb relief, as a wild grin stretched over his face to match the confident one Ruby threw his way before his world became a fluttering blur of petals as Ruby disappeared from beneath his hands. A body made not of blades but rose petals and thorns.

The battlefield became a rush of flower petals moving at blinding speeds as they formed a great fist that swatted the giant brute Hazel from the building at terminal velocity, his body obviously broken even as he screamed in rage. Flowers formed naturally in the air for brief moments before breaking back apart and spears shaped suspiciously like Gae Bolg formed out of the flower petals instead, stabbing forward at Mercury before breaking apart and reforming into spears, scythes, swords, axes, arrows, and even fists made of rose petals herding the silver haired assassin next to to his partner.

When the two were back to back and standing together the living mass of flower petals that filled the room coalesced into one solid wave before crashing over Emerald and Mercury both. The two were enveloped and bodily lifted by the swirling and formless mass of flower petals and carried straight out the door. When there, Jaune caught a glimpse of a giant hand once again forming before throwing Cinder's cronies towards the horizon like a baseball.

And then it was over. The fighting stopped. Jaune could see the familiar forms of Blake, Yang, and Sun outside, fighting a man with crimson hair and horns before he turned tail and ran while the members of the White Fang lifted their hands in surrender.

And then she was in front of him again and God she was beautiful. An angel in crimson and black surrounded by rose petals as the excess aura continued to bleed off and then her arms were around his neck as she hugged him.

"JAUNE!" The red reaper cheered as the two spun for a moment before Arturia...no, Jaune collapsed onto his back with his girlfriend perched on top of him.

"DID YOU SEE THAT!?" Ruby asked, eyes wide and cheeks flushed from the excitement. "You were all like Axe of the Wind King! And Cinder was all like GRAAAAHHH. And then we were like *kachow* and *hi-yah*! And then I was like *blegh* and you saved me with your semblance! And then I CLEANED HOUSE!"

Jaune was too overwhelmed for words as he nodded happily up at his girlfriend as he latched onto one fact and held onto it with everything he had. Ruby was alive. Darling, dear, beautiful, wonderful, joyful, amazing Ruby was still alive and in his arms. Jaune turned his head to see their friends and allies coming to check on the two when a simple sentence from Ruby brought his mind to a sputtering halt as she leaned in, bleeding excitement and manic energy, and whispered a simple sentence.

"You're not sleeping tonight." The girl said with a mischievous lilt in her voice. The boy could only nervously gulp in response.

-When The Search Ends-

Ruby Rose woke to the gentle light of the morning sun as it filtered through the curtains of their room. Ruby was aware she should probably get up and grab breakfast. She was aware she should probably throw some clothes on. She was aware that even with the victory of the night before they needed to plan the next step and prepare for travel. At this point though, Ruby simply didn't care about anything but the soft bed and warm arms wrapped around her.

It was a sobering thought, but Ruby should have died last night. By all rights Cinder had her and only the borderline miracle of Jaune discovering his semblance when he did had saved her. Not just saved her but empowered her. Ruby had never once felt so much aura before. Was that how Jaune felt all the time? No wonder he never got tired from training. And the thing with her semblance! Could she always do that? Was it only when boosted? She would need to see about shaping the petals when it was just her because that was amazing.

Still though, Jaune had given her his aura. A piece of his actual soul and vitality to bring her back, and wasn't that just like him? Ruby gently giggled as she reached up a hand between their two bodies to gently brush the hair out of his face. He was a good man, no matter how much he refused to believe. Gallant and self-sacrificing to a fault, with a simple genuine goodness simultaneously so similar in her mind to Saber while also being so completely different.

Ruby's smile widened as Jaune stirred at the movement and when his eyes opened she made sure she was already staring into them. Jaune smiled with that wide, sleepy, goofy grin he had every morning they woke up in their bedrolls when he first saw her but this time it was different.

"Hey," Jaune mumbled cheerfully as she watched him slowly wake up.

"Hey," Ruby smiled back as she wrapped her arms around his middle and held him tighter to her.

"So last night was…" Jaune trailed off, a neon red blush bursting across his face even as his smile widened.

"Yeah," Ruby nodded, and if anyone said she was blushing as well first she'd tell them to get the flip out of the room and then later she would inform them that they were greatly mistaken.

"So definitely better than last time huh?" Jaune asked as he awkwardly tried to make small talk.

Ruby could only snort in response. "Jaune," she deadpanned up at him. "Last time was a few planets ago and we were having to do it as a magic ritual to not die to berserker as he hunted us. We were so awkward and bad at it that Tohsaka had to lend a hand. I think you can really only go up from there."

Ruby watched as the goofball seemed to be thinking it over in his head before nodding back down at her. "True." He answered simply and Ruby lightly slapped him in response while laughing.

"Hey!" Jaune laughed in mock protest. He became quiet as he looked down at her as if he was contemplating something before he spoke. "...You're brilliant you know that?"

"Jaaaaune," Ruby blushed as she ducked her head, she wasn't even going to try to deny it this time.

"No," Jaune continued softly, gently. "You don't get it. When I healed you Ruby I saw everything. Every life back to the beginning when your name was Shirou Emiya and in each and every one you were amazing. But now? Now Ruby you are blinding and beautiful and capable of so much genuine joy and spreading that to others simply because you decided you would. That's amazing"

Ruby continued to glow crimson at the complements as she felt the heat from her blush spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears and bottom of her neck. This certainly made bringing up that thing she wanted to talk about easier but did he have to say it like THAT? With the quiet voice and the deep, kind eyes, and the smiles that made her knees weak? The absolute jerk.

"That goes both ways you know Jaune," Ruby began as she looked back up at him. "I saw you too and Jaune you may not believe it but you shine." Ruby whispered as she held him tight and stared into his eyes.

"You shine brilliantly and you give of yourself to everyone around you but sometimes when the brightest light comes from you, all you can see is how dark the shadows in front of you are." Ruby continued even as Jaune began to look uncomfortable and averted his eyes.

"Babe, look at me," Ruby gently asked, in a voice that left no room for argument. "It's true. You may not see it but you make the lives around you brighter as well and you should never doubt that. It's why I love you, and why our friends love you. Arturia was amazing in her time but Arturia was also tragic even as she held on Jaune. Everything she built was ultimately destroyed and Shirou never built anything and now it's down to us to live the lives they couldn't not just for what we missed out on as them, but simply for us."

Ruby frowned as Jaune snorted, "I think I'd still rather be Arturia most of the time." Jaune admitted and Ruby felt her heart break. "I don't think I like Jaune Arc very much." The second statement was capped off with an uncharacteristic yelp as Jaune flinched back from where Ruby pinched his hip.

Ruby glared up at her boyfriend (it was definitely not a pout). "Don't talk about my boyfriend like that jerk." She growled in her best approximation of menacingly.

"Ruby. I'm your boyfriend." Jaune argued confused.

"The point stands!" Ruby continued as she pulled him back in tighter to her. "I love YOU Jaune, I have ever since we met at the bullhead docks the day before initiation. Not as Shirou loving Saber but as Ruby Rose, a normal girl with normal knees, loving Jaune Arc. A boy who tries his level best and makes people smile and plays video games with me and reads comics with me and when I'm not feeling well buys me chocolate chip cookies and stomach medicine without complaining."

"Yeah there's a word for those stomach aches Ruby," Jaune began before yelping as she pinched him again. She wasn't done yet.

"Still not the point Jaune," Ruby continued. "I'm Shirou Emiya from Fuyuki City yeah, but that's not just who I am and it's also not who I am anymore. Now I'm Ruby Rose from Patch, an awesome huntress who makes better chocolate chip cookies than Shirou ever could." Ruby giggled as she felt him finally begin to relax again as they both laughed at the joke.

"And that goes both ways Jaune," Ruby looked him in the eyes as she said it, trying to make every ounce of meaning clear and understood. "You're Arturia Pendragon, King of Camelot. But that's not just who you are anymore. You're also Jaune Arc of Domremy and he's a darn good man. I won't let anyone say otherwise. So if you ever find yourself in a spot where you don't like Jaune Arc again, can you at least remind yourself that both Shirou Emiya and Ruby Rose do? At least until you learn to love yourself again?"

Ruby watched Jaune's head dip into her hair as he sighed above her. "Ruby it's really not that simple-"

"Nope!"

"But Ruby-"

"Nope!"

"That's not fair, you know?"

"Nope!" Ruby chirped one last time with a smug smile on her face. "But it works doesn't it?"

"I'll try my best, Arc's Word." Jaune promised her as she felt his arms tighten around her.

"That's all I ask my King." Ruby grinned impishly up at her lover.

"As you wish my dear, dear Cook." Jaune smiled back down at her in that gentle way that could make Ruby's heart flutter.

The two lay like that as long as they could, basking in the love shared, the healing, and honestly just the morning after as neither wanted to get up for the day and face the world. Then the door opened.

"Hey Rubes! Up and at'em for training! I know I've been slacking on the big sister front with the trip to Menagerie but with Crescent Rose busted you're gonna need all the hand to hand skill you can ge-," Ruby watched with mounting horror as Yang froze, taking in the scene before her of Ruby and Jaune still wrapped around each other in the sheets and still not wearing any clothing. 'Oh Root dammit, again really!?' Ruby cursed internally as Yang prepared to curse out loud. Very loud.

"OH WHAT THE FU-"

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Hey everybody! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! That's chapter 4 out of 6 written and honestly being this close to finishing one of my stories honestly has me feeling some kinda way lol. Most everything I plan out or start writing is either REALLY long form or it's a oneshot so having a short story like this actually being close to finish with multiple chapters feels odd in a good way. I know some of y'all hated the last chapter and some of y'all don't like the timeskips but when I started this I knew exactly what type of story I wanted to tell and that fact honestly hasn't changed. For those that are sticking with me anyway I hope y'all are excited as we get to the final battle against Salem next chapter and then on to the epilogue in chapter six as we find out what actually happens when the search ends.

I hope you all have a great day! And don't forget to love each other! Take Care!