Chapter 52 - I'll Be Your Hero

Act VI - Kingdom of Lies

*Clank-Thud*

"Oh no, he's here." Albatross turned towards the stairway that leads to the training grounds, so he pulled his black blade out, moving towards the stairs as he did. "This ends now."

"Wait, what about-" Amber began, but Albatross already ran down the flight. "Typical." She loaded her rifle and took off, leaving the others to grab their own weapons and run after the duo

The rest ran down after the two, jumping back as Amber rolled away from a sonic blast, firing upon a claw that threw Albatross by his face and through the smashed doors. Amber chased the two, stopping as her wings deflected a number of feathers, the gang gathering near the doorway to watch, weapons at the ready.

"What's this guy's problem?" Yang snapped, loading Ember Celica, but a hand from Ruby stopped her from charging in

"Wait," Ruby turned as the fight continued outside. "Weiss, use your glyphs to keep Morana from damaging the house further while keeping Oscar and Jaune safe, Erika, provide support for the dragon girl." The duo nodded, while the boys noted why she wanted them to stay back, Jaune was to defend Oscar due to the severity of the situation. "Ren and Yang back the sword-guy up, Nora provides support from the rear and I'll join in at the front."

"You got it!" Nora saluted, drawing Magnhild into its grenade launcher, firing a few into the fight. Albatross rolled away in time for the grenades to blindside Morana, or until both his wings flung them high into the air to detonate. "Aw, no fair!"

The team broke apart, with the glyphs conjured at the ready by Weiss. Ruby immediately joined Amber's side, the two unleashing rounds into the Grimm who raised a wing to block the rounds, growling, it lunged their way, fanning the wing out to blow them back. His fist collided with Amber, knocking the rifle from her hands as her tail swiped across his face, her flaming gun summoned the second he was blinded.

Without warning he spat out a small sonic blast, disorientating Amber for his fist to collide with her stomach, lifting and throwing her into the ground as he spun into the air to avoid both Albatross' and Ruby's attacks. With a sharp tug of his wings, he sailed down, slamming into Crescent Rose, pushing Ruby back while using his left hand to deflect Albatross' swing, tripping him into the two slugs from Yang's Celica.

He reacted to the sound, blocking Albatross' horizontal slash with a bony arm, Morana side-stepped, which Albatross followed with several swipes, forcing him into the line of fire from Ren and Yang. The Grimm hissed and clapped his hands against Albatross's descending sword, catching him by surprise.

"You've gotten better," To comply, Morana threw him back, flying back from the burst of roses to scream, launching Ruby into Albatross' awaiting arms, the two then retreated from another sonic blast carrying many serrated feathers. Being airborne he effortlessly evaded the gunfire and grenades, using sonic screams to disorganize their strategy

Ruby flew high, leveling her scythe with Morana's torso, or until he grabbed the shaft and pulled her forward, punching her across the face while the two flew toward the ground. Shaking off the punch she pulled her scythe back, forcing the Grimm to flip to evade, then Morana dived backward at the horizontal swipe, but was caught by her spin, the three slices opening large wounds on his chest.

Landing meters apart, Morana's body was ragged and torn but he refused to give in to death, he was Death, that was his purpose, his very existence was to bring death wherever he roamed, he would not fall here. With an ear-splitting scream all ears were cupped from the wail, allowing him the chance to retaliate, slamming a fist where Ruby once was, only to jump to avoid another lower slice of her scythe, bowing he evaded both two shots from Yang and Albatross' cross-slash.

This only lead to him grabbing Ruby's scythe from his blind spot, tugging her into Albatross' swipe, knocking her to the ground while Morana kicked Crescent Rose to his own claws, swinging down on Albatross who skated the large crescent blade with his own, then a wing swept his feet, allowing the blunt side of the scythe to slam against his stomach, throwing Albatross away.

With a large helix spin over several slugs, bullets, and grenades. Morana tossed Crescent Rose across the grounds, the red scythe tore through the ground, forcing Ren and Yang to split, watching the scythe imbed itself into a glyph. Now on their knees, Morana dived toward Ren, cracking his right fist into Ren's side, followed by a quick left cross, then another right hook connected by an uppercut that threw the ninja back, just as a flaming fist sailed past the Grimm's cheek, his elbow snapped to crack against Yang's nose, grabbing her by the right leg he spun and threw her into the recovering Ruby, the two piled atop one another, groaning.

Amber flew high as Erika sprinted for the sisters, her guard rose while Morana was intercepted mid-flight. Amber lunged with a cross-chop, blocked by his arms, he swung his wings inward, dislodging numerous feathers that tore into her aura as her right leg broke several exposed ribs, she flew under his sonic scream, locking one arm under his neck while the other pressed the head further into her arm's lock, pulling back to strangle the Grimm.

Taking the best route, Morana flew backward, pushing against Amber's own wingbeats as the two stopped inches from the ground, the sudden break in descent made Amber lose her grip while Morana spun around burying her under his feet as he screamed toward Yang and Ruby, throwing the two sisters back with Weiss, her glyphs catching them.

Landing and trudging toward the group, Erika slammed the head of her shield against Morana's arms, blasting him with a torrent of flames that singed more feathers and flesh, from within the cone of fire, her eyes shook at a clawed hand grasped the edge of Infernal, pushing it down far enough for a fist to connect to her nose, deactivating the flames while a charred talon locked to her thigh, twisting her down onto her knees. Then the same leg bent to knee her in the chest, knocking the wind out of her lungs.

Erika gasped and fell over, aura shattered as the red bolts fizzled. He knew it wasn't hard to take them down, they had trained all day, their bodies needed rest, Albatross wasn't knowledgable on how Grimm evolved from combat, and Amber was far too by-the-book. Sky was different, with the gauntlet made by the traitor he could adapt to any and all situations, he was the perfect hunt and Morana the perfect hunter, without that weapon he was as easy to kill as any other human, much like these fatigued Huntsmen.

There was little time to squander, taking steps toward the armed group, his eye locked to Ruby, the source of happiness for Sky, something he would enjoy breaking. If he killed her, displayed her corpse to the man who would soon wake from unconsciousness, he would receive the wrath he viewed on Merlot's Island, a real monster to hunt.

"ThE gRiMm... ArE... fOrEvEr." His dried voice wailed to the girls, lungs filled with air as his throat tensed, and so did the girls, ready to unleash a barrage of attacks the second he opened his beak, or, until a familiar gunshot resonated in the sky, forcing the Horseman to turn in time to see a red and silver blur spin from above

*SHiiiing!*

The red and white blades flung themselves over the group, sliding into the house with a crash, pieces of red metal disintegrating on the spot as Morana wailed in agony, his right-wing turning to dust on the ground as the left flexed and curled at horrid angles out of hatred. The beak slammed shut, eye brimming with unbridled rage that it froze any that dared to gaze upon Morana. At that moment, in his singular eye, he was the very depiction of a Grimm, with a lust for destruction, and the true embodiment of Death.

"Your landings... are... in need of improvement." Iota groaned, stumbling out into the open while clutching his head, adjusting his glasses with the other. "Someone's angry, and that's coming from me."

He adjusted his stance, allowing ice to form on his fingers, but that alone put a strain on his body. He had used his own aura to siphon into Sky's, saving him from a serious injury and bringing back to the fight sooner. Now he had only set the stage. Flicking the ten spikes Morana's way, the Grimm howled and shattered the elements, then reeled back.

"Weiss, ice wall, now!" Iota bellowed, and while she was unaware it was him, she did as he said, with a large chunk of ice, Iota pressed his hands to the surface the moment Morana opened his beak, shattering the structure, but with Iota's remaining energy, it held in time to block the assault

The shards crumbled away, and Iota slumped to his knees. "Tag in." He held his hand for another to slap, and another familiar sound of buckshot sailed from the house, the combustible dust deflected by Morana's hand

"No way..." Yang gaped, her body tensed while her robotic arm trembled slightly out of joy and shock over the device she knew all too well

The person emerged from the house. Sky's Red War was all but gone, say for the right gauntlet, breastplate, and the helmet, attached to his left arm, and still smoking from the surprise attack was a golden-yellow arm guard. The exposed loading breach held red and orange shells. It was Yang's lost Ember Celica, modified to work on either arm.

Sky shrugged, then proceeded to stand like Yang would, firing off both high-caliber round with his right and powerful, combustible slugs with the left, the combination of ammo types forced Morana into a defense with his remaining wing, unable to regrow anything in his state. The continuous barrage blinded and caused him to stumble toward the edge of the grounds, the steep cliff only a few feet away.

The end was near, and with two more punches, two more rounds struck Morana, his feet nearing the banister. However, Sky tried to fire his left again, only to realize he had used all twelve shots, and Morana recovered from the edge, spitting out a shell.

Not wanting to say anything, Sky adjusted his stance and broke into a sprint to counter Morana, he screamed so Sky rolled to his left, diving for the Horseman as his body ignited in a surge of purple energy, enveloping his form as his movements faded for a split second, resulting in his forehead clashing with Morana's stomach, throwing him across the yard as the purple blur sped after him.

He appeared again, rapidly chaining a number of punches across Morana's form as each hit was worse than the last, Sky completed this barrage with a sharp kick to his beak, cracking the appendage slightly as Morana took flight but not of his own accord. Webbing the ground with a single leap, Sky joined Morana, embedding his foot into the Horseman's back, breaking something. Then he fired a shot from his left gauntlet, swinging him up and over Morana for both hands to hold one another, slamming both into the Grimm's stomach.

As both landed back on the dirt, Morana snarled, screaming several times to narrow down Sky's movements, the purple figure's eyes bulged as a serrated wing grazed his cheek, Sky fist connected to Morana's own, the two trading blows for a moment until another sonic blast separated the two.

"I can't believe you forgot how to load that thing..." Iota facepalmed, causing Sky to bluntly stare back, hand motioned to the enraged Morana. "And? That's no excuse for forgetting - Duck - the basics of combat."

Under Morana's wing, Sky spun to slam his shin into his side, fist added to the collision, burying the Grimm in the ground, a plume of dust rising as the right gauntlet broke, and the helmet cracked under the strain of his semblance working overtime, but he couldn't relent, not until Morana was down for good.

The dust scattered under a deafening roar, the dark mist rising from the majority of Morana's form as he heaved, feathers molting off his frame. Unlike the times before, he knew Sky would not dare draw close now, and any amount of gunfire may very well be the end of him, but a hunter utilizing all his tools and underhanded tricks, for that is where his victory lay. Drawing an arm up, many rows of feathers sprouted, and with a powerful lunge the serrated edges tore across to Sky's radiant form, but they so did a sonic scream toward his injured friends.

Without thought or reason, Sky let the blades puncture his aura, even Albatross struggled to follow his movements as he took guard before half the teens, the sonic blast tearing through the ground as it barreled into his own body, causing the wisps of light to scatter with each second under the ear-ringing noise. When it died down, everyone was still in one piece, though their ears rang, even as Sky's own eyes widened, his body hunching over in agony.

Blood flew from his mouth, his semblance shattered like glass as the claws tore across his torso with enough force to throw him back into the dimly lit dojo, droplets of blood left in his wake while Morana stood tall, snarling down at the would-be Huntsmen, their weapons were drawn the moment they met his eyes.

*SCREECH*

His innate ability conjured, and their very souls shivered under the piercing cry, without control over their actions they all lost their hold on each others weapons, failing to stand at the epicenter of the soul-piercing outroar.

"In LiGhT... tHeRe Is OnLy DeAtH." His neck tensed and beak drew back, as all combatants watched with horror, unable to move an inch, even though further away lacked the strength to move

"No, I can't let end like this." Albatross ground his teeth, feet digging into the soil as he inched toward them, but his strength couldn't pierce pure darkness alone. "I knew the dark magic used on the Horsemen was strong, but... this beyond any normal arcane art. Dammit, is this really it? Have I... really learned nothing since then?"

Iota struggled to hold his eyes to the Horseman himself. "I failed... again, first Eric and now like this?" His eyes fell to the shroud that blanketed the dojo behind him. "Come on, Kai, get up, and fight!"

Yet, as Morana readied his final attack, the penultimate move to end a hunt that easily solidified itself in his mind in all the decades he's lived, one stood before them all, a symbol of some fractured hope. Ruby glowered back with a face that had made his attack falter, he had feared the glint of silver would flash at any moment. Not a single tear or shred of terror coursed through her heart, and a silver flame burned in her eyes, one that continued to cause hesitance in the Horseman.

"I am a Huntress of Beacon Academy," Ruby spoke flinty, the ferocity behind her eyes was unyielding. "The leader of team RWBYS. If you want to hurt my team, my friends, then you'll have to kill me first!"

Morana let out a heavy breath, opting to flex his claws to accept her wish, she was frozen in place, there was nothing she could do under the effects of his Soul Bind, it wouldn't fade for another minute, he had time, enough to scar their minds and hearts with her mutilated corpse spewing blood onto the ground.

Ruby could see this, how hopeless the situation was, but a single promise made long ago kept her heart at ease, so she smiled and waited, but every fiber of her being wanted to fight back, but she couldn't, as if all the strength in her arms faded away, I guess, even her own mind knew what came next. "I know you'll find me..."

"RUBY!"

*Bam-Thud-Clang*

A fist collided with flesh, breaking bone in a matter of seconds upon Ruby's thought coming to an end, and all she saw through wide, silver eyes, was the sight of a red glove imprinted with a black wolf digging through Morana's cheek, breaking the bone and sending the Horseman flying across the ground once more, the sky-blue jacket blowing from the force of the blow.

"I told you before... I won't lose my family this time..." Sky's helmet fell away, allowing his blackish-white hair to fall back into view, fist bleeding profusely from the red crystal crushed in his hand, the shards reacting to his blood as the wound gathered the strength of flame to surround his right fist as he drew it back. "I'm pathetic without Cognitum, without people to back me up," His gaze sharpened. "So what? If I can use that to save someone, that's fine by me!"

When Ruby's eyes locked to the person and her ears drummed to the voice, her heart skipped several beats, as she felt her mouth tremble out a name. "S-ky..."

His clothing had been charred and tore slightly, the left side of his face was dripping with blood as well as the corner of his mouth, large gashes along his tore abdomen twinkled with red dust, the wounds no longer bleeding, but the sight was horrifying, he was beaten and looked ready to pass out, but he refused to waver as the flames burnt along his arm, licking his coat in contrast.

He only needed one shot, that's all he had and all he could need to end this. It didn't matter how fast his regeneration or how persistent he was, every Grimm had a limit! "This one's for you, Eric."

Morana could kill him with a single strike to his fresh wounds, no matter the aura, one fatal blow like that would be the end of any Huntsman, no matter their strength of will!

Morana stumbled back, his right fist coiled ever-so-tightly, he lunged with a roar, his fist infused with every fraction of his strength. Sky spat a glob of blood and did the same, flames coursing over his body as afterimages faded in vain to channel any lingering ghost of his semblance. Sky screamed loud too, as a single phrase flew from his throat, cheek skimmed by the fist he evaded at the last instance, his own embedded deep into Morana's beak.

"United. States Of. SMASH!"

Fire fueled his voice, eyes lit ablaze as his fist dug deeper into the Grimm's skull while orange embers scattered in the wind. The recoil fractured Sky's fist, the unstable flames carving through the flesh and bone as the force of the impact threw Morana across the grounds, splitting through a tree that hung on the edge as timber and chunks of Grimm were strewn across the sky. The left side of his head disintegrated in seconds while nearly bringing a portion of the cliff down from the very power unleashed in a single punch. While rock crumbled and the air released the last echoes of the fight, Sky felt his feet stumble to the edge of the yard, feeling the wind pass by while peering over the edge, gasping for air.

There was only smoke, the body is gone and the remnants of the tree left to smolder and char in a mound of rock and dirt, thankfully out of range of any buildings. In what felt like months, Sky let every guard he had fall, and his energy left his body, leaving only him legs to turn, closing his left eye.

"So... how's that for a finishing move?" He addressed the starstruck Albatross, who rubbed his head in thought

"If I had a board... I'd give it an eight-point-five out of the ten, could do without you breaking your bones." He smirked as a hoarse laugh escaped Sky

"Yeah, can't really feel it though so... guess that's dust for ya, unpredictable," Sky replied as Albatross chuckled slightly, but now the air grew thick with silence

There was a strong howl from the wind between Sky and Ruby, having been apart for so long, and now, one was feeling as though it were a dream, and the other, afraid of the consequences of their actions. But neither looked away.

"Sorry I... took so long." Sky's voice broke slightly under a pained smile, Ruby's own raised, eyes lidded slightly and misty

"You dummy." She answered back, taking a shaky step forward as Sky did the same, only his vision tunneled, Ruby's form dashing toward him was the last he saw as his perception of the world slanted and faded to darkness as he caught the faint sound of leaves blowing by with a smell of roses.

Sky's head rested against Ruby's chest as she held onto his unconscious body for dear life. While the rest recovered from the battle and sudden arrival of Sky, Oscar running off to grab medical supplies for said person, Ruby sat there alone, feeling the warmth of Sky against her once again, almost like back at Beacon, when it was just them, lying next to each other, sleeping peacefully, even before they were together, she could feel every movement, his breathing, how safe she felt around him, and now, even though he was hurt badly, he protected her once again.

"Y-You found m-me..." Ruby whispered, tears dripped across Sky's face as Ruby held her head closer to his, afraid to let him go in fear he would vanish again, but he didn't, each second she counted, and he wasn't gone, and it only made her cry more, her hair mingling with his again. "You came back!"

Those who watched couldn't help but smile warmly for the two, Sky resting peacefully in Ruby's arms, while the girl who hid her emotions on the subject lost control of her tears, and yet, she was smiling as bright as the day they met.

To Be Continued...

This was difficult to write since I had so many ways of making this chapter play out, and the one previously with Morana's inability to die. And so here we are, alongside the emotional reuniting of my ship after many chapters/weeks apart, yay! I hope you enjoyed, seeya in the next chapter!

Next Chapter: A Promise Kept

Sky awakes after a strange dream and is face-to-face with Ruby once again, he can only hope they understand why he left, but will he reveal all he has learned?