Disclaimer: I do not own either RWBY or Star Wars

In an entirely expected turn of events, when Wayle arrived at Melaion's location which, incidentally, was also the place where he himself first appeared in Remnant, Melaion was waiting for him, observing the agonised demise of a Beowulf with mild interest.

However, the moment Wayle got close the Pure-blooded Sith turned to face him with a small, almost cordial, smile.

"Ah, Wayle, my apprentice, you've finally arrived. I was quite pleased to find that you were still alive. You've changed." Melaion's gaze seemed to pierce straight through him. "And yet, nothing has changed."

"I did not come here for idle chatter, Melaion!" Wayle exclaimed as he drew two Lightsabers, one into each hand and activated them.

There was a slightly surprised sound from Melaion even as a complicated expression settled on his features.

"Amara's Lightsaber… Even she wouldn't have given it to you freely… Unless you satiated her quite sufficiently-"

Wayle burst into motion, the sound of his explosive take-off interrupting the Sith's comment.

The young Lord had never moved faster and never swung harder than he did on this day, and even Melaion couldn't just receive the attack, instead being pushed back as his hastily ignited and raised Lightsaber locked with Wayle's two.

"You understand full well what happened to Amara!"

"True." The Sith stated and suddenly let himself be flung away. "A shame, truly, to have missed an event that was oh so certainly spectacular."

"Spectacular?"

Wayle burst forward, barrelling through the wave of force sent out by Melaion, smashing his Lightsaber into the Sith's to lock it down while lashing out with Amara's to strike him down, but it was stopped a miniscule distance from Melaion's hand that had intercepted it.

For a few moments they stood struggling, the Sith trembling from the effort of stopping Wayle's attacks and slowly being pushed back, before he with a roar caused an explosion of force that flung them both away from each other

The young Lord felt a small wave of optimism flare up within him. Melaion was being pressured by his assault, having trouble keeping up. Lightsaber duelling was never Melaion's forte, so his plan was to overwhelm him on that front and never letting the Sith engage with his strengths.

As such he didn't even let himself touch the ground before bursting forward again, stopping a flowing arc of electricity with one Lightsaber and powering through to once again crash into his enemy.

Melaion couldn't help but stagger from the sheer ferocity of Wayle's attack, but even so he managed to just barely deflect the assault with skilful parries, quick application of Tutaminis and small counterattacks with the Force to delay or divert it even just a fraction.

But that was all the Sith could do to defend, outmatched both in terms of physical prowess and skill, victory seemed to be just within grasp…

So why was Melaion's face one of pure disappointment?!

Wayle lashed out with a vicious kick that sent his enemy flying, but the Sith righted himself and unleashed several kinetic explosions that he had to evade, but it was far from enough to stop him.

He closed the distance and struck-

Suddenly he was sent flying.

For a few moments he couldn't understand what had occurred. He tried to right himself to resume the attack but was instead flung to the right with fearsome force.

Then it dawned on him. This was Melaion's Kinesis, being applied to him directly… His defences and resistance completely insignificant…

"I will admit, Wayle, that you have never been stronger, and that it wasn't a terrible plan to overwhelm me on my weaker side…" Melaion's voice cut through the grove. "But you have never been weaker. I had such hopes seeing you finally stand there to confront me, yet where is your power? Where are your illusions and tactics? You cannot defeat me without your forte."

Wayle tried to charge in again but was merely flung away.

"How is it that it is so easy for me to fling you around like this?" The Sith continued, clearly irritated. "Why are you weakening yourself like this?" A sigh. "Is this about when five acolytes went to disrupt your trials at the Academy on Korriban, and only two returned? One so terrified it took me several weeks to get the truth out of him and the other… well, was Amara."

The young Lord's eyes widened. He had always thought that the events of that day had remained secret, or that at the very least it would have been Amara that told on him… But since nothing had happened afterwards he had always assumed that nothing was said.

No. Something had indeed happened… That must have been what drew the eye of Melaion in the first place… and had been the trigger for Amara's obsession… He had always known, deep inside about the latter, but simply supressed it, unwilling to face that reality. So unwilling to consider the events of that day that even the surrounding factors had been left undeliberated.

"Oh, are we finally getting somewhere?" Melaion seemed surprised and maybe just a little excited. "I would have pushed this issue much earlier if I figured it would make a difference…" The Sith sighed once more. "Alas that I was far too focused on honing your skills and talents… Then again, your mind always was quite difficult to comprehend."

Wayle sent out a wave of force in an attempt to create a smokescreen and make Melaion flinch while he made a flanking manoeuvre. This time it even felt like he resisted the Sith's Kinesis.

For a few moments that is, before being flung away again.

"I swear, what does it even take to push you over that edge? You should have fallen off it long ago…" Melaion honestly sounded confused this time. "After what I put you through, what I did to you… what I made you do. I simply cannot comprehend it!"

The Sith's gaze bored into Wayle, who did his best to return it with defiance.

"Still, there is a certain desperation in your actions." Melaion's eyes narrowed. "You are desperate to stop me here and now." Then his eyes widened. "You are protecting something. Perhaps maybe even… someone?" A sinister expression crept onto the Sith's features.

The icy cold from earlier returned to Wayle unbidden, and it had probably shown on his face as well, despite his best efforts.

A dark chuckle escaped Melaion. "I feel like something has changed. This time… it might work."

In a burst of emotion Wayle let loose a stream of Lightning from his right hand. He couldn't tell when, but at some point, he must have dropped Amara's Lightsaber.

The Lightning crashed into Melaion, who finally showed some effort in blocking it.

"See?" He said with a smile. "Much better. Not quite there yet, but much better. You have shackled yourself with your own mind ever since that day, both consciously… and subconsciously." The Sith's expression turned manic. "Oh yes, this seems promising."

Wayle found himself rooted in place as emotions raged through him, in such a chaos that he could barely tell any of them apart. In such a state, he only barely registered as Melaion started turning away to leave.

Is this it? He couldn't defeat Melaion, no, he was further from that than ever. But he had to. If not, Melaion would…

He felt the torrent within him, the raging emotions of his that fuelled the Dark Side.

If he let it sweep him away, he might be able to defeat Melaion, but…

Could he return after that?

Probably not.

Did he have a choice?

…

No answer he enjoyed came to him.

He resigned himself-

'Don't turn out like that Darth Sion or Nihilus please.' Without warning he was interrupted by a memory of Blake.

What? Why did-

'I don't care. Don't turn out like either of those.'

Hmm…

That's right.

Didn't he decide on that day, with that promise, that he would never let that torrent take him?

Because it was that torrent that brought them to that point?

Damn.

That complicated matters.

'You know what I don't understand about you? How you can keep deluding yourself that you don't know how to grasp that power.' This time, a memory of a far less welcome person. An old memory of Amara.

What had they even been talking about back then?

Suddenly his mind conjured up the image of that mask on its high perch once again.

How did it relate to that memory?

…

No. He knew the answer to that question.

In his mind he shook his head with a tiny smile, and as he did, he noticed that underneath him were people.

Not just any people. The Army of Union, his followers.

Looking up again, the mask seemed closer.

Then more people appeared, this time around him. His inner council, Ouka, Aureus, The Captain, Felis, Roland…

Further ahead was Latune and team RWBY.

Before he even knew it, he had been boosted up by them.

It was close now, but still not within reach, but…

He felt like he was starting to put the pieces together now.

Suddenly he felt like he had been roughly shoved, sending him forwards… and upwards.

He didn't even need to look to know who had done it.

Even when an apparition of her conjured by his mind was helping him she was rough.

And Blake received him, pulling him up to herself.

Wayle couldn't help but smile.

What had he been thinking?

How could he have been so blind?

There was no reason to let that torrent take him.

He took a step forward and reached out…

And a gauntleted hand pulled him up, bringing him face to face with the Mandalorian mask.

It disappeared almost with a 'it's about time' feeling.

The imagery disappeared as well, but they left him with a feeling of clarity of mind unlike any he had ever felt.

The torrent rushed over him, yet he didn't budge.

Instead he simply took hold of that which lay beyond it and pulled, and it answered rushing through him.

Wayle opened his eyes to see Melaion not far away, his back turned and clearly heading towards the direction Wayle had come from.

He sent forth a bolt of Lightning that the Sith was forced to react to, spinning around with blinding speed to receive it, although it was clearly with some effort.

"Melaion! Apologies for keeping you waiting, but I cannot have you leave now. As a matter of fact, I cannot have you leaving at all."

Author's note: I have no words to describe how annoying this has been to get out. I started writing this chapter probably around a month ago by now, if not more, but has been plagued by writer's block and poor motivation to write at all. So of course you now get something that I'm quite unsure of the quality of, but I can't be bothered to let it take any longer, so here it is.

I've had this moment around for quite some time, ever since I first brought up Wayle's uncertainty about the Force. It might be a bit stupid, but this is what I went with anyway. Feedback is probably going to be appreciated, although I'd hope saying that is completely unnecessary at this point.

I'm a bit sad no one has said anything about Phantasm, which of course makes me wonder if no one cares or if it's just so obvious no one bothers.

I hope you enjoyed and that you have a nice day.