I was lost in thoughts in magic and came up with this...
-Y.A.R.N.
Jaune wonders if this is the same outcome as before. A group of naive boys and girls dreaming and hoping to save the world and when they are finally on the cusp of actualization, they realize it won't matter.
Leaving behind crumpled and battered shells before being swept away like ashes on the wind.
Ozpin, a long-time parasite that forces his way into someone's life as he uses their body like a puppet. Sending children off to war against an evil as ancient as time, over and over and over. Breaking families and letting other grieve as he and his eternal enemy play with the pieces like chess and always resetting the board. Salem, a queen of monsters who intends to rule a world of blood and chaos, where streets will be littered with the corpses of people and waters forever stained red with rivers of blood and rot. Their war is eternal and like always it sweeps up innocents and those who never wanted to fight in its pull only to extinguish their lives like a fire deprived of air.
He wonders if he had been born a human and joined the ranks of Salem, would that change anything, or maybe his counterpart would've slain him and the game would be reborn anew.
He wishes for an answer as the force of Salem attack sends Ruby flying behind his cover.
Does he dare?
He has already lost so so much.
He really only has one last thing left to give.
But it will cost him his future.
But it might ensure theirs'.
A gamble on his soul and his blood.
No way for him to win.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
A rusty laugh or a rusty sob claws its way from his throat.
"You have to let go Jaune. You can't win if you hold back like this..." She uttered.
"I don't want them to see this." He whispered to her, "It's ugly. This side of me. It's a monster. They'll hate me."
He didn't know if it was the despair of this last fight that prompted this dream as he had to make the choice that would end everything he worked so hard to build.
Pyrrha's warm hand lingered on the side of his face and her gentle voice whispered, "I made a promise to be with you. I won't go back on that. Till the end. I'll wait for you."
Jaune eyes slid closed as he took a deep breath and the sensations of his partner's phantom touches vanished, "Then this is it."
He abruptly stood up and turned to face Salem as his friends tried to stop him from breaking cover and rushing her. But he was done running away, he walked towards her as she smirked at the easy kill and lashed out with a spire of dark energy.
He batted it aside with the back of his fist.
He opened his eyes and Salem eyes widened as she stared into a pair of eyes exactly like hers. Black veins of black and viscous blood ran from his eyes down his cheeks almost like tears of coagulated blood. His skin and hair paled until his gold hair turned into a starch white and his skin looked ashen and sick. Dark energy rippled up and down his body as it ate at the armor he wore and eroded it into nothing but cracked metal and torn leather. Jaune took a deep breath as his jacket ripped in the back and his armor fell off to let sharp spines of white bone grow out his spine. The corruption ran down the length of his sword as he hefted it up with one hand, the once ivory metal becoming consumed by black and red.
Jaune could feel the horror of his friends and forced himself not to spew apologies or turn to face them.
It was all for them.
They wouldn't understand.
They would hate.
The price of victory would be his soul.
"This is the beginning of the end." The Prince of the Grimm hissed.