"Well then." Salem smirked. "This is new."
This wasn't right. This wasn't possible.
How?!
Why was Salem's voice coming from Jaune's body? Why had his eyes turned as blood red as her Uncle Qrow's? Why were his veins, normally hidden and hidden from sight, suddenly criss-crossing Jaune's increasing pale skin like black, writhing worms.
"What new madness is this?" The God of Light gasped. "What depravities will you now sink to? Possessing someone's body? Destroying their mind? Driving them to insanity? I cursed you so that you would learn the value of life and death, not become a monster even my brother would have struggled to see common cause with."
"It's a good thing I never sought to achieve common cause with the monster like your brother." Salem remarked idly, voice filled with wonder as she stared at her new hands. At Jaune's hands. "I admit, even I doubted I'd be able to achieve this. Perhaps nudge him into insanity, now that is something I have done before, but this? This is...this."
"This is madness, depravity, a violation of one of the most sacrosanct laws of the universe!" The God of Light intoned, it's voice filled with an unconcealed, unhidden rage that showed just how strange, how wrong, how odd this situation was. "Release Jaune Arc! Give him back his body!"
"Did you give me back my husband?" Salem retorted, and the look of cruel malevolence on Jaune's face was so strange and wrong that Yang found herself completely frozen, as if she had been made into a statue. "Or did you bring him back only to turn him against me? You broke your own rules just to spite me, don't even try to deny it!"
"He was the only one who could have gotten through to you-"
"He could've done that the first time!" Salem screeched, tossing the shield in the dusty dirt, kicking up a short plume of dust that constituted the crumbled ruins of Ansel, Jaune's home. "When your brother brought him back! But you sent him back and back and back only to bring him back for good just to torment me! Do you know the things your champion has done? The mistakes? The countless deaths? Do you know how close I came to destroying this world because of his incompetence?"
"I know you are a monster he always underestimated out of his love for you. Love that only faded when you destroyed what was left of his spirit after the war." The God of Light replied, unfazed at being amongst the dirt and dust. "I know that you have not fully killed or destroyed Jaune Arc either. His essence is too strong for you too hide, even in such a weakened state. He is the champion of the free peoples of Remnant."
"He will be a puppet for my own free peoples." Salem sneered. "Soon you will be nothing but dust, and my new world will be built using the broken bones of all who support you." Your sacrosanct law? The free will you profess to now love despite your past actions? Such a notion will be utterly wiped out, for it is a foolish notion only capable of being perceived as a possible reality by naïve fools like Ozma and utter idiots like your and your brother. Mankind needs a shepherd, it needs a guardian...it needs a mother."
"Dominating everything and everyone...doing what you intend...being their mother." The God of Light retorted, voice twisted by a strange, soft sympathy. "It won't bring them back Salem. It won't fill the hole they left behind, not truly. The only way that hole can be full again, the only way you can heal, is if you die. They await you. They have been ever since they passed."
"Don't. You. Dare." Salem gritted out, eyes burning red. Yang stepped forward, worried she was hurting Jaune's body, and that motion drew the witch's attention. "I gave him a choice. More than what these 'gods' ever did for me and mine. You could have enjoyed a good life together. I want you to know that he is destroyed himself right now. All he needed was a little push to drive his mind to madness, and soon he will be consumed by his own self, snuffing his light forever. Your boytoy is as good as dead."
"But he isn't yet." Yang realised, hands curling into fists as she realised that somehow, some way, there was a chance she could save Jaune. "You can't have him!"
"Why ever not girl?" Salem sneered. "If you haven't noticed, he's putty in my hands."
To prove her point, Salem raised Jaune's hands and wiggled his fingers at Yang mockingly. The God of Light glowed warningly, and she heard Uncle Qrow shifting in the dust behind her. Crocea Mors was silent.
"Because he's mine." Yang growled, eyes bleeding red. "Return him and I will allow you to live for a few more days before I rip out your spine and fashion jewellery out of your broken bones."
"Perhaps I chose the wrong champion?" Salem snorted, though a look of contemplation fell over 'her' face. "You'd make a fine champion for my armies girl. Shame I chose your mate instead. Does that hurt? That he's mine now."
Yang roared and charged forward. Purple lightning crackled through the air and slammed into her, sending her flying backwards and crashing into Uncle Qrow. They fell into a heap, Yang groaning in pain as yellow light crackled over her chest where they lightning had struck.
Golden light surged from the crescent moon on the shield inhabited by the God of Light, and Salem puppeteered Jaune's body into raise a hand upwards, a purple shield following it and protecting her from whatever magic cast by the God of Light. She turned to Crocea Mors, held almost forgotten in her free hand.
"You have been oddly silent Darkness." She noted. "Since when have you been able to be anything other than arrogant and obnoxious and odious and foolish?"
"Since he abandoned Remnant. I am Crocea Mors." Crocea Mors replied, voice strained. Yang shifted in the rubble, and her Uncle Qrow stopped her. She turned and looked into his crimson eyes that were filled with worry.
"Are you okay?" Uncle Qrow asked, and Yang felt the tension inside her uncoil slightly at the reminder she still had someone.
"I'll be better when we get Jaune back." She replied, and they simply stared at one another, waging a silent war of words and wills, until Uncle Qrow nodded slightly and they pushed themselves onto their feet.
"Truly? What a surprise." Salem said, thought there was a fake humour to her tone. For a moment, Yang stood still and observed what was unfolding in front of her. Salem, possessing Jaune's body, was casually having a conversation with Crocea Mors, a weapon with the powers of the God of Darkness, whilst easily fending off a surging beam of golden light from the shield containing the God of Light. Just what sort of monster had they made an enemy of? "I thought his arrogance and general unpleasantness would stop him from being such a coward. Oh well. I'll find him before I rebuild the world into my utopia, just to make him suffer. What are you trying to do sword? I can feel your presence here."
"Nothing more than what you are doing." Crocea Mors returned. "I suggest you return Jaune's body to his rightful owner."
"Now why should I-hells!" Salem cursed, dropping Crocea Mors and cradling her now free hand against her head, the purple barrier blocking the God of Light's magic wavering slightly. "How?!"
"You are not the only one with a connection to Jaune Arc." Crocea Mors said triumphantly. "Cease your possession of him immediately. I have need of him to fulfil my goals."
"Which are?" Salem gritted out.
"Your utter destruction." Crocea Mors retorted, and Salem kicked away the sword pettily. Purple light crackled up Crocea Mors' metal blade before shooting out suddenly at Salem, broken arcs raging against the second barrier Salem managed to conjure, a look of pain and concentration on Jaune's, for now hers, face.
Yang saw her opening, and she ignored her Uncle Qrow's warning as she ran forward and tackled Salem. The magical barriers protecting her fell away, and the golden magic of the God of Light smashed against the broken, crackly purple magic of Crocea Mors. There was a flash of grey, almost silver, light that made Yang cringe away before it died down suddenly. The ground trembled violently, and her eyes widened as pure black cracks started snaking across the ground.
"What foolishness have you done now girl?" Salem remarked, and Yang's eyes narrowed at the witch occupying her mate's body. She raised her fist, silently apologising to Jaune and knowing his Aura would be able to take the blow. Salem's eyes widened as Yang punched her, and the white light of Jaune's soul crackled over his face. Yang didn't know if it was enough to break the witch's hold over her, but it was at least something.
"Y-Yang?" Jaune asked suddenly, and Yang froze, face paling as Jaune's bright blue eyes shined up at her with betrayal and unshed tears. "W-W-What...W-Why?"
"I..." Yang froze, paralyzed by the sight of Jaune's stricken face. It changed suddenly, and before she could realise why she was sent lurching backwards into the air by purple magic. She screamed in pain and frustration, and her eyes widened and she plummeted towards the pitch black chasm that had opened up in the ground.
Suddenly her world turned golden, and when the light faded she found herself next to the God of Light, who had been thrown back by the force of the explosion on top of a crumbled pile of rocks.
"I will need to work on fixing these tears in reality." The God of Light told her. "Don't fall through them or you will cease to exist."
"Can't we push Salem through them?" Uncle Qrow asked, and Yang whirled on her uncle, who was panting and had blood pouring down half his face from a cut on his forehead. "Don't give me that look young lady, I'm the one who's been fighting an abominable, all powerful witch whilst you've been floating away from danger.
"Five minutes." The God of Light said, answering her unasked question. "Pushing Salem through now will only kill Jaune. She would be able to flee to her own body and it would only be Arc who'd perish."
"What's the plan then?" Uncle Qrow asked, and Yang heard a crackle. Looking behind her, she saw Crocea Mors being flung across the air and into a distant part of the cratered ruins.
"Knock her out. Break Arc's aura to do so." The God of Light instructed, golden light seeping from it and gradually covering the pitch black cracks in the ground. "She will either flee to her own body or be immobilised long enough for us to regroup and formulate a plan to save Arc from her grip. Whether we will be able to enact it in time is another matter."
"Then we'll hurry." Yang said, turning around to head towards Salem, who had been strolling towards them only to curiously cock her head at the broken tears ripping through the ground. Uncle Qrow stopped her, grabbing her arm and bringing her to the halt.
"Distract her, but be careful." He told her, and she nodded. He didn't let her go. "I mean it. I'm not losing you Yang."
"You won't." Yang promised, and once more they waged a silent war of words before once again Uncle Qrow nodded.
"I have a feeling I'll regret this." He sighed, before loping off behind a mound of rubble. Yang made her way over to Salem, not knowing the specifics of his plan and how long she would need to distract Salem for.
"So you aren't dead? Wonderful." Salem remarked dryly as Yang approached her. "There's an old saying. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. This is the third time you've approached me in the last ten minutes. Do you truly expect anything to change this time around?"
"Not really. I'm not here for you." Yang retorted, staring directly into the evil, crimson eyes that should be a beautiful deep blue. "If you can hear me Jaune, I want you to know I'll save you. I don't know how yet. But I know I will. I'll sacrifice anything to do so."
"Anything you say?" Salem smirked. "Even your soul?"
"Anything." Yang replied firmly, fighting to keep her eyes on Salem and away from the dark shape creeping out from behind the mound of rubble behind her.
"Then why don't we make a deal?" Salem offered, the words falling flat considering her actions so far. Either Yang was a better act than she thought or Salem knew Yang wouldn't accept, so there was no harm in at least offering. "I'll relinquish my hold over your boytoy and you-"
Whatever her offer was, Yang wouldn't know. A dark, armoured tail flicked out of nowhere and slammed into her back. Her eyes widened as she was tossed through the air and smashed against some rocks, white aura crackling before fizzling out into little sparkles of white dust. Yang hurried over to her, ignoring the the blue eyes that looked up at her.
"Y-Yang?"
Her fist cracked against his jaw, and Jaune spun before thudding into the ground. She had held back her punch, but it was more than enough to knock him out.
"I'm not falling for that a second time." Yang spat, before glaring at her Uncle Qrow, who came strolling out from around the corner in his Amator form, a cocky grin on his face. "You could've hurt him!"
"It worked last time without hurting him." Uncle Qrow shrugged, staring at Jaune's unconscious body at her feet. "Those veins are receding."
Yang turned and sighed with relief when she noticed the dark veins that had criss-crossed Jaune's skin fade gradually. She knelt by his side, rolling him over and brushing dust off of his face gently. She found herself cupping his cheek, where the tell tale signs of a large bruise was already starting to form from where she had punched him. She wished it hadn't come to this. How in the name of anything and everything had it come to this?
"How did this happen?" Yang asked quietly, not tearing away her eyes from Jaune for one second. Knowing his luck he'd somehow manage to get himself into a new sort of trouble despite being unconscious. "How is this possible?"
"I don't know." Her Uncle Qrow replied, and she heard him shift in the dust as he turned and looked away. "But I think I know who might. Did you see where Salem tossed Crocea Mors?"
Yang shook her head.
"Great." Uncle Qrow sighed. "Take Jaune over to the God of Light and wait there whilst I find our errant sword. We'll regroup and get some answers out of at least one of those two."
"Sounds like a plan." Yang replied, smiling wearily at her uncle. He returned it, wiping away the dust and blood clinging to his forehead before grunting something and striding away in search of Crocea Mors amongst the dirt and rubble that marked the resting grounds of Jaune's family and his home.
She heaved Jaune up gently in her arms, carrying him as if he was a princess and she a knight saving said princess from an evil dragon. The dark cracks were mostly healed, a soft chiming sound emitting from the golden glow covering them. The ground gradually became the ground again, and Yang was so enraptured by the sight she forgot to set Jaune down.
"Should I do the same to you?" Uncle Qrow asked dryly, breaking her from her stupor. Yang turned and saw him with Crocea Mors in hand. The sword pulsated with a purple glow. "I take it that's a no?"
"A resounding one." Crocea Mors replied with the all the dryness of a grain of sand in the middle of a desert. "An utter lack of charisma and 'game' as you mortals call it is something that seems to cling to you Qrow Branwen."
"I help fight off a freaking witch-goddess of all things and this is my thanks? Being insulted by a millennia old relic?" Uncle Qrow snorted. "Never mind. I'm more used to that than I thought after saying that out loud."
"Your smart mouth seems to be another that remains inherently you." Crocea Mors noted, and an awkward silence followed.
"Just gonna leave it at that huh? Fine." Uncle Qrow turned to the God of Light. "Are you done doing your thing yet? I think a good old shindig is needed to explain just what the fuck is going on."
"I agree, though there is no need for crassness." The God of Light sighed. Crocea Mors sparked as if laughing. "How is Jaune?"
"Breathing." Yang replied, looking at his calm, still face and noting the slight flare to his nostrils and the rise and fall of his chest. "But apart from that I have no idea. What happened?"
"He was the sacrifice that brought her back." The God of Light said, though it wasn't as certain as the rest of what he had said. "I believe I caught a glimpse of that occuring when he first held me."
"He was." Crocea Mors supplied. "By Blake Belladonna."
"Ah." The God of Light intoned, a note of worry in its tone now. "What else has Salem meddled with? What other destinies have been shaped and warped beyond recognition?"
"That is irrelevant for now." Crocea Mors retorted. "We need to focus on Arc. He is in danger, critical danger, and if we do not act we will lose him forever."
"Care to fill us mortals in what the hell's going on?" Uncle Qrow asked, a slight note of frustration in his tone. Yang nodded next to him.
"Apologies." The God of Light said sincerely. "Sometimes I forget not everyone knows everything I do. Apologies. That sounded arrogant."
"Do I need to step in or will you get stuck in a loop constantly apologising?" Crocea Mors remarked, and the shield containing the God of Light glowed slightly, as if embarrassed.
"When Jaune was sacrificed, part of his essence - his soul - became conjoined with Salem's, as it provided the spark of energy that gave her the strength to return to Remnant with a physical form." The God of Light explained. "That created a bond between Jaune's souls and Salem's, one she has used to haunt his mind and drive up his emotional state so that his mental stability deteriorated. Constant nightmares, a soft voice urging him to do dark deeds, torturing him with images of a future he cannot change. Her goal, it would seem, was to drive him mad. The death of his family was the final straw, and added on top of Salem's active interference, he was left in a state of intense mental vulnerability. Salem forcibly entered his mind and possessed his body whilst he was at his most vulnerable using the bond between their souls, and we can assume, judging by what she said and her actions thus far, she intends to hunt down and destroy what remains of Jaune's sanity and soul so that she con occupy his body and use it as a puppet permanently for the soul purpose of depriving us of another ally, one with a soul large enough to handle the powers of my brother that remain imbued within Crocea Mors."
"How do we stop her?" Yang demanded. "I won't lose him."
"Death comes for us all young one." The God of Light said softly.
"But it doesn't need to yet!" Yang protested hotly, and she saw a warning look in Uncle Qrow's eyes that she ignored. "I need him! Why should he go when I just got him? It's not fair, and it's not right! You need him too!"
"I do." The God of Light admitted, crescent moons glowing slightly. "But I do not need another Salem."
"Enough." Crocea Mors interjected. "We need to help Arc, end of story. You fear that the destiny of Xiao-Long has changed thanks to Salem's meddling, but that does not mean your paranoia is a reality or that we should sacrifice Arc out of a mere risk."
"Do you accept that the day will come where there will be nothing you can do to help him?" The God of Light demanded softly. "A day where he will move on to what comes next, and await you to join him there. Do you accept that there may be a day where you are the one laying frail and weak, a day where he will be at your side and sit with you as you move on to what comes next, where you will await for him to join you?"
"I do." Yang blurted out, staring at Jaune's face and holding back tears. "I just don't want to do this so soon."
"You won't have to." The God of Light told her. "Arc is not yet dead, and there is a chance to save him. We will do what we can, even if it may not be enough. Do you have my brother's memories Crocea Mors?"
"Some."
"Do you know what I am thinking?"
"I am, though I have my doubts."
"About?"
"Our own power. We have depleted much of our strength in our skirmish with Salem. We will need an additional boost, just to be safe."
"No mortal has the power to aid us in this, let alone survive this."
"There is one."
"You believe it is time for his duty to end?"
"He is used to mind's melding and whatever that may entail. He could give some much needed guidance in this situation that were direly lack, and I believe it is worth definitely losing him to save Arc than to definitely not lose him and most likely lose Arc."
"Are you fond of the boy?"
"I am Crocea Mors."
"I suppose you are." The God of Light said, a curious inflection in its tone. "We will need someone who is closely connected to Jaune Arc. Someone he trusts fully. Loves fully. One who would risk death for him."
"Me." Yang said, staring at the shield and sword. Uncle Qrow turned to protest. "Don't even try uncle. I won't change my mind. What do I need to do to save Jaune?"
"You will need to enter his mind." The God of Light answered simply, with a blaseness that was at odds with the utterly strange, mad proposal it had just uttered.
"What?" Uncle Qrow blurted out, summarising her thoughts perfectly.
"I will use my power, and Crocea Mors shall use his to build a connection between your mind and Jaune's, like the one he shares with Salem." The God of Light explained. "We will actively protect your mind from Salem's interference, and it will only be a temporary bond to allow you to find Jaune and rescue him, so you will have to be quick. When inside his mind, you will have to find Jaune through whatever madness he is stuck in and take him out of it. It will be difficult. You will see things that are likely strange, things that are likely personal, and things that will very well try to kill you. We do not know what state Jaune is in, but it is likely Salem will be present to some degree and she will do everything in her power to stop you."
"What do I do specifically?" Yang demanded, desperation seeping into her tone. "How can I save him if I don't know what to look for?"
"That's where help comes in." Crocea Mors said, glowing slightly. "Will Ozma be at the Beacon Ruins?"
"You mean the old man? Sure. It's not like he can travel much." Uncle Qrow shrugged, before his eyes narrowed into a glare. "Why do you ask?"
"We have need of him." Crocea Mors replied. "He has advice we need."
"And magic you want to use. I was listening the whole time you know."
"Then you will also know Ozma will have no objections to what we ask."
"Whatever." Uncle Qrow snorted, turning away agitatedly. Yang stepped towards him with worry, but he waved her off. "He doesn't go by that anymore."
"What does he go by then?"
"You'll find out when we get there." Uncle Qrow said, body glowing red as he shifted from his Amator form to his Pugnator form. With a roar he took to the skies.
"You will need to follow him." The God of Light instructed, and Yang nodded, setting Jaune down before glowing golden as her body cracked and twisted and grew bigger and more armoured and protected. She plucked Jaune up into her talons carefully and did the same for the sword and shield with her spare foreleg. With a roar, she took to the skies after her uncle.
'Just hold on Jaune. I'm coming.'
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Weiss was falling apart.
It was strange that part of her could remain rational, sensible, analytical enough to recognise that. To observe that fact. It was a perplexing thought, but one not as perplexing as coming to terms with the fact that Winter was dead now. Dead like mother. Dead like Whitley. Dead like father.
Weiss was the last of the Schnee.
Jaune was probably dead too. She could remember seeing him briefly, feeling him, in the fever dream realm where her powers lay dormant. She hadn't been able to conjure so much as a snowflake for weeks now, not since her flight from home, not since her arrival in Vale.
And what a mess Vale was. Emerald Vale, the shining gem at the centre of the other half of her kingdom, had been brought to death, to ruin and to ashes. Large swathes of the population in the Lower City were homeless and destitute after the destruction of their homes and the razing of the forests they tended to outside the city walls. Thousands had died, and the process of burying or burning the dead was ongoing thanks to the disorganisation of the situation.
Apparently Jaune's father had revolted before the Vacuoans attacked, but had a change of heart halfway through the battle with the arrival of the enemy horde. Weiss would've have punished him, but she didn't have the heart to hurt Jaune's father, nor the will, so instead he was consigned to doing what he could to atone. He would not have much time.
A wound received in battle had gotten infected. Arc need a walking stick to support himself, and when Weiss had first visited him after pulling herself out of days of isolation she had seen his wound, puffy and inflamed, smelling sweet from poultices and leaking with puss.
Vale's nobility was either decimated from the battle and half of the survivors were traitors. Unlike with Arc, Weiss did not have the heart nor the will to spare them, and their bodies still hung from the gallows in the Lower City. They had been cheered by the poorer denizens as they perished. The Middle City did too, watching from the walls, but more subdued than their less better off counterparts. The Upper City watched silently.
Ironwood had ran off to pursue what was left of the Vacuoan horde with what was left of Vale's military might. The last Weiss had heard he'd destroyed a significant portion of them near the border, and was now hunting down what few remained into Vacuo itself. She hadn't said goodbye, and she didn't regret it. There was a reason Winter was dead, and since it wasn't because of any natural causes then there was only one person to blame.
He had failed to protect her. He shouldn't expect any sympathy from Weiss, not after leaving her orphaned.
Her family was dead, and her lineage would die with her. She didn't have the strength to marry, let alone for political reasons. She had pushed Jaune away, hoping she would protect him, and instead he had probably died in the storms she had ravaged her own kingdom with.
Why was she doing this? Leading? Ruling?
Because of honour? Duty? Her blood? None of those mattered. None of those concepts warmed the chill in her heart.
"Where will you go?" Weiss asked Cinder, the dragon in her human form and drinking wine silently whilst Weiss poured of paperwork she was procrastinating other. Amber eyes flickered over to her.
"What do you mean?"
"Where are they?" Weiss continued, and the warmth in Cinder's eyes seemed to chill slightly.
"That is none of your concern."
"Take me with you."
Cinder lowered her wine, eyes widening slightly.
"Pardon?"
"Take me with you."
"To my lair?"
"To your home."
"Why should I do that?"
"Because I'm asking you."
"Can you not provide protection to my family?" Cinder demanded. "Can you not fulfil the promise you made?"
"I could try, but Vale is more of a mess than Atlas right now." Weiss looked away, a deeply instilled shame rising as she went against everything she was raised, everything she was moulded into being. "I don't want to do this anymore."
"Do what anymore?" Cinder asked quietly, and Weiss stared at her desk, littered with bureaucracy and tasks and notes problems she was expected to fix.
"Ruling. Leading. Being Queen." Weiss explained, staring intently at a report listing the latest dead bodies found. More numbers to be added to the death toll. Half of them were children. "It wasn't even supposed to be me you know? I was going to be married off to some noble or prince to secure an alliance. That was to be my fate. Whitley was heir, but even if something went wrong then Winter would be heiress as she was older than me. Whitley died young. We thought it was just a cough, an illness. We didn't learn until many years later, but it was the apothecary of our household that had poisoned him. Murdered him. Arthur Watts murdered my brother and tried doing the same to me and Winter. He failed, thanks to Klein, but that didn't stop him from trying to kill my father before fleeing justice. He still hasn't been found. He said it was a crime of passion, that he loved our mother. I remember mother sobbing over Whitley's corpse, I remember her sobbing at his funeral and sobbing at his gravestone for a year afterwards. She blamed herself, and she killed herself. Father followed not long after, thanks to his the injuries he'd taken, and by that time Winter had been married off to Ironwood, so I became Queen."
"You've been a good one, considering you were so unprepared for it."
"That's the thing, I was prepared for it." Weiss laughed humourlessly, the first time she'd laughed since landing in Vale. "I was given the best tutors in the world, I was driven hard but I learned all that I needed to and more, I was protected by well-trained, loyal men and raised by a good man who took me in as his own in an effort that went beyond the call of duty. Not only have I let him done, my ancestors down or all those that were loyal to me down, I've failed the people who relied on me. My subjects, my people, they needed a leader, and I didn't provide it for them."
"You weren't prepared at all." Cinder retorted, swishing her wine and taking a large gulp from it. "That much is clear."
"I just told-"
"Me everything I needed to know. You may have had what you need information wise, but you weren't ready mentally." Cinder continued, cutting her off easily. Weiss fell silent, her only reply a blink. "You were thrust into the position by circumstances, and you've done your best since, but it's clear you were never ready for it. You said it yourself. All you expected to be was the wife of some ally. Never the queen."
"That doesn't change the fact that I've failed utterly." Weiss said quietly.
"Maybe." Cinder shrugged. "But it speaks to me more that those you guided you and have helped you since failed utterly. If they had prepared you better, things may be different today. Maybe you would want what you have. I know there are many who would want to be in your position."
"That is because they don't understand the negatives or ignore them completely." Weiss retorted, earning a smirk.
"You seem oddly defensive of a position you don't seem to want." Cinder pointed out, and Weiss gave her an unimpressed look at what she was trying to do. Contrary to what the evidence showed, Weiss wasn't a complete idiot.
"That's because I know there are worse people than me who could have this position, and they damage they could do would be far worse than anything I could manage to pull off." Weiss explained, before sighing heavily. "Will you take me with you?"
"I need somewhere to actually take my family, so no." Cinder said, and Weiss felt her hands curl up into fists that scrunched up the papers in front of her. "Provide them sanctuary here. Once I've dealt with Nikos and found a new sanctuary to bring my mate and spawn...I'll take you with me."
Weiss looked away, closing her eyes. She should feel grateful. Happy even. She'd gotten what she wanted. A way out. But that wasn't it. Not fully.
"When do you leave?"
"Tonight." Cinder said, voice cutting softly like a velvet garrotte. "I have stayed this long to provide what support I can, but I have to go unless I am to fail my family."
"I don't want you to." Weiss admitted quietly. "What will I have left when you're gone?"
"Your future." Cinder replied, before sighing heavily. "Oh, little Dove."
Cinder walked over to her, and her hand fall against Weiss' back. A quiet sobbed spilled out of her before she could contain it, and Cinder hushed her gently whilst rubbing her back soothingly.
"I will not be gone forever. I will return with my family, and they can keep you company until I return with Nikos' head. After that I will find us a home, and we will live together far away from these human troubles that seem to plague you so much. If they dare follow us, our combined power will destroy them."
"Do you promise?" Weiss asked, voice a whisper and filled with a vulnerability that she hated.
"I do." Cinder said, and Weiss believed her. She didn't have a choice not to. "I will see you again soon little Dove."
"Farewell." Weiss said, wiping away her tears to watch Cinder leave. The dragon sent her a soft smile before leaving the room, the door clicking gently behind her.
Even the chill of the Atlas cold could not hold a candle to the frigid blanket of cold loneliness that descended over her shoulders. She stared at the papers before her, the silence of the room suffocating. She was no Queen.
She was a dove trapped in a gilded cage, and she'd only just realised it.
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Vale would have been a wonderous sight for her to behold if not for the sheer panic imbuing her with the strength she needed to put aside her concerns and just fly so she could help Jaune.
According to a talking sword and a talking shield she would need the help of an old man wizard to enter her mate's mind and save him from the evil witch trying to become a goddess that was actively trying to kill him and use his body as a puppet.
She didn't regret meeting Jaune. But she did miss the simpler times.
Then again had they even had those?
Uncle Qrow led her to grey, broken ruins. Smoke rose from somewhere far into the horizon, and Yang wondered if Salem was unleashing more misery on the world and destroying more settlements like she had done to Jaune's home. The were human shapes within, running around in a panic, and Yang worried briefly that Uncle Qrow might have accidentally led her to the wrong place. However he did not slow his descent so she forced aside her worry and wrote it off as her being paranoid due to everything that had happened over the course of the past few days.
As she descended she gently dropped Jaune and the sword and the shield onto the grassy floor, her body glowing golden as she turned from her Pugnator form to her Amator form, and she rushed over to Jaune, scooping him up in her arms as her Uncle Qrow picked up the sword and shield, having similarly changed into his Amator form. From the ruins of wherever they were, a hobbled old man limped towards them, back crooked and using a gnarled stick for support. He had a long, pure white beard that was twisted into knots that fell down to his waist. The brown, simplistic robes he wore had a pulled back hood that bobbed with each movement, and his eyes were an old, tired hazel colour that were filled with kindness and curiosity.
"Qrow." The old man said, inclining his head in greeting. "I take it you completed not one but two of your missions, one more personal than the other."
"Yup." Her Uncle Qrow said, a smile on his face as he spoke to the old man. He inclined his head towards her. "Meet Yang, my long but no longer lost niece."
"A pleasure." The old man greeted, a twinkle in his eyes that fell when he saw Jaune in her arms. "Is that an Arc? What is wrong?"
"Salem." Yang blurted stepping forward and tightening her hold on Jaune out of worry. "Please help him! I...I can't lose Jaune!"
"Jaune?" The old man blinked, turning to regard Jaune's limp form. "Jaune Arc? Yang Xiao-Long as well?"
"Yang Branwen." Uncle Qrow corrected, and Yang held back a wince as her anger flared up at the thought of her mother. "Dragons don't follow the same marital traditions remember?"
"No, I suppose they don't" The old man replied, looking at Yang with all too knowing eyes. "But I don't think I was wrong. You have a kind heart Yang, and a strong soul. That means you are Xiao-Long as much as you are Branwen."
"We lack time for pleasantries." Crocea Mors interrupted. "Salem is trying to destroy Arc's sanity and use his body as puppet. As someone with experience with two souls in one body, we thought it wise to come to you about a certain ritual we had in mind to save him."
"The same you used to bind Ozma to his new host, only temporary in this instance." The old man remarked, eyes widening with panic. "Salem has mastered that art?!"
"If she had we would have already lost Arc." The God of Light interjected, and the old man seemed to calm at his words. "We intend to stop Salem before we can. You referred to Ozma as if he was someone else."
"That is because he is." The old man smiled. "I am Oscar Pine, last host of the soul of Ozma and the carrier of his legacy. I will fulfil his role, even if he himself is no longer here to do so."
"W-What?" The God of Light asked, and Yang found herself wondering how a god could be taken off guard by something.
"Ozma gave up. Time broke his spirit and one day...he was just gone. I take it he won't be at the afterlife?"
"No. I'm afraid not. Only completeing his mission would have granted him that. He...He will be at peace though."
"A shame. I always looked forward to having one more conversation with him." The old man, Oscar, turned to Jaune. "Let us not tarry any longer. Qrow, take the God of Light and Dark to the ritual chamber. Yang, follow him. I will make my last preparations."
"Osc-"
"The effort will kill me, I understand and accept that." Oscar interrupted, sending a warm, grandfatherly smile at Qrow. "My time has finally come. My duty has been fulfilled and I have managed to keep my promise to my old friend. Do not deny me this."
"I..I...Fine." Uncle Qrow snapped, storming away angrily. "Yang, follow me."
Yang followed quietly, hearing the old man sigh behind her before he hobbled away. She pressed a worried hand against her Uncle's shoulder, feeling him tense before he came to a stop.
"I'm sorry uncle." Yang said quietly, and her uncle trembled for a moment before he shook his head.
"The old bastard's wanted to die for a long time now." Uncle Qrow admitted bitterly. "I'm not selfish enough to demand he live longer just to be there for me, and I certainly aren't going to risk your wrath if your boy toy dies. Let's save the blonde idiot shall we?"
Yang decided not to scold him for insulting Jaune due to his emotional state at the moment, knowing that Uncle Qrow was going something similar yet much more powerful to what she felt when Raven had died. She had mourned her mother, but she had never truly liked or loved her mother apart from when she was young and dumb and naïve. Uncle Qrow, at the very least, seemed to hold Oscar Pine in high regard.
"Where are we?" She settled on asking, following behind Uncle Qrow as they walked through broken, moss covered stone halls.
"The ruins of Beacon, a place where great heroes and heroines were once taught to safeguard mankind from the Grimm." Uncle Qrow explained. "It was destroyed during the last war with Salem, but Oscar used it as a base for him to shelter societies outcasts and train a cadre of shadow warriors who have been hunting down and destroying Salem's influence wherever we could find it over the centuries. That's why I was so busy and unable to find you so easily when you were younger. Since I could fly I could travel more easily than my comrades, making me valuable for long range missions that burned through time faster than fire burning through a field of dry grass."
"Oh." Yang said simply, unsure of how to reply. Suddenly the place seemed more reverent, more sombre, as if she was intruding in someone's tomb. "Is all of Beacon a ruin?"
"There are some more modern buildings to train, study, sleep or eat." Uncle Qrow replied, a wry smile on his face. "We don't just sleep out in the open Yang."
"I-I knew that." Yang tried, face flushing slightly at being so easy to read. Uncle Qrow chuckled, and she felt glad with the fact she had been able to raise his spirits. They came to a stop at a wide, open area, and Yang blinked at the sight of a pile of scrap metal at a far corner. They were spiky and rust covered, long deformed and twisted from their original purpose.
"Put Jaune down on that slab there." Uncle Qrow instructed, gesturing to a wide slab at the middle of the open area, two small slabs lying next to it. "Where to do you gods want to go?"
"Set us down next to Jaune." Crocea Mors instructed. "We will need to be near Jaune to ensure the most chance of success for this ritual."
"He is right." The God of Light added when Uncle Qrow looked at it sceptically. He shrugged before planting the sword and shield on either side of Jaune, the sword glowing with a low purple light and the shield doing the same with a golden glow.
"Good to see all of you set up for me." Oscar said, appearing from behind the pile of rust and opening a satchel in his hand. He sprinkled herbs into Jaune's hair, before painting blue lines over his face. He turned to Yang and nodded to the smaller stone slab next to Jaune, on his right. "Please lay down there. I will add the boosters before commencing the ritual. My advise to you is simple. Do not get side-tracked. You will not have long to find Jaune. Don't get stuck in memories, push on and find the most stable part of the Dreamscape. Understood?"
"What's the Dreamscape?" Yang asked as she laid down, letting Oscar sprinkle the strange smelling herbs into her hair.
"It's what I use to describe his subconscious. It does not make much sense, as it is a rather chaotic place at the best of times." Oscar replied, casting a glance at Jaune. "I fear Salem's presence will make it all the more worse."
"We better hurry then." Yang said determinedly, and Oscar smiled fondly down at her as he applied the blue face paint.
"I'm glad to have met you again Yang." He said, making her blink. "I'm sorry I can't do more to help you and Jaune."
"We've met before?" Yang asked, but the old man ignored her as he hobbled away and settled onto the stone slab on Jaune's right. Her Uncle Qrow approached soberly, and it was out of respect for her Uncle's turmoil and her will to help Jaune that she stayed still after Oscar's cryptic bombshell.
"I want you to know, Qrow." Oscar said, eyes closed peacefully as her uncle painted his face with the same blue paint and twirls. "That I have come to love you as the son I never had. I have lived for many years, and known many faces, but if I had lived for a thousand more years I am certain I would have still remembered yours. Thank you...for giving me peace before the end. You were a joy to raise."
"I...I..." Her Uncle Qrow stammered, before looking away as tears started to spill from his blood red eyes. "I'll miss you old man."
Oscar started to say something, something that was words but words with power. The god-shield and the not-god sword joined in, and Yang forced her eyes shut as the world turned bright, too bright, and everything started to spin in a dizzying array of colour.
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"Is it done?" Weiss demanded, tapping her heel impatiently. Yang swallowed down any semblance of guilt at the bold-faced lie she was telling before nodding.
"The Relic has been destroyed, yes. Did you really expect me not to?" She smiled, to distract from the turmoil she was feeling inside her, making her teammate roll her eyes.
"No you dunce. But the God of Light did warn us not to trust it. He wouldn't have done that unless he thought it would try something." Weiss said in her know-it-all tone that really made Yang want to laugh and cry considering the situation she was in.
"It did try convincing me not to destroy it. I'm not an idiot, I knew it was lying." Yang retorted, having already thought up the lie prior to entering the chamber that, rather than being the tomb of the Relic of Destruction, would be it's jail.
"Okay! Okay! Calm down already. We should head back, the others will be wanting to know what happened." Weiss said, a competitive gleam in her eyes that had somehow survived everything they had been through from the Beacon days to the pyrrhic victory they had now won.
"Don't try and pretend you don't want to be the first ones back so you can rub it in everyone else's faces." Yang teased, making Weiss blush slightly.
"That is absolutely, unequivocally untrue. I am merely concerned about their wellbeing." Weiss huffed, turning around with a pout.
"Whatever you say, Ice Queen." Yang smiled fondly, ignoring the pit in her stomach as she followed her teammate out of the cave and into the brave new world.
A/N: Next update will be on November 30th as opposed to November the 15th. I intend to have a bulk upload throughout most of December so I'm delaying the next update slightly to make sure I can write those with more attention and care then I feel like I'd be able otherwise. Apologies, and I hope you've enjoyed. PS, if the end scene feels familiar, check out Chapter 42 ;)