Epilogue

Ozpin

Smoke and embers danced in the air, with Ozpin on one knee, steam trailing from his armour.

He panted, opening his eyes to look around, seeing the destruction that spell wrought. The wall of fire still burned high into the sky, but he could not see the Higher Demons anywhere, hopefully meaning all of them were destroyed. He stood tall, and turned around to see Glynda behind him, coughing in pain as the protective green force field around her faded away. "Glynda!" He called out, running to her.

Until suddenly a shard of glass shot through his leg, making Ozpin yell in pain, blood splattering across the floor as he dropped. He gritted his teeth, then turned, seeing the Whisperer was somehow… still standing. Although judging by its appearance, it was barely in one piece, all the shards of broken glass that made its body were cracked or shattered. Yet it still approached, shifting between Salem's body, Qrow's and Kragen's as it spoke.

Its voice was a disturbing amalgamation of the three personalities. "Time, after time, after time. You creatures never learn." The Whisperer growled, limping across the burning rubble towards Ozpin. He spun around to attack, but it launched another blade of glass straight through Ozpin's shoulder, spreading blood behind him. "Constantly fighting against fate, against something preordained by something greater than your simple understanding. You cannot change fate, you cannot escape the end which is coming for you." The Whisperer explained as it got closer, forming Harbinger in its hand out of cracked glass.

Ozpin stared at the Whisperer with rage in his glowing green eyes. "You. Cannot. Stop. Us." The Whisperer stated.

"You speak of fate like it can't be changed… have you ever considered that perhaps the same can be said for all of you? What makes you and your master any different from us?" Ozpin questioned.

"Vir Nominis Umbra is beyond the control of the gods, and he freed us from the fate that the Brothers forced upon us." The Whisperer stated.

"Yes… and became enthralled to someone else instead. How fortuitous." He scoffed, but the Whisperer scowled, pointing Harbinger at Ozpin's face.

"All life is destined to end, but only through us can there be something new afterwards." The Whisperer stated. "A future you will never see."

Suddenly Maria's Scythe launched straight through the Whisperer's spine, shattering its torso and forcing the floating remnants to fall to its knees with a grunt. Ozpin stared past the Whisperer and saw Maria on the rubble, bleeding out as she stared at the Higher Demon, her hand still stretched out from where she threw the weapon. The shards that made its body cracked more and more, and it stared at Ozpin with a scowl.

"Run… Ozpin… like you always do… your children have failed… and soon so… will you." The Whisperer promised, before cracks spread across its face, and the entire body broke apart, crumbling into shards and being blown away into the wind.

Sent back to the Charred Forest.

Ozpin panted and pulled the shards of glass from his shoulder, turning to Glynda and lifting her up, staring at all the blood pouring from her wound. "Glynda… no, no, no… just hold on." He begged her, staring at the flames, thinking of a way to get through, and as a desperate attempt he tried to open a portal to pass through the wall of flames, but the Relic of Destruction formed them.

Flames of such raw destructive power tore the fabric of reality that Ozpin used to open portals apart, becoming a literal wall stopping his portals from making a path through the flames.

Of course he thought of that…

"Professor…" Glynda softly groaned, looking up at him weakly.

"Save your strength…" He begged her, desperately trying to think of a way to save her, but he had nothing left. He used it all to destroy the Higher Demons. Then he turned to Maria, seeing her sitting against the rubble as she bled out from her wounds. The long deep cuts that the Onyx Phantom inflicted on her with its replicas of her very own weapons were fatal, and Ozpin knew it… and so did Maria.

But Maria did not look afraid in the slightest, just leaning her head back and staring up at the sky and the smoke broke up, letting the setting sun shine upon her face, warming her skin. She opened her silver eyes weakly, looking at Ozpin through the blood. "Take her and go…" Maria told him.

"I'm… not leaving you, Maria." Ozpin said.

She laughed softly. "Oh, Oz… I'm done." She stated, looking at all the blood pooling out from her deep wounds, her breath becoming more laboured as she spoke. "I've lead a pretty shitty life… we both have, I guess… but in the end I was able to fight for something good. Even if I couldn't save Coco… or so many others… but you?" Maria said as she looked at Ozpin.

She raised her other scythe on the floor beside her. "Prove those bastards wrong… and show them that fate is just another lie… stop Vir Nominis Umbra. But don't rebuild the old world, with its old mistakes… make a new one…" she said, her eyes drooping. "… a better world…"

Her eyes closed and her arm dropped, her scythe digging into the rubble beside her, her life fading away.

Now only Ruby and Kannix were the last Silver Eyed Warriors left on Remnant.

Ozpin squeezed his eyes shut with grief, standing up with a limp, carrying Glynda in his arms. He turned to the sound of the Nameless Titan roaring, breaking through the flames as it pursued him, with a legion of Grimm around it. He opened his clockwork wings and looked at Glynda. "I'll take us somewhere safe!" Ozpin promised, flying into the sky, escaping the ruins where Maria died, and easily outpacing the Nameless Titan.

Vir Nominis Umbra was still on his knees at the Embered Grove, not even caring that the Last Relic was getting further from his reach.

They flew together, but as they grew further from the Embered Grove, he could feel Glynda becoming more and more fragile. Her breathing getting weaker every second. He looked around to find shelter so he could try something, anything, he could to save her. But as he flew, he felt her hand gently touch his. He looked down at her, and she was looking out at a small lake amidst the ruins, surrounded by beautiful trees. "There…" she whispered, and Ozpin knew immediately what she wanted.

He wanted to fight it, to find a way… but he also knew that there was no time, and perhaps at the very least she could pass away in a peaceful, beautiful place. Against his hopes, he turned to the Lake, flying to it, and landing gently, carrying Glynda to the edge of it. He sat her down and then he sat beside her. The two looked out at the gorgeous lake as the setting sun shone across it.

From here, they could not see the Nameless Titan still pursuing them.

It did not matter.

All that mattered… was this moment.

Glynda smiled, her skin turning pale from blood-loss, and she set the Disciplinarian down on the floor beside her. She rested her head on Ozpin's shoulder as she looked at it. "It's beautiful…" Glynda whispered, and Ozpin smiled at her, holding her hand so she didn't feel alone. "Thank you… for everything… Ozpin…" she softly thanked, closing her eyes, and falling asleep on his shoulder.

He could feel her soul leave her body, and he remained motionless, feeling the air turn cold, and the fabled snowstorm he saw in his vision of the future finally arrived. Snow swallowed the land, blocking out all view of everything, but he savoured the view before it arrived. Tears streaming from his eyes, crying as he wrapped his arms around Glynda's body.

Immortality truly was the cruelest curse…

… forced to live on, whilst everyone you've ever cared about faded away around you.

And now he was alone… once again.

Kassius

To describe it in one word how he felt?

Being snuck up on by Kannix like that and beaten down, losing his arm, stabbed and burned?

Embarrassed.

That was all he could think about as he limped with Yang, his arm around her shoulders. Because it was not really his own state of being that was currently on his mind, he was constantly looking at Penny, seeing that chunk of wood lodged into her body, her clothes stained red from how much blood she had lost. At least he only got stabbed. Her wound was far worse.

They continued to follow Jaune and Pyrrha through the mystical woods, passing by the icy white trees, the bark having a faint bioluminescent effect. The grass would shimmer as they ran through it. This whole place felt like it did not even belong to Remnant. There was nothing else on the planet quite like the Embered Grove.

"Come on!" Jaune called out.

"How do you know this place exists?" Sun called out.

"Uuh… Pyrrha and I found it when we were resting here. We found some notes in the city about the waters in these caves, people used to come here for all sorts of things, and healing was one of them!" Jaune called out, remembering the cave he and Pyrrha made love in for the first time.

To think that a place that was so personal to them could now become the very place that could save their friends. Neo ran alongside Ruby as they kept moving, but they kept looking back. Even though they knew they were safe from Vir Nominis Umbra and the Grimm, they still could not help but wonder… where Kannix wound up.

He wasn't a Grimm, a Demon or whatever the hell Umbra was.

He could enter.

As they ran, they could see the Grimm swarming around the Embered Grove, preventing them from escaping even if they found the truth that could help them kill Vir Nominis Umbra.

Things were not looking good, but if Umbra wanted to stop this, he couldn't stay here forever. He'd have to kill Ozpin and get his Relic, meaning they still had some time, and as did Ozpin.

They got closer and closer, and just before them was the cave that Jaune and Pyrrha went to. "Alright, let's go. We'll help get them down."

Suddenly, an explosive projectile shot past them, shattering the rocks beside Jaune. He raised his shield and blocked the incoming pieces of rubble. They all looked back and saw Kannix sprinting towards them, slashing his burning blade through the trunk of one of the trees, jumping onto it and roaring like a beast as it crashed down, rolling off it. He walked across the rocks, leaving flames burning behind him, reloading his cannon and pumping it into action, smirking as he stared at them.

"Nowhere left to run." Kannix snarled.

They all stared at him, then Kassius turned to Jaune and Pyrrha. "Get Penny in there first! She's running out of time." Kassius ordered.

"We'll hold him off." Ruby promised, spinning Crescent Rose through her fingers as everyone got into position. Yang carefully set Kassius down near the entrance whilst Jaune and Pyrrha helped get Penny down to the underground lake.

Yang gave Kassius a loving kiss, then joined the others, all of them surrounding the Lone Silver Eyed Traitor.

"Nowhere left for you to run either, coward." Ruby stated as she walked around him. Weiss and Blake both pointed their swords at him, and he just chuckled sinisterly, staring at Yang.

"What could I possibly have to run from? I have you all exactly where I want you… with nobody in the way to interfere. No Lord of the Wood to portal in and drag me away. You can't kill me… but I can kill all of you, especially with how little aura you all have, if any." He said with a smirk.

And they all knew he was right. Even outnumbered, he still had the advantage simply because he can regenerate his wounds immediately. They couldn't, especially not with their auras broken.

"So come on… let's finish this." Kannix hissed, grinning maniacally, immediately firing at Yang, but she crossed her arms together, taking the explosive hit, being pushed away. Blake leapt into the air and launched her grappling hook towards him, but he deflected Gambol Shroud with his blade, then kicked her in the chest. Weiss thrusted forward and stabbed him through the chest, then kicking herself away from him.

Ruby hooked Crescent Rose under his chin and slammed him against the floor, then darting out of the way as Yang jumped into the air and slammed her fist into his chest with significant force, shattering his ribs. He coughed up blood, but laughed, hearing his ribs snapping back into position. "Always holding back." He mocked, kicking Yang in the chest, then aiming his cannon at Blake, firing a shell at her head.

She gasped and used her semblance, vanishing on the spot, then reappearing behind a tree, panting. Her aura broke. That was the last of it. She sprinted as fast as she could when Kannix charged his cannon up and fired it like a machine gun, felling tree after tree in his mad pursuit of killing her. Until Ren suddenly kicked Kannix in the side of the head with both feet, launching him backwards. He drove his hooked blade into the ground, staring ahead to see Nora being thrown towards him by Emerald, using her chained scythes to wrap around her and throw her.

Nora smashed Magnhild on the ground in front of him, fragmenting the soil and sending chunks of dirt into the air, and the shockwave blew Kannix backwards once again. Despite him being injured as well, Sun sprints in alongside them, firing Ruyi Jingu Bang over and over at Kannix, but the cyborg constantly blocked and deflected the incoming rounds with his blade or just his metal arms in general. Suddenly Kannix aimed his cannon at Sun, and his eyes widened, unable to get out of the way in time.

The Architect suddenly pushed Sun out of the way and took the hit, the explosive shell blowing chunks of armour off his mechanised body. He grunted, sparks leaking from parts of his body. "Stay back, Sun! You're in no shape to fight!" The Architect yelled.

"I'm not sitting when I can still fight." Sun argued, spinning Ruyi Jingu Bang through his fingers.

Kannix laughed. "Yes… come on, Monkey Boy. Give me a good show." He challenged, grinning at him, igniting his extended blade, then charging towards him. Sun rolled backwards, firing a Gun-Chuck at Kannix's face, blowing an enormous hole in his mouth, blood pouring from the wound, then Emerald jumped overhead, throwing her blades into his shoulders and slamming him against the ground. Cinder shot herself into the air and called a bolt of lightning into her hand, and she dove towards him. She slammed the spear of lightning into the ground, creating a tremendous explosion.

But despite all that, Kannix jumped from the smoke and swung his hook towards her throat, catching onto Cinder and slamming her into the ground with dominant force. He slammed her relentlessly against the floor with a savage look in his eyes. Any history of humanity long gone inside. Emerald fired over and over at Kannix, her teeth gritted as the bullets tore through his body.

He transformed his hook into hand form and grabbed Cinder by the throat, grinning as he used her as a shield. Emerald's eyes widened, but Cinder just smiled, winking at her. Suddenly, roots erupted from the ground behind Kannix, wrapping around his throat and pulling him backwards, releasing her. She spun around and formed a long spear of obsidian and launched it towards his chest.

The spear skewered straight through him, then she detonated it, creating a gigantic explosion.

"Surely…" Cinder panted as she stared up at the cloud of smoke, then seeing his body fall from it. And in horror, they saw it nearly blew him to pieces, making an enormous hole in his chest, but he still started regenerating, flesh forming and binding himself back together. Yang ran to her side with her fists clenched.

"He uses Shadow Dust on his blade. If we can stab him with his own blade, it will infect his aura and stop his semblance from working. Then we can put him down for good." Yang said.

"Just means we need to somehow get him to pull the thing out." Cinder sighed, cracking her neck as they prepared to fight him some more. His body cracked and snapped back together, grunting and growling as he felt every single second of pain. Oscar slowed time and charged towards him, slicing through his knee, then he resumed time, and Yang jumped, punching Kannix in the face.

Emerald sprinted and kicked him in the chest with both feet, and as he stumbled back, Nora landed behind him and smashed Magnhild into his spine, breaking it, but within seconds, it cracked back together. Weiss thrusted forward, then he suddenly stamped on Myrtenaster, stopping her dead in her tracks, and he pushed his blade towards her stomach, but it was not coated in the Shadow Dust.

Her eyes widened as it got closer, but Oscar slowed time, and caught the blade in his hands, stopping Kannix in his tracks. He still had aura, but the blade was cutting into it, making him strain in pain. Kannix suddenly smashed his head into Oscar's, and as the Huntsman stumbled backwards, he charged up his cannon and fired it at his chest. The explosion caused his green aura to break, and he tumbled away.

"No more slowing the clock for you, boy." Kannix said, blasting off the ground and careening down towards him. Oscar rolled out of the way at the last second, raising Traveller's Atrocity to block the incoming blade. Suddenly, Kannix blasted a cloud of fire from his cannon, forcing Oscar to back up.

Yang charged towards Kannix, and punched him in the side, but he spun around and drove the blade towards her throat. She caught the blade in her hands, holding him back as he pushed down towards her. But as he held her there, he stared past her, spotting Kassius watching intently. Lash Equinox sat close beside him.

"There you are." He chuckled, pulling away from Yang and pressing his cannon against her gut, firing another shell. The explosion caused her aura to flicker, and she groaned in pain, tumbling across the grass. She stared ahead with wide eyes as Kannix charged towards Kassius.

"KASS!" she screamed, but Cinder suddenly slammed into Kannix's side, driving one of her obsidian swords through his shoulder and dragging him across the ground.

"STAY! AWAY! FROM! MY! BROTHER!" Cinder bellowed, punching him in the face over and over again. Kannix suddenly drove his hook into the soil, and suddenly it caught a buried rock, stopping them both and throwing Cinder further ahead of him. Cinder flew towards him, but he kept his hook buried in the ground, suddenly hurling a rock directly into Cinder's face, knocking her out of the air.

Jaune

They climbed down the cave together, when once they just jumped excitedly into the water beneath, they had to be far more careful now. "Y'know when I said I wanted us to come back here one day? This was not what I meant!" Jaune called out, and Pyrrha floated down, carrying Penny in her arms.

They both looked up with wide eyes, hearing the battle above. "They'll be okay, right?" Pyrrha asked.

"They have to be. They have Kannix outnumbered. But Pyrrha, I need you down here with me. Be ready to get Kassius." Jaune explained, getting closer to the bottom. Pyrrha looked at Penny in her arms, and her eyes slowly opened as she groaned.

"Pyrrha?" she moaned painfully.

"It's okay, Penny." Pyrrha whispered.

"I… I'm hurt…" She sniffled, tears welling in her eyes.

"I know, I know… you took a heavy hit. But we're gonna use these waters to heal you and get that thing out of you." Pyrrha promised.

"O-Okay…" she stammered.

Jaune finally reached the bottom, and they found the lake together, setting Penny down in the water. Her blood mixed with the water, then her faint aura glowed, being recharged in the water. "Is it working?" Jaune asked.

"Does it still hurt?" Pyrrha asked Penny.

"Mhm… but… not as bad as it did…" Penny softly answered.

"Okay… here comes the nasty part. Penny? Bite down on this." Jaune said, taking off his belt, and Penny nodded, biting on it so she wouldn't bite off her tongue. Pyrrha ignited a small flame in her hand, and Jaune touched the chunk of wood lodged in her shoulder. "Okay… here we go." Jaune said, and Pyrrha carefully burned the wood, charring it and causing it to burn her flesh. Penny screamed in immense agony, but with every second she burned it, the wood began to crack and crumble, allowing Jaune to pull it out easier without making the wound that much worse.

Finally, it was out, and then they submerged the wound, keeping Penny's head above the water. "Please work… please work…" Jaune closed his eyes as he held onto Penny. Then they stared at the wound, still bleeding heavily. But they could see the water glow around the wound.

The healing had begun, but it was going to take some time.

Meaning Kassius needed to hold on for as long as he could until Pyrrha and Jaune's aura were also more replenished in these waters to help hold Kannix off.

Kassius

He continued to watch as his friends, his family, risked their lives against that madman.

Kannix caught Crescent Rose and tossed Ruby ahead of him towards everyone bar, Yang, Sun and Oscar, then he unleashed a huge cloud of fire, separating them all from their friends, forcing them all to have to find a way around the flames amidst the destruction caused, leaving the others all helpless. Yang blasted towards him but he batted her away, sending her tumbling away, then he fired a shot at the tree beside Yang, bringing it crashing down onto her waist, making her scream in pain.

Kassius' eyes widened. Then he saw Sun and Oscar trying to fight him off, and as he blinked… he saw Vetra replacing Yang, Rajah replacing Sun and Draven replacing Oscar. It was happening all over again, and he felt helpless, like when Death killed his team, and he watched their bodies decay before his eyes.

No…

Not again…

He growled in anger, grabbing onto the branches to pull himself back up to his feet, seeing Kannix smash the back of his cannon across Oscar's face, and pinning Sun to the floor. Cinder suddenly erupted above the flames and launched herself towards Kannix, only for him to suddenly extend his Shadow Dust Blade and slice her across the chest, sending her crashing to the ground, her aura infected, and she coughed in agony as blood leaked from her wound.

He stood over his sister, aiming the cannon at her head. "Goodbye, Cinder Fall." He said.

Until suddenly a bullet shot through the side of his head, getting his attention as it healed.

"KANNIX!" Kassius bellowed, his voice echoing across the Embered Grove. Even Vir Nominis Umbra lifted his head as he heard his defiant howl. "You want me so bad? HERE I AM! COME AND GET ME!" He yelled with fury in his voice. Kannix laughed, turning and walking towards Kassius.

He only had one Lash Equinox sword, and with his aura still distorted from the Shadow Dust, alongside his wounds and his amputated cybernetic arm? He knew he was in no shape to fight.

But it didn't matter.

He lost one team.

He refused to lose another.

Kannix grinned as Kassius got closer, then he pushed his blade towards his heart, but Kassius effortlessly swung back and deflected that excuse of a killing blow, striking three times across Kannix's chest, then ramming the blade straight through his neck, twisting the blade as he stared him right in the eyes with hatred. "You call yourself a warrior?" Kassius mocked, smashing his head against Kannix's, forcing him backwards. "I'm bleeding out, covered in burns, with no aura and no arm… and you still can't kill me." He laughed.

Kannix gritted his teeth, spinning around and swinging repeatedly at Kassius, but he dodged all the incoming swings with precision, ramming the sword into his side and punching Kannix in the face once again. As Kannix stumbled away, Kassius fired multiple bullets into his body, then he swung again, but this time, Kannix swung around and caught Lash Equinox in his hand, smirking at him.

"Still making jokes." He laughed, smashing his knee into the stab wound, making Kassius grunt with pain, then slamming his metal elbow against his back. Kassius suddenly rammed his sword through Kannix's chest, but this time he tore the weapon out and tossed it aside. Kassius swung his fist into Kannix's jaw, breaking a tooth, but then he caught his hand, twisting it and breaking his wrist. He yelled in pain, and Kannix smirked, grabbing Kassius by his head with both hands and rearing his head all the way back and smashing it into his.

Dazed, Kassius stumbled, only for Kannix to lift him off the floor and slam him against the ground with substantial force. Yang stared ahead with wide eyes, constantly trying to get herself free from the tree that was trapping her. "NO! KASSIUS!" She screamed in terror.

Even on the floor, battered and beaten, Kassius rolled onto his chest, punching his fist with a broken wrist against the floor, gritting his teeth, blood leaking from his lips. Slowly getting back up.

Kannix turned around slowly, in awe at Kassius, refusing to stay down, even admiring it. Kassius stood tall, teeth gritted as he stared at him, walking towards him more and more.

Until…

BANG!

The sound of his cannon erupted, and silence filled the air, Kannix aiming the cannon with smoke trailing from it. The projectile left a hole in Kassius' chest, blood leaking from it… and he gasped, dropping to one knee as Kannix approached him. "So much for a Huntsman." He scoffed, suddenly jamming his hook into his shoulder and dragging him across the grass as he cried out.

Yang punched the tree repeatedly to get free, screaming.

Kannix lifted Kassius with one arm and slammed him onto a burning tree, where he stabbed him again, and again and again in the chest with his blade, blood pouring down the tree as he held him there.

Until the felled tree behind him exploded, and Yang roared with fury. Her hair ignited and launching herself through the embers, tears falling from her eyes. "STOOOOOP!" She roared, punching Kannix in the face, both of them flying through the flames.

Leaving Kassius with Sun and Oscar as he weakly fell from the tree, bleeding out and they rushed to him, as did Cinder, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

Yang

It was a rage she hadn't felt since Ruby lost her eye.

She tossed him ahead of her, and he bounced across the rocks, now closer and closer to the edge of the Embered Grove, seeing Grimm roaring as they tried to get inside. But Yang did not care about the risks anymore. She just wanted Kannix dead, and gone, forever. He fired three shots at her, but she blasted herself from right to left, dodging the first two, then fired forwards, sliding underneath the last projectile. She blasted off the ground and swung her fist up into his jaw, and as he flew up in the air, she caught his heel and slammed him with all her might against the ground.

She clambered on top of him, tears streaming from her blood-red eyes, punching him over and over in the face, her knuckles turning red with his blood, Ember Celica stained with it as well. But she refused to stop, until his hand raised and he caught her fist, and suddenly kicked her over his head, towards the edge where the salivating Grimm were waiting. He rolled across the floor and dragged his burning blade through the soil, throwing the flaming grass at her face.

She covered her eyes with her metal arm, then rushed towards him, catching his blade in her metal hand and forcing it closer to his throat, gritting her teeth as she did it. The flames mattered not to her anymore, because nothing made her angrier than that sadistic grin on Kannix's face.

"I will get my three kills… and more… I will slaughter each and every one of you." He promised.

"NOT IF I SLAUGHTER YOUR ASS FIRST!" Yang screamed, but Kannix smashed his head against hers, then slammed his hook onto the back of her neck and threw her into a tree. She grunted, tumbling past the tree. He chuckled as he walked towards her, dragging the flaming blade through the soil behind him.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… never did learn to control that temper tantrum, did you? A failure like your father, but not as much of a failure as your pretty boyfriend." He chuckled. She spun around and grabbed the tree, and with her muscles amplified, she tore it free and swung it like a bat into his face, sending him crashing backwards. He grunted, his face covered in splinters. Then she launched herself above him, firing shell after shell down at him. He deflected the incoming gunfire before aiming up at her and firing a powerful shell which knocked her out of the air, breaking her aura as she landed.

Kannix charged towards her, but she immediately turned, shooting an explosive missile into his chest, blowing him away from her. She rolled backwards and rushed forward, punching him over and over in the chest, then swiping him off his feet and punching him directly in the face. The impact broke his jaw, and she grabbed him by his face, driving her thumbs into his eyes as he screamed, wanting to collapse his head like an egg. He roared in agony as blood squirted from his eyes, blinding him.

Yang gritted her teeth hatefully as she did this, but then he suddenly slashed his hook across her cheek, only narrowly missing her eye. She tumbled away, and he stumbled back to his feet, grabbing at his eyes as they regenerated. But as his vision slowly came to, he heard a whistle, and it was not Yang's voice.

As he turned in the direction, his vision returned, and he saw her.

Neo.

She spun Hush through her fingers and rested it across her shoulders behind her head, smirking tauntingly at him. He scowled at her, remembering how he once had feelings for the beautiful woman… now he only saw hate. "You…" He snarled, immediately firing at her, but she shattered, suddenly appearing right in front of him and flipping backwards, kicking him up the jaw. She landed and turned, standing beside Yang, who nodded at her, raising her fists, pumping them.

Once they were enemies, now they are friends.

Kannix stood tall, snarling as he glared at Neo, before firing an explosive shell beneath him, riding the recoil high in the air, spraying multiple shells down upon them. They exploded, but Yang launched up towards him, punching and kicking at him, before grabbing onto his leg and throwing him down towards the ground. As he bounced off the ground, Neo stabbed him in the neck, then opened her umbrella to force him backwards. She flipped backwards, sitting on the felled tree that Yang hit him with, crossing one leg over the other with Hush open over her shoulder, smiling flirtatiously at him.

He immediately fired at her, only for the shell to go through the illusion, and exploding into a tree behind her, where Neo was riding the tree as it came crashing down. She launched herself towards him and kicked him in the face with both heels, swinging Hush across his face multiple times, then stabbing him in the gut relentlessly, cutting him across the leg, and jumping away, firing another explosive shell into his chest.

He tumbled backward, his cybernetic arm sparking and smoking, and his armour barely holding together after the amount of times he had been hit. He turned to see Yang grabbing him by the throat and throwing him against the floor, punching him in the face. But Kannix smashed his cannon across her cheek, firing at her, but she shattered, saved by Neo's illusion. Neo then launched herself forward, stabbing him through the neck again, and as she jumped into the air, he suddenly caught her ankle, and threw her against the ground with significant force.

She went to get up, but he grabbed her by the throat before she could use an illusion to escape, and he slammed her over and over against the ground.

Then he extended the Shadow Dust blade from his arm, pointing it at her face. "You should have stayed with me when you had the chance, coward." He snarled, pulling his arm back to stab her. Until Yang suddenly caught the blade with her cybernetic arm and pulled it from his forearm, sparked erupted from the arm as he yelled, and she snapped it in half, and drove both shards of the infected blade directly into his silver eyes.

He howled in agony, and the Shadow Dust pumped into his bloodstream, corrupting his aura and preventing his wounds from regenerating, making him mortal in a single motion. Blood rushed from his eyes as he screamed, trying to pull the blades from his eyes. Neo rolled away, and Yang kicked him in the chest with all her might, sending him tumbling ahead… and outside of the Embered Grove's border.

He reached to the shards in his eyes to try to pull them out as he screamed until he felt the cold clawed hands of Grimm grapple onto him… with a familiar voice.

"You never should have hurt my brother." Hyde snarled, possessing an entire pack of Beowulves at once.

"No! NO!" Kannix cried out, and the beasts all began biting and clawing at his body as he screamed. They tore his flesh open, ripping his cybernetic arms from his body as he screamed, clawing open his stomach as he wailed. He reached out towards where Yang was, but she and Neo just watched with hatred as the Grimm swarmed him, blood covering the beasts as they fed on him. "This… cannot… be how I die! NOT LIKE THIS! PLEEEEASE!" He begged.

"You showed no mercy to Kassius. We will show none to you." Hyde snarled, and his screams grew in pitch as they forced him to the ground, clambering over to eat him alive, tearing him to pieces.

And then… after a while of shrieking…

… silence.

His story ended exactly as it began.

Yang scowled as she listened to Kannix Volantis finally die, then she turned to see Hyde on his knees beyond the field. She reached out to him, then he disappeared as Grimm swarmed around the Embered Grove, lost behind the crowd.

"Kass…" Yang whimpered. Neo took her hand, and they ran together.

It took them some time, but they found Kassius, surrounded by everyone. Yang's eyes were wide as she heard their cries, seeing Pyrrha and Jaune with Penny, eyes filled with regret for not being able to be fast enough. He was leaning against a rock, blood everywhere, and his eyes were faint… but still alive… for now.

"No…" Yang sobbed. Ruby tearfully approached her sister, holding her hand. But Yang just dropped to her knees beside Kassius, holding onto him. He looked at her, wheezing, as he held her hand tightly.

"Did… did you get him?" He asked her. She smiled as the tears streamed from her eyes, nodding her head.

"He's dead… thanks to Neo and Hyde…" she cried.

"Wherever he is… look after him… please…" He begged her.

"We will." Yang promised. "But you're gonna be okay…"

He chuckled, looking at his hand covered in blood. "No… I don't think I am, Firefly…" He whispered. Yang hiccuped breaths as she held onto him, looking up at Jaune and Pyrrha, with penny crying as she looked at her leader.

"Help me. Please! We can get him to the Waters!" She begged.

"It's too late… he… got me good…" Kassius admitted as he bled across the floor. Cinder held his hand in hers as she cried. Emerald stood over her, looking at him. He looked up at Emerald and smiled. "Take care of her?"

"I will." Emerald promised.

"All of you… take care of each other… and win this thing… don't let that son of a bitch get what he wants." He begged them, looking at Ruby in particular. Ruby sobbed, but she nodded her head.

"We will… I promise you…"

He smiled, then looked right at Yang, holding her hand tight. He then raised his hand, wiping the tears from her cheek, and moving the blonde hair from her face, gazing at her like she was the sun, but one that could never blind him.

"Yang…" He whispered, chuckling as he smiled. "Yang Xiao Long… how did I get so lucky finding you? My guardian angel…" He said. She pressed her forehead close to his as she cried. "And I know she'll be okay…"

"S-She?" Yang sobbed.

"Our baby… I know it… it's gonna be a girl…" He promised with a cocky smile. She wanted to laugh, but all she could muster were tears.

"I'll hold you to it…" she stammered.

She gazed into his eyes, holding onto him. He never looked away… she was all he wanted to see. "I love you so much, Yang…" He said.

"I love you too…" she cried.

He sniffled, then pressed his head against the rock, feeling his heartbeat slow. "I did it… I really saved them this time…" He whispered. Then he looked at Yang again. "It's all because of you… you… saved me…"

Those… were his last words.

As his eyes became distant, and his hand dropped from Yang's, she looked at his hand and then at his face. "Kass?" She whimpered, shaking him. "Kass?"

She grabbed onto him, shaking him harder and her words just devolved into heartbreaking cries, hugging his body, just begging for all this to be a dream. Jaune fell to his knees with grief, whilst the Architect bowed his head.

Everyone just wanted this to be a dream… but it wasn't…

Kassius was gone…

Ruby

A few moments later…

Everyone stood around a grave they dug for him, with their hands… it was beside the same lake which Vir Nominis Umbra once said to Kassius was a lovely spot. Yang stood with her team beside her, and Cinder stood over his grave. They could not have a headstone, so to mark it, they used Lash Equinox, crossing the two swords together, and laid Vulcan Nox atop his grave.

Yang clutched his Stetson close to her chest, her eyes still damp from tears. She felt sick as she stared at his grave. Jaune's lip trembled as he stood there, remembering the old tradition and saying that the Arc Family had.

"A-At least… At least he has water…" He trembled, Pyrrha holding his hand tight, and Nora clutching onto Ren's arm.

An old tradition, with the belief that having water nearby would help one's soul reach the afterlife. Cinder exhaled shakily as she felt like she had to say something.

"He was always there for us… even when he was at his darkest… he was always there. When I was your enemy, he never gave up on me. And whenever things were darkest, he always knew how to lighten the mood…" Cinder spoke, looking at her brother's grave.

"He was a pillar of all of us… and even in the end… he was always fighting for each and every one of us. He was a true Huntsman… a hero… a friend… a brother… a lover… a father…" Cinder trembled as she listed them all.

"And we will win this… for you… my brother." Cinder concluded her speech, tears falling from her eyes. Both Emerald and Neo held her hands, helping her walk away. They all departed from his grave, but Sun, Penny and Oscar stayed motionless, thanking their leader for everything.

But Yang, Blake and Ruby remained… looking down at his grave.

Yang went to walk away… but she couldn't, and she turned back to him. She shuffled slowly as she whimpered, still clutching his hat tightly, crouching down beside the crossed swords.

And she rested his stetson upon them, and then the tears returned, sobbing beside his grave. Blake comforted Yang, and she turned, wrapping her arms around her best friend, crying into her shoulder.

Ruby stood alone, stumbling away from Kassius', grave, feeling sick, and she sat against the tree nearby, dropping to sit down, staring at what was covering her hands.

Blood…

That was what she felt, hot and still sticking against her cheek. Her silver eye, wide and wet with tears, hearing nothing around her except the cries of those that were left. She could just hear Yang, Jaune, and others crying as the wind howled around them. She leant against the tree with Crescent Rose rested upon her legs, staring up at the starless sky, choked by falling snow, and the shattered moon. Distant howls of the endless hordes of Grimm out there, trapped with no way out.

And all she could hear in her mind… were the words of Vir Nominis Umbra.

"I'm truly sorry… You all wanted to be heroes, to save the world from the horrors of the world… But in the end, it all meant nothing. Life is not like a fairy tale, and this tale does not have a happy ending."

Ozpin

He remained motionless beside Glynda's body as the Blizzard swirled around him, blinding him to his surroundings. Part of him wanted to stay there and wait for the Nameless Titan to finish him.

For the first time, he felt like he was defeated, that this whole thing was over.

But as he sat there, he heard a voice whisper nearby.

"Ozpin…" the familiar voice whispered. Getting his attention, he turned and saw a mysterious figure stood in the snow, watching him. He raised his hand and stared at them, unable to make out who they were.

"SHOW YOURSELF!" He yelled over the howling winds. He stayed beside Glynda's body, refusing to leave her side, but then he noticed another figure, and another, and another. There were four of them, all stood around him.

He spun Mihi Vindicta through his fingers, transforming it into Sceptre Form and slamming it into the ground, stopping time. All the snow stopped exactly in place, and he saw them all staring at him, unaffected by the slowed time.

All clad in glowing white hooded cloaks, staring at him.

He pointed his Sceptre at the leader.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" He yelled.

She grabbed her hood and pulled it back, revealing her large silver eyes and flowing black and red hair. There was no fooling his memory… it was Summer Rose.

But not just Summer. One by one, the other ghostly figures pulled back their hoods and revealed themselves.

Qrow Branwen.

Kragen Nox.

And Taiyang Xiao Long.

His eyes widened as he saw them, and Summer did not say a word, just staring right at him.

The Squires of Light had arrived… and the end… was near.

To Be Concluded

In Act 6 – Journey's End

Author's Note - Man... this might be the hardest chapter I've ever written

I've had Kassius' death planned for so long, literally ever since Act 1 I always wanted him to die fighting Kannix, and I love having Yang and Neo work together to kill him, and having Hyde possess a bunch of Grimm to eat him alive was so worth the time having that bastard live for so long. Having him die the same way he became cursed in the first place felt pretty perfect.

Rest in Peace: Kassius Locke, Glynda Goodwitch and Maria Calavera

Rest in Piss: Kannix Volantis

Legit though, his death was so hard to write :(

I hope you all enjoyed this Act! This was a very fun and also tough one to write with how much action there was but that was also half the fun. I hope you all are excited for Act 6, we're gonna get some major answers... and one hell of a final battle.

Also yes, the last two parts (Kassius' burial and Ozpin meeting Summer and the Squires of Light) were originally gonna be the Epilogue but I felt it'd be better to squeeze it all in one heavy chapter XD

I'm amazed I've managed to get to this point, been writing this story since Volume 4, and now I'm at the final Act of this series. I'm very proud of this series, same with Eclipse, and whilst there's lots of stuff I'd do differently now? That was the reason I did this, to learn how to improve my writing for my original stuff, and I think it's been worth it.

Please review, and lemme know what you think!

Stay tuned for Act 6!

- Matt