RWBY: Avenge Me
Chapter 11: Face Your Demons
Ruby…since we got here we said we'd follow your lead but, things haven't exactly worked out. – Yang Xiao Long blaming her sister's leadership to get her way.
Our choices can always have consequences, yet sometimes it's the people we love that could pay the price. Is that something you can live with?
Weiss felt a massive burn in her chest, her throat parched as she struggled to get an easy breath in. Her mind was racing at high speeds as she struggled to take in all her surroundings at once as explosions, gunshots, and the screeches of her allies and the Grimm nearby stabbed into her ears. What made this worse was that the Grimm's bellows grew louder by the second as more kept coming to replace the ones they slaughtered out of that gaping black hole of sludge Cinder's arm left behind when she escaped into the vault. Weiss felt rage burn within her as well as her eyes narrowed upon said passage, not perturbed in the slightest by a Centipede Grimm she nonchalantly slashes with a red dust blade, disintegrating it to ashes just as she would have loved to do to her partner's killer, especially as her pets began to tire out her friends nearby, some even sporting some class marks on their arms or legs, drawing blood to her disgust.
"Even when she's gone that witch still has try and take my family from me." Weiss thought bitterly as she began to advance to the hole. She had enough of this; she had to block it off to keep the Grimm from spewing and harming them, and she had just the thing to do the job.
She took out a ice dust crystal and uploaded it into Myretenastr before jamming it into the ground, a wave of ice shooting straight towards the portal, a few sabertooth Grimm attempted to lunge in a vain attempt to avoid being frozen along with the portal as they hung in mid-air.
"YES!" Weiss cheered, allowing herself a celebratory fist pump.
"It's no use." A gruff, weary voice called out, making her spine jolt. She turned around to see Hazel, weakly lifting his chin off the ground he formed a crater in, huffing as he rubbed his bruised forehead.
"It's weaker, but that portals just like the one Salem makes. It'll take much more force than a simple sheet of ice to contain them." He coldly said as he pointed to the portal. Weiss gripped her saber in anticipation as she heard the truth before her, the snarls of Grimm, the sound of ice being slashed and cut chilling her spine, and worse, the cracking of the ice she made as a Beowulf with half its face squeezed out of the crack with one arm chipping at its stomach to free itself.
"I hate it when bad guys are right." Weiss groaned as she slashed at the mangled Grimm that lunged for her before hearing Hazel chuckle.
"What's so funny!?" She yelled in annoyance.
"You think I'M the villain? When you work for that man whose just stringing you along in a futile war to make himself feel better?" Hazel mocked.
Weiss fought every temptation to turn around and stab him, or at least fix him a death glare, if not for the waves of Grimm still coming requiring her attention. A single misstep, a single distraction and she knew she'd be Grimm chow. She had no time to waste on arguing with this fool who sold his soul to a devil.
"WEISS! ON YOUR LEFT!" Jaune cried out, she instinctively dug her heel into the ground to twirl right to dodge a Bourbalisk charging at her.
" And Ruby said heels were impractical in battle." She couldn't help but smirk at the thought.
But at that moment, a Lancer took advantage of her celebration to fly past her to her shock.
"Huh? Its not aiming at me? But then where-" Before she could even finish that thought, Weiss's eyes widened as she saw the Hornet Grimm lung its stinger aimed at Hazel. She grinded her teeth in frustration at this. Hazel was the enemy, but as tempting as it was to leave him to die, he wielded valuable information on Cinder's faction they needed. She had to bring him in for questioning, which was useless if he was dead.
Hazel, for his part, just sighed as he hung his head exhausted as the stinger came within a few feet of him. He hadn't the strength to even stand, let alone dodge. His aura was drained and his muscles were on fire from the dust overload. It was all over. Still….he couldn't help but smile at the thought.
" Finally…see you soon Gretchan." He thought. His only regret he thought being he couldn't kill Ozpin for her.
Hazel's eyes bolted open as he raised his head at the sound of the Lancer screeching painfully, its body he saw was spam in pain before it disintegrated to ashes as a staff was revealed to be imbedded into its chest, belonging to Oscar!
Weiss sighed with relief at the sight, their chance for information not lost as she jumped back to avoid an Ursa paw crashing down upon her, landing beside the boy before forming a glyph to shoot a fireball at it, incinerating the beast.
"Good job! Your sure acting like a huntsmen kid." She praised the boy, who blushed a bit and tugged his tie nervously at the praise.
With the chaos around the two dying down a bit as the Grimm became more focused on Ren and Qrow guarding a semi-concious Nora, who was wheezing as Jaune tried to recharge her aura from Hazel's blow, Weiss took a deep breath to ask the boy something that been on her mind for a bit.
"What did you tell Sun that made him ditch us? We're in a bit of a tight spot you know?" Weiss asked him firmly, making the boy stiffen a bit and gulp, caught off guard by her tone.
"W-Well….you see…" Oscar stuttered, a sharp glare from Weiss let him know to press on, lest she freeze him for wasting time in this situation.
"*Sigh* I told him to go help Yang save Blake." He admitted to her shock.
"Alone!?" Weiss screeched mixed with anger and concern making him wince.
Hazel just laughed as he heard this.
"Just like you Ozpin. Always sending more kids like my sister to their doom for the job huh?" He mockingly asked, making the man's soul in the farm boy churn a bit, almost making Oscar queasy.
"What in gods name compelled you not to tell me this sooner!? I could have-" Weiss began before Oscars eyes shined green and his voice changed, she and Hazel recognized as Ozpin's.
"It was Yang's order not to. She said she didn't want you dragged into her and Sun's personal vendetta against Adam." Ozpin explained.
"B-But still I-" Weiss stuttered. Fear was creeping into her heart. The memory of her dead partners smile before she sent her up the tower to her doom plaguing her mind. She couldn't abandon another teammate like that.
"Miss Schnee, it was her choice to make. Yang, Blake, and Sun need to mend their wounds, both physical and mental, with their own hands." Ozpin affirmed, sensing her distress.
Weiss just sighed as she slowly walked past him regardless.
"I left everything a teammate once and it got her killed. A good partner, a good friend doesn't pile everything one someone else, they share the burden. Their going to let me share theirs, whether they like it or not." Weiss said firmly as she gripped her saber before charging out the door.
"Defiant as always." Ozpin sighed at her stubbornness before his eyes ceased the glow, Oscar regaining his body's control.
"I really wish you would ask first next time." The boy groaned to his other half before walking over to Hazel, keeping his staff ready for him or Grimm to guard against. He knew he had to share this burden for Weiss and the others too.
"You okay?" The farm boy asked wearily, his left leg tucked behind his right, ready to jump back in retreat should Hazel try anything.
True to form, the exhausted assassin just groaned and gave him a death glare.
"Are you stupid boy!? Why save me? I just tried to kill you!" Hazel asked furiously, making the boy flinch a bit, before he suddenly turned stiff.
Oscar himself was a bit shocked at his sudden calmness as well, before his eyes narrowed as he felt as if a hand that wasn't really there was keeping him support.
"Ozpin wants me to say something to you." He said sternly making Hazel scoff.
"Tell him he's wasting his preaching. I'll kill him the second you bring your little neck near me brat." Hazel said venomously.
Oscar shocked him however…..as he started laughing a bit.
"Did I miss a joke boy?!" Hazel roared.
"No. It's just, your finally talking as if me and Ozpin really are two different people. Thanks, its quite the relief." Oscar said gratefully to the man's confusion.
"You do realize that won't be the case for long right? He's a parasite who will take you over." Hazel asked
Soon Oscar sighed as he nodded, but not to Hazel as the man assumed. His eyes glowed once more.
"That at least Hazel your completely right about. While Gretchan made her choices, I am ashamed that these innocent people like Oscar had no such ones because of me. If it were just my soul and body instead of his, I'd gladly let you pummel it." Ozpin admitted as he took back control.
"Then help me up…*groan* so I can oblige." Hazel weakly demanded as she wobbled trying to force himself up.
"Not when the boy will die then before he gets to enjoy what time he still has. Hazel, I am truly sorry about your sister, but-" He said before his eyes ceased the shine, Oscar wanting to ask this himself.
"I want to know, did she make her own choice?" Oscar asked him curiously.
Hazel's face reddened as he heard that.
"SHE WAS A CHILD! YOU MANIPULATED HER!" He roared, but Oscar stood firm, Yang's sad and angry stare flashing before him in Hazel's place.
"And yet your serving a witch who killed one too." Oscar countered, Hazel's eyes widening as heard this. Despite his shock, Oscar continued. He had seen this before from Yang, and their similarities made him more curious then scared, hence his question.
"Ruby Rose. She was a child, barely 16 and that blonde girls little sister. Your master, Cinder killed her in cold blood and took her from Yang. Wasn't it your choice to follow her, despite subjecting another person to your kind of loss?" Oscar asked sternly.
Hazel's arms slouched as he fell on his behind, remembering Yang's tears and cries of rage at Cinder as well. As if reading his mind, Ozpin mentally urged Oscar to press on.
"You made that choice, just as Ruby chose to risk her life to oppose her for the sake of saving her friend Pyrrha. She chose to follow a path that got her killed, because it's what she wanted. Did Gretchan make such a choice?" Oscar asked.
Hazel's breath hitched as he heard these words. He couldn't help but ponder such a notion. Gretchan was an ambitious and noble, if stubborn and naïve child. In some ways she was just like that silver-eyed child Emerald spat about during Cinder's training. The more he thought about it, the knot in his stomach grew as he began to hear the screams of the huntsmen around him.
He looked to see the teens and Qrow huddled together in a circle, huffing in exhaustion as more Grimm began to encircle them. Jaune knelt down, placing golden glowing hands on his teams lower backs to boost their aura, Nora in particular using one hand to grip the upper hilt of her hammer to jab into an Ursa's skull as she used her semblance to charge her own remaining palm and stab it into a miniature Nevermore's eye, splattering it to dust as Ren provided cover fire with one pistol as he used his semblance to hide Jaune from the Grimm so he could keep boosting them. Qrow meanwhile twirling his Scythe to eviscerate some hounds and Lancers while staying perfectly still. Hazel grunted as he saw the bruises on the mans now exposed ribcage, courtesy of himself. It wasn't just his formation's requirement, Hazel's damage was keeping him restricted.
"Why doesn't that blonde kid boost Qrow Branwen's aura to heal him?"
Hazel asked Oscar.
"His semblance is misfortune. If his aura returns he knows bad luck will befall the group…well worse luck then now if even possible." Oscar explained.
"Then why even fight beside those kids if he's a threat to them?" Hazel asked the boy who inhaled nasaly, before grabbing Hazel's shirt and getting in his face, his eyes flickering a green glow as he fixed him an angry glare, having enough.
"BECAUSE THAT WAS THEIR CHOICE! THEIR RISK, LIKE GRETCHANS!" Oscar/Ozpin screamed.
Hazel shivered as he heard this once meek boy furiously berate him. Despite his enemy being within arms length, it being so easy now to just grab his throat and crush it, he just lost all the will to do so at Oscar's words. He hung his head as he heard Nora yell, her voice making him twitch a little. It reminded him of Gretchan's screams when she died.
"Yeah…just like her." Hazel sighed, finally admitting the truth. All he had done this time was just disregard her will, Gretchan's right to be who she wanted like these kids. She chose to fight regardless of who influenced her, she gave her life in battle just as Ruby Rose had. And now here he was, helping the same kind of monsters who ruined his life ruin others.
"What would Gretchan think of me now?" He whispered.
"Your thinking she would be disgusted right?" Oscar asked and Hazel nodded.
"Well, your wrong again." Ozpin this time said to Hazel's surprise.
"Rather than waste time pointing fingers, she would want you to be the man you used to be Hazel." Ozpin said firmly.
"And what kind of man was I?" Hazel asked him, though his tone wasn't mocking for once towards his enemy, it sounded actually curious.
"The same stubborn man who didn't quit when he was down. The man who actually owned up to his mistakes and tried to fix them, or at least help others fix them." Ozpin said sternly as pointed to the portal nearby.
Hazel's eyes narrowed as the black sludge pool still spurting out mangled Grimm. It's viper and wolves screeches made his blood boil. These monsters helped claim his sisters life, and now Cinder was using it to try and claim his and the huntsmen's lives. Ozpin's words echoed in his head, as did his sisters voice from bittersweet memories. He knew what he had to do as he nodded to the headmaster of Beacon.
"Okay, I'll fix my mistake. It really is what Gretchan would want." Hazel said as he slowly regained his footing, Oscar's cane he provided helping. However, his weakened stance only annoyed the man. He knew he hadn't the strength left to close that portal by force, not without help. Luckily, he knew someone nearby who could provide it, despite the blow to his already damaged pride.
"HEY VALKRIE!" Hazel called out to Nora.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" She screamed as she was preoccupied by smashing Grimm swarming her. Hazel and Oscar grinned as they saw her smash one with her hammer, emitting a pink electrical charge.
"Have your partner cover you, then hand Hazel your Hammer!" Oscar called out.
"Say what!" Ren cried out. It seemed utterly mad to give his girlfriends weapon to their enemy.
"Ozzy! You can't be serious he-" Qrow called out but was interrupted by a yell.
"I can close that thing! But the force could kill attacker!" Hazel revealed as he stepped forward to the portal slowly, Oscar stabbing any Grimm coming near him.
"Then why do you want to help? You just tried to kill us 5 minutes ago!?" Nora cried out, the left side of her head aching from the mild concussion he gave her.
"So I don't get anymore little girls like you or your friend killed." Hazel explained, making Nora's eyes widened.
"Ruby?" She whispered.
"Please! I don't feel physical pain, that's my semblance, that's why I overloaded on dust, but I'm all out. I need your hammer to pummel that portal and fix this mess I caused. Hurry! Let me make my little sister proud for once!" Hazel pleaded.
As Nora stood in shock at the man's suicidal plea, a hand pushed her forward to him as her skin suddenly turned pale and grey. She looked back and saw Ren and Jaune eyeing her firmly.
"Just let him do it Nora." Ren said, his aura shining onto her.
"Renny?" She asked confused. She knew he knew how much her hammer meant to her.
"He's right. We know what its like to have regrets. We'll cover you, so please, just let him do finish this." Jaune ordered.
Nora rubbed her aching skull for a few moments as she eyed her favorite weapon, groaning as she contemplated this. As much as she hated to part with it, she knew in her weakened state her aura wouldn't cover her in an explosion like Hazel proposed.
"GAH! Why can't I ever be the hero who saves the day and comes home!?" Nora groaned before fixing Hazel a massive stink eye.
"If you come out alive, you owe me a new hammer jackass!" She spat as she threw him the weapon he firmly grasped before nodding.
"Deal, IF I live that is." Hazel shrugged before he opened the gun compartment of her hammer. He saw a few rounds of lightning dust and grenades left and smirked. This was just what he needed.
"For once I'll make you proud Gretchan, I promise." He whispered.
Hazel then ran as fast as he could towards the portal, gunshots from the others holding off the few Grimm that tackled him as they lunged out the portal, as if sensing his intent to destroy them. He ignored the slashes to his chest, legs, and lips from the Apathy claws, the Beowulf bites, and the stabs of bourbalisk tusks. He just jammed his fist into the back of Nora's hammer, the dust and grenades colliding with it to form a small electric fireball in his palm as he used it and the hammer to plunge it into the portal, the black sludge catching flame as the darkness emitted a red glow as the grimm within it and on Hazel bellowed in pain as a massive ball of fire and pink lightning consumed the man and demons, creating a huge explosion.
"GET BEHIND ME!" Jaune ordered as he raised his shield, the others ducking behind him as he flexed his aura to his shield to cover them.
Mercury grabbed Emerald and used his mechanical legs to jump to the next floor up, hiding behind the remains of the statue to avoid the shockwave.
As the heat and electricity hit his shield, Jaune began to feel his arms go numb as he struggled to keep his balance. Seeing his struggle Qrow urged Nora and Ren to raise their aura to the limit in case he lost the struggle.
"Hang in there!" Ren cried out to his leader who nodded.
" I promise, I won't fail another friend." Jaune thought firmly, Ruby's image in his mind. She was smiling at him as he could just feel her arm snugged around him as she helped him up that day in the locker room. He knew he never did anything for her, she always supported him. As he glanced back at his friends and Qrow ducked behind him, he smiled before giving off a furious cry of defiance as the heavy energy kept hammering at him. He wouldn't let Ruby down or any of them again with weakness.
" This is for Ruby." He thought firmly as he pressed his shield against the wave, the remaining burst of energy crashing onto him as he was sent flying above his friends at break neck speed, almost literally to his friends horror as he went crashing into the vault head first, his aura shining being all they saw of him as the aftershock in the ground began to slowly subside.
"J-Jaune!" Nora cried out. Her legs were too wobbly though from the tremor from before to move after him though, she just sat their with Ren and Qrow beside her, staring in shock.
Jaune felt his head ache as he heard her cry, groaning as he forced his head up despite the weight on it. Everything was spinning for a bit, her familiar voice filled with distress being the only thing he could focus on.
"I…I'm A-Okay!" Jaune said dizzy as he waved weakly with a thumbs up to his friends relief.
"Phew!" Nora sighed before jolting up.
"AAAAAAAAAGH!"
Relief that sadly would be short lived as they all heard a woman scream from within the vault. They couldn't recognize the voice, which only served to frighten them, the Arc boy the most as he fought his drowsiness and bolted within the deeper ends of the vault.
"PYRRHA!" He cried out in fear his teams assumption.
"Jaune wait we-"
"BANG!"
Ren's cry of concern was soon replaced with one of pain as he clutched his now oozing shoulder painfully following that shot that blasted the air, which was soon replaced by the familiar sound of Mercury's snickering as he and Emerald came crashing down from the room, the formers metallic leg smoking from the fresh gunshot.
"Forget about us kids?" Mercury snickered.
Nora and Qrow ran out in front of Ren, Qrow's scythe drawn while Nora held her arms up, sparing a glance behind to see shards of what remained of her hammer scorched and scattered within a pool of blood beside an equally charred Hazel, his eyes iris's blank and wide open as his limp body, now devoid of its left arm, laid there where the portal once held now no more than an indent of ash.
Nora could only shake her head, not sure if she felt pity or annoyance he gave up her only weapon to save them from the Grimm portal, but she did know what to feel after she heard Ren's shallow breathing as he winced in pain from his wound.
She was angry.
Mercury and Emerald just chuckled as they saw Ren's state, annoying her further as she turned her head around to face the ones who hurt her man.
"Ooooh. Whatchya going to do now ginger?" Mercury taunted.
Her eyes slowly opened, bright pink, the corner of her eyeballs releasing a stream of electricity that made even Qrow beside her step a few inches to the left to avoid being shocked by her as her fists clenched.
"I'm going to rip your legs off." She coldly said before she charged.
Haven Forest
Weiss panted heavily as she ran further into the woods, her heels digging into the dirt as she put immense pressure into each step for added speed, desperate to make it in time. It was easy for her to know where she was going, she only had to follow the sounds of gunshots, White Fang grunt cries and…..to her absolute dread either Blake's cries of terror or Yang's of fury, remembering vividly what happened the last time those plagued the air on a dark night like this.
" I'm sorry…I'm so sorry!" She could still hear Blake's painful whisper as she cradled a bloodied Yang and later her when they learned Ruby died.
As Weiss kept seeing Yang and Blake lying bloodied on the floor of that cruiser the night beacon fell, her heart kept racing, almost like it was about to implode, forcing her to stop a moment to catch her breath, before her eyes widened the second she stopped.
"Not again. I can't let my friends fight alone again!" She screamed in her mind, unable to fight her gasps of air to yell it. All she could do was take out her saber and scroll.
"Please have enough left." She mentally pleaded as she went over her teams aura scores. Not surprising, Yang's were slightly above hers. She had about half left after that intense battle to her own surprise though.
"Guess…*huff* training paid off." She sighed. Her breath hitched though as Blake's were almost at zero, very dangerous levels this of all battles. She shook her head vigorously as she forced any dark thoughts and possibilities out.
"No! Be hopeful like her!" She yelled, Ruby in her mind, forcing a smile out as she made her choice clear, knowing what her partner would choose. To hell with her reserves, she needed to be there now and fight for her friends, so she formed a massive glyph, taking a chunk of her aura to form a white Nevermore summon she hopped on, stabbing her spear into the air in the direction she wanted it to charge to at a fast pace, the one filled with fiery explosions.
"I'm coming girls, bet on it!" She promised herself as her unoccupied fist trembled at the thought. She couldn't be left alone again.
Old wounds and new ones…
Yang and Sun held each others hands as Yang twirled her body, using her superior muscle to swing the Monkey Faunus above the bull faunus before them, careful to avoid the red blade he instinctively slashed at Sun, despite missing. Sun took the chance to stab his pole into the man's back, providing another burst of speed and strength that gave his throw leverage to get more distance between him.
"Thanks Goldilocks!" Sun cried out as he ran towards their shared goal, Blake, who was still cradling an unconscious Illia. Yang grumbled as she hated anyone but Blake calling her that, but she regained her senses and became alert when she saw she wasn't the only one angered by the Faunus.
Adam whipped his head around, snarling as he saw the Monkey Man come near his "prize".
"Lets see you swing from a tree without any arms!" Adam snarled before hearing a clang from behind him rip through his ears, instantly raising his blade to parry a fiery fist coming from Yang, her blood red eyes locking with his blue one as he was forced a few feet back, his heels digging into the dirt as his blade glowed red. Yang's breath hitched as she recognized that glow, her stump burning as her spirit screamed at her to jump back, noticing her flames seeping into the sword to Adam's amusement.
Blake sighed in relief at her partner's wise decision.
"What was that?" Sun whispered in shock.
"His semblance is like hers, he can absorb energy into his sword then send it back when he's ready." Blake explained.
"He gets to dish out damaging without feeling it though?! * Scoffs* That's just cheating." Sun pouted.
Adam smirked as he heard this, but not taking his eyes off Yang, her sole remaining gauntlet raised at him to his amusement.
"Your smarter than you were at Beacon." He said darkly, not losing his smile.
Yang's face however fell as her arm began to tremble to Blake's shock and Adam's joy as he lunged.
"YANG!" Blake cried out. Her voice made Yang blink as she shook her head, which she lowered to avoid the glowing red blade side swiping at where her neck once was. She took the chance and uppercut him, the force and trajectory sending him rolling behind her as she soon ran to Blake, gasping a bit as she fought her legs shaking from the fright of all that.
"Let me take him, you rest and catch your breath." Sun said firmly but she smacked his hand away.
"It's okay…I got this. Just scars burning." Yang huffed.
"Scars? Like the ones Blake left me?" Adam bellowed softly as he slowly got up, rubbing his bruised jaw as he fixed them a nasty glare, or really Blake, whose eyes widened fearfully locking onto his. Her fear, for once tonight, simply angered him.
"You didn't leave just scars. You left me alone." He grumbled at her as he slowly walked towards the trio.
"Y-You deserved to be alone!" Sun spat out and Yang nodded.
"You're a creep!" She cried out.
"AND SHE'S A COWARD! SHE CAN'T EVEN FACE ME!" Adam spat back in fury. Blake trembled as she heard his cries. Her hands shaking as they threaten to drop Illia's head. Yang's eyes flashed red as she saw her partners distress, aiming her gauntlet at Adam's head, pausing his walk.
"This is your last chance. Leave us alone." She demanded firmly.
Adam just stares back at her as he grips the hilt of his sword again. Yang's left arm trembles slightly at the sight to his amusement.
"Heh, do you really believe that? Or are you just trying to scare me away so you won't have to die trying to protect her?" he snickered.
" Your not strength anymore, your cowardice." Yang nearly collapsed to her knees as she heard his words and Blake's that night, pondering if they were right.
Seeing Yang tremble, Blake feels all her fear turn to rage as she gently puts Illia down. She eyes Sun and he nods to her, feeling the same way.
Just as Yang was about to fall, she felt around her armpits her friends hands, supporting her up, fixing her a firm smile.
"She's not protecting us Adam, and We're not protecting her." Blake countered.
"We're protecting each other." Sun added firmly.
Seeing Yang's face light up from this support, and her lack of trembling now, Adam's own face flashed red from anger as he sensed he lost his edge. He quickly unsheaved his sword.
"Then you can die with each other love!" Adam snarled as she slashed the air, releasing a wave of red energy at them.
"I got this!" Sun hollered as he formed a huge wall of golden aura clones of himself that took the blast. A small wave of fire came for them still, but Blake used what's left of her aura to create a couple clones to shield her, Illia and Sun while Yang flexed her aura, absorbing the nearby fire to avoid them getting burned; her eyes glowing red as she began breathing rapidly as she felt exhilarated by the power she absorbed. Her smile soon descended, because as the smoke cleared, the trio gasped as they didn't seem Adam anymore.
Suddenly they heard him yell from the far right, above them as he lunged from the tree tops, using Blake's own move against them. Blake jumped behind Yang's back, preparing to throw her with the wire from Gambrol shroud to help her dodge.
Just as Adam was about to try and strike them, however, they all noticed a white glint in the far left corner of their faces. As Adam and them turned to see the source, the bull fanaus's face was smacked by a massive fist of white light that crashed him into the ground forming a massiving crater. The force of the tremor shook them all, even Illia, who soon began to groan as she slowly opened her eyes, seeing a thick haze as her head began to ache.
"Aghhhhh. What I miss?" She groaned as she rubbed her temple.
"Pff* Well, we all just got saved by a Schnee." Blake snickered as she pointed to the sky, knowing this would really annoy her former friend.
Illia and the others slowly looked where Blake pointed, seeing the truth. Weiss slowly descended to the ground beside them on her summon, breathing heavily with a smile or relief.
"I wasn't too late." She huffed happily.
"No, and it looks like your arsenal got a major upgrade too princess." Yang smiled as she waved at where her robot arm once was.
"Upgrade! She just freaking crushed the guy with a giant knight!" Sun screamed in delight.
But Illia and Blake's breath hitched as they saw a small red glow appear in the crater underneath Weiss's Arma Gigas.
"Afraid not." Blake whispered, the others recoiling in start as the Arma Gigas collapsed to its knees, its body soon glowing red as its arm began to get sucked into the crater.
"MY SUMMON!" Weiss yelled in shock.
Soon her knight vanished, and out of the crater Adam wobbly stood up, his sword and hair glowing bright red as he huffed, teeth gritted as he stared madly at the group.
"SCHNEEEEEEEE!" Adam roared in rage, making her wince.
"Not good! He's got a big upgrade too!" Sun howled as he rushed in front of Blake and Illia.
Adam positioned himself and delivered a side slash to the air in their direction, summoning a large wave of red energy at them.
Weiss jammed her saber into the ground, summoning a wall of ice to hopefully shield them.
It was merely wishful thinking as the thick wall was instantly crumbled from the wave of power.
"I got ya!" Sun hollered as he summoned clones to grab Weiss and the others before they threw them to the side, raising his arms up and his aura shields to the max.
It did him little good as the energy struck his body, shocking every nerve as if he was struck by lightning. Sun screamed in pain as he was sent crashing into a tree behind him, his arms slumping as his yellow aura flickered before dissolving into powder and his head went limp as everything went dark.
" Neptune…guys…hope its just me you guys see soon." He thought fearfully before he passed out, praying with all his heart the alternative for the girls, who stood in shock, unsure if Sun had survived.
"Sun!" Blake cried out as she tried to run to him, but froze as a cry startled her.
"GET OVER HERE KITTY!" Adam bellowed. Blake shivered as her cat ears descended in pain just hearing his yell again, old bruised burning where they once laid on her skin as she hugged herself.
Illia snarled as she saw Blake's state caused by Adam. She didn't know what she hated more, his betrayal or his treatment of her. She looked down and saw beside her was a grenade latched to Yang's belt. She quickly grabbed it and pulled the pin.
"No don't!" Yang cried out, knowing the explosion would only power Adam up more, but Illia simply threw it above him as he raised his blade. The explosion causing a small shockwave the unbalanced him as she planned.
"Go! Get her outta here Schnee!" She yelled at Weiss who nodded.
"Yang! We gotta go!" Weiss called out as she rushed to Blake.
Yang just stood their eyeing Adam as he jammed his sword into the ground to remain upright, eyeing them with a wild look and huffing.
She knew what that look meant, having felt it herself many times this year when she thought of Cinder. Revenge.
"He'll never stop, he'll hunt us down. Its only a matter of time." Yang whispered.
She looked at her arm shaking, but for once, it wasn't him alone that caused it, as she soon spared a glance at Blake trembling beside Weiss as she shook her in desperation to leave, screaming her name in panic.
In that moment, her sister's image soon replaced them, giving her a somber stare that made her breath hitch.
"Ruby." She whispered.
The sheer look of disappointment and sadness she imagined etched on her sister's face made her stomach churn. She knew what it meant.
"I can't fail them, I can't let her down again. I need to finish this." Yang thought. She could only imagine this was how she looked when she found Yang bloodied and armless that night she died.
Yang now found herself in the same boat as her sister. She gripped her fist in frustration as she saw her friends terrified and at Adam's mercy before her. As much as he scared her too, her friends fear hurt even more. She couldn't let this keep going on.
As her hair began flickering embers unconsciously from her anger and panic, Yang twitch as an idea came to mind.
"Your semblance is like a temper tantrum. You take all that damage and throw it back twice as hard but what if you miss or the other guy can take it all? Then your just tired and weak, then your dead." Her dads advice rang through her head.
"Then…I just have to hit him with an attack he can't dodge or absorb." She whispered. Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked over to her friends and Illia.
"Weiss." She calmly but sternly called her friend, who fixed her a shock look.
"W-What?" She asked.
"How much aura you got left?" She asked.
"Enough for a summon, why?" Weiss asked curiously.
Yang inhaled steadily to brace herself for this, knowing how it would hit her friend.
"Summon something to fly you and the others outta here, I'll finish him off." Yang said firmly as she pointed to Sun and Blake.
The girls eyes widen in shock at such a foolish notion.
"We're not leaving you here!" Blake cried out.
"Tch! You want to stay this time? Though running away is all you could do?" Adam snickered as soon regained his balance. Yang's eyes twitched as she saw this.
"No time to argue, go!" Yang cried out.
"B-But Yang he'll kill you." Blake protested.
"I've wanted this for a year now." Yang said softly.
"Your wish is granted then!" Adam snarled. Yang pushed Blake back a bit and ducked to avoid his slash, soon delivering a headbutt to his jaw as he was sent crashing back a few feet into the woods.
Knowing they didn't have much time, Yang cried out to Weiss as she picked Blake up.
"Please Weiss! He won't stop until we're all dead. I have to finish this!" Yang commanded.
Weiss stood there in shock with Blake. She couldn't believe Yang was asking her this.
"I-I can't. I can't let another friend die." She whimpered.
"It's my choice Weiss. Please. I failed Ruby too, don't let me fail you girls too." Yang cried softly, tears strolling down her eyes.
Weiss gulped as she saw the determined yet sad look on Yang's face, that same stubbornness Ruby had. She knew she couldn't persuade her. As much as she wanted to just smack her unconscious and fly them all away, she knew she didn't have the strength to do so.
" I'm sorry Ruby. I let you down again." Weiss tearfully thought as she formed a glyph, summoning a queen lancer before them. Weiss quickly put Illia and Sun on the creature to Blake's fright.
"NO! You can't Weiss! We can't let her-" Blake cried in protest, before her shirt was grabbed by Yang, soon feeling a hot force upon her lips.
Yang's red eyes turned lilac again as she locked them with Blake's amber ones tearfully. Blake trembled as the warmth invaded her body, her legs shaking as she felt the energy drain from them from this sensation, her skin growing hotter by the moment as she felt tongue twist with hers.
Illia and Weiss, blushed as they saw this heated kiss between them, Illia silently wishing she was Yang right now.
Yang quickly, albeit reluctantly, pulled her lips away from her Faunus crush as she heard Adam yell in rage, soon eyeing him disdainfully as she saw his face flushed, glaring daggers at them.
" Like him im sure, I've wanted to do that for a long time." Yang thought, but rather than say these words, she pressed her forehead lovingly to Blake, who stood their wide eyed and shocked by her partners act.
"I…I didn't know-" Blake stuttered before Yang cut her off, wanting to say something herself, her last words she knew she had to express.
"I love you." Yang said softly with a sad smile, drawing a blush to both girls face.
Blake's however, was soon etched with horror as the warmth in her was replaced with a sharp pain to her gut, gaging as Yang's fist collided with it.
"Y-Yang. Don't-I…" She whispered a plea before she fell to her knees, clutching her stomach painfully before Yang threw her onto the summon, nodding at Weiss sternly, who sadly nodding before averting her gaze, ushering her lancer to fly them away despite Blake reaching her hand out desperately, trying to protest despite the pain not letting her talk.
Yang turned to Adam approaching her slowly, fixing him a stern glare.
"Is the proud Schnee running away from me too?! Like the cowardly rich brats you all are!" Adam cried out his insult.
"Nope. She's running from me." Yang said darkly as her eyes turned red once more, her hair igniting as she clenched her fists, her aura flexing all over body.
"Pff! Fine, give me more power. It'll make chopping her other arm and head off easier." Adam snickered as he positioned his sword at the ready.
Yang smiled at this, glad he wouldn't dodge this. Her semblance let her absorb damage, but it also had another function. It could also stockpile her aura overtime to release. Normally she exerted it in sparing and fights, but a whole year locked in her room out of fear was finally going to pay off. She was going to unleash it all in one go, assured he wouldn't be able to absorb all of this. But she also knew she wouldn't be able to take it either as she closed her eyes, her smile descending.
watch?v=I9Ac_O0hBP4 (dbz kai ost, had to replace vegeta explosion ost due to bad link)
"Either he goes down right now, or I'll be with you again soon, Ruby." She thought as a ball of yellow and red fire and aura began to shine around her.
The ground trembled as she began to unleash her aura, the air around Adam becoming humid and near suffocating, his skin turning bright red from the heat.
With a furious cry, Yang flexed her muscles and unleashed the wave of energy, enveloping the entire area within a mile radius in a massive sphere of fire and light.
Adam flexed his sword and aura, trying to absorb the fire. It seemed the energy began to safely go into the blade.
"Go ahead, pore it on, I can take it." He called out arrogantly. Yang just kept screaming as her veins pressed to her now yellow glowing skin, pouring out more energy, she couldn't yield now.
Despite the energy pouring into his blade and his body, Adam's eye widened as he saw something else happen. His blade was cracking.
"No….its too much. Your overloading it, STOP! He cried out in defiance, but Yang kept yelling furiously in rage.
"I...I can't, I won't quit. I won't be a coward anymore. I'll be strength again Blake, I promise!" She thought beyond the burning pain blasting her.
Arching her body, Yang flexed her muscles again, releasing with another cry of anger and sadness a pillar of light and fire that soon shattered Adam's blade, and enveloped the horrified Faunus, who saw his hands begin to vaporize.
"Noooooooooo!" He screamed before his body was consumed by flames, incinerating him and Yang at the same time.
As what remained of Ruby's team, Sun and Illia in tow, flew away from the area to avoid being caught in the blast, Weiss wiped her face with her arm, hiccupping as she couldn't hold in her sadness anymore. Illia, despite her hate of humans and the Schnee, just bowed in silence to the light in respect before eyeing solemnly her crush Blake. The cat girl clutched her aching stomach, barely crying as she tenderly rubbed her lips, still tasting what remained of her partner.
"I'm sorry Blake. I'm so sorry for what I put you through. What I took from you." Illia said softly as she averted her gaze in shame. But Blake couldn't hear her. All she could hear was the thought in her head playing on repeat as she eyed her best friends demise, unwilling to close her eyes.
" I love you. Yang...why couldn't you let me say it too?" Blake thought painfully.
Meanwhile….
Jaune hurried down the chamber halls, huffing as he grew short of breath, but he fought the burning in his lungs, that scream still echoing in his ears.
"Please don't be too late for her, please don't be too late for her, please don't be too late for her!" He pleaded repeatedly to himself.
As he neared the chamber doors though, he soon found his wish fulfilled as he saw Pyrrha standing before him, not a single wound on her.
"Oh thank God! Your okay Py-" He began to call out before a wave of energy knocked him into his feet to his shock. His eyes widened as he soon came to see the source.
Cinder and Raven were actually flying in the chamber room, each holding a massive sword of energy in their hands blade locked with each other. Cinder's was bright orange and emitted fire while Raven's was bright yellow, unleashing sparks of lightning. But what made Jaune's heart race was the sight below them, Vernal laying on her back, soulless eyes wide open like the bloody hole in her chest. He looked back disdainfully at Cinder, assured she had done it. She murdered an innocent little girl after all. He then glanced over to whom he realized was the true spring maiden, Raven, though he was startled by a surprising sight he did not expect from the bandit leader he imagined was the same cold-blooded killer.
"She's crying?" He said surprised.
Indeed, Raven's glowing fire from her eyes were soon beginning to wash out with tears as her aura flickered, despite not being hit. Because she saw her red blade flicker and dispel blood red aura before the glow ceased. She felt her stomach knot as she felt what happened with her semblance.
"Yang." She whispered frightfully. The last time she felt this, a contract she made breaking, was when Summer died. She knew what this meant, she felt who it was.
With a mournful cry, she unleashed several bolts of lightning that shot out the room from her blade as she began pressing against Cinder's harder in grief rage.
"Ow!" Jaune winced as a stray bolt stabbed his hand, shocking him a bit.
His painful cry snapped Pyrrha out of her state of shock, soon eyeing him behind her blowing on his hand.
"J-Jaune. Why?" She began to ask as she knelt in front of him before shaking her head.
"No! You gotta get outta here. Right now!" She demanded.
"And leave you to face them both? No chance." Jaune retorted.
"Jaune please-" she pleaded before he glared at her.
"I'm the leader, you follow my orders." Jaune sternly said.
"I couldn't even beat one maiden, what makes you think you can stand a chance?" Pyrrha spat, before he put a hand on her shoulder, his aura seeping into hers to her surprise. It felt just as warm as when she unlocked his aura for the first time.
"Alone. You didn't stand a chance alone. We're a team Pyrrha, we fight together." Jaune said firmly.
"Jaune. I can't lose you too." Pyrrha whispered, the night of Beacon's fall on her mind. Jaune quickly planted a warm kiss to her lips, clutching her cheek fondly like she did once that night.
"And I can't let you fight alone again. Pyrrha…we lost. We lost because we didn't stand together. Because I didn't get a chance to stand with you." Jaune cried softly.
The duo ignored the furious cries of Cinder and Raven, the shockwaves ripping the air feeling like mere light gusts of wind as they took in their words and thoughts together.
"I'm scared Jaune. I-" She whispered.
"I was scared too Pyrrha. When you shoved me in that locker, I was scared it was the last time I'd ever see your face again. I hated you couldn't trust me to help you. I felt weak and worthless, a shame of a partner and boyfriend." Jaune retorted softly.
Pyrrha felt her heartstrings tug with guilt at his sad but truthful words.
"I was the weak one. I couldn't trust myself to survive that night, and it cost us. It cost everyone her." Pyrrha whimpered. Jaune soon gripped her shoulders, drawing her gaze to tearful face, his teeth grinding in frustration.
"So don't cost Ren and Nora you either. Don't cost me this battle. Please!" Jaune pleaded. "Please…let me be worth something for once. Let me fight with you and be worthy of you. Worthy of them too. Let me help you avenge her."
Pyrrha clasped his hands as she heard this, taking it all in heavily. She gulped as she saw his face, riddled with resolve. It was just like Ruby's she saw so many times in battle. She felt both nostalgic and angry at the sight, feeling helpless to argue.
Sighing heavily, Pyrrha slowly balanced herself on him, rising to her feet despite the tremors from the maiden's duel. She helped him up, throwing his shoulder over hers.
"Okay, we fight together this time, partner." Pyrrha said with a small smile.
Jaune simply nodded with a proud grin as they turned their eyes towards the two maidens flying circles around each others, unleashing knives and dust rounds at one another. Despite the force of their power, the lovers aura shined as Juane boosted them with his semblance, Mars in his hand glowing bright gold while Pyrrha's Thorn Rose's blades shined red from fire dust she had inserted.
"Ready?" She asked him.
"Yup." He simply said as they charged. Win or die, he felt solace he could do it this time with his love, hand in hand.
Reunited at Last
Yang slowly opened her eyes, feeling a massive and bright yellow light upon them. Despite this, she felt no pain in her eyes. Her body felt light as a feather as she took a deep breath, the haze vanishing as she saw a bright sky above her. She rubbed her fingers on the ground as a softness overtook her. She slowly turned her head to find a flower bed around her, yellow daisy's surrounding her.
She lifted her head, almost startled how quickly she could, not used to the lack of burning pain she was previously going through. Even the stinging sensation of being outside had finally ceased, yet she felt no relief as these things began to unnerve her.
"W-Where am I?" She said confused.
One minute she was torching herself and Adam in a ball of fire, next thing she knew she was in a flower meadow? As she motioned to lift her arm up to rub her temples in exasperation, she recoiled a bit as she felt something.
"No way...it can't be." She whispered to herself as she looked down. She had 2 arms again. It shocked her to the core as the reality began sinking in of what happened to her.
"Weiss! Sun! Blake!" She called out, hopeful to get a response, hopeful to know THEY were alright at least.
She whipped her body around as she heard in the distance footsteps, the grass and flowers rustling as she knew someone was approaching. What came forward, was something even greater than she could have imagined.
https/watch?v=31cuEIWOym4 (Take on me acoustic theme)
Yang's breath hitched as she eyed the person approaching her. A small little black haired girl with highlights as red as her cloak.
"Is it really?" She whispered, even though her heart knew it so.
It was all indistinguishable for her as the girl opened her eye and stared at her longingly with it; that loan silver eye locked with her own that began watering as she hyperventilated with a smile. After a year without seeing it, Yang felt absolute bliss as any stress and grief she had once felt melted away. Slowly she walked towards her, her long lost sister.
"Finally." She whispered as she held her arms out expectantly.
Ruby slowly walked up to her, drawing out her hands to her sister's. Yang nearly choked as she felt her sisters warm palms intertwine with hers. She hadn't felt her sisters warmth in so long it was as if she had been unfrozen. Ruby likewise was beginning to choke up as she soon crashed into her chest, wrapping her small arms around her waist lovingly as she buried her tearful face into Yang's bosom as they landed in the flower meadow. The brawler tried to stand them both up, but as she felt her sister rub her tearful face into her chest, she collapsed to her knees as she returned the hug in full force, rubbing her crying eyes into her sisters soft hair and caressed it, feeling absolute bliss within as Heaven's light shined upon Ruby and Yang.
Author Notes
Sorry this took so long, overtime at work stalling production. The deadpool is in, and Yang is the winner, having made the ultimate sacrifice like Vegeta and Ruby and gets to join her sister in heaven. Now the final battle approaches us as we're down to 2 ch's left. I really loved writing the comparison between Yang and Hazel both power types who think with feeling and are reckless with powers, but have sisters they love more than anything. If Yang experienced the same loss as Hazel, I always wondered how she'd consume herself bitterly like him. It was only Blake's love that kept her sane enough to keep fighting for what's right and make that sacrifice, and now she was rewarded. Raven, however, has been punished with the loss of her daughter. Why was she saddened despite betraying her daughter? she wanted only Qrow dead and her tribe safe, her family, but Yang was still her family to her deep down. Will Pyrrha and Jaune lose each other as they face off against cinder and grief-stricken Raven attacking blindly? Find out in A sight for Silver Eyes
