A/N Does this still count as Sunday? I hope it does. Sorry for the delay, again. I was on a plane and stuff back on Saturday, and had a lot of things to do, which was part of the reason this came late. And I even did around half of this on a plane too! Certainly was an experience I'll tell you that. Next up, two things I want to say before we get on this chapter:
1. Like last time, this is the prelude to the finale of this arc. I think I planned it to go a little bit longer way back when, but now I think this is the right time to end things. Might not be the perfect time, but I'd prefer this over dragging this out longer than it needs to be.
2. Also like the title suggests, this chapter is based on the song A Cruel Angel's Thesis, the opening for Neon Genesis Evangelion. The lyrics of the song will come into play near the end of the chapter, just a heads up. Like usual, you don't have to listen to it to enjoy the chapter, but at least that was what I was listening to while finishing this up.
Next, some review responses:
To Senator Football, And he writes his own speeches too!
To Mattysteel, I'm glad you stuck around! I hope you like this one too, and thanks for reading!
To SolSparda36, trueee, and she had to grow up fast too, never ad the chance of being her age. With all that said, I suppose that was a part of her growth too – that she didn't need to shoulder it alone. Thanks for reading!
To CriticaofRandomness, told you I wasn't going to bash Ozpin! Well, not totally anyway. He's still a good guy in the end, and that has to count for something, right? Sides, can't exactly toss out thousands of years of hard work like it's all just trash. Again, thanks a bunch reading!
With that out of the way, lets get into this – the end of an arc, putting a demon to rest and learning the lesson of everything.
The truth of one's self.
PRELUDE: A CRUEL ANGEL'S THESIS
The sun rose on a new day. But on an island harboring Vale's enemies, a group of people plotted in the dark for their final move.
"Ma'am, they're going to make the announcement soon."
"Hm..."
"S-should we do anything...?"
"...We shall. Prepare the Grimm; no doubt they'll be making it in Beacon, so send them through the Emerald Forest. We will make our message clear. And once they are deployed... we go full speed with our plans."
"Understood."
"Oh, and Cinder?"
"...Yes ma'am?"
"This... this will be our final battle." The Boss gazed at her daughter figure. Inwardly, the soldier sighed. She wanted to know if the world still deserved saving, still deserved a second chance after they destroyed her son. She gave her life for him, and yet he had been willing to split heavens just for her; and what destruction did her death bring.
She understood what Salem meant and resonated with it even more now. For peace to reign, the world needed a reset. It needed to be razed to the ground, and then built up with the knowledge of what meaningless strife caused.
...At least, that was what her Queen had told her when she revived her.
And what reason did she have to doubt her? She had been the one to give her this second life, after all.
But for that objective, no longer would she fight in the shadows. No longer would she scheme as she once did, play two sides and more all for one that she believed in.
That encounter with Solid Snake lit up a spark of hope, doubt in her chest... at least, the world deserved a chance to prove itself. The world that had shaped that grandson.
"I want you to remember, Cinder." The Boss said. "That whatever happens... you must find a reason to live."
And Cinder took a long time to answer, her mind whirring with possibilities and her eyes wide with worry... but eventually settling on a quiet, "Yes, ma'am."
The Boss smiled. That would be enough. She knew not if she would survive this final battle, but she would be remiss to make the same mistake twice.
When she died, her daughter must end up with a better life than the one John had lived. It was selfish, she knew, not shaping her life into dedication for a higher purpose.
But after all that she had suffered, after all the world had spat on her son's face for, she deserved to be selfish.
"Unleash the Grimm. The end of Vale begins today."
The Grimm feasted on fear, thrived on it. With her actions she would instill that on the world, make them understand the price that peace needed.
But fear was also a strong motivator.
Beacon had been in nothing short of an upheaval after Ozpin's admissions. The reveal of who their true enemy was, how she was immortal, how this ran deeper than any could have imagined… not everyone had the capacity to take it well.
That fear had seized the hearts of many. And yet, many people had also resolved to bury it deep, lest it consume them.
And even fewer used it as their motivation.
Tai and Venom had then quickly stepped in to control the nervous crowd, ushering them back into Beacon to direct them on what they should do next. After the elder dragon's declaration that they should fight together, he had seemed like the most suitable candidate to lead them next. The sole voice of reason that hadn't been tainted, one that understood how those on the ground felt. He had seemed like the most put-together person, at that time…
…when in reality, he was anything but.
Here Tai stood, behind the curtains of Beacon's great hall, just moments before he was due to make another speech to the Huntsmen. His Headmaster's coat hung heavy on his shoulders, his nerves frayed beyond belief.
Everything he had said last night was true. He did believe that they could do it together, that it was better for them this way.
But this was yet another responsibility for him to bear, even more people counting on him; even if he wouldn't bear it alone. Even if Ozpin would still be around.
Because with this announcement, not only would they be assuming control of Vale's defense, not only would they be announcing the presence of a whole other continent that existed beyond their borders… they had also changed the plan and had decided on telling the world the whole truth regarding Salem.
No more secrets, no more plots. Only the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
And the thought… scared him.
Venom nudged him from beside. "Having second thoughts?"
Tai ran a hand over his face. "More than you can imagine."
"Trust me, you'll get used to giving out speeches like this." Venom said comfortingly, "The instinct will come in time."
"Yeah? I guess it couldn't come soon enough." Tai sighed. "I just… I worry. Not on what I believe in… but what if I do something wrong? Then, there'll be no coming back."
"Ah… if I can ask, where is this coming from?" Venom asked.
"My daughters." Tai admitted. "One of them was ready to die for me yesterday, V. All because she thought she failed in raising Ruby… something that was supposed to be my job."
"…There's no going back to past mistakes." Venom said softly. His gravelly voice was low, understanding. "But you care about them, care about how they'll do in the future. That… that's something that, in this current age… even the greatest of leaders lack."
Tai turned to him in surprise. "What…?"
A new voice interrupted Tai's thoughts. "Ya wanna know why we decided to follow you in the first place?"
Tai turned to the source. "Beryl…"
"It's cause the old lion never gave a rat's ass." Beryl scowled. "Lionheart, even before he turned traitor… always prioritized himself. Just so happens that that often lined up with saving other people."
"But you… you cared for the students of Haven, Tai. You fought alongside them… even when I studied there, Lionheart never even thought of that."
Beryl smirked. "Sure, what's happened lately was nowhere near easy. But what I want you to realize… is that there's a lotta power in words. In the right choice… even if it ain't seem much at first."
Venom smirked from beside him too. "So don't go doubting yourself now, my friend." He placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "We've all got your back."
Tai gave a slow nod, one that grew firmer the second time around.
He turned to face the curtains, and with a deep breath, stepped through them.
FLASH!
The light blinded him, but only momentarily. Soon, he walked to the podium that generations had watched Ozpin welcome them to Beacon from, a podium that he had never once thought was his to claim. A podium flanked by Glynda Goodwitch and General Ironwood. And beside them, Bladewolf and Solid Snake and Otacon and Kazuma Kiryu.
And behind the podium, standing just to the side and leaving a slot for Tai himself, was the man behind it all.
Ozpin.
Watching them from below were people who needed someone to lead them, students and press reporters and even some from the general populace. People who needed someone to turn to… someone to place their hopes and dreams to.
Tai had never meant to be a leader. But if this was what he needed to do, then he found that he didn't mind changing that fact. They were willing to put their trust in him. And if that was the case, then he'd do his best to repay them in kind.
He meant what he had said, that they needed to stand together. And now they would, all to face a future that they didn't know yet the result of.
But together, with everyone's support… he knew now that they could do it.
Tai stepped up to the podium beside Ozpin and gave the man a brief nod. With it, the Headmaster of Beacon coughed into his hand and spoke to the mic.
"Thank you, everyone, for gathering today. We have an important announcement to make, a truth to reveal that will shape the future of the world as we know it." Ozpin said.
Tai continued, "And it may not be pleasant to hear, but we ask that you give us the chance to explain this in full... to give us your trust."
They were young, but sometimes it felt like they had fought for years for a hazy goal. There were many days where they found themselves lost, uncertain. Especially recently, when it felt like there was no end to the conspiracy. Their struggle had felt like a downwards spiral, one they couldn't see the end to.
And yet, with one broadcast, all the secrets that had once eluded them were cleared up.
"There exists another continent beyond our borders…one with both human and faunus thriving in it…"
Yang laid powerlessly in the infirmary, her team circled around her as Ozpin and her father's voice and her spoke through every Scroll in Vale. She felt like they had been doing a lot of this, now.
Being powerless.
But one look towards her sister, to her face buried in her side, and Yang knew not to go down that way of thought.
"My friends here are representatives from that continent. They have sent envoys to us, to establish peaceful relations and to assist us in anything we need…"
"Yang…" Ruby whispered.
Reflexively, Yang ran a hair through her sister's hair. "…Yeah, Ruby?"
"Do you think people will listen?"
A long silence stretched after Ruby asked that question. Yang didn't know how to answer it herself; she was never one to doubt information on principle… that was more Blake's alley than hers.
And it was her that spoke next. "I can see why people wouldn't, Ruby, but.. " Blake had a thoughtful and concerned look, "This is being broadcasted all over Vale; after that, to the other Kingdoms too. I think… I think this would answer a lot of people's questions."
"Currently, a force beyond our comprehension is knocking at our door. A person who can control the Grimm… a dark queen named Salem."
"And while I may not be able to speak for Vacuo, Atlas will certainly be quite shocked." Weiss hummed, "Then again, with General Ironwood's presence here, that surprise might be somewhat mitigated."
Ruby breathed. "I just feel like this is way, way bigger now. Remember when we thought this was just Torchwick robbing Dust?" Ruby chuckled weakly, "Heheh, good times…"
Yang stiffened. "Ruby…" she felt guilty build up on her shoulders. It was her fault that her sister was like this. Her stunt, he attempt at both Ozpin's and her own life… it made her normally proactive sister doubt herself again.
"But I believe, that if we stand together… we may just survive this darkest hour."
Not the doubt of her leadership abilities; but the fact that her own sister almost died was a scary reminder that no one was truly safe in their line of work.
Add to the fact that her sister tried to kill herself?
"…I'm sorry." Yang whispered. She was just tired, panicked, worried, and that fear had consumed her and pushed her to do things she had never considered before.
And while she knew she was wrong now… it didn't help with the fact that the future was uncertain now. It burdened on her, on all of them.
She had been strong her whole life. She had to be, in order to raise Ruby and pick up Dad's pieces. She tried to emulate that aspect of Summer… but maybe that wasn't what Ruby needed. Maybe burying one's problems wasn't what anyone needed.
"I ask you, fellow Huntsmen and Huntresses. Humans and Faunus. Politicians and civilians. Everyone… please, work together to ward off our shared evil. Cast aside your differences, all so we can see another day. Isn't that what all of us want?"
And so Yang decided to be honest with her sister.
"…Ruby, I'm scared too." Yang whispered. She felt her sister stiffen beneath her arms, but she continued all the same. She… she had to let this out. "I can't lie to you. I won't. But now, I can promise you that I'll always be by your side."
"…"
"I'm sorry." Yang choked. She had been prepared to die, but now, the thought of it scared her. If she did, she'd be leaving Ruby and Dad all alone… this power she had now, she could use it for so much more.
"I…. We… can only see a better, brighter future, only if we work together to achieve it."
And Ruby spoke back to her too, equally holding back tears. "I forgive you, Yang. I'm… I'll be alright."
Yang tightened her grip on her sister, and felt the other warm embraces of her team hug her too.
She took comfort in the fact, drew strength from it when she felt their care ease her heart.
Sacrificing herself really wouldn't have fixed anything, would it?
"Let us stand together, with allies known and not, far and wide. And together… don't we all dream of a future free of our darkest enemies?
Don't we all want to live?"
"I ask this of you, not as a Headmaster, not as a Huntsman. I ask this as a father, as a man, as a person. I am willing to lend you my strength, my life to protect you all… all I ask is that you cast aside any conflicts you have, and share the dream for a world where we will all finally be free of our nightmares."
"And I ask you, not as Beacon's Headmaster, but as a person, that you believe in me once more... because, though I am what I am, I too... would like to be a human once more."
"Good. That's good." Another voice interrupted them. "Not a lot of people get the luxuries you girls have."
RWBY broke up their hug and stared at their newcomer. Weiss was the first to recognize him, though they all did too. It was hard to mistake a walking, undisguised cyborg, after all.
"Raiden…"
"I'll tell you what, I was never fond of your Huntsmen idea thing in the first place." Raiden dragged over a seat and sat down next to them, arms crossed and leaning slightly back. "But seeing this…" he gave a slight nod, "Yeah, I can see it."
Yang raised an eyebrow. "Then what about Ozpin…?"
"Ozpin meant well." Raiden insisted. A team of four for all, the importance of teamwork. The basis is there, he just lost it somewhere along the way."
"Why are you telling us this?" Weiss asked. "Not that I don't appreciate it, but…"
"Because I know you're scared. I know you're alone. And if we want to pull through this, then we need to stick together." Raiden tilted his head, and team RWBY shot their gazes to the bed beside Yang.
"Jaune…" Ruby whispered. The rest of JNPR was there too, surrounded after their leader had spent what strength he had coming to the disaster the other night.
"All this was because he came back, right?" Raiden urged them. "And I- we need to stand together. My advice? Patch up all your unresolved stuff."
Raiden stood up and went for the door. He flashed them a smile, "And hey, I heard he was trying to be better. From the looks of it, he's not going to wake up soon. I say he needs all the help he can get."
With his piece said, Raiden left the infirmary and closed the door behind him with a contented sigh.
That was all he came to do.
He was there when Jaune arrived back at the infirmary, and he saw how exhausted his rival was. How he twisted and turned in his sleep, how beads of sweat never stopped running down his eyebrow.
Most of all, Raiden had felt an air with Jaune. An air he had only felt when they first settled their score on that badlands stage all those months ago, when Jaune had been first on the precipice of change. And Raiden knew to trust his instincts.
He had said that he wouldn't judge him, if this was what made him happy. And if it truly did, Raiden would do everything to help him.
They had both been alone in their struggles. Raiden managed to pull himself up, had pulled Jaune up to, for a time…
But if, in the end, Jaune needed his friends to make him stick, then he'd happily nudge them in the right direction.
When RWBY approached them, none of JNPR really knew how to react.
It wasn't that they hated each other now. No, they had spent two-and-a-half years of fighting together for their bond to be broken that easily. But ever since… all of this, they've been split and had faced different struggles and wildly varied challenges. They've both underwent changes that didn't necessarily point in the same direction… and right now was their critical point.
It left Pyrrha to wonder; everything was out now, no more secrets to keep nor revelations to be had. They were about to face the biggest threat of their lives… so where did that leave them?
Where did it leave him?
It was Ruby who broke the ice first. "I… heard about what happened with Indigo. I'm… sorry it turned out that way."
Pyrrha gave her a short nod. "It couldn't have been helped." At least they got Neo down, one less manpower for their enemies to use.
"We… all heard about what happened." Blake murmured. It was hard not to. The emergency services of a city had always been vital, and the fact that none of them had been seriously harmed in the fight spoke volumes of the control that must've been required.
But a part of her still couldn't believe it. "So Jaune really did go non-lethal…?" this was the man that had killed an entire apartment worth of terrorists, after all.
"He did, when it came down to it." Ren nodded. "From what I've heard, they'll be back in duty in a few days… with several penalties their actions, of course."
"Is that so…" Blake trailed off. She had heard of their outrage towards the White Fang. And at this point, understood it.
She was more focused on the fact that Jaune had did all of that to spare them. Had he really changed…?
"How long will he be out for?" Weiss asked, breaking the silence. At this, Nora sighed.
"We don't know. As long as his Aura needs to recover." The bomber said, "He was there last night, when everything in the tower went down. And I guess, seeing that, hearing all of that… it drained him."
"I can imagine." Yang grunted from where she was. "The things Ozpin said… they weren't easy to hear."
"Isn't that the truth." Pyrrha grumbled. She was the first person that Ozpin approached. And to think, had she agreed, that she'd be just another pawn… to think she'd eventually have to face down an enemy that was immortal.
It was a betrayal of her trust. She had felt outraged, angered.
But that outrage had died down quickly when Jaune fell back asleep in the infirmary, and while the others had been here too, they didn't sense him like she did.
She had been the one to unlock his Aura. And so, naturally, she had felt it when his had gone into shock, when his Aura had gone haywire, when it was currently fighting with itself.
And while the others had slept the night away, she had been here by his side, watching with a pained glance as his only human hand begged for hers, and grabbed it with desperation all night long.
It was part of the reason why he had taken so long to heal. She knew – somehow, someway – that his very soul was going through another change. She felt it, and had unconsciously and then deliberately donated her Aura by their touch.
But that was all she had.
So, she found herself unable to tell anyone else.
But she knew everyone's doubts regarding Jaune. How couldn't she? She had harbored them herself too, once upon a time. But while RWBY had been facing their own problems, Jaune had slowly changed, and then, he trusted them to fight with him when he had wanted no one dead.
Had trusted her to cover his back, when he attempted to fight without killing anyone.
…and… and he had made good on it. Even when they could've killed Neo, he hadn't ordered them too, had kept his blade clean of blood in the end. Instead, he had sacrificed his voice, had injured himself in the place of murdering an enemy.
Others might view it as his weakness in the moment. But, Pyrrha chose to see that as a moment of light.
And now, here he was, his very soul in battle with itself.
"Pyrrha..." Ruby trailed off. "You look like you're not sure what to even think."
That was true. But she had dealt with this uncertainty for a long time, and she could certainly endure it for much longer. But still, she wanted it to end. And for that, what she needed to know was...
Pyrrha turned to her friends. "What do you guys think?"
Ruby chewed her bottom lip. "If- If Jaune wants to turn around..." she took a deep breath, "Then... I think everyone deserves a second chance." He had blown them all off before, but Ruby wasn't so cruel that she wouldn't offer him that chance. It simply wasn't her... and he had been her first friend. That would always count for something.
Weiss huffed. "The dunce has gone through a lot. I won't say I understand him, but I'm willing to see him play out." Weiss knew that she had grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth. She wouldn't go out and assume anymore, but she was also careful enough to keep a watchful eye.
Blake kept his gaze zeroed on Jaune for a long time. "What everyone said... everyone deserves a chance." And she now believed that a conscious effort meant more than what most people realized.
Yang grunted. "As long as he doesn't flip out again." As long as he didn't hurt those close to her... yet she knew that meant both physical and emotional. After all, hadn't she just experienced her own crisis? If he wanted to be with them, then her decision in the end would always end up in what the others, what her sister, wanted.
Pyrrha sighed in relief. They hadn't been there... and yet, they were willing to give Jaune the benefit of the doubt in the end.
So what did that say for the ones who had been there?
"Fearless Leader's gonna be fine, Pyrrha." Nora put a hand on her once-leader's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. "He gave us his trust... now it's time we trust him to give it again." Because that was all Nora had ever had in the end. Trust in Ren, in her family beyond blood bonds, trust in a better future that was sure to come... all she had when she grew up an orphan.
"Jaune will come around. If not for any of us... for you." Ren stressed. He hadn't been blind when Pyrrha first fell for him, even if Jaune might've been. And he hadn't been blind to the fact that it was Pyrrha who tried the hardest to bring him back, that it was her hand that he was holding.
Nor was he blind to the fact that his leader's Aura, his very soul, was in turmoil, and that the only thing that kept him anchored was Pyrrha's touch. But then, if Pyrrha didn't want to mention it, then he wouldn't.
Silence stretched, and then...
BRRRRT! BRRRRT! An alarm was raised all around Beacon, even in its infirmary, and Professor Goodwitch's voices rang out from the speakers.
"We are under assault from a massive wave of Grimm from the Emerald Forest! All able-bodied combatants, please head to the cliffs! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!"
"...And so it begins." Ren sighed, the others knowing so too deep in their hearts. He stood up, the others following his lead as their feet brought them towards their duty.
All except Pyrrha, still rooted where she was.
"...We'll be waiting for you, okay, Pyrrha?" Nora gave a smile to her teammate. "Just... don't take long."
"Mm." With a little nod, Pyrrha dismissed everyone – even Ruby and her team, with Yang rolling to the side to stare through the windows – to head towards the cliffs, all while she took a moment to manage her thoughts.
The fight had begun, now. And she was sure it was no coincidence with the announcement. Their enemy wanted to make a statement, wanted to make their presence known.
All the while, she was still here, and for these brief moments, Pyrrha just couldn't imagine being anywhere else. She just didn't know how to feel. And while that wasn't anything new, somehow, this felt different.
She had always held her heart close. That was the way she lived when she became famous, and that was what kept her sane when the only person who broke through those walls died. That way, it was easier for her to focus on what she needed to do. What she needed to achieve, what she had to accomplish while he was dead.
For a long time, it had been the only constant she knew.
But then Jaune came back, and it had been the beginning of a great upheaval. And she didn't mean just in the matters of the heart. The reveal of a bigger plot threatening to take down Vale. The revelation regarding Salem, and then the relics just yesterday… these past few weeks had been nothing but change after change.
Pyrrha looked to the side, the orange sun shining through the hospital's windows as she sat by her lonesome at Jaune's bedside. For a long time she held her heart close – and yet, now she was holding it in her hands, Jaune's warm flesh fingers interlocked with hers as he rested the night away.
With a tender breath she looked at Jaune, his eyes closed as he breathed in and out in peace. And yet, his grip on her hands, and hers on his, was tight as can be… scared that the other would go, disappear at any given moment.
That the bond that they shared, that the other's presence, would be erased as quick as a flash.
She still remembered the way Jaune came back – the way he had hugged her and reassured her, and yet at the same day had then pushed her away, pushed them all away… because he had feared hurting them, dreaded it. Because he knew he was different from the boy that they had once known, that he had stained his hands, that he had sinned.
It had taken a lot for them to reach this point again... she had persisted through all his efforts, had tried so hard to get him to open up to her again, to come back. He had been the first to see the real her, after all, and she'd be a fool if she were to deny him of all people the chance to show his true self.
And in the end, Jaune had changed. Was changing right now, was making a conscious effort to be better, even as he closed his eyes and rested the morning away.
Oh, she knew that things would never be the same. Jaune did too, and that wasn't something she would deny anyways, for the years they had spent apart had been hard on them both. But now, the events that now pushed Jaune to slowly realize his mistakes... the recent happenings that, slowly but surely, pushed him to put his trust in his team again...
To put his trust in her...
It was as much an upheaval to him as much as these recent weeks were to her.
Pyrrha's thoughts were interrupted when she felt Jaune's hand squeeze her own, his body slightly turning as his eyebrows furrowed – clearly, a bad thought had just crossed his mind, had infected his dreams. Pyrrha returned the gesture softly, and watched with content as Jaune relaxed upon her touch, upon her contact, eventually settling once more into a peaceful sleep.
He was trying to be better now. And she would be here for him every step of the way, but...
But there was still that lingering feeling of doubt within her. He himself had admitted to her of what he had done, and a part of her was still reeling in shock over what evils he had once committed. That part of her was still anxious, scared.
Scared that Jaune would revert to that state, to that smirking villain. That Jaune would throw away all that progress that they had made... that he'd leave them, leave her behind as if they weren't important at all.
And that she wouldn't be strong enough to stop him, this time. That if that time came, she wouldn't be able to change his mind and his heart, neither with her strength nor with her words. That he'd be lost forever, that she'd lose once more what she had gained.
They were fears that she couldn't shake off by herself, no matter how much she tried.
But what was it that Ren and Nora had said? That they needed to put their trust in him, wait for it him to come back? And if Ruby and Weiss and Blake and Yang had been so willing, while she who had stood and sat by his side was so unmoving...
She still had other friends that were counting on her. Friends that needed her, just as much as she needed him.
"Don't make me choose." Pyrrha whispered, barely audible. And with great pain, she felt her fingers go loose as she stood up and stepped away one foot at a time.
Casting one last, longing look to the person who saw the real her for the first time, Pyrrha's eyes crinkled upwards and she let out a sound barely above a whisper.
"I love you, Jaune."
Pyrrha turned around and headed to the battle, her only hope being that her love would return soon. Without restraint she buried the guilt that she had to leave him for just a moment, had to abandon him when he was at his most vulnerable.
Little did she know that that was exactly what he had needed. Little did she know that every single one of her words, everyone's words, their spirit and beliefs and love that had been infused within them... all had been received.
And most of all, the love she had silently passed on by just holding his hand. Her thoughts, once unmentioned... now fully known by their target.
Jaune opened his eyes and found that he didn't know where he was. The only thing he did know was the slight creep of fear clenching his heart.
Why was he scared? He didn't know. But- but he couldn't shake it off...
His surroundings were all white. It was an endless void, with traces of yellow and red lines tinting the sky, mixing and separating like an elegant dance.
The air he breathed felt natural, but not in the nature-like sense. It more felt like he didn't need any effort to breathe, to move and think. He was weightless, he would think even formless, if not for the fact he could still see his hands and feet.
He still had his sword on his hip, still had his artificial arm, was as equipped as he was when he faced down Indigo.
But that didn't make the fact that he was alone any easier. That he was the only person in the white void, that there wasn't even so much as a speck of life for miles. And he should know, he had checked, had ran for what felt like hours on end. Add the fact that he didn't even know how he ended up here...
Now, all he could do was wonder, where the hell was he...?
But wait- why was he here...?
It felt cold. He- he felt scared. There was something wrong here... something-!
But then, with a startle, Jaune suddenly remembered all. Ozpin's admission, the threat that they needed to defeat...!
An immortal enemy.
Salem.
Immediately, Jaune began running through the void, desperate to find a way out. He needed to come back; he needed to get back to his friends!
Desperately, Jaune imagined his friends, imagined Beacon in his head, and willed his Semblance to teleport him to them.
And yet, no matter how hard he concentrated, he found himself unable to.
"W-What...?!" Jaune gasped. He gritted his teeth as panic began to eat at his heart. "Come on... work you stupid thing!"
He had to get back out there. He couldn't let them face Salem alone, he had to protect them! He couldn't let them die, he couldn't let them fall!
But then... what could he even do?
He had heard Ozpin; she was immortal. And sure there were the Relics, they had a semblance of a plan... but... but his own strength would now never be enough. This was an enemy he couldn't kill, an enemy he couldn't push aside.
So then, what did that make him?
He wouldn't be strong enough, he would never be. Sure he put his trust in others, but... but something like this?!
Sure he knew that they needed together. Sure he knew he had a team! But what if they died?! What if they couldn't defeat Salem after all? What if it would all be for nothing?!
How were they supposed to push through this together?! How could they, when he couldn't even get out of here?
What if they died?!
What if they died?!
Fear. That was all he felt.
He was scared. Scared of the future, scared of the death...
Scared of losing how to feel. Scared of being too weak. Scared of losing his friends. Scared of something he didn't know. Scared of a path he couldn't understand!
He was scared!
But then, another voice interrupted his thoughts, another person speaking from behind him whose voice seemed to echo and go straight to his ears.
"There's no need for that in here."
A voice he hadn't heard for years... a voice that had once been his only anchor in a world where he hadn't had anyone else.
Jaune turned around with shocked eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing. "M-Master Rodrigues...?"
Sakata Rodrgiues smiled back at his student. "Hello, Jaune. It has been a while, hasn't it?"
"B-But... you're dead!" Jaune cried out. "I... I saw you die..."
"Yes, that is true." Sakata nodded. He got closer to his student, but Jaune flinched with every step.
Jaune could see the disappointment in Sakata's eyes. The way he judged him a failure with that harsh gaze, the way his every breath was loaded with outrage. And throughout all that, Jaune could do nothing but watch, frozen where he was, as his reckoning came closer and closer.
Jaune closed his eyes and casted his face away. Because that was what he was worth, wasn't it? He had failed his legacy, had killed so many when his master had taught him with the express belief that conflict was not to be sought out. And though he was trying to turn back now, trying to become better... that guilt still ate him up.
Did Sakata deem it too little too late? Was that why he had returned, was that why he was standing here before him with eyes angered so? If there was one person Jaune was glad was dead, it was him.
Because he couldn't bear seeing his master, the one who taught him everything, see him as the failure he turned out to be.
Jaune's breath shivered. But he was here now; and Jaune didn't know what to do-!
A cold, but gentle hand touched Jaune's cheek. Jaune flinched and opened his eyes, looking at Sakata with surprise.
And instead of the anger that Jaune had expected, Sakata instead saw through him with a gentle gaze. "...You've been through a lot... haven't you, Jaune?"
Jaune's breath hitched.
And with that, the dam broke.
Jaune crumbled and rushed to his master, holding him and crying into his neck. "M-Master...!"
"Shhh..."
"I- I'm so sorry...!" Jaune choked. Tears ran under his eyes as he failed to contain his sorrow. "I- I failed you... I fell, I killed when you told me not to...!"
"There, there..."
Jaune sobbed. He was so lonely back then, he had no one else to turn to. When his Master died, the only thought he had was of revenge, and when he had no one left, he fell to a bottomless pit that he was only now crawling out of.
But that didn't erase his sins. Didn't erase the fact that he had failed, that he had gone against his master's teachings... that he had disappointed him, he was sure.
"I was- I disgraced you!" Jaune sobbed, "I failed you, I failed you..."
"Jaune..." Sakata said calmly. He ran circles in his student's back, calmly and rhythmically in his best efforts to get him comfortable. He heaved a sigh, "...I could never be disappointed in you."
"H-Huh...?"
"When I chose you as my successor... I saw in you the heart of someone noble." Sakata said calmly. "Sure, you may have fallen... but even the best of us have our mistakes."
"Most people's mistakes don't include assisting in borderline genocide..."
"And yet most people aren't as strong as you are." Sakata said.
"Master...!"
"Jaune, listen to me." Sakata said firmly. He pulled away from his student, grabbing him by his shoulders and looking him deep in his eyes as his voice gained a firm tone.
Sakata knew that he was the only anchor Jaune had in the U.C. That, without his friends and family, he had been the only thing that Jaune clung on to, and that when he left, when he died... Jaune had broken, because he had no one else to turn to. Because he had been alone.
"I am not saying that a mere apology is enough to erase your mistakes. Atonement is a long road, and its end isn't determined by us. I know you're trying to be better. And for me... that is enough."
"But Master..." Jaune choked. "I... I don't know. I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to fix my mistakes... I've been killing so long that I-! Even my sister almost fell because of me! I want to do better, but... but how can I?! Our enemy... she's immortal!"
"That... is not a question I can answer." Sakata said softly. When his star pupil's shoulders sagged, Sakata gently shook him and spoke to him firmly once more.
"But Jaune... you're stronger than most. Use that to your advantage... don't be hesitant."
"The last time I cut loose I became an unfeeling mercenary." Jaune shook his head ashamed. "I can't do that... I can't... !"
"You misunderstand. I was not referring to strength in body." Sakata said. He pulled one of his hands away and tapped his finger at Jaune's chest. "I was referring to the strength in here. In your heart."
"My heart...?"
"You fell down a deep hole. And yet... you found the strength to crawl back." Sakata said. "It may not be enough, in some people's eyes... but I believe that strength comes in many forms. And that one does not necessarily need to be the same as the other to be equal."
"But... But I don't know how to atone." Jaune whimpered. "I'm... I'm scared, Master. If I hold back, then what happens if one of my friends dies? But if I cut loose... what if I go back to the way I was before?"
"If that is where you need strength, my student..." Sakata said, "Then you simply need to look around you."
Sakata waved his hand, and circling around them the people that Jaune cared about all appeared. All with their visage as they were when he first left them.
Ruby Rose.
Weiss Schnee.
Blake Belladonna.
Yang Xiao-Long.
Nora Valkyrie.
Lie Ren.
...Pyrrha Nikos.
"You've been through a lot... but now, things are different." Sakata advised with the tone of a father who believed in the son he never had. "They are here for you now. Do not treat things as they were last time... take advantage of what you have here."
"But... but what if I drag them down with me? What if I can't protect them?!" Jaune shouted. "I trust them... but what I've seen...!"
"What you've seen, you saw them alone." Sakata said, "But now, they are here with you. They are here to share their strength with you, to stand by your side. Take advantage of it, Jaune... don't let it go to waste.
Don't stand alone anymore."
"But if I can't protect them... then, how can I..." How could he stand beside them? How could he make sure that they were safe? That they didn't turn out like he did?
How can he march forth when he didn't know what to do? When he couldn't even do it himself?
"That, my dear student... is the strength you can find in others." Sakata cupped Jaune's cheeks gently. "You won't know what the future holds. Your past will always come back to you. The present will always come faster than you expect. But... you don't have to bear it alone. You never have to."
"These people... your bonds, your shared love... cherish it with them, cherish it together. Not many have the chance to atone... yet you do, here and now. After all, don't you want to change?" Sakata asked with finality.
And slowly, Jaune gave a shaky nod.
"Then don't throw them away. Treat this as a second chance...and live with them. Be strong, face the future...
And draw that strength that I saw in you, the strength of your heart... draw it from those that have always loved you."
Jaune gave an equally shaky nod, and with that, Sakata Rodrigues disappeared back into memory.
Jaune knew now – that wasn't the real Sakata, but rather a figment of his memory. What he had wanted to hear, what he wished to connect with master once more... but that didn't make him any less real.
Jaune took a deep breath as all his old friends stared at him with smiles, each with their own poses and their own care.
Ruby smiled at him, Crescent Rose by her side. "You've got this!"
Yang stood with her hands on her hips as she stanced protectively beside her sister, a teasing smile on her lips. "Don't mess this up, Vomit Boy."
Weiss had her hands crossed beneath her chest; her face directed away but with the smallest of glances graced towards him. "You won't achieve anything if you keep bumbling like a dunce... but you're here for a reason, right?"
Blake looked at him passively, their bonds the weakest, and yet he could still the slight care she had in those eyes. "...Don't do anything stupid... everyone can change, even you."
Nora stood the brightest of them all, Magnhild hefted over her chest as she gave him a peace sign. "Don't be scared, fearless leader! We'll always be with you... and if anyone stands in our way, then I'll crush them all!"
Ren stood cooly beside her, his eyes tinkling with mirth as he gave Jaune a gentle nod. "What she said. We're family, Jaune. We won't leave your side that easily."
And lastly...
Pyrrha stepped up from the circle, approaching him and holding both his hands. And when she did, Jaune realized with a startle that he had returned to his 17-year old self.
"People change, Jaune... but one's soul doesn't." Pyrrha said softly. She smiled at him, her eyes closed as she became the warmest of them all in this cold, empty void. "Trust me. I was the one who unlocked yours, after all!"
"Pyrrha..."
"I believed you were dead... but somewhere out there, I could still feel your Aura. I could still feel our bond, your soul. That kept me going for a long time... and I know that, in the end, your guilt moved you back here too. Back to us, back to trying to become the good person you once were...
No matter what happens, I'll always be with you. I'll always believe in you. I saw it in your Aura when I unlocked it... and I'll see in you what you always saw in me. The real girl... not the Invincible one." Pyrrha said softly. "No matter how far apart we'll be, no matter what changes...
...I'll always love you."
And with those final words, Jaune's breath hitching at the revelation, his world exploding in a mixture of colors of ruby and juniper... Once more, did he open his eyes.
And Jaune found himself in a place that was both real and wasn't. A place he hadn't been to for a long time yet had lodged itself deep in his heart despite his brief stay there. A place that had shaped him when he had nothing left.
A place that was real but wasn't. An illusion, and yet it didn't discredit it.
A final desire, shaped by a conflicted heart that wished to settle.
With slow steps, in another white void save for his objective, Jaune stepped towards the dojo where he had trained and gained his final skills.
Creak! The floorboards bent slightly under his feet, and Jaune savored the familiar smell of the place. The slight tint of sweat, the smell of traditional herbs, the smell of hard work. And yet, it was tainted with a slight dampness caused by being long abandoned and barely cared for.
Jaune reached the center of the dojo and knelt with respect. He felt his right arm turn back to steel, his armor and nanomachines returning.
He flicked his metallic wrist, and the sword he had used for eternity appeared in his hands. Slowly, he withdrew HF Murasama from its sheath... and began disassembling it.
Click!
One by one, his modifications were detached from the ancestral blade. Its batteries, its capacitors, its enhancers... all of them were placed neatly on the dojo floor, all organized until the blade was stripped naked.
Clean, untainted, and without the red tint of blood that had soaked it when it was wielded by hands that laid guilty.
Jaune felt Murasama's sheath transform beyond his explanation, from its gun form and back to a plain, wooden sheath. With a breath he stood up and entered the Rodrgiues stance, the stance he knew by heart now.
And smoothly, instinctually, Jaune brought Murasama back to its original sheath, his forehead resting on its guard.
Click.
Returning it, sheathing it to how it was when he first saw it… when he first inherited it.
Jaune closed his eyes and knelt back down… and if he dared open his eyes, lift his forehead from the sword's guard, he was sure he'd see his master again.
And so, Jaune said one sentence, his voice barely more than a breath.
"…Thank you, Master. For everything."
Jaune then stood up, formless, feeling something leave him. When he opened his eyes, no longer was he standing in the dojo… but rather, another void, yellow mixed with red and with blue. Around him, stood three figures that he didn't need to name.
On his right, a hopeful boy with a sword and shield on his hip.
On his left, a smirking mercenary who killed millions.
And on his front, an uncertain man who had received a second chance that he had never dared of dreaming.
Who do you want to be? They asked him together. Who do you choose to be?
I don't know.
Who are you?
I… I am…
Do you exist?
Yes… yes, I do! I'm right here, aren't I? I'm alive!
Then… why?
Why…? Because…
Because I want to be a hero. Because… I want to be like my ancestors?
No, that's not it. No…
Because I want to protect those I love!
Then who are you?
I… I am me.
Like a cruel angel…
And who do you choose to be?
I choose…
I choose to be everyone.
I choose to be myself.
I choose to be me.
Formless, Jaune turned around and faced the only spot that was empty.
The spot behind him.
With a hand that had been cut off and another that hadn't, he reached out and clasped them in front of him.
And when he opened it again, he found a double crescent within his hands.
Whose wings sprout forth…
My sins are mine.
My deeds are mine.
My guilt is mine.
My hope is mine.
My soul is mine.
My future is mine to hold.
I am who I want to be.
Young boy, become a legend.
There was no easy way to put it. The Grimm were flooding Beacon.
Hundreds of thousands of Grimm barrelled through the Emerald Forest. It took everything Beacon had, every combatant at their disposal, to keep them from climbing the cliff and reaching the Academy.
It had worked, for a time, when the only thing charging at them had only been Beowolves and Ursas. But then, when Nevermores began flying too, when Beringles and Boarbatusks began joining, when Creeps started to possess the rocks and trees, when a Grimm Dragon howled and flew overhead…
Tai and Ozpin had to admit that this was much more than they could have ever anticipated.
"They're feasting on people's doubts. On people's horror and fear." Ozpin said, his hand behind his back as he stared down the cliffs. Beside him, his fellow Headmaster stood had his fists clenched by his sides, both looking at screens showing footage from the Emerald Forest's hidden cameras.
Showing footage of what fighters they had driving the Grimm back.
Showing them being driven back in turn, all the while Beacon's staff did their best to evacuate the campus.
Thousands of Grimm had been killed, and yet even more also replaced them just as quickly.
Tai cursed.
It was only a matter of time before they would swarm them all. And by that time, they needed to relocate, to forge a stronghold deep in Vale proper. But what was strange was the suddenness of the attack… hadn't Venom said that The Boss was always methodical?
This smelled of anything but.
But somehow, that made it even more dangerous. She had taken advantage of their broadcast, had read into the fear that would spark momentarily from their explanation.
And yet, just how did she manage to get this much Grimm? Even when that shock and fear had been quickly quelled, how did this sudden wave appear?
Did she predict a domino effect? That this wave would then cause even more fear, then summon even more Grimm, and so on and so forth?
Tai glanced to the screen showing their combatants' collective Auras. And of course, his focus lasered on a select few.
CFVY - 30%
CRDL – 20%
SSSN – 27%
JNPR – 15%
RWBY – 21%
They were barely holding on… and that wasn't mentioning the other forces supporting them! They, too, were being quickly drained.
Qrow Branwen – 41% Aura
Vale Royal Guard – 30% Casualty rate.
Raiden – 50% Electrolyte capacity.
Mistralian and Haven Support – 57% of forces remaining.
Atlesian firepower – 38% capacity remaining.
"We have to get them out of there." Tai whispered. "They won't last much longer!"
"Agreed." Ozpin nodded. This was not what he had feared when he resolved to toss out his secrets. No, what he feared were people turning on each other… and yet instead, they had banded together to drive this wave back, had worked collectively to defend those who couldn't defend themselves.
To buy time, even against great odds.
What a blessing it was that the CCT scan had been completed and had removed all traces of the virus. He could barely imagine the terror that a wild broadcast would've caused, what planted seeds would have sewn chaos… what people would have panicked and betrayed each other for…
What would have happened had he not come forth with the truth sooner.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ground beneath them shook. Tai gritted his teeth as Deathstalkers appeared before his daughter's team, as several Ursa Majors circled Team JNPR…
As one by one, their defences were knocked down.
Tai watched with wide eyes, Ozpin with frosted breath, as Qrow was knocked down. As Atlesian Bullheads were swarmed out of the sky. As CFVY and CRDL and SSSN began to fall to their knees. As Raiden was tossed to the side and circled with Beringles, as Venom desperately fired back at the sea of darkness heading towards his men.
As JNPR faced down a Grimm Dragon that had landed in front of them.
Tai breathed through his nose. Drawing his pistol, he stepped certainly to the launch pads with a stare that burned with determination. "I'm going in to help them."
"And yet, you are just one man…" Ozpin placed a hand on Tai's shoulders, stopping him from moving. "What could you hope to change?"
"I don't know. But I can't just stand here!" Tai shouted. He whirled and faced Ozpin, "We can't let them die!"
"And I agree. However, the people need you. This is bigger than us… or so that is what you want us to believe." Ozpin threw back, stressing the last part. "We must put our trust in them. I know that they will pull through."
"How can you be so sure?" Tai raised an eyebrow, slowly but surely sheathing his pistol back.
Ozpin smiled and turned his head to face back at Beacon. Tai followed his gaze, but he couldn't understand what Ozpin meant.
Only after a moment of silence did Ozpin elaborate. "Bravery is not the lack of fear, Headmaster Xiao-Long …it is the strength to act despite of it.
And in all of us… hope is not so easily extinguished."
Suddenly, they both could feel it, Ozpin letting out a smile as his intuition proved correct. A wave of pure Aura washed their beings, foreign yet warm. Strengthening their bones and spirit, soothing their souls and giving them a new motivation.
A bright flash emerged from Beacon's campus, a wave of colours washing over their eyes as this delightful sensation urged them to keep moving, to keep fighting, to seize the future.
To stand together and face their fears.
Ozpin delighted in it. The immortal had lived for thousands of years, and throughout it, he had jumped from one soul to another, a gift as much as it was a curse. Within it, he had seen all kinds of souls, had seen them merge with his own countless times.
And because of that, he knew, when a soul was split in two. And more than that, he felt deeply when a soul finally found itself.
All around Beacon, Grimm were suddenly pierced by yellow lights. All of them struck their fatal points, killing them instantly, not a single howl escaping their fangs.
Ruby could only watch in shock as the Deathstalkers that had surrounded her and her team was cut down instantly, by a piercing sword of light that felt so familiar. "H-Huh…?"
And as she looked around, she saw the same save happen to her allies.
The Beringles that had surrounded Raiden were instantly cut down. The sea that had headed for Venom was culled, saving the lives of countless soldiers. The wings of the Nevermores that had surrounded Atlas' bullheads were vaporized by those yellow lights, their bodies disintegrating before they even hit the ground.
Her fellow students, SSSN and CFVY and CRDL and everyone else, their respective Grimms were shut down before they could attack them anymore, neutralized without a second thought.
Silver eyes roamed to the one team that faced against the biggest Grimm of all.
Pyrrha's breath grew ragged as she stared down the Grimm Dragon in front of her team. They were almost all out of Aura, on the throes of defeat as they felt their stamina being drained the longer they kept on fighting.
No matter what they did, this dragon wouldn't go down! Its skin was too strong, its armour stronger, and it took all they had to even stay alive. The Grimm assisting it didn't help too, the Ursas and Beowolves that seized any weaknesses they showed.
And now, the Dragon was staring them down… ready to deal its final blow.
With a drawn-out sigh she forced herself to stand back up. She had to fight, she had to survive, she had to see this through. Her team would as well, Nora and Ren behind her and ready for her command. The Grimm Dragon stared at them, at her with hatred in its eyes, opening its jaws to let loose a burst of flames-!
Pyrrha's eyes narrowed. Here it came-!
And yet, before it could douse them all in an inferno, the Dragon was pierced everywhere with yellow light, immobilizing it mid-attack and forcing it back with a howl of pain.
Pyrrha felt shock seize her heart. "W-what…?"
Was she saved? Were they saved?
The dragon wretched and writhed, stepping back again and again as more and more yellow light swords pierced its skin. It let out a puff of fire to the sky as the assault continued…
And when the sword stopped, the Dragon lowered its head and stared back at Pyrrha with newfound anger and revile.
Only now, there was a new figure kneeling between them.
And Pyrrha couldn't tell who it was… but they felt familiar.
He was bathed in the same yellow light that had glowed from those swords. He was well-built, yet had only one arm, and stood just a bit taller than her. The light that surrounded him was so blinding, and yet…
His presence… his presence was one she knew anywhere.
A presence that all who knew him could never forget.
"You...?" Raiden gasped.
"...Jaune…?" Pyrrha whispered.
A blue wind is now knocking…
The light around the figure died down, and she was greeted with the sight of her blond-haired, blue-eyed partner taking a knee with his head bowed down.
He was wearing something new. Or was it old? A black hoodie was draped over his upper body, and yet its right sleeve flew free in the wind, for there was nothing there for it to cover. He was wearing a pair of familiar jeans too… yet there were still traces of something more.
…at the door to your heart.
For there were new pieces of armour that was scattered over his body, pieces of metal and mechanical marvel that shone yellow and was enhanced with nanomachines and Aura. They moved around his body as if by instinct, as much a part of him as everything else.
And he had no sword on his hip.
Jaune stood up and opened his eyes, facing the Dragon in front of him. Facing the darkness of the future, facing what had threatened his team.
And yet you are merely gazing at me…
Around them all, Grimm reinforcements started to arrive, an even stronger wave approaching them all. The Grimm Dragon roared, and it was if the other Grimm answered to its calls. They rushed them all with reckless abandon, eager to destroy what light persisted.
The wind seemed to blow around Jaune, his right sleeve blowing in the wind and his back towards his allies. They could only watch with bated breath, his presence overwhelming, as he slowly he raised his left hand to the sky and opened his palm.
And when the last of his fingers uncurled, they all felt Aura Amplification strengthen their souls.
…and smiling.
Pyrrha's breath hitched as- as his soul returned to her, as the Aura she had unlocked long ago now shielded her own, strengthened her own, now standing by her own forevermore.
Something gently touches…
Nora grinned and Ren sighed in content as their leader's soul went to them too, his heart urging them to keep going. Swearing that he was here, that he would no longer leave them.
And you're so intent on seeking it out.
Ruby, Weiss, and Blake felt it too; felt their Semblances being empowered, their Aura restored, their spirits and vigour returning. Their spirits to keep fighting for their futures renewed.
That you can't even see your fate yet…
And everyone around them felt it too, felt Jaune's Aura Amplification empower them, from Raiden to Venom to the other Huntsmen and Huntresses to even those in the skies by Atlas. It strengthened them as the Grimm enclosed, as they were facing odds that seemed less and less impossible the more his soul continued to sing.
…with those innocent eyes of yours.
But someday I think you'll find,
And when Jaune closed his hand again…
He now wielded a sword materialized from his heart; a katana purified, a revelation. Tenkei.
That what's on your back…
Jaune launched himself at the Dragon, bringing his sword down on its snout. His sword hit true and pierced its armour, the dragon screeching as its skin was wounded. Landing on its back, Jaune moved faster than the dragon could react and sliced his way through its bone armours.
Slash!
ROAR!
are wings for heading for the far-off future!
The dragon flapped its wings and took flight before Jaune could do any more damage and cut its wings off. They soared through the clouds and skies, disappearing from the view of everyone down below.
The cruel angel's thesis….
Jaune grunted as he felt they burst through the clouds, its cold prickling against his skin. He planted Tenkei on the dragon's back, his grip on the sword tight and the only thing keeping him grounded.
Will soon take flight through the window!
SCREECH!
Jaune looked to the left and saw Nevermores flying with the dragon, their eyes aimed at him and their beaks hungering for his flesh. They followed their dragon loyally, mirages of darkness trailing its source, determined to squish the last of hope clinging on.
Jaune took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them back, he focused his Aura to his non-existent right sleeve and pushed.
And with just a yellow glow, a brand-new arm grew where it had once been severed, the armour in his attire moving and covering the new appendage. Equal parts metal and flesh.
With surging hot pathos…
Jaune yelled and pushed himself off the dragon, pulling Tenkei with him and now floating above the clouds alone.
Seeing him change his course, the Nevermores and the Dragon adjusted and quickly flew to his direction. With screeches and a vicious roar, evil closed in around him from all directions.
Click! A wooden, clean sheath appeared on Jaune's hip - Kokoro - and he sheathed Tenkei within it. He watched with sharp eyes as the avian Grimm closed in on him, as their beaks and fangs neared…
Only if you betray your memories!
And just before they devoured him, Jaune flashed away with a blinding sparkle of light.
FLASH!
Embrace this universe and shining…
"HAH!" Jaune reappeared behind a Nevermore and quickdrew his sword, clearly severing its head. Before the others could react, he had disappeared again and reappeared behind another Nevermore, doing another perfect quickdraw and slicing the other's wings and heads off too.
And then another.
And then another.
And then another.
In less than a second, the entire flock that had once surrounded Beacon, that had brought Atlas' firepower to its knees, was quelled. They turned to nothing more than smoke and memory as Jaune teleported to even above the dragon, his Aura bright yellow beneath the sun and moon.
The dragon looked up and roared, flying up with its wings and opening its fangs to devour.
And with an equally soulful roar, Jaune descended with a kick, his foot meeting the dragon's snout and pushing it down down down!
Fwoom! They rocketed back down to Remnant, a blur of yellow and black, crashing with a large boom right in Beacon's empty courtyards.
Crack!
Young boy, become a legend!
Pyrrha watched with wide eyes as her partner and the dragon landed on the courtyards. Such strength, such decisiveness…
And most of all, she could also feel how at peace Jaune was.
He had come back. He hadn't made her choose. And most of all… she could feel that her bond with him was now stronger than ever. As if his Aura was calling out to her, the one that stood by him and kept on believing in him…
As if saying, 'I love you.'
And she already knew the answer to that a long time ago.
"…I love you too, Jaune."
People create history while weaving love.
Ren and Nora held each other's hands as their leader took the dragon head-on. They saw the way he fought, the way he kept its attention on him and him alone, the way he was much stronger now…
…and the way it didn't get to his head.
They knew then that their leader was here to stay. That he had found it in himself.
"GET EM, JAUNE-JAUNE!"
"He won't stand a chance against you… not anymore, my friend."
Even knowing that I'll never be a goddess or anything like that…
And Team RWBY, now joined Yang after she too had received healing, after she had been so close to the source of it, they also saw the determination in each of Jaune's swings. They saw the noble purpose behind each stroke of his blade, saw it behind each fatal blow.
The will to protect, the will to live.
That he had turned around. And wasn't that what they wanted?
"Go Jaune! Gooo!"
"Keep at it, Vomit Boy!"
"Keep your form clean! Watch its movements, don't get cocky!"
"…Go, Jaune."
…I will live on!
Jaune jumped off the dragon's mouth and landed in front of it. Entering the Rodgrigues stance, he watched as the dragon recovered and focused its attention on him again. But this time, the dragon had been noticeably injured. Its bone armour had all but been destroyed, its snout was wounded with multiple slash marks, and the fall had crippled its wings.
The cruel angel's thesis….
But it still stared at Jaune with the same undying hatred. And he knew that such a thing cannot be reasoned with.
With a silent yell, Jaune charged at the dragon, and it did the same against Jaune. The Arc paid no mind to the crowd that had gathered, the crowd that had defeated the rest of the Grimm with his Aura Amplification, the crowd that showed an amazed gaze at their clash, the crowd that cheered and wowed as he took this evil on.
Will soon take flight through the window!
The dragon lunged with its right paw first. Jaune ducked under its swing and swiped his sword across its palm, cutting it clean. The dragon yelped in pain as it fell onto a its elbow, turning around swinging its tail at Jaune.
Jaune somersaulted over the tail and cut off its tip, the dragon howling as another part of it was severed. Turning back to face Jaune once more, the dragon opened its mouth and let out a massive torrent of flame.
FWOOOSH!
And Jaune stood his ground, sheathing Tenkei back inside Kokoro. A revelation inside once's heart, penance realized.
With surging hot pathos…
And as the flames reached him, Jaune quickdrew his sword and cut the inferno in half, halting the dragon's assault and letting the flames dance around his blade.
SLAM! Jaune brought the sword down on the ground and extinguished the flame harmlessly. The dragon saw this and roared in anger, its body rearing for another lunge at him. In response, Jaune sheathed his blade again and settled into his quickdrawing stance once more.
One step forward. One hand on the hilt, the other on the sheath. Spine bent slightly forward, head bowed down in respect. Eyes right in front, focus straight on the enemy.
eyes met them, Jaune smiled serenely for the first time in an eternity.
Only if you betray your memories!
The dragon lunged, and so did Jaune.
ROAAARRRR!
SLASH!
Jaune drew his sword and cut.
Jaune then landed behind the dragon with deft feet, letting out a silent breath as the dragon stopped behind him.
The world went still. Time stopped, nothing but the chirps of birds and sounds of wind greeting anyone's ears.
Embrace this universe and shining…
And then, with closed eyes and gentle hands, Jaune sheathed his sword back in its sheath….
Click!
…and a swarm of yellow light swords rain from the sky, piercing the dragon and confirming its death.
Srk!
With that, the dragon slumped to the ground, dead without even a whimper.
Young boy, become a legend!
"Hah…" Jaune breathed out and released his control, everything disappearing with the dragon dissipating to smoke.
His right arm, the metal shifting back to his chest and the arm disappearing in a yellow glow. His sword, as he held it up to the heavens… turning to sparkles and flowing free to the blue skies.
And his Aura… going back inside him and receding from its combat state. And the tension in his shoulders, the state of war his mind in…
…Returning to peace.
Jaune opened his eyes and turned around, noticing the crowd around him. All his friends, his family, his allies, all the people he now swore to protect.
And out of all of them, Jaune's eyes met to those he deemed the closest to him, the reason for his existence. His love.
Ruby Rose, an innocent soul with endless hope.
Weiss Schnee, the heiress trying to leave a better legacy.
Blake Belladonna, the reformed sinner who fought for a better future.
Yang Xiao-Long, the protective sister who would do anything to keep her loved ones safe.
Nora Valkyrie, a bright sun who took it upon herself to keep everyone's spirit up.
Lie Ren, the silent observer who protected with unspoken determination.
Pyrrha Nikos, the girl who believed in someone who didn't deserve it...
...and shared his love.
"Thank you for believing in me." Jaune whispered.
And when they smiled too, when they rushed and hugged him, when they held him close, Jaune would never deny that he finally felt complete.
"JAUNE!"
"Vomit Boy!"
"…You utter dunce… you had us worried!"
"Nice to see you turned around."
"FEARLESS LEADERRRRR!"
"Good job, Jaune."
"Jaune…" and the last voice, Pyrrha's, trailed off beneath a whisper. "I…" The words couldn't leave her mouth. How could it? She had spent so long holding it back, in fear, in doubt...
But she knew now that she would have no better chance. That with this... maybe there was no need for those fears anymore.
"I love you."
And he had responded back in kind, with his voice only audible to her, and proving that reality was better than any dream she had ever had.
Jaune grinned back at her."I love you too."
Stand tall, Jaune. There's no need to doubt yourself anymore.
...Hah, that felt good. Three to four years it's been since I started this, and I feel happy I finally get to wrap something up. From the bottom of my heart, thanks a ton, everyone, for still sticking around. Wouldn't be here without'cha.
Next: the Arc Finales. Like last time, there will be individual parts for each main character, so that's Venom, Raiden, Tai, and Jaune; roughly in that order. After that, Debriefing, and then the start of the next arc (heh).
Next update will be Part 1: Impersonation.
Thank you so much everyone for reading! Leave your thoughts in the reviews, and I'll see you next time!