Chapter 7: Repay your Debt

You lean against a column in Ozpin's office, delivering another disappointing report. It's been months since you last encountered your old teammates. The Vytal Festival is upon you, starting tomorrow, and yet these high-risk individuals are still out there. This is obviously stressful for the headmaster, but you're also adopting some of that nervousness. Why are they hiding? They haven't even made a move... yet your arm and Pyrrha's stomach has been beating just as loudly. Despite your dozens of expeditions... nothing.

"You think they'll attack during the Vytal Festival?" You speak.

"Perhaps... but even they would not defeat all the Huntsmen, whether in training or not. There has to be something..."

"Is it too much to ask that they all keeled over and died?"

Ozpin shifts his eyes to you, unamused at your wish.

"Fine," you roll your shoulders. "So what do we do?"

Ozpin leans back in his chair and rests the tips of his fingers together. "Nothing... clearly, we have to be on the defensive. I'll have every Huntsman defending Beacon, notifying the other Headmasters about the possibility of an attack. We'll be ready. You... can relax," he ends with a smile. "You've worked very hard, (Y/N) Gray, and you deserve a break."

"But-"

"We can do nothing but wait," Ozpin quickly interjects. "There's nothing left. Relax. Take some time with your friends."

You grind your teeth as you push off the wall and head for the elevator. "Fine. I'll let you know if I figure anything out."

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You slow down as you approach your usual training spot. JNPR is already there, getting their last-minute practice in before the tournament. They've been training hard for the past few months and have improved tremendously. They can almost defeat you when working together, which is a long way from where they started.

"You should be getting rest. You're one of the first matches," you say while stopping a few feet away from their battle.

The four put a halt to their training and all greet you with smiles. "Hello, there!" Pyrrha waves.

"We wanted to make sure we're ready! After hearing you weren't participating, we wanted to give it our all!" Jaune says with pure confidence, a far cry from what he was when he first became a leader.

"Good," you nod. "I'll be watching, so make sure to win it all. Anyway," you cough before continuing. "There's no training today. I want you to all relax."

"Then we'll smack them all like flies!" Nora says before jumping in the air and cheering.

"It would be easy to hit a fly with your hammer," Ren justifies.

"Exactly! A clean smash!" Nora cheers again.

Pyrrha giggles at her teammates then shifts her eyes to you. She tilts her head and smiles, speaking with her actions and not her words. You smirk back, unsure exactly what she's trying to say.

"Well... how about I treat you all to some food?" You say with a pleasant tone. "I think you all deserve a good meal tonight."

"You don't have to," Pyrrha shakes her hands.

"But he can!" Nora cuts in.

"I want to. You've all worked hard and I want to make sure you know I have your back... besides, I did promise I'd take you all out if Nora didn't kill the other students."

"He's right, you know," she eagerly nods.

"If none of you want to come, I'll just take Nora."

"No, we'll come," Pyrrha violently nods her head. "It's the only way to... make sure she doesn't overeat!"

"Nora hungry!" She screams to the heavens.

You chuckle. "Alright, then. Wherever you want to go."

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"Huh..." You cross your arms and tilt your head as you watch the four sit at a noodle stand. "I thought you would have drained me of all lien I had."

Nora pats the table, eagerly awaiting the bowl. "I just wanna SLURP IT DOWN!"

"We come here every so often," Pyrrha explains, patting the seat beside her. "Come on, it's good."

You shrug and take a seat beside the girl. "I'll have, uh... whatever she's having," you point to Pyrrha. "What are you having, exactly?"

"Just the regular," she smiles; immediately a large bowl of noodles bounces before you all.

"This... is the regular?" You look over at the four, to which they all respond with a nod. "Alright, whatever."

"So," Nora slurps up some noodles. "You never told us why you didn't enter."

You poke at the noodles, blankly staring. "I don't know... didn't feel right without my own team, you know?" You look over at them, seeing their downcast expression. "It's not my time. It's yours. All of you," you look back to the other students moseying about. "I should be making sure you flourish... though I guess knocking you down a peg or two isn't a bad idea... but not now," you shake your head and ready to eat. "It's your turn to shine... so do your best, you hear?" You smile at them before slurping some down.

Pyrrha is stuck staring into your eyes. It's been so long... you've become so different from before. You're encouraging them, smiling, hoping them and others will prosper. She can't help but... admire that. Admire you. Nora elbows Pyrrha to snap her out of it.

"What's wrong Pyrrha? You look starry-eyed," she says with a smug smirk.

"N-Nothing!" She looks back at her food. "This food looks so good!" She says before chowing down more intensely than anyone else.

Nora chuckles, leaning back to her bowl. "Whatever you say, Pyrrha."

You look up at the closest T.V and spot footage they're playing to pump up everyone for the Vytal Festival. To do this, they're playing fights from past tournaments, and of course, the one time you look is the one time they show one of your fights. You remember this one, back when you were just first years. You had to fight a high ranking team from Atlas, and boy were they trouble. But you all fought together, using each other's abilities to their fullest. You're... all smiling while you fight. You're enjoying it all.

You sigh, looking down into the bowl of noodles. "I wish things were different. I wish..." The screen flashes to show a different battle, one with another fellow team that's still around today. You tap the bowl and solemnly chuckle. "And I was doing so well."

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You rest against one of the nearby columns close to the docks. There are still a few stragglers arriving from other Kingdoms and you've been asked to ensure their pleasant arrival. Every so often you give someone directions on where they have to go, but most of the time a fellow team accomplishes your job in a more friendly way than you. Seeing a friendly face in a new Kingdom would be a better introduction than a random student.

"Hello again!" Pyrrha waves as she approaches from behind.

You look to your right and spot the girl closing in, finally stopping beside you. "What're you doing here? I thought you were doing team exercises."

"Oh, we were," she nods her head while leaning on the column beside you. "But Ren wanted us to drink some odd juice while Nora wanted to lift a few thousand pounds... I thought you would be a better partner."

"A few... whatever," you shake your head. "I'm not doing anything interesting, though. You'd likely find more entertainment elsewhere."

"No, that's okay," she smiles. "I'm happy here."

You look back at the docks, spotting another ship landing. "So many people are late."

"Why do you think?"

You watch as four people exit the Bullhead. Two boys, two girls. The first one to exit, a boy with yellow hair, leaps out energetically but ends up tripping and falling flat on his face.

"Well, I'd say it was his fault. Maybe he slept in," you whisper.

"You think?"

"Yeah... stayed up late watching a movie?"

"Or out eating at his favourite restaurant."

"That's a good one," you snicker. "Overeating then unable to get out of bed."

"You say that like you know."

"Hey, I had fun back in the day," you nudge her.

"So what about the others?"

You watch as three more funnel out of the Bullhead, all having pitch black hair which only makes the yellow-haired boy stand out even more.

"What're you doing, Ley?" You say in a deep voice.

"I was trying to look cool!" Pyrrha responds in a boyish voice.

"But now you look like an idiot," you reply in a different voice.

"I think I look special!"

"No, an idiot."

"I won't look like such an idiot when I win the entire thing!"

"We're not selecting you to be the final person."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?"

You both break out into laughter at the sudden scream from the group, going along with your scenario so perfectly. You lean on your knees while Pyrrha has to use your shoulder as a crutch.

"We... we shouldn't be laughing at them," Pyrrha says through her laughter. "I-I-"

"Just... Just laugh," you lean back on the column and pat her shoulder. "It's too good."

The group approaches you both with intrigued looks on their faces. "

Excuse me," the black haired man speaks. "Where's the Vacuo dorm?"

You wipe away a tear and try to collect yourself. "J-Just follow the path and take a left after the cafeteria. You'll probably see some people from there."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, thanks so much!" The blond explodes.

"Shut it," one of the girls grabs his ear and drags him away.

You hold in a laugh as the team follows your instructions and leaves. You exhale, releasing a short chuckle. "Interesting people."

"Definitely," Pyrrha nods.

She looks over at her hand that's still resting on your shoulder. She hesitates to remove it but does in the end.

"You can go, honestly. I'll be here till sundown," you swing your head right to meet eyes.

Pyrrha looks down, thinking. "N-No," she shakes her head. "I'll stay. I enjoy your company."

"Heh," you adjust on the column and look out at the docks. "I enjoy yours too, Pyrrha. Almost like..." Your mind trails off to someone else who was close to you – Cinder. Once upon a time, you two were special to one another.

"Like what?" Pyrrha tilts her head a bit.

"Like... hmph," you shake your head and chuckle. "Like I girl I was once with."

Within seconds, Pyrrha is bombarded with both embarrassment and joy.

"Oh, well, that's a weird thought. I... I didn't... I mean, you're so great to be around but I've never had someone like that so I don't have anyone to compare you to but-"

You stare off into the distance again as Pyrrha rambles on. You knew that would get her going... but that wasn't why you asked it. You weren't lying. Pyrrha... she's special.

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Time goes on, students pass you by, and the sun eventually starts to set. Despite all your talking and joking, Pyrrha has finally fallen asleep. Her head is resting on your shoulder, releasing short breathes every second or two. No ships are coming, barely anyone is walking around here anymore, yet you can't bring yourself to move. You look up at the sky as you bask in the warmth of your situation.

"I once thought I didn't deserve this," you whisper to yourself. "Thanks... JNPR," you hesitantly shift your bandaged arm across your body and rest it on Pyrrha's head. "Thanks... Pyrrha."

You sit there for a few minutes before finally deciding to move. Without disrupting the girl, you carefully shift yourself around to hold the girl in your arms. She wiggles a little bit, but she doesn't wake up. So, you carry the young warrior through Beacon's grounds. Over time, you've both learned to suppress the beating in your arm and her stomach when you're close, yet for some reason, your arm still pounds loudly as if something is trying to get out.

"The feeling... are they around?" You mumble, stopping in place and quickly surveying your surroundings. You don't see or hear anything noteworthy, but you know your arm doesn't lie. "Well... I have a warning now." You look forward once more and start walking. You need to get some sleep too. It's a big day tomorrow.

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You sit in one of the transport ships, watching the screen while the Vytal Festival starts. As the camera pans around the stadium, showing off all the excited spectators, before returning to the ring. Professor Port and Oobleck introduce everyone to the rules and regulations. You want to get there soon, as JNPR is the first team to fight in the tournament against a team from Haven.

The two teams meet in the center, being circled by the camera as the professors talk about the two competitors. You notice, however, that Pyrrha places a hand on her stomach – right where her curse resides. You can feel your arm pounding, even from the transport ship.

She can feel something too. Let's just hope the precautions Ozpin took will pay off.

You take a deep breath and look out the window while listening to the show. You hear the booming professor countdown and the battle commences. You'll be there in under a minute, so, depending on the matchup, you'll hopefully get to watch your friends battle. Watching them fight without you directly there will help you coach them in the future. Any weaknesses they should work on, any strengths they should know about. These things can improve one's fighting ability immensely.

Thankfully, the transport lands and opens its ramp for everyone. You, amongst a few other students and civilians, leave the transport and head for the multiple corridors that lead to the stands. Somehow, the route you take is one you tread alone. The others spread out to other corridors, leaving you to march through the walkway alone. You can hear the combat from here, echoing through the tunnel, bouncing off the walls and into your ears. It's like you're there, in the stadium, part of the fight.

You stop in place, almost reaching the end of the hallway. You turn around and spot a cloaked figure standing a few feet away. The figure lowers their hood to reveal Neo – her eyes intently staring at you. Without hesitation, you grab your blade and hold it before you.

"Neo... I had a feeling the festival wouldn't be left alone."

Neo shakes her head before calmly approaching you. You don't see any signs of hostility, but that doesn't make you hesitate. You're ready to kill if need be. Still, Neo draws no weapons. She stops in front of you and slowly reaches for your bandaged hand.

"What are you..." She gives you the answer with her eyes. "You're... you?" Neo nods. She grabs your hand and squeezes it; combined with her eyes, you can tell what she's trying to do. You use your Semblance to unravel your bandages, giving Neo direct contact with your cursed hand. A sudden surge of information flows through your mind. Neo, pushing you away from the falling rocks, her barely getting hit by the least of Salem's power, her allies spreading, killing... and now here. You pull your hand back and begin panting in response to the sensory overload. You fall to one knee and place a hand on your head.

"They're... they..."

"Kill me..." Your voice echoes in your own head, but you know it's an outer force. "Please, (Y/N)... Kill me. I can't... resist for much longer."

The voice echoes in your head while you stare at Neo. The young girl kneels down, her guard non-existent and her eyes closed.

"Neo... I..." You look away, clenching your fist. "I'm sorry I failed you all... I hope," you approach the girl with your blade still in hand. "I hope you find peace... wherever you go," you kneel down and press the blade against her chest. You can both feel the blade shaking... you're hesitating. You said you wouldn't... yet here you are. Neo opens her eyes and smiles.

"Please... you're my friend. Do this for me."

"I..." You grab the hilt with both hands to try and push, but you completely fail. "I... tsk," you push forward, piercing Neo's heart and ensuring her death.

"Thank... you..."

"Neo!" The girl slips back off your blade and crumbles, her eyes losing what little light they had. You drop your blade and tighten every muscle in your body. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" You release a scream that shakes the corridor. You stare up at the ceiling, panting. "I have to save them... Neo... thank you for everything."

You place your left hand on her and wrap her up in bandages, saving her for a burial later. With that done, your determination reaches a new high. You have to stop them here and now.

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Ren ducks under a kick then flip back, firing his guns at his opponent. He lands beside Jaune, who's been knocked back a bit but is still on his feet. He charges forward, keeping his shield up to block the girl's barrage of bullets. He runs past Nora and Pyrrha, who are battling the other team's leader. She's knocking back both of JNPR's attacks with each sword, finally jumping back and firing a few arrows at the two. While in midair, a foot slams into her ribs and sends her flying into the rocky mountain.

You land beside your two friends, quickly looking over at the other two.

"(Y/N)?" Pyrrha speaks with disbelief.

"My word! Stop the match!" Port shouts. "What are you doing?"

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Ozpin raises his brow at your sudden interference. He's still at his tower... but he has a feeling something is about to happen. He waits before acting, wishing to see how this plays out.

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"I'm impressed. Her power has improved your illusions, Emerald," you look toward the girl, standing next to Mercury.

"You can see us?" Mercury asks.

"Oh well, we wanted to have a little more fun," Emerald shrugs.

"Indeed," Cinder floats above you all, though her focus is on you. "Quite impressive, (Y/N). I do hope you have more surprises. I do."

"Whoa!" Jaune exclaims. "They just changed! How did they do that?"

"Get behind me," you sharply whisper, gesturing the team into position. "I don't know what you plan to do here," you shout. "You're surrounded by Huntsmen, in-training and not. You can't hope to beat us all."

"I... could ask you the same thing."

You raise your brow in response.

"(Y/N)!" Pyrrha shouts, but it's too late. Nora's hammer connects with your side, sending you barreling through the air and into one of the broken buildings.

You push some debris off you and shake your head. "Nora attacked... No..." You get to your feet and start running. "No, no, no, no, no!" You exit the building and look around. Everyone in the crowd has changed – transformed into the cursed state you can summon. "It wasn't because of Pyrrha... they've been spreading this whole time... everyone..." You clench your teeth.

"Nora! Jaune! Ren, stop!" Pyrrha shouts, trying to free herself from their grasp.

"Pyrrha!" You scream.

"Don't worry, (Y/N). No harm will come to anyone... except you," she ends with a smirk. "All this power, all this Aura. It's more than enough to summon her back to this world! I will be her vessel!" Cinder screams. "Come to me!"

Cinder extends her arms and attracts all Salem's power from everyone who was infected. A dark power spews out from everyone, causing them to crumble almost instantly. All this power surrounds the stadium, clouding your vision and preventing you from stopping any of this. The power swirls around the stadium, all converging on Cinder as if she was the drain in a sink. It all comes to her, whitening her hair, making her paler, yet her eyes have yet to change. After almost a minute, the stadium is clear. You look up at Cinder and almost falter altogether.

Cinder starts laughing uncontrollably at the power surging through her body. "So much of it! It's unbelievable!"

"Tsk," you utilize your Semblance to unwrap your arm and shift into your cursed state. "Guess it's do or die!"

"How feeble yet beautiful you are," Cinder looks down on you. "You're the last piece, the last fragment of Salem's power. You even have Ozpin's, right?" She says with a confident smile. "All I need is yours... or..." Cinder's eyes shift to Pyrrha, who's frozen in shock at her nearly dead teammates.

"Cinder, no!"

"You've doomed her and yourself!" She shouts, speeding towards the girl.

You push off your heel and speed towards Pyrrha, but your speed is nothing compared to Cinder's. She swoops by Pyrrha, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her into the air. The girl struggles, but her strength is nothing in comparison to Cinder.

"You have that fragment too. That's all I'll need. Thank you for giving her our power," she looks down at you. "It would have been tedious to extract it from you."

Without a thought, she places her hand on Pyrrha's stomach and extracts her power... or not. Cinder's appearance starts to revert back to her normal self.

"What? What's-"

"You were a useful tool, Cinder," Pyrrha speaks. "But this host is more useful."

"No... no!" She tries to pull her hand back to no avail.

Like Cinder, Pyrrha's features start to shift. White hair, pale skin, and now red eyes. All of Cinder's power transfers to Pyrrha, leaving the girl as a husk of her former self. Cinder's body is pulled down by gravity, eventually slamming against the ground. Pyrrha undoes her hair and basks in this newfound power.

"Pyrrha! Fight it! We trained for-"

"Pyrrha?" Her voice is different. Her demeanor is different. "She's merely a host now. My name is Salem... and you have my power."

"No... NO!" You burst off your foot and ready an attack.

Effortlessly, Salem catches your blade arm and slam her other hand on your stomach, releasing a burst of power that sends you flying a such a speed that you break through the stadium and start falling to the ground below.

"How pathetic," Salem shakes her head. "To think you were given my power. But... I'll thank you, (Y/N) Gray. Now I have my power and dear Ozpin's."

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Ozpin watches the everything transpire before him. He exhales through his nose as his head falls. Without a word, he backs away from his desk and grabs his cane. He takes slow steps toward the elevator.

"Hold on, Mr. Gray."

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You pull yourself through the hole and land on the stadium, one eye closed and panting.

That attack... I don't know if I can take any more of that. What do I do? That's still Pyrrha's body. I can't kill her... I won't! I have to get all that power back to everyone!

"You wish to fight?" Salem closes her eyes and snickers. "Very well," she lowers herself to the ground. "I'll humour you. Ozpin is on his way, after all. Might as well entertain myself for a moment. Oh," she tilts her head. "Are you coming up with a strategy. How cute."

"Shut up!"

You steel your nerves and charge forward. Before even reaching her, you throw out your chains to grab some rubble from one of the broken buildings and throw it at her. Effortlessly, she knocks it away with one hand and catches your blade with the other. You notice there's a sort of energy when she catches your blade with her bare hands. It's a layer of power that prevents actual damage, or at least that's what your guess is.

That means I'll have to either wear her out or surprise attack her.

Salem throws you over her and slams you on the ground, quickly pressing her palm against your stomach and releasing a massive wave of power, just like before. It's so intense that the entire coliseum shakes, nearly falling out of the sky with that single attack.

Definitely... surprise attack...

You grab her arm and expand your chains, wrapping it around her arm and spreading it across her body. With this, you throw her away from you and to the stands. She sends a short burst out of her body, freeing her from your chains and allowing her to gracefully land on a chair.

"How... pointless."

You get on your feet, huffing and puffing. "Nothing I do is pointless," you shake your head. "In the end, you're going to die."

Salem laughs aloud. "How amusing." In a flash, she appears in front of you. "How delusional."

Her speed is on a whole other level compared to yours. You can't even react as she punches you, releasing a small shockwave at the same time to add an extra layer to the already punishing punch. You bounce across the ground a few times but still manage to throw your chains at her. They land in front of her, digging into the ground and giving you a way to pull yourself back to her.

"Do you enjoy getting hit?" She asks with a hint of amusement.

You refrain from answering, instead, you watch as your chains slither out from the ground behind Salem and burst around her neck, pulling the woman down. You flick your wrist to move up and over Salem. You enlarge your blade and pull yourself down, ready to stab the helpless woman.

"(Y/N)! Help me!" Pyrrha screams.

That one line sends a jolt through your body, almost paralyzing you. Salem smiles upon seeing this, using this moment of weakness to release a massive wave of magic that blows you away. She throws the chain off her and stands up.

"I thought you weren't going to hesitate?"

You crash through one of the buildings and topple out of one of the windows, your transformed state dissipating yet growing. It's crawling up your neck and across your chest, coming ever closer to taking you over completely. You shiver on the ground, barely able to stand.

"Don't you forget that I'm using Pyrrha's body? A far healthier one than dear Cinder's. They've been dead for so long... it's not a practical decision. I must thank you for infecting this girl. It's so pleasant that even you prepared for my arrival."

"Sh... sh..." You push your chest off the ground, struggling to even hold that position. "Shut up..." You drag your knee across the ground and use it as leverage to proceed to the next step of standing. "You... took my friends... I won't... let you do it again," you say as you get to your feet.

Salem chuckles at this. You don't have your weapon, your sliver of her power is nothing compared to her; as far as she can tell... you've lost. You have nothing left to give. Even if you have any Aura left, it won't take any more than two blows to finish you.

"Such short-sightedness. I've been waiting for this day for centuries. I'll take the Aura from anyone I find, kill Ozpin, kill you... and finally, rule as a true god."

"A god?" You chuckle before slowly dragging yourself forward. "Now who's delusional? I know... exactly how to beat you..."

Salem laughs. "Is that so?"

You shift your walk into a run. "Yeah!"

You transform into your cursed state and sprint at her. In one swift motion, you trade blows – you manage to connect your fist to her cheek while she releases yet another devastating blast. She merely slides back while you bounce across the ground and slam into a cement block. With adrenaline rushing through your veins, you get to your feet once more and sprint forward. You push off your right foot, dashing in zig zaps towards the woman.

"Is this an attempt to confuse me?" She says with amusement.

You wound up and throw your chains towards the woman, speeding through the air faster than a gunshot. Before she has the chance to knock it away, the chain splits into three, one going up and the others slither around either side. She smirks at how interesting this maneuver is. Finally, you're showing what ability her power has given you. Changing it to sharp chains was just a side effect. Your manipulation of the chains is what she's given you... though it's far from enough.

However, three is not your limit. The current three split into another trio, and another, and another until there's almost a wave of chains surrounding Salem. You clench your fist to wrap them all around her as tight as possible. She erects a small barrier around her that struggles to fend off the overwhelming pressure of these cursed chains.

"I'll admit, I'm somewhat impressed," she says before lifting her arm. "But," with a single snap, her barrier expands at a rate your chains can't possibly contain. With a small explosion, all your chains disintegrate and Salem is left standing. Before she can comment, you slam down beside her with your sword, barely missing her as she steps to the side. You grunt as you land, immediately slashing horizontally at... nothing. You turn around to attack but Salem's hand grasps your mouth and slams you on the ground before unleashing a large scale blast at point blank. When the dust settles you're once again in your normal state. The curse spreads even further, as usual. Salem throws you towards a cement block, which you break through and slam against a broken building.

"That was your plan?" Salem laughs. "Well, I won't drag this out." She begins walking towards you. "I'd like the rest of my power and the little bit of Ozpin's you have. Any objections?"

"I... kk... ah..." You can barely move at this point, both overwhelmed by pain and the curse.

"Well, it wouldn't matter anyway."

You look to the left and see your blade sitting at the edge of the cement you reach out with your pure arm, inching it toward you with your fingers until you can grasp it. Before you can do anything, Salem steps on your wrist.

"Now, now, no playing with knives," she kneels down and grasps your hand, ripping some of the bandages away. "Rest now, boy," she smiles before beginning to drain the power from your arm. It detracts from your neck and chest, slowly shrinking down your arm, to your elbow, past your forearm. Right as it hits your wrist, Salem stops sucking.

"Salem! Leave him be!" Ozpin demands from the stands, weapon in hand.

Salem releases your hand, leaving only a handful of your stolen power left in you. She stands up and smiles at her true adversary.

"I've been waiting for this day, Ozpin."

"I can't say the same," he bluntly replies.

"What's your plan? Sealing me away won't work, and you can't kill me like-"

Suddenly a hand slams against her stomach. Both she and Ozpin look at you, on one knee, panting and staring up at the woman.

"What are you..." Her dominant demeanor fades as she starts feeling strange. "What are you doing?" She screams.

Your hand starts glowing more than it ever has before. "I gave Pyrrha that power... and I know how to take it back!"

"No!" Salem tries to attack you but Ozpin's cane crashes against her hand.

Pyrrha's features slowly return, starting with her eyes, then skin, then hair. All of Salem's power is transferred into your hand, slowly spreading up and threatening to take over your body. As Pyrrha falls over, you hold your blade tightly.

"(Y/N)! She's going to take-"

"GHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

You raise your right arm, blade in hand, and bring it down on your shoulder. In one clean cut, your entire left arm is sliced off. It falls on the ground beside Pyrrha, shaking from the amount of power swirling inside it. With adrenaline rushing through you, you fall on your knees and start stabbing and slicing the arm with all the strength you have left, screaming at the top of your lungs as you do so. All your hatred, frustration, fear, everything is being released on the woman trapped in your dismembered arm. Within ten seconds, you've cut your arm into tiny pieces.

You drop your blade and start panting. The adrenaline is wearing off and the pain is setting in. You fall onto your back and scream once more, this time in pain. Thankfully, your body shuts down and you fall unconscious. Ozpin leaps down and lands beside you, grabbing his cane before checking on your state. He places his hand on your shoulder and freezes the wound, halting any bleeding.

"You... have been planning this, haven't you?" Ozpin chuckles. "Knowing you could absorb the power from Pyrrha..." He takes a deep breath before smiling. "Thank you, (Y/N) Gray."

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The Next Day...

"So... it's over?" You say, staring up at the ceiling from your hospital bed.

"Indeed," Ozpin nods. "Salem's essence is no more... you did it. Everyone is on their way to recovering."

"But now everyone knows... they saw the recording..."

"It will be difficult... but I trust we can handle things. They may have been scared, have seen Salem and her power, but they also witnessed your bravery and sacrifice. That's more powerful than anything Salem did."

"I guess," you exhale. "I should have thought about it more," you look to where your arm once was. "This... will be a hindrance."

"You'll work around it. I must ask... how did you know to do that?"

"Neo..." You look to the heel of your bed. "She resisted Salem's control long enough to tell me... everything. I knew what was going to happen, that Cinder would absorb everyone's power, that everyone was infected with the curse," you lightly throw your hand in the air and chuckle. "And that they knew about Pyrrha. So I feigned ignorance so they wouldn't catch on... I thought that, if they used Pyrrha as a host like Neo said they would then I should be able to host Salem too. After the first hit, I knew I couldn't beat her in a straight-up brawl, so..." You shrug then look at the professor. "You know the rest."

Ozpin chuckles. "That was clever thinking... better than I... well... thank you, (Y/N) Gray. You've made my departure much smoother."

"Departure?" You repeat with a raised brow. "What're you talking about?'

Ozpin takes a deep breath. "I was here to keep Salem contained... but now she's gone and my time here is over."

"Whoa, wait," you throw your blankets off and walk towards your headmaster. "You can't just go! We need a headmaster and-"

"I'm not going yet... I believe I have some time. But... well," Ozpin turns on his heel and walks to the door. "We'll speak on that later. Get some rest, (Y/N). I know your friends will want to see you. But come by my office before long. I have a... gift for you. One I'd like to give before I go."

Ozpin leaves the room only for Pyrrha to skirt past him and runs right in front of you.

"Pyrrha... happy to see you up and okay."

"Me?" She chuckles. "You... you did... I can't even begin to describe what you did."

"Yeah," you huff. "I'm sorry. I knew that your teammates would turn on you but-"

"It's okay," she confidently grabs your right hand. "I... I was scared. It was like watching from the outside and unable to do anything. I thought... I didn't..." Pyrrha shakes her head. "But you stopped it all... you saved me, everyone... I can't thank you enough."

You look down at your hand, wrapped up by hers. "I just... didn't want to lose the people special to me again," you say with complete honesty. "If I did..." You shake your head. "Whatever, it's over. Now everyone who I lost can rest... and everyone who's still alive is safe. That's... all I really want," you look into her green eyes. "You... Pyrrha... would you, maybe..."

Pyrrha leans in and kisses your cheek. "Once you get out of here then I'll treat you to something."

"Treat me?" You say, completely passing by the kiss. "That's not what I planned!"

"I've seen your plans. They're a little messy," she playfully teases.

"Oh, funny," you roll your eyes. "But fine," you squeeze her hands. "I'll accept your offer."

"Well, I'd like to spend some more time together alone, but..." Pyrrha giggles and looks over her shoulder to the door. "I fear you have some people waiting outside."

"People?" You repeat. "What do you mean?"

Pyrrha steps back, retracting her hands and heading for the door. "Just... I'm sorry," she ends with a regretful smile before opening the door.

In moments, a swarm of students flood through the door, all shouting different questions or praise.

"Whoa, whoa, step back!" You say while backing up, though to no avail. You're overwhelmed by the curious students who've come for answers.

And in the end, you have to answer all of them. The one who once avoided all contact, now, albeit begrudgingly, accepts the situation you're forced in and, deep down, are slightly content.

You know, I almost didn't write this. It was talking with my friends about it that made me decide to do it. I'm more of the long-running series than the single-season writer, but it is refreshing to do something different every once in a while. Sure, I could have made this story longer, sure, there are things I could have done differently, but I'm really happy with how it turned out in the end. I hope you all enjoyed this short story. Maybe it distracted you during a school or work break, maybe you read it before falling asleep, maybe on a bus or car ride, who knows. As long as you were entertained then I'm happy!

I won't be doing any discussion videos or anything. I'll leave it as it is. If you have any questions about it, you can ask me directly in my Discord! It's open to any who wish to join! I posted the link on my profiles, but if for some reason it doesn't work then message me directly or check my twitter! I'm happy to chat with all you readers! It grew pretty fast considering I only kind of announced it on Wattpad, and even still, announcing it here isn't the prime idea. Adding a Discord announcement to Crimson Shadow would be ideal, but if you're reading this then you either read all my stuff or this is the first you've experienced. Either way, I'd be happy to see you there!

That's it for me. Again, I hope you all enjoyed! Check out my other stories if you haven't! Crimson Shadow will be returning after Volume 6 ends, so probably around January, and I'm still writing Limitless. A Love Live story is coming too, something that's also a bit out of my comfort zone. Plenty of content is on the way so stick around!

Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message!

I also have a Patreon, if you want to check that out! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan

My Discord is now open! If you want to join, either check my bio for a link, find it on my Twitter, or message me directly!

A special thank you to Patreon supporters: Manuel Garcia, James Tubbs, MazMan, MTX and Sassylemons

Extra special thanks to Ride The Lightning and Nicholas X Wright!

And finally, thank you to the Beta Reader: Grammarly and I, the mediocre duo.