Chapter 40: Battle of Beacon Part 1 - Motivation

Chapter 40: Battle of Beacon Part 1 – Motivation


"Grimm invading now... when this damn mark is acting up," you lift yourself back up and grab hold of your sword. "Why not..." You hear the Nevermore pound on the shielding some more, nearly cracking it at this point. "Great..." Your eyes drift back to the dismembered Penny. Her eyes are completely lifeless by this point. "She had Aura... and by the sounds of it..." You look back to the screen. "I think Cinder wanted this to happen. I was just a pawn," you tighten your grip on your sword. "She'll pay for that."

"Come on, we have to help people escape," Onyx commands his team.

"W-W-What about (Y/N)? The Nevermore will b-break in!" Dior retorts.

"Please, (Y/N) can handle a Nevermore! He beat me, after all," Kin says as loud as ever.

"No, he can't!" Dior adamantly shakes his head. "He's w-w-weakened! We have to help! P-P-Please!"

The three look down at you kneeling beside your sword. Your limbs are shaking, and what little they do see of your face spells fatigue.

"(Y/N)!" Ruby screams, hopping over the railing to meet with you.

Right as she does, the Nevermore breaks through the barrier. You grab the sword with both hands to keep yourself stable against the massive gust the beast produces. The winged Grimm lands right in front of you, screeching at its prey.

"Heh..."

Before either of you can act, Kin rushes in screaming. He hardens his fist and haymaker's the beast, knocking it back.

"Kin?"

"Get up, (Y/N)!" He says, landing beside you. "Now's the time for fighting! There's no better opportunity!"

Dior slides to your side, placing his arm on your shoulder. "The mark, right?"

"Mm... mhm," you nod.

The Nevermore recovers and starts flying around the stadium.

"Don't worry," you push off your sword and get to your feet. "I'm more than capable."

You slide one foot back and burst forward. With expert precision and power, you cut right through the Nevermore's head, splitting the beast into two parts. You land on the wall and jump back to the middle of the stage. You fail to nail the landing, thus tumbling across the ground with an "ouch" each hit.

"He is out of it," Rogue comments.

You shakily get to your feet then shrug and smile at your friends. "I swear, it's all good."

Suddenly, lockers begin raining down around you. They open to reveal the weapons of all the students who were in the arena. JNPR, FNKI, ORKD, CFVY. SSSN, and ABRN. Ruby grabs her scythe before running to you.

"Are you okay?" She stops before you.

"Yeah... I'm fine," you feign a smile. "Listen, about Penny... I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay... it wasn't your fault," Ruby adamantly responds.

"Tell me something I don't know," you smirk. "I think it's... oh boy..." You look to the outside of the stadium where Griffons start to land. "Guess we're not done fighting."

The swarm starts to attack, but gunfire from an unknown source temporarily wades them off. You look over at Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck, weapons ready.

"Finally joining?" You chuckle.

"Of course. However, I think it's best for you to leave," Port says, placing a hand on his hip.

"But we can-"

"Ms. Rose," Oobleck interrupts. "This day will surely go down in Remnant's history. I would prefer it if my students could live to tell about it."

With no more objections, Ruby looks to you.

"You ready?"

"Of course. Come on, let's get moving," you shout, leading the students out of the arena and into a corridor.

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"The White Fang," Dylan adjusts Zephyr Shale's positioning. "They're really here?"

"That's what Yang said," Blake responds as the three reach the edge of the docks. "Come on, we have to hurry."

"Then let's be fast," Dylan waves his hands below him and summons a water platform that encompasses the three students. "We have no time to waste."

The platform lifts the three up and speeds them towards the school's grounds.

"Is Yang okay?" Weiss asks.

"For now," Blake answers. "She's trying to get in touch with Ruby... but so far nothing. We have to put faith in her."

"She was at the arena," Dylan speaks. "If she's with Slater then she'll be fine."

"He didn't look so great," Weiss brings up. "What was wrong?"

"I don't know... we'll have to ask him."

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All civilians and scared students board one of the ships heading for safety. Soldiers, both organic and robotic, fight against the Grimm being dropped off by the White Fang. You can't protect it all, but you know this level is safe thanks to General Ironwood. You all approach him before he steps onto his ship.

"What's going on?" Ruby asks.

The General glances at all of you, stopping at a certain Slater. He sees the mark pulsing on your cheek and squints. He returns his gaze to a general one before speaking.

"Grimm are crawling all over the city, the White Fang has invaded Beacon and to make matters worse, some..." The General pauses for a moment. "Vagabond has seized one of my ships. Until we regain command the skies are out of our control. So I'm..." Ironwood raises his pistol and fires at a leaping creep behind you all. "Going to take it back."

"What should we do?" Jaune inquires.

The General turns around while placing his hands behind him. "You have two choices: defend your Kingdom and your school... or save yourselves." Some of your group look to one another to gauge what the decision is. Ironwood can see this clearly. "No one will fault you if you leave. Let's move out!" He declares as he turns around and walks into his ship.

The General flies off, leaving your group to make a decision.

"I mean... come on," Sun shrugs.

"We can take a ship to Beacon," Jaune proposes.

"Hey," you grab Jaune before he can run, holding him back with you and Ruby. "I'm going to leap to Beacon, see if everyone's alright. Jaune... look after Ruby, okay?"

"I can take care of myself!" She retorts with a hint of annoyance. "And why do you get to go off alone! You're... not okay."

"Jaune... promise me."

Jaune looks down at Ruby, who's staring at you with worry. "I promise."

You let go of him and smile, then turn to Ruby. "Just stay with everyone, alright? We'll beat back these guys and be good by morning," you comfort the girl.

Ruby furrows her brow as she stares into your eyes. "You're gonna get yourself hurt."

"Maybe," you shrug. "But what's important is that YOU don't."

You step back and give them a two finger wave. "See you soon."

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The platform flies past some Griffons and Nevermore, going directly for the docks. The group land relatively smoothly at the edge.

"Come on!" Dylan shouts, running towards the school.

You suddenly appear in a haze of smoke before the trio. Your friends slide to a halt, getting your attention.

"(Y/N)!" Weiss shouts. "You're okay..." Her eyes widen for a split second when she spots the mark glowing on your cheek.

"What is that?" Dylan questions.

"It's... nothing," you turn away. "Are you three okay?"

Before anyone can answer, a squad of mechanical soldiers approaches you. You turn towards them and raise a brow.

"Who ordered protection?"

The black glow they once had changes to a deep red and their guns now point at you. On instinct, Dylan raises a barrier between you four and them, blocking all the shots they soon fire.

"What the?" Weiss grabs her blade. "They're supposed to be on our side!"

"Not anymore," you unsheathe your sword. "That's just a third enemy on our list," you say before stepping behind the robots and cutting them down in one, powerful slash.

Dylan lowers his barrier and looks at the two girls. "Don't trust any of them. We have to find any other students and kill as many of these things as we can."

"Got it," the two girls nod.

You all run in separate directions towards the White Fang and corrupted robots. You and Weiss take the robots, speeding through them as if they were tissue paper. You throw your sword into one's stomach, piercing through three others before stopping. You slide to its front and grab your sword, swinging it like a baseball bat to knock away other robots and break apart the skewered ones.

Dylan, on the other hand, is mowing down White Fang with Zephyr Shale. They have no way to counter his enormous blasts of wind, thus they fly off in every direction. Your two groups push your enemies towards one another, inching closer and closer. Dylan, seeing this, creates two massive walls of water to trap both the White Fang and Atlas soldiers. He closes the wall in, crushing bone and machine alike, then washes them towards the docks and into the water below.

You regroup and immediately pat Dylan on the shoulder. "I think people underestimate you, Dylan."

"Like you?"

"Psh, no."

"Guys!" Weiss points to a squadron of human soldiers fighting off a Paladin and doing a poor job.

At the same time, a Bullhead crashes and releases an Alpha Beowolf. You look at Dylan and shrug.

"Blake and I will deal with the Grimm. You two help the soldiers," Dylan commands.

"Hey, who put you in charge?" You put your hands on your hip.

"Now's not the time, (Y/N)," Weiss shakes her head.

"Fine. Dylan..." You walk up to him and silently stare into his eyes. Everyone but you is confused. You're not talking, you're not moving... at least not yet. You wrap your arms around Dylan, pulling him into a hug. "Stay safe, alright?"

Dylan slowly wraps his arms around you to reciprocate the hug. "Yeah... you too, Slater. Don't be... you and get killed."

"Hehe, when do I ever die?" You chuckle as you take a step back. "Now get going. We have a school to save."

"And we're not going to fail," Dylan adds.

"Damn right we're not. Let's go, Weiss!" You say, running past the heiress and towards your battle.

Weiss gives Blake one last nod before following you.

You jump right in, kicking the Paladin's fist to redirect it from a vulnerable soldier. You then jump off the arm and slash at its exterior, near the head. Weiss steps between the soldiers and you.

"Move back! We'll handle it!"

The soldiers immediately run away to get some breathing room, the little one could get with rogue robots and bloodthirsty Grimm roaming about. You land behind the Paladin then slide under its legs, avoiding an attempted punch.

"Weiss," you block its backfist and hold it in place. "We're gonna knock this thing off the edge!" You roll over the fist and slash twice at its legs. "Put some speed and lightening ones under the two of us! I'll push it back!"

Without another word, Weiss creates the glyphs you asked for. You slide a few feet back then rush the mechanical titan, hitting it with as much force as you can every swing. Thanks to Weiss, the robot can't properly stabilize itself, and thus is unable to retaliate. In moments, you bring it to the edge of the docks and finish it with one powerful spinning kick. The mechanical opponent falls directly into the lake while you land on the edge. You wince, placing your free hand on your cheek as the mark continues to eat away at you. Despite your jokes, smiles, and combat prowess, this curse mark never ceases to be painful – even with your Aura active.

You turn around and jog back to Weiss and the fatigued soldiers.

"Everyone okay?" You pose.

The soldiers all mumble as a response or simply nod.

"Are you okay? I saw-"

"I'm fine," you look around to the other enemies fighting soldiers or brave students. "I'm far from the top of your priorities list, trust me."

Weiss crosses her arms. "Says you," she whispers.

"Eyes up," you raise your blade towards a pack of Beowolves sprinting at you. "Bad boys coming."

Suddenly, arrows puncture the Grimms' heads one at a time. They fall to the ground and disintegrate, giving you time to look over at your friend. Onyx lowers his weapon as all the other students run past him.

"Bout time you got here!" Your eyes skim from one person to the next. "Wait a second... where's Ruby?" You mumble.

"Come on, there are more!" Kin cheers, running past you and towards a hoard of Grimm.

The other students all at least acknowledge you before running off to help soldiers or simply defeat the enemy.

Soon enough, you and Weiss are all that's left with the soldiers.

"Our own robots turning on us... Grimm all around," one soldier starts ranting. "What the hell is all this."

"A shit show, that's what. We gotta get out of here. We'll die."

"There's no way out."

You and Weiss share a quick glance to decide what to say. Those thoughts are quickly interrupted when the ground starts shaking.

"What was that?" Weiss frantically looks around.

"Beats me."

The shaking becomes more intense until suddenly you all hear a deafening scream. Your group all look to the mountains where a giant, dragon-like Grimm flies directly towards you.

"That thing..."

"We're going to die... it'll kill us."

"My god," Weiss places a hand over her mouth. "What is that?"

You glance at the panicking soldiers and awe-struck Weiss. Those two things are all you need to make a decision. Your face sharpens before you pull out your scroll and punch in commands.

"What are you doing?" Her question is immediately answered when your locker lands close to you.

"You know..." You approach the locker and kick it over so the door is facing up. "Me stuff."

Weiss watches as you open the door and throw your sheath in, then close it. She quickly pieces together what you're doing.

"(Y/N), you can't go after that thing!"

"That thing can't reach the school, Weiss..." You look down and sigh. "But..." With conviction, you march towards Weiss and stop. She isn't sure how to react when you're in front of her, and she certainly doesn't know what to do when you pull her in by the waist and kiss her. Despite this situation, the death and fear, she embraces the act of passion. You pull back and smile at her. "For luck."

Weiss is left wide-eyed, jaw open, completely caught off guard. "I... why would you do that? You know-"

"That's partly why I did it," you cut in as you turn and walk towards the locker. "And... heh," you look over your shoulder. "I'm not sure I'll make it back from this one."

Weiss' eyes shake at the thought of you dying to that massive Grimm. You hop on the locker, left leg and arm forward for steering. If this is going to work, you gotta use Dior's upgrade.

"I'm just kidding," you chuckle and return your gaze to the heiress. "It was only for luck. Just, uh... don't tell Yang or Ruby. I might beat this thing just to be killed by them."

Weiss chuckles, despite everything. "Yeah... but... I still can't let you do this."

"If I don't Weiss... who will? Nobody else can stay in the air like I can. I'm wasting time here. I won't let it reach us." You click the button with your foot and activate the rockets. "Make sure I see that beautiful smile when I get back, okay?" You smirk at her.

"Whoa," you shout as the locker blasts off into the sky. You use the sheath inside to direct it, lowering the locker to stabilize your footing. "Okay... let's turn around and get this big ugly bastard."

You fly over Beacon and towards the Dragon, passing some Nevermore and Griffons along the way. Riding the locker is far easier than before, thankfully, because fighting your ride and the beast would be more than you'd prefer. You look over your shoulder to where Weiss once was.

I lied, Weiss... I really don't know if I'm coming back from this one.

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Dylan and Blake run off towards the White Fang and Grimm, each attacking anything that's nearby. Dylan more than Blake, as he can funnel his intense wind at a farther distance than Blake can attack. Still, no sign of the Alpha they spotted before.

The two Faunus slow down and start scanning the area with both their eyes and their ears.

"There's so much noise... so much screaming," Blake shakes her head.

"Too many Grimm to really tell which is which," Dylan adds. His ears twitch at a familiar sound... the crackling of fire. "Move!" Dylan steps in front of Blake and raises a barrier of water around them, protecting the two from all sides.

A ball of fire connects with the liquid barrier, giving Dylan a location to look. Aza lowers her hands and... remains neutral. This surprises Dylan right away. He assumed she'd be sadistically smiling at the sight of humans perishing, smiling that she found her brother so she can kill him. But instead, she's very bland.

Dylan lowers the barrier and steps between the two girls. "I'm not surprised you're here... that means Adam is here too, isn't he?"

Aza slowly approaches the two, but not in a drawn-out manner. She simply walks at a dull pace.

"That's not your business. Perhaps hers," Aza's eyes shift to Blake. "He's spoken about you a lot."

Blake backs up a bit, fearful of what those words mean. Dylan grasps her hand discreetly, keeping it behind his back. "Blake, I'm here. Don't panic."

"Yeah... yeah, I know," she nods, a new sense of confidence surging through her.

"What do you think this will achieve, Aza? An attack on Beacon? Using the Grimm?" He takes a step closer with each question. "This isn't freedom fighting! This is... insane!"

"Sometimes... you have to dirty your hands to cleanse the world," she retorts, sliding two kunai into each hand.

"It doesn't even sound like you believe it!" Dylan counters. "Either way, I can't let this happen, Aza. Get out of my way or I'll take you down!" Dylan slides his dominant foot forward and raises his hands, keeping them in a flexible stance for offense of defense. "Blake, she's stronger than a lot of students here. We have to put her down."

"What about the Beowolf?"

Dylan quickly glances at his side before quietly sneering. This very brief break in his defense allows Aza to throw a large fireball at the boy. Dylan barely has time to block it with one half of Zephyr Shale and has even less to react with when she comes from the other side with a fire fueled fist. It connects with Dylan's jaw, sending him flying into the nearby building.

"Dylan!" Blake shouts, tightening the grip on her weapon to battle the other Brine.

Dylan breaks through what little glass remains of the window and rolls across the ground. He shakes his head before getting back on his feet. Dylan stops in place and looks over his shoulder where Adam stands, his blade lodged into a recently deceased Atlas student.

"Perfect," Dylan sarcastically remarks before turning to face a fellow Faunus. "I'd say this is a downgrade from my sister."

"A quip, Dylan? You've spent too much time with the human," Adam pulls his blade out of the soldier and wipes the blood off.

"Slater?" Dylan snickers. "Perhaps... but cracking a quip or two is preferable to terrorism. Or... whatever this is... it's just lunacy."

"It's justice!" Adam clenches his fist in front of him. "For everything humanity has done to the Faunus."

"By killing other Faunus? Faunus who've done nothing to you! Humans who've done nothing!"

"No human is innocent! And the Faunus who've done nothing... well, apathy is nearly as bad."

Dylan shakes his head. "There's no winning with you, is there? Well, not in terms of words. But fists..." Dylan smirks at his former leader. "I can do that."

"No... you can't," Adam slides his foot back slightly and grabs the hilt of his weapon.

In a flash, Adam unleashes three strikes that Dylan barely manages to block. Adam's speed and power in a single swing, not even having to move, still baffles Dylan. He fires two shots, which Adam block them both with his blade then dashes forward. Dylan starts shifting backward, blocking his initial two swings then flipping sideways to dodge his gun. Dylan immediately fires two more shots at Adam, which the man blocks, but it distracts him from the water gripping his ankle. Adam is thrown across the room and slams into the cracking stone wall. Dylan follows up with three, wide blast of air that pushes him even further into the architecture.

Dylan winds up another punch but he hears Blake getting knocked back by Aza. She lands outside of the building, sliding across the ground on her knees.

"No-"

Adam uses this opportunity to get in close and slash Dylan's stomach. He follows up with a gunshot to Dylan's knees, knocking the boy off balance, then slashing his face and then a large, wound up attack to his stomach. Dylan crashes through the wall between two windows and lands a few feet away from Blake.

Blake looks back at Dylan and then catches sight of Adam. Her fighting spirit instantly dwindles like a flame during a storm.

"A-Adam..."

Adam smiles as he steps out of the building. "Hello, my darling."

"Blake, stay in the zone," Dylan sharply whispers, standing back up and positioning himself to face both Aza and Adam.

"I... I..." Blake's unable to say a word, unable to look away from the man who haunts her dreams.

"You're not getting close to her!" Dylan shouts, firing waves of air at the man.

Adam blocks them like before, temporarily glowing with each impact. Seeing Dylan focused on Adam, Aza throws one of her kunai at his ribs. Spotting this, Dylan twists his body to dodge the kunai... but the explosion that erupts is beyond him. He snarls as it knocks him a few meters back. He barely manages to land on his feet.

Meanwhile, Adam is marching towards a completely stunned Blake. "Your eyes... so fearful. Is that what you are now? A coward?"

"No... I..."

"Blake, come on!" Dylan shouts. "Don't let this control you!" He shouts, running back to her location. "You're better than him!"

Aza leaps between her brother and Blake, firing a tornado of fire to halt the young Faunus. Dylan immediately waves his hands to create a small wave from his left that crashes down and puts out the flames.

"Get out of my way, Aza!" He fiercely shouts.

The boy slams his hands together and creates a large wall of water that towers over all four of the Faunus. Tendrils shoot out that attack both Adam and Aza while grabbing Blake and relocating her behind him. The two White Fang members easily cut the attack down, but now there's Dylan standing in front of Blake and a large pile of liquid ammunition.

"Hiding behind him, my love?"

"She's not your love," Dylan snarls.

"Dylan... we can't..."

"I will," Dylan firmly states. "I won't let them hurt you... I won't let them take my home away!"

Dylan runs towards the two then hops forward, using the water to create feet sizes platforms. He does this three times to get the high ground. On his second jump, he loads both sides Zephyr Shale with electric dust. On the third jump, he flips over the two and rains down a flurry of lightning-laced air while simultaneously shooting out highly pressurized bursts of water from the wall.

Aza waves her hands to create a massive flow of fire that redirects and nullifies all the air while Adam sends out quick and accurate sonic waves at each water spout. Aza follows Dylan's movements as he lands on the wall of the cafeteria and jumps straight for Adam. She throws three flaming kunai, all of which he blocks with small pockets of water. Adam jumps out of the way right as Dylan throws his punch, letting the ground take the hit for him. Dylan immediately fires a wave of air at Adam to both reposition himself and push Adam away. Instead, Adam uses his Semblance to slice right through Dylan's attack. He crashes through the building and beyond, slamming into a tree.

He rolls onto his stomach and shakily gets up. He looks to the building and smirks. "That bit of water saved my hide," he shifts his gaze to a strong layer of water where Adam's attack landed. "Too close for comfort, though. This fight is going to be much more complicated without Blake's aid."

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You get closer and closer to the beast every second, wind rushing past your skin and through your clothes. You're barely able to stay on the locker at these speeds, but thanks to your Semblance that isn't the biggest issue.

"I don't know how I'm gonna take you down, but I might as well start by getting your attention. HEY! Big, dumb, and ugly!"

How original, (Y/N).

You tighten your arm and start throwing out sonic waves at the Grimm's face. They all hit, resulting in a loud screech from the beast. You lean to the left and pass right by its maw, nearly getting eaten already.

"Come on, focus on me, tough guy!" You pull your sheath up and right to get a little higher than the flying Grimm.

For a split second, you and the Grimm lock eyes. You're met with a strange feeling welling up inside you... like the Grimm... knows you. It's something you've never felt before but you just can't shake this feeling.

The Grimm roars once more and changes its course from Beacon to you. It starts circling around the sky you're occupying, turning this into one strange game of tag and you'd prefer not to get caught. Though, this does give you an opportunity to strike at its face. You start throwing sonic waves at it, stopping every two or three so you don't knock yourself over. Though hitting, the beast seems little more than annoyed at your attempted attacks.

I'll have to get up close and personal. Its hide is too tough.

You pull your hand up and grab onto the top of your locker. You head straight up, leading the Dragon to do the same. As soon as it's on your tail, you jump off the locker and throw your hand forward to redirect your ride. You fall past the beast's head and grab onto one of the protruding bones on its spine. The Dragon levels itself out and starts shaking its body to get you off, but your grip is too tight.

"Whoa, whoa! Hey! This is not first class trav- ah!" Your body whips around but your grip holds true. Once an opportunity presents itself, you land on its back and plunge your sword into it. Your blade pierces its hide but not enough to severely damage it. "At least I know it can be hurt, but I can't stab deep enough," you grunt, pushing further into its hide.

The beast howls and starts spinning in the air, something you weren't expecting. Your hands slide off your blade and you start falling down to the planet below.

"That's impolite!" You shout, leaping to its back once more.

You keep your momentum but grab your blade, letting gravity do the work to open the wound on the Grimm's back. After you finally grind to a halt, you pull the blade out and step back into the air. Your eyes quickly scan for the locker, and, once finding it, you step to the locker. You pull your hand up and land on the makeshift airship, zooming back to your opponent in record time.

You fly under its belly and slash at it, circle up and around to cut the edge of its wing. You then jump off the locker and land on its back once more. You run along its black hide, slashing away as you get closer and closer to the tail. Once you hit that point, the creature flicks its tail and sends you soaring back to its face.

"NOPE!" You shout as you step to the right of the beast and avoid its sharp teeth.

You direct the locker back around and towards you, stepping on it when it's relatively close.

So my outer attacks didn't seem to bother it... long-range attacks did nothing... so if the outside is too tough... oh man, I better get a damn good steak for this.

You slide your hand over the hilt and squeeze your blade, drawing blood to unlock more of its power. You return your hand to the hilt and start flying your way back to the creature. Once getting in close, you open the locker and recall your sheath to your hand.

"A captain goes down with his ship, but you're more like a boat so I don't care," you comment before stepping a good distance in front of the Dragon.

You switch to a reverse grip with your sword and tightly hold your sheath. The Dragon comes flying straight at you, mouth open to swallow you whole.

"THIS IS MY WORST IDEA!" You scream before spinning like a top into its mouth.

You can't see anything at this point. Mobility is almost nonexistent, but you keep spinning and slashing to the best of your ability. To help, you use your blood to take extra spikes on the edge of your blade, adding more cutting power. You move, move, move, that's the only thing you can think to do. Keep cutting, keep slashing, tear it apart from the inside. But the darkness never ends, the pressure on your body is increasing and your cheek is flaring up more than ever before.

"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" You howl as you burst out of the beasts guts, hitting the ribs.

Your consciousness slowly fades, resulting in you losing grip on your weapons. Your Aura is flickering, but it's still holding on somehow. You and the creature plummet to the ground in black mist, both landing in the forest outside of Vale. You slam right on the ground, the Dragon crushes trees and even a few Grimm to boot. Both impacts lead to a massive surge of dust that clouds the area. After minutes of complete stillness... you finally move your fingers. Every inch of your body slowly comes back, allowing you to pull yourself out of the small crater you made. Slowly but surely, you get out of the crater and roll onto your back. You smile at the still beast... yet it's not dissipating. Instead, small glops of black goo roll off its stomach that forms somewhat mature Grimm. Their first target... you.

"Well," you barely say. "That's... unfortunate..."

Of course, it's the Beowolf who approaches first. The Grimm who haunted so much of your life, the one you thought murdered your family now comes for you. It's black fur grows and grows as it leaps closer, claws ready to rip you to shreds.

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Dylan blocks Aza's kunai to the right then throws two waves at Adam to keep him at a distance. He immediately has to return his attention to Aza as more fire approaches him from all angles. Dylan waves his hand across the fire as his water washes the fire away. He shifts towards Adam and uses that same water to attack the White Fang leader. Adam cuts through the water and dashes towards Dylan, weapon in its sheath and ready to attack. Dylan ducks under the first strike and blocks the second aimed at his right leg. He parries an attack at his left but Aza manages to slip a fire-laced kunai into his ribs. The moment the tip impacts his clothing it explodes, sending the poor boy soaring over the ground.

Adam takes this opportunity to attack four times while Dylan's in the air, each hit keeping him airborne for a moment longer. Dylan catches himself in a pocket of water, both protecting him from further attacks and preventing him from hitting the ground. He clenches his teeth whilst his eyes go back and forth between Adam and Aza. The two complement each other perfectly. Aza specializes in long range, letting her create openings for Adam or take advantage of the ones he can make. It's harmonic, in a sense. Even with Dylan's powerful Semblance, he can't focus on two people of this caliber at the same time.

Blake watches from a distance, protected by Dylan's wall. She feels so helpless and frustrated. Adam has been such a fearful figure for some time... and here Dylan is fighting her battle and his own while Blake merely watches. The girl clenches her fists and tightens her muscles.

"I can't... watch... I can't!"

Dylan slides out of the water and raises his fists again. "I can't believe you've brought the White Fang so low! It was meant to free the Faunus, to show humans we're equal! You're letting people know we're willing to use Grimm for our needs!"

"Equality? That won't happen. Humans will never see us as equal! And why should we strive for something so simple? Faunus should surpass equality!"

"Dominate?" Dylan questions as he runs towards the two. "That's your answer? To repeat the mistakes of the past? The ones you want humans to pay for?"

Adam's blade collides with Dylan's left weapon while his right catches a kunai from Aza. Dylan shakily holds both at bay, his determination as strong as ever.

"An eye for an eye," Adam smiles, pulling his sword back and attacking once more.

"That's not how you make amends," he blocks the sword with water while catching Aza's arm and flipping her over him. "You're not thinking of the Faunus, you're thinking of yourself!" He throws a punch at Adam while simultaneously attacking his ribs with a spout of water. Adam falters at the attack, giving Dylan the chance to grab his chest and deliver a powerful blow to his head. "I've met humans who treat me as equal! Who only attack those who deserve it!" Aza gets back on her feet and grabs two kunai off her legs. She slashes at Dylan, her arms constantly moving along with her body. Dylan shuffles back, either dodging or redirecting her attacks. "You'll kill Faunus who would rather be passive! Who've done nothing to you!" He catches Aza's hand and drives his fist into her stomach, followed by a quick jab to her cheek.

The woman rolls across the ground but recovers quickly. She spots Adam in combat with Dylan already, the two moving away from the building and towards Blake.

"What about the Faunus on Menagerie?" Dylan continues to talk. "Will you kill them for wanting peace? For staying away from your fight?"

"They're imprisoned, mentally and physically! They don't know what true freedom is!"

"That's a lie!" Dylan slides past one slash but takes the second head-on, pushing him back. "They're not stuck... they can leave whenever they want..." Dylan places a hand on his chest. "I... I once believed like you do... but I know better now, Adam," he stands up straight and eyes down the masked man. "You are wrong... and I will ensure your White Fang ends today. Your poisonous mentality cannot spread."

Adam chuckles. "You? A boy who can't make up his mind? You have no true conviction, no desire."

"You're wrong. I do have a desire. I'm protecting this school... and I'm saving the White Fang."

Adam catches a noise behind him, thus he turns around and blocks an attack from Blake.

"And he's not alone!"

"Blake! Wa-" Dylan turns around and catches Aza's left wrist while blocking her right kunai.

"Your battle is with me, brother."

"Aza..." He snarls.

I can't leave Blake with Adam. She's not prepared to fight him yet.

Aza's hands start to glow a bright red and flames converge upon them. Dylan legs go of her wrist and jumps back to avoid any major damage. Aza raises her hand to create a massive wall of fire that rivals the nearby building. It instantly changes the temperature of the immediate area and effectively cuts Dylan off from Blake, and vice versa. Dylan grinds his teeth and sharpens his gaze.

"Aza... if you won't stand down then I'll end you now."

"I offer... the same to you."

That one line solidifies Dylan's hypothesis. Aza would not offer him mercy. There's a conflict stirring within her that prevents her from going all out. He could tell earlier by her tone, he read it through battle, and now it's confirmed. Even still, he can't afford to hold back against Aza. There's too much on the line.

"Blake! Blake!" A voice gets louder and louder.

From behind Dylan, Yang jogs in. Her eyes are immediately drawn to the firewall – one of the reasons she came this way, to begin with. Coupled with Weiss' directions it made the most sense Blake would be close to the danger.

"Yang! Other side of the wall!" Dylan shouts as he kneels down and slams an open palm on the concrete. Without responding, Yang looks down at the water converging below her. It lifts her up and tosses her over the fire, giving her the leverage she needs to get to Blake. "Help her!" Dylan's words are muffled by the raging flame now between them.

Yang lands on the other side and frantically looks for Blake. She finds her, of course, but not in the position she was hoping. Adam is holding her by the throat, sword pressed against her stomach.

"I will make it my mission to destroy everything you love..."

"Blake!" Yang shouts.

Blake struggles to look over at Yang, barely managing to turn her head to see the blonde out of the corner of her eye. "Yang... no..."

Adam smirks before pushing the sword through Blake's stomach. The girl shrieks in pain, a sound both you and Yang hear too clearly.

Dylan spins past Aza and elbow her back, then fires his left weapon to push him back and elbow the girl's head.

Blake... Yang, what's happening?

As if on cue, Dylan hears Yang's battle cry... and then it cuts out just as fast. The worry in Dylan's heart leads him to slip up in his fight, letting Aza turn around and blow him away in a massive, fiery explosion. Dylan realizes the opportunity Aza unintentionally has given him. He flips backward midair and fires his weapon at the ground to push him higher into the air. He flips back to a normal orientation then forms water below his feet to jump off and over the firewall. He lands on the other side of Adam and spots a dismembered Yang and bleeding out Blake.

His eyes shiver at the sight. Anger bubbles up in the young Faunus... and he realizes what you felt so long ago. Once, you held him up against a wall because you let an entire village get slaughtered. Your anger, for the first time, is now relatable. This isn't the spiteful anger he once felt towards humans, but true anger towards another person. Dylan throws his hands sideways, catching Adam off guard with a wave of water that washes him away. He's only saved by Aza intercepting and freeing him from the torrent. Dylan walks between his two Faunus enemies and his friends.

"Dylan..." Blake barely manages to say. "I... Yang..."

"Quiet," he bluntly states. "Adam... you just made the biggest mistake of your life," Dylan spreads his legs and claps his hands together, holding them at chest level. "I don't care if I use up every bit of Aura I have... I'm stopping you and protecting Beacon." Adam and Aza both notice a looming shadow growing over the area. They look towards the docks and are both caught off guard. The entire lake beneath Beacon is rising thanks to the Faunus before them. "You're gonna learn why I'm called the Son of the Waves!"

Students and soldiers across the campus are all in awe at this display. Some are scared since they don't know whether that's friendly or hostile. Their question is answered when hundreds of tendrils, sizes varying from a dog to a bus. They spread through all of Beacon, catching Atlas robots, White Fang members, and Grimm. Over twelve tendrils of varied sizes slither towards Adam and Aza.

"So this is your all, brother? Fighting for your beliefs... gives you this strength?" The girl whispers.

Despite their efforts, neither Faunus can keep the overwhelmingly powerful tendrils away. Both are hit and dragged off by the water. Everyone collected is brought back to the main source hovering over the dry lake.

Dylan's hands start shaking. The pressure he's putting on himself, the rate at which his Aura is draining, it's all more than he's used to. Still, he holds strong as he collects every single enemy he can find across Beacon and hauls them back for one lethal end. Dylan falters a bit, falling to one knee but holding his hands together.

"This... has to be enough."

Dylan retracts all the extensions he created and morphs all the water into one massive ball that descends closer to the lakebed. All the victims are stored in the ball, either drowning or short-circuiting. Dylan intertwines his fingers while separating his palms, waiting just a moment before clapping them together. The second he does, the ball of water shrinks to a flea-sized object, crushing everything inside. He separates his hands and starts panting, his Aura flickering to signal its exhaustion. The water explodes, completely clean and healthy. It rains back into the lakebed, filling it once more.

"They escaped," Dylan huffs. He felt it as he brought everything together. "Aza got them out... I gotta," he turns around, barely getting to his feet. "Get you two back... but at least the school is safe."

Again, as if on cue, the Dragon Grimm flies over Beacon and howls. Bits of goo start dropping from its stomach, forming Grimm once they touch the ground.

"Oh... great..."

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Did... I die?

You slowly open your eyes and see a figure you weren't expecting. The brown and pink hair is unmistakable.

"Little Miss Adorable?"

The girl turns around and winks at you.

"Heh... talk about timing... and," you look at her hands. One is holding her cane while the other carries your blade. "I don't... deserve you."

She shakes her head to agree.

"Funny."

The girl looks back at the Grimm all surrounding your location. With your sword in one hand and her umbrella in the other, she's more than capable of keeping a couple Grimm off you until you're mobile again. To be honest, it's somewhat nice to sit back and watch while someone else tears the Grimm a new one. Against someone like Neo, the Grimm don't stand a chance. Every time they think they've got her she breaks into glass and kills them with a sneak attack.

You close your eyes and breathe, trying to estimate how much Aura you've got left in you.

I'm running on dry, but I got enough to get me back to Beacon and fight a bit.

You push off the ground and hold yourself up on all fours. It's progress while Neo tears apart the Grimm that endlessly spawn from the Dragon's stomach. Thankfully, it doesn't last. Neo jumps back in front of you when the Dragon starts moving once again.

"What? I tore through it," you mumble.

It gets up and roars, the shockwave slightly pushing Neo back while flipping you over a few times. It flaps its wings and soars into the air once more, resuming its previous course. In mere seconds, the Dragon is gone and the Grimm are cleared. Neo turns around and approaches you, planting the sword beside your upsidedown body.

"Looks like I owe you one now," you chuckle.

Neo eagerly nods.

"Of course," you roll over and start getting on your feet. Neo moves to your side and helps you up, despite the size difference. "Not going to lie... it's refreshing seeing your adorable face among all these Grimm."

Neo tilts her head and switches the colour of her eyes, similar to what she's done before.

"If I wasn't so beat up I'd probably fawn over you more. I swear you're just not real."

You lift your left hand into the air and wait a moment. Soon enough, your sheath speeds through the trees and rests on your hand. You place it at your side and grab your sword to return it home.

"What are you doing here, anyway?"

Neo starts mischievously stepping away, hands behind her back as she pretends to whistle.

"That doesn't give me much confidence, you bundle of cute. I'm just gonna assume you had nothing to do with this."

Neo nods her head, smiling.

"Of course you want me to think that," you shake your head. "So how the hell am I gonna kill that thing?"

"What a question," Harrier snickers.

You turn around and attract your sheath to your hand. "Damnit..."

Neo backs up beside you, also ready to battle if necessary. Harrier chuckles. "You can't beat that thing, (Y/N). Only two people here can. However," he unsheathes his blade and smiles. "But your problem is me, right now. How's that mark?" He taps his cheek.

You grind your teeth at his words. You want to fight him... but you can't. Practically, there's no way. The mark burning your Aura, your lack of it, and the promise you made to Glynda... fighting Harrier right now is suicide whether Neo helps you or not.

"Adorable... you gotta go."

Neo questioningly looks at you.

"You have to. I'll handle this. Don't worry," you wink at her. "I'll see you again. You're too cute to not come back to."

Neo smiles at your words. Hesitantly, she backs up. Harrier just watches as his former ally starts running and disappears into the forest. He returns his gaze to you; more specifically, the glowing mark on your cheek. You can't tell thanks to his glasses, of course.

"Don't worry, (Y/N), I won't reveal her relationship with you."

"When did you start being so nice?" You shout, rushing forward and attacking.

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The students gather at the docks where all the teachers and able Atlas personnel organize an evacuation. Students file into the ships to escape the new wave of Grimm brought by the Dragon. Dylan rests beside Blake, Yang, Nora, and Ren – all injured. Sun let his team continue without him. ORKD remains, thought all of them are Auraless or wounded.

Weiss stares at her teammates, torn apart by the sight of a dismembered Yang. Now the only member left is Ruby, but luck is on their side on this front. Weiss reunites with Ruby while Dylan's lost in thought. Weiss is here and you're not. She told him that you went off to fight that thing... but now you're nowhere to be found.

"But Jaune and Pyrrha are still missing," Nora reveals before holding her wounded ribs.

"(Y/N) is gone too," Weiss looks to the ground. "I... don't even know where he could be."

"All of them?" Ruby exclaims.

"(Y/N) is missing?" Rogue approaches the group. "Where was he last?"

"He went to fight..." Weiss turns to the school where the Dragon now flies. "That thing..."

Dylan clenches his fist. He let you go off alone and now you're gone... gone and he can't even help with no Aura. You're his partner and...

"Look, guys," Sun gathers everyone's attention. "That giant Grimm keeps circling the school! Any White Fang that wasn't caught by Dylan is running. More Grimm are coming... we have to go... now."

"We're not... leaving," Ren attempts to stand but is unable.

Dior sets his briefcase down and starts typing away.

"You're going to find them?" Onyx states.

"Y-Yes... I know their Aura s-s-signatures, so..." Dior stops, eyes widening.

"What?" Rogue runs to Dior's side.

"Jaune and P-Pyrrha are at the tower... (Y/N)..." His eyes aren't deceiving him. The power emanating from the mark is increasing exponentially while your Aura is barely hanging on at 9%.

"He's alive!" Kin claps his hands.

This one statement gives relief to all, especially Dylan, Ruby, and Weiss.

"Why is he in the forest?" Rogue scratches her chin. "And isn't that another... no, two signatures close by?"

"One's r-running away. It seems he's in c-combat with the other."

"Harrier," Dylan growls. "Nobody else would be after him."

"We can't get out there in time," Weiss brings up. "No ship would go out there either. The Nevermore are everywhere."

"So we focus on Jaune and Pyrrha," Onyx speaks. "They're the ones we can help."

"But (Y/N)!"

"He'll be okay," Ruby pipes up. "He's always okay..." Her voice trails off, making people wonder if she even believes those words. "But Jaune and Pyrrha... I'll find them. I'll bring them back."

"No, we will find them," Weiss corrects. "Watch after Blake and Yang. We'll be back."

"I'll keep you up-p-pdated via your scroll," Dior smiles. "It's the least I c-can do."

Ruby and Weiss, now with a plan, run back into Beacon. Dylan watches, mentally abusing himself for being unable to help. He knows the others feel the same way, but...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You slide past a tree, cutting its base and kicking it towards Harrier. He effortlessly cuts it in half and continues approaching you.

"You're far more defensive this time," he smirks. "I have to commend you for bringing the Dragon down. It took both your father and I to defeat it last time."

You start jumping back, trying to keep as much distance between you and Harrier as possible. Of course, your scroll starts buzzing in your pocket.

"Tsk," you reverse the grip on your sword and throw a flurry of sonic waves at Harrier.

He easily deflects them all, but it distracts him long enough for you to escape.

You hide in one of the trees a good distance from Harrier, giving you ample time to answer your scroll.

"Jaune, what's wrong?"

"(Y/N)! You have to get to the tower, please! You're the only one I know who can get there in time!"

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Pyrrha! She's fighting the woman at the top... you have to save her! Please... please..." His voice is shaky, almost helpless.

You stare forward, eyes sharp. "I will, Jaune. I promise I'll save her."

"Thank you..."

You close your scroll and hop out of the tree. You take a quick look around to see if Harrier's nearby.

Okay, I have enough Aura... barely...

You close your eyes and find yourself flying towards Vale. You circle around the tower, seeing the Dragon rushing towards it. You enter the tower and find a place in the middle of the room. You open your eyes and smile.

"Got it."

"Got you."

A hand rests on your shoulder right as you leap from the forest to the tower. Before you know what's happening, Harrier spins you around and knees your stomach. That's the moment you realize your Aura is gone. He grabs your throat and throws you across the open room. Pyrrha runs in the way and catches you before you go off the edge.

"(Y/N)? What're you doing here?"

You take a moment to take in your surroundings. The clockwork above is gone, most of the walls are gone. Everything is destroyed... and there are four of you here. You, Pyrrha, Harrier, and Cinder. Pyrrha puts you down and returns her gaze to the two opponents before her.

"Jaune sent me... we're tagging out, Pyrrha," you say through the immense pain that your body is feeling. The mark is nearly overwhelming now that your Aura's gone. It feels like its seeping into every cell in your body and twisting it.

You step in front of Pyrrha, one hand holding your blade while the other rests on your face. "I'll handle this... you go."

"What? No, you..."

"GO!" You look back at her.

"How brave," Cinder taunts, hovering beside Harrier. "You don't even have an Aura to fight with... you think you can defeat me?"

"I don't need an Aura for insects like you... I'll tear you apart."

Pyrrha turns her gaze to you now. Your voice... it's different. You're not joking around in the face of danger, trying to lighten the pitch black mood. Something's wrong... and Pyrrha can't leave you. Cinder is strong, Harrier's unstoppable. There's no way you'll come out of this alive if she leaves you. Not that she's in the best position either. Her Aura is nearly gone and her weapon is destroyed. Objectively... you're going to lose.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Weiss and Ruby fight their way past Grimm, frantically looking for their friends. Weiss feels the vibrations in her pocket and grabs the scroll.

"Dior, what is it?"

"Good n-news! Jaune is somehow in V-V-Vale, so he's safe. Pyrrha is at the t-t-top of the tower... (Y/N) is there too."

"He is!" Ruby cheers. "So we can get them both!"

"There are f-four signatures on the tower."

"So there are two other people," Weiss deduces. "Could one of those be Harrier? If so..."

"You need t-t-t-to hurry. (Y/N) has no Aura and Pyrrha is almost out! If they are in b-battle..."

"We'll get to them," Ruby reassures. "Come on, Weiss, we have to go!"

"Right."

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You wince your left eye as the mark burns even brighter. Harrier and Cinder notice it, though Cinder is admittedly surprised. She knows whose mark that is... so why is it on you? Clearly, you're in a weakened state thanks to it so she takes it as a method of killing you easier. She pulls her hand back and shoots a fiery beam at you. Pyrrha pushes you out of the way, landing atop you in case she has to block anything else. Harrier doesn't follow up with anything; merely observing what two of the brightest students will do in such a dire situation.

Pyrrha stands over you, expecting you to get up soon after... you don't. You shake a bit, unable to move your body much.

"I said... go..." You barely manage to say. "I'll handle this..."

"I'm sorry... but I can't follow that order," Pyrrha holds her ground shield up.

She spins around and throws her shield at Cinder, which the Maiden easily knocks away. Harrier chuckles, seeing the large metallic pieces start floating around them. With a flick of her wrist, Pyrrha knocks sends her shield in first to knock Cinder off balance, then drives a piece of metal into her stomach and crushes her against the floor and metal. Pyrrha closes her fist, sending all the metal crashing down on Cinder. Harrier smirks and dashes in at the girl, but you somehow manage to get on your feet and block his attack. You barely manage to hold your ground, legs shaking under the pressure of Harrier's strength. Not to mention the overwhelming pain pulsing from the glowing mark.

"Still got a little left, I see. But not much." Out of the corner of his eye, Harrier sees two colours closing in on the tower: red and white. "Hm..." Harrier grabs your weapon arm and lifts it up, leaving you wide open for his blade to pierce your stomach.

The second it does, Cinder releases a burst of power that knocks all the metal away. All of it passes you and Harrier, but one piece heads straight for Pyrrha. She blocks the initial impact, but it slams her into one of the few pieces of standing concrete... using up what's left of her Aura.

You stare down at the wound, trembling at the somewhat familiar feeling. He pulls the sword out and kicks you across the room. You bounce off the ground once, the impact loosening your grip on Crimson Blaze, and thus releasing the blade, then you collide with one of the leaning metal pieces Pyrrha used.

"I'm disappointed, (Y/N)," Harrier wipes the blood off his sword. "I expected more... but I suppose their hopes were wasted on you." Harrier walks to the edge of the building. "You can finish this, Cinder. I'll deal with the uninvited guests."

Harrier jumps off the tower and falls, wind rushing through his clothes. Anyone else would feel a curling sensation on their stomach... but Harrier does not. It's one of those feelings he lost long ago. He slams into the ground, impact breaking his bones and tearing his muscles for a brief moment before they heal. Weiss and Ruby ready their weapons when they see their new opponent.

"Harrier..?" Ruby mumbles. "Weiss, we-"

"I don't know," Weiss shakes her head. "If he was up there with (Y/N) and Pyrrha, then..."

Harrier doesn't speak to them. Instead, he lifts his sword arm and charges at the two girls.

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Pyrrha looks over at you, bleeding out in the corner. Cinder chuckles as she forms a sword in her hand.

"I think killing you... would be a sort of honour," she says before dashing forward.

Your friend slides in front of you, using her shield to block Cinder's blade. The impact knocks Pyrrha's shield arm to the side... leaving her wide open. Cinder forms a second blade and thrusts it through Pyrrha's chest.

"NO!"

Pyrrha stops... her shield drops, her hands shake. She looks down at the wound, at the blood pooling around it. Cinder keeps her standing in place as she sets her hand on the girl's headpiece.

"A foolish gesture... I wanted to savour both of you, but..." Pyrrha grabs Cinder's arm, trying to pull the blade out but unable to muster the strength to do so. "We all die. My regards to you, Pyrrha Nikos. You were promised a power you never received."

"Pyrrha!" You try to move but your body just can't. The stab wound, the mark, it's all too much. You can only watch as one of your friends helplessly tries to prevent her own death.

"D-Do... you believe... in destiny?" Pyrrha mutters, blood now spilling from her mouth.

"Yes," Cinder bluntly answers before effectively ending the girl.

Pyrrha's entire body up in a golden shade as body turns to dust, taken away by the wind.

"P... Pyrrha..." You barely whisper, body trembling all over.

Cinder drops the girl's headpiece and looks down at you. "Aw, shaken? Let me tell you something even better," she kneels down, placing her hand on your cheek. "She isn't the first I've killed today." You finally look her in the eye. "That fool Ozpin got in my way too. I suppose that's two fathers, correct?"

Your eyes shrink. "Oz...pin?

You no longer see Cinder standing before you, the crumbled Beacon tower. No, now you see Ozpin sitting across the dinner table, smiling as you eat. His hand is placed on your shoulder, his stern look when lecturing you.

"I am your father, after all."

"You're under my protection."

"A safe child is all a parent would want."

"You're my son, blood or not."

His chuckle echoes through your mind, every single time he's found you amusing... every time he smiled with pride.

Cinder triumphantly smiles at the fact you're completely gone. Your eyes are glazed over, your body is frail. The only thing left is to kill you.

He now stands before you, cane planted between his legs. He smiles at you... but that smile fades along with him. He turns to dust, and behind him is Pyrrha. She smiles, waving at you... but her body changes, shifts to one standing before you as a sword is rammed through her... and she's gone. These thoughts, they bring you back to your father protecting you. Killed by Harrier... your mother, killed by Harrier... Cinder and Harrier killed those you care about... the people you wanted to protect.

"But why stop there?" Her voice somehow reaches your ears. "Before I leave I may as well pay some more people a visit. Perhaps the teacher, Glynda?" She appears in this shadowy place surrounding you... and then disappears just as quickly. "Or maybe even that little Ruby Rose."

Cinder pulls the arrow back, aiming right for your head.

They appear again... your father, smiling at you. He slowly starts turning to ash from the left, and at a certain point, he changes to your mother. Still disintegrating, it shifts to Glynda, to Ozpin, to Pyrrha, and finally Ruby... then they're all gone.

THUNK

This is part one. There will be a part two. I don't really have much to say until then. I hope you all enjoyed! Like, really. I had a lot of fun writing this so I hope you had as much fun reading. I know there are changes but... I mean, I've said I'll make changes since the beginning. We all knew the BoB would go differently with ORKD, Slater, Dylan, and Harrier there. But next chapter... oh boy, next chapter. Are there some things being revealed in the next chapter that I've been building up to. So... well, I'll see you next chapter. It'll probably come out soon after this one. It'll probably be shorter, but whatever. See you next time!

Oh! If you don't follow me on Twitter you'd at least want to check something out! I released a little teaser picture that shows off the mark! Well, it's not fully detailed, obviously. If you looked up Salem's symbol and all the little goddamn lines it has... well, I wouldn't want to draw that so I sure as hell didn't ask him. Anyway, it might be something you're interested in. I post pretty much all fan art I receive there (unless I forget cause that does happen from time to time). So if you have some neat drawings or want to see some then head there! I honestly love seeing peoples' interpretations of my characters. It's just so awesome. Anyway, NOW I'm going. Bye. See you soon. I'm almost done with the next chapter, promise. Might be lying though.

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

I recently revamped my Patreon to include a few more rewards with a steadier donation price. Things like one-shots, short stories, and full stories are a thing now! Plus there's a Discord reward for a dollar, so that's sort of neat. You can check it out yourself if you're interested. It's completely optional, of course! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan

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

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

Extra special thanks to Ride The Lightning!

And finally, thank you to the Beta Reader: Golden    

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