(3rd Person POV)

It was nighttime at a forest clearing. A Mistral airship was landing. The doors opened, revealing its occupant as Neopolitan, who dropped her disguise and was revealed to be wearing a new outfit. 

She looked to see someone step out of the forest, revealed to be Cinder Fall also sporting some new clothes: a cape which concealed her Grimm-ified left arm as well as an eyepatch that covered the left half of her scarred face. She stopped to inspect the airship.

Cinder: It should get us to Solitas. After that, you might want to try materializing yourself some snow boots.

She continued walking.

Neo rolled her eyes at Cinder's remark. She stepped out of the airship and held her hand out, and Cinder stopped walking and had an irritated look on her face. 

Neo then placed her hand on the airship and used her semblance to transform it into an Atlesian Manta aircraft. Cinder smiled at this. She then retracted the disguise and snapped her fingers with a smirk on her face.

Cinder: You know, Neo, someone once asked me if I believed in destiny.

The two of them boarded the airship.

Cinder: And I'm happy to say I still do.

The two smiled evilly as the airship's door closed.

(Your POV)

You ran through the forest seen, a pain racing through your head, only to disappear a moment later.

You bounded around a tree, using your axe to gain momentum, when you stopped, looking around.

The world had disappeared around you, replacing it with some hellish landscape. 

A harsh bright sky was covered in grey, sickly clouds, casting much of the area in darkness. Giant mountains of rock sprouted from the ground, almost seeming to be pillars that leaned in all different directions, skeletons popping from under them and around them.

Purple lightning flashed through the sky, smashing and breaking the dark grey ground, covered in sharp rocks and glass, that crunched as you stepped over them.

The temperature seemed to fluctuate between searing hot, and freezing cold in an instant.

You looked up into the sky at the harsh light that passed through the clouds, and then around once again.

(Y/N): Where am I?

Suddenly you heard a growl, followed my moans, and turned to see a black and purple colored wolf, followed by human-like creatures, the same color scheme.

You held your axe in front of you, extending your wrist blade as you studied the creatures, ready to fight.

(3rd Person POV)

Back in Argus, multiple Manta aircraft engaged in dogfights against Manticores and Sphinxes above the ocean. The Leviathan itself slowly trudged through the water approaching the city. 

Some aircraft flew by for a gun run on the towering Grimm. The Leviathan, however, simply dived below the ocean and swam.

Air Control: All units, be advised: Leviathan-class Grimm has submerged but is still on approach. Preparing hard-light shields, over!

Elsewhere, Ruby and her friends overheard the radio chatter with looks of horror on their faces. Caroline Cordovin continued to struggle to get the Colossus' arm cannon out of the water with it being covered in ice and rock Dust.

Manta Two-Two: We're getting slammed by hostiles out here! Where is Cordovin?

Cordovin: This is your fault! Do you hear me?

Yang: Ruby!

Yang and Blake were seen running out of the forest to rejoin the group.

Ruby: Yang! Blake! Are you okay?

Yang and Blake noticed the disabled mech.

Blake: What happened?

The group then heard the Leviathan roaring.

Yang: Was that a giant Grimm?

Weiss: Yes... and we just ruined the only thing capable of stopping it...

The group wasted no time boarding the aircraft. It began to fly away. Ruby watched with pity as Cordovin continued to struggle to move the mech. Cordovin herself yelled out in anger.

Cordovin: This is your fault! YOUR FAULT! This is... 

Finally, she relented, giving up, as another soldier called over the radio.

Soldier: Ma'am, what's your status? We need an answer, over!

Cordovin: Your fault...

She looked down sadly.

Blake: I'm so sorry...

Yang: Don't be. This isn't on you.

Blake: But...

Ruby: You're safe, that's all that matters.

Blake smiled at her leader and the two hugged. Ruby looked to Yang and the two shared a smile.

Maria: I suppose I have to be the bad guy and say it, getting the lamp to Atlas is still our top priority, and right now we have the perfect opportunity to head straight for it. We may not get another chance like this.

Yang: No way!

Weiss: We can't leave, not like this.

Blake: It's like you said, a Huntress is supposed to protect others to the bitter end.

Maria looked to Ruby, who just shrugged and smiled. Maria smiled back and continued to fly.

Ruby: We need to head for the Leviathan. Jaune, can you and Ren be ready to mask our ship?

Ren: I think we can manage.

Jaune: Got a few ideas?

Ruby: I've got one.

Qrow: Eyes up, everybody. It's back.

The Leviathan swam for a bit before resurfacing above the water, letting out a terrifying roar.

Manta Three-Four: Argus Base, this is Manta 3-4! Leviathan has hit the shallows and resurfaced! We need those shields up now, over!

From the city, a large crowd gathered as they looked out to the ocean with concern. Terra Cotta-Arc was making her way through the crowd, eventually reuniting with her wife Saphron and their son Adrian, before looking out to the ocean again in concern. As the Leviathan approached Argus, a hard-light Dust barrier was erected, halting its progress.

Manta Two-One: Target stopped! Engaging, over!

A pair of Manta aircraft were firing shots at the Leviathan. Suddenly, the Leviathan unleashed an energy beam attack from its mouth. It shifted the beam over to one of the poles powering the hard-light Dust barrier, destroying it. The Leviathan roared.

Ruby and her friends watched in horror from their aircraft.

Oscar: It tore straight through...!

Air Control: All squadrons, fall back to evacuation procedures. Disengage Leviathan! I repeat, disengage! Over!

Ruby: No, wait!

Ruby ran up to the radio.

Qrow: Ruby!

Ruby: We can stop it!

Air Control: Who is this? Identify yourself!

Ruby: I'm a Huntress. My team and I are heading to the Leviathan and can weaken it for you to attack!

Everyone looked at Ruby in shock.

Jaune: We can?

Ruby: I can.

Maria: Ruby, when I said "trial by fire"--

Ruby: I did it at Beacon and at the farm.

Weiss: You really think you can do it now?

Ruby: I don't have a choice.

Air Control: Manta 5-1, your ship is currently flagged as hostile. You will receive no support, over.

Ruby picked up the radio.

Ruby: Fine, we'll do it alone if we have to.

From her mech, Cordovin overheard Ruby's radio chatter.

Ruby: We can hit it while it's stopped at the next barrier. Ren, you're up!

Ren and Jaune proceeded to combine their semblances, masking the airship as it weaved between the air battles between Grimm and Atlas forces. The Leviathan made its way to the next barrier and charged its energy breath again.

Qrow: We're too late! Pull up!

The Manta aircraft pulled up out of the way as the Leviathan fired its breath, destroying the next barrier and toppling a cupola off one of the buildings in Argus. Ren and Jaune collapsed as their auras were drained.

Jaune: Damn it...!

Ren: That's all I've got!

Blake: It's on the move again! We need to stop it!

Yang: What do we do?

Ruby thought for a moment, before looking to Weiss.

The Leviathan continued to approach Argus, but suddenly, the aircraft carrying Ruby's group opened up its hatch doors.

Nora: Eyes on us, ugly!

Nora and Yang fired their respective weapons at the Leviathan.

Blake: Is it working?

Maria: Unfortunately, yes! Hang on!

Blake ran over to Weiss, who was maintaining a Glyph she activated. Ruby was riding on the back of Weiss' Queen Lancer summoning, talking to herself.

Ruby: Okay, okay, you can do this... You have to do this!

Eventually, Ruby stopped in front of the Leviathan. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate, the noises all around her slowly muting out.

Yang: Ruby? Ruby, hurry, something--

Ruby took out her earpiece and tossed it into the water below. She closed her eyes again to concentrate. As she concentrated, Ruby thinks back on various memories:

She thought of her father and sister, when Zwei first arrived at Team RWBY's dorm room, when she and her team were about to start a food fight, and when they got noodles after their victory in the tournament.

She then thought of Penny Polendina, then to when she first saw Jaune, of Team JNPR, of Pyrrha...

Suddenly, Ruby started to frown as bad memories started to flood her mind: the night when Jaune trained alone with a recording of Pyrrha, when she saw her friends wounded as Beacon was being evacuated, when Yang sank into depression over the loss of her arm, when (Y/N) refused to talk to her, when he shut himself off from her.

Ruby whimpered upon remembering the deaths of both Pyrrha and Penny...

Suddenly, Ruby opened her eyes again and noticed the Leviathan standing face to face with her.

Ruby: What?

Yang: Why'd it turn away?

Ruby then remembered she had the Relic of Knowledge on her belt, which caused the Leviathan to have its attention on her.

Ruby: No, no, no, no!

Suddenly, the Leviathan opened its maw and lunged toward Ruby, who simply reeled back.

Ruby: J--JINN!

(Your POV)

You looked towards the creatures as they came closer to you, putting away your weapons of the past, before pausing...

You threw your axe onto the ground, before turning to your wrist, ripping off the device, blood dripping from your arm. You dropped the device to the ground, closing your eyes as you walked forward.

(Y/N): Forget the past...

You summoned a two-handed sword, flicking it to the side as you continued to approach the monsters.

(Y/N): Don't worry about the future...

You opened your eyes once again, watching as the human-like creatures approached you and leapt into the air at you.

(Y/N): You won't be able to after this.

(3rd Person POV)

Suddenly, time stopped. Everything slowed down and froze, even Yang who called out her sister's name.

Yang: Ruby!

Ruby then breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the rattling chains of Jinn.

Ruby: I'm sorry... I don't have a question for you. I just... I just needed a little more time...

Ruby looked to Jinn, who had a stern look on her face.

Jinn: I know... and while you don't seek knowledge, just this once, I shall give it freely. I will not allow you to use me without a question again... Even if this was clever.

Ruby nodded at Jinn. She then turned to face the Leviathan again and closed her eyes to concentrate once more. Time slowly started to go back to normal.

She thought back to when Team RWBY decorated their dorm room, when Weiss gave her coffee, when Blake cheered for Weiss in Professor Port's class, when Yang was training her before leaving for Beacon, when Team RWBY celebrated their victory after saving Vale.

Ruby smiled as she thought back to the Beacon Dance and Team JNPR again, and then to when Qrow arrived at Beacon, to talking with Oscar, and then to Maria, and to Penny again...

She then thought back to (Y/N), the odd sensation she felt around him, the odd sense that he seemed... familiar.

But she thought of the time they spent together, not the romantic moments, but how they existed in each other's presence, letting the rest of the world slip away. She didn't think back to the kiss, but instead to the moments after where they relaxed together, content to be with each other, in their own time, in the present.

(Your POV)

You thought back to Ruby, crouching down as you launched forward, spinning around to gain momentum, before slicing through the creatures, launching them away. 

You stood up, slicing through a creature, slamming another into the ground with the flat edge of your blade, cutting another into the air. You leapt into the air, slamming the blade into the ground, creating a blast of fire that launched towards the wolf, only to be blocked by a swipe of its claw.

Two shot beams of electricity shot towards you, only to be caught on the flat of your blade. You then threw your blade towards the creatures, slamming into the ground, only a short distance from the creatures.

You then leapt into the air, launching towards the blade, as you landed on the hilt, causing it to spin in the air, as it ripped up the ground. You punched one of the creatures, and then another, before you ducked under another slash, kicking it away, your back turned away from it.

You leapt into the air, drop kicking a creature, before swinging around, slamming your foot into the side of another's head, now catching your blade, as you ducked under a bolt of lightning.

You then leapt into the air, the two beams of electricity following you into the air, as you made your way further and further from the two wolves.

You swung through the blade of electricity, catching it on the flat of your blade as it arced along your weapon. You hurled downwards, slamming your blade into the ground, before grabbing it, and swinging the blade behind you, decapitating the two creatures, their body's falling to the ground.

You let the blade disperse, looking around, still trying to figure out what was going on.

You suddenly felt a hand grab your leg and looked down to see one of the creatures looking up at you. You studied it a moment longer before realizing what it was.

Demonic: Everything is not as it seems... Memories can be... doctored...

With that the creature fell to the ground, dissolving as it made contact.

You looked up and around, studying the environment, and when you turned around once more, you found yourself in the forest again.

You took a deep breath, and continued forward.

(3rd Person POV)

And finally, Ruby thought back to her mother, her white cloak blowing in the wind as she overlooked a cliff watching a sunset. She then turned around, offering a warm smile. Her own silver eyes reflect back to her daughter's...

Ruby's own eyes then shone bright, the brightest it had ever been. A massive white light engulfed the area, turning the Leviathan to stone. 

The citizens of Argus and the Atlas military cheered as the Grimm threat had been nullified. Ruby's friends gave proud smiles and Maria breathed a sigh of relief.

The light retracted back into Ruby's eyes, and she turned around to look at the city of Argus still standing. Suddenly, Ruby heard a stone crackling behind her. The Leviathan's head managed to move and tried to aim at Ruby.

Ruby: No...

Cordovin: I'll take it from here!

Suddenly, Cordovin showed up in the Colossus, its arm cannon now detached. Everyone looked in shock. Without the weight of the cannon, the Colossus began to run toward the semi-petrified Leviathan.

Cordovin: After all, I was sworn to protect the people!

The Colossus' left hand then transformed into a giant drill. Cordovin used the drill to destroy the Leviathan, causing it to dissipate. The people of Argus cheered while the Arc family looked on with stupefied expressions.

The Colossus then walked over to Ruby. Its cockpit opened up revealing Cordovin herself standing in a stern military manner.

Ruby: Thank you. And... I'm sorry.

Cordovin: The Atlas military can handle the stragglers.

Ruby: What, uh... What are you saying?

Cordovin: I'm saying I don't think anyone would notice if one more ship went missing in my lengthy report.

Ruby smiled back at Cordovin, who then turned the mech around and ran off to join her men in taking down the remaining Grimm.

(Your POV)

The airship you, Ruby and the rest of your friends were in, flew through the night sky.

Maria: We should have just enough fuel to make it.

Ruby: Thanks, Miss Calavera.

Qrow: Hey, Ruby. You did great out there today, kid. Just don't go giving me heart attacks like that again.

Qrow was about to take a drink from his flask, but ultimately decided not to. Ruby hugged her uncle.

Ruby: I love you, too.

Qrow smiled at his niece as she walked away to join the rest of her friends, you still thinking about the encounter from earlier.

Maria: You weren't half bad yourself today, Qrow.

Qrow: I feel like they did all the heavy lifting.

Maria: But you were there to help when they asked for it, and you were there to catch them when they fell. Literally, if I recall.

Qrow: Thanks. You know, it was pretty incredible getting to see the Grimm Reaper in action.

Maria: Ha, you should have seen me when I was your age!

Qrow smiled as the two of them looked out the cockpit's window to the night sky.

In the back of the aircraft, Weiss, Blake and Yang sat together.

Weiss: I'm sorry you went through that nightmare. But, I'm glad Yang was there for you in time.

Blake and Yang smiled before the latter took the cat Faunus' hand.

Yang: We were there for each other.

Nora: Took the words right out of my mouth.

Everyone then looked to Ruby.

Ruby: Hey, stop it!

Ren: You petrified a Leviathan... after diving down the barrel of a cannon!

Ruby: Don't act like you all haven't done crazy stuff before! I mean, Oscar made a successful crash landing! He's a fourteen-year-old farm hand!

Jaune: That was seriously impressive.

Blake: We'd have been stranded without you.

Oscar: I... thanks, but... I've been meaning to tell you guys... I didn't land the ship on my own.

Oscar thought back to when the airship was about to crash land.

Oscar: We're gonna crash! We're gonna CRASH!

Ozpin: Stay calm, it's going to be okay.

Nora: Ozpin took control?

Oscar: No, he guided me... And then he was gone again...

Yang: Does that mean he's been watching us this whole time?

Oscar: I don't know, but... it at least means he was looking out for us.

Everyone pondered this revelation before Qrow spoke up.

Qrow: Hey, if you've never seen Atlas in person before, you don't wanna miss this.

(3rd Person POV)

Ruby and her friends walked up to the cockpit window, the former looking back to (Y/N), who only looked down at his hands, before walking to the cockpit.

Ruby: Is it weird that I'm sorta nervous?

Yang: No, I'll believe we've made it to Atlas when I see it.

Weiss: Well... believe it.

The airship came out of the clouds, and the floating city of Atlas was coming into view.

Nora: Wow!

Maria: You know, you make the trip up to Atlas over and over, but you never get used to that view.

Her prosthetic eyes started to act up again.

Maria: Oh, come on!

Weiss leaned forward and had a nervous look on her face. Ruby noticed this.

Ruby: Weiss, what is it?

Everyone looked up, and noticed above the city of Atlas many Atlas Airships.

Weiss: The Atlas air fleet... I knew all of our ships were called back, but...

Qrow: They're set up like they're expecting an attack...

Suddenly, the radio turned on.

Atlas Air Control: Manta 5-1, welcome home...

(Y/N): It's Ironwood...

Everyone turned back to (Y/N) who had walked through, looking at the fleet.

(Y/N): I know a way through, but they'll know we're coming once we ditch the ship. We'll have to be fast and distance ourselves.

(3rd Person POV)

In the Land of Darkness, Mercury was looking out the window in the meeting room. Emerald then walked in.

Emerald: Mercury, I wanted to...

Suddenly, she noticed Mercury's face had an expression of horror as he looked out the window. Emerald looked to where he was looking.

Emerald: What is she doing?

A Beringel was crawling out of one of the black, tar-like pits, with Salem herself standing close by. She then used her magic as Nevermore wings suddenly sprouted from the back of the Beringel. The Beringel got used to its new appendages, before flying up to join many other Beringels also grafted with wings. Emerald and Mercury continued to watch in horror.

Hazel: There's an old saying.

The two notice Hazel enter the room and stand next to them.

Hazel: If you want something done right... do it yourself.

Salem looked up to the army of Grimm she had gathered, before turning around and using her magic on the black pools again.

Renata woke up, gasping as she looked around.

She saw a basic home, two beds in a wooden house. 

She stepped outside, wrapping a cloak around her. She looked at the sprawling mountains with the sun shining down on the little area around her.

She pushed through the rows of crops, to see Aloysius sitting down.

Renata: Aloysius. 

He said nothing, looking away from her and at the scenery, sighing.

Aloysius: Are you well?

She nodded, sitting down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Renata: Are you yourself again?

He nodded.

Aloysius: There is no use hiding anymore. The arrogation of mankind will come to fruition, or will fall. The time has come to stop hiding, and to start preparing for the end.

The pair said nothing more, looking at the scene, Renata feeling his hand over hers.

After a while, Aloysius gently stood up, walking away from her, creating a portal to the land of the Demonic.

Aloysius: Rest and be well.

With that he stepped into it, falling through the portal, it closing behind him.

Renata looked down at her hand to see the golden amulet, shining, clear, beautiful...

Until next time!