Well, here we are, guys. The big finale! I hope that you've enjoyed the story this far, and I hope the ending lives up to your expectations just as much. (:

Chapter 18: ...Must Come Down

"Neo?" Weiss asked in a mix of surprise and confusion as the girl approached. "I don't understand. How did you survive the train?"

Neo stopped a few yards from them and shrugged, "I can teleport. Not a scratch on me."

"For now," Blake growled, getting ready to fight. She and Weiss didn't have their weapons, but that wasn't going to stop them from trying. Weiss nodded along with her and got into her combat stance, preparing herself to use her glyphs as best she could.

"Whoa, whoa, wait! I'm not here to fight you! I promise! I just wanna talk to you!"

"What? Why?" Weiss asked, not flinching from her position.

Neo shook her head, "I know about Mercury. Emerald does too. Cinder still trusts him for whatever reason, but Em and I have no intention of going down with her. Long story short, we're both willing to give up any information we have and help however we can if it means we don't go to jail. Em, you can come out now!"

Emerald slowly poked her head out from around the corner of the alley, and shyly walked up beside Neo. "Hey," she muttered, knowing exactly the greeting she was about to receive.

"YOU!" Weiss hissed. "I should call the police right now after what you did. What makes you think we'd ever be willing to help you? Either of you."

Neo frowned, "Please give us a chance. All we want is to talk to Ozpin. You two don't have to do anything at all apart from letting them know what I just said."

"Not a chance," Blake spat back, just as upset as Weiss. "Emerald KILLED Penny. I don't give a fuck if it wasn't directly, and don't even bother trying to say it was an accident. My friend died because of you, and my team leader is heartbroken over it. Weiss, call the cops."

"NO!" Emerald yelled in fear as she watched Weiss reach for her scroll.

"Wait, just let us explain ourselves," Neo begged. "Look, we both came unarmed!"

Weiss narrowed her eyes, but did stop herself while she was dialing, "Why should we? If you hadn't opened with just wanting to save your own ass and stay out of prison, then I might be more sympathetic. You could've opened with an apology after all that you've caused, but you didn't! And as for you, Emerald, there's nothing you can tell me that'll stop me. You're a murderer. How can you possibly defend yourself after what you've done for Cinder?"

"I didn't want to help her," Emerald weakly replied, looking down at her feet. "I know how I must look to you, but this isn't the real me. I grew up as an orphan, living on the street. I had to beg and use my semblance to steal just to stay alive... I didn't like doing it, and I usually only stole enough to get by, but I had to. Cinder saw me steal a ring one day, and told me I'd never go hungry again if I came and worked for her. I just... I couldn't say no. For the record, I've never liked what she's been having me do, but... I never thought it'd escalate to this. I'm sorry, I really am. I'm sorry about Penny. I know it was wrong, and I should've stopped myself, but I couldn't go back to living in the street. You don't know how hard it is growing up like that, sleeping in the gutter and hoping that you'll find enough tomorrow to live another day."

'Son of a bitch,' Blake angrily thought. 'She had to have the one backstory I can relate to, didn't she? Ugh... I wouldn't feel right about condemning her if she's telling the truth. I've done my fair share of horrible things too... God damn it...'

She sighed, not looking very happy with herself, "Yes, I actually do know that's like... I'm... I'm sorry you had to live like that. I know what it can make you turn to. That doesn't excuse what you've done, but I understand. I have a question, though. What do you plan on doing afterward if Ironwood clears your name?"

"Well... I guess I don't really know. But I'll stay clean, I swear I will. I know it's a stretch, but do you think Ironwood or Ozpin would be willing to help me find a job somewhere? Nothing fancy, just something I can jump in fast and make enough to keep a roof over my head. I'll figure things out from there on my own."

There was a short pause while Blake and Weiss though things over. It was clear that Blake wanted to believe her, at least for now, so it was mostly up to Weiss to decide what they'd be doing. The heiress looked just as conflicted as her girlfriend, but she seemed like she was coming around. Blake's reassuring smile was always enough for her.

Weiss finally nodded, "Alright, we'll take you back to see Ozpin. And don't worry about work, I'll find you a job. I have enough pull in this city to get you in somewhere and find you an apartment. That is, if Ozpin decides to trust you. What about you, Neo?"

"Same thing, I guess," Neo replied, her and Emerald's faces both lighting up. "My story is pretty close to Emeralds. Em, do you think that you, me, and Merc could get along if we all shared a one-bedroom apartment? No reason to split up yet if we can all pitch in until we figure out what the fuck to do with ourselves."

"I'm sure we could," Emerald chuckled, then looked back up at Weiss and Blake with hopeful eyes. "So... you'll help us talk to Ozpin?"

Blake and Weiss exchanged a glance, but they both already knew what they were going to say. Blake smiled, "Yeah, we'll take you. Let's go."

It was an awkward flight back, but it wasn't the most awkward thing that they'd been through this semester. The four girls idly chatted until they landed back on campus, and Weiss and Blake were starting to get the idea that their possible ex-enemies were acting genuine. They could see how open and friendly Neo and Emerald were being, and nothing that was said set off any alarms in their heads. It reminded Weiss of how Mercury talked to her after he defected, which helped their case even more.

The heiress made a call to Ozpin once they were off the ship, letting him know that they were on their way and why. When the girls arrived in his office, the headmaster was ready and waiting for them, along with General Ironwood, Professor Goodwitch, and Qrow.

"Here we go," Neo nervously whispered to herself, but Weiss still heard her.

Ozpin smiled as they approached, "Good afternoon, ladies. This is a wonderful stroke of luck to have with the end of tournament drawing close."

Emerald let out a deep breath, "Yeah, you could say that. So uh... what happens now?"

"Now?" Qrow asked. "Now we talk, or more precisely, you talk. If we like what you say, you might just earn yourself a 'Get out of jail free' card. Not likely, but hey, we'll see."

Ironwood nodded in agreement, "Weiss, Blake, thank you for bringing them here. You're free to leave. For the moment, I'd prefer as few people to know what we plan on doing as possible."

The girls didn't hesitate to head out, and quickly made their way back to the elevator. This had been a rather lengthy delay to their afternoon plans, but it felt good nonetheless. As the elevator doors closed, they could both see Emerald and Neo smiling at them with the most grateful expressions either girl had ever seen, and Neo even mouthed the words "Thank you."

Blake chuckled as they started their way down, "What the hell did we get ourselves into?"

"Too much," Weiss groaned. "But, it's whatever. Now, let's get back to town as fast as possible. We aren't gonna have time for everything I had planned, so I wanna make sure I take you shopping. We're going to the same section of town as our first date, but this time I'm not only taking you somewhere even pricier, but this time you won't have your bow. Ready to turn some heads in the best ways possible?"

"You bet," Blake grinned, and they darted off back toward the docks.

The rest of their free time was spent exactly as Weiss had planned, dragging Blake through every store she could think of. The looks the staff gave them were as priceless as they had hoped for them to be, but nobody dared to comment. They knew that Weiss could have them fired in an instant, and that was more than enough to have them be polite and stay out of the girl's way.

'I hate that this is so much fun,' Blake thought with a smile. 'But, if you can piss people off just by existing, you might as well own it.'

They didn't buy anything at the first few stores, but after a break to get dinner, Weiss decided on a few things she wanted Blake to have in the final store she had on her list. Among them were a few designer shirts and jackets, some lingerie that was more Blake's idea than hers, and a stunning black dress that she'd found. Blake had been hesitant to try the dress on since she knew it would be pricey, but once she saw herself in it, there was no way she was going to leave it here.

They arrived at the front of the store to check out, and that was the first time that Blake was able to see just how expensive this store was. She cringed at the numbers stacking up on the register as her clothes were swiped through, but those were only the small items. The dress was very carefully folded and packaged, and when the price was rung up, she gasped out loud and had to cover her mouth with her hands.

"Holy shit, Weiss," she said in shock. "There's no way you can spend that much money on me!"

Weiss gave her a smug grin as she handed the cashier her credit card, "I can, and I will."

"Weiss, I'd be uncomfortable spending that much on my wedding dress, let alone a dress that we just happened across while shopping."

"Just you wait," Weiss giggled, "I can't wait to see your face when I show you the budget I have for a wedding."

Blake blushed and helped take the bags as the two left the store, "A wedding? Don't you mean our wedding?"

Weiss looked up at her with a shy smile, blushing just as hard. "Well, I hope so," she beamed. "One of us has to propose for that to happen, though, and we should probably wait a little longer on that."

"I guess, but that means that you'd better sweep me off my feet when you finally do."

"Wait, why do I have to do it?" the heiress asked. "I asked you out, twice, so I think this is on you. Besides, I- SON OF A BITCH! Blake, look at the time! Matches start in half an hour!"

The girls hurried back to campus and dropped off their bags in their down before sprinting to the shuttles. They were completely out of breath when they took their seats with Ruby and team CMEN, but they had made just as the first semifinals match was about to start. Blake sat on Mercury's left, who was sitting next to Cinder. Microphones had proved to be too clunky, and she had been the one designated to listen on them and relay what they said back to her team, Ozpin and Ironwood.

"Predictions?" Ruby asked, looking down the row. "My money's on Yang, but not just because she's my sister."

Cinder shrugged, "Well, I'll have to see who her opponent is before I make any judgments."

"And the opponent is?" Mercury asked in a whisper, just loud enough for Blake to hear.

"Shadow. Did you plant the shell in her reserve ammunition like I asked you to?" she whispered back, getting a nod in return. "Excellent. Not that I thought you'd fail, but I also planted one while she was in the locker room. I just like to be safe."

'Shell?' Blake typed into the group chat she shared with her team, Mercury, and Ozpin.

Mercury typed back, 'Ozpin didn't tell you? She had me plant a shell in Yang's reserves that'll explode when it goes off. I didn't, naturally, but I had to be careful. Cinder's got close eyes on me now. Not even Yang knew. That said, I was afraid of this happening.'

The randomiser landed on Yang and Shadow, and the two stepped into the ring. They grinned when they saw each other, and shook each other's hands as if there'd been nothing between them. Yang looked very happy to have her chance to beat up Shadow after her pregnancy scare, but her teammates didn't look as enthused. They all looked on in horror until Ruby noticed something.

"Hey, Yang doesn't have her ammo pouch," the redhead pointed out, drawing the rest of the row's attention to it. "SIS, YOU FORGOT YOUR AMMO! SIS!"

Ruby knew that Yang wouldn't be able to hear her, but the yelling was mostly so that Cinder wouldn't suspect it being them. In truth, it wasn't and the confused looks on all of their faces was genuine, even Mercury's. Granted they were relieved to see it, but it made no sense that Yang would forget like that. "What the fuck?" he said out loud, not sure what had happened.

"Unbelievable," Cinder hissed under her breath.

The match got underway, and Yang was at a very clear disadvantage from the start. With Shadow being able to turn invisible to her, she was taking a heavy beating.

"We're seeing Mister Sonic's semblance in action here," Professor Port announced. "While all of us watching may be able to see him, his selective invisibility means that Yang has no idea where he is."

Oobleck nodded, "Indeed, however, he can't maintain that forever. As you can see by the scoreboard, his aura is steadily depleting from its continued use. The longer he stays invisible, the faster it will drain."

Yang did her best to go on sound and try to block and duck out of the way of Shadow's attacks, but a sizable amount were making contact. Her aura was depleting faster than his, and she needed some way to fight back until he had to reveal himself. Fire crackled around her as her eyes turned red, and she slammed her fist into the ground, creating a massive shockwave of fire that launched Shadow a few feet back. His aura was too low to stay invisible now, so they were on equal terms for the moment.

Yang charged in and landed a very heavy series of hits, sending him just one aura point away from being eliminated. She used the last of the ammo in her gauntlets and reached for her reserves, but gasped when she realised that they weren't there. She scanned the platform in a panic to see if they'd fallen off, but they were nowhere to be seen. She turned back to Shadow with a determined look, smiling at the fact that she'd have to win by beating him with just her bare hands.

"And that's the match!" Port announced as Shadow was plastered against the protective barrier around the arena. "Miss Xiao Long is our first finalist! Mister Sonic isn't out yet, though, as he'll be competing in a match for third place. That match will be held before the finals, after our next semifinals match."

Oobleck continued, "By default, our last semifinals match will be between Pyrrha Nikos and Sun Wukong. And that match will be taking place... RIGHT NOW!"

The crowd cheered as the new participants entered the stage. Blake's scroll went off just as she was about to join in, and saw that she had a message from Qrow that was sent specifically to her, Weiss, and Ruby.

'You need to see this,' she read, seeing that there was a video attached to the message. 'I'm not gonna show Yang until after her finals match. I don't want her to get too distracted by it.'

She opened the video, and watched intently. It was security footage of Yang exiting the locker room before her match. Nothing looked out of place, except that she still had her ammo reserves as she approached the door. The door adjacent to the one she was exiting suddenly cracked open, and Raven was clearly seen swiping the reserve pouch just as Yang's head was through the door and couldn't see her.

'OH MY GOD!' Ruby typed back, making Weiss and Blake snicker a bit as they looked over to her.

Weiss started typing as well, 'Interesting. At least she's safe, and that's what matters most.'

"Ready… Begin!" Port called out, promptly bringing everyone's attention back to the arena.

As the fight began, the massive difference in the competitor's combat styles was very apparent. Pyrrha was calculated, swift, fluid, making precise strikes and movements while gracefully blocking and dodging. Sun, on the other hand, was much more of a street fighter. He moved with purpose, but wasn't overly flashy or showing proper technique. His style was act on the fly, do what needed to be done, and take whatever advantage he could find.

"This should be interesting," Cinder chuckled under her breath, but loud enough for Mercury to hear.

He leaned toward her, "Oh? And why is that?"

"Because I may have loosened a few screws in the monkey boy's guns. That staff won't hold up as well as he thinks it will in another few blows, and his aura should be low enough by then that whatever attack goes through will rack up another point on Pyrrha's kill count."

Team RWBY looked on in terror once the news was relayed to them, but there was nothing they could do at this point. They cringed at every successful blow that Sun blocked, dreading that that would be the one. The scoreboard showed Sun's aura slowly dropping off as the fight went on, and once it reached the thirty-percent mark, the girls were about to intervene where it would give them away or not. Ozpin told them to hold firm and not act, but none of them could understand why.

Pyrrha was on the offensive again, making attack after attack on Sun. He was having no trouble evading her and parrying with his staff, but then, it finally happened. Pyrrha swung across his chest with decent momentum, and the force of her sword was too much for Sun's weakened weapon to handle. It shattered, giving way and letting her continue through, but there was one thing Cinder hadn't counted on. After her patch with Penny, Pyrrha was being cautious, overly cautious. She swung through, and the tip of her sword broke the skin around Sun's ribs, but she instantly noticed what had happened and jumped back before she did any damage.

"What an unfortunate end to the match," Oobleck said, shaking his head in the booth as Sun put up his hands and surrendered the match. "But, these things happen. Hopefully Mister Wukong will be able to repair his staff in time for his third place match."

Professor Port nodded, "I certainly hope so. We'll be taking a thirty-minute break now, after which the final two rounds of the tournament will take place."

'That's why,' Ozpin sent to the girls.

Mercury shook his head, still looking at Cinder, "Ya know, you really should've had Yang fight Sun if that's what you were planning. She probably wouldn't notice the weapon failure and hit just as hard through it. So what's the plan for the finals match? Inject Yang with iron or something so Pyrrha's semblance will tear her apart like Penny?"

"Shut up," Cinder mumbled. "That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard. And I don't know... Let's go. We need to think of something, or else Neo and Roman destroying the fleet of airships won't be enough."

"Shouldn't she be on the ship then instead of sitting here with us?"

Cinder turned to him with a furious glare, "Don't question me." She stood up, stretched, and turned to her teammates. "I think I we could go for a snack right now."

Blake nodded, "I think we all could. Those were some insane matches."

Cinder cursed under her breath for her inclusive choice of words, but it was a little too late now to take it back. They made their way from their seats to the hallway, and stood for a moment to wait for Yang to get back. Cinder didn't look pleased since this was a perfect opportunity to get away for a moment, but Mercury insisted on saying congratulations to his girlfriend. Blake finally spotted her coming from the lower deck, and the rest of her teammates and Mercury ran over to give her a hug.

"I'M SO PROUD OF YOU, SIS!" Ruby cheered. "Do you think you can beat Pyrrha?"

Yang blushed from the attention and shrugged, although the tight embrace made it hard to notice, "I dunno, she's pretty good. It'll be a tough match."

"I've got faith in you," Mercury smiled, weaving through the group hug to give Yang a kiss.

Cinder cleared her throat to reminding him of what he was supposed to be doing, and after a little more banter, the two teams got in line for the snack bar. It was an incredibly long line right now since it was the break before the finals, and Cinder tried to use that to her advantage. She mostly resorted to texting between her teammates, which only made it easier to Mercury to relay it back. He did his best to stall and pick apart her suggestions, with Emerald and Neo helping him to do so, and they kept her from making any significant plans.

The group got their snacks and drinks and started back toward the seating area, but they were stopped before they got half way. Ozpin, Ironwood, Glynda, and Qrow stood waiting in the centre of a rather dull section of the walkway with no shops on either side. Weiss couldn't help but smile, but there was also a twinge of fear at how this could all go down. Everyone but Cinder knew what was about to happen, and as they were halted by the general, they all kept a close eye on her reaction.

"Hello, Cinder," Ozpin said in a calm voice. "Ruby, would you and your teammates please step over here? You too, Mercury."

The five students did as they were told, and Cinder's eyes followed Mercury the entire way with fire burning behind them. It didn't take long for her to figure out what was going on. She scowled across the way at him, "I should've known not to trust you. From the start I knew that you had no loyalty to anyone but yourself. I'll make you regret this."

Mercury shook his head, taking Yang's hand in his, "I am loyal, just not to you. I was before, but I've found someone better to fight for."

"Enough," Ironwood interjected in a very stern tone. The hallway almost seemed to grow quieter after, and in fact, it did. The people passing through were growing fewer and fewer, and within a minute it was just the twelve of them. "I've had my men close down this section hallway. It's just us here. Now, we can do this the-"

"Shut up, metal man," Cinder spat, a little too angry to throw better insults. "It may be nine against three, but I still have the powers of the Fall Maiden. Even IF I go down, I'll be taking plenty of you with me."

Qrow smirked, "Oh, yeah, that reminds me of something. Em, Neo, care to join us over here? Don't know why Ozpin left you out at the start."

Cinder didn't seem to understand at first, but her face turned to shock as the last of her associates walked over to join the rest of the group. They turned and faced her with neutral eyes, not at all looking sorry for their change of heart. Weiss watched as Cinder's shock turned back to confusion, then to bitter sadness, and finally to fury.

Cinder tightly shut her eyes, clenching her fists and looking down at the floor, "So this is how you repay me? I save you all from poverty, homelessness, abuse, only to have you turn your backs on me? I should've seen this coming from Mercury, but not you from you two, especially you, Emerald."

"Don't worry about the choices they've made," Ozpin said, still sounding as unfazed as ever. "What's done is done, and you're plans here are through. All that's left is to decide how you want this to end."

The sound of synchronised footsteps suddenly echoed through the halls, and a dozen Atlas military droids entered the hall from each direction. They formed a line and surrounded Cinder on either side, drawing their weapons and training them all on her. They held still then, waiting for an order. There was a pause, then, a complete silence while Cinder stared at Ozpin with hatred burning in her eyes.

"No, it's not over," Cinder growled. She still had her scroll in hand, and made a series of taps on the screen. The display turned red, and a black chess piece appeared in the middle. She turned to the soldiers with a smug grin, but to her surprise, nothing happened. The droids stayed exactly as they were, unfaltering in their watch.

Ironwood shook his head, "Your virus has been removed from the system. You have no control over anything."

"Just give up, Cinder," Glynda groaned, sounding exasperated. "There's nowhere to run, no outs to play into. It's over."

Cinder took a step back against the wall and looked around frantically, coming to the realisation that Glynda was right. The hate in her eyes was quickly being replaced by fear, and now they'd reached the part that Weiss and Mercury had feared the most. Cinder was corned now, and there was no telling how she's react. She could try to fight, but as powerful as she was, she was no match for everyone here. There was no telling if that would deter her, though.

"N-No…" she whispered, the reality of it all sinking in. "I can't fail her... I can't..."

"I'd be more worried about us than Salem if I were you," Qrow replied.

Cinder glared at him, but that rage was once again replaced by horror. There were teardrops rolling down her cheeks now, and she gritted her teeth as she tried to think of what to do. She made eye contact with Ozpin, then shook her head, "I won't die by your hands."

She lifted her hands, and a long, black dagger formed of the same material as her bow. She held it horizontally by the hilt with both hands, the tip lightly pressed against the center of her chest.

Weiss gasped, "Wait! It's not too late to-!"

"TO WHAT?" Cinder shrieked, now fully hysterical as tears streaked down her face. "There's no deal to strike here, Schnee. I've carved my path, and this is where it ends. I'll sooner die than go to prison."

Emerald held out her hand, "Cinder, please don't... Maybe there is a way they can help you. There's some good in you, I know there is."

"Don't patronize me, you little brat. Whatever 'good' I had in me was destroyed a long time ago. Everything I've worked SO LONG for has fallen apart because of YOU! JUST LET ME DIE ON MY OWN TERMS!"

"Nobody is going to die," Ozpin spoke, somehow still calm as he took two steps forward, holding his hands up. "Put down the knife, Cinder. Come with me, and we'll put this all behind us. You don't have to answer to her anymore."

Cinder's entire body trembled as her gaze darted around the hall. It was all in her hands now, and all anyone could do as hope that she's make the right choice. Finally, her arms dropped to her side, and the dagger disappeared as it dropped to the floor. She collapsed to her knees and started sobbing into her hands. She was utterly defeated, broken, and her cries reflected just how much she'd been fighting to keep it in for this long.

Ironwood looked almost sympathetic as he had her handcuffed and escorted out through the security doors. Qrow and Professor Goodwitch joined him in walked beside her. She didn't say a word, staring at the ground in quiet contemplation at everything that had happened. 'I almost feel bad for her...' Weiss thought, looking on with sad face. 'I get that she's evil, but... she just watched months of planning fail because the people she trusted the most betrayed her. Bad guy or not, I can't imagine how she feels right now.'

"So what happens now?" Neo asked, looking up at Ozpin.

He smiled, "Well, now things can go back to normal. You, Emerald, and Mercury will be under watch for a while, but it won't show up on your criminal records. Cinder will be held under the general's supervision for a few reasons, but she won't be spending her life in prison. She'll have a sentence to serve, but we'll see what we can work out. While you may have been pawns to her, she was merely the pawn to yet another queen. But, that's not something any of you need to be concerned with. Enjoy the rest of the tournament."

He turned and followed the rest of his colleagues through the security door, leaving the students to come down off their adrenaline highs from the encounter. The hallway started to fill up again as people were allowed to walk back through, and soon it was as if nothing had happened. "Whoa..." Ruby said after a moment of silence.

Mercury started to laugh, "Yeah, that about sums it up. So I guess from here we just watch the last two matches and then start looking for work? Not gonna lie, I'm gonna miss being an outlaw. Just a little bit. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to steal some little things every now and again?"

"I wouldn't," Neo replied, rolling her eyes. "We're under watch, remember? At least wait until after that's lifted. I'd really don't wanna push our luck right now. Em, wanna start looking for apartments? I know you said you would, Weiss, but you've done so much already."

"Agreed," Emerald added, and the two girls hurried off.

Weiss pouted, "Why does nobody like me spending money on them?"

"Oh shush," Blake giggled, stealing a quick kiss. "Well, I guess that's that."

Yang nodded, "All that leaves now is to- DAD?"

Everyone turned to where she was looking, and sure enough, Taiyang was standing about twenty yards away, wearing a wide smile as he made his way over through the crowd. "Hey, girls!" he happily greeted his daughters as they both jumped into his open arms.

"I'm so happy to see you!" Ruby exclaimed, burying herself in the group hug. "Why didn't you say that you were coming?"

Her father gave them both a kiss on the forehead before looking at Yang, "What, you didn't think that'd I'd miss watching my baby girl win the Vytal Festival, did you?"

"You're the best dad EVER!" Yang beamed, eventually stepping back. "Dad, these are our teammates; Weiss and Blake. They're actually a couple."

"Pleased to meet you," Weiss smiled, reaching out to shake Tai's hand.

"Likewise," he replied. "Ruby hasn't driven you too crazy, has she?"

The heiress giggled, "No, not really."

"Good, good. What about you, Blake? Yang causing you any trouble?"

"She's a handful, but I'm managing," Blake laughed, also shaking his hand.

Yang pouted, "Hey! I've mellowed out a little since the first day. You can thank Mercury for that. OH! YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT HIM YET! Dad, this is my boyfriend, Mercury."

"Boyfriend, huh?" her father asked, looking Mercury up and down before offering to shake his hand as well. "Well, you must've done something right if you got Yang to open herself up to you. Tell me a bit about yourself. What should I know about you?"

"How long have you got?" Ruby teased, but instantly regretted saying it.

Mercury sighed, but he didn't see the point of lying since it was all over and done with now. He started from the beginning and told everything there was to tell about what had happened. How he joined Cinder, how he fell for Yang, how he defected, everything. Team RWBY helped him along the way, and about fifteen minutes later, it was all out. Taiyang stood and patiently listened the entire time, not interrupting at all.

"I guess that's it," Mercury said, hesitantly meeting Tai's gaze.

Yang looked a little worried, "So uh... thoughts, dad?"

"What do I think?" her father asked. "I think you've found yourself a keeper. Everyone has a past, but that doesn't define who you are or who you have to be. It's clear he's a wonderful young man. Mercury, you've got my seal of approval. Just make sure you take care of my little girl, alright? Your old boss' wrath would be nothing compared to mine."

Mercury smiled and gave a nod, "Yes, sir. Thank you. I've gotta say, I expected you to be a little more on my case than her uncle was."

"Yeah, well, that's Qrow for you. You should consider yourself lucky that you won't have to deal with her mother. You probably wouldn't make it out of that conversation alive."

Blake gasped, "That reminds me, Qrow sent us something after Yang's last match. You need to see it." Everyone gathered around her as she loaded the video on her scroll and pressed play. She sped up to the part they needed to see, and couldn't help but smile when Yang gasped in shock.

"Oh my God..." Yang murmured, covering her mouth with her hands. "It was her... She must've known that Cinder had planted the shell on me... She stole my reserves to save me."

Taiyang smiled and put his arm around Yang's shoulders, "I told you, Yang, she's always been looking out for you. She was never good at the whole parenting thing, but she does love you. Even if she's too scared to show it face to face."

"Attention patrons," Port's voice came over the intercom. "The match for third place will be starting is just five minutes!"

That was Yang's signal to head to lockers and get ready for her match afterward, so she took off after a few more hugs and supportive cheers. Everyone else returned to their seats with Taiyang sitting where Yang had been, and they settled in for finale. Weiss and Blake snuggled up against each other since they weren't as invested in this first match, and after the day they'd had, taking a short rest seemed like a wonderful idea.

Shadow and Sun's round got started, and thankfully Sun had been able to repair his weapon in time. It was a good match, but nothing about it stood out as particularly interesting. Shadow was more conservative with his semblance this time, but ultimately the sweep of Sun's staff was enough to catch him even when he couldn't be seen. Sun was declared the winner and the winner of the bronze medal, but the award ceremony wouldn't be until after the next match. He and Shadow left the stage, leaving it open as Yang and Pyrrha stepped out.

The two girls shook hands and took their places, and waited for the signal to start. This was it, the final match, and they both wanted the win more than they ever thought they would. After everything she's been though, Yang has no intention of losing now. That said, both girls were smiling at each other and ready for a good, clean, friendly match. The fight began, and they both charged.

Yang and Pyrrha had been paired off to fight in sparring class before, but that was nothing compared to now. The effort they put into class matches was nothing compared to now, and they were both going all out, ready to use every last ounce of strength they had. They both knew each other's moves, each other's strengths, weaknesses, and everything else. Even so, it would prove to be a war of attrition.

The fight went on for ten minutes before the two girls separated to take a breath and rethink their strategy, still on their feet and circling the other. There'd been no break in the action up until now. Yang's semblance was in full effect, and power of her blows were nearly enough to send Pyrrha out of the arena with one hit. Pyrrha had been using her semblance to control Yang's discarded shotgun shells and fight with them, but they were too destroyed to use now. They were both exhausted, panting, with sweat pouring down their faces, but neither one was going to give up.

The crowd was still cheering, eager and waiting to see how this incredible watch would end. Yang and Pyrrha both knew that neither one of them had much left, and they needed to do something to end the fight. Their auras both hung around twenty-five percent, and one more good hit would do it. They both gave each other a subtle nod, knowing what to do, and both charged as fast as they could toward each other. The crowd held its breath as the girls yelled out and arrived on top of each other, and exploded in applause as one was sent flying, and the other declared the winner.

"What an incredible match!" Oobleck exclaimed from the announcer booth, turning to Port. "In all my years, I don't know if I've seen something quite like that before."

Port laughed and gave a nod, "Right you are, and with that, the tournament is officially at an end. Your winner: Yang Xiao Long!"

Yang was ecstatic, but instead of celebrating, she immediately ran over to make sure that Pyrrha was alright. She helped her to her feet, getting an even louder reaction from the crowd, and the two stood together in triumph. As much as each of them had wanted to win, they didn't care who took first place in the end. Pyrrha was clearly very happy for Yang, and they shared a hug before Pyrrha took a hold of Yang's wrist and lifted the girl's arm high into the air.

"WOO! GREAT JOB, SIS!" Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs as Ozpin, Ironwood, and Sun joined the girls on the stage.

The center of the platform shifted and sprouted three pedestals, each of different heights; lowest on the left, middle on the right, and highest in the middle. The three students stood in a line at the base behind the two headmasters. The medals were brought out and handed to Ironwood, along with a microphone that was placed in front of Ozpin.

"And with that, it's time to bring the tournament to a close," Ozpin announced. "All students who participated fought incredibly well, and it's time to recognise these three for their outstanding performance. In third place, taking the bronze medal, is Sun Wukong!"

Ruby screamed and cheered for her boyfriend, then turned a bright shade of red when she realised that she hadn't told her dad about him yet. She blushed and shrunk back into her seat, "Uh... Whoops." Her dad just laughed, along with the rest of her teammates, and they all resumed clapping for Sun as he was given his award and allowed to take his place on the stands.

Ozpin continued, "In second place, winner of the silver medal, Pyrrha Nikos!"

Team JNPR could be heard cheering even from across the stands as Pyrrha bashfully accepted her award. Even after placing this far in such a prestigious event, she was still just as humble as ever. She was blushing the entirety of her walk to her podium, waving only as much as she felt was necessary.

"And finally," Ozpin smiled, looking over his shoulder. "In first place, taking the gold medal and the title of Vytal Festival Tournament Champion, is Yang Xiao Long!" Yang wasn't nearly as reserved as Pyrrha, and reveled in the applause as she was awarded her medal and took her place on the highest platform.

Ironwood smiled and took Ozpin's place at the microphone, "A huge congratulations to these incredible students once again. And with that, the tournament has come to a close. The festival grounds will remain open through the end of the day tomorrow, so there's still time to enjoy the festivities. Thank you to everyone who participated, aided in the broadcast, and to all of you watching at home."

The rest of the night was a blur for Weiss and Blake, but they managed to piece it together the next morning with a little help from the rest of their team, along with team JNPR and Mercury. After celebrating on Amity with Yang and Pyrrha, Yang took everything to a party she knew was being at one of the larger apartment complexes off campus. This was after her father left, so she didn't hold back. Weiss and Blake made the mistake of getting into the spirit of things and thinking that they knew their limits, and had no memory of the party itself.

Weiss was furious the next morning when she was the only one with a hangover, even though her other three teammates had had just as much, if not more, to drink. Blake stayed in to take care of her while everyone else went to breakfast. She couldn't help but laugh, "Didn't you learn from the last time Yang took you to a party? We're doing the same thing now that we did then."

"Shut up," Weiss groggily mumbled into her pillow. "You drank more than me! Even Ruby did! Why am I the only one throwing up?"

"Karma?" Blake said with a smug grin, teasing her girlfriend a bit.

"Karma? For what? I got that bill passed! I should be set with good karma for life! I- Uh oh..."

Blake giggled and held the heiress' hair as she lurked over the side of her bed and threw up in the trash can, "Well, the world's gotta get back at you for your spoiled richness someday, right?"

"I hate you," Weiss chuckled, shaking her head. "But I love you. You should go to breakfast with everyone. I'll be fine here."

"Not a chance. I'm more than happy to take care of you. We can meet them for lunch if you're feeling better by then. Sound good?"

Weiss did end up feeling better around noon, so they were able to meet their teammates in the fairgrounds to try out whatever remaining food stands they hadn't yet. Team JNPR was off with one of Jaune's older sisters from Atlas academy, so instead the lunch group consisted of team RWBY, Mercury, Emerald, and Neo. They all split off to find what they wanted and reconvened at the picnic tables on the west side of the grounds.

"So whatcha wanna do today?" Ruby asked, not aiming it at anyone in particular.

Emerald shrugged, "Filling out job applications, looking for places to live, all sorts of fun stuff."

"I said I'd take care of that," Weiss said with an exasperated sigh. "I'll make a few calls once we're done eating and you'll be all set. Any idea where you guys would like to work?"

"Clothing store," Neo answered without hesitation.

Mercury thought for a moment, "Hmm... Is there a golf course around here? You're all gonna make fun of me, but I'd love to work as a ranger or something and pick the sport up."

"Whatever you say," Emerald smiled. "If you can get Neo and I at the same store, that'd be awesome."

Weiss nodded and took a note of what they'd said on her scroll for later. It was interesting to talk over lunch about the future since the two teams were going in very different directions. Blake pointed out that it might be possible to enroll at Beacon, but again, none of them were up to pushing their luck. Mercury seemed a bit more on the fence than Emerald or Neo, and Yang's convincing was starting to look like it would win out before next semester.

"We'll see," he repeated, giving Yang a kiss. "Maybe if things don't go well with a job. I'd hate to leave Em and Neo fending for themselves."

Neo pouted and stuck out her tongue, "Fuck you. Cute girls get tips, you won't get shit."

"Tips for retail clothing workers? You wish."

"You never know," Ozpin suddenly said as he walked up to the table, startling everyone. He was joined by Qrow and a woman with a large, odd scar on her face that Weiss and Blake didn't recognise. Ruby, Yang, and Neo didn't seem familiar with her either, but Mercury and Emerald both looked ready to panic.

"H-Hey, Amber," Mercury said with a timid wave. "Uh... Sorry about the whole trying to kill you and steal your powers thing. No hard feelings?"

Amber smiled and rolled her eyes, "Well, considering you're the reason we were able to bring Cinder down and restore my powers, I guess I can let it slide."

"Powers?" Ruby asked, not following at all.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo," Qrow chuckled. "Just thought we'd come by to say another thanks to you kids. You've been some damn good help this past week. Keep it up, and we might just have spots for you on some of our more secret operations. But, we can worry about after you graduate."

Ozpin nodded, "I can't help but agree. There are great things to come in your futures. That extends to the three of you, as well. It would be a shame to waste such great fighting talent by working in retail."

Emerald smirked, "What, have you been listening in? Then you'd already know that we've said no."

"Perhaps, but I'll extend the offer nonetheless. Should you wish to enroll as second year students for the fall semester, I'll be happy to sign the paperwork."

"Second year?" Neo asked in awe. "You mean you'd bump us up a year?"

"Well, you're old enough," Qrow answered. "Not to mention that you've been attending and passing all the first year classes for this semester."

Mercury grinned and raised his hand, "I'd like to reconsider my stance, please."

"Same," Neo added, turning to Emerald to see if she'd go along as well.

"Seriously?" the green-haired girl asked when she saw that all eyes were on her. "Wasn't the plan to...? Yeah, fuck it, I'm in."

Amber sighed and shook her head, "Ozpin, you've always been too trusting. But, I guess these kids have earned it. Sort of."

"What the hell did I do?" Neo asked, getting a few laughs from her friends around the table.

"Tried to kill me?" Yang pointed out with a sly smile.

"Hey, you're alive, aren't you? Apart from that and being Roman's bodyguard, which was boring as hell, I'm clean."

Emerald shook her head, "Whatever you say, Neo. So is there anything we should do now?"

"Stay out of trouble," Ozpin cheerfully replied. "Think you can manage that for one summer?"

"No, but we'll do our best. Thank you so much, professor. All of you, actually."

Qrow shrugged, "Meh, I think you've earned it. Yo, Amber, your flight leaves in half an hour. We should get going. Thanks again, guys. Ruby, Yang, behave yourselves. I've got my eye on you, and your boyfriends."

"I hope you didn't last night," Mercury smirked, getting a death stare from Yang.

The blonde punched him in the shoulder without a second thought, "REALLY? DID YOU HAVE TO?"

"Relax," Qrow laughed. "I know it's not the first time. Just no more scares, alright, kiddo? That's one thing I won't be able to help explain to your dad."

"I promise," Yang blushed, shrinking down a little in her seat.

They said goodbye, and the three adults left the group to the rest of their lunch. The atmosphere was even more positive than before, and there was no denying that whatever lay ahead of them would be great. They all split off after eating to look for specific friends from other academies and say their goodbyes, and after stopping off to see Sun and Neptune, Weiss and Blake decided to take a walk. They left the fairgrounds and made their way to the campus gardens, eventually sitting down on a more secluded bench.

"Recognise where we are?" Weiss asked, holding Blake's hand.

The Faunus girl nodded, blushing, "Where you found me crying after I came out to you. That was a weird day."

"It was, but I'm glad it happened. I still can't believe you were so nervous about talking to me."

"Can you blame me?" Blake asked with a shy smile. "I'm a Faunus who came from nothing, and you're the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the world. You don't think that's a little intimidating?"

The heiress rolled her eyes, "I guess. And yet I'm the one that had to ask you out. Twice, I might add."

"You're never gonna let that go, are you? I can see you somehow working that into your wedding vows."

"Naturally," Weiss grinned, leaning in and giving Blake a kiss. "Promise me it'll always be like this? I hope we never lose our spark."

"To my dying breath," Blake promised with a wide smile.

They came together for another, longer kisses, tightly wrapping themselves in each other's arms. They'd been through so much in such a short amount of time, but if anything, that'd only brought them closer. They were still young, and they still had a long way to go and plenty of obstacles left to overcome, but for now, they were happy, they loved each other, and they were ready to face whatever the world could possibly throw at them next.

The End

Thank you so much for reading, it really means a lot! I've got two brand new RWBY stories that'll be coming out soon, as well as continuing my "A Neo Outlook on Life" series, so be sure to follow me to see them when they come out! Be sure to leave a review and let me know what you thought of the story, and I hope to see you again in another story. Love you guys! (:

For those curious, the new stories I'll be starting are:
"The Emerald Diary" - A first-person mini-series told by Emerald in the wake of the Vytal Festival. After running away in the aftermath of the attack on Beacon, she has nowhere to go and nobody to turn to. She wants to somehow make things right after what she's done, but doesn't know where or how to start.
"Becoming Ourselves" - A Freezerburn/Ladybug romance that won't be like any other you've ever read. I think I'll just leave it at that. (; I'm not sure how it'll go over since I plan on hitting some tough topics, but I think I can pull it off.

If you'd like to help support me, you'll find a link to my on my profile. I'll be releasing the alternate version of this chapter on my page later this week, which will have a different conclusion to how the Cinder story arc wraps up. My supporters get things like weekly Q&A vlogs, personalised one-shots, alternate chapters, stuff like that. It's mandatory in any way, but if you're feeling generous enough, your support is greatly appreciated. (: