An Arkos One Shot: Reunion
By
Hibiki

Inspired by Sarahlrn's 'Hello Again'. A beautiful Arkos piece on deviant art. Please check it out if you get the chance.

Imagine you could have the rights to RWBY, but for the rest of your life, you would have to clean up every mess or problem created by every Rooster Teeth 'Million Dollars, But..." challenge accepted. Would it be worth it? Not for me.

RWBY is created by Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.

(-o0O0o-)

Jaune held his hand to his bleeding side as hard as possible, holding back his end for as long as he could while focusing on Ruby, on boosting her silver eye's power as much as his fading aura would allow. Salem seemed unknowing to the fact of his semblance's abilities, desperate to keep Oscar and Ruby at bay, so she soon forgot the weak Knight her little communications Grimm had almost killed in the opening seconds of this final battle. Therefore in spite of his pain for the first time in a long time, Jaune Arc smiled. The rest of his friends and allies were around him, engaged and seemingly winning against the remnants of the dark witch's forces. None had faltered, and thankfully none had noticed how critical his wound was either. A quick glance to his scroll showed his progress. Ruby's aura was fit to bursting, while his was mere slivers.

His smile faded when he noticed the stopped fall maiden's neck snap back into place and the rest of the body slip back onto it's feet unnaturally. He hefted his blade in two handed mode and slipped between the creatures way and Ruby's exposed back, ignoring the blood soaking his hoodie and pant leg as he ran.

"YOU!" The monster that was once Cinder Fall growled, it's mostly Grimm face sneered "The failure with a death wish. I'm surprised you're still alive!"

The following battle was even, but as Jaune continued to push his Aura into Ruby the tide began slipping more into Cinder's favor. Eventually swinging the two handed version of Crocea became impossible and in trying to disengage the shield the freakish Grimm parts of the woman before him slapped him down holding a jagged fire and glass sword at his neck.

"Was it worth it, hero?" Cinder's face was a grotesque mix of insanity and rage. So little was left of the fall Maiden at this point all he could see was how the outside finally matched her ugly soul. "My mistress will soon kill Ozpin and Ruby. Once those nuisances are gone the rest will fall in seconds. Everything you have done is for naught." Jaune did the one thing Cinder didn't expect. He laughed into her horrible face. He laughed until the room grew quiet. The meter of his scroll showed him depleted of Aura. Ruby had all he could give.

"You're a fool, Cinder. I told you once, all that time ago that If I die buying them time, then it's worth it. They're the ones that will stop you and Salem."

"Don't say her name! You aren't worthy of saying Mistress' name!" The Grimm in the woman seemed to compel her forward, seemingly being nothing more than a slave to her baser sides instincts. The skeletal right arm punched right through his armor and his world filled with a color. Red.

"JAUNE!" His friends all screamed.

"*c-cough* T-they're the ones that mat-ter." Crocea Mors, devoid of it's heavy sheath, flicked upwards until it pierced the forehead of the chimera. The creature jerked, it's arm wrenching something vital inside him. "Ghk! B-but that... That was for Pyrrha." The light in the human eye dimmed and it looked like Cinder the woman was gone, but the body, mostly Grimm that it was; was still moving. The parasite that the witch had implanted in the fall maiden was taking over. Worst still the stolen powers of the fall maiden hadn't released, making it glow with a fiery infernal heat. However, Jaune had physically nothing left to give. Nothing left but hope for his friends. Hope for humanity, for faunas, for life. In his dimming vision Ruby became the silver beacon of hope that washed away the feeling of his burning body by the demonic fallen maiden. In the glint of the overpowered silver blast, his body numbed to it's inevitable end.

Ruby Rose became The Grimm Reaper. He smiled softly and closed his eyes, content in the fact that they would be safe.

As Jaune Arc died, he hoped for all that was good, but most of all, that he had done Pyrrha proud.

(-o0O0o-)

Cool air buffeted his body. His eyes opened to view a setting sun high over the world. He looked around, lost in the clouds that surrounded him.

"Did I...?" He felt his chest, the hole in the armor was there but the wound was gone. "I guess so." He looked up to the sky, so close and near. "I hope they are okay." The reply he got paused any guilt he could have felt. Not only from the answer but the speaker.

"They are, Jaune." He turned and saw Her. She was beautiful, verdant green eyes staring with a look he had only been able to see in her scroll message. She was wearing a white strapless dress, her hair in it's normal ponytail, but her armor, her circlet was missing. Of course it was. He was wearing part of it, the rest of it was with Crocea Mors with their comrades.

"...Pyrrha..." He breathed. moving forward, tears beginning to flow as he reached up to touch her. Warm soft cheeks filled his hands and her firm but loving grip found it's way to his left forearm.

"Hello again." she whispered back.

(-o0O0o-)

Just a little one shot that hit me listening to 'Home' and looking at some folks' fanart. I found said photo I mentioned above and this popped out in my head.