Team ALLY

Chapter 22: Forged by Fire

They charge in, me stuck up here unable to give aid. My ribs are in searing pain. Sit against the wall and focus. I barely manage to construct a small blade. It'll have to do. I attach the scythe to its harness and fly out the window. The guilt of my role to play in all this, voluntary or involuntary; the thought of the people I love getting hurt, the hatred of the twisted souls who set this in motion. It fills me with strength. It numbs the feeling of the G's pulling on me.

~{(0)}~

We hear something roar above. We look up to see a pissed off Aries soaring above. "Now that's the brother I know." He circles back. "We got an army building on the western front now move! Yema you guide them on the ground I'll start attacking the airships." Yema waves for me and Lilac to head to the western front.

~{(0)}~

I take a page from Ruby's book and use my momentum to attack rather than pure strength. I get in close fold it into a scythe and slice off an engine then take off again. I dive one and open fire, taking out one of the engines and it careens and hits another. Suddenly I feel something hit one of my engines and I start to fall out of the sky I'm caught by one of Weiss's glyphs and gently lowered to the ground. I look over the scythe. Save for flight mode it should be still fully functioning. I try and stand but I can barely make it to my feet. "Aries should you even be here?"

"No but that won't keep me down." I focus and use my telekinesis to leap forward. Using my leg only to pivot. It's wearing me fast but I'm going to fight to my last breath.

~{(0)}~

We get to the front and go to work. Lilac works on the evacuation effort while me and Yema take on the hordes of Grimm and White Fang. "Yema. What are our odds?"

"With the look I saw on Aries' face. I'd say better than the White Fang's."

"In all honesty. This looks pretty...Grimm." she rolls her eyes and I chuckle. "Leo, if we don't make it out."

"There's no if. We will make it."

"I'm saying if. What's your biggest regret?"

"Not meeting you sooner. You?"

"Not becoming team leader." She charges forward and I just hold my arms out. "Hey!"

We start to get overwhelmed. Their numbers are just too numerous. "Yema, we may not make it outta here. You wanna redo your regret?"

"Nope, I was honest. Aries is a good leader but I do regret not being named leader. When it comes to us, no regrets." I grab her hand. "I'll be back." I charge in and start letting loose on everyone. I even go berserker, tearing apart the grimm faster than they can realize I'm there.

~{(0)}~

I leap into the air and fling my scythe into their engine. I land and pull it back as the ship comes crashing down. I spot Leo and Yema getting overwhelmed. I spot a fleeing White Fang ship I form a link with Leo and Yema. "Tell Lilac I'm sorry. Get everyone back, I'm bringing an airship down. My scythe got toasted so this is a one way flight." I strap on the wings. And I barely manage to get there before the thrusters completely blow out. I fling the soldiers out and rip the pilots from the cockpit. I feel my scroll buzzing and look down to see Lilac's face. I answer it and set it on the copilot seat. "Aries! Aries where are you?"

"Angels gotta fly."

"Aries I'm serious."

"I'm sorry. It's the only way. I love you." Before she can respond I crush the scroll and bank the airship to aim it at the horde of grimm closing in on the retreating students. "Mom, Dad, I'm coming home!" I use the last of my strength to aim the airship and keep it true. It crashes and I attempt a barrier but it's smashed against the mangled steel of the cockpit. I'm impaled. One going through the left side of my chest, two going through my legs, and another through my right arm. I look over and see green flakes floating off the wound as blood trickles down the spike and I lose consciousness, a cold stillness overcoming my body.

I wake up in front of a mountain, in an area I've never seen before. I blink and I'm standing at the doors of Haven. I see the disorder and chaos around me. I blink again and I'm in menagerie, next to what looks like a noble family.

~{(0)}~

Me, Leo, and Yema race over to the crash site. Leo rips open the mangled steel and we see him lying there, impaled. Leo and Yema get him off as the horror fills me. Leo lays him on the ground. "C'mon bro, say something!"

"Aries c'mon. Breathe." Yema says slapping his face. I grab his hand and pour every bit of energy I have left into him and his wounds start to heal.

~{(0)}~

I'm looking around Menagerie, no one seeming to notice the only human when I feel something pulling me away. I wake up back in my body with everyone around me. I look down and my wounds are healed. "C'mon we need to get moving." Yema says. Her and Leo start ahead and Lilac helps me up. Suddenly a blade is stabbed through her. "Lilac, NO!" She falls into my arms. "Can't...feel...my legs." My telekinesis stops the soldier dead in his charge and I crush him. "Leo! Yema!" They run back and see Lilac in my arms. "Get her help! Please!"

"What about you?" Leo asks. I stand up and face the remaining White Fang and Grimm. "I'll cover you now GO!" They run off and I let loose. The tempest surges and every bit of rage comes flowing out. "She saves me and pays the price. Everyone I love, everything I touch, dies!" I charge and stab two blades through the first White Fang member. Another charges and I hold him with telekinesis and slice him across the gut. More charge and I impale them on a wall of spikes. "Anyone who remains here faces the wrath of Aries, the angel of death!!" I brutally attack anyone in my path, ripping them apart without mercy. Those who don't have it, don't deserve it from me. I see a giant creature at the top of Beacon and charge it when a bright light blinds me.

Next thing I know I wake up on a rooftop. A woman with silver eyes and a black hood standing over me. "Who, who are you?"

"The one who caught you. My name is Luna Rose."

"Wait, Rose? Like-"

"Yes, like Ruby. She's my niece but she doesn't know me. Me and her mom never spoke much and I never met her."

"What happened?"

"You were blinded by Ruby's silver eyes and fell. I caught you. But it's not all cordial. I was sent by Ironwood to find you." She pulls a scepter from her bag. "This relic is very powerful. Ironwood has reason to believe there's a traitor in his inner circle so he wanted to get this moved to someone he believes it is safer with."

"Couldn't pick someone better. Everyone around me dies anyway."

"He thinks you're just unpredictable enough to be hard to pin down. Even with Salem having her eyes everywhere.

"Eye's that are everywhere can't see something that can hide anywhere. I'll fight to my last breath."

"Good." I tuck the scepter, which has shrunken down, into my jacket.

I find them at the emergency care center and Leo runs up, giving me a big bear hug. "Oh thank the Gods you're okay."

"Can't get rid of me that easy. How's Lilac?"

"Stable, but..."

"But?"

"Aries, doc says the blade severed her spine. she'll never walk again. Her days a huntress is over."

"What? No, no, no, that can't. Can't she heal herself?"

"Even if  she had the strength to she, she said she doesn't know how to heal such an odd wound."

"She brought me back from the edge of death! I was..." I feel the tears well up. "It's my fault. It's all my fault I should have stood up to them and I didn't now hundreds are dead and Lilac..."

"Aries, you did what you could."

"What I could.I never do what I could. Maybe I should, then no one would ever dare threaten my family again. There would never be anyone to."