Chapter 47

"So, what do you have for us this time?" Akihiko asked. He stretched in preparation for the fight. Mitsuru stood silently beside him.

"I have something very special in mind." Thanatos replied. "A reunion of sorts." Black liquid surged up from the arena floor and coalesced into human form. It resolved into the figure of a man wearing a black suit and carrying a long straight sword. With blue hair partially covering its face and a look of apathy, it was clearly meant to be Makoto.

Mitsuru cringed. Akihiko smiled. "I always wanted to fight him." Akihiko said. "I think it would have made a great match. I would have preferred the real thing but this will have to do."

"You two are responsible for my death you know." The shadow said. "You led us all into a trap Mitsuru. You wanted to badly to be the hero that you blindly charged straight toward the end of the world. Then you were helpless to do anything to fix your blunder. Even now you're trying to atone, but you never will. Nothing you do could possibly make up for the evils you perpetrated. The road to Hell is paved with your good intentions." Mitsuru looked down, refusing to meet the shadow's gaze. She was already racked with guilt. A shadow with his face served only to drive the point home. "And you Akihiko, you always talked about wanting to be stronger. You never wanted to be helpless again, not after your sister was incinerated because of your weakness. But you were still too weak. You could do nothing to stop Nyx so it fell to me. Your failure made my death inevitable."

"That's a pretty accurate assessment." Akihiko admitted. "I certainly had no concept of the power that faced us. All the training in the world probably wouldn't have made a difference." He laughed. "You know, you may be a shadow here to insult me, but I'm just happy to see that face again."

"I'm not here to insult you." The shadow said. "I'm here to kill you."

"I know, I know." Akihiko said. "It doesn't really matter. The two of us are going to kick your ass, then we're going to kick Thanatos' ass. I'll beat the crap out of his siblings too if need be. So why don't you shut up and fight?" He turned to Mitsuru and put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, don't let this asshole get to you."

Mitsuru looked up with an expression of renewed determination. "I've had quite enough of this." She said. "I'm done feeling bad about the past. And I have to agree with Akihiko, despite the circumstances it is nice to see that face again."

"Good, because it'll be the last face you ever see." The shadow hissed.

"As much as I'd love a one-on-one I don't think I'm a match for his Persona abilities." Akihiko said. "Mitsuru, would you lock him down for me?"

Mitsuru nodded. She raised her arm, clenching her fist. An ice crystal grew out of the ground and encased the shadow's legs. Akihiko charged as the shadow struggled to wrench itself free. Finding the effort futile, it pointed its free hand at the ice and unleashed a stream of fire. Akihiko arrived before the ice melted. The shadow blocked his first punch with its sword but his follow up shot nailed the shadow in the forehead. The shadow rocked back but was unable to move because of the ice. Akihiko smacked the sword aside and punched the shadow in the gut then hit it in the face with an uppercut. The force of the strike broke the shadow free of the ice. It popped up into the air and Akihiko slammed it down with a punch to the chest.

Akihiko moved to dive atop the shadow but took a fireball to the chest instead. He stumbled back as the shadow hopped up. Swinging its sword like a baseball bat it smashed the weapon into the side of Akihiko's head. He flipped over and landed awkwardly on his side. The shadow stabbed at him but Mitsuru arrived and deflected the strike. Akihiko got to all-fours and retreated, struggling to clear his head. Mitsuru engaged the shadow with her rapier. He had the speed but it had the power. After a series of sword clashes she saw her opening and stabbed straight forward. Her blade hit the shadow in the chest but failed to penetrate. With its sword the shadow knocked hers aside, pushing her off balance. She spun completely around, deflected the shadow's attack then kicked it in the groin. The shadow stumbled back and doubled over, giving Mitsuru the opportunity to kick it squarely in the face. The shadow again ended up on its back.

Mitsuru stabbed repeatedly at the downed shadow. On her third strike it retaliated by giving her a face full of fire. Mitsuru stumbled away, turning her back to the shadow, and her aura failed just as the flames died. The shadow stood and thrust forward with its sword. Akihiko hit the shadow with a diving tackle just as its blade nicked the skin on Mitsuru's back. Akihiko and the shadow rolled across the floor, the shadow winding up on top. It slammed him in the face with the pommel of its sword and Akihiko retaliated with a blast of electricity. The shadow jumped up and back. Akihiko unleashed more electricity but the shadow directed the attack away with its sword before hitting him with a fireball.

Mitsuru fired a volley of ice crystals at the shadow. The shadow struggled to protect itself as ice built up around it. To avoid being frozen in place it changed tactics, deflecting some of the crystals at Akihiko. After being hit by a few crystals Akihiko went down in pain and Mitsuru halted her attack. The shadow unleashed a blast of fire at Mitsuru but she summoned a wall of ice to protect herself. The shadow poured in more flames, slowly melting away at the barrier. Akihiko got to his feet and lunged at the shadow, slugging it in the side of the head.

The shadow turned to face Akihiko and side-stepped his second punch. Akihiko was undeterred and struck the shadow with a hook to the jaw. He continued with a flurry of punches as the shadow gave up all offensive attempts to block. Changing levels repeatedly Akihiko kept up a furious assault that the shadow was helpless to stop. The shadow tried to retreat but Akihiko kept advancing, never letting up the pressure. The shadow made the bewildering decision to stop trying to block. Instead it turned away from Akihiko, even as he continued striking it.

The shadow launched a huge blast of fire at Mitsuru. Her ice wall was long gone and the attack hit her full force. She was immediately engulfed in flames, screaming as she dove to the ground. She rolled around, frantically trying to smother the flames. Akihiko abandoned his assault on the shadow and rushed to Mitsuru. He dove on top of her in a desperate attempt to snuff out the fire. His own aura failed as the flames licked at him. The fire was finally out but Mitsuru was silent and still.

"Don't you dare die on me damnit!" Akihiko yelled.

He had forgotten about the shadow. It walked over and kicked him in the side of the head. Akihiko tumbled across the floor and ended up flat on his back. Before he could get up the shadow thrust its sword through his midsection. Akihiko groaned in agony and struggled to do something as the shadow twisted the blade. "Now that I've killed the two of you I'll kill Aigis and Labrys." The shadow hissed. "Then all the rest of them will fall to me."

"Fuck you." Akihiko coughed. He wrapped one hand around the shadow's sword and the other around its ankle. "See you soon." Electricity coursed through Akihiko and surged through the shadow, utilizing the complete circuit. The shadow violently convulsed as the powerful current fried it. Finally Akihiko could fight no more, but it was enough. The shadow stiffly fell onto its back, bursting into a cloud of glowing ash as it hit the ground.

"No!" Aigis screamed, rushing into the arena. She ran to Akihiko and crouched by his side. "I will not lose you too!"

"I'm sorry, but it's too late for me." Akihiko groaned. He coughed, producing a fine spray of blood. "Kick Thanatos' ass for me." He coughed violently, spitting up more blood. "Miki…" He breathed his last. Aigis looked to Labrys who knelt beside Mitsuru. Labrys just shook her head. At that moment both bodies levitated up above them, drifting out of the arena to where Yosuke and Nora had been laid.

"What a match!" Thanatos enthused. "They put on quite the show, didn't they?"

Aigis stood, spattered with Akihiko's blood, and faced Thanatos. "I will destroy you." She declared.

"It's good to have goals." Thanatos said with a devious smile. "If I'm not mistaken, your goal in life was to protect your friends. You have failed quite spectacularly, so it's only natural that you'd find something new. Now, get out of my arena. Your time will come soon enough." Aigis stared at Thanatos for a moment. He stared back looking smug. Followed closely by Labrys she walked up the ramp and out of the arena.

"Aigis I…" Naoto started. She alone knew the full details of Aigis' past.

"I know what you are going to say and there is no need." Aigis cut her off. "I have lost friends before. You will say how sorry you are and how you feel bad for me. Please, do not make this about me. Grieve for them." Naoto nodded. "None of you need to worry about me. I will endure." Even Labrys was shocked into silence. They all just stood there for a few seconds.

"Enduring isn't enough." Yu finally said. Aigis was taken aback. Indignant, she wanted to say something but had difficulty finding the words. "Your friends wouldn't want you to endure. They would want you to be happy. If you just decide you won't talk about it, if you just bottle it up, you won't be happy."

"What would you have me say?" Aigis countered. "Should I describe the sorrow, the feeling of emptiness? Should I talk about how things will never be the same? How about the rage I feel, the desire for revenge? Should I discuss how I feel like a failure for once again being unable to save my friends? Is that what you want?"

"It's a start." Yu replied. "Let it all out."

"I promised to protect them." Aigis said. Between her tone of voice and the look on her face it was clear that she would be crying if she were she physically capable. "I made the safety, their happiness, my whole reason for living. From my very first deployment I have failed in every mission. I may as well be broken down for scrap."

"You're not a failure." Yu said. "You helped save the world. You saved your sister and stopped Sho. You still have friends to protect. You're certainly not worthless." Everyone else seemed too afraid to speak. "Would somebody please say something?"

"Aigis, please don't give up." Labrys said, wrapping Aigis in an awkward metal embrace. "If you lost your happiness, your warmth, it would be like losing you. I only just got to meet you. I don't think I could take it."

"We haven't known each other for long, but everything I've seen tells me you're an incredibly kind person." Pyrrha said. "That in itself makes you worthwhile."

"See?" Yu said. "What happened was a tragedy but you can't blame yourself. If you let it destroy you it will only make it worse."

"You are right, thank you." Aigis said, more composed now. "With the help of all of you I will get through this. There are still people who need me. And I have a new mission, one I will not fail. I will stop Thanatos."

Team RWBY was already focused on the next match. "Weiss, please be careful." Ruby pleaded, wrapping her arms and legs around her teammate and crying.

"Get off me." Weiss said. She tried to push Ruby away but was no match for her desperate grip. "I'm going to be fine. You've seen me fight. You know what I can do."

"Are you sure?" Ruby sniffed, loosening her grasp.

"Yes." Weiss took the opportunity to break free.

Ruby fell down onto her back before scrambling back to her feet. In a flurry of rose petals she was suddenly hugging Blake. "Blake…" She started.

"I'll be fine Ruby." Blake sighed. "I know you're worried but it'll be alright."

This time Ruby did not need to be pried away, instead releasing Blake and taking a step back. "Just come back, okay?" She said.

"We're both going to be fine." Blake assured her. "Right Weiss?" Weiss nodded.

Seeming to come from nowhere, Yang wrapped Blake and Weiss in a huge hug. As tight as Ruby had clung to the pair her strength was nothing compared to her sister's. "Oh for the love of…" Weiss groaned.

"Kick some ass and get back here." Yang said. "I know, I know, you guys'll be fine." She released them.

"Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna, enter the arena." Thanatos commanded. The pair descended the ramp and took their places on the arena floor. "I know someone who would love to kill both of you." Thanatos laughed. Shadow material swirled out of the ground and resolved into humanoid form. The excess fell away leaving behind a red-haired, horned man dressed in black, a sword on his hip and a White Fang mask covering his eyes.

"That's Adam." Blake said.

"Adam?" Weiss said. "Wait, your...mentor?"

"Yes." Blake confirmed. Her expression was blank but Weiss could detect concern in her voice.

"It must be my lucky day." The shadow said. "A traitor and a Schnee to kill."

"You're the one who betrayed the Faunus." Blake charged.

"Shut your mouth." The shadow snapped. "You're a coward and a traitor. We were so close to striking a real blow. It would have been a great leap in our revolution. But you were afraid to get your hands dirty and sabotaged the whole operation. I'll show you what the White Fang does with the likes of you."

"Leave her alone!" Weiss shouted.

"And you, the very spawn of evil." Adam hissed. "You talk about equality and making up for the wrongs your family perpetrated, but there's hate and fear in your heart. You would crush the Faunus under your boot just as readily as your father. Oppressors like your family cannot be allowed to live."

"Why are we arguing with a shadow?" Blake asked, realizing the futility of it. "Why am I worried about fighting Adam? It's not even really him."

"It will fight like him though." Weiss said. "Any tips?"

"His weapon is a sword and a rifle." Blake said. "He'll probably open by…"

"I will not be ignored!" The shadow roared. "Not by a traitorous bitch and a Schnee whore!"

"You insolent…" Weiss said indignantly. With a swipe of her arm a line of glyphs appeared in front of her and she skated straight at the shadow.

"Watch out for…" Blake tried to warn Weiss but it was too late. The shadow's sword shot out of the sheath, slamming pommel-first into Weiss' face. She slammed down on her back as the shadow lunged forward to catch the blade. It stabbed down at Weiss but she deflected the attack with Myrtenaster and forced the shadow back with a stab at its chest. Weiss leapt to her feet and thrust her sword at the shadow. It blocked the attack and their blades interlocked. With its free hand the shadow grabbed its sheath and used it to bludgeon Weiss in the side of the head. The shadow slashed at Weiss but she dive-rolled out of the way.

Blake attacked the shadow from the side, hitting it in the neck with a clean shot from her blade. Enraged but unhurt the shadow turned, knocked Gambol Shroud aside with its sword, then leveled the rifle that formed its sheath at Blake. Blake knew it was coming and slid to the side, leaving a double to take the hit. The shadow slashed at her and she back-flipped out of range, leaving behind another double. The shadow stopped just short of hitting the double. It jumped back then shot it, causing it to explode. Blake jumped forward, deflected the shadow's rifle away with her sheath and sliced across with her blade. The shadow caught the blade with its own then lunged forward, headbutting Blake. It motioned as if to stab at her and she jumped aside, leaving another double. It was only a feint. The shadow leveled its rifle and blasted Blake in the chest. The shot knocked her off her feet and onto her back.

Weiss had not been idle, a fact the shadow only now noticed. A huge chunk of ice hung in the air, held in place with a glyph. Weiss smiled and waved her hand. The glyph disappeared and the sheet of ice crashed down on top of the shadow. Weiss made another gesture and an icy fist rose from the ground and grabbed the stunned shadow and lifted it into the air. Blake took aim and emptied her pistol into the shadow as it struggled to get free. Weiss summoned a glyph that fired more projectiles at it. The shadow began to glow red.

"Get back!" Blake shouted. She took off running away from the shadow and Weiss followed suit, each ending up on an opposite side of the arena. The shadow suddenly shot down, obliterating the ice as it went. It struck the ground hard enough to crater it, landing in a crouch.

"I'm done playing games." The shadow declared. With incredible speed it crossed the arena and attacked Blake. She blocked a vertical slash from its sword by using both halves of her weapon, the dove out of the way as the shadow fired its rifle into the double she left behind. Blake lunged forward for a counterattack but the shadow was ready. It ducked under her strike, grabbed her legs and pulled them, slamming Blake onto her back. She slashed at the shadow from the ground but it deflected the strike. It pressed its rifle to Blake's chest and fired. Blake's aura failed as she slid back across the arena floor.

Weiss arrived in time to make the save, Myrtenaster lancing a line of fire into the shadow's back. The shadow snapped around and fired its rifle. Weiss hurriedly summoned a glyph to block the shot. The shadow charged, passing through where Weiss' glyph had been just as it faded. It hacked at her with its rifle. Weiss blocked the shot but it was powerful enough to spin her around. The shadow grabbed her by the hair and tugged her to the ground. It stabbed down at her and she used Myrtenaster to knock the shadow's sword aside. She was unable to block as it slammed its rifle into the side of her head. Her aura failed in a shimmer of light.

Blake jumped on the shadow's back, trying to slit its throat with her blade while using the other half of Gambol Shroud to keep from hitting her. The shadow struggled to shake her off, stumbling away from Weiss as she groggily staggered to her feet. With a quick turn the shadow managed to shift Blake more to the side then hit her in the stomach with an elbow. Blake fell off and doubled over. The shadow raised its blade over its head and brought it crashing down. Blake rolled back and out of the way, leaving an icy double behind. The shadow struck the double and its blade was trapped. Weiss summoned a glyph beneath the shadow's feet and ice erupted to encase its legs.

"Finish it!" Blake called.

Weiss charged at the shadow's back, skating on her glyphs, while Blake rushed at its front. Weiss ran Myrtenaster through the shadow's torso with surprising ease as Blake slashed across its neck, severing its head. Gambol Shroud sailed out of Blake's hand and over Weiss' shoulder, nicking her skin as it flew.

"Careful Blake!" Weiss admonished. The shadow burst into a cloud of glowing ash. "Blake?"

Author's Note: I have now finished writing this fic and expect to release three chapters a week until it's all out. After 356 pages and about 8 months of work, it's done. Now the question is what to write next. I have a few non-RWBY things in mind but nothing solid on that's RWBY-related. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Want to see a particular story-line, AU or crossover? Let me know and I might give it a shot.