Author's Note: This story will wrap up with this chapter. At some point in the future I may continue with a second season, but I have no immediate intention to do so. Starting next week Shattered Rose will be my Monday/Friday fic. I hope you've all enjoyed the ride!

Chapter 24

One Week Ago

With the season finale just a week a way, it might seem strange that teams were still having test sessions, but that was indeed the case. Between the races in Atlas and Mantle, a few teams stopped at a track in Atlas owned by one of Schnee's competitors. The big teams there were Beacon GP and Goodwitch GPE, but a few smaller teams also made the trip. They were there to get ahead on developing cars for the following season. New engine regulations designed to reduce speeds were on the way and it would be wise to get used to them sooner than later.

Though both Beacon GP and Goodwitch GPE had drivers in the championship hunt, those drivers were not taking part. Scarlet was driving the Beacon GP car and Sage the Goodwitch GPE car, though neither were expected to race for those teams the next season. This weekend was meant to inform the engineers, and there was no reason to involve the big names. That did not mean they were not present. Sure, Blake stayed away, taking some time to rest and focus, but Ruby and Pyrrha were there. They were not there for the test though.

"Now stand on your right leg." Professor Glenn said to Pyrrha. He was recertifying her to drive. She stood on her injured leg, the brace now gone. It hurt but she did her best to show no pain. "Hold it." A few seconds passed. Pyrrha felt like she was wobbling a bit. "You're wincing a bit." Pyrrha kept standing there on one leg. She knew it was not fully healed but she needed to get back in the car. "Okay, that's good."

Pyrrha put her other foot down, shifting her weight to it instead as her injured leg ached. "Did I pass?" She asked. Ruby sat nearby, an interested by silent observer.

"So far." Professor Glenn replied. "Now get in the car. Strap yourself in as if you were racing."

Pyrrha climbed into the cockpit. That was all there was to the car. Even the engine was not bolted on. The assembled car was out on track. But that did not matter. "Little help." Pyrrha said. Ruby stepped up and helped her with her belts. Getting them properly tightened was not a one person job. After the job was done Ruby stepped away.

Professor Glenn produced a stopwatch from his pocket. "Get out as fast as you can." He instructed. "Pretend the car's on fire." He held up his hand, counting with his fingers. "In three...two...one...go!"

Pyrrha pressed the belt release, planted her hands on the sides of the cockpit and thrust herself out. One about halfway she bent her legs underneath her and used them to hop out of the car. Professor Glenn clicked his stopwatch. "How was that?" Pyrrha asked.

"Good enough." Professor Glenn replied. "Now do it again."

Pyrrha got back into the car and Ruby went to work strapping her in. "Ruby?" Weiss called from the garage entrance. "Are you here?"

"What do you want?" Ruby asked as she finished tightening up Pyrrha's belts. Immediately after their crash in the previous race, Ruby had thought it an accident, and probably her fault. But she watched the replays and it became clear that Weiss had turned in on her as if she were not even there.

"I...I wanted to apologize." Weiss admitted. "I made a terrible decision and I regret it. I hope you can forgive me."

Ruby walked over to Weiss as Pyrrha went through the drill again with Professor Glenn. "If you think I'm going to get revenge on the track or something, you don't have to worry." Ruby said. "I don't do that."

"No, that's not it." Weiss said. "I'm genuinely sorry. I could make all kinds of excuses about how it was in the heat of the moment, or about how my father raised me to be an asshole, but I won't. It's entirely my fault, and I'm sorry."

"Well, if you are I forgive you." Ruby said. She extended her hand and Weiss shook it.

"So, what are you and Pyrrha doing here?" Weiss asked. "Shouldn't you be spending the week at some romantic retreat?"

"Believe me, there's nothing I'd enjoy more." Ruby said. "But Pyrrha is determined to race in Mantle. To do that she needs Professor Glenn's approval."

"She's going to race?" Weiss gasped. "With her injuries?"

"I know." Ruby said. "I'm worried too."

"I'm not worried, I'm just amazed." Weiss said. "It usually takes a lot longer to come back from a broken leg."

"So am I good to race?" Pyrrha asked, having done the extraction test a third time.

"As long as you're feeling up to it." Professor Glenn replied. "As far as I'm concerned you're healthy enough to get back on track."

"Did you hear that?!" Pyrrha exclaimed. "Looks like you've got more competition!"

"Looks like my life just got a little harder." Weiss groaned.

"Mine too." Ruby agreed. Even if she was less than healthy, Pyrrha would be a formidable opponent and probably the championship favorite.

"I guess we're done here then." Pyrrha said.

"Weiss suggested we go on a romantic retreat." Ruby said. "How about it?"

"Sounds good." Pyrrha said with a smile. "Any idea where?"

"If you want I know a little place in the mountains." Weiss suggested. "I can book it for you."

"You don't have to do that." Pyrrha said.

"I'm serious about apologizing for the last race." Weiss said. "It's the least I can do."

"Woohoo!" Ruby exclaimed. "Free sexy vacation!"

Present Day

For the third straight year the streets of Mantle would play host to the final race of the season. For the first time it would actually feature a championship battle, the title having been decided already on the previous two occasions. Blake was the only championship contender to have raced at the track before, though her race had been a short one. An engine failure had taken her out after just five laps the year before. It was a very unique track, a street circuit but relatively wide and fast. Unlike the other street circuit, Monaco, passing was not impossible, but easier than at most permanent circuits thanks to the track's combination of long straights and tight corners. The long straights would also help Weiss and the other Schnee powered entries, though the many turns would benefit Ruby, Pyrrha and Blake.

Practice offered few surprises. Blake, Weiss, Ruby and Pyrrha were all at the top and all well ahead of the rest of the field. The one surprising element was that Ruby was mostly faster than Pyrrha. Sure, Pyrrha had taken the top spot in the second practice, but in the other two Ruby had beaten her. Either Ruby had greatly improved or Pyrrha's injuries were slowing her down. The truth was somewhere in between. Blake led the first practice and Weiss led the third with Ruby second in all three. It was going to be an interesting battle come qualifying and the race.

Between the final practice and time trials, an interesting bit of news broke. Weiss had been signed to a one year rookie contract with Schnee Automotive. Now that she was fighting for the title and the team's undisputed number 1 driver, they were eager to resign her. Negotiations had apparently been going poorly. Even her father's direct involvement did not lead to a contract being signed. It was the last race of the season and Weiss was still not committed to that team, or any team for that matter. Some speculated that she was holding out, hoping to win the championship and use that to score a better contract. Whatever the reason, there seemed to be a great deal of concern in the organization.

All that shifted to the background as qualifying got underway. From the start the four championship contenders were at the top, trading fast laps with every attempt. It was just the sort of battle the fans and media had been hoping for. As the waning minutes approached Weiss had the top spot from Blake, Ruby and Pyrrha. That did not really matter because everyone expected all four would turn in faster times on their final runs. With just enough time left they all headed out to put in the best lap possible, a lap that would win the pole and go a long way towards securing the title.

Ruby slowed as she moved from the streets section of the course to the park section, a short purpose-built area running through a park that housed the garages, pits and most of the spectator seating. She wanted to be sure she had enough room in front of her for a clean lap. She wound up her car through the final corner, Mistral, and accelerated onto the frontstretch, crossing the line to start her lap. First up was the Chicane. Ruby barely had to brake for the left-right-left flick that took her from the park section to the city streets. After swinging wide to the right on exit of the corner she hooked back to the left, lining up for Wake, a tight right-hander. She braked hard, slung her car through the corner and accelerated for a moment before braking again for Flin, a tight left. Another equally short run took her to Hut, a tight right-hander.

Finally Ruby was able to open things up a bit. She accelerated hard out of Hut, screaming down the street as it meandered left then right, before she had to brake hard again for the tight right-hander called Run. Now as the track's fastest stretch. Ruby was hard on the throttle out of Run. She slung the car right through the flat-out kink called Hack and onto the Champion Straight. The straightaway ran almost the entire length of the track and Ruby was doing well in excess of 200 mph when she braked for the Champion Hairpin. She was careful to control her wheelspin as she accelerated out and hooked left back into the park section. A tight left called Park was next, followed by flat-out left and then right hand kinks. After the second kink she was hard on the brakes for Mistral. She swung her car around the corner, powered onto the frontstretch and flashed across the line to complete her lap.

Ruby had done it! She won the pole! Pyrrha was right behind her in second with an almost identical time, followed by Weiss and Blake. Next up were Penny, Coco, Nora, Reese, Velvet and Ren. With championship contenders occupying the first four spots the race was sure to be an exciting one. There was more excitement coming though. The forecast called for rain. Ruby was the established master of driving in wet conditions, but on a street course it could be extremely unpredictable.

As dawn broke on race day it was already raining. Rivulets of water ran along the perimeter of the track in the road sections, and the park section had puddles here and there. By the time the cars were lined up on the grid, the rain was torrential. It was harder than it had been for any race that season. Weiss was sure her championship hopes were gone. She was a decent enough rain driver but her car was not suited to wet conditions. Worse than that, Weiss had a sickening sense of deja vu. The conditions reminded her of Emerald Forest. Even after her sister's death she had never before been afraid to get in a race car. Now she could barely force herself to get behind the wheel.

Ruby and Pyrrha had said nothing to each other all morning. They were both too focused on the task at hand. After they race they could go back to being the happy couple but right now there was no time for distraction. Ruby finally understood how her parents had felt all those years ago. Just before being strapped into their cars they glanced at each other for one last time. Ruby could see the smile in Pyrrha's eyes and Pyrrha could see the same in Ruby's. Whatever happened on the track they would have each other.

For her part Blake treated it like any other race. Sure, there was more attention from the press than usual, and the weather conditions were absolutely abysmal, but that was just how it was and she would deal with it. Yang had stopped by that morning to wish her good luck. If Ruby could not win the championship Yang wanted Blake to take the title. They were teammates after all. Blake felt a bit bad, realizing that she only had a shot because of Yang's injuries, but she forced the feeling aside. If she was going to win it would take complete focus. Self-doubt would destroy her chances.

Finally it was time. The cars rolled around the track for the parade lap. Even at those reduced speeds the spray made it almost impossible for the drivers further back in the field to see. It was going to be a harrowing experience, particularly at the start when the field was bunched up. The race should probably not have gone on, but not racing was never going to be an option. If the race were cancelled, Yang would be champion. None of the four racing for the title were going to let that happen.

So the cars lined up on the grid as they always did. As always the focus turned to the lights. One red, two, three, four, all five red! The drivers revved their engines a little but in the slippery conditions they would need to be extra careful when applying the throttle. Lights out! With the screech of tires the cars squirmed off the line, even at low speeds throwing up blinding spray. The pace was slow as the cars struggled to get any grip but soon they were moving. Pyrrha had the perfect soft touch and pulled into the lead as the cars approached the Chicane. Ruby fell into second. Weiss grabbed third ahead of Blake. The top four ran through the first complex single file. Though it was a bit more chaotic behind them, somehow everyone made it through, albeit at very low speed.

At the front Pyrrha knew she was doing what she had to if she hoped to win the title. Ruby was a better driver in the wet and in her injured state Pyrrha would probably not be as fast in the dry. Still, she could block with the best of them. She would make passing as difficult as possible. Ruby, for her part, was making Pyrrha's life difficult too. She attacked at every opportunity, even when the prospects of pulling off a pass were slim. Despite battling each other tooth and nail, the pair still pulled away.

Even for the conditions Weiss was going slowly, though the cars behind were unable to pass. Truth be told, Weiss was scared. It was too much like that day in Emerald Forest, too similar to her sister's death. She could not do it. She did not want to do it. Winning the championship was not worth risking her life over, not in such stupidly dangerous conditions. At the end of lap 3 she pulled into the pits. The crew surrounded the car in confusion as she calmly undid her belts and stepped out. "What's wrong with the car?" One of the mechanics asked, following her as she walked into the garage.

"Nothing." Weiss replied. "I'm not throwing my life away for some stupid title. It isn't worth it."

"What are you doing?!" Her father demanded. Expecting a championship, he had come to the track for once.

"You heard me." Weiss said. She started taking off her gloves.

"This is unacceptable!" Her father declared. "How can you display such cowardice?"

"How can you display such a lack of concern for your daughter's safety?" Weiss countered. "Don't answer, I know already. You didn't care when Winter died and you wouldn't care if I did. Your heart is black. You're a monster, not a man."

"How dare you?!" Her father shouted. "And how dare you drag out the contract negotiations? You'll sign the contract I tell you to sign, and you'll show me some respect."

"Fuck you." Weiss growled, getting right in his face. "I'm done with you and I'm done with this team."

"What?!" Her father demanded.

"I'm signed with Goodwitch." Weiss said. "So go fuck yourself." Her trip to the track the week before had been for more than just offering an apology to Ruby. She had finalized a deal that would see her drive for Goodwitch GPE for the next several years. Ever since Winter's death she had been determined to escape Schnee Automotive, and she had finally found a way. Yang herself had suggested it when they talked upon Yang's first return to the track.

"That's...how...I…" Her father stammered. Weiss flashed him a one-finger salute and walked out of the garage. She had never felt so free.

Back on track the fight at the front was just as fierce as it had been at the start. Ruby juked and ducked back and forth, trying to find any opening, but Pyrrha seemed to have an answer for her every move. The on lap 7 Pyrrha slipped up. She spun the tires badly on exit of Mistral, almost spinning. Ruby swept into the lead as they raced towards the Chicane. Pyrrha kept close. She knew that her only hope was to immediately retake the lead and return to blocking. If she did not Ruby would just drive away.

Pyrrha got a decent enough run out of the Chicane. She kept right as Ruby edged left to line up for Wake. As they approached the corner Pyrrha was just coming alongside. Both braked at about the same time. Pyrrha immediately realized she had gotten it wrong. Her tires slid over the painted lines on the road, ice slick in the rain. The car swapped ends in an instant and Pyrrha was just a passenger. She knew impact was inevitable, but it came sooner than expected. The screeching of tires doubled as the sound of rending metal pierced the air. Oh no.

Both Beacon GP cars slid straight off the corner and barrelled into the tire-fronted concrete barrier. Pyrrha had committed the cardinal sin of racing, wrecking her teammate. With one stupid mistake she had taken them both out of the championship. The magnitude of that error was made clear by how long it took for Blake to arrive and pass them. They had built up a huge gap. The race was theirs. Then Pyrrha took both of them out. If anything could kill their relationship, this was it. Pyrrha sat in her car, stunned and ashamed, unable to move.

Ruby hopped out of her own car and walked over to Pyrrha. She bent down toward the cockpit. "Are you alright?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"I'm fine." Pyrrha said. She undid her belts and started climbing out of the car. Meanwhile Ruby walked around the barrier they had struck and off of the circuit. When Pyrrha followed a few seconds later she found Ruby sitting on the ground. Her helmet and balaclava were off and she had her face buried in her hands, crying her eyes out. Pyrrha took off her own helmet and balaclava. She realized she was crying too. "I'm so sorry." She plopped down beside Ruby. "Please don't hate me."

"I could never hate you." Ruby wept. "I'm just...I'm just...everything that's happened this year, for it to end like this, it's hard."

"And it's all my fault." Pyrrha groaned. "I'm so sorry."

"No, it's alright." Ruby said. "Racing in the rain is hard, and on a street circuit it's harder. You made a mistake. You didn't wreck us on purpose. It happens."

"But I…" Pyrrha started.

Before Pyrrha could say anything else Ruby grabbed her and kissed her on the lips. "Stop." Ruby said. "We'll get 'em next year. And I still love you."

Pyrrha smiled. "I love you too." She said. "So much."

On track Blake drove a perfect race. She was never challenged and went on to pick up the win and the championship. The terrible conditions produced a jumbled order, and Blake was followed by Coco, Nora, Arslan, Sun and Ren. Penny, Reese, Velvet and Neptune just missed out on the points. It was a chaotic but thrilling end to a season that had seen so many ups and downs. Even Blake was just happy it was over. She needed the few months off before pre-season testing to recharge as much as anyone.

On the podium Blake was probably the least excited person. Yang represented Goodwitch GPE, hoisting the trophy for race winning constructor. She was positively thrilled to be back on a podium. She would have jumped for joy if she had the legs to do it. Coco picked up Yang and carried her around the podium a bit before the two shared a kiss while the others sprayed them with champagne. And Nora was Nora.

Blake, Yang, Sage and Glynda took to the podium as the championship trophies were handed out. Blake got the driver's title and the team won the constructor's championship. With a little encouragement from Yang, Blake finally got into the spirit. Then came the shocking announcement. Yang herself announced that Weiss would be her full-time replacement starting the following year. Weiss was invited up onstage and she too celebrated with the team, though her motivation for celebrating was a bit different.

It had been one hell of a year. The next could not possibly match it. Could it?

Standings After Sixteen Races

1st - Blake Belladonna - 57

2nd - Yang Xiao-Long - 50

3rd - Weiss Schnee - 49

4th - Pyrrha Nikos - 47

4th - Ruby Rose - 47

6th - Winter Schnee - 37

7th - Coco Adel - 30

8th - Nora Valkyrie - 26

9th- Penny Polendina - 23

10th - Velvet Scarlatina - 10

11th - Arslan Atlan - 8

12th - Reese Chloris - 7

13th - Lie Ren - 5

14th - Sun Wukong - 2

15th - May Zedong - 1

15th - Sage Ayana - 1

END SEASON 1

Insiprations

- Mantle is based on Adelaide.

- Weiss' early retirement from the race is based on Niki Lauda's at Japan in 1976. More below.

Inaccuracies and Anachronisms

- Having a test in Japan between the final two races of the season would be highly unlikely, even in the era of unlimited testing.

- Aside from considering the conditions stupidly dangerous, Lauda physically could not see. After serious burns suffered earlier in the year, his eyelids had not been fully repaired. They could not clear the water from his eyes. He raced the next year at Ferrari but Enzo Ferrari never forgave him, cutting him loose at the end of 1977 despite the fact that Lauda was both the reigning champion and probably the best driver of his generation.