Ruby stood on the landing pad facing Cinder, a backdrop of fire and smoke highlighted the setting sun that lit the scene. Years of searching for the person leading the violent uprising, and then more just to track her down, had forced the villain's hand and brought about the bloody conclusion early. Vale was on fire, fighting for its life, as her peers and teammates did anything they could to save civilians or cull the aggressive force. Cinder had taken control of the soldier androids, but that was the start, the first attack was that the peacekeepers did nothing. Communication was taken down, armed combatants swarmed the city, then the soldiers, sought as protectors, turned to the terrified and hunted them.

Ruby tightened her grip on Crescent Rose, and with a burst of rose petals charged Cinder. A loud cry escaped her lips, bloodied from biting them, as she swung her attack. Cinder stepped back with a smirk, ducked another slash, jumped a stab. By the time the rash of attacks paused, Crescent Rose was several metres away from Ruby, closer to Cinder, and the two women were once more st a stand-off.

Another charge, this time with quick switches of direction. But Cinder knew exactly where Ruby would end up, and was waiting when she got there. Ruby held the shaft of her weapon in one hand, and screamed the moment she stood to run. Cinder held Ruby's other wrist, her hand aglow, outlined with smoke from burning flesh. Ruby swung her weapon at her foe, a swing easily stopped but Cinder was content to leap out of the way, letting go and allowing Ruby to dash out of reach. Tear welled in Ruby's eyes, she risked a glance at the hand that could barely grip her weapon, now sporting a thick red band like a bracelet.

Cinder blasted fire towards Ruby, using the cover to close the gap and launch a flurry of kicks. Ruby blocked with her scythe, but her maneuvers were less fluid, her expression pained. The first kick nearly stole her weapon, so she jumped back and ran behind Cinder with her semblance. Cinder was waiting when she stopped with a drawn arrow. The scythe and wielder spun, knocking the bow, shattering it, and pushing the villain back. Next was an arc of dust-infused glass, sharp stakes that Ruby ran to the side so as to dodge.

The tip of Ruby's blade was embedded in the rooftop landing pad, as she fired thrice at Cinder - dodged with ease. A beating of blades indicated a bullhead above them, ready to protect vale, or reduce more of it to rubble. Roman landed amidst the dueling pair, challenging Ruby's attention. Roman held his cane and fired, Ruby dodged toward Cinder, lining her two adversaries up and wrapping the blade around Cinder's neck, the rifle aimed at Roman. One shot and they would both be done, if either moved the other would perish.

"Wait! Ruby!" pleaded Cinder. "Ruby, I am your mother."

Ruby's eyebrows crinkled, she hesitated, her eyes searching Cinder's face.

"I am Summer. I am Summer Rose, Ruby."

"No, you can't be!"

"It is the truth. Remember when we would make cookies together? The time we told Yang and Dad that the burnt batch was the one I made?"

Ruby shook her head slightly, unwilling to take her eyes from her targets.

"Remember Yang's birthday, when you cried because it wasn't yours?"

"You can't be, my mother died on a mission."

"That cloak you wear, it was one of hers. She always left one unwashed at home, so it would smell like her and you could sleep without nightmares. Remember when she took one, sewed the trail up short so it would not drag, gave it clasps so it could stay on your small shoulders, but it didn't matter? You still needed one of hers to sleep without her?"

Air, thoughts, words, they all caught in Ruby's throat, telling her she couldn't breathe although she was.

"That cloak you let out, fold by fold, and wear now, not quite tall enough yet to let it all out."

"It - it can't be! You are just a few years older, you are basically my age! Mom was good! She fought grimm! She helped people, not this, not hurting people, not destroying a whole city and watching people die."

"Falls from grace are never elegant. I was trapped in the fates' games. I had seen the edge, the pages my story was written upon and I sought desperately to change the words. I found a way to start, only an opportunity not a solution, in a laboratory studying semblances; they were working on using Professor, headmaster now, Ozpin's slow aging to find cures for fatal disabilities. I took a sample, but would never have been able to watch you grow, never aging myself."

"Why would you leave me? It wouldn't have mattered, you left me!"

"I wanted to write my own path, but the powers that be fought me. They had plans for me. 'The moon will sadly watch the roses die.' I wanted to break the threads of fate, to rewrite the story that had us both sacrificed for the amusement of gods."

Ruby blinked, her eyelashes wet. "Even if what you say is true, I can't let you go. You have hurt too many people, destroyed Vale. You are a criminal and if you cannot be subdued you must be eliminated." Her voice hitched at the final word, ending with a hiccup.

"It's okay, I know you must. Just- just promise me you'll live your own life. Forge your own path. With me gone the fates will go after you; don't let the fates write your destiny."

Ruby closed her eyes as her finger squeezed the trigger. The scythe flew in her hand, the recoil pushing the blade through the woman's neck before the round hit Roman. They fell, and with them so did Ruby. She fell to her knees, Crescent Rose resting on the ground in front of her.

"How does evil hit so hard?" Ruby looked from her lap to the darkened sky above, tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's not fair!"

Live your own fate, don't let your destiny be written for you.