Looking out upon the grand expanse of Beacon Academy and to the even larger city of Vale beyond the cliffs, Professor Ozpin took a quiet sip from his mug of coffee; feeling the liquid within pour down his throat, leaving warmth in its wake. On the docks several hundred meters below, multiple companies of Atlas Navy marines marched into the courtyard in lockstep, their chants echoing their way up the height of Beacon's tower. The academy's airspace was crowded with transport ships, each one belching forth a new batch of troops as the one before it departed.

Although Ozpin was unsettled by their display, their presence was necessary. Atlas scout units had detected an enormous horde of Grimm approaching the school from the mountain range to the north, presumably having detached from the swarm engaged against the northern front. According to intel from the Atlas Navy, the horde had split ten hours prior and was preparing to attack Beacon from both east and west, trapping the academy in the maw of the horde like a pack of wolves surrounding a sheep.

Such an outcome was one Ozpin expected ever since the initial disaster at Amity Colosseum, now docked in its cavernous maintenance mooring deep in Vale's industrial district. With the student body's failure to prevent casualties causing so much fear and regret to emanate from the school, the Grimm could not have chosen a better target. Its loss would deal a killing blow to any hopes of defence, a fact that the Alphas among the horde knew all too well, and one they were willing to exploit as long as they drew breath.

Yet we will stand and fight, Ozpin promised, tightening his grip around the mug's handle. And, perhaps, show our enemy what we're capable of.

Professor Goodwitch and General Ironwood stood at his flanks, gazing down at the scene playing out below them. The former looked on with resigned contempt akin that of her fellow professor, while the latter admired the display of power put on by the men and women he once trained.

Glynda crossed her arms and looked right while leaning forward to see past the headmaster. "Remind me, James, just how you are going to fit thousands of personnel into an area designed to accommodate a few hundred, at best," she said in her usual flat tone, one that gave the impression of seemingly perpetual annoyance.

"I'd say that should be the least of your concerns," the General replied, extracting his scroll from his pocket and pacing slowly towards the headmaster's desk. "Especially given our current circumstances." Upon placing his device on the surface of the glass, the room's computer established an interface, displaying a hologram in the center of the room shortly thereafter. A scaled map of Vale appeared before the trio, interlaced with lines of green running on and around the kingdom's borders. Adjacent to these lay large blots of red, representing the hordes of the Grimm, which dwarfed the armies deployed to face them. With a swift gesture of his left hand, the display zoomed in to encompass the area of Beacon Academy, which now showed a much more detailed breakdown of the present units, including individual infantry regiments and the transports which delivered them.

"This merely shows the initial stages of preparation," Ironwood explained after Ozpin settled back into his chair and Glynda took her spot to his right. "If all goes according to plan, we should have multiple battalions stationed in the hills within the hour. The rest will guard the courtyard and tower."

"Are we capable of defending the academy, General? I have full confidence in your forces, yet we are not in any position to take chances," Ozpin asked calmly as Glynda stared expectantly at the General.

Ironwood looked down and clenched his gloved fist before replying: "As much as it pains me to say, we may not be. Not alone, that is." He raised his head and met his comrade's gaze head on. "Oz, we may need your students to intervene. I fully understand if you wish them not to."

At this, Ozpin sighed and rose from his chair, plodded around his desk before stopping directly in front of the General. His posture straight and expression impassive, he locked his brown eyes with Ironwood's deep blue as he spoke: "We find ourselves in desperate times, James, and desperate times call for desperate measures. My students shall stand by your troops, and I'm sure they will be eager to defend their kingdom and their home."

As if summoned by his promise, the elevator shaft in the far side of the office began to rumble, signaling the lift's ascent.

Taken aback by the sudden interruption, Glynda called out to Ozpin, drawing the stares of both men before her: "I thought we weren't getting any visitors. This meeting was supposed to be classified." Ironwood showed his silent agreement with her sentiment by shifting his gaze to Ozpin, bearing an inquisitive look on his face. The headmaster of Beacon academy never tended to change plans, and when he did, there was always an extremely good reason behind it.

Yet, a small frown grew across his face as he spoke up: "Hm. So did I. Well, it must clearly be important, if they managed to get past the guards at the base." Turning on his heel and returning to his desk, he once again sat down before continuing. "General, I believe it might be best to put this off for another time. I have full faith in your ability to organize your men."

"Fine. I'll report back once preparations are complete," Ironwood said, stifling a sigh as he picked up his scroll off his desk. Ozpin swore he could see an odd black flash appear for a split second on the device's screen, yet paid it no mind as the door to the elevator parted and the hologram dissipated.

As the light of the office made its way into the lift, the three figures within were illuminated. Ozpin immediately recognized the three girls before him as the remnants of Team RWBY, the leader flanked by her two teammates. The entourage made its way towards the desk, and after both groups present in the room exchanged nods of silent recognition, Ruby sat down in the lone chair directly before Ozpin, with Blake and Weiss grabbing additional chairs before taking their seats to her side.

"Ms. Rose. Ms. Schnee. Ms. Belladonna. What would bring you to my office this fine morning?" said Ozpin, briefly looking at each girl as he mentioned their names. Even though he vocalized his question, there was no doubt in his mind as to what it would involve.

Of the three, Ruby was the first to speak up after the team exchanged a series of uneasy glances. "Well, uh, we were just wondering about… uh…" she stuttered as she grasped for a proper way to phrase her concerns.

"About your sister?"

Ruby's eyes widened slightly, followed by her hastily clearing her throat and confirming his little hypothesis: "Yeah, that would be it."

Ozpin's stoic expression gave way to a small frown. The student before him seemed to lack her enthusiasm, yet preserved every bit of her awkwardness. Usually, these two qualities gave the small, silver-eyed girl an odd charm about her, one that inspired confidence and friendship. Now, however, her current state only instilled pity.

We're all going through hard times, it seems, the headmaster reflected solemnly.

Before Ozpin could respond, Ironwood, to his left, sighed as he began: "What exactly would you like to discuss? I'm afraid there's not much to say. We all saw what she did."

Ruby shrunk into herself at his reply. After all, what he said was indisputable. Her actions in the colosseum three days ago had been the direct cause of the siege Vale faced, which in turn caused an entire contingent of Atlas soldiers to make landfall at Beacon.

"Well, considering the sheer number of Grimm we're facing, having as many huntsmen and huntresses in the field as possible would undeniably be a good idea," Weiss retorted, taking her leader's silence as her cue to speak.

"I could not agree with you more, Ms. Schnee. The more capable fighters we can obtain, the better our chances will be," the General continued, pausing for a second before resuming. "However, given her… mental state… it would probably be best to keep her off the battlefield."

At this, Blake leaned forward slightly from her chair with a glint of defiance in her eyes. "With all due respect, sir, she may be hot-headed, but she's not homicidal. I don't know if your men have properly interrogated her as of yet, but you must know by now that I spoke to her yesterday," she growled as her lips contorted into a snarl. "Never before have I seen a human being carry so much regret."

"So all we ask of you, Professor," Ruby now followed up, emboldened by her teammates' reasoning, "is that you release Yang. I swear it was an accident. She would never do such a thing!"

Ozpin closed his eyes in silent reflexion for a few seconds before answering. "Whether or not she harbored ill intent, I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"We simply cannot afford to take any risks regarding the defence of Beacon," Glynda interjected. "While we certainly do not doubt her skills as a huntress, and have the utmost confidence in her emotional composure, General Ironwood has been appointed as head of security for the tournament, and Atlas military protocol is explicit in this situation."

The three girls looked at each other before bowing their heads in solemn acceptance, conceding to the cold reasoning behind Glynda's words.

"As much as we'd like to help, there is simply not much that can be done," Ironwood attempted to console the team before them. "I'll do whatever I can to make the process as swift as possible."

"Don't worry about us, General," Weiss replied, speaking for both her teammates as the trio rose from their seats. "We understand."

Forcing a smile, Ruby turned to face Ozpin as she pushed her chair back to its original position under the office's glass desk. "Thank you for your time, Professor."

"The pleasure is mine, Ms. Rose."

The remaining members of Team RWBY walked quietly to the waiting lift on the other side of the office. The door closed with a quiet hiss, and the office returned to silence.


The drone of an Atlas transport's engines grew to a deafening roar as it approached the the centermost docking port of Beacon's expansive courtyard. The resulting blast of air blew directly onto the four members of Team JNPR standing below. Pyrrha's long red curls bristled in the wind, while off to her left, Nora was nearly toppled by the gust, with Ren quickly sidestepping to catch his partner. After a small squeal of surprise, she smiled broadly at her teammate above her, while the stoic young man only returned a small grin.

To her right, Jaune stared at the landing behemoth with wide eyes and an open jaw. His befuddled expression brought Pyrrha a brief chuckle; his innate goofiness never failed to lighten her mood on even the darkest of days. Not only was her leader a source of comfort to her, but also one of admiration. His steely resolve in the face of insurmountable odds always amazed her, even after nearly a year in his company. There was simply so much she adored about the blonde to her side; she just couldn't avoid becoming lost in those deep, blue eyes of his…

"Uh… Pyrrha? Is everything alright? You seem a bit… uh…" Jaune stammered, snapping her out of her muse. His cheeks reddened as he shifted his gaze down to his shoes, avoiding his partner's eyes. Pyrrha realized she must have been smiling; something she often did when thinking of her teammate. To Jaune, her expression must have been downright predatory.

"Oh! I'm sorry! It's... nothing, really," she stuttered, placing an apologetic hand on his back. As she attempted to speak again, the Atlas soldiers above them had organized into orderly columns and had begun to march in lockstep down the stairs. "Besides, we should probably get out of their way," Pyrrha hastily added as soon as the first set of grey boots touched down upon the stone of the pathway.

"That would certainly be for the best," Ren added, hefting Nora back onto her feet. The latter nodded in agreement, and the group retreated towards the main structure of Beacon Academy.

Upon reaching a circular area lined with benches, Jaune stopped in his tracks, staring longingly at one of the many seating options available to him. Noticing his abrupt halt, Pyrrha stopped as well, and called out to the other half of her team.

"Mind if we stay here for a bit longer?" she shouted over the clamor of the marching soldiers behind them.

"Sure, no problem," Ren replied, turning to face his hyperactive partner, now skipping several paces ahead of him. "Nora and I will check up on Team RWBY."

After exchanging a nod with Ren, Pyrrha turned back to face Jaune, who was now seated at one of the benches. Without a moment's hesitation, she made her way over to him and sat down just as the first column of marines marched by.

"Any particular reason as to why you want to stay behind?" Pyrrha inquired, leaning forward and looking right, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jaune's expression.

"Well, they're the Atlas Marines," he replied as if that alone answered everything, his gaze unbroken from the procession before him "We don't get to see these guys every day, y'know?"

At this, Pyrrha glanced sideways at the advancing troops. Unlike the grunts of the Atlas Army, the Atlas Marines wore dark grey armor plating and carried a much wider variety of weapons, both ranged and melee. However, akin to their brothers in white, the helmets the soldiers wore completely obscured their eyes, giving Pyrrha the impression of an endless army of clones. She had to sympathize with Jaune; the Atlas Marines were indeed a sight to behold.

Beyond the central pathway to the academy, the hills around Beacon bustled with activity. The amount of manpower and material deployed seemed unprecedented. Antiaircraft cannons designed to shred airships aimed their twin snouts at the skies, probing for any aerial Grimm unlucky enough to enter their firing arc. Paladin units ambled about hefting food and ammunition between the various encampments scattered about the terrain, while fighter jets screamed overhead as they flew past, the tips of their ailerons and wings painted a deep black.

Regardless of how safe the felt in the presence of Atlas' military might, she also felt a growing sense of unease, nagging at the back of her mind:

If this is the size our defences… just what are we expecting to fight?

"I mean, these guys are the stuff of legend," Jaune rambled on, once again focusing Pyrrha's attention on the present. "They say a regiment of them can fight off a force ten times their size."

"And where did you hear that?" Pyrrha asked with a slight grin, amused by yet another one of Jaune's superfluous tales.

"Oh, everyone talked about them back home. I'll have to ask Weiss about it, though... Now that you mention it... it does sound a bit fishy."

The huntsman and huntress both sat in silence for a minute or two, simply enjoying each other's company. The original transport had since departed, being replaced by an identical vessel with an identical cargo. The advancing columns before them continued all the way deeper into Beacon, leading Pyrrha to conclude they were headed for the tower.

"I just hope they know what they're doing. If what Ozpin said is true, we'll need every soldier and huntsman we can get our hands on," Jaune said, turning to face Pyrrha with worry splayed across his face.

"I'm confident they'll do their best," Pyrrha replied, thinking back to Ozpin's speech just a few hours prior. He had urged for all students to stand guard and defend their academy against the hordes of the Grimm, yet had emphasized his understanding if some wished to leave instead. That afternoon, not a single ship had departed from the docks. Indeed, the huntsmen and huntresses of Beacon were hungry for revenge, seeking to avenge the countless lives lost on the battlefield against the monsters that terrorized mankind.

Yet, thinking about the upcoming battle reminded her of something else, something infinitely more important to her.

Once again she locked eyes with Jaune, his gaze inquisitive, yet patient and understanding. It had only been four days since her meeting with Ozpin, one which shattered her view of herself and the world far beyond repair. She had always believed her destiny would be to become a huntress and protect the world from the forces working against it, a philosophy that was only strengthened over the past few days. If destiny had her take upon the mantle of the Fall Maiden, then so be it.

She sighed deeply, causing Jaune to raise an eyebrow in suspicion. If only half of what she had learned by researching Aura over the past days was true, the transfer would give her extreme memory loss at best.

And at worse, her soul would be overridden by Amber's, a fate potentially worse than death. Even in its weakened state, the Aura of a Maiden would be several orders of magnitude more powerful than her own, causing her consciousness to recede into the corners of her mind as the new soul took over.

Looking at her partner to her left and recalling all of their shared memories over the past year, she reckoned it would be far too large a loss for her to accept.

But how many lives could I save in the process? How many would be lost if I refused? The rational part of her brain scolded her, countering her own selfish desires with hard logic.

Destiny is cruel, Pyrrha conceded, her emotional side giving one final whimper.

"Pyrrha, you've been acting really weird today, is something wrong?" Jaune said, concern lacing his voice as he spoke. "Ever since you went up that tower you just… haven't been the same. You know how much it pains me to see you like this," he added, placing his left hand on her shoulder and calming her turbulent mind. "If anything comes up, please, just tell me."

Such kindness, Pyrrha thought, straightening her posture and clearing her throat. As much as every fiber of her being wanted to tell Jaune everything that had occurred down in the vault, she believed it would simply be too much for him. To see him enduring what she went through would shatter her to her very core. For now, she would have to deal with this on her own.

"No… It's alright, Jaune," she murmured as she got up from her seat. "How about we go back to the dorm? We definitely need to get some rest for tomorrow."

He nodded in somber agreement and stood, the pair now beginning the walk back to the academy. The path was left vacant as the last batch of troops had come through during Pyrrha's silent contemplation. Behind the two, the final set of Atlas transports lifted off from the landing pads, returning to Vale to aid in the current battles raging throughout its territory.

"Oh, and Jaune?" Pyrrha said, turning to face her partner at her side.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. If anything happens, you'll be the first to know. I promise."

"Oh, no problem, Pyrrha. I'm here for you" he replied, scratching the nape of his neck and blushing slightly.

The two hunters continued their silent stroll back to their room, both contemplating the potential magnitude of the upcoming battle and praying for the safety of the other, the setting sun at their backs.


Team RWBY's dorm room lay silent as the day's final rays of sunlight descended through the window. Ruby lay sprawled over her bunk, while Weiss below her was reading quietly. Blake, across from the two on her own bed, fiddled with Gambol Shroud, deftly removing its components and applying solvents to its mechanisms with a brush. She had just finished putting it back together for the third time when Weiss spoke up, her eyes still glued to the pages before her.

"You nervous?" she asked, flipping to the next page.

"Well… yeah," Blake replied as she slid an empty clip back into her weapon, pulling back the slide to check the chamber. "It's the first time we've fought the Grimm on such a large scale."

"I suppose so," she agreed. "How about you, Ruby? You doing alright?"

Ruby hummed briefly in agreement, rustling slightly as she shifted on her bunk. As she settled into a comfortable position, a light knocking came from the door, startling her. She stifled a groan as Blake called out to their visitors, requesting their names.

"It's Ren. Nora's here too. Just checking up on you guys," came the huntsman's muffled voice from the hallway. Before Blake could respond, Weiss quickly bookmarked her progress, set her book down on her bed, and signaled the Faunus to stand down with a wave of her hand.

"We're alright, Ren," Weiss replied, looking at Blake as she cocked her head towards Ruby. "I'll be right there."

She walked up to the room's entrance, opened the door, and stepped out, leaving Blake and Ruby deserted in the chamber as faint chatter started up outside. Taking the heiress' absence as her cue to begin, Blake stood up from her bed and sat on the bookshelf between the bunks.

"Did you go through something like this, Blake?" Ruby whispered from above, now seated on her bunk with her legs dangling over the edge.

"What, losing whatever was left of your innocence and dealing with the absence of a loved one?"

"You could say that, yeah," Ruby replied, a strained smile forming on her face.

"But yes, Ruby," Blake continued in a serious tone. "I've been through this before. I know exactly what you're feeling right now."

Ruby shifted her gaze to her boots and swung her legs aimlessly above the ground, avoiding the Faunus' stare.

"I know what it's like to have your vision of the world shattered. To have reality kick you while you're down, while you're powerless to stop it."

Regardless of her attempts to prevent it, tears began to well up in the young huntress' eyes as Blake carried on. Outside, Weiss was surely oblivious to the conversation between the two teammates, but she was perfectly aware this was something they needed to be alone to talk about.

Taking a deep breath, Blake resumed: "I used to be a lot like you, you know that? Back when I was a protester. Back when I still carried hope for a better future in my heart. But the hate, the White Fang... they changed me. They made me see the real world for the cruel, unfeeling beast it truly is."

By now, Ruby was doing her best not to weep, wiping away tears with the sleeves of her pajamas. While the sight of her leader in shambles devastated Blake, she knew it was necessary for her to overcome this if they were to make it through the dark times that surely lay ahead. She gathered her strength once more before continuing.

"But then I met you, Ruby. At first, I was amused by how one could be so optimistic; so blind to the horrors of the world around them. I thought of it as a weakness. Looking back, I couldn't have been more mistaken."

Her leader now raised her head and locked eyes with Blake.

"Being able to maintain such hope for humanity, even in spite of all of its atrocities, is by far your greatest strength. Instead of backing down or running away, you hold your ground. You spit right in the face of life and tell it to bring it on. And that is exactly what a leader would do. Ozpin couldn't have made a better choice."

Above her, Ruby regained control after a series of deep breaths, her frown replaced by a proud grin. Outside, the voices grew louder, allowing Blake to distinctly hear the various goodbyes being exchanged by the group. Taking it as her cue to wrap up, she got up from the bookshelf and extended her hand towards Ruby.

"So, instead of conceding to the whims of our enemy, stay strong, and we will stand alongside you. Yang would accept nothing less from her sister."

The moment she finished, Ruby grasped her hand, yanked it, and propelled herself onto the ground, landing before Blake with a small thud.

"We all need you, Ruby. I need you," Blake concluded, resting her hand on her leader's shoulder.

"Don't worry. We'll make it through this. As a team," Ruby replied, now sounding identical to her former self. A sense of accomplishment washed over Blake at the sight of her leader, now prepared to lead her team once more into the awaiting darkness.

The door on the other end of the room opened again as Weiss stepped back into the dorm, an amused grin barely visible on her face in the penumbra of twilight.

"We heard all of that, you know?" she quipped. "You should have seen Nora. Ren had to drag her back inside, lest she started crying."

Blake and Ruby exchanged a quick sidelong glance before grinning broadly at Weiss, who was now approaching them with slow, deliberate steps. Come what may tomorrow, Blake thought, we'll meet it head-on, together.