Nothing but noise. Yelling, screaming, panic, as thousands crammed into the lunch room, clutching weapons tightly, trying to think of something to do, somewhere to go. Yet not a single plan came into creation, no one capable of gathering themselves enough to think it all through. Senior students did everything they could to calm the younger ones, but in the midst of such a storm no words could soothe the fear. Little to nothing could be done as explosions rattled the building, sounds of stone being crushed and earth being split filled their ears.

The sun had seemingly been consumed, dark clouds of black and grey rolling over the once blue sky. The air felt heavy and thick, their bodies weighed down and sluggish as they tried to move around. Often an explosion would engulf a window and send a flash of orange light into the room, illuminating their faces and stinging their eyes.

JNPR was first to make it in, heads made dizzy by the amount of noise. Pyhrra was gone at once, dashing off to help in the attempt to keep everyone somewhat calm. Though she was gifted in the ways of helping people even she could do little, taking far longer than desired to bring even a single student back to earth, grounding their mind and then sending them into the crowd to help others.

Next came RWBY, Yang immediately guiding her younger sister to a spot where she could rest. Ruby still clutched Roland's pistol tightly, and though the ability to protect herself with it brought some comfort, she would have much rather held Crescent Rose. The desire to feel the cold steel and have the weight rest in her hands was nearly overwhelming. She was a huntress, and yet with her arm injured she could do so little in a fight. Such thoughts nearly brought Ruby into her own form of panic, yet instead of screaming and yelling she shut her eyes tightly and rested her head in her hand, setting down the pistol beside her and trying to keep the tears at bay.

Elisabeth came in grim faced, eyes feeling heavy and aura close to gone. She dashed off without a word, searching for Ozpin or Glynda, or any adult really. An evacuation was in obvious need, and she knew there had to be some form of plan in the works. They were all sent to the dining hall for a reason, or at least she hoped so. There had to be some way out.

And so last came Roland, head low and hood up, masking his face in shadow. His stature had fallen, his strength failing quickly. In each hand he held a sword, dripping with blood and giving off a faint trail of ashes. His shoulders slumped and his feet dragged, for at the moment he was nearly broken. This had been his fight, it always had been. Since the day he was born these battles were to be fought against him, not against these people, these innocents. Beacon trained people for fighting monsters, not for fighting wars. A pack of beowolves, perhaps an overly grown deathstalker, not armies of White Fang soldiers storming their home, Grimm seemingly fighting alongside them.

"These sacrifices were never theirs to make… My life was not a burden meant for them." He whispered to himself, barely even able to hear his own voice over the chaos as he gazed up and into the crowd. He knew that one way or another this day would be the end, be it the end of good or evil. This was a turning point in history, and now he had to be sure it went the right way. Or at the very least try as best he could to do such.

A small flame managed to reignite itself in his heart, and though it was faint and barely felt it gave what was needed. And so Roland gathered himself for what he knew to be the last fight. One final push to do what he was always meant to do; save the good and purge the evil.

And so he sheathed his swords and pushed negative thoughts as far aside as he could. If he survived this he could be overcome by such things later, but now he had lives to save, people to protect. This is what would carry him through what was to be the last battle.

Fortunate timing brought Elisabeth back moments later, Ozpin close behind. The girl's eyes were heavy and her body weak, and so she left the two to talk, needing to rest even if it was only for a few short minutes. As the two began she found her way back to RWBY, taking a seat on a crumpled piece of stone next to Ruby.

"We have a way out, a panel of floor that moves aside and leads deep into the cliff the school is built on. It leads away, just past the borders of Vale. With a group this large we can be safe there." Ozpin spoke with confidence, yet any reassurance that his tone would have brought was ripped away as a massive strike against the main door thundered throughout the room.

"Ozpin, we can't all leave. We both know that. We both know what has to happen here." Roland's voice was cold and flat. His eyes seemed empty and the one he had lost so long ago had returned to white, no longer holding any sort of color or emotion.

"I can not allow anyone to stay here, it's too dangerous. And where's CFVY? We need them back here to help guide everyone." Ozpin glanced away and towards the door Roland had come through, but when his eyes came back to the boy no words needed to be said. He let out a deep sigh and his eyes fell to the floor.

"This is because of me Ozpin. I wanted to do this alone, I wanted to stay out and live in that forest and keep you all away from it. And you sought me out and sent me here. Neither of us have ever repeated what you told me that night, when you finally tracked me down and convinced me. Do you remember what you said to me? What you told me?" Roland asked, watching as Ozpin lift his head slightly.

"You can't do it all alone, no one ever could. You can lead Roland, and I can give you those who need someone to follow. You are strong, but not strong enough to fight armies by yourself. When this comes to a close you must either stand with those you trust or fall alone." Roland repeated. On that night the boy hadn't believed such, but now he knew it was true. This wasn't something Roland could do by himself, not matter how badly he wanted to.

"You always were so stubborn…" Ozpin murmured. "Then lead Roland. With luck they may calm down enough to follow you." He stepped aside and held an arm out towards the crowd.

"Open the way out. I won't be keeping many." With that Roland walked off to the side, towards a pillar that had fallen and now lay sticking up above the mass of people like a ship on the sea.

The boy climbed up and stood close to the edge, on leg propped up on a chunk of the stone, overlooking the hall. Moments later the sound of stone grating against stone filled the hall, such a noise growing until it drowned out the yelling.

Off to the left a sizable bit of floor slid backwards, revealing a dimly lit staircase that led far into the earth, so much so that it seemed like an endless chasm into nothingness. The newly formed passage brought a slight bit of peace to the crowd due to their shock and so Roland took the chance.

"Listen!" His voice rang out and echoed in the hall and all looked to him, recognizing the boy who dressed all in black and always wore a cloak. They watched as he flipped his hood back and so revealed a new born fire burning in his eyes.

"This fight was never yours. You were never supposed to have been involved in this level of chaos. You were here to fight the monsters of the world and yet I have brought the truest evil to exist upon you. And so I ask no one to stay. This passage will take you to safety, past Vale and away from this destruction." Roland gestured to the stairs and already many began moving towards them.

"But those of you who would listen, I will say this. Outside that door is the purest darkness to ever show its ugly head. Yet inside these halls we are a light, burning like a sun, and we can push them back. They have numbers but we have strength, skill, determination, and an ever lasting willingness to fight for that which we swore to defend!" Roland's voice grew in volume as he spoke and to his own surprise it seemed to be working. Many actually seemed to stand taller, believing his words and now finding their will to fight.

"We have a chance here now, an opportunity to truly complete our sworn duty. With our strength combined we can rid this world of that which plagues it. We can push them back, drive them into holes so deep and dark they will never dare to so much as look for a way out!" Now his words were met with shouts of agreement and cries for battle.

"All of you who are from years one and two, leave now no matter your thoughts. You may fight well but you are too young for what will happen here today. You have no part in this." Many looked at Roland strangely but some complied. His words were put together well and his voice was strong, and despite never having spoke to him many had a natural feeling that they should do as he said. There were of course many groups of first and second years who, now rallied behind this one who had seemed to take charge, had no intention of leaving, and instead held their weapons tightly and yelled out their desire to fight. But they were convinced by those older than them to go, to return to their families and friends and keep them safe while others defended the school. There was no shortage of unhappiness and bitterness as some were forced to start descending the stair, but many knew it to be right. They were expert fighters yes, but they simply didn't have the experience needed for this fight.

"To the rest of you." Roland began again, satisfied that all the younger students were headed out. "I do need fighters. I need only the bravest, the strongest, the best among you to stand by my side. This is no simple mission, we have no support, and we are outnumbered greatly. But they have attacked us where we live. Beacon is our home! We are family to one another! They have come for our lives and safety and I have no intentions of allowing them to take these precious things so easily!" Roland's words were met by a great roaring of cries and shouts, swords banging against shield and the ringing of metal flying into the air.

"I ask none to stay and put themselves in such danger, but I do give you a choice. You may go, or you may stand tall against waves of night an evil, of creatures that crawl in sludge and filth and dare to try to stand up against you. These things disrespect you simply by drawing breath, will you simply allow them to do such?! To dream of slaughtering you and your family, shredding those you love?! Will you allow such to happen?! Or will you fight? Will you follow me?!" Roland drew one of his own swords, thrusting it into the air and letting the white blade rise high, seeming to glow in the dim room like a sudden flame igniting in the black of night.

The response was overwhelming. No one else went down in the passage and so it slid closed, muffled by the yells and cries of the students as they were rallied. A new desire to fight overcome them all and pushed out the fear. It was not that the realization of the situation was lost to them, but instead that they now realized that a victory was possible. The could win, or so they now believed. Even if they couldn't one thing Roland had said struck them deeply; Beacon was truly their home, and many people at the school were now like an intermingled family. These teams had fought beside each other before and now they would do it again, to protect that which they loved. Fires of rage and fury towards the minions of darkness were now fueled by the thought of these beasts destroying the school, and so battle cries echoed continuously in the hall, the previous state of panic now overcome by a white hot anger directed towards the enemy.

Off to the side Ruby's head was lifted by the shouts, and there she saw Roland, but now she saw him in a new way. Few remembered it save Roland himself, but Ruby had been the first to talk to the boy when he arrived at the school. The day of their meeting was burned into her mind and she recalled it clearly. The boy she had met then was broken, small, and lost, keeping weapons closer than people and not even able to trust himself. His stature had been weak, his voice quiet, his eyes dark and always looking down.

And now the sight she saw lit something inside her too. For there was Roland as he was meant to be, as he had been born to be. Truly had his parents survived, had his life gone how it was meant to, this was how they boy would have been all his days. But having to fight to get to this point made it so much sweeter, so much more appreciated. Because now Roland stood tall and proud, he was strong and gave an aura of invincibility. His fears were gone and his will and determination were unbreakable. Roland had been named after one of great strength and honor, and up until now Ruby had had a nagging feeling that the name didn't exactly fit, but now she saw Roland truly, for who he was destined to was a warrior, a leader, and at this moment Ruby nearly mistook him for a legend. The heavy air was gone and now energy raced throughout the hall, surging forth from the boy who now seemed to shine bright against the darkness. Roland, after three long years of being at Beacon Academy, no longer embraced the daemons that had held his heart for so long. Finally, he had pushed them away and so burned brilliantly.

At that moment all the boy's friends had feelings and thoughts similar to Ruby's, but none were overcome by such as much as the girl. This was what had made her so curious that day. She knew he was to be something more, something so much greater. And there he stood, a role fulfilled.