AN: Heyo Void here, this should be the last chapter in this volume, maybe some intermission ones like last time as well but then we'll move onto Volume three.

While we are done, boy this is a long chapter. I almost considered splitting it into two separate parts but I couldn't find a good spot to do so.

I also need to clarify that the ?x? Pairing option on the Poll is NOT two unknown characters or something like that. It's so you can request something that's not on the Poll. You would vote for it and then PM me your request, I'm saying this because there are three votes for this option that haven't come with a PM.

On the topic of the Poll, please vote. It's on my page, and for some reason is only visible on the desktop site.

That's all for now, Enjoy!


Chapter 9 - Breach

Cinder Fall wasn't one you made upset, if you did, you usually died. She was many things but calm wasn't one of them. Her short fuse led only to a large fire of anger, one that she was tapping into right now.

Smoke was visible in the distance, rising from the city of Vale. The remnants of the explosion were still noticeable with several airships all flocking towards the location. The Breach had started, and ahead of schedule too.

"Is that what I think it is?" A smooth girl's voice asked from behind her, Emerald walking up to her nervously.

"Sure looks like it…" Mercury nodded, also at her side.

"But that's supposed to be days away!"

Cinder simply scowled, ignoring her minions usual bickering as she stomped away. Upon rounding a corner to where she couldn't be seen, she pulled out her scroll. After glancing around cautiously, she quickly dialed a number.

Almost immediately it clicked, another voice speaking through the device. "Yes, Cinder?" The woman answered.

"Cyana, our schedule has been pushed forward. I'll need you to begin your assignment a little earlier than expected."

"Of course Cindy, he'll be dead within the hour." Cyana answered quickly, gleeful at the prospect of another hit.

Cinder sneered, growling at the nickname. "Good, and for the last time, don't call me that…"

"Fine, Fine, learn how to take a joke…" The mercenary grumbled, hanging up the call with a click.

It was time to cause some negativity, and what better way to do that by assassinating someone on the Valean Council?


Uni sat up with a groan, wincing slightly as she sat up from her daze. Her outfit was slightly torn but she was in otherwise good condition, but the city around her was not.

Team RWBY was just waking up around her as she took in the Destruction. Screams could be heard as Grimm came flooding in through the massive hole in the wall behind them, fire spread throughout the nearby buildings. Bullheads whizzed across the sky, probably bringing in support.

The silver haired girl shot up, quickly unsheathing her daggers as she looked around warily. The Grimm were approaching them, but strangely enough they weren't attacking.

They were trapped, surrounded by a circle of various types of Grimm.

She was ready to fight, preparing to lunge at a nearby beast; but before she could do so, something stopped her. A simple tugging in her chest made her pause, causing her to turn and check on her friends.

She couldn't just leave them, it was better to help them first, right? Uni nodded to herself with a sigh, questioning her actions as she approached her weakened allies.

She helped up a struggling Weiss with a soft frown, steadying her as she took in the confusing scene.

"Are you alright?" Uni asked calmly.

"What in Remnant…" She muttered, too distracted to answer the question, quickly grabbing her rapier and raising it cautiously.

Uni took that as a yes, quickly moving on to help up Blake, who was still weak from her fight with Torchwick. The Faunus was silent, a worried look on her face as she scanned her surroundings. She only nodded in response to Uni asking her if she was okay.

Despite her reluctance, Uni moved on. Nodding to an already awake Yang, she moved to help Lilith.

The blonde, like everyone else, was just as confused, "What's happening?" She asked, getting into a boxer's stance.

"I don't know." The silver haired girl replied simply, wrapping Lilith's arm around her shoulders for support. She really didn't know, nor did she care too much. She was far more bothered by the state of her friends, and herself even more so.

"Sorry about this…" Uni whispered to Lilith, remembering her dislike of close contact, as she tried to avoid directly touching her. Though she was also distracted by her own actions.

For instance, why was she doing this? She didn't even understand her own actions… what does that say about herself? Was there something wrong? Or was she simply over thinking things?

She shook the thought aside, nodding to herself as she saw Ruby standing up straight, her scythe at her side.

They were all, for the most part, okay. Except for Oobleck, Uni had no clue where he went.

"Prepare for a fight! We don't know what's going on but there's a lot of Grimm, be prepared!" Ruby called out, surprisingly serious about the situation.

"No, no, no…" Lilith whispered softly while shivering slightly, quiet enough that only Uni, who was shouldering her could hear.

"Lilith, What's wrong?" She asked, turning slightly towards the winged girl.

"Z…" She muttered softly, leaving only the ominous letter in her mind as the sound of clapping caused them all to turn in surprise.

A peculiar man walked through the crowd of Grimm, smiling all the way.

Something was very wrong.


He went by many names but most called him Z, and they feared that moniker. They feared his manipulation.

Obviously this wasn't his real name but it might've well been with how many people used it. He was just a serious man doing his job, the fact that his job required hiding his name mattered not.

He wasn't a serious man in the sense that he was always calm and stern, but in the sense that he respected his job and his duty.

He might make jokes and lie but he always focused on the mission. He played a very important role, one that allowed him to do what he did best. Manipulating the world around him, people obeying him like puppets.

He wasn't the chess masters of the board, but at least he was Z, the puppeteer. He would simply cackle as the world danced around his strings.

The Lady even gave him some abilities to match his title, there was a reason he was loyal to her after all.

He was Z, The Puppeteer.

Z was a peculiar man with an even stranger appearance. His skin was a pale ashen grey, rugged and scarred from all his battles. His hair was black like the night, matching the scleras of his eyes. Crimson orbs observed his surroundings as he walked down the empty train tunnel, heading towards Vale while humming a tune.

His medium length black hair was slicked back neatly, revealing a pair of cracked white horns jutting from his head.

His fine dress shoes clacked against the stone floor, they were black just like his dress pants. They both contrasted against his white undershirt and pale skin.

With a smile that didn't reach his eyes, Z brushed a speck of dirt off of his black and red suit.

He was here, and ready to begin.

Z pulled down a blindfold, covering his eyes to hide them and their emptiness. Sheathing his scarlet cane, he climbed out of the tunnel all while clapping slowly.

It was time to tug on some strings, and watch some fools dance.


Uni was very confused, not by the fact that there was a man in a very expensive suit controlling Grimm, but by the fact that his skin was a pale grey.

She was pretty sure that wasn't healthy. Scratch that. She was one hundred percent sure that wasn't healthy.

The man looked right at them, despite being blindfolded, and smiled brightly with a deep bow. He twirled his cane playfully as he spoke in a passive yet friendly tone. It was fake.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all, you may call me Z…" He greeted, his smile revealing a set of razor sharp teeth.

Uni could tell he was pretending, his actions didn't match his words at all. He acted polite yet in reality he was sickened by their presence. It was in the eyes, well she couldn't see them but she could tell.

Even though they were covered if you looked closely at his face you could tell his smile didn't reach them. He was a fraud.

"What are you doing here?" Ruby asked suspiciously, aiming Crescent Rose towards Z.

"Now, now, there's no need for that. I'm simply here to thank you." Z smiled again, not even flinching at the fact that five girls had their weapons pointed at him.

"For what?" Blake questioned, raising an eyebrow. Her eyes no longer darkened, now back to their usual amber hue.

"For protecting my daughter of course." He gestured to Lilith with a nod.

"You're her dad?" Yang doubted, smirking slightly. "Sorry to say, but I don't see the resemblance."

"I'm her stepfather," He explained, slowly approaching them with what appeared to be caution.

"She told me about you, and I don't think we can trust you." Uni admitted, grabbing Z's attention as she and Lilith stepped back a little.

He simply scowled at Uni in response, turning to his daughter angrily. "Lilith, I thought you knew better to stay away from the likes of her…"

Uni was about to retort but was stopped by the girl in question. Lilith shook her head as she separated from her friend, walking towards her stepfather with a torn gaze.

"She's different…" Lilith whispered, so quietly that Uni could barely hear it, her voice raspy from the explosion. "Don't hurt them…"

He scowled at her softness, quickly glaring at Uni before turning back to his daughter. Frowning softly, he shook his head, "You know how I feel about her kind…"

"Please…" Lilith begged, desperate to protect her only friend, much to Uni's confusion.

"What do you mean 'her kind'?" Weiss asked, lowering her rapier in confusion. Frowning in frustration upon being ignored entirely.

Z sighed in annoyance, nodding to her in resignation. "Fine, I'll give them a chance. They can fight and try to survive, if you agree to drop all of this and leave."

Lilith glanced at Uni, pausing before quickly nodding as she turned back to her father. Even if it was just a chance, she would bet on that. It was just a small hoard of Grimm, they could handle it.

The horned man smiled, almost evilly, as he began walking away, Lilith not too far behind. The winged girl waved goodbye, smiling weakly as she followed the man, albeit with great reluctance.

However her hesitant smile quickly turned to a look of horror as Z snapped his fingers and spoke a simple phrase. She struggled under his tight grip to no avail, as the command had already been uttered.

"Libra, join the fight."


Uni watched in confusion as the rubble nearby the front of the crashed train began to shift, a long outstretched clawed hand breaking free. The black and white creature pulled itself out from the ruins, revealing its horrifying form.

The tall Grimm stumbled forward, it's eyes glowing with sadistic glee as it stretched it's face. Tearing its own flesh in half to form a bloody mouth, revealing sharp jagged black teeth.

She could see Lilith being pulled along by her wrist, struggling to get away from Z. While she would go help, she had her own issues at hand.

The creature smiled as it whispered a single word, "balance."

Uni stumbled to the ground, noticing the others around her do the same. She had fallen to the floor in exhaustion, her strength leaving her as a strange chill washed over them.

Strangely enough the monster itself also seemed tired, despite being a Grimm. It staggered forward, inching towards them slowly.

Uni struggled underneath the weight pressing down on her, slowly standing up as she readied her blades.

Libra's grin turned into a confused frown at her resistance, especially since she didn't appear to be afraid. It might've done something different if it was smart enough, but it simply continued towards her.

With a limp lunge forward, Uni stabbed the creature in the side causing it to screech in pain.

It growled angrily, quickly retaliating by sending her flying back in pain with a swing of its clawed arm before leaping back to avoid a shower of bullets from above.

Uni would've slapped herself in annoyance if she could, she had already forgotten about the other Grimm. Down from a single strike, she saw a large Beowulf crawling towards her, several more behind it.

Luckily she spotted reinforcements coming from above, a very familiar team coming to the rescue. Team CFVY.

Coco herself was cleaning up hoards of Grimm with her Minigun as her teammates leapt off the bullhead and joined the fight.

Though it was probably too late for her, The Beowulf was already raising its arm to strike. Swinging it's sharp claws down upon her with great speed, it— "NORA SMASH!" A familiar voice shouted, a loud boom echoing throughout the Destruction.

Uni peeked her eyes open to see what had happened, revealing Nora standing above her with her hammer in hand. The Grimm was already dead, the others following soon after.

"What is that thing!?" Jaune cried out upon seeing Libra, fear washing over him.

"I dunno! But Ima kill it!" Nora responded, leaping forward with her hammer raised.

Team JNPR was here as well, her friends had come to help. They weren't alone.

"I don't know…" Uni winced out, stumbling upwards as she spoke. "Why you all came…" She mumbled, readying her weapons with a strange glint in her eyes.

"Because we're friends, silly." Pyrrha's voice answered, the red haired gladiator landing beside her. Smiling at Uni, she raised her shield and spear.

Uni's eyes widened in surprise, which was quickly replaced with a look of determination and a nod. "Thank you, let's do this."

Pyrrha nodded with a smile, grabbing her red and gold spear and charging into battle. Quickly slaying Grimm after Grimm with impressive skill.

Meanwhile, Uni drew an arrow, shifting her weapon into bow form. She might be injured and weak, but she could still fight. After all, everyone else was.

Ruby, despite her exhaustion, was firing her rifle in an attempt to keep the Grimm at bay. Trying to thin the massive crowd of the dark beasts as best as she could.

Weiss was bruised up and low on aura, yet she was patching up the hole in the wall with ice dust slowly but surely.

Blake and Yang were defending the heiress, working in unison as they destroyed Grimm in a blaze of black and gold.

Coco was letting her rage fly as she kept on swinging her purse at Grimm while Velvet offered everyone support. The rabbit Faunus was using various combat styles to help wherever she could.

Fox was utilizing his semblance to find injured civilians and escort them away from the danger. Using his Scroll to guide him, he slowly made his way through the rubble.

Yatsuhashi was swinging his massive greatsword, making quick work of anything in his path. The armored giant seemed so peaceful as he defended Fox, allowing the blind man to save as many people as possible.

Everyone was here, all of them were doing their best. So that's what she would do.


Lilith struggled under her father's tight grip on her wrist, pulling away from the pale man. She continued her attempt to go back and help despite her father's anger, she could hear him growling and swearing under his breath.

With a sigh he yanked her back, throwing her to the ground as he spoke harshly, "I told you, while an unfortunate accident, we cannot be involved. Now we're heading back, and that's final."

Lilith pouted, glaring at him angrily. "I don't know if you're just misguided or if there's just more that I don't understand, but whatever it is doesn't matter. None of it does, because you're wrong about this."

Struggling to control his wrath, Z took a deep breath. "Sacrifices are necessary, they don't matter in the grand scheme of things. Nothing would change if they died."

Lilith's eyes widened at her stepfather's flawed logic, seeming almost disturbed at the thought of sacrificing so many innocent civilians. It just wasn't right, besides, Uni was there as well. She had to do something… she couldn't just sit back and watch.

"I'm sorry but I have a friend to save…" She whispered under her breath, quietly enough so her father couldn't hear.

Her crimson eyes glowed with determination as she swept him off his feet with a low kick. Quickly blasting off into the sky with her large ebony wings, her father's cries of rage already fading behind her.

"LILITH! GET BACK HERE!" He roared, his eyes literally shining with rage. The emotion emanating off of him like the sun.

Lilith simply ignored him, though she was worried about how he would act when this was all over.

His plans for peace could wait, her only friend was in danger. She wasn't going to lose anyone or anything else. She would find a way for things to work without sacrificing anything.

She had work to do.


Uni's silver hair fluttered behind her, her breathing steady as she poured what little aura she had left into the translucent arrow.

Carefully, she aimed her bow towards Libra, watching it cautiously. Waiting for the opportunity to fire as Nora and Ren distracted it, she continued breathing in and out slowly.

As the tall creature was flung back from a swing of Nora's hammer, she released the arrow.

It sailed through the air with a streak of silver aura trailing behind it, piercing into the neck of the Grimm. Libra shrieked in pain, screaming as it yanked the arrow from its body.

Libra growled with rage, swinging its clawed arms wildly as it sent both Ren and Nora flying back. It slowly turned to face Uni, it's head hanging limply.

"Fear!" It screeched, grinning with sadistic rage as it focused on the silver haired girl. However when whatever it expected never came, it's excitement quickly turned to bafflement.

Uni simply tilted her head in equal confusion, simply shaking slightly as a weak sensation washed over her. The feeling disappeared as fast as it came, leaving her with the usual fragmented feeling in her chest.

She shrugged in response, ignoring the sensation as she let another arrow fly. A pale green and dark brown Dust arrow soared, hitting its arm with extreme force.

Earth Dust, when infused into projectiles, increased density and weight if used right. While wind Dust, if used correctly, could enhance the speed of a projectile.

They could be fused together to make a very powerful attack, but since Earth and Wind Dust don't like to mix, it is difficult to do so. A single mistake when mixing the Dust could cause an explosion.

Uni didn't have many of these arrows, she needed Weiss' help to make them without blowing something up. But even with her low amount of them, she felt like now was an appropriate time to use the arrows.

The combined force of the Dust made the arrow a powerful weapon, nearly blasting the creature's hand off.

Screeching in pain once again, it hounded forward. Chasing after Uni with rage filled eyes.

She tried to dodge to no avail, as the creature was far too fast. Though in reality it was that she was too slow to dodge it, as she was weakened by the creature's abilities.

Libra bashed it's head into her stomach, sending her flying down the street away from the battlefield. She skidded across the ground painfully before landing against the wall of a building.

It had launched her a small ways away, but still an impressive distance for its frail form. It had launched her like Pyrrha launching Cardin during a sparring match.

That was to say, it hurt. A lot.

Maybe it was because she had almost no aura left, but she gritted her teeth in agony as she was thrown into a pile of rubble.

She slowly staggered upwards, blood trickling down her forehead. "Why does life have to be so painful?" She wondered, slowly gripping her bow and reverting it back into a pair of blades.

The Grimm roared angrily, clearly holding a grudge against her for the damage she had dealt. It charged at her with ruthless rage, swinging its clawed arm down upon her.

She barely avoided the strike, limply dodging out of the way before slashing in retaliation.

Without her aura she couldn't endure the fight for long, she needed to end this quickly. Otherwise… this Libra thing would be unleashed upon Vale. She couldn't let that happen. She didn't know why she found it so important, nor did she care. Libra has to die


Lilith hadn't ever had a friend until she met Uni. She wasn't even sure they could be considered friends, but she was still the closest thing to one she had ever known.

Friends were especially important to her, mainly because she was a lone orphan raised in Mantle after her family died. That, alongside her heritage, made her childhood… difficult, to say the least.

For this reason it was obvious why she was putting so much effort into saving what should've been her sworn enemy. But bloodlines and heritage didn't matter, who cares what you're supposed to be? After all, who you are is a lot more important.

With a worried gaze, Lilith nodded to herself sharply as she rocketed towards Uni. Frightened to see her barely dodging Libra's strikes, clearly injured.

Determination flared up within her eyes as she readied Scarlet Fang, diving towards the Grimm at impressive speeds.

With a sharp slash of her blade, Libra's injured arm fell to the floor with a thump. Lilith quickly leapt back, getting away from the creature as it screamed in anger and pain, stopping right next to Uni.

"Thanks…" Uni muttered softly, nodding towards her gratefully.

Lilith simply smiled, nodding in return. "No problem," She replied as they both faced Libra, readying their weapons in sync.

With a burst of determination, Lilith charged forward with Uni by her side. She would defeat Libra and save them all.


Z was furious, he had spent so long trying to get Lilith to be obedient. Years of pretending, years of work, all to gain her trust. Then some silver eyed brat had to come along and ruin everything.

He was practically growling as he sat himself up from the ground, angry at everyone and everything.

It was to be expected of course, he had to put up with Lilith all the time. He had to use his abilities to play the role of the father who was doing the wrong things for the right reason, getting Lilith to trust him.

He had picked her up off the streets and practically raised her, however she didn't turn out like he had wanted. She was useful in many ways, but she became too emotional and kind. It was disgusting and annoying, extremely so, but she was far too valuable to simply let go.

He needed to play along, despite how much he wanted to beat her and the silver eyed girl up. Z paused at the thought, a grin spreading across his face at the idea. Maybe it wasn't such a bad one…

He would admit, it was sadistic and cruel, but who cares? After all, no one would know... He had to admit, being the puppeteer was a lot of fun.

Quickly he pulled out his perches, a pair of black wooden crosses with various glowing strings attached to them. As he raised the devices into the air, he whispered a word causing his eyes to glow brightly.

"Libra…"


Uni was calm, despite her situation. She was in the middle of fighting the strangest Grimm she had ever laid her eyes on, alongside a rather peculiar girl. Despite that, she was calm as she charged in to strike along with Lilith. As they both prepared to take the creature down, they pincered it, each coming from the opposite sides.

However, strangely enough, before they even reached the beast, its eyes glowed brightly as it leapt back. It had dodged their attack with ease, simply looking around as if it just realized where it was.

A strangely intelligent look appeared in its eyes as it's mannerisms changed entirely. It smirked slightly as it picked up a metal pole from the ground, twirling it slightly before turning back to them.

"What's going on?" Uni asked, turning to Lilith for answers. Hoping that she would know something.

Unfortunately Lilith was just as confused, shaking her head as she answered. "I don't know, just be careful."

Nodding in response, Uni dashed forward. While she was still tired from earlier, her aura was slowly returning and making progress on her wounds,

She slashed at Libra quickly, only for the Grimm to dodge the strike. She frowned in annoyance, leaping forward once again as she began attacking relentlessly.

She wasn't sure why she was being so aggressive toward the beast, but she didn't care. It was a Grimm, why would she?

Lilith followed behind her, sending a burst of razor sharp feathers that cut into Libra's flesh, spraying ichor everywhere.

They both ignored the shower of Grimm blood, continuing their assault as Uni narrowly dived under a swing of the metal pipe.

She quickly rolled underneath Libra and slashed at its back, causing it to roar in anger. However she wasn't prepared for its retaliation. The Grimm swung around, using the pipe's momentum to knock her down. She winced in pain as she heard Lilith yell from behind her.

"Uni! Run away!" She cried out in worry, running to help her. Unfortunately, it was too late as Libra had already bit into Uni. It's black fangs digging into her skin as a horrid chill washed over her.

Uni had experienced a lot of pain in her life, which was why she expected to have some sort of tolerance to it. She was very clearly wrong.

It was agonizing, she had never felt anything like it. The bite wasn't a white hot pain but a deep freezing one. The sensation flowed through her like venom, she was actually hoping the bite wasn't poisonous, as a sensation she hadn't felt in a very long time hit her.

Fear. For the first time in almost seven years, Uni was afraid. The emotion hit her like a truck, causing her eyes to widen in agony and horror.

Her heart began to race as her chest tightened, her palms growing sweaty. Her breathing quickened with each moment passing, time had slowed down for her

She could see Lilith slowly making her way towards her. She could see the chaos around them. She could feel it rushing through her.

Then it hit her, time resuming as the white hot agony she had expected reached her. She began to feel weak, as if her strength was leaving her. What little aura she had recovered was immediately drained, leaving her with nothing.

She was weak again. Why did she have to suffer?


Lilith flew toward Uni as fast as she could, watching in horror and disgust as she went limp in Libra's arm.

Tears were flowing down Uni's face as her skin became sickly pale, her eyes wide with trauma. The silver haired girl looked like she would collapse at any moment, like she was drained of everything.

With an Aura charged kick, Lilith sent Libra flying as she caught Uni in her arms. Visibly shivered at the close contact, Lilith held her tightly.

Lilith might not be comfortable with touching people, but she could deal with it given the circumstances.

Kicking off, she carried Uni as she ran towards a nearby building. While she did shudder at the closeness she ignored her worries, knowing she could trust Uni. She smiled as she leapt into the air, soaring to the top of the rather large building.

With Uni's frail body in her arms, Lilith launched herself even further upwards with several strong flaps of her wings. Carrying them both away from the Grimm beneath them.

Her worry quickly turned to relief as she felt Uni stir in her arms, the girl's eyes opening in surprise. Quickly looking around, Uni turned to face her with a confused gaze.

"Lilith… I thought… you didn't like… contact…" She spoke softly, her voice weak and raspy.

She simply smiled weakly, shakily nodding in response as she glanced down at Libra, who was clutching its head, strangely enough. "Y-You're right, I don't. But that doesn't mean I can't put up with it."

"Thanks…" Uni struggled to keep her eyes open, barely managing to stay awake as she asked one last question, one that had been on her mind for a while. "Tell me, you… seem to understand… things. Why does… life have… bad things? Fear, Anger… Death... Why do… things make people… suffer?"

Lilith's eyes widened suddenly as she made her descent, slowly lowering herself onto the roof of the building. She was surprised at the sudden question and was going to protest that Uni should get some rest but she stopped herself. She noticed the genuine curiosity, and the almost hopeful look in her eyes. But she also noticed the pain, so although reluctant, she gave her honest opinion.

"I'm not sure if I'm the best person to ask about this but… I think that the bad parts of life are necessary to some extent." She began, observing the area around her. "Because without the bad stuff, there wouldn't be any of the good stuff. They're two sides of the same coin, you can't truly have one without the other. If you don't then the world loses its color."

"Bad things may happen, but there is some light. There always will be. Because that sweet light burns brightest in the dark, the good things won't be that amazing without having to endure the bad things. Sure some parts are worse than others, but all the beauty in the world makes up for that. Or at least, that's what I like to think."

Lilith turned back to Uni with a weak, wistful smile. Slowly setting her down against the roof of the building, allowing her to sleep in safety. "Now you should get some rest, I have a Grimm to slay."

Uni nodded as her eyes began to shut, falling into a deep sleep. But before she collapsed, she uttered something softly. "Thank… You… I think… I understand."


Uni approached the large silver door, glancing at the glowing black chains. She wasn't sure why she bound herself so tightly, but she wasn't going to let that stop her.

A large golden key appeared in her hand as she brushed her hand against the smooth metal of the gate. Her own face flashing in her mind, causing her to wince in pain.

With a sigh she inserted the key into the massive metal lock, struggling as she slowly turned it. Each second passing wracked her in pain, but she ignored it.

She simply pushed through with determination as the door slowly creaked open. Strange sensations washed over her while her head pounded in agony.

The doorway opened to reveal a familiar place, one that she hadn't seen in a very long time.


Lilith could sense a strange wave of emotion coming from Uni, meaning she was probably having a strange dream or something like that. While she did want to check on her, she was far too busy dealing with the Grimm.

Dashing and dodging, she struggled to avoid Libra's relentless attacks. She was being far more cautious than before ever since she saw what it did to Uni.

It was very clearly stronger than before. Whatever it did strengthened it, making it even more difficult to deal with.

She only hoped that she could win. After all, she wasn't sure how much longer Uni's friend could last…


Weiss wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up. She was tired and sore, low on aura, and extremely worried. She had slowly been patching up the hole, trying to stop the flow of Grimm, but it was a lot harder than she had expected.

Sometimes Grimm would break what ice she had already formed, while other times someone might go overboard and accidentally break it.

She was too weak to go any faster, but she was still making progress, if extremely slowly. She was almost halfway done at least.

Oobleck had finally shown up and was helping defend her as she sealed up the breach, but Uni, the winged girl, and the strange Grimm were nowhere to be found.

Though the occasional screech told them that they were nearby. She could only hope that they were winning, backup was on the way but they could only hold out for so long.


Uni stepped through the doorway to find herself at home. Specifically next to the giant tree that rested upon the hill above her house. The pale wood and silver tree that she used to lay under when she was young.

She used to love this tree…

It made her feel safe, which was probably why her heart was hidden here.

Uni knew exactly where her heart was. It was where she hid her things when she was a kid, in a small hole made of nestled roots underneath the tree.

She kneeled down and grasped tightly, pulling out a strange object. A silver box made of ornate wood with a winding key on the side, it seemed so familiar yet she knew she had never seen it before.

She couldn't help but tear up, her lips twitching upward as she winded the music box, already aware of what tune it would play.

As the box opened, the melody her mother used to sing her to sleep echoed softly. A bright silver light glowed from within the box, bringing back so many memories.

People began to appear around her, important ones. Glynda, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang. Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren. Even Lilith was there. So were the distant outlines of her parents.

They were all smiling.

Everyone that cared about her. Everyone she cared about. They were all here.

She wasn't alone. She could do this… she could endure…

Uni nodded to herself as she pulled out the glowing locket, identical to the one that hung around her neck, and pressed it up against the tree.

The leaves glowed brightly as emotions and voices flooded her dreamscape. All swirling around her.

She pressed the locket up against the tree, causing the leaves to shine with golden light. Emotions flowed through her, although they were weak, they were still far stronger than any she had felt in a long time.

She would accept it, she would take it all. The good and the bad, she would take it and endure the suffering. She would hurt so others didn't have to, she may be miserable at times but she would always endure it.

All because she knew that the light would be there, that there would be good in the world. Her friends would make it worth it.

She was ready to be herself again, even if only partly. She might not be healed fully, she still had years of pain and trauma, but she finally fixed a small piece of herself.

She had finally taken the first step to healing. The first step of change.

She was Uni Vallavi Moon, and she wasn't alone.


Lilith was getting genuinely worried about Uni. Emotions were pouring out of her like a geyser, it was similar to when people bottled up their emotions until they burst, but with this much…

You would have to have been bottling your feelings for years. It was ridiculous…

But it made sense, she barely ever sensed anything from Uni. It was always a muddled grey; though her feelings had been increasing each time they had met, it wasn't that she was hiding it, but that she wasn't letting it out…

If that was true, then why now? Why start feeling again so suddenly? Was it the question she had asked? Was it whatever Libra did to her?

Lilith sighed, shaking the thoughts aside as she turned towards where Uni was resting. The emotions were almost visible to her, which was a testament to their strength.

The amount of emotions, both good and bad, shot into the air like a beacon. Nearly every Grimm in the area paused to see what was going on, and the ones that weren't occupied with other things flicked towards it.

Which meant they were flocking towards Uni…

This wasn't good.


Uni shot up, her aura flowing strongly. It was different from normal, usually she felt like her aura was just a shield, but now it was flowing through her. Strengthening her a little more than before. In some ways she felt weaker, less protected, but at the same time she felt stronger. It was a minute change, but still a noticeable one.

Was this what everyone else felt like? Was her aura really that abnormal? Well she supposed it didn't really matter, she could debate it later. Right now she had to deal with the Breach.

Unsheathing her daggers, Uni leapt off of the building. Diving down past the crowd of Grimm, towards the ground with her aura charged up.

She landed on the asphalt with a loud thud, her aura cracking the ground slightly. She could see Lilith diving underneath the quick strikes of Libra.

The Grimm was flailing around as it clutched its head in pain, screeching as it's eyes glowed brightly. Whispering gibberish as it struggled under it's own grip, as if it was fighting for control.

Lilith seemed confused and worried, unsure of what was going on. However she was even more confused to see Uni out of the corner of her eyes.

"Uni! Why are you back here!?" Lilith exclaimed as she continued to dodge Libra.

Uni nodded in greeting, "I'm here to help, why else would I be here!" She answered as she dashed forward past both of them. Quickly skidding to a stop near the breach, only to turn back to face Lilith and the Grimm.

Lilith sighed in exasperation, slightly annoyed at her recklessness. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Of course I'll be careful," She responded quickly, ducking under a piece of rubble that was thrown by Libra.

She then flicked her wrists, causing the blades of Broken Moon to fly forwards. Libra screeched as the silver blades stabbed into it's skin, struggling as Uni yanked them back.

Using her newfound strength, she pulled the confused Grimm back with as much force she could muster. Which, unsurprisingly, still wasn't that much.

Still, Libra was pulled towards her a few meters. Slamming into the ground painfully as her blades returned to their hilts.

Lilith quickly followed up with an aura charged kick, sending Libra soaring into a pile of rubble in the original pavilion. The Grimm roared angrily as it slowly sat up, the intelligence in its eyes waning as rage flooded its mind.

Uni nodded to herself with determination as she leapt towards the beast. She knew that she could do it, she had to. If she failed, how was she supposed to make up for how much her friends helped her?

Releasing slash after slash, Uni attacked the Grimm. She slowly pushed Libra back as she cut it relentlessly, fighting with no remorse as Lilith joined in as well.

They were winning…


Ruby was confused and worried as her silver eyes scanned the battlefield, slowly picking off stray Grimm with her rifle. While Weiss was almost done patching the breach, the strange Grimm was back and still fighting strong.

Uni and Lilith were both fighting in unison, slowly chipping away at its defenses. They were both clearly exhausted and she could only hope that they would last long enough for help to arrive.

Luckily they seemed to be winning, which did grant her a spark of hope; but it didn't last long, because Libra screamed as it swung a claw down upon Uni.

She was too slow to dodge.


The sound of angry Grimm and the clashing of steel seemed to fade away as Libra's claws tore through her aura. She winced in pain as it scratched her face, though it wasn't anything her aura wouldn't fix, as she was sent flying back.

Unfortunately when her aura changed, or whatever happened, she was still fairly low on aura. Her newfound power made her forget about this and recklessly charge into battle while weak.

The wound hurt a lot, but she still pushed through. She leapt back up and dashed towards Libra, fighting alongside Lilith. She wouldn't give up now, not when she was so close.

The slashing of daggers and swords cut through Libra like ribbons, slowly tearing it apart. Attack after attack they worked together to slay the beast. Despite her pain, she would prevail. She refused to be weak again.

With each slash being faster than the previous strike, they slowly pushed Libra back until it found itself pressed against a wall. It was stuck, they had won.

Uni's eyes were filled with determination as she leaped forward. She felt a small twitch of her lips as she took the opportunity, stabbing her blade into its head.


Everyone who knew Uni closely couldn't believe their eyes, their disbelief visible. Which was perfectly reasonable, because Uni was doing something she hadn't done in a very long time.

She was smiling.

It was a small one, a slight upward turn of her lips, but it was still noticeable.

She was smiling weakly as Libra faded to ash beneath her feet, the strange Grimm had finally been slain. Everyone, especially Uni herself, was relieved for it to be dead. After all, simply looking at it struck one with terror.

Uni's hands fell limp as her eyes dimmed, her daggers clattering to the concrete floor of the pavilion. Her conscience fading in and out as she fell to her back.

She was just… so, so… tired…

She could take a nap, right?


In a palace made of glass, one filled with mirrors, memories traversed the halls. A familiar lullaby echoed throughout the peaceful palace. Though completely empty, the memories brought warmth, making sure no one would be alone.

A large ornate mirror hung in one particular hall, made of crystal, silver, and gold. Once cracked, it was now whole. Yet still dusty and old, it was fixed to an extent.

The frame was still heavily scratched and chipped, while there seemed to be some missing pieces as well. The throne was still lined with cracks. Still, it was finally whole.

Not fixed, but not quite broken.


Uni awoke to a soft stable beeping noise, repeating at a steady rate. It was easy to figure out where she was, the white walls, the equipment around her, the IV in her arm and the gown she wore. She must have been brought to Beacon's medical facilities after her allies stopped the breach.

The air was stale and clean, the room completely silent except for the sound of her heart monitor and the door creaking open.

Uni turned to the source of the noise, not even slightly surprised to find Ozpin visiting her room. She had expected to get a visit from him, though not this soon. He probably wanted a report on what had happened in the breach.

"Ah, Miss Moon, I see you're awake." Ozpin greeted, swiftly pulling up a chair and sitting besides her, smiling slightly as he brushed his hair to the side. "I was just about to check if you were up, what a coincidence."

Uni deadpanned at the professor, noting a natural yet unknown movement of her eyes she spoke with subtle sarcasm. "Yes, quite a coincidence indeed…"

Ozpin froze, blinking in surprise as he was taken aback by her response. "Was… that sarcasm?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"No, not at all. I have no idea what you mean, sir." Uni replied, still subtly lacing her voice with the foreign emotion. It was new to her, but it came so naturally. She liked it.

The headmaster chuckled softly, smiling brightly. "I had noticed you were making progress but I definitely didn't expect this."

Uni nodded, "I had a… friend… who helped me out." She admitted, thinking of Lilith. "Speaking of, is everyone all right? And what if Lilith?"

"Your friends are fine, and Lilith? That would be the winged girl, correct?" Ozpin asked, looking to her for confirmation.

"Yes, and before you ask, I do not know about her wings." Uni answered, frowning softly.

"I see, that's unfortunate, but we found no signs of her. It's as if she vanished into thin air. Though we did find a letter among your belongings, it's addressed to you." He explained, pulling out what seemed more like a folded note then a letter and setting it on the nightstand next to her.

"Interesting…" Uni hummed thoughtfully as she contemplated what she had learned.

"Now that that's over, I shall take my leave." Ozpin said as he sat up and grabbed his cane, much to Uni's confusion.

"Wait, you aren't going to question me?" She asked curiously, surprised at the turn events.

"Now why would I do that? I've already gotten the story from countless other people, and it's not like you know anything they don't, right?" He answered with a sly grin.

Uni sighed softly, shaking her head. "You're really bad at being subtle…"

Ozpin simply chuckled as he approached the door, already opening it as he responded with his usual hint of humor. "Indeed, but where's the fun in being subtle," He said as he left the room, leaving Uni alone.

Though she wasn't alone, she had friends. She had stopped the breach and had healed.

She was Uni Vallavi Moon, and she wasn't alone

.

..

"Uni!" Ruby cried out excitedly, dashing into the room with her team behind her.

"Are you alright?" Weiss asked, rushing up to her curiously. "Were you smiling?"

"Dang girl! That was an awesome fight out there!" Yang exclaimed, all three of them crowding her.

Blake simply watched from afar, smiling with a weak sympathetic gaze.

Oh yeah, she had to deal with her worried friends too. This was going to be a long day…


AN: Oh boy, I'm not sure how I did with this one but here we go anyway! I'm a little nervous but who cares, it's going up anyway!

As usual I'd love for you guys to review and vote on the poll.

I also changed stuff up a bit because I always thought they dealt with the breach too easily in canon. I mean, they thwarted a terrorist attack after going through an explosion with ease. I thought that things should be a little bit more difficult.

If it wasn't obvious Lilith is a naive character, she sees the best in the world. Though eventually she will have a… reality check.

Uni has healed slightly but that will probably… you know what? I'm not going to finish that, it'll be a secret.

Finally I've been thinking about the consistency of my writing quality. I think I could make them all better and consistent if I only wrote when I was super inspired but then my uploads would be super inconsistent and my OCD would go nuts. So really I'm unsure of how I feel about it.

Oh well, That's all for now, see ya next time!

Void Out!