Author's Note: There is apparently some kind of issue with the site at the moment and it isn't sending out emails like it is supposed to. Maybe it's just on my end or maybe it is something that the staff warned us about, but at any rate it sucks. Hopefully this chapter finds its way to everyone.

The last thirty-six hours hadn't helped to calm Pyrrha's nerves. If anything, the time had, predictably, only made them worse. She had known that the attack had previously been forced to go ahead before it was ready because of team RWBY, meaning that without interference the attack would likely come later, but knowing that fact hadn't helped.

It raised the question of whether everything she had done was going to make everything better or worse. They had fought the White Fang at every turn, hunting down the Paladins, their recruitment centers, and their contacts in the criminal underworld. With the aid of Atlas they had even gone after strongholds in other Kingdoms. All of those had seemed like good actions to take for the most part, even if at the time they had been difficult or near disasters. Now, it was hard to say if it had been the right decision.

The White Fang had adapted, and now all of that future knowledge Pyrrha had relied on to fight them was useless. Predicting their actions was all but impossible, at least for her. Ozpin and the General seemed to have ideas, though even those were less about preventing the attack and more aimed toward minimizing its damage. It was something she hadn't considered when sneaking off to hunt the White Fang with Team CFVY all those months ago. Ozpin had warned her, but she had thought striking at them early was worth the trade, now, she wasn't so sure. Only time would tell, and it was time that was giving her the biggest headache. If she hadn't gone off, she had listened to the Headmaster, they would have known more about the coming attacks.

Everybody else assured her it was a good trade off, that they had weakened their opponent a great deal long before they were ever ready to strike. They were certain, or at least as far as one could be, and she wished she could share in their confidence. She was a fighter at her heart, not a leader. She had been willing to follow Jaune for more reasons than just fear of her fame or her eventual attraction to him. She hadn't wanted to lead, to be someone that others who follow and put their faith into, to make decisions on their behalf.

She had tried to run from that, and yet here she was in that exact situation.

Give her a single opponent and she could make a plan to beat them, give her an obstacle and she would find a way to overcome it… but this? Planning for battles and trying to act like a leader, she didn't know how to deal with all of that. People often looked up to her, at least when she was still known as the Invincible Girl, and they expected great things from her. She had done her best to live up to that, and she had failed, dying in the process. That had been okay though, because it was only her life on the line. The idea that she could get someone else killed was horrifying.

Whatever force influenced their lives, be it the Brother Gods, the Being that brought her back, or just some idea of Fate, it seemed to have a sense of humor.

"You know, the main gardens are a lot better than this place." Coco's voice echoed off the walls of Beacon as she stepped off the paved path and onto the grass.

"I know." Pyrrha answered easily, it was true after all. The main gardens of Beacon had once been tended by the royal family of Vale, and the current generation hadn't slacked off either. It was amazing what something could look like after decades of being tended by someone who really knew their stuff, give someone like Ozpin a few centuries though? It could be breathtaking.

And yet… she still felt drawn to the isolated garden. There was something calming about it.

"If you want to be alone, I can leave."

Pyrrha shook her head. "You can stay, but I'm afraid I might not be good company at the moment."

Coco moved over to sit behind Pyrrha, leaning her back against Pyrrha's for support. She leaned back in turn, the two bracing on each other to stay sitting.

"Whacha thinkin about?" Coco asked quietly.

"The obvious." Pyrrha smiled softly, imaging the roll of Coco's eyes as she no doubt prepared a-

"Yeah, obviously, I meant more specifically."

Pyrrha chuckled softly, using the time that bought her to think of an answer. She knew Coco wouldn't approve of her self-doubt, she was always her biggest supporter, something that made a lot more sense after their night at the dance.

"I've just been thinking about choices, I guess." Pyrrha said. "How we go here."

"Took a left at the cafeteria?" Coco joked, earning a soft elbow to the ribs from Pyrrha. "I get you, though. How we got to the point of fighting against the Queen of the Grimm? Last year I was worried about what would be in fashion soon, or whether Yatsuhashi and Velvet would finally stop dancing around and hook up… gotta wonder where those simple times went, right?"

"Yeah." Pyrrha replied simply. That was roughly what she was doing, she supposed. Dwelling on the past and using that to justify her fears of the future. People had always held her to a higher standard than others, their expectations raising her up just as much as they crushed her down. Her friends were different, however, be that Team JNPR or Team CFVY. Even Penny, Qrow and Winter. They all saw her for who she was. No matter how she felt about what was to come, she was willing to stand beside them, and she knew they would do the same for her. Not following her, not looking up to her, but trusting her to have their back, as they had hers.

First they would have to deal with the Breach, then the Festival, then whatever came next. She didn't know how they would deal with Salem, or if they even could, but whatever came she knew that she wouldn't face it alone. She had made her choice to stand beside them, and she wasn't about to back down now.

"Fox and Penny were trying to figure out what to do for dinner." Coco filled the silence, standing and forcing Pyrrha to lean forward or else fall back. "Or I guess I should say, Fox was having Penny list off every restaurant in Vale."

"He knows we have to stay in Beacon." Pyrrha raised an eyebrow as she stood up next to her friend. Fox had been in the meeting with the rest of them, he knew they couldn't just leave school grounds. Penny had been there too.

"I think he's just bored." Coco shrugged. "We'll probably go to the diner in the CCT mall. I've been craving a chocolate shake for the last couple days."

Pyrrha smiled. "That sounds grand."

Qrow was sat back, legs kicked up onto a small coffee table as he tried to force himself down into the cushions of the couch, doing his best to ignore the woman in front of him. Winter was, despite his many assumptions, a very reasonable woman. She was a little… high strung at times, but behind that stern demeanor was a woman deeply driven by principle and a desire to do good. Sure, she had failed to live up to those ideals at times, but who hadn't? The fact she had tried at all was more than could be said about a lot of people. It was one of the things he loved about her, but that didn't mean she couldn't be annoying though.

"You're pacing again." Qrow couldn't actually see her, his arm laying over his eyes, but he could feel the tension in the air and hear the soft beats of her steps on the carpet. "You need to relax."

"How?" Winter snapped, pausing to turn towards Qrow. That was one of those quirks of hers, she could act like a Beowulf at times, turning to tear into someone for the sin of breathing.

"Deep breaths." Qrow shrugged. It wasn't the answer she wanted, but letting her vent was one way to help her relax he had learned. She would lash out a little, realize she was being unreasonable, and then apologize before trying to make up for it. Qrow wasn't arrogant enough to assume he knew everything about her, but he had learned a few ways to calm her down. This was the best way to do so… with their clothes still on anyway.

"How can you be relaxed at a time like this?" Winter asked.

"Easy. Will worrying about it help at all?" Qrow paused for a moment. "Is there anything you can do right now to better prepare yourself?" Again, he waited for her to offer any counterpoint. In truth, if she had a plan to make the coming days easier, he would have leapt at the opportunity, but again, she was silent. "Worrying about it will only make things worse, I'm sure you know that." Pre-mission jitters were common among Huntsmen, and he very much doubted that Winter's experience was any different.

"I've never been so… cavalier about it, but you are right." Winter sighed, moving to sit next to him on the couch. Beacon's guest rooms were far from the five-star hotels she was likely used to, but they made an effort for the teachers' rooms, making them closer to apartments than dorms. "It feels irresponsible to not be doing something on the eve of battle."

"Heh," Qrow chuckled. "Talk about being dramatic."

Winter glared at him, though his eyes were still covered, he could feel it in the coldness that seemed to shoot up his spine.

"This could quite possibly be the most important battle of our lifetime." Winter said.

"The festival is still a few months away, that's supposed to be the real show, 'member?" Qrow mumbled. "This should just be a small incident; one we are ready for."

"And how often does a plan survive contact with the enemy?" Winter, as always, had a point, and it was one Qrow couldn't discredit, no matter how much he wished he could.

"And yet, what can we do about it now?" Qrow finally pulled his arm up from his eyes enough for him to look at her. She was stressed, worried even, though she attempted to hide that fear even in the privacy of their room. "We are ready, Pyrrha and her friends are ready, James and what's left of his fleet are ready. Hell, even Ozpin has taken steps to be ready. What more could we do?" Winter didn't seem calmed by his words. "Ruby and her Team have already left for their mission, that means Weiss won't be in the city during the attack."

Winter's shoulders stiffened. "I do not doubt my sister's ability."

"Of course not, and I know how tough Ruby and Yang are, doesn't change the fact you worry about them." Qrow moved a hand over her shoulders, pulling her into his side. It wasn't forceful, and had she wanted to, Winter could have stopped him easily. She didn't however, and before long she was resting her head against his shoulder. "They'll be safe, we'll win, and when the time comes, we'll hold Vale."

"I wish I shared your confidence." Winter replied tiredly, sighing as she adjusted herself into a more comfortable position. Come to think of it, Winter hadn't slept well the night before, then again, neither had he.

"Don't worry, I'm confident enough for the both of us."

"Hmm." Winter hummed but didn't say anything else. When Qrow looked down, her eyes were closed, and that stressed look had finally fallen away from her face. She looked relaxed, and he knew he wasn't too far behind her. Their scrolls were on, both with full battery, and any alert would easily wake them.

A little rest would do them both some good.

The sun was still in the sky, but it was closer to midnight than it was midday, and before long the various lights along Beacon's walkways would turn on, creating an oddly satisfying pattern that stretched out from the base of the very tower Ozpin stood in. It was far from the most impressive feature of Beacon, but it was one that he waited for as the sign it was time for him to leave his office for the day.

He had finished what little work remained from the day prior hours ago, and spent the majority of the day attempting to keep himself occupied. Too many messages between himself and James or the Council would raise eyebrows, and that was the last thing they wanted at the moment. The students' missions usually came with a host of paperwork and various issues that needed to be addressed, somehow they had managed to deal with the weeks of work typically created in a matter of days.

It would only be when he wanted the work that it went away of course, because life could never be so kind. Most found it annoying, he honestly found it amusing. After so many lifetimes of dealing with those frustrations, you eventually had to learn to laugh at such things, or risk going mad. Now, his time was his to do with as he pleased, and there was nothing he could do with it. The anticipation of things to come was not at all a foreign feeling, in fact, it was something so familiar that he had honestly forgotten what life was like without it.

Looking out over Vale, he waited for some sign of attack, either that or for the lights to turn on and allow him to justify retreating to his room to rest.

The soft beep played out from the computer on his desk, alerting him to the fact the elevator had been called down. A quick glance at the camera feed he still had pulled up showed that it was Glynda, so he made no move to sit back at his desk, instead counting the seconds it took for her to reach his office. A predictable two minutes for the elevator to make its round trip.

"The last of the student missions are officially underway." Glynda placed a small folder on his desk, nothing more than a recounting of the specific details of the mission along with the team assigned. There was very little for him to review, even less to sign.

A part of him considered holding certain teams back, Team RWAN and - more specifically, on account of Pyrrha's own retelling of how well they performed, but with no idea when the attack might come, he didn't wish to tip their hand. It was likely that their enemy knew they were aware of the danger, but the question of how either side would respond was still undetermined. Consolidating forces was unnecessary given the relatively small nature of the attack they expected.

A cramp in his hand had Ozpin pulling his mug up to his lips, only to be disappointed when it turned out to be empty.

"I brought an extra pot for you." Glynda set a thermos down on his desk. He had honestly failed to notice it until then, though he quickly stepped over to pour himself a cup. He offered to do the same for her, but she shook her head.

"Caffeine so late in the day is a poor decision." The stern look she gave him earned a chuckle but, notably, not the desired effect as he sipped away. Had she truly wanted him to stop she wouldn't have brought him more.

She was right of course, caffeine could interfere with one's ability to sleep if ingested within a few hours of bed, thankfully, he didn't plan to sleep for quite some time, even once he left his office. He turned back to look out over the campus once more.

"You don't have to wait for the lights sir, the majority of the students have already left." Glynda said. "I doubt it would raise any suspicion if you were to take some time to yourself."

Ozpin chuckled softly. "To most, it would mean nothing, but I am afraid our enemy knows me too well. It is well known that I am a workaholic."

"I fear you have dug that grave for yourself," Glynda joked back. "I plan to take an early evening; James has asked me over for dinner."

"Hmm," Ozpin turned to regard her fully. "Has he finally gotten through that ever-evasive heart of yours?"

"Of course not," Glynda replied curtly, rolling her eyes. "It is to be a platonic affair, after everything that has happened lately… he wished to speak as friends."

"And here I thought he had followed Qrow and Winter's example," Ozpin smirked. "Love seemed to be in the air as of late."

"Hardship has that effect on people," Glynda nodded. "It brings out the strangest things."

"It brings out our true character," Ozpin stepped over to the window once more. "We define ourselves by the challenges we have faced. Be they great battles, life or death struggles, and even romantic ventures that we have encountered. They all show the world who we truly are as a person…"

It was what made people unique. When you lived long enough, it became easy to see the similarity between people, too easy at times. More than once he had placed his trust in someone simply because they seemed the reincarnated version of someone else he had once known. Some had lived up to that, others had not, but they all proved to be their own people in the end.

There was no way of truly knowing a person until you saw them struggle. There were signs, hints at how a person might act, but they were always capable of surprising you. When their back was against the wall, and their morals were more of a hindrance than an aid, it was only then that you saw how far they were willing to go. The bravest of souls could turn coward and flee, while the meekest could find something inside themselves nobody knew they had. It was more than simple math or science could decide, people were too complicated to be reduced so thoroughly, and it took careful observation to truly understand someone.

"Am I a good man, Glynda?" Ozpin asked.

"Hm?" Glynda seemed confused by the question.

"I have experienced more challenges than any other person on Remnant, though I have certainly had more opportunity." Ozpin sighed. "Do you believe I have cracked under the pressure? That my actions have shown my true colors?"

Glynda was silent for a moment, giving the question the consideration it was due.

"I think that, despite all that you have gone through, you are still standing here." Glynda answered quietly. "You have made mistakes, mistakes that have cost people their lives, but you have yet to demand they pay that price."

"Is there a difference?" Ozpin couldn't help but ask. To those that died, did it matter if he had asked them or not? They were still dead at the end of the day, and whether they would forgive him was something he could never know.

"I think it makes all the difference in the world." Glynda said, stepping back from the desk and turning towards the elevator. "Try to get some rest, Ozpin. You need it just like the rest of us."

Finishing his coffee, Ozpin looked out towards the city of Vale. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and slowly, one by one, the lights started turning on.

Sighing, he reached over to take the thermos that Glynda had brought him before retreating to his private quarters. While he doubted sleep would come easily, there were other ways to rest. Exercise was out for the time being, but there was a good book he had been meaning to start reading since the school year had begun.

"The Constance has arrived back in port, General." Ensign Green reported. "The Vigilance is preparing to be underway within the next twenty-four hours."

General Ironwood nodded, regarding the console in front of him. They had made good progress in their withdrawal, his men committing to the tight timetable with impressive efficiency.

"Colonel Aurelian has requested an update on the status of your withdrawal." One of the Technical Sergeants reported, drawing the General's eyes away from the force laydown of his remaining units.

"Tell him we will be gone within the week." The last three ships to leave would be his flagship and escort of course, but aside from that the majority of his fleet had already returned to Atlas in small groups. "We are holding to the timeline presented by the council."

"Yes sir." The Sergeant began typing away at her console, composing a status update for the Colonel.

Ironwood was still reluctant to fully withdraw his men of course, but given everything that had happened, it was for the best. He was compromised, and there was no way around that. He had crossed too many lines, pushed too far, all in the name of a victory he hadn't been able to claim. Even if he had, it wouldn't have washed away what he did, and he would be forced to answer to those in time.

"Specialist Clover, update?" Ironwood asked.

"Operative Numa has failed to report in again," Clover pushed a report through to his screen. It was hardly surprising, she had been difficult to work with from the start and, while she had yet to go completely dark, it was clear she wasn't going to be doing them any more favors until she got what he had promised her. "Otherwise, everyone is accounted for. The men… formerly under Specialist Schnee's command have reported in and been given rooms for the return to Atlas."

Another failure, another regret. Ironwood sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. He had yet to speak with Winter directly, only having a short conversation during the brief to prepare for the Breach. He had intended to pull the three of them aside to apologize, but the opportunity had never presented itself, or perhaps he had been too ashamed to. It was difficult to tell. Despite his change in course, the fact remained that none of them had returned to service, not that he could blame them. How could they place their trust in him again after everything that had happened?

"Don't forget you have a meeting this evening." Clover nudged Ironwood's shoulder, a small smile hiding the barely concealed concern behind his eyes. "I don't think snubbing a representee of Beacon would be a good idea."

Ironwood chuckled softly, taking the hint for what it was. Everything was already in motion, and what little there was left to do Clover had already volunteered to take care of for the time being. Ironwood had an evening off for the first time in months, and though it had taken some convincing, he had managed to bring one friend back to the table.

"Message me if anything comes up." Ironwood closed out his terminal, withdrawing his credentials as he stepped away from the console.

"You'll be the first to know, sir," Clover stepped over to log in. "Enjoy your evening."

Pyrrha laughed softly as Coco flicked a spoon full of whipped cream at Fox in retaliation for another pun. Penny seemed confused by the joke, asking for him to explain as the rest of the table groaned. Fox was too happy to explain the joke in as specific detail as possible, forcing them all to listen as he tried to convey what made the joke funny to Penny. It didn't work, and he began to start over when he was cut off by a soft siren that slowly picked up volume. A moment later, Pyrrha's Scroll rang.

Answering the call, Ozpin's face appeared on screen. She could see the background quickly moving behind him, as he maneuvered out of the building and into the courtyard somewhere.

"Miss Nikos, it's time."

Pyrrha stood from her chair, her friends quickly doing the same as they threw a large amount of lien on the table to cover their bill.

"A Bullhead will be waiting for you at the docks to take you into the city." Ozpin explained. "You will receive the details during the flight." He seemed to be boarding one of his own, the open sky behind him giving way to the familiar cramped interior of the fastest available transport. "Good luck, Miss Nikos."

Pyrrha was out the door of the diner in a heartbeat, holding the door open long enough for the next person to fit through before sprinting off towards the docks, her hand resting on Allos' hilt to keep it from banging around on her hip. Her team followed closely behind her, each with their own weapons on hand.

The sun had already set, but they still had an hour of daylight left before things became dark enough to be a problem. That was one change that Pyrrha hadn't intended, and hopefully it wouldn't make too much of a difference. Something had gone to plan for once however, and it brought a muted sense of satisfaction to her.

The Breach had finally arrived but, this time, Cinder didn't have the element of surprise.

Author's Note: And so we have officially made it to the Volume two climax… took me a bit longer to get here than it did the actual show runners.

Hopefully you all enjoyed the chapter and, as always, be sure to let me know in the reviews what you think.

Sincerely, SE