Well… here we are guys. The finale of Volume 0, it has been quite the trip. But the longest prologue ever is finally coming to an end. I did not expect to make this last as long as it did, but the plans I have coincided perfectly with what I was already doing. It was honestly crazy how I started this just a few short months ago, and it is already at 293 follows. We are so close to 300 already! Thank you all so much!

Oblivious Ninja IJ: Here is the chapter, read it well.

The Observer 2.O: I guess people love the multiple personality aspect of the Flamingo Goddess. Can't say I blame them, I love her character as well. Though I may be a little bias since I created her in the first place. My drawing of Kai might become the cover art, it depends on how I feel about it. There is a lot of detail I have to put in however before I post anything. If you want, you can take that little short you wrote as an alternative scene, because I am telling you right now. That is not what is going to happen.

SuperKaiokenGoku: I am putting the effort to make it as good as it can be! Thank you!

Masso2010: Don't worry, after this chapter, it gets into Volume 1 finally. It's crazy how long it took, and I am sorry you had to wait so long. But it is happening very soon. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Arctech: Glad to be back, it was nice writing again. Really was enjoying what I was doing, and I thank you for that great compliment you've given me. It means more than you know.

Reddevil47: We'll see what happens.

Thank you all for reviewing!

Beta: CrowSkull

Now lets get on to the Volume 0 Finale!

The Blind Huntsman

Chapter 33- Volume 0, Episode 31

The End of an Era

"Cut out your son's eyes." Cinder repeated when Malikai didn't reply with anything beside a gasp and a death glare. "Do that, and I'll consider allowing them to get out of this alive."

Malikai gritted his teeth angrily, and the grip he had around his sword also tightened to the point where the hilt almost broke under his anger induced strength. He nearly went for the bitches throat, but stopped himself once he remembered that if he went after her, at least two or three of them would go after his pregnant wife and son. Not that they didn't know Marron was pregnant anyway, she was way too early into it that she didn't show any signs as of yet. But that didn't mean they wouldn't kill her anyway, the White Fang and this half Maiden were not people that struck him as merciful, and if they found out that she was pregnant with another one of his children. Then they would most likely get rid of her as well.

"I'm not doing that." Malikai spat, bearing his teeth. He thought about using his eyes again, and while that would most certainly do something to the half Maiden, it would do little more than blind the other ones temporarily. But there was no telling if they wouldn't just blindly attack him while he was using it, any sort of blow to the head or body would make him break his concentration, and after that the half Maiden wouldn't be very happy that she was almost killed for the third time this night.

"Why not?" The wench asked in that damn saccharine voice of hers. "It's not like the boy needs them anyway, he is already blind. If anything you would be saving him of a life of having a constant target on his back. You'd be doing him a favour." She flourished her glass weapon, pointing it not at Malikai, but to his son. "Of course… I'd be happy to do it for you if you'd like."

"No, you won't be doing any more evil things." To Malikai's surprise, it wasn't he who said those words. Even though he was just about to say them himself. He turned around to see Kai, standing up straight with Silver Ebony shining in the grip of his right hand. His blind silver eyes were visible to all of them, there wasn't much point in hiding them anymore anyway after today.

"How could someone be so evil… what's the point of all this chaos!?" He screamed at them, keeping still even as his mother tried to pull him back as he took a step forward. His eyes were looking in every direction, as if they were trying to find something, trying to look at something. But all they saw was darkness. "All this just because some kid happened to have silver eyes!? All this pain, blood, and murder just to get to my Dad and I? What's the damn point to any of this!?" He shouted frantically. Kai felt his throat become sore after he screamed at him.

He was tired, injured, bleeding, blind, and dizzy. But he still was able to raise his sword against his enemies. Not willing to give up even against impossible odds.

Adam scoffed. "You think the White Fang did this just for some hybrid? No, we did this to send a message."

"The faunus will be oppressed no longer." Sienna chanted, as did Ilia.

Cinder simply chuckled to herself at the animals cheering. They didn't matter at all, all she did was tell them what they wanted to hear, and then warn them of the consequences. If they wanted to think that the results were in their favour after this, they would quickly learned of their mistakes.

Blake however, did not quite share the same reactions. She simply stared down to the charred floor. Thinking hard on what the half faunus half human had just said. Conflicting with her own ideals.

"You're monsters!" Kai screamed at them, holding his burning white sword with both hands. He felt the heat of the sword nearly burn his hands even with his natural heat resistance, and the smile on Cinder's face disappeared as she recognized the kind of attack that the boy was about to use. Light hot enough to even burn a Maiden. It had to be snuffed out.

"Every single one of you! You're worse than the Grimm!" Kai prepared to swing his sword hard through the air in front of him. His shoulders lit up with a black flame, but as the seconds passed by, they turned white. Just like the flames of his father. "I'll treat you like one!"

He swung his sword as hard as he could with what little energy his body had left, sending a wide arc of pure white light toward his enemies. It was wider than any other he had created before.

It also shattered his aura, he had none left after that attack. Kai fell to his knees straight after he sent it.

Adam dodge it quickly. He didn't have any aura either, and he was already exhausted after fighting many Huntressess and Huntsman in just the past few hours without any breaks in between. If that attack hit him, he might have been killed.

Sienna jumped over it with the help of her chain whip. She threw it into one of the remaining rafters and pulled herself up. She still had aura left, but she didn't like her chances against whatever that was. Blake left a clone in her wake as she jumped away from the attack as well, and watched as the attack cleaved right through it.

Ilia however, was not so lucky. The attack skimmed against the back of her heel right as she went to jump away. She would be fine with healing, but she with her achilles heel damaged, she would not be able to fight with them. Blake noticed this, and ran straight for her as soon as the light passed them.

Which left Cinder on her own to stand against the arc of pure white light. She roared as she created a great tall wall of fire to slow down the light. Dispersing it before it was even able to reach her body. She was stronger than she ever has been before at that moment, and the light never even got close to her body. She smirked maliciously as the light dispersed under her flames, and she set her eyes on the man currently defending his son and wife.

Alone.

The fight already started, and the first to attack was Sienna.

Coming from above, she lunged down at the one of the most feared men in his entire generation. Malikai being as skilled as he was, was able to block her initial attack, and push her away with her sword. Charging straight at her as soon as her feet touched the ground.

He was strong, incredibly so. Fast too. Sienna couldn't keep up with him. Even after all of the fighting he has done, and the fact that he was injured in God knows how many places. He was still able to completely blitz her. Just as fast as their fight started, Sienna found her aura drop low to critical levels, and she was able to jump away before she got herself killed.

Adam wanted to help, but with no aura fighting against a man such as Malikai would only lead to his death. All he could do was take cover behind some fallen rubble and fire at him with his rifle that he keeps on hand just in case of situations like these, or he just needs the ranged attacks it provided him. Malikai didn't see the first few coming, and he got shot in the back two times in quick succession before he was able to react in time to block the rest of the bullets. The silver eyed man then reached into one of his hidden pouches, and took out a throwing knife. Adam barely moved his head away in time in order to dodge the knife from stabbing straight into his skull.

Cinder smirked as she saw an opening, and fired a fireball out of the palm of her hand straight at Malikai's back.

He turned around just in time to see the ball of flame. The fire reflected off of his eyes, and with no other option. He threw his fist forward into the flames itself. He was able to absorb some of the power, but it was too powerful to absorb all at once.

When the flames dispersed, his arm was now exposed to the air around them. His armour being burned or blasted off of his body, and his skin was now red and black in some places. Blisters were already forming as well, making fighting with that arm extremely uncomfortable.

But even with all that, Malikai would still be able to fight. What he was more worried about was the fact that his aura was running on literal fumes at the moment. His shining silver aura was flickering and just about to go out, if even a single bullet hit him, it would break right through it if his armour couldn't protect him.

Ignoring the sizzling pain on his left arm, he poured all of the flame power he had left into his already burned arm. It made the pain even worse, possibly even causing permanent damage, but he could live with that. What he couldn't live without was his family.

"Look out!" Marron screeched from nearby behind him, she rose her hand up and focused her remaining strength on making a sturdy wall, which blocked the shots coming at him just in the knick of time.

Falling forward on her hands and knees, Marrons brown aura also broke away. Leaving her defenseless. Fighting was never her strong suit, she never had the stamina for it. But she tried anyway.

Malikai couldn't even give her a nod of thanks, because as she was on her hands and knees. He could see Adam smirk and take aim at them instead of him. Malikai gasped as he saw a vision run through his mind.

His pregnant wife, and son. Getting riddle with bullets right before his eyes.

His body moved before he even realized it, and Cinder smiled as she saw the blood dripping down his chest.

With speeds that would surpass even Ruby's semblance, Malikai threw himself in front of the path of bullets that would have killed his family. His weak aura managed to block the first few, but when that broke, all he had was his breast plate to defend against the follow ups. The Etricium held up well, but it could only take so long before Adam adjusted his aim just a little bit up and to the right. Right in between the armour plating.

Blood squirted out of the new hole in his collar bone, as did another hole in his shoulder, and then one in his hip. Malikai coughed up blood as he held onto his chest, trying to stop the flow of blood from escaping his body. He tried to use his semblance to force the blood back into his body, but he had no aura to power it. Adam wanted to keep firing, but he was out of ammo. Not that he needed to fire any more bullets anyway.

"Dad!" Kai screamed so loud that his voice cracked, sensing the blood that was pouring out of his fathers wounds.

"Malikai!" Marron screamed shortly after, the tears were already falling from her eyes before Malikai was even able to fall down to one knee.

Keep your grip tight on your sword at all times, lose it, and the fight may as well be over. The voice of Malikai's deceased father echoed through his mind, he didn't know when he started thinking about him again, but for some reason. He just felt the need too.

He squeezed his hand around the hilt of his sword.

Even the most powerful opponents have weakness' for you to exploit, and even against impossible odds. Giving up is the worst thing you can do. The voice of his father continued.

Malikai grunted and stood back up on his feet, his eyes were half lidded, and his breath came out as little more than rasps, and he was sure he had blood filling one of his lungs. He was still not going to give up.

When you get a child of your own, you'll understand why I went so far to protect you. Was one of the last things his father, Mal, said to him,

"I understand now… father." Malikai whispered to himself as he got into a stance, the last thing between the corrupted Maiden, and his family. "I understand…"

Malikai roared an animalistic roar as he charged straight toward Cinder. The woman wasn't expecting something like this from a man who suffered a thousand wounds, and was caught of guard when he appeared in front of her with a snarl.

Her glass blades cracked and shattered as they clashed against the silver sword which belonged to a man she feared. Her eyes changed emotions immediately as the dying man continued to viciously fight against her with more strength and speed than any man with as many wounds as he had any right to wield without any aura on hand. She wanted to toy with Malikai more, really make his death drag out for as long as possible just to assert her dominance over him. But at this rate if she didn't start taking him seriously again she would be killed.

She grunted and blasted the man away with her Maiden strength. Malikai skidded backward on the back of both of his heels, but he didn't fall yet. He just came back for more.

Cinder snarled and shot another full power fireball in his direction, and to her massive surprise, the man charged straight through it with his shoulder. The fire burned his face, but his armour held up perfectly and he slammed straight into the front of her body. Almost draining Cinder of the last of her aura.

"Rargh!" Malikai screamed as he swung his sword in a wide arc, forcing Cinder to jump back before she could get decapitated. She actually had to crawl backwards while on the ground to get away from the man- no, monster. No normal man would be able to do what Malikai is doing, not even Ozpin.

She ran out of ground to crawl back on, and when her back hit against the wall she felt a shock of fear run throughout her whole body as Malikai glared at her with those damned silver eyes of his. They practically shined as he brought his sword up over his shoulder and prepared to swing.

Right before he could kill her however, a chain wrapped around his hands, stopping him from getting the edge of the sword any closer to her body.

Sienna pulled as hard as she could, and fought against the man's last reserves of strength. Malikai tried to let go of his sword to get out of this bad spot, but his wrist were also kept in a bind as well.

Cinder saw her opening.

She took it.

"NOO!" Marron cried as she watched something horrific happen to her husband

Malikai coughed up even more blood as a glass sword stabbed through his chest, straight through his armour, and came out the other side. He staggered backwards, gripping the hilt of Cinder's curved sword and slowly pulling it out of himself. When he did, he staggered back even more, dropping the sword and letting it shatter on the ground.

His sword was left right next to the half Maiden he came oh so close to killing. But now he was dying himself.

But even then, Malikai took a step closer to Cinder, his silver eyes flickering with power as he tried to use them. His arms hung to his sides, but he didn't need them. He just needed to stomp her face in. Cinder took one look at him, and had enough.

"Get away from me!" Cinder screamed, blasting Malikai with one final blow of fire.

Malikai cried out in pain as he was thrown back, landing hard on his upper back and bouncing once before rolling on his side toward his family. Just able to stop on his back so that he could look at his family one more time.

Even though now some of his bones were broken, Malikai tried to sit back up. But that only lead to him coughing up more blood. He slumped back on the ground, defeated, and dying.

"No, my love." Marron said through her choking tears as she crawled toward her husband, just able to get close enough so that her hand could cup one of his bloody cheeks. "I'm so sorry… I wasn't strong enough to be of any use… I'm so useless."

"N-No…" Malikai coughed. "You did everything you could…"

"Dad?" Kai called out to him, placing his hand on his chest and tearing up when he felt a warm substance stick to his hand. "Please… don't die here… get up." His eyes shook, and tears started to flow out yet again. "I can't lose anyone else."

Cinder was disgusted by the display of the Matsuoka's grieving for their dying husband, and stood up with a limp. She was going to end this once and for all. No more will this family be any threat to her, or her mistresses plans. She slowly started limping to him, inching closer by the second.

"K-Kai…" Malikai choked out, grabbing his sons hand for him. For the first time in years, Malikai started to cry. He would never be able to see his son again after failing to protect him, that pain was worse than anything he was feeling right now. "I'm sorry… I'm s-so s-s-sorry…" His breaths came out as wheezes, the blood in his lungs taking up more and more space.

"No, don't say that! Please don't say that." Kai cried. "You still have a chance, I know it!"

Malikai smiled sadly, and he raised his hand to ruffle his sons hair just one last time.

"I'm sorry Kai… I won't be coming back from this one." Malkai said with a cough, his vision began to darken. "You have to take care of your mother… make sure she gets through this pain… I know you'll get out of this somehow." He said, somehow managing to keep his voice clear, and comprehensible.

"Dad… please." Kai said, crying more than he ever did before. "I can't do this without you."

"Yes, you can Kai… you'll become the best there ever was… I know it… You have Raven to help you after all."

Kai sniffled, crying even harder as he heard his father say those words.

"You knew?" he choked.

Malikai grinned with bloody teeth. "Of course I did… I'm the one who taught you how to sense." he said with a wheeze, barely hanging on to life as it is. "B-Be careful with her, Kai, Raven is unpredictable in the bad and good ways. That makes her dangerous."

Kai nodded his head and slumped it against his fathers chest, letting his tears slide off of his fathers chest. He felt his father's hand brush into his hair, and whimpered when he moved it to his mothers.

Malikai turned his head to Marron, and moved his blood hand to cup the side of her crying face. "I love you so much Marron… I love you both more than anything in the world… so please…"

Malikai shut his eyes for the last time.

"Live…"

The legendary Huntsman passed away in his wifes and sons arms. Finally succumbing to the many wounds across his body.

"For as strong as that man was, an end such as this is pathetic for him." Cinder said as she spat to the side, her anger still as clear as day.

"He was the most dangerous opponent I've ever face." Sienna added. "Even though he was an enemy to the White Fang, he's earned my respect."

"Not that it would do any good for him now." Cinder interjected before she could continue. "It's a good thing that he's dead, he would have been a problem if he made it through this day. My mistress specifically ordered his execution herself."

"Enough of this, I am calling the White Fang back." Adam said as he limped up to the women, favouring one of his sides from which he was bleeding from a cut. "We got what we came for, the message has been delivered. Let's pull back."

"I agree with Adam." Sienna said. "There's not anything else for us to do here."

Cinder smiled, and averted her gaze back down to the remaining grieving Matsuoka's. An evil grin stretched across her features. "Not quite yet." She said as she held out a palm toward them, she didn't have much power left but she had just enough to kill the two with one more fireball.

The girl with black hair stepped in her way, her hands outstretched in defense of the last two Matsuoka's. Blake tore off what was left of her mask, and she glared at Cinder and Sienna. "No, no more death!" She shouted at the woman. "They are innocent! Leave them be!"

Cinder rolled her eyes both internally, and externally. "Move out of the way girl, before you end up as part of the pile."

"Listen to her Blake, that is an order." Sienna said in a warning tone.

"Screw your order then!" Blake screamed at her.

Kai slowly raised his head as he heard a familiar voice, he knew he heard it from somewhere. It was the same girl he ran into in the village a while back. The White Fang girl who stopped a guy from attacking him. She was defending him now? Why? He wasn't going to get an answer. At least not yet.

"This boy has done nothing wrong, and he's only defended himself! His mother is even more innocent, all she wanted was to protect her child." Blake shook her head defiantly. "No, I won't let you kill them…"

"Blake… what are you doing?" Ilia muttered, trying and failing to stand up and move to her.

"Blake, you know what this will mean for you right?" Adam asked, worried for his long time partner. "What this will mean for us? We wouldn't be able to be together after this. You wouldn't be allowed back into the White Fang. This is Treason."

"I'd rather choose Treason, than to watch any more innocents die for no good reason… I joined to make a difference, not to become a terrorist." Blake said, standing her ground and holding Gambol Shroud in each of her hands. She wasn't going to let this happen, not when she could do anything about it.

Cinder simply scoffed at her. "Then you will die as well."

Blake widened her eyes as a massive fireball was fired from the palm of the woman's hand, she heard the cry of sorrow from Adam as it grew nearer. From the corner of her eye she could see Sienna averting her eyes, and Ilia doing the same.

She was going to die… just for doing what she thought was right…

Somehow, that felt satisfying.

A silver black sword cut through the fireball before it could hit her.

Kai hung his head and pushed the black haired girl back toward his mother. Blake landed on her bottom, too shocked to be able to stop the boy from pushing her with strength she didn't know he had left.

"Still, you stand against me?" Cinder chuckled. "You'll die the same way as your father."

"No…" Kai seethed through gritted teeth. The tears was still flowing from his eyes, but instead of a clear color, they were glowing white once again. Cinder was too far to notice. "I'm going to make you pay, for what you did…"

Kai started to see his vision clearing up again, flickers of colors he has never seen before. He was looking down at himself. Were those his hands? Was that what skin looked like? Was that his sword? All those thoughts were barely thought of as he raised his head, staring straight into some sort of figure that he sensed not too far from him. She had some sort of glow coming from her right eye, not that he knew how to describe it, he has never actually seen a person before.

"I said…"He watched as something on what he assumed to be her face curl up, that must have been what a smirk looked like. "That I'd treat you like a Grimm…" He watched as that smirk disappeared, contorting into something he had no idea how to explain.

His white cloudy pupil turned black, and his silver eyes glowed a bright white light as he stared at the figure before him. Final words creeped up from the back of his throat.

"RAAAAAARRRGGGHHH!" Kai screamed at the top of his lungs as a bright white light invaded his vision, brighter than the event that happened before, even brighter than his father's.

"No!" Cinder screamed as she felt her left arm get burned away all the way up to her bicep, and writhed in pain as she felt half of her face melt away into ash. She tried blocking out the light with her good arm, but it did little to stem the pain. Sienna and Adam took cover behind a rock together, and Ilia hid her face in the ground lest the light burn her retinas rendering her blind.

Marron and Blake looked away from the source of the light, holding on to each other purely out of instinct. Blake defended them, so Marron didn't see her as a threat anymore, and needed something to block out her eyes.

The light suddenly grew dimmer, and Kai was holding onto his face painful. Dropping Silver Ebony and screaming in pain as his eyes burned with pain.

"AAAAGGGGGHHHH!" Kai locked onto that feeling of helpless he felt before, the desire to protect his mother, and the girl who protected them. He couldn't stop now, if he did they would all die.

He pushed through the simmering pain, and the light returned.

The woman who killed his father screamed even louder as his light scorched part of her body. The light persisted for ten more painful seconds, before he finally stopped.

He fell straight forward onto his face, he knocked himself out with his own power. His eyes were steaming, but were still in one piece, and bloodshot. His eyesight quickly darkened back down to seeing nothing but darkness. His pupils turned white again, and with a half lidded expression, he lied unconscious.

Cinder was writhing in pain about two dozen feet away from him, clutching onto half of her face with her one good arm that wasn't burned by the light. Her left arm was almost all gone, save for a small cauterized stump which stopped at the beginning of her bicep. She was in incredible pain, but she was still alive.

Blake watched with eyes barely able to see as another girl with mint green hair suddenly bursted into the room, followed up by another boy with silver hair. Quickly after two other boys bursted into the room, they looked exactly the same, except one was red, and the other blue. They chased after the other two, but a big burly man suddenly joined the fight, having many bruises and cuts himself.

He pushed back the two boys easily, and another man jumped into the fray, this one with a scorpion tail. She watched helplessly as he picked up the pained woman from the ground and threw her over his shoulder.

Then there was the gunshots, she had to duck her head to protect herself. She could barely feel her muscles as it was. The other members of the White Fang caught up to them, and she could hear the screaming of orders by Sienna and Adam as they dragged themselves and Ilia out of the fight.

Before she was even able to process anything else that was happening, a red and black portal ripped through the air not too far from her. A woman with black hair even blacker than hers jumped straight out of it, followed up by a man with dark skin and blond hair, followed up by two other Huntsman, one male and the other female, then what looked to be like two other kids around her age. One with a magenta colored dress, and the other with yellow shotgun gauntlets.

Her ears were still ringing, so she couldn't hear what they were saying. But she could see as the woman with black hair and red eyes stood in front of the monkey faunus woman, and the unconscious boy that she risked her life to save. The man with blond hair knelt down beside him, glancing toward the dead body of Malikai and covering his mouth with his hand sorrowfully.

"Oh Gods… they got him?" She heard the voice of the man she fought ask with a choked gasp. He had a bandage over his left hand, covering some of his fingers from where Adam severed them. Qrow was still alive then, that actually brought some relief to her.

The White Fang were still pushing them, the Huntsman were doing their best, and she could see many clones of the same girl fighting to their heart's content, along with a few clones of the older woman who must be related to her if she was able to do something so similar.

Her ears started ringing again when an electrical explosion blasted away almost half of the White Fangs forces. Another woman, this one with burning blue eyes and an angry expression on her face roared into battle, followed up by the man she recognized as the headmaster of Signal Academy.

The battle was won easily when the headmaster of Beacon also made it to the fight. The White Fang retreated, along with everyone else that suddenly appeared. Blake cried out as she was kicked over so that she lied on her belly, feeling a knee dig into her back as the man she fought earlier pinned her down easily.

She was shocked when the faunus woman defended her of all people, making Qrow get off of Blake and let her go. After some deliberating, Blake took the opportunity as it was, and ran.

There was no more she could do here.

"I can't believe it…" Tai said, a single tear falling from his eye as he knelt down beside Malikai's body. "This guy was the best of our class - our generation… How'd they manage to do this to him?" He asked no one in particular as he placed a hand on the man's eyes, closing his now dull silver eyes for him.

"He… died protecting us." Marron said as she held on to her heavily injured son. "He saved our lives."

"Yeah, that sounds like him." Qrow said as he ran a hand through his hair, and then placed both of his hands on top of his head as he paced back and forth. "I just can't believe it… I've known this guy for more than thirty years, he was the one man that she didn't want to cross initially."

Raven didn't show it, but she was also heavily affected by the death of Malikai. She stood with her back turned to them, holding back the tears she felt stinging at her eyes.

"Alright, that's the rest of them gone." Vernal said with a huff as she touched back down to the ground. "How is everyone- Oh God…" She cut herself off as she saw him, covering her mouth with both hands as she looked at Malikai's body. "Not him… no. I can't believe it."

"Join the club kid… none of us can." Qrow muttered.

"Is… he going to be okay?" Orchid asked, pointing to the still steaming Kai as he lied slumped in his mother's arms.

"He'll be fine, he just knocked himself out using his semblance." Qrow lied, he saw that white light from so far away. He just wanted to go find Tai, or any other Huntsman, and bring them back. He didn't know Malikai would fall like this, it just seemed so impossible.

She found a way to make it possible.

Damn monster of a woman…

"This… is truly heartbreaking." Ozpin said, having a look of actual sadness on his face as he rubbed it with one hand. "If only I'd been faster… I am so sorry, Missus Matsuoka, truly I am." As much as Malikai hated the man, he was still one of the men he respected the most. Willing to do anything to protect those he cared about, he was on that list of people at one point. But once he found out the truth of his origins, he left his inner circle. His most powerful warrior lost trust in him, as did Raven when she also found out the truth. But even then, the man was a Prodigy. Even better than he was, and he had more than a thousand years of combat experience. Malikai Matsuoka was truly incredible.

"It's not your fault… it's none of your faults." Marron said, the tears staining her face. She couldn't say any more, losing her husband and almost losing her son was too much for her. She just needed to leave this area, and heal.

Qrow helped Marron up, while Tai, Yang, and Orchid went to help pick up Kai carefully. They didn't know the extent of his injuries, they needed to be careful with him.

"What are you going to do now Raven?" Marron asked, looking straight into the woman's back.

Yang also stared at her estranged mother, she had no time to even say anything to her before she started ranting about how she needed their help. She didn't know what to say, but when Raven said that Kai was in trouble and could die. She rushed straight through her portal straight after Orchids mom.

Raven turned to look at them all, locking eyes with Yang right away. She didn't say anything, but the fact that she was looking at her daughter filled her with hope. Perhaps she would actually explain something now? Perhaps she could have her mother back? She dared to hope so.

"I…" Raven couldn't finish her sentence, and she was noticeably shaking with assumed nervousness.

She took her sword out, and slashed into the air, telling Vernal to go through it. The Spring Maiden looked like she wanted to argue, but when she saw the tears falling from Ravens face, she thought better for herself. She stepped through the portal without uttering another word. She would grieve for Malikai another time.

"I'm… I'm sorry." Raven stammered before stepping through the portal herself. Unable to look any of them in the eye, even her brother.

Taiyang shook his head, he dared to hope as well. But it has been seventeen years since he has last seen Raven, she was different than the woman she once was before. But he can't say he didn't expect this.

"After this… I'll be sure to take off the semester for myself and for the students." Albedo said as they began carrying Kai out of the hellhole that was that arena. "Everyone passes their first year, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anyone was held back because of this."

"I couldn't agree more." Ozpin said with a nod of understanding. "Do make sure that Kai gets the help he needs, but I must ask that a few of the Huntsman stay and help with clearing out the stadium just in case of any remaining stragglers."

"I'll stay." Qrow volunteered easily. "Go get Kai some help Tai."

"Yeah, sure." Tai said with a nod.

"We're coming too." Rick and Brick said in unison, running up to help carry their friend.

"I am too." Yang said, still a bundle of emotions. She placed her head under Marrons armpit to help her walk, during the fight, she was injured. She needed the help.

"Sure, come along." Taiyang said as he looked back down to Kai's still half lidded eyes. His silver eyes were still steaming, and his white pupils looked to be staring back up at him.

They almost didn't notice Shae's body. She was still slumped up against the wall, and it took Ozpin pointing it out that nearly made all the students throw up at the sight of her burned body. Orchids mom broke off to go help the poor girl get her proper burial, hiding her body with her own to save the students from any more traumatization.

"You'll be okay Kai." Orchid said to calm herself, she was shaken at the sight of Shae's body, but she was more worried about her partner at the moment.

"I know you will."

Two Years Later…

Two years later, and still no one has forgotten about what happened during the last Vytal Festival tournament. After recovering from his injuries, Kai Matsuoka woke up to the sight of his new baby sister.

He was unconscious for around three and a half months, the stress of using the power his eyes for the first time, and with so much power he exerted took a grave toll on his body. But he was still alive. That was what mattered.

Another four and a half months after that, his baby sister was born. Malienna Matsuoka is her name, and she had bright silver eyes. Just like her father, and brother. She was named after the father she would never know, who gave his life to give her a chance at one.

Once recovering fully from his injuries, Kai spent months getting back in shape for his second year at Signal with the help of Orchid, Yang, Ruby, Taiyang, Qrow, and all of his friends.

Getting over the death of Shae and his father was very hard for him, the former of the two was a close friend of his, and was a potential lover for him. He missed them both dearly, and didn't go a day without thinking about them. He was relieved when he heard that Cyan survived his life threatening wound to the stomach. But only just barely, the sword that pierced through his body hit one of his most vital nerves, rendering one side of his body to respond more slowly to the commands of his brain than the other. With training, he would recover, but unfortunately he was not as good of a fighter as he once was.

He wondered how that girl was doing, Blake if he remembered correctly. She bought the time that he needed to use his eyes again, and for that they all got out of there alive. From what he remembers from that night, she basically left the White Fang. He was her friend, he decided, and so if they crossed paths again, Kai will do everything he can to repay the debt he owes her.

He heard that Pyrrha Nikos was going to go to Beacon instead of Haven as well. He hasn't seen her since the battle. Yet, he feels as if he was already close with her. They fought together for so long, and saved each others lives a few times over. The Schnees all got out of there as well, which was another breath of relief for him, they didn't deserve what the White Fang was trying to do to them.

Raven Branwen remained a mystery. She would continue to visit him from time to time to train him, and only during the night. But few words were ever spoken between them. Sometimes she would even send just Vernal to train him. He didn't know what was going one with that woman anymore, she became more and more mysterious the more time went by. She has never said anything else to Taiyang or her daughter since that day. But Kai still saw her as an ally, and friend nonetheless. As he did with Vernal, who was a lot more verbal with how she felt with being around him, actually enjoying his company just as much as he did hers. Though recently, he has been seeing them less and less, and it worried him in all honesty.

Getting through Signal for the last two years was a breeze for Kai, having a powerful semblance and great trainors took him far. He still had a long way to go until he was on the level of a fully trained Huntsman, but he was closing that gap quickly as time went by.

Now, he was seventeen years old. He has updated his attire once more. He still wore the same black headband his father gifted to him, and he was never going to get rid of it even though the secret of his eyes was already out. He still wore a sleeveless silver colored hoodie, with black on the sides of his body. Along with black pants that hung to just over the top of his feet, and he still wore the mechanical socks he was gifted. But he looked older, stronger, taller. His muscles were more profound, and larger. Though he still had a relatively lean build, by no means was he small.

He held his baby sister in his arms, her dark brown hair tickling the underside of his chin. Her tail wrapped around his shoulders as she snoozed happily against his collarbone.

"I'll be back soon Malienna, I'm just going to visit Vale for a bit with some friends." He chuckled at the thought of her partner, she was still as excitable as ever.

His baby sister whined a bit in her sleep, as if hearing him say those words.

"Hey, don't blame me, I wanted to stay here on Patch for my last day, but she's the one who wants to spy on Brick and Ruby go on a "Date" to the Dust store. Seriously, you'd think Brick would have asked her out seriously by now." Kai said as he rubbed his sisters back. She was only a year and a few months old, but already she seemed so smart.

Fortunately, his sister was not born blind like he was. That was the one thing Marron was deathly afraid of. Luckily, she was born with two perfectly healthy eyes.

Her eyes were silver, but they tried not to think about it. She was just a baby, and could barely walk as it is on her own. The thought of her growing up just to get involved in this secret war Kai found himself in frightened him. But he wasn't about to become afraid of helping her become the best Huntress who ever existed. But only if she wanted too. Marron was even more against the idea than she was when he was a child.

Which brought him to another topic, he told Ruby and Yang about silver eyes, and what they mean. Ruby deserved to know. The news hit hard, but if anything, it made Ruby become more determined to become a Huntress. She has never been able to use them yet, but perhaps that was a good thing.

Kai has used the power of his eyes only twice since that day, trying to master the ability. But in order to do so, he needed to be around Grimm, and Marron didn't like the idea of him training against live Grimm, even when he had friends around.

Speaking of his mother, soon after Malienna was born she demanded that Qrow help train her to learn how to fight soon after she gave birth. Ironically, even though she was against her daughter becoming a Huntress, she was training to become one herself. Her age plays a big part in her progress however, since she is already old her body is slow to learn the moves she needs to learn. But she was determined as ever, and Kai helped her whenever he could.

"Waaahh." Malienna whined as she pulled at Kai's headband, demanding that his attention be brought back down to her.

Kai chuckled, and nuzzled his sister into his cheek. Enjoying the sound of her cheerful giggles against his chin as he tickled her with his own tail.

"You'll see me again soon, Malienna, I promise." Kai said as he placed the baby back in her crib, though his heart squeezed when his sister clutched onto his fingers, not wanting to let him go. "You're going to have to get used to not seeing me as much anymore, Beacon is right around the corner y'know."

Ozpin offered Marron, and Malienna a place to stay in Vale when the term started, and while Taiyang has a standing offer that they could stay in his house for as long as they wanted. Marron thought it better to get a place of her own so that she could give her daughter the attention she needed. Qrow would need to stop by every now and again to continue her training, but for now she was able to handle herself in a fight, as long as she wasn't overwhelmed.

Since Kai technically won his last fight against Pyrrha Nikos in the tournament two years back, his tuition into Beacon was paid off as a reward. No one dared to challenge that claim after what happened at the tournament, and the Matsuoka's needed this break.

Kai wooed his little sister to sleep in her crib, even though it was just a few hours after noon. Malienna was always sleepy like that, she slept all the time. Just like a baby.

"Kaizy! Let's go already!" Orchid called up to him from downstairs. "We're going to miss the Bullhead!"

"You mean my motorcycle?" Kai heard Yang correct his partner with a chuckle, which was followed up by an indignant protest coming from the Flamingo Goddess herself.

"Coming!" Kai called back down to them, not worried about waking up his sister since she was such a heavy sleeper.

After giving Malienna one more kiss on the forehead, he turned to the window in the room, feeling the heat of the sun bathe against his face. It was going to be night by the time they got back, but his mother would allow it, they were moving into Vale that night anyway, and most of their things were already packed.

Kai tightened the straps of his black blindfold, and made sure that Silver Ebony and his bracers were strapped on tight. He got a new bracer soon after his second year at Signal, another Silver Ebony one, and apparently it was the same one his father wore during his time at Beacon, what happened to it after he graduated was unknown. He accepted it with little hesitation.

"I'm doing it, Dad." Kai said as he turned his head to look up into the ceiling, his blind eyes closing behind the blindfold.

"This is the first step into ending this war, and I am going to finish what they started." Kai swore as he felt the emotions run through his body.

"The first step to stopping Salem once and for all…"

And there we go, the final chapter of Volume 0 is now FINALLY finished and in the history books. This prologue lasted so much longer than I thought it would, and originally I was going to kill off Malikai MUCH sooner. Like, during the fight he had against Tyrian and Hazel. But his ending here felt more deserving, emotional, and it truly felt like an end for his character. I just didn't feel right killing him off so early, and I never thought that having Raven come in early into the fic would be so damn worth it. I had to create so much just to make her helping the heroes make sense.

Yes guys, Cinder is still alive, she just lost her eye and arm earlier than in the cannon. Blake left the White Fang earlier then in the cannon. She has not been seen since the battle however, but Kai and Marron will never forget her after what she did.

Sooo much happened guys, this chapter was in the works for so long, and I originally planned for this arc to be over on chapter 25… 25. WE'RE ON CHAPTER 33! I am so sorry for those who have been waiting for the Beacon arc for so long, but don't worry.

This time for realsies, the Beacon arc will start next chapter. It is for sure going to happen this time, I swear.

Or I could just go into another thirty chapter arc, just to see your guys' reaction.

Nah, I like my reviews without the cursing on my life and ability as a writer.

So, for the last time of this entire arc. Please review, and let me know what you think of the story!

If you would like to keep up with me and the progress of my chapters of every one of my stories, go ahead and give me a follow here:

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With that said… I'll see you guys in the Beacon saga!

P.S. That's about another 40-50 chapters right there. Just in case you were wondering. That's not even including Volume 4 and beyond stuff.

… *Sigh* I feel it. I just know this is going to get crazier, I might have to throw you some ideas with the worldbuilding for that because this is gonna need waaay more enemies to keep things tense and interesting, maybe some neutrals… maybe some conspiracy, was this M rated? Was it? I think it is, okay we can add criminal themes, maybe also more disgusting Grimm… hmmm, oh boy, long road ahead for you buddy. Well you and me. Fun times ahead people! -CrowSkull