Howdy again folks, been a hot minute! Lots of reasons, from working on other stories to life stuff.

Essiter: Thank you for your kind words, as always! Unfortunately, I can't say I know of any fics like what you're looking for. I know they're out there, though.

Vaakaja: Not gonna lie your review has lived rent free in not only my head, but my proofreaders' heads as well for awhile just because of how funny it is. Sad raccoon hours indeed! The second part will take awhile though.

I didn't have anything particular to say to anything else, really, as I've admittedly only really started responding to reviews recently and I'm still getting used to it. Regardless of if you've reviewed in the past or not, I hope you enjoy the chapter!


The next day, Violet woke up around 3 PM to a very interesting text message from Ozpin.

Mr. Doctor Professor Ozpin: "Violet, when you see this, please make your way to my office, I have someone who wants to meet you."

Violet blinked a few times before sighing softly and standing up. She gathered up her usual outfit and went to take a shower, because, contrary to popular belief, just because she was a shut-in NEET didn't mean she didn't like to be clean. It was just hard for her to motivate herself to clean anything that wasn't herself, is all.

When she was done with her 'morning' (read: afternoon to night) ritual, she stepped out, almost fully dressed. She stretched and sighed before going to finish her outfit by putting on her boots, and once she had, she grabbed her keys and stuck them in her satchel before heading out.

Everything was normal up until she got to Ozpin's office, and that was when she saw the new arrival.

He was well dressed and clean, wearing a white overcoat and looking very… military. He was looking at the elevator as she stepped out along with Ozpin, Qrow, and Glynda. Qrow raised his hand in greeting, leaning on a pillar as he was, while Glynda gave her a small smile.

Ozpin smiled as well, "Welcome, Violet, apologies for calling you on such short notice, but we have a special guest for you to meet. This is-"

Violet knew the answer as soon as he turned around, and she voiced it, "General Ironwood, Atlas Academy's headmaster?"

Ironwood smiled, "Correct."

"The winner of 'Most Handsome Man in Atlas', General Ironwood?"

"Well, that was years ago-"

"The man who made Atlas Academy one of the most successful Huntsman academies in the world, second only to Beacon?"

Ironwood's smile grew, "I see you've done your research."

Ozpin chuckled, "She did the same thing to me, James. She really does do her research."

Violet crossed her arms and smiled proudly, "I also know about Headmasters Lionheart and Theodore! Though Lionheart doesn't have any awards."

Ironwood chuckled, "Yes, the more popular one is his Deputy, but that's besides the point." He stepped over to her, keeping a respectable distance as he held out his hand, "I wanted to meet you, given that we will likely be working together in the future. It's nice to meet you, Violet." He smiled amicably, "When I heard that the Fall Maiden was in danger, I knew I had to move my trip up, to make sure that we could keep the streets safe and find these… mercenaries."

She awkwardly looked at his hand before extending hers and shaking his. Her grip was weak, but his was firm and steady, and she could tell he worked hard just from the feeling. Once they let go, she smiled, "I'm sorry you had to have to come here so suddenly." She rubbed the back of her neck, "I really messed things up, huh?"

"Nonsense," Ironwood responded, his smile not wavering as he walked back to stand near Ozpin's desk, prompting Violet to come over as well, "The people who are after you are to blame, not you yourself. Now that Atlas is here, they're sure to think twice before trying to make another move."

Qrow grumbled, "Though I think you coulda been a bit more subtle about it, James. Moving this many troops… people are gonna ask questions."

Ozpin nodded, "It will take some explaining to make sure the citizenry doesn't worry too much."

Ironwood waved his hand dismissively, "I've already thought of that. We're here to show unity with the Valean military, perform some exercises together, and to provide additional security for the upcoming Vytal Festival. We'll show off some of our other advancements as well, that should settle their hearts and minds."

Violet rubbed her chin, "Uhh… kind of like… bread and circuses? If people are too focused on the good stuff, they're not going to worry too much about why you're here in the first place."

In response, Ironwood chuckled, "Not how I'd put it, but a succinct explanation nonetheless." He changed the subject, "But that aside, there is another reason why we wanted you here."

Ozpin nodded, "Indeed, We wanted to speak with you about what things will be like for you going forward."

Qrow piped up, "The way we see it, Pipsqueak, you've got two choices. You could just keep doin' what you've been doin', staying hidden, stayin' away from danger. That's the safe option. It would keep you from being at risk…"

Ironwood added, "But it would mean you couldn't use your powers to help people." He stopped, his hands clasped behind his back, "The duty of a Maiden has always been to protect humanity from the darkness, in all forms it takes. Yours is the power to move mountains, to shake the earth, to cause and stop disasters of great proportions. Some people would call you god-like, but you know better. The duty of a Maiden is your duty, as the Maiden of Choice. However, speaking of choice…"

Ozpin finished, his hands steepled together, "It is your choice. You can continue as you are, isolated and safe, or you can choose to tackle adversity head on. We will not judge you one way or another, nor are we asking you to decide right this moment."

Violet had thought she knew what she wanted. She told Taiyang she wanted to help people, but these attacks had scared her, shaken her to the core. Now, she didn't know what she wanted. She looked down and away, "I…I don't know. It wasn't that long ago that I talked to Taiyang about destiny, if it's the end goal or the journey that takes you there. I don't know if this was my destiny, or if my destiny is something else… I don't know what to do anymore…"

She looked back up, her voice remaining soft, "I've got this power, but there's still people who could kill me. I've never once cared about the world, because what has the world ever done for me? I thought these powers might be the universe apologizing for everything I've been through, but… more and more they just feel like another curse. So, I don't know what my destiny is…" She shook her head lightly, "I don't even know what I want it to be. All I know is…"

She sighed and looked away from them again, "It's lonely. Keeping myself locked away, I thought I'd be used to it, but now that I know what it's like, to talk to people, to have friends… I don't think I can go back to the way I was before. Not entirely. I… I miss my friends, and I… don't know what to do about that either."

The gathered adults listened to her, and each one showed their own form of sympathy. Ozpin's smile grew sad, Ironwood lowered his head out of some sign of respect for how she felt, Qrow looked like he had something to say but didn't know how to say it, and Glynda's sadness was clear in her eyes as she said, "Like Lucian said, Violet… you don't have to make a choice now. You've got time to think."

Ironwood nodded, "Indeed, and as for your loneliness… I know a girl who's just as lonely. She's got no friends to speak of, and when I mentioned her to you, she seemed very eager to make your acquaintance. Would you be willing to meet her?"

Violet raised an eyebrow, curiosity took hold of her, "Oh? Who is she?"

/-/

"Oh I am so excited to finally meet you properly, Violet!"

The girl standing just outside her bedroom door looked very… old school, to say the least. An off-white frilly dress that wouldn't have looked out of place in the movie adaptation of 'The Girl Who Fell Through the World', curly ginger hair that was just slightly longer than Violet's, pale skin, freckles, green eyes…

Violet had seen her before, briefly. The girl that Ruby and her team had run into. Penny Polendina, that was her name.

She looked cute, Violet could admit that, although something about the girl just seemed a bit… off, and Violet wasn't sure what it was. Instead, she stepped back and let her in, "Uhm… great to meet you too, Penny. General Ironwood said you were pretty lonely, so I figured, well…" She shrugged, "Maybe we could be friends?"

Penny grinned, "Absolutely! When General Ironwood told me that you were here, and almost entirely all alone, I knew that we would become great friends. You know what it's like, after all!" Her voice wavered, and that unwavering positively slipped for a moment, "To be all alone…" Just as quickly as it slipped, she returned to her usual exuberance, "Ah- but I shouldn't dwell on that!" She waved her hand dismissively before pointing at the door in an exaggerated fashion, "We should go outside!"

Violet tilted her head slightly and furrowed her brow, "Uhm… why? I've got loads of games, movies, and other stuff we can mess with while staying here." She gestured widely, "This room's an oasis, a haven! There's no reason to leave."

Penny placed her hands on her hips, smiling all the while "Well, I'm told that there's an act that people who don't spend a lot of time outside should partake in to improve their mental health! They say that you should 'touch grass'. That's the key to the release of certain healthy chemicals within your brain!"

Violet was starting to understand why Penny didn't have friends.

Still, she didn't want to write the girl off, so she just shook her head, "I don't need those chemicals, I've done just fine without them this whole time!" She crossed her arms, "The only chemicals I need in my brain are serotonin and dopamine, and I get plenty from playing video games."

Penny's smile never faltered, "Aww, come on Violet! I bet you'll like it!" She grabbed Violet's hand and, in spite of her protests, started to drag her towards the elevator. Eventually, Violet gave up and just accepted being kidnapped for a few hours. If all went well, she could convince Penny that it was better to just relax in a nice, air-conditioned room with video games instead of going outside.

Once they got outside, Violet wondered just what they were going to do—for all of a few seconds. It became apparent to her, as they reached one of the gardens Beacon had, that Penny meant that she should literally touch grass, as evident by the fact that Penny sat down amongst the flowers and placed her hand on the grass, "See, Violet? It's absolutely sensational!"

Violet, entirely against her will, knelt on the ground. She had to wonder just what the big deal was, was grass some sort of extra-dimensional force? Was it really as powerful as Penny, and many others, said it was? A part of her was curious, and so she reached a hand out to it and….

'A giant glowing orb rises out of the ground!'

No, nothing happened.

Violet was incredibly disappointed in this fact.

"Uhm… Penny." Violet looked at her with a small frown, "This isn't doing anything. If anything, I feel a bit worse because now my knee has grass on it."

Penny pouted, "Aww. Maybe we're just not doing it right. Oh well!" She stood up, "Then I think the next thing we should do is-"

Suddenly, Ironwood's voice came from nearby as he approached them, "Violet, Penny. It's good to see you two are getting along."

Violet could have hugged him for freeing her from this hell, but she instead stood up and turned in his direction. Penny saluted, "It's good to see you, General Ironwood! I have been doing everything in trying to make sure Violet and I come to see each other as friends!"

Ironwood looked at Violet, and she smiled awkwardly, with just a touch of pain in it. Ironwood chuckled, "I'm sure it's been fun. However, there's something that's come up, and we felt that the two of you would be the best to turn to. Come with me, we'll discuss it further in Ozpin's office."

Violet was curious, but didn't ask any questions. Instead, she just followed him, and for the second time that day, ended up in Ozpin's office.

Once they got there, Violet and Penny were told to sit across from Ozpin's desk, and so they took seats in the available chairs. Once they were seated, Violet asked, "What's up?"

To which, Penny gasped, "Violet! You should show proper respect to Headmaster Ozpin! He's very important!"

Ozpin merely chuckled, "It's quite alright, Penny. Violet has her own way of doing things. That's partially why I asked for both of you to come here again." He leaned forward, steepling his hands, "In the Emerald Forest, we have numerous security systems set up, surrounding the perimeter of the area we use for initiation. This is to keep an eye on how many Grimm are in the area, and raise an alarm if Grimm we deem too powerful try to move in. It's very important to our infrastructure."

He was about to talk again, but Violet beat him to it, "It's broken, isn't it?"

Ozpin smiled, "Astute observation. In a manner of speaking, yes. Recently, one of the pylons that connected the network began to malfunction. We're not entirely sure why, but we need someone to investigate. However, as it's a holiday, there's only so many professors available, and I saw this as a good opportunity for you to… stretch your legs, Violet. Between you and Penny, I believe the two of you can resolve this rather quickly."

'Ugh… I'll miss that one Vtuber's stream…'

She was looking forward to that one too! An unarchived karaoke…

Violet raised an eyebrow and leaned back, "Uhm… well… I guess I could, but…"

At her hesitation, Ozpin chuckled, "I'll make sure you're rewarded for your efforts Violet. Trust me, this shouldn't take terribly long."

Penny stood up and saluted him, "We'll do it, Headmaster-Professor Ozpin! Simply point us in the right direction, and we'll make sure that everything is exactly as it should be!"

Violet refrained from rolling her eyes as she thought, 'What a girl scout…' before standing up and, after the information they needed was sent to her scroll, she headed up to grab Suncutter. She got a feeling that Yuvi was excited for this outing; after having dealt with mercenaries for the past while, only having to deal with Grimm seemed like a dream to her. Violet would have rather spent the evening inside, but she supposed killing Grimm was a good form of stress relief.

…She never thought that she'd be thinking something like that. If you'd told her last year this was how she was spending her days, she'd have laughed and called you stupid, or delusional. Not so much now.

There was already a Bullhead waiting for them at the landing; Ozpin must have told them to make ready. They boarded the airship and were soon off, the ship taking them to the drop off point. While they were in the air, Violet took the time to wonder just what awaited them.

'Grimm, probably. Just hope it's nothing too big, I'd really rather not sweat too much today.'

They were dropped off in a clearing some ways away from the cave the pylon was in (apparently they didn't want to risk the airship if the area was full of Grimm), and as the Bullhead took off again Penny joyously skipped forward a bit before throwing her arms out and spinning in place, "Isn't this wonderful, Violet?! Nature is so sen-sational! I'm so glad we get to go out on this excursion together!"

Violet blew some air out of her nose as she walked over, "Don't get too gone with the wind, Penny, or we'll be out here way too long." She looked forward, spotting a path that led forward, before taking out her scroll and making sure it was leading in the right direction. After affirming that it was, she folded and put away her scroll before saying, "Come on, if we're lucky maybe we can do this without fighting any Grimm." Then walking off.

Penny followed after, Violet's rather dour mood seemingly not putting a damper on hers at all, "The probability of us not fighting any Grimm is statistically very low! The Emerald Forest is a lot quieter now that initiation has finished, but that does not mean we should expect the Grimm to have left." She smiled, "Although you do not have to worry about me! I'm combat ready!"

"Uhm… yeah, me too." Violet responded. She then looked up at the treeline and huffed, "Man, if only I was able to shoot webs like Spider-Guy, I could get there in no time at all." She wasn't going to mention that, with the right use of wind magic according to Ozpin, she could literally fly.

Penny tilted her head and walked up next to Violet, "What is 'Spider-Guy'? That's a very interesting name!"

Violet honestly couldn't believe this heresy. She looked at Penny incredulously, "What, were you kept in some room without any social contact for the first few years of your life?"

Penny shook her head, "No! I simply am unaware of that particular thing!" Then she hiccuped.

Violet was only exaggerating, but she decided to brush off Penny taking her seriously, "Well, okay. Spider-Guy is this fictional superhero. He's just your average guy, but he gets bitten by a magical spider that gives him powers like a spider!" Violet began to smile unconsciously as she spoke with great passion, "Which, it turns out, is way cooler than you think it is. He can shoot webs out of his wrists—well, in some timelines he has to use tech to do that, but in others he can do it himself—he can stick to walls, he's really strong, and super fast!"

Penny seemed absolutely enamored with the concept, "That sounds wonderful! Does he have many eyes? And many arms?"

Violet shook her head, "Nope, just the cool stuff, although there's a couple versions of him that are more… spider-like." She sighed, "Imagine if someone had powers like that here on Remnant? They'd be an amazing help against Grimm, and crime. They wouldn't even need a weapon! They could just use their webs and fists."

Penny nodded in agreement, "It sounds like they would be incredibly helpful! Although I don't think there are any means that such a thing could come to be on Remnant. A semblance tends to be fairly narrow, as far as capabilities go. Of course, unless you belong to the Schnee family, then your Glyphs can be used to do most anything!"

"Yeah…" Violet rubbed her chin, "I wonder why Glyphs can do so much, and they're the only hereditary semblance we know about. It's strange, there has to be some reason for that, but nobody's bothered trying to look." She muttered, "I wonder if Ozpin knows anything about that…"

Penny hummed, "Well, it is likely due to…" She trailed off and tapped her chin, "Actually, I have no idea what it could be due to." She smiled, "But it doesn't really matter, does it? The Glyph semblance is incredibly useful, and a great asset against Grimm!"

Violet saw the wisdom in that, "Yeah. I guess sometimes it's best to just leave well enough alone. Anyway, so as I was saying about Spider-Guy…"

What followed was about ten minutes of Violet and Penny walking while Violet talked about things she found cool about Spider-Guy, and how much she wished Superheroes were real on Remnant, because their powers were always so much more than semblances, and so cool, besides.

However, so distracted were they by this conversation, that both failed to notice an Ursa that had spotted them through the treeline. It moved quickly, bolting through the trees, raising up one paw while closing in on Penny. Violet noticed first, but in her shock she didn't move fast enough to prevent it from reaching Penny.

It swiped her…

And its paw met resistance. It scraped into her skin, cut into her, and distracted as she was, she had not raised her aura, yet she didn't seem bothered. Her facial expression had barely changed to surprise by then, and now Violet was moving.

She extended out one hand, open-palm facing out. Her eyes ringed with charcoal flame as she shot a burst of fire and wind out. It caught the Ursa and sent it flying back. All the while, Yuvi moved; infused with wind she was able to separate and get behind the Ursa. She then clenched her fist, and as the Ursa drew closer, she punched upward. Her fist connected with its back, and with a sickening CRACK, the beast was sent flying into the air, already emitting smoke.

Penny looked at Violet.

Violet looked at Penny.

One noticed the eyes ringed with fire.

The other noticed the sparks and metal protruding from Penny's forearm and shoulder.

Violet cleared her throat, "So…" She rubbed the back of her neck, "Guess we've both got some explaining to do. Uhm…"

Penny gasped a delayed gasp, "You're a Maiden! Wow! General Ironwood said there was a Maiden we were going to protect, I did not know it was you!" She grinned, "I am very pleased to see that you are already so capable!"

Well, that made Violet's job easier. Still… "You knew about Maidens?" She looked at the circuitry emitting sparks from Penny's arm, "Does it have something to do with that?"

Penny looked at her arm and gasped, "U-Uhm! No!" She then hiccuped, "It is just a prosthetic!"

It didn't take a genius to see she was lying, which was good, because Violet was never particularly good at school. She crossed her arms, "Penny… you know about my secret, don't I deserve to know yours?" She huffed, "It'd be unfair, otherwise."

Penny looked incredibly conflicted, but ultimately she relented, "Alright…" She fidgeted nervously, "I'm… an android. I'm the first synthetic being capable of generating an aura! I'm…" She looked down and away, "I'm not real."

Violet was shocked, to say the least. Once the shock started to dull, she grinned, "That's so cool! You're like Astrogirl!" At Penny's questioning glance, she explained, "Astrogirl is this really old anime, in fact, it was the first anime!" She gesticulated wildly as she talked, "It took a lot of inspiration from Valean and Atlesian media, while depicting an android who flew around and did all sorts of stuff. So, you're like a real Astrogirl! A real hero in the making."

Penny's eyes sparkled as she gasped, "Wow! I have never considered that before!" She grinned and gave a two-finger salute, "I'm Astrogirl Penny Polendina! And you, you're a hero too! Maidens are like superheroes, they've got all sorts of magical power!"

Well, Violet wouldn't call herself a superhero. In fact, she wasn't a 'hero' at all, just a girl who really wanted to catch that unarchived karaoke stream. She shrugged, "I dunno about that, but we should get going." She looked forward again, "Let's try to be a bit more aware, so we don't get ambushed again."

Penny nodded in agreement, "Right! We should keep moving."

As they began to move again, keeping aware of their surroundings, they mostly fell silent save for a few observations Penny made about the area. This gave Violet time to think on a few things that were prompted by Penny's observation about her Maiden powers. She wasn't about to call herself a superhero, but it did make her think about how she fought.

She wasn't entirely sure how she would have fought without them. It's not like she'd ever actually gotten into a fight without having them as an option, yet she knew that 'Visual Soul,' as she called it on occasion, was a very powerful semblance. Yuvi didn't really have to play by the same rules as everyone else, stretching her 'limbs' out like some old cartoon, moving at greater speeds, dissolving and reforming wherever she pleased, and all with great autonomy due to the nature of who Yuvi was.

'She's me. Even if she's… not me, exactly.'

Yuvi was several things that she was not, and vice versa. Yuvi was the first to want to fight; she wanted to be active, while Violet wanted to stay inside and never moved to be the first in a fight. Yuvi never complained, because more than anything she felt that her purpose was protecting Violet herself. This in no small part due to how she came about to begin with.

'Then there's the… other one.'

Violet didn't like how Jane was rattling the proverbial door knob more and more these days. She could feel it, and though she was almost certain Jane wasn't going to get out, she had to wonder just what would happen if she did.

Not that it was a thought Violet wanted to dwell on for very long, there were other things on her mind too, and the less she thought about Jane the better.

'Listen to me, thinking about my other… 'aspects' like I'm some weirdo. Ugh…'

How'd she even get on this topic? She was trying to think of her Maiden powers.

'I guess Yuvi does play a part in that. The fact that I'm capable of infusing her with different kinds of magic is a major part of how I can get an upper-hand. Except I haven't really used most types of magic with her yet, just wind…'

She'd need to work on that. Then there was the matter of pure magic. It had responded to her beck and call before, Maidens were capable of controlling more than just elements, but she wasn't fully aware of their capabilities yet.

'Ozpin's been teaching me, but he hasn't said much about raw magic yet. I guess he's waiting until he thinks I can handle it.'

Not that she couldn't summon it, she did. In fact, she'd made it a habit to just use magic whenever she wanted to, no matter the element. She thought that maybe Ozpin would have seen that as her not taking it seriously, or not fully understanding its usefulness, but he seemed actually happy with it.

She could still remember what he said when she told him about that, "I think it's a good thing, Violet. Magic is a tool, like any other. The ability to utilize magic in the way that you have has been teaching you to control it, in ways finer than many other Maidens with your amount of experience. I recommend continuing as you have, but do make sure not to be seen by anyone not in the know."

Of course, she was careful about it now that she knew what it was. She supposed she should count herself lucky it was Qrow that found her that day in the store, rather than someone else, like whoever had been hiring mercenaries to try and kill her.

The one good thing about those mercenaries had been that they made her more alert and acted as a benchmark for her powers. Yuvi had been able to dispatch them fairly quickly once she had taken over, but of course that was with the exoskeleton form she couldn't use for very long.

'And she had the element of surprise. Nobody expected her to be able to take over, nobody knew who she was. Now that they have some idea, I doubt that they'll make the same mistake twice. No more just running out to the store, or into the city. Not unless I'm super careful.'

Maybe if she had others with her she'd be safe, but she didn't want to put them at risk. Instead, she would try to limit her time out in the city as much as she could until the mercenaries had been dealt with and they could learn more about their employer.

'Besides, they're at enough of a risk with me being their friend. They don't deserve more, and if I can help it, maybe they'll forget about me altogether.'

She was brought out of her thoughts when Penny said, "Violet! Look!" She pointed ahead, and Violet spotted a cave not too far away, up a hill. There were some Grimm standing around, five Beowolves, seemingly resting before their next prowl.

'Grimm might be soulless monsters, but they're still animals. Even if they're nothing like actual animals. That's kind of confusing…'

Meh, it didn't really matter.

Penny smiled, "You took out that Ursa, so I'll take out these Beowolves!" At Violet's questioning glance, she gave a two-finger salute, "Don't worry about me! I'm combat ready!"

Suddenly, her back opened up, and what appeared to be a sword emerged from it, except the sword split into dozens of similar blades. Violet blinked in surprise as Penny grinned and jumped forward. The Beowolves barely had time to react before they were being cut down by Penny's weapons. It was clear she was a skilled combatant; none of the beasts even had a chance to attack her before they were put down. Once she had finished, her weapons moved to the small of her back and remained there, appearing as one, as she looked back and said, "The coast is clear!"

"Oh, okay," Violet responded flatley after a moment before moving to join her at the cave entrance. She wondered if she really should have been that surprised, considering Penny was literally an android.

Well, surprised or not, at least she didn't have to worry that much about Grimm. Between her magic and Penny's… Penny-ness, all but the strongest Grimm would prove to be fairly trivial, unless they came in large enough numbers. She didn't think they'd have to worry about that, though. Luckily, she was in a perfectly 'eh' mood and Penny was in her usual Penny-mood of upbeat exuberance.

At least, Violet assumed it was her usual mood. She hadn't known Penny long enough to gauge that, but she felt that it made sense that that was just her usual state of being.

They made their way into the cave and found a security pylon, placed firmly in the middle and jutting out of the ground. There was a strange device attached to it, with an even stranger symbol on it. Violet remembered reading about it, but she couldn't place exactly what it was.

Of course, that was when Ozpin called her scroll, and she answered. He smiled at her, "Have you found anything, Violet?" She merely nodded and turned the Scroll to show him the symbol. Immediately, his expression shifted into a thoughtful frown, "Merlot Industries…. I haven't seen this symbol in years. Are either of you aware of what it was?"

Violet didn't, but Penny did, as she obediently chimed in, "Yes! Merlot Industries was a research and development corporation with a focus on genetics and artificial intelligence! It was based out of Mountain Glenn. Later, it began experimenting on Grimm in secret, attracting them to the settlement in order to get more specimens. This ended in the cataclysmic Fall of Mountain Glenn, where countless lives were lost. In the aftermath, the corporation was forced to shut down. Its owner and lead researcher, Doctor Merlot, disappeared, and though no body has been recovered, it is believed that he died during Mountain Glenn's fall."

Ozpin nodded as Violet turned the Scroll back to face her, with Penny sidling up next to her so she could see him as well, "That's correct, Penny. The fact that the symbol is here, and now of all times, is… not a good omen. It appears that someone affixed a device to it in order to disrupt its capabilities. This is likely the cause of similar disturbances in the area… Keep an eye on it, I will have it fixed remotely, and alert you once it's done."

After the two girls nodded, the call ended and Violet closed her Scroll before putting it in her pocket.

No sooner than when she had done that did the ground shake. It wasn't a great tremor, but it was enough to put both of them on guard as they drew their weapons, with Violet breaking Suncutter into its two separate parts, chakram and rifle, while Penny readied Floating Array.

Emerging from the ground were large Grimm that reminded Violet of oversized mole rats, with black fur coating their bodies, and their red eyes almost appearing squeezed shut. They had large front teeth and claws bared on all four of their feet. They didn't wait before they started to charge both Violet and Penny, who stood back to back.

Violet shot her Mini-14 and caused it to stagger back before the Chakram raced forward and crashed into it, cutting it right down the middle like a saw blade. As another charged her, Yuvi separated, imbued with gravity magic and glowing purple, and cocked a fist back before punching the beast as it drew closer to her. The enhanced gravity caved its skull in and sent it into the ground all over again.

Meanwhile, Penny fought, for lack of a better phrase, like a machine. She cut down the Molerats like they were made of wet paper, in a flurry of seemingly unlimited blade work that Violet had to admit looked pretty cool.

However, she couldn't dwell on it for too long, as soon a Mole Rat that was much larger than the other ones, presumably an Alpha, broke from the ground. It was easily the size of a Beowolf, which was a bit disturbing considering what the beast was, but it would die all the same, she knew.

Yuvi's color changed as she was infused instead with wind magic, becoming a pale green as wind whipped around her form. She bolted forward at an incredible speed before uppercutting the Alpha Mole Rat. A small tornado formed as she did, sending the Grimm spinning into the air, and as it flailed about trying to orient itself, Violet began to fire upon it with Fire Dust rounds, turning the twister red with flame.

Penny saw this and, after cutting down one final smaller Mole Rat, turned her attention to the big one. Her swords moved and formed a circle in front of her, rapidly spinning as a green laser formed before she pushed outward and sent it out. The laser crashed into the tornado, and the Grimm, causing it to evaporate under the combined assault.

With the final Grimm gone, Violet sighed in relief before looking back at Penny with a small smile, "Nice work, girl scout."

To which Penny saluted and grinned while saying, "Of course, Violet! I am always combat ready!"

That was when Violet's Scroll went off again. She took it out before opening it and being greeted with Ozpin's face. He looked grim, yet still smiled, "Good work, both of you. The pylon is back to working order. There's another one in Forever Fall, but given the information that I have gathered, I will need some time to do some research before I send you two out again. For now, you may return to Beacon."

After Violet and Penny both nodded, the call ended and Violet sighed in relief. It really did turn out to be a short expedition, and now she could finally get back and watch that stream!

Hopefully the 'Pylon Problem' didn't end up being something bigger…

/-/

It turned out the vtuber had to delay their stream until later that day.

Violet wasn't upset; if anything, that was a good sign that she could have caught it either way, but it gave her several hours alone with her thoughts, and video games just weren't scratching the itch in the back of her mind at the moment. She was still thinking about what Qrow had said, how she needed to not abandon her friends, and that she'd regret it later.

She wasn't entirely sure if she should follow his suggestion, even if she knew it was good advice. Her mind was hard to drag out of a pit once it had fallen into it, and so she decided to do something else.

Namely, she dressed in a simple dark gray T-shirt, jeans, running shoes, donned a gray hoodie along with some sunglasses, and then left. There was a cafe she'd heard about before as having some very good frappes, and she could use something sweet to do some thinking.

So she made her way towards The Changing Seasons.

She had considered bringing Penny, but she had to talk to Ironwood and handle some things on her own, and Violet was fine with that. Being an android girl probably brought lots of red tape and things like that, kind of like what being a Maiden did for Violet. The fact that she was going out at all was against her and Ozpin's ideas of what was best for her, but she would try to keep a low profile, and if she stuck to the populated part of the city, she figured she'd be fine for just this small outing.

Luckily, she was right. She was able to make it to the cafe without any trouble, and had to admit she appreciated the homey and rustic look it went for. After she got inside, she saw just how cozy it really was, with its wooden style, small windows, cozy booths, and a jukebox in the corner that was currently playing an acoustic version of a song Violet knew well, StopRewind.

"Day and night my mind is running. Reaching out 'cause I want something more, that I've never had before."

She found her way to a booth and settled into it, muttering the lyrics to herself as the next part came, "I'm scared to chase what I've been dreaming, beyond a want and now I need it. Push me by surprise, so I can take the dive."

She had always felt a connection to the song; she felt it resonated well with her on many levels. She only wished she had someone like the person that was being talked about in the song, pushing her towards her dream and believing in her the whole way while giving her the love she so desired.

Would she ever get that?

Her mind flashed to Jaune as she listened to the music.

"Day and night my mind is racing. Dents and foot prints I've been pacing! What am I supposed to find? My god, I'm the bait and the predator's my mind. It eats at me all the time."

Violet muttered the next part of the verse to herself, "Can we stop and rewind? I'm not so sure…"

She tapped on the table as the lyrics continued to play and muttered to herself, "When'd I become my own enemy? I don't understand what you see in me. 'Cause I'm just another story… That's not worth a reading." She trailed off as she saw someone approaching her, a boy with black, fluffy hair, pale skin, ice-blue eyes, and a small smile on his face. He wore a black, loose, turtleneck and a pair of jeans under an apron, with the name 'Neve' written onto a nametag.

The song continued to play as he came to a stop and raised a hand in greeting, "Welcome to The Changing Seasons. We've recently gotten a proper kitchen setup, if you're hungry for more than just frappes or coffee." He took the menu he had tucked away under his other arm and set it down in front of her.

"Now you've got me pinned up against the wall! Why aren't you afraid that I'll take the fall? There's more that came before me. (Am I worth believing?) I'm not so sure…"

"Ah, thanks." Violet managed an awkward smile as she looked at the menu, "Can I get a chocolate chip frappe for right now? I might eat something in a little bit."

He nodded and headed off to get her the drink. While he was gone, she continued to think. She missed Jaune, and Ruby—hell, she missed everyone she'd gotten used to seeing at Beacon. They could sometimes budge into her alone time, but while she would grumble internally over losing it, she'd never push them away, because once they were there, she would be smiling all the same.

Having friends was…

"Eye to eye our worlds collided, ear to ear you kept me smiling. Kept me happy, kept me grounded. Before I flew away."

It was irreplaceable.

"I felt it breaking, then you came around…"

Neve returned fairly quickly, all things considered, setting the drink down as he did so, "Here. Uhm… pardon if this is a bit much, but you look like something's bothering you. Is everything alright?" He smiled softly, "I'm used to talking to customers about their problems, and sometimes a stranger's hand is all you need."

"In this world of white noise, you're my favorite sound."

Violet blinked in surprise, but she smiled softly as she looked down at the drink, "Uhm.. sure. If you don't mind." Neve moved to sit across from her as she explained, "I… I can't go that big into it, but I've been worried lately. Worried that I'm just… a bad luck charm. Part of me genuinely thinks my friends would be better off without me."

Neve listened intently before thinking for a moment. He eventually said in a measured tone, "I think I get it. You want to keep your friends safe, but… let me guess, you're a Huntress right? At least, a student." At Violet's look of surprise, he chuckled, "I've got a good eye for this stuff. My mom taught me how to fight, she used to be a Huntress, and usually there's a certain way people hold themselves or behave that lets it slip. Well… if you think that you're a bad luck charm, then maybe you need to get strong enough to where nobody can ever hurt your friends?"

"When'd I become my own enemy? I don't understand what you see in me. 'Cause I'm just another story. (That's not worth a reading) Now you've got me pinned up against the wall, why aren't you afraid that I'll take a fall? There's more that came before me. (Am I worth believing?)"

Violet thinned her lips as she took a sip from the frappe, letting the sugary sweet flavor provide her some comfort. She didn't know why she felt like she could trust Neve with her problems, even in a vague way, she just… did. There was a familiarity there that she couldn't place. "What if I can't, though? Or what if people get hurt before I can? I'm nowhere near strong enough right now, I know it. I can do a lot, but… I don't trust myself to protect my friends."

"Well… we all have our times of weakness." Neve responded, "Everyone's weak some days, just as everyone's strong on other days. It's natural. I know what it feels like to be lonely, and to think that nobody else really 'gets it', but… they never will if you never let them try."

She nodded along to his words, staring at her drink as she muttered, "I've taken to staying in my room, most of the time. I used to always do that, but now it feels like I'm forced to. I… I wonder if that's so bad, though." She said this, but the tone in her voice betrayed that she didn't like it very much.

And he caught that, "Well… think about yourself like a flower." The analogy was strange to Violet, but she entertained him nonetheless as he continued, "Some flowers can survive no matter where they are, others die if you look at them the wrong way. Most of them can live under UV lights with a watering can and soil, but… is that living?"

"Whoa-oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh, oh… Whoa-oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh…"

Violet bit her lip and looked out the window. It was overcast, and she wondered if it would rain. Softly, she noted, "It's… not the rain, or the sun, or the wind. I'm… I'm not so sure that's a good thing. It might just be… a thing."

"We brave and broken fewer. Three cheers to fear the future. We brave and broken fewer. Three cheers to fear the future!"

Neve chuckled, "It is a thing, flowers don't think or feel, but if they could… I don't think they'd want to live locked away like that. Flowers need room to grow, and the strongest of them can break through concrete with their roots; given time, they can become so much more than a seed in the cracks. They just need time. Get it?"

"When'd I become my own enemy? I don't understand what you see in me! 'Cause I'm just another story. (That's not worth a reading)"

It was Violet's turn to chuckle, albeit hers was mirthless and downcast, "You're right, but… I'm afraid of what'll happen, if I really try that hard to be better…" She wasn't interested in being a hero, but she could still get strong enough to protect herself and her friends, "It's not like this is a movie, where everything can just… click into place, and I can end it all on a hopeful message about chasing your own dreams."

"Now you've got me pinned up against the wall! Why aren't you afraid that I'll take a fall? There's more that came before me."

Neve's voice remained soft as he said, "Well, maybe not, but maybe you could. Those kinds of messages come after the movie's finished its main plot most of the time, that means there's a lot of trial and trouble before the triumph. We're all the protagonists of our own stories, I have mine, you have yours, and the next person that walks through the door will have his or her own as well. We all have to chase what we want, be it shadows, dreams, or something else."

"Am I worth believing?"

As if on cue, the door opened. In stepped a fair-skinned girl who stood tall at 6'1". She wore a pink T-shirt and a pair of jeans, and her hair was black and gold, alternating in a horizontal pattern down her shoulder-length hair. She waved to Neve as if she were familiar with him as she stepped over to the counter, and he waved back.

He looked back at Violet, "Basically… give yourself some sunlight and rain, and see how you grow. You might be surprised at what you see, and when you've found yourself turned into a full grown flower, then come back and tell me about it, okay?" He moved to stand up, "I hope that helps."

Violet smiled softly, her mind was now awash with his words, "Thanks… I think it has. I'll give it some thought. Uhm- before you go, I have to ask, have we met before? You feel… familiar." Like a happy dream she couldn't remember. A distant echo of something she'd never truly seen.

Neve shook his head, but his smile remained, "I don't think so. I get what you mean though, I feel it as well." His smile gained a bit of amusement to it, though his words were strangely soft, "Maybe in another life, huh?"

He started to walk back to the front counter, where the girl that had walked in patiently waited for him to take her order. He said to Violet, "Drink's on the house, don't worry about paying. If you want some food or something, just let me know."

"I'm not so sure…"

She smiled and said almost inaudibly, "Thanks… Neve." She turned her attention back to her drink, the smile staying on her face as she took it in her hands and sipped on it. Maybe he was right. Maybe she needed to grow, even if that growth came with some pain from trying to break through the metaphorical concrete.

Maybe she shouldn't be so scared.

/-/

It started to rain as she headed back to Beacon after finishing her drink and eating some waffles.

Mercifully, it was nothing more than a light drizzle at the moment. She wondered idly if she could change the weather on a grander scale than she had before. Sure, she could make localized rain storms, but what if she could make something grander?

Maybe with enough practice.

"Flowers need room to grow, and the strongest of them can break through concrete with their roots, given time they can become so much more than a seed in the cracks. They just need time."

His words were stuck in her mind, because she knew that he was right. For a simple coffee boy, he was oddly wise.

She was going to have to get stronger, so that no mercenary and no bad guy could ever trouble her or her friends. She knew this already, but hearing it again reminded her of what she should be doing. Getting better. Maybe it was for selfish reasons, maybe it wasn't for the greater good, but that was fine.

Violet Merino was never much of a 'greater good' kind of person anyway. Anytime people talked about the 'greater good', it usually meant they were doing something bad, or otherwise wrong. The ends, in her mind, didn't justify the means.

She got back to Beacon via Bullhead and made it back to her bedroom just in time, as the rain had begun to become stronger outside.

She had the peace that she wanted, that night.

Indeed, the next few days were actually fairly uneventful, which was a good thing considering the troubles she'd had up to this point. It gave her time to think, and mercifully it seemed that Ozpin was still working to investigate the pylons and the area around them before sending her and Penny in.

It was only after a full two weeks that something eventful happened.

At the time, it was around six in the afternoon, with Violet watching videos online just as she usually did, when she was pulled out of her thoughts by Yuvi separating from her and beckoning for her to get up.

Violet wasn't sure what to make of it, but this wasn't the first time Yuvi had done something like this. So, she merely shrugged and got up while taking her headphones off, her tail swishing behind her as she asked, "What's up, Yuvi? Something going on outside?"

On cue, there was a courteous knock at her door.

…That was promptly proved pointless by the door bursting open as a blur of petals shot through straight towards Violet.

Violet's eyes widened in shock but she had no time to react before she was suddenly tackled into a hug that caused her to fall back onto her chair, and she was just lucky it was too stable to fall over. Ruby called out, "Violet~! We've missed you! Why haven't you been answering our calls?!"

Before she could respond, she saw Jaune approaching as well, although he was grinning apologetically, an expression tainted with the worry in his eyes, "Sorry about her, but…" His grin faded as he looked at her, the worry now seemed mixed with… something else, something that Violet couldn't place. "I was worried too, you know?" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "You kind of just… stopped answering calls."

Ruby pulled Violet up so they were both standing, all while staying practically attached to her, allowing Jaune to close the distance and join the hug. Violet was overwhelmed, and yet Ruby continued, "We were worried! What're we supposed to do if we lose one of our best friends?!"

'Best friend…?'

Violet stammered as she tried to figure out what to say, "I-I…I was… I can't…" Her brain was short-circuiting, "I can't… tell you exactly… i-it's… private. Maybe someday, but… I just… I felt I was too dangerous. I wanted you guys to stay distant…"

Jaune shook his head and held her tighter, causing her heart to skip a beat, "Violet… we're not going to stop being your friends because you're in danger, or anything like that. If you need help, then you need to tell us."

Ruby nodded and softly said, "We're Huntsmen, Violet. Confronting danger is our job. We're not going to abandon you just because you're in trouble. You don't have to tell us what it is… you just have to know that we're not going to leave you alone like that."

Violet couldn't help it, she felt the stinging tears build in her eyes before they began to flow over. She wrapped her arms around both of them and returned the hug as she sobbed, "I didn't… I didn't want to… I just… I feel like a bad luck charm."

Jaune pulled back enough to look at her as he quickly said, "You're not, Violet! I think meeting you was one of the best things to happen to me!" Then, he caught himself as his eyes widened before he looked away, face red with fluster, "Y-You know, m-meeting a great friend when I didn't have any before, other than one of my sisters…"

Luckily for Jaune, Ruby nodded eagerly in agreement, "You're one of my first friends too! Ever since I left Signal, I was worried, because I wasn't going to get to see my friend Luna, but meeting you and Jaune made it so much better! I hope I can introduce you to her some day, I think you'd like her." She seemed to realize she'd been getting away from the topic, and so she got back on track, "Just… don't try to shut us out again, please? You can keep your secrets if you have to, that's fine, but don't shut us out. Promise us."

It took Violet a minute to respond as she stayed hugging them and sobbing tears that mixed melancholy and joy. Eventually, however, she finally managed to say, "I promise…"

Jaune smiled, "Good." He let go, followed by Ruby, "Now, maybe we should-"

That was precisely when Violet's Scroll pinged with a notification. She groaned and wiped some of the remaining tears from her eyes and checked it. She saw it was Ozpin, with a simple message, "Please come to my office at your earliest convenience."

She smiled awkwardly at Jaune and Ruby, "I have to go talk to Ozpin for a bit. You guys, uhm… make yourselves at home? I'll be back before you know it."

They were okay with that, and so she headed towards the elevator in the hallway to take her up to Ozpin's office.

Once she was there, she found he was not alone, but this time it was… Blake? She looked at Violet and managed a small smile, although it was clear she had a lot to say. Ozpin greeted her, "I hope your day is going well, Violet. I've called you for two reasons. One, to tell you that I will soon have a mission for you, one that Team RWBY will accompany you on. Two, to tell you that I have explained everything to Miss Belladonna. After the ambush you two suffered, it seemed the best course of action."

Blake nodded as Violet approached, "It's… a lot to take in. Magic being real… it's like the old fairy tales." She chuckled nervously, "What's next, the Rusted Knight coming to life?" She shook her head, "But… Ozpin asked if I was willing to help keep you safe, and I said yes. I… consider you a friend, and I'm no stranger to keeping secrets. This is… just one more to the pile."

Violet smiled an awkward smile, "Well… thank you, Blake, and… I'm sorry about what happened that day. I just wanted to get some manga, I didn't expect those two to come after us."

Blake shook her head, "It's not your fault, it's theirs, and I know we'll get them eventually. We have to."

Ozpin nodded, "Yes, we will. Now, for the next matter. I'll be informing the rest of Team RWBY soon, but I felt it necessary to tell you first. You're going to Forever Fall to investigate another pylon, and after some ground work I had an… agent of mine do, I've determined that this trail leads directly to Mountain Glenn itself, which can be accessed through a cave network in Forever Fall, near the Pylon. I sent that agent further in, but… she has gone radio silent."

He leaned forward slightly, hands steepled, "I don't believe she's hurt, or even in any real danger; she can handle herself, yet she's… something of a wild card. I don't know what could be going on with her, but I need you to find her. This will be on top of the mission relating to investigating Merlot Industries. I believe this mission is well within your abilities, but… do be prepared. You may have to fight her, not because she's turned against us, but… for other reasons."

Violet was confused, Ozpin seemed to be talking in circles, and she didn't know why. So, she crossed her arms and asked, "...Who is she? Why's she a wildcard? I need to know more, Oz."

Oz thinned his lips before taking a hold of his mug and taking a sip from it, "Well…"

/-/

The sound of metal meeting flesh resounded throughout the wide tunnels under Mountain Glenn.

A sickle drove itself into the remains of a Grimm, its wielder seemingly not content with the smoke emanating from its body.

She was short, standing at only 4'7'', and appearing much shorter hunched over the fallen Beowolf, amidst a pile of other Beowolves. She had pale skin, and her blood red eyes appeared a mixture of tired, stressed, and furious. She had short, black hair that stopped at her chin and was incredibly messy and unkempt. Her body was covered in scars, and tattooed on the back of her neck was the symbol of an eye turned sideways surrounded by a wheel. The eye was colored black, while the wheel was colored yellow.

She wore a black sleeveless tank top with a golden eclipse symbol over her chest, which itself was almost flat. She wore dark blue jeans and black combat boots with white accents, along with a spiked collar around her neck. A mouth mask painted with a resemblance to Beowolf fangs covered the lower part of her face.

She heard her Scroll go off again and growled, muttering, "I'm busy damn it, I'm busy. Gods, send me on a job and expect me to come back half-finished? No, no…" She shook her head as she yanked her sickle out of the Beowolf and started forward on the rails, "This job isn't done until I say it's done. Merlot Industry, tsch… fuckers. Ozpin waited too damn long to make a move on this."

As she walked down the rails, she began to whistle to herself. The whistling was the only noise that accompanied her down the path as she twirled her twin sickles in her hands.

Oh, she was well aware that Ozpin was going to send people looking for her. He had done so before, and it was the same song and dance. She didn't see any reason why this time would be any different. She muttered to herself in Old Vacuan, "Venid y cogedme, entonces, Cazadores."

"Ven a buscarme."

/-/

An old man with wild white hair bridged his hands as he watched the numerous monitors he had set up across Mountain Glenn. It had been his base for a long time, and though he no longer resided there, he still kept his eyes on it.

This time, it seemed to pay off.

Doctor Merlot grinned as he watched the girl walk down the rails, "Where one wanders, more will follow. I know your tricks, Ozpin… Let them wander right into the spider's web. I should really thank him. Now, I'll be able to test my creations on more than just wild animals." Everything was falling into place, he knew it.

It was only a matter of time.