3rd Person POV:
Back in the Mistral house, Ruby, Weiss, and Yang continue to hold on to Y/N's hands while the others watch saddened and confused for her self-harming actions.
Ruby: (I wish you would've told me how you were feeling Y/N, I would've done my best to help you get past your troubles)
Weiss: (Damn it! I should've been more careful and cautious when I saw the signs that something was off, please don't leave Y/N you promised you wouldn't this time)
Yang: (It's my fault she did this, If I could've kept my stupid anger in check and watched what I said then this wouldn't have happened)
Yang: (I'm sorry Y/N, I'm so so sorry for doing that to you)
Jaune: (to Qrow) How bad is she?
Qrow: She'll pull through, but the doctors said she should take it easy for a few days.
Nora: I can't believe she did this.
Ren: She seemed so calm and happy before.
Oscar eyes glow as he switches to Ozpin.
Ozpin: Even the happiest looking person can have a great pit of despair on the inside.
They all watch in silence as Y/N starts moving a bit.
RWY: Y/N?!
She opens her eyes and looks around before gaining a completely terrified expression.
Y/N: (moving her hands away from RWY) No!
She then summons the hilts of Asuna and Maria and prepares to cut herself again only for Qrow, Jaune, Yang, and Ren to hold her hands down.
Y/N: (trying to break free) Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!
The others keep her restrained as she continues to cry and scream.
Ruby: Y/N!
Weiss: Calm down! No one's here to hurt you!
Y/N: No! No! No! Let me die! I want to die!
Y/N: It hurts! It hurts!
Y/N: Let me die! Let me die!
Qrow: Calm down Kiddo!
Jaune: You don't need to do this!
Ren: She's getting stronger!
Y/N: Please let me go! I need to die! Let me die!
Y/N: Asuna! Maria! Mommy! Daddy! Please make them stop hurting me!
Her Aura starts to burst out from her body as everybody activates their own in order to keep her restrained.
Y/N: Stop it!!!!!
Suddenly Yasuno manifests as she changes into L/N and touches Y/N's forehead.
L/N: Rest now, Y/N.
She transfers Aura to her emotional side putting her to sleep as everybody let's go of Y/N and breathes heavily from the energy wasted to keep her down.
L/N: (Please get better Y/N, I don't want to seal you away again)
She then vanishes without a trace as the others look down at Y/N with troubled expressions.
In Menagerie, gunfire can be heard from within the Belladonna Household, as well as sounds of fighting grunts and efforts. Ghira is leaping around the entry hall and uses his claws to hang from one of the pillars, before pouncing on a White Fang soldier and clawing him down.
A female White Fang soldier charges at him with a spear, but Ghira grabs it, lifting her off the ground, and tossing her into Fennec. Corsac holds out his weapon, which starts to glow from the fire dust crystal inserted within as Ghira preps to launch the spear at him.
A fireball is launched from Corsac's weapon as Ghira throws the spear. The two attacks manage to hit their targets, with Ghira's Aura shimmering from the fireball and Corsac getting pinned to the wall by his hood.
Fennec: Brother!
Fennec gets back up and activates his weapon, which glows white from the air dust crystal inserted as a gust of wind is conjured from the weapon. Ghira brings his arms to his face to block the attack, and his feet drag backwards a couple of feet as a result.
A White Fang soldier with an assault rifle is hiding behind a pillar and takes the opportunity in an attempt to attack Ghira. Suddenly, Sun bursts in from the window behind him and knocks him down. Corsac discards his hood and joins his brother as they prepare to launch a combination attack with their weapons.
A stream of wind and fire whirls toward Sun, but he blocks the attack by twirling Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang. He then calls out to Blake.
Sun: Hurry!
Gambol Shroud is seen being loaded with a new cartridge, getting the attention of Corsac and Fennec. Blake jumps down from the terrace above them, dodging a fireball and a wind attack in the process.
She does a three-point landing in front of them. The brothers attempt to stab Blake, but she uses her ice Dust-enhanced Semblance to trap their hands and weapons.
She leaps away from them to join her father and Sun.
Blake: Dad! Where's mom?
Ghira: I'm not sure, I got ambushed right away.
Blake: Once we take down Corsac and Fennec--
Ghira: No, go now.
Blake: But--
Ghira: You keep assuring me your friend isn't a complete waste of space! Let's see him prove it.
Sun: We got this, Blake. I've wanted to sock these creeps since the day we met!
Corsac uses the fire Dust in his weapon to begin melting Blake's ice clone.
Ghira: You'll have to get in line. Blake, go!
Blake does so and leaves the room. Corsac and Fennec free themselves, and prepare to fight.
Sun: I won't let you down, sir!
Ghira: Shut up.
Sun: You got it!
The both of them proceed forward.
Back at Mistral, Everyone except Ruby, Weiss, and Yang has left Y/N's room as the three girls are still holding on to her hands.
RWY: Please wake up.
Y/N: (talking in her sleep) So lonely....
Ruby: You don't have to be alone!
Weiss: Not anymore we promise!
Yang: So, please wake up Y/N.
They squeeze tighter on the wolf girls hand as she shifts a little as her eyes slowly open.
Y/N: W-Where am I?
RWY: Y/N!
They hug her as the wolf faunus tenses up.
Y/N: (blushing) W-What's gotten into you all?!
The three girls back away in shock.
Yang: Y-You don't remember what happened?
Y/N: No, it's weird I don't remember leaving my room when I was with Weiss earlier.
Y/N: D-Did I do something wrong?
Weiss: No! No! You did nothing wrong at all!
Ruby: Yeah! You just needed some more rest is all.
Y/N: Oh...
She then realizes that her long sleeve shirt is gone and her cuts are exposed.
Y/N: W-Wait you all saw my cuts?!
The three girls think about what to say because of her loss of memory as they believe one wrong step will cause her to have another mental breakdown.
RWY: Y-Yes we did.
Y/N then starts hyperventilating as Weiss and Yang hold her hands as Ruby starts stroking her tail in an effort to calm her down.
Ruby: It's okay Y/N, You're okay.
Y/N: But I...I...
Weiss: You must've been suffering so much.
Yang: You told us how much you hate being alone and we didn't do a thing to change that.
RWY: Never again, we promise that we're gonna be here for you.
Y/N: W-Why?
They all back away to see Y/N tearing up as she summons the hilts of Asuna and Maria.
Y/N: Why do you all care so much about me?
Back at the Belladonna home, Blake bursts into the forked hallway. She hears the sounds of fighting to her right and proceeds down the left hallway. Ilia can be seen crouched on a balcony railing in a large room.
She puts on her Grimm mask and hears the muffled sounds of fighting going on around the building. She then hears the door open and sees someone walk in on the floor below her.
Blake takes a defensive stance as she notices her former friend standing up on the railing above her. The two reach for their weapons, with Blake gripping Gambol Shroud first. Ilia proceeds to grab Lightning Lash's hilt. The two glare at each other preparing to fight.
Meanwhile, Kali along with a guard can be seen shooting back at White Fang Members. Kali runs out of ammo in her pistol and throws it to the ground in annoyance.
She then picks up a tea tray to block another shot. She looks to a wounded female guard leaning against a pillar, who just stares back.
Kali: Do you have a better idea?
Suddenly, Yuma flies in and knocks down the other guard to the ground. He wraps his hands around the guard's throat to choke him out.
Yuma: Quiet now...
Kali then lifts the tea tray above her head, and does a loud battle cry as she runs toward Yuma.
Female Guard: Ma'am, no!
Yuma lets go of the guard's neck as he looks back in surprise as Kali approaches him. The sound of a thunk is heard as the scene changes back to Blake and Ilia.
Blake: Did you come in here to hide?
Ilia: I told you, I didn't want this.
Blake: But you're still here!
Ilia: I don't have a choice!
Blake: Of course you do!
Ilia doesn't say anything, she just looks away.
Blake: I need to get to my mother, so...just stay outta my way.
Blake puts Gambol Shroud on her back and starts walking away. Suddenly, Ilia leaps and charges at Blake but her form disappears. Blake then reappears a few feet away behind Ilia.
Blake holds Gambol Shroud in a defensive stance, while Ilia begins to attack with the whip form of Lightning Lash. Blake dodges and rolls evading her attacks as she then runs along the desks and chairs in the room as Ilia tries to use her whip to hit her.
Blake manages to dodge and block Ilia's attacks, and uses her ribbon to wrap around Ilia's wrist.
Ilia is then pulled towards Blake, who follows up her attack with a strong kick knocking the chameleon faunus to the ground.
The two then lock blades with each other.
Blake: Why do you feel like we have to hurt people to get our way?!
Ilia: (grunts) Because it works!
Blake: That doesn't make it right!
Ilia pulls the trigger on her weapon, generating an electrical charge that causes Blake to drop her katana a few feet away from her.
Blake pulls out her cleaver, but Ilia jumps from the desk and does a turn kick that knocks Blake over another desk, causing her to drop her weapon.
Ilia whips at Blake again, but she uses her Semblance to get out of the way. Blake takes cover behind a desk.
Ilia: Stop lecturing me!!
Blake peeks from behind the desk and notices Ilia's Grimm mask left behind on the ground. Ilia quietly turns the lights off in the room, causing it to go dark.
Blake quickly goes to pick up her katana while Ilia sneaks around the room camouflaged.
Ilia quickly knocks her back. Blake uses the pistol form of her weapon to shoot at Ilia, who quickly evades the shots.
Ilia: Why couldn't you just leave?!
Blake: (transforming her pistol to katana form) Because I run away too much.
Blake dodges a couple more whips from Ilia who has moved up to the balcony. As she takes cover behind the desks.
Blake: (She's too fast, the moment I spot her with my night vision she moves outta the way before I can land any sort of attack)
Blake takes out two cartridges - one with fire Dust and the other with ice. She loads the fire Dust cartridge in her weapon and aims at the shrubbery at the top corner of the room.
Blake: Sorry, dad.
Blake fires her weapon and the spreading flames start to light up the room, revealing Ilia's location. With camouflage not an option anymore, Ilia goes back on the offensive with Blake.
The two start off with a mixture of sword clashes and hand-to-hand. Blake dodges out of the way of one of Ilia's attacks and starts shooting at her with the pistol form of her weapon. Ilia deflects the shots with her whip.
Ilia: Quit taking potshots and fight me like you mean it!!
Blake dodges another one of Ilia's whips and lands on the balcony above her. She takes cover behind the railing as Ilia rants at her.
Ilia: You used to see things the way I did! The way Adam did! It was her wasn't it! Don't you understand that if no one's going to do anything to stop the humans that attack us, then the only choice we have left...is to attack back!!
Blake loads another cartridge in her pistol and begins to fire at Ilia again. Ilia deflects the shots, but when she goes to use her whip again, her weapon is frozen in place.
Suddenly, a ribbon is wrapped around her weapon as Blake pulls it away and she leaps from the balcony to kick Ilia to the ground. Blake holds Ilia down.
Blake: You're wrong, there's always another choice.
Ilia struggles to get up as Blake continues to hold her down.
Blake: Ilia... please. You're a good person but you're making all the wrong decisions!
Ilia: SHUT UP!!
Blake: Is this really what your parents would've wanted?!
Ilia: (voice breaking) I don't know what else to do!!
Suddenly, Ilia ceases her struggling and her eyes start to well up.
Ilia: (sobbing) I don't know what else to do.
As Ilia continues sobbing, Blake hears something break as Corsac is thrown through the wall, dropping his half of Cyclone and Inferno. Ghira jumps into the room as he growls at Corsac. He then notices his daughter pinning Ilia to the ground.
Ghira: Blake!
Suddenly, Fennec stabs Ghira in the back, who cries out in pain and slumps toward the ground.
Blake: Dad!!
With Blake distracted, Ilia gets her off her and kicks her into a nearby chair, knocking Blake out momentarily. Ghira then gets Fennec off his back and tosses him away as Corsac runs to him.
Ghira then gets Fennec off his back and tosses him away as Corsac runs to him. Ghira pulls the wand out of his back and clashes fists with Corsac. The two then struggle to push each other as their hands interlock.
Ilia just stares in disbelief at what's going on around her, before a voice snaps her out of her trance.
Fennec: Ilia! What are you doing?! Fight!!
Fennec pulls out another wand and charges at Ghira. The chieftain manages to push off Corsac and dodges Fennec's swipes as he begins to fight both of them at once. Fennec doges a swing then leaps at Ghira as he drives Corsac back, only be caught and tossed onto the floor.
As Ghira defends himself Fennec recovers and begins to charge his weapon while the pair continue exchanging blows. Fennec then charges in again, giving a loud battle cry.
Ghira notices him and grabs his wrist, pointing his weapon as it fires at Corsac, who gets blown back several feet away and is knocked unconscious.
Fennec: BROTHER!!!
Fennec tries to attack Ghira again, but Sun jumps in and kicks him away. Sun sees Blake struggling to get back up and clenches his fist. He then angrily glares at Ilia who continues to stand watching the fight.
Ghira: Go help Blake!
Sun: On it!
Sun then pulls out Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang and engages Ilia in combat. He slams the staff down but misses, then jumps back to dodge her sweeping leg. Ilia back-flips away from his next swing and tries to kick him. Sun turns to dodge then splits his weapon, landing a blow on her back.
He delivers a flurry of attacks with his shotgun nunchucks that overwhelms Ilia and leaves her open to a kick in the side. Rejoining the split halves to block Lightning Lash, which finishes thawing as they struggle. Ilia smiles before trying to shock him, only for the trigger to jam.
Her eyes widen as she tries again while Sun shoves her back. She is then pushed against a pillar by Sun with a jab to the stomach. Before she can move he pins her against it with his weapon.
Nearby, Fennec ducks under Ghira's claws then blocks his left arm, only to be punched back through the hole by his other hand. As Ilia struggles to get out of Sun's hold, the pillar she is getting pushed against starts to crack.
Blake: Stop!!
Sun and Ilia stop to look at Blake.
Blake: Please...(tears start streaming down her eyes)
Ilia manages to push Sun off her and falls to the ground as he hits the pillar. Suddenly the pillar starts to crack even more, Sun moves out of the way quickly as the balcony above Ilia starts to give way.
Ilia yelps looking up in terror as the balcony is about to fall on her. Suddenly, Ghira is shown lifting the broken part of the balcony with his own strength. Ilia stares in awe.
Ghira: Go!!
Ilia quickly gets out of the way as Ghira is forced down on one knee to keep the balcony from falling on him. Sun uses his Semblance to summon two light clones that go and help Ghira lift. Blake grabs her katana and transforms it into kusarigama form.
Unbeknownst to them, Fennec gets back up and sees his brother still unconscious. He grabs both of their wands and runs towards Ghira. Blake sees this and quickly tosses her weapon, wrapping it around her father's torso and pulls him out as Fennec lands just below the falling balcony.
Fennec is then crushed by the balcony, and the Dust in the wands explode from impact, ensuring his death. Afterwards, Kali enters the room dragging an unconscious Yuma, who has his hands tied behind his back.
Blake: Mom!
Kali drops Yuma as her daughter comes up to hug her. Their embrace is cut short as a voice gets their attention.
Corsac: (darkly) What have you done? (standing back up) You ruined everything... (inhales) EVERYTHIIIIIIING!!!
The Belladonnas and Sun take defensive stances. Corsac angrily runs forward, but suddenly, Lightning Lash wraps around his body, electrocuting him and knocking him unconscious.
With the battle over, Ilia starts to cry and falls to her knees as she breaks down, with the Belladonnas and Sun looking on.
Back at Mistral, Y/N has the hilts aimed at her wrists ready to cut again as tears continue to stream down her face.
Yang: Y/N, please put them down.
Y/N: I...I can't they make me feel safe when I'm scared.
Y/N: Why do you all care about me?
Y/N: I'm nothing good at all. All I'm capable of doing is crying like a little girl, and I constantly break promises, and I only know how to kill and hurt people.
Y/N: It's because of me Asuna and Maria are dead and that's why I deserve to be punished and killed by them but they're not here see I have to do it myself!
Y/N: I want to die! It hurts too much being here because all I'm doing to you all is being nothing but a nusience that's better dead and out of your way!
Y/N: Ruby, Weiss, Yang, PLEASE....LET ME DIE!!!!
Everything goes quiet as RWY slowly approach Y/N, who expects to be killed by them only for all them to embrace her.
RWY: We can't do that.
Y/N: W-Why not?!
RWY: We care about you way too much to let you do this to yourself.
Y/N: But....
Ruby: You've always been there to help us through our pain.
Weiss: Yet we never tried to help you with yours.
Yang: You can rely on us too Y/N.
Y/N: E-Even if it's someone like me.
RWY: Especially because it's you.
Y/N: Y-You all really want me to be here with you?
RWY: More than anything.
Y/N: Then...Then...
Y/N: (drops Asuna and Maria's hilt before reaching out to Ruby, Yang, and Weiss) Please don't leave me alone.
RWY: We won't. (placing a hand on her wet cheek) Never again.
They embrace the wolf girl as Y/N cries both tears of despair and happiness.
Outside the Belladonna Household, a large crowd of Faunus gathers outside, noticing the smoke coming from the building.
Guard: Back! Everyone, stay back! We've got people inside doing their best.
Faunus: Look!
From the smoky doorway, Ghira walks out carrying the motionless bodies of a White Fang soldier and a Menagerie Guard on each of his shoulders.
He hands the bodies to two guards as Saber arrives at the scene.
Saber: Get in there! Search for any stragglers!
More guards walk out keeping Corsac restrained, followed by Blake, Kali, Sun, Ilia and others.
Saber: (to Ghira) We came as soon as we got the call. (notices Corsac being forced to his knees) And Fennec?
Ghira sadly shakes his head. Saber walks over to Corsac.
Saber: (snarkily) Was it worth it?
Corsac looks down, defeated. As the commotion continues, Blake shares brief looks with Sun and Ilia. She then
takes a deep sigh looking down at Y/N's ring before walking down the steps. Ghira notices his daughter walking away.
Ghira: Blake!
Before Ghira could go any further, Kali stops him, and both look on. Blake then stops at one of the steps as she begins to address the crowd.
Blake: Humans didn't do this. (points at the smoke coming from her house) We did this: Faunus. We did this to ourselves. We are just as capable of hate and violence as the humans, but I don't think any of us would jump at the chance to point that out.
Blake: So why are we letting Adam do it for us?! By doing nothing and staying silent, we let others speak and act in our place. And if we're not proud of the choices they make, then we have no one to blame but ourselves. This is the message that Adam Taurus will bring to the world if no one stops him.
Blake: But we can stop him! You have to understand that all of you are looking for simple answers to a very complicated problem. And I can't give that to you. I don't know how to make hate go away, I don't. But I know that this kind of violence is not the solution.
Blake: I understand that to ask you to leave your homes and protect Haven Academy is asking you to put your lives at risk. But that's what's at stake. So I'm going, and I'll stand by myself if I have to.
Ilia: I'll stand with you!
Blake turns around with a surprised look on her face as Ilia stands up. Her pained expression then looks down.
Ilia: If... if you'd have me.
Male Faunus: Isn't that the White Fang girl?
Female Faunus: I thought she hated the Belladonnas.
Despite some of the crowd's murmuring amongst themselves, Blake smiles at her old friend. As Ilia proceeds forward, Saber suddenly stops her.
Saber: You're not going anywhere!
Blake: Let her come.
Saber: Huh? You're just going to forgive her? After everything she did?!
Blake: I am.
Saber looks to Ghira, who nods to let Ilia go. Ilia continues to walk down the steps to stand next to her friend.
Saber: What does she think she's doing?
Ghira: (smiling) She's learned a lesson that evaded me until I was much older: That there is strength in forgiveness.
Blake puts a hand on Ilia's shoulder, sharing a smile together.
Mata: I'll go!!
Mata the ram Faunus steps forward and raises his hand, followed by many more.
Female Aquatic Faunus: I'll go too!
Various Faunus: I'll stand with you! I'll go!! Yeah!! Me too! Let's go! Yeah, let's go!!
As more Faunus start to give Blake their support, Sun walks down the steps to join her and Ilia. The crowd is heard cheering as a majority agree to volunteer. They all smile at the crowd.
Sun: Looks like we've got work to do.
Blake: Thank you.
Sun: (pointing to Ilia) You stabbed me.
Ilia looks down sorrowfully.
Ilia: I-- (Sun playfully pinches her arm) Ow!
Sun: There. Let's just call it even.
Ghira and Kali then walk down the steps to join their daughter and her friends.
Ghira: We have about two weeks before Adam's attack on Haven. We're going to need shields, training, whatever we can do to protect as many people as possible.
Kali: We'll need transportation too. For everyone.
Kali: We'll need transportation too. For everyone.
Blake: (smiling) I think I know a ship captain who owes us a favor.
Sun grins and nods in agreement as everything fades to black.
Chapter End
Author: (Sorry for the lack of additional changes on Blake's part I couldn't really think of much to change)