Notes: Hello and welcome to my latest RWBY work. As the summery will tell you, this story will be more of a personal story primarily focused on Pyrrha and her friends and family. If you are looking for action then this series may not be for you, but if you are looking for a family focused story involving our favorite red head then you're in luck.
Keep in mind that this chapter will sort of be a one shot, so if you are interested in seeing more please leave a like or review to show your support.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Artemis Part I: Prologue
"Good evening all you sports fans out there! Lisa Lavender here, once again reporting live from Vale City Stadium the site of this year's Annual Winter Wonderland Charity Tournament. If you're just joining us I'm sorry to say, but that means you've missed out on an incredible final bout between our former champion Robin Rangers and a first time competitor Pyrrha Nikos!" Lisa reported excitedly while remaining focused on the camera in front of her.
"Now a new champion has been crowned, I would say that this is a good time as any to meet her. Wouldn't you all agree?" Lisa asked before the cameras paned out slightly to reveal that a young red haired woman in bronze armor was standing beside her. The woman looked stiff for a moment, but then smiled and waved to the cameras when she realized she was in the shot. Liza then turned to face the new woman. "And here she is, the woman of the hour. I'm sure for those of you who've seen the tournament coverage thus far already know this girl quite well. Though, what do you say we give her a chance to introduce herself?" She said with smile.
"Thank you Miss Lavender." The red haired woman replied now matching the reporter's enthusiasm, and then she turned her attention back towards the cameras and began to her introduction. "Hello everyone, I'm Pyrrha Nikos, I'm a first year student of Beacon Academy, and I hail from the Kingdom of Minstrel. Thank you all for having me here today." She said the last part with a quick bow.
"You are very welcome Miss Nikos, we are always happy to have you. Also allow me the honor of being the first to personally congratulate you on your stunning victory this evening. Speaking of which, what did you think of your opponent in the final round?" Lisa asked. "Miss Rangers was considered to be quite the contender, but she didn't seem to give you much trouble out there."
"Oh, no Miss Rangers was a very challenging opponent." Pyrrha said quickly. "Her unorthodox fighting style was difficult to get a handle on at first and the way she flowed back and the way she seamlessly flowed between close and long range combat was quite impressive." She explained.
Then Pyrrha's smile became even wider. "However, even with all her strength, I found her sportsmanship to be her best quality. I honestly can't recall the last time I had so much fun in a fight. Perhaps the nature of this event played a big part in that, but I can easily see why she was favored to win today and I hope that I will get the chance to compete with her again in the future."
"Such high praise, I'm sure Miss Rangers feels the same." Lisa said with a laugh. "Speaking of the future, I've heard that you have many fans and I'm sure a few rivals who've been advocating for you to join the professional league. It is also no secret that you have been approached by a few professional league sponsors. After today's match I can see why so many think you have what it takes. So I'm sure were all now wondering, will you be taking any of those offers into consideration?"
Pyrrha looked thoughtful for a moment before responding. "There have been offers, but at this current time I am too preoccupied with other affairs. I am still a student and that means school and missions that could require me to go outside the kingdom at a moments notice. So at least for the time being, I would like to focus on my studies and have made no plans to join the Pro-league." She admitted.
"I see, that does explain the drop in your tournament attendance." Lisa said in a slightly disappointed tone.
"Pardon?" Pyrrha said slightly caught off guard by the comment.
"Well correct me if I'm wrong Miss Nikos, but isn't this your first official tournament appearance since the Vital Festival Tournament a few months ago?" Lisa inquired.
Pyrrha wasn't actually sure. Things had been so hectic for her lately that she didn't even think about competing. "That's correct, I suppose I haven't." Pyrrha replied.
Lisa hummed in consideration before speaking again. "As I thought, and if I'm not mistaken, the Vital Festival Tournament was your first competitive appearance since leaving your home kingdom of Mistral, is that right?"
"Yes I believe that is also correct" Pyrrha replied in an uncertain tone.
"I see, in that case I think I speak for all of us here when I ask this. Why this tournament? I'm sure you have gotten invitations to more lucrative events." It was clear to Pyrrha by the way Lisa asked this question that she was genuinely curious.
Pyrrha couldn't say she blamed Lisa. After all it has been a question she has heard a lot lately. Even if she didn't want to be, she was considered a high profile competitor. While it wasn't unheard of for somebody like her to compete in the Winter Wonderland Charity Tournament, it wasn't a very big name event nor was it well paying. Rather it wasn't paying out at all, as the name suggests it was a charity event in which all proceeds were going to children in need.
To most people, there were only two reasons to compete in a charity tournament. Number one, to earn karma points with public, or number two, because they genuinely did care about the cause and wanted to help. For Pyrrha it was most definitely the latter of the two, but that doesn't explain her absence from other events.
"I feel strongly about the cause." Pyrrha declared. "I have been blessed with so much in my life. I have good health, a loving family, wonderful friends that I wouldn't trade for the world, and with my talent I have so many opportunities, but I can't help but ask what I've done to deserve them. Not everyone is as fortunate as I have been and if I can give them even a fraction of this happiness then I believe it is my duty to do so."
"Wow such heart warming words. I suppose we should expect no less from our champion!" Lisa declared before turning her attention back towards the cameras. "Well that's all the time we have folks, back to you studio Cyril."
Then after a moment of silence the blinking red light on the cameras that signified that they were on air all went black. When they did, Lisa and Pyrrha visibly relaxed and Pyrrha let out a quite sigh of relief while Lisa congratulated the rest of the crew on a job well done.
Then the reporter reached into her back pocket and retrieve a small hand mirror and flipped it open so she could start checking her make up. A minute into this process she spoke again, this time directed at Pyrrha. "You know, people say that we kind of sound alike."
"Is that so? I didn't really notice." Pyrrha replied. Honestly she really didn't notice before, but now that it had been pointed out she could kind of hear it.
"Yeah me neither." Lisa said dismissively and ending the conversation and another moment of awkward silence followed.
"Umm, well I suppose I should probably get go.." Pyrrha started to say before Lisa spoke up again.
"You did pretty good out there tonight kid." Lisa said as she pulled out a tub of lipstick and began applying some to her lips. "In the interview I mean." She clarified when Pyrrha gave her a confused look. "Most of the huntsmen I've interviewed in the past, professionals included, all looked like lost children once they got in front of the cameras. It seems like you know how to handle yourself better than most."
"Thank you." Pyrrha replied automatically, she was unsure of what to make of the complement, but didn't want to offend by arguing. "I have done some promotional work in the past so I suppose that's why I'm use to it."
That comment seemed to remind Lisa of something. "Hey that's right! You're the Pumpkin Pete spokes girl right?" She suddenly gushed with excitement which slightly startled Pyrrha. Realizing that Lisa quickly reeled herself back in. "Oh, sorry about that, it's just that my little sister really loves that cereal. Or rather she's just a really big fan of yours. After all, she only ever asks for the stuff when your face is on the cover."
That caused Pyrrha to giggle a bit. "You have a little sister? How old is she?" She asked before realizing how personal the question was. "That is if you don't mind me asking." She added shyly.
Satisfied with her touchups, Lisa snapped her hand mirror shut and shrugged. "I don't mind, here I can show you." She said as she reached into her pocket to produce a wallet and into the wallet for an old looking photo. Then she handed the photo to Pyrrha to see.
When Pyrrha looked at the photo she saw a small girl with platinum blond pigtails playing on a swing set. "She's so young." Pyrrha mused.
"Her name is Sara and she will be twelve this year." Lisa declared.
"Twelve? That is quite the gap." Pyrrha said.
"Yep, Sara is less than half my age. I got to tell you, it was quite the shocker when I got the news of her impending arrival from my folks." Lisa explained.
"You were shocked? Did you not want a little sister?" Pyrrha asked.
"Whoa there don't get me wrong kid, I was quite happy about getting a little sister. I just didn't think my parents still had it in them." She said jokingly causing Pyrrha's cheeks to redden slightly at the impaction.
"It must be nice. I'm an only child so I've always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling." Pyrrha said in a slightly more subdued tone.
Lisa shrugged. "It has its moments, both good and bad. Siblings don't always get along. Well at least none that I've ever known could honestly claim such a thing. Of course my sister and I are no exceptions. It's hard being an older sibling some times. After all, I'm in a position were I am expected to scold and discipline her when she misbehave. Taking my sisters favorite toy away, or forcing her to do the homework when she doesn't want to do it can put a strain on our relationship at times. Also our difference in age doesn't help, it can make it quite difficult for us to relate to one another, you know what I mean?"
"Yeah, I think so." Pyrrha said. She didn't really understand, but figured it was something only a person with a sibling could really get so she didn't question it.
Then Pyrrha heard a coughing sound coming from close behind her so she turned to see what had caused it. When she did, she saw her manager standing just off set. Her manager was a fair skinned woman with long dark hair and brown eyes. Her features were not unlike her teammate Ren's, at least if he had been born a woman. Her name was Lin Fong.
"Hey Kid its about that time, you don't want to miss your flight now do you." Lin asked as she pointed to the watch she was wearing.
"Oh that's right, thank you Lin!" Pyrrha stated as she turned away from Lisa and began walking towards her manager.
"I'm just doing my job. I wouldn't be a very good manager if I let my client be late getting home for the holidays." Lin said with shrug and a smile.
Pyrrha giggled as the two began making their way towards the exit only for Lisa to call out to them. "Hey Nikos before you go I got one more thing to say!" Pyrrha craned her head back to look at Lisa and when she did the reporter went on. "Here is some professional advice so you better listen up. You should try to loosen up a little. You're still a teenager after all, so nobody expects you to be perfect. Heck when I was your age, I was out raising all kinds of hell."
"I'm sorry, are you telling me to act rebellious?" Pyrrha inquired.
Lisa shook her head. "No, I don't think you'll need to do anything so extreme. I just thought you should try acting your age for a change. It will make you more relatable and it might even be a bit fun." She finished that statement with a shrug before going on. "Besides, you can't learn from your mistakes if you don't make any and speaking from experience I can tell you that it's best to get as many of those out of the way while you're still young enough to get away with them."
Pyrrha wasn't sure what to make of Lisa's advice. She certainly didn't expect such an odd suggestion and she wasn't sure she agreed with the idea that acting out was okay just because she could get away with it. Though, she was still happy to receive the advice all the same. "Thank you for your guidance Lisa." She said while taking a curt bow.
Lisa rolled her eyes. That was the kind of behavior she was talking about. "No problem kid, have a happy holiday."
"Happy holidays to you to Lisa!" Pyrrha cheered before finally turning and leaving with her manager.
Kingdom of Mistral: Thessaly City
Pyrrha had just faced one of her greatest foes she's ever had to face. An archenemy if she had ever known one. The dreaded twenty-five hour long trip home from her school in the City of Vale all the way back to her hometown of Thessaly in central Mistral.
Pyrrha has always hated traveling long distances. Not that she disliked seeing new places of course. It was really just the slow crawl from point A to point B that got to her. She may not have disliked them as much as her partner Jaune, but that was due to his habit of becoming motion sick during even the shortest of flights.
With that said, after Pyrrha had just spent the last three hours traveling by train and the twenty-two hours before that on a civilian plane crossing the ocean, upset stomach or not, she was sick of traveling. Though at least it hadn't been as boring as some of the other trips she'd made to other kingdoms in the past. This time around, she at least had her manager Lin there to keep her company.
Lin usually made for great company and this was mostly due to the long history Pyrrha and Lin had with one another. After all, Lin had been Pyrrha's first and only manager for nearly five years now and so they knew just about everything there was to know about each other. Well everything except for a few of the more recent developments in their lives.
The reason for the recent lack of communication between Pyrrha and Lin was mostly due to the fact that Pyrrha was currently taking a break from her fighting career so she could focus on her studies at Beacon. Also since Lin's services weren't going to be necessary there, she had opted to stay behind in Mistral and take on a few other local clients. That meant they hadn't been able to see each other in person since classes began three months ago. That meant they had a lot of catching up to do.
Much to Pyrrha's dismay however, there was one topic in particular that Lin insisted on coming back to over and over again. Even after twenty-five straight hours of being politely denied or misdirected, she stubbornly refused to let it go. So now that Pyrrha found herself sat in the passenger's seat of Lin's car in route to her own home, she had completely ran out alternate topics to distract her. So when Lin finally asked. "Okay, spill already! Are you and this Jaune a thing or what?!" All Pyrrha could do was sigh. "Oh come on Pyrrha, it's a simple question."
Pyrrha grumbled. "Yes, no, it's complicated okay!"
Lin rolled her eyes. "Pyrrha, I've seen complicated before. Trust me when I say this, whatever you have going on is probably just the usual teen drama. Now why don't you tell me why you're so unsure about your relationship status?" She asked.
"Well I kind of showed him I like him, sort of, but I never actually said it. Though, he does seem to feel the same, but of course he never really gave me an answer either. So we're kind of together, together, but it isn't official." Pyrrha explained.
"Hmm and what did you do to show him?" Lin inquired.
"I-I umm, kind of k-kissed him." Pyrrha stammered as her cheeks started to mimic her hair.
"Oh, when did this happen!?" Lin asked in a teasing tone.
Pyrrha couldn't meet her manager's eyes when she answered. "The Vytal Festival Tournament, I promised myself that I would tell him if I won, so when I did I got so excited that I just kind of attacked him. Unfortunately in the heat of the moment, I sort of forgot about the part where I actually tell him. Then by the time I thought to do so, our friends and teammates were snapping pictures. It was just too awkward for the both of us after that."
"It's just like I thought. It's the typical teen drama stuff." Lin said with a laugh and when she came to a stop at a red light she leaned in closer to Pyrrha to speak again. "You know there is a very easy way to resolve all this confusion and uncertainty." She offered.
Pyrrha raised an eyebrow but seemed interested. "How's that?"
"You could just talk to him about it for Monty's sake!" Lin declared like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"But, what if he doesn't actually feel that way about me? What if what I did made him uncomfortable and the reason he hasn't said anything about it is because he doesn't want to hurt my feelings!?" Pyrrha asked suddenly sounding desperate.
Lin shook her head. "Then there's nothing you can do about it. If you tell him how you really feel and he turns you down, then one, he's a dumbass, and two at least it will be over and you both will be able to move on. It's like I always say, you can't get it wrong when you're telling the truth. It may not always be what the other person wants to hear, but it doesn't change the facts. And the fact is that you're head over heels for this lucky punk so just tell him already."
Pyrrha laughed this time and smiled. "You do always say stuff like that." Pyrrha wasn't completely sold on her manager's logic, but she did feel a bit better about all this. Dare she say even hopeful? Though, there was only one way to know for sure and that was to talk to Jaune. The only problem was the fact that Jaune about half a world away now and this wasn't the kind of talk you had over a scroll.
"That's because it's true, you don't need to be the perfect girl to get the boy at the end of the story. My sister in law Mai is proof enough for that." Lin retorted jokingly. "Seriously though, all you need to do is be yourself girl. Though, when being yourself means your Pyrrha Nikos, well that hast to help at least a little bit right?" Lin asked will adding a knowing wink.
Pyrrha just shook her head and laughed. "Come on Mai isn't that bad is she?" She asked.
"No, I suppose Leonard could've done far worse. And quite frankly I guess I should be thanking my lucky stars that he found somebody willing to put up with his horrendous snoring habits." Lin declared.
Pyrrha giggled again. "How is Leonard by the way? I haven't even heard from him since I left."
Pyrrha genuinely was curious about Leonard. Though she didn't have the closest of relationship with the guy, he was Lin's elder step brother and he'd even worked part time for her as bodyguard, so they were at least not strangers. Of course it wasn't like Pyrrha really needed a bodyguard, but it was nice to have one around to ward off some of the more over enthusiastic fans. As Lin had warned her once, it just wouldn't due for Pyrrha who happened to be a highly trained combatant with aura, to attack unarmed and possibly aura-less civilians in public. Even if it was in self defense the tabloids would jump all over it and turn it into a career ending nightmare.
"Oh he's the same as ever I suppose. Lately he's been moonlighting as a bouncer at a local dance club. Looking big and scary is all that guys is really good for after all." Lin replied before an odd look came over her face. It was a look that said she had an idea. After taking a quick look down at the clock on the dash she turned back towards Pyrrha. "Hey as a matter of fact, Leonard's club isn't that far from here and his shift should've already started. If you want, we should still have enough time to swing by and say hi before taking you home." She suggested.
"I don't know, is it really alright to bother him at work?" Pyrrha asked uncertainly.
"He's working the front door Pyrrha, we won't even need to go inside. Besides I know he will be happy to see you." Lin replied.
"Well I guess I would like to see him." Pyrrha relented.
"That's the spirit! Now let's go give that baldy a surprise." Lin declared before she switched gears and took a sharp right turn at a four way intersection. Then she accelerated down the next two blocks into the downtown area before finally hitting the breaks and coming to a sudden and jarring stop in front of large building with a flashing sign and a crowd of people lining up around it.
Pyrrha figured this must be the place. Not that she was an expert or anything. She actually hadn't been to very many clubs in her life, but the ones she had been dragged to by her friends, or rather Yang, had all been just like this one. Flashy, crowded, and very noisy, she could feel the music about as well as she could hear it right now. Not a feeling she particularly cared for, so this wasn't her scene. It did seem very Leonard however, so she could understand why he would want to work here.
Pyrrha's thoughts were interrupted when Lin rolled down the driver side window and proceeding to shout and wave into the crowd. "Hey Leonard, over here!"
Assuming that Lin had spotted her brother, so Pyrrha leaned forward in her seat to get a better look herself. It didn't take long for her to pick Leonard out of the crowd. After all, the guy stud a head above just about everyone else around and his scalp had been shaved clean and reflected some of the light from the sign. Other than his shaved head and height, is main distinguishing features included a short goatee and a small piercing in his left ear. If it weren't for fact that Lin and Leonard looked nothing alike, based solely on the way the two acted with each other, everyone would think they were full fledged brother and sister and not just stepsiblings.
Hearing the familiar sound of his sister's voice, Leonard look over to see where she was and spotted her waving at him from car. "Hey sis, what're you doing here!?" He asked as he passed the clipboard he had been holding to another bouncer and he began to push through the crowd.
Lin shot her brother a smile before replying with. "I have somebody here that I think you will want to see!" Then she motioned toward the red head behind her and it caused Leonard to stop in his tracks and go wide eyed.
"Oh man is that who I think it is!?" Leonard asked.
"Hey Leonard." Pyrrha announced with a wave.
"The golden girl returns!" Leonard declared excitedly. "How have you been!? Are you enjoying your new and exciting life at Beacon?"
"I'm good and Beacon has been great. I've made a lot of new friends." Pyrrha replied.
"Pyrrha made friends? A You mean friend, friends right? Not the 'I'm cool and your cool so it only makes since you hangout with me' kind?!" Leonard asked in mock disbelief.
That statement kind of reminded Pyrrha of her first interaction with Weiss, but after she actually had gotten to know the girl she wasn't too bad so she pushed those thoughts aside. "Yes, I mean friend, friends. They're really nice people. I hope I get the chance to introduce you some time." She stated.
"One of them might be a bit more than a friend." Lin chimed in causing Pyrrha to sputter a little.
This statement seemed to catch Leonard's interest. "Oh, our shy little Pyrrha has her eyes on somebody!? Who is this guy, or girl?" He asked cautiously. He had known Pyrrha for about as long as his sister did, but he couldn't remember her ever talking about boys so he wasn't sure what her preference was, and he wasn't going to ask. That would just be weird for everyone.
Leonard got nothing out of Pyrrha she just looked embarrassed and wouldn't meet his eyes so he looked towards his sister. "His names Jaune Arc, he's her teammate and partner at Beacon. It seems that they're not official yet, but they've already kissed." Lin explained.
Leonard raised an eyebrow. "Is that right? They kissed and their not official? Do you think I might need to straighten this guy out?" He asked while cracking his knuckles."
Pyrrha gasped. "No, that won't be necessary!"
"Yeah, I wouldn't worry Leonard he sounds like a good kid. Besides, I don't think you could handle him anyway. By the way I heard it, Pyrrha here has been giving him 'private' training sessions." Lin chimed in.
Understanding the implications of Lin's words Pyrrha sputtered again as her cheeks grown redder than ever. "Okay Lin, I think we should be going!" She pleaded.
Lin and Leonard shared a knowing look before they both broke into laughter. "Alright, alright, we've had our fun, now let's get you home." Lin conceded before turning back towards her brother one last time. "Catch you later bro, have a good night."
"Thank and I'll try." Leonard replied before directing his gaze towards Pyrrha who was trying to blend into the leather seats of his sister's car. "Welcome home Pyrrha, let me know if you happen to need any muscle while your in town, I'll be there!"
"Thanks Leonard." Pyrrha managed before Lin waved goodbye and they pulled away.
After their little boy talk had finally come to an end, Pyrrha was happy to sit back and spend the rest of their little trip in quiet contemplation. Thankfully for her, Lin seemed content to leave her too it. At least until she pulled her car up into the drive of Pyrrha's family home. Pyrrha's home wasn't anything too special, at least on the outside. It was a modern two story home with about fifteen-hundred square feet in total. It had an attic, two car garage, and a basement that doubled as a storm shelter.
Pyrrha and her parents had lived in this house for about as long as she could remember and according to her parents, they'd considered upgrading a few times in the past. However, they would ultimately decide against it each time. There were just too many memories here. Of course that did give them the advantage of having a bit of extra cash to burn. That meant that the lawn was always well maintained and the interior was always spotless and decorated with the finest furnishings.
"Here we are kid." Lin announced.
"Thanks for the ride Lin." Pyrrha said while she unbuckled her seatbelt, grabbed her luggage, and made to get out of the car. Then when she was about to close the car door she leaned in to address Lin again. "You sure you don't want to come in for coffee or something? I'm sure mom wouldn't mind."
"Hmm coffee, that would be nice." Lin mused dreamily. "Unfortunately, another one of my clients as a fight tonight and it starts in like twenty minutes so I should get going." She explained.
"Another client? Is it anyone I know?" Pyrrha inquired.
Lin shrugged. "Probably not, she's in the non-aura league. Not a lot of crossover there. She is a good kid though, maybe I can introduce you guys the next time you come to the gym?"
Pyrrha knew about the non-aura league. Like the name suggests it's a fighting league consisting of only none aura uses. She hadn't seen many matches, but she didn't need to, to know that it was a very different scene from the fights she was use to. With no aura to protect themselves from attacks, no weapons were permitted, and so they were far more focused on hand to hand combat.
Pyrrha herself was in the minor aura league. Since after all, as an aura user, she was bared from taking part in a non-aura competition. After all, aura wasn't something you could just switch off so it just wouldn't be fair for her opponent's. There was also the Professional Aura League about her league. The venues were larger, the prizes were bigger, and the competitors were stronger. That was the league for real full fledged huntsmen and huntresses. As Lisa had told her the other day, there were many people who believed she was ready to take part, but it wasn't that simple, at least not to Pyrrha.
Joining the Professional Aura League would mean giving up her career in the Minor League. You couldn't compete in both and once she moved up, she wouldn't be allowed to go back. And while she wasn't making as much money or getting as much attention in the Minor League, that was just fine for her. She didn't need any of that. She just enjoyed the challenge, and the camaraderie that came with sportsmanship. She feared some of that would be lost in the Professional League. Bigger payouts meant there was more at stake, which lead to more serious competitors.
Pyrrha had heard the horror stories about new talents winning big tournaments, only for their careers to come to a sudden crashing end afterward. Usually due to some unexplained accident. She really didn't want to be a part of that world. She had seen enough evil to last a lifetime and she wasn't even a full fledged huntress yet.
"Hello Remnant to Pyrrha, Remnant to Pyrrha, you still there?" Lin asked.
Realizing Pyrrha had been so lost in thought that she had forget to answer her manager's question she quickly sputtered a reply. "So-sorry, I was distracted. I would love to come by some time. I will be here a week so I should be able to find the time."
Lin chuckled and gave Pyrrha a big smile. "Good, I'm sure the others would like to see you as well. Now, I guess I should get out here. Be sure to tell that mom of yours hello for me."
"Of course, now take care Lin, and drive safely." Pyrrha replied.
Then Lin just gave Pyrrha a nod before pulling out of the drive before speeding down the street. Pyrrha stood there shaking her head until her car was out of sight before making for the front door. Then after testing the door and releasing it was locked, Pyrrha set her luggage down so she could fish out a set of keys from her pocket. Then once she had sorted through them for her house key, she was preparing to unlock the door, but before she could do anything, she heard the door unlock on its own and it was pulled open from the other side.
Pyrrha was surprised, but she quickly shook it off when she saw her mother standing there in the doorway. Her name was Sienna Nikos, a middle aged woman that was just slightly shorter than Pyrrha and she had short brown hair, light skin, and bright green eyes.
"Mother!" Pyrrha declared in an excited tone.
"Welcome home my little gladiator." Sienna said as she gave Pyrrha a big smile and opened up her arms to welcome her daughter with a hug. Pyrrha quickly obliged by practically throwing herself into her mother's embrace.
"I've missed you so much." Pyrrha spoke softly into her mother's shoulder.
"I know dear, I've missed you too." Sienna replied while gently patting the taller girls back. The two stood there in the doorway for a moment without saying a word, just enjoying the familiar contact. It wasn't until the cold draft of winter got the best of them that they broke their embrace. Sienna shivered as she spoke. "Not even a single flake of snow and it's still this cold? Well come on honey, let's get you inside before you catch your death." She said as she helped her daughter bring in some of her luggage.
"Thanks mother." Pyrrha replied.
After a few minutes of moving back and forth, Pyrrha and Sienna had gotten everything inside and had made their way into the living room to unwind. Once Pyrrha was settled in Sienna remembered that she had been brewing tea and had to quickly excuse herself to take the kettle off the stove. Then she called back to her daughter from the other room. "Do you want any tea Pyrrha?"
"That would be lovely, thank you." Pyrrha called back.
Then a moment later Sienna reappeared holding two cups of black tea and handed one to her daughter before taking a seat on the sofa beside her. Pyrrha thanked her mother once again and the two sat there silently enjoying their hot beverage.
Pyrrha like moments like these, they really made her feel like she was home. Of course it made since she actually was home, it just feels like it's been a lot longer than a few months since she's been back here. Though, it still felt like something was missing. She wasn't sure what it was at first, but now that she had some time to take in her surroundings, it became quite obvious. "No Christmas decorations this year?" She asked while she tried in vain to keep the disappointment out of her voice.
Sienna lowered her tea and sighed. "Yeah, you can blame your father for that. He stored them in the bloody attic again. I even reminded him to bring them down two days ago, but then he got called out on that emergency mission I told you about and he must have forgotten. Now he won't be back until tomorrow at the earliest."
"People were in trouble, we can't be mad at him for going to help. Even if it is during one of the few times I can actually come back to see him." Pyrrha grumbled before a thought accrued to her. "Though, couldn't we just go up and get them ourselves?" She asked.
Sienna smiled in a way that suggested she had been waiting for that question. "That floor is still in desperate needs of repairs, it's practically falling apart and I just don't trust. Though, you could certainly fetch them in my stead. It would be a lot of fun to decorate together again, just like the old days."
"You want to send your only daughter on a mission that is so dangerous that you won't even dare to take in on yourself?" Pyrrha asked cheekily.
Sienna shrugged. "Hey not all of us have aura. If the floor caves in on you, it's a mild inconvenience. However, if it did the same to me, well I'd be in traction for at least a month." She reasoned.
Pyrrha chuckled and took another long sip of her tea before speaking again. "Very well, I shall accept this task on your behalf. However, I will expect proper compensation for my services."
"Oh is that right?" Sienna asked while adding a roll of the eyes. "Alright, how about I give you a slice of your mother's fresh apple pie? It should be ready in another hour.
"Deal!" Pyrrha cheered as she sat down here now empty tea cup and made to get up. "I shall go forth and return with thine decorations!" With that declaration the mother and daughter duo shared a short laugh before Pyrrha turned to leave the living room and head for the stairs leading up to the second floor.
Before Pyrrha could scale the stairs she heard her mother call out to her again. "Do be careful dear, I meant it when I said that floor is in bad shape! Even if you don't get hurt, caving in the ceiling is a problem!"
Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "Yes mother!" Then with that she climbed the stairs and then pushed her way to the end of the hall on the second floor where the attic entrance was located. Once there Pyrrha reached up and pulled down a panel in the ceiling and when it swung out a small wooden ladder unfolded in front of here. "Alright, here we go." She declared as she began pressed on.
Once in the attic, there were three things Pyrrha noticed almost instantly. First her mother really wasn't kidding about how bad these floors are. If she wasn't trained to be light on her feet, this place would be a real hazard for sure. The second things she noticed was the dust, there was just so much of it. With how much of a clean freak her mother could be, it was a miracle that she hadn't just torch the upper level by now. Though, the most interesting things had to be all the old stuff under the dust. There were old books, movies, toys, and furniture, all of which she either had no memory of them ever owning or hadn't seen in years.
With that in mind she made mental note to come back up here some time before she left for Beacon, see if she could find any old memories to bring back with her. Maybe then she wouldn't be as homesick as she was in the final stretch before vacation.
Then with the note made, Pyrrha started her search for the Christmas decorations in earnest. However, after a few minutes of searching she realized that it was a lot harder than she originally thought it was going to be. There was a lot of stuff up here and there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the way said stuff was arranged, so she wasn't quite sure where to look for the decorations. On top of that the poor footing was making it hard to move heavier objects.
Eventually she did find a decent sized box hidden behind a bookshelf filled with lights, tinsel, ornaments, and of course stockings embroidered with her family's names. "Alright, I guess this is what I'm looking for." She announced as she squatted down to get into a proper lifting position, but then she felt something brush against her butt that was followed by the sound of tumbling to the floor.
"Woops!" Pyrrha mumbled as she spun around to inspect the damage. It didn't look that bad at least. She had just nudged the bookshelf with her rear and caused a few of its contents to spill out onto the floor. She could just stack them back inside and be done with it.
Then when Pyrrha reached down to gather up the books she noticed a white square object sticking out of one of them that caught her eye. "Hmm, what is this?" She pondered as she pulled the mystery object free to inspect it. There was some writing on the object that read 'My two angel's Pyrrha & Artemis'. "What is this?" She asked before she thought to turn the object around and realized that it was an old Polaroid photograph.
The picture was of a young red haired woman who Pyrrha couldn't quite identify and yet she looked familiar somehow. She was lying in a hospital bed and it looked like this photo was taken shortly after she had given birth since she was cradling two very small babies. "Wait, hold on a minute." Pyrrha paused as she flipped the photo back over in her hands to read it again, this time allowed. "My two angel's Pyrrha & Artemis?"
Pyrrha's brain hit a brick wall. She wasn't sure what to make of this photo. She had never seen the women in the picture, nor did she know of anyone named Artemis. "Was Artemis the young woman in the photo? Then what about the two babies?" She asked herself.
Before Pyrrha could garner any answers to these questions she heard her mother calling up to her from the floor below. Pyrrha could tell her mother was at the base of the ladder by how close her voice was. "Pyrrha are you alright honey!? I heard a crash!" Sienna asked concern clear in her voice.
Pyrrha quickly shook herself free from her daze so she could reply. "Yes mother, I found the decorations! I will be down soon!" She declared before she stashed the photo into her pocket for later and turned to grab the decorations and made for the ladder.