A/N: Hey guys. Sorry that I haven't updated in a long time. I'm currently in New Jersey on vacation. So, this'll probably be the latest update for a long time. Anyway, this is my first attempt at a one-shot, so sorry if it feels off. Anyways, enjoy.
Vale: On a hill...
Pyrrha stood tall and proud on top of a lonely hill, a tree ever so slowly growing at its peak. She was not alone, with team RWBY and her own team beside her.
Well, what was left of her team. She turned to them, and found a scene of grief. Ruby clung to her sister, tears already beginning to form in her eyes, despite having just arrived. Yang wasn't faring any better, either. Weiss was looking away from all of them, probably to hide the tears, knowing her. And Blake, her stoic mask shattered, quickly wiped away her tears with grit teeth.
Nora, the incarnation of energy, had lost all of that energy today. Her eyes were blank, only to be filled with tears. Ren, her boyfriend, stood beside her, whispering words of comfort. And Jaune...
Pyrrha looked at the tree.
Here lies Jaune Arc
Friend, Protector, Leader, and Hero
The words that were carved into the tree carved into her heart as well. She tried to hold back the tears. She really did. He wouldn't want us crying over him, would he?
And that's the only thing she hated about him.
He always thought that he was worthless, weak... Pathetic. He had yet to realize just how much of an impact he had on everyone. And now...
...he never will.
Pyrrha tried to think back on that day. The day they lost him.
(Flashback)
The situation was dire. Their ammunition was low, and so were their auras. But looking around, teams RWBY and JNPR saw no end to the horde of Grimm in the cave they were in. They hacked and slashed. Shot only when it was necessary. Pyrrha looked around at her friends. Jaune was holding off a pack of Beowolves with Ren, while Nora was smashing a group of Ursai into the ground, that smile somehow still in place.
Ruby was working on a King Teijitu with her partner, Weiss, while Yang and Blake were in charge of fending off the smaller Grimm. Pyrrha, herself, was taking out a few Goliaths. Bu they wouldn't last forever.
Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours, and the hours just kept piling up. By the time she had chopped off the head of another Beowulf, Pyrrha was already exhausted. Her muscles ached, her arms sore. She was grateful Jaune was there. He had blocked the hits that she had not been able to, since she was so exhausted. Jaune was the only one that didn't look exhausted at the moment, probably due to his monstrous amount of aura. Pyrrha couldn't help but smile as she saw Jaune single-handedly hold off two Goliaths and an Ursa.
Suddenly, Ruby appeared next to her, panting and sweating with her clothes torn in multiple places. Yang came flying towards them when a Beowulf got a lucky swipe in. Blake retreated along with Weiss back to the others. Ren and Nora backed off and regrouped with their friends. Now, they all stood together at the top of an incline in a cave.
Yang gave a small grin as she pushed herself off the ground, Blake lending her her shoulder for support. "This situations looking rather Grimm, isn't it?" She asked.
This time, there actually a few chuckles. "Yeah, it certainly does." Jaune replied, a smile firmly planted on his face despite their predicament. That smile turned into a frown as a roar shook the whole entire cave.
"What was that?!" Weiss cried, her Myrtenaster at the ready.
Blake did the same with Gambol Shroud. "I don't know, but it doesn't sound good."
They all readied their weapons as the roaring came closer. Out of the tunnel, a literal giant Grimm dog came bursting out, squashing its brethren beneath its paws.
They all rushed it. Team RWBY flanked left, while team JNPR flanked right. Jaune, Ren, Weiss, and Blake were responsible for fending off the smaller Grimm while the others did damage to the dog. The dog roared, sending rock tumbling to the ground from the ceiling. Some boulders crushed Grimm, while others hammered the thick fur-armor of the Grimmhound.
Weiss launched all of her remaining dust attacks, Yang used the last of her shotgun shells, and Pyrrha and Nora kept punching, smashing, and slashing the large beast. The hound finally went down, and it slowly began to dissipate.
However, another roar came. This time, even louder, as if there were more than one. And sure enough, there were. Five Grimmhounds came out of the tunnel and charged. It was at this point that Ruby noticed Jaune was holding some kind of ball of light.
Before she could even ask, however, she was sent flying into the cave wall by one of the Grimmhounds.
"Guys!" Jaune yelled, "I have a plan! Just buy me a little time!"
The others nodded. Jaune concentrated on the steadily growing ball of aura in his hands. It could kill him...
Jaune looked at his friends. Ruby had joined the fight again and was working with Weiss to kill the Grimmhound on the far left. Yang and Blake were taking down the the one right next to that. Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora each took on their own Grimmhound.
"There!" Jaune exclaimed.
He turned to his friends. "Everyone! I need you to get them in a straight line!"
They all nodded. They all lead the Grimmhounds in front of the incline where Jaune was, before jumping away.
"Praetorian Foil!" Jaune yelled, as the white ball turned into a single beam of pure light. It burned a hole through the dark hides of the five Grimmhounds, and they fell to the ground to dissipate. Jaune stood still for a moment, and it seemed as if the few remaining Grimm were about to retreat from the display of power.
But it was not meant to be.
(SHURK!)
The sound of impale flesh filled the cave. Everyone's eyes widened in horror.
Jaune looked down. A single Nevermore feather protruded out from his stomach. Soon, four more followed, and he fell to the ground, blood beginning to pool.
"JAUNE!" Pyrrha yelled.
Everyone immediately sprung into action. Nora swung her hammer in wide arcs, taking five Grimm at a time. Ren was in front with Ruby, slicing down Grimm with his submachine gun-knives. Ruby launched into the crowd, sending Grimm corpses flying.
Yang, Blake, and Weiss opted to stay back, seeing as they were all out of ammunition.
Pyrrha rushed to her partner- no, her friend. She cradled his head in her arms, using her thighs as support.
"H-Hey, Jaune. I need you to stay awake for me, alright?" Pyrrha said softly, combing his blonde locks away from his face.
He coughed up a glob of blood, some it splattering her armor. Tears splashed onto his chest plate quietly. Jaune reached up to touch his partners face. He cupped her cheek, wiping away her tears with his thumb. She grasped his hand as she continued to sob. She didn't pay any mind to the blood that coated her shins, nor the blood that was on her chest plate.
"Hey Pyrrha." Jaune wheezed out, a blood stained smile on his face.
Pyrrha tried to smile, but it came out as a pained grimace. "Don't talk, Jaune. You... You're going to be fine. J-Just stay awake p-please." She begged.
Jaune coughed again. "I'll try. But we both know what... what's going to happen to... to me."
Pyrrha shook her head vigorously. "No! I won't let that happen! Your family needs you! We need you! I need you, Jaune! I'm not letting you die!" She yelled.
Jaune's smile turned into a frown. "Why... are you crying for me? It... it's alright. There are... countless other... people out there... worthy of you... Pyrrha."
Pyrrha would've slapped him if it weren't for his condition. "Don't you dare say that."
The others came back from slaughtering Grimm.
It was just them now.
Everyone gathered around Pyrrha and Jaune with mixed emotions. Ruby knelt down beside her fellow team leader. "H-Hey J-Jaune. You'll be o-okay, won't you? Y-You promised we w-would be the b-best together, didn't you? Arcs d-don't go back on their w-word, remember?" She couldn't help but cry.
Jaune coughed again. "I'm sorry Ruby... But that's one... promise I won't... be able to keep."
"Dammit Vomit Boy don't say that!" Yang yelled, fists clenched even as tears fell from her eyes.
Ruby turned to Weiss, who had just finished calling Beacon. "Can't you do something?! Anything?!" She begged.
Weiss shook her head. "I'm... all out of dust." She said as she tried wiping away her tears.
Blake stood still, teeth grit and eyes screwed shut. "Please, not another one." She whispered under her breath.
Jaune turned to Nora, who was clinging to Ren while she was sobbing. The stoic boy allowed his mask to crack as tears streaked down his cheeks.
His fading gaze returned upwards, towards his girlfriend, and partner. "Y'know... I always... thought that I'd... be afraid of dying. Turns out I'm wrong... I'm just really... disappointed." Jaune rasped.
"Hey, hey, don't talk like th-that Jaune." Pyrrha whispered as she pulled him into her chest.
A moment of silence passed, and when Jaune's gaze remained unmoving, they feared the worst. Until he spoke again.
"Hey... Pyrrha... do you... do you remember my... favorite song?" Jaune asked.
Pyrrha nodded, and she smiled. "How could I not? You sing it all the time. And you'll sing it when we get out of here-"
"We both know that's... not going to happen." Jaune interrupted her.
Pyrrha shook her head. "No, I won't sing it until we get Beacon together! Alive!"
Pyrrha felt a hand grip hers. "Pyrrha... please..."
A fresh wave of tears poured out her eyes, and with a shaky voice, she began to sing.
(Song: Puscifer- The Humbling River)
Nature, nurture heaven and home
Sum of all, and by them, driven
To conquer every mountain shown
But I've never crossed the river
Braved the forests, braved the stone
Braved the icy winds and fire
Braved and beat them on my own
Yet I'm helpless by the river
Angel, angel, what have I done?
I've faced the quakes, the wind, the fire
I've conquered country, crown, and throne
Why can't I cross this river?
Pay no mind to the battles you've won
It'll take a lot more than rage and muscle
Open your heart and hands, my son
Or you'll never make it over the river
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
As the last lyrics were said, a smile slowly made it's way to the White Knight's face.
"Thank you... Pyrrha... and everyone for... for... every... thing." And with that, the light left his eyes, and Pyrrha could feel whatever was left of his aura dissipate into nothingness.
"Jauney?" Nora asked brokenly, eyes hollow as she fell to her knees. She crawled to her leader's side.
"Jauney, wake up, we have classes tomorrow, remember? You can't go to sleep now. This... This is nothing, right? Y-You'll walk it off and smile and make us breakfast tomorrow, right?!" Nora asked in desperation as she shook him, not even paying attention to the blood now staining her clothes and hands. She felt a hand grasp her shoulder, and looked back to find it belonged to Ren.
"He'll wake up, right Ren?!" Nora asked her childhood friend, turning back to Jaune and returning to hopelessly shaking him. Everyone in the cave sobbed quietly.
It was heartbreaking, to say the least.
(Flashback End)
Now, he lay in a coffin, six feet below the dirt, with a stone marker above. Teams PRN and RWBY gathered around the grave in silent grief, full of tears and sadness. They lost track of the time as seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to hours, just as it did in that cavern, where they lost an important friend.
By the time they had finished crying, the sky had turned dark, and the stars began to shine in the night sky. Pyrrha looked up at the bright lights, and, recalling his favorite song, began to hum the tune.
They all turned to the Spartan. Then they looked at each other and nodded, and they began to sing, in honor of their lost comrade.