After The Fall
Reality did not set in immediately; not even after the first thirty seconds. She lay awake for nearly a minute before she was able to fully process everything that occurred. Her memories floated, just out of reach, like fuzzy clouds in the sky that she could never grasp. Recent events played over and over in her head, but it was as if it all happened to somebody else, somewhere far away. She was physically present, but mentally unreachable until -
"Pyrrha?"
The voice struck her like a blow to the chest, snapping the young Huntress out of her daze. 'He' was here. She craned her head, fearing a twinge of pain that never came. There he was, sitting upright in a chair across the room, and still wearing his signature armor. Now, though, it was chipped and had lost most of its sheen. His eyes flared red with what Pyrrha could only guess was stress and exhaustion. Had he slept here all night? Not only that, but 'how many' nights had passed? Pyrrha tried to say, "Jaune," but he stopped her with a hand.
"They said you shouldn't move much, or try to talk." Jaune's voice trembled, softer than usual. She knew why. Pyrrha complied, and turned her head to look up at the ceiling. He stood by the bed, a couple of paces away to give her space. She didn't dare to look at him for long, much less examine her body. If what she remembered about that night was all real, then she knew it wouldn't be a pleasant sight.
Then came the unavoidable question.
"Do you...remember anything?"
Pyrrha's breath caught in her throat. Jaune seemed to subtly hunch over in anticipation of her answer. Try as she might to avoid looking in his direction, she could still pick up on movements out of the corner of her eye. He must have realized her inability to answer his question without disobeying the previous directive at the same moment she did, because he quickly added, "Blink once for yes, twice for no."
Once. She performed the gesture without thinking, then felt a pang of regret. Perhaps it would have been better to stall. Jaune's tense body language was easy to read, even through peripheral vision. He was obviously thinking about their last moments together - in the vault, and also…
She wanted him to leave the room, but at the same time wanted him to stay forever. No words could describe how Pyrrha felt accurately enough. Fortunately, because she wasn't supposed to talk, that was not an issue.
The soft lighting and details of the room around the young Huntress began to blur and fade as she let her mind drift, traveling back to the furthest reaches of her recent memories. Everything from that night which resulted in her current state, everything she tried desperately to piece together upon waking up, and everything Jaune was probably dying to know, played in her head like a short film. A fragmented, distorted one, but it was still something.
She concentrated hard, the memories cleared up, and before long, she was there again. The top of Beacon Tower. Kneeling, bruised, body throbbing in pain, and with keen awareness of her depleted aura levels. Every missed strike, every late reaction, every moment that spending too much time thinking had allowed the enemy to overpower her seemed so painfully obvious now, in hindsight. Then, the final moments approached, and she reluctantly relived each second in vivid detail.
A peaceful starry sky. Seeing such a breathtaking sight in the midst of her pain was, ironically, one final reminder of her failure. A reminder of his prior defeat. Professor Ozpin told her the tower could not fall, and now it had fallen. He, and now she, too, failed to stop the execution of the enemy's plans. Her body screamed in pain, more so where the arrow had pierced her skin than anywhere else. The hit was clean, and stung like she hadn't felt for some time. This was the first time since Sanctum that Pyrrha's aura fell to zero. Always so careful, making sure that no move was wasted and her semblance was used sparingly, if at all: that was Pyrrha Nikos, The Invincible Girl. Yet even she, the prodigy handpicked by Ozpin, apparently stood no chance against the power of a Maiden.
She struggled to move, managing only to pitifully drag herself forward, nearer to the center of what used to be the floor of Ozpin's office. The arrow snapped off and fell away with relative ease. Pyrrha fought to do something, anything, with no aura and limited mobility. After all, she arrived here with the goal of giving it everything she had against this woman, whose name she still did not know. All she could recall was that this person, the assailant responsible for attacking, and recently killing, the Fall Maiden named Amber, was often seen around Beacon Academy with Ruby Rose's friends Emerald and Mercury. That's when it clicked. Suddenly, everything made sense! Mercury struck her as not very trustworthy from the moment they sparred together, but to think he and his teammates were infiltrators going after the Maiden powers the whole time…!
Every bone in the young Huntress's body screamed at her to defend herself, run, or call for help. These were all meaningless gestures, however. Pyrrha's shield would not return to her: by now, she suspected it must be lodged in the pavement somewhere near the base of the tower. Aura was out of the question, and the only person who knew where she was, Jaune, was unable to assist her. That was how she had wanted things. If Jaune were here, she couldn't have gone through with this mission, couldn't have done what was necessary not only for Beacon, but for mankind. He was an unwitting obstacle to her destiny. She'd thrown away the love of her life for this cause, and now, after everything, Pyrrha had failed. A series of grunts escaped her as she made one last feeble attempt to stand and fight. It was no use. Behind her, Pyrrha heard the soft clicking of the enemy's heels.
The woman, reveling in the girl's failure, began to speak. Her smooth, sultry tone betrayed the smirk that was undoubtedly on her lips.
"It's a shame you were promised a power that was never truly yours."
Her voice grated at Pyrrha's ears, a metaphorical 'kick' while she was down. In seconds, the woman stood in front of her. Pyrrha could only look on helplessly as the unknown enemy bent down to her level, cupping her chin in one hand. The beautiful woman's long, dark hair fell in cascading waves, framing her neck. Her hair's fragrant scent filled Pyrrha's nostrils. They were close enough now that she could feel her enemy's every breath. She lifted Pyrrha's face toward her own, and they traded fierce stares as they made eye contact.
"...But take comfort in knowing that I will use it in ways you could never have imagined."
A tinge of venom in those last few words chilled Pyrrha's heart. If this woman got away, she would target those Pyrrha was trying to protect. Probably the other Maidens, as well. Whatever her nefarious plans were, Pyrrha knew she needed to be stopped. However, she was in no position to do anything now. No matter how she looked at this situation, she could not understand why someone would go to such lengths, hurt so many innocents, and enjoy every second of it the way her opponent did up until now. Overwhelmed with emotion, she thought back on everything that led her to this moment, and began to speak the only words that felt right. Her lips moved almost of their own accord as she stared the woman down, unintimidated.
"Do you believe in destiny?"
The woman looked at her with an expression that almost seemed sad or regretful - the first and only display of a more human quality she had ever shown. However, it vanished just as quickly, and was replaced by a callous stare. The adversary's eyes flashed with rage as she said, "...Yes." Then she drew back, conjuring a weapon from seemingly nowhere.
Shards of obsidian faded into view and merged into the shape of a bow and arrow, which the woman gripped firmly and pointed squarely at Pyrrha's chest. The world around her slowed down in this climactic moment. She knelt, defeated, awaiting the final blow that would end her fight against evil. Pyrrha was not The Invincible Girl after all. The two locked eyes one last time, and in this moment, she knew her fate was sealed. Jaune recently told her that the Pyrrha Nikos he knew would never back down from a challenge. He had been right all along, but in the end, this perceived positive trait was her downfall. If only she had more time to -
"Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!"
A mangled, agonized cry escaped the woman's lips. One of her eyes gushed a fountain of blood as a round from an unknown weapon collided explosively with her head, sending her careening off of the side of the tower. Her bow fell away, but not before a single arrow was loosed, striking its intended target. Pyrrha gasped in surprise, a spasm of pain coursing through her. She looked down to see that the arrow embedded itself just beneath her collarbone, between her shoulder and neck. An intense burning sensation followed, threatening to render her unconscious. Pyrrha slowly slipped away, feeling her body fall, and was gone before she hit the floor. Death would soon take her, she presumed. The last thing she heard before blacking out was a girl's familiar voice calling out to her, and getting closer with each passing second. There was no time to see who was rushing to her side…
In the present, Pyrrha shed a single tear from each eye, still staring directly at the ceiling as Jaune stood by, unsure what action to take. She quietly wallowed in the complex emotions churning around inside her.
"Ruby got you out of there," Jaune started. "Her uncle...he found her with you and brought you here. I...I'm sorry. If I'd been stronger, maybe I could've-"
Pyrrha forced out an "mmh-mm," rejecting Jaune's attempt to blame himself. He looked up, seeing her hardened gaze that showed she would have none of this. Jaune frowned and looked away, eyes moistening as he flexed his hands a few times. She'd seen this before. That tic gave his nervousness away, not that it wasn't already obvious.
"I thought I'd lost you, Pyrrha."
She froze immediately, not allowing so much as a blink.
"I thought…" He trailed off. "Why did you do that? Why did you - argh!" Something clattered to the floor out of her field of view. He must have knocked it down in a rage. Pyrrha continued to hold her breath in anticipation. "You shouldn't have gone back up there. You're still here, and Ruby got there in time to stop that woman...but that's not the point. What if she didn't save you?! I've sat here for three nights straight running through the scenarios in my head, and I can't help but think about how close we all came to losing you forever. The idea of you not being here for me anymore, picking me up, cheering me on, fighting alongside me, and Ren and Nora...I just wouldn't want to live in a world like that, Pyrrha."
The tears flowed uncontrollably now, and her throat constricted, aching as she unsuccessfully tried to reign in the feelings welled up inside her. Jaune took two steps toward her, and she felt like she would not be able to hold it together at all if he continued. He spoke again, regardless of, or maybe because of, Pyrrha's reaction. This time, the delivery of his words was stronger.
"I promised myself that if you ever woke up, I'd tell you all of this, and an Arc never goes back on his word. So that's what I'm doing." He took a breath, readying himself, then continued. "Do you know how I felt when I thought you might die? There aren't words. No matter what Professor Ozpin was doing there with you, it doesn't matter. I'm the team leader, and you're the strongest of any of us, but we're supposed to make major decisions together. We've always done things that way. What you did that night at the tower should've been no exception. Never scare me like that again. Please, Pyrrha."
A faint sound slowly grew louder as it came closer, from beyond the open doorway at the far end of the room. Pyrrha sniffled and allowed herself to look, her curiosity piqued.
"Hey Jaune. They didn't have any grape juice like you wanted, so I just brought -"
Ruby Rose walked in, dressed in her signature red combat skirt and boots. She held a tray with cafeteria food and a couple of drink cartons. Pyrrha thought her friend would faint at the sight of her laying awake in bed, if her deathly white facial expression was any indication. Instead, Ruby's knees weakened and she fell against the chair where Jaune previously sat. Collecting herself enough to place the tray on a small table nearby, she croaked out, "P-P...Pyrrha? You're awake!" Ruby looked from Pyrrha to Jaune, and realized they were in the middle of a tense moment.
"She just woke up," Jaune explained. "Thanks for the juice."
A prolonged silence.
"I was going to tell you, it's just-"
"No, really," Ruby cut in, waving both hands, "It's okay. I'll leave you two alone." She turned to Pyrrha and smiled warmly, clearly on the verge of bursting into tears. "I'm glad you're back with us, Pyrrha."
Ruby made her exit, wiping her eyes out of view of her friends, and shut the door as she went. Jaune looked back at Pyrrha. Neither of them knew how to react to the sudden interruption. Jaune fell at her bedside, finally giving in and crying. He waited a long time before speaking again. "I was frustrated, then mad at you, and then I was just sad and thought you wouldn't make it. I couldn't even face Ren or Nora for a while after that night. So don't leave again, okay? Your team needs you...I need you."
He cried quietly into the bed covers, stopping abruptly when her raspy voice cut through the sobs like a knife.
"I'm sorry."
Two days since she emerged from a coma, the wound finally regained some sensation. Pyrrha tentatively touched the bandage across the affected area from time to time. The puffy, tender patch of skin made her feel horrible about herself. Something so insignificant was a constant reminder of her loss, and of her vulnerability. Until today, she feared looking at the wound while exposed each time someone came to change her dressing. Jaune knew she finally looked earlier that same morning, but was respectful enough not to bring it up. Fortunately, by the time she checked the wound, aura had helped it to heal into a less unsightly, but jagged scar on her left side. The damage done deep inside was slower to heal, though, so she remained on mandatory bed rest.
"Jaune…" Pyrrha said, breaking the silence, "The scar, it looks…"
"Yeah?" He asked, crouching forward. Ever since she awoke, he now hung onto her every word, and spent most of his time in her room, not to her displeasure. "How bad is it?"
"Honestly? Not the worst it could be, but I feel...incomplete."
"How do you mean?"
Tears stung her eyes. "I was called 'The Invincible Girl,' Jaune. The Invincible Girl! Now I'm certainly anything but. It's like I told you at the dance. I was born blessed with a talent for fighting, and I thought my destiny would be fulfilled that night. Instead, I-"
"I survived the Fall of Beacon, and all I got was this stupid scar?"
She laughed without restraint, not caring if her bandage peeled away a little. He always knew how to cheer her up. "Yes, exactly that."
"It's going to be okay, Pyrrha." He walked over to cover her hand with his own. They both instinctively jerked back and looked away. The gesture was so natural that he hadn't even thought about it, but the physical contact immediately revived their repressed memories of that night, when Pyrrha kissed him before going off on a suicide mission. The question that lingered in each of their minds nagged at the two students mercilessly, causing them to go silent again. Just what were they now? Jaune had not addressed the topic yet, but he knew they would have to talk about it eventually.
"How do you know it will?" She shifted under the covers, and looked out of the window. Jaune wondered what she could be thinking about.
"Doesn't matter what happens, as long as we're all together." Jaune gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
Pyrrha wiped her tears and smiled back. Her body felt lighter, like simply being next to him lifted her heavy burden. "Thank you, Jaune."
Almost a week later, Pyrrha was lying in her bed, while Jaune sat in a chair nearby, as usual. The previously barren room had undergone a transformation. Now, her bed was replaced by an adjustable one fitted with railings, she was hooked up to a few Atlesian high-tech monitoring devices, there were various types of medical equipment in the room, a vase was on the window sill filled with flowers, and she had received extra pillows and blankets. All of this was thanks to General Ironwood, who assigned two of his best military nurses to suspend their field duties and take shifts looking after Pyrrha. A note attached to the flowers, handwritten by the general, commended her for her bravery during the Fall of Beacon, wished her a smooth, speedy recovery, and apologized profusely for getting her mixed up in all of this in the first place.
Thoughts wandering, she picked up the note and read it again. The flowers in the vase, including one unique flower Ren and Nora brought as a gift to her, were looking vibrant and healthy. Jaune noticed Pyrrha's expression changing to one of sadness, and immediately offered his support.
"What is it?"
She chuckled softly, still staring at the small, folded square of paper. "It's funny, you know? I shouldn't feel like this. I always talked about how much pressure being put on a pedestal placed on me. Now that I've failed, this means I'm finally free, right?"
"Y-yeah, I guess."
"...But I don't feel free."
"Is it because they couldn't find her body? Cinder?" As of a few days ago, they finally had a name for the woman who tried to take Pyrrha's life, but she felt nothing when it was mentioned.
"Probably partially, but I don't think that's all. I feel like...like there's still more for me to do."
"Pyrrha, I get that, but...you didn't fail. You're still alive, aren't you?"
No answer.
"The common people might believe the story that the media spun, but everyone else, our friends, the teachers...they know what you did for us."
Pyrrha frowned. She had lost, liberating her from the shackles of the lofty expectations of victory that had become almost synonymous with the name Pyrrha Nikos. She should be happy, but why wasn't she?
Just then, Qrow, Professor Ozpin's friend, walked in. The room's atmosphere instantly shifted from calm to tense. He ran a hand through his spiky dark hair. They had not seen each other at all from the moment she regained consciousness. So for Pyrrha, at least, this was their first meeting since before The Fall.
"Hello," she said, unsure what to expect.
"Hey, kid," he half-mumbled. She surmised that his slurred speech must have meant he was drunk. Given recent events, it was hard to blame him. "I'll just cut to the chase." He looked at Jaune. "I need you to give us the room."
"I can't do that."
Pyrrha gasped. "Jaune! It's alright."
"I'm not leaving you alone, Pyrrha."
"Really, I promise, it's fine."
Jaune grunted. He didn't like this, but would respect her wishes. "Fine. I'll be just outside the door. Ren and Nora should be here soon." He stepped around Qrow, who raised an eyebrow at him as he exited the room.
"Anyway…" Qrow spun the visitor's chair around and squatted, resting on what should have been the chair backing. "Oz is missing. Things have gone south, and I figure you've been through a lot on account of us. Because of Oz, and his inner circle. So you deserve to know."
"Sorry, I don't follow. Know...what exactly?" She swallowed hard.
"The whole truth. Not the puppies and kittens version we gave you at Beacon. But only if you're up for it. There's no going back once you know."
Pyrrha always felt there was more behind the Maidens and their history. She steeled her gaze and nodded. "I'm ready."
"Are you absolutely sure?" He waited a moment.
Pyrrha wrung her hands together, making sure to think through everything carefully before giving Qrow a response. "Yes. Tell me."
Qrow sighed, cleared his throat, and began to tell Pyrrha the story that would redefine reality as she understood it before. She now knew that after the fall, nothing was going to be the same. "The Grimm...have a master named Salem."
"...I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"