I, Jaune, was sitting on my bed in the joint dorm room I shared with my team, JNPR. We were all present and accounted for... except for Pyrrha. After Yang was taken into custody, the Vytal Festival was postponed to the following day. The kingdom decided that it would be best to wait and let the situation cool before resuming the matches. I waited for Pyrrha to come out from the stadium.
"Hey Pyrrha! Since the fights were delayed, do you want to go to the recently-opened Megálo Athlití restaurant?"
"T-Thank you Jaune but I cannot."
"Oh, if you're worried about preparing for battle tomorrow don't worry. This place has really healthy food available with plenty of protein for you muscular body."
"I... I am sorry Jaune but I have somewhere else to be."
After that, she walked off.
Something seemed to be on her mind back then. I wonder what it was? It couldn't be?!
"Pyrrha has someone she likes?!"
"Duh!"
I heard Nora shout from the other side of the room. Did I say that last part out loud?
"You're so dense Jaune! Pyrrha has someone she's liked for some time now."
"Who is it Nora?!"
"It's- mrhmrhm."
Ren quickly covered Nora's mouth before she could finish. He replied to my query in his usual calm Ren tone.
"Please don't listen to Nora. She loves to exaggerate. I'm sure Pyrrha was just bothered after what happened with Yang and Mercury."
Ren whispered something to Nora which I didn't hear then uncovered her mouth. Nora scowled at Ren for a second before putting on her happy face again.
"Cheer up Jaune, I can assure you that Pyrrha isn't out seeing a guy."
"W-well, it's not that I-I mind if she's out with another guy. I-I was just concerned with her whereabouts. That's it."
"Sure Jaune, whatever you say."
Nora then put her headphones on. Ren came over and sat down on my bed.
"I'm going to give you some advice Jaune. Maybe you should think about which girl is on your mind more often, Pyrrha or Weiss."
Ren got up.
"I'm going to go shower. Now that I've given you my advice Jaune, please don't come in while I'm showering and ask for advice."
Nora popped her headphones off while grinning.
"Ooh, does that mean we can shower together Ren? Well, not together together but-"
"No, Nora. Also, no sticking your cold hands into the shower and onto my skin OR jumping on me as soon as I exit the shower."
Nora put her headphones back on.
"Spoilsport." She muttered sourly.
"She does that Ren?"
"When we were kids, she did that more times than you would believe. She also once tried to go into the bath with me, but that was when we were very young. Despite her threats, she does have some level of decorum." He glanced at Nora. "Just not very much," he finished, his voice fading as he left the room for the dorm bathhouse.
I looked askance at Nora before deciding it was better not to question her about what Ren had told me. I do wonder where Pyrrha is though. A thought of Pyrrha wrapped in a towel exiting a shower flashed into my mind but I shoved it out quickly.
"She's not showering... probably... maybe I should go and look..."
"No, bad Jaune!"
Nora hit me over the head. I really have got to stop saying my thoughts aloud.
Meanwhile deep below Beacon Academy. Pyrrha exited the elevator into the hallway she had trod before—the hall that lead to the Fall Maiden. Her mind went back to that conversation with Jaune after she left the colosseum. She had made up her mind to accept the Maiden's power, come what may, but seeing Jaune had shaken her resolve. There was a risk she would not be the same person after this. She loved Jaune and did not want to lose what she had with him. Then again, what did she have with him? He was nice to her (and even wore a dress for her) but he had wanted to ask Weiss to the dance first. Even after the dance, he still pined after Weiss, especially after Neptune had gone back to his flirting ways and was not dating Weiss. How could she lose what she did not have in the first place? Jaune did not love her back. If he did, he would have responded to her hints and would not still be so stricken with Weiss. If after all that happened at the dance, he still wouldn't reciprocate her feelings. He never would.
Pyrrha reached the end of the hallway where the aura transfer device was located along with the Maiden's body. Such a hideous and immoral thing Atlas had conceived; yet, here she was and she was about to use it. Her actions were for the sake of the world and even Glynda and Ozpin were going along with the plan, so it must be alright in this one circumstance.
"We've been expecting you Pyrrha."
General Ironwood greeted her first. Ozpin spoke next.
"We know we've asked a lot of you Pyrrha. This is your last chance to change your mind. So I ask a final time, are you willing to do this?"
Pyrrha took a deep breath, steeling herself to give a response. Jaune's face appeared in her mind. She brushed the thought aside. This was for his sake too and it was the most she could offer him of herself.
"Yes, let us do it."
"Good. Now lay down in this side of the device," General Ironwood instructed. "We are going to seal the chamber then we attempt to transfer the aura. There is a flow of oxygen inside the chamber so just relax and clear your mind."
"Yes sir."
Pyrrha followed the general's instructions. Glynda closed the hatch. Though not often given to joyful expressions, she flashed a small smile at Pyrrha though the glass window of the chamber as if to reassure her. Qrow just stood back and quaffed some alcohol with a scowl on his face.
General Ironwood was at the controls flanked by Glynda and Ozpin. He read out the displays from the machine.
"Compatibility is at 85%, the minimum is 50% to do an aura transfer."
He pulled a lever and the machine started whirring.
"Aura transfer is starting. Stability is at acceptable levels."
The whirring grew louder and the chamber holding the Fall Maiden began to glow bright white. Soon it was so bright that no one could look directly at it. The chamber Pyrrha was in also started glowing.
"Instability is rising but is within acceptable levels."
The glow in Pyrrha's chamber grew brighter. Suddenly, a light on the machine control panel started blinking red and an alarm sounded urgently.
"What's happening James?!" Glynda shouted.
"Aura instability has passed the critical point!" The general yelled back, desperately hitting buttons on the panel.
"Shut it down James!" Ozpin shouted, just loud enough to be heard but still with a note of calm in his raised voice.
"I can't! At this point, it's too late to stop!"
Pyrrha's chamber glowed an intense reddish gold.
"Get her out of there now James!" Glynda berated Ironwood.
"I can't!" He shot back.
Just then the main portion of the machine exploded sending sparks showering everywhere and knocking Ironwood, Glynda, and Ozpin to the floor. They were unharmed and immediately got up.
"I told you this would happen," Qrow slurred drunkenly.
"Silence Qrow." Ozpin replied.
"Whatever," came the slurred rebuttal.
Ironwood walked over to Pyrrha's chamber and attempted to grab hold of it before his hands shot back and he gave a pained yelp, smoke rising from his white gloves that now had black marks on them.
"Let me."
Glynda moved her riding crop and opened the chamber telekinetically. Ironwood pulled the limp form of Pyrrha out.
"Is she...?" Glynda covered her mouth in horror.
"No, she's still alive! We need to get her to a hospital!"
Four adults ran into the hospital (one staggering slightly) and Pyrrha's body was rushed into the intensive care ward.
The group waited outside the room until a nurse came out.
"She's still unconscious but we've stabilized her."
Glynda's breath escaped in a sigh of relief.
"Damn right," Qrow chimed in then took another swig of his seemingly bottomless canteen.
The nurse left them. Ozpin took out his data scroll from his pocket.
"You may all go back to your duties. I will inform Jaune Arc of the condition of his teammate and wait with Pyrrha until he arrives."
The three looked quizzically at Ozpin, but did as he said. He was uncannily insightful about these sorts of things.