Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY, its characters, or its soundtrack.
Author's Note:
This was supposed to have been done 2 months ago. Unfortunately, college and life got in the way. If anyone enjoyed my previous piece and has been hoping to see more, I apologise for the delay.
It took several rewrites to piece everything together in a way that kind of flows. Something still feels off, but I can't pinpoint the problem. Anyway, dear readers, if you like this piece, or have some suggestions to make, please do leave me a review. Thank you :)
Destiny
A single maple leaf floats lightly in the autumn air. It drifts without aim, carried by the wind. Until a careful hand catches it between its fingers.
The blonde warrior stares at the leaf in his hand. A crimson leaf, as bright as the hair of the girl occupying his thoughts. He gives a pained wistful smile before letting the leaf fall from between his fingers.
Wind catches the falling leaf and sends it back into the air. His blue eyes follow its erratic movements until it is carried out of sight. With a weary sigh, he turns and trudges on. His slow and heavy gait belongs to a man who has endured ordeals far beyond his years. But despite having carried the weight of the world, he stands tall and unyielding, a hero forged from the trials of war and loss. A hero who, with his friends, fought and saved humanity from complete annihilation.
Of course, it is only said friends who can see beneath the battle-hardened facade that he wears. Only they can see the scars beneath the surface, the wounds that had never healed. It is said that time can heal all wounds, but he knows better. Not every open wound is simply healed by time. Guilt. Grief. Regret. The familiar blades dance around him day after day, reopening wound after wound. He takes a sharp painful breath and pushes himself forward.
One step…
Another step…
And another…
Until at last he stands atop a cliff overlooking the city of Vale. He ignores the breathtaking view, focusing solely on the gravestone before him. Despite the mass of fallen leaves in the area, the ground around it is clear, save for a solitary red rose sitting at its base. Of course, she would have made it here before him. He drops to his knees, running a hand over the words inscribed on the stone.
Pyrrha Nikos
For it is in passing that we achieve immortality
"Hey, Pyrrha."
Silence greets him.
"You must have heard from Ruby," he continues. "This war...it's over."
A gentle breeze caresses his hair as he kneels patiently in silence, as if waiting for a reply. His eyes stare blankly at the setting sun in the horizon.
"I did it," he says after a long moment. "Cinder. I killed her myself."
He puts on a smile. "I promised I'd make her pay. An Arc never goes back on his word." He closes his eyes, searching his memory for the dazzling smile that she had worn the last time he said those words to her. At the Beacon Dance. Years ago. A lifetime ago. His smile shatters.
"I miss you," he whispers. "You know that, don't you?"
In his treasured memory, her vivid green eyes gaze at him, dancing with happiness.
"I miss you, Pyrrha..." His breath catches as he feels it again. The yawning void that had started to wrap around his heart, slowly cutting off all sense of hope and direction. "I...I don't know what to do now…" he admits quietly.
"For so long, avenging you had been my only goal. The only thing that kept me grounded. But now...Pyrrha, tell me...what do I do now?"
The only answer he receives comes in the form of the howling wind. It rouses the sleeping leaves, picking them up and scattering them at its whims. He watches blankly, making no move to block a cluster of leaves blown at his face.
"I wish you were here, Pyrrha. This victory...it feels so hollow without you. So meaningless. I feel it now; the loneliness when everyone puts you on a pedestal, like you're a hero to worship. I don't want this! I don't want any of this! I'm so tired of this, Pyrrha..."
His shaking hands clench into fists. His eyes burn, but they remain dry. There are no tears left in him. Not anymore.
"Jaune, do you believe in destiny?"
Familiar words, delivered by an equally familiar voice. The shock breaks him out of his thoughts. Turning around, he finds a huntress watching him. A huntress with long hair that falls partway to her waist. Black hair, streaked with red. Bright silver eyes, shining as they meet his own.
"Do you believe in destiny?" she asks again.
...
Do you believe in destiny?
...
When I think of destiny, I don't think of a predetermined fate you can't escape. But rather… some sort of final goal, something you work towards your entire life.
...
Or what if you could suddenly fulfill your destiny in an instant, but at the cost of who you were?
Pyrrha, you're not making any sense.
None of it makes sense! This isn't how things were supposed to happen!
…
"Ruby," he hisses through gritted teeth. "Stop. We've been over this."
"Jaune, listen to me. Pyrrha-"
"STOP!" Jaune snaps as his white aura engulfs his body, burning bright with light. The same display of raw power had once caused an entire army of White Fang loyalists to cower in fear. Yet, the red huntress stands firm, unfazed by the prospect of an impending aura meltdown.
"You're not the only one who still feels the guilt," she says softly.
Her quiet words wash over him, quelling the maelstrom within. The blinding radiance wanes. Of course. He should have expected it. "I...I know…" His voice is reduced to barely more than a hoarse whisper. "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too." Ruby lowers her head mournfully. "It still haunts my dreams. If only I had been faster…"
"Ruby, it wasn't your-"
"Neither was it yours."
They stare at each other.
"You lied to me." He smiles. A bittersweet smile. The only real smile he had given in ages. "Why?"
"I thought it would help." She sighs. "I thought if you believed that I had forgiven myself, you could start doing the same."
"Did you expect it to work?" he asks, earning a sad smile and a shake of her head.
"Not really," she admits. "But it was worth a try."
Jaune nods wordlessly. A familiar silence stretches comfortably between the two friends, filling up the empty spaces in their broken hearts. A lifetime ago, the silence would have been awkward, demanding to be filled by incessant chatter. Now, it is a rare moment of solace shared between two weary warriors, almost too sacred to be broken by words. Almost.
"Ruby?"
"Hmm?"
"What were you trying to tell me earlier?"
" 'Do you believe in destiny?' Do you know why those were her last words?"
Silence.
"I didn't understand before," Ruby says softly. "But I think I do now."
"She believed in her destiny. Right to the very end she still believed in what she was doing. She believed that it would make a difference. But most of all, she believed in us. She believed in you."
Jaune remains silent, staring intently at Pyrrha's gravestone. Is that what you believed in, Pyrrha? That your efforts would not be in vain? That we would keep working towards our common destiny?
A hand lands on his shoulder. "I know you're tired, Jaune. We all are. But as huntsmen and huntresses, we can't stop fighting. It is our destiny to keep mankind safe from the Grimm. It's what Pyrrha would have done in our place."
He turns to meet the gaze of those silver eyes, bright with determination. As a leader, he had always admired her unique ability to inspire others - the way she can stand as a shining beacon of light in the darkest times. Her resolve slowly spreads, empowering him with the strength of her beliefs. He nods. "For Pyrrha."
Ruby smiles. "You know, a wise man once told me, 'The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death.' "
"No futility even in death…" Jaune echoes slowly.
"It took me a long time, but I finally understand. Pyrrha's efforts will not be in vain as long as we continue to fight for what she fought for. Through our actions, we keep her memory alive, for it is in passing that we achieve immortality."
Jaune shuts his eyes, holding back fresh tears. "Thank you, Ruby."
I still wish you were here, Pyrrha. Not having you here hurts, and I don't think it will ever stop hurting. But I will keep fighting. I will protect the world that you gave your life to defend. I swear it, Pyrrha. I swear it on my love for you.