I looked up weakly, an arrow in my heel and exhausted as the woman in red held my chin. I pulled away, glaring. I would not look weak in my final moments. I refused to be a coward.
"Do you believe in destiny?" I asked. The woman seemed surprised, then frowned slightly.
"Yes." A bow of glass formed in the woman's hands, the bowstring drawn. I refused to look away as the arrow plunged into my heart. My blood became fire, and I choked as my lungs refused to take in air, blood rising in my throat. The last thing I felt was the woman's hand on my forehead and heat...
"PYRRHA!"
/\/\/\/\
I looked up at a white light, a pale hand being offered to me. I looked into kind green eyes.
"Penny?" I asked. The girl smiled brightly, no anger or hatred.
"We're not done, just yet." She promised. I took her hand, seeing some others with us.
"Amber." I stared. The previous Fall Maiden gave a small nod.
"Thank you, Pyrrha." Amber smiled, then entered the white light. I moved to follow, but Penny stopped me, so I looked at the second figure.
"Aren't you Roman Torchwick?" I asked. A look of mild amusement shone on the man's face.
"And aren't you Pyrrha Nikos?" Torchwick asked coyly. "That was some fight, kid... I have to say, not bad."
"I died." I glared. Torchwick just rolled his eyes.
"And Little Red Riding Hood got me killed, too. But she's also giving us a second chance, so deal with it."
"What?" I asked. Penny waved her hand, and an image appeared.
'"PYRRHA!" Ruby screamed, her eyes erupting in white light. The woman in red panicked.
"WHAT?!" She asked. The Dragon froze, and both red-wearers vanished. All that remained was silver Dust.'
The image shifted.
'Ruby appeared in a crater, two boys and a man finding her.'
"What does this mean?" I asked. Penny looked up.
"Ruby has traveled to a new world, and we've been assigned the task of keeping her safe."
"In exchange for pulses." Torchwick added, then frowned. "All of the so-called bad guys of Remnant have been transferred to this place, too. I have to find my partner."
"It's my job to keep her weaponized." My fellow Huntress-in-training stated. "My new body will let me synthesize Dust, so I'll be able to get Ruby all she'll ever need while fighting the evils of Earth and Remnant."
"It's my job to watch out for all of the local scumbags." Torchwick crossed his arms, looking bored. "I can't believe I'm protecting Little Red, but at least I'm not going back for a while. I get to keep my age and devilishly good looks until Red's twenty-two... It's your job to follow and watch over her, no matter where she goes."
"How will I do that?" I asked. "If I'm alive, it's not like I'll be able to walk through walls."
"You were going to be a Maiden, but your destiny's much bigger, now." Penny smiled. "You're the Phoenix, and you will rise from ashes."
"See you in seven years, Cereal Box." Torchwick waved. Then, everything went black.
/\/\/\/\
I woke up with a start, gasping for breath and falling to my knees. Burning embers flew all around me, and I looked down to see myself in my armor. A repaired Mílo and Akoùo were on my back, and a red backpack was on the ground before me. I reached out and opened it, finding normal clothes, fake IDs, and more money than anyone would ever need inside. I gave a small smile.
"I always wanted to be a hero... Guess I'll have to settle for vigilante." Then, I dissolved into burning embers.
/\/\/\/\
It was seven years later when I stood before Ruby. I wore a golden/yellow hoodie, a red t-shirt, jeans, and black sneakers. My weapons were on my back, my bad slung over my right shoulder. I smiled.
"It's been a long time, Ruby." I grinned. My friend stared.
"Pyrrha?!" She asked. I nodded, letting a tear fall. Tears streamed down Ruby's face as she slowly approached, Sam standing behind her. "But... Cinder killed you. How are you here?"
"I'm not a ghost, if that's what you think." I teased. "Believe me, I've watched you fight plenty of those... I don't exactly approve."
"It's really you." Ruby smiled. "PYRRHA!" I was crushed in an Ursa-hug, and I hugged back. We pulled away, laughing. "I missed you!"
"I missed you, too! Who said you could get older?!"
"It has to happen, sometime... Pyrrha, how? I saw Cinder kill you. You were shot, and ashes..."
"You arrived late, Ruby... But you still saved me." I placed my hands on my hips, beaming. "Myself and two others who fell that day were sent here to protect you, given second chances."
"Two others?" Ruby asked. "Do I know them?"
"Well."
"So..." Ruby's eyes lit up. "Penny?!" I nodded. "Penny! She's okay! Wait, wait." A look of confusion flashed across Ruby's face. "Who else died?"
"Well..." I tapped my index finger together, nervous. Ruby gaped.
"No."
"Sorry."
"No."
"Sorry!"
"NO, NO, NO!"
"He wasn't thrilled, either."
"Out of everyone, him?!"
"Unfortunately. He's been keeping shady people off your back, and Sam and Dean's. He's also been throwing the authorities off."
"Of course..."
"Wait, what's going on?" Sam asked. We looked back.
"You know how fooling the police got easier recently?" Ruby asked. Sam nodded. "My worst enemy has been protecting us."
"But it's not out of the kindness of his heart. At least, it wasn't at first..." I sighed, shaking my head. "It's his second chance, and he's trying to find someone." Ruby blinked a few times, then gasped in realization.
"Neo! He's looking for that little ice-creamy friend of his! The girl with the umbrella!"
"I guess so." I shrugged. "It's been seven years, and I've been watching over you at a distance. I think it's high-time I join your little adventure."
"More the merrier." Sam rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Looks like you get the middle."
"The middle?" I asked, scoffing. "Who says I'm riding in your car?"
/\/\/\/\
I pulled out my car keys and clicked them, revealing that the black Camaro was mine as it lit up. Sam and Ruby stared, their eyes wide.
"Shotgun." Ruby squeaked. Sam shot a glare. "Kidding! Yang can ride with Pyrrha..."
"Are you certain that Dean will be okay with that?" I teased. Sam and Ruby raised eyebrows.
"Dean?" Sam asked. "What do you mean, D-? Oh..."
"I knew that drawing of Yang was too good." Ruby crossed her arms. I laughed, shaking my head.
"Seven years, and Ruby is still as innocent as when we met."
"Hey!"
"Stop." I warned. "You're starting to sound like Weiss."
"I take offense to that!"
/\/\/\/\
We arrived at the hotel room, Ruby and Sam entering first. I remained in the hallway, listening.
"Rubes..." I heard Dean sigh. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"It's alright, Dean." I heard Ruby reply. She was always so forgiving... "I've got some good news, and some bad news. Bad news first: Dean, you're not as good of a counterfeiter as we thought. Roman Torchwick's alive and keeping the cops off our backs."
"What?!" I heard Yang ask. "That ass is alive?!"
"Yep, and apparently less hostile. Ready for the good news?" The door opened, revealing Yang and Dean staring at me. I waved, smiling.
"Hello, again!" I greeted. I was hit with the force of a speeding truck, Yang hugging me tightly.
"Pyrrha!" The blonde brawler exclaimed, pulling away. "You're alive?! And here?! I can't believe it! ... You aged well." I rolled my eyes, laughing.
"You, too." I grinned, then frowned. "How is Jaune? How about Ren and Nora?" Yang smirked.
"Well... Renora is now canon."
"They're dating?!"
"Engaged."
"Yes!" I cheered. "Ren took the hint?!" The blonde laughed.
"Hit him one day like a slap across the face. Almost felt sorry for the poor bastard... Jaune's doing okay. But he hasn't been the same since you, well, died."
"Hold on, this is the girl who became an ashtray?" Dean asked. I nodded, extending a hand.
"Pyrrha Nikos." I shook Dean's hand. "Now that that's settled... I suggest we all get some rest. We'll need it."
"Yeah!" Yang cheered. "I love it when you're ominous!"
/\/\/\/\
The three gave me a rundown of their current investigation, so I would be able to help out. The next day, we tried to go and visit a boy called Lucas (Dean having a small freak-out when he saw my car). But, I did drive alone... Sam, Dean, Yang, and Ruby thought Lucas might be able to help us. His mother, Andrea, wasn't all that enthusiastic.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think it's a good idea."
"We just need to talk to him." Dean assured, gesturing to Ruby and himself. "Just for a few minutes"
"He won't say anything. What good's it gonna do."
"Andrea." Sam pleaded. "We think more people might get hurt. We think something's out there."
"My husband, the others: they just drowned. That's all."
"If that's what you really believe, then we'll go." Dean stated. "But if you think there's even a possibility that something else could be going on here, please let us talk to your son."
/\/\/\/\
Andrea led us up to Lucas' room, and we stood outside the door as Ruby and Dean entered.
"Hey, Lucas." Dean smiled, crouching to Lucas' height as the boy sat on the floor with his toy soldiers, drawing. Ruby kneeled next to Dean, grinning. "You remember us?" The boy didn't reply, so Dean looked at his pictures. "You know, I, uh... I wanted to thank you for that last drawing."
"And trying to tell me that Pyrrha was here." Ruby added. Andrea raised an eyebrow, and I waved.
I had found the boy in the woods, drawing with those toy soldiers. I stayed and talked to him (though he stayed silent), and I was surprised when he revealed a bizarre knowledge of Remnant. That's when I told him to look for a girl in a red hoodie, and to ask her specific questions. I gave him the answers, then told him to tell her about this encounter if she answered them correctly.
"But the thing is..." Dean continued talking to Lucas. "We need your help again." The older Winchester brother. "How did you know to draw this? Did you know something bad was gonna happen?" No reply. "Maybe you could nod yes or no for me... You're scared. It's okay, I understand. See, when I was your age, I saw something real bad happen to my mom, and I was scared, too." I saw shock momentarily flash over Sam's face. "I didn't feel like talking, just like you. But see, my mom: I knew she wanted me to be brave. I think about that every day, and I do my best to be brave."
"I don't know if my mom would agree with all the paths I've taken in my life..." Ruby looked down. "But she'd want me to be brave."
"And maybe your dad wants you to be brave, too." Dean and Ruby watched as Lucas dropped his brown crayon and looked up, Andrea's eyes widening. The boy handed Dean another picture, one that depicted a white church, a yellow house, a brown fence, and a little boy on a red bike. "Thanks, Lucas."
/\/\/\/\
We drove around, my Camaro following the Impala as it searched for the buildings in the drawing. Finally, we found it and arrived at the yellow house.
"We're sorry to bother you, ma'am." Dean spoke to the old woman. "But does a little boy live here, by chance? He might wear a blue ball-cap. Has a red bicycle." The woman looked shocked.
"No, sir. Not for a very long time... Peter's been gone thirty-five years, now. The police never... I never had any idea what happened. He just disappeared." We noticed some green army men on a shelf, and we knew we were in the right place. "Losing him, you know... It's... It's worse than dying."
"Did he disappear from here?" Dean asked, trying to be kind. "I mean, from this house?"
"He was supposed to ride his bike straight home after school, and he never showed up." The old woman looked down. I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she started sobbing.
"I'm sorry for your loss." I sighed. Dean noticed a picture of two boys and a bike and took it, reading the words written on the back.
"Peter Sweeny and Billy Carlton, 1970."
/\/\/\/\
We drove to the Carlton house to speak with Bill Carlton, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Mr. Carlton!" Sam called. Then, we heard an engine.
"Hey, check it out!" Dean shouted. We turned to see a man in a boat, driving out into the lake. The two boys sprinted for the docks, shouting for him to come back. I ran over and raised my hand, trying to draw the boat back with my power, but it was out of the range of my powers by the time I arrived. Ruby and Yang caught up just as the boat hit something, flying into the air before vanishing below the water's surface.
/\/\/\/\
We got dragged down to the police station by the Sheriff (Jake), finding Andrea and Lucas there.
"Sam, Dean, Ruby, Yang... And Pyrrha, was it?" Andrea asked. I nodded. "I didn't expect to see you, here."
"So, now you're on a first-name basis?" Jake asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I brought you dinner."
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I really don't have the time."
"I heard about Bill Carlton. Is it true? Is something going on at the lake?"
"Yes." Yang replied bluntly, only to get Ruby's elbow in her ribcage. The blonde-brawler wheezed. "When did you get so strong..?
"Right now, we don't know what the truth is, but I think it might be better if you and Lucas went home." Jake really didn't like us, did he? Suddenly, Lucas panicked and grabbed Dean's arm.
"Lucas?!" Dean asked, worried. "Hey, what is it?! Lucas?!"
"Lucas?!" Andrea asked, kneeling. Lucas refused to let go of Dean's arm, no matter what.
"Hey, Lucas! It's okay!" Dean tried. "It's okay!" Lucas calmed down at let go, and Andrea let him out.
"What..? Just happened?" Yang asked, trying to break the tension. "I don't know about any of you guys, but I'm completely lost."
"Nope, no idea what just happened." Ruby agreed. I nodded. Jake stormed off, and we followed.
/\/\/\/\
"Okay, just so in clear..." Jake was interrogating us. "You see something attack Bill's boat, sending Bill (who is a very good swimmer, by the way) into the drink, and you never see him again?" Dean looked at us.
"Yeah, that about sums it up." He admitted. Jake glared.
"And I'm supposed to believe this, even though I've already sonar-swept that entire lake, and what you're describing is impossible? Though, someone did prove you're Wildlife Service..."
"Who?" Sam asked. "I mean, which of our coworkers?"
"Don't know, didn't ask. Some guy over the phone who sounded like he should be running the mafia, not protecting little bunnies."
I kid you not, it took all of my willpower to not laugh at the image of Roman Torchwick guarding bunnies flashed through my head.
"Ah, old Torchy." Yang smirked. "He's a real softie, trust me." Ruby snickered slightly at that.
"Stop that!" Jake ordered. "The only reason you're breathing free air is one of Bill's neighbors saw him steering out that boat just before you did. So, we have a couple of options, here. One: I can hold you as material-witnesses to Bill Carlton's disappearance. Two: we can chalk this all up to a bad day, you get into your cars, you put this town in your rear-view mirrors, and you don't ever darken my doorstep again!"
"Three..." Yang held up her scroll. "We show you this video of what happened to Carlton, and you let us continue our investigation."
"Listen here-!"
"HEY!" Yang glared. "People have died, and they're going to keep dying unless we sort this out! See the five of us?! We're the ones they call when things go wrong, and things have gone wrong! So button your lip, sit your ass down, and LET US DO OUR JOB!" Yang's eyes flashed red, and Jake recoiled. Satisfied, Yang sat down and played the video on her scroll. "I thought I saw something up when he refused to come back, so I took the video. Guess I was right."
"My God..." Jake stared, then closed his eyes. "Get out."
"Does this mean we can continue investigating?" Dean asked. Jake looked up, livid.
"GET OUT!"
/\/\/\/\
We left the station, going back for the Impala and the Camaro. We drove back to Andrea's house (I guess Dean had a hunch), only to find a panicked Lucas. He led us upstairs, and we barely saved Andrea from getting drowned in her bathtub by Peter's spirit. The next morning, I wrapped a comforting arm around the shaken Lucas as Dean searched for answers and Sam questioned Andrea about what happened. Ruby and Yang simply watched, talking quietly about who knows what.
As they discussed the fact that the Sheriff was also involved with Peter, Lucas got up and looked out the window.
"Lucas?" Dean asked, frowning. "Lucas, what is it?" Lucas opened the door and went outside, so we followed him all the way to the woods. The boy paused, and Dean frowned. "Ruby, Yang, Pyrrha: get Andrea and Lucas back to their house and stay there, okay?"
"Will you be okay?" Ruby asked. Sam smiled.
"We'll be fine, Ruby. Promise." With that, we returned to the house.
/\/\/\/\
As we waited in the house, Andrea noticed her father holding a gun to Sam and Dean, growing worried.
"Go to your room, sweetie." She pleaded with Lucas. "Now. Lock the door and wait for me. Don't come out." The boy nodded and departed.
"Ruby." I looked at the girl. "Watch after him."
"But-"
"Please." Yang tried. Ruby sighed and nodded, then followed Lucas up the staircase.
/\/\/\/\
Yang, Andrea, and I ran outside and to the woods as Dean and Sam tried to reason with Jake.
"Now, you've got one seriously pissed-off spirit." Dean was saying. Andrea's eyes widened.
"It's gonna take Andrea, Lucas, everyone you love." Sam added. "It's gonna drown them, and it's gonna drag their bodies God-knows-where so you can feel the same pain Peter's mom felt. And then, after that, it's gonna take you. And it's not gonna stop until it does."
"How do you know that?" The Sheriff asked, frowning. I stepped between him and the two brothers.
"That's what it did to Bill Carlton." I stated, Yang coming to stand next to me. "Please, Sheriff. Let us help you."
"We'll kick its ass." Yang promised, smirking.
"Listen to yourselves, all four of you!" Jake glared. "You're insane!"
"I don't really give a rat's-ass what you think of us." Dean announced. "But if we're gonna bring down this spirit, we need to find the remains, salt them, and burn them into dust... Tell me you buried Peter somewhere. Tell me you didn't just let him go in the lake."
/\/\/\/\
Meanwhile, in the house with Ruby and Lucas:
"You can't go out there!" Ruby shouted, holding the struggling boy as he reached for the door. "Peter will hurt you, and I can't let him!" Ruby pulled Lucas down, sitting and hugging him, trying to calm him down. "It's okay, it's okay. Calm down, I've got you...
One life
Is not a long time
When you're waiting
For a small sign..." Ruby started singing Wings, and the boy slowly calmed down, crying into her shoulder. "It's okay... Please don't tell the boys I can sing. They will never let me live it down." Little did Ruby know, Lucas looked up and glared, grabbing a large book.
CRACK!
/\/\/\/\
"Dad..." Andrea stared. "Is any of this true?"
"No, don't listen to them." Jake hadn't lowered his weapon. "They're liars, and they're dangerous." I had left Akoúo in the Camaro, but Mílo was on my back, hidden by my hair and backpack. If worst came to worst...
"Something tried to drown me." Andrea was getting angry, now. "Chris died on that lake! Dad, look at me!" Jake hesitantly looked over. "Tell me you-you didn't kill anyone." Jake looked down. "Oh my God..."
"Billy and I were at the lake. Peter was the smallest one. We always bullied him, but this time... It got rough. We were holding his head under the water. We didn't mean to, but we held him under too long, and he drowned... We let the body go, and it sank."
"Oh my God." I covered my mouth with my hand, stunned. Yang placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Oh, Andrea." Jake saw his daughter's horrified face. "We were kids. We were so scared. It was a mistake. But Andrea, to say that I have anything to do with these drownings, with Chris, because of some ghost... It's not rational."
"Alright, listen to me." Dean spoke. "All of you, we need to get you away from this lake. As far as we can, right now." Then, Andrea gasped. Lucas was at the dock, reaching into the lake to retrieve an army man.
"LUCAS!" Jake shouted. We ran over, a flash of rose-petals in front of us revealing a woozy Ruby, but she shook out of it and ran forward, grabbing Lucas and pulling him away just before a ghostly hand could grab him.
"I've got you!" Ruby grinned, then gasped as the dock started breaking under her and reached a hand out to halt us. We stopped running, standing at the edge of safety. Ruby looked up, scared and holding the boy close.
"Ruby!" Yang shouted, and I held her back, knowing that one false step could send both of them to their deaths. Andrea and Jake stared in horror.
"Dean, you'll have to catch him." Ruby stated, getting ready to throw the small boy. All eyes widened.
"Ruby, don't." Dean warned. "The force will break the dock. You'll get in the water, and I have a feeling that Peter won't be too happy about you helping this family... He'll drag you down."
"I can't let him get Lucas." Ruby glared. "I have no way of getting to you guys. No matter what, I'm falling into this lake. But Lucas has a way out... I'm a Huntress. It's my job to protect people."
"Ruby, don't!" Yang pleaded. "We'll figure this out! Maybe Pyrrha can use her power on Crescent Rose!"
"I left it in the Impala. It doesn't work on spirits." The docks creaked. "I'm throwing him, and Dean had better catch him... In one." Ruby got ready, closing her eyes. "In two."
"Ruby, no!" Sam shouted. Ruby opened her eyes and smiled sadly.
"Three." Ruby threw Lucas into Dean's arms, then screamed as the dock collapsed and she was sent tumbling into the water. Ruby threaded water for a few moments, then something grabbed her hood and pulled her down.
"RUBY!" Sam and Dean ran forward and leapt into the water as Andrea and Lucas got away from the lake. I held a kicking and screaming Yang back as the brothers searched for the last Silver-Eyed Warrior, Jake watching in horror. Then, Jake leapt into the water.
"Peter please, if you can hear me, let the girl go!" He shouted, walking further into the lake. "She has nothing to do with this, and she's too young! I'm sorry, Peter! I'm so sorry! It's not her fault! It's not Lucas' fault! It's not Andrea's fault! It was no one's fault but mine and Bill's! It's my fault, Peter! It's mine! Please, take me!" Sam and Dean popped out, panicked as they kept searching.
"Ruby!" Sam shouted. "RUBY!" Then, Dean saw...
"Jake, no!" That's when the Sheriff was pulled under. Sam and Dean dove back under, and Yang buried her face into my shoulder, sobbing.
"I just got her back!"
"They'll find her." I promised. "Ruby will be alright." Several moments passed, and Dean popped out of the water. Ruby wasn't with him. All eyes focused on the spot where Sam went under. If he came alone... That's when Sam emerged from the water, bringing with him a tiny figure in red.
/\/\/\/\
We pulled Sam, Dean, and Ruby from the water. The Red Reaper coughed, clearing the water from her lungs, before opening her silver eyes.
"W-what happened?" She asked. Then, she was crushed in a Yang-style Ursa-hug.
"YOU IDIOT!" Yang snapped. "Or, as Weiss would say: YOU COMPLETE DOLT!" Ruby hugged back, closing her eyes, before opening the silver orbs again. They went to Andrea and Lucas, to me, to Dean, and they finally rested on Sam. Ruby smiled weakly, Sam giving a small grin, then Ruby closed her eyes again.
"I'm sorry."
/\/\/\/\
The next morning, we left the town. We had purchased an iPhone for Yang (everyone else had one), and I had mine connected to hers and the charger so the passengers of both cars could communicate on the road. In my Camaro, I grinned.
"So..." I began. "Where to?"
:Who the Hell knows?: Dean asked. :We're making this up as we go along, Cereal Box.:
"Ruby told you about that?!"
:Heh...: Ruby laughed nervously. :To the next adventure!: I rolled my eyes, then started the Camaro.
It was time to begin the next hunt.
YAY! They're on the road! Okay, I need you guys to vote on the next chapter:
1. The next adventure (with the planes, demon, etc.). This one will take a long time to write.
2. The next RWBY-react with Sam and Dean (to Ruby Rose). I can have it out tomorrow.
Vote in the comments! Please read, review, check out my other stories, etc. Thanks!