Revised on: June 13, 2018
Water. Earth. Fire. Air.
Long ago, the four nations coexisted in harmony. Together, they stood against the forces of Grimm, creatures of nightmare hailing from another world.
Only the Avatar could master all four elements. Only he could banish the Grimm. But when the world needed him most… he vanished.
Remnant learned to truly fear the Grimm. And just as it seemed like things couldn't get any worse… The Fire Nation attacked.
Fifteen years have passed since chaos descended upon Remnant, but now a new Avatar awakens: my daughter, a young airbender named Ruby. And although her airbending skills are great, she still has a lot to learn before she's able to save anyone.
But I believe that Ruby can save the world.
Book Two: Earth
Chapter Five: The Invincible Girl
Jaune rubbed his stomach and groaned, the familiar feeling of hunger hitting once again. He took his pouch from his belt and shook it a little, but there was nothing left inside, not even crumbles.
"Uh, sorry to ask," he spoke up hesitantly. "But does anyone have a little food to spare?"
Weiss looked back over her shoulder and stopped walking, causing Ruby to crash into her, as she had been too occupied with examining the map on her hands. The redhead glared mildly at her, then stepped around her and continued walking down the road.
"I believe I have some bread left," Weiss said. "Unlike you and Ruby, I know how to control myself."
"Yes, yes. I am a dum-dum, I won't argue with you there." Jaune made a whimpering noise. "Food, please…?"
Weiss shook her head slightly, but handed him a loaf of bread anyway. "Consider being a little more conservative, perhaps then you won't-"
Almost as soon as the bread was in Jaune's hands, half of it was gone, devoured in a single bite. Weiss just stared at him, one eye twitching.
"We are doomed."
"Fret not, princess Weiss!" Ruby declared, suddenly reappearing by their side. "Heading north, we shall soon come across a quaint little village, ripe with eating goods to replenish our stocks! How wonderful!"
Jaune stopped munching for a moment. "…Why are you trying to talk posh like that?"
"I don't know." Ruby shrugged. "I thought it would be cool. Was it cool?"
"Very," Weiss said dryly, then took the map from her hands. "Ruby. That village is to the south. You were holding the map upside down."
"Really? For how long?" Ruby's eyes widened. "Oh no! Where are we?!"
Weiss folded the map and sighed. "We are extremely doomed."
Despite Weiss' pessimism, they reached the village without facing any further trouble, a few hours later after taking a slight detour on the road to Vale. This would take them a little further from Atlas than they were comfortable with, but making up the time lost would be easy.
The village was considerably big, compared to most they had passed through in their travels. Perhaps in a couple more decades, it could grow so much as to be considered a proper city.
There was a surprising amount of people in the street, considering the approaching Fire Nation army. Ruby frowned, wondering if they didn't know about that, or if they simply weren't worried.
"Hey, does this place have a name?" Jaune asked out of the blue.
"Why would you want to know?" Weiss raised an eyebrow dubiously.
"Well, half the villages we've visited didn't have names. When they did, it usually meant they were important in some way or another," he explained. "So, following that logic, we can predict whether anything significant is going to happen here by figuring out if it has a name!"
Weiss rolled her eyes, but decided to humor him nonetheless. She took out the map and opened it, casting a quick glance at their location. "Mistral," she said, then shot him a mild glare. "Ring any bells?"
Jaune's eyes widened. Weiss leaned towards him, pausing momentarily in surprise. Then he shrugged and raised his hands apologetically. "Nope."
Weiss huffed in disappointment.
Ruby spun around, quickly taking in the scenario surrounding them once again. Everyone looked happy, without a care in the world except for their jobs and whatever activities they had to carry out today. Her anxiousness slowly faded away, leaving space for a reencountered excitement.
"Hey, Weiss!" She turned around to face the princess, walking backwards. "Do you think we can make a stop here, just for a couple of days?"
"A stop? I'm not sure that is wise." Weiss furrowed her brow. "The Fire Nation is coming, Ruby. We mustn't waste a minute getting to Vale and contacting the Earth Queen."
"But we gained so much time taking that path through the mountains! We're weeks ahead of the Fire Nation now," Ruby said. "We won't stay long. And resting in a proper bed and eating some homemade food will help us move even faster once hit the road again!"
"Hmm. We haven't truly rested in a while, that is true." Weiss nodded. "Okay. But only two days. No more than that."
"Yes!" Jaune exclaimed happily. "Real food! I can't wait! Ruby, you're the best."
Ruby raised her thumbs positively and flashed Weiss a wide smile. The princess replied with a smaller one, then stretched her arms above her head, allowing herself to relax at last.
They found an inn at the center of town and rented a room there, then sat down in the living hall to grab themselves a meal. Weiss was convinced to use the money her father had granted her to order something a little more expensive than necessary, which meant some meat for Jaune, and vegetable soup for herself and Ruby.
"Man. This is the best idea you've ever had, Ruby," Jaune said, smiling happily as he laid down the silverware on his plate. His eyes were almost hypnotized by the sight of his succulent meal. "I mean, aside from a lot of actually important stuff. But, you know…"
"I agree," Ruby moaned, sniffing her soup. "I am pretty awesome…"
Weiss just hummed, trying to appear indifferent, while in truth she was barely keeping herself from slurping down her soup like she was stranded on a desert. She still needed to keep up appearances, after all.
They ate in silence for a few minutes, the only noises being produced by Ruby and Jaune's enthusiasm. Weiss dined quietly, keeping an eye on their surroundings vaguely. She wasn't worried about an ambush or anything of the like, but the number of people in the inn was unusual.
Eventually, a waitress approached them, smiling politely, even as Jaune made a particularly rude slurping noise and burped. Weiss kicked him in the shin under the table, then turned to the woman.
"Is everything to your liking, ma'am?" the waitress asked. "Is there anything else you'd like to order?"
"No. I think my friends and I have had more than enough for one night," Weiss said. "Could I ask you a question, unrelated to your services?"
"Of course," the waitress said. "I am more than happy to help you with anything. We haven't been getting many visitors lately, what with the invasion going on."
"Ah. That is exactly what I wanted to ask about," Weiss said. "You are aware of the invasion, but from what we've seen, no one in town looks… worried. Life seems to be going on as usual. Aren't you afraid of what might happen when the Fire Nation gets here?"
Ruby stopped eating to pay attention to the conversation. She saw the waitress fidget a little, but aside from that, her gentle demeanor did not change.
"Well, there is no doubt that they could do some terrible things when they get here, but…" The waitress smiled, her eyes shining a bit. "We have someone to protect us."
"Someone? Like who, the Avatar?" Ruby made an innocent expression. "'Cause, you know, I'm sure she'd help, but I don't think she'd stay here that long… if she was even here, that is."
"No, not the Avatar. I'm talking about the Invincible Girl!" the waitress declared. "She's been protecting Mistral from the Grimm and the Fire Nation for years, and she's never let us down before. If the firebenders try to hurt us, she'll drive them away, for sure!"
"Really? And this is one girl?" Weiss raised an eyebrow the waitress' way. "That's optimistic."
"There's a reason she's called the Invincible Girl. Some say she's the most powerful earthbender alive."
Weiss hummed, intrigued by that revelation. She looked to the side and almost jumped off her chair, noticing Ruby was leaning towards her with her eyes wide open.
"Ruby!" Weiss exclaimed. "What are you doing, you dolt?!"
"Excuse me, miss, but where can we find this girl?" Ruby asked, ignoring her.
"She lives at the edge of town. It's not hard to find her home, just ask around," the waitress replied, then bowed. "Excuse me, I need to get back to the other costumers. Is there really nothing else you want?"
Jaune tore a piece off his meat and swallowed with chewing. "More meat!" he yelled.
"No! No more meat, you troglodyte!" Weiss slapped his wrist, then turned and smiled politely to the waitress. "Thank you for your service."
The woman left without a word, though her disturbance was evident on her face. When she was gone, Weiss shook her head and looked at Ruby.
"Why did you want to know where this Invincible Girl lives?" she asked. "Are you thinking about paying her a visit?"
"The waitress said she's the most powerful earthbender alive, right? And I need someone to teach me earthbending," Ruby said. "I can't think of a better master!"
"I don't know. One girl defending a village this big, all by her lonesome?" Weiss crossed her arms testily. "This story sounds awfully exaggerated."
"You think?" Ruby leaned forward, resting her head on her hands and smiling smugly. "I know a girl who can defend the whole world all by herself…"
Weiss rolled her eyes. "It used to be I thought you were the humblest person I knew," she said. "That time has passed. You should be ashamed of-"
Jaune interrupted her with a burp.
"You know what? Forget what I was saying, Ruby." Weiss groaned in disgust. "At least you're not a pig like him."
Ruby squealed quietly, shaking her head with joy.
The wind blew gently across the clearing, causing the leaves to rustle and fall from the trees around her. Clouds of dirt rose from the ground, filling her nostrils with an earthy aroma. Her body shook as the tremors grew closer and closer, the intervals between each step narrowing…
Suddenly, she spun around and raised her shield, blocking the Ursa's mighty blow. She didn't move an inch, and neither did she flinch, her emerald eyes focused on the Grimm's red ones.
Kicking into gear, she jumped at the beast, kneeing it in the chest and driving it away from her, its feet dragging long stretch marks on the ground. She landed back on her feet, the shockwaves produced by the impact familiarizing her to the landscape around her.
She felt three more Ursas coming up behind her. These ones were smaller, the first one apparently being their pack leader, but that didn't make them any less dangerous. Not even thinking, she kicked back, striking the ground with the back of her left ankle. Rocky spires rose behind her, each bigger than the last, until they finally reached the Grimm.
One of them died instantly, turning to smoke, but the other two dodged to the sides and closed in on her. She bashed one in the face with her shield, then flipped over the other. Before landing, she flicked a wrist, sending a boulder bursting from the ground and into the Grimm, killing it.
She landed, immediately hopping back to dodge the swipe of a claw, and threw another boulder at the remaining Grimm. It burst right through it and continued soaring towards the leader, but the Ursa Major swung its arms in an x-shape, breaking it.
The creature was exuding hatred now more than ever, its drive to kill her overwhelming its feeble mind. It charged at her, roaring, but she stood her ground. When it was ten paces from her, she threw her shield, hitting the Ursa in the nostril. The monster stumbled back in a daze for a moment, then straightened up and glared at her, prepared to attack again…
She raised her arms, and from the left and right of the Ursa, two huge rocks emerged. She slapped her hands together, and the two rocks clashed against each other, squashing the beast between them. When she let go control of them and they crumbled to the ground, there was nothing left but smoke.
She smiled and pointed a hand at her fallen shield, preparing to…
"Wow!" someone shouted somewhere behind her. "Nice job!"
She nearly yelled, turning around abruptly to see a trio of strangers standing there. They looked just about her age, except the redhead in the lead. She looked younger. And there was something… familiar about her. Where had she seen her before?
"Uh, hi," the redhead smiled nervously. "Sorry. Did we scare you?"
"No. I'm just surprised. I should have felt you coming, that's all," she smiled. "I guess I was too busy dealing with those Grimm."
"Yeah? That was awesome!" the girl exclaimed, punching the air. "First you were really pow!, and then you went pah! and then woosh! over them and then kabaam-"
"I think she gets the point, Ruby," the white-haired girl beside her said.
"It wasn't all that impressive," the earthbender looked away bashfully. "They were just everyday Grimm. Business as usual." She looked at the strangers again, walking closer. "Anyway… What are you three doing out here? Did you get lost?"
The redhead – Ruby, that name rang a bell, yes – shook her head. "People said you'd be out here. You're the Invincible Girl, right?"
"Uhm… sure. Though I'd prefer if you called me Pyrrha," she said. "You were looking for me, then?"
"Yep. I'm Ruby. This is Weiss. And this is Jaune. We were looking for-"
Pyrrha tuned her out, leaning to the side slightly to peer at the blond boy behind Ruby. He looked awkward standing next to the babbling Ruby and the serene-looking Weiss, like he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet and eyes and… everything…
It was kinda cute.
"-so that's why we're here." Ruby finished.
Pyrrha blinked. "Sorry. I… missed pretty much everything you just said. Could you repeat?"
Ruby opened her mouth to start over, but Weiss raised a hand, stopping her. "It's okay. She talks so much, I ignore her a lot too," she said. Ruby looked a little offended at first, but then she shrugged and smiled apologetically. "To summarize: Ruby needs an earthbending teacher, and you seem like the best candidate for that position."
"She needs an earthbending teacher?" Pyrrha repeated curiously.
"You forgot to tell her I'm the Avatar," Ruby said. "See, I might take a long time to explain stuff, but at least I don't leave out the important details!"
Pyrrha took a longer look at Ruby, suddenly realizing where she knew her from. There were posters of her everywhere lately, announcing the return of the Avatar. There were even some from the Fire Nation which included a reward for her capture.
"Well. That's… a lot to take in." Pyrrha paused. "How about you come home with me, and we can talk more there? I want to want more before I make such a huge decision."
"Sure!" Ruby exclaimed. "Lead the way!"
"Wow. This place sure is…" Jaune gulped. "Spacious."
Weiss followed his gaze, examining the high ceiling of Pyrrha's house. It was curved much like a dome, which was uncommon for most of the houses they had seen throughout the Earth Kingdom. It was less practical than it was stylish. Not only that, but just the entrance hall seemed to go on forever. What would the rest of the house look like?
"Agreed," Weiss muttered.
"You don't think she's a princess or anything like that, right?" Jaune asked. "For once I'd like to meet a girl who isn't some kind of special."
"You're exaggerating," Weiss said. "We've met plenty of normal girls."
"Name one."
"Nora."
"Okay. She was kind of crazy though. Plus, that was ages ago. Gimme another."
"Coco. Velvet too."
"Same thing. I barely remember what they look like. And they were really good fighters."
"…Blake?"
"No, she had that whole faunus freedom fighter thing going on." Jaune sighed. "Admit it. I'm just a dude in the middle of a bunch of extraordinary girls."
"Okay. I'll give you that." Weiss turned slightly to pat him in the head. "But at least you're not bitter about it. And if I were in your shoes, I'd be ecstatic."
"I am ecstatic," Jaune said in a dead tone. "Not even joking. I'm ecstatic right now."
"…Right," Weiss smiled sympathetically. "One day, Jaune. One day."
Meanwhile, Ruby was not so much interested at the house as she was at who lived in it. Pyrrha was walking ahead with her, telling her about Mistral and some encounters with Grimm she had had in the past. She tried to make the stories sound less grand than they actually were, but Ruby was impressed by them nonetheless and kept asking for more.
"You took a whole pack of Death Stalkers all by yourself?!" Ruby exclaimed.
"I-it wasn't a pack. Just a couple. Maybe three." Pyrrha blushed. "I think one of them was really young too."
"Like you were?" Ruby's eyes narrowed. "Twelve years old. Taking on freaking Death Stalkers while I was – grrrr…"
"Are you… mad? Did I say something wrong?" Pyrrha asked, starting to panic.
"No. It's just… you're almost too perfect," Ruby said, letting out a huge breath. "You really have to be my teacher, Pyrrha."
"We'll see about that."
Pyrrha pushed open a set of double doors, and they entered what looked to be the dining room. A big round table was set in the middle, tea and small foods distributed on it. A woman was sitting on one of the chairs, sipping from a foamy cup. She looked a lot like Pyrrha, except older and with her red hair tied up in a bun.
She looked at them in mild surprise, then put down her cup and stood up. "Pyrrha. You've brought friends." She smiled kindly. "I don't recognize you. Travelers, I take?"
"Mother, these are Ruby, Weiss and Jaune," Pyrrha introduced them in turns. "And yes, they are travelers… of a kind."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Nikos." Weiss bowed. She eyed Ruby and Jaune accusatorily, and they imitated her clumsily.
"Oh, my. So polite! I like these new friends," Mrs. Nikos said. "Sit down. Have anything you want."
"They aren't here just for pleasantries, Mother," Pyrrha said. "Where's Father? I think he would like to be here for this."
"Hmm… He must be in his workshop again. That man never rests more than a few minutes!" her mother said. "I'll go fetch him. Meanwhile, feel at home - I won't be gone long."
She left through another door, disappearing in a long hallway. Pyrrha sat down and indicated for the others to do the same. They did so, Ruby and Jaune entering into an intense glaring contest as they immediately reached for the same plate of cookies.
Weiss only shook her head at them. She should be accustomed to this kind of behavior by now, she really should. "So. Pyrrha." She turned to their host. "Is your family important in town? Your house is quite… Well, it's not that different from my father's palace in the North Pole. Perhaps you fill some kind of leadership role here?"
"Not at all. Well, I do protect the village, and everyone is very grateful for that, but we don't get any special treatment," Pyrrha said. "My father is an architect. He made the plans for this house when he was my age, but he only started building it after I was born." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I… helped a little."
"Dear Avatar ancestors…" Ruby stared at her in awe. "You're too perfect…"
"It was just lifting weights! With earthbending!" Pyrrha exclaimed, her face completely red.
"But there are so many materials involved in building a structure like this," Weiss noted, looking around. "Earthbending would only carry you so far. You can make a mold of sorts, I suppose, but then there's reinforcing and supporting with things like metal and…"
She paused, looking straight at Pyrrha. The earthbender smiled nervously, limping a little in her chair. Ruby's eyes widened, and she slowly leaned closer to Pyrrha.
"No… way…"
Mrs. Nikos entered the room again, practically dragging her husband by the ear. The poor man looked somewhere between depressed and relieved, the sure sign of someone who enjoyed his work a little more than was healthy.
She plopped him down in a chair, then sat down herself. Mr. Nikos righted his posture and looked at Pyrrha and the visitors, then smiled widely. "Hello! New friends, sweetheart?"
"Yes, Father," Pyrrha said, introducing the trio quickly. "We met in the woods while I was taking care of some Grimm. They were actually looking for me. You see, Ruby is…"
"I'm the Avatar!" Ruby jumped to her feet and executed a series of elaborate bows and gestures.
"Sit down, you doofus," Weiss said through gritted teeth, pulling her back to her chair. "I swear, sometimes…"
Mr. Nikos examined Ruby curiously for a moment. "And why has the Avatar taken such an interest in my daughter?"
"Well, you see… I kinda have this Avatar duty to learn the four elements. Plus, the Fire Nation is going crazy and I have to put a stop to that, which means I have to learn faster than normal," Ruby explained. "Pyrrha is, like, the best earthbender ever. So I'd like her to teach me - if that's okay with you guys!"
Pyrrha's parents shared a concerned look. "That is an incredible request. To teach an Avatar… It's difficult to think of something more honorable than that," Mr. Nikos said. "But it would also put a target on Pyrrha's back, and with the way the Fire Nation has been behaving lately…"
"She is already a target, though. Anyone who's not Fire Nation is a target," Mrs. Nikos pointed out. "And she can handle herself, can she not?"
"She most certainly can." He sighed. "Yes. This is indeed an incredible request. I'll admit it would make me much less worried if Pyrrha said no, but… Ultimately, it is her choice."
"I agree. Honey, it's up to you."
They all turned to look at Pyrrha. She flinched slightly, her eyes falling to an empty cup in front of her. She quickly filled it with tea and took a sip, then closed her eyes for a moment.
"I'd… very much like you to teach you, Ruby. It would be an honor… but…" She paused. "I'm assuming that would mean leaving the village?"
"Yes," Weiss answered. "We can't stay at any one place for long, unfortunately. And we need to get to the capital and talk to the Earth Queen to organize an alliance between your kingdom and the Water Tribe."
"Not to mention the army of fire lunatics marching this way," Jaune added. "Sorry if that's a sensitive topic, but…"
"I understand. And that's why I must decline your request," Pyrrha stood up. "I'm sorry. I really am. But I can't leave Mistral defenseless against the invasion. Everyone is counting on me."
The room was silent for a long while, the trio of travelers too shocked by her answer to say anything. Pyrrha's mother stood up and walked to her, laying a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you staying at an inn?" she asked, looking at her guests. Weiss nodded. "Forget that. You can sleep here tonight. And if you change your mind about leaving, you can stay as long as you like."
"They won't change their minds, Mother," Pyrrha said. "They have their duty to fulfill, just as I have mine." She turned around, forcing a smile. "Speaking of that. I cut my patrol short today. There may still be more Grimm nearby town."
She grabbed her shield from beside her chair and mounted it on her back, then left the room.
Ruby sank in her chair, crossing her arms dejectedly. Weiss looked at her, smiling slightly.
"Cheer up, Ruby," the princess said. "There's still a whole village for us to explore! This won't be a total waste."
"Okay. That's… nice." Ruby looked away. "I guess I got my hopes up too fast."
"There will be others earthbenders to ask," Weiss stated. "Right, Jaune?"
Jaune looked back at the door Pyrrha had left through, frowning. "Yeah," he said. "There will be others."
Ruby leaned her head on one hand, sitting on a bench in the street while watching in boredom as Weiss perused a salesman's wares for anything useful. Usually she would be all for finding new, interesting stuff when they visited towns like Mistral, but Ruby was just not in the mood for that now.
Pyrrha's dejection had struck a powerful blow against her confidence. Ruby had gotten used to people going along with her plans because she was the Avatar. Even chieftain Jacques had allowed her to bypass his tribe's sacred laws and get straight into training under a Grandmaster. And now here she sat, having received a firm no, and with no reason to believe Pyrrha would change her mind anytime soon.
Not that she thought any ill of her for turning her down. Pyrrha had a very good reason for staying, one that Ruby could see herself making if she were in her shoes – in fact, it was pretty much what she was doing all the time. Ruby had the world to protect. Pyrrha's world was smaller, but it was still just as important to her.
Oh, well. As Weiss had said, there would be other people. And there was always the Earth Queen as a last resort… though she doubted someone like her would have the time to teach her.
"Ruby," Weiss said, returning to her with a hand behind her back. "Look what I found."
She showed her hand, revealing a sealed scroll. Ruby took it, casting a curious look at her, then opened the scroll. "What is this…?"
"An earthbending manual!" Weiss said. "Kind of. It only covers the very basics, from what I understand. But it's as good a starting point as any."
"Not as good as Pyrrha," Ruby pointed out. "It's neat, though. Maybe I can teach myself with it, just until we find a proper master." She looked up at her friend and smiled. "Thanks, Weiss."
"Don't mention it."
Weiss sat down beside her, looking over her shoulder as Ruby examined the contents of the scroll. There were many depictions of people assuming poses and doing minor earthbending feats, along with a few scribbles detailing the images.
Ruby pursed her lips. This could be helpful, but not to her. She remembered her mother had tried to have her learn some airbending moves from scrolls like this one, but it hadn't worked at all. Ruby was a hands-on, talking and listening kind of student.
"This won't really work for you, will it?" Weiss asked quietly, noticing how sullen she had gotten.
"It's fine. We'll make it work," Ruby said. "Maybe it'll help if you pretend to be an earthbender and try to learn along with me."
"Oh, yes. And that won't be in any way embarrassing," Weiss replied dryly.
"Sorry. It's just that…" Ruby sighed. "Remember the Three Kings' Path and the stuff we saw passing through it?"
"Yes. The stuff that we hallucinated because of the enclosure and the dust from the cave's unique mineral formation," Weiss said, discreetly sliding away from Ruby. "What about it?"
"Well, I saw my future, and that future included Pyrrha," Ruby explained. "She is supposed to teach me. I'm sure of it."
Weiss crossed her arms. "And you were banking Pyrrha's acceptance on that assumption?" She smiled kindly. "See, Ruby? The fact that Pyrrha won't teach you just proves my point that the Path wasn't magic at all."
Ruby huffed. "You could sound less smug about it."
Weiss shrugged, then stood up and offered her a hand. "Come on, you've done enough moping around for the day. Let's give that earthbending scroll a try." She chuckled. "Also, we should find Jaune. Maybe he can pretend to be an earthbender for you."
"That's a great idea!" Ruby exclaimed happily, taking her hand.
Pyrrha closed the door of her room behind her, being as quiet as possible. She could feel the slight vibrations of her parents and guests sleeping in their own rooms. She couldn't sleep herself, and lying in bed wasn't making her feel any better.
She walked quietly through the house, arriving at the front door in a couple of minutes. She went out and closed her eyes, turning her face up to feel the breeze brushing against her skin.
Why was this so difficult? She knew she was right in her decision. It was the responsible thing to do. Yet something about it felt so wrong, and it was eating at her from the inside.
She opened her eyes and started to walk, but stopped almost immediately. She could not only feel someone moving somewhere nearby, but could also hear laborious breathing and what sounded like metal cutting through air. Curious, Pyrrha circled around the house, entering the garden.
It didn't take her long to find the origin of the disturbance. Jaune was by himself, his sword in his hands, sweat pouring down his forehead. She stood silently for a while, watching as he changed from one pose to another, making elaborate slashes with his sword.
Realizing she was staring and how rude that was, Pyrrha cleared her throat and approached him. Jaune turned at once, his eyes widening in surprise. He tried to sheathe his sword, but missed the sheath entirely and the weapon fell on the grass with a dull noise.
"Hi," Pyrrha said, stifling a giggle as he picked up the sword and pretended nothing had happened. "Training so late?"
"Yeah. A warrior must never stop training. Never," Jaune said. "H-how long have you been watching?"
"I just got here," Pyrrha replied. "You can continue, if you want."
Jaune looked at her for a moment, then turned and assumed another stance. He slashed hesitantly, almost losing his balance, but he regained it fast, if not elegantly. Pyrrha felt that wasn't on purpose, but that didn't make it any less impressive.
"So… you couldn't sleep?" Jaune asked, slashing again.
"Yes. I have a lot to think about," Pyrrha said.
"About Ruby's request?"
"About denying it." Pyrrha sighed, walking to stand opposite of him, still leaving him space to practice. "I wish I could go with you guys. But I have a responsibility towards Mistral and its people. It would be dishonorable to abandon them now."
Jaune hummed, making a series of three slashes. He started to stumble, but Pyrrha raised a mound of dirt beneath his foot, stabilizing him. He kept going, apparently not even noticing her help.
"You said something before, about everyone here counting on you or something," Jaune said. "Isn't that a bit too much? Putting the safety of an entire village on one person's shoulders?"
"I'm very capable," Pyrrha said quietly.
"I've noticed," Jaune smiled at her, then focused on his swordsmanship again. "You know who else is capable? Ruby. She's the Avatar, but she still has friends to help her. She has Weiss, and me, and lots of other people." He shrugged. "It doesn't mean she couldn't make do by herself… But we sure make her job easier."
"And what does that mean for me?" Pyrrha asked. "How does it help me with protecting my home?"
"I don't know. I'm just saying, when you're with other people, when you have friends by your side… you become more than the person you think you can be," Jaune said. "But what do I know? Maybe that only applies to me. I'm just an ordinary dude, and you're the Invincible Girl."
"You shouldn't sell yourself short, Jaune.
They fell into a comfortable silence, Jaune practicing while Pyrrha watched and pondered his words. They didn't offer a solution on how to protect her village and still do what she wanted, but they did resonate with her. She now recognized what she had been feeling since she rejected Ruby.
It was longing. Longing for something greater. For being with these new, amazing people she had met today. For doing something more than protecting her home.
"I'm going to bed," she said, walking past Jaune. "Try putting less weight on your left leg."
"What, now you're a sword master too?" Jaune asked, pausing his training to face her.
"Absolutely not." Pyrrha giggled. "But I can feel you straining your leg when you move, which then makes you put too much momentum on your swings… and then you lose your balance."
"Are you sure you're not a sword master?" Jaune leered at her suspiciously.
"I swear on my earthbending," Pyrrha said solemnly. "Is that good enough for you?"
"You could still use a sword without your bending," Jaune pointed out humorously. "Alright. Sleep well. And thanks for the advice."
"It was my pleasure."
Pyrrha watched him for a little while more, then walked away.
Shortly after lunch the next day, the trio decided to continue on their journey. They went to the edge of town, accompanied by Pyrrha and her parents, who refused to let them go without giving some supplies for the road beforehand.
"Thank you, Mrs. Nikos, but this is unnecessary," Weiss said. "We can't accept your money. And your food? This is far too much…"
"Uhm, yes we can," Ruby said behind her, eyeing a particularly large bag of cookies.
"We really can't," Weiss insisted, grinding her teeth in annoyance.
Mrs. Nikos shook her head, refusing to take back the supplies. "This is the least we can do," she said. "You are saving our kingdom and the world, after all. It would be irresponsible to let you go without offering our help."
Weiss sighed, grudgingly accepting the supplies. She turned to look at Ruby, who was busy standing nearby, dragging one foot on the dirt while avoiding eye contact with Pyrrha. The earthbender seemed just as intent on doing the same thing regarding her.
"Alright," Weiss said. "Come on, Ruby. Let's get-"
She was interrupted by a hoarse scream. Soon a man appeared on the distance, running at full speed towards the village. He passed through the welcoming gate and halted after the group, turning to look at them wide-eyed.
"What's going on?" Ruby asked, assuming her Avatar tone of voice and posture. "Do you need help?"
"They… they came from out of nowhere, on those… things…" The man bent down, resting his hands on his knees and breathing shakily.
"What do you-"
"It's a Fire Nation scouting squad," Pyrrha interrupted, her eyes closed. "I can feel them coming. They're on rhinos." She opened her eyes and nodded to the man. "I'll take care of this. Mother, Father, warn the rest of the village. Nobody is to come outside."
Her parents followed her orders without hesitation, taking the strange man along with them. Pyrrha glanced at Ruby and her friends, then walked out of the town's borders, towards the incoming Fire Nation.
It didn't take long for them to appear. As she had sensed, there were ten rhinos stampeding towards the town, though there were two to three soldiers mounted in each.
They stopped before her, the leading officer taking his ride a little farther to look down at Pyrrha.
"I recommend you turn back now," she said. "You seek to conquer my people, and I will fight you if that's what it takes to stop you."
"Oh, I see. So you fancy yourself this town's protector?" The officer turned up his chin. "You're just a girl. Stand aside."
Pyrrha looked up at him, her eyes sparking. "I am not just some girl."
He snarled, bringing an arm down to rain fire on her. Her shield was raised in an instant, blocking the flames and diverting them around her. Pyrrha raised the ground below her, propelling herself upward and kicking the man in the face, knocking him clean off his mount.
She landed on the rhino's saddle, standing tall to face the rest of the soldiers. "Anyone else still want to try?"
For a moment, it looked like they were intimated, but them the officer got up and yelled at them to attack. At once, they charged at her, brandishing blades, spears and fire. Pyrrha jumped off the rhino, deflecting attacks with her shield, then landed and got to work.
She kicked the ground, forcing the riders to abandon their mounts as spires appeared on their path or below them. This did not deter them for long, as now she was facing thirty of them at once, and there was only so much she could do stop them from spreading around her.
Pyrrha blocked a charging sword slash and bashed the soldier away from her, then knocked out two of his friends with a well-timed rocky projectile. She spun, barely dodging a spear thrust. Not losing momentum, she jumped over her attacker and elbowed him in the back, then kicked him away and hopped back, avoiding the rest.
There were many, almost too many for her to handle. She wasn't panicking, but this would require her to be very careful about every movement she made. One small mistake could meant the end for her and the whole village.
Just as she thought that, she felt heat on her back. Her eyes widened and she started to turn, only to see Ruby land behind her and spin her staff just in time to stop a fireball from hitting her.
Their eyes met, and both nodded. They stepped back, pressing their backs together, and spun slowly in place, deflecting attacks and taking out the soldiers closest to them.
Weiss joined the fight, freezing the rhinos in place to stop them from stomping around and potentially harming anyone. Her water also found many human targets.
Jaune's contribution was subtler, as he focused on knocking out any soldiers who his friends hadn't been too throughout with. He never lost his balance, not even once.
The battle ended in a matter of minutes, the soldiers all blacked out except for their officer, who was now kneeling on the ground, glaring furiously at Pyrrha. "You will regret this, you wretched girl! I'll make sure you pay for this insolence!"
"Yeah?" Pyrrha turned to him, throwing her shield.
He winced, turning his face aside and closing his eyes. Seconds passed with nothing happening. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes and nearly jumped to his feet. The shield was floating in front of him, almost touching his nose.
"I believe you'll be the one to regret this encounter, officer," Pyrrha said. She closed her fist and brought it down. The shield flew above the officer and bonked him in the head, knocking him out, then flew back to Pyrrha.
She caught it easily and fixed it on her back again, then turned to face her new friends, who were all looking at her slack-jawed. Pyrrha blinked, then blushed and ran a hand through her hair sheepishly.
"Sorry," she said. "I should have told you before, but I can also bend metal."
Ruby passed out.
"Is she better, dear?" Mrs. Nikos asked when Pyrrha exited the guestroom, fanning her face worriedly. "Oh, if something bad happened to the Avatar under our care…"
"She's fine, Mom," Pyrrha assured, smiling a bit. "Ruby was just… shocked, I guess. Weiss tells me she 'has an unhealthy obsession with all kinds of bending'."
"Well, she is the Avatar…." Mrs. Nikos pointed out amusedly.
Pyrrha nodded. It did make a lot of sense when she thought about it. Although she suspected Ruby would be just as excited about bending if she wasn't the Avatar.
"So," her father spoke up. "Have you rethought matters?"
"What?" Pyrrha frowned confusedly.
"You haven't changed your mind?" Her mother tilted her head knowingly. "We very well know you want to go with your new friends."
Pyrrha looked away uncomfortably. She couldn't deny they were right, but that didn't mean much. Even if fighting alongside Ruby had been the greatest thing she had experienced in years, it did not change the truth of her situation.
"I can't. The village needs me," Pyrrha said. "Today was the prime example of that. What if I hadn't been here? Everyone would have been captured by the Fire Nation - or worse."
"True, but the fault wouldn't have been on you," her father said. "The truth is, everyone has grown dependent on you to defend us against the world. Too dependent. I think it's time everyone learns to look after themselves a little.
"But… I'm their protector," Pyrrha argued. "I can't just-"
"Not anymore, you aren't." He shook his head sternly. "We can't hold you hostage anymore. Let the town whine and say you're abandoning them. Mistral is not the place for you to be."
"But-"
"Sweetheart, your father and I have always known you were meant for more than protecting this place. From the moment you began to earthbend, before you could even walk…" Her mother smiled. "We knew your destiny was much grander than we could ever have imagined. And now it's here, lying on our guestroom bed."
Pyrrha bit her lip, her eyes watering. She hugged them both at once, then stepped back. "O-okay. I'll go. This… this is my destiny, and I will embrace it."
Her parents nodded, smiling at each other.
Pyrrha entered the guestroom quietly, looking at Ruby, resting against the bed's headboard, and Weiss and Jaune sitting beside her, alternating on who held a cold rag to their friend's forehead.
"Hey," Pyrrha said, stepping around the bed to look at Ruby. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah. Sorry about passing out." Ruby smiled lopsidedly. "You're a metalbender…"
"I suppose I am." Pyrrha chuckled. "Know what else I am?"
"What? A bird in disguise?" Ruby rubbed her nose tiredly. "Can you fly, on top of everything else?"
"Nope." Pyrrha winked. "I'm your earthbending teacher."
Ruby's eyes widened.
And then she passed out again.
Weiss groaned, while Jaune just shook his head in disapproval.
Pyrrha covered her mouth with her hands. "I'm so sorry…"
YOU'RE OUT OF THE GANG, PYRRHA! LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO THE AVATAR! SHE'S DEAD NOW!
Guilty author admission time: I actually didn't know if Pyrrha would be a metalbender or not until, like, halfway through writing this chapter. I decided she would be, because... First: why the heck would she carry a metal shield around otherwise? Second: there's like, zero suspense about it. You guys knew from the get go she would be a metalbender eventually because, hey, she's freaking Pyrrha the magnet girl. Third: the Ruby passing out gag was just too good to not use.
Also: first time I'm writing Pyrrha in a more extended role than 'she exists and she wants that Jaune booty'. Kinda worried about her being Mary Sue-ish. But, uh... that's Pyrrha for you... she was designed to be a badass... And to die, but hey, LET'S NOT REMEMBER THAT OH GOD PYRRHA NOOOO!
Anyways. Hope you guys enjoyed her introduction! Next time on The Legend of Remnant: I actually am not going to spoil it because... weeeell... You'll see.
-Zeroan