Volume Three, Chapter Five: Maiden
re:Bound
A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated
Chapter Publish Date: 3/10/18
"He knows."
Rain cascaded down the rose-tinted window of the ice cream parlor. The light was dim, mood lighting perhaps – the low buzz of conversation was accompanied by a sultry melody echoing from a speaker behind the counter. Neo's neapolitan and Raven's strawberry sat untouched on the table before them, the girl too lost in her own world to focus much on anything at all.
"Augustus?" Raven asked, her voice hushed. When Neo nodded, her gaze darkened and the flimsy plastic spoon snapped in her embrace. "Did he hurt you?"
She shrugged. "Not much."
The downpour thickened – anguish grew across from her until Raven couldn't take it anymore. "What did he-"
"Do you regret it?"
The mist started at Neo's fingertips as she rested them on the edge of her bowl. Illusions swirled down her arm, twisting in illogical patterns around her white sleeve. Raven stared at her. "Regret what?"
"Not killing me while you had the chance." Neo ran her other hand along her sleeve, her eyes murky brown as the mist crept up her body and expanded away from it. "Do you regret it, letting Starling keep me alive? Letting my life become this?
Raven's face broke. She reached across the table to take Neo's hand, but she flinched away and Raven recoiled like a struck animal. "Neo..."
The illusions spun faster. "Tell me."
"I will never regret keeping you alive." Her eyes erupted into blue flame, unearthly flame – Neo's heart wrenched at the unsettling sight, but she held her gaze. "You are my daughter, Neo. I love you, no matter what."
Neo drew her knife, the knife Starling had given her so many years ago. The leather was faded and worn, gore clinging to the seams from years of killing and violence. "Even after everything I've done?"
"I-"
"I don't feel anything when I kill anymore." The fourteen-year-old's tone was flat. "You used to hold my hair back when I threw up, and then you never were there to hold it back. I still threw up every time when I was with Silas, and you were never there."
The blue flame intensified, blue aura surrounding her body. "I wanted to be there for you. I wanted to kill them. I wanted to save you."
Neo's eyes were baleful. "If you were one of them, you wouldn't be my mom anymore."
Raven looked as though somebody had struck her, the fire dimmed before coming back with a vengeance. "Nothing could stop me from-"
"Like how nothing could have stopped you from being Yang's mom, right?" she spat bitterly.
"I PROMISED TAI!" The parlor fell silent as Raven erupted to her feet, fire burning around her body. "I PROMISED HIM I WOULD STAY AWAY, JUST LIKE I PROMISED YOU I WOULDN'T KILL THEM!"
"Why? Why would you let him take her away? You could have been there for someone! Why weren't you there for her? Why didn't you ignore him? WHY DIDN'T YOU IGNORE ME?"
A shop manager sprinted towards them, yelling something neither of them heard. Raven shrieked in fury and spun to face the man, incinerating him with a blast of fire that exploded against the far wall. The fire alarm went off, sprinklers raining down on the restaurant as people screamed and ran for the exit. Electricity spiraled around her body as she rose into the air, the power wild and uncontrollable as it built around her body. The pressure rose and the entire bank of windows shattered outwards, letting the wind howl into the building.
"MOM!" Neo shrieked as she began to glow. In an instant, the power escaped Raven's body and she slumped to the ground. Leaping out of the booth, she ran to her side.
Raven's breath came in deep gasps, eyes shimmering as she pressed her forehead to the ground. "This is why," she whispered.
Pressing her hand over Raven's, she breathed, "What just happened?"
"I can't control it. Lilia was weak, too weak. I did everything I could to help her, I trained her, I cared for her, and it didn't work!" Raven slammed her other fist against the ground, and the marble cracked under the force of her aura-powered strike. "She trusted me, she came to me for help, and I killed her because I know it's more merciful to die than to live enslaved by a power you can't control!"
"Lilia?" Neo shook her head, desperately trying to catch the older woman's glance as she turned away. "Who did you kill? What power is this? I don't understand!"
"It doesn't matter who she was to me now. She's dead. The weak die and the strong survive, that's how the world works." Raven's tears evaporated as the blue flame reformed around her eyes.
"But-"
Raven pulled away from Neo, letting the girl's hand slide away. The Nevermore Queen rose to her feet. Power rippled across her body in barely controlled waves and arced out randomly; she watched Raven back away in fear.
"You want to know what happened? This bond my father forced on you is illegal, punishable by death. Powerful people have been trying to kill you or take it for themselves your entire life. Tai thought I was on a training trip while I was busy stopping assassination attempts again my family daily because I love you too much to kill you! When they came for Tai and Yang, I chose to protect them, and the only way I could do that was to leave. That made Qrow fall apart of course; he never was an alcoholic before my darling father disowned him. Of course, since that fight was over you, he still wants to kill you, so I've been keeping him away from you for the past six years!"
Raven's body shook violently as she stumbled against the counter. Neo started to cry. It was all too much, and she couldn't hold her emotions in any longer.
"The last thing my father ever said to me was if I didn't give Tai and Yang another chance, I would regret it for the rest of my life." Raven's voice took on a deathly calm. "I hadn't left the camp in a week because we couldn't afford to be unguarded, but I left that night even though I knew the dangers. So, I portaled to Tai, who just happened to be fucking Summer in our bed. I lost control and attacked them, and found out they had been at it for months. We tore up the house, then suddenly we were in Yang's room. I missed a swing and cut her bed in half. If she had been sleeping, if she hadn't pulled herself into the corner, I would have killed my own daughter."
"So you promised him you would stay away? How can you-"
"I left to keep them safe!" Raven screamed, clenching her fists as she whipped around to face Neo. "This is why. Whenever people get to close to me, they get hurt because I am WEAK! Lilia was one of my closest friends, and she's dead because I wasn't strong enough to train her! Father is dead because I wasn't strong enough to protect him. Qrow and Yang and Tai are gone because of me. Summer was my best friend, and now she's dead and she's never coming back!"
"None of that is your fault!" Neo staggered to her feet, wiping her eyes and kicking her dagger away. "It's mine!"
"Tha-"
"Shut up!" Ripping her soaked hair out of her face, she braced her back against the biting wind. "They came after me! You and Qrow fought over me! Starling is dead because of me!"
Raven shook her head. "You were six!"
"Why didn't you kill me?!"
"Because I love you! Because you are my daughter!"
"So why are you letting me live like this?" Neo sobbed. "Why did you let Starling make me into this- this- into a murderer?! A monster! You just said it's better to die than live a slave, so why won't you kill me?!"
Their eyes met through the dark haze burning in the air. As the world flickered, Raven slowly drew her sword. Blue fire ran down the blade as if doused with kerosene. Neo held herself tall, heat burning the side of her neck. Everything blurred together – she didn't know what to feel, how to feel, only grateful that Raven was there with her at the end.
"I can't." The blade wavered and fell to the ground and her shoulders slumped. Metal clattered against the tile, echoing hollowly in Neo's ears. A choked cry escaped Raven's throat; Neo swayed as hardened gauntlets pressed against her scarred back, unable to move, to think, to be beyond her adoptive mother's arms.
"Why? Why won't you kill me?"
Shaking, Raven whispered, "Because I love you."
"Because you and the tribe are all I have left."
That was the second to last time I ever saw Raven before I met you.
"Hi Mom."
A gentle breeze swept across the tranquil cliff. Grass blew towards the edge, a sea of emerald bending towards the deep forest below. Birds took flight from a nearby tree, winging off into the sunset and brushing dusk to the sky. Ruby took a deep breath as Neo pulled her closer, resting her head on her shoulder. The other girl was free of disguises, wearing a simple white sundress with roses that Yang had let her borrow. Thus kindly I scatter…
It's beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here.
No, thank you for coming with me. Sighing, she said, "Sorry I haven't come by in a while. Things have been, well, kind of a mess really. I meant to talk to you more when we buried Crescent last winter, but…" Her eyes flickered to the smaller gravestone over to the side, which she had already paid her respects to.
"Well, me and Blake are friends now! We fought a lot and it was really messy, but it all worked out in the end. Weiss was awesome, she totally kept us together, plus Yang and Blake are dating too! Pyrrha's good too, she's still my best friend, but Jaune still doesn't like talking to me very much…" Ruby trailed off as she realized what she had been about to say. What can I say to her about Qrow and all that?
Just… say what you need to say. Neo stared ahead stoically, and Ruby knew just why; they were both shaken from the memory Neo had revealed the night before.
"I- I know, about you and Dad. And I don't blame you! I mean, I- I really love Aunt Raven, Mom. She's prickly like Qrow, but I know she's actually really sweet, and she takes us out to dinner and stuff! I just..." She took a moment to collect her thoughts. "I wish you guys hadn't made her stay away. You and dad, I mean. I really want to tell Yang, about everything. No, it's not even that – I want her to be the one who get to go out with Raven! 'Cause now with the bond and the secret and everything, I can't, so now Yang's been kinda distant with me and I can't be around Qrow anymore. I just… I'm happy, but I just wish things could be different, I guess."
Neo snuggled tighter against her, and Ruby sent her a wash of gratitude. If she could find a flicker of life in the cold granite, she could have sworn Summer was hugging her too.
"Yeah… Anyways, I wanted you to meet Neo." Ruby pulled out of Neo's hug so she could see her face. Her rosy cheeks and white eyes reflected the sunset, pale purples and husky orange rising and falling with the wind. Ruby's heart soared; she took Neo's hands and said, "Well, I guess you already know her, but she was eight the last time you saw her so it doesn't count. I know we were still a mess back in winter, but I get her now. She's funny and weird and shy, plus she makes chocolate chip cookies that are almost as good as yours! I guess, um..."
Ruby paused, then put her arm around Neo's waist. Smiling warmly at the engraved rose, she said, "I love her, Mom. And I think if you were here with me, you'd love her too."
I think Raven is a maiden.
Neo started as Ruby collapsed into her stadium chair beside her, bearing a full tray of food for them to share. Reaching over to grab a hamburger, she took a big bite out of her food. You do?
Hey! Weiss yells at me when I talk with my mouth full, why do you get to do it?
Really? Well, first of all, we're thinking, dumbass. That's not talking, nobody can hear us. Second, you're eating too!
Shh, that's not important, Ruby said as she threw another handful of french fries into her mouth.
Dork. Seriously though, you think Mom is a maiden?
The Amity Colisseum soared high into the blue June sky. Built on a gargantuan chunk of gravity dust, the stadium rose high over Vale's bay in a glorious achievement of science and technology. Tens of thousands of spectators filled the stands, bringing the base volume of the arena to a roar and coating the seats in a rainbow of colors. Below, a gray covering concealed the battlefield, shimmering slightly as a forcefield shielded off the sky. On Ruby's other side, Weiss and Yang chattered happily. Blake was sleeping contentedly on Yang's far shoulder, her ears twitching as Yang gently stroked them.
Ignoring the rest of Team WBYR, Ruby shifted closer to Neo and grabbed her soda. Well, I was thinking about the memory…
I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shown you right be-
Stop it. Ruby's eyes widened as she realized what she had just thought, and she slammed down her controls on the bond before the green light could catch Neo's body. I'm sorry, that wasn't supposed to be a command or anything!
Neo hesitated for a moment, her discomfort obvious. It's not your fault. You should be able to tell me to stop it without the bond interfering.
But-
Drop it. Neo's voice was dangerous, and Ruby dropped her gaze. She had been trying so hard for months to never order her to do anything, yet even the smallest of things was enough to remind them that Ruby was always in control. Distance came like a chasm between them in those moments. Ruby felt it in her soul.
Neo, I asked you to show me your past. That hasn't changed since I got out of the coma. It means a lot to me that you showed me your worst me-
Not the worst. Neo's tone was clipped, blunt; she ripped another bite from her hamburger and stared at the far side of the stands. You haven't seen the worst one yet.
The other girl was holding her memory tight to her aura, but Ruby still could glimpse her feelings: Is it the last time you saw Raven with them?
She nodded. I- I'll show you soon, I promise. Augustine died three days after that memory-
He did?! Wait, so this was all right before you met Roman?
Yeah. It's- It got worse. It got so much worse, those last days. I don't want to talk about it right now.
Ruby took a long sip from her soda, reaching across her body to touch Neo's arm with her other hand. Of course you don't have to. You know I'm here for you-
I know that, Rose.
Oh. That's good, then.
Yeah.
There was no silence – the crowd filled the gap as they were left to their own thoughts. As much as Ruby tried to push it down, she couldn't ignore the burning question left unasked.
You really wanted to die? You wanted your own mom to kill you?
Yeah.
There was nothing she had to say to that. The idea of losing Neo sent shivers running down her back. She had started to notice that she couldn't remember what it was like being unbonded – even the strongest of her pre-Neo memories still had that sensation of presence as if she had been by her side all the times she had been so utterly alone.
Subdued, Neo asked, So why do you think Mom is a maiden?
Well, Ozpin told us that maidens are magical, right? Your mom's semblance definitely isn't whatever she did then, but we know she was still able to use it. Besides, on top of that, she said she got it be killing somebody named Lilia? Isn't that how aura bonds are passed down?
Shit, that makes sense. She laughed, bumping into Weiss as Neo scrutinized her. Since when are you so observant?
When it's about you.
Oh, shut up. You're probably right, you know. I wonder whether Ozpin knows or not, since Qrow probably does.
Leaning back in her seat, Ruby looked out over the stadium. Probably, right? He bonded them, didn't he, so he should know where they are or something.
I mean, didn't Qrow say the one Glynda was crying about was traveling alone? I wouldn't put it past that manipulative fuckhole to not care enough to keep tabs.
Ruby snickered again, which finally got Weiss' attention. Irritably, she turned to her and said, "What on earth is so funny that you keep poking me with your bony elbow?"
Hey Ice Queen, I'll have you know my little Rose has fantastic elbows, Neo drawled as she took a long drink from Ruby's soda.
Rolling her eyes and blushing at Neo, Ruby mumbled, "It's, um, we-" Help!
You're such a terrible liar. Say it was an inside joke or something.
"It was an inside joke or something?" Ruby squeaked, wilting under one of Weiss' incredulous expressions.
After a moment, Weiss shook her head and turned away. "Only you, Ruby," she muttered before turning back to Yang.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"
I'm gonna ask Raven the next time we see her. Neo ate the last of her burger and dropped the wrapper back onto the tray, crossing her arms tight against her chest. I don't know if Qrow and Ozpin know but I'm sure as hell not going to be the one to tell them.
Yeah, me neither.
A finger poked Ruby's shoulder, and she turned to see Yang and Weiss both staring at her. "What?"
"Well, we were going to watch Team JNPR fight as a team but so far you've just been ignoring us and playing your little staring game with Violet," Weiss said, a light frown adorning her face as she recrossed her legs.
Carefully keeping Blake balanced on her shoulder, Yang leaned forwards and said, "C'mon sis, aren't you hyped? Tournaments! Weapons! This is totally your thing, you should be more enthusiastic!"
Ruby's mind immediately jumped to Crescent's grave beside her mother's; the visit from earlier in the day was still fresh on her mind. That, and Neo's memory which she couldn't quite erase from her mind. Realizing her sister was waiting for her to talk, she said, "Um, yeah, sure. Go Team JNPR?"
Yang's smile wavered, but she pushed Ruby lightly before falling back into her seat. "See? That's the spirit."
"Look, Ruby, it's fine if you don't want to talk, but can you please look just a little bit less like someone killed Zwei?" Weiss said, the thinly veiled strain on her voice eliciting a sigh from Yang.
Ruby picked the tray off her lap and slid it under her chair. She knew it was a turn of phrase, but now that she was thinking about it… Nope, nobody is ever going to touch my puppy! Still, though… "I just want the match to start already! Everybody knows Pyrrha's gonna kick their butts, so what's the point of waiting around?"
Suddenly, victorious music blasted though the stadium as the massive holoscreens sprung to life. The crowd went wild and Yang shot Ruby an "I told you so" look as the announcer said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first round of this year's Vytal Tournament!"
Neo nudged her with her shoulder; Ruby could hardly remember the last time she had seen Neo's eyes pure pink. Here we go!
Maybe Neo's enthusiasm was wearing off on her because she found her cheering alongside the rest of her team. "Go Team JNPR! Go Pyrrha!"
You can do it!
"Alright, so do we all remember the plan?" Jaune asked.
Nora scoffed as she leaned further into the huddle. "Of course we know the plan, silly! All of you guys get them into one place, then I break their legs!"
"Nora, I'm pretty sure that's not the plan," Ren said calmly, pulling her out of the center of the huddle.
Worry crept into Jaune's expression as if he wasn't entirely sure whether Nora had been joking or not. Feeling her boyfriend's distress, Pyrrha said, "We know the plan, Jaune. We'll be fine, there's no need to worry."
"Yeah. Okay then, Team JNPR on three!" Jaune exclaimed, straightening his shoulders. "One, two, three!"
"Team JNPR!"
Pyrrha grinned as they broke off and walked to the weapons table as a team. Her usual pre-tournament anxiety had been less, this time, and she was willing to bet Jaune, Ren, and Nora had something to do with it. Who knows, maybe this one will actually be fun for once?
Ignoring her buzzing scroll, she tossed it onto the table. Her bronze spear and shield gleamed in the lowlight, magnetic currents warping around the metal. Holding out her hand, she coaxed her weapons to her hand, her aura rushing with the exhilarating pressure of using her semblance. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. I am Pyrrha Nikos. I am the best fighter of my generation.
I will not lose.
Jaune's hand rested on her shoulder. Crocea Mors rested at his hip; he stood with a fighting poise he had utterly lacked six months ago. He's come so far since we started training… Their eyes met, and he jerked his head at the table, where her scroll had stopped shaking. "That was your parents again?"
"They make the same call before every match. It's always 'remember what's at stake, remember your training.'" She watched her scroll, trying to keep her expression as unreadable as possible. "You've met my parents, you know what they're like. I learned years ago to avoid their calls day-of to keep a level head."
"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, you know," Jaune murmured, stepping closer to her after shooting Ren and Nora a furtive glance. "It's not too late for us to forfeit the match."
She gave him a sad smile. "Thank you, Jaune, but that's never been a choice I've had. If I want to stay her with you, at Beacon, I have to win this tournament. Besides, I'm just happy to be here with you."
"I just hate seeing you upset like this," he said, looking down and clenching his other fist.
Pyrrha leaned forwards and kissed his cheek. "In my entire life, I've never been happier than this spring. I think we can make it through this, alright? I'll be fine, I am a prodigy, after all." There was a bitter twist to the end of her words, but she covered it up with a warm smile.
Jaune looked like he wanted to push for a moment, but shook his head in amazement instead. "How did I manage to end up on the same team as you again?"
Her eyes sparkled as she pulled his chest to hers, their forms silhouetted in the impossibly bright entrance to the stadium. "I think I almost impaled you to a tree with my spear."
"Yeah, it's a good thing your aim is so good," Jaune said, half laughing as he swept her back and pressed a kiss to her lips.
"C'mon, lovebirds!" Nora waved them over. She and Ren stood by the entrance, spinning Magnhild against her palm. "Let's go kick some butt!"
They broke apart, and Pyrrha slipped their hands together. "What do you say, team leader? Are we ready?"
Jaune looked to each of his teammates in turn, then nodded. "Let's go!"
"And now, hailing from Beacon Academy and a favorite to win this tournament, please welcome TEAM JNPR!"
The crowd exploded as JNPR walked out onto the covered battlefield. Pyrrha held her head high against the brilliant lights, ignoring the holoscreens plastering her face across the stadium. This was her arena – she was the master, she was the favorite, and she would keep her calm at all costs.
Mother and Father are watching right now. By all rights, I should be thanking them for letting me come to Beacon and actually make friends. No, all of Mistral is watching right now.
"This is… just wow," Jaune said, staring up at his surroundings in awe. "How do you deal with this?"
Pyrrha's gaze never left the central platform. "I have to be strong, for them."
"And now, the famed brawlers from Shade Academy, please welcome TEAM BRNZ!"
As JNPR stepped onto the octagon, their opponents emerged from across the battlefield. They numbered three guys and a girl – one guy carried a baton, another a set of claw-like blades, and the third has circular saws on either wrist. The girl wore a beanie over one eye and carried a sniper rifle. As BRNZ stepped onto the platform, the holoscreens began to flip through different stage environments. "The selected environments for this 4v4 team battle will be… forest and mountains!"
The stadium rumbled as the gray covering slid away, and the two biomes rose up from the coliseum's depths. At BRNZ's back, there was deep forest filled with natural grown trees, and behind JNPR rocky crags soared into the blue sky. Pyrrha narrowed her eyes at their opponents. They'll double team me with two of the physical fighters, which is fine. That's a sniper though… Part of her wanted to let Jaune figure it out himself, but she didn't want to let him down. Leaning over, she murmured, "Jaune."
"Yeah?"
"The girl is a sniper, and it doesn't look like she has a physical weapon."
Jaune's eyes widened and he turned to Ren. "Hey, Ren, you're in charge of keeping the girl busy, okay?"
Ren nodded as he cocked StormFlower and settled into a ready stance. "Understood."
"Wait, but what if she runs back into the forest?" Pyrrha asked.
Nora gave her team a vicious grin. "Then we'll just have to split them up."
"3! 2!"
Jaune drew Crocea Mors and expanded his shield. Taking up the stance he and Pyrrha had gone over so many times, he said, "We got this. When they say start, we charge!"
"1! BEGIN!"
Lifting his sword into the air, he held his shield out before him and charged towards the other team with a wild yell. Pyrrha laughed as she ran in after him, her red hair streaming out behind her head. Now that they were in the battle, the confidence she had been helping him foster erupted with full force. Pride swelled in her chest. He's come so far.
Just like she had expected, the girl was sprinting back towards the woods. "Ren, now!" Nora shouted as the two teams collided. Closing her eyes, Pyrrha braced herself and pushed.
Shields met steel. Bringing theirs together, Jaune and Pyrrha slammed through two of the boys. The third brought his fists up into an X block to counter her hammer, retaliating with a roundhouse kick that knocked her to the side. Ren dashed through the gap they had created, blasting the girl with StormFlower. The couple fell in behind him, going back to back as the boys shot a wary look at Ren then circled around them.
"Together?" Pyrrha asked.
Jaune nodded. "Just like we practiced."
Crocea Mors and Milo spun around their bodies, their armor held together by Pyrrha's polarity. Jaune's opponent was the clawed boy – he kicked and swung with ever scrap of ability he had to fend of the blades. Pyrrha was actively helping him, guiding his sword and shield as he started to land hits on his opponent. To his back, Pyrrha's opponent fought with his saws and the brute force of his punches, but he was no match for her skill and Milo's cutting edge.
Meanwhile, Nora was facing down the smug boy with a cattle prod. After Magnhild had connected, her opponent was far warier. He had been stalking around her, searching for an opening, but now he dashed forwards. She swung for his legs, but he deftly jumped over her hammer and jabbed his weapon into her chest, arcing electricity up and down her body. Jaune's head shot up at his teammate's scream, but he grinned as he realized what was about to happen.
"Oh-ho! Looks like one of my favorite students, Nora Valkyrie, is charging up to use her Semblance!"
"Yes, Ms. Valkyrie's Semblance lets her produce, as well as channel, electrical energy straight to her muscles! This allows her to jump explosively into the air, wield her mighty hammer, or in this case, absorb Nolan's attacks and send the young man flying!"
"What?" the boy shrieked as Magnhild collided with his chest and sent him tumbling to the ground. Pyrrha's opponent broke away and ran to his side. He shook his head as he stumbled to his feet, massaging his chest as Nora prowled towards them. "Where's May?!"
Ren cautiously stalked through the forest section, keeping his pistols in hand as he scanned the trees around him. A shadow flew through the canopy, and his head jerked up; a round of shots into the trees revealed nothing. Sensing- He dove out of the way as a bullet slammed into a nearby tree with explosive force. Narrowing in on where it had come from, he twisted to avoid a second shot and leaped.
May cried out in surprise as he appeared above her and kicked her in the face. The sniper flew to the ground, spinning her weapon so she held the barrel and unleashing an ax blade from the hilt. They met in close combat. Ren rolled to avoid a wild swing, parrying twice then hooking StormFlower's blades over the scythe and ripping the weapon from her hands.
Leaning forwards, Ren kicked the sniper rifle away. May sneered at him and said, "What are you gonna do now, Flower Boy? Hit a defenseless girl?"
"I-"
He didn't get a chance to answer before May headbutted him, sending him staggering away. Diving for her rifle, she swung the ax around while he was off-balance. Still, her obvious inexperience fighting up close made it easy for Ren to duck her swing. Faking left, he flipped and kicked down, slashing his blades down her back with a practiced ease. Her aura shattered, and he stepped away. "Well, you weren't exactly defenseless."
"May Zedong has been eliminated! Team JNPR now holds a 4-3 advantage – will BRNZ be able to come back from this deficit?"
"Great job, Ren!" Jaune hollered into the woods, grinning as he ducked a punch and got a faint reply.
"Jaune, go help Nora!" Pyrrha exclaimed, breaking her hold on his armor and turning to engage his opponent. Nora was carefully backing away as the two boys closed in on her. She stepped in to block a pair of claws with Akouo, determination filling her face. "I've got this one."
The boy she now faced gulped nervously. "Uh, right. She's just Pyrrha Nikos, I can take her."
She narrowed her eyes at him. I am not just Pyrrha Nikos! If I was being just Pyrrha Nikos, I wouldn't be fighting in this tournament! "Let's finish this."
When Pyrrha tried, her opponents never lasted very long. When she was angry, well…
The boy tried to punch her, which she easily took on her shield. She launched into a furious combination of side slashes and lunges, which ripped at his aura as he futilely tried to block. Just as he started to predict her attacks, she chucked her shield at his head to distract him. When he ducked, she brought Akouo back as she flipped over him and rammed the bronze down on his back. The boy crumpled, and she unleashed her javelin and aimed for the cow prod boy who had attacked Nora earlier.
"Brawnz Ni and Nolan Porfirio have been eliminated in a stunning show of talent from Pyrrha Nikos!"
The final boy looked up at the holoscreen in shock, which was a mistake as Nora's hammer collided with his chest and sent him out of the battlefield.
"And now Roy Stallion is down as well! Team JNPR takes the match!"
"We won!" Jaune cheered, thrusting Crocea Mors into the air with a wild grin. Nora ran over and hugged him, and the two of them waved to the applauding crowd.
Pyrrha stared at the screen then nodded, waving politely to the crowd. Always put on a good show, that's the most important thing. There will be time to relax later.
A hand rested on her shoulder. "Pyrrha, where did that come from?" Ren asked quietly.
"It doesn't matter. I just got a little heated for a moment, I suppose." She nodded to Jaune and Nora, who were still jubilantly celebrating the victory. "That's what matters, letting them have this chance."
Ren laughed, shaking his head. "Well, Jaune did want to prove himself to everyone, and you know how much Nora likes her hammer."
"Yeah." Raising her gaze back to the holoscreen, Pyrrha sighed. We won, and that's what matters.
"Pyrrha!"
The redhead staggered backward as Ruby threw herself at her, catching the smaller girl in her arms and spinning her around. "Hello!"
"You were amazing!" she exclaimed, clinging to Pyrrha's armor.
"Well, somebody had a complete change of moods," Weiss grumbled as the rest of WBYR caught up with Ruby. The heiress was wearing an oversized tourist sweater over her dress, which looked so completely out of place on her that Pyrrha couldn't stifle her laugh.
"That's certainly a different style for you, Weiss."
"Oh, Ice Queen just had a little accident with some barbeque sauce on her white dress," Yang drawled, earning her a death glare.
"Yang Xiao Long, do you have any idea how much this dress cost?!"
Blake had her arm draped over Yang's shoulder and still looked to be half-asleep. Yawning, she said, "Weiss, why were you eating messy barbeque pulled pork if you didn't want to get your dress dirty?"
"Because I have an appreciation for the finer tastes in life!" she sniffed, her sleeves drooping over her hands as she crossed her arms. A snicker interrupted her huff. "Ruby, what could possibly be so funny?"
Ruby pointed at the t-shirt. "There's a cute little birdie on there!"
Weiss gaped down at her sweater; sure enough, there was a small cartoon eagle leaning against a drawing of Amity Colosseum. "That's the mascot, dolt! It's on every bit of merch they're selling, I fail to see how that's funny."
"I know, I know, but- You're you, and you're wearing a sweater and it- it- it has a birdie on it!" Ruby collapsed into a helpless fit of laughter, followed quickly by Yang. Even Pyrrha politely covered her mouth as she held onto Ruby to keep her from falling over.
Taking a deep breath, Yang said, "Now there's the Ruby I remember. Did Violet do something to you?"
Everyone turned to Violet, who smirked and held up her notebook, which read: "I may have let her eat an entire pint of ice cream..."
"It was cookie dough!" Ruby wheezed, leaning back and looking at her sister upside-down in Pyrrha's embrace. "How could I not eat the whole thing?"
"So, if we're quite done making jokes at my expense, could we please go back to the dorms so I can get out of this dreadful garment?" the heiress asked pointedly.
"Wait one second..." Yang whipped her scroll out and took a few pictures before Weiss could do anything. "Alright, now we're good."
Weiss' face turned red, and she made a grab for Yang's scroll. "Hey, give me that!"
"Nope!" Yang said, popping her P. "Now I have blackmail! Maybe I'll show it to Winter..."
"You wouldn't dare! I am your leader, you delete those photos right now!"
"You'll have to catch me~," Yang sang as she danced out of Weiss' reach and started to jog towards Beacon.
"Come back here!" Weiss' fists shot to her side, and she went after Yang. "I will have you know I can run in heels!"
Blake rolled her eyes as they ran off towards the school, then looked to everybody else. "Should we follow them?"
"Wait, Weiss, I want blackmail tooo!" Ruby called after her teammates. Before anyone else could respond, she had grabbed Violet and dragged her towards the school.
"Your teammates are certainly excitable," Pyrrha said bemusedly, turning to Blake who was the only other person left.
Blake shook her head, her ears curling with the corners of her mouth. "You have no idea. Wanna go in too?"
"Yeah." The two girls made an odd couple as they set a relaxed pace towards Beacon's double doors. "We really don't talk very much, do we?"
Blake thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Not really. We both spend a lot of time with Ruby, though, so isn't that a bit strange?"
"I suppose it is. Well, I'd love to talk sometime, Blake," Pyrrha said diplomatically, and Blake nodded in response.
The great hall bustled with activity. People from all parts of the festival were hard at work, as Beacon acted as the tournament's administrative hub. Pyrrha and Blake threaded their way through the crowd towards the stairs, fending off compliments and questions about the match earlier. They had almost made it through when an announcement through the loudspeakers made them freeze in place.
"Would Pyrrha Nikos, Ruby Rose, Violet Rose, and Blake Belladonna please report to Headmaster Ozpin's office immediately?"
Pyrrha glanced at Blake, who had gone white. "Do you know what that's about?"
She shook her head and turned away from the stairs. "No, but we can't ignore him. Follow me."
The elevator hummed as they ascended the floors to the top of Beacon's clocktower. Pyrrha watched the other girl as they rose; something about the way she had reacted to the announcement was off-putting. Why, of all people, me, Blake, Ruby, and Violet? How does that make any sense? What's going on?
Is he going to tell Pyrrha? Should we try to stop this from happening?
Are you kidding me? Do you honestly think you and I have half a chance versus Ozpin? Neo shook her head as she paced back and forth in the elevator. I don't have any fucking clue, Ruby. What else would he call the only people who know about all that shit to his office?
Neo, relax. Ruby was not relaxed – her knuckles whitened as she gripped the elevator sidebar, the cold seeping into her fingertips. We will be fine, otherwise he would have killed us ages ago.
There's a hell of a lot of ground between fine and dead, Ruby. You should be the first person to know that. Besides, I refuse to trust him.
And you don't have to, but stop pacing! Please! Reaching out, she grabbed Neo's hand – the other girl tried to snatch it away for a moment then stopped.
Fine. If it all goes to hell, at least you brought Rising Thorn and I have my sword.
The doors slid open. Stepping out, the gears and blue skies of the headmaster's office spilled out in front of them. Still holding her hand, Ruby led them into the room, where Ozpin, Glynda, Qrow, Ironwood, Winter, and Blake were all waiting. The latter gave them a relieved smile as she spotted them. Ears flattening, she sprinted over and whispered, "You don't think-"
"What else could they need the four of us for?" Ruby whispered back, pulling Neo towards the girl in the chair before Ozpin.
Pyrrha looked like a frightened animal, her eyes nervously darting around the room. "Ruby? What's going on? Who are all of these people?"
"Miss Rose." Ozpin's tone demanded that she look up, and he responded to her questioning gaze with a slight nod.
That means he's dragging her into this whole mess? "Why the fuck-"
Pyrrha's look of shock grew as Ruby's mouth glowed purple and slammed shut. "Ruby, Neo, don't interfere," Qrow barked, pushing off of the pillar he had been resting on. Ruby snarled, jabbing her middle finger at him as red film set in across her eyes. Don't involve Pyrrha in this! she wanted to scream.
"Ruby, please." Ozpin met her gaze evenly, clasping both hands on the hilt of his cane. "This decision is beyond you, and your extenuating circumstances are the only reason you are here right now. Do not make this harder for us than it has to be."
"Professor, she doesn't need to-" Blake was cut off as well, and Ironwood and Winter sent the trio identical glares.
"Students. You will hold. your. tounges," Glynda said, flicking her riding crop angrily.
"What is this?" Pyrrha asked, getting to her feet and looking around. "Why am I here?"
"Please calm down, Miss Nikos. I assure you, we will explain everything." Ozpin rose to his feet and gestured at the adults ringing his desk. "These are some of my trusted friends and associates. Qrow Branwen and I have worked together for years, and General James Ironwood and Specialist Winter Schnee are members of the Atlesian Military. You already know Glynda and your friends, of course."
"Ruby and Yang's uncle? Weiss' sister?" Pyrrha shook her head, looking lost. "Professor, if you don't mind me asking, why am I here?"
"Well, first of all, let me compliment you on your exemplary performance in your team battle. The double knockout you pulled towards the end was nothing short of brilliant," the headmaster said with a thin smile that never reached past his crooked spectacles.
Pyrrha blinked at the non-sequitur, collecting her thoughts before saying, "Well, I couldn't have done it without my team."
Oh, come on Pyrrha, stop being so fucking polite! That's so obviously changing the subject- Neo tried to shake free of Glynda's semblance, earning her a stink eye from the deputy headmistress.
"But that is not the real reason all of you are gathered here today." Leaning back, Ozpin lifted his finger to his lips and asked, "Tell me, what is your favorite fairy tale?"
A sinking feeling filled Ruby's gut: He is! He's going to tell her!
"I'm… sorry?"
"Fairy tales, stories from your childhood. Surely you must remember some of them."
Pyrrha frowned, but answered nonetheless. "Well, there's The Tale of The Two Brothers, The Shallow Sea, The Girl in the Tower..."
"What about the story of the four seasons?" Ozpin asked, leaning forwards again.
"Yes, I know that," she responded curtly, glancing over at Ruby who was struggling against the semblance holding her.
"Well, what if I told you it was true?"
The mood in the room visibly soured – Pyrrha looked from face to face with a growing expression of shock. "Oh my god, you're actually serious."
Glynda flicked her crop again, and Ruby and Neo fell to the floor unceremoniously. Picking herself back up, Ruby growled, "So, like I was going to say before, why the fuck are you dragging my best friend into this?"
"Do I need to-"
"Muzzle me again? No thanks, I think that was more than enough for me," she snapped at her teacher, her hand sliding under her cloak to Rising Thorn's hilt.
"Ruby? Blake? What's going on?" Pyrrha asked quietly. They exchanged a glance, and Blake scowled and deferred to Ruby.
Ruby sighed. Her eyes softened as she met Pyrrha's, and she said, "Long story short, Ozpin is a manipulative immortal with magic who aura bonded four girls to the seasons to fight evil."
Pyrrha stared at her for a second, then nodded and looked out the window. "Yup, I believe I'm hallucinating. Jaune, if you hear this, pinch me."
"Miss Nikos." She looked at Ozpin with great trepidation, and her shoulder sagged at his serious expression. "You are not hallucinating. While I perhaps would not have put it so bluntly, so to say, everything Miss Rose just said is factually true."
"Welcome to our world, kid," Qrow muttered, and Pyrrha gawked at him.
"...magic? Aura bonds? That stuff is real?"
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Tell her?
Absolutely. Clearing her throat, Ruby said, "Hey, Neo, now that Ozpin's decided to go fuck over another one of our friend's lives, I think she should know the whole truth."
The adults all cried out in alarm at the same time, but Pyrrha simply turned to Ruby with a lost expression. "Neo? Who's that?"
Smirking, Ruby jerked her head at Neo. "Well, you're looking at her."
Neo's form flickered, then her disguise slowly melted away from her body. Violet hair turned pink and brown, and her illusory combat skirt turned into her skin tight body suit and white jacket. Sneering, she flipped off the adults then turned to Pyrrha with an apologetic expression. Ruby, can I talk through you? Ruby let her head sag and Neo began to talk. "Sorry about this, Pyrrha. Neopolitan, although we already know each other."
"Ru- no, you aren't Ruby, are you?"
"Well, kinda." Illusions flickered around Neo's body as she met Pyrrha's gaze. "I hear her thoughts, and she hears mine. Considering their reactions, I'd be willing to bet the adults didn't think we'd be talking about this because clearly they're a bunch of fucking idiots who don't think their actions through."
"Ruby..." Glynda said dangerously.
Neo whipped around in fury and drew her sword, stalking towards the other woman. "You can address me directly, Glynda. Why are we even here? If you all are done spouting half-truths and bullshit, then maybe you could explain that to us."
Qrow hissed as he watched Ruby's slack body, and Pyrrha looked on in horrified amazement. Glynda scowled and said, "Neopolitan, despite your bond you are still my student-"
"Oh, fuck off." Neo pointed her sword at her. "I'm older than Winter, don't try that on me. I am an adult, and by extension so is Ruby. Pyrrha is eighteen, and Blake'll turn eighteen this summer. Give us a straight answer. Now."
"Violet?" Pyrrha whispered, and Neo gave her a crooked smile.
"You might not know it, Pyr, but being Ruby's best friend makes you mine too. If I had a tongue, maybe this wouldn't be such a surprise 'cause you might actually know me."
"You… don't have a tongue?" Neo let her mouth fall open, and Pyrrha desperately fought to keep her composure. "O-oh. So that's why you don't talk."
"Neopolitan, please restrain yourself," Ozpin said, rising to his feet. "I understand your and Miss Rose's resentment towards myself and the other adults in this room, but this situation carries more gravity than your individual problems."
Before Neo could lash out at Ozpin, Ruby ran forwards and grabbed her sword. Neo, please, he's scaring me right now.
But-
We have no idea where this is going. Why did he choose Pyrrha? Please, can we just see what he has to say?
Neo scowled at her, then acquiesced. Only for you, Rose.
"Thank you, Miss Rose," Ozpin said, a hint of genuine gratitude at the edge of his tone.
Ruby crossed her arms as Neo slammed her sword back into its sheath. "This is for Pyrrha, not for you. Give us the truth. Now."
"What is going on?" Pyrrha asked, fear evident in her tone.
"I'll explain everything later, I promise," Ruby said.
"You shouldn't have done that, Ruby and Neo," Qrow said, an uncharacteristic softness to his voice.
"Yeah, well the last time we checked you weren't exactly the best example of how to treat this shit," she shot back, shifting closer to Neo.
"Ozpin." Ironwood pushed off of the wall and walked to the side of his desk. "This conversation has gone on for far too long. Tell her. Now."
"Tell me what?" Pyrrha asked fearfully.
Ozpin sighed, then said, "Well, Miss Nikos, the reason we have called you here today is because we believe that you are next in line to receive the powers of the Fall Maiden."
[A/N] So this is an 8k chapter. Lots of stuff happened here – one of Neo's worst memories, Ruby visits Summer's grave, the first round, and then of course Pyrrha's introduction to the world of the maidens…
Buckle up, guys, it's gonna be a wild ride.
Thank you all for reading and review – please leave your thoughts, they mean the world to me.
Signing out, Allie
Estimated Update Day: 3/17/18