I was going somewhere with this but got bored quick. I was reading stories where Jaune gets betrayed and realised it's always the same. So instead I thought, what if one of them betrayed themselves? Y'know, something I'm sure everyone and their dogs have tried to write before. I wanted to skip to the end of that process. Pyrrha was perfect for that because she is a genuine character whose flaws could have very easily lead her down this path. She's kind and despite her outer persona I can come across, to me at least, as incredibly shy about her true thoughts and feelings. She wants something genuine and real, it's why she likes Jaune in the show. But! She's still a young girl and no teen is fully capable of reading someone's intentions (no matter how shows try to make them out to be on top of everything). I didn't succeed with what I aimed for, not fully, but I'm hoping someone might find inspiration from this.
Or something like that...
Pyrrha Nikos was a hollow woman, devoid of joy or anything else remotely positive. She barely even possessed any negativity either, simply going trough the motions. With a smile perfected in her teens and actions repeated so often as to be automatic, not even what remained of her friends from Beacon glimpsed the truth. The last time she'd even seen Weiss the girl had said very little, save a passing guilty glance and a mutter apology. What stuck out most in that meeting had been a different sentence "you remind me of my mother".
Well, that wasn't all that shocking really. She'd been growing more distant from them since second year of Beacon. Ever since she met her now Husband really.
How foolish she was back then.
Even though she'd had feelings for another boy, she'd been too afraid to try and advance their relationship. Back then nothing short of a life or death situation could have given her the kick she needed, but then someone had asked her out. Her now Husband had seemed so genuine, she wasn't very good at rejecting earnest and heartfelt people so she'd accepted his date offer. She'd planned to go along with it and then let him down gently by saying she just didn't feel a spark between them. Except the night had been perfect, looking back now she could only curse her foolish younger self. It was too perfect, she should've seen the snake in the grass from the beginning but she hadn't.
What followed was more dates, her feelings changing. Perhaps changing was the wrong word, perhaps her heart had always known because it refused to release the other boy from its hold, perhaps she'd only smothered that voice to near silence. She'd never seen the signs as her Husband coaxed her into spending more time with him, her training with that other boy was the first thing to end. He'd been saddened of course, but he'd nodded and smiled and encouraged her to do whatever she felt was best for her. Had he known back then? Had he known about the snake slowly wrapping itself around her throat and tried to subtly encourage her to really think about what was best? She would never know, that other boy hadn't spoken to her in years.
Next had been her decreased time with the team, no more goofing off with Nora- that time was dedicated to studying with her Husband, no more quiet study with Ren- instead it was to help her Husband grow in strength. Team JNPR carried on without her, that other boy held the team together. Ren and Nora looked so disappointed in her for a few weeks. She remembered those looks breaking her heart, but her Husband had eased her by claiming they just didn't understand the value of their relationship.
Ha! Value, hadn't she misunderstood back then.
Team RWBY had been less painful. Ruby tried to keep some sort of bond, but the girl had always been closer to that other boy. Their occasional meetings petered out until they stopped altogether. Ruby cared about everyone, even strangers. Pyrrha had simply become just another stranger.
Weiss had stuck around, but for nothing so noble as friendship. She wanted tips and advice on combat, to increase her understanding and improve. It wasn't so vacuous as the reason she'd initially approached her, but it was better than nothing.
Blake and Yang weren't all that interested in her either, polite but their priorities had never lay with her. Funnily enough, the entire team had closer ties with that other boy. They met through him after all, him and his friendship with Ruby.
At some point in time, team RWBY had become involved in some strange plot, Ruby had near begged for assistance. They'd have to trek across Anima, perhaps even Solitas. It would be long and arduous and dangerous but someone needed to do it. That other boy had agreed without a second thought, so had Ren and Nora. She'd hesitated.
"You can stay with him, y'know?" That other boy had said warmly, encouragingly. Her heart had nearly burst from her chest with the pain she'd felt then but she'd not known why "this could take a while, you love him right?"
She hadn't known why she'd desperately wanted to say "no" and follow after them, she'd thought it perhaps the fact she'd miss them too much. She'd reasoned that as important as the team was they weren't very close anymore and her relationship was growing in leaps and bounds. Instead of doing what she now knows she should've done, she'd nodded shyly and quietly whispered a thank you. That other boy had smiled "then go to him, if it makes you happy you should follow that feeling", she'd not seen the minor struggle his lips had when making that expression, and instead glanced away.
She saw the disappointment in everyone else though.
Before she'd known it, her honeymoon was over and Teams RWBY and JNR were world famous, heroes the world over and the most highly sought Huntsman in history. Ren and Nora has ended up making highly skilled negotiators, Ren's calm presence and voice leant well to diplomacy and Nora's chaotic and off the wall interruptions complemented him well. He'd approach with reason and she'd offer utter insanity to throw people off. No peace meeting ever turned violent when an utterly unruffled Ren stared them dead in the eye as Nora suggested seeing whose legs could get broken the least as part of a deal. Team RWBY took the leading roles as strongest Huntresses in history and the main heroes. Despite what was supposed to be a joyous weekend with her Husband, that other boys face was plastered all over the news too. Her heart protested quietly and painfully, she'd still not known why. He'd split from the group after they'd saved the world, he wasn't a Huntsman you could hire. He wandered the globe and helped those who needed it most. He was seen as the most charitable Huntsman, the truest hero of the entire group.
She wasn't sure when she discovered her marriage, her entire relationship, was a sham. It was a slow realisation that somehow didn't surprise her at all. Alone at home, drunk out of her mind and finger paused over a number she couldn't decide whether she wanted to be out of service or still belonging to who she wanted to speak to. It had come to her then, how her Husband had simply used her to advance himself. Be stronger, smarter and have more prestige. Why the fame and respect that other boy received angered him so. She had been sucked dry of everything she was to fuel this patient scumbag she still called Husband because she'd had any sense of defiance or independence long since erased. She'd made the call that night.
"Hello?"
That other boys voice answered, deeper now and wiser too, but as kind as it had ever been. Her tongue tied, breath caught in her lungs.
"Helloooo? I can hear breathing y'know?"
He didn't sound annoyed at all, simply confused. Perhaps even a little concerned.
"Are you alright?" He'd said after another few moments of silence, voice definitely concerned now "I don't know who this is, but if you need help just cough twice. I'll definitely help!"
A watery smile formed on her face. He didn't recognise her number anymore. Perhaps he'd changed phones and lost her contact details, perhaps he'd forgotten her entirely and didn't even recognise her name or how he knew her. The fact he'd proposed coughing to signal a need for aid showed he was expierenced in various forms of pleas for help. A victim could not always openly request aid lest it be heard by the reason for the plea. Abusive partners for example.
It didn't matter though, because her mind overwrote her heart.
"No" she whispered, voice staying as steady as possible "w-wrong number, I-I'm sorry to have bothered you"
He breathed out in relief, chuckled warmly and responded. How she'd managed to sound believable in her drunken and emotional state she didn't know. She just felt that maybe it was for the best this way. Her choices had lead her here. He was happy now, she'd heard he was due to marry soon too. Weiss Schnee had fallen to his charms after all, it would seem. She couldn't jeopardise that happiness in any way, shape or form.
"That's good to hear! Don't worry about it though, better luck next time I guess"
He laughed it all off, and the first tears fell. Yes, this was for the best.
"Yeah" she breathed quietly "next time".
She hung up, stared out the luxurious windows of her home. A mansion, high above in Atlas. It gazed out over a beautiful Cityscape but all she could see was harsh and cold sights.
She hadn't uttered that other boys name in years, had barely let herself even think it. But just this once, before she let herself become truly empty, she looked back on her history with that other boy. The one she loved, had always loved, who supported her even with her poor decisions. Respected her enough to let her fall, but caring enough she knew he'd have picked her up the moment she needed it. She needed it now, but he wasn't around to see that. It was the knowledge that he'd surely come if only she asked that prevented her from doing so.
"I love you, Jaune"
Pyrrha Nikos was a hollow woman, she had no hopes or dreams. Well, perhaps she had one dream. She dreamed of a different past, of a different ending. A life and death situation, where it didn't matter if she'd lived or died, at least she could've told Jaune Arc at least once how important he was.