A/N: Hello. :) Here is the next chapter of my rewrite. I was able to get a good look at Cinder's backstory. And overall, I have to say I'm impressed with the direction they went with it, though my only gripe about it is that should've been expanded on more. How it should've been expanded on, I won't say much of it. But on the bright side, it gave me a better picture of how to show Cinder's backstory. And if you're worried it's exactly the same, don't be. While most of it is like the original, there will be some key differences that will tie her past in with Preston's. We'll get more into that in the next chapter. Until then, I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)
Chapter 8: Final Goal
All alone in a lit area with a wooden floor, a young woman was scrubbing the floor. She had pigtails on her raven hair, as well as a white dress with a black apron and a red sash in the belt of her black pants. She kept a slow and consistent motion. And more than that, she had a saddened look on her face. Her line of work surely had to be a misery.
A lot could've happened to the poor girl for her to be this way. But no one could say for certain. As far as they were concerned, she was just another worker. They didn't know if making an effort to speak to her would make things better or worse, so they dared not chance it. To the snobs of Atlas, however, she may as well be worth spit, if not less. Her lack of support from her so-called friends who left her to do all the work proved it. But little did they all know how much they'd regret it in the far future. For now, though, she still scrubbed, slowly and surely...
Outside Salem's castle, Cinder's Grimm arm was scratching the other in that same slow and consistent motion. The sharp nails were digging through the skin, slowly releasing her blood from the scratches she'd made on her wrist. It's as if that motion was embedded into her mind from constant experience. She was sitting just out on the edge of the hill near the castle entrance, looking out towards the colony of Grimmites (the beings Merlot aptly named to describe the evolution of humanity and Grimm alike) that settled quickly under the blood red sky with a distrustful look. As if four kingdoms wasn't enough... But, with a group of subhumans who were simply content to live amongst Grimm and to follow Salem's rule, she supposed it could be worse: she'd be back in Mantle.
Though it was a great contrast, seeing a sight like this reminded her all too well of that city. It was always constantly under Atlas' shadow. Literally. By consequence of Atlas using dust crystals to keep it afloat (or so the story goes anyway), it always looked down on the people who needed their help. Not that they were ever given help. Cinder would know about that. Before she could think any more on that, and she hated thinking of it, Raider stepped out to meet her.
Thanks to her influence, he'd made a decent recovery from his formerly berserk state, though his burned right eye with (which regained most of its humanity from the Grimm side that once overwhelmed him despite the discoloration that made it appear blank) and his own Grimm arm (a right arm with red streaks across the black frame that was more brutish than Cinder's) refused to be hidden. His outfit, where once he was stripped bare apart from his briefs, now comprised of a red and grey shirt with dark blue pants, dark silver knee pads, dark silver shoulder pads, and a tattered black cape with a symbol of a King Taijitu's heads glaring to each other with their fangs bared and with blackened eyes behind him with the addition of a scabbard near his belt that held a black and orange lined sword. On top of that, he also had a silver collar with a yellow crystal around his neck. He was eventually given the all-clear and was tasked by Salem to help in her recovery. She considered it beneficial for both of them to be trained by Dexus. They were two sides of the same coin, she said. But Raider had a hard time believing that given her demeanor. Even so, he couldn't refuse that; that was the only time Cinder connected with him. The only time anyone ever connected with him.
"Hey, Cinder."
Cinder gave a sigh his way, though she personally couldn't distinguish if it was annoyance for him interrupting her or relief for him stopping her from thinking about the past she'd rather forget.
"Yes?"
Raider could tell right away from her passive tone that she didn't seem happy. After all, he was told a great deal had happened to her at the Fall of Beacon. She was within mere inches from getting the power she wanted, but then Ruby stepped in and viciously attacked her, making her damaged in the process. Frankly, he was surprised she didn't end up as berserk as he was by now, if she hasn't already. Regardless, he still had to bring her back inside.
"Dexus is waiting for us both in the arena. He wanted us both in by now."
Cinder only stood up as she continued her gaze towards the bizarre civilization below her.
"Sure. Give me a minute."
Admittedly annoyed at Cinder's continually passive tone, Raider went up closer to her before taking notice of what she was focused on. She was overlooking dozens upon dozens of Merlot's Grimmites acting like people. While looking at them down below himself, Raider took notice of several Grimm coming by the Grimmites. Instead of lashing out at them, they are welcomed. Some instances, he also noticed a young Grimmite girl riding on top of a Beowolf like it was a horse. The Beowolf had no opinion whatever of it. And that was what baffled him; it's simply not in its nature to let anyone ride on its back, yet here it was. Raider thought he understood why Cinder was outside when he turned to her.
"Let me guess. Adoring the public?"
Cinder only gave him a scoff as she made a small retorsion.
"I don't have to explain myself to you."
Raider gave her a stern look, beginning to have quite enough of Cinder's tone. He began to speak in that same manner himself.
"Then why did you...?"
Cinder's eyes widened from hearing this as she made a light gasp. She didn't know why, but somehow, his words made her hesitate to answer back quickly at first. Then, she turned back to him.
"What was that?"
Raider turned his face away from Cinder before he headed back to the door.
"Never mind. Just don't keep Dexus waiting."
Raider began walking back inside to the castle, leaving Cinder by herself once again. She looked back out towards the Grimmites, focusing more so on a small family. It was bizarre to see Salem lookalikes in this way, what with the matching white hair, bleached skin, and red eyes, but she digressed. The mother and father were showing a young girl a Beowolf puppy. She even held it closer to her chest with a smile as she spoke gleefully.
"This is the best thing ever!"
Cinder couldn't help but envy her. To think that three months ago, Merlot used his concentrated formula from the black pool of Grimm to transform humans into Grimmites. Now, the pool itself is used to create a new species and a kingdom all at once. And already, they've begun to flourish. That child, human or not, was lucky enough to have a family who loved her. If only she had something like this much sooner... Cinder unconsciously held her Grimm arm to her chest as she then clenched her fingers together.
Play Grimm Eclipse Music: "Emerald Forest Ambiance"
Meanwhile, in the forests of Mistral, Pyrrha was holding her hand over her chest as well, only her eyes were closed. And she still continued her trek along the road in front of her as she'd always done for practically a long time now. Though, as previously stated, Pyrrha wasn't alone like she appeared to be. Like it or not, she had someone else to talk to inside her head. And that was the Fall Maiden.
Pyrrha had gotten to know quite a lot about her those past few months. For starters, her name was Amber Autumn. Just like her, she was a Huntress, "was" being an operative term. And it wasn't just in regards to her passing. Since she became the Fall Maiden, she had to be on her own to avoid the risk of her power being abused, not that it did any good with Cinder involved, but that was beside the point.
In some ways, Amber reminded her of Ruby, and other times, it was you-know-who. For Ruby's case, it was her purity and naivety, demonstrated once before when she stopped to help a hurt child, only to find it was a fake. And then there's the resemblance of the drive to kill, which was primarily seen from Cinder, and equally unfortunately, most recently, Ruby. When she was backed to a corner, before she was beaten, Amber was ready to kill Emerald before being blindsided. Though, in hindsight, Amber had to admit she should've been more careful. If she had, things would've been different. Amber would still be by herself, Beacon wouldn't have fallen, and Pyrrha wouldn't be stuck with her the way she was. But even if they were true, Amber knew that blaming herself wouldn't change what happened.
The sad truth is, they both had to take the hand they're dealt with. And so far, of all they could've gotten, that hand was the worst. Although, being a wandering Maiden did have its perks. All Pyrrha could do for the time being was admire everything around her, from the gentle breeze in the winds and the chirping of birds. If only she could've shared it all with Jaune... Before Pyrrha could dwell on that, Amber piped up in her head.
"You're still thinking about him, aren't you?"
Pyrrha simply rolled her eyes at the voice in her head as she retorted mentally.
"I think we both know that I haven't stopped thinking of him, Amber."
She hadn't forgotten that they shared the same body, so Amber could tell what and who she thought of. That part was a bit annoying. Be that as it may, Pyrrha's made time to think back to her, so as not to appear that she was talking to herself. Being alone was bad enough; she didn't want to end up being thought of as crazy. Pyrrha still kept her gaze on the road ahead as Amber continued.
"Of course. After all, he was your knight in shining armor."
Pyrrha's face blanched from Amber's comment. So much so, in fact, that she wasn't aware that she was speaking loudly.
"You mean you saw what Jaune and I were—?!"
Pyrrha quickly covered her mouth to keep from disturbing the quiet with her shocked tone. Amber laughed inside her head, almost in the way Ruby would've at Beacon.
"Relax. I didn't have to look. But I can listen, you know."
Pyrrha let out an exasperated sigh as she continued mentally with a guilty tone, suspecting that she must've been uncomfortable.
"Sorry..."
"No, it's alright. You just didn't know before I spoke to you that first time. Besides, I'm not exactly new to one of your 'private times'. Still, I tried to give you as much space as I could, if it makes you feel any better."
Pyrrha couldn't help but smile at Amber's thoughtfulness. It must've been attributed to her nicer side. Something she came to be thankful for.
"Thanks. It does make me feel a little better."
Pyrrha continued on the road with a smile. If Amber still had her body, she'd hold her hand the whole way. It wasn't long before Pyrrha took notice of a village in front of her. But as she got closer, something seemed off.
End Grimm Eclipse Music: "Emerald Forest Ambiance"
There wasn't any commotion audible enough for her to hear from there. The silence that lingered when she drew closer to it only made it worse. Sure enough, standing at the entrance, Pyrrha figured out why. There wasn't anyone around but herself to make noise. She was the only one inside the village. Amber didn't like it any more than she did, either.
"This is... unsettling."
Pyrrha looked around for signs of anybody around but herself. But there weren't any. On the other hand, there weren't any Grimm attacks, either. Seeing the setting in front of her, void of any people or Grimm, Pyrrha had a bizarre theory.
"I know. What could've made all those people leave?"
As Pyrrha looked around, though, she noticed a lot of the buildings around her were unfinished. On top of that, a stack of wood was set near the stairs beside her. Amber saw it all, too. And even she was perplexed by all of it.
"Hard to say. I don't see any evidence of Grimm attacks so far... Still, can't be too careful. I learned it the hard way."
Pyrrha nodded to Amber as she took notice of a sign in the exact middle of the village. It seemed to be covered in a vine. Judging from that small overgrowth, it was safe to assume it had been a long time since anyone came here in Anima. Pyrrha slowly parted the leaves away to see only one word written on the stone.
"Oniyuri? I haven't heard of that place."
"Me neither. But it's safe to say whoever lived here didn't stick around long enough for it to be recognized by anyone else."
"Yeah, that much I got. But... why did they all just leave?"
Before Amber could reply, they heard the cawing of a flock of crows coming up above them. Pyrrha looked at the crows as they flew by.
"I don't know, and I'm not in the mood to find out. We should move on while we can."
Pyrrha still felt uneasy about this, but she knew Amber had a point. If there was anyone to save or any Grimm to be wary of, she would've found either one by now. Beside that, her rations were running short, and there wasn't anything there to restock them.
"I think I'll take you up on that idea."
Pyrrha then began to walk past the sign and headed for the gate just in front of her. Before she could, though, she stopped just before she could cross it and looked back to the sign. For whatever reason, Pyrrha wanted to go back to it and leave something behind, but Amber's voice wouldn't let her.
"Well, aren't we going?"
Pyrrha took a deep sigh before she walked away and continued past the entrance. Hopefully, she could find another village that was more populated and had something there for her to eat. It was almost past noon, and she wouldn't know what to do after she eats the last of her rations of there weren't any left to restock. If she hasn't already, Pyrrha was beginning to wish that things were much simpler like they used to be...
6 Months Ago
Beacon had fallen. There was much work to do to help it recover. The fact that so much chaos had happened all around didn't help. But it could be worse. If a Wyvern was still perched atop the tower, it would've meant an endless stream of Grimm constantly drawn to the people's' panic and fear from a Grimm bound to mobilize on them at any moment. Suspense would've been the catalyst that could've otherwise doomed Vale, or at the very least made it all the more difficult to clean up. But regardless, there was still work to be done, and even Glynda Goodwitch couldn't fix that all by herself.
Many Huntsman and Huntresses-in-training chose to go back to their homes after such a massive scale of destruction, but a handful of them decided to stay and help in Vale's recovery. However, Team CFVY, had elected to go to Shade Academy in Vacuo to finish up on their training, much to Velvet's dismay. She never even got the chance to share her opinion, or at very least, nobody asked her what it was. The least Pyrrha could do was to give her a hug for the long journey to come. She never realized it would be something that Velvet would always remember, apart from the fact that she took a picture of her before departing, not that she minded it. That said, Pyrrha was concerned about what was best for her now.
For her, it's not exactly the best option to go home after becoming the Fall Maiden. Cinder was still out there despite being overwhelmed by Ruby, much to the girl's chagrin. And even just helping Vale recover would put a target on her back, as much as she wanted to help. This was not how she saw her destiny going at all. And she hated every second of it, but for the sake of Vale, the sake of JNPR, RWBY, and all other Huntsmen and Huntresses, and most importantly, for Jaune's sake... she had to take the hand that's dealt to her. Before that, though, a proper farewell is in order.
Pyrrha wanted to say goodbye before she had to leave everything and everyone she knew behind. And so, she orchestrated a small farewell party between herself and her teammates, who were oblivious about Pyrrha's role at the time, as well as her reason for leaving the team behind. She wanted to invite Team RWBY, but sadly, due to their differing circumstances, they were otherwise engaged. And of all the places to hold it, it was quite a surprise. Pyrrha chose to hold this farewell party at the Forest of Forever Fall. Though, one can assume it's more of a ceremony than a party. And to Nora, it was for good reason.
"You call this a farewell party?! Where are all the decorations?!"
Pyrrha made a light laugh, enjoying her friend's bombastic behavior. It's part of what kept her going through the day.
"The forest's fine the way it is, Nora. We don't need to change a thing."
Ren, however, wasn't blind to the risk it carried just by being inside.
"And what about the fact that it's honeycombed with creatures of Grimm?"
Pyrrha turned her face to them with an almost dismal look as she spoke softly.
"That's part of why we're here, Ren."
Nora saw the look on her face as well. She quickly assumed the worst, making a sad face before she spoke in worry.
"You're... you're really depressed, aren't you?"
Pyrrha shook her head quickly. She was surprised how quickly she changed her mood. But after the Fall of Beacon, she supposed she can't blame her.
"No, Nora. It's not that. I wanted to show you and Ren something. Something only I, Professor Goodwitch, and Jaune know..."
Just then, a loud roar of a Grimm came out from far away. Right on cue. As a rumbling came towards JNPR, Pyrrha turned to the sound and closed her eyes while Nora and Ren instinctively reached for their weapons, but Jaune stopped them.
"At ease, guys."
Nora and Ren were both surprised as they spoke simultaneously to their leader.
"What?!"
"Just stand back and keep watch."
Ren and Nora were quick to argue with him.
"But a Grimm is coming right at us!"
"And I wanna smash it before it smashes Pyrrha!"
Jaune didn't lose his look of confidence as he turned towards Pyrrha before he spoke.
"Trust me: she can handle it."
He wasn't wrong about that. Just as the Ursai burst through the trees, Pyrrha opened her eyes, now flaring an emerald fire from her irises before summoning a sword resembling Miló, only the colors were vastly different. Instead of a golden and red color, the exterior of the blade was Ash Black with red lighting at the edges of her weapon. The Ursai leapt at her, only for Pyrrha to run over towards the Grimm and make a quick slide underneath it before impaling it from its underbelly, making it go limp just as the Ursai landed on top of her. In fear of what could happen, Nora and Ren tried to go towards Pyrrha, but Jaune still held them at bay, knowing for a fact that she's not down yet. And he was right.
In a moment later, the Grimm suddenly hoisted above Pyrrha, but not on its own. Pyrrha was holding it up with her weapon and her hand before it faded to black dust and scattered its ashes to the wind, leaving only Pyrrha to stand with her hand and the sword in the air before she put both of them down and turned to the rest of the team. Like she expected, Ren and Nora were more than surprised. The girl's mouth hung open while Ren showed a completely stupefied look. Sadly, that moment couldn't last either. Rumbling came from all sides, forcing the rest of the team to look around. That could only mean a new swarm of Grimm. Anticipating the common recurrence of Grimm, Pyrrha converted her sword into a rifle with a bright red flash. She took aim as the rustling got closer before a Beowolf emerges and ran at them.
Pyrrha took her shot, firing a bullet at the Grimm before it pierced its body and disintegrated it in its resulting flame. Another Beowolf arrived just then, but it wasn't alone. Six more were by its side. Pyrrha let go of her rifle, allowing it to disappear in a flash before summoning her black and red shield with blades at their sides. The last time she used that trick, it wasn't enough to stop Cinder's arrow from piercing her ankle. But she should have no problem with Grimm, unless one of them was a sharpshooter.
With that, Pyrrha hurtled here shield at the Grimm, instantly slicing them in half while maneuvering itself cautiously to avoid hitting the trees. The creatures have all turned to black dust by the time she got her shield back. Pyrrha gave herself this moment to take a deep breath before turning to her teammates. Like she imagined, they were more than surprised. Ren's face had a completely stupefied look while Nora's mouth hung open in awe. Jaune gave them a smirk as he broke the silence.
"See? I told you so."
Nora broke the silence next, unable to contain her excitement over Pyrrha's new power.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
Pyrrha made an almost disconsolate face as she replied.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I need you to understand why I can't go with you guys..."
In a moments' time, Pyrrha and Jaune told their team everything. First to go was the fact that she'd been chosen to be the next Fall Maiden before the Fall of Beacon took place, but at the cost of her own soul. Jaune told them next about how she decided to take on Cinder to protect him and everyone else who could be her next victim. Then, Pyrrha told them about her battle in general, how Ruby was determined to kill Cinder for making the fall happen in the first place, and the end result. This was quite the shock to the two of them, especially Ruby's recent show of ruthlessness. Even Nora was shaken to her core.
"Wow, Pyrrha. That's... heavy."
"Is that why you couldn't stay with us?"
Pyrrha read into his tone. She could tell that he didn't like the idea any more than she did.
"Yes, Ren. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you all before. I was still trying to work out how, or— or even if I should..."
Jaune stepped up beside her before he reassured her.
"It's fine, Pyrrha. None of that is on you."
Ren focused on the Goliath in the room as he spoke up. If her having half of the Fall Maiden's power was true, that'd mean one thing.
"So, Cinder's still out there? How do we know she's not looking for you right now?"
Pyrrha could make a guess. Cinder was pretty badly damaged by her and Ruby's offensive, mostly in part of the latter's. But even then, there's no telling how fast she could recover.
"It's all the more reason why I have to go. I don't want any of you to get hurt or... worse."
Nora walked up to Pyrrha with a determined look. She wasn't one to back away from a challenge, and even after the Fall, there's no changing that.
"As if! If someone messes with one of us, they mess with all of us. That's how it's always been, hasn't it?"
Pyrrha felt touched for Nora to stay by her side, even after what she just told them. Needless to say, however, it only made her feel worse.
"Look, guys, I appreciate that you're trying to help, but it's for the good of everyone."
Nora pointed out to her leader, hoping to change her mind.
"Well, what does Jaune think about all this?"
Nora looked over to Jaune, hoping he'd convince her to stay, or even better, get him to say something about how much he came to care for her. He had a saddened and dismal look as Pyrrha replied to Nora's question.
"It's like he said. I'm not one to back down from a challenge. I can't let anything stand in my way. Especially if... especially if you take a hit for me."
Jaune recalled those exact words. The last time he said those things, Pyrrha was devastated and she ended up heartbroken. Back then, it didn't make sense to him. But now, knowing the things he did, he began to feel just as sick to the stomach himself. He did hurt her after all... Jaune endeavored to make up for it as he tried to speak up.
"Pyrrha..."
Pyrrha suspected that he was going to apologize to her for his words of encouragement. She could tell from the sad look on his face.
"It's alright, Jaune. I know you meant well by what you said. And you're right."
"I know, but..."
Jaune tried the hardest he could to speak his mind. That was difficult enough to do without constantly being reminded of how he felt when he asked for Ruby and Weiss's help you save her. Nora and Ren saw his struggle, and Pyrrha wasn't any more blind to it than they were. Finally, after a moment, Jaune spoke up to Nora and Ren.
"Nora, Ren... think you guys will be okay by yourselves?"
Nora was quick to read on that cue. She knew those two would be together, but she didn't imagine it'd be at a time like this. To her, it was all the better; they deserved it after what they've been through. She gave a gentle smile his way before she spoke.
"Sure, Jaune. We can give you some privacy. But just don't hog her the whole time. Pyrrha's our friend, too."
Jaune nodded to her in understanding before he spoke softly.
"Thanks, you guys."
Nora then looked over to Ren with a smirk.
"And while they're doing that..."
Nora quickly took Ren by his hand and walked away from Pyrrha and Jaune by themselves as he exclaimed from her sudden pull.
"Hey! But the meeting isn't adjourned!"
Nora only replied to him in a sultry sing-song voice.
"It wasn't official..."
Pyrrha blinked her eyes in confusion before Jaune took a deep breath. Now that they have this moment alone, it'll be much easier to get it out of his chest. At least, it should be.
"Anyway... about what I said that night. About you not letting anything stand in your way? I'm... I'm sorry I ever said that to you."
"Jaune... I already told you, it's okay."
"No, it's not!"
Jaune's sudden outburst made Pyrrha stagger a bit as she backed away. His hands were trembling as he struggled to speak to her.
"It's my fault you went after Cinder in the first place! I realized that when I asked Ruby and Weiss to help you. And you're right, I just didn't know back. But that's still no excuse. I should've told you how I really felt from the beginning..."
Pyrrha's face began to blush. A part of her wanted to know what he thought of her while another was afraid to ask. Fortunately, the curiosity won out over that fear.
"Uh... how did you feel about me?"
Play Jeff Williams Music: "Forever Fall (Instrumental)"
Jaune allowed himself a moment to calm down, turning away from Pyrrha and towards one of the trees before he answered.
"It started... at the dance, I think. Something about you being alone just— it didn't sit right with me. I wanted to make you happy. Then, when I showed up in that dress, and I heard you laugh, it just... grew from there. I... I had no idea how to tell you this, but the Fall of Beacon just— just basically pushed that out of me, so..."
Jaune tried hard not to cry, but he found himself unable to stop. He then had to convert the strength he had left to keep his voice from breaking completely. Not one ounce of it was spared to stop the flow of tears on his face as he turned back to her.
"I love you, Pyrrha."
Pyrrha's face widened in disbelief and surprise. She held her hands over her mouth as Jaune continued.
"And I hate myself... SO MUCH for ever telling you the things I did last time we spoke like this. Maybe I meant well, but I don't care about that. Not if it means I don't ever get to see you again. Whether you're standing in front of me or otherwise, I— I can't imagine a world without you in it! I just can't..."
Jaune didn't hesitate to hug Pyrrha tightly. After what's happened, he never wanted to let go of her ever again. He sobbed on her shoulder, hoping that he wouldn't feel this way anymore once his tears are gone. Meanwhile, Pyrrha was beginning to tear up just as well. He'd finally said what she wanted to hear all this time. She didn't know what else to say to him as she hugged him back, other than...
"I love you, too, Jaune. And I don't want to imagine a world without you, either. That's why I have to go..."
Jaune gently moved away from her before putting his hands on her arms. Most of his tears were gone, but his voice was still recovering from his sobs.
"But I don't want you to go... at least not by yourself. You're still here because Ruby helped you. Huntsmen and Huntresses have each other's backs all the time."
"Jaune, I'm flattered you'd bring Ruby up, but—"
"I wasn't saying she should go with you, Pyrrha."
Pyrrha looked to Jaune in confusion, not certain if he was saying what she thought he was.
"What?"
"I'm just gonna come out and say it... I want you to be with me. And I want to be with you."
Jaune and Pyrrha stared at each other's faces with blushes before the latter made a small smile.
"You... you really mean that?"
"Of course."
As much as Pyrrha enjoyed how close the two of them are now, she still had a job to do.
"Jaune... I've already made up my—"
Before Pyrrha could finish, Jaune kissed Pyrrha in the lips. Back at Beacon, Pyrrha made the first move but this time, Jaune got the element of surprise. When they parted their lips, Pyrrha made a smile again as Jaune spoke.
"That was for Beacon. That makes us even."
Pyrrha made a light giggle before she looked to Jaune again.
"I think I can at least stay one more day."
The two of them leaned to kiss each other again as the red leaves fell from the trees.
End Jeff Williams Music: "Forever Fall (Instrumental)"
Once the leaf passed, the background changed to nighttime and in the forests of Mistral. Team RNJR was on the move again, having since departed from Higanbana. In the meantime, Ruby was still pondering what Bartek had told her. She couldn't get it out of her head since then. Those words have haunted her over and over again...
"Your momma used to give me the same exact look!"
Ruby's arms trembled as they held themselves together, crossing so tightly. She couldn't help but look back, beginning to consider talking to Bartek again as Nora sang a song of sorts while skipping.
"Just a few hundred miles to Mistral, just a few hundred to go! Who attacked Beacon? What were they after? That's what we wanna know!"
Ruby didn't pay any attention to Nora's singing. She was too focused on what Bartek had said to her. If her mom were still around, she could ask her how that guy knew her. More than that, though, she needed her advice about what she said to Yang before she left. As she pictured how miserable Yang must be for her snapping at her, Jaune noticed the look on her face. He suspected it was because of Bartek's words.
"You okay, Ruby? You sound... un-ruby-ishly quiet."
Ruby didn't answer as she turned back to the road ahead. After a moment of silence, Jaune spoke to her, trying to get her to open up.
"Are you still thinking about what that guy said about your... you know?"
Ruby only gave a sigh before she replied.
"I guess... I mean, nobody else ever wanted to talk about my mom on her birthday when I was a kid. So... how could he possibly know about her?"
Jaune put his arm around Ruby before walking with her.
"Well, I may not know what kind of family history you guys have, but if you need me, I'll be there."
Ruby gave Jaune a gentle smile as they walked along the road.
"Thanks, Jaune. It means a lot to me right now."
When Ren and Nora took notice of this, the latter made a playful smirk as she spoke.
"Oh, my! Looks like Jauney-boy's become a playa already! I wonder how Pyrrha's gonna feel about that..."
Jaune blushed profusely before he piped up at her embarrassedly.
"Nora! It's not like that! Besides, I already made out with Pyrrha..."
Upon hearing this, Ruby looked at Jaune with a blend of curiosity and eagerness as she made a light gasp.
"You made out with Pyrrha?! What was it like? Did she wanna do it again?! Give me all the good parts!"
Jaune was surprised to get that reaction out of Ruby as much as Ren was, but anything was better than her having to her sulky the whole way to Mistral. But he didn't quite know how to tell a story like that, especially to her. Nonetheless, she seemed interested. Anything was better than her being glum like she was not too long ago. Still, he wasn't sure here was the best place to tell it.
"Uh, maybe when we find a place to camp. Okay?"
Ruby gave him a deflated sigh before she spoke softly.
"Okay..."
With that, Team RNJR continued on the road as Jaune made a small blush, looking up to the night sky and the broken moon as he spoke to himself with a solemn look, thinking about the night they spent together.
"What gift did I give you, Pyrrha? I don't understand..."
Meanwhile, back at the Land of Darkness, Cinder and Raider were standing side-by-side in the arena. Dexus was in front of them, telling the two of them about the changes to their training while Mercury and Emerald looked on from the sidelines. Out of the two, she was the most puzzled, wondering what should be done to help expedite her recovery.
"I suppose you two are wondering why I've brought you here today. Well, it's simple. While there's no doubt Cinder has made fine strides in her recovery..."
Cinder made a small smirk as she nodded his way before Dexus turned to Raider.
"Raider's has a long way to go. And so, from here on out, Cinder will handle Raider's training personally."
This caught the both of them by surprise. Cinder believed in proving herself to be the strongest, if not the most powerful. And when it came to power plays, she wasn't in the mood to share the spotlight, let alone help anyone else with that. As for Raider, it was his first time sparring with her. He doesn't know what to expect out of her, but if Salem's word was to be believed, he can't imagine she'd show any mercy. Dexus took notice of their faces and continued to speak in spite of them. He was expecting their surprise.
"I'm sure you must be confused. But it's for good reason."
Clearly not a fan of this arrangement, especially not for his sake, Cinder wasn't afraid to share how she felt to Dexus.
"What reason is there for me to train this reject?"
Raider overheard Cinder's words and made a glancing scowl her way. Since he'd been recuperating, he'd developed a bizarre relationship with her. With how she acted towards him now, and keeping her story in mind, it was hard for him to decide whether to stick with her or to despise her. With that word, which was another in the long list of names he'd been called, Raider was leaning more on the despising side of the relationship. He didn't know what could possibly shift the wave the other direction this time.
"It's because you're ruthless, Cinder. You brought out the worst in Ruby by toying with her emotions, and it nearly claimed your life. Who knows? Perhaps Raider could find some form of strength the same way. One that he can properly master instead of wasting it by lashing out at his cage."
Emerald overheard Dexus' strategy. She can't deny the merits of the plan, but the girl knew the risks all too well. When she found Cinder almost beyond repair from Beacon, she was shaken to her core. She stayed by her side until she could move again. If that situation happened again, she wouldn't know what to do...
"About that, sir... what if Raider goes too far? Won't he kill her?"
Dexus dug into his pocket and got out a little switch with a yellow crystal-shaped button as he answered her.
"I thought of that already, Emerald. Were that to happen, I can control him using a remote device which pumps a bolt of electricity through his body."
Cinder took notice of that collar around Raider. She hadn't noticed that when she spoke to Raider last, though to be fair, she wasn't looking that closely to him. But when she did, her only good eye widened in shock. "Shock" being the operative term.
Her mind began to receive terrible flashbacks of her own treatment as her former countess spoke callously to her.
"Now that wasn't very ladylike, was it? I suggest you remember your place."
Cinder's blood was practically chilled at not only the sight of that wretched collar, but also by how indifferent Raider seemed to be with this.
"It's not a strong current, but it allows me to reign him in when he acts out."
Cinder looked back and forth from his collar to Dexus, almost with a look of fear she'd used before while working for her late stepmother. She couldn't understand it. After what she went through, Cinder should've gave it nothing more than a glance. Yet somehow, it still unnerved her more than anything. She supposed it's true what they say: the past never forgets. Cinder turned towards Dexus before she voiced her opinion.
"Alright. I'll train him. But on one condition: that collar is not to be within my sight."
Dexus looked back to Cinder with a confused glance and a raised eyebrow. She sounded as though she was still recovering when she sounded just fine the day before. He supposed he must've touched a sensitive subject around her. Dexus looked from Raider's collar to Cinder's neck where a part of her scar was shown around it. He was sure he figured out why as he spoke to her.
"I'm afraid I can't accept that. You saw how he was when you first met. If raw, unbridled power was allowed to run loose, it'd be chaos. We all know this by now."
Cinder tensed her Grimm arm as she glared at Dexus.
"Isn't chaos what Her Grace had in mind? Atlas and Ruby both deserve that much."
Dexus began to step closer to her with a fierce glare as he spoke.
"Perhaps, but for all we know, Raider could attack Salem himself in his fury if we give him the opportunity."
Cinder began to interject as she stepped closer to him as well.
"Salem won't have to worry about that. We know what she can do."
"That's not the point, Cinder. The point is he's not as well-trained like you. He hasn't learned to hone his rage, and you're still learning how to do that yourself, too. We can't let you train him at the risk of slaughtering the Fall Maiden."
"He knows better! Without me, he's nothing!"
"He may be in your debt, but you don't know anything about him! Or your assets, for that matter!"
Cinder's temper grew worse, her heartbeat increasing to an almost fatal level with the parasite inside her ready to react.
"I know he'd still be lashing out at that cage if it wasn't for me!"
"Don't fool yourself, Cinder! You're nothing without us!"
Cinder stepped back, aghast by what Dexus had just told her. Emerald took notice of that and bore a concerned look while Mercury made a satisfied smirk. As far as he was concerned, she was getting a much-needed reality check. Raider looked back to the two, pondering their individual reactions before looking towards Dexus as he continued.
"Just because you possess the Fall Maiden's power, even a small portion of it, it doesn't make you any more important than the rest, Cinder. Remember that before you run your mouth with your delusions of grandeur. Your last teacher made the mistake of filling your head with such things, but I won't. You deserve better than that."
Cinder glared at him even worse, her Grimm arm tensing itself before remembering what such a temper did to her at Beacon. Not willing to let history repeat itself, she gave herself a deep breath as she felt her heart slow itself in the pace while Dexus spoke again.
"Starting tomorrow, you're going to train him with his collar, whether you like it or not. It's for both of your own good."
Dexus then turned and walked out of the arena, leaving Cinder to glare at him while Raider looked on, still percolating in his mind about what was going on around him. While he detested the fact that he's still thought of as a monster, he wasn't wrong. Even now, Raider was trying to keep his temper in check just to avoid lashing out and receiving a painful shock in the process. He'd already felt it before, and he didn't like the sensation one bit. But he knew that if it came down to it, it'd be necessary. He just wished it wouldn't portray him as a monster as often as it did. But he could suppose even they had feelings, too. And apparently, that was just as true for Cinder.
He didn't show it, but he saw her look of fear through her peripheral vision. He wondered if it meant she was scared of him or of the collar. Raider did a mental process of elimination, deducing that if the former option was true, she'd have shown it much earlier. Hers was a look of slight fascination when she first laid eyes on him, as far as he could understand. That left the collar; what was it about the collar that frightened her so? Raider would've asked himself, but her mood wasn't right for it. He tucked the question away in his mind, waiting for the right moment to ask...
Back at the forests of Mistral, Ruby, Nora, Ren, and Jaune were in their sleeping bags, getting ready for the night. Jaune was personally getting settled into his own sleeping bag for the night. As important as it was for him to train, he'd also been told to do so every other day, so he can be able to relax.
"Alright. That feels just about right. Let's hope things will be better tomorrow."
Jaune looked back to his teammates, seeing that Nora was already fast asleep, practically snoring while Ren was covering his ears until later when he could tune it out. Even with the time they spent, he still wasn't used to her snoring. Jaune sighed at them before Ruby cleared her throat. He looked to see her expectant glare before she spoke.
"You still owe me a story."
Jaune looked at Ruby in confusion.
"Seriously? You're into that?"
"Uh-huh. That's how we make babies."
Jaune blushed profusely in shock as he exclaimed before he spoke.
"How the heck do you know that?!"
"Uncle Qrow told—"
Before Ruby could finish, she remembered her last conversation with her uncle. She put on a dismal face before Jaune sighed. He didn't forget how interested Ruby suddenly was about how he made out with Pyrrha, especially the "good parts". He didn't quite know how to explain it, but he had no choice, especially if it meant she could be happy, at least for a while. Jaune took a moment for himself before he spoke.
"Alright. But I find it hard to believe how you're still okay with all that."
Ruby gave him a shrug of her shoulders, wondering the same thing herself. It didn't seem like that much of a mystery to her. That said, Jaune reluctantly began to tell his story.
"Okay. Well... it's after the Fall of Beacon, obviously. Our team was doing a farewell party, which wasn't much of a party, so much as it is a demonstration. But anyway—"
Nora, who overheard Jaune's attempt even past her snoring, piped up.
"Ah, just get to the part where you kissed already!"
Jaune glared at Nora as he spoke in surprise.
"Nora! I thought you were supposed to be sleeping!"
Ren sat up from his sleeping bag as he voiced his opinion.
"It's kind of hard to do that when you're yelling all the time."
Jaune rubbed his hand against the back of his head in embarrassment as he spoke softly.
"Oh. Sorry about that..."
Despite the outside opinions Jaune received so far, Ruby tried to engage Jaune further.
"So, what else happened?"
Jaune got back to the story as he looked back to Ruby.
"Okay. Like I said, we were having a farewell party. And then, Pyrrha and I got to have a moment alone with each other."
Nora felt her role should be acknowledged as she piped up.
"Courtesy of moi. As in, 'mwah, mwah, mwah!'"
Nora puckered her lips and made kissing sounds before Ren placed his hand over her lips.
"Cut it out, Nora. Let him finish."
Nora made a stifled groan sound on his hand before Ruby asked him to continue.
"And?"
"And... well, I told her it was my fault that she went after Cinder in the first place because of what I said to her, that she could never back down from a challenge and she'd never let anything stand in her way."
As Ruby lingered on every word, she began to feel worse and worse. She wasn't expecting those heavy feelings out of a story like that. Did Jaune really blame himself for what could've happened to Pyrrha? Despite the look on her face, Jaune went on with it.
"And you know what? She didn't blame me one bit. Turned out what I said to her was the truth. She said she hasn't changed her mind about leaving, and then I... well, Nora guessed it. I kissed her."
Nora made a smirk as she spoke up.
"Told ya."
Ruby looked to Jaune, hoping to get more out of the story.
"Is that all you did?"
"Well, no. But... I don't know if I should—"
"It's okay."
Jaune looked over to Ruby, noticing her dismal face.
"Huh?"
"You don't have to go on if you don't want to."
"But what about all the good parts you wanted to hear about?"
Ruby gave a shrug as she smiled softly to him.
"It's okay. Besides, I don't think Ren's ready for that."
Ruby's assumption wasn't proven correct. She could hear him drawing a breath of relief before he spoke to himself.
"Thank goodness."
Jaune, Nora, and Ruby began to laugh a bit from his reaction before Jaune looked over to Ruby and smiled to her.
"Thanks, Ruby."
"Hey, it's the least I can do. Pyrrha's your friend, too. Or is that girlfriend?"
Ruby made a wink his way, making Jaune smile before he spoke to her.
"I'm just glad you're okay right now. I'm sure Pyrrha would be, too."
Ruby gave him a gentle nod before she laid down on her sleeping bag with Nora and Ren having already done the same as before and spoke aloud.
"Good night, Jaune."
"Good night, Ruby."
With that, Jaune laid down on his sleeping bag, allowing himself to close his eyes before he began to fall asleep.
In the Forest of Forever Fall, Jaune opened his eyes again to see Pyrrha's smiling face in front of her as he cupped her cheek with his hand, allowing her to lean into it as she gave a soft moan.
"It feels really warm, Jaune. Even though it's so cold out, too."
"C'mon, Pyrrha. It's not that cold."
Pyrrha gently placed her hand on his arm and guided it softly towards her midsection where her corset covered her mounds before placing his hand on it, making him blush as she gave a sly smile.
"Good. Then I won't have to worry about the cold."
Jaune looked up to Pyrrha's face for reassurance, which she gave him with a nod. Pyrrha held her arms up to allow Jaune to remove her corset. He took hold on both sides and began pulling it up gently while pulling the sides of it further away from each other. Once it was removed, her bare skin was revealed, her bouncing mounds exposed to the air. Jaune immediately became flustered and tried to cover his eyes.
"Ah! I'm so sorry!"
Pyrrha only gave him a gentle laugh as she spoke softly.
"It's okay, Jaune. You can look."
Jaune spoke softly through his hands, trying to confirm whether or not it was the case.
"You sure?"
"Of course."
Jaune slowly lowered his hands from his eyes, allowing him to see her half-exposed body, beginning to marvel at her physique. She wasn't called the Invincible Girl for nothing. Pyrrha noticed Jaune's look and became curious.
"So... what do you think so far?"
Jaune began to smile gently to Pyrrha again as he replied.
"Well... I think you're amazing. Uh, not that I didn't think you were amazing before. It's just that—"
Before Jaune could finish, Pyrrha placed a finger on his mouth and made a soft shush. Then, she placed her hands on her mounds as she spoke in a sultry manner.
"Don't talk. Just feel."
Pyrrha gestured to her mounds, making Jaune look at her, wondering if that was something she actually wanted.
"Are you sure?"
Pyrrha nodded to him, allowing Jaune to cautiously place his hands upon her mounds. After which, he began to fondle them as softly as he could. Pyrrha moaned from the sensation Jaune was giving her. It was a small portion of pleasure, but it pleased her nonetheless, especially since Jaune was the one doing it. There was something about the way he caressed them that aroused her. In fact, his motions have inadvertently triggered her own.
Her lower body began to sway itself towards Jaune, rubbing itself against his. Jaune felt those motions and blushed even harder at this, finding it very awkward. Pyrrha noticed his stupor and gave him a lustful laugh.
"What's wrong, Jaune? I thought you said I was amazing."
Jaune tried his best to explain himself, but the arousal was hard for him to resist.
"Uh, you are. But... it feels kinda weird..."
Pyrrha gently eased his hands away from her chest as she gave him a lustful look.
"It's alright, Jaune. We just need to give your little friend some attention."
Pyrrha knelt down to Jaune as she let her hands rest on his pants. Jaune couldn't help but widen his eyes; he couldn't believe them. Sure enough, Pyrrha began to unzip his pants and pull them down, freeing his sensitive region from its clothed cage. Sadly, in the process, Jaune felt a breeze of cold air on his lower body as he stammered.
"Okay! Okay! Okay!"
Pyrrha stopped for a moment, looking up to Jaune. She wondered if she was being too forward with him.
"Is something wrong, Jaune?"
Jaune looked down on Pyrrha, seeing her genuine look of concern. He began to suspect she must've thought it was her fault. It reminded her of the last talk they had at Beacon, when she inadvertently used her semblance on him and she was forced to run away. Jaune began to feel bad seeing her like that.
"N-No, Pyrrha. It's not— it's not you. It's just... it's a bit cold outside."
Pyrrha looked at Jaune, seeing the embarrassment on his face as he blushed. She could feel the chill herself, now that he mentioned it. Pyrrha gave him a soft smile as she recalled what the Fall Maiden was capable of.
"Oh. That's right. Just because I didn't have to worry about the cold doesn't mean you couldn't. How about I fix that?"
After kneeling down in front of his organ, Pyrrha wrapped her arms around Jaune's waist, pressing herself against him as her hands began to radiate heat that spread itself around Jaune on contact. As the heat enveloped him, Jaune let out a relaxed sigh, unaware that his organ was getting bigger and bigger. Pyrrha took notice of that as it grew closer and closer to her face.
"Wow, Jaune. Your friend grew big from that, didn't it?"
Indeed, it did. Pretty soon, it went all the way up to her chest, only to get sandwiched in between her mounds and pointed up at her mouth. Pyrrha let out a confused exclamation, catching Jaune's attention before he noticed. The sight made him flustered.
"Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry, Pyrrha! Did it attack you?! Oh, I swear, that thing's got a mind of its own!"
Pyrrha only made a gentle laugh as she reassured him.
"It's okay, Jaune. I'm sure it didn't mean any harm. It probably still feels cold."
She wasn't wrong. Against her supple chest, his organ still felt chilly despite the warmth she gave it. Could it not have been enough? Pyrrha looked towards the waiting organ and began to form a small smile on her lips.
"Maybe I need to warm it up more..."
Pyrrha began to move his organ into her mouth, tasting the tip of it as she flicked it with her tongue. The taste was unfamiliar to her; she could barely taste anything at all from it. But merely tasting it wasn't her goal. Pyrrha wanted to make Jaune feel better. After a few times of licking the tip, Pyrrha heard Jaune's shudder of pleasure.
She noticed his face practically drooling over the sensation, and after a few licks. Pyrrha couldn't help but stifle her laugh over how goofy Jaune looked, trying to keep it romantic as she spoke in a sultry voice.
"You really like that, don't you? Well... I'll bet you really feel good when I do this."
Pyrrha didn't have much practice in what came next, but she wasn't wrong. Even as her throat went deeper little by little, and her chest rubbed against his shaft, it made Jaune's moan escape from his mouth. Music to her ears. Pretty soon, as she kept a rising pace, Pyrrha's skirt began to wet itself and drip down, her mouth moaning into Jaune's meat sword. Eventually, it proved too much for Jaune to take.
"P-Pyrrha! I'm about to—!"
Before his warning could be finished, Jaune sprayed his load down Pyrrha's throat. When it did, her eyes widened, stunned by the bizarre taste that flooded her mouth. She wanted to pull away and spit out whatever got in her mouth, but as she swallowed the load, she became more used to it. Perhaps it was an acquired taste. Either way, Pyrrha didn't stop swallowing until it was all gone, at which point she pulled her mouth out and gave a hard pant as Jaune tried to apologize.
"Sorry... I tried to tell you, Pyrrha."
Pyrrha only rolled her tongue across her lips and smacked them before smiling up at Jaune.
"It's okay. At least it was tastier than Ren's green goop."
Jaune gave her a wholesome laugh, recalling how bad it was when Nora tried it prior to her disastrous match in the Vytal Festival. Pyrrha then stood up to face Jaune with a smile as she inquired about how he's handling the weather now.
"You feeling better, Jaune?"
"Uh... yeah. It's like the cold doesn't bother me anymore. Thanks."
"Glad I can help. But... I don't think we should stop there."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Pyrrha pointed to her lower clothing, her skirt apparently soiled from her region's fluids. Jaune began to blush even worse. He never dreamed he'd do something like that, even after the tragedy known as the Fall of Beacon.
"Uh... isn't that supposed to be for later? Like, when... sorry, 'if' we get married?"
Pyrrha laid herself down on the ground, wincing when her right shoe touched the ground where her ankle was before setting her foot down on the ground as she began to strip her skirt and shoes off of her body.
"Well, it may be a long time before we see each other. What if something happens to us?"
Jaune became confused on what Pyrrha was getting at as he watched her getting undressed.
"Wait. What do you mean?"
"It's just that— I've been thinking about you and being... together like this before Beacon fell. Now, after all this... I'm scared we'd never be able to be close to each other like this in our lifetime. I mean, I'm not asking for a pedestal; I never liked that, but... I just want to leave something behind for someone, anyone to remember. Even if it's just one person."
Jaune made a solemn look on his face for a moment. He knew the feeling all too well when he got to Beacon just by the fact that he cheated his way there. He wanted to make his mark with Beacon Academy and prove that it wasn't just by luck. With that in mind, Jaune widened his eyes as he began to realize where she was going with that and took off the armor and his Pumpkin Pete jacket, leaving him just as exposed as she was, leaving Pyrrha to stare up at his muscles with surprise.
"Jaune...!"
"I get it. You wanted me to be that one person, didn't you?"
There was a moment of silence between the two before he spoke again.
"Sorry it took so long. Guess I really was a bit of a goofball, huh?"
Pyrrha smiled at him gently as she had tears beginning to form in her eyes.
"Yes. But... you're my goofball."
Jaune gave her a smile back before his eyes trailed down to her ankle. It was wrapped in a thin white bandage where the arrow pierced it. It had to have hurt when it happened the way it did.
"Your ankle... does it hurt?"
Pyrrha made a sigh towards him.
"A little. I mean, I thought I could lie down, but turns out, I can't even do that anymore."
As luck would have it, Jaune came up with a perfect compromise.
"I know how to fix that."
Suddenly, Jaune lifted Pyrrha's legs up and held them in place with his arms before hovering over her, their faces looking into each other.
"There. Now you won't have to worry about your ankle."
Pyrrha looked down from his face, taking notice of his organ resting on top of her region. It was practically rubbing itself against it. Jaune saw her face and looked down before he blushed, realizing how close he actually was. He wanted to get off, but Jaune thought it best to check with her.
"Uh... should I get off?"
Pyrrha only shook her head before she replied with a blushing smile.
"It's fine. Just be careful when you put it in."
"Wait. Y-You mean this is your first time?"
Pyrrha nodded to him in confirmation as she spoke softly.
"That way, both of us could have something to remember."
Jaune looked back down to their lower bodies pressed against each other. Even though Pyrrha wanted this, he still felt caution would be best.
"Okay. But I gotta at least do a countdown. I don't want it to be unexpected."
"I think I could use one. And if I start to shout, don't hesitate to kiss me, okay? It'll make it easier to ride it out."
Jaune nodded to his partner and hoisted his shaft away from her region and positioned it right towards it as he spoke.
"Alright. It's going in on 3. 1..."
Jaune's organ came a little nearer to Pyrrha's womanhood as Pyrrha tried to take a deep breath.
"2..."
His manhood came very close, his tip practically touching the edge of her walls, making Pyrrha shiver as she tried to maintain her deep breath.
"3."
Jaune's organ slid inside as slow as it could. Pyrrha couldn't help but groan from the intrusion of her walls before Jaune took advantage of it and kissed her, letting her groan inside his mouth. The intercourse hurt like the devil itself, but Pyrrha and Jaune's kiss at least made it bearable for the former. Their tongues swirled across each other again, trying to tip the scale towards her pleasure and help Pyrrha outlast the pain. All the while, Jaune felt her walls tighten around his organ. He tried hard to resist moving it around as he moaned back into Pyrrha's mouth. After about a minute when they'd lost themselves in their kiss, Jaune and Pyrrha pulled away, both of them panting for breath. Once they've regained the oxygen, Pyrrha made a small pout as she spoke softly.
"Why did you stop...?"
Jaune made a confused look. Was his organ still hurting her?
"You want me to keep going?"
Before she could answer, Pyrrha began to realize that she didn't feel anything from her region anymore, at least nothing painful. She must've let herself get carried away with that kiss.
"Maybe later. For now, I think it's safe for you to move around as much as you want."
"You think?"
"Well, considering I haven't felt anything painful since we stopped, I think it's safe to say I'm used to it by now."
Jaune let out a sigh of relief before he spoke.
"Oh, that's good. Because I don't know if I could resist moving around in there anymore."
Pyrrha giggled at her lover before she replied with a lustful look, leaning herself closer to his ear.
"That's even better. I never wanted you to hold back... my knight in shining armor."
Then, all of a sudden, Jaune jumped upon Pyrrha, putting his hands on the ground by her head while his arms held up her legs and he moved his lower body to and from Pyrrha's torso, his organ moving along with it. And because of his consistent motion of a well-paced thrust, Pyrrha began to mewl sounds of ultimate pleasure from her mouth, which was something that Jaune began to take fascination with. He'd never seen this side of Pyrrha before today. Somehow, he liked the idea that he had the upper hand on her. She seemed to like that, too. As if that wasn't enough incentive, Pyrrha began to speak in the midst of her passion.
"That's it! Keep at it, Jaune! Don't you dare stop!"
Luckily for her, he wasn't planning to. Jaune was getting too much out of it to just stop himself. He was practically a machine! With each thrust his manhood made against her walls, both Jaune and Pyrrha sank faster and faster into the deepest caverns of pleasure. It was only a matter of time before Pyrrha felt her cervix being penetrated and began to moan the loudest she could, her tongue sticking out to the air as her eyes nearly rolled to the back of her head. Jaune saw the look on her face and was astounded. The override of joy and ecstasy etched upon it somehow attracted Jaune to her more.
"Geez, Pyrrha! It's almost like you're turning me on with that face on purpose!"
Pyrrha only panted in pure bliss as she felt her cervix being infiltrated over and over again. Such a sensation was enough to push Pyrrha's sense of reason out the window almost immediately. As the lovers began to succumb to their desire, Jaune began to try to speak to Pyrrha, feeling an eruption was drawing near.
"P-Pyrrha! I'm... coming...! close!"
Pyrrha was all in for it. If anything, the thought of it excited her more.
"Come on, Jaune! Let it all flow inside me!"
In just a moment later, Jaune's resistance gave way as he moaned loudly and released his liquid directly inside her womb. As she felt her womb full up, Pyrrha began to moan just as loudly with Jaune's fluids leaking out of her region. With all their stamina spent, Jaune collapsed on top of Pyrrha as both of his arms fell limp gently and allowed her legs to ease themselves to the ground, the two lovers regaining their breath as they looked to each other's eyes that were both filled with satisfaction. Pyrrha was the one to break the momentary silence as she smiled at him.
"Wow, Jaune... that was so much better than I imagined."
"I'm glad I could make you happy. Although..."
Pyrrha saw Jaune's face become riddled in inquiry. Something must be on his mind.
"What is it?"
"I was just thinking... how exactly was this supposed to help people remember you? I think just giving you a gift or two would've been nice."
Pyrrha had a stifled look for a moment before she only smiled softly and wrapped her arms around Jaune before she whispered softly.
"You already have."
The next morning, Jaune woke up, sitting up straight before looking at the cloudy weather, the sun barely visible through them. He'd recalled that night they spent together as if it was only yesterday. While thinking back on it, Jaune looked around at the team, seeing Nora, Ren, and Ruby still asleep in their bags. Whilst looking towards Ruby, he remembered something she told him.
"That's how we make babies."
Jaune's face peaked in embarrassment as he blushed before he remembered Pyrrha's words. She didn't just want to leave something behind. She wanted to leave someone behind. And she couldn't trust anyone other than Jaune to do it for her. It seemed a good reason at first, but that didn't seem like something Pyrrha could do it she was going to be alone.
It didn't matter how powerful she was now. Her maiden powers are no substitute for parenting experience. Unless... Knowing Pyrrha for the strategist that she is, Jaune widened his eyes as he came to realize something else. They'll see each other again. Or at least, Pyrrha planned to see him again. Jaune looked up at the sun, more than eager to get on with the day as he spoke softly.
"I don't know what you're up to, but... I really hope we'll see each other again, Pyrrha."
Meanwhile, Pyrrha was walking by herself with Amber in her head as she smiled, thinking back on the night they had six months prior. Sadly, there wasn't any luck getting a child from that first time, but at least she got to spend it with Jaune. For now, that was enough for her. While she reminisced about her last moment with Jaune, Amber piped up in her head.
"I think I understand why you're thinking about him. You wanted to have a family with him. Am I right?"
Pyrrha maintained her smile as she replied back aloud, certain that nobody else was around her for the moment.
"Yes, Amber."
"But I thought you were destined to be a Huntress."
"I am, but... There's more to my destiny than being a Huntress. Jaune helped me realize that after the Fall of Beacon. Just like I believed in him, he believed in me, even if I was hurt. It took me a while to see it, but it turns out... Jaune was my final goal all along."
"I see. I'm surprised you didn't get a child with him yet."
Pyrrha made a frown about that. She wanted to get a child with him from that first time, a child that could only be Jaune's, but in hindsight, it was probably for the best. What if she were to experience the dangers of the Grimm? A pregnant Fall Maiden could only do so much. And even if the Grimm weren't involved, how could she be expected to handle such hardships on her own? That would've been truly miserable. Nonetheless, she perked up, already looking forward to their round two.
"Well... there's always next time."
"If there ever is a next time. But you know why we can't see them again yet."
Pyrrha's face furrowed into a frown, recalling Cinder's ruthlessness all too well.
"I know. If I go back to them now, they'll just be put in danger. If Cinder doesn't torture them just for the fun of it, she'd kill them for sure. She'd do anything to take the other half of my... your power."
Pyrrha held her hands close to her chest as she stood still, worried for what could happen if Cinder got what she wanted. She didn't want to risk that power falling into the wrong hands, but she doesn't want her friends to get hurt, either.
"I'm sorry, Pyrrha. I wish I had an answer to give you your final goal. But there's nothing we can do."
After a moment, Pyrrha opened her eyes with a fierce gaze.
"No. There is something we can do. We can get the rest of your power back. And the only way to do that is if... if Cinder dies."
Amber knew that as well as Pyrrha did. But while it came as no surprise to her, she was concerned about her ability to make it happen given how well that ended last time.
"Pyrrha, I want payback on her as much as the next person, but you couldn't stop her before. What makes you think you could do it this time?"
"You've been training me to master your powers. I couldn't figure those out last time we fought. I wasn't ready before. This time, I know it'll be different."
Amber found it hard to argue with her logic. Although, in hindsight, she should've taken the shot while she was still down, or at least, that's what Amber thought. But in the time she spent with her, Amber came to realize that Pyrrha wasn't that kind of person. Otherwise, she'd be just like Cinder. That would've tarnished her image as the Invincible Girl for sure. But this wasn't about her image; it was about her morality. And that is how Pyrrha will achieve her final goal. Anything else would be meaningless if she can't sleep at night over it.
"Alright. But it may be a long time before we find Cinder."
"Good. Then it should be enough time to work on our powers. We just need to find a good place to stop for a bit."
As if by coincidence, Pyrrha took notice of a barn far away. When she drew closer, she saw the bleak red coloring of it with boarded up windows by the side of the main entrance and a cracked one above it. All around the grass outside were two picnic tables on one side while the other held a large tree. Pyrrha walked through the gap in the picket fence and looked around as Amber gave her two cents to Pyrrha, who replied back to her.
"And I thought Oniyuri was creepy."
"I know what you mean. It feels just the same: like it's been abandoned."
Suddenly, Pyrrha heard something that was quite the contrary. Pyrrha heard a scrubbing sound coming from the barn. She looked ahead before she pondered it to her companion.
"Hold on. Do you hear that, Amber?"
"Hear what?"
Pyrrha heard the sound again. This time, it was louder. For anyone to make that noise, that could only mean one thing. And Pyrrha knew it.
"Someone's alive in there!"
Pyrrha ran right into the barn, much to Amber's behest.
"Wait, Pyrrha!"
Pyrrha ran past the barn's entrance, seeing only a little girl with raven hair in pigtails scrubbing against the wood floor with bandages on her wrists and fingers. She kept a consistent pace of scrubbing beside a candle at the far edge of the barn. Pyrrha became confused why she was still scrubbing despite the absence of other people, but nonetheless tried to get her attention.
"Uh, hi. Are you... doing okay?"
The girl didn't answer her, and instead, she kept on scrubbing the floor as if she didn't hear her voice. Pyrrha tried not to be offended as she asked her a different question.
"Do you know where your parents are?"
When the girl didn't answer again, Amber spoke up to her.
"You can stop pretending, Pyrrha. We both know there's no one there."
Pyrrha became confused. How could anyone not be there when she could plainly see the girl in front of her?
"Come on, Amber. Don't tell me you can't see—"
Pyrrha tried to point the girl to Amber, but when she looked back, the girl was gone. It was as if she wasn't there at all. As Pyrrha tried to figure it out, Amber tried to give her a dose of reality.
"What...? But she was right here..."
"Pyrrha, don't take this the wrong way, but I think you may be seeing things."
In a different circumstance, Pyrrha would be offended, but not here. A couple of children ran by her from out of nowhere before Pyrrha saw the girl again. Granted a better look at her, Pyrrha saw that the girl was dressed in a white shirt with a grey apron tied up in a bow behind her neck. What's more, she had yellow eyes to go with them. And she looked upset. Though it made no sense to her how she ended up from one place to another, Pyrrha had a feeling she was onto something.
"I think you might be right, Amber."
Pyrrha walked outside of the barn in an attempt to clear her head, but when she got out of the barn and onto the grass, she heard a thud, making her turn towards the tree where she saw the girl being picked on by two boys as they stood over her while she was sitting on the floor, her apron and shirt ruined. Those two reminded her all too well of a certain team that made fun of Jaune that way. It did appear to be something that only Cardin could do. Pyrrha tried to step up to her defense.
"Hey! You leave that girl alone!"
Sadly, it fell on deaf ears. Not long after, the girl leaped at one of the boys and began to punch him before she was tossed aside from behind by a man appearing to be her father. Unable to handle all those events happening at once, Pyrrha was thrown for a loop.
"Okay, what's going on, Amber?"
"You tell me. I'm not the one going crazy."
In that moment, she heard scrubbing again. Pyrrha wasn't sure if she should go back, knowing that the girl wouldn't hear her. Pyrrha tried to give herself a deep breath before she took in all of what she saw so far. She saw the girl working on the floor, sitting by herself, and being bullied. All of it happened while she didn't acknowledge her. From the evidence, an unfortunate theory went in her mind.
"Okay. You said I've been seeing things, but you weren't. So, I must've been looking at... someone's memories?"
Amber considered her theory for the moment. After all, she couldn't see the girl like Pyrrha could. Although, it was questionable as to how that was possible.
"Are you sure? Because neither one of us ever saw this barn before."
Pyrrha walked back to the barn, seeing the girl scrub the floors again, but this time, she was silently crying as her tears fell on the floor.
"That's the thing, Amber. Maybe it wasn't our memories."
"It's not? Who else could it be?"
The girl then stopped her scrubbing before looking back towards Pyrrha with a sad, longing look on her face with a grey shadow underneath her yellow eyes. Seeing her face, Pyrrha widened her eyes as she began to realize the unfortunate truth: this was Cinder's home.
"I think we both know the answer, Amber..."
A/N: So, what do you think? You can feel free to leave any constructive criticism in my PM's or review. That said, I don't think I've pointed out Dexus' allusion yet. Dexus would actually allude to Ahab from "Moby Dick". And you can expect Raider to get to the bottom of Cinder in the next chapter. Until then, Happy Holidays! ;)