Chapter Forty Nine

Bunkered Down

October 31st, 2015: Beacon Academy, Courtyard

The group of four moved through the mess of Beacon with a hurried pace. The two fully conscious, Pyrrha and Jaune, darted around rubble and hid from the carnivorous gaze of Grimm. They rounded the corner to run down the final stretch to the airstrip, only to stall at the void that greeted them.

"No more ships…" Jaune murmured. He stepped closer to Pyrrha. "And… that thing…"

Pyrrha followed his gaze. The ice that encased the Wyvern, no doubt due to Amethyst, cracked and shuddered. With a low voice, Pyrrha snagged Jaune's sleeve and tugged him towards one of the pillars. "Move."

They shuffled behind the pillar. Jaune slid into a sitting position with Ruby still cradled, unconscious, in his arms. Ruby's eyelids were lit up with a dim silver, like light was hidden underneath them. He hissed as he straightened out his left leg. Pyrrha lowered herself down slowly, let Amethyst slide safely off her back, and pivoted on the balls of her feet so she was crouched in front of Amethyst. The Summer Maiden's healthy tan was but a memory, with her complexion now a sickly, ashen tone.

She reached out a hand to cup Amethyst's face. "Aime?"

"Mm." Amethyst struggled to open her eyes as the new scar across her chest flared the bright purple color of her aura. It reassembled an already healed scar, and it spidered from her chest to her exposed shoulders, and one rogue scar path traveled up her neck and curled just an inch over her chin. "Pyrrha."

Pyrrha's chest tightened as the normally stoic and cold Maiden swayed without Pyrrha to stabilize her. She bit her lip as she peeked around the pillar to see the horde of Grimm that slowly meandered toward Beacon grounds. There was no way she would be able to break through the line of beowolves, ursai, and the stray goliath with many more in the distance.

"I… what do I do?" Pyrrha asked desperately. "I-I can't see your ship, the Grimm are coming and I-I don't have enough aura or magic-"

Amethyst weakly brought up a hand to catch Pyrrha's wrist. She managed to fully open her eyes and gaze calmly at Pyrrha. "Then… we wait until we're ready. The dorms, they're not far. Pick a room, barricade it, and if it has a window, we'll improvise."

"Is staying on campus the right call?" Jaune asked quietly.

Amethyst managed a small shrug. "I'm dead weight, and Ruby's out. We need to recover."

"That… is sound." Pyrrha eyed Jaune. "And you're looking pale, Jaune."

"I'm fine." Jaune pulled at his hoodie collar. "Just a little overheated. Uh, and Emerald shot me in the shoulder. And I messed up my leg a bit."

"And it's very possible you overexerted yourself and will come down with a semblance-induced fever," Pyrrha replied as she worried her lower lip with her teeth. "We need to get you inside before you lose your strength."

Jaune frowned, but nodded slowly. "I… guess I wouldn't know what that feels like, so I'll take your word for it." He paused as the Wyvern screeched once more. "Let's get moving. Lead the way, Pyr."

Pyrrha nodded, helped Amethyst to her feet, and with the Summer Maiden leaning heavily on her, the group of four went as swift as they could towards the dormitories.

Beacon Academy, Dormitories

"Come on, just a little farther!" Pyrrha whispered in an insistent, panicked tone.

Near every hallway they turned down had a smaller Grimm loitering and/or snuffling at the ground. Pyrrha resorted to keeping her rifle at her hip and firing only when necessary, but every shot had the chance of alerting the Grimm outside. Her allies were of no help either. Amethyst was near delirious, and Jaune was sweating bullets.

"Where exactly are we going?" Amethyst droned in a near apathetic voice. Pyrrha huffed.

"There's medical supplies in my dorm, and I imagine RWBY's dorm might have some things of use." She steered Amethyst up the final flight of stairs. "Best to be on-" Jaune stumbled behind her. "Jaune?"

"...I think that fever thing has some merit."

Pyrrha looked between Jaune and the ascending stairs. They were close, so close, and Pyrrha wanted so badly to just rest. "Keep hold of Ruby, okay Jaune?"

Pyrrha gripped Jaune's armor with her semblance then, and levitated him up to the top of the stairs. Pyrrha followed after with careful steps and ignored her shimmering red aura. Just a little farther. Just a little farther and she could get some peace to sort out a plan. Jaune used his back to push open the door and walked backwards through it. He stepped just behind it and let his right heel hold it open for the two Maidens.

"Which room? RWBY's or yours?" Amethyst rasped. They rounded another corner, and Pyrrha sighed at the sight.

"Considering our door is wide open… RWBY."

Nora must have left it open, because Pyrrha could see the door itself held no damage, but the backside of a creep stuck out of the door, and there was no guessing what other Grimm were inside. Her aura was weak already, and she didn't want to risk a fight in a tight area with three people to protect.

"Quietly," Pyrrha whispered. "And keep your minds clear."

They crept forward slowly and with muted steps. The Grimm snuffled at the ground and growled low. With a worried look towards Amethyst, Pyrrha let her sag against the wall as Pyrrha reverted her rifle to its xiphos form and advanced toward the creature.

Just as she reared back her arm to strike, the creep contorted itself to stare her down and let out a gargled wail. Pyrrha hastily speared the creep in the head and, before she could yank her weapon from the corpse, from their room a beowolf leapt out and knocked Pyrrha into the wall just left of RWBY's room. Her right hand was pinned by one of its meaty paws while the other tried to swipe at her face. She brought up her shield with her left arm and blocked it, but then the creature opened its mouth to try and bite down on Pyrrha's skull. With the last dregs of her aura, she kept her left arm in place to hold back the paw while she moved her shield to slot into the Grimm's maw, making it unable to bite.

Pyrrha tried her best to summon her magic. Her eyes flared and she built heat in her right hand. Jaune shouted her name and advanced, only to block a swing from the beowolf's left paw that sent Jaune skidding back. She took the sudden freedom of her right hand to her advantage and slammed her palm to its skull plate. The beowolf's skull plate began to melt at the contact, but Pyrrha's muted powers were nothing like what she was able to do with Amethyst fueling her. Pyrrha winced away at the beowolf's paw as it chawed at the shield in its mouth, felt her arms weaken, and then-

White. That light came again. The beowolf cried out before it fell to ash before her, and her shield clattered to the ground. Pyrrha puffed a breath of shock and shifted her gaze to her right. Amethyst was on the ground, Ruby boneless between her legs, with Amethyst's hands over Ruby's eyes. Her cool blue eyes looked noticeably more lucid.

"Arc, lift Ruby up, get her inside."

"R-Right," Jaune stuttered as he sheathed his sword and gathered Ruby in his arms once more. He offered a bent elbow to Amethyst and let her shakily pull herself up. Pyrrha gathered her sword and shield with a gaping mouth.

"Aime… what's…?"

"Inside, Pyrrha. Inside."

Pyrrha obeyed, but with confusion fuzzing up her brain. She ushered the others inside first, eyed a long package left crumpled in front of RWBY's dorm, and kicked it inside as she quickly ducked in after.

Beacon Academy, Team RWBY's Dorm

Ruby's eyes, behind her eyelids, churned silver and wisps of black.

Pyrrha brushed back Ruby's red-dipped locks of hair as she watched the show of hidden power. Ruby herself was still pillowed in Jaune's lap. Jaune had stripped himself of his armor and poured the last of his energy in barricading the door and window with Pyrrha, only to stubbornly refuse to rest. He hopped up to Ruby's bed, laid her head in his lap, and with a distrusting, fiery glare, demanded Amethyst explain.

Even though Pyrrha's magic curled in a seethe at the demand, she agreed and joined Jaune on Ruby's precariously hanging bed.

So Amethyst explained. She explained the Maidens, the Relics, Salem, and Silver-Eyed Warriors.

"A Silver-Eyed Warrior…" Pyrrha murmured. "So, she has magic too?"

"Yes," Amethyst affirmed from her place on Blake's bed. "Just one could turn the tide in any battle. And that's why they're so rare. Our enemy sees them as the most prominent threat, more so than the Maidens and Ozpin himself."

"People… hunt them down?" Jaune whispered, horrified.

"Those who know about them. Salem sees them as a blight, because…" Amethyst hesitated. "Well, that calls for a more complicated explanation. Their magic is different from hers, lets say, and she despises it. She despises humanity and faunuskind, sees aura as a crutch and semblances as a poor mockery of magic, and overall? Wants to see us fall."

"But why now?" Pyrrha insisted. "You said Salem has been around for as long as history could document!"

"Because we're at peace." Amethyst stood unsteadily on her feet. "Every war, every clash of kingdoms, is partially caused by her influence. The last war, the Great War, was her most recent attempt. But now she's taken a new approach. Starting with the Silver-Eyed Warriors."

Jaune's hand curled tighter around Ruby's shoulder. "What did she do?"

"Two decades ago… there were a total of eight known Silver-Eyed Warriors in existence." Amethyst reached up to retrieve a purple scroll from Ruby's pouch. "Aria Brynn, Cerise Zilver, Adrian Gold, Rory Zephyr, Moss and Nickel Adbeel," Amethyst scowled as she uttered those names, but then promptly smoothed her features. "Pearl Hyacinth, and… Summer Rose."

"Rose?" Pyrrha smoothed a finger over Ruby's brow. "Her… her mother?"

"Silver-Eyed Warriors don't pass power, like Maidens. They're born. Ruby Rose was born a Silver-Eyed Warrior, just as her mother was. Summer, according to Qrow, was careful to keep Ruby Rose shielded by the world. She didn't say a peep to any in our circle." Amethyst brandished her scroll to show a woman with sterling silver eyes and a longer, more grown out haircut of red and black, an aged version of Ruby. "Ozpin didn't know Ruby existed until the day he gazed into her eyes… and that might have been what saved her, in the end."

"How so?"

"Aria Brynn perished in a surprise attack by shadow agents. Cerise Zilver fell to a horde of Grimm led by a woman with alabaster skin and dark veins. Adrian Gold was a young boy who was suffocated in his very own bed at night. Rory Zephyr… disappeared on a scouting mission. No trace since. Moss and Nickel Adbeel rebelled against their heritage, joined forces with Salem, and tried to claim Amber and I's Maiden powers for themselves, not knowing that wouldn't even work, so I slayed them myself. Pearl Hyacinth fell in love, disappeared, then reappeared a near decade later, her body left in a forest. And Summer Rose? She set out for a mission against Salem, and never returned." Amethyst raised her eyes to Pyrrha then, who stared with numbing fear in her heart. "All eight, gone."

"That won't happen to Ruby," Jaune said darkly, his eyes near black. His hair stuck to his forehead as he continued to fight against the fever. "Right, Pyr?"

Pyrrha's eyes hardened with obvious agreement.

Amethyst's stoic appearance cracked a little. A hint of amusement danced along her eyes. "Well, I will say I haven't heard of a Silver-Eyed Warrior with the amount of… support Ruby has. Your friend group is rather loyal."

"None of us would stray from her, not now, not ever," Pyrrha said with conviction, her voice full of tremors as she thought of the burden on not only hers, but her young friend's shoulders. "I… I just hope we can find them. Amethyst, do you know, um… did everyone else…?"

Amethyst seemed to understand what Pyrrha wanted to ask, but she swayed on her feet. With a tired groan, Amethyst leant against Blake's bookshelf before she groggily turned and pulled herself onto Yang's bed. She toppled over to lay flat on her back, her head sunk into the pillow and her eyes pointed up at the ceiling.

"According to Black, most escaped with their lives. All within your circle did. Your teammates, Valkyrie and Ren, included." Pyrrha hid a wince at the same amount of disgust that curled at Amethyst's tongue at Mercury's surname, but felt relief at the thought of Nora and Ren, safe and sound. "And I saw to it that Black, Vasilias, Wukong, and Schnee were evacuated personally."

She heard Jaune exhale audibly beside her. The tension eased from her shoulders, too, and while their position was precarious, she would much rather her life be in peril than her allies. Though, some still were, she noted as her green eyes strayed to the two team leaders (Lancaster, Ruby had insisted once, another one of her attack names for her allies, only this combination was Ruby and Jaune). Ruby was still. Too still. And Jaune grew more flushed by the minute, his skin sickly and slicked with sweat.

Pyrrha's hands found his arms without much thought, and despite his meek protests, she untangled him from Ruby and dragged him down to Weiss's bed. "Jaune, you should rest. You're burning up."

"But, Ruby…"

"Will be fine. She needs rest, too," Pyrrha insisted as she pushed Jaune down onto the mattress and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. "I'll take care of her while you sleep."

Jaune wanted to protest more, but Pyrrha's demand won out as his eyelids dropped and his exhaustion overtook him. Pyrrha rocked back, shifted so she was half-turned to her Maiden Sister, and felt her features loosen as she found Amethyst staring at her with a peculiar look on her face.

"All you've told me, it doesn't change anything," Pyrrha declared, her resolve firm. "I made a choice to enter your fold, and I'll fight until I cannot anymore. I promise."

It's odd how she felt such serenity when she proclaimed this when not long ago, she juggled the ramifications of 'stealing' another soul to gain the power of the Fall Maiden.

Never think that. You stole nothing, and in my final moments I thought of you. You have rightful claim to the Fall Maiden power, Pyrrha. Amber hissed before she could think another word. Pyrrha, subconsciously, smirked, and continued her thought.

This power, the intricacies of it that lay underneath the surface and hummed under her skin, paired with the knowledge Amber's presence gifted her… there was so much to learn, so much worth fighting for that she didn't yet understand.

Pyrrha's gratitude for Amethyst was more than what it was when she first met her down in the vault. The magic between them, it was a form of kinship. Amethyst's reference to her as a Maiden Sister rang too true. A family separate from blood, instead forged through magic, and while she only knew Amethyst of the three other Maidens, she couldn't help but long to meet the others. It was what caused her chest to catch as she felt the very moment Cinder's attack began to drain Amethyst, what caused her to shriek Amber's nickname for Amethyst in desperation, and what caused her to throw herself over Amethyst and ensure her safety instead of throwing herself back into the fray against Adam Taurus.

Though, now that she thought about it, she doubted she could have stood against him long. His aura was strong and near-full, while she ran on dregs at the time.

"There's more to this claim," Amethyst said with a low, knowing tone.

"I want to tell the rest of my friends, when we reunite," Pyrrha insisted boldly. She let her eyes harden and her hands clench. Amethyst, she could sense, found comfort in the shadows, where she controlled what light peeked through. If Pyrrha didn't have this newfound, magical bond with Amethyst, she wouldn't have noticed the clench of her jaw or the shift in her eyes. "I know you don't like sharing this, but… Ruby's team already knows of Maidens. They should know it all. My team needs to know too, and I have no doubt they will be loyal to the cause. And Sun's team…" Pyrrha's eyes edged over to Ruby's still form. "I imagine your observations reveal how they feel towards Ruby."

Even a fool couldn't deny SSSN's adoration of the girl. Sun and Neptune fiercely broadcasted their loyalty to her and treated her as a little sister, and while Scarlet and Sage were subdued in their expression, they saw Ruby as precious. If Pyrrha had to point to one particular member of their unorthodox group, Ruby, undoubtedly, would be the heart of their group of friends.

Exhaustion from magic usage dragged down her Sister's visage, paired with the Grimm substance Cinder used to steal power. Perhaps that's why Amethyst dropped her head to her palm, but acquiesced, "Very well, Pyrrha. I suppose in this delicate situation, more hands would be useful."

Relief flooded through her once more, and Pyrrha eyed the door. "You should rest, Aime. I'm going to retrieve some medical supplies and tend to Jaune's shoulder."

Amethyst's cold eyes gained a warmth filled with worry. "Don't stray. The leftover negativity is thick in the air, so Grimm would take longer to notice you, but there's still a danger."

Pyrrha allowed a tired smirk to crawl across her face. Her academy may have fallen, her Headmaster slain, but she would not let despair claim her soul in the eleventh hour.

November 7th, 2015: Beacon Academy, Vault of the Fall Maiden

Pyrrha Nikos's heels clicked against the once polished ground. She could still see her reflection, barely, amongst the rubble and ash.

Her green eyes streamed a weak fire. It wasn't of her control. Within her mind, Amber's instinct flared and the desire to flaunt the power was too great for Pyrrha to refuse.

One day, Pyrrha. One day, you will be the full Fall Maiden.

Pyrrha smiled at this. Amber was a welcome presence, and she cherished every moment. It was, of course, odd to have another in her head, knowing every thought, but something Pyrrha acclimated to quickly thanks to the natural bonds she formed now.

Maidenhood was a sisterhood, magic a family, and Amber was her Sister just as Amethyst was. Pyrrha frowned delicately.

And Ruby…

Was she a Sister? A cousin?

Amber hummed within her mind. She is kin. How you interpret this kinship is up to you.

Pyrrha bent down, pushed down the feeling of loss that filled her at the sight before her. She, carefully, respectfully, pried Ozpin's cane from his fingers, and after a brief vision flickered across her mind, plucked the cross pin from his scarf and appraised it in her palm.

He will return, Pyrrha. Have faith.

"But when will he?"

Amber didn't answer. Pyrrha let her fingers glide down Ozpin's still face, closing his eyes. She had no means to bury him, to pay respect.

Then, Amber grasped her feeble power, and she felt her hands burn. Pyrrha placed her hands on Ozpin's head, framing his face, and with a flash, he turned to golden ash.

"Goodbye, Headmaster. I… hope to meet your reincarnation soon."

Come now, Pyrrha. Gather me from the machine. Amethyst grows impatient.

Pyrrha turned, gazed sadly at Amber's body slumped in the pod, and went to collect her fallen Sister.

Amber was silent as Pyrrha used her semblance to float herself up the wrecked elevator shaft.

Having the body of the voice in her head in her arms, limp and pale, caused her heart to break. Ozpin's pin in one palm, cane in another, and Amber, in minimal clothing, head lolled to rest on Pyrrha's shoulder.

She felt Amber push her semblance out as Pyrrha settled herself on solid ground. Amber's semblance was nicknamed Solace. She created an aura calm over an area, negating any negative emotions that may attract Grimm. Amber discovered quickly that their unique condition of a divided soul allowed her to use her semblance through Pyrrha since her soul wasn't yet a part of Pyrrha. It was weaker than what Amber used to do with it - Pyrrha supposed it was because of her division between bodies - but it helped immensely when Pyrrha traveled alone.

Pyrrha walked past loitering Grimm without a glance. She turned down winding hallways and ascended stairs until she found herself in front of her old dorm room. She toed the door open after a sigh, and she felt serenity wash over her genuinely as Amber's Solace blinked away and Amethyst rose from her seat on Nora's bed to gaze fondly at her.

"Sister."

Pyrrha beamed at the moniker. She stepped towards her bed, settled Amber carefully atop the sheets. "Aime. I… found Ozpin."

"You have his cane."

Pyrrha wordlessly handed it over, and kept the pin. Amethyst weighed the cane, Long Memory, in her hand before she hooked it on her purple sash. Amethyst eyed Pyrrha's closed palm, and in response, Pyrrha opened her hand to reveal Ozpin's cross pin.

"And his pin."

"It was a choice," was the enigmatic reply. Amethyst let an amused chuckle escape her before her expression shifted to sincere.

"Thank you, Pyrrha. I… know that must have been difficult." Amethyst reached out a hand, and Pyrrha stabilized her. Pyrrha aided Amethyst in the short walk to Amber's body.

Amethyst lowered herself to sit at Amber's head. In the warmest gesture Pyrrha saw Amethyst take, she brushed away the brown hair from Amber's face and smoothed her hand along the Grimm scarring that mirrored her own scars on her chest. Pyrrha frowned.

"How are your treatments?"

The Summer Maiden sighed. "Slow. With Ruby unconscious, it's… dangerous."

"How so?"

"She's untrained." Amethyst leaned against the headboard. "When she unleashed her power, she made no effort to reign in the intensity. Understandably, since she knew nothing of it and I had no time to explain it to her. It's why Grimm far away felt the effects, why Cinder crumbled before her, and why Ruby passed out. I'm certain if Sustrai hadn't dove on top of her mistress, she would be dead." Amethyst's utterance of Emerald's surname dripped with venom. "She's still, unknowingly, putting her power on full blast, and… it's possible it might hurt me more than help me."

The Amazonian Warrior nibbled at her lower lip. "But… she will recover."

"Of course. It'll take some time, but she will. As for me… she can buy me time." Amethyst was completely unaffected as she spoke of her possible death. "And if Arc ever recovers from his semblance overexertion, I imagine he could help Ruby emerge from this magically induced coma."

Pyrrha nodded slowly, still new to the intricacies of magic but willing to learn. It was her duty as the Fall Maiden. "Are you not worried? Cinder would have most of the Fall Maiden power and all the Summer Maiden should you…"

Amethyst smiled. Serene, confident, and wholly different from her cold and aloof persona she imposed. "Cinder will never be the true Maiden. Not because of that… corruption she let take hold of her. Even if my powers gravitate to that Grimm inside that clings to the magic, Cinder will not be in my final thoughts."

"…Who will?"

"Well… I know who I want to think of." Amethyst paused. "But considering her condition… I'd like to give her the choice before it comes to that."

November 7th, 2015: Beacon Academy, JNPR and RWBY Dormitories

Amber's body glowed the color of her namesake as purple and red orbs of light swirled around her. Pyrrha and Amethyst's eyes were alight with their power, but the flame didn't leak from their eyes. Instead, their already vividly bright eyes glowed green and blue.

Pyrrha lowered her hands with a heavy weight on her soul when Amber's body faded away until only the glow of her aura remained, and the amber blips of light rotated around the two Maidens before they, too, faded.

Thank you, Sisters.

The older Maiden turned as she hastily wiped a tear from her eye, and as her scar pulsed a hue of purple, she sagged. Pyrrha hurried to take up her elbow, but the woman waved her off. "I'm fine, Sister. How about you check on the little one?"

The 'little one,' of course, was Ruby. Amethyst had taken to calling those within her magical kinship by nicknames, but all others were still 'Arc,' 'Schnee,' or most notably, the acidicly undertoned 'Black.'

"Are you sure? If you're feeling unwell-"

"Pyr." Amethyst pat Pyrrha's hand. "Check on her. I'll call if I need something, alright?"

With a long look, Pyrrha did as directed and ventured out of her dorm room. Her eyes carefully checked over the barrier of ice on either side of the hallway to ensure no Grimm attempted to break through it. Amber was able to hone Pyrrha's magic well enough to create them, but it was tedious. She walked through the doorway of RWBY's dorm, only to roll her eyes at the sight.

"Jaune, I told you-"

"Pyr, please. Just, let me, alright?"

The blonde leader was without his armor or shoes, stripped down to a simple black short-sleeve that lay under his Pumpkin Pete hoodie and dusty blue, drawstring pajama pants. He'd dragged Ruby down to Weiss's bed again and taken to wiping down her arms and face with a cold, wet rag. The blue pail set on the edge of the bookshelf was filled with cold water, the white peacoat discarded on Ruby's bed, and Ruby herself in her old beowolf pajama shirt and rose pants.

The Fall Maiden wandered over and removed her shoes. She ran her hands through her free red hair, no longer in its signature ponytail. Jaune had aided her in braiding a simple waterfall braid so her hair still flowed freely but there was less of a risk of hair billowing into her face in a fight. Pyrrha let her hair fall to her back and placed a delicate hand on Jaune's shoulder as she peered over him to look at Ruby.

Her eyelids held a less prominent silver glow, but it was still there. Pyrrha found herself leaning forward and grazing her fingers over her golden crown that she placed on Ruby's head not long ago. Ruby scrunched her brows together at the touch but didn't move otherwise. At the very least, it was progress.

"Has she eaten?"

"I took care of it while you were…" Jaune struggled for the right word.

Pyrrha, after some silence, provided it for him, "Putting my Sister to rest."

"Right." Jaune's words were clipped. Pyrrha sighed, maneuvered around him so she could sit beside him and run her fingers through Ruby's hair. "That."

After Jaune gained some lucidity once the first wave of fever passed, his docile acceptance of magic, Maidens, and reincarnating Headmasters morphed into a cold opposition. When in general conversation, Jaune was a muted version of himself. Still tactical, willing to give insight on what routes to take to attract as little Grimm as possible, and assisted her around the two dorms wherever he could. But when she referred to her newly acquired title, his eyes would grow cold and he would retreat.

And she knew why.

"This was my choice. I'm happy with it, Jaune."

"You certainly didn't seem that way when you broke down crying and shoved me into a building."

Pyrrha sighed. "Jaune-"

"Nor did you seem happy when you shoved me out of the elevator to ascend to your death."

"There wasn't much time to process it all, Jaune!" Pyrrha fired back with a sudden fury in her bones. Her apologetic nature had yet to resurface since the transfer, and she wasn't sure how to feel about it. "I didn't understand it until I had the magic running through my bones, but now I do, and I'm happy. I would make the same choice again and again."

"But was it your choice?" Jaune pressed. "I heard Ozpin, too, you know. Remember? He basically told you it had to happen."

Pyrrha shook her head. "I had told him the day before that I would be his Fall Maiden. He didn't coerce me into this. I chose this." She leveled him with a hard stare. "And that's not what bothers you about it."

His jaw set. "Live for me."

Her blood went cold. "Jaune…"

"How the hell was I supposed to live for you? Do you have any- here's a thought, how about you live for yourself?"

Pyrrha pursed her lips. Maybe it was a rash decision, but she made it and she stood by it. There's no telling what Cinder could have done to Jaune, to Mercury, to Ruby, to any of her other friends before Amber was able to secure the connection between her and Amethyst. Maybe she had the wrong mindset, but the wrong choice? She was the Maiden of Choice, dammit, that had to count for something.

But… she suddenly felt uninterested in arguing. She didn't like this tension between her and Jaune, didn't like how they barely talked beyond strategy these days. "I made a choice."

"Is that always going to be your answer?"

"...If I had to choose between us. If I had to choose between Ruby and I. I would offer up my own neck." Pyrrha admitted. "And that will never change. You mean too much to me."

He deflated like a balloon. Jaune ran a hand down his face. "Pyrrha, you're more important than I am. You always have been. Stronger, smarter, and now… you have the responsibility of a Kingdom on your shoulders." Jaune shrugged his shoulders. "How was I supposed to live for you when I don't have half the ability?"

"You don't give yourself enough credit."

"I don't?" Jaune asked rhetorically. "I came into Beacon as a liar with a family heirloom that I hardly knew how to use. I may be able to strategize, Pyrrha, but strategy means nothing if I don't have the ability to execute the strategy. And… I ran myself dry with my semblance. I still can't fully feel my fingers, my aura is a mess, and now you have to take care of me on top of Ruby, who pretty much stopped the entire attack with her magic." He wandered over to Weiss's desk, which was now littered with hand-drawn maps, and sat down. Blake's sketch of Neo was still pinned to the corkboard. "I'm not upset about it, Pyrrha. I've accepted it. But what I won't accept is you throwing yourself into the fire for me when you can achieve so much more."

She felt a part of herself shrivel. "Jaune… please don't put me on a pedestal. I may have ability, but I'm still just human."

His eyes snapped back to hers, a spark of understanding within, but just as he opened his mouth another interrupted him.

"Mm… P-Pyr… Pyrrh…"

Pyrrha jolted and whipped around. Ruby's eyes, they were cracked open, and her silver eyes churned, bright and swirling. She dove for one of Ruby's hands and cupped Ruby's face with the other.

"Ruby! You're awake!" Pyrrha exclaimed as pressure began to build behind her eyes. "How are you feeling?!"

Jaune rushed over to the other side of the bed, where he took Ruby's other hand.

"Hurts… headache," Ruby winced, and her eyes flickered to white for a moment. "Where… Merc-"

"Mercury's alright," Jaune jumped on the worry in Ruby's dazed expression. "He's alright. And so are we."

Her expression smoothed. She asked in a quiet, whisper-y voice, "Where is he?"

Jaune and Pyrrha went silent, and met each other's eyes. Pyrrha was at a loss, while Jaune shook his head slowly and shrugged with a helpless air. As Ruby's grip tightened, Pyrrha turned back to Ruby.

"He's… he's evacuated, with the rest." Pyrrha evaded as her hand pet Ruby's hair. "He's safe."

"He promised," Ruby murmured. "Promised to find me."

She began to slip back into sleep, and Pyrrha's heart cracked at the broken tone in her voice. Pyrrha shushed her. "And he will. I know he will."

"Just rest, Rubes," Jaune added. He managed a smile. "He'll be here before you know it."

As Ruby slipped away again, Pyrrha pressed her hands to her face and inhaled deep. She felt Jaune's hand catch her shoulder.

"We have to get out of here."

Pyrrha nodded against her hands. "I know."

November 7th, 2015: Vale Residential District, The Quietus, Exterior

Among the rubble of Vale, hidden in plain sight from the Grimm that still crawled from the cracks, Mercury stared down at his scroll from his spot just outside the crashed ship of the Summer Maiden.

Weiss was still pretty banged up. Torchwick had managed to scrounge up crutches from one of the many buildings he's scouted within the week, but she was still pretty weak, and Boa still hadn't cleared her to move to Amethyst's room. She still wasn't out of the woods for possible infection either, but Mercury prayed their antibiotic store held up.

Thank the Gods Amethyst got injured often enough to warrant a medical protocol in Boa.

Thank the Gods? There'd be one less mouth to feed if you just let her croak.

Mercury ignored Marcus with a scoff.

"Any luck?"

Mercury glanced behind him to see Weiss hobbling towards him on crutches. Zwei trotted beside her. While Zwei loved to annoy Mercury, Weiss's injury turned him into the protective pup. Her right leg stopped midway up her calf, but mid-thigh down still looked dicy. A nasty spell of swirling scars and scabs littered Weiss's leg, and he caught her scratching more than once at the bandages. Her eyes were dim and her dress was still a mess. The Quietus didn't exactly have a laundry room, and there was only so much a sink could provide in terms of cleaning clothing.

At least they could shower. It was something.

"Ah. The corpse is awake."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Charming. Now answer my question, please."

Wordlessly, Mercury waved his scroll with the 'call failed' sign over Ruby's contact. Weiss sighed.

"Did you try Yang?"

"Her scroll is disconnected. I don't even get to one ring."

"Then keep trying Ruby. It'll go through eventually." Weiss insisted. "She's okay. And if we, by chance, get the Quietus fixed before then, we'll fly straight to Patch to see her ourselves."

"How can you be so sure?" Mercury spat.

Weiss's eyes lowered to the ground. "Because I don't know what I'd do if she isn't."

Mercury, for once, agreed wholeheartedly.

Woo, finals are over, and I'm graduated! Gosh, it feels weird. I was accepted into a graduate program for the Fall however, and I'm so excited!

Astray-Tech: Thank you! I hope your exams went okay! Ah, the stress of school life...

Dragon Lord Draco: Lol yeah, Mercury unhinged is hilarious to think about, especially since he doesn't have to put up a front anymore.

The Night Whisperer: Lol! Glad I could make you laugh after all the tense stuff! Mercury/Weiss interactions are hilarious to think up.

The Archivist of Nyx: Gosh, it's so weird to think that it's been years in the making! I hope you enjoy the next arc, it'll definitely be veryyy different!

Servos New Head: Hah, that likely won't happen, maybe in a side story but I've gotten mixed comments about it (some vehemently yes and some eh). And I guess so? I'm not familiar with DC but, well, Lynae is a hawk faunus!

Next Chapter: Grounded.

Lonessa out.