As the doors burst open Ruby led the charge, and with her scythe in hand she practically flew across the field. Pyrrha alongside Jaune joined in, and as she landed her sights were set on the nearest Grimm. With a flick the shaft of her spear shifted, and with several clicks it locked into place. Expertly she aimed the rifle, taking sight of the weaker Grimm as she focused. With a few shots she dispatched one after the other.

The weapon shifted back to it's original form followed by it's shaft collapsing in on itself as the spear seemed to almost melt into a sword. She blocked an incoming swipe with her shield; tilted ever so slightly to redirect the claw away and followed it up with a clean swipe which severed the limb. The Ursa kept fighting however and Pyrrha backpedaled several steps, all the while it tried to maul her with it's remaining claw. She suddenly rushed it again dealing several blows to it's underside before following up with a kick. It staggered for a moment, and in that short time she finished it off with one last flurry.

It dropped to the ground as it began to fade, and Pyrrha set her sights on the target. She knew the others could handle things from there, but she had somewhere to be, and something to do. With a dash the champion took off towards the CCT with the hope that she still had time. The girl swayed and flowed amidst the chaos, killing any small Grimm that crossed her path without stopping her forward momentum. Pyrrha opted to avoid the larger ones altogether, as well as rush past the Fang who fired on her.

It had taken several minutes before she arrived, and when she did Ozpin was there to greet her.

"Come, we haven't much time." He spoke as he started no more than a nod she followed after him.

The two stepped into the elevator, and after a short ride they made it up to his office where he rushed to the desk.

"Have you made your choice? Even with everything going on I won't force you to do this." He asked as she gave a hard look.

"I have, and I've decided to go through with it. People are out there dying, and if there's anything I can do to save them I'll do it... even if it means potentially sacrificing myself."

"Alright. If that's your decision." He seemed much less enthused than she'd expected, almost guilty even. Yet she couldn't dwell on the matter as he went about his desk. She turned as the elevator open again, and looked back to see him approach. "We haven't got much time so please follow me and don't leave my side."

The ride down was almost agonizing, and each second only added onto her worry. When Ozpin approached her with the offer she'd been reluctant and confused. To replace the Fall Maiden: it had seemed so... ridiculous. The maiden's had only been fairytales, and yet he stood alongside both general Ironwood and Ms. Goodwitch. Neither of the two batted an eye instead wearing serious looks as the headmaster explained the situation.

"We don't know who attacked the maiden, but we do have our suspicions. The powers she possesses are great, so much so that their existence has been kept secret to avoid the less upstanding types of people from hunting them down."

According to them the maidens would transfer their powers to the last woman in their thoughts, and so people of all kinds would murder them for it. They had also revealed to her that magic existed, not aura or and semblance but honest to goodness magic. Spells; sorcery; witchcraft; all of it was real, and Pyrrha had felt her brain melt as she tried to wrap her head around it. At the time she'd wondered in both confusion and fear just why it had all been kept secret. If magic was real then wouldn't it help against the Grimm? The thought was replaced however with fear that the reason was much darker. The worst part about it however was that she knew she'd find out.

The doors opened and Pyrrha stepped out along with the headmaster. The hallway was entirely empty aside from the lights that dotted the path. Everything looked so cold, sterile, and dead. It was clear the room had a single purpose, and that was never made more apparent than with their objective sitting further in the back. The machine stood alone as they reached it; an odd mechanical contraption with what looked like two pods on each side, connected only by the device between.

The champion felt a sense of dread well up within her as she saw the woman sleeping comatose inside, and the scar across her face only helped to cement her ultimate demise.

So this is the fall maiden...

The woman would die, she was told beforehand by the trio back during her briefing of the situation, and yet a swell of pain enclosed her heart. Breathing became difficult and she did her best to quell the panic trickling across her skin as the headmaster approached the machine. It wasn't the fact that the woman would die, but the realization that she herself would contribute willfully to her murder; even if unintentional.

"Are you ready?" The headmaster asked as she looked to him. They had no time to wait and yet he still checked with her. Pyrrha steadied herself as she stepped over to the opposing pod.

"I-I am." The girl stuttered as she steeled herself. People were dying, and while she was apprehensive about taking the power she knew she needed it to save everybody else.

"Very well." He pressed a few keys and Pyrrha flinched as the pod next to her opened up. "I don't know how this will turn out; aura transfer has never been done before so we have no idea how you will be affected. However I have hope that whatever comes next you will be able to handle it."

Pyrrha gave a small nod as she lay inside, and while she was scared for what would happen next she couldn't help but feel a sliver of comfort in the hope she may be able to put a stop to everything. The headmaster went to work and Pyrrha braced herself willing to face it all head on. The machine whirled to life, and the echoes of it's systems were only exasperated throughout the massive room.

The redhead felt her pod shake followed by a strange tingling down her spine. She could hear several voices in the forms of tiny whispers against her ear; just behind her head and out of sight. Her throat began to tighten and Pyrrha realized she couldn't breath. Along with all of that a burning flared across her skin, and pain began to blossom in it's place.

Everything stopped as a screech pierced her ears.

Pyrrha fell back, struggling to breath as she tried to focus. Her whole body felt like it had been battered and beaten for hours on end, and her vision was blurred.

"Interesting, I didn't know you could keep at it so long Ozpin." The strange voice drew Pyrrha's attention, and with her world still twisting she pushed against the pod.

"Come now, it was only Ms. Nikos and I who came here. You didn't think I'd let my guard down when we were alone did you?" The headmaster's voice returned as she managed to force the pod open and stagger out.

"No, I suppose not. However it matters little now wouldn't you say?" The voice was sultry, cocky even, and Pyrrha watched as her world slowly returned.

"S-sir?" She stuttered as her eyes slowly managed to focus on the headmaster. He responded with a hum and what looked like a slight glance. "What h-happened."

"Amber is lost to us." His voice was grim, and Pyrrha slowly began to regain her composure. She looked over to the maiden's pod, and was torn back into focus by the fading blade that pierced the woman's heart. "I intended to fight our friend here off until the power transfer was complete, and yet it would seem she slipped one past me."

"Oh don't be like that. After all aren't you supposed to be the most experienced hunter? Surely you'd have seen my intentions." The dark haired woman taunted as Pyrrha faced her. The champion made to draw on her until the headmaster blocked her.

"Listen to me Ms. Nikos you haven't much time: the fall maiden is lost to us and our opponent is too much for you to handle in your current state. I need you to escape while you can and return to the others."

"I can't leave you to fight alone!" Pyrrha nearly shouted as he shook his head.

"You must. There will be other chances to face our foe again; however you need to be alive to do so." The headmaster told as he faced the woman ahead of them.

"I-I..." Pyrrha didn't know how to handle it. She knew their opponent was probably too powerful for her, but leaving the headmaster to fight alone didn't sit right with her.

"You should listen to him girl, despite being senile he's telling the truth. I'll give you this warning once." The woman smirked as flames trailed along her arm in a display of power; a silent threat to go alongside the spoken one. "Stand against me and I'll leave nothing of you behind."

Pyrrha looked to the headmaster, and upon seeing his focus on the woman she sheathed her weapon. With her slowly returning strength she ran. She ran past the woman who couldn't be bothered to cast a glance; she ran to the elevator as the chaos began; she ran to the outside as her knees collapsed.

For the first time in her life she ran from a challenge.

A swell of shame and guilt filled her as she sat there with her mind in a rush of panicked thoughts. Could she have stood alongside the headmaster? Could they have defeated their foe if they worked together? But worst of all her self-deemed cowardice had brought up a new thought. Was she even worthy of the maiden's powers if she was willing to run like she had?

The ground rumbled and Pyrrha shielded her ears from the massive explosion that sounded behind her. She turned and came face to face with the burning destruction that lay in place. The CCT looked decimated with the shaft seemingly burned and warped. The tower at the top where most communications were held had a massive shattered hole in it's side, and she could see the chaos it wrought as chunks of smoldering metal littered the ground below and around her.

Pyrrha understood then and there the headmaster had lost, and the guilt returned as she looked upon the consequences. She could have stayed, could have fought, and yet she ran. Had she held more courage and the will to fight against the headmaster's wishes they may have won. She didn't however, and Pyrrha realized that even if she ran it would be too late and the woman would escape. The headmaster must have thought he could hold the woman back in time for her to bring help, but he was wrong. There was no time left.

She was too weak, and it hurt more than any pain she'd felt before. The weakness brought on guilt, and with that guilt came regret. Yet from that regret came conviction.

She had skill enough to face down years worth of opponents, she had a semblance that made her near invincible, and she'd won victory time and time again. For years she had wondered if there was a reason she had these gifts; if there was a purpose to it all.

The champion stood, rigid and hollow in her movements as she made for the tower. It had to mean something; she had to have been given her gifts for a reason. If that reason was to protect people then she had no right to abandon the battle. Her stride became a march as Pyrrha set her sights. If she was meant to fight for them, if she was meant to fight this battle, then she would face her opponent head on. It was time to abandon her fears and guilt.

It was time to meet with destiny.

.

.

"Hold!" Winter ordered as the weapons remained steady.

"Specialist, please step away from the target!"

"He is not the target! We've received no such order!" The woman returned as the soldiers remained steady in their aim.

"He is responsible-"

"He is not!" She returned, and yet the weapons remained trained. "As your superior officer I order you to all stand down!"

They were apprehensive, understandably so with all the chaos going on around us, however they still obeyed. I watched as they all looked ready to move in at any moment. Winter looked like she was about to speak, yet she was interrupted by something else.

"Sir, I need a report." Spoke one of the soldiers as he held a hand to the side of his head, which confused me a little. I remained silent as he grunted and spoke a bit before lowering it. The man had a scowl, and despite his eyes hidden behind his helmet I could tell he wore an agitated look. Nevertheless he faced us and spoke. "Alright, we have confirmation."

"I presume that was the general?" Winter asked as the man nodded. Several of the others looked to shuffle a bit in confusion as the man spoke again.

"The general has confirmed that the boy isn't responsible. He has also stated that the person responsible for everything is the same who hacked the systems and made our knights and paladins go rogue."

"Do we have a name?" Winter asked as the man nodded.

"We have confirmation that the perpetrator is a woman by the name of Neo."

"Damnit." All heads turned to me, and I realized what I'd just let slip.

"Do you know this Neo?" Winter questioned as I looked to her.

"She's a partner of Roman's. I'd met with her before alongside team RWBY. She can create illusions as far as I could tell; even going to the point of invisibility." I explained as Winter silently swore. She sighed and returned her focus to the soldier.

"Did the general mention anything else?"

"He also said that a group of students will be arriving at the docks to aid in clearing out the Grimm and White Fang." The soldier didn't seem happy with that, yet despite so he remained calm in posture.

"Students... he must mean from the tournament." Winter set a stoic look. "Right. Thank you for the information. Right now we need to secure all the civilians and remaining students.""

"We've been working on that." The man scoffed and sighed. "However we're currently tending to several wounded back around the docks. My team and I came out here to search for more survivors." The soldier continued. However before Winter made to speak I asked a question of my own.

"Winter, I need to borrow your scroll."

"Hmm? What is it you need?" She asked as a puzzled look crossed her.

"I need to check in with the headmaster and the general." I told as she reached into her coat. Mine had been taken during the arrest, yet I needed to get in contact with both in hopes they could return my own. I had a plan, but I needed my scroll to get contact with the right person. Her scroll held the same ivory sheen as my own and she flicked it open. I watched as she pressed a few places, only to squint in agitation.

"Strange... I'm not getting through." She mumbled as she picked at it more. I watched as the soldier she spoke with brought out a scroll of their own, to which they proceeded down the same path.

"Does anybody have signal on their scrolls?" Who I presumed to be the leader asked as the rest made attempts to use their scrolls. It seemed as though everyone had lost the ability to use them. Winter held an agitated look.

"Impossible..." She looked off in the distance for a moment and turned back to me. "Until we can figure out what happened we won't be able to make any general calls. However it seems the Atlas coms still work so I'll pass on info to the general that you're going after the headmaster. Earlier before everything went down the general mentioned that headmaster Ozpin was in his office at the CCT. There's a small chance he might still be there, and if not you might run into him on the way. Go on ahead, I'll meet up with you later."

"Aren't you coming with me?" I asked as she shook her head.

"There might still be survivors around here, and if there is I need to help with escorting them to safety." Winter gave me a hard yet determined look. "I'm trusting you to find the headmaster and pass on the information about Neo."

I held fast for a moment as I steadied myself before nodding.

"Good. Take care of anything that comes up. Now move."

I took off, making my way in the direction I knew the CCT lay. We'd lost access to scroll communication, which made any potential calls with them impossible from what I understood. The general had given permission to use any allies I had and I intended to call Sienna in hopes of learning potential information about the White Fang's plans; that was scrapped however. I'd need to get into contact with her later when the issues with the scrolls were dealt with if I wanted any info, but at the moment I was set to find the headmaster.

He'd know what to do.

I came upon the tower with no resistance, neither from Fang or Grimm, which worried me. The path I'd taken had been quiet, all the while it seemed as though I ran further from the symphony of battle. Flames still danced across the scene, and bodies of Fang and other had lay lifeless all along the path. Yet as I gazed up at the tower I noticed flashes of light, and just the barest clash of destruction whispered through the decayed breeze.

All signs wailed that something going on inside the destroyed tower. I allowed my armor to overtake me as I ducked down, and with all the strength I could pull I leapt high into the air. The jump took me halfway up the tower where I grasped at the broken metal. From cracks to chunks I trailed up the ruined monument until my hands took hold of the final ledge. With a tug I brought myself up and stood.

The first sight I'd been greeted with was that of Pyrrha who stood breathing heavily; covered in ash and dust as she stood with weapons drawn. However she didn't have any visible wounds, which to my relief meant her aura still held. She looked to me with a hint of surprise, as if not expecting anyone to come to her aid. Yet my focus trailed to the woman across from her; one I recognized.

"You." It came out more as a growl, yet I didn't care. She faced me with a taunting look, and a savvy smile greeted me. My ire grew as her eyes glossed over me which sent a shiver across my skin.

"Ah, so you've finally arrived." She sounded content and her fingers trailed across the flat of her blade. "I had no doubt you'd make a show of yourself, though I am disappointed in how long you've kept me waiting."

"You know her." I heard Pyrrha speak with a hint of dread in her tired voice. The woman smirked as Pyrrha sent a glare towards her.

"Oh, you could say we had a... quaint little dance one evening." The woman spoke as Pyrrha's eyes widened.

"So I was right, that was you." I spoke as she laughed.

"I'd not gotten to properly greet you that night, but considering this will be our last outing together it seems only fitting to introduce ourselves upon our final dance." She placed a hand to her chest as the smirk grew wider.

"Wonderful to finally meet you Vermillion Rose, I've been told quite a bit about you. I am Cinder fall, and I will be your personal escort to the grave this evening."

Author's note

...

Sorry about the late upload, PC's having WI-FI issues and I needed to get a cable.

Regardless We're coming to the finale of this arc, and to be perfectly honest I'm glad. I didn't intend for this phase of the story to be as long as it ended up, but at least it's nearing it's close.

Pyrrha and V, against Cinder of all people. How will they fare? What about team RWBY and the rest, how are they handling things? Guess you'll just have to wait and see.

Feel free to tell me your thoughts, I'm sure you'll have plenty soon enough.

See you next time.