Chapter 6: Fall
*In Ozpin's office, Pyrrha's POV*
I got a call from Professor Ozpin, saying he wants to talk to me. I made my way to his office and sat down. I wondered what this was about. Professor Ozpin began talking to me when I sat down.
"Well, it comes to no surprise that they've chosen you to move on to the final round of the tournament. Your performance has been exemplary." Professor Ozpin said. "Thank you, Professor Ozpin but I would have never made it this far without my teammates," I said. "Personally, I think it's the other way around," Qrow said. I turned around to look at the man.
"I'm sorry but I don't believe we've been introduced," I said. "Name's Qrow," Qrow said. "Qrow is a trusted colleague of mine." Professor Ozpin said. "Professor, if you don't mind me asking, why have you called me here?" I asked. "Please, take a seat." Professor Ozpin said. I sat down.
"What is your favorite fairy tale?" Professor Ozpin asked me. "I'm sorry?" I said, confused. "Fairy tales. Stories from your childhood. Surely you must remember some of them." Professor Ozpin said. "Well, there is the tail of the two brothers; the shallow seas; the girl in the tower," I said. "What about the story of the seasons?" Professor Ozpin said. "Oh, of course! A callous old man who refuses to leave his home is visited by four traveling sisters. The first understands his reclusive nature and urges him to use his time in solitude to reflect and meditate.
The second brings him fruits and flowers, tending to his crops and revitalizing his garden. The third warm's the man's heart, convincing him to step outside and embrace the world around him. And the fourth and final sister begs him to look at all that he has and be thankful. In return for their kindness, the man grants the maidens incredible powers so that they may continue to help others all over the world. They graciously accept and promise to share their gifts with the people of Remnant until the end of days. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. The four maidens. My mother loves that story." I said happily with a smile.
"Would you believe me if I told you that one's been around since I was a boy?" Professor Ozpin said. "You're not that old, Professor," I said. "Well, would you believe me if I told you it was true?" Professor Ozpin said. "I beg your pardon?" I said. "What if I told you that there were four maidens existing in this world that could wield such tremendous power without Dust?" Professor Ozpin said. "You mean like a semblance?" I said.
"Like magic." Professor Ozpin said. I became even more confused. "I-" I started. "Yeah, the first time hearing it's pretty crazy," Qrow said. My eyes widened. "You're serious?" I said. "Do I look like I'm joking?" Professor Ozpin said. "...No," I said. "Wh-why are you telling me this?" I asked. "We're telling you, Pyrrha Niko's because we believe that you are next in line to receive the fall maiden's power." Professor Ozpin said. "We?" I said, even more confused.
Just then, the elevator door opened, and Glynda and Ironwood appeared.
"Sorry, we're late," Ironwood said. "Wait, what is this? Who are you?" I asked. "You know who we are. We're still the same teachers and headmasters you met when you arrived at Beacon." Glynda said. "'Cept we've got a little part-time job," Qrow said. "We are the protectors of this world," Ironwood said. "And we need your help." Professor Ozpin said. We got in the elevator.
"Where are we going?" I asked. "The Vault. Under the school." Professor Ozpin said. We kept traveling down until we got to the basement. We walked farther down the hall. Glynda stopped and looked at me.
"I'm sure you must have questions," Glynda said. "Maybe one or two," I said. We continued walking.
"I still don't understand. You said I was next in line to receive the Maiden's power. What do you mean by that?" I asked. "The Maidens have existed for thousands of years. But much like in nature, the seasons change. No two summers are alike. When a Maiden dies, her power and seeks out a new host, ensuring that the seasons are never lost and that no individual can hold onto the power forever." Glynda explained.
"So how does the power choose?" I asked. "Through a series of stupid and convoluted rules." Qrow chimed in. "Qrow!" Glynda scolded. "Hey, don't get mad 'cause I'm right," Qrow said. "At first, the only thing that was certain was that the powers were specifically passed on to young women. But as time went on, it was discovered that the selection process was much more... intimate." Glynda said.
"Intimate?" I asked. "As we understand it now, when a Maiden dies, the one who was in her final thoughts is the first canident to inherit her powers," Glynda said. "Unless it's a dude or some old hag. Then the power someone goes to someone random, and our jobs get a lot harder." Qrow said. "Why tell me all this now? Why not wait until I graduated?" I asked. "Honestly, we've run out of time. I don't know if you've noticed, but things are getting a lot scarier out in the world. Tensions are high, Grimm are growing stronger, more prevalent. And it's not gonna be much longer before this peace we've all been enjoying so much goes out the window." Qrow said.
"You're not talking about war?" I said. "Not a war between nations," Ironwood said. "We can fill you in on the details once we know you're with us. For all you need to know is that one of the Maidens was attacked and for the first time in history, part of her power was stolen." Qrow explained. We continued walking until we came up to two machines. My eyes widened.
"Is that...?" I asked. "Her. The current fall Maiden, Amber." Professor Ozpin said. Her eyes were closed but she was still alive.
"She's... still alive?" I said. "For now. We're using state-of-the-art Atlas technology to keep her stable. But there's a lot about this situation which is... unprecedented." Ironwood said. "What do you mean?" I asked. Ironwood sighed. "Well, we don't know what'll happen if- when she passes," Ironwood said. "Won't her power just transfer to the next host?" I said. "Look who's been listening! She is smart." Qrow said.
"Under normal circumstances, yes. But this is a delicate situation. It's not uncommon for the last thoughts of the slain to be that of their attacker. And to make matters worse, no one's ever seen the power split like this before. For all we know, it will seek out its other half." Ironwood said. "Her assailant..." I said. "And that would not bode well for any of us." Professor Ozpin said. I put my head down, then I walked over to the girl in the tube.
I wondered what my daughter, Lana would think of this. How would she think of me holding such strong powers? It stayed silent for a while, then I spoke up.
"If all of this is true, why keep it secret? If this girl is so important. If-if we're truly on the brink of war why not tell everyone?"
"From what we understand, it used to be common knowledge," Glynda said. "Excuse me?" I said, angrily. "How do you think legends and fairy tales get started? Even the craziest ones come from somewhere." Qrow said. "Our group was founded in order to protect both mankind and the Maidens. Those hungry for power hunted them with the hope of inheriting their strength." Glynda said.
"And as you can imagine, the ones that succeeded weren't exactly the kind of people you'd want to have unimaginable power," Qrow said. "And so this brotherhood chose to remove the Maidens from the public eye, allowing their existence to fade away into the ledged," Ironwood said. "The things we're telling you go against hundreds of years of human history, religion," Glynda said. "No one would want to believe us. It would cause an uproar." Ironwood said. "It would cause panic. And we all know what that would bring, clawing to our kingdom's walls. Which is why we would like to-" I cut Professor Ozpin off.
"I'll do it. If you believe this will help humanity, then I will become you're Fall Maiden." I said. The room stayed silent. I spoke up again. "That's what you wanted, isn't it?"
"It is, but I'm afraid it's not that simple. Given Amber's condition, you won't be able to inherit her power naturally. However, General Ironwood believes he has a solution." Professor Ozpin said. "For the past few years, Atlas has been studying aura from a more scientific standpoint. How it works; what it's made of; how it can be used. We've made significant strides. And we believe we've found a way to capture it." Ironwood explained. "Capture it and cram it into something else. Or in your case..." Qrow said.
"That's-" I started. "Classified," Ironwood said. "Wrong!" I shouted. "The feeling is mutual. But desperate times call for desperate measures." Glynda said. "And these are desperate times. We can't transfer Amber's powers to you, but we can give you what those powers are bound to." Ironwood explained. "Her Aura," I said. "Her life would become interwind to yours. The question is...?"
"What's that gonna do to you?" Qrow chimed in. My eyes widened.
"You have a very important decision before you, Miss. Nikos. There's no guarantee this transfer will work, and there's no telling if you will be the same person if it does. I advise you to take time to think on this matter. But understand that before the Vital Festival is over, we will need your answer." Professor Ozpin said. I looked at the Fall Maiden again. "The assailant that attacked the Fall Maiden has made their first move. But there is no telling what their next move will be." Professor Ozpin said darkly.
*At the Vital Festival, Lana's POV*
Today is the day. The finals round of the Vital Festival tournament. Team RWBY has chosen me to go on to the final round of the Vital Festival. I am nervous. I've been fighting with my parents during the Festival, but now I will have to fight alone. As I was backstage, Yang ran up to me and gave me a big hug.
"You're gonna kill it tonight, babe," Yang said. "Thanks, Mom. I am still nervous though. I mean, if you still wanna fight you can." I said. "Nah, don't worry about it. We wanted to give you this opportunity." Yang said. Yang and I kissed. "Watch me fight," I said. "Of course. Good luck!" Yang said and left. As I was about to come on stage, my husband and wife, Scourge and Fiona stopped me.
"I know you're about to go on Lana, but don't you dare embarrass me tonight if you get picked. If you do, there will be consequences, understood?" Scourge said. I nodded. I screamed in pain when Scourge shocked me.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Use your voice!" Scourge yelled and shocked me again. I screamed again from the pain. Scourge finally turned the shocks off.
"Y-Yes Master," I said nervously. "Good girl. Now behave and you won't get punished." Scourge said. Scourge kissed me. Fiona grabbed my upper arm.
"And don't you embarrass me either. If you do, I will whip you and rape you. Got it?" Fiona said. "Yes Ma'am," I said, still nervous. "Good," Fiona said. Fiona kissed me. "I love you," Fiona said. I didn't say 'I love you' back because I don't love her. This earned me another shock.
"Say it back!" Fiona yelled. "I love you," I said. "Good," Fiona said. "Come on Fiona." Scourge said and grabbed her hand. Scourge and Fiona left. I sighed.
"Come on Lana, the randomizing is about to start!" Uncle Sun called. "I'm coming!" I called back. I ran out to the stage and lined up with the other fighters. People cheered when they saw us lined up.
"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for: The one-on-one finals!" Professor Port shouted into the mic. Everyone cheered.
"Barty, why don't you explain the rules?" Professor Port said. "Uh, it's quite simple, Peter. Instead of a bracket system, each round of the finals will be randomly determined imminently before the match takes place." Oobleck said. "Much like any good hunt, there will be zero time to prepare!" Professor Port said. "Ah, yes, yes. Now let's see who our first match will be!" Professor Oobleck said. The randomizers on the screen began scrolling. The first person it landed on was Mercury Black. The next person it landed on was me, Lana Rose.
"Lana Rose and Mercury Black!" Professor Port said. "Break a leg, Lana!" I heard Ruby yell from the audience. I smiled and waved at her.
"Hmm," Sonic said. "What's wrong, Sonic?" Shadow said. "Yeah. It's about Mercury." Sonic said. "Mercury?" Shadow said. "I don't see anything wrong with Mercury," Emily said. "Me and Sonic will take a closer look in Mercury while he fights." Tails said. "I'll keep an eye out on Mercury as well," Rouge said. "Yeah, good idea. I'm worried for Lana's safety," Sonic said. "Oh, come on Sonic, she'll be fine. What's the worst that could happen to her?" Scourge said.
"Go, Lana!" Dash shouted. "Would all other combatants please leave the stage?" Professor Port said. Everyone left the stage. Mercury and I walked up to each other. I drew my weapons. Mercury and I were standing on the ring of the stage. Lights lit up the stage. I smirked.
"You better not go easy on me," I said. "Heh. You wish." Mercury said. Mercury and I got in our battle stances and walked closer to each other.
"Three... Two... One..."
My sword touched Mercury's hand. "Fight!" Professor Port yelled. Mercury swung his leg at me to kick me but I block his kick with my shield. A loud clash sounded as Mercury was pushed back. Mercury charges at me. I jumped in the air and swung my sword at him but he dodges it and knocks my weapons out of my hands. Mercury threw a punch at me. I punched back at him and he punched back at me a few times. I dodged his punch and grabbed my lasso out. I gave a loud battle cry and hit my lasso at Mercury, pushing him back. Mercury gets back up. I swung my lasso at him a few times but he jumps out of the way.
Mercury does a backflip and swings another kick at me. I put my arms up above my head and blocked his kick with my gauntlets. Mercury does another flip and lands on the ground again. I hit my lasso at him again but he dodges it. I quickly got out of the way as he swings another kick at me. I bend down and jump up, flying in the air and punched at Mercury a few times. Mercury kicks me and does another flip. I tried to hit my lasso at him but he gets out of the way.
Mercury kicks at me a few times and does another kick at me but I quickly dodge that kick and retrieve my weapons. I swung a kick at Mercury. Mercury swings a few kicks at me but I block those with my shield. Mercury does a few more flips and kicks at me again. I slash my sword at Mercury, making him fall to the ground. I hit my lasso at Mercury a few more times. Mercury does some flips to dodge my lasso.
He slides on the ground and falls off of the stage. I summoned a rain cloud and poured some rain down on Mercury to knock him off the stage. Mercury uses an air grenade to get back on the stage.
"What the?!" Sonic cried. "There it is!" Tails shouts. "You got this, Lana!" Rouge shouts. Mercury kicks at me but I dodge Mercury's kicks. Mercury kicks at me again and again. Mercury swings another kick at me and I dodge the kick. Mercury shoots a grenade at me and it explodes.
"Woah!" I yelled as I quickly got out of the way. Mercury continues to shoot grenades at me as I dodged them. Mercury kicks at me again and I block his kick with my gauntlets. Mercury jumps in the air and swings another kick at me. I landed hard on the ground. Grenades shoot at me over and over again. The crowd cheers for Mercury and Mercury smirks to himself as if he won the match. But this isn't over yet. I flew up high in the air and summoned some big storm clouds. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed, making the stage rumble. I gave a loud battle cry and swung my sword at Mercury, hitting him with a lightning bolt.
Mercury swings another kick at me. I growled and slashed my sword at him over and over again while hitting him with two more lightning bolts. I slashed my sword at him a few more times and gave Mercury a hard punch. Mercury lands on the ground. I shoot another lightning bolt at him. The match was over. I won.
"What a way to kick off the finals!" Professor Port shouted. I sighed and caught my breath. I smiled and held up my sword in victory.
"Lana Rose wins!" Oobleck announced. "Yeah, you did it, Lana!" Ruby shouted excitedly. "Way to go Lana!" Blake said. "Well done Lana," Amy said. I smiled. I gasped when Yang, my girlfriend ran out to the stage and gave me a big hug. Yang smiled at me.
"I knew you could do it," Yang said. "Thanks, Mom," I said. Yang looks at Mercury.
"Better luck next time," Yang said. "There's not going to be a next time, blondie," Mercury said. I gasped as Mercury jumped up to attack me.
"Mom!" I cried. Yang glared at Mercury. Yang shoots Mercury in the leg. Mercury fell down on the ground.
"My word!" Oobleck cried. "Cut the cameras!" Professor Port said. "Ah! My leg! My leg!" Mercury cried. "That's what you get for harming my girlfriend, you little-" The guards suddenly had Yang surrounded.
"Yang Xion Long, stand down!" A soldier said. "What?! Why?!" Yang cried. "Mercury!" Emerald cried and ran out to the stage. "Why'd she do that?! Why'd she attack me?!" Mercury cried. Emerald glared at Yang and I. Yang and I looked up on a screen and saw Mercury on the floor as Yang shoots him in the leg. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and the rest of my family were all in shock of what happened.
"I knew something was wrong!" Sonic said. Sonic jumps off and runs to the stage. "Sonic, what are you doing?!" Shadow shouted. Shadow chased after Sonic. "Sonic..." Scourge said angrily.
"You shouldn't arrest Yang! Mercury tried to attack Lana! Yang was only protecting my daughter!" Sonic shouted. "Nothing like that never happened." The soldier said. "What?!" Sonic shouted. "That's bullshit! We know what we saw!" Shadow yelled. "Sonic and Shadow are telling the truth! He came to attack my girlfriend!" Yang shouted. "I have this lasso and it contains the truth if you wanna know what really happened," I said and held up my lasso. I was gonna use my lasso, but Shadow stopped me.
"Lana, don't," Shadow said. Suddenly, medics came running out on the stage.
"Please, somebody help him!" Emerald cried. The medics lowered down the cot. "Can you do something?" Emerald pleaded. "We need to get this boy to a hospital. Grab a blanket." A medic said. The medics put Mercury onto the cot and Emerald ran after them as they left the stage. I was still with Yang and my parents, surrounded by the guards. I was scared. Scared of what was gonna happen to Yang and scared of what was gonna happen to me with Scourge and Fiona. I know I'm gonna get punished.
"You don't understand! He attacked my girlfriend, I swear!" Yang shouted. "Stow it! You've already caused enough of a scene!" A guard shouted. "You're coming with us." A soldier said as they took Yang off the stage. I was still in shock at what happened.
"Yang..." I said. "Come on, we need to go," Shadow said. Shadow took my hand and escorted me off the stage.
I just hope everything will be okay.
A/N: Chapter 6 is up, hooray! I will post the next chapter sometime this week. Until then, please leave a review. Thanks, and have a good night.