The Vytal festival was back in full swing and the match between Nora and Ren from Team JNPR and Sun and Neptune from Team SSSN was underway. All eyes were on Nora and Ren because they were from a team that had been declared a favorite from the viewers. Jaune and Pyrrha were in the stands cheering their teammates on, while also trying to avoid Pyrrha's many fans. It was a reminder to Jaune that he was dating a highly known tournament champion, most of whom wanted autographs from his girlfriend.
Back to the match though it was clear that Nora and Ren had an advantage over their friends from Team SSSN. It was a huge advantage that Nora and Ren had known each other for so long, the two of them worked together in perfect sync. You could tell the difference between the two pairs, and it really didn't help that water was a part of the stage. People could tell that Neptune was close to having a heart attack even though he tried to play it off.
Ren was proving to be too quick for Sun, as he was on the offensive using his blades to his advantage and it didn't matter if Sun used his clones, they could only protect him so much. Going to Nora and Neptune it was clear who the strongest one was, and it was not even close. Nora was pushing Neptune around like a ragdoll and even though Neptune had skills and speed, Nora just had more power and was pushing him into the red zone on his aura.
This went on for a few more minutes before Ren got some good hits on Sun and Neptune met the brute force of Nora and her hammer. There was nothing more that Sun and Neptune could do, their combined attacks and teamwork were no match for Ren and Nora's. Ren and Nora were happy because that meant they could advance to the final round, which was the singles were Pyrrha would compete. Sun and Neptune were sad, but they knew they weren't out since they were just going to the lower bracket.
"The winners are Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren of Team JNPR! Team JNPR moves on to the final round!" Professor Port yelled and everyone cheered.
"WE DID IT!" Nora cheered while hugging Ren who sighed but smiled at the same time.
"Great job you two! Way to show them the power of Team JNPR!" Pyrrha cheered and Jaune just nodded his head in approval and congratulations.
Everyone in the stands were cheering and most of them could not believe how strong Team JNPR was together and individually. Of course, they all knew that Pyrrha Nikos was strong, seeing as though she was a tournament champion and she was incredibly skilled. What they didn't expect was her teammates to be that skilled and that powerful. They all couldn't believe how skilled Jaune Goodwitch was and that semblance of his made everyone's eyes widen.
Not only that but it seemed that Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren were no slouches either, they all had to admit they viewed both of them in the background so didn't expect much. Imagine their surprise when they saw Ren have incredible speed and precision, then imagine their surprise when they saw that Nora could swing that giant hammer around like it was nothing. That team was clearly one of the favorites to win the whole thing and the public knew they would a tough opponent to go against.
Jaune was happy that his teammates won, and they were one step closer to winning the Vytal Festival. Looking back, Jaune and his team had really come a long way in the months that they had grown closer. It seemed like yesterday when Jaune woke up in the auditorium to Nora's singing and dancing around the place, then seeing Ren go through his daily routine. Then he met Pyrrha at the lockers and the rest was history.
He was really glad that he got the team that he has now, especially because they were really the first people Jaune liked working with. Back at Kingsglaive Jaune just did what he wanted on his own, it's not like a lot of people wanted to train with him because of the skill gap and the fact that his mom was the Deputy Headmistress of Beacon. That all changed when he got to Beacon though, he had great friends and an awesome girlfriend. Speaking of which, Pyrrha nuzzled his neck getting his attention.
"Well, looks like it's your time beautiful." Jaune said with a smile and Pyrrha smiled back.
"I'll do the best I can handsome, come on let's go congratulate our teammates!" Pyrrha said excitedly as she kissed Jaune and then they headed down.
As the couple went down to congratulate their teammates they couldn't help but feel annoyed at the paparazzi they were facing. It seemed like the whole world needed to know that Pyrrha Nikos had a boyfriend, and the reporters were trying to get as much info as they could. Thankfully Jaune had a great semblance that allowed him to make a huge bubble around the reporters and suddenly all of the cameras had disappeared. The reporters wondered what happened, but the couple just walked away and Pyrrha turned around to give those reporters a devilish smirk.
Jaune and Pyrrha finally made it to the open area, and they found their teammates doing what they expected them to be doing. Ren was just standing there while Nora was chowing down on any sugary thing that she could find. In this instance it was cotton candy and Nora being Nora of course had three different kinds in each hand. She was going to be bouncing off the walls sooner or later and Jaune made a mental note to take Pyrrha somewhere because he didn't want to deal with that.
"Congrats you two, great job!" Pyrrha said happily.
"Yeah great job of using your strengths and skills to move us to the next round you two. You did Team JNPR proud today." Jaune praised and his teammates smiled.
"Thanks, Jauney!" Nora said with cheer and a smile on her face as Jaune ruffled her hair.
"Thank you for the praise guys, it is an honor to bring glory to the Team JNPR name." Ren said with pride.
"So, what should we do to celebrate the victory and our team moving onto the final round? We should go get some food or something, preferably a place that is sugar free because I don't want Nora to be bouncing off the walls." Jaune said and Ren nodded his head, but Nora just pouted.
"Hey!" Nora yelled feeling insulted.
"Don't be mad at me, I speak from experience." Jaune said holding his ground and Nora stuck her tongue out at him.
"Hey guys you may have to do whatever you're going to do without me." Pyrrha suddenly said and her team looked at her.
"Why, what's going on babe?" Jaune asked curiously.
"I just got a message from Professor Ozpin saying that he needs to see me immediately and that I should come alone. He says he wants to talk about something with me." Pyrrha said a bit nervous, and her teammates were all curious.
What could Ozpin possibly want with Pyrrha? It couldn't be for some celebrity appearance or anything like that because he didn't seem to be like the type of headmaster who valued publicity. It also couldn't be because Pyrrha did something wrong because the girl was so polite there was no way that she could be in trouble for anything. Not only that, but it couldn't be because of her grades because along with Jaune and Weiss she was at the top of the class. So, what was it?
"It should be fine; this is Ozpin we're talking about. He probably wants to just commend you on your success and give you one of those boring speeches of his." Jaune said while laughing as his girlfriend hit him in the arm.
"Jerk this could be serious." Pyrrha said with a pout, but her teammates waved it off.
"Don't worry Pyrrha it will be fine, maybe Ozpin wants to give you some pointers about the final round of the tournament." Ren stated.
"Yeah Pyrrha, just go talk to the professor and come back so we can celebrate!" Nora said in her bubbly tone.
"Ok guys I will, see you later!" Pyrrha said as she kissed Jaune goodbye and made her way to Ozpin's office.
Ozpin's Office
Speaking of Ozpin's office, the usual four people were currently there, that being Ozpin himself, Glynda, Qrow and General Ironwood. The time was now, they were finally going to talk with there hopefully new Fall Maiden if everything went accordingly. Ozpin, Qrow, and Ironwood were excited because they were finally going to ensure that the maiden powers would not fall into the hands of Salem and they continue fighting back against her. Glynda felt the opposite of them though and wondered if there was another way to do this…
Glynda understood that they needed another host to receive the Fall Maiden powers because Amber would not hold on for much longer. The thing was, she didn't want the host that Ozpin chose to be the one that got the powers. Pyrrha Nikos may have been a tournament champion, but she was still just a teenager, and this was a big responsibility to put on a teenager's shoulders. Not to mention that Pyrrha would probably given into the pressure Ozpin would put on her, secretly Glynda also believed that's why he chose her.
The main reason why she hated doing this was because Glynda knew that Pyrrha Nikos was the first girl that her son had ever loved. She remembered when Jaune dated that Talia girl and how miserable he was, and she was glad when Jaune told her that he broke up with her. Glynda groaned in her head about how she got emails from that girl and other classmates of Jaune's parents complaining about the skill gap between her son and them.
When Jaune got to Beacon Glynda was worried that history would repeat himself and that he wouldn't be able to make new friends. Thankfully she was wrong as Jaune found himself a great team, great friends and great girlfriend. She had to admit that she was surprised when she found out her son was dating a tournament champion, but she was not complaining. Pyrrha was incredibly sweet and loved Jaune who clearly had mutual affection.
Now Glynda was pretty much going behind Jaune's back and was about to join in giving his girlfriend a huge ultimatum. Either help save the world or don't, and with an honorable person like Pyrrha Nikos how could she say no? Glynda was secretly hoping that Pyrrha said no because she was tired of Ozpin using these young women to go into war with that grimm witch. Hell, clearly it wasn't working, just look at the state Amber was in! With that in mind she turned to superior and stated her opinion.
"You're sure that this is the best course of action?" Glynda asked with her eyes narrowed and Ozpin just sighed.
"I know that Jaune is in a romantic relationship with the girl Glynda, and I know that you feel you are betraying him but yes this is our best option. You know how skilled the girl is, who else would you have become the maiden?" Ozpin asked tiredly but Glynda's glare did not let up.
"Oh, let me see, maybe an actual huntress who at least has their license? Not some girl who is still in training no matter how skilled she is, and clearly you are planning on using her strong heart and will to your advantage." Glynda said as Ozpin widened his eyes, but Qrow came to his defense.
"That's enough Glynda, it doesn't matter that your kid is dating this girl, what matters is that she is the best choice we have right now. Yeah fine maybe she should be a little older, but she has more experience than Amber who is currently in a coma. We don't have the time to complain about Ozpin's choice, we just need to follow his decision." Qrow said angry that Ozpin was being disrespected.
"If this was Ruby would you say the same thing?" Glynda asked and Qrow widened his eyes before sighing.
"If she was a bit stronger and I considered the circumstances in front of us then yes I would." Qrow said seriously and Glynda's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"Are you kidding me…?" Glynda asked in disbelief and Ironwood got in between both of them.
"Enough, let's just give Miss Nikos the story and our pitch then we will see what happens alright? We can't start fighting amongst while the stakes are so high." Ironwood said and they both backed off but Glynda still couldn't believe what Qrow said.
Of all the members in this secret society, Qrow Branwen was the one who was the most loyal to Ozpin and it was not even close. Qrow believed that he owed the world to Ozpin because he was the one who first believed in Qrow and apparently gave him purpose. It seemed that being Summer's husband wasn't purpose enough because sometimes he would put Ozpin's assignments ahead of Summer. Glynda remembered the conversations she had with Summer after they graduated, how she was worried that Qrow was loyal to a fault.
"Thank you James, it seems Miss Nikos is coming up now." Ozpin said as he looked at the elevator sign and saw there was someone coming up the elevator.
Pyrrha was coming up the elevator with the intention of getting this discussion with Ozpin over with so she could go join her boyfriend and the rest of her team. Pyrrha did not have that many friends back when she was at Sanctum because everyone was jealous of her fame. Here though her boyfriend and friends loved her for her, and she would not trade it for the world. She still wondered what Ozpin wanted though considering that he only had one previous interaction with her.
It was before she had started attending Beacon and she was at a gathering for students with recommendations. She had been getting some punch and then right on cue the headmaster of Beacon had come up behind her. Pyrrha had been startled but she put on a polite face and told Ozpin it was an honor to meet him, and he expressed his gratitude for her picking Beacon as her next school. The talk went on for about five minutes before he bid Pyrrha farewell, and Pyrrha thought there was something strange about him but could never put her finger on it. The elevator had stopped, and the doors opened revealing the headmaster at his desk.
"Ah Miss Nikos thank you for coming, please have a seat." Ozpin said warmly as Pyrrha did what she was told.
"You wished to speak to me Professor Ozpin?" Pyrrha asked in a polite tone but secretly she wanted this to be over with fast.
"Well, let me just say that it comes as no surprise that your teammates have chosen you to move onto the final round of the tournament. Your performance has been exemplary!" Ozpin praised and Pyrrha smiled.
"Thank you Professor Ozpin, but I would never have made it this far without my teammates." Pyrrha said with a smile as she thought about Jaune and the others.
"Personally, I think that it's the other way around." A voice said that startled Pyrrha but when she saw who it was she rolled her eyes.
"Oh, it's you, are you still upset that my boyfriend made you look like a complete idiot?" Pyrrha asked with a smirk on her face and Qrow growled.
"Why you little…" Qrow started angrily but was stopped when Ozpin put his hand up.
"Qrow is one of my trusted colleagues, even though he does have his irritating tendencies." Ozpin said truthfully and Qrow looked annoyed.
"I'm sure, Professor if you don't mind me asking why exactly have you called me here?" Pyrrha asked wanting to get to the point.
"First let me ask you a question, what is your favorite fairy tale?" Ozpin asked kindly as he put his hands together.
"I'm sorry?" Pyrrha asked incredibly confused, what did fairy tales have to do with anything?
"You know fairy tales, stories from your childhood, surely you still remember some of them?" Ozpin asked and Pyrrha was still confused but just got on with it.
"Well, there is the tale of the two brothers, the shallow sea, the girl in the tower-" Pyrrha went on but was interrupted by Ozpin.
"What about the story of the seasons?" Ozpin cut in and Pyrrha widened her eyes in remembrance.
"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 suggests that he uses his time to reflect and meditate. The second brings fruits and flowers, tending to his crops in hopes to revitalize his garden. The third warms the man's heart, convincing him to step outside and to embrace the world around him. The fourth and final sister begs him to look at all that he has and to be thankful.
In return for their kindness, the man gives 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." Pyrrha said with a smile and Ozpin smiled back.
"Would you believe me if I told you that story has been around since I was a boy?" Ozpin asked and Pyrrha chuckled.
"You aren't THAT old Professor Ozpin." Pyrrha said in amusement.
"Now would you believe me if I told you that it was true?" Ozpin said in a serious voice and Pyrrha widened her eyes.
"I beg your pardon…?" Pyrrha asked in disbelief, this had to be a joke right?
"What if I were to tell you that there were four maidens that existed in this world that could wield such tremendous power without dust?" Ozpin suggested and Pyrrha was bewildered.
"Wait, you mean like a semblance?" Pyrrha asked confused.
"Like magic." Ozpin said with a smirk and Pyrrha looked at him like he was crazy.
What was this, some sort of test to see how calm she could be when people talked crazy at her? Pyrrha did not expect this conversation to go this way, one minute she was discussing fairy tales with her headmaster and now he destroyed her mind by saying that they were possibly true. That had to be a joke right? And then he was talking about how there were people in today's age that could actually use magic which was ridiculous. Yes people have semblances but there was no such thing as magic and Pyrrha began to answer her headmaster.
"I would say that you were making stuff up and pulling a prank on me." Pyrrha answered honestly and hoped that Ozpin would laugh but he didn't.
"Yeah, first time hearing it is pretty crazy." Qrow said in his dull tone and Pyrrha widened her eyes as she looked at Ozpin.
"You are serious?" Pyrrha asked in disbelief and Ozpin just looked at her.
"Do I look like I am joking?" Ozpin asked in a serious tone and Pyrrha looked at him shocked.
No, it didn't look like he was joking and that made Pyrrha even more scared and shocked. So apparently, the maidens were not a fairy tale and in fact they were in existence on Remnant at this very time. This information was obviously secret seeing as though the world believed they were just myths and here her headmaster was telling her it was true. So why was Ozpin telling her of all people and not the council or something? Pyrrha wanted to know, and she was asking now.
"No, you don't, Professor why are you telling me this?" Pyrrha asked with fear in her voice and noticed that Ozpin looked at Qrow for a second before looking back at her.
"We are telling you this, Pyrrha Nikos, because we believe that you are next in line to receive the Fall Maiden's powers." Ozpin informed her and Pyrrha's eyes widened to that of saucers.
Pyrrha wanted to pinch herself because she wanted to be dreaming right now, this was all too much. Hell, an hour ago she was celebrating her teammates victory and them moving onto the final round, now her whole world was turned upside down. Apparently the maidens from one of her childhood fairy tales were real and Ozpin believed that she was going to become one of them. Was that the main reason that Ozpin wanted her to come to Beacon? There was also another question on her mind…
"You said we, who is we?" Pyrrha asked but froze as she suddenly heard voices.
"That would be us, sorry we had some business to attend to." Ironwood said as he and Glynda came through the door.
"Ok, what the hell even is this? Who are you people?" Pyrrha asked in a nervous tone.
"You know who we are, we are still the same teachers and headmasters that you met when you first arrived at Beacon." Glynda answered in a warm tone.
"Except we have a part time job." Qrow said as Ironwood followed.
"We are the protectors of this world." Ironwood informed her.
"And we need your help." Ozpin said with a hopeful look in his eyes and Pyrrha started to feel overwhelmed.
Pyrrha had to admit that she disagreed with Professor Goodwitch's statement on that they were still the teachers and headmasters that she knew when she first came to Beacon. The people she met then were focused on training the new generation and not roping them into some secret society or whatever this was. Also, why did they need the help of a first-year student? Pyrrha knew she was skilled, but could she really be this much of an ally at her age? She was starting to get more and more scared.
"God, why do I feel like I am in one of Jaune's shows." Pyrrha said as she rubbed her temples.
"I assure Miss Nikos this is very real, please come with us." Ozpin said as he motioned to the elevator and Pyrrha did as she was told, not like she had a choice.
Pyrrha was angry at herself for not bringing Jaune with her, even if it was going against Professor Ozpin's orders. She knew that her boyfriend would have stood his ground and demanded an explanation before going anywhere. Especially since his mother was apparently apart of this secret group, something that Jaune clearly did not know about. Unfortunately, it just wasn't in Pyrrha's nature to disobey her superiors especially when something as serious as this was going on.
So here she was in an elevator with four people who were levels above her, apparently a part of some secret society to protect the world. Pyrrha swore that it felt like she was implanted into one of Jaune's anime shows, the whole idea sounded outright crazy to her. Pyrrha noticed that they had been going down in that elevator for some time now and they had to have passed the ground floor. Were they going somewhere that was underground? Pyrrha didn't think there was anything underground…
"Where are we going?" Pyrrha asked nervously.
"The vault, under the school." Ozpin said as Pyrrha got her answer and the elevator stopped and all of them got out and started walking.
"I'm sure you must have questions." Glynda said as she looked at the girl with pity.
"Maybe one or two…" Pyrrha said as she gazed at the underground area she never knew existed.
"I still don't understand any of this, you said I was the next in line to receive the maiden's power. What exactly did you mean by that?" Pyrrha asked still taking in her surroundings.
"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 leaves her body and seeks out her new host, ensuring that the seasons are never lost and that no individual can hold onto that power forever." Glynda explained to the red head.
"Ok, so how does the power choose?" Pyrrha asked slowly understanding.
"Through a series of stupid and convoluted rules." Qrow said annoyed.
"Qrow…" Glynda said in a threating tone.
"Don't be mad because I'm right!" Qrow shot back even more annoyed and Glynda just rolled her eyes.
"At first the only thing that was certain was that the powers were specifically passed onto young women. However, as time went on, it was discovered that the selection process was a bit more…intimate." Glynda said.
"Intimate?" Pyrrha asked confused and Glynda sighed.
"As we understand now when a maiden dies, the one who is in her final thoughts is the first candidate to inherit her power." Glynda informed her.
"Unless it's a dude or some old hag, then it's random and our jobs get a lot harder." Qrow said with that same annoyed tone.
"Ok but why tell me now? Why not just wait until I graduate so I will have more experience in the field?" Pyrrha could not help but ask.
"Honestly, we have run out of time, I don't now if you have noticed but things are getting a lot scarier out in the world. The grimm are growing stronger, more prevalent, and it will not be much time until this peace we have come to know gets thrown out the window." Qrow said dramatically.
Pyrrha knew what Qrow was talking about, and she knew that he was right. Things were becoming a lot more problematic in Remnant and Pyrrha had seen it firsthand. There were more grimm being spotted and those grimm were becoming stronger and tougher to beat. Not to mention you had the White Fang who would stop at nothing to accomplish their goal, given the fact that a large number of them died in that tunnel just to make a point. Then you had Torchwick who was behind bars but how long would that last? There was only one thing that could top all of that…
"You aren't talking about a war are you?" Pyrrha asked hesistantly.
"Not a war between nations." Ironwood answered simply.
"We can fill you out on the details when we know you are with us, for now all you need to know is that one of the maidens was attacked. That's not all, for the first time in history, part of her power was stolen." Qrow said and Pyrrha's eyes widened as they stopped walking and set eyes on two pods, there was a person in one.
"Is that…?" Pyrrha hesitated to ask but Ozpin answered regardless.
"Yes, that is the current Fall Maiden, Amber." Ozpin said with sadness in his voice.
And now everything made sense to Pyrrha, the Fall Maiden was injured clearly beyond repair, and they needed someone to take her powers. Pyrrha still did not know why it had to be her or how these people knew all of these things, but she had a feeling that she would not get answers to those questions so easily. She also had a good feeling that these people were not going to take no for an answer, she really wished she had Jaune with her, he made her feel more confident.
"She's alive, but I guess since I am down here that means that her injuries can't be fully healed?" Pyrrha asked in a somber tone.
"That is correct, she is alive but barely and we are using state of the art Atlas technology to keep her stable. However, there is a lot about this situation that is unprecedented…" Ironwood admitted.
"What does that mean?" Pyrrha asked with a raised eyebrow and the general sighed.
"Well, we don't know what will happen if-when she passes." Ironwood told her.
"Wait, won't her power just transfer to the next host?" Pyrrha asked as if she was missing something.
"Look who has been listening! She is smart." Qrow whispered to Ozpin and Pyrrha scowled.
"Ok has anyone told you that you have a VERY punchable face?" Pyrrha asked annoyed at Qrow's attitude and Qrow narrowed as eyes and was about to respond until Ironwood got in between them.
"Alright calm down, to answer your question yes that would be the case under normal circumstances, however this is a very delicate situation. It is not uncommon for the last host to be slain by an attacker and to make matters worse no one has ever seen the powers split like this before. For all that we know, the power could seek out its' other half." Ironwood said grimly as Pyrrha widened her eyes in realization.
"Her attacker…" Pyrrha said as she started to figure things out.
"And that would not bode well for any of us." Ozpin concluded.
Pyrrha looked down in thought and reflected on the situation, it was dangerous and worrisome at the same time. Whoever attacked this Amber girl clearly wanted the maiden power for their own selfish desires and they already had some of it. It was only a matter of time before her assailant came back and got the other half. But was Pyrrha really the only choice they had, and could she handle the responsibility? She walked up to the pad and looked at the girls face as she asked herself that question and then asked the others a question.
"If all of this is true, then why keep it a secret? If this girl is so important, if we are truly on the brink of a war then why not tell everyone?" Pyrrha asked incredulously.
"From what we understand, it used to be common knowledge." Glynda said with a smile.
"Excuse me?" Pyrrha asked to make sure she heard that correctly.
"How do you think legends and fairy tales get started? Even the craziest ones come from somewhere." Qrow said as he took a swig from his flask.
"Our group was created in order to protect mankind and the maidens, those hungry for power hunted them down with the hope of inheriting their strength." Glynda informed Pyrrha.
"And as you can imagine, the ones that succeeded were not the kind of people that you would want to have unimaginable power." Qrow said seriously.
"And so, this brotherhood chose to remove the maidens from the public eye, allowing their existence to fade away into legend. The things that we are telling you go against hundreds of years of human history and religion. No one would want to believe us; it would cause an uproar." Ironwood explained.
"More importantly it would cause panic, and we all know what that would bring crawling into our Kingdom's walls. Which is why we need you to be Amber's replacement and become the new Fall Maiden." Ozpin said honestly.
Pyrrha looked down in thought and wondered about what she should do next. On one hand, it would be foolish to do something like this so quickly, especially since there was so much she didn't understand. She would need time to think about it, she wanted to talk with Jaune and her team, hell Jaune always made good decisions. But what time did she have? Amber looked like she could go any minute and then the powers could be transferred to her attacker. She was backed into a corner and really had only one option…
"Very well, if you think that this will help humanity then I will become your new Fall Maiden. That's what you want right?" Pyrrha asked just to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything.
"That is what we want, but I am afraid that the process of making you a maiden will not be so simple. Given Amber's condition you will not be able to inherit her power naturally, but General Ironwood believes that he has a solution." Ozpin said as he motioned for the general to begin speaking.
"For the past few years, Atlas has been studying aura from a more scientific standpoint. How it works, what it's made of, and more importantly how it can be used. We have made significant strides and we believe that we have found a way to capture it." Ironwood said proudly.
"Capture it and jam it into something else, or in your case…" Qrow suggested and Pyrrha widened her eyes.
"Ok that is-" Pyrrha started and Ironwood spoke up.
"Classified." Ironwood said simply.
"It's wrong and incredibly immoral!" Pyrrha said as she couldn't believe what they were insinuating.
"Believe me dear, the feeling is completely mutual, but desperate times call for desperate measures." Glynda said as she tried to console Pyrrha but secretly she felt the same way that the redhead did.
"And these are desperate times indeed, we can't transfer Amber's power to you, but we can give what those powers are bound to." Ironwood explained.
"Her aura…" Pyrrha said in realization.
"Her life would become intertwined with yours, the question is…" Ozpin started.
"What is that going to do to you?" Qrow asked as he nor the others knew and Pyrrha widened her eyes in fear.
"You have a very important decision before you Miss Nikos, there is no guarantee that this transfer will even work. Not only that, but there is also no telling that 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 Vytal Festival is over we will need your answer. The Fall Maiden's assailant has already made their first move, and there is no telling when they will make their next." Ozpin said seriously and Pyrrha nodded in understand.
As they walked back to the elevator, Pyrrha could not stop thinking about how her world had just turned upside down. Here she had a tournament to win and now this great weight was dropped on her and she felt like she was drowning. How could she focus on the tournament when she such a big decision to make? How was she going to tell Jaune and the others? Hell could she even tell Jaune and the others? The answer was probably no since Ozpin and the others wanted to keep this a secret.
Pyrrha really wanted to decline, to tell them that they should find another candidate and hopefully one who was actual huntress. However, from what they said and how they pointed out that time was an issue really made her think about it. Could this be her destiny? To help mankind by becoming something that was supposed to be a fairy tale? She would have to think more about it and compete in the tournament at the same time. Just her luck and when they got back to Ozpin's office she heard Glynda speak out.
"Miss Nikos, you are probably already aware of this but please do not mention this to my son or your other teammates or friends. We need this to be as secret as possible and anyone could be listening. Is that clear?" Glynda asked but not in a stern way.
"Yes professor." Pyrrha said in understanding.
Secretly Pyrrha did want to tell Jaune about it but knew that it would not end well if she did. Not only would she be telling him that the maidens exist, but she would also be telling him about the fact that his mother was apparently a part of some secret society to save the world. Jaune would definitely have questions and words for his mom and Pyrrha did not want to damage their relationship. Speaking of Jaune, Pyrrha noticed that she had a number of messages from him, included a video that made her stop and stare in horror.
"Oh my God…" Pyrrha suddenly said and everyone looked at her.
"What is it Miss Nikos?" Ironwood asked and froze along with everyone else as she showed them the video. How did this happen?
A Restaurant in Vale
Jaune didn't know what happened, everything was going so well until just a moment ago. He was hanging out with his two teammates at a restaurant in Vale, and he had sent a text to Pyrrha to meet them once she was done talking with Professor Ozpin. They were watching the Vytal Festival on the TV that the restaurant had, and it was Weiss and Yang versus that Mercury guy and Emerald girl from Haven. Jaune hadn't noticed them up to anything since Torchwick got arrested and maybe they weren't bad considering they had helped them in the grimm invasion.
The match was pretty good and both sides were putting up a great fight, but it seemed that Weiss and Yang just worked better together. Emerald and Mercury had done everything they could to fight back but they had just gotten overwhelmed and overall beaten by the better duo. The match ended and Professor Port declared Weiss and Yang the winners, to which they cheered on making it to the final round. The next thing everyone knew, Yang had suddenly attacked Mercury without provocation.
Everyone who was in the stadium and everyone watching on the TV watched in horror as Mercury's legs were twisted in an unbelievable position. The camera went to Yang who for some reason could not believe what just happened and looked like she didn't know what just happened. Suddenly Atlas military soldiers surrounded her and people in the stands started booing her and said that she should be prevented from becoming a huntress.
Jaune, Ren, and Nora watched the event unfold in terror and confusion and wondered what the hell just happened. It was true that Yang was a punch first and ask questions later kind of fighter, but that was only in an actual fight, and she would never attack someone without provocation. Jaune knew that something had to be going on behind the scenes but what? Did the two from Haven have something to do with this? No that couldn't be because Mercury looked like he was in serious pain and Emerald looked terrified for him. So, what was it?
"Wh-why did she do that?" Nora asked confused on what her friend just did.
"Did Yang not hear that the fight was over? I mean Mercury wasn't even in a position to attack her!" Ren said as he couldn't believe what just happened.
"No something else has to be going on, this isn't right." Jaune said as he refused to believe Yang would attack someone like that. Something else was going on, and he was going to find out what.
Author Notes:
Alright another chapter down! Sorry this was more Pyrrha centered but we are getting close to the end of Volume 3 and that is where the real fun begins. You will notice that I made Glynda's dialogue a bit different from canon in this scene, I think that she would think differently about making Pyrrha the maiden if she had a child of her own. I also gave Pyrrha some sass because I like when she is sassy and a bit cocky. Anyway, I am going on a family vacation so I will be gone for a week but when I come back it's New Rose time. See you then!