It wasn't hard to understand why Pyrrha fell for Jaune. He was the only person that liked Pyrrha for being Pyrrha Nikos, the ordinary girl that went to Beacon in order for her to become a great huntress and not Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl, the Pride of Mistral and the Shining Star of Beacon. So on that first day where they met, Jaune saying that he had no idea who she was struck a harmonious chord on her heart. When she would go to the Emerald Forest for their initiation into Beacon, she would save the clumsy Jaune from falling to his doom. As fate would have it, the two were to become partners. Pyrrha really couldn't help but admire how clumsy he was, it gave him a since of charm that most other students at Beacon didn't have. Was it trouble for the team? Yes, it would be, but that's something that Pyrrha can help Jaune work on. Afterall, he was made team leader for his skills in leadership and tactics.

Pyrrha can remember the first-time training with Jaune up on the school rooftop. Knowing that Jaune trusted her enough to tell her that he forged his papers in order to get into Beacon, it really made her heart aflutter that he could trust her with such information. While Ren and Nora seemed to have their own secrets that they wished not to talk about, Jaune was honest and trusted Pyrrha. That trust that Jaune gave her is something that she will never abuse. It's a sacred thing and Pyrrha will vow to be the best friend she could be for Jaune.

When she would start training Jaune on the rooftop, she would have him start out with simple exercises to get warmed up. "Remember Jaune, keep your feet flat when you do your sit ups." Pyrrha reminds him as she does sit ups with Jaune, knowing that he will feel more comfortable with the private training if she is performing the activities with him.

"Okay Pyrrha…" Jaune huffed as he raises his chest towards his knees. "30!" He grunted before falling down onto his back, giving a satisfied sigh.

Pyrrha would finish her 50th sit up before getting up to help Jaune up to his feet. "Amazing work Jaune, you did five more than you did yesterday! I'm so proud of the work you're accomplishing!" Pyrrha praised, giving his shoulder a gentle pat.

"Thanks Pyrrha, I definitely do feel myself getting stronger, especially in my core." Jaune said, giving Pyrrha a small bow.

Pyrrha would smile at Jaune and go over to the ventilation unit and pick up her weapon Milo and her shield Akouo. Pyrrha twirls the red short sword in her hand before she grabbed it with a firm grip. "Are you ready for the next part of your training?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune would nod his head as he picked up his sword and shield, Crocea Mors, and stand adjacent to Pyrrha. "I'm ready Pyrrha." He confirmed.

"Good. Now remember, just like we practiced. Shield up." Pyrrha said as she raised her shield up, with Jaune following suite. "Grip tight, and don't forget to keep your right foot forward." Pyrrha reminded Jaune, gently nudging his right leg with the flat of her blade. "Now are you ready?" Pyrrha asked Jaune, who nodded his head in response. "Go!" She shouts as she thrusts her sword forward, letting out a war cry.

Jaune mirrored the motion, letting out his own cry, though not as fearsome as Pyrrha's. His sword was a bit shaky when he thrusted forward, but it's a huge improvement looking back to when he first started training. Pyrrha would then perform a horizontal slash, slicing the air as a gush of wind blows forth. Jaune follows the motion, not being able to slash as hard as Pyrrha did, but a gentle whistle of wind would escape from his blade. Pyrrha then performed a diagonal slash in the air, a small visible wave of dust creating a crescent slash that would fly forward and crash into the wall, kicking up dirt and dust. Jaune repeated the motion and when he was halfway through his slash, the sword would slip out from his fingers and fall to the ground with a clang. Jaune let's out a small scream of frustration. "Damn it!" He groaned as he picked his sword back up, sheathing it.

"Jaune, it's okay! You're doing great!" Pyrrha tried to comfort the blonde knight, putting away her weapons on her back as she pats Jaune's back.

"No, it's not okay! I feel like I'm not improving at all! No matter how much training I'm doing, it all feels meaningless when I still can't keep my sword in my hand." He lamented as he stomped towards his water bottle to take a drink of water.

Pyrrha gives a small sigh as she followed Jaune, drinking from her own water bottle. "Jaune… I know all of this can be frustrating." Pyrrha says softly, her hand reassuringly patting his back. "And that it can feel like so much effort, only to progress such a small amount, but I want you to know that…" Pyrrha paused as she turned Jaune to look her in the eyes. "I'm so proud of you. I've never met someone so determined to better themselves. You've grown so much since we've started training and I know this is still just the beginning." Pyrrha told Jaune, a faint blush growing on her face. She knows how much Jaune tended to beat himself up about every little failure he made, always believing that fate was against him, but if he just had a strong shoulder to lean on when he needed it most, then he can change his fate.

Jaune would be silent for a brief moment as he takes in everything that Pyrrha has said. He's about to say something when he heard Pyrrha call his name. "Jaune… I…" Pyrrha stumbled, trying to find the proper wording to express what she wanted to say. 'It's easy Pyrrha, just tell him that you love him and that he means the world to you.' She told herself. But Pyrrha feared that she would be coming on too strong and Jaune wouldn't feel the same way, only viewing her as a very good friend. Of course only being friends with Jaune didn't bother her in the slightest, after all she wants him to have the best life possible and if it means that she isn't the one for him, well she will accept that destiny. She will always be there for him, whether it be as a friend or a lover. Then if that's the case, then why is she so scared to tell him her feelings? "I… I am so happy that I get to be a part of your life. I will always be here for you Jaune." Pyrrha told him, holding her hands to her chest. She opens her arms and wraps Jaune in a hug, the two friends sharing their very first hug.

Jaune lets out a small gasp in surprise before returning the hug as he sighed. "Thank you Pyrrha… it… means a lot to hear you say that. I've never had such close friends like you, Nora, Ren or Team RWBY. And hearing you say that… it makes me believe that coming to Beacon wasn't a mistake. I've always felt that fate was against me, but with you and the others by my side, I feel that I can fight back against fate and forge my own path." Jaune said as he separated from the hug.

Pyrrha is stunned by what Jaune said, not because he called her a close friend, but because that he believed so much in her and the others that he can do anything, even change fate. She gives Jaune a warm smile that could melt the icy snow of Atlas as she gently rests her hand on his shoulder. "It means the whole world to me to hear you say that Jaune." She told him, giving a small sigh before stepping back and taking out her weapons once again. "Now, I think we've had a long enough break. Let's finish our training for tonight." Pyrrha smiled, causing the man to give a small playful groan, getting ready to start training again. The moon would shine down upon the two as they trained, just like how the moon shined upon them on the evening of the dance.

During the long night of the dance, Jaune would uphold his promise to Pyrrha, as he showed up in a white dress that was surprisingly form fitting. Pyrrha thought he wasn't serious about this promise, but it caused her to laugh with a snort when he showed up. Pyrrha would hold out her hand for Jaune giving him a small bow. "May I have this dance milady?" She asked in a deep masculine voice.

"Of course, sir!" Jaune replied in a falsetto, taking Pyrrha's hand as they went to the dance floor, the two laughing along the way. The partners would dance and spin, enjoying this one free time where they can forget about being hunters and huntresses in training, forgetting about the harsh realities of the world and forgetting about the one final exam that Professor Oobleck has planned for them on Friday. It was a time where they can be kids and enjoy their youth.

As the night went on, Pyrrha would lead Jaune to the balcony that overlooked the beautiful garden, the shattered moon shining upon them as they leaned over the railing. The balcony was made out of stone, with a intricately designed stone railing. The garden that rested below the balcony was filled with a variety of flowers, ranging from many different colors and breeds. The flowers were arranged in such a way to resemble two axes, their blades pointing on opposite ends of each other as two strands of wheat rests below the handles. This is none other than the emblem of the Kingdom of Vale. Jaune takes in the beautiful sight and gives a relaxed sigh. "Isn't the view beautiful Pyrrha?"

"It sure is Jaune. The moonlight really enhances the look." Pyrrha said as she stared at Jaune, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"I agree. It amazes me how something so simple and fragile such as a flower could be so beautiful when it's given the proper care and love it needs." Jaune told her, running his hand on the cool stone railing.

"Yeah…" Pyrrha said as she looked out at the garden. "They remind me of you." She told him, causing the blonde-haired man to look at her with a questioning look.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's like you said, a flower needs proper care and love in order to become as beautiful as it possibly can be. When you first started attending Beacon, you were just a seed, not knowing what your potential could be. But as the months went by, you got the proper care from all your friends and now you've blossomed into a beautiful flower warrior."

"Well I think a lot of that is thanks to you Pyrrha. You took the time and patience to train me and thanks to you, I'm stronger than I've ever been, and I'm only going to get stronger." Jaune told her, his hand continuing its journey across the stone railing. His hand would graze over Pyrrha's causing him to jerk it away with a small blush. "S-sorry."

Pyrrha only smiled warmly at Jaune. "It's fine Jaune, I didn't mind." She said, gently moving her hand towards his. With a few moments of hesitation, Jaune places his hand next to Pyrrha's allowing her to rest the palm of her hand on top of his. "But I can't take all the credit Jaune. Ren, Nora, Ruby, Weiss and all the others helped you grow so much as well. I'm simply one of the many gardeners that helped make you who you are now."

Jaune gives a small laugh. "You shouldn't be so modest. You've done so much more than all the others have, more than you could ever know." He smiled, looking up towards the moon.

"And you've done so much for me too Jaune. You were my first true friend. You saw me as a normal girl, not some celebrity like Weiss and all the other students do, but just a normal human being that didn't stand out from the crowd. I've never experienced that before, and your friendship is one of my most precious treasures as I know it's not something that I can easily get." Pyrrha lamented as she looks over at Jaune.

Jaune looks back at Pyrrha, a soft look in his eyes. "Pyrrha…" He mutters.

"Jaune…"

The two students' faces would slowly close in on each other. They both close their eyes as they get closer and closer, almost touching until… "Hey Jaune! Pyrrha! We're doing the chicken dance! Stop talking and come on!" Yang called out, bursting through the balcony door, causing the two friends to jump back, faces bright red. "I worked so hard on this dance and god damn it we're going to have an all school chicken dance! Now I just gotta go find Ruby." Yang said as she heads back down to try to find her little sister.

"Well… shall we go join in then?" Jaune asked.

"Yes, let's. I'll have you know that I'm quite the expert in the chicken dance." Pyrrha giggle as she walked with Jaune back inside. She's trying to get what almost happened out of her head, knowing that because of Yang's interference, the mood was broken and became awkward. 'Thanks a lot Yang!' Pyrrha internally screamed.

"Well I'm the master of the chicken dance! You know there could be only one! In this school that is." Jaune chuckled a bit nervous as his mind was still racing about what almost just happened.

"Well let's see what the others think. They'll decide on who the master of the chicken dance is!" Pyrrha smirks as the two get on the dance floor to have fun for the rest of the night. If only such peaceful and happy nights such as this could last forever, but alas all good things must come to an end.

When Cinder, The White Fang and the Grimm would attack Beacon, Pyrrha would attempt to fulfil her role and become the new Fall Maiden, only for Cinder to be able to get the powers of the Fall Maiden first. The campus of Beacon was a battle ground that was filled with many Grimm and White Fang members, all fighting against various students and guards. Pyrrha could have even sworn that she saw some of the Atlas Military bots fighting against the students of Beacon as well. Before her stood the tall tower of Beacon, at the top was Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon's, office. Where Ozpin's office is was a giant dragon Grimm and Cinder, the woman who organized this entire attack. Standing near the entrance of the tower, Pyrrha would start making her way towards the doorway, determined to fight against Cinder as she feels that it's her destiny.

"Pyrrha! Please don't go! You need to get to safety!" Jaune cries out, holding her shoulder to prevent her from going any further.

Pyrrha breaks free from Jaune's grip and turns around to face him. "Jaune… I'm sorry but this is my destiny. I need to do this!" Pyrrha said firmly, her grip on Milo tightening.

"No you don't Pyrrha! You don't have to follow destiny! Destiny and fate shouldn't control what you do in your life! You should be allowed to make your own decisions and forge your own path, fate be damned!" Jaune pleads, his eyes tearing up as he knows the risk that Pyrrha faces by going up to fight Cinder.

"Jaune... I have to! How am I supposed to sleep peacefully at night knowing that I ignored something that I could have prevented? If I go up to fight Cinder right now, I can save countless lives by defeating her! But if I don't go and evacuate for my own safety, all those lives that I could've saved will be gone!" Pyrrha shouts, tears running down her cheeks. She knows that going up to fight Cinder is a death sentence, but if it means that more people can be saved by her distracting Cinder and the Dragon Grimm, then it's worth all the risk.

"I know this Pyrrha… but how can you save more people if you're dead? With your death, there will be one less hero in this world." Jaune tells her, trying his best to convince her to stay.

Pyrrha pauses as she tries to think of something to say. "Jaune… I know you can take my place. You can fill my role as a hero, you can become the Pride of Mantel. Because you're strong Jaune. Not just strong but determined. No matter what hardships lay in front of you, you push through, wanting to see the end. It's that determination that allows you to change and fight against fate. It's what I admire the most about you Jaune." Pyrrha said as she walks closer to Jaune.

Jaune's hand trembles for a moment as he knows what he has to do now. He grabs Pyrrha by the shoulders and kisses her on the lips, catching the spartan off guard. Pyrrha was absolutely surprised by Jaune initiating the kiss when she was just about to kiss him herself. Pyrrha closes her eyes as she wraps her arms around Jaune's chest, kissing the blonde knight back as she let's out a happy hum. All of the memories she has with Jaune come flooding back into her. The first time they met, the night where Jaune confessed his dark secret to her, the food fight, the night of the dance, it all fills Pyrrha's mind, as she gets lost in the kiss. To Pyrrha, reality didn't exist anymore. The only things that existed were her and Jaune.

It's unfortunate then, that Pyrrha would be forced back into reality with a thud as she finds herself shoved into a locker, being too caught up in the kiss to notice Jaune calling for the locker on his scroll. The knight closes the door on the distressed spartan, her mind finally processing what just happened. "Jaune! What are you doing!" She sobs, banging against the door to try to break it open. Her mind was racing with fear, for if she had a calmer mind, she would know that her semblance could break open the door for her. Tears were fogging up her vision as they flow down her cheeks like a river, scared for Jaune's life.

Jaune puts in some coordinates on the locker and looks at Pyrrha through the vents on the door. "I'm sorry Pyrrha. But this won't be the day that you die. I will not allow that to happen." Jaune said softly, wiping his tears away as it breaks his heart to do this to her. He stands back as the rockets start up. "It's time for me to be a fucking hero." He says.

With those final words, the locker launches into the sky, heading towards it's coordinates at high speeds. "JAAAAAUUUUNNNNEEEE!" Pyrrha screams out as she watches him fade away into the distance. As she bangs against the locker, she remembers that her semblance can allow her to go back to him, if she can just reposition the rocket to do so… Pyrrha closes her eyes to try to activate her semblance. A black aura surrounds the locker as it slows down in its path. Attempting to move it back towards Jaune proved to be a challenge however, as the rocket was too strong for her to fight against it. After several more minutes of struggling, she would end up breaking her concentration as the thrusters were just too strong for her to fight against. She gives up as she cries loudly to herself, knowing what will happen to him.

Jaune, watching Pyrrha fly away from him, gives a heavy sigh before heading into the main hall of Beacon, drawing out his sword and shield. He heads towards the one functional elevator that was left, pressing the button to head up to the remains of Ozpin's office. As he rides up the elevator, countless thoughts run across his head. Was this the right thing to do? Is he really prepared to handle this? Won't he just die the moment he steps out of the elevator? Jaune shakes his head, dismissing the thoughts as his face shifts to that of determination. Cinder knows that he will be an easy target. So perhaps she will toy with him instead? If that's the case, then there's a chance that Jaune can win this. He needs to outsmart her, and with her not taking him seriously, that will be an easy thing for him to do. Having a plan, Jaune hears the beep of the elevator as the doors to Ozpin's office opens.

Before Jaune, he sees the ruined room of the headmaster's office, large gears were planted into the ground to the right of Jaune. To his left, a large stone wall was broken into pieces and rubble, the glass windows that encased the rest of the office was shattered. All over the floor were various cracks, rubble, shards of glass and even a few gears. Cinder was looking through Ozpin's desk trying to find something, only to hear the doors of the elevator open behind her. She gives a small sigh, as she knows who it is, knowing that this is just another pest to get in her way. But to her surprise however, it was not the red-haired girl, but instead it was that blonde-haired boy that was with the girl. The wimpy looking one. She gives a smug smile as she looks at Jaune. "I suggest you leave boy. You know that you won't win this fight. Killing you would just be a waste of energy." Cinder taunts as a small flame ignites in her hand, before firing a fire ball at a wall beside Jaune, causing it to crumble. The Grimm Dragon looks at Jaune and let's out a roar, ready to kill him only to be stopped by Cinder. It respects her command and stands back, staring at Jaune with mild curiosity.

Jaune was caught off guard, a bit startled by the attack before straightening himself out, standing firm against Cinder. "I won't leave. I will defeat you Cinder and save Vale." Jaune said, staring down Cinder, determination burning in his eyes.

Jaune's words only caused Cinder to laugh at the boy. Does this wimp really think he can take down her, the Fall Maiden? This must be the most hilarious joke ever! The Grimm Dragon too looked surprised by Jaune's determination. If it could laugh, it most certainly would. As Cinder calms herself down, she stares at Jaune as two blades of glass form in her hands. "Do you really think you can defeat me boy?" She asks with a taunting smile. Jaune only nods his head, his grip on his sword tightening, raising his shield and putting it in front of him, his right foot forward. "Oh! It would seem that you are serious, well I might as well humor you. Afterall, I do need a test dummy to use my newfound powers on." Cinder laughs as she rushes in with her twin daggers.

Jaune would block the first slash of the dagger with his shield, and out of the corner of his eye he sees the second one heading straight towards his neck. He raises his sword to parry the blow, causing Cinder to stumble back. Jaune capitalizes on this opportunity and bashes Cinder with his shield. She lets out a small grunt as she jumps back and slashes the air, creating flames which hardened into glass spikes. Jaune raises his shield and was able to block three of the five glass spikes, only for two of them to hit his thigh, shattering on impact as his aura weakens slightly. He runs around the room, looking around to see if there's anything he can use to his advantage.

Cinder chases after Jaune with her daggers, flames crackling on their edges. She cuts Jaune off as she releases a fury of rapid swipes. Jaune uses his shield and sword to block and parry the slashes, Cinder moving too fast to be able for him to capitalize on the brief moments that she's open to attacks. He stays on the defense, walking back as Cinder keeps up the pressure. When she would raise her right dagger to perform a vertical slash, Jaune raises his shield in anticipation for the attack, leaving his mid-section open. Seeing the weak spot, Cinder tosses the dagger into the air before slashing his stomach with her left dagger, causing the knight to hiss in pain, lowering his guard as he stumbled back. Cinder smiles as she catches the dagger she tossed in the air and slashes his chest, hitting his aura. She would spin her daggers in her hand as she continues to slash at Jaune, showing the boy her expertise in fighting. Gripping her right dagger, she stabs his chest three times, each stab going lower and lower until she reaches his stomach with her fourth stab. After the stab she throws her other dagger into the air and holds out her left hand in front of Jaune's face, the tattoos on that arm glowing yellow as flames form in her hand. With a smirk, Cinder fires a pillar of flames into Jaune's face, causing him to fly back into a wall, his yellow aura dispersing.

Jaune hits the wall with a thud, grunting as he tries to get back on his feet, using his sword as a crutch. His aura is gone, this isn't good, but he can't give up just yet. He can't let Cinder defeat him this easily. He sees Cinder's glass high heels slowly approaching him, looking up from her feet to her face, he sees the dark-haired woman, an evil grin plastered on her face. "I must say, you did surprise me a bit. You're not as weak as I thought you were, but it still doesn't matter, you've been defeated and I'm going to finish the job." Cinder taunts as she puts her daggers together into a bow, forming a glass arrow as she pulls the string back.

Jaune looks at the arrow that is getting ready to be fired at his chest. This can't be the end! Not yet! He still has fight left in him and he knows this! He closes his eyes as he tries to think of a last-minute strategy. As he does so, he feels himself getting stronger and stronger. His exhaustion disappears as he feels like he had a full night's rest. When Cinder fired the arrow, Jaune blocks it with his shield, glowing bright yellow as his aura not only returns but strengthens. It would appear that Jaune has discovered his semblance! With newfound vigor, Jaune stands firm and shouts "I refuse to fall!" before rushing in to attack Cinder.

Cinder was surprised with Jaune's sudden second wave of energy and didn't have enough time to block Jaune's attacks, taking three slashes across her chest, her aura nullifying a lot of the damage. Cinder would then feel the air taken out of her lungs as Jaune hits her in the stomach with the pommel of his blade, before swatting her away with his shield. Cinder skids across the floor, landing on her back before jumping back up onto her feet. "I underestimated you. I won't make that mistake again." Cinder says as she breaks her bow back into twin daggers.

Jaune gives a smile, knowing that Cinder views him as a worthy opponent. He then spots a large crack in the floor near Ozpin's desk, a plan forming in his head as he remembers what kind of shoes that Cinder is wearing. He would then see Cinder rushing towards him, Jaune getting ready to defend himself from her strikes. He would be surprised to see that Cinder slides down onto the ground, underneath his shield as she kicks Jaune's legs, causing him to get launched into the air and fall onto his back with a thud. Cinder quickly jumps up and creates a large sword made of glass and raises it over her head. Jaune was able to roll out of the way from the stab that would have hit his neck if he stayed put. Cinder gives a grunt as she attempts to stab at him again and again, Jaune being able to roll away from each attempt. Cinder tries to take a stab Jaune yet again, raising her sword higher into the air, but this time when Jaune rolled out of the way, the sword would get stuck in the ground as she tries to pull it out. Using this free time Jaune gets back onto his feet and rushes into Cinder, slashing her thigh.

Cinder gives a frustrated grunt as she quickly reforms a dagger to block the other sword swipes with it, abandoning the large sword that's in the ground. Cinder had no time to go on the offensive as Jaune attacks Cinder with force, causing her to start walking back as she defends herself from his rapid and heavy strikes.

Jaune doesn't give up the attack, despite him knowing that she can defend every single one of his blows. But hitting her wasn't his plan. He just needs her to be forced back. As Jaune continues attack, his sword creating sparks as it clangs against the glass daggers. A small crack starts to form in the dagger as Cinder is pushed back more and more. As she takes another step back, she feels her heel falling lower than the rest of the ground, the stiletto getting caught in the large crack on the floor as she starts to fall backwards. Jaune smiles as he gives another powerful vertical strike. When Cinder would try to block it with the dagger, the blade would only break through the glass, his blade hitting her chest, leaving a large gash on her, being able to go through her aura and seriously wound her. When the tip of Crocea Mors was near the ground, Jaune would thrust it into the floor, getting stuck as he uses the sword to flip over Cinder, who was falling backwards. Once behind her, Jaune lets out a loud war cry, his shield glowing yellow as he swats Cinder forward. Upon doing so a loud "SNAP" was heard following Cinder screaming bloody murder as she feels her bones in her ankle crack and shatter from the sudden change in momentum. The black-haired assassin is sent flying towards the large glass sword that was still stuck in the ground. The edge of the blade slashes against her left arm, leaving a long gash down the side of her forearm as the blade breaks from the large impact, shards of glass imbedding itself into her arm.

Cinder screams in agony and frustration as she bounces into a giant gear with a loud thud, leaving behind a trail of blood. How can a simpleton like him get the upper hand on a powerhouse like her? How?! It can't be possible! She's a Maiden and she's supposed to have great strength and power that is above those of other humans and faunuses! Her red aura flashes brightly, showing that it's close to breaking. She gets up on her foot, the wound on her chest and arm oozing blood down onto the spot she stood, standing on one leg as she keeps her broken ankle in the air to avoid putting pressure on it. The wounds on her chest and arm start to close thanks to her aura, and she removes the glass shards out from her left arm. Anger and fury grow on her face as she stares down at Jaune with intense hatred. "You brat! I will kill you!" She screams, losing her composure as rage takes over her mind.

Jaune is unphased by Cinder, in fact he's quite happy about her entering a rage. It just means that he will be able to outsmart her even easier. He twirls his sword in his hand as he gets back into his ready stance. "I want to see you try." He taunts with a smug grin.

Cinder gives a loud grunt and a scream as an amber flame forms around the corners of her eyes. She lunges herself forward with force, using flames to propel herself. She would clash against Jaune with a blade made of flames, then again with one made of lightning. Jaune stays on the defensive as he blocks every single blow, keeping an eye around the room to come up with another strategy. He spots that Ozpin's desk is close to the edge of the room. Hitting her through the desk will cause her to fall of the tower and allowing him to claim victory. With his plan made, Jaune continues to defend himself against Cinder's barrage of rage filled attacks. When he goes to parry the lighting blade, he's surprised to see that it went through his sword and slashed his chest, an electric shock coursing through his body as he cries in pain. But he has to take this pain, he can't fall now. He needs to overcome the pain and wait for the golden opportunity to strike.

Cinder continued her barrage, making powerful and fast strikes against his shield before creating seven large glass spikes behind Jaune. With a tilt of her head, the glass spikes pierce into his back, causing him to scream as each spike embeds itself into his back before breaking. When he screamed in pain, he lowers his shield as Cinder takes this golden opportunity to strike at him with all her might, her swords tearing into his armor, leaving large gashes across his chest plate. With one final slash, the chest piece breaks off and falls to the floor, exposing his chest and the icon of the cartoon bunny, Pumpkin Pete, the mascot of the identically named sugary breakfast cereal. If Cinder weren't so enraged, she would laugh at this revelation and mock him for still being a child, but wrath is all that's on her mind right now. She continues her attacks, slashing his stomach and chest before kicking him in his gut with her foot, the glass heel piercing into him as he gets sent back into the elevator's door, leaving a large dent in it.

Jaune gives a pained grunt as blood drips onto the floor, getting up with a stumble as his aura flashes brightly, showing that it is close to being broken. Yet despite that, it still performs its job at healing his wounds, though it wasn't able to heal some of the wounds on his chest completely, a small trail of blood leaking onto his black hoodie. But despite the situation that he's in, Jaune won't give up. Victory is just within reach; he just needs to reach forward and grab it by the throat.

Cinder seeing Jaune still standing despite all the abuse he's suffered gives a laugh as her rage dies down. "That girl, what was her name… Pyrrha. She must have trained you, didn't she? Training you to kill just like how she killed that robot." Cinder taunts as she limps towards Jaune.

"She didn't kill Penny! You did! You controlled Pyrrha to kill Penny with your subordinate's illusions." Jaune shouts, slashing the air with his sword.

"While yes that is true and, in a way, I did kill her, but to the common people, and what everyone saw, Pyrrha killed Penny. They're too dumb to figure it out otherwise." Cinder says with a smile as she brings her hand to her chin. "People are like lambs. They're dumb, idiotic and will believe anything that a person says. They get themselves into danger and often times ends up killing themselves due to their own stupidity. That's why they have shepherds, to watch over them and keep them safe. You hunters and huntresses are the shepherds to these lambs, but I am the wolf. The wolf that will kill your flock to satisfy my hunger." Cinder lectures to the knight. "And when a wolf can't kill a lamb, they will kill the shepherd."

Jaune grunts from pain as he stares down Cinder. "It's the shepherd's job to protect the lambs and defeat the wolves. That's why they carry such large staffs. Even if it costs them their life, they will fight to protect the flock!" Jaune shouts as his aura starts to build up in his shield and sword, before rushing towards Cinder. He slashes with his sword and bashes with his shield, but Cinder expected this and is able to parry and block all of Jaune's blows. The two lock blades, Jaune pushing their blades down to their waists as they push against each other. The two warriors stare at each other intensely, anger on Cinder's face and determination on Jaune's. "They will protect the flock by any means necessary." Jaune says as he throws his head back and headbutts Cinder right on the nose, causing her to lose her grip on her glass sword stumbling back in pain as blood runs out of her nose. Jaune holds his shield up, the shield glowing brightly with his aura and soon a big pulse is emanated from his shield, hitting Cinder square in the chest, launching her back as she crashes into Ozpin's desk, shattering it on impact.

Cinder is laying down near the edge of the tower as she watches Jaune walking over to her. Her eyes dilate in rage as she snarls at Jaune. "You pathetic knight! You have no idea who you're messing with!" She screams with wrath.

"I know who I'm messing with. A lone wolf that refuses the help from it's pack." Jaune says as he kicks Cinder in the stomach, causing her to get pushed off of the tower. Cinder lets out a loud scream as she falls. Jaune, watching Cinder fall causes him to smile as he turns around to face the Grimm Dragon. However, as Cinder fell, a smug smile grows on her face, the woman is far from defeated.

As Cinder and Jaune fought, the locker that Pyrrha was locked in finally landed near an Atlas air shuttle that was getting boarded by various students. The shuttle was parked at the entrance gate of campus, far away from the tower. The surrounding area had lots of fallen trees, pillars and stones, having suffered from the rampage of the Grimm. Landing with a loud crash and a thud, Pyrrha stumbles out of the locker and onto her hands and knees, looking at her surroundings. What she sees in front of her horrifies her. Ren and Nora are supporting each other, wounded from the battles they were in. Yang was missing an arm and rendered unconscious and Blake was no where to be seen. She spots Ruby and Weiss who went over to Pyrrha to help her up. "We have to get him!" Pyrrha cries out, tears running down her face as she tries to run towards the tower.

Ruby and Weiss were able to hold her back. "Pyrrha, calm down! What's going on? Where's Jaune?" Ruby asks, noting that it's odd that Jaune isn't with Pyrrha.

"He's up on the tower fighting Cinder! We need to save him!" Pyrrha cries, desperation in her voice as she doesn't want to lose him.

Ruby and Weiss give each other a determined look at each other, already knowing what they need to do. "Pyrrha, you need to stay here. You won't be able to make it in time. Combing my semblance with Ruby's will let her reach him in time." Weiss says, trying to comfort Pyrrha the best that she could.

By this point, Ren and Nora have limped over to Pyrrha, the two of them hugging her tightly as they're just happy that she's okay. "Please Pyrrha, you need to stay here. We're all being evacuated." Nora tells her, burying her face into Pyrrha's shoulder, letting out a small sob.

Ren breaks away from the hug and pats Pyrrha's back. "You need to keep calm Pyrrha. You can't let your emotions get the better of you." Ren advises as he rubs her back.

Pyrrha is staring at her two teammates with tear filled eyes. She wipes them away as she looks over at Ruby. "Please Ruby… please save him and keep him safe. I'm counting on you." Pyrrha said as she starts to calm down thanks to the help of her team.

Ruby nods at Pyrrha, determination shining in her silver eyes. "I promise Pyrrha. I will bring Jaune back safe." Ruby said. A trail of snowflake like glyphs, the symbol of the Schnee family show up in a straight line in front of Ruby. The trail goes all the way to the base of the tower, stopping before running up the wall of the tall tower. Ruby takes a deep sigh, mentally preparing herself before taking out Crescent Rose and turning into a ball of rose petals as she dashes at high speeds towards the tower.

Pyrrha watches Ruby take off, saying a quick prayer for her and Jaune's safety. She needs to have faith in Ruby. 'Jaune will be okay.' She thinks to herself. 'Jaune will be okay.' She repeats, trying to comfort her mind. 'Ruby will keep him safe. Jaune will be okay.'

Back at the top of the tower, the grimm dragon breathes a flame of darkness at Jaune, who is able to block the dark flames with his shield, slashing at the dragons neck to attempt to wound the foul monster. His focus was completely on the grimm as he pushes against the force of the flames with his shield. When the dragon stops to prepare another breath attack, Jaune bashes its nose with his shield causing it to throw its head back, stunned for the briefest of moments. When it regained its focus, the beast builds up another breath. Jaune, preparing for another attack, holds his shield up, bracing for impact.

However, nothing ever came. He looks up from his shield and sees the grimm patiently staring at him. The next thing Jaune would feel is a burning pain across his back, followed by a forceful shove, launching the knight forward. Catching his footing, he turns around and his eyes widen in horror as he sees Cinder, floating above the ground as flames orbit around her. "What? B-but how?" Jaune asks in disbelief. He saw her fall! There's no way that she should be able to fly!

"I'm a maiden. Flight is one of the powers granted to us." Cinder explains. Jaune stares at her in disbelief before rushing in towards her, letting out a war cry, ready to slice off Cinder's head. However, she raises her arm and catches the blade in her hand. The metal on the blade glows a bright orange before melting in Cinder's hand. The molten steel falls onto the floor with a loud hiss, smoke raising up from the orange goop.

Jaune looks at his sword in horror, the weapon broken and useless. He tosses it aside and raises his shield. Cinder gives a small laugh as a ball of flame forms in her hand. She closes her palms around the ball, bring her arms down to the side of her body before opening her palms, thrusting her arms forward with force. From her hands comes a bright orange beam of flames. The beam hits Jaune's shield, the piece of metal doing its job protecting Jaune, until it to starts to glow bright orange. The steel melts into goop in his hands, causing him to hiss in pain from the molten steel hitting his semblance. As the shield melts, the beam breaks through and hits Jaune square in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards. He cries out in pain once more as glass spikes pierce through his feet, preventing him from being able to escape.

Cinder has a sadistic grin on her face, as she makes a glass stake appear behind Jaune. She creates a rope of flames which tighten around him and hardens into glass, preventing Jaune from being able to move. Cinder snaps her fingers as a large pillar of flames erupts from where he was standing, engulfing him in a burning fire that rose to the sky.

Ruby sees the pillar of flame and lets out a worried scream as she goes as fast as she can. She can do this. She's a huntress and it's her job to save people. Ruby will save Jaune. She has to! Not only for herself, but for Pyrrha. She can't fail!

Ruby would soon reach the base of the tower and start her journey up, hearing Jaune's screams of agony. "Hang in there Jaune… I'm almost there!" She said to herself as her semblance wears out, forcing her to run along the glyphs on foot.

The burning that Jaune feels all over his body hurts more than anything he's ever felt in his life! It hurts more than all of his falls, it hurts more than all of the shots to the chest he took during sparing lessons, it hurts more than breaking Pyrrha's heart! No… nothing will ever hurt more than that. Not even the flames of hell that are currently engulfing him.

Cinder would snap her fingers once again as the flames disperse. Jaune's skin and clothes were charred as the yellow aura around him breaks away. It tries to come back, flashing ever so briefly before sizzling away, his semblance not being enough to make it return. Cinder gets rid of the glass that bound Jaune, causing him to fall to his knees in front of her. Cinder lands on the ground, her ankle having perfectly healed thanks to her aura. She stares at Jaune with an evil smirk. "You want to be a hero so bad? Then you shall die like one." She growled as a glass bow forms in her hands.

Jaune looks up at Cinder with a pained expression, panting heavily. This is the end for him. But you know what? He made it this far. He was able to beat Cinder down and force her to use all of her power on him, a weak boy who had more brains than brawn. Everyone has escaped by now, all thanks to him keeping Cinder and the grimm dragon distracted and focusing on him. He gives a small quiet sigh as a small smile grows on his face. "Do you believe that fate can be changed? That as long as you're determined enough, you can destroy the path that was set for you and make your own?" Jaune asks.

Ruby is so close to the top of the tower. She's so close! She can save him! Ruby knows she can!

Cinder pulls the string back on her bow, forming a glass arrow. "I don't. Fate always favors its original course. Fight against it all you want, but fate will always force you back on it's intended path." Cinder said firing the arrow towards Jaune.

Time feels like it slows down as Ruby reaches the top of the tower. She stares in horror as she watches the arrow fly from the bow and into Jaune's neck, blood squirting out from where it punctured his skin. She was too late. She couldn't save him. She failed.

Jaune let's out a pained gasp, choking on his own blood as he reaches his hand up towards the arrow. By this point, blood was flowing out of his neck, a thin trail running down and onto his hoodie. He sees Cinder walking towards him as she puts her hand on the side of his head. The tattoos in her arms glow as a burning sensation flows through Jaune's body. Slowly Jaune turned to embers, as he thinks back on everything. He doesn't regret his actions. He's so blessed to have been able to live the life that he had. While he may be gone, he knows that Pyrrha has the strength to fight on in his name. Jaune's last thoughts weren't of his family, his friends nor his dreams but of Pyrrha. He never got to tell her that he loves her. Never got to become a huntsman with her. Never got to start a family with her. But… despite how short it was, having Pyrrha in his life was the best thing that's ever happened to him. With that final thought, Jaune's body completely turns into embers before extinguishing into a pile of ash. All that remained of the fallen knight was a tattered and bloodied hoodie.

Tears flood Ruby's eyes as she sees her friend die right in front of her. She… failed… she wasn't supposed to fail! Jaune's dead… and it's all her fault for not making it on time. Ruby gives a sad grumble as she grabs her head in pain, feeling something coming forth. "G-geh…. GAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Ruby screams as silver colored fire bursts forth from her eyes, soon becoming a bright white light.

The light engulfs the grimm dragon, letting out a cry of pain before falling silent. Cinder, seeing this flash of light consuming her screams out. "WHAT THE HELL?!" Before she too is engulfed in the light. The next thing Ruby knows is darkness as she falls to the ground unconscious.

A dark-haired man wearing a black cape and grey button shirt, who was currently helping the students get onto the carrier, sees the white light, immediately recognizing it. It's no other than his niece. "Ruby…" Qrow uttered as he made a mad dash towards the tower, praying for the best that Ruby is okay.

Pyrrha saw the light too and sees Qrow racing towards the tower. She blinks for one brief moment and Qrow was suddenly gone. What remained in his place was a crow, flying towards the tower. Pyrrha gives a small whimper, her cheeks stained with tears, hoping that this means Jaune is safe. He has to be safe. Ruby was there and she must have saved him with that bright flash of light. She holds onto that hope, closes her eyes and let's out a small sob. "Please…" she utters. As she cries, she sees two brown maple leaves that were attached to a small twig fall on the ground in front of her. She stares at them for a brief moment, watching them dance on top of the stone floor. With a powerful gust of wind, one of the leaves breaks away from the twig and flies away in the wind. Pyrrha knew what happened, but her foolish beliefs is preventing her from accepting it, still holding on to what little threads of hope remained.

Twenty minutes would pass by as Pyrrha was the last one to remain, not yet on the shuttle. Weiss has been taken back to Atlas by her father in his personal jet. Yang was taken to the closest hospital that wasn't in shatters to be treated for her wound. Ren and Nora boarded the carrier and are waiting for Pyrrha at the evacuation point. When Pyrrha looks up towards the tower, she would see Qrow slowly walking towards the gate, appearing to be carrying someone. Pyrrha's eyes light up in hope, believing that Qrow is carrying Jaune, only to be extinguished when she sees the familiar red hood that belonged to Ruby. Her heart starts to crack, her hope dying. It can't be… no perhaps Jaune is still on the tower and Qrow could only carry one person back. Yes, that has to be it. There's still hope!

When Qrow would approach Pyrrha, she could see sorrow in his eyes. "Pyrrha… I…" he pauses as he puts Ruby down onto a stretcher. A few emergency pilots immediately took Ruby and put her on the transport ship, starting to check on her vitals. Qrow looks over at Pyrrha and gives a small sigh. "Cinder is gone and the grimm dragon has been turned to stone." Qrow says with a heavy sigh.

"W-what about Jaune? Please is he okay?!" Pyrrha cries as she takes a small step towards the professional huntsman staring at him in desperation.

Qrow avoids eye contact from Pyrrha, giving another sigh as he pulls out Jaune's hoodie. Tattered, burned at the ends, and stained with blood. "This… was the only thing that I could find… Pyrrha… I'm sorry." He told the girl, trying his best to avoid direct confrontation. He's never been good with these kinds of things.

Pyrrha takes Jaune's hoodie with trembling hands. She stares at it, trying to say something only for words to escape her. She falls onto her knees, staring at the hoodie, tears starting to run down her cheeks. "No… it can't be…" Pyrrha sobs, sniffling as a small whimper escapes her lips. "W-where's Cinder?" She asks Qrow.

"There was no trace of her save for a stone arm. She must have escaped during the confusion." Qrow said flatly. He sees Pyrrha's shaking figure, thinking that it's best to give the girl a few moments to herself. He needs to see if Ruby is okay.

When Qrow went to the carrier, Pyrrha did the impossible, she broke. The invincible girl was not so invincible anymore. All of her years of pent up emotions, feelings that were held back so that people's vision of her wouldn't shatter. The burden of being the Pride of Mistral, to bring hope into the people of Remnant forced the girl to keep her emotions locked away and keep a happy and positive façade. That façade is finally broken. Pyrrha lets out a loud screaming sob as she mourns over the loss of her first love. She brings Jaune's hoodie up to her face and hugs it tightly, desperately clinging onto the last remnant of Jaune. Pyrrha bawls loudly as she rocks back and forth on her knees. "JAAAAUUUUUNNNNEEEE!" She cries out in agony. All the years of Pyrrha's pent up sadness, all the times she was told not to cry for warriors never cry, and every single lost that Pyrrha has suffered in her life burst forth in a stream of tears. Her tears drip onto Jaune's hooding, the droplets staining it with her sorrow.

Pyrrha was crying for who knows how long. Five minutes? Ten minutes? Who knows? For however long she was crying though, Pyrrha lifts her head and stares at Jaune's hoodie. She sees the rips and tears in the bottom of the hoodie and notices the singed fabric on the ends of the sleeves and base of the hoodie. She sees a dried trail of Jaune's blood, having dripped down from the collar and halfway down the rabbit's face. Staring more and more at his hoodie, she's reminded of who did this to him. The woman that took everything from her. The river of sorrow and depression quickly evaporates as a scorching flame ignites inside of Pyrrha. A flame of wrath, anger, and rage. A flame that burns for vengeance. Pyrrha's face reflects such hatred, her eyebrows furrowed, mouth turning into a snarl as she clenches her teeth. She gives a small growl as all the years of anger, rage and hate that she was forbidden from showing, presents itself full force on the spartan. Pyrrha clenches the hoodie tightly in her grip as only one thought was on her mind. The thought of her killing Cinder and holding her head over her lifeless body. "Cinder… I will make you pay…" Pyrrha growls, talking to herself. "I will ruin your life, just like how you ruined mine. I will strike you down and choke you with your own entrails. You will suffer for the crime you committed against me. I will paint my lips red with your blood. This is a promise I give to you." Pyrrha growled as she let's out a fearsome roar. "RRRRAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!"

Upon hearing the roar, Qrow immediately gets out of the carrier and runs to where he last saw Pyrrha. "Pyrrha?" He asks, wondering what's happening. But when he arrived… Pyrrha was gone. "Pyrrha?!" Qrow cries out, not wanting to lose her as he looks around to see where she could've possibly gone. But it was to no avail. Pyrrha is gone and all that's left of her is vengeance and hate.