A/N: For those of you who were wondering about the doubles match- AMRT was inspired by: Amarant Coral (Final Fantasy IX) for the team name/colour choice; Kanji Tatsumi (Persona 4) for Terra; and Haseo (.hack/G.U.- specifically circa vol. 3) for Ash. Terra's summoning was inspired by Kanji's starting Persona, Take-Mikazuchi, which learns Zio-based lightning spells. I really love Kanji's folding chair, since it's so silly to see him fight with it. Ash's summoning was inspired by Haseo's Avatar, Skeith. I love all of Haseo's combat styles (and his dual gun-wielding Xth form design), but since broadswords are sorely underused in RWBY compared to scythes/guns/twin blades/longswords, I thought the chainsaw-sword Haseo can use starting his second form would be cool to include.

T-9. Share your thoughts in the reviews- I'd love to hear them.

Laws of Attraction

Pandemonium. That's all it was.

Anger rushed through the crowds, the agitated masses becoming so hotheaded that Yang eventually needed to be escorted out to the docking station with a fully-armed patrol of Atlesian Knights to keep both her, and the crowd itself, at bay. Trailing behind the automatons at a distance were the rest of Team RWBY and Team JNPR, following along with fear-stricken expressions. The PA systems in the arena floor itself continued to repeat warnings to the crowd, asking them to calm down as much as possible, retain order- all code for don't agitate the Grimm. The announcements didn't work.

"In light of recent events, the second finals match will be postponed until this evening," a smooth, calm voice rang out through the speaker system at last. It sounded like an automated message, rather than a professor. "To all competitors, please await the official instructions. Thank you for joining us this morning, and we hope to see you for the remainder of the finals matches. Please enjoy the Vytal Festival Tournament."

As Yang boarded the first open airship, Professor Goodwitch walked up to the loading dock. With a quick flick of her wrist, she used her Semblance to erect the crowd-control barriers which had been stored in a side hallway, allowing the students free passage into the ship while the civilians stayed clear. The blonde sent a stern look towards Yang, but Pyrrha saw her features soften when she saw just how horrified the young woman was amidst the chaos.

As Yang disappeared onto the ship, and their other friends finally approached, Pyrrha stood up. One look at the youngest in their midst sent a pang of regret straight through her gut. Just by seeing Ruby's face, Pyrrha felt her own anxieties take the backseat. The little black box's lid tightened up for just a moment, and the redhead was able to stand up and hold out her arms to the younger girl. "You okay?" she asked as their friends finally approached.

Without a word, Ruby entered her embrace. Her shoulders trembled, her knees quaking together in Pyrrha's arms. "Why did Yang do that?"

Pyrrha hushed the girl gently. "Don't say that. Something went on in there, Ruby. I believe in Yang. Go be with your sister. I think she's scared."

Looking up at the taller girl with wide, brimming silver eyes, Ruby nodded resolutely and jogged onto the ship. Hot on her heels were Blake and Weiss, leaving Team JNPR behind.

Nora and Ren approached Pyrrha easily. The shorter girl placed a hand on Pyrrha's back. "Well, I guess you get to relax a bit before your match, maybe! That's good, god knows you need it!" But her tone fell flat, the nervousness slipping into her tone palpable.

"You two both need to get some rest," Ren scolded, narrowing his eyes at them both.

"Did something happen last night?" Jaune piped up from where he stood warily, a few feet away.

Nora shared an uneasy look with Ren. "Let's… go see if there's a concession on this ship, Ren!" she chirped awkwardly, laughter falling short in the tense atmosphere. "We can buy Yang something!"

Ren frowned. "Nora, that's sort of the first thing we did last week-"

"Let's check again, Ren," Nora insisted, and the girl dragged her partner onto the ship without further comment, leaving behind an uncomfortable silence between Jaune and Pyrrha. They both avoided eye contact, Pyrrha gripping her arm shakily and Jaune shoving his hands into his pockets, hunching over, grinding a toe into the tiled floor.

Finally, Professor Goodwitch prodded them along onto the shuttle. "You two should go back with your team," the woman stated quietly. Pyrrha didn't miss how the blonde expressly avoided eye contact with her. Unfortunately, they had little choice but to obey, so they shuffled onto the ship right before it took off, and found an empty corner.

Pyrrha leaned her temple against the large window, fiddling with her hands in her lap. Should she say something? It had barely been an hour since Jaune's scathingly betrayed words. The thought of broaching the subject terrified her- and yet, what was she to do? The silence hung heavy in the air, thick enough to slice through with a knife, weighing down on her bare shoulders.

"Nora and Ren and I talked," Jaune finally mumbled. The boy had taken the seat diagonal to her, stretching his long legs out so they rested upon the edge of the seat beside her, blocking the small aisle. He was pensive, brow furrowed, thoughtful. "I… shouldn't have said that right before the finals. You'd never do something to hurt me- you've only ever tried to lift me up. And, you're fighting for all of us, and that wasn't fair of me."

"No, Jaune- don't say that," Pyrrha protested. She grimaced, clenching her fists onto her knees. "I… I understand why you said that. And, in retrospect, I agree with you."

That brought a flash of surprise to the blond's face. "What do you mean?" he whispered, eyes wide.

Meeting his gaze for just a moment before pulling away back to the window, Pyrrha bit the inside of her cheek. Exhaling slowly through her nose, she glanced around- there were no other passengers around. With that peace of mind, she slumped against the glass. "I… I talked to Cardin after Forever Fall," she admitted at last, voice barely audible. Her eyes remained locked stoically onto the white clouds around them, rolling downwind lazily across the sky. "I was so worried, Jaune."

His voice hitched in his throat momentarily. He cleared it away, grunting in acknowledgement, then pressed, "Worried about what, exactly?"

She sighed again, the exhaustion from the previous day taking its toll on her. Every word falling out of her mouth felt sluggish, weary. "You didn't see yourself, Jaune," Pyrrha explained slowly. "When Cardin was harassing you, it was like a part of your soul was gone. You- you have so much energy normally, but Cardin took that from you, and I- I hated it."

"But that didn't mean you needed to intervene!" he insisted, his scowl deepening. "I wanted to handle it my own way. I've been relying on you, and Ren, and Nora this entire time, and I just- I wanted to keep you all from worrying-"

"How could you ever do that?" she cried, straightening up in her seat before she could stop herself. Looking at his face once more, her heart sank- the confusion and frustration was so evident in the worried lines around his mouth, the furrow between his brows. It's all your fault that he's like this. Mumbling more to herself than to him, she added, "I'll always worry about you, Jaune! I care about you!"

Jaune froze. Clumsy as ever, the boy half-fell, half-slid into the seat directly across from her. Leaning forward and propping his elbows on his knees, he opened his mouth, closed it, then hung his head, biting back his words. Eventually, he asked, "What did you say to Cardin?"

You dug your own grave. Time to lay in it. "I found something out that I shouldn't have. I told him to-"

But the boy held up a hand, silencing her. "Actually, you know what? I don't want to know, Pyrrha." Carefully lifting himself upright, he cracked his neck, straightening out his shoulders.

"W-what?" she breathed, shocked.

He smiled. It was tentative, but there all the same. It was for her. "We can talk about this if we need to after the finals, Pyrrha," he explained quietly. "You… whatever you told him, it worked. Maybe he left us alone thanks to you, or maybe it really was thanks to me." Under his breath, he added, "I really hope I was me."

She winced. I never meant to cut you down like this. I just wanted to keep you safe.

"But," he continued on, "now, we'll never know. I don't want to know. Either way, I know you wanted to help me." The smile grew, more friendly, the bitterness fading away. "You're always helping me. Thanks, partner." And then, his smile was full, all toothy and bright and she realized just how close they were, with him leaning forward and sparkling in the light, and Pyrrha nearly melted.

She still tried to add, "But I-"

"No 'buts', Pyrrha. If you wanna apologize, go win the finals for us. We can talk about this later- but I'll be rooting for you always, forgiven or not."

And with that, the boy stood, stretched, and pulled the dazed redhead to her feet. "C'mon, let's go find Ren and Nora."

Before letting him drag her along, however, she stood her ground. He lurched back when she resisted his pull, turning to face her, confused.

"I just… I want you to know that I am sorry, Jaune," she said sincerely. "I wish that I had let you handle it. I should've known you could when you beat that Ursa and protected him… but I want you to know that I am so proud of you, Jaune." Although her voice wobbled slightly, she didn't back away. "You've grown so much, and it's been an honour to be your teammate."

Jaune's smile was brilliant. "I could say the same to you, Miss Pyrrha Nikos. Thank you, for looking out for me- for everything. I wouldn't have made it without you."

And I wouldn't have lasted here without you.

She nodded, and for the first time that day, she honestly smiled back.

By the time they actually found their teammates- they had managed to find a singular vending machine, and Nora had managed to break it to exploit an endless supply of chocolate, so Ren was desperately attempting to perform damage control while avoiding the suspicious stares of the security detail- the airship was landing back in Beacon. Nora took one look at Jaune and Pyrrha's proximity and sent them both eager thumbs-ups over an armful of sugar, but said nothing of it. And, nearly at the same time, their Scrolls all pinged collectively.

The official email sent by Professor Goodwitch to all the competitors was just as vague as the announcement in Amity Colosseum had been. All it really boiled down to were three things: disciplinary action would be taken against Yang and Team RWBY for their misconduct, Mercury and his team were flying back home in order to recover with family, and the matches scheduled for after lunch and early afternoon were being rescheduled for the next day. That meant that only one more match would occur that day, and it would be an evening affair. Pyrrha read her call-time for the match roulette numbly, noted it down, and then put the device away in favour of following after Team RWBY alongside her friends.

The stares which they attracted were, thankfully, centered away from Pyrrha, focusing on the armed guard escorting Yang ahead of them all. The group trudged into the dormitory, and before anyone could get a word in edgewise to Yang, General Ironwood appeared to speak to Team RWBY in private. All JNPR could do was sit in their room on Ren's bed by the door, waiting for the door across the hall to finally open up.

"I hope Yang will be okay," Nora muttered. "This is all so crazy."

"Yeah," Pyrrha breathed quietly. "Something isn't right here. Mercury did something."

The other three were, for better or for worse, too wrapped up in their own thoughts to press the issue.

After a few minutes of heated, tense discussion, barely audible from behind closed doors, they listened as General Ironwood stepped out of the room, followed by the Atlesian Knights he had posted outside to keep watch. The man curtly stormed down the corridor, his heavy boots echoing with every footstep.

Not a moment after the door to the stairway clanged shut down the hallway, they heard Weiss, Blake and Ruby shuffle out of their room. Weiss mumbled, "This is a mess…"

Jaune opened the door a little, sticking his head out. Pyrrha, Nora and Ren all leaned forward to look at the three girls, each of them wearing similar expressions of concern. The blond asked, "She doing okay?"

Blake said ruefully, "She's doing the best she can."

Weiss glanced at the four of them, then mouthed silently, "We're disqualified," before looking back at the carpet.

Pity filled Pyrrha's heart. The girls had done so well in the tournament up to that point- they didn't deserve this.

Ruby shrugged, holding her empty hands up, clearly trying to pull a smile back onto her face. Gesturing weakly, she explained, "I heard Mercury and his team rushed back to Haven to be with his family. So, until they land, no one can really question him about what happened."

Ren intoned, "If there's anything we can do, please don't hesitate to ask."

The youngest of their group looked down, biting her lip worriedly. Finally, she lifted her chin, announcing, "All right then. If that's the case..." She turned her gaze towards the redhead, eyes wide and hopeful. "Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha hummed in response, taking a seat on the bed once more.

With rapidly-crumbling cheer, Ruby said half-heartedly, "You be sure to win one for Beacon, okay?"

Nodding grimly, Weiss added, "It's what Yang would want."

Her voice caught in her throat. Pyrrha looked away for a moment, taking a deep breath. I have to win for them… okay. Okay. I can do this. Feigning confidence the best she could, Pyrrha replied, "I'll... do my best."

The younger girl's false bravado shifted into honest joy. "I'll be sure to watch tonight in case you're picked!"

Her sheer sincerity was like a stab in the heart, nothing but a reminder of what getting through the finals entailed. I have to choose. Her smile slowly fell away, worry overtaking her features without even realizing it.

Turning to Weiss, Blake admitted, "Sorry but, I think I've had enough fighting for one year."

The pale girl nodded. "Ditto. Coffee?"

"Tea," Blake insisted, and the three girls wandered down the hall, unsure of what to really do with all of their newfound time.

Jaune had barely closed the door when Nora suddenly lunged towards Pyrrha, her face mere inches away, a terrifying grin pasted on her lips. Pyrrha instinctively recoiled back, alarmed, thoughts whipping away from her inevitable choice at a break-neck speed.

The orange-haired girl cried, "You heard the lady! No more moping around!" The girl shimmied to their closet, reappearing a moment later wearing workout clothes. "We gotta get your butt in shape for the big fight!" She began doing random exercises in place with no real rhyme nor reason as she continued manically, "It could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be the most important fight of your entire life!"

Pyrrha blinked at the girl. Where does all your energy come from? You should be tired from yesterday, too… Yet, all she could voice was a bewildered, "Um…?"

Throughout Nora's display, the door clicked open, Ren crept out, Ren returned, and the door shut once more as Nora finally lay on the ground, panting for breath. Ren spoke up from his closet. His classic pink apron hung around his neck, hands held sagely behind his back. "Nora's right," he said sternly.

Pyrrha and Jaune traded concerned looks. How often did he say that phrase? they both asked silently.

The quiet boy continued, "You can't let your concern for Yang hold you back. You need to focus. You'll be defending the honor of Beacon Academy."

She nodded, trying to hold back bemused laughter. It bubbled up in her more out of sheer bewilderment than anything else. "Of course. I-"

But she couldn't proceed, as Ren shoved a glass full of a bubbling green liquid- presumably what he had run out to make while Nora was 'exercising'- in front of her face. She winced, instinctively pulling away. The boy explained, "This blend of herbs and vegetables is filled with nutrients vital to your body's well-being."

She tried, "Oh, that's-"

With a small, satisfied smile, Ren took a step back. "Please, there's no need to thank me."

Nora, who had been watching the entire encounter from the sidelines, pulled a disgusted face. "Thank you? Ugh, that looks like slime from a lakebed!"

Ren cradled his concoction lovingly, hiding it from the excitable girl. "Algae contains numerous spectacular properties. See for yourself." With that, he lifted it towards Nora's mouth, and the girl drank the green ooze without hesitation. Immediately, the girl's face tinged green and she began to retch over the nearest wastebasket.

As Nora raised her head and began to argue with Ren, Pyrrha felt a wave of nostalgic familiarity wash over her. She smiled, closing her eyes, tuning the two of them out- and instead, behind her eyelids, she could still visualize exactly how she had first seen the two the night before initiation. They'll really never change, Pyrrha thought to herself, the idea warm and gentle in the pit of her stomach.

And yet, moments like this were finite. That realization wiped away any light that had begun to warm up her chilled heart. I'm going to have to choose. These moments- these memories- will be all I have left, won't they?

Her smile faded, but they didn't notice.

Before they could continue their silly debate, Jaune stepped forward. He placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "Hey," he offered gingerly, "how about we all get some fresh air?"

Pyrrha glanced up at Jaune, and to her surprise, the blond's eyes were focused on her. He gave her a kind, understanding grin.

Oh, Jaune.

Unanimously, the two in front of him nodded. "Let's go!" Nora said.

"Pyrrha, you have to keep your energy up, even if you aren't called on today," Ren said resolutely.

And so, Pyrrha stood, ignored the glass of green slime, and linked arms with Nora as they followed the boys out of the room.

The trip to the dining hall was an uneventful one. There was barely anyone around, as the fairgrounds had become the hotspot for mealtimes amongst students since the beginning of the Festival, despite the detriment to their wallets. Pyrrha didn't mind- with Ren and Nora eagerly trying to feed her different things to keep her spirits up, and Jaune playing the surprising role of mediator, she was able to sit back and just revel in the quiet.

The lack of students also meant that the dining hall was more open to letting them take their food outside. In the cool, clear day, with the sun not even at its peak, the weather was perfect for an impromptu picnic. They were able to bring their trays out to the grass and eat peacefully.

With the entire afternoon now clear of matches whilst the professors and administrators sorted out the PR nightmare which was surely to be the opening match, Pyrrha was content to lay on the grass and watch Ren and Nora bicker lovingly. However, she was still awaiting any official news about the tournament and about Mercury- so, when her Scroll beeped, she didn't think twice about opening up the new message and seeing what was going on.

It was from her mother. I saw the match.

I'm going to have to choose. The thought of her conversation with Professor Ozpin, the thought of fairy tales and childhood and back when everything was alright rushed into her mind.

Immediately, the girl stood up. "I'll be back," she called to the other three.

Jaune clambered to his feet as well. His eyes glanced down at her opened Scroll, and alarm grew instantly. "Do you need company, Pyrrha?" he asked, eager and worried all at once.

She shook her head. Her heart was still. "Grab my tray for me? I'll be back," she repeated, then headed off to the library.

Her feet carried her past the familiar librarian, past the rows of monitors, and into her usual spot before she even registered that she had stepped inside. The librarian patched her call through to the usual line without comment- one look at Pyrrha's numbed expression, and the woman simply frowned and did as needed. Then, the screen sprang to life, the call connecting slowly, and all Pyrrha could do was wait. Rather than performing her normal routine- straightening her shoulders, pulling on a mask, readying herself for the encounter- she simply slouched in her seat, staring at the monitor with blank eyes.

Finally, the image of the woman she had seen scantly a week earlier emerged onscreen. "I wasn't expecting your reply to be so quick. I didn't know if you would reply at all," the woman confessed hesitantly onscreen. "That first match… this entire tournament has been one turn after another."

Pyrrha didn't respond. When her mother ran a thin hand through her short-cropped red hair once more, Pyrrha finally lifted her gaze, meeting her mother's eyes.

"Why did you call, Pyrrha?" The woman released the question as if it had been weighing on her all day, words heavy and weary. "I… when we spoke, I-"

"I love you, Mom," Pyrrha whispered.

The woman froze, eyes slowly widening in shock. Pyrrha understood. When was the last time she had referred to the woman with anything other than a polite 'Mother'?

She stammered, "I- Pyrrha, I-"

The younger watched the woman's face intently, engraving every last stray hair, every wrinkle, every spot and mark and crease into her heart. I'm going to have to choose.

She didn't want to acknowledge it, but her choice… it had already been made. From the moment she had seen Amber in her prison, she had known who would become the next Fall Maiden. It was only a matter of when the noose tightened around her neck.

"I love you," Pyrrha repeated. "I love you, just as much as I love Dad."

"Pyrrha…" her mother breathed, eyebrows slowly knitting together in fear. "What's going on?"

The hitch in her voice was enough to break the dam on Pyrrha's heart. It's now or never. "Mom, I miss you," she sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "I miss you so much- and I know, I know you're angry with me. I know you did all of this to make sure-"

"Pyrrha-" her mother attempted, but Pyrrha had one chance to say everything she needed. She couldn't squander it.

"-to make sure that my life turned out differently. It must've been so hard without Dad. I never thought about how you felt, when I was a child." The words rushed out, the floodgates wide open, and every insecurity she had ever felt about her relationship with the woman before her was laid bare. "I just- you lost your husband, and I lost my father. Rather than fight, why did we never just stand by each other? Why did we have to play this game? I don't want to anymore- I'm sick of it!" She let out a shuddering breath, keeping her voice down and her head ducked into her cubicle to avoid alerting the librarian, avoid any prying eyes. "Dad inspired me. I wanted to save people, just like him. I want to keep believing in him, regardless of what everyone else says. I thought you believed in him, too. So why did everything have to change?"

"You know why," the woman whispered tiredly. Tears were welling up in her own acid-green eyes, visible even across the CCTS transmission.

"But it doesn't give you the right to erase him! No one had that right!" Pyrrha gasped, wiping her cheeks tiredly. I've cried too much the last twenty-four hours, she thought bitterly. "But. Even so."

"Even so?"

She held her tongue, collecting her thoughts. At last, she whispered, "Do you remember The Story of the Seasons?"

Her mother paused, thoughtful for a moment. Clearing her throat gruffly, she replied, "Yes, I do."

Pyrrha smiled wanly. "It's your favourite."

The elder blinked at her, eyes growing even more glassy. "I-it is."

"I remembered, see?" Pyrrha breathed.

"Why bring it up?" The words were tentative, strained, clipped.

The younger ran her fingers through her ponytail. "Because after Dad died, you became so obsessed with making me a star. Making me 'Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl'. And I listened. I will always listen. I will always be that girl, whether-" her voice trembled, shaking from deep within her very core, "-whether I want to be her, or not. But who did I want to be?"

Before her mother could respond, Pyrrha said, "I wanted to be yours. You're my home, Mom. No matter what happened- no matter what awful things happened- you always will be. And… and Dad couldn't, so I'll protect you. If that's what it takes, then I'll be invincible to protect you, and everyone else I love. Forever."

At this quiet admission, the woman finally broke down on her end. Her face twisted up, tears free-flowing, the sobs stuck in her throat as she gasped, "What is going on, Pyrrha? Why would you say this? What is happening?" With fire burning in her eyes, she straightened up. "Oh my god, something is happening. Pyrrha? Please, tell me. I'm sorry for everything- I just wanted to protect you, Pyrrha. You're all I have- I was selfish, and I just wanted to keep you safe. Do you need me to come to Vale? I can come. You're my little girl, please- I just- just tell me, Pyrrha, please-"

"I needed you to know that I love you. That's all." Before I disappear. Before I become a Maiden, and lose the chance entirely.

And then, with the woman before her still begging and pleading for answers, Pyrrha ended the call. With numb fingers, she opened up her Scroll, and blocked her mom's transmissions. Just for now, she reasoned with herself. Just until the end of the tournament.

That reasoning was enough to dream that maybe, just maybe, she'd see her mother's face again. But she knew what Professor Ozpin meant with his warnings. She knew the dream wouldn't come true.