A/N: Here we are. We made it, everyone. We've reached the climax of the canon.

I've had a lot of fun writing this. I honestly hate a lot of what Pyrrha did in the show's Vol. 3, so it was a really cool challenge to see if I could write a story that was solely and utterly from her point of view, so I could figure out how Pyrrha justified her silly choices to herself. I hope you agree that while she's still not the brightest cookie, she tried her best with what knowledge/skillsets/baggage she had, and I hope I've made all that knowledge clear to y'all in this fic.

/anxiouscommentary Enjoy this chapter! It's only T-2 – not done yet.

OST 1: Apocalypsis Noctis by Yoko Shimomura

OST 2: Sanctuary by Utada Hikaru

Laws of Attraction

This was the true battle.

I've never lost a fight. Today, I won't let her take me down.

This fight carried with it far too much baggage for Pyrrha to sort through in the moment- the new Fall Maiden had manipulated, lied, cheated, murdered far too many people. Her heart sank. Professor Ozpin. Penny. Amber. It's almost over.

Her nerves, her insides- they were all a mess. A little voice cried in her heart, But will you actually be able to fight Cinder?

She couldn't even tell if the voice belonged to the black box anymore. I… I can't turn back now, she thought quietly. She was so tired, so broken- all she knew was that her father's weapons were in her hands, and she was the last thing keeping Professor Ozpin's last wish alive.

The tower cannot fall. Without Beacon's CCT, the entire transmit system worldwide would be disrupted. In the chaos, Cinder would be free to begin her reign of terror, and take it to the rest of Remnant. There would be no recovering the peace of the past.

Mom is in Mistral. My friends are in Vale, in Beacon. I cannot let her leave here alive.

The quiet voice in her heart whispered, At the very least… you can stall her until the others show up.

It was a futile daydream, and she knew it.

The elevator screeched to a stop on the highest floor after an eternity of racing towards the top, of reaching into the wiring with her Semblance and driving the box upwards. She took a deep breath in, out- 1, 2-

It's time.

The elevator dinged, and the moment the doors flew open, Pyrrha threw Miló in an arc, the blade spiralling directly towards the headmaster's desk- towards Cinder's smug expression. Pyrrha immediately tossed Akoúo towards her as well amidst the distraction, leaping up in the air and kicking the shield down into Cinder's face. The woman barely reacted, holding her arms up casually to block the strike. The redhead bit her lip and flipped away, landing at the ready, pulling her sword and shield magnetically back into her hands without tearing her eyes away from her opponent.

Those golden eyes flashed in amusement as they regarded Pyrrha, and the girl had to bite back the urge to scream at Cinder, unleashing every horrid thing the woman had ever done. There were so many lives, totally and utterly ruined, thanks to her. It wasn't fair.

Cinder began to hover in the air, held up by the fiery magic of the Maidens. The same blaze around her eyes appeared, and she quickly sent waves of fire and beams of magma towards Pyrrha. The redhead blocked and dodged easily, spinning in place, dancing between the flames burning the barren office to threads. Although Pyrrha's movements were fast, however, her mind was numb, body utterly exhausted, working on the last dregs of energy left in her spent system.

Please. I have to fight. I can't lose- not here, not to her.

The Maiden grinned evilly, firing off another stream of flame towards Pyrrha. The girl immediately ducked behind Akoúo, tensing her legs and keeping her profile low. The moment the heat hit her shield, she almost gasped out in pain- the force, the fire- everything- it burned.

With an angry shout, she launched herself forward, cutting through the flame. Once she had gained enough altitude and speed, she flipped over, pulling Miló down into a backhanded slash aimed straight for Cinder's neck. It's over.

Yet, it wasn't. By some miracle, Cinder grabbed Miló's blade straight out of the air, hand coated in magical flame to keep herself safe from the edge. Pyrrha's eyes widened, her body still twisting around in the air, wide open for an assault. Oh gods- Cinder used that opening to easily pull the redhead forward and spin her around until she was hanging in the air by her grip on her xiphos.

Cinder raised one hand, calm and collected. Then, she slammed her opened palm into Pyrrha's stomach, firing off another blast of energy straight into the girl's core.

Pyrrha cried out in pain as her body flew straight into a wall, collapsing onto her hands and knees. She couldn't keep hold of her weapons, and the metal fell wayward. Her ribs screamed, aching, breaths haggard and weak and stuttering. It took a moment for her Aura to kick in, for the hurt to mend- but even after she felt her Aura settle back down, the remnants of pain still lingered.

Her knees protested as she clambered shakily upright, glaring at the woman across the room, with Miló and Akoúo at her feet. She gritted her teeth, bringing her Semblance to her hands, pulling Miló-

No. Miló didn't come. Her black Semblance didn't arise.

No- not now! I can't run out now. She grimaced, chewing the inside of her cheek. That last blow was too much. I need to rest... Cinder watched her nonchalantly, and the redhead growled under her breath. I need to make do without it for now.

Cinder smiled deviously. She knew.

Suddenly, Cinder was flying towards her, propelled by two streams of flame, a confident smirk on her lips. Pyrrha tensed her legs, leaping into the air to avoid the Maiden's fist. For a brief moment, Cinder's eyes widened in shock, and Pyrrha could only smile. She wrapped her arms around Cinder's flaming fist, stepped off the wall behind her, and flipped straight over the Maiden's head, throwing the woman across the room.

Cinder slid on the floor, landing with a heavy crash, much to Pyrrha's satisfaction. That joy quickly soured, however, when Cinder easily righted herself and flipped away, regaining her composure. But, that was enough- without her Semblance, Pyrrha was looking for a distraction, nothing more.

While the woman straightened back up, Pyrrha dove to the ground, retrieving Miló and Akoúo on the way down. She rolled back to her feet, rushing forward until Cinder caught sight of her, her eyes widening in concern. She didn't have a chance to evade, though- Pyrrha managed to easily slam Akoúo into the woman's stomach, knocking her off balance. The redhead cheered internally, slashing Miló across Cinder's glowing hands, relishing in the quiet cries of pain the attacks elicited.

I can still do this. She quickly unleashed a string of slashes on her opponent's legs and abdomen, but Cinder was too quick, flipping away and kicking Pyrrha with a flame-doused foot. The blow was too sudden, and Pyrrha felt the full brunt of it land on her already-pained stomach, launching her up in the air. She managed to right herself, flipping Miló into a javelin midair- and, with a quick pull from the trigger, she managed to propel it farther with a bullet as she threw it with all her strength at Cinder, a cry of exertion and suffering tearing through her lips.

Six fireballs began to glow around Cinder, accompanying the mask of the Maidens burning around Cinder's eyes. The woman raised her hand casually and backhanded Miló away, as if the javelin were nothing more than a toy. The fireballs dissipated, but Cinder still had more than enough strength to knock Akoúo away as well when Pyrrha threw the shield at her. Pyrrha grinned, landing lithely back on her feet as the woman's eyes followed Akoúo's descent to the ground.

Perfect. Out of the corner of her eye, Pyrrha could see exactly where Miló had landed. Grinning, she tackled a distracted Cinder, wrapping her arms around the woman as they fought for dominance in their fall. The Maiden hissed, attempted to bring forth her power once more, but Pyrrha simply clenched her jaw and headbutted the woman. The flames immediately fell away into smoke, covering the room in a haze. However, before Cinder could regain her footing, Pyrrha grabbed Miló's hilt, wrapped the woman's neck in a chokehold, and brought the blade to Cinder's neck.

When the smoke finally settled, Pyrrha could only glare as she saw what was resisting her final blow- Cinder gripped Miló's blade with both hands, straining, holding the sharp edge mere inches from her soft, exposed neck.

And then, Cinder's eyes glowed a tawny orange, and she smiled so coldly, so happily, that Pyrrha almost loosened her grip. As she leaned over her shoulder to stare the redhead in the eyes, the Maiden's hands began to glow as well, heat emanating from her palms.

Pyrrha froze, eyes locked momentarily on those hands, searing hot on her blade. No. No, Dad's sword is stronger than this. He made it with his own fire, his Semblance, his Aura- with our Auras. You won't be able to make a dent- don't you even dare-

She wasn't able to keep her gaze focused on Cinder for much longer. A bone-chilling screech echoed through the entirety of Beacon's campus, the vibrations shaking the loose ceiling panel. Her eyes widened in fear as she finally followed where Cinder's gaze had drifted to- the window.

Flying towards the top of Beacon Tower, huge wings flapping strongly enough to uproot forests, teeth gnashing behind a huge, sickeningly dense white bony mask, was the shadow that had approached the campus grounds earlier. This time, however, Pyrrha could see the shape for what it truly was- a giant Grimm Dragon, a Wyvern, a beast so foul and fabled that Professor Port had mentioned it only once in class and never again.

The monster was headed straight towards them.

What do I-

She never got a chance to finish that thought. A horrid creaking sound filled the air, a hissing of heat and air, of twisting metal- and suddenly, she looked down at Cinder's hands.

Pyrrha felt the tension on her sword arm release. Cinder's hands glowed a brilliant yellow, steam rising up from them- and, in one final, sickening crunch, she melted and snapped Miló clean into three separate pieces.

No!

The grief had no time to settle. Before the pieces of her blade could touch the ground, Cinder used her shock to slam her elbow right into Pyrrha's stomach. For a moment, the redhead lost focus, world going black as all the air jumped out of her lungs, her body flying like a ragdoll across the room. The entire world seemed to crash and crumble around her as the Wyvern screeched once more, and suddenly, all of the glass in the room shattered, the giant cogs and gears from the clock behind Professor Ozpin's desk falling onto the floor from the ceiling, the roof crumbling into debris tumbling down onto Beacon's grounds and into the headmaster's office. An enormous crash erupted from the base of the tower- and then, nothing.

Everything was black. Her mind was blank. The only thing which remained was, I let her destroy Miló.

The black box didn't speak- didn't reprimand, didn't mock. There was no point anymore.

I let her take Miló away from me. What do I do now?

There was no answer- only silence.

How could this happen?

Why does it matter so much? a gruff, rumbling voice laughed in her heart, warm and loving and safe. A sword is a sword. It can be replaced. You, on the other hand, cannot be. Isn't that right, little fireball?

Those words seemed to spark a semblance of reason in the girl. It's… it's not over. I'm still in this. I have to be.

She groaned, a thousand hot spokes stabbing into her with every movement. Immediately, she retreated back into herself, awaiting her imminent recovery. And yet, the usual rush of healing, protective Aura still didn't come out to knit together her broken body. I guess… it's up to me.

It had been months since she had done this, and the stakes were far higher than a misstep during initiation for Beacon Academy. She had never read anything about this, but… it was all she had left.

Reaching into her very core, she begged, Please, please give me something. Anything. I need this, more than ever. She closed her eyes, letting her mind sink into herself, into that pool of darkness.

It was quiet.

The normally fiery, pulsating red of her inner Aura had dimmed- now, rather than sharing the same intensity as a rising sun, the tiny flame was nothing more than a matchstick, illuminating the darkness by a glow so miniscule, so gentle, that the surrounding shadow threatened to overpower it. Pyrrha could barely feel the pull of her Aura, the connection between her and the very life force that made her who she was holding on by merely a thread.

Pyrrha reached out, cupping the small flame in her hands. Please, she thought. I need you.

The flame didn't grow stronger.

She curled her body protectively around her Aura, shielding it from the shadows that lurked all around, the panic and despair and anxiety that had drowned her over and over again in the past. She didn't want to fight them, not now- she just wanted her light back. Please. She took a deep breath in- out-

And the heat of the flame reminded her of the warmth of Jaune's cheeks between her hands, and it felt right-

The flame flickered.

She paused. Exhaled. Took a deep breath in, out- 1, 2-

Jaune.

She brought the flame before her eyes, watching the tiny glow dancing in the darkness, levitating above her palms. It was the first time she had ever seen her Aura so weak. It was also the first time she had seen her Aura since initiation. This tiny glow could be a roaring fire- she just needed to activate it.

She closed her eyes, breathing in- in- in- and, with a long, slow exhale, she breathed out the words, the wishes, the dreams of her father onto the flame.

For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee.

The power of her mantra caught alight like kindling, and the flame suddenly doubled in size. She breathed in, then out, feeding oxygen to the flame, feeding life- hope- everything she had-

And the flame grew, and grew, and grew, bigger and bigger until it burned red-hot, expanding exponentially until it was brighter than ever before. Her Aura seemed to shine, an inner radiance exploding out of its confines.

It was like white-hot iron, pulled from the forge- radiating heat and light and energy and potential.

Thank you, Dad.

She bravely reached out to this new, pulsating flame, withstanding the heat with clenched teeth. Without looking back, she reached forward with both hands, grabbed the burning, metallic Aura, and drew it straight into her heart.

Her eyes snapped open. She could barely see, leaning crumpled against a collapsed wall. She had to blink spots of darkness out of her eyes, desperately trying to adjust to what had just happened. Her ears rang, tinny and loud and too soft all at once. Bluish-purple marks, marks which she hadn't seen on her body since she was a clumsy child, were already beginning to mar the skin on her arms, her chest, peeking out from under her greaves and bracers. Everything hurt, every part of her body wailing, begging for release. However, there was only one thought left on her mind.

Where's Cinder?

She was so cold suddenly- tilting her head to the side, she could only see shadow. Taking a few ragged breaths, she sat up slightly, focusing on the pinpricks of light in the distance.

No wonder it's dark, she realized, eyes quickly finding familiar constellations in the stars above. The Dragon tore off the roof. We're exposed… outside now.

A golden hue to her left caught her eye. Akoúo lay face-up on the ground, only a few feet away. Upturning herself onto her hands and knees, she crawled, achingly slow, biting back the screams of agony that wanted to erupt in her throat with every movement. She reached out for the shield- and then, she stopped in her tracks as a brilliant orange flame began to burn at the other end of the broken room.

Cinder levitated above the ground, her flames licking the dusty, crumbling surface of the remaining walls and floors contentedly. The woman watched like a cat with its toy, lips curled in a condescending smirk, waiting.

Pyrrha quickly glanced around. Her hands were achingly empty without Miló. There's got to be something I can do, she thought desperately. There's got to be something- and then, she saw Professor Ozpin's old, collapsed headmaster's desk. It was entirely made of metal.

Biting her lip, she closed her eyes, reaching inside for her Semblance. She found nothing.

And then, a spark.

The spark grew, and grew, hotter and brighter than ever before. Her crimson Aura shot down her arm, exploding out of her chest and blanketing her body in a black layer- and, with that protective barrier, her wounds began to heal.

Pyrrha had to fight back a grin. I can still do this.

Her black Semblance covered her hand as she stumbled to her feet, focusing on the metal desk to her left. At her whim, the table flew into the air and arced straight for Cinder. The Maiden cried out in surprise, curling up in a ball as the desk knocked her clean to the floor.

Using the time granted to her, Pyrrha grabbed Akoúo and rolled across the floor, kneeling behind her shield. Her eyes lifted up just in time to see Cinder firing two streams of fire towards her. With the newfound strength from her recovering Aura, Pyrrha found the energy to quickly roll away, bracing herself for a third attack. The force of the strike was too powerful, however, and the redhead could only let herself fly backwards, accepting the attack, allowing the momentum to carry her out of the blast zone. The carpeting remaining from the headmaster's office, however, was not so lucky- it promptly caught ablaze, burning with noxious fumes rising high into the sky.

Cinder stopped her attacks after the wall of flame erupted. Pyrrha grinned as she righted herself, glancing around quickly. There's got to be something else I can use as a weapon here, she thought numbly. I have enough power to use anything, but I… I don't know if I'll have it forever. I have to keep her here. I can do it- what is metal in this tower?

Then, it struck her. This tower was always a clocktower.

Instinctively, Pyrrha stood, figure protected by the wall of flame. With a quick flick of her wrist, she tossed Akoúo like a discus towards Cinder, not even bothering to watch where it landed- it didn't matter anymore. Cinder would always block the shield, and Pyrrha had already worn out that tactic as an offensive manoeuvre.

Thankfully, it wasn't meant to hurt the Maiden. The carpet finally burned away completely, the bright orange flames dying down to smoldering ashes, leaving the nighttime battle dark once more. Pyrrha didn't need to worry- with Cinder's powers, her steps were always visible. So, the redhead focused her energy on the biggest pieces of metal in her vicinity: the gears of the broken clock.

Forcing her polarity out through her fingers, she sank her claws into eight giant gears which had fallen out of the ceiling after the Wyvern attacked. Each gear was extremely heavy- it took all of Pyrrha's strength and concentration to lift them all up into the air, her foot sliding back from the pressure.

Cinder's eyes betrayed her surprise and confusion. Pyrrha furrowed her brow in concentration, looking behind the Maiden's feet- a golden disc had embedded there, into the broken plaster. She transferred the weight of all eight clogs onto her left hand, nearly screaming as the weight threatened to tear her shoulder out. Please- please hold on, she begged. She gritted her teeth, tensed her jaw, and used her free hand to reach out, summoning Akoúo towards her.

The shield did just as intended, flying back towards Pyrrha right through Cinder's path- the Maiden was swept cleanly off her feet. With the woman too shocked to move, Pyrrha grimaced, grabbing one of the clogs and slamming the spoked gear down onto Cinder's stomach. The woman cried out in pain as she was pinned to the floor by polarized iron.

Pyrrha glared at the woman, hatred oozing from every pore. I'm going to take you down, once and for all, she panted internally. Her words didn't make it past her lips, though- she stayed too focused on her opponent and her own shaky breathing, her Aura still preoccupied with knitting together her torn flesh.

She called Akoúo back to her left hand, where the shield belonged. It settled there perfectly, the one true comrade she had left in this fight. Then, she raised her hand, gasping for air as she controlled all of the remaining clogs at once- they were so heavy, she could barely breathe- and crammed them all onto Cinder's deadlocked body with a battle cry.

It didn't last. Cinder merely blasted the cogs away with an explosion of flame, sending the giant gears flying in every direction. Pyrrha gasped as one flew her way. She scrambled to reach out with her Semblance to slow it down- but the inertia of the hulking object was too powerful, and all she could do was bring Akoúo up and reinforce the shield itself.

The impact was deafening. The weight of the gear would have been enough to destroy Pyrrha, had she been hit before the Wyvern's attack. Now, there was a buffer of Aura again- but, it was still too powerful for her exhausted, broken body to handle. Just like that, the massive, flaming ball of Aura which Pyrrha had rekindled in her heart diminished, diverting all its energy into keeping her very bones connected and whole. Her Semblance glowed black, wobbling throughout Akoúo as the shield fought to retain its shape- then, just like her red Aura, the glowing flame within her heart, it faded into the night.

Pyrrha's back flew into a crumbling pillar. She slid to the floor on her bottom, legs extended out in front of her. She bounced in place on the floor, then let Akoúo's dead weight drag her left arm to the side, her torso crumpling onto her thighs.

Cinder's smile, cat-like and predatory, lit up in the night with the blaze around her eyes. Pyrrha groaned, stumbling to her feet. I can't give in, she repeated over and over and over in her head. This is my duty. I have to keep going. If I can hurt Cinder, then that will be enough.

Cinder wasn't going to give her enough time to recover. Without losing that trademark smile, she raised burnt ash and charcoal in her hands. The woman kept her eyes locked onto Pyrrha, golden gaze sadistic in its anticipation, as the ash began to compress and turn black, forming into the same obsidian longbow Pyrrha had seen in Amber's flashback and in the vault. An arrow formed from the same material, and with a slight scoff, the Maiden began to draw.

Breaking into a dead sprint, she used her momentum to throw the shield again at the Maiden, the golden metal glowing in the light of Cinder's flames. The woman released her arrow, and Pyrrha felt herself relax in her follow-through stance as she saw the trajectory. Akoúo will protect me-

-until the arrow shattered upon impact with her shield, fragments flying behind Akoúo before reforming into the same arrow.

Her smile fell away, her face twisting in pain. There was no Aura left in her soul which could save her from the agony of the burning arrow which embedded itself through her leather boots, the shaft driving itself straight through the flesh of her right heel, the serrated arrowhead re-emerging on the other side. She screamed.

Collapsing in pain, Pyrrha paused, breathing heavily, trying to ignore the blazing heat searing up her ankle and into her leg. But, there was no fire left in her system to heal herself. All she could do, with whimpers and moans and oh gods, how could I let this happen? repeating in her mind over and over again, was attempt to stand up.

It was futile. The throbbing pain lanced up her thigh, shocking her spine, and she fell on her right side. Another jolt of agony raced through her, and she bit her lip until it bled. The arrowhead crumbled away into ash once more, and when her other leg brushed the fletching, that end of the arrow disintegrated, too. Pyrrha sobbed, desperate, fingers scrabbling at her boot- but there was no finger hold to find. The shaft of the arrow was veritably stuck in her ankle, the burning obsidian slowly cooking her leg from the inside out.

She gasped, ignoring Cinder's slow, methodical footsteps. Pyrrha tried once more to stand up, but could only make it to her hands and knees. She hung her head, leaning on her bracer, chest heaving as she searched for enough air to fill her lungs. It was never enough.

The wind raced through her ears, heart beating faster than it ever had before. Beads of sweat collected under her circlet, and she shivered- she shivered, and trembled, and froze with her bare arms and thighs covered in prickling gooseflesh. It was as if all the fire in her body had been snuffed out in one fell swoop, leaving the only source of heat in the form of the rock embedded in her leg.

Cinder's footsteps drew closer, circling around Pyrrha's kneeling form. "It's unfortunate you were promised a power that was never truly yours," she murmured, a parody of pity lilting her voice. Soon, she was kneeling in front of the redhead, her gloved fingers reaching down. Pyrrha wanted to scream, to bite off the fingers which grabbed her chin and lifted it up, lifted her battered face up to the crumbling moon, to her opponent- but she was spent. All she could do was glare into those golden eyes which met hers, smiling with a malicious intent so deep that Pyrrha wanted to cry.

The woman crooned, "But take comfort in knowing that I will use it in ways you could never have imagined."

Keeping her eyes locked onto Cinder's, Pyrrha frowned, tugging her chin away lightly and sitting up. The Maiden didn't fight back, allowing her to move away, maintaining her air of nonchalance as Pyrrha seethed.

There was a moment of silence. In the quiet, Pyrrha retreated inwards, letting the reality of the situation wash over her, a lifetime's worth of experiences flooding her senses in that one breath.

It didn't feel real. All her life, to be a prodigy- to be the strongest- and then, to end up like this? Not able to defend anything, anyone, that she cared about?

This was a mistake… wasn't it? she thought slowly, the words sinking deep into her core. I... I should have listened. I wasn't strong enough to fight a Maiden- not at my strength… not with my current state. Professor Ozpin warned me. I should have listened.

The thought was a foolish one, however. There's no way you would have ended up anywhere else, a familiar voice whispered. It was the box. It wasn't angry, it wasn't mocking- it was almost sad. You always were too proud for your own good.

She couldn't help but smile inside. I've always been the strongest. Why would I have thought any differently about Cinder?

Her hubris had led her here. She knew it. The hindsight cut deep, and if she wasn't in such pain, she would've barked out a laugh. Maybe this was my destiny all along.

Finally, the redhead whispered, "Do you believe in destiny?"

Cinder frowned, narrowing her eyes, searching Pyrrha's green orbs angrily. After a moment, she apparently found what she was looking for, and it didn't please her. "Yes."

With that, Cinder took a stand. The obsidian bow and arrow formed once more in her extended hands, and the woman drew it back on the dark, shadowy bowstring, aiming right for Pyrrha's heart.

Move. Move! Everything inside her heart screamed, but Pyrrha just couldn't. Every bone in her body felt broken, every muscle torn- the vessel which had never failed her for so long had finally fallen apart at the seams.

She could hear the whine and protest of the bowstring as Cinder held it tight, steadying her aim. I guess… this is my end. What did it accomplish?

Nothing, the voice whispered quietly. …There are a lot of people who will be sad, you know.

I should have said goodbye, she breathed raggedly, silently. Mom- she… she'll be sad. She's going to be all alone now. She was never there for my fights because she knew I could win. She won't know what to do… this time. Who'll take care of her?

She protected herself all those years when you were still too young, it supplied. She'll survive.

Ruby, and Ren, her heart whispered next. The faces of all her comrades, all her classmates and peers and meal-buddies and sparring partners, flooded her mind. They love you. Everyone does.

Her eyes began to water, not from the pain, but the heartache. That was all I… They gave me all I ever wanted. I guess… it's not so bad… to have felt that before the end.

But what about Nora?

Pyrrha froze, heart falling to the floor, all the other pain fading away. From the very beginning, Nora was her ally, her best friend. A partner-in-crime. She dragged Pyrrha into all of her silly antics, shared with her all of her secret chocolates, and had made Pyrrha feel like she mattered no matter what. The sister she had never known she'd wanted.

Nora, I- I'm so sorry I have to do this to you. I love you. Please stay with Ren, and watch over him- over everyone. A weak smile pulled at her lips. You're… if you can't entrust your loved ones to family, who can you trust?

There was only one person left.

Oddly enough, there were no regrets in her mind. Instead, all she could think of was her dream- her image of him standing strong- a great Huntsman, like his forebears in the Great War. He always had that potential. I've always seen more in you than the rest of them do, she thought wryly. I've given more of my life up to you over this past year than anyone else…

He had smiled for her. He had welcomed her, called her name, teased her, held her hand, danced with her, held her tight-

…and you were worth it all.

She knew. He would grow strong. He would become the hero which she had always dreamed of being. She had put him on his path- and if her mark on the world would be that, would be inspiring him to study his Aura and perfect his stance, and smile just a little wider…

She closed her eyes. If this is my destiny… then I shall face it bravely.

With that acceptance in mind, she took a deep breath in, out- 1, 2-

And she smiled.

The arrow lodged itself deep within the center of her chest, the Maiden's power embedded within it immediately setting fire to her core. She gasped, the force of impact knocking her chin up, her body limp as the pain spread like wildfire throughout her chest. Slowly, she opened her eyes, reaching up a hand to grasp the shaft- but her fingers no longer functioned, trembling as she fought to keep her balance on her knees. A sharp, stabbing sensation erupted in her ribcage as one lung collapsed, and each hiccupping, gasping breath caused another knife to wedge itself further between her ribs. Her vision drifted in and out, barely taking in the image of Cinder dropping her bow, walking towards her.

Pyrrha finally sighed, feeling her final pieces of strength fall away. The world was growing grey, hazy- like a static filter had taken over the world.

She smiled, relaxing as the pain finally numbed, and for the first time in forever, she was just warm. She closed her eyes.

Painted on the back of her eyelids, just where she had left it, was the image of Jaune, staring back at her in all his glory. He was perfect. She could feel the phantom sensation of his lips pressing back against hers. They had been perfect.

Then the warmth increased, and she smiled, and it was dark.