There was a time in my life when I relished in the deafening roar that broke a tense silence. I would stand there, over my opponent, poised to strike but knowing restraint, and await the inevitable outcry of the crowd around us. Not once were my expectations unmet, and after my first victory in the arena, the din of cheers, claps, and screams became an auditory drug, and I, a hopeless addict. One more impossible victory. One more disingenuous challenger to defeat. Just one more step upward, and I would be invincible. I would be loved. I would be a hero.

Now… now, I know the value of silence. Now, I understand that to be lifted up and adored is both a blessing and a curse. The air is cold atop the pedestal of fame, and all of the noise in the world could never wrap me in a warming embrace.

At least, not celebratory noise. Not anymore.

The air around me is sweltering, the noise of screams, collapsing structures, rampaging grimm, and howling winds a sensory overload like none I have ever experienced before. My skin is slick with sweat, my fiery bangs matted and strewn about my face and neck as I stare upward at my goal… no, my destiny.

After all, it cannot be a goal if every fiber of my being is screaming in protest at the thought of reaching it. I have to be strong. I have to be the invincible warrior that all of Vale believes me to be. One, final stand in this whirlwind of sound, so unlike the roar of a cheering crowd. I grip my javelin tight, and check the strap of my shield. My arms and armor are ready. Everything has led me to this moment, and I know now that there was never any choice.

If I am to fail, if I am to die here, it will all be worth it if I can save another life. I if I can buy them time, if I can stop her, if even for a moment, the vain celebration of my life will finally mean something more than trophies and medals. I will finally earn the title of hero, not to the people, but in my own heart. This is what I crave- my true goal is to safeguard life itself, from those who would seek to snuff it out. To be a huntress. A real huntress.

I close my eyes, and take what precious seconds now that I can afford to collect myself amid the storm of sound. One sound in particular cuts through my focus, and the blackness behind my eyelids. The whistling of the flying weapon locker behind me, steadily becoming quieter and lost amid the sounds of a crumbling city.

The weapon locker into which I have just shoved Jaune.

I regret nothing. I gave him my all, and now, in an entirely different way, I will give him my all once again. I will give him life. If he were to follow me, here and now, he would surely die, or I would die protecting him. It is better to throw myself upon the pyre that is Beacon tower than to allow him the chance of doing the same. That, I believe, is the purest expression of love that I can offer. Cold though it may be, I must take his ability to choose from him in order to allow him the freedom of choice and opportunity to find himself in the future. It is no easy decision to make, but it is necessary.

After all… he has fallen in love with an ice queen. Perhaps it is time that I followed suit.

I open my eyes, my blood running cold and my stomach tight. There is a very real possibility that the last time I will ever see his beautiful blue eyes is now in the past… but there is no time consider the notion. Not while she is still here, and planning to make her next move from atop the tower.

My weapon and shield float around me, and back into storage positions as I begin my march for the broken elevator, mere feet away. A smoking hole takes up position in the center of the floor and roof, where that woman in the red dress had flown upward not five minutes before. Her power is incredible… the same power that I failed to seize, for fear of losing myself.

My hesitance may have caused every soul in Beacon to lose everything. That is a failure that I can never atone for, and that is why I must proceed. So much has already been lost, and while I still stand, I will let nothing more fall.

Again, I close my eyes, and breathe deep. The aura runs swift and sure around my body, and through my very soul as I begin to call upon my semblance. Polarity. Manipulation of the positive and negative ions of metal. Never before now have I considered that my semblance is so fitting for my role in this tragedy. Light and dark, day and night, life and death… this school, this country, now teeters on the edge of a blade, and the Fall Maiden, with her stolen power, is standing ready to push.

I will push back, with all of my being. So many believe in me. So many have great expectations that I could not, and cannot fulfill. So many believe me to be a hero, an invincible girl… but I alone know the truth.

My role is to buy the real heroes time to take up arms and protect all that matters, when I could not.

I stand inside of the ruined elevator, the aura within me pulsating. Aligning. Within my shaded vision, I can see the sheer force of my semblance building. The metal walls around me begin to creak and whine with strain as the steel warps and sparks. Soon, I will take flight. Soon, I will ascend to confront her with greater speed than any other could achieve. Soon, it is time to conquer impossible odds, or die in one final, momentous duel.

It is a very real possibility that I may die here, today… but I have no intentions of dying. I have everything to fight for.

My eyes fly open, and with all of the strength of spirit I can muster, I push. The elevator begins to fly upward, and I throw my arms out against the twisting, screeching walls to maintain stability. A rush of wind whips through the holes in my flying cage, cooling the sweat that coats my skin and making my flesh as cold as my blood seems to feel inside. Despite all of my training, my entire body is tense, but… I cannot help it. I am still human, and the stakes in my actions are sky high. The effort to maintain my semblance on this level begins to take a toll, and I feel my aura begin to drain. I have never pushed this hard, I have never had to exert so much fo-

Penny's robotic shell, fragmented, sparking, and smoking, lays upon the ground before me. Her lifeless eyes lack any twinkle, any of the curious optimism or friendly determination that they had at the beginning of our duel. She is gone. The crowd doesn't roar; they instead inhale all of the air in the stadium at once, stopping my lungs and heart by robbing me of oxygen. A mere second later, screams and wails of terror, tearful cries and angry words begin to ring out, directed both at Penny and I. The voice of the woman in the red dress rings out, though I cannot hear the words. All that I can see is a life forfeit to my ignorance. A candle within the darkness snuffed out, due to my projection of spirit. I had taken the life of a friend.

My stomach lurches as the memory assaults me. I had used this much force once before, and it had set our downfall in motion. I had been paralyzed, shaken to the core by what remained of my opponent as the dome of the arena fell around me.

This time, come what may, I will not hesitate. I will not freeze. I know who and what I am fighting, and she is no friend.

The elevator reaches the top of the tower, and I draw my weapon and shield. The elevator lets out a faint ding, and time stops.

Hundreds, thousands, millions of thoughts race through my mind in what could only be the fraction of a second.

Jaune's unsure smile, as I guide my hand across his chest and to his shoulder, to adjust the grip he has on his sword. I return the smile. "Better. You're showing improvement." "Only because I have you."

Nora and Ren, reclining together on Ren's bed. The silent boy is focused entirely on his book, as Nora naps beside him. He is unaware that her head had fallen into his lap… or perhaps, he simply didn't care. It was then that I knew I had a kindred spirit in the hyperactive warrior, and I invited her for coffee the next day. We spoke about fighting, the upcoming Vytal tournament, cloud shapes, and boys.

Weiss trains in the small garden, visible from the window in my team's bedroom. I only see her now because it is two in the morning, and I cannot sleep. Thoughts of Ozpin's offer keep me awake, and I decide to watch the heiress in silence. Her eyes hold a conviction I've never seen before, as she practices her form. I do not know what she fights for, but I envy her commitment. I consider joining her, but I know that sometimes, such moments are better uninterrupted.

Professor Port is telling another story, but this time, he gets sidetracked from telling us of his heroic exploits. He speaks about his daughter, and their first father-daughter dance. Most of the other students are asleep or doodling by now, hardly aware of the shift in topic, or the hitching in his voice as he recounts the memory. I don't know if anyone else in the room sees the tear threatening to fall from the corner of his eye before he turns, feigning a grab for a tissue and a loud cleaning of his nose, before he dabs at his eyes to hide the potential shame. I do.

The crowd is a mixture of gasps and giggles as the people before me part, and Jaune approaches, wearing a white dress and uncomfortable smile. My spirits, long since dragged to a subterranean level, begin to soar as he takes my hand.

I have everything to fight for.

Time resumes, and I am ready. Through the crack in the door, I see the outline of the red demoness. She turns to me, those blazing eyes coming into view as I act on instinct, flinging my javelin as hard as I can for her face. She dodges to the side with a subtle lean. It should have been impressive, but somehow, I knew that my throw would not meet its mark.

It would never be that easy.

I launch forward, pressing my feet into my shield as we collide. I, a human missile, and her, an unflinching wall. I push off and flip into a landing, where I reclaim my weapon. I stare into the eyes of the Fall Maiden, and she returns me gaze. No words are exchanged. No words are needed. We are of opposite poles, and now, the inevitable collision begins.

My opponent smirks, and floats into the air as she begins to hurl magic, true magic, in my direction. I dodge to the side, and we begin to trade blows. The woman unleashes a torrent of flame too wide to avoid, and I thrust out my shield. I trust in my shield. Unrestrained fury licks against the edges of the steel, and I can feel the unforgiving heat through metal disc. Errant strands of my hair sizzle and burn away, as my body pours sweat.

This is the first duel that I fight without experiencing any joy. Others have tried to kill me before, but something in her demeanor is different. Something in the air has changed. I feel as though all hope, all justice in the world has been burned away by her flaming eyes.

I could have used that power for so much more than destruction. Amber died, so that this woman could abuse the force of nature to kill its children. Everything about this is wrong.

Everything about this weighs heavily upon my shoulders.

The jet of flame finally fades, and I charge forward. We clash, trading advantage as physical contact is finally made. In some ways, I respect her ability and focus. In others, I have never seen a person more abhorrent. That combination of respect and aversion is what will give me the strength to deliver a killing blow, if I must. She cannot be allowed to take more from this world. So much has been stolen, in such little time. It is my duty to stop her.

Finally, I manage to grasp her in a desperate embrace. I hold on to her with all of my strength, though her own is comparable to mine. We spin together and crash to the floor, as I call my weapon forth. As we rise together, I have her exactly where I want her.

My javelin is at her throat, and she grips the weapon to save the delicate flesh upon her neck. This may be her downfall. This may be the end of our clash, and the dawn of victory for the forces of righteousness. I pull as hard as I can to draw the blade closer, and into her skin. I can feel her fighting with all of her might to hold the metal back… and I can feel the heat beginning to conduct through the handle of the blade.

Suddenly, all tension in my arms fades, as I watch the weapon snap. The extension of my will and body, and the most likely means of stopping her, splinters and warps under the intense flames of the Fall Maiden. The fragments seem to fall in slow motion, and my heart sinks… but I know that there is no time to mourn. My will, and my shield, are unbroken. This is far from over.

A wave of force resonates from the woman before me as the gigantic, monstrous grimm outside impacts the side of the tower. I am sent flying back and into the remains of a wall with dirt, dust, and debris coating my skin and eliciting a cough as I rise to my knees, to crawl to my shield.

There she floats before me, wild, unimaginable power flowing from her eyes and hands as she stares me down. To move forward, to reach for my shield, my lifeline, would mean my death. We both know it… and I will not throw my life away. This is not a march to my execution. This is the fulfillment of a promise, to all who believe in me.

I can feel my pulse, throbbing in my neck as my heart pounds. I need to be subtle. I need to be perfect in my execution, as I tighten every muscle, focusing as hard as I can upon my semblance.

The stare down ends as I fling my arm outward and hurl one of the fallen metal struts from the tower for the floating menace. She deflects it, but the action gives me the distraction and time I need to set my plan in motion. Piece by piece, metal wreckage begins to rise behind her as I take evasive action, dodging her magic and a swath of fire.

With the witch distracted, I am finally ready. I feel as though my veins may burst, but I channel my aura into the floating gears, struts, and supports, to bring it all down upon her. I call back my shield, and apply pressure… though I can feel the heat, and resistance, rising.

This… this may be beyond my ability. I do not know how much longer I can hold on.

Without fanfare, without an audience, the bubble bursts.

I have lost.

Flying metal impacts me hard, and I feel my footing lose traction from the floor beneath us. All at once, I find myself hurtling through the air, and back against the ruined wall. My aura flickers, and fades.

I am vulnerable.

I tried so hard, so many times, to show them all that I am vulnerable.

Somehow, now, only my fiercest enemy is able to see it.

I will not fall.

I spin into a standing position and fling my shield as my assailant aims a bow, and fires. The trajectory is perfect, and I watch as the shield and arrow collide. I watch, as the arrow goes through the shield, in a flash of dazzling embers. I watch, horrorstruck, as the arrow embeds into my ankle, knocking me off balance as I let out a cry of surprise and pain.

My palms impact the floor, and my chest heaves. How… how had she shot around the airborne disc? In the end, I suppose it doesn't matter. I merely… hope I have bought them all enough time.

I hope Jaune arrived safely, and found help. I hope he finds help, in the future.

Feeling leaves my foot, and I can no longer tell if I have the ability to stand. Getting to my feet is proving to be a struggle, and I make several unsuccessful attempts. A foreboding voice reaches my ears, and I stare down at the wound as I listen.

"It's unfortunate you were promised a power that was never truly yours."

A hand, warm and feminine, cups my chin, pulling upward to raise my eyes to meet hers. I see no hatred. I see no reason. She simply… is. I have no choice but to listen.

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

How long had we been fighting? How much of a distraction had I caused? Did that grimm fly into the tower because I had her at a disadvantage? Did I… disrupt her plan? I can only hope that all of this was for something. That I did my duty, and that somehow, I lived up to my supposed title of heroine.

"Do you believe in destiny?"

I need to know. In these final moments, I have to know if my only witness believes that all of this was for some greater design. I have to know that in the end, I made the right decision. That there was no choice. I must know that even if I never find out what it may be, that there was a reason for this.

She seems taken aback by the question, though her answer is nearly immediate. I can feel conviction radiate from her, as it radiated from me earlier tonight.

"Yes."

I watch as she rises with a grim finality, manifesting her bow once again from thin air. We both know what happens next… though her answer gives me some level of comfort, as the arrow pierces into my chest.

I try desperately to breathe, but I am finding it difficult. It feels almost as though I can no longer properly inhale, as though the air coming in through my pained gasps never quite makes it down to my chest.

My lungs are on fire, craving oxygen. I can no longer feel the throb of my pulse in my neck, and the pounding in my chest is growing erratic.

The woman places a hand on my cheek as I remain on my knees, struggling to hold on to the last gasps of life. The warmth that I felt in her touch before seems to have intensified, and I can see her hand glowing a bright, molten orange as my vision fades.

Heat, overpowering, painful heat envelopes my entire body, and quite suddenly, I can no longer make sense of what is going on. The warmth turns from painful to pleasant, spreading throughout my flesh and core, and I can hear the roar again. Is it… the roar of flames, engulfing me? The roar of a person, calling out to me? No, it isn't. It cannot be. Everything turns black, as I try to focus only upon the noise, and the rising feeling within me. Finally, I understand the noise.

It's the roar of a crowd. The roar of cheers. One final, deafening congratulations from an adoring public, carrying me away. I thought that I had grown sick of it, distant to the overwhelming din, but now, for the first time in ages, it feels… deserved. It feels like home. I cannot see anymore. The noise of the crowd, of those who adore me, grows louder and louder, until the loudness becomes numbing, and paradoxically inaudible. I feel nothing. I feel no ground beneath my knees, I hear all of the noise, yet none of it, and I try to think of those that may yet live, due to my actions.

I didn't fail.

I served my purpose, as a huntress.

Everything has led to this moment.

I feel at peace, as I can sense his deep, azure eyes fixed upon me.

I… feel…

Author's Note: This was one of the first ideas I had, when I came up with the overall concept for this series as a first person, present tense story. I want to flesh out and explore the thoughts of different characters in and around specific, important moments in RWBY. Depending on who you ask, this may well be the most important scene of all. Needless to say, this was difficult to write for many reasons. I hope I managed to do Pyrrha some justice by getting inside of her head in her final moments.

-RD