"You worthless bitch…I'll admit, you pack quite a punch, but it won't guarantee you leaving this shithole alive." He, whose eyes looked more like snakes than humans, seethed through heavy breaths. The murderous glint in his eyes all more noticeable from the shadows casted around them.
"Heh…" She let out a tired chuckle, her face a constant frown from heavy exertion. "Sorry pal, but I've beaten tougher than you." Her posture still tall and brave.
Man's fingers clutched around his swords, he spat defiantly, cockily. "Oh, I will enjoy watching your head roll by my feet." He uttered quietly, coldly. The dim moonlight now revealing a devilish smirk across his face, all the scattered, lying bodies around them giving the scene a truly sinister feel to it.
Just so many bad signs to make anyone sane to step back, yet she did the opposite. Her left leg slid forward, she raised her fists, a determined lilac now peering from behind a guard.
"Like hell I'll back off." She let herself know, not him.
Like hell I will…Like hell I could. She thought to herself, an image of a blonde goofball before her eyes. Someone, she sometimes could see from the sidelines. Note how he failed time upon time, yet always found strength to push himself forward.
He, who quite possibly was a failure among them.
"Bring it on, snake eyes."
If he was that strong, she would be stronger.
"Lovely." He wouldn't allow her say more, and dashed forward. No cry, no shout. Just crazy fast echoes barely following his footsteps.
She was the one to cry out as his blade pierced her chest.
…
17 June 2017, Saturday
Reason.
Somehow, miraculously so, but the following week was rather uneventful, even dull at times. Just couple of last assignments to do, as well as work on your bodies overall conditioning. Peaceful, somewhat boring but Jaune didn't mind that. Hence, when he opened the door and saw two, crystal blue eyes peering at him, taken aback was somewhat correct way to describe how he felt about it.
"Estelle?" He only managed to utter before her eyes lit up, and she threw herself against his chest.
"Brother Jaune," She expressed with an oomph, her arms around him, his soon around her.
"Estelle…" He uttered her name again, then simply fell quiet and let the fact sink in. Start to appreciate it.
"What are you doing here?" He questioned after some moments had passed.
She pulled back a bit, her face no longer buried into his chest.
"Just paying you a visit."
"The school's not over yet, though."
"Today's Saturday." Was first she said, then her eyes dropped a bit lower. "Besides…school is over for me."
He gave her a questioning look.
"…I finished the year in advance. I did the assignments faster than the rest so…" She didn't finish the sentence, just timidly squinted her eyes at him.
"Awesome," His lips folded into a proud smile, he lifted his hand to caress her blonde head. "I'm proud of you."
"I just had the time for it, nothing special at all…" She said in a tiny voice, yet her eyes glimmered so powerfully.
As humble as ever. He thought to himself, not surprised at all how shy she was to admit her talents.
"Combat school's not that easy, you know."
Her lips a humble smile, she looked past him, then back. Doing so a couple of times, she locked her eyes into his.
"Brother Jaune?"
"Yea?"
"I think I should introduce myself."
He caught up quick.
"Of course," He said, then stepped aside so Pyrrha could have a better look at the guest.
"Hi." The redhead greeted so simply.
"Hi." She took half a step forward, then stopped. "I-it's a pleasure to meet you, Pyrrha Nikos. I've heard lots of amazing things about you from brother Jaune. I'm…I'm honestly humbled by your presence." She finished, her cheeks tomato red.
Pyrrha burst into a good-natured laughter. "Please, there's no need to be that polite." She managed through fits of laughter, giving herself a moment to calm down a peg.
"Also, I'd rather you call me just Pyrrha."
"Okay, Pyrrha." She nodded, thought for a moment, then continued. "My name's Estelle. I'm the youngest in the family, turning 12 this year, as well as am brother Jaune's sister but…I-I guess it's rather obvious." Even if stuttering a bit, the youngest sibling finished quite well.
Redhead cocked her head to the side, thinking to herself how adorable the child was. Perhaps a bit too timid, though.
Taking a couple of steps forward, she offered a handshake.
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
Estelle gladly accepted.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well."
After their handshake broke, Pyrrha stepped aside and welcomed the child in.
"Thank you," Estelle said, and allowed herself further into the room.
Arkos pair followed suit, seating themselves on one bed while Estelle sat on the opposite one.
"Looks rather neat." She idly commented, voice soft, her eyes going about the room.
"That reminds me; this is your first time here, right?"
"Yes." She replayed quickly, turning her attention back to them.
He rested his elbows on knees. "So, how did the flight go?"
"It was alright." She shrugged nonchalantly.
Pyrrha let a chuckle slip. "So it seems you handle the flights far better than Jaune does."
The girl smiled sheepishly. "So you know…"
"Indeed I do," She gave Jaune what very well could be a teasing look. "At times, closer than I'd like to admit."
He visibly squirmed, his face speaking of actual guilt.
"I'm sorry."
Both girls shared a giggle.
"It's alright." She caressed his shoulder. "Not like it happens often. Especially as of late."
"Yea." He half said half chuckled, his lips a wry grin. Closing his eyes for a moment, he accepted the fact and let the embarrassment sink in and through.
"See, your brother's not so cool after all."
She shook her head a no.
"Everyone has a weakness, you silly."
He grinned lopsidedly, not sure if she got he was half joking just there.
"A rather lame weakness I have, then."
She shrugged indifferently. "It's alright. There's this one superhero who can lift mountains and destroy buildings with bare fists yet doubles over being near a green rock."
His lopsided grin deepened. "I remember something like that," He said, but honestly wasn't sure how seriously this conversation should be taken. Luckily, Pyrrha chimed in and changed the topic.
"Silly weaknesses aside, would it be alright if I asked you something?"
"…Sure," Estelle said.
"Are you a fellow huntress to-be?"
"Mhm." She hummed, then continued after a brief pause. "My grandfather used to be, father still is, my sister's one too and brother Jaune soon will be. I decided I'd be one too."
"Following your family's steps is alright, but you must have a reason of your own, right?" She questioned meaning no harm, yet still managed to make the child feel uncomfortable, her posture visibly stiffening.
"I'm sorry, I was just curious."
"No, it's…i-it's alright, I understand. Everyone has a reason of their own to be a huntress or huntsman, but I…" She stopped herself short, her eyes increasingly steady on him. "I only have half a reason…special one, though."
"…Then what's this half a reason you have?" Pyrrha asked with caution, already aware of what the child might say.
"Well, it's…" She started, her fingers actively combing her blonde hair. "Brother Jaune's been trying so hard to be a huntsman, I…I figured I'd try and do something like that as well," She managed to say, both of them falling quiet for a moment.
Pyrrha looked to her right.
Jaune to his left, his features pretty much neutral.
Hers however, were filled with utmost adoration.
"See, you do have a reason of your own," She said, her eyes back to Estelle, yet the adoration in her emeralds still remained.
"I don't know…I guess. What about you?"
"Me? Oh," She let out a brief chuckle. "My reason would be like many others have; I want to protect those who need to be. Although lately…I've also come to realize that being a huntress has been my destiny all along. I've wanted to be one for as long as I can remember myself."
"Do you have any huntsman in your family?"
"Yes, both of my parents are, actually."
"Then you're little bit like me." Estelle smiled shyly.
"Yes," Pyrrha replied with a little smile of her own.
Thereafter, a brief moment of silence was there as Pyrrha waited for Estelle to say something. She could see the child wanted to.
"…"
A little bit more time passed, but the youngest Arc started, her blue struggling to stay in one place.
"By the way…have you…h-have you ever like…have you ever doubted your choice of wanting to be a huntress?"
"Haven't we all?" Pyrrha answered with impeccable ease and honesty. "After all, being a huntress is dangerous. Especially when you get used to the safety within your city's borders. It becomes easy to underestimate the grim and become reckless." She stopped, and gave Estelle a firm look. "And you should never, ever become reckless."
Estelle quickly nodded, Pyrrha's features softening thereafter.
"Simply put, it'd be impossible to never question it. However," She stopped, looked to her right, placed a hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed it.
Her emeralds kind and loving.
"You have to have faith that your efforts are worth something. That your hard labor is making a world a bit better place, or at the very least, making someone's life a bit better, brighter." She finished, adored how his lips curved into a smile and looked back to Estelle.
"I think a thought like that can give you the strength necessary to continue your path."
"I agree."
"Then rest assured it's alright to question it at times. What matters the most is what you do thereafter. If you truly don't wish to continue, then so be it, it's pointless and harmful to force yourself onto it. However, if you're simply experiencing a moment of weakness, it's completely alright as well. I believe you'll pull yourself through with a chest held high."
Estelle contemplated for a moment, the seriousness in her face fading and being replaced by a tiny grin.
He however, experienced the opposite.
"Yes, thank you," She said, fully aware of his look.
"You're welcome." Pyrrha answered. "Is there anything else you'd like to ask? I don't mind at all if you do."
For now though, she'd do her absolutely best to ignore it.
"Hmm." Estelle thought for a moment, her lips pursed.
Maybe, there were a few things she could ask since the older girl was so forthcoming about it.
…
Same day. Couple of hours earlier.
RWBY dorm room.
"You know, looking at them now, it's hard to imagine they used to be at each other's throat just couple of months back." Yang reflected on the fact how comfortably Blake and Weiss decided to visit the city together.
"Yea…" Ruby mumbled indifferently, her eyes steady on her sister who was resting on the bed opposite of hers.
"Now, they pretty much look like the best buddies or something." She forced a chuckle through her lips.
"Mhm…" The youngest sister crossed her fingers, feet tapping against the floor in a rather anxious manner.
Yang spared her a quick glance, then just as quickly looked elsewhere.
"I think I'll go out for a bit," She said, lifting herself up.
"Where to?"
"No place in particular." She winked at her, then turned to the door.
"…Yang!"
Her sister's cry was hard to miss, even as hard as she tried to.
"I'll be alright, Ruby." Her lips a brave smile, she turned to face her. "You can count on that," She said, and noted her sister's lips hung open for a moment. Then she pushed a heavy sigh, her silver eyes narrowed.
"I trust you Yang, but if you want to-"
"talk about it, you'll always be there. I know." She winked at her again, their smiles kind, soft, even if Ruby's silver reflected a sorrow as well. One, from which she couldn't help but to turn away from.
"I'll see you later," Yang said, pushing the door open.
"Later, Yang," Ruby said, the door closing before her eyes.
She stared at it for a minute straight.