Disclaimer: The following is a nonprofit fanfiction of RWBY. RWBY belongs to Monty Oum(RIP) and Rooster Teeth. Any likeness to writings of others is not intentional. To help with improvements: Read and Review!
Pyrrha had the room to herself once again. Jaune was off to another leader's meet with Ruby, Coco, and Sun. And Ren and Nora were in downtown Vale scoping the area for possible areas for their next film. Looking to her trunk, she used her semblance to open it and walked over to grab her book. It was time to do some light reading.
Chapter 1
Her name is Pyrrha
It had been a decade since the prophecy and the purging of warriors and men. The cruel rulers of the world deemed a new law stating no mortal would bear arms or be in possession of said items. Any who was caught were killed on sight by the rulers' loyal soldiers; their children and relatives who were gifted with great power.
Between then, the man of fire and his brother had separated to form their own kingdom on the opposite sides of the world. The man of fire with his family ruled over an oasis surrounded by dessert while the man of thunder and rain lorded over the seas and islands. With no one to challenge them, they forgot of the prophecy stating their deaths.
Temple of the Sun
Pyrrha
Red hair floated in cool water as a young teenage girl bathed in her quarters for the night. Pyrrha was the youngest amongst the fire king's eight children and was to be eighteen in just a few more days. She was currently washing off blood of the mortals her siblings had killed with her aid.
When she was born, she was gifted with eyes of a hawk. Nothing was too far for her sight. That was what made her valuable in hunting down those who broke the law. And she hated her task so much.
She hated the fact she was aiding her siblings in the torture and murder of the weak and defenseless. She hated the fates for putting her in this position. But most of all, she hated herself for being too afraid to stand up to the tyranny. One of her siblings had done so, and was punished with death by fire in front of all of them. Her father was a cruel man who did not care if he burnt his child. The words he said after her sibling's death still rang in her ears.
'Do not think having my blood will spare you from my flames. I will burn any who goes against me; even my own flesh and blood.'
Hugging herself at the memory, she washed the tears that fell from her eyes and got out to clothe herself in her robes. Looking out into the deserts where the mortals lived in harsh conditions, she used her eyes to spy on them. Businesses were closing up and children ran out in the streets for play with parents watching over them with smiles of love on their faces. It was a life she envied.
There was no love in the temples. With so many mothers and siblings, not one has shown the other any form of care or compassion. It was all a competition for the favor of their king. Once the kings grew too old and would die, he would select his successor for the power of fire. Pyrrha's mother named her as such, being confident that she would be the successor amongst the eight children.
But she didn't want his power. She didn't want any of these things. All she wanted was to walk amongst the mortals without fear and hate in their eyes.
Turning herself away from those thoughts, she looked further ahead until something caught her eye. Turning upwards, she saw a star. But unlike most stars, it was moving. Focusing on it more, she saw it was falling to the earth at an alarming speed! Following it's path she watched in amazement as it crashed into the deserts, kicking up sand in the process and causing a small tremor she could feel from where she stood.
"Pyrrha!" One of her siblings called to her. A grey haired boy with silver sandals, Mercury. "Did you see?"
"Yes." She nodded, going to put her armor on.
Mercury was one of the only siblings her age. While she was gifted with her incredible sight, he was gifted with the ability to run on air. And just like her, he too was a candidate to possess the fire.
"A star falling." Mercury rubbed his chin. "Capturing it and bringing it to father may put us in the lead for candidacy."
"If you say so." The redhead nodded, putting on her helmet. "We must hurry before anyone else gets there first."
Jumping out her window, she and her half sibling embarked to where the fallen star had landed. Unknown to them, someone had already made it without Pyrrha seeing.
Desert - Moments ago before the star crashed
Jaune
A teenage blonde boy had been walking with his dog to cool off from a hard day's work. After tending to the cows, weeding the crops, and sheering the sheep, he was exhausted. The weather was constantly dry, so being a farmer in a dessert was a tough job; especially when trying to keep all those things alive.
He would take a walk every night after all the work was done to rest his body for the next day. But most of all, he would come out for a walk to remember how things had come to this and what he had lost.
His name was Jaune, and he was the son of a father who was burnt alive in front of his eyes when he was a child. His father was a brave man who loved his family very much so. He was a hunter who would go out into the wilds and come back with game for him and his family. Then one night after celebrating the success of killing a giant boar that was enough to share with him and his neighbors, their cruel rulers had came and killed all the warriors and teenage boys.
His father, who was holding a hunting knife and bow and arrows on his back was seen by the man of fire and burnt in a pillar of fire where he stood. In all the panic, Jaune was just a little boy hiding in the shadows as he saw his father scream in pain before turning into ashes. On that night, Jaune grew hatred for the people living in the temples.
His hatred grew stronger as the years went by. The ruler's children would go on a daily hunt to subdue any who posed a threat. Every time he would walk the streets, there would be someone slaughtered for the masses to see. Some were his friends, some people he frequently encountered for business, and some were just strangers he hadn't met yet. To them, they were nothing but cattle to be used for entertain.
Resting on one of the dunes with his dog curling up by his feet, he looked to the temples in disdain thinking how grand the people inside must be living while the people in the streets were suffering. Turning to the stars, he admired the beauty while enjoying the cool air making forget of his troubles. He slowly sat up as he saw one star moving. It was even growing in size while getting brighter.
Following it's path, he saw that the star was falling a few miles from him. As it finally crashed, it sent a huge shockwave that blew him and his dog back a few feet. It had startled him by how close it was, while his dog had whimpered and ran back in the direction of his home. After getting over his shock, he became curious by the strange glow coming from the crater.
Running to the light, he felt the comforting warmth emanating from the fallen star. Finally close to the edge of the crater, he was disappointed not to see a glowing star, but a large pile of dust something glowing underneath it all. As he turned to leave, the loose sand beneath his feet gave way and he started sliding down against his will.
Reaching the bottom, he looked back up and then back to the glowing light. Judging by the glow being brightest in the center he walked over to kick the dust away to reveal a small ring. The moment he had picked it up, the glowing had stopped and the only source of light was the stars and moon once more. After dusting the ring off, he admired how simple it looked and how the silver shined in the night without any blemish. He didn't care of who it came from, for he had one thought in mind.
'You will bring a fine amount of money for my family.' He smiled, planning to head off into the market the next morning to trade it for something of equal value. 'You might be worth three cows. Or better, a horse.'
With no pockets, he decided to wear the ring as he climbed out of the small crater. With a little struggle, he was able to make it out to see the flame king's soldiers speeding to where he was. From the looks of it, there were eight of them with two in the lead. Not wanting to be in their presence, he quickly ran only to have an arrow whiz past him and almost hit his left side.
"Stop!" He heard one of them shout.
Jaune did not do as such as he continued to run and glance back to see if they were still chasing him. Looking back once more and seeing an arrow sailing towards him, he started running in serpentine while trying to go over the sand dunes. Glancing back, he saw seven of the eight stopping by the crater while one was still chasing after him.
As he made it to the top of another dune, he lost his footing and rolled down until he reached the bottom. The blonde was tired and out of breath with fear of dying for no good reason but the amusement of the people he hated. His last thoughts as he heard the sounds of armor and feet was his wish that he would be unseen.
Pyrrha
As Pyrrha continued to chase after the man who came out of the crater, she took note of his face. Blonde with blue eyes, lean, and just about her age. Seeing him run up the dune, she was gaining up with him by how tired his form was looking. As he made it to the top though, he tripped and tumbled downwards. She could hear his grunts as he was falling followed by the sound of silence after. Reaching the top and seeing the indents he made in the sands, she followed them to the bottom and saw nothing.
Like the wind, he had vanished. Using her eyes, she scanned the area for any sign of him or footprints to show his trail. But there was nothing. Sliding down the dune, she continued to look far ahead to find the man. But all she saw ahead of her was more dunes and mountains. For the first time since her birth, Pyrrha had lost sight of something. But instead of anger or disappointment, she felt happy that he had gotten away.
Going to the very bottom where she could see the last area he had landed, she wondered how he had gotten away from her.
Jaune
The blonde farmer held his breath as the soldier stood by his lying form. When he saw her appear over the dunes, he had made eye contact with her and thought he would be dead on the spot. But she had turned away to look further as if looking for something else.
As she continued to look around, her eyes had made contact with his once more. The way she was looking at him was like he wasn't even there. It angered him to that he was being looked down on as such, but he held his breath in case she was being merciful.
As she knelt down, she slowly lifted her hand and was about to reach for his throat with eyes still on him. He silently shuddered and closed his eyes to wait for his demise. He would only hope that his death would be quick and painless.
Pyrrha
"Pyrrha." Mercury called out to her from the top of the dunes. "It's time to go."
The redhead got up from the ground and turned to her half-sibling.
"Did you find anything?" She asked him, walking up towards him.
"No." The gray haired teen grumbled. "I guess whoever that man was took whatever was in there. Were you able to catch him?"
"No." She shook her head, turning to where Jaune's form laid hidden.
Jaune
He couldn't believe it. She was sparing him? Staying silent andnot moving, he continued to hold his breath and watch the two soldiers interact.
"Did you at least get a good look at him?" The gray haired man asked.
"I'm sorry Mercury." Pyrrha apologized. "But even my eyes cannot see well in the dark."
"Then we'll have to search tomorrow." Mercury lamented, while walking away. "To steal from us is unforgivable."
As Pyrrha moved to follow, she gave one last glance to Jaune before she too was out of his sight. Feeling that they were completely gone after a few more minutes, Jaune released a breath from holding in his fear. He couldn't understand why the soldier named Pyrrha would spare him. All soldiers of the king never spared for any reason. So why did she?
"Her name is Pyrrha." He mumbled to remember her name.
Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, he remembered the ring on his finger as it slid on his face. Looking at it, he saw it glow a faint white before it had down. Looking at it, he turned back to the dunes where Pyrrha and her brother were, then back to the ring, and then wondered.
Pyrrha's quarters – Later
After undressing out of her armor and locking her doors, Pyrrha stripped her clothing to bask in the moonlight and the cool night air. Using her eyes once more, she spied the deserts to see if the man who eluded her was there.
And lo and behold, she spotted him walking in the dunes. His face covered in sweat with his blonde hair swept back. In her opinion, he seemed handsome. Studying him more, she took note of his poor state of clothing. Everything he had on was smeared brown from dirt and sweat. The only thing on him that seemed valuable was a silver ring he had on his finger.
As he climbed another dune, he stopped in his tracks to look at the ring on his finger and then turned to her. She didn't know if he was looking at her directly on purpose or if it was a coincidence, but from her point of view, he was staring directly into her eyes. She could see the fierceness and fire behind those blue orbs and shuddered, as if he was standing in front of her in her own quarters. And without any warning, he had vanished.
Pyrrha blinked as she looked to where she last saw him. There was nothing, just like the last time. Going to her bed, she laid down to think things through. How is it that that man was able to escape her sight? What was it in the crater and where did the fallen star go? And who was that man?
Closing her eyes, she went to sleep imaging the different possibilities to her questions.
Jaune – close to his home
As the blonde farmer got to his front door, he marveled at the ring on his finger. The fates were kind to give something this amazing. He had a ring that could turn him invisible.
As he was walking in the desert, he tried to remember what he was feeling when he was being chased. He looked to the temple and concentrated on wishing to not be seen by the people living in it. And his wish was granted as he turned invisible. Hoe could he tell? As he looked down to his feet with the moon shining on him, he saw that his shadow was gone.
"You are worth more than one horse or three cows." He smiled, playing with the ring in his finger.
Walking into his home, he smiled sadly seeing his mother asleep at the table with a roll of bread and a bowl of cold soup just for him. Gently picking her up, he carried her upstairs to the room shared with his sisters and tucked her in and went back down to eat his meal. Hearing a whimper and pawing at his leg, he looked down to see his dog at his feet begging for food.
"You little coward." Jaune pouted, poking the dog in the nose. "You wouldn't believe the trouble I ran into."
Feeling it wouldn't be getting anything, the little mutt rolled on it's back and presented it's belly to his owner. After a while, the blonde couldn't blame the dog for running away in the first place. Taking a small portion of bread, he dipped it into the soup and tossed it into the dog's mouth.
"Tomorrow will be different, Zwei." He patted the dog's head after eating meal. "I can feel it. Things are going to be different."
Elsewhere
"Was this part of the plan?" A voice asked.
"Very much so." Another answered cheerfully.
"Doesn't feel right, though." The first voice said with doubt in it's tone.
"Patience." The second admonished. "All will come together soon."
"I hope so. The last gifts we gave ended up causing this."
Pyrrha shut the book as she finished the first chapter. The others hadn't gotten back yet, but she didn't want to go to the next chapter yet. She wanted to savor each one and imagine it all thoroughly.
KNOCK-KNOCK
"Who is it?" The redhead asked, walking to open the door.
"It's me." Jaune's voice answered from the other side. "I forgot my scroll again. Can you open the door?"
"Of course Jaune." Pyrrha giggled, used to her leader doing this. It was a bit endearing at times to her.
After putting her book away, she opened the door to greet her leader but paused at the sight before her. Jaune was standing in a muddy tight white T-shirt and jeans, with sweat on his brow, and hair swept back in a messy manner.
"Sorry about…" He motioned to his state of messiness with a small grin. "Ruby and I got paired up to go in this relay race, and there were some obstacles."
As Jaune droned on, Pyrrha was looking at his form while getting lost in her fantasy.
'Thank you destiny.' She thought, swallowing to moisten her dry throat.
"-so after Ruby helped out with her semblance, we got second place." Jaune finished, walking in to grab his towel. "I'll just take a quick shower. Oh yeah. I ran into Ren and Nora on the way back. They'll be a few more hours late."
As the blonde headed off to the showers, the door locked automatically as it was shut. Processing all the information, Pyrrha lied on her bed with pillow over her face while breathing heavily to calm her beating heart.
So she and Jaune would be alone in the dorm for a few more hours. That was great. As she was about to change into her nightwear, something caught her attention in Jaune's desk.
It was his scroll. This was just too good to be true for her. But she was not one to raise her hopes up when nothing was confirmed yet. Opening his closet, she saw that his blue onesie and his other clothes were still in there! What did this mean? It meant Jaune would be knocking on the door in just his towel, waiting for her to open it for him.
'Thank you VERY MUCH, destiny.' Pyrrha giggled while biting her finger with a blush on her face. 'Thank you very much indeed.'
END
AN: And that's chapter one. I was going back and forth on how to make this out. But then I thought about it. Why not try using the style used in the Artemis Fowl books? It'll make things more interesting seeing the perspectives of each character while still keeping a sense of 3rd person view.
And if you guys think it's the one ring to rule them all: Read up more on Greek myths. Specifically on the items. I'm thinking of concentrating mostly on Crayon Days, NoL, and this fic for now. Unthinkable Growth and dustpoint will be taking a back seat for a bit.
As usual, if you liked it leave a comment. Have some constructive criticisms, I'm open for it. If you're just going to flame and troll, then I'm just going to ignore and delete.
