Author's Notes: Hey everyone! So, I want to say...wow. Wow. I mean, just...wow! Seventeen reviews on one chapter, sixty followers, thirty favorites, it's just mind boggling! You are all so, so amazing and I love you guys so so much. You are awesome! It makes me excited for the future of this fic to know how many of you are already along for the ride!
So, on that note, here's chapter two! A lot of mending in this. I was going to skip this whole chapter, because I wasn't totally pleased with it. But then the ending of the chapter came to my mind and I had to write it! I didn't want to just time skip a weeks time, because then it defeats the purpose of the whole fic pretty much haha.
That being said, there is a plot to come later on, and my oh my, it's a good one if I do say so myself. Remember that this is an AU, so where some characters have yet to have developed pasts in the show, I'll give them my own here, that'll probably change in canon as the show goes on. But hey, this is our little world, right guys?
So, with that said, let's step into the emotional whirlpool!
Act One: Chapter Two: Sanitatem
...
The arrow tore through the ligaments in her ankle, plucking through them like a blade to harpsichord strings. She screamed in absolute agony, her voice cracking at the octave of it. Slumping forward to hands and knees, heart palpating in a cocktail of fear and regret. And regret fed the fear, and in return the fear nurtured regret.
The path was a circle. Round and round.
Through her matted crimson fringe, claret as black as tar oozing from her ankle, her tearful emerald eyes tilted up to her soon to be killer. Not more than a few months ago, she never knew this person. Now the villain in front of her was going to be the most important person to ever impact her, for she was going to end her life.
"It's unfortunate you were promised a power that was never truly yours. But take comfort in knowing that I will use it in ways you would never had imagined." she smirked.
With all of what remained of her strength, sans Aura, her true heart and soul strength, she looked dead in the eyes of her killer.
"Do you believe in destiny?"
The woman frowned, reeling back to her full height over the wounded girl. "Yes." Her bow materializing from orange diamonds in the air.
This was it. The clock of her life wasn't in years anymore, it had collapsed to seconds, every single one precious. Every sharp breath of air, every heart beat possibly her last, every blink a gift, just to feel those minute muscles spasm. As the bow string pulled taut, the sharp arrow head poised to her breast, she knew she had to think of a girl. Any girl of good heart, to pass her power to. But damn her heart and mind, betraying her as tears flooded her eyes.
Jaune...
She couldn't get the blonde goof out of her head, fizzing her nerves as a gooey ice cold guilt settled into her gut, to mingle and drown the butterflies of dread. She'd made him care, she'd made all of her friends care, spent months upon months building friendships that Jaune had gifted her, for as she helped him better his skills, he'd helped her better her social skills. So she'd waste her chance to pass the Fall Maiden's abilities to a friend, so that she could feel warm in the icy hands of death. She'd be selfish for just fucking once, and have her damn ending the way she wanted it!
So she accepted death, came to terms with it in that moment as her cloudy eyes closed tight, pretending Jaune's embrace held her, pretending his soft lips were on hers. She'd die, happy in his arms. She'd die thinking of him.
"PYRRHA!"
"WHAT?!"
So it was a fracturing of the plan when a pair of silver eyes ignited the very night into white all consuming light...
Pyrrha gasped as her emerald eyes burst wide open on the dark room. She panted and her eyes scanned the room, heart drumming against her ribs...and someone else's. With groggy and furrowed brows, she blinked and felt the warmth heating her front, and the band of heated pressure across her lower back. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw him. Fast asleep, breath a gentle puff of air into her cheek, his arms still snugly wrapped around her waist.
Pyrrha blinked and looked down at her hand splayed open across his shoulder, her head nestled under his chin, her legs intertwined with his. She smiled lightly and hummed, snuggling deeper into his chest, hugging him tightly as he grumbled in his sleep, arms around her waist squeezing lightly. She closed her eyes, smiling as she listened to the rhythm of his beating heart, of the rise and fall of his broad chest.
But her mind of content soured, her smile falling as she opened her eyes and pulled her head out from the crook of his neck, raising herself up just enough to look at his sleeping face. She sighed and cradled his cheek with her palm, before leaning forward and kissing his cheek.
"I'm so sorry, Jaune." she breathed, gently gripping his wrists and untying them from around her waist. She winced as he snorted, holding still as he failed to wake. She blew out relief and safely maneuvered herself out of his bed, shivering at how cold she felt without his hold. She looked at Nora, fast asleep in her bed, and Ren in his against the far wall. She glumly nodded and huffed, taking her bag and quietly unzipping it, taking out her gym wear.
She brushed her fingers against something cold and metal, her hand gripping it and pulling it out of her bag. Gold reflected the dull light of the night lit room, emeralds swinging from their chains. She frowned at her circlet and threw it on her bed, shaking her head. She took all her armor out and felt queasy at the sight of it. Thrown astray on her bed, she grumbled at it and snarled, throwing her untied sash over it to hide it from her view. She took out the brown leather boots, poking her finger through the hole in the blood stained right boot. She grit her teeth and threw the boot back in her bag, a bit too loudly as Jaune rolled over in his sleep to face the wall.
Blowing out relief, she got up, gym gear in hand and went into the bathroom to change. Throwing on her figure hugging black yoga pants, crimson red vest top and tying her hair back with an elastic scrunchie, she tied up the laces on her trainers and filled up a bottle of water at the bathroom sink, before grabbing her scroll and leaving the night time dorm.
Jaune faced the wall, but with sorrow in his eyes, biting his lip as he listened, until the door shut. He frowned and crossed his arms, before trying to fall back asleep without her in his arms. It...it wasn't easy.
...
Pyrrha stepped into the gym, looking up at the clock by the window, beholding a chalk white moon of crumbled dust in the sky. She huffed at the time. "4:37am." She breathed, shaking her head. "What are you doing, Pyrrha?" She whined to herself, before bolstering her mind with a heaving sigh.
"M-Might as well be productive...and now I'm talking to myself. Way to go, Pyrrha." She rolled her eyes at herself, before saddling up to the squat rack, selecting the weighted plates and sliding them onto the cold steel bar. She stretched her muscles to-and-fro, before taking a sip of the icy water, and saddling up to the bar, readying it on her shoulders.
Over the course of the months away while the school was made safe for students to return, she spent the majority of her time either healing, training or working out. She was addicted to the burn of pumping lactic acid in her muscles, to the feeling of pain, but the reward of the gain. She still wanted to be the best warrior possible, but that wasn't the reason for her working out constantly.
It was a distraction. A distraction from her tormenting mind, and the thoughts that came with it.
She set the bar back on the rack after the fourth set, panting as she shook the tingling gooey feeling out of her bulging leg and rear muscles. She picked up her scroll, sitting on the edge of the rack, gulping back the icy water in her bottle as she flicked through the school's social media system. She paused mid gulp, popping the outlet mouthpiece from her lips, raising an eyebrow at a post in particular.
Jaymes Ickford - Five hours ago
Sign this petition to make sure Pyrrha Nikos sees justice for what she did at the Vytal tournament! Thanks guys, you rock :)
12 likes 45 shares
Pyrrha whined and looked at the profile of Jaymes, recognizing him as the purple haired boy who spoke out against her during lunch yesterday. She bit her lip and her eyes watered, before she shut her scroll and dropped it on the rubberized matting, selecting extra weight, more than she should try on her own and went to squat again. Fuming, she set her legs shoulders width apart, and lowered herself down, grunting as she stood up. She easily knocked out another set, gritted teeth and tears in her eyes, as she tried desperately to focus on the pain she felt from working out.
Because I deserve to feel pain for what I did.
...
Jaune lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, fingers drumming together atop his chest. He huffed and looked at his scroll. He couldn't get back to sleep. Maybe surfing the web, or checking his account on BeaconBook might make him drowsy. He grabbed the device to try and distract his thoughts from Pyrrha, flicking through boring posts.
Velvet Scarlatina - Four hours ago.
Oh my gosh, please can you all look at my Photography portfolio! I'm sure you'll like it! Heart you! :) xx
4 Likes 8 Shares
Jaune smiled and liked the post, before scrolling down again.
Sun Wukong - Six hours ago
Our permanent room at Beacon. Sweet dude!
24 likes 34 shares
Jaune chuckled, looking at the tagged photos of Sun wrestling with his team in their new room. He clicked the like button and scrolled down, eyes bulging as he stopped on one, stomach bubbling with dread and anger.
Jaymes Ickford - Five hours ago
Sign this petition to make sure Pyrrha Nikos sees justice for what she did at the Vytal tournament! Thanks guys, you rock :)
12 likes 45 shares
Jaune growled and shook his head, before reporting the post to Professor Goodwitch, shutting the scroll off and slamming it on his bedside table, rolling over to face the wall. Now he was never going to get to sleep again.
...
Pyrrha locked up the gym with a sigh and walked away down the halls of the Dormitory block, a solemn frown on her face. She was upset. Upset that that Jaymes guy had posted it, but more the fact it had forty five people that agreed enough to share it. What if enough people signed it? Would they have no choice but to kick her out?
Pyrrha massaged her temples and arrived at her dorm, scanning her scroll and gently opening the door, a long sweeping arc of artificial light flooding the dark room. She quickly stepped in and shut the door with a click, sighing with relief.
"Are you okay?" Jaune spoke, startling her. She stared at his bed with wide eyes as he rolled over from the wall to face her.
"Oh, I'm sorry Jaune, d-did I wake you?"
"No." Jaune sat up, rubbing his face.
"Oh. That's good then. I'm just going to-"
"You didn't answer my question, Pyrrha." His sapphire eyes hardened as he frowned. Pyrrha huffed, shrinking under his gaze.
"I umm...went to the gym. I couldn't sleep."
"You were asleep earlier." Jaune muttered. Pyrrha's eyebrows pinched.
"Yes. Then I woke up. People do that, Jaune." She snapped, immediately regretting the tone it came out in. Jaune sighed with a humorless smile.
"Okay." Jaune scoffed and nodded, going to lie down again.
"What do you mean...okay?" Pyrrha tilted her head, trying to keep their voices low as not to disturb Nora and Ren.
"I said Okay." Jaune shrugged, eyeing the ceiling. Pyrrha scoffed, chewing her lip.
"I know what you said, it was the way you said it."
"I just said okay, jeez, people do that, Pyrrha." Jaune snarked. Pyrrha scowled deeper at him.
"That was unkind."
"Mmm. So's not answering my question...again." Jaune quipped.
"Oh I'm not playing these games with you Jaune, just...go to sleep." Pyrrha sighed, pinching her brow as she moved towards the bathroom. Jaune scoffed a forced dry laugh.
"Yeah. Just...go to sleep, right? Close your eyes and the Sandman'll take ya." Jaune sat up, staring at her. "It ever occur to you that I'm - oh, I dunno - worried about you?"
"Don't be." Pyrrha muttered from the bathroom door. Jaune scoffed.
"H-How can you say that?"
"Because, there's nothing to worry about!" Pyrrha snapped, gripping the door frame as Nora and Ren stirred. Pyrrha looked at the other two rising and tried desperately to correct her mistake. "Oh, no! J-Just go back to-"
"What's going on?" Nora rubbed her eyes. Pyrrha dropped her head into her hands.
"Is everything alright?" Ren asked, yawning into his hand.
"Pyrrha, will you just talk to me, I thought we'd had a pretty good heart to heart yesterday?" Jaune asked softly. All the voices, all the questions, it all grew to a crescendo that caused Pyrrha to snap.
"Just shut up! Shut up and leave me alone, all of you!" Pyrrha yelled, dropping to her knees in the doorway, sobbing into her palms. Nora looked at Ren, eyes wide with worry and concern. Jaune immediately got up off his bed and padded over to Pyrrha, kneeling beside her and wrapping his arms around her. "Get off me."
"No. You shut up." Jaune said, rubbing her back in soothing circles. "You're not okay, and you'll continue to not be okay unless you let us help you."
"Why do I matter so much?" Pyrrha looked up at him, eyes filled with glossy tears in the dark room. Jaune breathed out heavily, icy pain gripping his heart.
"H-How can you say that?" Jaune blinked. "How - after everything - can you say that?"
"Because...I'm a mess...I-I can't sleep, and when I do, I see her...about to kill me. I wish she did."
"Shut. up." Jaune snapped. Pyrrha blinked at his anger. "Don't ever say that to me or anyone ever again, do I make myself clear?"
"Wh-
"Pyrrha!"
"Y-Yes." She muttered, eyes clearing as she blushed. "I'm sorry...I'"
"You're only human, Pyrrha." He hugged her to his chest as they both sat in the doorway to the bathroom, cold tiles on one leg, warm carpet on the other. "You need to remember that."
"Mmm." She balled up his hoodie in her hands, sniffing into his neck. Jaune looked up at Ren and Nora and gave a small smile.
"Try and go back to sleep guys. I've got this." he whispered softly over her head.
Ren and Nora nodded, sharing a worried glance before laying back down, trying to let sleep drift over them again. It wasn't easy. Jaune hushed Pyrrha softly, stroking her back.
"Hey..." he smiled, stroking her ponytail through his fingers. "Your hair's tied up again. I missed that. I always liked your warrior wolf tail." he grinned as she gave a mix between a sob and a chuckle. He sobered and kissed her hair. "You're not the only one who has nightmares, Pyrrha."
She extradited herself from his neck, looking up into his puffy eyes. "Y-You do?"
"Of course. I thought you'd died, Pyrrha. It still haunts me how nobody told me if you were alive or dead, for...gods, for almost a full twenty four hours I thought I'd lost you." Jaune breathed a quiver in his throat. Pyrrha hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck again.
"I'm so sorry."
"Shhhh...shhhh...it's okay." he breathed, blinking the hot stinging tears down his cheeks. "We'll get there."
...
Sunlight began to well up over the horizon in hot tears of pastel orange and inky pink. Jaune awoke at his alarm, going on muscle memory to swat at his right, finding nothing there but cool air. He opened his crusty eyes, noticing how the first thing he saw was the edge of Ren's bed, and how distant his alarm sounded. It was on his bedside table. He was not in his bed.
He looked around and saw he was sat and leaned back against the Bathroom door frame. Then he felt her shift, felt her arms tighten around his waist. He looked down and there she was, sound asleep and hugging him around his middle, curled up against his lap, her head nestled in the crook of his left elbow.
He sighed and stroked the hair out of her still shut eyes, her gentle breaths painting warm spots over his hand. He gingerly extradited himself from her grip, laying her gently on the carpet as he padded over to shut up his alarm. Jaune rubbed his face as Nora and Ren began to stir.
He padded back over to Pyrrha, gently hooking an arm under her knees and around her back, bridal style. The Arc hefted her up gently, pacing over to her bed to softly place her on the crisp bedding, but found it covered in her strewn armor. He huffed and instead placed her on his bed, before heading to the bathroom to empty his bladder.
Content, he brushed his teeth and ruffled his hair in the mirror, before rejoining the slowly waking team.
"Say, Ren?" Jaune asked.
"Mmm?" his tired magenta eyes blinked at him.
"When do classes start up again?" Jaune asked as he arched his back, a few pops echoing. Ren tapped his chin.
"In a weeks time I believe. First week is for students to return and reacquaint themselves with everything...and everyone." Ren threw his covers off, yawning into his palm. Nora was still slowly joining the land of the living, sat in her bed hugging her sloth, eyes fluttering shut again. Ren huffed and walked around his bed to poke her nose, waking her with a gasp.
"Boop. C'mon. We gotta get up."
"Okay Renny." She yawned, throwing her own covers off. Jaune simply stared at Pyrrha, sound asleep on his bed. He knelt beside her, stroking the hair out of her eyes. He smiled as she gently breathed slow and languid huffs. He stopped himself, flinching his hand away, furrowing his brow at the hand like it had done the heinous act on it's own.
"What're you doing, man?" He sighed to himself, getting up and rubbing his face up and down, shaking his head to the ceiling.
"Jaune. You err, gonna shower, or..." Nora asked, head peeked around the door frame. Jaune shook his head.
"After breakfast. You go ahead."
Thanks Jaune, you're the best." She sung, shutting the bathroom door with a click.
"Nora, I'm still in here!" Ren's muffled yell sounded.
"Oh you've seen it all before, stop being a baby!"
Jaune chuckled and massaged his chin thoughtfully, looking at the armor on Pyrrha's bed. He set to work organizing it better, stacking the plates on one another, corset at the head of the bed and circlet rested on the pillow. He folded up her sash and set the fabric down at the side of the armor set, before opening his bedside table's drawer, fishing out a notepad and pen, scribbling a note.
Hey Pyrrha,
Gone to breakfast. We let you sleep in, figured you needed - and deserved it.
Please don't ever think like that again. We need you so, so much. I need you so much.
He set it down on her bed, writing one last thing before leaving.
Missed your wolf tail, warrior.
...
Jaune stepped into the cafeteria, sighing to himself. "Seems like all I do is sit in here." He shook his head, walking in to see team RWB sat at their usual spot. Ruby's face lit up and her hand waved over the crowd. Jaune grinned and sat down next to Blake, looping an arm around the Faunus' shoulder, startling her from her book.
"Morning Blake. Ruby, Weiss." he nodded to them all. He let his arm fall off Blake's shoulders and she smiled lightly.
"Morning Jaune. Are you okay, you look tired." Blake said with honest concern.
"Didn't err...have a good nights sleep." he shrugged. "You? You guys err...sleeping okay?"
The three members all exchanged looks and shrugged in unison.
"Ish." Ruby huffed. Jaune nodded, slapping a rhythm into the table as he looked over Blake's head at the front of the hall.
"What's the slop on the menu today then?" Jaune asked, Weiss giving a wry smirk.
"Oatmeal, that I think was made during the great war." Weiss stuck out her tongue with a groan, repulsed. "Honestly, I'd kill for some atlas toast right now." The heiress huffed, crossing her arms almost stroppily.
"Just eat your nuclear oatmeal, Weiss." Ruby added, eating a spoonful and grimacing. "On err...on second thoughts...yeaaaahhh, don't."
"I told you, Ruby." Weiss frowned, eyes darting to Jaune. "What's wrong?"
"Huh?" Jaune snapped back to reality. "Oh, sorry. Just uh...thinkin."
"About?" Blake shut her book, golden eyes focusing on Jaune. He smiled at their support and shrugged.
"Ahh, you know...just how things are at the minute." Then his eyes widened, licking his dry lips. "Hey, did you guys see what that...purple haired asshole wrote on the timeline last night?"
"On BeaconBook? No." Weiss leaned over to see as Jaune fished out his scroll, opening the app and scrolling up till he found it. He snarled and showed the screen to the three friends. They all gasped collectively.
"Oh that's it! He's dead meat!" Weiss stood up, rolling up her frilly sleeves, only for them to roll straight back down again. She grit her teeth and stepped out of the bench, Ruby grabbing her arm.
"Uh uh." Ruby shook her head. Blake growled, ears low to her scalp as she scanned the hall for him. Jaune huffed and set his scroll away, shrugging.
"So yeah, once again, he's doing more damage to Pyrrha. Honestly, I'm gonna hit him next time I see him." The Arc hissed, fists paling on the table.
"Hit who? Ooooh! Can I help?!" Nora exclaimed as she sat down next to Weiss, Ren right next to her.
"Jaymes Irkwood." Weiss snapped.
"Ickford." Ruby corrected, pushing her oatmeal away.
"Who cares, he's despicable and I hate him." Weiss frowned, crossing her arms. Nora raised an eyebrow.
"What happened?" The Valkyrie deadpanned. Jaune opened his scroll and showed her. "That...RAT! Ooooooh he makes me soooo angry, Ren!"
"Me too." The stoic male grumbled.
"If he was on fire, I would not care." Blake mumbled, Jaune snorting beside her.
"Uhhh, Jaune...out of interest - totally unrelated - What's the earliest time we can check out our weapons, and where is he?" Nora asked sweetly. Jaune grinned at her, shaking his head.
"Guy is a douche." Ruby added, picking some sleep out of the corner of her eye. "Like, doesn't he see it was an accident?"
"Mmm, not everyone is as amazing and understanding as you all are." Jaune gave a weak smile as they all beamed at him, touched by his words. "Ah, whatever. He won't get anywhere, I reported it to Goodwitch. Hopefully she'll take it down."
"She will. We all saw how she defended Pyrrha yesterday." Weiss shrugged, examining her nails. She flit her eyes up to movement in the doorway, snarling. "Speak of the pig, and he'll roll in the mud."
"Huh?" Ruby raised a brow.
"It's a saying."
"I never heard that one before."
"I MADE IT UP JUST NOW!" Weiss yelled, Ruby snorting.
Jaymes walked in, padding over to his team, unawares of the glares he was receiving. Jaune rolled his eyes and turned back to the table as his stomach growled.
"Hungry much?" Nora raised an eyebrow.
"Very. Long night." he huffed, standing to go get something to eat. Anything at this point. Blake watched him leave, and as soon as earshot was out of range, the girls hunkered around Nora and Ren.
"What happened last night?" Ruby asked. Nora gulped and looked at Ren.
"Ren. What happened last night?" Nora asked. Ren huffed at her betrayal.
"I'm not sure. I think Pyrrha had a nightmare, or Jaune did. All I know is I woke up to them yelling at each other."
"Oh...Not. Good." Weiss sat firmly in her seat. Blake worried her lip and looked at Jaune with upset in her eyes.
"Are they okay?" Ruby asked.
"I...It didn't seem like a proper fight, per se. Just raging emotions." Ren shrugged with a humorless curl to his lips.
"Yeah. I think Pyrrha saw his post on BeaconBook." Nora huffed. Weiss' eyes flared.
"That does it!" The Heiress stood up, wrenching her hand out of Ruby's.
"Weiss, don't!" Ruby winced as Weiss trotted across the hall, clacking her heels as she went. All Jaune saw as he turned to the sudden shift from conversations to low murmurs, was Weiss storming over to Ickford's table.
"Ah no." Jaune lifted the empty tray to cover his face. Weiss finally reached Ickford's team table, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned, hazel eyes looking up through his purple hair.
"Uhh Yeah?"
"Get. Out." Weiss growled every syllable. The hall went silent as they all watched the spectacle. Jaymes scoffed.
"W-Why?"
"Get out, or I will have the Professors escort you out." Weiss snapped again.
"But I haven't done anythi-
"LEAVE!" Weiss balled her fists at her hips.
"Pfft, whatever, Schnee. Think you're all that cos your family's got a lotta money? Big deal. You're about as important as the dirt on my shoe."
The room gasped, Jaymes shrugging and turning back to the table, unawares of Weiss' twitching right eye. She tapped his shoulder again.
"Urgh, wha-
SMACK!
Jaymes fell from the bench, lying on the floor as he held a hand over the welt forming on his right eye. Weiss shook her throbbing fist, uncoiling it and straightening her back. She cleared her throat and became prim and proper again.
"As I said. Get out. No one wants you here, so why don't you just leave?"
"Y-You can't just hit me!" He whined.
"She did. Lucky I didn't, asshole." Cardin snapped, looking over his shoulder at the small man on the floor. "Really think we need bullies at a time like this?" The Winchester mumbled into his cup, a guilty look in his eye. Weiss turned sharply and walked away, examining her nails, as the hall erupted in applause.
"I-I know what this is about!" Jaymes clambered to his feet, shoving his teammate away as he tried to shush him. Weiss stopped, looking over her shoulder. "S'bout Pyrrha! Well, I got 45 shares on that petition! See? That's how many people want her behind bars!"
"Pfft."
Jaymes looked at the noise, as Coco Adel stood from her bench, lowering her glasses to glare at him.
"We only shared that to get Goodwitch to notice it." The fashionista scoffed, Velvet and Fox nodding.
"How many people actually signed it?" Weiss asked with a smirk, cocking her hip. Jaymes stammered.
"H-How can you all be okay with this? She killed another student! W-Who are we if we just let that sorta thing slide?!" he cried across the hall.
"Pyrrha's friends! Penny's friends!" Ruby yelled, standing up on the table to see him at the furthest one, a glare in her eyes no one had ever seen in the thorny Rose. "What are we? We're good people who recognize when someone needs help, not threatened with prison! You? You're a...a...an asshole!"
"Oh yeah? M-My Dad? Yeah, my Dad's a detective! I-I'll tell him, he'll get Pyrrha put behind bars, for good, I-
A tap on his shoulder. He turned, his nose crunching at the blow as he fell back onto his spine again, clutching the broken body part. Eyes widened as Jaune shook his fist, gritted teeth swallowed behind his lips as he calmed.
"Dude? Shut. Up." Jaune huffed, stepping over him. Ickford lay on the floor, writhing, as Cardin grinned and poured his oatmeal over the boy.
"Oops. Guess I slipped. Oh well. Accidents happen right?" Cardin said with extra venom to let those last words and their hidden meaning settle. CRDL laughed and pointed, as Jaymes slowly climbed to his feet, looking at the high heels stood before him. His eyes raked up the shapely legs, to the black skirt, white pleated shirt, finally the narrowed green eyes and frown.
"Jaymes Ickford. It's come to my attention that you have been harassing a student who is under a lot of stress and upset right now, not only that but upsetting others at my school. I won't stand for it, or making petitions on social media to have one of my students put behind bars. You transferred here after the tournament, but I'm starting to see that as being a big mistake."
"M-Miss, I-"
"No. For bullying another student, and starting what could be interpreted as a cyber bullying campaign, You're hereby expelled from Beacon Academy. Please, gather your things and leave the premises. Security will escort you out."
"I-I...You can't do that!"
"I can. I am the Headmaster. And I will if I see you as a threat or a bully to any of my students. I suggest you make haste. You can return to your old school and tell them all why you're back there." Goodwitch snarled. Jaymes stared around the room, looking for anyone to fight his corner, but found nothing but hard stares. He swiped some oatmeal out of his eyes and pushed past Goodwitch.
"You'll be hearing from my father!"
"I'm sure." Weiss smirked as he stomped past her.
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out!" Jaune called, crossing his arms with a pleased grin. Goodwitch pinched her brow, but looked up as the room erupted with applause and whistles, all eyes on her. She held her head high and smiled lightly.
"Eat...Eat your breakfasts." She smirked and rolled her eyes, trotting over to follow Jaymes, to make sure he did leave. Jaune turned and saw Cardin look at him with a smile.
"Good work, Arc." He nodded, holding out a fist. Jaune at first flinched, but noticed the reason why. Gingerly he bumped his own to the Winchester boy's.
"Thanks Cardin. Nice work with the Oatmeal."
"Ah well, ya do what you gotta do." He grinned. Jaune made his way up to the front of the hall and grabbed a stack of toast and a foil pack of butter. He sat down at the table as they all stared at one another, each breaking out into grins.
"Weiss. You rock." Ruby grinned as Weiss sat down, huffing and flicking her fringe aside.
"What can I say? I have a gift."
"Err yeah! Like, smack a motha-
"Nora!" Ren snapped, the Valkyrie giggling. The table ate in comfortable quiet, until Pyrrha walked in, no longer dressed in sweats, but a crimson cardigan and some black jeans. She walked over to the table, offering a warm smile.
"Good morning!" She cheerily exclaimed.
"Pyrrha, you missed it, Weiss and Ja-mmph!" Ren covered Nora's mouth with his hand, but it was too late.
"Diiiiid what?" Pyrrha trailed, looking from Weiss to Jaune. "Jaune?"
"Ickford's gone. Got expelled." Jaune said before swigging back some juice.
"Oh!" Pyrrha held a hand over her chest. "Oh, that's...sad."
"Uhh, what?" Ruby exclaimed. Blake dropped her book to look at the towering warrior goddess.
"Yeah. Pyrrha, he was practically bullying you."
"Is that why he was expelled?" Pyrrha asked anyone in particular. The table looked at Weiss. "Weiss?"
"It's nothing."
"Okay, something fishy is-"
"Fish?!" Blake snapped her head up, drooling. Pyrrha carried on.
"...Something's going on, and I would like to know what, please." She crossed her arms.
"Weiss hit him. Jaune too." Nora mumbled.
"Nora!" The table yelled.
"Sorry, I can't lie to Pyrrha, I mean look at that face!" Nora pointed to the towering Nikos. The table looked up, blood running cold at her frown.
"You...hit him?" The cherry haired girl raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah." Jaune shrugged. "Guy was an ass."
"Very true, but I don't want you - the both of you - getting in trouble for fighting my battles." Pyrrha sighed sadly at the very idea of anyone getting in trouble for her.
"Goodwitch watched it, then expelled him." Ruby chimed in.
"Yeah. No harm done. To us anyway." Nora shrugged. Pyrrha huffed and looked at Jaune.
"Anyway. In a change of subject. Jaune, I'm sorry. About last night." She said as she held his hands in hers. "I shouldn't have thrown all that at you, it wasn't right."
"It's fine, Pyrrha. Don't worry about it. It's what I'm here for." he smiled. Pyrrha beamed.
"I...oh well, thank you all the same."
"No worries." He gave her hands a squeeze, before they both blushed and wrenched their hands apart, clearing their throats.
"I'm umm, going to go get some breakfast." Pyrrha got up.
"Mmm, yeah get in there quick!" Jaune nodded, more to himself. He bit off a bite of his toast, pausing mid chew at the eyes on him. "Wha?" Crumbs fell from his mouth.
"You two...are killing me." Nora massaged her temples. Jaune rolled his eyes, chewing his breakfast, unable to stop his eyes from peering out of their corners at Pyrrha.
...
With an eventful breakfast dealt with, the two teams made their way back to their dorms. Pyrrha stepped up beside Jaune as they walked, smiling to him. He tilted his head with a gentle grin.
"What's up?" he chuckled lightly.
"Doooo you like my wolf tail?" She flicked her long bushy ponytail back and forth. Jaune's eyes widened, acting as the puppeteer, pulling the strings of his rising grin.
"Yeah! Looks great, Pyr. Nice to see you getting back to your old self. Gods know we missed it." Jaune smiled softly.
"Mmm, believe me, recovery is a long road. I'm making my way down it though. You?" She asked lightly. Jaune shrugged.
"Yeah. Same." he forced a smile.
"Miss Nikos?"
The group all stopped, Team RWB walking into the back of JNPR with a thud. They staggered but caught their balance, looking up at Goodwitch. Pyrrha cleared her throat, stepping forward to meet the Professor.
"Yes Professor?"
"I have something I wish to discuss with you. Would you accompany me to my office." the systematic teacher turned to walk away. Pyrrha looked at her team nervously, but only received supportive smiles and thumbs up.
"It'll be okay. Trust me." Jaune smiled to her, that being the only real validation she needed. The other five smiling and holding up their thumbs was the icing on the cake. Pyrrha blew out a breath and marched after Goodwitch, disappearing around a corner at the end of the hall. Jaune sighed and looked at the others, taking in their confused expressions. "It will. Trust me."
Pyrrha caught up to the curvy Professor, stroking her upper arm through the sleeve of her crimson Cardigan. She looped a lock of red out of her eyes and bashfully glanced up at Goodwitch.
"Professor, am I in trouble?"
"No, not in the slightest. I just have a few matters I wish to discuss privately."
"Oh. Okay." Pyrrha perked up slightly, before it faded back to worry. "Is it about the Fall Maiden powers? I-I'm sorry, perhaps if I had fought harder, I-"
"Pyrrha." Goodwitch stopped pacing to look at her with disbelief and worry awash on her features. "You could not have done more." the teacher said so softly, admixing with a conviction Pyrrha couldn't help but believe in.
"O-Okay." Pyrrha studied her shoes, before Goodwitch took off down the hall again. Pyrrha followed.
Eventually they arrived at her office, the teacher unlocking the door and stepping inside, shutting the door firmly behind Pyrrha. Silence was all consuming, only the sound of Goodwitch huffing and clacking her heels across the room, over to her desk.
"First matter, Pyrrha, is this." Goodwitch sat down in her chair, gesturing to the chair opposite. Pyrrha nodded numbly and padded over, nestling herself into the spinning office chair. "It has been brought to my attention that you are without weapons now."
"Oh. Y-yes Ma'am. I lost Milo and Akouo in the tower." Pyrrha said glumly. "It's a shame. I adored those weapons. They..." A smile filled her being. "They were my Mother's." Her smile dropped and she shrunk her head between her shoulders as an icy realization settled in her gut. "Oh. Combat classes are starting up soon. I...I don't have any weapons..."
"Mmm. Well..." Goodwitch reached under her desk, groaning as she lifted something. "The clean up crews recovered...this." She hefted the round golden shield up onto the table with a thud. Pyrrha's eyes widened.
"Akouo! I...You...How?" Pyrrha asked, gently gripping the edges of the shield and lifting it into her lap, fingers running over the cuts and scrapes to it's battered surface.
"They gathered these as well." Goodwitch dropped a bag on the table with a thud. "I'm afraid your spear didn't fair as well."
Pyrrha set her shield down against the desk and grabbed the bag, opening it and looking inside. She sighed sadly and took out one of the melted fragments of Milo.
"Milo. You've looked better." Pyrrha huffed.
"I'm fairly certain Adhara's Blacksmiths in Vale can fix your spear. The school will cover the costs." Goodwitch said as she leaned back in her chair.
"I...Thank you Professor." Pyrrha beamed at her. "How can I repay you?"
Goodwitch sighed softly and stood, walking around the desk to sit on the lip of the mahogany, hands in her lap as she almost maternally eyed Pyrrha. "You can smile like that, more often."
Pyrrha blushed and lowered the sack of Spear fragments to her feet.
"How have you been? Are you comfortable? Are your friends looking after you, are you eating properly?" Glynda crossed her arms under her chest, raising a brow over the rim of her glasses. Pyrrha sucked her lip thoughtfully.
"I'm...I'm okay, actually. Jaune and the others have been helping me tremendously. Thank you for the concern. I'm just tired, Professor. Constantly tired." Pyrrha deflated, eyeing her shield. Glynda nodded thoughtfully.
"Mmm. I'm sure you're tired of hearing people tell you it'll be okay, and that you shouldn't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders..."
Pyrrha bobbed her eyebrows in agreement, fiddling with her fingers, wrists rested across her knees.
"But, it will...and you must stop trying to carry such burden."
Pyrrha looked up softly to the usually stern and well kept teacher as she sighed, letting a woebegone expression cloud her usually vivid green eyes. The teacher bent down to one knee and placed a comforting hand on Pyrrha's, giving the pale flesh of the teen's hand a squeeze. Green eyes met.
"I'm so sorry, Miss Nikos."
"Huh?" Pyrrha raised an eyebrow to the teacher. Glynda let her lips upturn in a wry humorless smile.
"Whether Ironwood, Qrow or even Ozpin say otherwise, I know we forced a horrible burden onto your shoulders. You should never have had to deal with all that." Glynda frowned to herself. Pyrrha's eyes widened and she bit her lip, mind racing like a gushing stream.
"I...It's okay."
"No it isn't, my dear. Being a Maiden is not a burden a young girl should ever have to bare. And, to throw all of that at you at such a stressful time in your life was not professional in the slightest. I am truly sorry for what happened."
Pyrrha beamed and sniffed, before wrapping her arms around the teacher. Glynda stiffened, eyes wide at the hug, but as Pyrrha's warmth radiated through her, she gingerly pat the teen's back, a small smile on her lips.
"I forgive you, Professor." Pyrrha smiled, reeling back out of the hug. Glynda smiled back and stood, brushing off the creases in her skirt. She cleared her throat.
"V-very well. That's all I wanted to talk to you about, Miss Nikos. Remember to take your shield and umm..." She looked at the bag of shrapnel. "Spear."
"Of course." Pyrrha gave a little laugh, picking up the shield and slinging it on her back with a metallic thump. She shivered at the weight on her back, and a flash of memories hit her. Arrow impacting the edge, fragmenting into embers and rolling around to form anew on the other side...spearing through her ankle. Pyrrha blinked and took the shield off her back with a start, content to carry it at her side instead.
"And Miss Nikos?"
"Yes, Professor?"
"If you ever need to talk, talk in a way you feel you can't with your team. My door is always open." Glynda gave a small shrug. "I may not be a trained psychiatrist, but I've been a Professor long enough to know how children tick."
"I..." Pyrrha huffed. "Thank you. I appreciate the support."
"Of course. Now. Off you go. Have dinner and get to bed early." the stern teacher became systematic all too quickly. Pyrrha straightened and nodded, picking up her bag of fragments and heading out the door.
...
Several hours passed in that time. Pyrrha stored the bag of broken Spear and her Shield in her locker, dinner was had, People shared gentle conversation, until bed time arose. RWB declared "Goodnight" and shut their dorm door, as Pyrrha decided to grab her weapons from her locker and store them in her room. She wanted them close. She wanted to check all the pieces of Milo were in the bag. At least that's what she told herself. The truth? The truth is she missed the feel of her shield and spear, their combined weight on either her back or arms. Even the bad memories they produced, she wanted to try and at least face them head on. What better way than with a Shield and Spear?
Nora lay on her stomach, humming a tune as she kicked her legs back and forth behind her, flicking through a magazine. With her chin propped in her palm, she flicked her eyes up to the Dorm's door opening. Red hair filed in, Nora beaming.
"Hi Pyrrha!"
"Ah!" Pyrrha startled, stumbling into the room, her shield leaving her fingers to cartwheel across the room. "Nora. Pleeeaase stop doing that." Pyrrha breathed heavily, hand over her heart.
"Oopsie. Oooh, hey what's in the bag?!" Nora shut her magazine, throwing herself off her bed onto her feet in blinding quickness.
"Oh. Well...it's my Spear." She shook the bag, rattling. "Was my Spear."
"Ah. Wait, did Goodwitch give you that?" Nora pointed a skeptical finger at the bag, then the face down shield. "For realsies?"
"The clean up crews found them on the tower. That was nice of them." She smiled, setting the shield down against her nightstand, bag O' Spear plopped on the bed by her armor.
"I'll say. Bet ya glad to have em back, huh?" Nora skipped across the room, resting her chin on Pyrrha's cardigan shoulder. Pyrrha chuckled.
"Actually, I am. I missed training with them. Sure, I have to get Milo rebuilt, but Professor Goodwitch said the school would cover the costs. I can afford it, but...still, it's nice."
"Mmm. Ooh! Ren's making pancakes! Want some?!" Nora jumped into the small space between Pyrrha and her bed, the Invincible girl reeling back from the sudden blurry mass of turquoise and orange that filled her vision. "C'mon, you know ya do!"
"Pancakes sound lovely." Pyrrha hummed, looking at her strewn armor. She worried her lip and her brows pinched, Nora catching onto the action.
"You okay?" The Valkyrie asked tenderly. It wasn't often that the softer, calmer side of Nora exposed itself, Jekyll breaking free of Hyde, but it was always there. If anything, it was refreshing to have such a chipper and sometimes crazy element to the group. Smiles and laughs seemed to be massively contagious around her.
"Have you seen Jaune at all?"
Nora bit her lip, shrugging. "Yeah."
"Well where is he?" Pyrrha took the note on her pillow, smiling at his handwriting, finger tracing the inky lines. Nora's eyes flit out the window to the rooftop above CRDL's room. Pyrrha put the note in her drawer and let her brow curl in confusion. "Nora?"
"Training." She shrugged, wincing under Pyrrha's befuddled stare.
...
"Alright Jaune, just like we practiced."
Pyrrha stopped herself from stepping any further, her hand pressed into the cool and lacquered texture of the double doors. She paused, listening to the voice...her voice. A perplexed crease overcame her features, before pressing her ear to the cold oak.
"Follow these instructions."
Pyrrha pressed her ear deeper into the wood, muffling all but what she was trying to focus on, her pulse drumming a rhythm in the foreground of her mind. The cherry haired girl heard a long drawn out scraping of metal, followed by a swish as a sharp blade was swung gently, cutting through the air. She knew the sounds blades made, she'd spent her whole life around them. Studying them, dodging them, swinging them. She knew that sound was a blade leaving a sheath. She swallowed thickly, hands pressing deeper into the now hot and clammy oak.
"Shield up..."
Pyrrha's eyes widened, pupils constricting as a swallowed gasp squeezed out of her throat, like a clenching fist around a hose. That was her voice...
"Keep your grip tight..."
Jaune was watching the training video she made for him! Before...before it all went wrong. Before the attack, but not before she'd made up her mind on the Fall Maiden conundrum.
"Don't forget to keep your front foot forward."
Pyrrha chuckled lightly under her breath, still trying to deeply concentrate on the sounds he was making, from shuffling boots on shelling concrete, to creaking leather gloves. She knew he always forgot that one. Curiosity got the better of her, a shiver running down her spine as she gingerly creaked the grand door open enough to peer around it, cold night air licking an icy path down her exposed cheek.
She saw him. She could see him, stood in his armor, sword in one hand, shield raised in the other, stance perfect. Balanced on the coping stone, with the backdrop of a deathly black skeletal CCT tower, was his scroll. The screen emitted a gentle blue glow, matching the sapphire in his reflecting eyes.
"Ready? Go."
With a battle cry of cracking vocals, Jaune lunged forward in a surely death inducing stabbing motion. A gust of wind irradiated out from the shimmering tip of Crocea Mors, the lunar light glimmering over the sword's contours.
"Again!"
Jaune reeled the sword back in, throwing the almost four foot long blade over his shoulder to pool momentum in his shoulder and elbow. His voice hounded in, before erupting in a yell on the outward swing, slashing with all his might, staggering slightly as the blade's weight tugged his succumbing body. Bless him, he must have been out here for a while by now.
"And again."
Jaune panted, but yelled turning around to swing downward in a slash that would without a doubt cleave flesh and smash bone. He panted heavily, lactic acid pumping course through his body. Pyrrha's eyes stung at how hard he'd been training, even when she wasn't there. Because he promised a long time ago, to never give up, to keep trying even when she wasn't there. He'd taken everything she'd told him truly to heart, to better himself, all to help those around him. He was the best leader she could ever ask for, her eyes welling with compassion and adoration for the boy. She pulled her head back behind the door, eyeing her feet, chewing her lip.
"Okay. Now, assuming you aren't cheating..." Pyrrha's training video laughed. "...We can take a break."
Pyrrha behind the door though, wasn't laughing. She missed this. She missed him. She couldn't look at her armor without feeling horrible flashes of violence, of impending death, of coming to terms with it, only to have it stripped away in the blink of an eye, and realizing that she was going to live, when she was certain her last seconds had surely ticked to zero. Pyrrha felt guilt over Penny, she felt guilt for hurting Jaune. But what nobody else seemed to realize was the pain she was feeling moreover was the idea of staring into the abyss of death, embracing it and accepting it, saying your goodbyes to all you loved mentally, wondering what the black expanse of death was like (Was it white? or gold? Who knows but the dead?) and having it all wrenched away the moment your clock hit zero, and the arrow pulled to full tautness in the bow.
Pyrrha flit her eyes up and peered around the door again as Jaune stood up tall with pain in his azure eyes, watching the video on his scroll with a heaving chest.
"I know this can be frustrating...and it can feel like so much effort to progress such a small amount...but...I want you to know that I am proud of you..."
Pyrrha bit her lip and closed her eyes, steeling herself to just open them enough to see him. See the way he stared at her in that video, the way it pained him, knowing that this video was surely made after she'd decided to become the Maiden, and definitely twenty four hours before she fought Cinder.
He was in so much pain, just like she was, and yet here he was, training, wearing his heavy armor, swinging his heavy sword, fighting through the weight of feeling low, because he made her a promise to always practice.
"I've never met someone so determined to better them self. You've grown so much since we started training..."
Pyrrha stood up with a new found determination and walked away, back to her dorm with a fire burning in her green eyes. On the balcony, Jaune stared at the video screen, of Pyrrha speaking directly to him in a way she hadn't since before it all went wrong. Before their relationship was cracked, scattered in particles to the wind. He knew those pieces were still in reach, he just had to man up and find them, piece the puzzle of them back together! His sapphire pearls flit back to the screen, sword in one hand, shield heavy in the other.
"And I know this is just the beginning."
He was stood exactly where she filmed this. Where Ozpin's tower was a monolith of vivid green in her background, here - in the present - it was a dull carcass, skeletal and broken, an epitaph to all that happened on the night the Vytal Tournament collapsed.
"Jaune..."
She said, and his eyes closed, biting his lip at the soft regal tones saying his name, taking what he thought was dull and listless and making it sound like forbidden fruits. Oh how he felt their relationship had become exactly that. Forbidden fruits.
"I...I..."
Very rarely did Pyrrha stutter. Very rarely did something overcome the regal and self sure woman. But that was exactly it. She wasn't self assured. She was insecure to her deepest core. Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible girl, she was self assured, because she was an image pandered to an audience held greater. But Pyrrha? His innocent Pyrrha who slept with her socks on because she had bad blood circulation to them, his Pyrrha who slept with the light on till she was eight because she was afraid of the moon, his Pyrrha who fumbled her words when in his presence because he was too blind till too late to see she loved him!
His Pyrrha was just a girl. A girl that needed his help.
"I want you to know, that I'm just happy to be a part of your life."
On the screen, her gloved hands came up to cup over her heart, an adoring smile on her face. He heavily sighed, resting his sword wielding knuckles on his brow, as he realized this was what she assumed may well be her last chance to convey to him how she felt. She never thought she'd have the courage to kiss him in what she assumed to be her last moments.
"I'll always be here for you Jaune." She smiled, before the video ended, rewinding to the start again. He stepped forward and bent down, clinking the blade as it lay on concrete, freeing his hand to stop the video and shut his scroll. The glow it emitted had vanished, leaving his face dark and his eyes cloudy.
"So umm...partner?"
Jaune's eyes widened and he quickly stood, turning around. His eyes bulged further and his sorrow curved lips upended into a beaming smile. Stood before him, her armored attire on, sash billowing in the gentle night breeze, Circlet proudly donned on her head, Pyrrha smiled, Akouo in one hand and a training sword in the other.
"Doooo you want a training video, or the real thing?" she smirked playfully, lifting her shield and raising the grey training blade. Jaune grinned eagerly and lifted Crocea Mors, over the top of his shield.
Now? Now was when they truly started to heal.
Author's Notes: So aww! Who liked that, huh? I took several parts of Volume 4 I liked and tried to incorporate it into this. What did you think? Did I pull it off? Was it any good? Please let me know with your wonderful reviews!
Take care guys, and I'll see you next week. Next week? Weekend at Burnie's (Tiayang's)