Author's Notes: Hey! So, I lied. Well, I didn't lie, I just didn't finish writing it. The Neo chapter is coming, but I wanted to do a Pyrrha chapter. My favorite episode of Vol 4 was Kuroyuri. To get that back story on Ren and Nora definitely brought them forward into a new light, making them probably the best developed characters in the show, because we got to see their past, how they came together. I always wanted an episode like that for Pyrrha, for the incredibly wonderful and interesting Spartan I adore. Then, they killed her off, and I was pissed. After Kuroyuri, I was even more pissed, because Pyrrha - and Jaune needed episodes like that!
So, for this fic, I've written this. And man, it was a lot of hard work. A speculative, and A.U take on Pyrrha's childhood up until the present. I hope you like it , and I could definitely use some feedback on this one, because I took a lot of creative liberties that will either be good, or backfire.
Hope you enjoy, and I'll speak to you at the end! - Dave
Act One: Chapter Eight: Pyrrha Nikos
...
"Mommy look! It's so fluffy." The little red haired girl giggled, fingers lightly running over the wriggling insect.
"Pyrrha! Oh, you have no idea where that's been!" Her Mother stormed over, worry in her eyes and authority in her voice. The child - stunned by the sudden outburst and overcome with worry that she was in trouble - shrunk in on herself and blushed deeply, mud covered hands cupping over the small colorful creature.
"But it's pretty... and I found it." The six year old mumbled, shuffling bashfully under her Mother's stare.
"Put it back in the garden, Pyrrha." She frowned, vermilion brows knitted together. Pyrrha's bright green eyes widened up at her Mother, pleading.
"B-But, Mo-
"Now, young lady." The Nikos Matriarch pointed to the door of which her daughter just came. Pyrrha sniffed and looked past her Mother to the giant marble room, glossy surfaces reflecting her prim and proper dinner guests, all looking at the six year old with a slight air of disgust to her muddy antics. "Pyrrha, now I said!"
"FINE!" Pyrrha stamped her foot, turning and stomping out of the door into the garden. Her Mother instantly softened and dropped her face into her palm, groaning as she massaged her brow.
"I hate telling her off, so much." She sighed, turning back to her guests. They all slapped on plastic smiles, a room pungent with perfume. She sat at the head of the gold etched table, fancy silverware clinking as she tugged her seat back in.
"It's okay, Juno. She's just an... excitable average six year old." A frost white haired woman at the opposite end of the table smiled, taking a swig of wine like it was water. "You're a wonderful mother."
"Thank you Willow." Juno smiled weakly, biting her lip as she looked out the huge decorative window to the Grecian gardens. Pyrrha sniffed and frowned, wiping her eyes with the heel of her free hand, bending down by a bush of lilac. Bees buzzed from plant to plant, cobwebs bridged silken skein from branch to branch, the tiniest of ecosystems existing under mankind's nose.
Pyrrha whimpered with glassy eyes at her telling off, and having to give up her newfound friend.
"W-Why ca-can't I have friends?" She whispered to herself through little hiccuping gasps, having to watch the colorful Caterpillar leave her hand, it's irradiating warmth removed from her palm. As it slowly wiggled up the leaves, Pyrrha frowned and stood up at her full three feet height. She sniffed and wiped her nose, smearing a track of dry mud across her nasal.
Sniffling she padded with a slouch around the maze of garden's outside the monolithic Nikos residence. Huge colonnades of carved marble glistened in the mid day sun like inlays of diamonds, above the massive gardens and their pollinating plants. The little red haired girl was made no cheerier by the chirping birds frolicking in the fountain, flicking reflective jewels of water up into the air.
It did give her something to look at though, as she sat on one of the small oak benches by an overhanging birch tree. Emerald eyes, dulled by upset and neglect, watched with barely any interest in the chirping birds. Her eyes flit up to the deep blue sky overhead, to the hazy curve of the shattered moon, barely visible in the day's hold.
She gulped and narrowed her eyes to silently count the fragments of debris cluttering it's broken orbit. Her fear of the moon had less effect on her during the day. Maybe it was the lack of it's bright light, maybe it was down to the lack of the pitch black dark of night, maybe it was the two combined. All little Pyrrha Nikos knew was that the Moon was scarier at night, when it was at full power, when the Sun lay it's control over to the broken satellite.
She looked down to the bird bath again, to the jet black Jackdaw sat on the tip top of the womanly sculpture, her stone jug pouring constant water into the bath beneath. Pyrrha raised a brow at the much larger bird as it tapped it's feet down the sculpture's curves in a sideways manor. The smaller Robins and Finches soon vacated the glistening clear water of the birdbath to the Jackdaw, it's presence seemingly fear inducing.
Pyrrha however was captivated by the jet black bird, watching it nibble it's long charcoal beak beneath it's feathered wing. She gripped the edges of the bench and kicked her little legs back and forth, muddied red shoes flaking off their dried dirt. She watched the bird of blackness skip through the water with little splashes, beady red eyes turning this way and that in sharp jagged motions.
"Hello." Pyrrha said, gingerly getting up off of the bench and ever so slowly pacing over, timid steps. "My name is Pyrrha. Do you have a name?"
The bird turned it's head to her, cawing loudly, making her hitch a breath, but she persevered, aiming to be closer.
"Do you want to be friends?" She asked with a smile, just as the bird deemed her too close, flapping it's wings and taking off into the midday warmth. "Wait!"
Pyrrha sniffed and watched the bird disappear into the distance, her heart broken once more. Oh how she just wanted to have someone to play with! Someone to at least talk to. She scuffed her boots to the gravel and decided to do another slow lap of the gardens surrounding her house... her prison.
"Pyrrha? Are you out here, my dear?" Came the loud and gruff voice of her Father, a tone she recognized instantly. She bit her lip and tried to ready herself for the inevitable disciplining. Hands behind her back and putting on her biggest puppy dog eyes, she watched her giant father round the corner in his usual Mistrali garb.
A long red silken robe wrapped around his neck and cloaked over his right arm, bare chest beneath revealing broad muscles of a warrior. A leather pteryges skirt covered him down to his thighs, then his bronze greaves. His left arm bore a bronze gauntlet, which normally his Hoplite shield would attach to. He'd obviously just gotten back from a hunt.
A bushy red beard attached to his long wavy slick backed vermilion locks. Said beard and mustache curled up at the edges as he lay eyes on his daughter, hazel eyes filled with warmth. He sighed heavily and stepped over to her, Pyrrha bashfully swiveling the tip of her shoe into the ground.
"Am I in trouble? I'm sorry, really!" Pyrrha whimpered. Her Father smiled a small chortle and his huge hands easily swallowed her sides, picking her up and sitting onto the bench by the birdbath. He sat her on his knee and smiled to her.
"Whatever would you be in trouble for?"
"Umm..." Pyrrha pushed her index fingers together in an absolutely adorable display of bashfulness. "I brought a Caterpillar into the house."
Her Father erupted into laughter, the red haired 'Zeus' looking man slapping his other knee with mirth. Pyrrha gingerly giggled at his reaction. Was she still in trouble? He sobered into small chuckles, hands supporting Pyrrha's lithe back.
"That's my girl. No, Amica Mea, you're not in trouble." he smiled as he looked his daughter over, sausage sized thumb smoothing the messy hair out of her face. "If anyone's in trouble, it'll be me." He winked, Pyrrha smiling at him, her big rounded cheeks pushing up under her eyes, dimples galore on the six year old.
"Where've you been, Father?"
"On the hunt, little one." he touched her nose fondly.
"Grimm?"
"Mmm. Big one." He smiled as he knew those two words would instantly enrapture her to know more. Her emerald eyes widened as he predicted.
"What was it?!" she bounced on his knee, laughter leaving his lips.
"An Ursa Major."
"Wow..." Pyrrha's eyes widened even further.
"And..."
"AND?!" Pyrrha gasped. "What else?!" She bounced again.
"King Taijitu." he smirked as she bounced eagerly.
"Whoa... did you beat it?" She asked as he picked her up to set her on her own two feet. "Them?"
"Of course. Are you doubting your old man?" he chuckled, ruffling her red hair. Pyrrha whined and tried to shove his huge hand away, much to his mirth. He sobered with a sigh and rubbed his face. "Your Mother tells me you haven't been very happy lately."
Pyrrha's smile dropped and she bashfully looked to her instantly wringing hands. "No?"
"Pyrrha Nikos. You wouldn't lie to your Father, would you?" he stood up, smiling despite his imposing figure shadowing her. She fidgeted and looked away.
"I want friends."
"Hmm? I didn't hear you, Amica Mea." he bent down beside her. Pyrrha blushed harder with embarrassment.
"I want... some friends."
"Oh. Well, you'll be starting at Sanctum soon. You'll be fine, we worked hard to improve your shield work, didn't we?" He gently squeezed her shoulder.
"I know how to fight." Pyrrha mumbled, turning to him. "I don't know how to make friends."
"I see. Well, when they see you in action, my incredibly skilled six year old daughter, they'll come flocking to be friends with you!"
"You think?" Pyrrha asked with a plea for it to be true. Her Father nodded with a thick swallow.
"Of course. You'll be the most popular one there." he chuckled, ruffling her hair.
...
"Eight years old, huh?" the teacher said with a fond smile, nodding to the brightly colored badge with the number eight pinned to her brown top. "Well, Happy Birthday, Pyrrha." She smiled, leaving the red head to continue coloring in her drawings.
"Thank you." Pyrrha said, looking around the room, at how empty all the chairs around her were. She sighed and frowned, looking back to her little book, scratching the blue pastel around the outlines of the clouds.
"We'll be getting ready for lunch, and then after that we'll do some gentle sparring. Gentle, remember, okay class?" The purple haired teacher exclaimed to her class as the little ones continued their light murmurs of conversation.
"Yes Mrs Lavender!" they all called back to their beloved teacher, a class of mixed hair colors ranging to each end of the spectrum, and a welcomed integration of Faunus children too. Mrs Lavender gave a curt nod and sat at her desk, looking at her watch.
"Ten minutes to lunch, so speak like this..." She dropped her voice to a very low tone, the children giggling at their animated teacher. "... And continue doing your drawings on what makes you happy." she smiled to the class of dinky seven to eight year old's.
Pyrrha put down her blue pastel in it's designated spot alongside the color coordinated others. She picked up the green and began to color in the trees and bushes, only going outside the lines a little bit. With her tongue poking out of the corner of her lips, she focused hard on getting it just right. She heard a flurry of giggles and looked up, short vermilion ponytail bobbing as she searched for the sounds.
She saw them. A group sat at a far table, smiling and giggling as they shared stories and jokes, coloring all the while. When one didn't have a color, another did and would happily share between them.
Pyrrha however had every color in the spectrum laid out beside her. She decided not to decipher the cruel irony in having nothing yet everything. She was only eight, but even at that age she could see what she wanted, and what she had, and where something was definitely missing.
"Hey umm... Pyrrha?"
Pyrrha looked up with a start at the bashful dog eared boy, scratching the back of his head, cobalt eyes avoiding hers.
"Hello!" Pyrrha beamed. "What's your na-"
"Can we borrow the brown please? Our table doesn't have one." he asked with a shrug. Pyrrha's smile dropped and she sighed, shrinking down on herself, picking up the brown pastel.
"Here you go." she handed it to him with a huff.
"Thanks." And he walked back to his table, his tail instantly wagging behind him at being the savior, holding up the pastel Pyrrha gave him, to which his table quietly cheered and giggled. She stayed sat alone and frowned, picking up the black pastel and angrily coloring in the white cloud over her house, not caring as she went outside the lines.
...
Lunch time was no different. Sat alone, Pyrrha opened her Pumpkin Pete's lunchbox and fished out her wrapped sandwich. She sighed and undid the plastic wrapping, lifting the sandwich to her lips and taking a bite. Emerald eyes scanned the playground, watching the other kids playing with a ball, kicking it to and fro, laughter echoing all around.
Pyrrha sighed and looked down at her lunchbox's contents. She was a star combatant for her age, down to her Father's training since she was an infant, and in such had to eat like one. A sandwich was as far as calories went, the rest of her meal containing an apple and a bottle of water.
She finished her sandwich in silence, until a ball skipped along the floor to her, the spongy ball rolling to a stop by her shoes.
"Can you kick it back?!" One of the children called.
Pyrrha smiled and put her lunchbox aside, picking up the ball and doing just that, kicking it across the playground towards them.
"Thanks!" They called, returning to playing. No invitation for her to join them. Nothing. She put it down to the fact they obviously saw her eating her lunch and didn't want to be rude. Yeah... that.
She perched back on the stone wall and silently ate her lunch, watching the other kids play, watching them form bonds, make friendships that'll no doubt last a lifetime. She looped some red hair out of her eyes and nibbled at her lunch, unawares of Mrs Lavender watching with a deep wash of concern in her lilac eyes.
So it came as no surprise that afternoon that she sat at her desk opposite Mr and Mrs Nikos. Lavender huffed and laced her fingers together, chin resting atop her twined digits. Hazel and green eyes watched Lavender, until she shrugged and looked at the window.
"I'm worried about Pyrrha."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm sorry?" both parents leaned forward, a rather perturbed look in her Father's eyes, and a concern laced plea in her Mother's. Lavender huffed and set her hands on the desk, sliding them idly back into her lap.
"Juno. Anaximander. Your daughter is a wonderful student. She's so warm and polite, does exactly as I ask-"
"So she's a model student. Perfect grades? Excelling in combat?" Her Father, Anaximander, leaned forward with intrigue in his gaze.
"She's an A grader for sure. But that's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried about her... forgive me, but her lack of friends." Lavender sighed, looking out the window to the playground.
"Pfft, my daughter? No, she's top of her class, they should be flocking to be her friend!" Anaximander laughed, Juno gulping and wringing her hands as she too stared out the window.
"You have a funny perception of friends, Mister Nikos." Lavender sighed heavily. "She's the best fighter in my class, she can speak fluent Mistrali, bar a few words - though that's to be expected of an eight year old - and can do math in her head even I can't. But her social skills? Zilch. Nada." Lavender huffed. Juno and Anaximander looked stunned at the statement.
"I don't think-"
"Look outside. Look at her." Lavender said with raw emotion. All eyes in the class fell to the tiny red haired eight year old as she stood alone in a sea of students readying to go home. Children laughed and ran around, while right in the middle with a wide berth, Pyrrha shuffled her feet and kicked a ball haphazardly, barely moving it a foot as the incline in the tarmac let it roll back down to her shoe.
"She's in serious danger of not being able to form any sort of meaningful bonds in the future. At this age, the most important thing is that she make friends, not be able to throw a spear into a damned bullseye!" Lavender snapped, pinching her brow.
"Oh my baby." Juno whimpered, desperately fighting that motherly ache in her belly to run outside and wrap her in a hug.
"But... she's top of her class, right?" Anaximander asked. Lavender froze.
"Yeah." She scoffed. "Yeah, she's doing great. Guess there aren't that many distractions when you can't make friends." she snarled. Quickly she calmed, sobering a sigh into her hand. "Mr and Mrs Nikos. Right now, I think it is imperative that you focus on Pyrrha making friends, or she will struggle with making bonds in the future."
"She will continue to train as we have done since day one, Mrs Lavender." Anaximander snapped. "I won't say this to my daughter's face, but friendships are not as important as developing the skills needed to be a master in the field."
"You surely don't believe that?" Lavender looked to Juno as she sighed and looked to her husband as he bare his teeth.
"I love my daughter very much, do not misread that. She's the best thing I have ever had a part in. Best thing I've ever made. But her social skills will pick up later on in life. I didn't have friends growing up, just my Father and his tutelage, and I turned out just fine."
"Of course." Lavender huffed. "I can't force you to change anything. But... I am deeply concerned for how this will affect Pyrrha in years to come."
"She will be fine. She'll do great things, I know it. She will be the very best, friends be damned. People who'll just drag her down. You'll see."
"See what, Anaximander? Because right now, I see someone who in the years to come won't be proud of the 'Great Pyrrha Nikos', but proud of being the man who trained the 'Great Pyrrha Nikos'... and oh, how there is such a difference between the two."
...
"YAAAGH!" She yelled, throwing her discus shield over arm at her opponent. Whistling through the air, slicing through the blue flesh of the sky, Her bronze shield clattered into his own, Anaximander staggering back with a hearty chuckle.
"Atta girl! Hah! Such an improvement!" he grinned, rolling his arm and massaging the ropes of muscle. Pyrrha huffed and stabbed her spear into the sand, crossing her arms and resting her wrists on the hilt of said weapon. Propping her chin on her arms and crossing one foot over the other, her emerald eyes darkened. Anaximander caught on, sighing as he set his own shield down.
"Pyrrha? Are you okay? I know the shield is a hand-me-down from your Mother, but she wanted you to have Akouo." He stepped over to her, care and concern laced in his gravelly tones. The beating sun of Mistral's summer illuminated the vivid pink flowers on the overhanging tree above, making them all look like vibrant lanterns of lilac light.
The shadows of said tree swayed to and fro in the gentle breeze, harboring them safely from the sun's roaring heat for but a moment. Pyrrha looked up at her Father and shrugged, lifting her head from her wrists.
"I'm sorry Father. It's not that. I love my shield. I love my new spear. Thank you again." Pyrrha smiled to him. "I could have bought it myself though." She frowned, her selfless nature bubbling up as always. Anaximander laughed.
"You shouldn't have to spend your winnings on weapons and maintenance. That's my forte." Anaximander chuckled, huge hand engulfing her shoulder.
"I have nothing else to spend it on. Nobody to treat." She huffed, pulling her spear out of the dirt and spinning it through her fingers. A mechanical gurgling sounded and the spear shrunk to a sword. Anaximander sighed.
"This again?"
"Yes, Father. Nobody likes me at that school!" Pyrrha huffed, sitting on the sandstone step of the Nikos family's private amphitheater. She hugged the bronze plating of her knees, emerald eyes darting to the sand as it washed gritty warmth over her bare toes and sandals.
"Jealousy is an ugly color." Anaximander sighed.
"And yet I wear it oh so well!" Pyrrha sarcastically grumbled, rolling her eyes. Her Father seated beside her with an aged groan, looking out at the lush green gardens over the top of the stone Amphitheater walls, where the sandy colors met the hazy blue sky. "If anyone's jealous, Father... it's me."
"Why ever so?" Anaximander leaned on his knees. Pyrrha raised her eyebrow at him skeptically.
"Because they have what I don't, Father?"
"What did I tell you? That friends will come in time, and that your training must come first for you to excel. I want you to have a bright future, Pyrrha."
"And yet the present is awful. I can't wait to leave Sanctum." She huffed, looking up at the lilac buds hanging over her head. Anaximander sighed heavily, lacing his fingers together and tapping his thumbs.
"Do you believe in Destiny, Pyrrha?" He asked his daughter. She lifted a brow and listened. "Yes, well, I suppose the issue with Destiny is a loaded question. Nearly everyone wants to believe in the concept. Of course, like everything, there are people who may believe that there's no Gods, no purpose and no point to life, but it's incredibly tough living that philosophy out in the day-to-day problems we endure." He huffed.
"You have grown into a wonderful young woman, Pyrrha. Blossoming with wonderful potential! I have never - never - seen anyone fight like you do at the young age of fourteen. It's incredible. You have a heart of pure gold... that you get from your Mother." Anaximander chuckled dryly. "Destiny is what you make it. What you make out of what you have." He sighed heavily, patting his hands on his knees. "You just need... to... talk to them."
"Huh?" Pyrrha looked at him.
"Go ahead and talk to them. See if friendships can blossom." He chuckled weakly with a shrug. "I see your incredible warrior skills in the ring, but... I must admit that I fear the rest of you is going to waste."
"Really?"
"Mmm."
"So... I should just... talk to them?"
"Yes. See what happens." he looked at her with a hard glare. "No boyfriends though."
"Oh no, of course Father." She chuckled, holding up her hands in surrender. She instantly hugged him, sighing into his neck. "Thanks... daddy."
"Whatever you need sweetheart." He smiled, rubbing her back softly. "As long as you make sure you have a Destiny worth living for."
...
The next day, Pyrrha woke with a smile, brushing her teeth and hair after a quick shower. She quickly dressed and almost tripped down the stairs. "Oof!"
"Pyrrha! Are you okay?" Juno asked from the kitchen, sighing relief at the waving hand as it raised over the top of the oak cabinet.
"I'm okay! Sorry!"
"Stop apologizing for doing nothing wrong!" Juno sung as she clicked Pyrrha's lunchbox shut and handed it to her, her teen daughter smoothing the creases out of her skirt. "So... why so chipper? Usually you're like a bag of rocks in the morning." Juno chuckled, hands on her womanly hips. Pyrrha shrugged, drumming her fingers against her box.
"No reason. I just... I'm going to try and make some friends today. Father gave me a few tips on how. I just need to... take some initiative I guess." She smiled. Juno kissed her forehead and smiled.
"There's my gorgeous girl."
"Mother!" Pyrrha blushed. "I'm going to be late. I'll see you later!"
"Have a lovely day sweetheart!"
"Thank you!"
So, soon the lithe athlete arrived at Sanctum, her smile replaced with a nervous curl as she paced into her class, sitting in her usual seat on her own. Though to her surprise, the four usually empty seats around her slid out and were filled with beaming girls.
"Hi Pyrrha!" they all said, scarily in unison. Pyrrha yelped but instantly calmed.
"Oh... hello. I'm sorry, I don't have much for you to borrow today-"
"No silly, we're here cos we wanna be friends with you!" The blonde exclaimed brightly. Pyrrha thought it odd, their sudden forwardness, especially on the day she was going to take the initiative. But, not being one to turn down a good opportunity, she smiled and offered her hand.
"That sounds lovely! I'm Pyrrha Nikos."
"We know! The Invinci-Ow! hey." A lime green haired girl massaged the back of her head after the obvious ring leader of the group smiled while retracting her hand.
"Don't mind her. Nice to meet you Pyrrha!" She beamed. "I'm Cider. This is Chartreuse, that's Dandelion and finally there's Lapis."
"Hey Pyrrha!" They exclaimed, Orange, green, yellow and blue all smiling to her. Pyrrha nervously blushed and grinned to herself. She was going to have to tell her Parents later. Tell them she had finally made a group of friends!
...
"Wowzers! You weren't kidding when you said you lived in a big house!" Chartreuse exclaimed as Pyrrha let her new friends into her house with a giddy bounce in her step.
"Yes, well... our family's done quite well."
"No kidding! So have you! We saw your match the other day! You're fourteen and earning some serious Lien!" Chartreuse chuckled. Pyrrha bashfully rubbed the back of her head, giggling weakly.
"Yes, well... it's not about the money to me." Pyrrha smiled humbly. "Come, I'll introduce you to my Mother." Pyrrha walked deeper into the extravagant Nikos residence, over glossy marble floors that made no more than a pitter-patter to their feet. "Mom?"
"Yes dear, I'm in the study!" Juno called, Pyrrha walking over to the adjacent door.
"Oh okay. Can we come in?" Pyrrha asked, as the door opened with a click. Juno's eyes widened with a beaming smile.
"Well, who are these fine young ladies?"
"My frie-
"Friends of Pyrrha Nikos!" Lapis bounced, grinning. Pyrrha shrugged bashfully.
"I see." Juno raised a skeptical brow. "I was just finishing up some paperwork. Your Father is out but he'll be back soon."
"Oh okay. I'll show my friends around and... go in the garden." Pyrrha smiled, Juno nodding as they walked away. Her smile dropped as she watched the teens following her daughter, at how they marveled to the extravagances... and not her daughter. She shook her head of such thoughts and shut the door once more.
"Your Mom seems nice." Cider smiled as she paced next to Pyrrha. "This home is huge though! What does your family do for a living?"
"Oh well... Mother works as a secretary at Haven academy, and Father is a renowned Gladiator and Huntsmen." She smiled proudly.
"And you're the Invincible girl!" Lapis exclaimed, Dandelion slapping her head. "Ow."
"I... Yes, I suppose I am. B-But just call me Pyrrha. We are friends after all, right?" Pyrrha asked with a gulp.
"Oh of course, Pyrrha! We're just interested in your family." Cider smiled. Pyrrha nodded to herself.
"Oh. Natural, I guess. Come, I'll show you the gardens." Pyrrha walked ahead, Cider dropping back to frown at Lapis.
"You almost blew it! C'mon, think of the big picture! We get to be the friends of Pyrrha Nikos. She's gonna get more famous as she gets older, and we'll be the friends who were with her through all of it!"
"Yeah... okay." Lapis nodded. The four "Friends" followed Pyrrha out into the afternoon heat, each breath of air hot and almost suffocating. Their eyes bulged as Pyrrha gestured lazily to the swing set, currently covered up Jacuzzi tub, and other assortments of toys.
"Whoa! I call the swings!" Lapis ran straight past Pyrrha, followed by the others.
"W-Well I-"
"C'mon Dandelion, don't hog it."
"Hey, there's plenty to go around! Grab your own swing!"
"What about the slide over there?!"
Pyrrha gaped and stammered to speak, but decided simply to sigh and try to engage in some fun. Instead she sat on the edge of the play area and watched them all swing and giggle.
An hour past of playing before Pyrrha got up and walked over, clearing her throat. Cider looked over at her, feet digging into the wooden chips to stop her swing.
"May I have a swing?"
"Oh. Yeah. Sure." Cider got up. "I'll go over there, hey wait up Dandelion!" Cider ran off in a laugh. Pyrrha sat on the swing, turning to face Lapis, who was also gone, just a slowly swaying seat in her place. Pyrrha sighed and looked over her shoulder at them all playing together, and a horrible thought hit her.
"What if they're just using me?"
She shook her head and let go of the chains, hopping off of the seat and padding over to them as they frolicked near the slide, the metal baking hot in the heat.
"Hey, Pyrrha, you got a pool?"
"Well... We have a Jacuzzi tub... if that counts." She wrung her hands together. "Umm, say, friends, wh-"
"Oh, what about a Spa?" Lapis asked as she slid down the slide with a loud squeak of skin on metal. Pyrrha frowned.
"No, we don't."
"Oh that's odd, usually these MANSIONS have stuff like that."
"What about a Tennis court?" Dandelion butt in, eagerness on her face.
"A maid?" Chartreuse asked.
"What about one of those atlas robots that cleans your house?" Cider asked.
"NO! No, we don't!" Pyrrha snapped, silencing them.
"Whoa. Chill out Pyrrha, we were just asking what you had."
"Yeah, you make a lot of money, we figured you'd have cool stuff." Lapis blurted. Pyrrha gasped and her eyes watered. The truth come out, not even a full twenty four hours after making "New Friends." Her assumption was correct. They were using her, for her spoils, her family's wealth. It cut deeper than any dagger could.
"Get. Out." Pyrrha's fists shook by her hips as she stared at her feet, the lump in her throat growing steadily heavier and thicker.
"Huh? But Pyrrha, We're friends-"
"GET OUT! You're not friends, you're just... just... Opportunists! F-Freeloaders! PARASITES!" Pyrrha yelled, diamonds of salty water wobbling under her emerald eyes.
"Hey, that's uncalled for-"
"You're using me, because I make winnings from fights, and buy all this... useless stuff to fill the void of having no one! Now get out!"
"Suit yourself. Be lonely." Cider snapped, jumping off the slide. "C'mon guys. Invincible girl's had enough of us." She spat, walking around Pyrrha as her tears splatted down onto the toes of her shoes. One by one they walked away, through the side gate of the garden. As soon as it shut, Pyrrha burst, sobbing uncontrollably as she crushed the slide with her semblance, her hands glowing jet black and folding steel like it was flimsy paper. When the slide was a ball of crushed steel, she turned and ripped the chains of the swing set apart, and all the other playthings she'd accumulated to fill the void of loneliness.
She ran into the house, unable to see through the blurry vision of salty tears. Juno immediately stood from her desk at the muffled sounds she knew all too well as crying. Opening the door, she watched Pyrrha run down the hall into her bedroom, slamming the door.
"Pyrrha?!" She stepped out and padded over to the door, marked 'Pyrrha's room. Stay out please.' "Amica Mea, what's wrong?"
"I hate everyone! I hate everything!" she cried through the door. "They u-used me, Mom! For m-my name... my... useless toys! I feel so stupid!"
Juno sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing heavily. "Oh honey. I'm so sorry. Open the door... let mommy in."
"Go away!" Pyrrha cried. "Please!"
Juno bit her lip to not cry herself, shaking her head to the ceiling.
"Why? Why couldn't she just meet some nice, genuine people?" Juno breathed. "I'm coming in, Pyrrha."
She turned the door knob to resistance, seeing the blackened cloud around the metal. "Pyrrha... please, let me in."
"No! Go away, please! Leave me alone like everybody else does!" Juno sighed and her motherly bond overcame Pyrrha's semblance, her hand dropping a gentle ribbon of golden light over the door knob, freeing it from Pyrrha's hold. She opened the door and stepped in, Pyrrha's bloodshot and watery eyes lifting in shock.
"Oh please, every Mother has the ability to overcome their child's semblance. It's a mystery of our evolution, a beautiful flaw, exploited by Mother's to help their stubborn, hurting children. But that's not important." Juno sat on the edge of Pyrrha's bed as her daughter buried her face in the pillow to sob.
"I really-gasp-thought I'd made some friends, Mom." Pyrrha sobbed, muffled into the cotton. Juno smoothed her hand down her daughter's back, hushing her gently.
"I know honey, but people can be cruel. They can forget that we all stem from the same earth... and treat everyone differently due to color, race, and wealth."
"I'd rather be poor... and have friends." Pyrrha sniffled. Juno smiled sadly.
"Mmm. Yes, well... Someday, you'll meet someone, I know it. Someone who won't see you for all of this..." She huffed, looking at the documents on Pyrrha's desk, a sponsorship deal with her signature at the bottom, 'Pumpkin Pete's' printed on the title. "Another Sponsorship?"
"Mmm... it expires when I'm eighteen. Seemed reasonable." Pyrrha sniffed and sobbed into her pillow, hugging it around her face.
"Four years. Very nice. I'm so proud of you, Pyrrha. Fourteen pushing fifteen, and taking on all this. But, it also concerns me. That you're losing out on a childhood."
"It doesn't matter, Mom." Pyrrha sniffed, sitting up with a broken gaze hidden behind the wobble of her tears. "Like Father said... I'll just focus on all this... my career. Friends will just use me." she looked down, her gaze lifted by the motherly grip on her chin.
"Not real friends, Pyrrha. They'll look after you, cherish you... I know it. Don't give up on people yet, Pyrrha. Don't give up on friendship or... even love. Don't give up on any of it."
Pyrrha sniffled, wiping her eye. "I'll try, Mom." She whispered hoarsely, looking at the wooden rocking horse in the corner. "I'll try."
...
Kicking her legs to and fro, hands wringing subconsciously in her lap, the teen worried her lip with her teeth. She looped a vermilion lock behind her ear, blinking her bright green eyes to the blinding mid day sun's rays. The day's heat was suffocating, having to breathe in barely satisfactory breaths of hot air, like huffing carbon dioxide. As customary to a hot summers day in Vale, the Cicadas were out in droves, deafening and constant chirps echoing through the meadow.
With leather heeled boots firmly hooked over one of the lower runs of the fence, Pyrrha played with her digits some more, closing her eyes and listening to the beautiful chorus sung by the Cicadas. Perched on the fence, she had a wonderful view of Vale's wide open farmland, stretching for miles, before disappearing into the hazy blue mountains.
"Hey, I wondered where you got to." Jaune softly said, Pyrrha startling and snapping her head to the sound of his tones. Resting his crossed arms over the fence post, he sat his chin atop his wrists, looking out over the fields.
"Oh. I just wanted a moment, that's all." Pyrrha shrugged, fidgeting on the slightly uncomfortable wooden beam. "It's a beautiful view."
"Yeah it is." Jaune smiled, relaxing his muscles to the calming warmth of the sun, and the chirping Cicadas. Pyrrha smiled lightly, pinching the fleshy tip of her index finger through her glove, bending it back and forth lightly.
"See a lot of farmland back home?" Jaune broke the quiet. Pyrrha smiled lightly and bobbed her shoulders once more.
"Not really. Mistral is quite... Mountainous, I suppose you could say. Not really a lot of flat land to grow crops." Pyrrha explained in her soothing regal tones that Jaune honestly could fall asleep listening to. They were that calming to him. "I... might have to admit - and it's slightly embarrassing - that I've never seen sugar cane before. Or wheat crops." She blushed. Jaune's eyes widened, lifting his head and climbing up the slightly rickety fence to perch beside her. He too kicked his legs gingerly.
"Really? W-Well what does Mistral do for food?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha smiled to herself. She enjoyed Jaune's company so much, that even little conversations about their cultural differences pleased her.
"We grow a few crops on plateaus outside of the main city, but... other than that, we have good trade in fish, and buy in foods from other kingdoms." Her eyes widened. "Oh! I almost forgot, Mistral is known for it's rice paddies. They farm near the lakes at the foot of Mount Krondokinni. Mistral is known for it's delicious rice dishes and sushi... Jaune?"
"Sorry, just trying to understand that gibberish you said back then." he shook his head. "Mount... w-what?"
Pyrrha giggled lightly and shoved his shoulder gently. "Mount Krondokinni."
"Yeah, Pyr, just saying it again doesn't help me out." Jaune scoffed. Pyrrha smirked at him with a roll of her eyes.
"Krondo... " Pyrrha said slowly.
"Krondo... " Jaune copied just as slowly.
"Kinni... " Pyrrha smiled.
"Kinni?" Jaune raised a brow.
"Krondokinni!" She exclaimed brightly, wide eyed.
"Gazuntite."
"Jaune!" She giggled into her palm, shoving him playfully, her leader yelping and falling off the fence with a thud. "I can't help it if your balance is all wrong." She smirked as he sat up in a groaning chuckle. Her smile sobered though, looking down at her hands. "I've just been thinking."
"About?" Jaune asked as he got up, dusting off his jeans. Pyrrha smiled lightly.
"My parents. Things back home, I guess. Things to come here." She huffed.
"Ah. The Vytal Tournament?" Jaune hopped back onto the fence, raising a brow. Pyrrha scoffed, looking up at the cloud of glistening insects swirling over the crops, reflecting the light on their wings like a hurricane of crystals. "Ah, we'll be fine, we've got you. You're the glue that holds us together." He elbowed her lightly, Pyrrha chuckling.
"Oh. well, thank you, Jaune." she beamed. He never once referred to her combat abilities being the only aspect she could bring to the table. Instead - in true Jaune fashion - he called her the important being who helps hold their team together. Even if she didn't fully believe the praise. "Thank you."
"What for?"
"For being you. Being my rock in a sea of... issues. I can always talk to you." She smirked and blushed. "You're my guilty pleasure."
"That, and chocolate." he grinned, Pyrrha's emerald eyes widening. "Don't deny it, I saw the wrapper under your bed."
"I-It was a treat, I had earned it." She blushed, flipping her long wolf tail of vermilion locks over her shoulder.
"Mmm... Ah, in all seriousness though... you're welcome, Pyrrha."
"Thank you. All the same." She smiled, shuffling over to him along the fence, before resting her head on his shoulder with a content sigh. Jaune visibly stiffened, before calming and eventually resting his head atop hers.
"Anytime, Pyrrha. You're my best friend after all." Jaune hummed. Pyrrha beamed and closed her eyes. "What flowers did you have back home?"
"Huh?" Pyrrha furrowed her brow, opening one eye to look up at him. He caught sight of the bright green eye and grinned.
"You were teaching me about Mistral. Sooo... what flowers? Back home."
"Oh. Well... in my Mother's garden, she had petunias, Lilacs, tulips. The Roses were pretty in the summer especially." Pyrrha chuckled lightly, Jaune smiling at her mirth.
"W-What?"
"Well, I once brought a Caterpillar into the house. When I was a little girl. Six, I believe. Mother told me to take it back outside... " She looked up at Jaune fully, biting her grinning lip. "I let it go into the bushes. Well, that Caterpillar went on to devour almost all of her lilacs." She winced. Jaune snorted and shook his head.
"Bad girl, Pyrrha. Bad girl."
"I didn't know it was that hungry of a beast! Bigger appetite than Nora." She shrugged, happily resting her head on his shoulder again. "Don't laugh! I got in big trouble." She sighed contently to the warmth of Jaune around her. "What about you?"
"Letting Caterpillars go?" Jaune asked, wincing as the closed eyes, content Nikos thumped his leg. "Ow okay, okay! I once tried to prank my sisters by propping a bucket of ice water over the door."
"Uh oh." Pyrrha smiled brightly as she snuggled deeper into his side.
"Yep. Didn't count on Mom coming home first and walking in. Splash! Biiiiiig trouble for that one." he grinned weakly, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. "Ah stupid things we do as kids."
"Mmm." Pyrrha's brow scrunched and her eyes opened. "Jaune?"
"Yeah?" He asked softly, content in feeling her vermilion locks ruffling against his cheek.
"I'm... thankful for you. You... you mean a lot to me." She hugged his arm tightly, closing her eyes and snuggling into his neck. Jaune smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, blushing at their closeness. He gulped and rested his head on hers.
"You mean a lot to me too."
...
When I think of destiny, I don't think of a predetermined fate you can't escape. But rather... some sort of final goal, something you work towards your entire life...
None of this was supposed to happen...
I'm sorry...
Do you believe in Destiny?
...
"With a quivering hand, she picked up the torch! Her legs trembled with fear, to the knocking within the closet door! Then - don't laugh, it's supposed to be scary - ahem - THEN! Then. Then she opened the door, and inside the closet was..."
"What?! What was it?!" Nora cried out, hugging Ren's arm tightly. Jaune grinned devilishly, taking a deep breath.
"It was... A HAND!" Jaune exclaimed, Nora and Ruby screaming and cowering into their partner's sides. Ren smirked and hugged the trembling Valkyrie, while Weiss frowned and tried to free herself from Ruby's incredibly strong grip.
"A hand? No way, was it Yang's?" Tai said, all of the kids gasping. Yang looked scandalized and hurt, everyone watching her intently for her reaction. It came as quite the surprise when Yang snorted and giggled, punching her Dad's arm.
"You jerk!" She laughed, Tai laughing too. Slowly JNPR and RWB shifted their nervous laughs and shared glances to genuine chuckles. "I gotta hand it to ya, good story Jaune, if it was a little cheesy." Yang sobered, hugging her knees and staring into the camp fire they were sat around. A warm orange glow flickered over their features, shadows dancing over their bodies like the reflective coils of light beneath the surface of the ocean.
"Thanks. Ah, thought of it on the fly." Jaune chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "So! Anybody else got any scary campfire stories?"
"I do! I do!" Ruby bounced, hand held in the air. Weiss scoffed.
"Oh please. I can already guess how your story will go." she crossed her arms. Ruby frowned.
"Nuh uh."
"Yes, I believe I do. A girl or a boy will be in bed when they'll hear a noise from downstairs. They'll get up to investigate and it'll be the cookie monster." Weiss explained, Ruby frowning harder and crossing her arms. "See? Told you I knew you too well."
"Well I don't know whether to be flattered or angry!" Ruby yelled. "I'm... FLATTERED!" she yelled, before knitting her brows and angrily pouting to the flames of the campfire.
"No. What you need is a truly well structured scary story with a beginning, middle and end, with a very sagacious plot. Allow me. Ahem." Weiss cleared her throat into her fist. Jaune smiled at the group, before sobering and looking to the house's front door. Blake nudged his arm, startling him.
"You okay?" she asked. Jaune nodded.
"Just... Pyrrha's been gone a while, don't ya think?" He shrugged. Blake raised a brow.
"Jaune, she went to use the bathroom. She'll be fine."
"Yeah, I know." he sighed. "Guess I'm just... a little overprotective of her still."
"I get that." Blake whispered over Weiss's story. "After what happened, I can see how her being out of sight for a while can... bring up old memories. Not savory ones either." She hugged her knees, cat ears flicking every now and then.
"Are... do you... " Jaune huffed. "Have you felt like that at Beacon? With Yang being here?"
"A bit, yeah. I worry she's in pain. But being here this weekend has helped massively. I mean, look at her smile." Blake beamed fondly over the lapping flames of the fire. "Doesn't she look happy to you?"
"Happiest I've ever seen her." Jaune grinned.
"... Then the girl took a deep inhale, before picking up the 'Schnee dust company' dust capsule-"
"No self promoting." Yang held a finger up. Weiss frowned.
"It's my story! Besides, who else makes Dust?"
"I dunno but I'm covered in dust, waiting for you to get to the scary part!" Yang grinned as she challenged.
"I'm setting the scene!" Weiss yelled back. "Now where was I... Ah yes. She took it upon herself to pick up the dust capsule and load it into the pistol. Then the sound came from the wall again. She was afraid, nervous-"
"But on the surface was she calm and ready?" Yang asked.
"Yeah, to drop bombs, but did she keep on forgetting what she wrote down?" Blake added.
"Mmm, did the whole crowd go so loud?" Jaune quipped.
"Yeah, did she open her mouth, but the words won't come out-" Yang grinned.
"STOP QUOTING LYRICS OVER MY STORY!" Weiss yelled, bouncing on the log she perched on. "Now. Where was I? Oh. And then she-"
"Boo!"
"AHHHHH!" Weiss screamed, hugging Ruby with wide welkin eyes. The collective around the fire burst into laughter as a giggling Pyrrha stepped back from behind Weiss. "P-Pyrrha!"
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist." the red head blushed. "I'm really sorry!"
"P-money that was gold!" Yang laughed, falling backwards off of her log with a giggly thump. Even Ren had to get a grip over his chuckling. Pyrrha wrapped her arms around the frowning Schnee, hugging her and apologizing over and over. She let go and padded back to her spot beside chortling Jaune, swiping a tear away from his eye.
"Pyrrha, that was so good!"
"Yeah!" Ruby laughed breathlessly. Weiss quirked a small smile.
"I-It wasn't funny!" Weiss tried to argue, but her own light giggling and twitching smile betrayed her. Pyrrha smiled and hugged her crimson cardigan around her waist, Jaune shuffling closer to her.
"That was really funny." he smiled fondly to her.
"Yeah, good one Pyrrha." Blake giggling in little hiccuping fits.
"Weiss' face!" Yang laughed breathlessly, legs kicking to the sky over the back of the log. "I can't breathe!"
Pyrrha smiled till her cheeks hurt, looking around at all of her friends, true friends who loved and cherished her. Her blush spread across her cheeks even redder, as Jaune found her hand in her lap and gave it a gentle squeeze. She looked up at him, two pairs of eyes filled with mirth and warm emotion, Before she rested her head on his shoulder, feeling his lips press into her red locks and his thumb smoothing over her knuckles.
She once tried to make friends with the wrong people. People who used her for her name, her title, her belongings. Turns out, that several years later, she'd be sat around a campfire, not just with her friends, with her teams, but with her family. With the people who cherished Pyrrha, not Pyrrha Nikos the Invincible girl.
She never felt more at peace than she did in this very moment, cuddling with Jaune by a campfire, swapping stories, laughing till their jaws ached at the antics of her greatest investment ever. Her investment in them. Her investment she paid for not with Lien, but with her heart.
Author's Notes: So that's that. Pyrrha's past, as suited to this Alternate Universe we've created together. I hope you enjoyed it. I love Pyrrha Nikos, she's the character that I tuned in to watch. Sure, I love all the other characters, but Pyrrha was something truly special. And her relationship with Jaune - growing from friendship to love was thwarted in literally five minutes. I want her back in the show, I really do. I didn't enjoy Vol 4 as much for many reasons, but the main one was the lack of Pyrrha and Arkos.
Anyways, ranting done, I hope you enjoyed, and let me know if you want character development chapters on anyone else. Jaune? Blake? Yang and Ruby's childhood? Weiss? So many childhoods to look at and help develop them. Stay awesome guys, and I'll see you next time!
- Dave