Writing this chapter hurt me bad. It's a bit shorter than usual, but I had to hammer this thing out while the iron was hot. I also listened to Forever Fall and Worthy from the RWBY soundtracks while writing this, so I would recommend you do so as well.

[Several Months Ago]

Pyrrha stood alone on the docks of Azura. Nobody dared approach her, keeping several feet between them and the flame-haired spartan—only the sounds of stifled conversation by those closest cut through the tropical winds blowing from the ocean. Each word carried a heavy weight that sunk into the young woman's heart.

"Is that her," a young man said to another.

"It has to be!"

"The Pyrrha Nikos!"

"She gotta be going somewhere special! Are we gonna be on the same ship?"

Pyrrha tried her best to keep a smile on her face. She was so sure it appeared fake to everyone around her. To the Spartan's dismay, anyone she looked at turned away immediately upon eye contact. It only reinforced that feeling of dread taking hold of her heart.

They were too terrified to even look her in the eye. Why would they even approach her? Was she that unapproachable?

Pyrrha took a deep breath. She counted from fifty on down by sevens, trying to calm her body. Fifty, forty-three, thirty-six-

Two young children burst from inside the crowd, making a beeline straight to her. So far, the only thing that brought a genuine smile to her lips was seeing them. A young faunus boy and a human girl beaming with joy as they scurried to her perch. Each carried a single parchment with some kind of drawing on it.

"Pyrrha," the young girl shouted. "We watched your last match at Sanctum! It was so awesome!"

"Was Simin really that good," the boy asked in an equally giddy tone. "I heard he lasted longer than anyone who tried to fight you!"

"T-Thank you," Pyrrha stuttered initially. A pregnant pause allowed her to regain her composure. "Yes, Simin Megistus is an excellent combatant. He did push me to my limits during our bout."

It was a lie. Pyrrha only allowed the fight to progress as long as it did for the show. She could have easily ended it in a matter of seconds. Only a few would really know that secret. Pyrrha needed to remain humble even in the spotlight.

It only caused Pyrrha to lament that hollow victory.

"Really," the girl asked in disbelief. "I didn't know anyone could do that!"

"Milo, Celestia!" A voice shouted from within the crowd. An older woman stomped out from the mob and into the circle surrounding Pyrrha. The second she laid eyes on the Spartan, her face contorted into extreme embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, M'Lady."

She immediately grabbed the two children and began dragging them away. Each dropped the parchment in their hands as they complained to their guardian, but she did not relent.

Pyrrha blurted out, "Miss, it's okay, really..." as they disappeared into the crowd.

However, her words fell on deaf ears. All that was left of those two rays of sunshine was the parchment they had left behind. Picking them up, Pyrrha looked over what had been sketched by the children. Each had drawn their own version of her final battle. Though crude, they were beautiful nonetheless. The kind of drawings any child would make in a frantic excited state.

They're so beautiful...

Pyrrha felt tears begin well up in her eyes. Her face became hot and flushed a deep crimson. The Spartan had to do everything to keep from breaking into a sobbing mess in front of all these people.

"They think of you as a hero," someone to her right said. Her voice only brought anxiety to the flame-haired girl. "You are the people's hero."

Pyrrha turned to face the source of her newest terror. There, her mother stood in a red tunic that matched her auburn hair. Her deep green eyes looked upon the girl with a steely glint that made Pyrrha feel so small. The dominating presence of the elder Nikos burst forth with each step she took towards the girl.

The Spartan's breath shook with each click of her sandals against the docks. When the elder Nikos came within arm's reach, the woman merely brushed her hand along her bangs and wiped away a tear cascading down her cheeks. Only her hands moved so that her mother tried to make her presentable rather than reassuring her daughter.

"You have clearly inspired the masses with your actions," her mother continued, slowly circling her daughter and inspecting her appearance. "They look to you for hope. A symbol of strength."

Pyrrha's heart did not ease its aching pressure at those words. Yes, she had achieved many of her goals; however, they still felt so few in her mind. Mere bullet points on a list. Meaningless with the effort and losses it took to achieve them.

"So, when you travel to Vale, I want you to remember these things," her mother demanded sternly. "You will continue to excel if you do so. And you will bring honour to the Nikos name and yourself." She grabbed Pyrrha's shoulders and fixed herself directly in the centre of her sight. "You will not disappoint me."

"I-I won't, Mother," Pyrrha replied, fervently nodding.

"Excellent," she nearly chirped. Finally, what seemed like a genuine smile crossed her lips. "Now go and fulfil your destiny. I expect nothing less."

With that, Pyrrha grabbed her things and climbed aboard the ship. When the sailors pushed it away from the docks, the Spartan's mother remained standing there on the docks with a stone-faced expression. That momentary crack of her mask vanished, if it was even real in the first place. It only left Pyrrha with that sinking feeling in her chest. That pit continued to grow with each passing moment.

She wished for once that someone would sit and have a genuine conversation with her, to no longer be the Champion of Sanctum and be Pyrrha Nikos. Maybe she could find that connection in Vale. Someone she could trust and be honest with.

Pyrrha so desperately wanted to be set free.

[Present]

Pyrrha's eyes opened to see the colourful landscape before her. The front yard of their manor was gorgeous this time of year. Many of the trees sprouted small flowers from their branches, creating a beautiful palette for her eyes to feast upon. It was only second to Forever Fall's untamed natural beauty.

Forever Fall...

The mere thought of it sent Pyrrha's stomach into a spiral. She leaned her head against a nearby pillar of the balcony, resting there as she stared off into space. Feeling the warm wind touching her skin, Pyrrha let out a low sigh.

Ruby had asked her a question that night. Pyrrha desperately wanted to answer the Reaper but was too frightened to reveal those thoughts. How could she? The two just stumbled their way through a simple back-and-forth. It had ruined any attempt by either party to address it.

Yet, Ruby was right.

Pyrrha felt like she was just existing here. Alone...

She watched Ruby and May play with Zwei in the front yard. The two enjoyed themselves so thoroughly that they never even noticed the flame-haired beacon sitting atop her perch. Yang soon joined them in their revelry, totally blind to the Spartan as she struck up a conversation with the other pair.

Things had hardly gotten better since she departed the isle of Azura. It was only by pure luck did she get ensnared by Yang, who made a comment to her in passing. Only a joke about Ruby and Weiss' confrontation after Ozpin's introductions.

It was good fortune. Otherwise, Pyrrha might have been entirely alone. Not one single person approached her after that speech. This was despite leaving behind her fame in Mistral.

When Jaune and Sun joined their group the night before Initiation, Pyrrha felt her heart skip a beat. She thought someone was finally going to join her. However, disappointment only grew from that meeting. The former knight only went to meet Ruby and Yang as Sun was only extra baggage. Yes, he found himself genuinely stunned by Pyrrha's presence, but that lasted for a fraction of a second.

In that moment, time felt like it had slipped away. She was being acknowledged on that intimate level by a boy who wasn't gawking at the Champion of Mistral. The first time anything like that had happened in her life. Everything seemed to fill with colour. Those butterflies in her stomach fluttered almost uncontrollably.

On the day of Initiation, Pyrrha wanted to try getting out of her shell a little. Jaune's glance gave her a ray of hope, and she tried to make her own introductions. So, Pyrrha followed him in secret after he'd awoken. Perhaps she could have found a private hallway to talk. However, her efforts failed when she saw Weiss step into view.

She'd failed to claim a companion, left as the third wheel to the other pairs. She could not find a partner for this dance.

From then on, it had not changed. Jaune immediately latched onto Weiss. Sun to Blake. Nora and Ren were cordial, but their hearts were set on each other. Yang constantly shadowed Ruby, acting as each other's best friends due to their inseparable bond.

Everyone was friendly, and Pyrrha did appreciate that, but she felt so left out. There was hardly enough room for just her.

She wished things were different. Maybe in another life, Pyrrha could have been the one to find Jaune as her companion? Having that hopeful knight by her side would have been enough. They could have grown as polar opposites, filling the spaces each was missing as friends and maybe more.

She wanted that hug he'd given her upon her revival. When she had died, and came back just to find herself being held in the clutches of that knight. Pyrrha had given herself up just for him to end the threat to their party and would do so again to feel that sensation.

The girl couldn't sleep as she listened to Weiss cry herself to sleep in Jaune's arms. Pyrrha was left behind to only snuggle into her blanket. Nobody to ground her and to act as that shoulder to cry on.

Pyrrha took a deep breath, thinking about that. She felt so stupid. But was it wrong to hope for that kind of fantasy?

The Spartan felt wanted when Yang leaned heavily on Pyrrha during Ruby's hospitalisation. The warmth that coursed through her veins when Yang held her for hours stoked that flame just a little. Enough that she didn't want it to end.

It was selfish of her to feel that way, but Pyrrha couldn't help it.

That ended as well when Ruby awoke. Yang went right back to caring for her little sister. Pyrrha was left to just sit by herself.

Forgotten. An afterthought.

Thinking about the night of the party, Pyrrha watched the two dance the night away. The smiles on their faces and the way they looked at each other made Pyrrha's heart quiver. The thought of that deepening personal connection, just to escape the vague acquaintances she'd always found herself in, was almost always on her mind.

Pyrrha felt jealous of her friends.

They were growing in leaps and bounds while Pyrrha remained stagnant. They each pushed each other to newer heights while Pyrrha found another ceiling. For all her efforts, Pyrrha could not escape the Champion of Sanctum.

How do they do it? How can Ruby and Jaune bring so many people together?

I wanted to join them? I wanted them as my friends! I didn't want to be left alone again!

Why am I just another faceless body in this party? People only talk to me if I come to them or Jaune's around...

I want what they have. I don't want to be the wallflower that no one thinks of. I want to be just like them...

The Spartan recalled when the entire party had come together to forge beautiful gifts for their leader. They did not think for a second about doing that for her. Yet, Pyrrha had died, and she was given nothing in return.

Pyrrha felt her eyes well up with tears once more. This time, her mother wasn't there to stem the tide. Pyrrha buried her face in her hands to muffle her crying. Her breaths sputtered uncontrollably as she choked on her sobs. The poor girl's body shook due to the surge of emotions.

Everything hurt. Her body and mind ached.

She stood up and instinctually began to retreat to her room. That private sanctum was her respite from the outside world. There, she could let the mask crack and break. Cry until she could only produce a hoarse whisper.

As she stumbled back inside, Pyrrha could only wonder if this was what her strengths had cost. To be powerful enough to take on a dragon single-handily. To slay half a dozen men in the blink of an eye.

Pyrrha wanted to embody everything it meant to be a hero. To be righteous and kind to those around her. To be an inspiration for the children that would take her place.

But what would that mean if she neglected the person behind the mask? Was this the result?

Just as Pyrrha weakly shuffled to her hallway, the front doors burst open. She ducked low to hide her puffy red eyes from any who would have seen her. The girl crept to the railing and looked over to see what the commotion was and found her heart racing.

Jaune half-carried Sun over the threshold, shouting commands at those around him. With each word, his orders were taken as a priority. His subtle charisma over the group became even more apparent to Pyrrha. The way he was respected by his friends implicitly.

Iris and Lily ran into the living room at his behest. Ren and Nora followed, moving furniture around and grabbing supplies from their kits. Yang and Ruby immediately went to Weiss to inspect her splinted arm.

Ruby immediately entered into a barrage of questions. The concern for her friend was clear. Yang looked Weiss up and down for any other marks, revealing that sisterly instinct. Both regarded her well-being as the most important thing to them.

"Girls, bring clear spirits and more clean bandages, please," Willow demanded as she entered the living room.

Descending the stairs, Pyrrha made herself look presentable when she reached the living room. All her friends had gathered there around an armchair where Sun had been placed. Pyrrha hadn't yet realised what had happened to the boy as she was so fixated on Jaune.

Sun's face was wrapped in layers of bandages. Ren began slowly peeling them back to reveal what lay underneath, to Pyrrha's shock. She saw the shallow cut made into his flesh above his left eyebrow. More and more were unearthed as the seconds ticked by, only showing off the extent of the damage.

Three long claw marks ran diagonally across his face. The wounds were bordered by swollen red tissue that forced his left eye closed. One began in the centre of his forehead, splitting his right bow at an angle. The second missed his left, cutting under it and through his nose to his right cheek. The gentle cartilage bisected, only held together by stitches. Finally, the last carved through his left cheek to his lips.

Pyrrha cupped her mouth at the sight of the gruesome injury. It was a miracle that he had not lost an eye. The others shared her reaction. Ruby was forced to look away, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Will you guys let me see it," Sun feebly demanded. "I just need to look at it."

Yang reached for a nearby table mirror and brought it over. Hesitantly, she turned it to face him. When Sun glanced at his face, the boy's expression fell further. His jaw hung slack as he pulled the mirror closer, tracing his fingers along the wounds like he needed to know they were real.

"Fuck," Sun gasped, shakily handing the mirror back to Yang. He then looked at Ren and Jaune. "Guess you guys gotta be the handsome ones now..."

Oh no.

Pyrrha watched the boy's self-confidence be torn asunder. Though he covered it with a joke, the Spartan could see it plain as day.

"I-It's not that bad, Sun," Pyrrha blurted out, trying to reassure the boy. "W-What if you cut your hair and grew out your beard?"

Everyone else turned to glance at Pyrrha. She could feel their eyes on her. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed by their gazes, hyperaware of everyone in the room. Their voices drowned about by the sound of her own heartbeat.

In Sanctum, when she slipped her battle mask on, Pyrrha could forget the audience cheering from the stands. Here, she could not hope to hide behind that facade. The Spartan felt her head start to swim. Her hands became clammy and shook uncontrollably. All she could focus on was the dozens of eyes staring back at her.

They stood as a group, and she was alone.

Just like always. This is what I get.

When Yang said something, the entire group turned back to face Sun. Pyrrha used that opportunity to quietly slip away and return to her room. Slamming the door behind her, a quiet sob escaped Pyrrha's lips once more.

That's where I want to begin with Pyrrha. Despite all these people around her, she still feels unfulfilled and kinda lonely. Pyrrha considers them all friends, but still feels as though she's missing something. She wants the connection that Jaune, Weiss, and Ruby seem to share with each other and the other members of their group.

And maybe she kinda had/has a crush on Jaune. She definitely admires him and wishes she paired up with him at Initiation rather than he with Weiss.

I also have ignored Pyrrha throughout this story. I only have a little blurb for her back in chapter 55. That single instance of accomplishment due to buying a house. I want to create more perspectives from her as we go into next steps of this journey.

So be prepared guys. In five or six chapters, this story is going to get rough.