This chapter is very long and very late. Honestly though I feel I should have gone more in depth with this but it was already more than a week so I didn't try and extend it further.

Side note the title doesn't relate all that much but I felt that it just suited Pyrrha as a whole.

But this is the 60th chapter! I never thought I would make this far at all, and most of that is due to the support I've gotten from all of you guys. It's incredibly really. There are over 70,000 views on this story and I'm still in shock. This was always just meant to be a little series I could fool around with and basically just project my different headcanons onto the characters, I never meant for it to get this long but I can't say I regret it. I know updates have been slow lately, and I'm not going to lie and say that part of that isn't because I've kind of lost sight for where I want this story to go as a whole. Still, I'm going to keep enjoying this as just a place to get my random thoughts and ideas about RWBY out there.

Just, thank you all so much for reading this story and lasting this long!

Pyrrha had always looked up to huntsman. Her parents were both retired Huntsmen, going on missions when it was absolutely necessary. But other than that, she could only ever remember them being there for her, helping her, correcting her stance when needed and shouting encouragement as she trained. They were her ideal, her goal. They were both a little older than the other parents Pyrrha knew, but they were hers, and they were amazing.

Her father taught her how to dodge, how to old a spear and shield. He was lithe and strong, bending and gliding at the smallest breeze. Pyrrha had nearly cried tears of joy the first time she ever managed to get a real hit on him during their training times.

He mother was a brutal combination of strength and speed. She taught Pyrrha how to hit someone where it counted. She let Pyrrha hit her as to show how to properly twist a weapon to get the most damage possible out of it.

Pyrrha always thought she took a little bit of both of them when it came to her fighting; took it, and made it her own. She could dodge and twist, but not with the same speed. Her blows were powerful, but quick, not decimating like her mother's.

Pyrrha also liked to think her personality followed the same lines, although she followed more after her father on it. She was always more serious than the other children, something her mother would often tease her father about. Still, Pyrrha was always ready to give a helping hand where needed, and ended up being well known around her school as the girl to turn to.

But if there was one thing that defined Pyrrha, it was her need to succeed. Her parents had expectations, never pushing them onto her too much, but the expectations were there regardless. Pyrrha really saw them the first time she brought back a bad grade. The downturn of her mother's lips, accompanied by a soft, slightly disappointed speech from her father, had been enough to convince her that failing wasn't worth it. So, she poured herself into her studies, her training too. She pushed herself further and further; until all she could see was her parent's approval.

Of course, she wasn't always with her parents, and as soon as she could she moved off to Sanctum academy. It was there that she learned that old habits die hard, and by that point she was too used to pushing herself to stop. She kept training, and training, and then studying, only to repeat the cycle again. It wasn't bad, certainly not when she ended up winning the Mistral regional tournament four years in a row, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something.

It came to her all of a sudden, when she had taken a moment to look at some of her classmates before class started instead of pouring over notes just in case. All of them were in little groups, talking to one another amicably.

Friends, she realized, that's what was making her feel empty. When was the last time she had ever called anyone her friend?

She helped students with tutoring, and was always ready to give a few combat tips. Nobody there ever talked to her more than necessary, and suddenly the loneliness was crushing her.

Half-way through the last year at Sanctum academy, Pyrrha tried to make friends. It went about as well as one would expect. No one would talk to her- at least, not in the way they talked to her other classmates. They danced around her careful questions, averting their eyes, or making excuses to leave as soon as possible. Pyrrha didn't understand it, not completely. Sure, she was well known for her accomplishments, but surely that didn't make her unapproachable as a person. Right?

Wrong. So very, very wrong. Pyrrha only found that out when she overheard two of her professors talking.

"Miss Nikos concerns me though."

"Why? She is exceptionally bright- she even won the Mistral Regional tournament for the fourth time this year."

"But what is that doing for her as a person? I haven't seen her interact closely with any of her peers."

"She talks to them on a regular basis. By this point I'm pretty sure half the school depends on her for homework help."

"But what about friends? Real friends? I've seen her in the classroom, everyone is too afraid to challenge her or go against her because of her rankings. She's practically a celebrity at this point, but she's only 17, I can't even imagine what that must be like."

Pyrrha had left after that, something in her stomach churning. That teacher had been right, and Pyrrha saw the evidence for it far too quickly after overhearing them.

Pyrrha had been building a gap, she realized, around herself. Starting so early on she couldn't even pinpoint the exact moment, she had constantly been pushing herself, driving herself, trying to be the best she could; now, she was too high up for anyone to dare try and reach, and all she wanted was to find a way down.

There was no ladder though, no set of stairs that could put her on the same level as her classmates saw each other. So Pyrrha stayed where she was, going back to priding in her accomplishments and helping where she could- shoving down the emptiness that came along with it.

Then Beacon came.

She and her parents had talked, mutually agreeing that if Pyrrha wanted to become a huntress, Beacon was the best place to go.

Beacon…Beacon was the best thing that had happened to Pyrrha. She had a team, she had friends. For the first time in years, there was no twinge of emptiness or longing, there was just Nora with her cheery outbursts, Ren with a small smile, and Jaune- well, Jaune was something else entirely. Pyrrha didn't think she had ever met anyone who was a fascinating as he was. He was in a program meant for people with ages of fighting experience, and unsurprisingly doing subpar, but he kept at it. That part of him reminded Pyrrha of herself, although he was a little more prideful than she was. However, Jaune didn't let that pride stop him in the end, and their training sessions quickly took on a life of their own.

Jaune could be slow at times, but once he got something down he never got it wrong again. His aura was like nothing Pyrrha had ever felt, raw and wild with potential. They may not be able to unlock a semblance, but that was fine. The time spent together was worth it and more. Jaune was the first person to treat her as Pyrrha, instead of what she had accomplished. He was straightforward and ignorant at times, but never as a way to hurt anyone.

Pyrrha fell slowly, but she fell hard.

Jaune was sweet, endearingly so. He put his best foot forward, even if it sometimes ended up in his mouth. It didn't matter the situation, nor what was expected, Jaune always found a way to break through it in his own unique way. The dance only solidified that in Pyrrha's mind, and only made her fall all that more.

But she was nothing but kind, and she could see that Jaune didn't share the same sentiments. Not with how he chased after Weiss. The only thing as a friend that she could do was put a hand on his shoulder- to little and yet too much contact all at once- and support him. She saw the looks that Nora and Blake- even Weiss, would send her way on occasion, but they weren't worth acknowledging. Nothing would come of her and Jaune and that was that.

Then Pyrrha's world is thrown on its axis time after time again. The grimm invasion, then the tournament, then the fall maiden, it all kept coming.

The former of them all was stressful, but manageable, especially when Jaune got to show off how much he had improved over the past months. The second one was all right, considering she had been through a similar process before, but she had never considered doing it as a team. Their first fight had been a stark difference from Pyrrha's expectations, in both a good and bad way. She would never say she was disappointed by it- none of her friends could truly do something to disappoint her, they were all too good for that- just surprised in a way.

But then Ozpin had called her to her office, and her whole world shifted. Maidens and magic and fairytales, Pyrrha could hardly grasp it at first, even after she had seen the evidence.

Her choice, accept the fall maiden status and leave her life behind, or pass it up and live knowing she could have helped more, done more for others.

It was so simple, yet so twisted.

Destiny to her had always been a goal. Her goal was to be a huntress, a hero, so that was the destiny she had worked towards. This was her once in a lifetime chance to skip years more of training and begin to help people now; and she couldn't convince herself to take it.

For once in her life, Pyrrha couldn't help but be selfish. Accepting that power would mean leaving behind everything she had made here at Beacon, her friends, her family, her normal life. And Jaune. It would rip her away from the one person she had come to love and adore.

Could she make the sacrifice? Would she continue the path to her destiny?

What even is her destiny anymore?

Pyrrha tried to stay honest with Jaune when he found her curled up in the courtyard, but she was sworn to secrecy, and Jaune never could be expected to understand her vague excuses and definitions.

But he told her to go for it though, to accept the power, but he didn't know what that meant, what that did to her, to him-

Before she knew it, she had slammed him against the nearest tree.

And she had ran, tears in her eyes. She had been a coward and just ran.

It was the only thing she could think to do.

Then the final fight had come crashing down on her. In a whirlwind of confusion and turmoil, Pyrrha had let herself run on mostly automatic. Until Penny's swords somehow gained the ability to multiply and all Pyrrha could register was the fear of her imminent defeat and probable death at Penny's swords.

So, she had pushed with all her might.

And what had she done?

She killed someone.

She killed someone.

Penny's insides weren't flesh and blood, just wires and chips, but that hadn't made her any less human. Pyrrha had known her, loosely, she knew that the girl was close to team RWBY.

And Pyrrha had just murdered her.

A huntress? A hero? What kind of hero murders an innocent in cold blood?

Pyrrha didn't register the voice broadcasting, nor the screams and cries as the crowd eventually panicked. There was only her; her and the person she had just murdered.

She only began to take in the rest of the world when Ruby's bright cloak had flung itself in front of her, a guttural cry of anguish and rage that Pyrrha could hardly believe came from Ruby's mouth snapping her out of it completely.

When the nevermore went down, Pyrrha almost felt like crying. Everyone was here- well, everyone who had already been there was still there, but they were there, they were standing with her even after- after…

Pyrrha shook off those thoughts, looking at Ruby instead. Ruby, who was wielding the sword of her friend simply because she had no other choice at the moment, who still had the strength to fight and stand.

And if Ruby could do that, then Pyrrha had no reason to stay down.

The subsequent fight afterwards is almost like a dream turned nightmare. She slashed and cut and dodged, but the hordes were never ending. Still, her team was by her side, and contentment rested in her chest as she followed Jaune's lead like second nature.

The CCT crumbled to the ground, and it was only then that Pyrrha remembered Ozpin and the fall maiden.

She gave one look to her team, her friends who were still fighting, and then another back to Beacon academy, where she knew the fall maiden lay.

She knew what she should do, and with one last glance at Jaune, a gaze that was met with an equally determined glance, she turned, running towards her destiny.

Jaune followed her, of course he followed her, he was loyal and compassionate like that, but Pyrrha couldn't explain things to him, not when they were running out of time.

Ozpin met them the moment Pyrrha set a foot inside the building. She didn't know how, a part of her didn't wish to know how he had known they were coming. Regardless, they didn't have time for that.

Jane kept asking questions, a bit of Pyrrha breaking each time he did. She had kept this from him, and now, when she accepted, she would be separated from him without even giving a warning.

What an amazing huntress she would make.

When they finally reach the vault, with Amber's comatose form in front of them, Pyrrha was so twisted inside she couldn't put a name to the feelings.

"Pyrrha, will you accept the Fall Maiden's power?" Ozpin was gazing at her, his eyes full of expectation and promise. The storm inside Pyrrha only grew under the weight of that stare.

"I- I-" Pyrrha didn't understand herself. She knew this was the only way she could help right know. She knew that without her, some evil attacker would end up with the Fall Maiden's powers, when she could do so much good with them. None of that could take her mind off what she would lose by taking on this responsibility. None of that could eliminate the fear and hesitation coursing through her veins.

Pyrrha took a deep breath, steadying herself to reply. The moment she opened her mouth though, a sickening crack resounded throughout the vault. Pyrrha whipped around, following Jaune and Ozpin's motion, only to see Cinder standing there, a sinister halo of gold surrounding her.

As Ozpin and Cinder exchanged words, the world got a bit fuzzy on Pyrrha's part. She couldn't believe herself. Because of her selfishness, and hope they had was lost. Lost and now resting in Cinder's conniving hands- the fact that Cinder was evil at all was another fact that Pyrrha's head was still struggling to wrap itself around- but it was her fault. If she had just accepted the power earlier, Cinder would be powerless, and they would have a real advantage against the grimm. Thanks to her, they were stuck now, trapped as the walls closed around them.

Jaune's cry snapped her out of her thoughts, and all she saw was him flying backwards.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha ran over to him, unloading Miló and Akoúo as she checked for any injuries. Thankfully, he was fine, just dizzy for a moment. Pyrrha didn't know what she would have done if he had been injured.

"Go find Qrow." Ozpin snapped at them, his cane at the ready. "You can't help now."

Pyrrha froze, but with another look at the sheer power Cinder was giving off, she knew Ozpin was right, even if she hated it. She dragged Jaune to his feet, making sure he was in front of her as they slipped past Cinder.

Cinder didn't even give them a passing glance.

The moment they get outside, Jaune bombarded her with questions, as he should. But she couldn't answer them- she didn't know how to answer them. Then she heard something explode, and catches a glimpse of flames that could only belong to Cinder.

"Ozpin." Jaune muttered, and Pyrrha drew in a breath. Something in her settled as she stared at the top of the tower, where she was sure Cinder was heading towards.

"Jaune." Pyrrha whispered. "Go get help. Find Qrow, Ironwood, Glynda, anybody, and send them here."

"Pyrrha, what do you mean?" Jaune moved to block off her path. "You can't fight her. You saw how strong she was. We need to get help together so that we can beat her."

Pyrrha stopped, letting her eyes look over Jaune. She finally felt like she knew what she had to do. If she was going to help anybody, if she was going to make up for her selfishness, she had to try and beat Cinder or at least hold her off until the real huntsmen could arrive.

So, with a watery smile, she let herself be selfish once last time.

Her kiss with Jaune lasted both an eternity and a moment all at once. The warmth from it lingered as Pyrrha drew away. Her breath still mingling with his, she closed her eyes, already knowing what sat directly behind him.

"I'm sorry." She said, her teeth gritting as she shoved him back into the locker. She could hear him beating on the door as she punched in the coordinates, but she wasn't about to let him try and go with her or stop her like she knew he would do.

As Pyrrha traveled closer to the elevator, her mind only seemed to get calmer. Instead of the knotting that had overridden her emotions earlier, all she could feel know was a solid block of determination. Vaguely, she wondered if this was what her parents felt when they went on missions.

Pyrrha didn't have much time to think, not with the top of the tower fast approaching. So, she took in another breath, clearing away her doubts, her hesitation, her fears.

She had always known her destiny was to help people, in some way, shape, or form. Accepting this as a part of that destiny was almost too easy, considering the turmoil she had gone through earlier, but she accepted it never the less, opening her eyes as the elevator doors opened.

Pyrrha fought with all her might, utilizing every skill she had learned throughout the years. She dodged with the speed well learned from her father, struck with the strength her mother had engraved into her, and flowed with the ease that had come from experience and from her team.

But it wasn't enough. She wasn't strong enough. A tiny part of her wondered if she ever could have been strong enough to beat both Cinder and the dragon.

As Pyrrha was brought to her knees, she wasn't thinking about her imminent death. She concentrated on the positives instead, remembering the warmness of her parent's care, the joy of feeling proud of her skills, the brightness of Nora's smile, the gentleness that encompassed Ren, inherent nobleness that Jaune represented without a second thought.

Her destiny had led her here. And she tried to fight for a new one, to rise to her feet and to keep fighting, but she was unable to.

Still, was this really all she would amount to?

Cinder was walking closer, heels clicking against the floor.

Was this what Pyrrha was worth?

As Cinder neared, all Pyrrha could think about was how she would have loved to have more time.

More time to deepen her friendships with the amazing people she had been blessed with here at Beacon, to visit her parents- she wouldn't get the chance to say goodbye to them- back home in Mistral after not seeing them for almost a year, to explore this massive world they all called home, to talk and laugh with her teammates, to kiss Jaune maybe just one more time.

Cinder drew back her arrow, and Pyrrha knew she was out of time.

"Do you believe in destiny?" Pyrrha couldn't help but ask, a strange sense of calmness enveloping her as she started at the pointed end of an arrow.

Cinder considered her for a moment, eyes narrowed.

"Yes." Something sharp stabbed into her chest, and Pyrrha choked, coughing and gasping as the pain travelled further into her chest, followed by and aching numbness.

Pyrrha couldn't keep her eyes open for long, and as they shut, she hoped.

She hoped that no matter her selfishness, no matter what may come of this night, she hoped that they could all find their destiny, their peace. Jaune, Nora, Ren, Ruby, Yang, Blake, Weiss, Sun, Neptune, her parents-

Goodbye