"I knew I'd find you here."
Jaune walked out onto the rooftop where he and Pyrrha had trained. Pyrrha was standing on the rooftop's far side, silhouetted against the bloodied orange late afternoon sky. She was facing the edge, looking out over campus.
Pyrrha turned back at Jaune with a start, "Jaune! What d-did you want?"
"I want—I need—to talk to you, Pyrrha! You've been so distant since that day," Jaune said as he approached Pyrrha, his voice tense.
"I, I don't want to talk, Jaune. Just leave me alone," Pyrrha said. Her words were laced with a deep sadness, like before, but—
"Pyrrha, please! Just tell me what's up!" Jaune pleaded.
"Stop calling me that! Stay away, just—" Pyrrha said, stepping back towards the roof's edge.
"No! Pyrrha, don't!" Jaune cried. He lunged toward Pyrrha and tackled her into an an embrace."
"Not this again!" Jaune begged as he pressed his face into Pyrrha's hair, clutching her head and back. "I know things seem tough right now, but this isn't—you can't do this!"
"What do you...? That isn't—just let go of me, Jaune," Pyrrha said, her arms at her sides.
"No! I won't let go, Pyrrha. Not until you calm down," Jaune said resolutely.
Pyrrha sighed before asking, "Jaune?"
"Y-Yeah?"
Pyrrha spoke slow and calmly, "I'm not going to kill myself. Just let go and I'll—"
"No! I'm not going to let go of you, Pyrrha. If you jump we both go down!" Jaune said.
"That would have stopped me, Jaune," Pyrrha said wistfully.
Bringing her arms up, Pyrrha pressed against Jaune's breastplate. She used her power to push him across the rooftop, pinning him to the dormitory's brick wall.
"Just watch, then I'll at least have someone…" Pyrrha trailed off.
She lowered her arm and stepped back toward the ledge.
Jaune fell from the wall. Landing on his hands and knees, he scampered to his feet as fast as he could. He charged at her, yelling, "Pyrrha, no!"
Pyrrha closed her eyes and inhaled. Casting her arms wide she leaned back, out over the edge of the roof.
But she did not fall.
Pyrrha's feet gracefully drifted off of the rooftop, floating up into the air.
Jaune slowed his momentum, coming to a stop before the roof's end. He looked up to see Pyrrha floating in the air, ascending upward still.
Pyrrha extended right arm, holding it up to the heavens. Far above a few clouds thundered and sparked, shortly casting a bolt of lightning down to earth. The brilliant-white electricity trickled down to Pyrrha's outstretched arm and she effortlessly caught it in palm, the energy crackling in protest as she closed her hand around it. Pyrrha floated back down toward Jaune, cupping her hands together as she descended. Jaune watched wordlessly as she came to a stop, floating just slightly off of the ground across from him. Pyrrha clasped her hands together tighter, fixing her eyes on Jaune. Lightning crackled excitedly within her grasp, its blue light playing its way across both of their faces. After a moment the enegry died down and Pyrrha opened her hands. Maple leaves showered out of her fingers, falling and dancing in the wind. Beneath them emerged a small bluebird, chirping excitedly as if startled by the commotion. Pyrrha held it aloft, casting it up before it flew away.
Looking back to her partner she said simply, "I'm not Pyrrha, Jaune."
Jaune just stared at his partner. He started, but, words failing him, said only, "Wha?"
Pyrrha sighed sadly. She landed and sat down, dangling her legs over the edge. Jaune joined her and she began, "I—Pyrrha—was asked by Ozpin and Ironwood to shoulder a terrible responsibility. I gained a great power, nature's power, but to do so I—she—I-I…" Pyrrha choked up, unable to finish her explanation.
When tears welled up in her eyes Jaune spoke out, "W-Whatever it is, Pyrrha, you can tell—"
"Don't you get it, Jaune!? I'm *not* Pyrrha!" she snapped. "To inherit that power they took another huntress, Amber, and put her aura, her soul, into my—Pyrrha's—body. That's why this is so hard for me—deceiving you, everyone! I haven't even the slightest clue what I'm going to tell her family!"
Eventually Pyrrha's tears abated, replaced by long, throaty breaths. Jaune was quiet, she saw that the gravity of her words had now hit him. It killed her to see Pyrrha's friend hurt like this, but there was no going back now: he had to find out sooner or later. Once her breathing had stabilized she spoke, "When I woke up I was so confused, I-I had all these memories. A farm, the ocean, traveling, a prairie path," her expression darkened as she spoke, "this rooftop, gyms." She chuckled, "A lot of gyms. I couldn't make sense of it all—I still can't."
Pyrrha paused, her voice becoming incredibly small, "And you. She cared so much for you, Jaune. I-I feel like I took her from you all, like I..." Pyrrha looked to Jaune, wringing her hands waiting for his inevitable reaction.
Jaune chuckled darkly, saying, "That's funny, that you feel guilty." His demeanor stiffened, removing any semblance of humor from his voice, "I get it now; I'm the one that told you, told Pyrrha, to go through with it."
Pyrrha wrung her hands even tighter and said, "You know I don't remember everything…"
"Oh," Jaune said disappointed. "Of course, I guess that would explain why you were being so cryptic before. I told her to go after her destiny—that she had to. I didn't know what I was saying then, but it doesn't matter, this is what it got her."
Pyrrha exhaled breathily, switching from wringing her hands to gripping her knees.
"I know we're both fond of the self-blame routine, and maybe I still need to get my fair share of that, but I know Pyrrha would have done it anyway," Jaune said, lightly crying now. "She was so determined to always champion the common good—that's why she trained me. It wasn't because she liked me, it was because I was her partner. Pyrrha saw it as her responsibility to help me even when I hadn't taken responsibility for myself. I'm sure Pyrrha would have always accepted that power, because it was—it *is*—what will help the most people. Heh, that doesn't really stop me from feeling like shit about it, though."
Jaune finished and put his head in his hands, sobbing now.
Pyrrha somewhat awkwardly wrapped her arm around his shoulders, attempting to console this stranger who had once known her. She pulled Jaune closer into a hug, gently stroking his back while he cried. It seemed to be working as far as she could tell. They stayed there just like that in silence for a while.
When he was finally out of tears Jaune rose, offering Pyrrha a hand up.
"Thank you, I kinda needed that," he said sheepishly.
"No problem, Jaune. I'm always here for you if you need to talk," Pyrrha said. As she spoke she placed her right arm on Jaune's shoulder, trying her best to comfort him.
Jaune wiped the tears from his eyes and looked back at Pyrrha, whose arm now stretched over to him. His eyes widened in realization.
In hope.
"What is it?" Pyrrha asked.
"You, you're Pyrrha! That's what Pyrrha always used to do!" Jaune said.
"Jaune..." Pyrrha said, a note of warning in her voice.
"I can see it now! You had someone else's aura pushed into you, and you lost some of your memory, but you're still Pyrrha!" Jaune said excitedly. He pulled her into a tight hug, rocking her back and forth.
Pyrrha started, "Jaune, this isn't—"
Jaune interjected, "What? I'm just glad you're okay! I been worried about you for weeks and—"
"This isn't healthy, Jaune!" Pyrrha cut in. "I know you're hurting right now, but you can't just pretend I'm the same person."
"But you are!" Jauns insisted. "I can see it, feel it. You use the same phrases, the same gestures, you have to be—"
"I'm not!" Pyrrha shouted at him. "I just have her muscle memory. Look, Jaune, you need to grieve—"
Jaune spoke emotionally now, "I need to be with you, Pyrrha I—"
"I said stop, calling me that!" Pyrrha yelled, shoving Jaune away with more force than seemed natural. Jaune stumbled backwards and hit the ground, tumbling over to the side of the rooftop. "Jaune!" Pyrrha called out.
Jaune righted himself. He started to sit up before Pyrrha pushed him back down.
Straddling him, Pyrrha pinned Jaune's arms with her legs. He struggled, tearing up, desperately trying to break free. She grasped his shoulder with her right hand, connecting them.
"No, no Pyrrha don't!" Jaune sobbed out, still trying to fight his way out of her grasp.
Pyrrha covered his mouth gently with her left hand, silencing him, and, amidst his thrashing, uttered two words.
"She's. Dead."
Pyrrha removed her hand as Jaune closed his eyes, breaking into quiet, deep sobs.
She loosened her grip, rolling off of him. "It's okay, Jaune. I mean, it's *definitely* not, but you do need to grieve." Pyrrha said soothingly, squeezing his arm.
They stayed like that for hours as the sunset turned to dusk, the dusk to night, and the night to starlight. Eventually Pyrrha roused Jaune, "C'mon, we should go in for the night."
Jaune looked at Pyrrha woefully, but took her arm.
Standing up, the partners walked into the warm glow of the dormitory together.
Author's Note: Chapter 2, aka, Electric Angstgaloo.
Did I, did I have you going there? I lurrrves me some good double entendres! Anyway this chapter came to me in a dream—a daydream, I'm not crazy—and I felt like writing it out. Don't expect a series. It's just a two-shot. I hope the ending didn't come off as too rape-y 0_0. I was going for 'intense & emotional.' Also, I'm tagging this the way it is because I want more clicks: apparently people only read romance. (I shouldn't be surprised, as I'm guilty of the same thing.)
Please share any thoughts you have in a review, I love to hear feedback.