A/N: WOULD YOU KINDLY READ THIS NOTE? Else, you might be confused. Wouldn't want that, would we?
Sorry this is short. I'm taking care of my grandmother. She's...not in a good place right now.
I've already lost my grandpa, now it feels like I'm going to lose her too...
Why do I always lose the ones I love...?
Kiss of Death and Far From Home were SUPPOSED to be next, but my muse kept crying and whining at me to update this story. I'm glad I did.
I dare say this chapter feels realer than anything I've written in a long time.
Thought I was dead, did you?! Nay! My lungs are still a mess, but I'm out of the hospital and recovering...slowly. I'd rather not talk about the procedure. It wasn't fun. Still weak and I've lost a lot of weight, but I'm hanging in there. Whats the saying? The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak? Yeah, I'd say that describes me right about now.
Now then we've a minor time skip -not that big!- that takes place immediately in this chapter. Thought I'd state here to avoid confusion.
Be prepared; because this chapter's about to blow your expectations right out the water.
In a good way, of course. Still here? Lovely! By all means, continue!
Well, damn. This might be one of my most popular stories to date by the review count and following alone. Talk about a surprise hit! Its good to know everyone enjoys this. Now I can get to work on the other chapters and REALLY crank into high gear. As ever, the gang and I live for reviews and feedback; yours are the reason this story continues. It keeps us going in these crazy times.
Now for a few quick questions:
Q: Oho! Things are looking up for Pyrrha!
A: She won't be shy about speaking her mind, that's for sure.
Q: I see that ASH gym reference! You sly old dog! I didn't know you were a fan of Coeur!
A: Yup~! As I'm sure many of you know by now, I'm a MASSIVE fan of Coeur Al'Aran~! He's the one that got me into RWBY in the first place. The man's an absolute savant when it comes to writing, and his works inspired several of my larger stories. I'm not one for hero worship, but he's certainly someone I respect.
Q: When will you update your non-RWBY stories?
A: Um...I have? I've updated other tales, including Mass Effect, Fate, Attack on Titan, so on and so forth. They're not hard to find, just buried under my RWBY updates.
Q: Minato's not in the best shape, is he?
A: He's unwell, yes. Many have speculated on that, but there's a reason for it.
Q: Please don't jump straight to Beacon. That would be boring.
A: Rest assured, that won't happen yet.
Q: Please spare her!
A: Who...?
Well, I've kept you long enough. You came here for a story, didn't you? Don't mind the rambling of sickly man.
As ever, I own no quotes. references, themes or memes. Not a wit or a one! Hope you enjoy!
"Well, maybe I want to be selfish! For once in my I just want...!"
~Thoughts of a Champion.
Catch Me If You Can (Interlude)
Her muscles were burning.
Pyrrha kept running. Sweat slicked her brow. She shook it away and kept running. Her hair was a mess, long red locks damp and sticky against her forehead. She puffed them out of her eyes with an angry breath and continued running. Each breath seared through her lungs like a raging flame, scalding her dry throat. She didn't stop running. Her chest ached as her heart thundered incessantly, a constant thud-thud-thud that seemed to shadow her every step. But she mustn't stop running. All the colors in her vision began to drain away, drawn to a muted faint gray. She kept running.
For you see, Pyrrha Nikos was not running away from something, but towards someone. She was chasing them.
Chasing after their back, more like. For all her speed and stamina she just couldn't seem to close the gap between the two of them. How long had she been running for? It felt like hours. Days, even. Surely that couldn't be the case, but her calves were complaining as if it were. She wasn't going to fall down after this. She was going to absolutely collapse. It would be worth it if she achieved victory. Oh, she knew she'd be spitting and cursing come next morning, but if she could just...reach...him...!
Teenagers are often stubborn, and now, at fourteen years of age, Pyrrha Nikos was no exception.
They say time flies when your having fun; and fly it had for her. It didn't take much to wriggle out from Father's thumb; Minato's threat was all the excuse she needed to slip away. She had a place now. Somewhere she belonged. Life was good.
And she owed it all to him.
She'd grown taller in the last year, filled out a little more, gained muscle and conditioning in places she hadn't had before. But it was her mind that truly changed. Like a fine blade honed to a razor's edge, so too did her conviction harden. In that regard alone, her training in Vale was well spent. She was already leaps and bounds ahead of the Invincible Girl she might have been had she lingered in Mistral. Yes, she decided, her time here had been well spent indeed.
It still wasn't enough to catch Naruto, though.
"C'mon, Pyrrha!" A bright blue iris winked over one shoulder as His voice rose in encouragement, buoying her spirits. "You're doing great! Keep going!"
Green eyes flashed, burning with inner fire. He had no idea how much those words meant to her. They lit a flame in her very soul and stoked the dying cinders of her spirit into a roaring blaze. Pyrrha grit her teeth and redoubled her efforts, arms pumping, feet barely touching the track and kicking off twice as hard. She was rewarded by a pleased laugh. Slowly, but surely the distance between the two of them began to close. Behind her the rest of the pack fell away. Pyrrha ignore them. Her vision tunneled to a single point.
Naruto made no effort to widen the gap; or perhaps he couldn't? Had she caught up to him at last? Was that concern on his brow?
Hope flared to life and with one last desperate burst, she poured on the speed.
Voices cheered her on from the sidelines. His uncles and aunt, no doubt:
"Get 'em!"
"You're so close!"
"C'mon, Pyrrha! You've got this!"
"Sock that cheeky bastard once for me!"
"Mwahaha! Brilliant! I told you she'd catch him! All according to plan-ack!"
Someone doubled over as an elbow slammed into their lower torso.
"Don't cackle, Obito. You sound like a movie villain."
"Damnit, Kakashi...why is always the ribs?"
Rin rolled her eyes. "Boys...
Then they were gone as she raced past them. Pyrrha didn't have the energy to shake her head at the trio's antics, but she did manage a rueful chuckle all the same. Naruto's family was mad. Not angry, of course. But not quite sane either. That was the impression they gave her. They were a tightly knit group of individuals who kept to themselves; yet they accepted her with open arms. At least they didn't tease her like Jiraiya. No doubt he would have much to say if he saw the look on her face right now!
The thought lent Pyrrha strength. She kept running.
Neck-and-neck now. An elbow brushed his and she began to pass him on the inside of the track. Naruto craned his neck in her direction. Those blazing blue eyes, already bright to begin with, widened now in surprise. But only for a moment. A wild grin tore across his face, dimpling those whiskered cheeks of his.
"Now that's more like it!"
His smile caused her heart to skip a beat. Of course it did. She'd fallen in love.
The notion caused Pyrrha to miss a step and nearly cost her the ground she'd gained; it was only an ironclad sense of self control that kept her running forward. Naruto saw it and matched her step for step, and she was all too happy to keep pace with him. Love. Such a strange feeling. She didn't know when, where, how, or why, only that it had happened over the last year or so. She had fallen for him, so slowly, that she hadn't realized it until this very moment. Once, such a realization would have startled her. Galled her at the very least. Now?
A small smile plucked at the corner of her mouth as they ran side by side. Love. That sounded rather grand.
Someone who didn't give a fig for her fame. Someone who understood her. Someone who pushed her to better than she was. Could she love such a person? Could she love Naruto? Pyrrha wanted to try. No! She quickly rebuked herself. Do or do not, there is no try! You're better than that! Don't put yourself down! A Nikos conquered, after all.
Speaking of which...!
On a whim she reached out and grabbed at Naruto's hand as they ran. She connected. Her fingers found his and threaded against his palm. Her partner blinked, but didn't slow in the least. He did not balk, he did not jump or even stutter. He simply smiled and kept running, matching her as easily as breathing.
A few wolf-whistles greeted the sight. Pyrrha flushed to the very roots of her hair, but didn't let go.
When he lengthened his stride, so did Pyrrha. She met him pace for pace now, determined not to be left behind. They ran in tandem, one mind, one body, one soul. It spoke to something deep in the core of her very being and she felt a small, satisfied smile pluck at the corner of her mouth. Ahead of them, the finish line awaited. The other runners had been left in the dust. There was no one to challenge them. Victory was theirs.
Pyrrha never saw the scarlet streak round the bend behind them until was too late.
She certainly heard something, though. It almost sounded like:
"Loook ouuut~!"
Beside her, Naruto sputtered, but he instinctively raised his arm all the same as someone dove between them. Pyrrha mirrored the motion seamlessly, lifting their linked hands high as someone raced through the slim gap they made...then past them! Both teens coughed as a cloud of rose petals slapped them in the face. Their challenger found the finish line first and hurtled past it with a squeak before they managed to dig their sneakers in and bleed off their momentum successfully.
"Aaand time!" Just ahead of them, Minato hit the stopwatch as the girl skidded to a halt. "Well done, miss Rose." he granted her a careworn smile and checked her time. "That's a new record. Take a breather by the bleachers.
Silver eyes danced with glee. "Yay~!"
Pyrrha caught a glimpse of silver eyes and dark hair before the girl zipped away again. She and Naruto finally crossed the finish line five seconds later. To Pyrrha, it felt like an eternity. Her pride rankled a little, bristling at having been bested so eaisly. She couldn't speak to the state of her partner, but he looked much the same.
"Damnit, where did she come from?!" Naruto let go of her hand and sprawled on the ground with a laugh. "What the hell are they feeding that girl?! Pure sugar?!"
"Looks...like it...!" Pyrrha slammed down on the mat beside him, gasping out a giggle of her own. "Speed semblances...just aren't fair!"
"Hey, now." a new voice interjected be. "That's my little sis' you're talking about. Be nice."
Naruto groaned and rolled over. "Whuzzat now?"
Pyrrha did the same and found herself gazing up into a pair of lovely lilac eyes flames by wild blond hair and a cheeky grin. She must've stumbled her way across the finish while they rested. Blast it. She looked well fit. A seed of something unpleasant began to grow in her chest. It took root as the newcomer flopped down beside Naruto.
"Yang Xiao-Long. Nice ta meetcha."
"Oh, hey. I remember you. You're the slowpoke."
Lilac eyes flashed red. "Hey! I nearly caught you two that time!"
"Didn't see ya...
Pyrrha's brow knit in consternation. His eyes followed her. She wanted him to look at her like that.
Pushing such notions away, she frowned and tried to busy herself with other thoughts as the two babbled happily.
Minato's gym -or Leaf Gym as many folk had taken to calling it as days went by- was outfitted with everything one might come to expect from a proper gym catered to aspiring huntsmen and huntresses. Pyrrha tended to disagree with that assessment. If anything, it exceeded her expectations. Grand without being arrogant, yet humble without servility, it was easily as large as a townhouse. Clearly the minds behind this marvel had put in a great deal of thought and hardwork before they'd laid the foundation.
She had been one of its very first students. She had seen this place from the first, and she had realized what it would become.
More applicants signed on every year; at present they had a healthy core of nearly fifty would-be hunters and huntresses. It was a promising sign. Beacon's headmaster had been known to visit a time or two, scouting for talent. She'd spoken to him once. He seemed a decent enough sort and more than happy to have them in Beacon. He'd even offered to let them attend a year early if they wished it.
If only Minato would let them...! Sadly, it didn't seem he would.
That said, Naruto's father seemed to favor caution as much as he did blue and green, even their gym uniforms everyone symbolized such; a green tank top and blue slacks with a red stripe running the length of the latter. Pyrrha had asked about it once. He claimed the vibrant hues reminded him of home. An odd turn of phrase, but she'd not thought to press him on it. He'd given her so much already. She would not risk it by prying into his personal life. If the old man wanted to keep secrets, they were his to keep. Not hers.
Right now, she was more focused on the fact that someone had intruded into their happy little dynamic. She wasn't sure what to make of that-no, wait, she did.
She didn't like it.
Did she have any right to be jealous? Should she? He wasn't even hers. It didn't matter. Pyrrha steeled her heart and shook her head, brad thrashing behind her back. Ruby didn't matter. Yang didn't matter. They had Beacon in three years time and the chances of meeting them there were too slim to be of any consequence. More laughter spilled from the sidelines. The adults had taken an interest in their little altercation. Minato was looking their way with a curious gleam in his eye...
Naruto, as ever, saved her from their questions when staggered upright and raised his fists. "Ready for round two?"
A sudden bout of impish girlishness shot through Pyrrha' heart as she sprang to her feet.
And if she happened to nudge Yang aside in the doing? Well. She'd never tell.
"Catch me if you can!"
With a laugh, her partner gave chase.
Someday, they would make one hell of a team. But that day was not yet here.
A/N: Felt good to write a more down to earth chapter.
Feel free to keep voting on Naruto and Pyrrha's team for Beacon. Who knows? You just might be pleasantly surprised~!
Minato and company were clearly stranded in Remnant, but I'll not say by what just yet...
Also, his one weakness, if I had to describe it, would be his desire to help people. Hence the Konoha Gym. He's just the sort that would try to train up the next generation.
It also presents us with something of a quandry; does Minato value the lives of others above his own? Canon would clearly say yes; he went through hell and back for his wife and son. But he's also wicked fast and his Hiraishin marks never ade; so good bloody luck taking a hostage.
Alas, we haven't seen the last of Pyrrha's father, as much as I would like that to be the case...
Once more! We're waiting on reviews/votes before the pairing is finalized. At this point, I've got enough drafts written that I can swap things in and out pretty seamlessly, but I'd like to hear what everyone thinks before I commit. Remember! It won't be a big pairing regardless, but I literally NEED your feedback here, lest the story stall.
As ever, read the previews before you review, please.
So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the preview.
SUR~PRI~SE~!
(Preview)
By fifteen, she felt confident to speak of it.
At sixteen, she dared to kiss his cheek.
"Breathe."
Pyrrha stepped out under the lights.
"So, this is Beacon." Naruto folded both arms behind his head as they walked. "Bigger than I thought it be."
Pyrra flicked a glance at him. "Are you nervous?"
"Nah." a blue iris winked over his shoulder at her. "Excited, more like. Dad's training is nice and all, but it feels like we'll be able to make a difference here...hey, is that Ruby?"
Pyrrha felt something twist deep inside of her. She shoved it away.
R&R~!