As Pyrrha and her friends walked through the cobbled streets of Patch's main settlement, she was pleasantly surprised that Ruby's idea to cover herself in her cloak worked so well. There were no stares of people gawking at her, just a few passing them by and occasionally recognizing and waving to Ruby, who smiled and waved back.

Patch's main settlement reminded Pyrrha a lot of a smaller more tight-knit, Vale, and she could tell from the dominance of the tightly packed two to three-story brick buildings that matched Vale's own post-war architecture, that this place had taken off only after the Great War. From what Pyrrha had read about the history of the place, it made sense.

For a long time Patch had just been a small fishing and farming community but considering the rather idyllic nature of the island, with the post-war economic boom Vale had, Pyrhha guessed that more and more people began settling in Patch for business and pleasure, though as caught a very strong whiff of some kind of fresh catch, she could tell that the industry that birthed the place was very much alive and well.

"So our list is… hmmm do we still need cookware and stuff if we're going by airship?" Ruby's brows were furrowed intently as walked ahead of the group, leading them along like a flock of ducklings, with Nora being the one to carry the one bag of goods they'd already bought.

"We'll still probably need some if we want Ren to cook food at all, but that's something we can pick up in Mistral instead," Nora answered. "Airships are craaaaamped and I can't imagine it'd be easy to fit that in our luggage."

"I see I'm already defaulting to group cook again," Ren responded, though the edges of his mouth showed just the slightest hint of a smile.

"Don't worry Ren, I might not be as good as you but I'd love to show everyone some more Argus-specific dishes. But… getting back to the topic of cookware, while I doubt the airship provided will have space issues, I also think we can wait until Mistral. Besides, when we get there I can pay for it since I'll have my accounts back."

"Aww you don't have to Pyrrha. But thanks!" Ruby chimed in from the front.

"Ruby, it's okay. Before all this, I made a rather decent amount of money through licensing deals, sponsorships, and tournament winnings. It'll be best to save our Lien until then just in case." Pyrrha had generally been the one to pay for her team normally as a result, especially since before she had friends the most she spent Lien on was books and Huntress-related necessities.

"Well then… looks like we should be done! Is there anything else we need to pick up that isn't on here?" Ruby asked stopping and turning around to wait for their response.

"If you don't mind, could we stop at a weapon shop? T-there's something I need to pick up actually?"

Ruby's eyes glittered with excitement and she bounced on her heels happily.

"Of course! I'd love to show you Pyrrha, I brought Ren and Nora there yesterday! This is the place I bought like, most of the parts for my baby even if they had to order them in! Mr. Sethlans is super nice and helpful andohmygosh-"

Pyrrha smiled as Ruby continued on with unadulterated excitement… even if she had some trouble really understanding the strings of words. She wished Weiss was here, she seemed to be able to decipher Ruby when she got excited like this but… maybe in time, Pyrrha could do so as well. She had gotten reasonably good at understanding Nora when she got similarly… enthusiastic.

It didn't take long to reach their destination, a place called Custom Combat. Ruby held out the door for her Ren, and Nora, which made a jingle as it opened from the little bell on top. The inside was filled with various racks of ammo, guns, parts, and other accessories. She could see why Ruby was excited, for someone of her tastes, this place would be divine. Pyrrha found herself drifting behind the other three, drawing a bit more into her cloak as she saw the man behind the counter look at them, a rather older fellow with tanned skin, strong-looking arms, and a rather thick beard.

"How may I- oh hello again Ruby! And it seems you brought those friends of yours from yesterday, Ren and Nora, right?"

"Yep, that's us!" Nora replied while Ren nodded in agreement.

"I hope there weren't any issues with the merchandise you got yesterday?"

"Never, Mr. Sethlans, actually it's just our friend who wasn't able to come along yesterday and needed to pick something up!"

His copper eyes bored into her. "And what might your name be miss? Almost missed ya back there despite being so tall."

Pyrrha's fists clenched together and her knees locked up. Did he know? It didn't sound like he knew but-no, keep it together Pyrrha.

"H-Helen." She lied, using her mother's name.

"Oh that's a lovely name. Is there anything I can help you with?" He responded, and Pyrrha felt her nerves begin to calm. There was no accusation or recognition. Just kindness towards a friend of a recurring customer.

Finding her voice, she responded. "I-I just need a scabbard that will fit something."

"Don't worry Mr. Sethlans! I know my way around this place pretty well, after all and I've been coming here since I was like, eight."

"Of course!" He chuckled. "Just offering as a courtesy."

Ruby looked at Pyrrha and gave her a sunny smile, a wink, and a thumbs-up before grabbing Pyrrha's hand and nearly dragging her through the store, which probably looked rather comical given she heard Nora giggling behind her, while Ruby kept muttering "Scabbards scabbards scabbards… there we go!"

She pointed over to the rack full of hanging scabbards, sheathes, and more, with some designed for giant great swords and others for rapiers tinier than even Weiss's.

Ruby strode through the aisle, picking at certain scabbards and carefully eyeing them "Soo I'm guessing you need something for Miló, what were her dimensions again? I know all my team's stuff by heart but I'll need to learn yours-"

"I-It's not for Miló actually it's for ah…" Pyrrha reached into her cloak, untying and then unwrapping Crocea Mors, which had been hooked onto her belt.

Ruby looked wide-eyed and surprised, an "Oh," being all she could muster.

"Pyrrha, why?" Ren asked, his eyes darting between Pyrrha and the sword she held out before her.

"Because," She said firmly one hand gripping the sword's hilt intently "I'll avenge Jaune by plunging Crocea Mors into her heart! It's the least I can do for him..."

"Oh, Pyrrha he-" Pyrrha's eyes narrowed into a glare, and Nora thankfully stopped herself. She just wished they could understand sometimes!

"That-um, uh I know Crocea Mors well enough I-I can get something for it yeah," Ruby replied hurriedly, her eyes darting nervously between Pyrrha and Nora before going back for her search.

The rest of their time in the shop was awkwardly quiet, but soon enough Ruby found something that fit well despite the blade's condition and they were back on the street… and standing around awkwardly now as well on the sidewalk.

It was Ruby who finally broke the silence. "So uh, as tea- errr, the expedition leader I propose we enjoy our last day in Patch and go to this totally awesome sweet shop that has the bestest cookies for uh, important morale boosting and so I can stock up in case Mistral has no chocolate chip cookies!"

"I'm pretty sure Mistral has chocolate chip cookies, Ruby," Ren responded in a deadpan.

"They might not be as good!" Ruby huffed.

"Yeah, don't be a stick in the mud Ren! It's cookies and Ruby always has good taste in cookies!" Nora crossed her arms.

"I wasn't saying we shouldn't do it. Pyrrha, do you want to go?" Ren asked.

"I'd be happy to spend some time with friends, we are going to be rather busy soon enough and tomorrow we'll be flying most of the day." She gestured to everyone, "Besides, even if I didn't want to go I think I'd be outnumbered."

"Fair," Ren said while Nora wooted!

"Alright guys, Operation: Get Delicious Cookies is a go! Banzai!" Ruby raised her fist up into a cheer, and Pyrrha found herself joining her and her teammates with a happy "Banzai!". Ruby's enthusiasm was rather contagious, Pyrrha noted with a smile.

/

"Night guys! Hope you're all ready for tomorrow?" Ruby asked, stopping halfway in the doorway to her bedroom.

"I have my alarm set and me and Nora have packed all our stuff. I assume the same for you two?" Ren asked

Both Ruby and Pyrrha both nodded in confirmation.

"Our arrangements should be good, and I'm bringing this along," Pyrrha flashed her letter, "as well. Also… I… had fun today, so thank you Ruby for showing us around and everyone, for being so encouraging despite my… nervousness."

"Of course Pyrrha! I'm glad I was finally able to take some of my friends back home…" Ruby said rather wistfully.

"Of course Pyrrha you're our teammate, we're always here to support ya and stuff." Nora nodded before letting out a rather large yawn and heading off to bed.

While they may have decided to come in early for the night to ensure they were all ready in the morning and were not late for their flight to Mistral, Pyrrha certainly knew she was tired after a day spent in town. After they'd got cookies the four of them walked around the docks, toured the Great War-era Fort Argent, played at the arcade that Ruby had frequented as a child, and finally went for some very delicious seafood for dinner.

Pyrrha pulled the covers off her bed, turned off the lights, and quickly slid underneath. She didn't bother reading tonight, A Heroine of Our Time remaining neatly closed on the nightstand, as she could tell from the way her eyelids were drooping and the sluggishness of her thoughts that sleep would come quickly. Her head lay on one fluffy pillow, while she hugged the second one that had been provided to her. Pyrrha's eyes closed and she quickly could tell she was drifting off… to sleep and she… found herself…

Pyrrha found herself back at Beacon. She and Jaune had only just managed to make it outside of Beacon Tower's lobby when she heard a low ascending rumble before the windows burst, flames belching outwards and she could feel her aura pelted by shards of glass. They'd just made it out and already she had beaten Ozpin and was ascending to the top.

This was the power that Pyrrha had shirked… and because of that hesitation, it was now in the hands of someone willing to do this… willing to attack Vale and unleash countless Grimm, terrorists, and hacked Atlesian defenders onto the city during a festival meant to celebrate peace!

"Pyrrha what was all that, what is going on?" Jaune's tone was nervous, and Pyrrha could see the sweat bead down his face and hear the panting of his breath, likely exhausted from their mad dash to safety.

"Jaune there's no time. You need to go I'll-" Her voice hitched. She… she knew what she had to do and she knew what would happen but…but as she looked at her partner, whose blue eyes looked at her in confusion and concern, she paused. She… she was a Huntress but she knew what would happen if she went up there…

"Pyrrha what do you mea-?" His eyes widened, mouth gaping in horror and Pyrrha couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt in her heart. She averted her gaze, fingers curling up into themselves. She couldn't be weak, she couldn't hesitate as she had with the mantle of Fall Maiden, she couldn't shirk her duty! Pyrrha knew but she-

She felt strong hands on her shoulder, and her emerald eyes looked into Jaune's blue ones in surprise, his face was now so close and she could see tears tracking down his cheeks.

"Pyrrha I-I know what your thinking but-but… you're such a good person and you have so much to do and-and you're my hero. You've been so good to me and I've been such a bumbling fool this whole time and I don't want you to die because of it and-!"

Even as her heart imploded, she readied her polarity, feeling the familiar sensation of her semblance gripping Jaune's breastplate. She'd push him into one of two the rocket lockers and-

Pyrrha felt his lips across hers and her semblance and aura fell away, hands uncurling in shock even melting as she vaguely felt Jaune nearly lift her off her feet and spin her around the way she'd always wanted him to at the dance.

Finally, finally, she felt him, unfortunately, pull away, and slowly Pyrrha returned to the present, and saw Jaune's eyes half-lidded and looking away from her in… sadness?

"I'm sorry Pyrrha."

Jaune's grip tightened and his head pulled back just the way Pyrrha taught him to do before a headbutt- wait no what-!

Pain split across her forehead and Pyrrha screamed in agony. She felt herself moving but everything was so… blurry. She vaguely felt herself being guided by… by Jaune, and she tried to grab onto something but…

"Jaune it's… my destiny I… my… fault." Her voice was slurred and she felt herself tumble backward into something cold and metallic… her ears were ringing, she-she had to…

"Pyrrha you-your destiny is… going to be living a long and happy life with friends and-and be the greatest Huntress there ever will be and... have a partner so much better than I was!" His voice was strong but she could tell something was… wrong but what…

Pyyrha heard a metallic slam and darkness enveloped her even as bright lights danced before her eyes, she flailed madly and she knew she knew she could find a way she a way out but how she couldn't think her head-!

"I love you Pyrrha so-so let me be your hero this one time okay?" His voice came outside and she could hear tapping and beeping of… of something and-

"Jaune no!" She felt a brief flash of clarity, her polarity her semblance she-!

Suddenly she heard the roar of rockets from underneath her ignite and she was lifted upwards and sideways, her head split in pain as horrid vertigo swallowed her, and she was spinning and flying and felt like she was tumbling through hell. Her semblance snaked outwards, feeling every piece of her prison but she didn't know which way was up and-

She felt a jolt, aura cushioning her head slamming into metal as she suddenly stopped, her ears ringing from the sound of the impact. Pyrrha just lay there for a few seconds, it still felt like she was spinning and flying through the air before… eventually, she-she had to get out and-and tell everyone!

Her semblance once again flowed over her metal prison and she pushed hard just like when she'd killed no-no-no focus!

Her metal prison quickly burst asunder and Pyrrha was finally greeted with blessed light from the moon above and she could vaguely tell sh-she was somewhere in… Vale? Her breathing was heavy as she slowly stumbled onto her feet… before she immediately collapsed to her knees and hurled, the horrid nausea induced by everything finally catching up to her.

She rolled onto her back, watching as the moon and the sky still was spinning above her but sh-she was a Huntress a-and… Jaune was in danger! Her hand slowly fumbled for her scroll and she slowly pulled it above her, unfurling it.

The text danced across her screen but she went off muscle memory and what blurry images she could make out, making her way to the contacts list, the blurry array of photos of her friends flashing before her.

She tapped desperately at them, not caring who as long as it was anyone who could warn everyone about her a-and save him!

A feminine voice came through the scroll "Pyrrha are you-"

"Beacon Tower! Get to Beacon!"

"Wha-"

"B-Beacon tower he's going to die!"

"Wh- you- cutting out, Pyrrha- we'll come get y-" The connection suddenly dropped as Pyrrha heard a loud boom and a horrible roar in the distance as she stared at the screen. The numbers and pictures and names danced and spun until she clenched the scroll shut.

He was going to die and it was her fault. Her fault for being weak, her fault for hesitating, all her fault, she killed Penny and now she had killed-

"Jaune!" Pyrrha screamed as she jolted upright flinging sheets and blankets off, sweat pouring down her body as she tried to quell the wave of clammy nausea that followed her from her nightmare.

Her breathing was heavy and she swung her legs over the side of the bed to stand. She kneaded her head as she looked out the window, the bright moonlight and stillness helping her regain equilibrium.

Pyrrha groaned, of course, she couldn't sleep right before they had to get up for their flight in the morning. The times when she did manage to fall asleep she'd relive her last moments with… with Jaune. Relive the night she had failed him, had failed Penny, had failed Beacon, and had failed Vale.

She needed to get outside for a breath of fresh air. Pyrrha reached out with her polarity, finding her armor in the corner she'd left it and pulling it over to her, using her semblance to begin sliding it on. It was a routine her mom had gotten her to do, to put on as much of her combat dress as she could with her polarity, even maneuvering the tiniest of metal clasps into place that ensured the corset and greaves were all in their proper position and tightness. It helped hone the fine control that provided her illusion as the Invincible Girl, made it much easier to put on some of the harder-to-reach pieces, and frankly, it was always soothing to just use her semblance like that.

With the last strap sliding into place, she tied her sash around her waist and grabbed her black cloak, sliding it over her shoulders before finally pulling Miló and Akoúo̱ into her hands. She probably looked at least a bit ridiculous like this, wearing her combat gear over her pink-colored nightwear but Pyrrha wasn't looking to impress the crowds tonight was she?

She slowly opened the door to her room, creeping through the hallway and down the stairs. She noticed the light from the fridge yet again glowed in the kitchen but she ignored it, making a beeline for the front door and emerging into the cool, night air of Patch, and she tightened her cloak around her, appreciating the warmth it gave her. Argus may have been colder than Vale, but that didn't mean Pyrrha was immune to the midnight cold from an encroaching winter, especially when she didn't have the proper clothes for it.

The distant but familiar crack of Crescent Rose firing sent a shot of adrenaline through Pyrrha, her head swiveling in the direction it came from, behind the house likely somewhere down that small path she'd spotted when training the other day. She sprinted, legs pumping, leaves and branches cracking underneath her footfalls, while her cloak and sash fluttered behind her.

She now heard the howling as well as three more gunshots that cut a few of those howls short. It seemed Ruby was doing well for herself at least, though worry still pushed her forward. She could be injured a-and why was she even out here at this time?!

Eventually, Pyrrha emerged into a clearing whose only occupants were a few remaining whiffs of black smoke slowly ascending and dispersing. At least it seemed like Ruby had made short work of the Grimm but… where was she? Pyrrha's green eyes scanned her surroundings, weapons at the ready until her gaze fell upon another break in the tree line just a bit ahead. Unless Ruby decided to get lost in the woods that was where she must have gone.

Pyrrha ran forward, and thankfully this trail was much shorter as it soon opened into a beautiful cliffside, overlooking the forest and Ruby… standing before a grave. That must be her… mother. Pyrrha felt a hot flash of embarrassment as she looked upon what was presumably a personal moment, though thankfully it seemed like Ruby hadn't noticed her, and Pyrrha started to pull away when Ruby started… talking?

"Hey, Mom. I know I've been visiting a lot, i-it's hard to sleep when I keep reliving that night, but… this is going to be my last one for a while I think… Me a-and my friends, uh, Nora, Ren, and Pyrrha are going to Mistral to investigate the attackers, but also I just can… tell that it's going to be a long long time… and… it's hard mom. My team is gone a-and Yang is… I don't know what to do! Every time I try to help she just gets worse and everything is different and Penny and Jaune are gone but…."

Pyrrha knew she should leave but her feet were frozen to the ground, curiosity overcoming her better judgment.

"But I gotta be strong l-like a leader and a hero for Nora, Ren, Pyrrha, and everyone else! T-they lost Jaune and he was so much more to them, especially to Pyrrha so I can't let them down! I-I got to see Ren and Nora have a good time a-and I even managed to get Pyrrha to be happy s-so it is working and I just gotta keep going! Together we'll get justice for Vale for my friends and we'll make sure nothing like that happens again! I swear on it Mom, this is my time to be a hero like you were!"

Pyrrha's manners had finally won out and she managed to pull away from her spying as Ruby finished and Ruby began just… kneeling before the grave, letting her semblance shed petals onto the memorial and into the wind.

She'd always known Ruby had a good heart to her but this… Ruby had lost so much and was completely innocent of everything, unlike Pyrrha, a-and she was putting all this onto herself even after everything?

Pyrrha hummed in thought as she trekked back to the house. The trauma and pressure of the Fall of Beacon seemed to have affected everyone differently. Some like Yang or Blake had broken under the pressure, for Pyrrha, it had exposed her weakness, for Ren and Nora they bent but kept on going, but for Ruby it… it showed how good she was, it made her better!

But-but, Pyrrha vowed that Ruby wouldn't be alone, she'd be strong for her, and Ren and Nora too. S-she wouldn't be a burden for them needing to be supported. Pyrrha vowed that she wouldn't get Ruby killed as she had with Jaune, another pure-hearted innocent dead because Pyrrha had rejected her fate. Even if that meant Pyrrha making the sacrifice she'd been too cowardly to make for him.