Leaning back against the hard and sharp rock, Saber-class Servant, Jason looked to his newly defeated opponent. The last opponent which made him the winner of Remnant's first ever Grail War.

"May the winds be behind your sails, Captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge," he said.

Rider-class Servant, Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach chuckled at the sentiment. "And may you find the greatest treasures, Captain of the Argo."

With his last breath, the Rider of this Grail War soon vanished, leaving behind the winner.

Away from any landscape of Remnant, the two did what they could to keep it a secret.

"Bastards will come back," said this Saber. His head facing towards the skies. "They won't be taking this lying down."

The sacred chalice soon appeared before him.

"I don't suppose I could help out a little bit. Sorry teach, but I got a favor to ask. Remnant needs Companions to help them get on their own feet. Got all that, Caretaker?"

The boy nodded.

"Good." Jason leaned his back. "I'd bet the Golden Fleece the next one is going to start out the same way, with them trying to get rid of the kid."

/-/

Everyone noticed that the tops of the trees were starting to fill the windows. Buildings and structures have also become more visible.

"We still got a long way to go," Lancer said.

"Riding A+ or not," Rider replied. He was preparing the airship's descent. "If our fuel is low then our fuel is low. This is as efficient as I can get."

Stepping out of the airship, it was Ren and Nora that paused at the sight of it. Pyrrha wasn't alone in noticing that; Ruby did too. The pair's shoulders tensed as they took in the surrounding area.

"Sorry, Ren," Rider added. "I know this place means a lot to you both. I'm sorry if it brings back any terrible memories."

"J-Rider?" Ruby asked. It was still a difficult thing to get used to. "What do you mean?"

"Kuroyuri," he answered. "It's…" he looked to Ren for permission.

"It's home," Ren completed.

"Again, I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Ren lied. He was looking for reasons. "There isn't any other place that could give a safer landing, is there?"

"If it helps," Rider said. "I can help you—you and Nora both—about the Grimm."

For a moment, Ren considered it dearly. "Spoilers?"

"I know it means a lot to you."

"Rider," Nora interjected. "Maybe… give us some time?"

"Of course." Rider nodded. "If there's anything you guys need; I'm still a Servant."

"Come on, Ren," Nora suggested. "Let's go home?"

A silent minute passed. "Yes," Ren said softly. "Let's go home for a while."

The two were on their way, Pyrrha would have joined them if she could but it appeared to be something deeply personal to the two of them that she turned to her Servant for answers. Ruby and Lancer were there as well. The two were mainly just idling about. Lancer seemed to be waiting for orders but Ruby wasn't so sure on how to act.

"I'm not lying when I said I was sorry," Rider explained. "But I also think that we could deal with the Nuckelavee while we're at it."

"More spoilers from the future?" Ruby asked. Her hand was on Crescent Rose. Hunting Grimm was familiar territory.

"Without Qrow being attacked by Tyrian—ah, scorpion faunus, has a stinger that can poison people and get past aura—we got here ahead of schedule."

Rider and Lancer were carrying the containers and with Rider's guidance, they have begun to refuel. It didn't take long before the airship was ready to go again but everyone could use a break. Having spent hours on an airship was terrible on their legs and they needed the fresh air. By the looks of Ren and Nora, they wanted to spend as much time here as they could before they had to go.

Pyrrha used this time to look around her. Never straying too far from Rider, she took in the sights of what remained of Kuroyuri. She could imagine a thriving culture here. Many of the stone structures still had the carving designs of old home. Flowers used to decorate Kuroyuri. The roads that go onward to the edges of the town were so used with many having been broken, probably from constantly bearing the weight of footsteps and carriages.

With those traces of a homely presence, Pyrrha could also see traces of chaos. Scratches that had to have come from Grimm stained those structures almost as much the black soot that have evaded rainwater after all these years. Plants that had once bloomed and blossomed were now lifeless and decaying. The leaves all broke down to dust at the slightest touch.

A tree that must have been blooming now stood lifeless at the center of the town. There Ren was undergoing different motions that Pyrrha guessed had to be some forms of martial arts. There were many that were had in Remnant, she herself picked one from her mentor. For Ren, there were different forms that had to have come from different martial arts though there were a few movements that seemed to mimic animal-like movements.

There was an empty river bed that passed under a bridge. Pyrrha could picture a rather serene moment here, watching the sunrise or sunset. A small boat could pass by here if the water level was low enough. Children would have come here with their own paper boats to see it float in the direction of the current.

Taking a step into what had to be the marketplace, Pyrrha saw that it was littered the most. Broken stalls and homes with many things just scattered about, too heavy to be carried by wind or water. Tents and fabrics that were fortunate enough to hang on were torn apart with most having been lost forever. A gathering of the masses, the Grimm would have been drawn here the most. The concentration of the impeding panic as they all fled for their lives would be like an aphrodisiac for the Grimm.

Walking deeper in, she could see the prints on the ground. The Grimm must have weighed a lot to have left behind such an imprint. It was in the shape of a horse's hoof and was bigger that Pyrrha's own hand. If she were to face the Grimm now, she would not be able to take it head on. The sheer size and weight behind it would have been immense. For a moment, she wondered how well Rider would have handled it.

"This is where Nora and I met."

Pyrrha jolted at the sudden voice of Ren behind her, interrupting her thoughts.

He pointed towards a building. A bakery by the looks of it. There were still a few loaves left there but they had all gone rotten. Not even the rodents would come in and eat them.

"I still remember how hungry I was," Nora added. "We looked out for each other after that. Didn't have any other family besides each other."

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha felt herself intruding on terrible memories. "For what happened."

"Don't be." Nora shook her head. "You are family too, Pyrrha. And so is—was Jaune." She sighed.

"Should I have told Rider to keep it a secret?" Pyrrha asked. The strain it had on her every time she looked to him was painful. She could never look at Rider and not see the face of her partner beneath it.

It was Ren who answered. "We would have all noticed it sooner or later. The demeanor, voice, and his memories would have made him slip eventually. Perhaps it is better that he told us ahead. I think we can all imagine what we would feel had he kept it a secret."

Nora chuckled bitterly. "I guess our fearless leader learned a thing or two from his transcripts, huh?"

Pyrrha and Ren shared in Nora's misery. Jaune—their Jaune—was a memory to them. A memory that is currently walking among them but a memory still.

Her eyes looked down on the marks of her hand. Three marks. Three Command Spells. Absolute commands that she could give and Rider would be forced to follow it. It felt wrong somehow. It would have been one thing to use it to forcibly command a Servant but try as she might, she couldn't erase the fact that her Servant, even if it is only a version of him, was Jaune. She couldn't force him to. She didn't want to.

Pyrrha felt Nora and Ren's hands on her own.

"It's alright," Nora assured her. "No matter what you decide, we'll be with you, Pyr."

Ren nodded. "Rider may not see it yet. But as Jaune—even if it's from a different timeline—he still is family. Servant or not, we'll all look after him."

"He just likes to take it all on himself, like he always does."

Though her eyes said otherwise, Pyrrha began to smile.

Pyrrha held the two in a tight embrace. It was a moment of joy and peace in an otherwise tragic and bleak location. She still had Ren and Nora with her. Pyrrha couldn't just stay stuck on her former partner.

When she had separated, Ren and Nora still had their arms around each other. If only Jaune were here. No. She shook her head at the thought. There was no way the Holy Grail could grant that, could it? If only she knew more.

"Could you…" Pyrrha asked. Perhaps, she herself needed a distraction. "Could you two tell me more about this place?"

Ren then pulled out a dagger. It looked older but Pyrrha could see the similarity between that dagger and that of his weapon of choice, Stormflower.

"It was my father's," Ren explained. "He gave it to me when Grimm came to Kuroyuri. Made me promise that I will live and survive."

"Kuroyuri wasn't the kindest place for me," Nora said. "But it is where I met Ren. So, I think it balances out."

"Am I really that worth all the trouble you went through?"

Seconds of silence passed. Nora raised her finger. "Boop."

Pyrrha chuckled.

"I remember," Nora continued. "How Ren used to keep doing his fancy forms when he thinks no one was looking. It was even more hilarious when he tried to copy the bug itself."

"It's called a mantis, Nora." Ren rolled his eyes. "And of course I would. The martial art was based on the mantis. Where else would I learn if not from the mantis?"

"You could have done that without the flies," Nora said. She leaned closer to Pyrrha as though trying to whisper gossip. "He used to catch flies for hours. Says it's for training."

"That sounds quite the training regimen," Pyrrha replied.

"Well it isn't something I do often." Ren shrugged. "Something I could fall back if I ever lose my weapon. Besides, there weren't that many flies."

"A good practice." Pyrrha nodded in agreement.

"You were trained in unarmed combat too?"

"My teacher called it Pankration."

"Ooh." Nora's eyes sparkled. "What's that? Never heard of it."

"You haven't?" Pyrrha waited until they shook their heads. "Teacher Chiron always said that it was quite used where he's from. Then again, he never did say where he was."

"Maybe he's an ancient Master," Nora's bubbliness was returning. It was like they were back in Beacon again. "From a mystic land far away, only choosing the best to train."

"I don't think it's like that, Nora." Pyrrha had to hold back a chuckle. "Though he did say that I reminded him of some other student he had once."

"Was he a failure? Maybe you were being trained to deal with the forgotten student." Nora's bubbliness was growing. It felt nice to have that back. "Trained in the same art, perhaps this time, the teacher will not fail."

"Not actually. Teacher Chiron said that Achilles—that's the other student—turned out to be quite the hero himself."

"But can he beat the Rusted Knight?" Nora asked. "I'm just saying. If he's quite the hero, how come I've never heard of him?"

"I mean," Pyrrha hesitated to answer. "I never met Achilles so I wouldn't know." She wasn't sure that Rider had been trained in unarmed combat. Though the Rusted Knight was stated to be quite the combatant so she wasn't sure. The image of Jaune being that good looked odd. "Maybe? I'll have to ask teacher Chiron when we meet him."

"We could use the extra help," Ren agreed. "There's still the matter of Mistral's Companion Servant."

Suddenly, they heard the sound of something whistling through the air. It was followed by it hitting something as it had been deflected.

"Rider!" they heard Ruby cry out. "Are you alright? Lancer! What was that?"

Gunshots were being heard. They must have come from Ruby.

"Looks like we got ourselves an Archer!" replied Lancer. "Rider! Could we get out in time?"

"Not unless you want to be shot down. You want to have this or should I?"

Ren and Nora exchanged worried glances. The three of them rushed out. Archer? An Archer-class Servant? From the sounds of it, it could be one of Salem's.

When they had come out to meet with their allies, Pyrrha couldn't see where the other Servant was. Lancer, Rider, and Ruby were all facing in one direction. Ruby deployed her weapon to look at the scope. Pyrrha did the same though she still couldn't see where it was that she had to look. The trees were rustling but there was no hint that showed that it was the Archer. Scanning further and Pyrrha caught a small flash of light. Next thing she knew was that a projectile came straight at her.

"Master!" Rider called out. Using his armor, he deflected the arrow. "They're testing us." He then turned to Lancer. "Found them, yet?"

"Their fast. I'll give you that." Lancer seemed to be following something. Pyrrha had to squint her eyes just to notice the rustling of the trees and branches outside the borders of Kuroyuri. The Archer must have excellent eyesight to be able to see them from this distance. Not even Ruby's scope seemed to match. "On your right!"

Rider drew his broken blade and deflected another arrow. The arrow snapped in half and fell on the ground before vanishing. As it did, Pyrrha focused her attention on the arrow.

Wait a minute, she thought. I've seen those arrows before. She had endured many of those arrows before, both with her shield and with her aura.

More arrows flew towards Rider. With his reflexes and speed, he managed to deflect most of them, keeping anyone behind him safe. Those that he could not deflect with his sword, he blocked with his armor, carefully placing himself so that the arrow won't fly towards the exposed parts. Rider didn't have his shield and only had the broken sword. His movements were somewhat flashy. The arrows that fell kept taking Pyrrha's attention as she sought cover.

She heard that familiar voice. Despite the distance, it didn't sound like shouting. "You have his height but not his speed. Keep your feet on the ground and be less aerial in your movements. It doesn't suit you, though I understand why you would, Rider."

"The Archer is—" Pyrrha tried to call out. But before she got to finish a gust of wind nearly blew her, along with Ren and Nora, away with how close she was to Rider. Her aura flared as she stumbled back and nearly fell.

When she regained her balance soon after, her eyes widened in recognition. Hands locked in a contest of strength against Rider, her teacher Chiron was currently engaging in a match with her Servant. Chiron kept his grip on Rider's sword arm, not letting him use the broken sword.

"Good reflexes," Chiron commented. "Using your height to your advantage and keeping your guard up as you control your opponent. Excellent. You at least have the instincts for it and the self-preservation to learn from your mistakes."

"Who's your Master?" Rider demanded. Their strength was about equal though Rider was starting to win.

"Even if I had one." Chiron raised an eyebrow. He wasn't taking this seriously at all. "Why would I tell you, a potential opponent? Not everyone is going to be honorable as that, Rider. Thieves and criminals certainly wouldn't even consider it. Servants wouldn't even think about it at all."

The two disengaged. Rider kept his combat stance while Chiron stood casually; he had that same disappointed look that he had whenever Pyrrha never quite learned her lesson and tried the same technique again.

"Teacher Chiron!" Pyrrha called out. "What's going on? Why are you attacking Rider?"

Rider paused and nearly stumbled when he tried to engage again. "That's your teacher?"

"Yes," Chiron said. "I'm also Mistral's Companion Archer. Chiron, at your service."

"Your teacher is a Servant?" Lancer asked. She already nearly closed the distance, weapon mid-swing, before she suddenly stopped. "How did you survive, girl?"

"A good teacher knows when to hold back," Chiron explained. Lancer may be behind him but the pupils of his eyes kept track Lancer's position. "Not every student of mine had to be a warrior, you know. I also taught a few in the arts of music and medicine."

Everyone else looked to her for answers. But Pyrrha couldn't give them any. She didn't know. She never did. Her teacher was a Servant. She had been trained by a Servant. This was starting to be like when she first summoned Rider again. Was being invovled with Servants unknowingly just her destiny or something?

The momentary paused was broken when Chiron attacked again. His focus was on Rider. Occasionally, a bow would appear and an arrow was shot towards Lancer's directions. Lancer didn't really approach to retaliate, waiting for Ruby for answers.

Ruby looked to Pyrrha for answers. Pyrrha couldn't give any. She could only shrug. Teacher Chiron had odd training methods sometimes.

"Lancer." Ruby decided. "Keep your distance. If Rider's in trouble, you go in."

"So just enjoy the show, huh?" Lancer replied. "Alright, kid." She turned to Pyrrha. "You gonna do anything as the Master?"

Pyrrha turned to the fight between Chiron and Rider. She was a Master and had to give commands. But what was she supposed to do? Her teacher Chiron had never been the type to have malicious intent. But she couldn't just let Rider do anything on his own, either. They were supposed to be a team. Partners.

Chiron and Rider engaged in hand-to-hand combat. After repeatedly disarming Rider's sword, it was clear that Chiron intended this to be one-on-one and without weapons. The comments and suggestions that were given during this sparring match was evidence of that.

"Good grip," Chiron said. "Perhaps you'd be more of a grappler."

"Is there any point to this?" Rider asked. "Other than an impromptu lecture?"

"I'm assuming your fighting in what you assume to be Miss Nikos' fighting style." Chiron gripped tight when Rider overcommitted his punch.

"What of it?" Rider was on his knee as Chiron put pressure on his shoulders.

"Only that it reminds me of another student of mine." Both combatants were on the ground. Chiron had trapped Rider with the former's knee on the back of the latter's neck. "And like I said before, it doesn't suit you."

"Hey, Pyrrha's a great warrior!" Rider reasoned.

Chiron let go. Neither really continued to fight but Rider kept his guard up while Chiron was relaxed. "I cannot speak for the one you knew but you could still live up to her legacy and fight to your strengths. Learn the basics but adapt, improvise, and evolve as experience dictates. How she fights should not be how you fight."

The two of them stood back up. Rider was checking his own shoulders. When no words were said, Rider broke the silence. "Why are you doing this exactly?"

"A favor. Someone asked me to help shape Remnant's heroes. Didn't specify that I had to shape one from scratch." Chiron got into a battle stance. "By committing to someone else's style, you not only have to worry about your own weaknesses but the weakness of that style your copying. It is worse since you don't have Achilles' speed."

"You're calling me too slow?"

"No." Chiron shook his head. "Achilles is just faster. Small difference perhaps, maybe even within the same rank. But everything could be decided in those small differences."

For a moment, the air around Rider changed. When the two engaged again, Rider had a noticeably different fighting style than before. He was more grounded now. Rider also kept his movements to a minimum, never exerting any more than was necessary. There was a showmanship to his performance still but he faced Chiron head-on, never resorting to dirty tricks.

"Personal skill?" Chiron guessed as he kept weaving in and out of Rider's range. Rider was leaning closer to grappling than striking now.

"Fairytale Knight," Rider replied. "Wouldn't do well to disappoint my teacher wouldn't it? Best if I show my best."

"Very well. I suppose I am picking up where your Pyrrha left you off." Chiron then turned to address Pyrrha. "How are your reserves doing?"

"She's fine," Rider answered for her. "I can gauge it just as well. Helps that I could go for a while without it."

"Indpendent Action?" Chiron raised an eyebrow.

"Something like that. I don't know myself either."

Pyrrha, a little surprised at that reveal, double-checked. True enough, she was doing relatively well. Her aura reserves were hovering at normal levels, from before she had even summoned Rider.

Chiron and Rider continued with their sparring match. From the side, Pyrrha noticed that Lancer seemed envious at the sight.

"I want in next," Lancer confirmed it for them. "What? We're Heroic Spirits, half of us at least craves a good fight."

"I wouldn't mind exchanging a few notes with you Lancer." Chiron had Rider in a chokehold. "But I have to correct a few errors in Rider's foundation of Pankration. From my estimations, you might win out in stamina against him."

"I hate that you said might."

"You're a fairytale hero but still fundamentally human. Even your legend says that. Achilles is a demi-god. It's a compliment that you could somewhat keep up at all."

Neither combatant really moved much from their spot. Their match was confined to a small area with an imaginary circle that served as the boundaries of their arena. No buildings were hurt and they were especially careful towards one in particular.

Rider broke free from the chokehold. To gain momentum in his favor, he boxed Chiron repeatedly to gain distance. Rider's height made him be an out-fighter compared to Chiron. But Chiron was accustomed to this, having taught many students in his lifetime. Chiron was closing the distance and Rider was being made to adapt to these as well.

"Your helmet provides excellent protection," Chiron commented. "But it also limits your vision and hearing." He kept moving behind Rider. "A faster opponent could abuse it."

"I can still sense you, you know." Rider was following Chiron. "You're no Assassin, you can't hide that presence and we're in a middle combat."

"Didn't help you when my arrows flew." He smirked. A flying fist was blocked.

Before Rider could respond, Chiron already caught him in another trap. Whenever one moves, there is a shift in their weights. One leg would inevitably be lighter than the other. Constantly shifting weights was expected in any fight. But Pyrrha remembered those lessons. If one doesn't take care of their own movement, they could expose themselves as windows of opportunity for their opposition. Rider wasn't fast enough.

Rider had tapped out once Chiron took him in yet another hold. This time, however, Chiron couldn't hide his breathing. The calm façade was easily broken because he was trying to appear unbothered at all.

Chiron let Rider go and helped him get up. He even took the extra step of fixing the armor strapped on Rider's person.

"Now then," Chiron said. This time, he was addressing them all. "Once again, I am Chiron, Mistral's Companion Archer. I have been expecting all of you."

Ruby took the first initiative. "We're actually looking for you."

"I know." Chiron nodded. "You're looking to recruit me." Before Ruby could ask another question, Chiron already answered. "I can see quite far, miss Rose. I have reallygood eyesight."

"Ha," Lancer feigned laughter. "Archers."

"Quite." Chiron ignored Lancer. "I am also aware of the situation at Haven."

"You already know that Leo's a traitor?" Rider asked.

Chiron produced many pieces of paper. "Many huntsmen and huntresses were called by the headmaster himself to take on 'dangerous' missions. I don't think I need to explain what those missions actually are. Those I could get to had to hide away for a while."

"You've been active," Lancer commented.

"Like I said," Chiron repeated. "I was asked a favor to help shape Remnant's heroes. They need to be alive long enough to become one."

"Mr. Chiron, sir?" Ruby asked. A thought must have entered her mind with that expression she's wearing. "Could I…"

"Your mother was a great heroine, miss Rose," Chiron answered. His eyes momentarily went towards Lancer who only shrugged. "Whether or not she would have been a Heroic Spirit is not up to me to decide."

Ruby appeared elated. "Thank you, sir."

Chiron nodded. "As for you two, Ren and Nora." The two stood stiff. "Thank you both for looking after my student. Perhaps it wasn't my place, but the Nuckelavee had been dealt with. My regret is that I couldn't get to it sooner."

Between Ren and Nora, it was the former that was going through the emotions. The dagger was clasped tight. His shoulders tensed as his breathing intensified. Pyrrha could only image the memories that were flooding back. Eventually, his relaxed. His nodding was slight at first but grew bigger a moment after.

"Thank you," he said. "So long as no one else will be hurt by the Grimm ever again." There was a slight darkness in his voice.

Chiron bowed humbly. Pyrrha looked to Ren again. It wasn't quite done yet.

The sun was already beginning to set. Rather than continue onwards with their trip, the group had chosen to stick around. Nora and Ren particularly used this moment to reminisce and see as much of their old home. Though it visibly pains them of seeing their home in such a state, there were clear happy memories as well and that is what they were holding on to.

Ruby used this time to start practicing her Silver-eyed powers along with Lancer. While he could not help them with the powers directly, Chiron had experience as a teacher that afforded him some authority in regards to the teaching methods that Lancer was using. That left behind Pyrrha and Rider to tend to the ship and prepare the fires for the night.

"So," Pyrrha asked. "How was teacher Chiron?"

"Honestly, why didn't you tell me that your teacher was a Servant?"

"In my defense, Rider, I didn't know that either."

Looking back at it, she probably should have suspected something. Pyrrha may have grown up with the stories of the Rusted Knight like any other person but Chiron's tales now obviously came from somewhere else. The most she had heard was always about Achilles, the student that teacher Chiron always compared her to and is now compared directly to the Rusted Knight. There were other stories as well but she was currently having a hard time recalling each one.

"Where did you learn to fight that way?" Pyrrha asked. "I don't think the me of your time wouldn't have made it that far."

"My Pyrrha never did," Rider replied. "I kept training afterwards. But those moves? I just wanted to keep the memory of her alive somehow. I guess it translated to Pankration."

"You… wanted to keep her memory alive?" The thought that Jaune would do that for her made her blush a little.

Rider showed her the red sash tied around his hip. "The shield even had bronze accents on them, shaped after that circlet. Shame that the story didn't include the shield. Then again, I never used it much in the Ever After. Didn't really need to for the most part."

"What do you mean?"

"There wasn't much to fight in the Ever After other than the Jabberwalker. I usually have my mount with me."

"Oh right." Being a Rider would imply having a mount at least. "Your mount. A Jackalope, if I remember."

"I'd show it," Rider said. "But that is revealing one of my trump cards. For little that is worth since we already know each other's True Names."

Chiron joined for the night, happily telling them the stories that Pyrrha had already heard before. He continued to teach them even now but by that point, it was less combat oriented and closer to first-aid.

He even helped them with aura control.

"I have lived enough years on Remnant," Chiron said. "Just because I am a teacher doesn't mean I have stopped learning."

Nora was waving her arms as though it was a classroom setting. "You taught this Achilles guy, right? After dealing with Rider, who would you say would win?"

Chiron indulged them. "As I see it, Rider and Achilles would be about equal. My bias would favor Achilles but I would at least say that Rider would be the Achilles of Remnant."

"But who would win?" Nora was insistent on that answer. Pyrrha didn't need to guess who has her vote. Chiron probably knows too because he never gave her an answer, even after Nora begged. Rider swayed back and forth due to being a casualty of Nora's begging.

Information was exchanged and at the mention of Berserker, Chiron's expression turned serious.

"The Jabberwalker, huh." Chiron was in deep thought. "If Rider would be Remnant's Achilles, I would estimate that Berserker would be Remnant's Heracles."

"Another one of your student's, sir?" Ruby asked.

"The most recognizable hero all over Earth."

"Could you… tell us more about this other world, sir?" Ruby leaned closer. "I always wanted to be a hero like my mom. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from them?"

"I would love to, miss Rose. But perhaps another time."

Pyrrha felt his eyes on her. For a moment, she wondered if she did something wrong.

Later that night, Chiron, Pyrrha, and Rider found themselves alone. Pyrrha was grateful for Rider; she needed the support.

"You didn't take much command there, Pyrrha," Chiron said.

"I…" Pyrrha tried to answer. "Was I supposed to?"

"You're a Master now, remember? And Rider is your Servant. While it is good to have a Servant that takes initiative, the final decision should still be on the Master." He pointed to her hand. "It is why you have those."

Pyrrha didn't answer. She only looked down on the floor like she was being scolded. Chiron didn't sound angry nor was he disappointed.

"I understand that your partner has become the template for Rider." Chiron was on his knee, trying to look her in the eye. "You must have fallen on old habits, thinking that he is still around—and he is, from a certain point of view."

Rider snorted behind her.

"But I also taught you to lead," Chiron continued. "To make decisions. Everything that you may need should you wish to become a hero."

Pyrrha didn't immediately raise her head. When she did, teacher Chiron only had warmth coming from his face.

"Take your time, Pyrrha," Chiron said. "I'm still your teacher and I'll help you if you need me."

/-/

When his Master had left to join the others, Rider and Chiron stayed behind. The latter's eyes were on the red sash. It was the same red sash as Pyrrha's own.

"Should you ever reach that crossroad," Chiron asked. "What do you intend to do?"

"There must always be a Rusted Knight," Rider replied. "I'm not letting Master take that burden."

Chiron chuckled. "I'm afraid someone else has already beat you to that."

"In this time?"

"Do you even know where the Grail is?"

"What about it?" Wouldn't it just show up once there was a winner?

"In Remnant? It would be more accurate to say that someone will bring it to you. Let me ask a different one instead, one that is more important." Chiron drew an image on the ground. "What do you see?"

"Is that even a question?" Rider scoffed. "It's an elephant being consumed by a boa constrictor."

"Really? Most people would say it's a hat."


AN: Expanding that supposed history between Gilles, Salem, and Ozpin in Knight War Order, we have that point in time as its own Grail War and the reason behind the Companions: Saber-Class Jason and Rider-Class Blackbeard.

Next up is Fairytale Knight. Initially named Guardian Knight after Georgios, I find this to be the nice balance between actual RK and Lewis' RK. In my personal headcanon, Lewis' RK is basically the Knight in Shining Armor archetype. Some friends of mine also suggested I look into DnD's Paladin (namely Oath of Devotion) if I want any more ideas on Fairytale Knight. Haven't done any of that as of this chapter but something to consider.

Alternatively, I was also looking into Le Chevalier à l'armure rouillée or Knight in Rusty Armor by Robert Fisher. Someone suggested I read it since it shared a lot of similarities to Jaune in Volume 9. But it's been a while since then so I might do a re-read (from memory, I feel that it is a better allusion to Jaune than Joan of Arc).