CHAPTER IV

A Whisper And A Clamor

—"Pyrrha was a really good person..." Said Ren. "We were lucky to have her"

Chryso smiles softly, as she remembers all the things she's heard about her older sister.

—"I always wondered what she was like at Beacon... and now I sort of can, seeing how much you all like her... and how much you all seem to remind me of her."

—"And now we are your friends too. Chryso" Said Jaune while taking Chryso's hand

Chryso smiles even bigger when she hears that.

—"That means a lot to me... really... I always felt lost... but maybe, I'll feel like I have a place here..."

Chryso smiles softly at him, as she looks down at his hand. She's never been great at getting close to people, but she can feel a genuine connection with these kids.

—"Thank you, Jaune… It's just... I know how much you all cared for my older sister... and I'm trying to take her place... but... I'll never be as strong as she was... I know that..."

That smile fades from her face, as the look of guilt returns.

—"I'm so weak... and I'm so scared... I wasn't there... I wasn't able to protect her... if only I were stronger..."

—"I was there...and I wasn't able to protect her either" Said Blake "Don't be too harsh with yourself Chryso"

Chryso stays silent for a few seconds, before she responds.

—"Maybe... you're right... but it's not just that... I want to... protect everyone..."

She looks away from them, as she sighs deeply.

—"But whenever I try to fight, it's like something holds me back... something tells me that I'm too afraid to fight... and I can feel that weakness holding me back... every time..."

—"I know that feeling," Blake reassured her.

—"Really? You feel the same way as me... even though you're so powerful and capable..."

The cat faunus nodded her head.

—"I'm really glad to know that I'm not the only one that feels this way..."

—"I thought that I was never going to leave my days as a White Fang member behind...that every time I tried to fight the darkness inside of me. It was going to prevail... But here I am. Working to defend our world"

Chryso smiles, as she seems to slowly gain some confidence.

—"Thank you... I really needed to hear that from someone… "You gave me some hope... some hope that I can do this... that I can fight the White Fang... and protect people... just like my sister"

—"Well...well... what's with all this noise?" Qrow Branwen stumbled into the room, his eyes bleary from intoxication. He swayed slightly as he looked around, his eyes fixed on Team RWBY and Team JNPR. "Hey there, kids," he slurred, his voice thick with drink. "What's going on here?

—"Pyrrha's sister's here. Uncle Qrow" Ruby said, trying not to be too loud and cause her drunk uncle's a worse headache.

Qrow blinked and looked at Chryso, his eyes slightly unfocused as he tried to comprehend what Ruby had just said. "Pyrrha's sister, eh? Well, that's a surprise." He stumbled over to a nearby chair and sat down heavily, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "So, what brings you here?"

—"The same thing that brought you all here" Chryso said with determination as Oscar Pine, the young farmer boy that hosted Professor Ozpin's soul, joined the reunion. "I want to take Cinder down. Mr. Branwen"

Qrow looked up at Chryso with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He took another swig from his flask and then looked over at Oscar, who had just joined the group.

—"Well, if you want to take down Cinder, you're in the right place. We've all been trying to do that for a while now." He gestured towards the rest of Team RWBY and Team JNPR, all of whom had now gathered in the living room.

—"But there's more...than just Cinder by now" Oscar said. Jaune and the others nodded gravely in agreement. They knew that the situation was more complex than just fighting against Cinder Fall.

—"That's right," Jaune said. "We've discovered that there's a larger entity at play behind the scenes, pulling the strings for all of this chaos. We call it Salem."

The name lingered in the air like a dark shadow, and the atmosphere in the room immediately grew more serious and tense.

—"Salem..." Chryso mumbled as she clung tightly to her coffee mug.

As the name of Salem was spoken out loud, the mood in the room grew even more grave. Jaune looked at Chryso with a mixture of sympathy and understanding, knowing that the mention of Salem was particularly difficult for her.

—"Yeah", Jaune said softly. "She's a powerful and dangerous entity that we've been fighting against. But she's not just a mindless force of darkness - she's intelligent and cunning, and she's always one step ahead of us."

Chryso nodded, her heart racing as she listened to Jaune's explanation. She could feel the tension growing as Jaune spoke, and she knew that the stakes were incredibly high. "How can we possibly defeat her if she's so powerful and intelligent?" she asked, her voice tinged with fear.

—"We'll find the way," Weiss said, putting a hand on Chryso's shoulder, not telling her about Salem's invincibility.

Chryso felt a wave of comfort wash over her as Weiss put her hand on her shoulder. She looked up at Weiss, grateful for her reassuring words. "I trust you," she said, her voice slightly shaky but resolute. "We'll find a way to defeat her. We have to."

Grey was in the other room. Playing with Sapphron's baby Adrian. Chryso stood in the doorway, watching Grey play with the baby Adrian with a soft smile on her face. She felt a sense of warmth and peace watching them interact, and she couldn't help but be reminded of Pyrrha. She approached them quietly, not wanting to interrupt their tender moment.

—"Chryso, come here!" Pyrrha's voice could be heard as Chryso closed her eyes, playing a memory on her mind

Pyrrha and her were very young girls. Pyrrha was about ten and Chryso eight. They were playing at the Manor's garden

As Chryso stood at the doorway watching Grey play with the baby, she suddenly heard her sister's voice calling out to her. The sound of Pyrrha's voice was like a ghost from the past, echoing through the air and stirring a flood of emotions inside her.

In her mind's eye, she was transported back to their childhood, when the two of them were young girls playing in the garden at the estate. Chryso could almost smell the fresh scent of the flowers and feel the warmth of the sun on her skin as she remembered that day so vividly...

—"Coming!" Said Chryso as she washed her hands.

Chryso washed her hands quickly and hurried over to where her sister was situated in the garden. As she approached, she saw Pyrrha sitting at the edge of the pond, a few of her favorite books spread out around her.

Chryso sat down beside her sister, peering curiously at the books scattered around Pyrrha. She could sense that Pyrrha had something important to teach her, and she waited patiently for her sister to start.

—"So. This is the story of the Four Maidens" Little Pyrrha said, pretending she was a teacher...

Chryso's eyes lit up with excitement as Pyrrha began to tell the story of the Four Maidens. She leaned in closer, hanging on to every word as her sister spoke. She had always loved stories and fairytales, and the idea of four powerful maidens with magical abilities was incredibly intriguing to her.

As she listened to Pyrrha recount the tale, Chryso imagined the four maidens as beautiful young women, each with their own unique personality and powers. She could almost picture them flying through the air, their colorful dresses flowing in the wind as they used their magical abilities for good...

Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter...

As Pyrrha spoke, she described the four seasons and the magical powers associated with each. Chryso's imagination ran wild as she visualized the maidens in action. She could almost feel the chill of winter's breath and see the colorful leaves of autumn swirling around the Fall maiden. She was completely enthralled by the story, hanging on every word that Pyrrha spoke.

As Pyrrha continued, Chryso began to wonder which season she would be in if she were a Maiden. She decided that she would most likely be the Winter Maiden, since she had always connected with the cool, calming energy of the season. She imagined herself using her powers to create snow and ice, and she shivered with excitement at the thought.

—"Pyrrha. Do you think I can become a maiden...or you. Someday?" Chryso said as she sipped some apple juice.

Pyrrha looked at her younger sister with a gentle smile, putting her hand on top of Chryso's. "Chryso," she said gently, "I believe that anyone can become a Maiden if they put their mind to it, and channel their inner strength and magic. And you, sister, have more inner strength and magic than anyone I know." Chryso beamed at her sister's words, feeling a surge of excitement and determination rise within her.

—"Pyrrha! Chryso! The meal's ready!" Pandora called her daughters back inside.

The two sisters looked up at the sound of their mother's call, and Pyrrha stood up from the grass with a smile. She held out her hand, helping Chryso to her feet as well.

—"Come on," Pyrrha said. "We don't want to keep Mom waiting."

Sapphron approached with Adrian's milk in hand and a bright smile on her face. As she saw Grey holding Adrian, she couldn't help but smile wider. "Is it this little guy's feeding time already?" she said, her voice filled with warmth and affection for her son. She reached out to take Adrian from Grey, cradling him gently as she gave him his bottle.

—"Grey..." Chryso said "You will be a wonderful mother someday"

Chryso was safe for the moment, and she had made some friends. Friends who could protect her, friends who could support her. She may have lost her family, but she has just gained a new one...

Chryso curls up in her bed, snuggling into her pillows as she falls asleep. Her friends would protect her... she could let her shoulders relax. The nightmares couldn't get her here... she is safe here...

Just free falling asleep. She started having a marvelous dream. Pyrrha Nikos materialized out of the blue in the dark room. With a warm smile on her face. Pyrrha didn't talk. She just caressed her sister's red wavy hair... Chryso could swear that she felt the warm hand of Pyrrha...

Chryso could swear she felt Pyrrha's warm and tender hand caressing her hair... it was a feeling that she had not felt for a long time... Pyrrha had always known how to make her feel safe and comfortable in her presence.

Pyrrha was smiling even in Chryso's dream, that gentle, warm and loving smile of hers... a smile that Chryso missed so dearly...

Chryso smiled softly as she felt Pyrrha's lips on her forehead... Pyrrha knew how to make her feel loved, how to make her feel appreciated, cared for even. That gentle kiss was exactly what she needed to make her feel more secure and at ease in her mind, even if Pyrrha wasn't actually there. Pyrrha was the big sister that Chryso always wanted, someone she could love and trust. Someone who would always be there for her no matter what.

Pyrrha hugged Chryso. And then faded away. Called back to the immensity of the cosmos where the brave huntresses rested forever. It was a comforting hug, one that made her feel safe and protected, one that she never wanted to end. Pyrrha would always be with her, even if it was only in Chrysos memory and dreams.. Pyrrha was the person she had always looked up to, the one she had looked forward to seeing again... but now, it seemed she had to settle with just dreaming about her instead...

Or... maybe not?

Chryso woke up briefly... And noticed that the spot of her bed where Pyrrha sat...felt warm! Like if someone was actually there

Chryso felt the spot around where Pyrrha was sitting, and she could have sworn that the area felt warmer than the rest of her bed. It was as if someone was actually just there, even now... and even though there was no one actually there... Maybe... just maybe... Pyrrha's spirit did come to look in on her...

—"Good night. Sis" Chryso whispered. Falling asleep again soon after

Once again, Chryso fell asleep with a peace in her mind. The feeling of her sister's presence was still present with her, and she felt a comfort and warmth that she had not felt in a long time. She was finally at peace... knowing that her sister was watching over her, even from beyond.

On the other side of the wall. Jaune Arc was still awake. Meeting Chryso Nikos was something he wasn't prepared for... Of course. He was still very affected by Pyrrha's passing. And meeting her little sister was an enormous surprise

Jaune Arc was still awake, unable to fall asleep, even with all of the tiredness weighing him down. Meeting Chryso had been quite the surprise for him... and meeting her had awakened his grief once again. He also felt a responsibility... he had to protect this girl... she was quite precious...

—"What kind of stories did Pyrrha tell her about me?" Jaune couldn't help but wonder what Pyrrha had told her sister. What sort of things she had told Chryso about him... Was it just general information about him, or were there some personal stories as well? Jaune couldn't help but be very curious about that... but at the moment, he couldn't risk waking the sleeping child...

Ruby Rose was also sleepless. The terrible memory of Pyrrha being killed by Cinder in front of her still plagued her mind. But now. She had the responsibility of taking care of Chryso Nikos. The sister of her dear friend

Ruby was also sleepless, as her memories of Pyrrha's death still haunt her to this day. She is still struggling to get over the loss, yet still manages to keep it together when in front of their new companion. Even though she still feels the pain of Pyrrha's death, she still manages to support their young friend as well as she can... because she must. She cannot risk hurting somebody else, after she failed to protect Pyrrha from Cinder...

—"It's like a signal Pyrrha sent us to not give up fighting" Ruby thought. As Blake Belladonna slept peacefully on the other side of the room

Ruby can't help but think that Pyrrha's spirit is with them, supporting them to keep going in her stead. She feels that this is indeed a sign for them to keep fighting, to keep moving forward. Blake was finally sleeping peacefully, something that was very rare for the girl. Ruby was glad that this seemed to be working out for the best, at least so far...