Title: Berried Delights
Genre: Adventure, Hurt/Comfort
Summary: We've all heard the story of Pyrrha coming back as a Grimm. But what if, that night Beacon fell, Jaune had realized her plans sooner? Back then, if their positions were switched… would their… fates… be different? Would she have his life, and his hers?
A/N: Sorry this took so long! Life got in the way, so… yeah. So to prevent that, I'm going to be making a schedule to make some more frequent updates; yes, even for some of the stories I haven't updated in a while! Stick around to the end of the chapter to get the schedules!
Anyways, from the title of the chapter, I can guess you guys know what song this one is based on. Again – no ways subtle lol.
As for some review responses, here they are!
To triscythe59, yeah, exactly! A fusion of sorts. Sorry for the late update, and hope you had a good holiday!
To NotKaladin, glad you noticed it! RWBY Chibi remains one of my favorites to this day, they're all just so adorableee!
To The Storm Master 567, that's right! Thanks for reading!
To nashwhitewolf, probs not gonna be the main focus; it's Arkos all day here, of course.
To SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, like NotKaladin said, it's pretty much because of that one RWBY Chibi skit where Jaune thinks he's gonna be caught by Sun and Neptune and he makes a new alias. I thought it was appropriate to use here, and so, seems to match pretty well!
To Delta7344, here you go! Sorry for the wait!
To Essitier1987, you know, that is a good point – and I'm not even gonna refute it. Probably not gonna make Ozpin play too much of a pivotal role here or be to present. It's just… weird, even though Oscar and Ruby can have good chemistry.
To Midnight49, glad you liked it!
To The mango-mango, happy you did!
To FunkyDipShit, and here you go, some mooore!
To Oppai Crusader, nah, it's just a popular thing that's been going around for a few years iirc. Still, what I wouldn't give to just get her back, god frickin damniiittt loll.
And to those of you commenting the lyrics of BURY THE LIGHT (CodofWar0, Yaboi27), you're gonna love this one if you love DMC songs!
And without further ado… this tower's getting crazy!
Chapter 2: The Pure Autumn Leaf
Inside her agency, a voice reached Pyrrha's ears as she packed up both Milo and Akuo on her back.
"Everything ready?"
"As ready as can be." Pyrrha answered. She stood straight, her armour fully strapped on. She relished in its familiar feeling – after Beacon, she had only ever modified it once. "Didn't have much time since you came here on such short notice."
Pyrrha Nikos
Legendary Maiden Spartan
"Hm." Felipe shrugged. Compared to her, Pyrrha thought, he seemed to have packed relatively light; his only weapon was the sword he was leaning on, and his attire was merely a long, cape-like blue robe paired with a set of pants with black highlights. On his hip, a thick piece of yellow cloth was tied around, with ends that trailed beyond his knees and followed him with every step.
Felipe
A Friendly Stranger
Pyrrha eyed him up and down. She wasn't quite sure that was what a complete Huntsman would be wearing, let alone packing. "What about you? You sure that you're packing enough?"
"Positive." Felipe nodded. He headed to her agency's door and gently opened it for her. He smiled softly at her, "After you."
Pyrrha smirked. "That doesn't work on me. Customers first."
"Suit yourself." Felipe twirled his sword and took the first step out. And as soon as the door closed behind Pyrrha, and the night sky became clearly visible towards her eyes, she immediately grew uneasy.
The sight that she was greeted was simply staggering.
Beacon could be seen from anywhere in Vale. It's towering… well, tower, was taller than even the skyscrapers in the city. It's presence, and it's reconstruction, had been a symbol of hope and perseverance for the people of the newly-repopulated Kingdom.
But now, a new structure was towering over it, dark and covering even the broken moon with its evil.
And worst of all:
"It's growing." Pyrrha said in awe.
Felipe hummed in accordance. "He works quick. And as such, we must make haste."
Pyrrha hummed. "Not that I'm not opposed to the idea, but I have to ask: why not just bomb it to hell and back?" She pointed to the tower of darkness – it was right there, and... well... "I'm sure Atlas has enough power to do so, no?"
"While that would destroy a good portion of it, such rash movements would not be able to finish the job." Felipe explained to her.
Pyrrha tilted her head, and he explained to her further. "The moment a branch, or a section, is cut off, it would simply regrow its lost part in mere seconds, rendering any direct attack to it useless."
Pyrrha opened her mouth to argue but was cut off when Felipe pointed to another part of the tower.
"And look." Felipe directed her to a newer branch growing out of the tower. It's spike seemed to get longer ever so slowly, and yet most importantly…
"I see black ooze dropping out of the edge…" Pyrrha trailed off. Her eyes widened. "Wait, you can't mean-!"
"Yes. The Grimm Spawn." Felipe nodded. "Right now, it isn't enough to birth a monster. But as time goes on, and when he gets enough power…"
"Each drop will spawn a Grimm. Yes, I recall." Pyrrha grit her teeth. She remembered the pools of darkness in Salem's realm, where the Grimm had originally come from. To think, that such an evil was now right here in Vale…
She let out a sigh. She regretted the fact that evil seemed never ending.
But a question was nagging the back of her mind. "Where is all this darkness coming from, then? How, how could it now so suddenly be in Vale?" …And with such a small vessel as one man's body? Pyrrha wondered.
Felipe stayed silent.
Pyrrha kept her gaze on this new partner of hers. Why did he suddenly look so far off, she wondered? It was like he wasn't listening to her at all…!
"Felipe?" Pyrrha tried, and when he didn't answer, she grew increasingly worried. "Felipe! Felipe!"
"H-Huh? Oh…" She saw Felipe close his eyes and shook his head. "Sorry… I just…"
Pyrrha felt worry clench her heart. Why? She didn't know, they had only met a few moments ago… and yet, she couldn't help but feel a… protectiveness… towards this man.
Pyrrha took a calming breath. No, it's better for me to follow my instincts, even if I don't understand them, she thought.
She placed a hand on Felipe's shoulder. "I'm… grateful, that you've explained a lot for me. But… if you're not comfortable, you don't have to tell me."
"No…" Felipe shook his head; but she didn't miss the way he ever so slightly leaned to her touch. "No, you need to know."
She saw him taking a breath, pausing a long while after, before he could find his words. "While its height… and its darkness, is staggering, The Jahat Tower's strength is not upwards, but inwards. It has buried itself deep in the Emerald Forest's very grounds, digging deep and planting a root that can not be destroyed until its planter has been eliminated."
That… wasn't really an answer, but Pyrrha would take what she could get.
Felipe continued, "And within the Jahat are several levels, the deepest root housing the man himself." Felipe finished. "And it is there that we must head to. It is there where we could sever the tower once and for all."
"And I take it he won't come out to Remnant no matter how much we try?" Pyrrha asked.
"You catch on quick." Felipe nodded. "It's why I came to you."
"Why thank you." Pyrrha smiled. Good, looks like he's come back to himself, she thought. But then, another thought hit her, "But then… what is the purpose of the Jahat Tower, exactly?"
"It… it's function is to birth the Keras fruit." Felipe answered her.
It wasn't anything she had ever heard before. "Keras fruit?" Pyrrha asked back.
"You see… his darkness was not obtained by natural means." Felipe began to explain, "As such, to grow permanently stronger, it needs another method to absorb negativity. The Keras fruit is the way, and the Jahat tower is what paves it forward."
Pyrrha connected the dots. "So… the more people are scared of him, then-!"
"-The faster the tower grows." Felipe finished. It confirmed Pyrrha's worst hypothesis.
But she knew she couldn't turn back now.
Pyrrha sighed, and she decided to recount what they know. "So. Find a way into the tower. Fight in the ground level, and then deeper and deeper until we come face to face with him."
"Yes. And then, kill him."
"…Yeah, that." Pyrrha rubbed her head. She rolled her shoulders and sighed.
A thousand thoughts were swirling in her head. Was she truly wrong? She had done everything to avenge him, to live up to what he would've wanted. She tried to be kind, she tried to hold her word always, she tried to be the best she could… even now, she never took orders she felt he wouldn't approve.
She had tried her best to keep the memory alive. And yet, now…
Crackle!
Felipe looked at the skies, as did Pyrrha. Clouds were beginning to form, cutting off what was once a clear sky.
A storm was approaching.
"Exiting the tower will be harder in a downpour." Felipe stated. He began walking away quickly, heading in the general direction the tower – and Beacon – was. "Come, we must head there immediately."
"Right behind you." Pyrrha followed suit. She buried her doubts deep within; casted it aside, for she won't be coming home if she let them consume her – and though she stayed mostly silent, she didn't miss the slight stumbles Felipe had in his walk. "So, since you seem to know all about him, any idea on where we can make a first entry into the tower?"
At this, Felipe smirked.
"Oh, I have an idea."
Ruby had stayed beside Oscar's bedside ever since the moment he was admitted to the hospital. And through all of it, the young boy had seen all the Reaper's mood swings.
First, she fell into despair. And then, she fell into worry. And then, she fell into anger, snapping at almost any nurse or doctor that tried to come near him.
It didn't help that many of the present Huntsmen and Huntresses currently present had looked to her for leadership, had looked to her for guidance. Such was the burden of the one remaining Silver-Eyed warrior.
And then in the end, she had settled on trying to be as much of her old self as possible – but every smile she showed Oscar, he knew it to be incredibly brittle.
One would think that this was because they were close, like boyfriend and girlfriend. But Oscar knew deeper.
It was because, in the moments that Ruby slept on the couch beside him, he could just see how tired she was.
Oscar Pine
Bearer of Legacy
They had risked their lives, and the lives of so much more, in the war against Salem all those years ago. And while they had indeed won, yes, it came at much sacrifice.
So much time had been lost. So many people had died. And in the end, they were left with a broken world that even today hasn't fully healed.
And then, in less than a night, chaos erupted in the very Kingdom that first Fell.
It was as if nothing had ever changed. As if all their blood sweat and tears were for nothing in the end.
And it didn't help that the very hospital they were staying in was built into Beacon's medical wing; and as such, every time they stared out the window, they could see that ominous tower casting a shadow upon them all.
And speaking of Ruby…
Oscar's eyes went to the door of his room. She had went out for a few hours now, leaving him with some cookies and milk, and only winking when he asked him where she was going.
It didn't worry him – no, he was a grown adult! – but at the same time, it was getting kinda lonely…
Bang! "I'm baaack!"
Ruby Rose
The Silver-Eyed Reaper
Speak of the reaper and she shall appear.
"Heya, Ruby." Oscar waved with his hand. Well, the one that wasn't sliced off, that is. "What took you so long?"
"Uh… well…" Ruby shuffled her feet. She seemed to be hiding something behind her back. When he didn't break his stare, and Ruby couldn't find the words, she closed her eyes and quickly presented what she was hiding to Oscar. "HereitisIhopeyoulikeit!"
"Wha-…!" Oscar what speechless at the sight.
For what Ruby was showing him was a brand-new, shiny metal arm.
"R-Ruby, this must've cost a fortune!" Oscar yelled. "I mean, I can't just- I can't just take this out of nowhere!"
"Actually, I made it myself – so the cost doesn't count!" Ruby added. "Come on, Oscar, just try it on!"
"Ruby, really-!"
"Come on! I didn't spend all that time just for you to think about the price!"
"W-Well, if you insist…" Oscar blushed and shyly took the arm from Ruby. Slowly but surely he put the arm on as his brand-new replacement limb.
Click! It matched his stump like a glove. Oscar tried to move his brand-new fingers. They responded immediately. As if his hand had never left
But still, there was a coldness to its application. A reminder at the back of his head that it was not the same as it used to be.
But that worry was far from his head right now. The only thing he could feel was gratitude.
She had made this for him!
"…It's wonderful, Ruby." Oscar said breathlessly. He shot the girl of his dream a smile that spoke a thousand words, "…Thanks so much."
"Yes! I'm so glad it worked!" Ruby jumped and whooped, using her Semblance to spin around the room in happiness.
And as soon as she was done, unfurling across the room in a mess of red cloak and petals, she already had Crescent Rose in her hands and stood ready with a face-splitting grin on her lips.
"Then it's time for a test drive!" Ruby excitedly shouted.
"W-whoa, Rubes, aren't we going a little too fast?"
"Pffft, I know the rest of your body is fine!" Ruby said confidently. "…I mean, it is, right?"
"Heh. Well, somehow that bastard did a clean cut and didn't damage the rest of me…so yeah. I'm good to go." Oscar smiled and got off the bed, slowly taking test strides and test swings with his new hand.
But then, he raised an eyebrow. "Wait, how did you get Crescent Rose in anyway? I thought the med bay banned weapons."
Ruby tilted her head up proudly. "I used my Semblance."
Oscar glowered playfully. "Ruby…"
"Hey, what they don't know won't hurt them!" Ruby defended. "And besides, don't you agree we always need to be ready?"
"I mean, we're in Beacon right now… it's pretty safe, right?"
Ruby flinched.
Oscar quickly apologized. "Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean it like that…" He had forgotten, that, once, that very safety was shattered right in front of her eyes.
And he was immensely glad when Ruby seemed to brush it off as easy as pie. "Well… that's fine." Ruby sucked in a deep breath and put her smile back on her face. "Moving on! Are you coming or not?"
Oscar gave a few more test swings. "Yeah, seems good enough! Where do you think we should go?"
Ruby tapped her heels. "Well, Beacon's training grounds should be free right now. I wonder if we can use that-!"
But then, their conversation was interrupted when one of the nurses slammed through their door.
"Ms. Rose! We've been looking all over for you!"
"Wha- me?" Ruby pointed to herself. "Wait, did you see me bringing Crescent Rose?! No, you won't take her-!"
"Nono, it's not that. Though we will be having words later with Nurse Tsune." At Ruby's whimper of fear, the nurse chuckled but soon composed herself.
"It's the Huntsmen, Ms. Rose." She said, and this time Oscar noticed the tinge of respect her tone held for the Silver-Eyed Warrior. "They're saying that someone has already engaged the tower."
"What? But I thought I told them to wait for my Team…" Ruby's eyes hardened; "Who exactly thought it was a bright idea to go alone?"
"Well… they're saying it's Ms. Nikos, Ms. Rose."
Ruby felt her heart drop.
"P-Pyrrha…?!" Unbeknownst to herself, Ruby's breath began to grow unsteady. "Why… why would she… she of all people should know not to go alone!"
Oscar placed a calming hand on Ruby's shoulder – the one that was still flesh and blood. He shot a look to the nurse, "And where is she right now?"
The nurse took a deep breath. "No one knows," She began, "They say they overheard it when she arrived, and was talking with some stranger while walking around Beacon. But it's a fact that she's no longer here – and a fact that someone has taken some weapons from Beacon's armoury shortly after they arrived and disappeared."
"Then… then we need to get moving too." Ruby said. She raised her head, her Silver eyes beginning to glow.
Oscar gave her a reassuring squeeze, and then and there she knew that he would be following her.
But Ruby knew there was no time to waste; the others – Weiss, Blake, Yang, Ren, and Nora – had yet to make it here; by their last communication, they had all assumed T-minus-three hours.
But with Pyrrha's actions, Ruby knew she didn't have that time anymore.
And it was then that Ruby assumed her role as the One Who Defeated Salem. As the foremost Hero of Remnant.
"Get me a strike team and a Bullhead." Ruby ordered the nurse. "And a weapon for Oscar here. And I want Communications to give their all to contact Pyrrha, wherever she is. We're launching a frontal assault in half an hour."
Ding! Somewhere, someplace, an elevator opened, and out stepped Pyrrha and Felipe.
To most, they wouldn't have a shred of an idea of where this was. And upon seeing it, they would guess that this place was nothing but an old, abandoned basement filled with nothing but rubble.
But for Pyrrha, this place held nothing but bad memories.
"I never should have come here." She stated with no small amount of hatred. The elevator closed behind her, and she got a better look around.
For this was the old basement, the old chamber where Ozpin had once offered her the Maiden powers.
Felipe smirked as he stood behind her. "Back then or right now?"
"Ever." Pyrrha snarled. She quickly made her way down the familiar basement, reaching its end of two people-fitting metal pods tied to a single computer-like console.
She had seen this before – once in reality, and countless more times in her darkest nightmares.
But one thing this place, and the image of it, often did was get her motivated. Breathlessly, Pyrrha approached on one of the pods, her thumb tracing over a crack on the glass once caused by a flaming arrow.
Pyrrha took a deep breath. Her eyes flashed, and the air slightly shook beside her from her Maiden powers.
"I never wanted this…" She whispered silently. She could feel regret clenching her heart… "Not at the cost of you."
But her musings were interrupted by Felipe.
"And yet that power will be what saves us all." Felipe said solemnly. He walked past her and tapped the back wall of the basement.
Knock knock! Knock knock!
Pyrrha pulled her hand away and watched as Felipe continued to knock. What was he doing…?
Knock knock!
Grumble…!
Felipe smirked as the silent roar of the Grimm greeted him. "Perfect."
Pyrrha's breath hitched. It couldn't be…!
Felipe took several steps back and motioned Pyrrha to do the same. Grabbing a railgun he had slung over his back – thank you, Beacon armoury – he aimed at that very wall and fired a fully charged railgun shot.
FWMMMM BANG!
The wall blew to dust and smoke as the shot hit. With a wave of her hand and her Maiden powers, Pyrrha blew a soft wind and cleared the area of all dust.
And what greeted her was a dark, Grimm-like tunnel that had previously been hidden right behind that very wall.
The tunnel was dark and damp, dripping a black ooze that soaked its floor. A strange, oppressing aura leaked from it, one that could send shivers down an average Huntsman's spine.
And now, the machine that had once transferred souls stood right at the cross between the basement and the Grimm tunnel.
Pyrrha looked to Felipe. She was confused, and it she was sure it very much showed on her face. "You sure know a lot, Felipe. What are you some kinda Grimm encyclopaedia or something?"
"I simply have experience." Felipe smirked, "I'd rather leave research to the likes of Professor Oobleeck."
"Doctor." Pyrrha corrected reflexively, though his response got out a small chuckle from her. "I prefer field experience as well, you know. Much more thrilling."
"On that, we can agree. And as for him… he's nothing if sentimental." Felipe slung his railgun again and gave Pyrrha a nod. "Experience tells me most dark lords are, so. Let us go."
"Well, I sure do hope he isn't too generic." Pyrrha sighed. As they entered the tunnel together, Pyrrha unsheathed Milo and Akuo and held them at the ready.
Beside Pyrrha, Felipe held up his sword and began to walk on his own two legs. As he raised the blade, its tip began to glow yellow and provided some much-needed illumination.
They walked and walked, syncing their steps through the tunnel that barely fit three people. Pyrrha cursed. "Feeling a bit claustrophobic in here."
"These paths will open soon." Felipe assured her, "They need to, for him to draw power."
Pyrrha merely nodded silently beside him. As such, they continued their march, and with every step Pyrrha could feel them getting deeper underground.
Eventually, after how long Pyrrha didn't know, the tunnel did begin to grow larger, just as Felipe had told.
And yet, before she could even take a calming breath, he raised a fist and motioned for her to stop in her tracks.
She did as he told and watched as his eyes seemed to narrow into slits.
"Grimm." He said sternly. "On their way to us. I can sense them."
"Acknowledged." Pyrrha turned her spear into its rifle form and aimed it down the tunnel. "E.T.A?"
"Hm…" Felipe took a moment.
ROAAAAR! They could hear Beringles and Beowolves rushing towards them.
Felipe smirked as they came into view not a second later. "…Right now."
BANGBANGBANGBANG! Pyrrha rapidly fired her rifle down the tunnel, her muzzle flash syncing with bullets piercing the Grimm's skulls. Beside her, Felipe pointed his sword to the enemy and let the light at its tip glow brighter and brighter.
And then, in a flash, the light had turned into a solidified Aura beam, as thin as a pencil and yet as sharp as a sword. His lips quirked up as he pointed and fired at the Grimm, his stance as relaxed as ever as he continuously gunned them down alongside his friend.
BANGBANG!
FLASH!
The Grimm screeched as they were pinned down. They kept charging at the duo, throwing their sheer numbers at them through the tunnel, but no matter how many nor how hard they tried, each and every one of them were killed the moment they entered the line of sight.
Had it been a student, they might've been in trouble. But Pyrrha had gone through a war against the Dark Queen herself, and as such knew where to aim so a single bullet would be more effective than ten.
In a matter of moments, the Grimm had subsided, all having been shot down and were now turning to dark goo. Pyrrha lowered her rifle and took a deep breath, her hands blurring and reloading Milo in less than a second.
She slung her rifle over her shoulder and couldn't resist the smirk growing on her face, staring down at the puddle of monsters beneath her feet.
"Take that, schum." Pyrrha chuckled. "As mindless as always, you pathetic monsters."
"Be careful. It's not over yet." Felipe cautioned. He kept his sword in his hand, still using it as a light. "More will be coming for us soon."
"Then we better keep going." Pyrrha nudged her head in the direction to proceed. "But come on – you're talking as if these Grimm are targeting us specifically."
"That is because they are." Felipe said as he fell into step beside Pyrrha "The walls, the ground, the very air you breathe… they are very much connected to his mind. Make no mistake; he already knows that we are heading for him."
"Hmph. Then let him send all he could." Pyrrha huffed.
And it was then that, within herself, Pyrrha felt an old fire begin to ignite.
After Jaune's… After Jaune, she tried her best to find a new purpose. She had power now, half of the Maiden's powers – and then, the other half she obtained when she stabbed Cinder through the heart and held her neck in her hands – and she recognized, without his sacrifice, she would never have gotten it.
And in taking Cinder's half, she had done it - had stolen a soul for a second chance.
So, she used it the best she could.
And it also meant that she lived life with those powers.
She smirked as she turned her head to Felipe. "I'll gladly destroy any Grimm he sends to me."
"That… was not the reaction I was expecting." Felipe said with a small smile.
"Well, we need some stress relievers at some point. Things to keep us centered and happy." Pyrrha twirled her weapons, "And contrary to what I say in interviews; I thoroughly enjoyed watching the light fade from Cinder Fall's evil eyes."
"Then you better keep that resolve 'till the end." Felipe said. He turned around, walking deeper into the cave, and as Pyrrha followed him, they were led to a large, several meter high room that was filled to the brim with Grimm.
Nevermores, Deathstalkers, Beowolves, Ursa Majors, the lot of them greeted both Felipe and Pyrrha's eyes as they doted the black ooze walls.
"Our first major wave of enemies." Felipe muttered. He took a stance and placed his weapon near his hip. With a grunt, several Aura projection copies were formed, spinning around his body as he held the real one in his hands.
"Let them come." Pyrrha said, the smallest amounts of glee leaking out her voice. She smirked and closed her eyes, reciting a hymn that oft calmed her down.
Bless me with the
leaf off of the tree.
On it, I see, my vengeance reign.
He has fallen, my light now broken,
Tears inside me calm me down.
Midnight, calling, mist of resolving…
Crown me with the pure autumn leaf.
"HYAAAH!" With no small yell, Pyrrha summoned forth her power and let the ground tremble beside her. The air shifted, what small minerals around her lifted off the ground, and her eyes burned a bright red.
Ways to my partner, now gone forever…
Cursed night, dark skies…
The Spartan's cries.
Her voice echoed in the air around her. "'Bout time I get the chance to cut loose, you freaks!"
The Grimm dismounted the wall and landed before the two of them, a small crack forming on the floor as they analyzed their opponent.
ROAAARRR!
"HAHHHH!"
And with three simultaneous yells, both man and Grimm charged against each other with the intent to destroy.
"Heavy rain obstructing the target! We are unable to maintain altitude! Pulling back! I repeat, Pequod is pulling back!"
Ruby cursed as rain coated her cloak and the Bullheads she had ordered retreated from the fighting zone. With a yell she swung Crescent Rose around her, and in a single swing she had taken out multiple Grimm by their weak points.
A scream from beside her notified her of Oscar's presence. He too danced around the Grimm attacking him, and with no small flourish killed a Beowolf and Ursa easily with the sharp end of Long Memory.
And when a Deathstalker stalked up behind him, her friend had simply aimed his metal arm behind him and fired, launching his rocket fist straight through the Deathstalker's bone-armour-fortified skull.
Oscar aimed his now-mechanical stump to the general direction of the rocket fist and it easily flew back and snapped back to place. He shook the mechanical fingers with a grimace; "Still gonna need to get used to that."
"Well, no better place to test it than in the field, right?" Ruby chuckled. "At least, that's what I'm gonna say once I get some students."
"Ruby, that is some… volatile advice."
"Hey, as long as it's true~!" Ruby shrugged. With a flourish she turned around and came face-to-face with her objective.
The Tower that had suddenly emerged in the Emerald Forest; now here before her, it's height and evil Aura a thing of fairy tales.
She approached it and tapped its black gooey wall with Crescent Rose's tip. The rain continued to pour over her, and she clenched her teeth.
"Y'know, I was hoping to get a better entrance in. An easy and convenient way for us to get in and out." She explained, "Plus, the Bullhead should've allowed us to drop in more people…"
Oscar stepped up beside her. "No use lamenting it now. We didn't expect this storm to come in, and so strong too…"
"Yeah. I'd do anything to escape the hail…" And get Pyrrha out went unsaid.
Because that was the true objective of their mission – ensuring the safety of their friend and mentor. Because why would she have chosen to go in herself? It was reckless!
Ruby grimaced – she had thought that Pyrrha had learned about her and her 'DESTINY' a long time ago!
She tapped the wall with Crescent Rose once more. Yep, she concluded, there was definitely some dark mumbo jumbo in these walls.
She closed her eyes. Like she said before – no time better than the present.
"Stand back." Ruby said to Oscar, and he did as he was told. No sooner did he take that last step did Ruby open her eyes once more…
And silver wings burst from each one of her Silver Eyes.
"HAAAAAHHHH!"
With a yell Ruby activated her Eyes and aimed its petrifying powers straight at the wall. It and its surrounding areas immediately turned to stone, and as Ruby quickly turned her eyes back to normal, she slammed the butt of Crescent Rose on the wall and watched with satisfaction as it crumbled into nothing but useless Dust.
"Let's go!" Ruby yelled, and she used her Semblance to burst through the new hole in the tower's walls. Oscar quickly followed suit, using his Aura-amplified legs to quickly follow Ruby.
Step! And yet, as soon as Ruby and Oscar were in, the wall regenerated - as if it was flesh and alive – and closed the hole behind them.
"And that was why I didn't want to go this route." Ruby sighed and leaned on Crescent Rose. "Gonna make this whole shebang harder now…"
Oscar took a step forward and surveyed the area they were in. They had landed in a staircase of some sorts, spiralling down the tower's cylindrical shape into depths he couldn't see the end of.
Oscar reached his hand out to the darkened abyss. He closed his eyes… and could sense his mentor down there in the depths somewhere.
"Pyrrha…!" Oscar said breathlessly.
"Wha- you can sense her down there?" Ruby stepped up beside Oscar. She wasn't questioning how he was doing it – but rather, the correctness of it. After all, a part of Ozpin still supposedly lived inside Oscar, and the old man had always been the best regarding Aura…
"I'm sure." Oscar nodded. "I've got it locked down."
"Then we've got no time to waste." Ruby hefted Crescent Rose and peered over the edge. "Fastest way to go down is to… well, jump."
"Or run down the stairs." Oscar stated, "I mean, you've got a speed Semblance, Ruby. One's safer than the other, don't you think?"
"Yeah, but that takes a whole lot of stamina." Ruby pointed out. "I don't plan on fighting Salem now, Oscar. What's important is that we-!"
"WHO DARES MENTION THE QUEEN OF THE GRIMM?!" A voice interrupted Ruby and Oscar's conversation. The entire tower seemed to shake with the voice, as if…
"It's coming from the walls." Ruby deduced. Her back straight when she was addressed, and she spoke back with vigour.
"It was me!" Ruby scowled. "I mean, come on, haven't we killed you once before, Salem?! I know it's you, AND I SWEAR, WE CAN DO IT AGAIN!"
Silence. And then…
"So it is you…" The voice trailed off. Then, it chuckled, dark and sending a chill through both Oscar and Ruby's skin.
"You have returned to me… Ruby Rose."
"Damn right I have!" Ruby yelled. "Don't think I've slacked off in these years, Salem! Or did living for thousands of years make you easily forget how much I kicked your ass before?!"
However, Oscar put a hand to Ruby to calm her down. "Ruby, I don't think-"
"SALEM isn't here to answer you, you fool." The voice countered Ruby. "And you shall know… that I am much more powerful than her!"
Instantly, a sea of Nevermores rose from the depths, screeching as they headed directly for Ruby and Oscar.
Ruby grinned and jumped, twirling in the skies and descending to meet them head on. "COME ON!"
Oscar rolled his eyes and sighed. With a twirl of Long Memory he followed his love suit, facing the tower –and whoever its owner was – head on.
"I… am the PRINCE OF THE GRIMM!"
Despite it all, Pyrrha smiled.
This was familiar. The movement of her muscles, the beat of her heart in her ears, the rush as her eyes flicked over every movement the enemy make.
Truly, this was familiar. Welcoming, she would even say. For this was a long-confirmed way of drowning out her thoughts.
Pyrrha's grin split wide as she flipped over a Grimm, quickly shooting it through the skull while she was above. Another came for her, and she quickly fired her rifle and shot it between its eyes.
With grace she landed on her feet, only to see two Ursas circling her. She threw her shield at one, forcing it skidding back, while the other was launching at her from behind.
Pyrrha leaned back and cleanly dodged a swipe. With a flick of her hand her weapon transformed into its sword form and swiped at the Ursa's neck. As it stumbled back, Pyrrha opened her palm, directed her shield back with her Semblance, and slammed its sharp edge into the wound she just created.
She smiled as black ooze spurt out.
Life of vengeance, a passive test!
Pyrrha heard another roar as the other Ursa charged at her. She spun, took a knee, transformed her weapon, and fired at the Ursa's legs. As it stumbled, Pyrrha jumped and slammed her hand on its hand, activating her Maiden powers as she did so.
Until the grave, I will rest.
Pyrrha screamed and let forth a torrent of Fire; it burnt the Ursa into a crisp in mere seconds.
SCREEECH! She looked up and saw a Nevermore aiming its feathers at her. Using Wind, Pyrrha took flight and dodged the incoming feathers in her ascent. Within melee distance of the Nevermore, she opened her palms and used Ice to freeze its wings. It squawked as lost control; at least, before Pyrrha slammed her rifle in its mouth and shot it to hell.
Engage the pressure until it crumbles!
As she floated in the air, Pyrrha looked around and saw more and more Grimm coming for her. A sea of Beowolves awaiting her descent, Seekers with their tendrils quickly filling the skies, and a pair of new Nevermores quickly approaching her.
The existence of lifeless black souls.
With a yell she focused the electricity on the air channelled it around her; with a wave of her hands she called upon Lightning and struck all the Grimm around her. They struck true and spread amongst every which one of the monsters, paralyzing them and robbing them of their mobility.
Onward, to the lonely battlefield.
And with that set Pyrrha eagerly descended, eyes burning red and Milo and Akuo glinting menacingly.
She landed and killed a Beowolf with a slick stab to its brain. She pulled back and appeared in front of the next one, slicing its knees and slamming her spear through its chin as it fell.
Pyrrha didn't let up and chained her attacks, using Polarity to increase the limits of her speed. A slice, a stab, a Fire burst, an Ice pick, a Wind gust, a Lightning bolt. Grimm fell as she bathed in their – metaphorical – blood, killing one and then the next not a millisecond after.
Where justification and limits are revealed.
Pyrrha amped her Semblance and went even faster, manipulating the metals in her armour to push her speeds to nearing Ruby's level. With a roar she killed and maimed, not even the Seers and Nevermores in the skies safe from her assault as she leapt up and down from one monster to the next.
Tools of steel, in rage they conquer!
She became nothing but a bronze blur; killing every monster in her path. Even the Grimm gained a semblance of fear from her assault, their eyes wide as they were mercilessly slaughtered.
Because with no chance to even move, it was never even a fight.
"Come on!" Pyrrha taunted with a smile, "I've faced rookies harder than you all!"
Weed out, the killing of the victim's partner!
Pyrrha screamed as a whole sea of Grimm fell to her knees. And with continuously increasing spirit, she increased the body count from the tens to the hundreds.
He has fallen, my light now broken,
Tears inside me calm me down.
Midnight, calling, mist of resolving…
Crown me with the pure autumn leaf.
She continued to dance; to kill, to maim, and to live in the moment. Like second nature – being second nature – she slayed all the Grimm in her path. As she fell deeper and deeper into her instincts, she felt her power increase as she returned to that person all those years ago.
The person who even Salem dreaded.
Ways to my partner, now gone forever…
Cursed night, dark skies…
The Spartan's cries.
Pause.
Despite all, Pyrrha stopped and took a breath. She stood with her weapons by her sides and her armour stained with black Grimm ooze.
And around her, all the Grimm army had been annihilated.
"Hahhh…." Pyrrha lowered her weapons and sheathed them back behind her. She felt her muscles relax as her Maiden powers retreated.
"God, that felt good." Pyrrha rolled her shoulders. "Could have done with a bit more challenge, though. That was honestly just predictable."
The Grimm ooze evaporated, and as such as did the mark of her kills – she had succeeded in completely killing them all.
She looked around; the chamber they were in were very much damaged by battle, bullet casings everywhere and craters from combat scattered aplenty.
But that wasn't the only mark of the battle.
For aside from her kills, she could also see hundreds of Grimm impaled by purple Aura swords. From Ursa Majors to Deathstalkers, their decaying bodies showed that all of them had been struck precisely by an ethereal blade that had killed them in a single thrust.
Pyrrha turned to her side and saw Felipe, those purple Aura swords circling around his hip. His hands were by his sides, and as his eyes met hers, with a twitch of his finger he dismissed them all into nothing but beautiful sparkles dancing away.
Pyrrha smirked, "Did you even move a finger during the fight?"
"I just did." Felipe said back with a chuckle.
"Hmm…. Maybe so…" Pyrrha crossed her arms. "So, that's your fighting style, then? Corporeal swords?"
"…More or less." Felipe said. He put down his sword and leaned on it once more, "….As you can probably see, I am not the most physically capable person. However, one needs not swing his sword if the enemy has already died on their feet."
"Talk about efficiency."
"My… strength… has never been in my physical prowess." Felipe took a deep breath, his Aura flashing around him as it… regenerated? He smiled at her and tapped a finger at his head. "My mind has always been something people noticed; and I'm glad you did."
"Just saying what I see." Pyrrha shrugged.
But then, before she could say another word, the floor beneath them began to rumble. Its sudden movement even forced Pyrrha to her knees, and the already leaning Felipe almost fell to the ground totally.
Pyrrha looked around, "What- What's happening-?!"
"His power is growing." Felipe said solemnly. "And he has noticed our excursions here."
"Tch. Well, at least killing all those Grimm got him to notice." Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "So then, since you seem to know everything, what should we do next?"
Felipe took a deep breath. "We… must continue." Pyrrha saw him close his eyes and focused, his eyes knit as his breath hitched. "He has noticed the reduction of his Grimm army and seeks to challenge the interlopers head on."
Felipe opened his eyes once more and took a firm stand. He looked to the side and noticed a new hole open on one of the walls.
"That," Felipe pointed with his finger, "Will take us straight to him."
A silence followed as Pyrrha and Felipe gathered their thoughts. And yet, as Felipe was stumbling his first steps to the new hole, Pyrrha interrupted him by saying:
"You know, not that I agree," She sighed as she stood back up, "But how exactly do you know so much?"
It had bothered her since the very beginning. Not that she didn't appreciate his warnings, nor his skills and his help, but the more she saw, the more she had questions.
As far as she knew, Ozpin and his cabal had never mentioned this man, and she was pretty sure he was never a part of their travels against Salem back in those old days.
At this, Pyrrha saw Felipe sigh. He gave her a side eye as he took another stumbling step to the new hole, motioning her to follow.
"He and I are… connected." Felipe muttered. Pyrrha only followed suit once she saw him clearly explaining as he went along.
More than that, she saw how his shoulders seemed to tense, how his eyes narrowed, and how his lips twitched as if he had tasted something bitter.
"He detests me." Felipe muttered as he continued to stumble. "You could say that the two of us were at a crossroads for a long time. Once he viewed me as too little too weak… he severed ties. But a simple sword cannot cut a soul, not completely."
Right after finishing those words, Felipe stumbled in his steps. Immediately Pyrrha rushed to his side and caught him before he could fall.
Again, she somehow felt pulled to this man; for some reason, the thought of him being hurt didn't sit right with her.
But then, her brows furrowed.
A sword to cut a soul, Felipe had said. What could it mean?
He put a hand above hers, and she didn't miss the way his touch seemed to linger before he pushed her away with a thanks.
Sensing her confusion, Felipe continued to explain. "Aura sensing is an essential part of a Huntsman's abilities; but what I could sense from him is more than that. We share a special bond… and it's the reason we can even proceed this far."
Pyrrha's eyes widened. "You mean-!"
"Had I not come with you, then he would've known where you were immediately." Felipe said simply.
"He would've reached out to you. Would've sent more of an army to stand against you." Felipe sighed, and his eyes met hers guiltily. "Would've done his best to kill you."
Felipe turned around and walked deeper into the tower, Pyrrha wordlessly following suit. Not a moment after, they both stopped at Felipe's raised hand, and at what they saw before them.
They were standing before a large, royal-themed door. Its height towered over them both, with handles as big as a truck's wheel. And of course, the doors were very much made of dark, Grimm matter; its red, blood-like highlights amid fleshy black only confirmed it so.
Felipe turned to Pyrrha. "I can feel him, inside…. And I'm sure you can too."
Pyrrha breathed in through her nose and closed her eyes. Raising a hand, she reached out to the door and extended her Aura through the gates.
There, inside the room and behind those doors, she felt a ping of another Aura; of another being, coated in so much darkness that it almost drowned it out.
And yet, it was still there.
And most important of all, her soul would always recognize an Aura she had once unlocked herself.
And, allegedly, the man behind this all.
"Jaune…" Pyrrha whispered.
"…A shell of the man he once was." Felipe finished for her. He put a hand on her shoulder, and as her eyes opened, she saw his amber eyes lock with her.
She saw him open his mouth – give words of encouragement? – before a screech interrupted their moment.
Felipe's head snapped to above; they never noticed that their ceiling was so high up. And worse, that Nevermores were beginning to descend upon them from the pitch-black world above.
Felipe pulled his hand and flicked his wrists, purple Aura swords circling around his hips once more.
"You go." He said to her with steel, "I'll hold them off."
Pyrrha sputtered. No, "I can't leave you to fight them alone. "
"I'll be fine." As if to demonstrate, a sword swiftly shot out from Felipe's formation and pierced a Nevermore's skull.
It died instantly.
"You, however, have no time to waste." Felipe grumbled. He gave her one last glance, "Go!"
Pyrrha gripped Milo and Akuo tight. With no other choice offered to her, she steeled her resolve and gave him a firm nod.
A nod Felipe returned with a small smile.
Pyrrha turned around and faced the door. As the sounds of Nevermores and swords commenced behind her, she placed both her hands on the doors and pushed forwards.
Creaaaakkk!
The door opened and with no hesitation Pyrrha stepped inside.
BANG!
And the door quickly closed itself shut behind her.
For the record, Pyrrha didn't know what to expect.
Was she expecting an elegant individual, skin chalk white and eyes blood red like Salem? Was she expecting a giant, Grimm and man abomination that towered over her?
Or was she expecting the man from her dreams, the man from her nightmares of failure, to meet her face-to-face as if he had never died in her arms?
It didn't matter now; what truly greeted Pyrrha's eyes was a grotesque mixture of constantly moving Grimm tendrils, coming together to vaguely form a shape a man around four times her size.
That 'man' was sitting upon a throne, lazily staring down on her with his head on his fist as those Grimm tendrils moved around him.
And yet, what she noticed most was the slight hint of Aura she could detect within him.
And all that bravado, all that cockiness that she felt when she faced down the Grimm crumbled away.
For they were truly meaningless in the face of her greatest failure.
Pyrrha took a hesitant step forward. "Jaune…"
The man's head turned towards her, what resembled a pair of eyes on his face focusing on her face.
"Pyr…" The man seemed to smile. His voice echoed around her, dark, deep, rumbly, and enough to send chills down any other woman. "I've been waiting for you."
The call of her old nickname confirmed it for her. And at the same time, it destroyed her heart with grief.
"Jaune… stop this." Pyrrha said – no, her tone was more pleading now. "Come on, this isn't you!"
The 'man' in the throne tilted his head. With a wave of his other hand, black walls sprung forth around Pyrrha in an instant and trapped her within them.
Pyrrha frantically looked around the pitch-black room she was suddenly trapped in. She needed to get out-!
"How do you know what I am and what I'm not?" A voice asked from behind her.
Pyrrha snapped around and met face-to-face with the figure from her dreams.
This wasn't anything like the 'man' in the throne. This…
Blond scraggly hair. Baby blue eyes. Lanky body in a white armour, family sword strapped on his hip.
…This was exactly how he was the last time she ever saw him.
"Jaune…" Pyrrha reached out.
"HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT I AM AND WHAT I'M NOT?" Jaune screamed at her again, and her ears slightly rang with the volume.
"I-!"
"I waited for you! I hoped for you; I prayed for you!" Jaune cried out, and she could see tears start to stain his cheeks. "Do you understand what it's like, Pyrrha?! Day in and day out, your soul being torn apart bit by bit?!"
"I- I didn't know!" Pyrrha defended herself, "None of us did-!"
"Bullshit! Fact is you gave up on me!" Jaune denied. "Why?! Why did you never look?! Did you think I was that weak?! That I'd die that easily?!"
"Cinder didn't leave a trace – and she always told me that you were!"
"Death would've been a mercy!" Jaune yelled back. He began to laugh, "I see it now… I see! I was just never worthy of a second thought, was I?! Poor little boy, getting in over his head. Just a little plaything to make you feel better, to make you feel invincible…"
Pyrrha narrowed her eyes. Anger began seeping into her tone. "You know that's not true."
"Then what is?" Jaune asked back with venom. "Your feelings for me… that kiss that night… How could you do that to me?! You gave me false hope, you gave fake compassion! You showed me love, but you never came in the end."
And then, right in front of her eyes, Pyrrha saw how his form shifted away from the perfect figure she remembered.
She saw his black veins begin sprouting on his skin, how the colour of his skin was split perfectly in two between chalk white and healthy tan. How bone armour sprouted in the worst of places, how unruly spikes burst from his back.
She saw how Salem had merged him with the Grimm – how she had made him in the image of herself; another Queen of the Grimm, or perhaps a Prince?
"Look at me, Pyrrha! LOOK AT ME!" Jaune shouted.
"She made me a monster! A freak!" Jaune cried, "All the while you turned me into nothing more than memory! Nothing more than justification!"
"…"
"Say something, Pyrrha!" Jaune shouted.
"…"
"SAY SOMETHING!"
Pyrrha took a deep breath, digging deep into her chest for things she had long buried.
"…I never forgot about you, Jaune."
"Every day, I think about how that night could've been different. Every day, I wish I could've told you how I felt sooner. And every day, I strive to be a woman you would've loved back. A woman you would've been proud of."
"But I can't let you destroy the world." Pyrrha said solemnly. She gripped Milo and Akuo tight; No…, Pyrrha thought, "I can't let you destroy it just like Salem would've."
"Hmph. Then it was all a lie, then?" Jaune spat.
"They were never a lie, Jaune." Pyrrha choked, "But this…" She motioned around her, "This isn't you. The Jaune I know would've never given in."
"A man can only hold on for so long, Pyr." Jaune said – and Pyrrha paused, did his tone just grow solemn? – "But if this is what you choose, then just know my love for you's been long cut out."
"Then so be it." Pyrrha said. "But I just want you to know, Jaune… That kiss that night? You'll always be a part of me, even until I die."
Pyrrha saw Jaune gasp as he took a step back. Saw how his eyes were conflicted, saw how his eyebrows began to shift…
Before his features settled into a deep scowl.
"I'll make sure the world does more than remember who I am." Jaune growled. "They. Will. FEAR. ME."
Flash!
In an instant Jaune disappeared from her vision and the walls around her crumbled. Again, Pyrrha saw that 'man' standing in his throne, looking down on her through concealed red eyes with nothing but pure hate.
The now true form of Jaune Arc.
Pyrrha grit her teeth and summoned her Maiden powers. With a yell, she charged straight at him and began her assault.
"Come on, Pyr…" Felipe muttered. He could sense the battle, could sense his partner dancing and attacking through the Prince's assault, yet it had taken much too long to start. Moreover, he could also sense that he wasn't weakening down one but.
SCREECH!
With a flick of his wrist he sent a sea of Aura swords to the skies. They quickly pierced their targets, and a flock of Nevermores fell dead around him.
"Schum." Felipe scowled. He heard another screech, another group of Nevermores having been generated for him to fight.
"You must be joking." Amber eyes narrowed on the dark skies above. How many more did he need to slay…?
However, as he continued his gaze, a new voice entered his ears, a streak of red and green lighting up the darkness above him.
"WHIPEEEEE!"
"RUBYYYYYYY!"
Crash! Two new figures landed in front of him, a woman in red with a giant mechanical scythe and a green-dressed boy with a mechanical arm.
And judging from the traces of Nevermore feathers on their hairs, it was clear that they had annihilated the reinforcements meant for Felipe.
"Owh yeah! I'm back!" Ruby stood straight and twirled her scythe around her.
And beside her, Oscar groaned as he tried to stand straight. "My back…"
"Oh cheer up, it can't be that bad!" Ruby chuckled, "Come on! I'm all up and ready to go!"
"Ruby that was the third cliff we jumped off of…" Oscar took out Long Memory and stood at the ready. "Wonder why the Nevermores weren't facing us, though…"
But then, the duo noticed another person – another person, here, this deep in the Tower! – staring at them with surprise.
Felipe gasped, his mind and heart racing. "You… How are you here?"
"Oh hey! Another human!" Ruby walked up to Felipe, "Say. We're looking for our friend here – Red hair, bronze armor, 'bout this high, have you seen her?"
Felipe's breaths grew frantic. "No, nonono, why are you here?!"
"Wha-!"
"You're not supposed to be here." Felipe said between breaths, "If he catches wind of you, then all hope is lost-!"
"Uh, kinda too late for that." Oscar popped up, "This Grimm King guy's already shouted us out when we entered."
"Prince." Felipe corrected before he sighed and cast a side-eye to Ruby. "Always too impulsive for your own good…"
Ruby bristled and sent Felipe a glare. "What was that?"
"Tch." Felipe scowled and met her eyes in frustration. "He is not a fool, Ruby. He knows what your eyes can do, knows that they are his one weakness. If you lose here, and he absorbs you… then all hope will be lost."
"Absorb me? Since when could Grimm do that?" Ruby tapped her foot. "Not that I'm denying or anything, just…"
Felipe took a deep breath, his eyes looking far away at something Ruby couldn't decipher, before they finally focused back on her.
"This is no ordinary Grimm." He explained, "This… this is the result of millennia of hard work. And as such, its defeat will not come from the same source as Salem's."
"Then we'll take note of that; but for now, that isn't our objective." Ruby insisted. "Like I said, we're looking for-!"
"Pyrrha is behind those doors." Felipe relented, and he did not enjoy the look of surprise on either of their faces. "Currently facing our mutual enemy… and she is our only hope and defeating the Prince."
"What? She should've brought backup!" Ruby shouted, quickly pushing past Felipe and opening the doors.
Felipe struggled to stay on his feet as Ruby recklessly opened those gates, "Ruby, wait-!"
With grace, Pyrrha dodged spikes aimed straight for her heart and continued her fight against her former partner.
"Well." She breathed out, "You've certainly gotten better, Jaune, I'll give you that!"
The walls rumbled and she could hear him respond, "No thanks to you, this time."
"That may be true, but still…" Pyrrha twisted in the air, dodged a tendril that was grabbing her arm, and threw her spear at his face.
Pyrrha smirked, "Still too predictable!"
Jaune merely lifted his hand over his eyes and let the weapon clang uselessly against his palm. But before he realized it, Pyrrha had already appeared on his lap, standing on his legs and her hands charged with electricity.
"GRAHHHH!" Pyrrha yelled and unleashed thousands of voltages of lightning straight to Jaune's chest.
Cracklecrackle!
And yet, they bounced off uselessly against his bone chest plate.
Pyrrha lowered her arms in shock. "W-wha-!"
SLAM! Jaune's gigantic hand backhanded her away. Pyrrha twirled in the air and used her Semblance to land on both her feet.
She took a knee and a little breather, her eyes flashing red once more. "Hah. Hah…"
Quickly, she pulled her spear back with Polarity, transformed it to its rifle form, and reloaded.
Pyrrha did her best to steady her breathing, taking stock of the situation.
Aura, down to yellow. Stamina, not that good.
Options, scarily low.
She had tried everything in her arsenal – Lightning, Water, Earth, Wind… not to mention her conventional weapons.
And yet-!
Flash! In the corner of her eye, she saw another set of tendrils aim to grab her. Pyrrha jumped and dodged, spinning in mid-air and firing shots at those tendrils. Her bullets easily severed them, and as Pyrrha landed back on the ground, she transformed her rifle back into spear form and charged once more at Jaune.
Yes, she had used all her elements… except one.
Fire.
It was probably her utmost hated element.
For it reminded her too much of that WRETCHED BITCH.
Pyrrha crushed down the guilt that seized her heart again. She didn't miss the irony in using the same power as the WRETCHED BITCH to face Jaune…
Nonetheless, she had to cast aside her hatred – just this once – if she hoped to survive.
Spikes shot from the sides and from Jaune's palms, aimed to impale her through. Pyrrha yelled and opened her palms, summoning a torrent of flames that burnt the spikes into nothing but crisps.
Jaune chuckled with mirth, a sound that deeply unsettled Pyrrha. "So, even you can not deny the allure of true power, Pyr…"
"SHUT UPPP!" Pyrrha yelled. She jumped high, higher than even Jaune's throne, and opened both her palms at the sitting Prince.
Pyrrha closed her eyes and summoned all her strength. Calling upon every bit of her power, every bit of the world around her, she fired a blast of fire hotter than the hottest of forges straight at Jaune.
A fire that was strong enough to evaporate her tears as they leaked through.
FWOOOOOSHHHHH!
And so Pyrrha held her position for minutes on end, sustaining her flight with Wind and continuing to rain down Fire at her target. No matter how much she felt the want to hesitate, how much she desired to stop, she continued to fire down until every bit of her power was drained.
"Hah. Hahh…." With a sigh, Pyrrha ceased her attack once she felt her tank of Maiden powers reach near empty. She watched as the flames begin to subside, smoke beginning clear…
And she gasped when it revealed Jaune only having sustained minimal damaged.
Edges singed, parts burnt off… but the rue smile he showed her under the veins he called his 'face' was unmistakable.
And that was when the door opened once more.
Creaakkkk!
"Pyrrha-!" Ruby shouted.
"And so the little rosebud returns." Jaune chuckled.
Pyrrha turned to Ruby with horror. "Ruby, get out of here!"
"Wha- no!" Ruby shouted indignantly. "I'm not leaving you down here-!"
SLASH! A tendril had shot out from the walls, shooting straight for Ruby's throat. It took all of Pyrrha's speed to fly down to her level and block it with her shield.
"Ruby, go!" Pyrrha insisted. "He's too strong!"
"Hahahahaha…." The walls laughed, Jaune's rue smile growing toothy as he stared them both down.
"That's it. Feel despair. Feel hopeless. With every negative emotion you feel…" Jaune stood up from his throne – and it was only then that Pyrrha and Ruby saw just how massive his figure was. "The stronger I shall become!"
SMASH! Jaune slammed his hand down, forcing Ruby and Pyrrha apart and kicking up dust all over the place. Pyrrha quickly scrambled back to her feet, she had to be ready-!
A shrill scream reached her ears. "AAAAAHHHHH!"
And then, Pyrrha could only watch in horror as Ruby was wrapped around by those Grimm tendrils, tightening and squeezing around her body.
What's even worse was that Pyrrha could see that the more she struggled, the more inescapable the grip became.
What Jaune said was true – the more they felt negative emotions, the stronger he would become.
Jaune laughed. "Haha,yes! This is what I yearn for! Horror, fear… DESPAIR!"
BANG!
A loud explosion interrupted her thoughts. Out of nowhere, a metallic hand had flown and sliced the that were holding Ruby in two, setting her free as she landed back in a heap on the Grimm floor.
Pyrrha turned to the source and could see with horror that another person had followed Ruby.
Oscar.
Oscar's arm flew back to him. With a flourish he drew Long Memory and pointed it at Jaune.
"Hey you, Prince of Grimm!" Oscar shouted. He let the tip of Long Memory speak for his intentions.
"I've got a voice in my head that tells me you shouldn't exist!" The green-clad boy taunted, "So take another step against my friends and I'll make sure that comes true!"
The Prince turned to him. "Ah, the inheritor of Light…"
Oscar tensed as the Prince turned his attention to him. This was it, he just had to dodge in time-!
A tendril lashed out for him.
But just before Oscar could dodge, Pyrrha had landed in front of him and parried it away.
Oscar stuttered. "P-Pyrrha-!"
Pyrrha grit her teeth. More and more tendrils shot out and she deflected every single one from her protégé. She growled, "Get Ruby and get out of here!"
"B-but I haven't even-!"
"GO!" Pyrrha shouted. A spike grew suddenly in between them, forcing them to leap apart – Oscar landing right beside Ruby, and Pyrrha now once more face-to-face with the enemy.
Oscar quickly picked up Ruby and hefted her on his shoulders. He saw her stand up, the veins in her eyes tensing-!
And yet, Ruby gasped in horror when she felt something missing.
"I…!" Ruby whispered, "I can't use the Silver Eyes anymore!"
"What?!" Oscar shouted. "What do you mean you can't?!"
"I don't know! The powers are just- just missing- Ah!" Ruby stumbled, clearly weak. Burdened, Oscar could do nothing but watch as her mentor engaged the Prince of Grimm once more.
Only this time, it was clear she didn't have a chance in hell of winning.
The fight between the two heated up, with the Prince now standing his full height and engaging Pyrrha head on. The walls around them began to tremble from the Prince's sheer power, Pyrrha only barely managing to dodge his attacks.
Pyrrha growled when she still felt Oscar's eyes on her back. "FELIPE!" She shouted.
Stumbling beside him, Oscar could see the man from before enter his view. He looked… concerned? At his mentor. "Pyrrha!" he shouted.
"I'm trusting you on this! Take Ruby and Oscar out of here!" Pyrrha shouted.
Oscar shouted in denial. "NO! I can still fight, Pyrrha!"
"Tch, LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY!" Pyrrha growled. Another tendril grew and was coming straight for her friends. Leaping forth, Pyrrha blocked it with her shield and kept it in place for as long as she could. "GO, OSCAR! GET OUTTA HERE! YOU'RE JUST DEAD WEIGHT!"
"NO-!"
The walls around them trembled again, and both Ruby and Oscar felt skinny hands wrap around their waists. And yet, with surprising strength, they were both pulled back as rubble descended on where they previously were.
Felipe continued to pull them back, even as Oscar and Ruby struggled with all their might.
"No, no!" Ruby cried, "I'm not letting another one of my friends die!"
"We can't leave her!" Oscar begged, "She can't- she can't win!"
Creaaakkkk!
"No! Don't drag us through that door!" Ruby shouted. "Felipe, you-! STOP! DON'T DO THIS!"
Amidst Ruby and Oscar's cries, Felipe paused as they were halfway through the gate.
He gazed on with an unreadable expression as Pyrrha fought on with the Prince. How she dodged punches and kicks as best she could, pushing herself beyond her limit against an enemy numerous times her size.
Wordlessly Felipe lifted his sword and aimed its tip at Pyrrha's back. Rubble continued to fall, slowly obstructing his view of her struggle.
Crumble, crumble!
He didn't have much time left.
With furrowed brows, Felipe grunted and fired a small, sharp beam of Aura light at her.
FWIP!
He smiled slightly as he saw his Aura take effect. Enveloping her, empowering her, rejuvenating her. That should give her some time, he thought.
Shut!
And then, with a heavy heart, Felipe followed her last command and closed the gates with a sigh, the rubble falling in sync and blocking them completely.
"NOOOOOO!" Ruby yelled heart-wrenchingly, tears streaming down her face as she reached out. The same could be said for Oscar, who watched with shock as the last view of his mentor was that of her fighting a hopeless battle.
Felipe let out a breath. Slowly, he put a hand on Ruby's shoulder and pushed her back. "We need to go-"
"No! We need to save her!" Ruby insisted, getting on her knees. "We need to get her out of there, she can't die after all we've been through-!"
"Ruby!" Felipe insisted. His raised her voice shocked her enough to silence for just a moment. Good, he thought.
"Ruby…" Felipe whispered, "The Prince is much stronger than we could've ever imagined. We can not defeat him, not now. We must regroup, reroute, and counter strike after we've gotten our bearings. Regain the power of the Silver Eyes, assemble power that can stand a chance. And only then can we stand a chance."
"B-But-!"
"Ruby." Felipe insisted, in a tone that was… familiar? "If Pyrrha falls, then you are our only chance at defeating the Prince. You…" Felipe turned his head to Oscar, "And you as well, Oscar Pine."
The surroundings around them continued to crumble. Without any other options, Ruby angrily shook Felipe off and did as he told. With a swish of her arm she opened her cloak, motioning with her head for the rest to step close.
And as they did so, Ruby enveloped them all with her Semblance, uniting them all in nothing but a red blur and speeding them out of the Tower.
And as they left, one thought rang in Ruby and Oscar's heads.
I swear, Pyrrha. We'll stop this Prince of the Grimm guy.
I won't let you die like Jaune did.
BOOOM!
"GAH!" Pyrrha grunted as she was backhanded away, the last of her Aura leaving her. The attack sent her flying away, bursting through wall after wall until she landed in complete darkness.
And then, before she could recover, a spike burst from the floors beneath her and impaled her from behind, the spike growing and growing in height and eventually pushing her out of the tower.
CRASH! She barely felt the fresh, stormy wind hit her face as she was thrown out the confines of that accursed tower, and instead landing into a random patch in the well-known Emerald Forest; now beginning to show signs of corruption too.
"Ah…!" Pyrrha groaned as she felt her back hit dirt. Solid, untainted, natural dirt. "Hah… Hah!"
Her hand went to her stomach. A gaping hole was there where the spike pierced her, and yet, somehow…. She wasn't dead?
A strange, foreign but somehow familiar Aura coated her body, rapidly healing her wounds until they were repaired completely.
No signs of the fight with Jaune remained on her body.
Its amber glow quickly evaporated, though, and it left her feeling more exhausted than the hardest of her matches.
"W-What…?" Pyrrha whispered. What just happened? She thought. How did she survive, what was that strange Aura, how did she end up here…?
Her mind grew foggy and she felt sleep slowly but surely begin to take her consciousness. No, she had to say up…!
Pyrrha frantically looked around. The Emerald Forest… she thought.
The last thing that greeted her sight, however, was… Felipe? Somehow sitting beside her cross-legged with concern etched on her face.
"A-Are… are the others out…?" Pyrrha tried to whisper. She needed to know, for if he was here… then that meant the others were safe, right?
But this time, Felipe didn't answer. He instead leaned close, placing a hand on her head.
In confusion, Pyrrha reached out to him.
And to her surprise, her hand seemed to faze right through his chest.
His voice turned soft in her ears - a slight echo after every word, ethereal in quality.
"I will be always here with you. By my shoulder, and by my soul." He voiced to her, "So please, now… rest, Pyr."
And in that very moment, Pyrrha's world went black.
The wind, the storm, blew over a lone Spartan in a rapidly corrupting Emerald Forest.
And yet, as it continued to destroy, the corruption would always leave the area around her alone.
A drop of purity in a dark sea; a well-buried light deep within the confines of darkness.
A/N: There we go! Chapter over, next chapter: Light Trigger – Oscar's turn for the main spotlight. Hope you guys've liked it and read and review!
As for the schedule, for those of you wondering, these are how I've got it planned out:
Berried Delight: Every Monday
Huntsman Kiwami: Every Tuesday
JNPR Car: Every Wednesday
Marriage Dramatic: Every Thursday
The Completionist: Every Fridays/Saturday
Jetstream Jaune Revengance: Every Sunday
Fleeting Dreams: Tentative
This schedule is set to be effective immediately, well, starting from Wednesday this week at least. Of course, sometimes it'll take a few days for me to write up a chapter, in that case there'll be delays. But I do plan to stick to this and finish up most of the catalogue on my profile – and make new ones once one is finished. I feel like I've been slacking a bit these past few… months, even year, I guess? And I'm trying to not leave unfinished business, especially some of my older stuff. SO! If any of these interest you, keep an eye out for the next one.
Thanks for reading and see you later!