Chapter 101 - Argus - Destiny by Design
Year 74VE, January
Cover Art by Mi Chumi
Nearly twelve-year-old Pyrrha Nikos had managed the unimaginable.
Four years of private trainers, the best money could hire, a custom-built private sparring arena, carefully-managed tutors to ensure she learned the other required studies at a pace that matched her needs exactly, along with a rigidly controlled schedule that left little time for trivial matters like socializing with less talented children had left her a prodigy in the Tournament Arena.
A prodigy that could best non-Aura users three years her senior.
The problem was, there were no non-Aura users in those older age brackets remaining in the tournament circuit, and those who sponsored such tournaments, merchandising giants such as Just Rite, Pumpkin Pete's parent company General Products Corporation, and Four-Kingdoms Dust Formularies were not willing to risk a child without Aura, no matter how talented, against older competitors with Aura.
Alexander Nikos was more proud of his daughter than of all the corporate success he had ever achieved. It showed in the way that he spoke of her. It showed in the way he heaped praise upon her. Pyrrha Nikos was sure of very few things in this world, her family's love, and her father's pride in her accomplishments were at the top of that list.
That meant she needed her Aura unlocked, if she was going to reach her true potential.
But sometimes, she was beginning to feel the tiny niggling beginnings of self-doubt.
She had made friends, for the first time since she was a much younger girl, that were outside her fellow competitors in the Tournament circuit. And her fellow competitors were… well they were friends of a sort, but it was hard to not also see each other as rivals . In a Tournament, there could be only one winner, and though you wished your compatriots luck, in the end, it was you or them and each of them knew it.
It made it hard to be just friends.
She had managed, somehow, to make other friends, of a sort. She didn't see them often. Rarely in fact, because of her schedule and the fact that none of them lived in Argus. But she and her mother had managed to convince Alexander Nikos that a reasonable amount of online socialization was a good outlet for stress. And so a year ago she'd reached out to her sister, who had gotten their contact information.
She chatted with them in group text, mostly. Just random things that kids thought were important, which was sometimes a novelty to her. Yang Xiao-Long and her younger sister Ruby lived in Patch, though the blond girl had informed everyone that they were moving to Menagerie within the month. Most recently they'd been elated over her mom getting a new eye… which Pyrrha wasn't sure what to think about.
Blake Belladonna on the other hand talked a lot about faunus rights, though not so much as to make it bothersome. Pyrrha had met her a few times, outside larger tournament events when the White Fang had set up booths, but now Blake also had moved to Menagerie, which was unfortunate, because Pyrrha had liked the dark-haired faunus girl.
That left the Arcs. Of the large group of siblings, which had frankly intimidated her somewhat with their sheer number and vocal volume, she'd found herself most comfortable with Lavender Arc, only a year younger than her, and Jaune Arc, who was her age. Lavender liked to talk about typical teenaged girl things, which was a welcome relief. Jaune tended to be more interested in sports and racing.
It was an interesting, eclectic friend group. Or so she imagined them to be. Not best friends. She wasn't even sure she had a best friend at this point in her life. But they were a welcome distraction from her highly curated daily schedule.
Sometimes, they even played cooperative online games. Yang tried at least once a week to goad Pyrrha into PvP games, and she continued to steadfastly refuse. She had that, in real life, and that was more than enough.
So yes, Yang and Blake were both going to be in Menagerie. Pyrrha had never been to Menagerie, likely never would, and couldn't imagine why someone would move there. But Yang seemed excited about it, and she began to envy the two girls for having each other as real friends that would see each other daily.
This evening, she was taking advantage of that group chat to express her fears regarding tomorrow's activities...
PyrrhaNikos73: Father has hired someone to unlock my Aura tomorrow. I'm quite nervous.
BrawlerGirl: Whoah! So he's *paying* someone to do it? Impressive!
BrawlerGirl: Got mine the hard way. My aunt kinda… accidentally kicked me in the chest.
RoyalPurple2: OMG that must have hurt! What was it like?!
BrawlerGirl: Kinda crunchy, in da chest region. Turned me into a cannonball.
Fight4Faunus: I think she meant what it was like to get your Aura unlocked, Yang.
BrawlerGirl: That's what I said. She kicked me in the freaking *chest, Blake. XD
BrawlerGirl: Dania says if my Aura hadn't unlocked it woulda put me in the hospital, so go me!
R4cerb0y: That sounds… really dangerous, Yang.
BrawlerGirl: Eh. Gonna fight Grimm someday. Can't fight Grimm without Aura. 'sides, it all worked out.
BrawlerGirl: Hey P-Money, don't sweat it. I met a kid who got *hers* unlocked cause she was struck by freaking lightning in a treetop surrounded by Grimm.
BrawlerGirl: You're getting the kid gloves treatment!
Pyrrha thought about that. About… Aura just randomly unlocking. She'd been told that the person her father had hired was very skilled, and very expensive. She'd traveled here from Mistral City specifically and exclusively for this purpose. There was, she was told, a high probability that they would be able to unlock her Semblance as well, rather than waiting for it to happen naturally.
Only the best for a Nikos.
RoyalPurple2: So are you gonna… keep doing tournaments, or are you going to go to one of those Combat School things like Yang and Blake are?
PyrrhaNikos73: Father says that once I have unlocked Aura, I can begin entering sponsored tournaments, and will be able to make a career from it.
BrawlerGirl: Oof. Well, that's too bad.
Pyrrha frowned, fingers poised over the keyboard.
Was it? Why?
R4cerb0y: Hey, that kinda came off bad, Yang.
BrawlerGirl: What? What'd I say?
R4cerb0y: Just saying, not *everybody* wants to be a Huntsman, y'know.
RoyalPurple2: Heheh, like you , brother of mine?
R4cerb0y: Not funny, Lav. I'm gonna be a famous racecar driver someday. Or maybe an engineer. Or something. Dad says the Arc family has paid its dues. Whatever that means.
Pyrrha smiled. Lavender teasing her brother about becoming a Huntsman like his father and for his ever-changing future career plans had been an ongoing thing, and Yang had joined in more than once at this point. She was beginning to get a feel for the blonde girl's sense of humor.
Fight4Faunus: Huntsmen are very important to Remnant, but there are other very important jobs, like fighting for equal rights.
BrawlerGirl: Way to bring everybody down, Blakey.
Fight4Faunus: ….
And that too, was a common theme of their chats. Blake was often thoughtful and serious. Yang was outgoing and silly. One would think, by how they reacted to each other, that they got on each others nerves, but Blake had assured her that she didn't take Yang's teasing personally.
Pyrrha sighed. It was nearing the end of her free time and… well she wasn't quite as nervous as before. Her friends were nothing if not distracting .
PyrrhaNikos73: Well, I must say goodnight.
BrawlerGirl: Aw, c'mon, you can stay a little later?
In point of fact, she could not. There was a timer on her scroll that would disable chat, except for emergency messages, at exactly 10:00 PM.
Fight4Faunus: Don't bug her, Yang.
BrawlerGirl: You know, once we get to Menagerie, I'll be able to bug you all the time , Blakey. Won't that be cool!
Fight4Faunus: . . .
RoyalPurple2: Night Pyrrha! Good luck and let us know how it goes!
As Pyrrha turned off her Scroll and snuggled into her bed, she wondered what it was like to not have such a rigidly controlled schedule, or to be like Jaune, and not even know what you wanted to do with your life..
To just be a normal girl with normal problems, and not the Invincible Girl that her father told her she would become.
The next morning, Pyrrha arose early, and took more than normal care with her grooming. This was an important day, and she should be immaculately prepared in body and mind, her father had said.
She showered, and then brushed and blow-dried her shoulder-length scarlet hair out until it shone, then carefully bound it into a tight braid.
Humming as she considered her closet, she chose a form-fitting black top with a leather sleeveless jerkin, and a knee-length burgundy combat skirt combined with full-length black leggings.
And then she began to don her protective sparring gear. Strong but lightweight bracers and matching leg-greaves.
And of course, Miló and Akoúo̱, which her father had commissioned for her months prior from the best weapons smith in Argus. Milo was a mechashift xiphos and rifle for both close-in and ranged offense, while Akoúo̱, a Dipylon shield, served many purposes including defense.
Her father had taken great pains to reinforce that these were of a quality greater than those of most professional Huntsmen. He'd spared no expense and would continue to have them adapted and adjusted as she grew. She had not yet been allowed to use them in a tournament, because her opponents did not have Aura, but the Aura Specialist had told her father that she should dress as if she were about to participate in an actual spar with Aura.
She'd not yet done so against a tournament opponent, but she'd sparred with Miló and Akoúo̱ against her Trainers , who did, and the experience had been exhilarating .
Taking a deep breath, she exited her room, to find her parents waiting anxiously in the hall outside.
"You are ready, daughter?" Artemis asked, touching Pyrrha's shoulder.
"Of course she is ready! She is a Nikos!" Alexander replied before Pyrrha could even affirm that she was. "We have prepared for this moment for months! Have we not discussed this?"
And to Pyrrha's shock, her mother turned to her father with a look of frustration. "Alexander, my husband, there are days when I wish you would speak less, and listen more," she ignored his reddened face at the rebuke, and turned back to her youngest daughter. "If you have changed your mind, Pyrrha, only tell us, and we will reschedule."
Pyrrha stared at her mother. What did she mean? They had discussed this. She had agreed months ago. Her father had prepared everything. The Aura Specialist had been paid a large fee as a prepayment, according to her father.
She glanced at her father, and could see, beneath his huffing and puffing, the fear that she would say no. That she would say she wasn't ready.
She couldn't let her father down. He always believed in her.
And I am ready! I am! I may have been nervous. Perhaps a bit terrified. But… it's only doing what I would do anyway, eventually. And Yang has her Aura and Semblance unlocked. If she can do it, then so can I!
"I am fine, mother. Thank you." She took a deep breath, feeling how powerful Miló felt in her hand. How reassuring Akoúo̱ was slung across her back. "I'm ready." And the relieved expression father bore told her that she'd made the right choice.
She missed the slight look of sadness on her mother's face.
. . .
When they reached the private training room, two people were waiting there. The first was her lead Trainer, retired Tournament Champion Belerofon Koudas. Pale-haired with gray eyes and a lined face, he loomed tall and imposing in the room, nearly six inches taller than her father. He'd long since passed his prime as a fighter, but it was his knowledge and expertise as a trainer that had helped hone young Pyrrha into the fighter her family believed she could be.
The second was a kindly looking woman, a foot shorter than her mother and dressed in a classical Argesian style, with graying hair and soft brown eyes.
"Ah, young Pyrrha, it is very good to meet you. I am Doctor Hekata Latros. I trust you are fully aware what we are to attempt today?"
Pyrrha curtsied, careful to angle Milo as she'd practiced in front of the mirror so that it neither impeded her, nor messed up the curtsy. A Nikos had to present themselves well. "A pleasure, Doctor Latros."
Wait.. attempt? It might not work?
"Now," Doctor Latros said, eyes sweeping the others in the room. "I would like to request that the rest of you absent yourselves."
"Eh?" Alexander Nikos' face pinched like he'd eaten something sour.
"This is a very personal matter, and quite delicate. Unlocking Aura can be pedestrian. But the odds of successfully unlocking Semblance , at a time and place of our choosing, can be dramatically impacted by the state of mind of the person." She smiled thinly. "You are paying me a remarkable sum for this service, I would suggest not second guessing me."
"Yes.. of… of course." Alexander motioned to Bel and turned, Artemis in lockstep.
And then they were alone.
Doctor Latros regarded her with a strange look. "So, young lady," she said quietly. "Tell me. Why do you wish to have your Aura unlocked at such a young age?"
Young Pyrrha's emerald eyes shifted evasively. "I… have reached the limits of my abilities without Aura, ma'am."
"Call me Heka." She seemed to consider. "And this is honestly something that you wish? Not something forced upon you? Coerced? "
"Forced? No ma-… Sorry. No… Heka. I've trained for many years. I'm ready to take the next step."
"Hmm…" The older woman motioned to a set of cushions that had been placed on the floor in the middle of the sparring floor. "Please, make yourself comfortable there." She eased herself down, sitting cross-legged with practiced ease. "I ask this because, as a rule, I do not unlock Aura for children before they are at least of an age to enter Combat School. Your father had to be extremely persuasive." She rolled her eyes. "So to salve my now corrupted conscience, I want to ensure you are doing this of your own volition."
"Oh… I see… yes. Well, my mother also asked me this, and… I'm ready."
"Hmph," her expression soured, then eased. "Well, I guess my conscience will have to lump it a bit, then. Let's proceed with the first step."
And with that, she began asking Pyrrha a series of questions. About her hopes and dreams. About her desires . What she wished to accomplish with her Aura, once unlocked.
Some of the questions, Pyrrha had given little thought to previously. She found herself struggling from time to time. And in those moments, she asked herself a simple question.
What would my father wish?
And that seemed to provide suitable answers. She needed Aura so she could proceed in the Tournaments, to face opponents who were worthy of her rapidly growing skills. She needed Aura to reach her full potential. To fulfill her destiny.
The answers didn't seem to fully satisfy Doctor Latros, but she finally nodded.
"Very well." She reached out her hands. "Close your eyes and concentrate on my words. I will be placing one hand upon your right hand to represent your desire to defeat your opponents, and another upon your left forearm to represent your desire to protect yourself against them, and I will speak words that represent the desire of your soul, as you have explained it to me."
Pyrrha closed her eyes, only slightly pensive since the woman had put her so at ease, and then felt the woman's soft hands upon her.
"For it is in striving for greatness that we achieve immortality ."
"Through this, we reach heights unforetold, defying expectations."
"Infinite in potential and unbound by death, I release your soul,"
"And with this bond, I empower thee."
As Doctor Latros had begun to speak, Pyrrha had first felt a growing awareness. Awareness of a part of herself that had been buried deeply within her being. And at the same time, she became aware of a second presence, one that, she gradually became aware, shone next to her like a bright sun. It was radiant and powerful and comforting.
Her own soul was drawn toward it. Toward the two points of physical contact between them. She felt her soul drawn outward, and the attempted spiritual shift was exhausting , draining.
And then with a snap, something connected, and she felt it as Doctor Latros' Aura poured something into her. Wellness. Energy. Vibrancy. A boundless optimism.
It was enough to make Pyrrha giggle in delight, where before she had felt like she might pass out from lethargy.
"Oh… oh my," she gasped. And with a jolt, Doctor Latros' hands released her, and the older lady drew in a slow breath, and exhaled as Pyrrha opened her eyes. "Oh! Are you alright?" Her benefactor looked as drained as Pyrrha had momentarily felt.
The older woman laughed softly. "All part of the job, young lady. Unlocking Aura costs more than just lien. Any half-trained Huntsman can manage that for someone, though when they do, it usually leaves the recipient more or less worthless and exhausted until their Aura fully recovers from the experience." She smiled thinly. "Someone who has spent time training themselves can instead take that burden upon themselves. Unlike you , young lady, I would recover in less than an hour. There's a reason the wealthy are willing to pay for my services." Her smile softened. "How do you feel?"
Pyrrha considered. She felt… "I feel grand , Heka. Thank you !" She examined her hands, marvelling at the feeling of her Aura drifting just under the skin, ready to protect her with a mere expression of her will.
And training of course. If there was one thing young Pyrrha Nikos understood, it was training.
"Well, you've got years before you fully master your Aura, which training I suspect will start as soon as I've left this room. Now… let us discuss Semblance ."
Pyrrha blinked. "What… do you mean? Isn't Semblance…. involuntary ?"
"Hmmph." Doctor Latros slapped her hands together, seeming to have recovered some of her energy. " Some believe so. But I've found not . I've spent my life studying Aura and Semblance, young lady. Even had a scientist from Atlas bothering me with some silliness about treating Aura like energy to be stored ." She shook her head. "No, I don't think Semblances are necessarily random. Too many stories, young Pyrrha, about Semblances unlocking in situations of extreme stress or need, and just happening to meet the requirements of the moment. No, experience has told me that we can influence both the time and nature of Semblance, if we put in the effort."
Pyrrha could only stare at her, wide-eyed.
That meant… she could possibly choose her Semblance?
It was unthinkable.
"But why doesn't everyone do this?" She finally managed.
"Because not everyone is stupid filthy rich, Miss Nikos ," she emphasized the family name. "I have limited time in a day, and limited years to live. It's taken me decades of study to become this skilled. If unlocking Aura for clients, I'm forced to limit myself to half days at most, not to mention having clients that I train in Aura control , and then my own personal hobbies and research."
She stretched and then rolled her neck. "The process to unlock your Semblance , in a manner that may give you some influence in its function, may require several hours. If it happens at all." She shook her head, "For which I am being very well compensated , and will need several days to fully recover."
"Oh…"
" Exactly . So. Again. I need you to close your eyes. Feel your Aura, it is a part of you, of your very essence. There is something you need. Something you desire of it. An ability. A skill. Perhaps a wellspring of strength. Perhaps an expression of resilience. You will think on these things, while I prepare myself and recover my Aura, and then we will begin."
"I knew we should have installed microphones in the training room!" Alexander Nikos raged from his office. "I have no idea what they are discussing!" The trio were viewing live footage of their daughter and the Aura Specialist on a screen. For many minutes now, the youngest Nikos and the Aura Specialist had sat very still, eyes closed.
"Alexander, please, try to restrain yourself," Artemis said with a sigh. "Doctor Latros told us it would take several hours. And she did unlock Pyrrha's Aura. We all saw it." She gestured as if to an imaginary glow for emphasis.
"But what if it doesn't work!" He cried, and began chewing on a fingernail.
"Mr. Nikos, Dr. Latros is the inarguable master of Aura Metaphysics," Belerofon said reasonably. The muscular but aging man had dealt with Alexander Nikos for years, and knew it wouldn't work, but he felt compelled to try. "You asked me for a referral. If Doctor Latros can't manage it… well you may have to accept that some things can't be rushed, regardless of how willing you are to part with lien."
"Bah!" Nikos spun to face the veteran trainer. "If you weren't the best Sparring Trainer money could buy," he ignored the slight darkening of the former champion's face, "I'd have you replaced ."
And then Bel relaxed.
He was the best money could hire. And Alexander Nikos was paying him enough that this would be the last time he was required to deal with such people.
"Perhaps we should send for some refreshments," Artemis interrupted, though she was shaking her head as she said it.
Pyrrha Nikos had spent years training to fight against other combatants. She had honed her offensive and defensive fighting skills with one goal in mind.
To step into the arena, and to emerge victorious.
And part of her training had also been what her Trainer had called "opposition analysis". She had watched hours of footage of her opponents and potential rivals weekly, as part of her training regimen. And when she'd begun to easily defeat those of her own age and Aura status, she'd shifted her studies to older combatants.
Those with Aura.
Some few of those, a surprising few, had obvious Semblances. The use of Semblance was not banned in the top competitive levels of Tournament sparring, though some younger categories were set aside explicitly for those without. It was accepted that a Semblance was just another tool, like training and weapons, that might give a combatant an edge.
Should she desire a Semblance that countered those she had seen in use? She considered this and found, to her distress, that it would be nearly impossible. The other Semblances were so varied that if she obtained a counter to one, it would be nearly useless against others. And their rarity might make the utility of such a counter useless the majority of the time.
And using a Semblance against an opponent would, likely, reveal its existence to others who were, like her, doing opposition analysis.
She set aside that avenue of thought.
No. She needed something that would grant her an advantage across a wide range of opponents. Something that had near-universal application and utility.
Unfortunately, once her opponents saw her use of it, they would simply factor it into their own counter strategy.
Unless… unless it were something subtle. Something that could not be seen, nor felt.
"Are you ready?"
"I'm not sure… I may have… something in mind."
"That is likely enough. I want you to listen to the sound of my voice. My voice is very calm. Very soothing. I want you to focus on it, and I am going to count down from ten, and you are to focus only on the sound of my voice, and upon your Aura, and your breathing. Do you understand?"
"Yes. I understand."
And with that, Doctor Latros took Pyrrha's hands in hers, and began counting down. It felt as if Pyrrha's Aura pulsed in time with each decreasing digit. It felt like her Aura was entangling, somehow, with Dr. Latros'.
And through a comfortable fog, she heard Heka's voice.
"Where are you, when you will need your Semblance?"
Pyrrha frowned, or at least thought she had. And spoke. "I am… in the Arena."
"You are competing in the Tournament," Heka said in affirmation.
And from the fog in her mind, an image formed, as of wisp. A ghostly Arena, with her in the midst. And before her, a spectral doppelganger, armed even as she was.
"Yes. I can… I can see it. I am in the Arena. I am preparing to fight."
"Good. Tell me what is happening."
What would happen? Oh. Of course.
A whistle sounded, and her opponent charged in.
It was incredible. She could see it. Feel Miló in her hand, Akoúo̱ mounted on her bracer, matched by her opponent. She met her duplicant halfway. Ghostly blades clashed in a way that felt more than real, shields blocked and rang as they slammed into each other. Bracers took blows from elbows. Greaves blocked strikes from feet and knees.
With a gasp, she separated and found herself warily circling… herself. A perfectly matched opponent.
"We are sparring. We are… evenly matched."
"Excellent. Continue."
The spar seemed to last forever.
Blow after blow.
Block after block.
Strike after strike.
The two were evenly matched. They were immaculately trained and drilled within the last ounce of their ability.
It lasted Minutes?
Hours?
Days?
Each time they separated, she described what had occurred, what was occurring, to Doctor Lotras, to Heka. And each time she received encouragement to continue, though the woman's voice seemed to grow somewhat strained over time.
And Pyrrha was becoming very, very tired.
She… was not going to win this match. There was no way to do so. She was completely evenly matched.
She needed… an edge.
With all of her being, with all of her soul , she needed it.
So that she did not fail. Fail herself. Fail her family. Fail her father.
It was a need so strong that it hurt . The pain was formless and ubiquitous, though not debilitating.
An edge. Something that had near-universal utility. Something that her opponent would not notice.
And in the fog of her pain and desire, her opponent saw an opening, and took it, its version of Miló sweeping in for a devastating strike to her throat.
And Pyrrha realized with horror that she could neither block the blow with her shield, nor deflect it with Miló. They were far out of position in her distracted and exhausted state..
In her desperation, she reached out with her mind, instead willing the incoming blade to… to… simply shift , ever so slightly, even as she jerked her body backward.
And with a cry and a searing headache, her hands flying up in warding, she fell backward, emerald eyes slamming open wide.
"Deep breaths," Dr. Lotras rasped. "That's a girl. Deep breaths." She cleared her throat. "Now… if you could… perhaps… gently take control of your Aura, and… calm it somewhat. Lower your hands slowly? Yes, that might be best."
Pyrrha realized that her hands were tensed, clawlike, lifted palms up, and as her vision focused on the ceiling, she saw that there were several… objects … affixed to the ceiling of the training arena.
She blinked.
"Slowly, Miss Nikos. Some of those don't look like they are quite… stable."
It was… the room's equipment. Barbells. Weights. Exercise machines.
A treadmill.
Sparring weapons.
Her eyes scanned further.
The… steel door to the room.
A…. metal desk.
They were embedded in the ceiling's surface.
A soft ping sounded from Dr. Latros' pocket.
"Oh fudge ," the woman managed weakly.
And with sounds of tearing and breaking, followed by a cacophony of destruction, the Training Arena began raining rather heavy and dangerous items, adding the floor's destruction to that of the ceiling.
"Gods! Pyrrha are you alright?" Alexander Nikos was calling, even as he charged into the room with Bel and her mother. They were forced to run an obstacle course of damage and debris to reach her..
"I'm fine father! The area we were in didn't have anything metallic!" Pyrrha managed. And it was true. They'd set up in the open area in the middle of the sparring arena, thankfully.
His eyes roved to the Aura Specialist he'd hired. She looked exhausted and drawn. "It worked?"
"Oh, it worked, Mr. Nikos." Hekata Latros drawled, then coughed. " Gods did it work."
He took in the rest of the room. "So powerful," he managed in a slightly strained voice.
"And now you know why I charge what I do, and don't often do it. Semblance activation is a tricky thing."
"Yes. Yes." He looked at Pyrrha, the older woman already forgotten. "How do you feel?" He turned to Bel Koudas. "Can you start training her this afternoon after we have cleared the debris?"
"Alexander Nikos!" Artemis cried, and for the first time in years, Pyrrha saw her mother slap her father on the back of the head, even as Doctor Latros chided him. "Gods above, man. You are insufferable ."
"Ow! What?!... Oh… I…" He at least had the self-reflection to look embarrassed for a moment.
"Mr. Nikos," Bel said in a neutral tone. "Your daughter's Aura is clearly depleted at the moment. Training now would be dangerous.."
Dr. Latros nodded in agreement. "She'll need at least a day's rest to recover enough to train in Aura . And I'd wait a week before trying to activate her Semblance again." She looked around. "Make sure it's a space with no metal, other than whatever it is you want to manipulate. She'll need time to master it."
"Yes. Yes. Of course.
. . .
As they led her back to her room, insisting that she rest and assuring her that they would bring her something to eat, Pyrrha realized that she was, indeed, starving . Her stomach was an empty hole.
Because apparently, unlocking her Semblance had taken five hours .
Five hours!
But she had it now. It worked on polarity, Dr. Latros had explained. She could manipulate objects' magnetic fields, force them to take on a polarity she wished. It only worked with objects that could be impacted by magnetic fields.
It wouldn't work on flesh , for example.
Nearly twelve-year-old Pyrrha Nikos' stomach rumbled in a most undignified manner, but she couldn't halt the broad smile spreading across her face.
But it would work on weapons.
[A/N] Shoutout to recent reviewers AtomicR4y, GreenEyesOrigamiDragon, Rookie80, Flen99, and Shadowstorm-Vash!
I'm glad you folks enjoyed the resolution of our Team SCRV drama!
This chapter started out as a vignette in an upcoming "Miscellany" chapter to catch up with most everyone, and then it expanded in size and scope to the point where it just needed its own telling.
I enjoyed thinking about how Pyrrha Nikos (as opposed to Yang, Nora, Ren, or Cinder) would have her Aura unlocked, and how her Semblance would appear. I decided that money, indeed, can't buy happiness, but it can do nearly everything else.
I also took pains to think about a few conundrums that canon left us with. If Aura is so useful, why couldn't you just go to a Huntsman, pay them 20 lien, and get your Aura unlocked. So I had to rationalize that in addition to not being very useful "out of the box" which I'm discussed in prior chapters, and being a liability for attracting Grimm over 'vanilla' humans, it's also taxing on either the recipient (like when Garek did it for Selene) or on the provider (like here, and like how it was for Pyrrha in canon when she unlocked Jaune's Aura).
I also surmised that there must be a way, for a very very skilled and very expensive expert, to have a chance at unlocking a Semblance and possibly influencing its utility, if not its actual form. And again, it takes a lot out of the "Specialist" and therefore is uncommon and stupid expensive. Imagine, essentially, the Aura equivalent of a world-class brain surgeon agreeing to take days out of their work schedule to perform a voluntary service-for-hire that might or might not work.
Which gains us a one-shot OC, Dr. Hekata Latros. (You may notice a side-link to Polendina there, lol)
And we get our first introduction of Pyrrha's mechashift weapons. We are 1 year away from Pyrrha entering the Tournament Circuit and beginning to build her reputation as the Invincible Girl, with all of the sponsorships and exposure that this brings. And we are starting to see the inklings of her future desire to be "just a normal girl".
I also introduced another side-OC, Bel Koudas (name based on a Greek hero) as a retired Tournament Champion and lead trainer.
Still trying to walk that fine line where Alexander Nikos makes you want to punch him, without making him a worthless piece of shit, because he will come into play later. As Lionheart said, he's a pain in the ass, but he's far from the worst powerful man in Mistral.
However, we have a divergence from canon, as well. This Pyrrha had a living older sister, Helena Nikos, and through her has been introduced to Pete's Emporium (though she can't visit because of her schedule) and made casual friends with Yang, Blake, and the Arc kids through Selene's wedding, which have turned into internet friends (the only ones she has that aren't based around her Tournament activities).
Tell me... do you believe in... destiny?