White Gold: Returning

Cold. Not the cold of a life spent alone amongst others. But the cold of a journey among people both foreign and familiar. Pyrrha walked amongst her friends, her team, and her love. But she also walked alone, a solitary figure defying history's own devices. She wore the trappings of a hero, masterful armor passed down to her from time immemorial to mark her coming. Pyrrha was no longer who she thought she was, no longer the gifted student who held girlish fantasies of grandeur. She was a legend in her own right, brought back for a purpose that was only vaguely known. As surrounded by love as she was, alone was still the foremost feeling to Pyrrha Nikos.

"Still no Grimm in the area. Why do you suppose that one attacked yesterday?" a young girl draped in red piped up to her right. Ruby Rose, a tight ball of energy held back by the limits of her station, walked with her and was the first to truly accept her return. Pyrrha's chest tightened, it wasn't that long ago that she was alone watching her whole world walking by her. "It isn't like we are the scariest group of people walking in the snow covered forest. Just the only ones."

"Sometimes it's better not to question what's been given to you and simply accept gifts you didn't ask for," Ren, capable and calculating as always. He never seems fazed by the trials of life, though there was a deeper side that Pyrrha hadn't discovered yet. "Let's just keep moving forward, we're bound to find another village along this road."

"We don't all have that flair to accept any hammer thrown at us with a smile."Ruby remarked, turning her head toward Ren to give him an exasperated look.

"I only throw them out of concern. And besides, when have you seen him smile?" Nora wryly questioned. She was the emotional volcano to Ren's placid sea, a proper fit only in a mad man's dreams.

"I don't think I'd want to make you concerned then Nora," Ruby intoned, veering away from the energetic woman slightly.

Pyrrha's last colleague was still quiet, perhaps with good reason. Directly to her left walked Jaune, the man she had come to place her entire trust in, everything that was to be her foundation in this new journey in life. He was sturdier than she remembered before the incident, perhaps owing to him preparing for this journey for a month. He was much the same as the day she left, still trying his best to be a good leader to his team. But there was a difference now, an innocence lost that could never be replaced. Pyrrha walked uneasily next to him, replaying the morning in her head and trying to make sense of it all.

A cloud, perhaps a haze lay in front of Pyrrha's gaze. She hadn't felt so much clairvoyance in purpose as now yet she still couldn't see the path in front of her. The taste on her lips had not yet vanished, as dry as her mouth had become for the coming task. She walked up the steps toward the tower, firm and steady in her heart and in her purpose. Inside the lobby was dark, the elevator too damaged to be of any use. Pyrrha stretched her mind, feeling the unseen tendrils of her semblance probe the metal box. A one way trip with destiny by my side, she thought walking into the elevator. Focusing her mind, she propelled the contraption with a mighty thrust, sailing toward her fate with an iron heart. You'll live to see the sunrise this day, that's all I can do for you all.

Jaune had lain awake for a few minutes, staring at the woman just a few feet away from him tossing in her sleep. Pyrrha, is this what you've been going through since you've been back, he thought with a heavy heart. There wasn't a day that he hadn't woken up in a sweat, and even now he didn't sleep as well as before that fateful day despite having one of his life's shattered pieces back. They lay in a tent to themselves, Pyrrha using an extra bed roll he had brought on a feeling. She was still as wondrous as the day he met her, still someone who took her own stories and put them to shame with her actions. His heart was still burdened with how he hadn't stayed, hadn't forced his way to be by her side in that final moment.

Pyrrha began tossing violently for a few moments before springing upright and wildly looking around the tent. Jaune had no time to react before she locked eyes with him, hers dilated and intense enough to bore holes through his head. Pyrrha rolled out of the bed toward him, snatching her blade up and flinging the blanket the opposite way. Jaune had just gotten upright when he found the deadly edge of her blade to his neck, feeling a light pressure under his chin. His mind raced, trying to piece the evidence together, trying to ignore the obvious that this was an elaborate trap to kill him and his friends.

"Who are you!" Pyrrha said with steel in her voice, "Why are you here next to me!" She began to look frantically at her surroundings again. "I shouldn't be here, not with you, not now."

Jaune slowed his breathing, watching the woman he'd come to love panic at the mere thought of being here in this place, perhaps even at being alive. I don't know what to do, what to say, even if I should do anything at all. His mind raced with options, whether he could accomplish any of them being far from his thoughts. Pyrrha began shaking her head, as if trying to ward off the dread that had overcome her. She stopped, and began focusing more intently on Jaune, scrutinizing every detail of his face. Her eyes had grown cold, like the hunter stalking an especially hated prey.

"This isn't the Jaune that I knew, he wouldn't be this hard, he was always a kind and gentle person," Pyrrha began tensing as she spoke, "you are nothing like that, an imposter to confuse me and further any schemes you may have." She began tipping the blade toward the point, preparing to stab the prey that she so loathed. "I have to protect everyone, it's all I can do."

Jaune had reached a point of clarity, understanding a little of Pyrrha's burden. The last few months had been such a tumultuous time for him he hadn't stopped to think what she had wanted, why she pushed him away at the last minute. His life had meant more to her than anything. Slowly he reached up, placing his hand on her cheek to calm her broken mind. The moment he did clarity returned to Pyrrha's eyes as she glanced down to the blade prepared to end his life. She dropped the weapon, horrified at her own actions. She tried to pull away, but Jaune kept his hand to her cheek and slowly she collapsed into his arms, spent from the maelstrom of emotions.

"I-I'm so sorry, I had no idea this... this isn't how it-," Pyrrha began murmuring.

"It's ok, nothing heals overnight. Just take your time, I'm still here, all of us are," Jaune felt the tension leave her as he spoke.

"It's just that I've been traveling alone for so long, I thought... I thought that the mornings were just a flash, just a brief disorientation. Not... this."

That had been his morning, and now he walked beside the woman who held a blade that had kissed his throat. She hadn't spoken to anyone since, and he'd made no motion to bring up the incident with anyone else. It didn't feel like something that should be shared at the moment. Looking over to the others Jaune could tell their spirits were sailing higher than just the other day. Ruby was suspiciously walking just outside of Nora's reach, while Ren had a half grin he was failing to hide. The sound of snow crunching beneath their feet was a constant companion to the quintets ponderous travels. Nora was slowly pulling her hammer free of its carrier, extending and letting it drag on the snow covered road beside her. As she walked, a small mound of snow was forming in front of the hammer that Nora was molding into a ball shape.

"Y'know Ruby, sometimes you just need to chill," Nora warned as she wound up for a full swing at the snowball she'd formed. Ruby had turned around just in time to witness the hammer connect and send a frozen bullet straight for her. Under a cover of rose petals Ruby jumped to the side and unhooked her scythe, using it to sweep the ground of snow around her into Nora's face. With her enemy blinded, she sped around her to scoop up a handful of snow and deposit it in the hood of Nora's rough cloak. Running over to be beside Pyrrha, Ruby waited as Nora shook the snow loose from her hair and face before beginning to feel the cold settle in. She reached for her hood to warm up and was greeted with an icy gift.

"I'd rather stay warm if it's all the same to you Nora," the ball of whimsy proudly replied. Jaune turned to see Ren beaming in pride at the exchange, taking in the sight of a defeated and cold Nora. As Ren turned back to revel in his joy Nora tipped her hammer and swung the shaft up to his neck, halting his progress with a grin.

"Something funny Ren?" she said with a devil's smile, "or maybe you're just happy you're off the hook?" Jaune turned back to Pyrrha as Nora began eying up her next victim, finding the woman still in her own thoughts. He could guess what she was worrying over, and found his thoughts drifting toward the darker outcomes that could have been. No, it wasn't going to happen that way, no matter what. He reached over and grasped her hand, trying to take some of the pain away with his touch. Her green eyes came up to meet his, speaking words of anguish and pain that her mouth would never form.

"Don't worry, we're all still here. I said it would take time, but that doesn't mean it's going to be time alone," his voice had the timbre of someone he didn't recognize. A survivor's, but also a fighter's, Jaune felt that it was appropriate. Pyrrha's expression softened, letting out some of the ails of her long journey. She leaned into him, letting him carry some of the weight for a time. He welcomed it, a piece of himself finally letting go and returning to form a new whole within his being.

Qrow strode the forest, keeping his eyes steadily scanning the farthest reaches for threats to the group he followed. There hadn't been a sighting since yesterday, an omen he hadn't the foggiest idea to its meaning. The man traveled in the same manner he had always traveled, light and intent on his goal. His sole extra baggage being a memento of a friend long since gone. A fate he wished was false, a fate he searched for the final answer to. His gaze drifted out once more, touring the trees and shadows for anything that could be a danger. Nothing, not even a rogue fox wandering in the cold, he thought before turning his gaze back to Ruby and her friends.

Ren and Nora were walking like two strange wolves forced to travel to the same destination. No, not quite that far, as an undercurrent of friendliness marked the two out as playfully ignoring each other. Ruby walked at the far end of the group, peering over at Nora in the same way she had peeped at Yang when she'd left a "present" for her in her shoes. Never did like to stay out of trouble that one, not like I can say any different. Nora shot a look that would shatter wood into splinters with its intensity, and Ruby retreated to her own jaunt, playing innocent at all costs.

In the center of the group was the most disturbing revelation that Ozpin had ever made to Qrow; even now he couldn't quite take the sight in completely. Pyrrha Nikos, the candidate to receive the remainder of a Maiden's power, the woman who had given her life to try and stop a demon in female form. And here she walked with his niece, with a team reborn from the ashes of disaster. Ozpin had told him that even if they failed she had every hallmark to be the reborn champion from the legends. But, of course, she had to die first.

By her side was a young man, a charlatan who had snuck his way into a prestigious academy and blended in with the elite. Jaune Arc had no notable skill in combat, no recorded use of a Semblance, he wasn't going to last without swiftly shaping up. And so he rose to the occasion, leading his team to success and glory. You saw something there Ozpin, said he'd be great and would be needed in the coming days. That's why you let him stay, let him grow, Qrow hashed out the thought and decided to trust his friend of so long. Taking a long pull from the flask he kept on him, feeling the warmth surge through his throat and down the limbs of his body, he went back to the task of keeping them safe.

Walking with people had been a pleasure she'd been denied for so long that when she had it back, it felt uncomfortable to enjoy again. Pyrrha hadn't thought about the small joy she took for granted before losing and regaining it. What else would she discover that had been important to her daily life, that hadn't been foremost in her mind until it was too late? She walked hand in hand with Jaune, still feeling shamed over her actions this morning, but also knowing that she was just returning to her old life, and her wounds needed time to heal. Pyrrha squeezed Jaune's hand, eliciting a slight cry from the man. He's still just the boy I'd loved before, even if he tries to hide it behind a tough exterior, she mused as he tried to hide his pain behind a goofy smile.

They'd walked for hours, passing much of nothing on the way toward the next town, and eventually Haven. She didn't quite know what to expect when she eventually had to rejoin a normal group of people, people who would question her and demand of her. For now, only the ache in her feet and the chill of the air on her face mattered. The trees off to the right began thinning as they walked, eventually giving way to a large placid pool of water. It looked like a pristine place to rest and regroup for, what she hoped was, the last leg of the trek.

"We've been walking for quite a while, why not take a break over by that pond?" Pyrrha asked. She was surprised when everyone else turned to her with slight wonder and amusement in their eyes. After a second she realized it was the first thing she'd said all day and let out a small smile, trying to hide the discomfort.

"Might be a good idea, let's get unpacked," Ruby agreed.

"I'll take a look around, make sure we've got no unwelcome guests," Jaune added, handing his bag to Pyrrha before taking off toward the opposite treeline. Pyrrha walked with the others, taking in the calm atmosphere around the pool. Taking her time, she wandered the shoreline toward a group of fallen trees and stumps. So much has happened and I've finally found a way through life with someone, she found her mind wandering. A lightness enveloped her chest while she walked toward the trees and her friends. Taking a wide stump for her own, she dropped off Jaune's bags and her own light travel gear.

"So here we are again," Nora breathed, letting the miles fall from her shoulders, "another day on the road, how are you taking it Pyrrha?"

"Honestly, I'd just like to wash some of the grime off from the road. I didn't take the same path as you, didn't stop at any villages," Pyrrha admitted. She hadn't really given much thought about the haste she had used to make her way back to her team.

"As good a reason as any to stop over here. It really is beautiful out here, not something everyone is privileged to see."

"Of course. I think I'm going to go wash up then." Pyrrha left them to shake off their fatigue and prepare some of the food remaining in storage. Taking a look over the water to the other shore she spotted the trotting figure of Jaune searching the tree line. The lightness in her chest returned and she couldn't help but notice her hands coming back together in front of her. So this is why everyone always said I should have just told him. Turning back to the pool itself, Pyrrha walked up to the waterline and peered in. The face staring back wasn't hers, at least not the face she'd gone to the academy with, not the one she'd eventually met her fate with.

So this is what people will see now, what they have to believe in? She bent down to examine herself further and see if the old her was still in there somewhere. The hole in her chest hadn't closed and was still tender to the touch. A reminder of what was. But then the armor she wore gleamed in the afternoon sun with an air of rightness, a beacon for weary eyes to rest and regain their dignity. A symbol of what will be. And yet, her face fit the new life she'd been gifted with. The harsh reality of a coming war that had been lain at her feet. Pyrrha felt a tremble, she felt fear at the daunting task that whispered in the back of her mind and was only hinted at by Glynda. Still, she washed her face and took another look. Fear was nothing to be ashamed of, it was only human to worry a little about the future. The face staring back was just somewhat different, closer to her own if only a little.

Stepping away from the pool, Pyrrha sat and collected her thoughts, reminding herself that she was still human and still able to feel everything her friends felt. She gazed out over the reflecting pool, taking in the tranquil scene that made a mockery of this cruel world. Almost like it spit in the face of a vicious beast ready to make its kill. Pyrrha turned her thoughts toward her self and for the first time began to truly examine the gifts she wielded and wore. White with a tint of yellow. Once, before the people around her had begun taking an immense interest in her, in the early days of her childhood she saw the weapons of a huntress. Bronze, beaten and polished to a sheen, it looked like gold to the young girl's eyes.

An imperfect gold, just as she wore an imperfect white to a war that could only lead to a darker time. Pyrrha turned her gaze to her weapons. They were so like Milo and Akouo that she couldn't believe she hadn't copied the design from them. Just like that time so long ago her old weapons were gone and she had been gifted a new extension to herself.

"So much has been determined for me, given to me, expected of me. My life feels like someone else's tool, a plaything in some grand game being played just out of sight," Pyrrha began murmuring to herself. She hadn't taken the time to question her actions, just followed the piercing commands that had shouted inside her skull. "But these? They were given no significance, no grand explanation of symbol to endure. Just a weapon to kill, and a shield to protect." She turned the blade around, scouring it for any identity and only found the same intricacy matching the shield and her armor. "I may not be my own person now, but you are mine. And you will not be faceless."

Pyrrha sat in thought for a time, pondering a name for a weapon she had only used to fight a dying Grimm and a grieving man. The word formed in the back of her mind, and she shuddered at the feel of it. As if it pulled at the very existence she was clinging to with every fiber in her being. "Thnitos," she uttered, touching the hole in her chest and turning away from the violent instrument to her shield. It was solid, and wore with a heft that felt like the weight of a titanic beast on her arm, on her shoulders. It protected and allowed her the life she needed to accomplish such eclectic goals. "Athanatos," she proclaimed, allowing the name to reverberate around her with a pressure unlike the airy Aura she and all humans were accustomed to. Pyrrha sighed in relief, feeling more grounded and assured that everything would turn out for the better.

"So that's when we ended up on a speeding train, running straight into Vale at full bore. Not what I'd call a pleasant trip," Ruby recounted, leaning away and stretching out. It was good to be able to finally talk about more trouble free times. Despite the attack that had happened after the ride. Looking back over to Pyrrha she felt the same swell of emotion as that day on the tower, bubbling just at the edge of control. Why did it have to happen like this, with so much pain and loss? "And... I'll finish that up in a minute, I need to take care of something," Ruby stated, shuffling away uneasily.

"It's ok, take all the time you need," Ren offered.

Nodding, Ruby turned to confront the disquiet in her heart. She watched the woman while marching toward her, noting the way she looked over her weapons. Almost like she was searching for something to grab hold of. Ruby walked quietly toward her, replaying yesterday over in her head, trying to forgive herself for the callousness she had been forced to wear. I don't want to become someone I wouldn't recognize, even for everyone else, she grimly thought. Stopping just within earshot, Ruby prepared to announce herself and face her own inner demons.

"Thnitos," a word that Ruby shied away from exited Pyrrha's mouth. It felt familiar, like the touch of cold steel to bare skin. Unwanted, but used. "Athanatos," Pyrrha stated, louder than before and pulling Ruby more upright, filling her with a warmth akin to her closest companions. She stood there as Pyrrha sat back and gazed across the pool, staring into the expanse of the forest before them. How could she always stay so strong when the rest of it was crumbling? Ruby found an envy of somebody that she only passingly knew and wished was more a part of her.

"Hey, mind if I join you?" Ruby asked as she stepped up. The white clad woman looked at her with a soft expression, letting warmth flow from her face as she nodded her answer. Ruby took up a seat on a nearby rock, settling with a thump. "I... wanted to talk about what's been happening. All of this madness, everything that's gone wrong."

"I'm not sure what I can tell you that you don't already know, but I'll try," Pyrrha had a downcast look as she spoke.

"Jaune spoke of... a pod. And a woman inside another one connected to it?"

"Yes, I'd been there before and it wasn't supposed to be something anyone knew about."

"Why were you there in the first place?" Ruby felt a flush on her face as she spoke.

"It was supposed to be Ozpin's ace, his trump against whatever Cinder was planning. But I... I didn't know what to do, if I would still be me afterward," the woman was holding herself and fighting back tears, "I couldn't do what was needed."

Ruby sat and let Pyrrha regain her composure, rolling over the events in her mind. She'd been in the thick of the fighting and only broke off for her, so why did it feel so futile? "So why did we fight at all? Why didn't he tell us this was coming?" Ruby felt her emotions boiling over, "Why did my sister have to lose an arm and a friend?" She was staring into Pyrrha's eyes, searching for answers to the questions she found she hadn't come to peace with. "Why did you have to die?"

The white warrior looked past and through Ruby. She had the look of pain coursing along her face and resonating in her eyes. Ruby got up from her seat, walking to the water's edge, trying not to let the force ruminating inside her escape her grasp. Looking out onto the pool, she could see her own frightened visage gazing back at her. Then, for a brief second she could see the friends, her team, behind her smiling like before.

"Why did I die?" Pyrrha said with new found authority, "for the same reason you came on this journey. I gave my life willingly to slow a monster. I'd wager, given the need, you would do the same." Pyrrha stepped up beside her, adding her reflection to Ruby's own. "We chose this calling, to protect everyone. The same calling that drove you up the tower to my side." Ruby could make out the people in the pool once more, this time broken and beaten while she stood like a bastion before them. A life she would gladly give for them, she thought to herself.

Pyrrha turned to walk back to the circle where the smells of food, wafting from a travel pan, began stirring more base desires. "Pyrrha," Ruby mustered. Turning to look the champion in her eyes, taking in everything that she would one day embody, only a simple thing remained.

"Thank you. For coming back."

A rumbling sound, the momentum of an unseen call pulling the beasts toward one point, one purpose. Grimm for a time, not fighting, not searching, simply traveling. It was an elder seeking a new berth to produce, making its way by the call pulsating in the distance. Unheard, still felt. Over by it was a herd of younglings, swiping outward every so often to the tune of baited calls. Miserable, the little things would most likely die, and still the elder would follow the call. Across cold and wet, moving without fatigue or end. It wasn't far now.

The road wandered on in front of Ruby, she felt the bulk of this journey standing on her back and weighing her down with the very nature of times persistence. But the journey wasn't hers alone, and she took solace in the people she had come to trust, to treasure. She marched beside Pyrrha, the two listening to the inane conversation Nora was holding between herself and the two men. A light breeze whistled through the woods to take what little heat was available. Ruby shifted her gaze over to the rest of the team and tentatively felt at the pressure emanating within her. They are my charge, and I'll die before anyone of them falls, she vowed. Ruby turned her gaze back toward the road, but caught a light smile out of the corner of her eye from Pyrrha. A small weight lifted from her, knowing that Pyrrha had truly returned.

After a time the breeze stopped bringing fresh scents, instead transferring only the stale air that had been so common around Emerald Forest back during Ruby's initiation. An uneasy quiet fell among her friends, even the normally casual walk Nora had became measured and controlled. It wasn't right, there should have been some stray Grimm around. The knot in Ruby's stomach hadn't loosened since they'd last been on the road. Nothing was at the farthest expanses of the woods, yet she still felt that knot working its way through her.

"Hey, hold up," Ruby called, stopping to take a more commanding position. The group slowed and turned to her with knowing eyes, feeling the same dread that had persisted since yesterday's attack. "Let's take a minute and look around. I don't think it's a coincidence we haven't seen anything for so long now."

Pyrrha stepped up with Ruby, letting her presence be felt in the cold air. "I agree, while I was traveling to catch up to you I ran into nothing along the way, save for some animals." The statuesque woman motioned toward the wider area, "we need to make sure there isn't a greater horde of them waiting for us to stumble on." Letting her words steel the group, she focused on Jaune. "Are you sure there was nothing out there when you searched by the pool?"

"Positive, no tracks, not a single Grimm even at the very reaches of the forest."

"Alright, then we need to stay on guard," Ruby let the air settle before turning to Jaune. "Your judgment will do better here than mine, how should we go about this?"

"We're gonna need to fan out, the road being our center point." Jaune motioned for a wide V, shifting his focus to Nora. "We'll need someone who can hold their own in the center, think you can do it Nora?" The vivid Huntress nodded her agreement, letting a grin creep across her face. "Good, you'll also be in charge of signaling the opposite side if someone runs into something." Jaune brought his gaze over to Ruby and Pyrrha. "You two will be on the ends, move back toward the center if anything turns up."

"We'll go like this for half an hour, move fast and steady. If it's safe, well, let's just thank the lucky stars that got us this far." Jaune unhooked his shield and sword and, looking straight at Pyrrha, motioned his team forward. "Stay safe everyone," Jaune commanded. Ruby watched as the object of his words sprinted off in the opposite direction. Pulling herself inward, Ruby tapped into the well that was her Semblance and pushed outward. The feel of wind on her face soothed her as she sped forward toward her position. Jaune was running with the same purpose to her right, keeping a surprising pace from what she remembered of his abilities. He'd come so far since the tournament and she felt a sadness for the loss of the goofy boy he was. That time was long gone.

Fifteen minutes of loping through the forest, keeping a weather eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Pyrrha let her mind run blank, feeling the simpleness of purpose guide her as she moved through the forest. He wears leadership well, a vagrant thought skittered off the calm. But it was true, he had come to this conclusion without any second guessing. The forest still smelled of a staleness reminiscent of the empty halls she'd wandered. That time's grim reverie to the land rang out in her mind like a wail in the dead of night.

When did she wander empty halls? Was her head playing tricks on her again? Pyrrha kept her pace even and her eyes peeled for the obstacles that could creep up and grab her. When was I in an empty hall in an empty nation? The thought of an empty kingdom chilled her to the core, letting out the basest fears she held. A world like that was what she wanted to fight back against, what Ruby wanted to fight against, Jaune as well. Something that Cinder had worked her entire life to bringing about. And yet, Pyrrha didn't blame the woman, something that escaped reason itself. But in her final moments she thought she saw the hint of doubt, a will to rebel against the fate she had been dealt.

A whiff of dampness brought her out of her head. To her right three black shapes were running with her, tracking by the look of it. This was what Pyrrha was looking for, secretly hoping to let out some of the pent up anger since her awakening. Taking a quick look to her left, marking that the way to Ren wasn't yet blocked with anything, she pivoted her arc toward the shapes. Making a straight line toward what she could now tell were Beowolves, she unhooked and readied her shield. A hundred paces away, she skid to a halt on one knee and brought up her blade shifted to a rifle. Thnitos spat death at the beasts as they scrambled to adjust course.

A round fell to the flank of the smallest creature, yet it shrugged off the strike and charged with its comrades to the waiting woman. Pyrrha let fly with a handful more rounds, before taking a stand against the charge. Catching the claw of the first Beowolf she swung up the side and sprang off its back. Back to a blade she slashed at the two underneath her while she flew through the air. The blows glanced from armored hides, not quite precise enough to sink deep and sure. Twisting in the air, Pyrrha planted her feet into the landing and launched herself at the trailing monster. Instinctive muscles grasped for the piece of her that was sealed away, her Semblance still outside the fingers of her mind. No matter, this isn't anything I can't handle. She launched into a series of strikes, swinging in close arcs to remain inside the beast's reach.

On she went, lavishing more intricacy into the attack, sneaking a thrust into the movements that had defined her for so long. And still, it was imprecise and less effective than normal. Finishing with a stab under the jaw, she retracted to watch the creature slump downward and moved her focus to the other two. They shuffled around, keeping an eye on her but clearly distressed at something. Pyrrha dourly walked forward, shield raised to deflect any would be opponent. The Beowolves snarled and slunk back before turning tail and breaking away from her. Pyrrha lowered her guard, letting it sink in that she'd been able to at least cope without her Semblance.

A flicker of white at the edge of her vision caused her to turn, briefly seeing the dissipating Grimm corpse. Then the feel of claws and fur struck her shoulder, and she found herself flung to the ground. Gasping, Pyrrha looked up to stare into the maw of a massive Ursa intently moving to continue the onslaught. It's figure was covered in chitinous growth, and the scars of survival were rampant along the thing's body. Hefting Athanatos, she gathered herself up to defend herself. The monstrosity before her stepped up and hefted a massive paw with murderous intent. Pyrrha slid close in and , pulling back with her now shifted spear, plunged the tip into the minimal gap between hairy armored plates.

The spear bounced off the rightmost plate, gouging the elder monstrosity along countless other grooves. Her shield still up, Pyrrha narrowly caught its claw with the balance of the shield-face. Retreating with a parting stab, she circled the Ursa trying to pinpoint an angle of attack. Wait, this isn't what we agreed. I was just supposed to find them, not try and fight the whole world. With a wrathful snarl resonating throughout her body the beast leaped forward, sensing her doubt. Pyrrha spun out of the way, leaving her parting gift of another two scars along its carapace. Turning toward the point she'd marked earlier she took off running toward Ren's path.

The sound of crunching snow was all the warning she received. Monstrous claws filled her vision moments before instinct kicked in and she caught the blow along Thnitos' shaft, flinging Pyrrha and the weapon away. Red filled her vision followed by shining stars as the impact to her head made its presence felt. Her eyes clearing partially, she could see the Ursa striding over to her with a self-confident gait. Can't run, need to get to Ren, this thing is too tough to finesse, she ran through the list as she stumbled to her feet. Pyrrha could see that the monstrosity was closing for a kill, and gripped the haft of Thnitos. It wasn't there.

Too late had she realized her hubris, thinking that she could fight the world alone with nothing more than her skill. A quick glance revealed her spear laying a short distance away, between her and the shambling obstacle. The pull of sleep eternal tugged at Pyrrha, demanding to be noticed and acknowledged. She tensed, ready to spring forward and make a break for her weapon to put up the last of her resistance.

Shots rang out. Ricochets sprayed off the hide of her opponent, throwing the cocksure beast off balance and shifting its attention away from her. Pyrrha leaped to her side, scrambling toward the tool that kept her life her own. Grabbing the spear, she spun around to confront her foe, to finish this game she'd begun. Ren was there, ducking, weaving in between the enemy's claws, taking any small strike he could. Pyrrha sprinted to the opposite side, drawing the monster's gaze off of Ren. Her partner laid into the Ursa's flank, carving away at the plates that had deflected Pyrrhas best efforts.

On they fought, dividing the monster's attention and chipping away at its considerable defense. Ren rolled underneath a deadly swipe coming up beside Pyrrha. He jammed both blades of Stormflower into a tiny crevice on the creature's hide. Pyrrha saw the opportunity they needed, and reeling back, thrust with every ounce of strength left into the gap he'd created. The spearhead disappeared into black fur, then the haft driving further in until it stopped with a clank. The Ursa straightened and let out a final snarl before toppling over trying to turn on them. Pyrrha wrenched Thnitos free, letting the fatigue settle into her body from the fight.

"Are you ok?" Ren asked with critical eyes.

"Yeah... sorry. For not trying to follow the plan."

The man simply took her arm, draping it across his shoulder and bearing the bulk of her weight as they began moving toward the center of the line. Pyrrha let herself be pulled along, finding her solace in the rhythm of travel. A blast in the air took her out of her own mind, as she looked up to where it had originated. A pink cloud hung in the air a fair distance away from where she and Ren were. Looking back toward Ren, they shared the weight that came with their shared profession. Pyrrha shrugged off Ren's help, opting to ignore her body's protests and push ahead. Taking the lead, she began to trot after the site of the smokey cloud. Behind them a mist of white flecks floated gently up to the sky, seemingly at peace.

Jaune kept his eyes set forward as he traveled over rough terrain, keeping up a heady pace to try and get back to Nora. She's fine, she said she'd be. Nora's signal could mean one of two things, either she's in trouble or someone found something. They'd been searching for nearly the entire thirty minutes, and nothing. Ruby hadn't come over to his path and he'd been about ready to pack it in when the grenade burst forced his attention back to his team. He glanced behind him, searching for the sprightly young girl who'd be able to relay anything he could think of.

Searching in vain, Jaune turned back to his thoughts. At the very least we know where the end of this trek is. A village, big one by the look of the wall. He wasn't sure whether it was ill timing or providence that he'd spotted the wall moments before the signal had sounded. His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, preparing for the inevitability of conflict. Closing in on the road, Jaune let his mind empty and burst from the treeline. Frantically running his eyes up and down the road, he set his sight on the scene he'd honestly expected.

Standing with a grin plastered from ear to ear, Nora was surrounded by craters dotted in a semi circle pattern. Her hammer held aloft on her shoulder, Jaune managed to catch her eyes sparkling with a joy more common with children than Huntresses. Sheathing his weapon, he took a more relaxed look around. Ruby was off to the side of the road, several hundred yards ahead of his own position. Ren and Pyrrha both had exited near Nora and were taking their time to inspect the newly minted road modifications.

"Jaune! You should have seen it, these two Beowolves came flying out of the woods. Well, they came out right in front of me and just froze when they saw me." Her expression began to worry him as she got back into the frenzy of explaining the encounter. "So I decided it was a good time to play a game, whack-a-grimm. The first was a bit of a pushover, but the second decided to put up quite a fight, darting every which way." She was getting extremely worked up by this point, coming close to reenacting the tirade in earnest.

Jaune couldn't help but smile, being drawn in with the enthusiasm his companion had for "squishing" her unwitting prey. Ruby had finally walked the distance back, wearing the same look of concern that told Jaune she'd seen the wall in the distance. Looking over to his two other comrades, his good mood faded as it became clear that they had found something more than a couple of Beowolves. Steeling himself for the worst, he made his way over to the two haggard warriors. At least sanctuary wasn't far away.

"So, what happened?" Jaune started in. Pyrrha had a look of pain strewn across her face that told much of the story. Nora huffed in annoyance at the interruption of her tale, not wanting to go back to the drudgery of reality.

Ren broke in before he could press further. "We found a stray Ursa, not a young one either. It had to have lived through a large number of fights before we came across it." The man didn't have the same calm, casual way of speaking he normally did. "It must have caught Pyrrha off guard as I arrived with her fighting it to a standstill."

Putting aside the issue of what it was doing there, Jaune mulled over the implications of an older Grimm wandering around alone. "You said it came from out to the far right of the road, then there must be some larger group around close by."

"We need to get to the next village then. I saw the wall out in the distance, we should be able to get there before an hour or two," Ruby chimed in, and Jaune nodded in confirmation. "Alright, I'll take the lead, let's get going before any more strays show up."

Ruby Rose had chosen this life, chosen to become something more and something less. She hadn't really thought about the consequences of her choices until lately, letting the decisions of her elders push her along. As she ranged ahead of her team, her mind jumped from one event to the next tying herself to the fabric of history. The wall loomed ahead of her, not far to run now. Ruby scanned the forest to her right, looking past the treeline into the distance. An inky black line marred the picturesque view, marking out the path of an enemy she'd known her whole life.

On she went, leading her team, keeping them safe from the evils in her own way. Before long she was standing at the edge of the clearing and the run up to the village gate. The tops of buildings, tiled and well built, peeked over the wall like a child making sure his closet is safe at night. On a prominent hill just a little ways to the left of the gate stood a tower with two bowl like protrusions pointing in nearly opposite directions. The wall itself was in fine shape, weathered by the test of time but not deteriorated like something abandoned and left to rot.

Ruby heard the footsteps behind her slow up and casually walk up to her back. Turning, she looked at the weary but ready eyes of her team. So much to take in, and now it looks like this'll be a short stop with that black plague in the distance, she grimly accepted. No matter, it was what she'd chosen, and the consequence was hers to own and triumph over. "Let's go, not much further before we can rest."

Walking out of the treeline, Ruby could feel her chest tighten as she took in the imposing sight of the wall. This village was important, too much had been settled here out in the open for it to be anything else. Approaching the fortification, small figures began moving up above with alarming alacrity.

"What's your business here?" a voice called down from above.

"We're Huntsmen, making our way to Haven," Ruby called back, "We need to rest and replenish our supplies."

"Hold on for a moment," one of the figures on the wall shuffled out of sight. A moment passed, then another. Yelling broke out, the kind that felt like an argument but had the air of someone simply trying to make someone understand. A new figure appeared, waving at the others. "Open the gate!" came the call. Creaking filled the air as weary gears sprang into action, leveraging the slabs of metal banded wood inward.

Inside stood a very world weary woman, leaning on a rifle the height of a man plus some. She wore a white half coat, or rather a coat with her right arm entirely exposed up to the clavicle. To her left side the coat ended in a collar high enough to cover her mouth and nose should she look in that direction. Walking up to Ruby in jackboots to the thigh, the woman gave her a stern once over, taking in the tired frame she'd been pushing to arrive here. Giving a similar time to each of her comrades, the woman pirouetted around and walked a short distance into the threshold.

"Well, better get in here then, don't want this door open all day long now." The sharp remark had Ruby walking lightly into the village as helmeted men scrambled around greasing the gears of the great door. Guess that comment wasn't just for us, Ruby gratefully realized. With the gate closing up behind them, the woman spun around again to level her gaze at Ruby's entire team. "Alright, seeing as you all are traveling together, must be a full team moving out. Who speaks for you lot, who's leading?"

"I-I am, ma'am," Ruby heard herself say, trying not be intimidated by the woman's brash tone, "I'm Ruby, and this is Pyrrha, Jaune, Ren, and Nora." Her team made their pleasantries with the same nervous uncertainty. Save for Nora, who seemed to be eying up the mystery woman as competition in the future.

"Well my name's Marly. Marly Gideon, though most everybody just calls me Gideon. So I'm guessing you've got orders to move out to Mistral and figure some of this mess out? Probably come from Beacon itself if you're on foot." The woman called Gideon gave Ruby a grin revealing the top of a scar marring the left side of her mouth downward to her chin.

"Well, we're not really, uh, our mission is..." she didn't quite know how to say they were on their own if Gideon's first expectation is an order. The gnarled woman's grin seemed to stretch into a scowl. "We're... we..."

"We're going to Mistral to link up and receive our orders there," Pyrrha burst in. Ruby looked over and gave her her best serious face, trying to impart as much authority and thanks as she could.

"Right, we're taking a boat over since airships are out of the question with all the Grimm around Beacon."

Gideon eyed her again, before taking the edge off her gaze and welcoming fellow warriors. "Well, you didn't have to be all nervous about that. Must be fairly new to running around out here if I'm making you nervous." Taking a step to the side, she swept her arm over the street in front of her. "Welcome to Passage, the most important rat hole you've ever lain your eyes on. Save for Atlas itself of course." Gideon turned toward a fairly large building and started to walk, striding with the self-importance only a veteran of many experiences could hold.

"We're heading toward the inn right now, you'll do best to remember its spot because I've got things to do. Not gonna stop mind, just making sure you know the place a bit." Her clip was fast enough that Ruby had to keep her head straight and focused to keep up. "It's good you showed up, I can get some new info from HQ... Beacon that is. Our connection with the port and Vale city are just fine, but aside from our local data, nothing is going through on the CTS."

Ruby's heart felt gripped by a fist of ice, realizing so much hadn't been told to everyone. "Gideon, there's... there's been an attack. The relay tower is down. Destroyed." Her eyes watered at the thought, of her home being so crippled.

The woman didn't miss a beat, keeping the imperious pace she'd adopted. "Well then, wouldn't want that getting out to everyone would we? Might cause a mass panic, and then we'd be up a proper creek." She snapped her head over to a younger boy carrying several crates. "Hey! Those go to the eastern block, they have plenty up north." Returning her attention to Ruby, Gideon swept her arm to the side at an intersection. "Up that way is market street, tell 'em you've got official business and they'll cover most of the cost."

"Thank you, for your hospitality. But, why are you here? It isn't often a Huntress stays in one spot like this for long, not when it seems like they've got things so well prepared."

This time, Gideon did miss a beat, stumbling slightly at the words Ruby had innocuously spoken. Her grimace was plain as day behind the blank face she put forth. Still, she kept up her march down the street, pointed straight toward the northern wall. Ruby peeked back at her team to seek any help with the situation they found themselves. Only commiseration and concern reflected back at her, letting her know that they had as much knowledge here as she.

They moved through the town, passing people on their way to mundane or important jobs, living life without a care to the greater ills of the world. The northern gate loomed in front of them, decidedly worse for wear than the southern barrier. A staircase lay next to it, and Gideon began climbing up with a lack of the enthusiasm she'd shown earlier. Following her in silence, Ruby couldn't help but smell the stale air as she ascended to the wall precipice.

Cresting the battlements, she stood in horror at the scene before her. The run up to the wall was scarred with the marks of firearms, and pieces of wood and shrapnel littered the ground all around. But out in the distance was the true nightmare that had come true too many times in recent months. A line of Grimm, marching in one direction, the same direction Ruby and her friends had intended to go. Gideon stood beside her, a scowl touring her face like a scared traveler in dangerous lands. She clenched her rifle, holding back anger and sorrow over what Ruby had confirmed for her. No one could call for help to the outside world, and the Grimm were moving en masse toward a lifeline of the kingdom.

"This is why I'm still here, because these good people are right in the warpath. No one can hear them except for the target of that deadly horde." Gideon's face emanated the rage she'd held in check for so long. "And if you five want to make it to Mistral before the port town collapses you're gonna have to move tomorrow. Take a long rest, and savor the fact that we haven't seen anything really nasty yet. Stray Deathstalker was the last thing we took care of." She adopted a wry grin, stating, "now that was a small bit of fun."

It wasn't going to end, they'd chosen to fight and a fight was staring them in the eye. Ruby had her fill of chaos today, and decided that now was the time to look forward to the morning after, to let her team rest and recover for the arduous journey. Turning back, she caught Pyrrha's eye gazing out at the death that marched silently before them. "Don't worry, we may be the only people going that way. But we're also going to be the last one's they ever see," Ruby declared, refusing to let the alternative live in her mind.