Land of Darkness – Evernight Castle
Inside the dark, ominous halls of Evernight Castle, Salem's throne room was silent except for the eerie sound of flickering torches and the low hum of Grimm presence.
Before her stood Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, Watts, Tyrian, and Hazel, each awaiting her orders.
Salem's crimson gaze swept over them as she finally spoke:
"I have found the Fall Maiden."
The words sent shockwaves through the gathered subordinates.
Cinder's golden eyes widened. "What? But—that's impossible. We searched all over Beacon. There were no clues!"
Emerald and Mercury exchanged uneasy glances. They had spent weeks gathering information and tracking possible leads, only to find nothing.
Salem's expression remained calm. "And yet, while you scurried around blindly, my Seers have uncovered the truth."
At her words, two Seers floated forward, their red tentacles twitching as they projected an ethereal image into the air—a vault, buried deep beneath Beacon Academy.
The sight of it sent a chill down Cinder's spine.
"A Vault…?" Watts muttered, eyes narrowing. "Of course… Ozpin hid her away. Just as he has done before."
Salem's lips curved slightly. "The Fall Maiden is beneath Beacon Academy. Inside this vault."
Cinder clenched her fists, struggling to contain her frustration.
"We wasted so much time searching, and she was right beneath our feet?"
Salem leaned forward slightly. "Now, we shall correct that mistake."
She turned her gaze towards two of her most formidable warriors.
"Tyrian. Hazel. You will go to Beacon."
The scorpion-tailed madman let out a delighted giggle, while the giant of a man simply nodded.
"How thrilling! A hunt for the hidden treasure!~" Tyrian purred, his eyes gleaming with unhinged excitement.
Hazel, however, was much calmer. "And the plan?"
Salem gestured with one pale hand.
"Take the underground route. Use the Burrowing Grimm to reach the vault unnoticed."
She then smiled—a slow, dangerous thing.
"And bring The Hound."
A sudden shift in the air.
Everyone froze at the mention of that name.
The shadows near Salem's throne began to ripple, and then—it stepped forward.
A massive, hulking figure.
The Hound.
It was an abomination of darkness, standing taller than any man. Its dripping, tar-like body glistened in the dim light. A short, wide snout revealed jagged, overlapping teeth, constantly dripping with black Grimm ichor.
But the most unsettling part was its neck.
There, just behind its primary maw, a second set of jaws twitched open and closed—unnatural and monstrous.
The mere presence of The Hound made the air feel thick with oppressive, suffocating energy.
Even Mercury, who usually never reacted to much, felt a cold sweat creep up his back.
Tyrian giggled with delight. "Ooooh, one of your magnificent beast! Yes, yes! With this, we shall secure our prize, my Goddess!"
Hazel remained silent, simply nodding in acceptance.
Salem's eyes gleamed. "Go."
Tyrian and Hazel both turned and walked away, The Hound following silently behind them—its very existence a nightmare given form.
As the massive Grimm disappeared into the darkness, Cinder stood rigid, frustration clear on her face.
She wanted to be the one to claim the Fall Maiden. To prove herself.
Salem, however, had already turned away.
"You will remain here, Cinder."
Cinder gritted her teeth but bowed.
"As you wish, my Queen."
---
Beacon Academy – Headmaster's office
The air inside Ozpin's office was heavy with tension. Everyone was gathered—Ozpin, Glynda, Qrow, Ironwood (via scroll), Onyx, Team RWBY, and Team JNPR. The usually warm lighting of the headmaster's office felt colder, as if reflecting the weight of the discussion at hand.
On the desk, a projection of Amber was displayed—the current Fall Maiden.
She lay in an atlestian medical stasis pod, her body intact but her Aura—damaged, fractured.
Ozpin's voice was calm, yet solemn.
"Amber's condition hasn't changed. Her Aura remains shattered—and the power she holds is slipping further from our reach with each passing day."
The words hung in the air, the weight of them pressing down on everyone.
Pyrrha, standing beside Jaune, frowned in concern. "Is there… no way to heal her?"
Glynda shook her head, adjusting her glasses. "Not with the knowledge we currently possess. Her Aura was stolen by unnatural means, and restoring it is beyond our capabilities."
The silence in the room was thick.
And then, Ozpin turned to Pyrrha.
His green eyes, ancient and weary, locked onto hers.
"That is why we need you, Pyrrha Nikos."
A shudder passed through the room.
Pyrrha's eyes widened. "What…?"
Ozpin sighed, folding his hands together. "The power of the Maidens is passed through a unique process. If a Maiden dies without passing it on voluntarily, the power seeks the last person in their thoughts. However… there is another way."
The others stiffened.
Jaune's fists clenched. "You're not saying—"
Ozpin nodded. "Through a specialized Aura transfer, we can ensure that Amber's remaining power is safely transferred to another vessel. And you, Miss Nikos… you are the best candidate."
Pyrrha's breath hitched. "Me?"
Ozpin's gaze was steady. "You have the skill, discipline, and the heart to wield this power responsibly."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then—
"No."
All heads turned to Onyx Thorn.
His amethyst eyes were sharp, his expression stone-cold.
"Absolutely not."
The sheer finality in his tone made even Ozpin pause.
Pyrrha blinked, startled. "Onyx?"
Onyx took a step forward, his voice low but firm. "If Pyrrha becomes the next Fall Maiden, Salem will send Cinder… or something worse… to hunt her down like an animal."
The room went dead silent.
Onyx's words were not a warning.
They were a certainty.
Jaune's face tightened. "He's right."
Yang crossed her arms, her face serious. "Yeah, Salem already sent her goons to Beacon. If they find out Pyrrha is the new Fall Maiden, they won't stop until they take her down."
Weiss looked between them, her mind racing. "And if Pyrrha falls, that power could go to Cinder."
Ruby turned to Ozpin, concern clear in her silver eyes. "Professor… is there really no other way?"
Ozpin was silent for a long moment.
"I would not ask this of Miss Nikos if I had any other choice."
Pyrrha's hands curled into fists, emotions swirling in her emerald eyes.
She wasn't afraid of responsibility. She wasn't afraid of battle.
But she understood the truth in Onyx's words.
If she took this power, she would become a target.
A target for Salem.
A target for monsters.
Qrow, who had been silent, finally spoke. "Kid's got a point." He gestured toward Onyx. "The second Cinder or Salem figures out who the new Maiden is, it's game over. Pyrrha'll be hunted across Remnant, and there's no guarantee we can stop them every time."
Ironwood's voice crackled through the scroll. "Then what do you suggest, Onyx?"
All eyes turned back to him.
Onyx exhaled sharply. "First, we wait. Salem knows the Fall Maiden is somewhere in Beacon. If we make a move now, she'll sense it."
He looked directly at Pyrrha.
"I won't let them put a target on your back."
Jaune nodded firmly beside her. "Neither will I."
Pyrrha swallowed hard, touched by their support—but also torn by the weight of the situation.
Ozpin steepled his fingers together, watching Onyx carefully.
"You are willing to gamble time?"
Onyx's amethyst eyes glowed slightly. "No. I'm making sure she doesn't walk into a death sentence."
The tension did not ease.
But the conversation had changed.
Pyrrha was no longer simply being asked to accept the power.
She was being protected.
And now, they had a choice to make.
---
The Next Day – Team JNPR's Dorm
The air inside Team JNPR's dorm was heavy with uncertainty, the kind that lingered in the bones.
Morning had barely begun. Soft light filtered through the windows, casting long, golden streaks across the room, but none of them noticed. They had spent half the night talking—really talking—about Ozpin's proposal, about Amber, about the Fall Maiden's power and what it would mean if Pyrrha said yes.
Team RWBY had joined them halfway through the night, unable to sleep. Now, they sat scattered around the dorm room—on beds, against the wall, by the window—each one of them weighed down by the decision hanging in the air like a blade.
Blake sat in the corner, arms wrapped around her knees, silent as a shadow. Ruby sat cross-legged beside Hemera, gently brushing the little girl's hair out of her eyes as she dozed on her lap, too young to understand the tension but sensitive enough to feel it. Weiss stood by the window, arms folded tight across her chest. Yang leaned against the wall near the door, one leg propped up, chewing at her lip.
And in the center of it all—Pyrrha stood. Her posture was straight, but her hands trembled faintly at her sides.
"I've made my decision," she said, her voice quiet but unmistakably firm.
Everyone looked up.
"I will become the next Fall Maiden."
The room stilled.
Jaune blinked, his breath catching. "What?"
Nora's usual spark dimmed. "Pyrrha… are you serious?"
Ren's brows furrowed deeply. "You don't have to do this."
Onyx leaned against the far wall, his eyes narrowing, jaw tight. He had hoped that last night's conversation—the warnings, the truth, the stakes—would sway her. But Pyrrha wasn't naive.
She knew.
And still, she had chosen this path.
Yang pushed off the wall, arms dropping to her sides. "You do realize what you're signing up for, right?"
Weiss stepped forward, her voice colder than usual. "You'll be marked. Targeted. Every enemy Ozpin warned us about will come for you."
Pyrrha nodded.
"I know."
Ruby's arms tightened protectively around Hemera, eyes glancing toward Onyx for reassurance. "But why does it have to be you? Why not someone else? Anyone else?"
Pyrrha exhaled slowly, her fingers brushing against the edge of her golden laurel circlet.
"Because I can't ask someone else to do what I'm not willing to do myself."
She looked at her team—then to RWBY.
"I've trained my entire life to be a Huntress. To protect people. To stand for something bigger than myself. This… this is what that means. This is the chance to be more than just a symbol of skill. I can be something that matters."
Her eyes met Onyx's.
"You were right, Onyx. If I take this power, I become a target. There will be no peace for me. No future that's mine alone."
She squared her shoulders.
"But if I don't—then that power falls into the hands of people like Cinder. Or worse… Salem. And if that happens, how many lives will we lose trying to fix it later?"
Onyx's amethyst gaze burned with restrained emotion. He stared at her for a moment, then finally spoke, voice low and measured.
"You're not wrong. But once you do this, there's no going back. You'll stop being Pyrrha Nikos, Beacon's champion. You'll become a weapon in someone else's war."
Pyrrha nodded once. "Then I'll make sure I'm a weapon they can't break."
Jaune stood up so fast his chair scraped the floor. "Pyrrha, you can't just—this isn't fair!"
His voice cracked, and he looked away, ashamed.
"You shouldn't have to carry this alone."
He turned back to her, desperation in his eyes.
"There has to be another way."
"If there was," Pyrrha said softly, "I'd take it. But we both know there isn't."
Weiss looked away, hiding the conflicted look in her eyes. Blake closed hers and exhaled slowly, saying nothing. Yang's fists were clenched tight, knuckles white.
Ruby finally spoke again, quietly. "Then… we make sure you're not alone."
Onyx pushed off the wall and walked toward her until they stood face to face.
"Alright," he said.
The others blinked.
"What?" Yang asked, confused.
Onyx's voice was calm, but his words struck like steel.
"You made your choice. That means it's my job to make sure you survive it."
Pyrrha's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before a quiet smile touched her lips. "Thank you, Onyx."
"You'll need more than thanks," he muttered. "You'll need a plan. Layers of them. And backup."
Jaune stepped beside her. His hands were still trembling, but he stood tall.
"Then I'm protecting her too."
Nora didn't hesitate. "Same here."
Ren gave a single firm nod. "You're not facing this alone, Pyrrha."
Yang stepped forward, fire in her eyes. "Count me in. If Salem wants you, she'll have to go through all of us first."
Weiss moved closer, nodding reluctantly. "It's reckless… but you're not wrong. If this is happening, we'll do it right."
Blake stood and approached, her voice quiet but unwavering. "We protect each other. Always."
Ruby looked up at her with gentle eyes, then back at Pyrrha. "We'll fight for you. Just like you're willing to fight for us."
Pyrrha's heart swelled, emotion catching in her throat. She blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears from falling.
Jaune reached for her hand, and this time—she took it.
No more words were needed.
She had chosen her path.
And now—she wouldn't walk it alone.