Destiny

Team RWBY's dorm room…

"Tonight, PvP happens. Grimm goes rampant over Vale. And Ruby unleashes her silver eyes." Jared said, pacing around the room.

Jared walked towards the door and opened it to see that the two Atlesian Knight-200s are guarding the room. He then closed the door afterwards.

"I'm sorry, but you've left us with no choice." Ironwood said.

Yang is sitting on a bed angrily replying, "But he attacked me!"

"Video footage and millions of viewers say otherwise." Ironwood said, pacing around the room, not looking at Yang.

"But Yang would never do that!" Weiss said, gesturing to Yang from the other bed.

"Yeah!" Ruby said, standing up from beside her sister.

"I know Yang." Jared said, drinking some coconut taro bubble tea. "She's outgoing, with a bit of a temper. She wouldn't go that far."

"You all seem like good students, and the staff here at Beacon are fully aware that you would never lash out the way you did…" Ironwood said, turning around as Yang sighs and places her head in her hands. "...under normal circumstances."

"Want some?" Jared asked, when Ruby sits back down and she takes the drink.

"Is there a bit of…" Ruby said, sipping the drink.

"Yeah. Chocolate tapioca balls."

"What I believe and hope this to be is nothing more than the result of stress and adrenaline." Ironwood said, as Team RWBY looks despondent with Jared. "When you're out on the battlefield, your judgment can become clouded in an instant. Sometimes you see things that simply aren't there. Even after the fight is past…"

"I don't like this, I shouldn't have kept this a secret." Jared said, watching Ironwood look to the right while rolling his right shoulder.

"But I wasn't…" Yang said, sadly.

"That's ENOUGH!" Ironwood said, angrily stern.

"I kept this too long of a secret. As to what will happen." Jared said, taking out a mint chocolate chip milkshake to drink it.

"You're guilty over something." Blake said, and the room falls silent. "Tell us when you're ready. We won't hate you."

"The sad truth is, whether it was an accident or an assault, it doesn't matter. The world saw you attack an innocent student. They've already drawn their own conclusions. And it's my job to inform you that...you are disqualified." Ironwood said.

Yang's shock turns into miserable understanding when she looks to the ground, and Ironwood leaves the room.

"You guys believe me, right?" Yang asked, when the door clicks shut, she turns to her friends.

"Duh!" Ruby said, annoyed.

"You're hotheaded, but not ruthless." Weiss said, shaking her head.

"You're punny." Jared said, sipping his mint chocolate chip milkshake. "You go in guns blazing when you have to. You fight when you need to. Like…"

"Spider-Man, the Doctor, and Hibiki Tachibana." Ruby said, giving Jared a hug. "They don't use weapons like us."

"Blake?" Yang asked, when she realizes one of their number hasn't spoken.

Blake turns her gaze away, earning a shocked look between Ruby, Weiss, and Jared, "I want to believe you…"

"Huh!?" Ruby exclaimed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked.

"Blake, you believe me. But you don't believe Yang…" Jared said, looking at the Faunus girl. "Why…"

Yang's eyes are widening, tears forming instantly as she says in a hurt voice, "Blake?"

"How can you say something like that? Yang would never lie to us!" Weiss said, when Blake looks up at Yang, then back down.

Blake glances at Weiss, then takes a deep breath before starting, "I had someone very dear to me change. It wasn't in an instant, it was gradual...little choices that began to pile up. He told me not to worry. At first they were accidents, then it was self-defense. Before long, even I began to think he was right."

"Blake Belladonna." Jared said, walking over to Blake to comfort her. "It's okay. Let it all out."

"Thank you." Blake said, looking over at Jared. "This is all just...very familiar."

"It's okay, Ho...Blake." Jared said, smiling.

As Yang looks up, tears now falling down her face.

"But you're not him. And you've never done anything like this before. So...I want to trust you. I will trust you. But first, I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me that he attacked you. I need you to promise me that you regret having to do what you did." Blake said.

Yang wipes her eyes of tears, then says as calmly as possible, "I saw him attack me, so I attacked back."

Blake lets out a deep breath as she closes her eyes and smiles, then looking back up at her partner, "Okay. Thank you."

"I think I'm gonna rest up." Yang said, still looking down.

"We'll get out of your hair." Blake said, standing up with Weiss, Ruby, and Jared, all of whom are smiling.

Outside Team RWBY's dorm room…

Ruby is closing the door, pausing only for a second to see Yang slump forward before shutting it completely.

"Yang…" Jared said, looking over at the blonde. "I'm sorry for what's to come. You'll be armed and ready someday."

Ruby and Jared join Weiss and Blake in the middle of the hallway.

"This is a mess…" Weiss said, shaking her head and sighing.

"Tell me about it. I knew that was gonna happen. I was too busy thinking about the Master and Thanos." Jared said, crushing his cup of mint chocolate chip milkshake. "I should have stopped it...I should have."

"She doing okay?" Jaune asked, following the sound of an opening door as he peeks out of Team JNPR's room, with his team peering around the edge in concern.

"She's doing the best she can." Blake said.

"I heard Mercury and his team rushed back to Haven to be with his family. So, until they land, no one can really question him about what happened." Ruby said, holding her hands up.

"If there's anything we can do, please don't hesitate to ask." Ren said.

"All right then." Ruby said, looking down. "If that's the case…"

"Is this to make up for what happened during Blink?" Jared asked, looking at Team JNPR.

"Yes." Pyrrha said, smiling. "It is."

"Pyrrha?" Ruby asked, turning her gaze up again.

Pyrrha looks to the younger girl as she gets herself seated on on a bed, "Hm?"

"You be sure to win one for Beacon, okay?" Ruby asked, holding her clenched hands up as she tries to put on a grin.

"It's what Yang would want." Weiss said, nodding her head as she and Blake also smile sadly.

"Do this for Yang." Jared said, leaning against the wall. "But be careful. I don't want to lose you, Pyrrha."

"I'll...do my best." Pyrrha said, turning her head away before coming back with her attempt at a confident look. "And I'll be careful."

"I'll be sure to watch tonight in case you're picked!" Ruby said, excitedly.

Pyrrha's smile dips down into worry as she looks away, "Jared, you're different somehow."

"Different how?" Jared asked.

"You don't remember what we talked about a couple days ago."

"What did we talk about?"

"I swore it was you who was there. Who comforted me."

"It wasn't me. It was Sayaka Miki. Who was wearing a face mask of me."

"Sayaka?" Pyrrha asked.

"I only showed up during the tournament matches. Sayaka covered for me." Jared said. "All I did was tell her everything. And what I did behind the scenes. She's there for me when I need her."

"Okay. I get it. You were scared to tell me the truth."

"Sorry but, I think I've had enough fighting for one year." Blake said.

"Ditto." Weiss said, nodding her head once, and a moment passes before she says. "Coffee?"

"Tea." Blake said, smiling.

The three members of RWBY and Jared walk down the hall, and Jaune only closes the door when he sees Ruby and Jared disappear behind the corner. Pyrrha continues to look forlorn, until...

Team JNPR's room...

"You heard the lady! No more moping around!" Nora said, as she suddenly getting up in Pyrrha's surprised face, grinning madly.

Nora backs away to the other side of the room, now clad in pink workout clothes and sweatbands, as she points to Pyrrha.

"We gotta get your butt in shape for the big fight!" Nora said, and she starts doing random exercises such as running in place, pushups, jumping jacks while she speaks, "It could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be the most important fight of your entire life!"

Nora culminates this demonstration by lifting a barbell tipped with 1000 pound weights on each end, holding it in the air and sweating profusely before falling backwards.

"Um…" Pyrrha said, smiling a little in bewilderment.

"Nora's right." Ren said, from another part of the room.

Pyrrha looks to him in his pink apron reading 'PLEASE DO NOTHING TO THE COOK'.

"You can't let your concern for Yang hold you back. You need to focus. You'll be defending the honor of Beacon Academy." Ren said.

"Of course. I…" Pyrrha said, nodding her head.

Ren cuts her off as he holds a glass filled with a green liquid making bubbling noises in front of her face, "This blend of herbs and vegetables is filled with nutrients vital to your body's well-being."

"Oh, that's…"

"Please, there's no need to thank me." Ren said, as he steps away, smiling.

"Thank you? Ugh, that looks like slime from a lakebed!" Nora said, looking at her partner with a disgusted face.

"Algae contains numerous spectacular properties." Ren said, turning away from Nora, cradling his creation. "See for yourself."

Ren lifts it towards her mouth.

Nora sips it down and immediately regrets it, face turning the same sickly green as the healthy sludge, "BLEGH!"

Nora goes straight over to the waste basket and dunks her head in, getting all of the liquid out while continuing to make disgusted noises until she turns back around to Ren.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!? Ugh…" Nora said, angrily.

"Me? You're the one that wasted perfectly good juice." Ren said, gesturing to him then to Nora.

"We're supposed to help Pyrrha, not poison her!"

"There was absolutely nothing wrong with that."

Nora has her hands on her hips as she resolutely states, "If it looks the same coming up as it does going down, then there's something wrong!"

Neither of them notice Pyrrha's smile at their antics fade once more, though their leader does from the doorway.

"Hey, how about we all get some fresh air?" Jaune asked, coming over and placing a hand on their shoulders.

Pyrrha looks up at Jaune, who grins at his troubled friend.

Team RWBY's room...

Yang, still in the dorm sitting on Blake's bed, looks out the window at the members of JNPR walking in the courtyard outside, Nora marching alongside Ren with Jaune and Pyrrha in the back, all of them looking happy to be with each other.

"Hey there, firecracker." Qrow said, suddenly revealed to be leaning against the door, arms crossed and a small smile on his face.

"Hey, Qrow." Yang said, not surprised enough to turn around, she instead gazes down.

"So, why'd you do it?" Qrow asked, snorting like her response was funny before becoming serious.

"You know why." Yang said, taking a second to respond.

"All I know is that you attacked a helpless kid." Qrow said, uncrossing his arms as he leers at her. "So either you're lying or you're crazy."

Qrow smirks.

"I'm not lying." Yang said, staring resolutely at her uncle.

Qrow makes a disappointed noise, "Crazy, got it."

He walks to the center of the room, hands in his pockets.

"Who knows? Maybe I am." Yang said.

"And here I thought your dark-haired friend was the emo one." Qrow said, shaking his head as he continues pacing.

"I saw my mom." Yang said, and she looks at Qrow's sudden stop and shocked reaction from the corner of her eye. "I-I was in a lot of trouble. Took a pretty hard hit. But when I came to, the person attacking me was gone. And I thought I saw...her. Her sword, like the one in you and dad's old picture."

"You're not crazy, Yang." Qrow said, laughing, and he turns and nods, smiling sadly. "That was your mom, all right. Let me guess...she didn't say a word, did she?"

"How did you know that?" Yang asked, looking up as he walks up to her between the bunk beds.

"I don't see my sister very often, but she does try to keep in touch... whenever it suits her."

"Wait...you mean you talk to her? That was real?" Yang asked, shaking her head at the revelation.

"Yeah, she found me. Had a tip from my most recent assignment and wanted me to give you a message."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner!?"

Qrow lets out a sigh as he goes over to the window, not looking at his niece, "I was tryin' to wait for the right time, and this sure ain't it. But I guess you deserve to know."

"She wanted me to tell you that she saved you once, but you shouldn't expect that kindness again." Qrow said, looking back at Yang, gravely solemn. "Raven's got an interesting way of looking at the world that I don't particularly agree with. And she's dangerous." He points at her, back to smirking again. "But you're a tough egg, kiddo. Shouldn't let this tournament thing get'cha down. You had a slip-up, sometimes bad things just happen. I say it's time you move on."

"Move on to what?" Yang asked, staring up at Qrow.

"Well...Raven let some info slip before she took off. If you ever wanna track her down, I think I might be able to help." Qrow said, leaning down on the dresser under the window.

He glances back at Yang, who looks at him with her full attention.

Beacon Academy...

In the twilight, Pyrrha sits alone outside the dining hall, head bowed as the wind rises. She sees the air blow a single orange leaf onto the cobblestones at her feet, and she looks at the fall colors with a face of total fright, remembering the sight of Amber in her comatose state and the choice weighing her down.

"Hey." Jaune said, and Pyrrha turns her head up to see her smiling friend with a large cone of cotton candy. "I-It's no green goop, but I think it still might do some good."

Pyrrha stares at the offered treat while she comes back to the real world before hesitantly taking it, "Um, right. Thank you, Jaune."

Jaune's beam fades as he sees her still-tormented face, and looks to the far end of the building as Nora and Ren come around, the latter carrying a cotton candy, a tub of popcorn, and a drink to sip on.

"Uh...come on, Ren." Nora said, knowing what's happening right as she sees it and gesturing to her distracted friend. "Let's go back to the fairgrounds." She drags him away from Jaune and Pyrrha's private scene. "I'll win you another stuffed animal."

"You were the first person to ever believe in me, you know that?" Jaune asked, looking back to Pyrrha and takes a seat next to her. "Even when I told my parents I was going to Beacon, they told me not to worry if I ended up having to move back home." He manages to get her to look at him as he laughs in sadness to himself. "How depressing is that?"

"I'm sure they didn't mean…" Pyrrha said, while her sorrow becomes surprise, eyes widening and dropping the pink fluffy snack as she realizes Jaune's hand is placed upon hers.

"I guess...I'm just trying to say that...you've always been there for me...even when I didn't deserve it. And I can tell there's something on your mind, so...I don't know. How can I help?"

"You're already doing it." Pyrrha said, as her astonishment melts away into contentment, she leans over and places her head in a startled Jaune's shoulder, closing her eyes.

Jaune quickly matches Pyrrha's smile with his own, and the two stay there for a long moment, but as an additional autumn leaf joins the first, Pyrrha's expression darkens once more.

"Jaune…" Pyrrha said, getting up from her nestling.

"Hmm?" Jaune asked.

"I don't know what to do." Pyrrha said, while she suddenly takes her hand out from his, looking away.

"W-What do you mean?"

Pyrrha glances up as she wonders what to say, "Do you believe in destiny?"

"Um...I-I don't know. I guess that depends on how you view it." Jaune said, taken aback.

"When I think of destiny, I don't think of a predetermined fate you can't escape. But rather...some sort of final goal, something you work towards your entire life." Pyrrha said, explaining her opinion as the wind blows the two leaves away.

"Okay. Uh, yeah. I can see that, sure."

"Well...what would you do if something came along that you...never expected? Something that had the potential to stand between you and your destiny?" Pyrrha asked, struggling to find the right words as she glances at him.

"Like what?"

"Or what if you could suddenly fulfill your destiny in an instant, but at the cost of who you were?" Pyrrha asked, barreling on in stress.

"Pyrrha, you're not making any sense." Jaune said, leaning over and attempting to place his hand on her shoulder>

Pyrrha is standing up away from his touch, holding herself as if on the verge of tears, "None of it makes sense! This isn't how things were supposed to happen!"

"I'm sorry! Please, I-I'm just trying to understand what's wrong." Jaune said, getting up as well, spreading his arms in confusion.

"I've always felt as though I was destined to become a Huntress...to protect the world…" Pyrrha said, letting out a sigh. "...and it's become increasingly clear to me that my feelings were right. But…" She turns to look at Jaune. "...I don't know if I can do it."

"Of course you can. The Pyrrha Nikos I know would never back down from a challenge. And if you really believe it's your destiny to save the world…" Jaune said, as he moves towards her, confident in his answer. "...you can't let anything stand in your way."

Despite Jaune's intentions, this doesn't bring relief. Instead, Pyrrha looks absolutely shattered, covering her mouth as she begins to sob.

"Pyrrha?" Jaune asked, realizing his mistake.

"Stop…" Pyrrha said, turning away, face still in her hands.

"Did I say something wrong?" Jaune asked, still walking towards Pyrrha.

"STOP!" Pyrrha said, holding her hand out.

A black energy surrounding it as she unintentionally uses her Semblance to push Jaune's armor and its wearer into the dining hall column. He weakly watches her from his spot above until she opens her eyes and realizes what she's done.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha said, lowering her hand and lets him fall to the ground, finally letting the tears come as he looks up. "I'm...I'm sorry…"

"Pyrrha, wait!" Jaune said, with his outstretched arm does nothing to stop her from running away, and he faces the ground, cotton candy still discarded beside him. "What did I say?"

Amity Colosseum…

At the cliffside docking bays down the main alleyway and under the floating Amity Colosseum, Ruby and Jared walk up to the end of the line waiting to get in the transport up to the arena.

"How much do you know?" Ruby asked, holding Jared's hand. "About the future. About us."

"More than I should. Until a certain point in time." Jared said, squeezing Ruby's hand. "I'm sorry for what's coming up. Especially for this match. I want to stop it. I do."

"But time can't be rewritten. Depending on how much it'll affect us."

"Yeah. I just wish I could change the outcome."

Ruby and Jared turns their heads to see Brawnz Ni and Nolan Porfirio talking outside the line, and beyond that, Sun Wukong walking away, Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang over his shoulder, with a familiar rabbit Faunus snapping photos of him.

"Oh look, this is what I call Red Velvet." Jared said, stepping out of the line with Ruby. "Definitely beats White Rose any day."

Ruby and Jared approach Velvet from behind as she continues taking pictures with her camera until she notices who's behind her.

"Ruby, Jared, how you doing?" Velvet asked, turning around.

"Hi, Velvet! What're you up to?" Ruby asked, raising a hand in greeting.

"Oh, you know." Velvet said, rolling her eyes happily. "Just working on my photography. Do you wanna see?"

"Mind if I…" Jared said, while Velvet offers her camera to him and Ruby. "Nah, I'll ask you later."

"About what?" Velvet asked, as Ruby looks extremely delighted.

"Spoilers." Jared said, and he and Ruby immediately notices that Velvet didn't even get all of Sun in her picture, cutting out his head and feet. "Wow…"

"That's...better." Ruby said, stepping away as she grins in forced approval.

"I'm...sorry about your sister. Is she doing okay?" Velvet asked, deciding to ask in concern.

"Yeah, she's fine, heh. Thanks." Ruby said, looking away.

"I think it's just awful what people are saying about her. Yang's such a nice person." Velvet said, as she puts the camera away in the box on her back.

Ruby laughs a little as she rubs the back of her head, "Well, I'm glad someone thinks so."

"Most people don't know what it's like on the battlefield. I mean, even experienced fighters can get scared and start seeing things. If it happened to Coco, it can happen to anyone." Velvet said, shaking her head, arms crossed.

"Like Kirito, Iron Man, Hibiki Tachibana, and Madoka Kaname." Jared said, taking out some chocolate chip cookies to snack on it. "Hell, I get scared sometimes. I might start seeing things after today. Like Coco."

"Coco?" Ruby asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Yeah. She swore she saw Yatsu with her in the forest during the fight with Emerald and Mercury, but he never even made it out of the geyser fields. Stress-induced hallucinations, apparently." Velvet said.

"Yeah…" Velvet said, turning her head away in thought, only to look back at Velvet after a quick flash startles her.

"Oh! Sorry." Velvet said, lowering the camera from her face, smiling apologetically.

Colosseum...

Back in the Colosseum, people are back in the stands cheering and ready for entertainment as Ruby descends down the steps to an open seat with Jared.

"Why am I here?" Jared asked, eating some onigiri. "I can't change anything. People I love and care about today…they won't be the same. I won't be the same. Hell, everything I worked towards. It's just, it's gonna fall apart."

"What are you saying?" Ruby asked, still smiling widely, despite everything that's happened. "Are you, um, saying that things will change."

"Yeah. I didn't want anything to change. By altering time a bit back in what I consider home now. With magical girls and the SAO survivors running around."

"You also have μ's and Aqours singing and dancing." Ruby said, looking around at the assembled crowds...until her stupefied eyes see a familiar, glaring face on the other side of the arena.

"And the Symphogear wielders also defending Tokyo. Emerald's...here?"

"Ruby, this is bad. I just remembered this match." Jared said, sensing he is being watched with Ruby. "This is the match I was trying to prevent. Why I sent Sayaka out there last week."

"You tried and change things." Ruby said, as Emerald leans forward to glare at her and Jared. "And failed."

"Yeah. Maybe there's a chance I can!" Jared said, suddenly getting up with Ruby. "Come on, Little Red! I can change history! Maybe delay the match!"

Ruby has a worried expression on her face and runs towards the exit tunnel with Jared.

"What are you trying to change?" Ruby asked, entering a door labeled with a yellow maintenance sign with Jared.

"PvP." Jared said, seeing that he's in the Colosseum with Ruby. "I've been trying to separate two girls I love and care about for months."

"Which is why you tried and get magical girls involved." Ruby said, walking forward with determination as the announcers' voices are heard, muffled behind the brick walls. "Like Homura. With her ability to stop time."

"All right, it's now time to begin the randomization process for our next fight!" Oobleck said, happily.

"Yup. I must have made a last minute decision to fall back on my plan of staying in the past with the Doctor, Martha, Jaune, and Pyrrha." Jared said, heating the faint sound of the roulette. "Why did I change it? Knowing that it hurts so much."

"Who is that?" Ruby asked, stopping in her tracks is the sight of another unexpected 'friend' stepping out from a nearby tunnel, completely unharmed and definitely not going home.

"I don't know. Shit." Jared said, holding Ruby's hand.

"Mercury?" Ruby asked, squinting as if making sure.

"It looks like our first contender is...Penny Polendina from Atlas…" Port said.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked, while her attention goes from the broadcast to the fraud.

"And her opponent will be... Pyrrha Nikos from Beacon!"

"No…" Ruby said, and her head dips in thought until she realizes the awful truth.

"This is what I've been trying to prevent Ruby! With Homura off doing her own thing with the other magical girls in her home turf." Jared said, squeezing Ruby's hand. "I didn't want you to feel my grief and guilt. So I kept holding it in. I had false hope."

"Ooh, polarity versus metal. That could be bad." Mercury said, putting a hand to his chin.

Ruby glares at her new opponent, reaching back to grab Crescent Rose, only to remember she doesn't have it on her. Mercury simply grins maliciously and sets himself up in a fighting pose.

Arena….

Outside, the arena's center is lifting back into the air, and an oblivious Penny is grinning wildly, with her fellow redhead Nora cheering excitedly from the stands.

"Yaaay..." Ren said, reluctantly.

Pyrrha, face and body still filled with depression, looks to the ground while the stage finishes being set up.