RWBY Through Worlds

7: The Fight Within

Pyrrha had had a bad few moments inside while waiting for Shine and Wally to join her.

She wondered what they were saying to Qrow.

"Is something wrong?" Jaune asked.

"Uh...no," Pyrrha lied. 

"Are you sure? Because that sounded like there was something going on," Jaune said.

"It's nothing," Pyrrha said.

"Pyrrha, you can say if something is wrong," Jaune looked hurt.

"I--" Pyrrha turned around and looked at the others. "Later, all right?"

She didn't really want to explain anyway, but she needed to buy time.

She wasn't sure of the identity of the man who was talking to the team right now.

"Pietro, this is Pyrrha Nikos," Maria said right then. "Where's that dusty old Qrow now? And the two odd ducks?"

"Still outside," Jaune said.

"Did you say Pyrrha Nikos?" Pietro said, glancing at Pyrrha oddly. "My, my, my, I heard she had.... How strange. Actually, she was the one who destroyed the girl."

Pyrrha, as she'd been slowly remembering everything that happened, hadn't remembered this yet--but now it came back to her, the horror of the moment, the crowd, the Nevermore...Penny's robotic self in pieces.

She put her hands to her mouth and gasped.

Funny, this reaction did more to convince at least some of the team that this was, indeed, Pyrrha, than anything so far had.

Yang still didn't buy it, but Weiss was starting to think the signs were a little too real to be a magic trick.

Jaune at least bought it.

He put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm...so...sorry..." Pyrrha said in a small voice.

Pietro looked at her oddly. "Was it on purpose?"

"No, no, I had no idea," Pyrrha said.

"It was Emerald," Ruby said. "I mean...this girl who could put illusions in people's minds. It wasn't Pyrrha's fault."

Pyrrha's heart was pounding, and she felt sick.

Pietro studied her, then he nodded. "I believe you... Well, I'm sorry. But I guess, in the long run, no harm was done permanently."

"How can you say that?" Ruby said. "Penny is gone--I mean, it was their fault, but it still happened."

Pyrrha felt sick still.

"Oh, well--" Pietro began, when they heard the alarms going off.

The others rushed outside.

Pyrrha remained standing there.

"I'm so sorry," she repeated.

Jaune had remained. "It's not your fault."

"You don't understand," Pietro said. "Penny isn't dead, Miss Nikos."

"She's...not?" Pyrrha sputtered.

"Oh, you destroyed her body, but her memory files were all still intact. I was able to retrieve them," Pietro said. "I'm the one who made her."

"Oh..." Pyrrha said.

"It took some time, but I repaired her," Pietro said. "In fact, she should be outside right now. She protects Mantle, and that alarm will call her to the danger. If you want to see for yourself."