Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-14138255-20170320024103/@comment-14138255-20170407185237

Chapter 4.5: Without Sanctuary

Pyrrha was floating in darkness, disconnected from all sensation, a strange tense feeling in her eyes. Eventually however, gravity returned and she was standing again. She was puzzled, but accepted it for now, simply attempting to look around and find any landmarks. The darkness eventually gave way to a horizon as stars came into the sky, and in the distance she saw an entryway, with a dim orange light. She walked to it, somehow reaching it in an instant.

Going through her vision blurred, but when she came to, she was shocked. She was on Beacon tower again, except it was extremely dark, floating well lit in a black void. In the center she saw Cinder and...herself. Cinder glared at Pyrrha- the other Pyrrha and stepped back, forming her bow and arrow. Despite her growing sense of dread, Pyrrha felt compelled to watch. Next to her, a flash of red appeared, Ruby Rose. She turned her head, seeing her friend clear as day. The arrow then hit the Pyrrha in the middle of the tower. Ruby’s face flashed briefly before turning into an expression of shock and sorrow, tears beginning to well in her eyes. The Pyrrha who was shot by the arrow quickly collapsed, and Cinder began to walk toward her. Cinder placed her hand on her forehead...Pyrrha, Ruby, and Beacon tower itself burst into furious flame. The void burned away too, and Pyrrha heard the distorted, distant screams of the people below. Pyrrha looked at all of this buried her face in her hands and-

Pyrrha then awoke in shock. She shuffled about where she was sleeping. She was...in her team’s dorm?

“You’ve grown so much since we started training. And I know this is just the beginning.”

She paused. Those were her words she heard, they echoed as though they were in a large hall. She turned her head right to where she heard the source, and saw Jaune sitting with his phone, a joyless expression on his face.

“Jaune? Jaune!”

Jaune didn’t move an inch. He didn’t seem to hear her. Pyrrha got out of bed, not noticing a trail of shadow flowing behind her.

“Jaune!”

“I-I…I want you to know that I’m just happy to be a part of your life.” said the scroll. Pyrrha began tearing up. She knew what he was watching

On her right lumbar, a ring of dull orange shined, and from it shadow began to emerge and creep its way long her body. Pyrrha reached out, wanting to at least touch him. The shadow grew more and more, leaving her body and spreading to the room. The video began echoing more and louder.

“I'll always be here for you, Jaune...”

As Pyrrha’s hand grew closer, Jaune began to dissolve into ash as his clothes fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. The Scroll too began to fall apart.

Pyrrha felt absolute terror and dread, distraught at everything falling away. Suddenly the darkness manifested in front of her, forming a figure. It took the shape of a Beowolf, a Creature of Grimm. Pyrrha, uncharacteristically, stepped back in fear. Behind the Beowolf, several corpse like figures melted out from the woodwork, and appeared behind her as well, all with the same glowing red eyes. The Beowolf roared a loud, yet rather distant, roar and lunged, turning into the shadowy serpent that had overtaken Gundyr mid-leap. As it clos-

Pyrrha’s eyes jerked open, seeing nothing at first before vision began buzzing in. Her body was still and borderline deathly tense, and she inhaled in alarm. Slowly feeling began to seep back in and she slowly got up. She had slept in the middle of what was called “Firelink Shrine,” opting to start her journey tomorrow. Hawkwood, the man sitting on the steps, observed all this, only offering an amused “hmph,” as though he had seen this before. Pyrrha failed to take this in, however as she hugged her knees and squeezed her eyes shut. While she had recovered from the night terror for the moment, it had left her exhausted.

Author’s Notes: As stated, a short update, but I’m hoping it has some good content in it. However, next update will be even longer than previously, so that should make up for it. Also, I’m happy to say this story is so close to 1,000 views. Thank you for reading my first published fanfic so loyally. As always, I’ll see you Friday.