The End

An Entry for r/RWBY's March MonCon

Disclaimed: I don't own anything. Literally nothing. Except the plot, but honestly that's not worth that much.

Pyrrha Nikos was dead.

She knew she was dead. She couldn't remember the pain of dying, or what Cinder had done to her body afterwards, but she knew she was dead all the same.

She sighed as the realisation hit home. If this was her destiny, than so be it. Still, she was saddened when she realised she wouldn't get her happy ending. It was a shame too; she had so many happy endings already planned.

Pyrrha Nikos knew a lot about happy endings. She'd heard all the stories a mother could offer during her childhood, she knew how they were supposed to go. The couple fall in love, get married and live happily ever after, wasn't that how it always ended for the hero's?

Perhaps Pyrrha wasn't a hero. Perhaps she'd missed her chance for a happy ending, waited one day too long to speak to Jaune, one weekend too many spent practising rather than outside with the rest of JNPR and RWBY.

Still, she could help her friends get their happy endings.

Pyrrha's first happy ending didn't take long.

She knew they would be the easiest after all. It was no more difficult than summoning a nice, strong breeze. A helpful new power she'd acquired since moving on, perhaps death did have its perks?

Pyrrha had watched over team RNJR as she called them. She had guided them once or twice, snapping a twig or rustling a bush to alert them to approaching Grimm or send them down the right path at a crossroads. She had smiled when she saw her circlet protruding from Jaune's bag. If it was all that remained of her, she was glad the blonde boy had it, although quite how he got it was a mystery.

One night, after a particular vicious skirmish with several Ursa majors that left the four teens battered and bruised she decided that she couldn't let them wait too long. She wouldn't let her friends make the same mistake she had.

Ren had suffered a large cut to his side and was unconscious after being thrown into a large boulder, all in the name of protecting Nora. The excitable woman had swung her hammer too wildly at a coming Grimm, leaving her wide open to its partners attack. If he had been awake, Ren would have noticed the Birdoch leaves nearby and quickly applied them to his wounds, thanks to their excellent medicinal properties.

Of course, no one else knew this as they had always relied on Ren for such knowledge. The only one who had ever really listened was Pyrrha, and she was dead.

Still, she rustled that bush as well as she could until Jaune finally realised what she was getting at. The three conscious teens moved over to the bush and Pyrrha struck, summoning a sudden breeze just strong enough to blow away Nora's sleeping bag. She felt quite bad about it, the girl was clearly attached to the pink sack, and she wouldn't be surprised if Nora had received it as a gift from Ren himself, she could just about see the small flower stitched in the corner as it flew off into the forest.

She would be sure to return it somehow… just, not right now.

Nora watched, almost tearful as her sleeping bag flew far beyond her reach. It lasted but a second however, with a determined shake of her head the little Valkyrie set about gently layering the leaves and binding them to her fallen partner, who had already begun stirring from unconsciousness.

Jaune offered to share with Nora for the night, as did Ruby but both their zips mysteriously jammed and refused to undo until Nora was firmly tucked against Ren. The young ninja smiled subtly, he had long ago accepted his fate with the bubbly girl and he was more than happy to wait for her to catch up.

It took a night or two of sharing before she finally did.

"G'night Ren" mumbled the sleepy girl. The boy opened his arms to hug her as they did every night, allowing the tiny redhead to slip into his warm embrace and off to sleep. His surprise was understandable then, when instead of his usual hug there was a set of soft lips pressed against his.

Ren smiled. Nora smiled. Pyrrha smiled.

Two down, five to go.

The next happy ending was a bit harder. In fact, it was the hardest one.

Pyrrha was forced to do nothing more than watch and wait as her second favourite (well, favourite when she liked an actual challenge, but don't tell Jaune she said that) sparring partner spiralled inwards. It was sad to see the vibrant and sociable blonde all but collapse in on herself, sinking into a hole so deep she couldn't climb out without help.

There was only one person who could help the blonde

Her father tried but Yang had learned to live without his hand many years ago.

Her sister tried, but she simply could not reach Yang.

Her uncle tried, but his grip was never tight enough.

It was joyous the first day she left her bed. Ruby had disappeared of with team RNJR and Yang was determined to go after them. She wasn't herself however; she would only get herself killed along the way. Yang tried to sneak out but Pyrrha knew better, and the front door suspiciously jammed. The noise of her eventually blasting it open awoke her father and he managed to rein the fiery girl in for the time being.

Safe in the knowledge that Yang would be as fine as she could be for the time being, Pyrrha headed back into Vale. It was a tricky thing, normally the girl could zip across Remnant in the blink of an eye, but for some reason she was noticeably less powerful the closer she got to the place of her death.

There wasn't much she could do to influence Blake.

She couldn't hold the reserved girl as she cried at night. She couldn't brush away the tears and tell her Yang didn't blame her when she woke up from yet another nightmare. The best she could do was leave patches. A few leaflets blew under Blake's feet or in front of her face when she woke, all of them advertising holidays to Patch. She realised she was probably only tormenting the girl, but it had to be done.

There was a happy ending here after all.

Eventually Blake had enough, the sunflower Pyrrha had grown through the crack in the floor finally broke the raven haired Faunus. She cried for hours, never once leaving her spot curled on the hard floor between the scattered pieces of rubble. Eventually she did get up however, and she set off.

In the direction of Patch.

Pyrrha attended the wedding four years later. They had even left her a seat, right there next to Jaune and the rest of team JNPR, a white chair adored with a small name card that read Pyrrha Nikos in beautiful golden letters.

It was worth it all in the end.

Another happy ending had been achieved.

Ruby proved to be different, just like she always had. Pyrrha hadn't spent all that long with the young speedster before her death, but she had the virtue of watching her grow with unlimited access. She had originally though there might be something between her and Jaune, and, as much as it pained her to do so she gave them both a little nudge.

They had both resisted crossing that line and she'd been forced to accept that this time she had been wrong.

Ruby Rose forced her to change her perception of happy endings. Perhaps they didn't need to be helped at all. Pyrrha had spent so long playing fate with her friends she forgot that sometimes fate has other plans, and Ruby Rose was one of them.

Ruby had achieved great things in her short life. When she died at the age of thirty-six defending a village against a herd of Goliath she was truly happy. Ruby had, along with the rest of team WBY defeated Salem and Cinder. She had truly died a hero like in the fairy tales, and for Ruby Rose, that was all she'd ever really wanted.

She'd refused to have children, not wanting to be like her own mother. If she'd retired, perhaps she'd have tried but when Pyrrha asked her the question, her answer was enough to make the girl smile.

"Are you happy Ruby?"

"Yes" the scythe wilder had replied.

Pyrrha would count that as a happy ending, even if it wasn't what she'd planned.

Weiss was another difficult customer, but Pyrrha had a much easier time with the snowy girl that most. They weren't so different after all; they both wanted a man who liked them for them, and not the name they carried. It was simply a matter of finding the right one.

All Weiss needed was someone to see her for who she truly was. If Weiss had been a lesbian, Pyrrha would've pushed her towards her speedy partner, but after that date Weiss and May had been on… well, it was just plain awkward.

She'd tried pushing her towards Jaune again, then they could both have their happy ending. Surprisingly it was the blonde who had broke off that budding romance before it could blossom into anything serious, despite the heiresses more than willing attitude now Jaune was a matured and well developed huntsman.

It had been Neptune who came alone in the end. After Ruby had passed away he had taken the time to visit the girl. Team SSSN had disbanded a few years before, Sun had settled down with a girl he meet, and Scarlet and Sage had both moved away from being huntsmen, opting instead to sell holiday homes in the tropical islands near Vaccuo.

Neptune had matured in the years after Beacon, and he called Weiss on her attitude. He took the icy woman to work when she couldn't bring herself to and never let her forget her dream of removing the stains her father had placed on the Schnee name.

If Neptune had only ended up going to Atlas all those years ago because he lost his ticket to Vale, well, Pyrrha couldn't be held responsible for that… even if it was still hidden behind the chest of draws she had absolutely no knowledge about.

Yes, it was all coming together nicely for Pyrrha and her happy endings.

Jaune was still a failure.

Not as a person, a man or huntsman, no. In fact, the scrawny blonde had developed into a fine example of what all three should be.

He had developed a tough skin over the years, and his blade now moved with such speed and precious Pyrrha lost track of it half the time. His once pure white shield was battered and dented, the scars of years of battle sat proudly upon its still impenetrable surface. Yet he had retained the joyous attitude that endured him to her in the first place. He was still as humble and generous as ever, and his wise words still inspired faith in her long dead heart.

Still, he was a failure to Pyrrha.

Jaune hadn't got his happy ending yet, and it was now too late. He was old and frail, surrounded by the last of his friends and relatives as he clung to life in his bed. Around his aged body was stood several fully grown men and women, the sons and daughters of his sisters and friends. Somewhere in the back Pyrrha could see Weiss and Neptune, the former heiress still standing proud despite her advanced years, and, even though the Blue had been replaced by grey, the boys eyes were as youthful as ever.

Jaune had resisted all her attempts at happiness. His relationships had been short lived and unfulfilling, as if he refused to give himself over to them. Perhaps it was her fault, had she so irreparably damaged his idea of love all those years ago that he believed it led to nothing but pain.

He hadn't wanted Ruby or Weiss. The numerous nameless girls who had tried and failed to snag the Jaune Arc had all been turned away with the same gracious smile and gentle words.

Now he was alone as he died, the Arc line would end with him, in name at least. Crocea Mors had passed to one of his nephews he had trained, who was already well on his way to becoming a legend just like his uncle. At least the Arc name would persist in spirit.

She watched as he finally slipped away, his soul leaving his earthly body and ascending skywards, into the life beyond this one. Pyrrha had chosen to remain behind; it wasn't a choice she regretted, not if she had managed to help her friends with their happy endings. She would be have to be happy to have done what she could.

Still, it would have been nice to see him. To see Ruby and Blake and Yang again, meet up with Nora and they waited for Ren together.

She'd made her choice however.

She was to remain here for all eternity.

"Pyrrha?" came a voice from over her shoulder. It was a voice she was intimately familiar with, one she'd spent her decades listening too. It was as calming and inspiring as she remembered, but most of all, it was real. She could finally again feel it pass through her, feel it on her skin as he spoke.

"Jaune?"

He was exactly as she remembered him at seventeen, the old grey strands and withered muscles she had seen a lifetime ago was once again replaced with the youthful features of the adolescent boy she had fallen in love with.

"I…I waited for you" he said.

Pyrrha ran, flinging her arms around him and praying this wasn't all a joke. She hadn't been able to touch Ruby before she passed on, but he was here, he was real beneath her fingers as she ran her hands over his face and tangled her fingers in his scratchy blonde locks.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you." He replied.

Together they left this plain of existence, ascending skywards in a spiral of light so bright all of Remnant basked its glow.

Perhaps she would get her happy ending after all.

A/N: Edited some minor word corrections. A MASSIVE THANK YOU to all those who reviewed, I'm so so glad you all enjoyed it... and is it wrong to say that I'm happy this story brought a few tears? Its great to know my writing has the impact I hoped it would, so once again thank you.