Birthday Girl (Patreon)

//Just a story I wrote today when not feeling 100%. Had a depressed morning and just started writing. I won't say whether the story is good or bad, but I hope it's at least enjoyable.//

 

“Nora! Wake up, dear!~” Pyrrha’s voice called to the girl in utter darkness, reminding the ginger that she was asleep and dreaming. But she’d never want to leave a dream her girl crush was in.

“P-Pyrrha…? Is that you?” She called back, not wanting to wake from her state into the world outside of her. “I don’t want to wake up.”

“Well, why not? It’s your birthday!” The redhead’s voice startled the hammer user from her sleep with a jump. Seeing the quick pass of fear and pain in the girl’s sky blue eyes turn back to exhaustion, Pyrrha rubbed the back of her head, smiling apologetically. “Oops! Sorry, Nora. I thought you were just trying to avoid getting out of bed again.”

The girl’s eyes darted up to her teammate, seeing her stand in front of her in nothing but a tank top and red panties, her eyes widened like saucers. Every instinct in her body to her to jump and grab hold of the girl, never letting go. And that’s exactly what she did, knocking the two to the ground, burying her face into the Mistral champion’s shoulder as tears flowed out of her eyes. “Pyrrha!! I had the craziest dream! The school got attacked and grimm were everywhere! Everyone fought so hard but you...you didn’t make it… We are all so devastated and...and…” The ginger flinched slightly at the feeling of her friend’s arms wrapped around her.

“And it’s okay, dear. As you can tell, I’m right here and not going anywhere. I sent the boys out today and it’s just us for a while, birthday girl.” As she tried to ease her friend’s nerves, the olympian gently ran her hand along Nora’s back, smiling and placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Now, what do you say we go get you some pancakes? I know you prefer Ren’s, but-” 

“NORA, WAKE UP!” A strange voice echoed through her mind as she watched Pyrrha’s lips continue to move

“But… But what..?” She asked, unsure about what was happening. “Am.. Am I still dreaming?” Her mind failed to process the other voice, but it definitely wasn’t her redheaded friend’s, far too masculine.

“I said, but I’ll make you some chocolate chips ones. And I hope not, it’s impossible to get you out of bed half the time!” Pyrrha stood to her feet, bringing Nora with her and gently setting her on the bed. “Get some clothes on. I’ll meet you downstairs.” The emerald eyed girl made her way to the door frame and stopped, wrapping her hand around the frame itself. “You know, Nora? I’ve missed you.”

“Missed me? But I didn’t-”

“NORA, PLEASE! WE NEED YOU!” It was another masculine voice, but different than the first.

“Okay, what is that?” Nora asked, out loud, not realizing Pyrrha was still standing in the doorway.

“Don’t listen to them, Nora…” Pyrrha spoke quietly, smiling to herself. “I’ve missed you. Give me just a bit longer to celebrate with you.”

“Celebrate?! Pyrrha, what’s going on?” The girl shouted at her friend, only to have the door closed on her. She was starting to freak out now, looking around the room and quickly getting dressed before bolting out of the door and down the stairway right next to it, though, what she saw next was something she never would’ve expected.

Pyrrha was standing in the kitchen, wearing nothing but an apron and her hair down and out of its usual ponytail. “It’s your birthday, silly! I want to celebrate with you while I can!” She called, smiling up to the girl as she was making her pancakes. “So sit. I don’t have too long before you have to leave.”

“REN! HER EYES WENT OUT LIKE LIGHTS! WE’RE DOING ALL GOI--”

“Nora!” Pyrrha’s voice quickly shut out the small feminine one that just rang through her mind. “Please… Take a seat. You know I’d never do anything to hurt one of my best friends.”

The girl was divided on her choices, either bolt for the door and try to find those voices, or sit and eat with Pyrrha. “I… Will you at least tell me what’s going on… And why that voice shouted for Renny?”

“Once you sit.”

The girl did as told without hesitation now, sitting in a nearby chair and keeping her eyes on her gorgeous partner. “So… That dream I told you about… Was…”

“It was real.” Almost as if reading the girl’s mind, the redhead quickly answered her question. Pyrrha walked over to the chair her friend was in and placed a plate of pancakes in front of her. “I didn’t make it when Beacon fell. Well...not entirely…”

“What do you-”

“For a short while, I had the power of one of the Four Maidens. That children’s story we all grew up hearing. Well, the Fall Maiden has an ability in death where she can-”

“RUBY! GRAB HER AND RUN! YOU AND REN GET OUT OF HERE!”

“BUT JAUNE, WHAT ABOUT YOU?!”

“JUST GO!”

The voices were louder this time, nearly giving her a headache as she watched Pyrrha talk, unable to hear her explanation. “...And that’s how I’m here with you like this.”

“I still don’t understand, but… I’m happy to see you, Pyrrha. But, what’s happening to the gang? If that dream was the real thing, then we’re traveling to Mistral right now, right?” Her aqua eyes scanned over the room and then her partner’s body. “I heard them mention my eyes going out like lights.”

“You were…. Injured... in battle.” She was careful with her choice of words, not wanting the girl to wake up from shock and leave her. “I want to tell you something though, Nora… Before you go. I know you want to make sure they are okay.”

“Of course, Pyrrha! You know you can tell me anything!” The ginger was uncharacteristically serious in listening, intent on getting every word her former teammate told her.

“I love you, Nora. You, Ren, Jaune, Ruby, everyone. You were all so precious to me. I don’t want you to think my sacrifice was being selfish or idiotic. I knew the moment everything started to fall that I’d either have to sacrifice myself or none of us would make it out of there. And I’d much rather everyone else make it.”

“Pyrrha, none of us think-” Nora went silent as she watched Pyrrha’s hand go up and stop her.

“In my dying moments, I learned that this is far beyond what any of us are capable of handling at the moment. This isn’t a problem we can fight and come out on top. We are in a war that has been planned for generations now.”

“I.. I don’t understand…”

“Be ready to fight, Nora. Just be ready….” Everything started fading to black around the two until only they were sitting together in a void of nothingness. “Happy birthday, Nora. And tell everyone I love them!”

“Pyrrha, wait!” Nora reached her hand out, nearly diving for her teammate as everything around her came into view. Ruby and Ren holding onto the ginger as they ran, their blonde companion right behind them as the sun started to rise in the distance.

“Wait, Nora?!” Ruby stopped dead in her little tracks, setting the ginger on the ground, who’s hand quickly reached for her bloodied stomached. “But, how?! We were sure that-”

“Ruby, keep moving!” Ren shouted at the top of his lungs, tears in his eyes, the effect of his semblance quickly wearing off as he watched his lover’s eyes slowly regain their hue. “We don’t have time to stop!”

“But, Ren! She’s-”

“Set me down, guys…” Nora voiced out, every nerve in her body registering different than in her dream. Everything hurt, her throat was near raw and her tongue had the distinct taste of blood on it.

Her team did exactly as told as Jaune ran up beside them, keeping his eyes on the path they were just running from. “Why are we stopped?! What’s going on?”

“Pyrrha...says she loves us, guys.” Nora spoke in a happy, yet pained tone as she stood to her feet and used Jaune’s body as support. “All of us… She wanted me to tell you three that her sacrifice wasn’t selfish. She knew what was going to happen when Beacon fell…” She looked down and smiled to Jaune, feeling the blood from her stomach start gushing out of her. “And, there’s something I want to tell you too…” A few sparks started to travel across her body, going from her head to her toes and back up again.

“Nora, what are you doing?” Ren asked, attempting to put his hand on her and use his semblance, but only being electrocuted and sent into a nearby tree. “Nora, don’t you dare! I know what’s going through your head and I’m not going to let you do it!”

In the next two seconds, both Ruby and Jaune were sent flying beside Ren, just to watch Nora reach for Magnhild and smile as wide as her cheerful lips would allow her. “Nora… Please! I can’t lose anyone else!” Jaune cried out to her friend, trying to stand, but not being able to move from the electricity running through his body.

Ruby, on the other hand, was too shocked to say anything, unable to process just what was going on. Not even five minutes ago, Nora’s heart wasn’t even beating and now, she’s standing with Magnhild’s help, semblance stronger than ever with a smile on her face. Just as the young girl went to open her mouth, the same Nuckelavee from the village came storming through the trees, grinding to a halt in front of the thunder girl.

“Even if we are running for our lives, this is the best birthday I could’ve asked for!” Gripping her hammer with all her might, the girl brought thunder down from the sky, channeling it through herself and causing her body to go alight with a pink tint. “And I hope you three have many more!” Starting with a slow jog and soon making it to a full on sprint, Nora charged at her for, determined to have one of two things happen. Either she kills this monster that wounded her and lives to see another day, or she dies with here with the beast. Smile on her face, the girl jumped as high as she could, firing her weapon behind her to get that extra bit of distance before spinning in the air and plummeting to her opponent, and watching it raise its arms.

“Nora, no! You don’t have to do this!” Ruby’s voice cried out in pain as she watched her friend wield her hammer with a smile, just to see her stomach and hips be pierced in the next moment and hear the ginger let out a shriek of pain that echoed in the woods as electricity flashed around her for a moment.

All three of them watched as the beast lowered their friend back to the solid ground and attempt to move, only to grind its hooves in place. The beast roared in anger, turning its head to see the same girl gripping onto her hammer with some kind of lifeless strength as the weapon was pierced into the ground without the monster realizing. 

As it continuously tried to pull away from the girl, Ren reached out and grabbed his friends, activating his semblance on the others but not himself. “Nora, you lovable idiot…” Standing up, the man walked over to the lashing monster, being just out of reach thanks to his friend’s help.

“But… Why can’t it move?” Ruby asked her team, watching as Ren drew a dagger from his hips.

“Nora used the heat from her lightning to seer the monster’s arms where they were when it stabbed her. It was a hit or miss tactic that she only had one chance to pull off.” Sighing softly, Ren reached out to Jaune, not letting his team see his face. “Jaune. Can I borrow your sword for a minute?”

“Of course, buddy.” Having been calmed down thanks to Ren’s semblance, he knew exactly what his friend was going to do. Picking the blade off of the ground, he placed the hilt in the other’s hand. “Do what you need. We’ll be right here.”

“Thanks.” Taking another step closer, Ren was in the beast’s range. As if everything moved in slow motion, the student dodged out of the way when he saw the extendable arm fly in his direction just to use Crocea Mors to stab through its hand and pin it to the ground beside him.

“Wait, Jaune, I still don’t get it. Why did Ren use his semblance on us, but not himself?” Ruby asked as she watched her friend step closer and closer to the monster until he was just out of range of its body.

“This isn’t something I’d want to be calm for if I was in his shoes, Ruby. He’s probably letting a war rage in his heart that he’ll calm on his own.” Taking a deep breath, Jaune watched as he black-haired friend used the small dagger to slice through the horse’s front two legs, causing it to fall to the ground in an instant.

Through his tears, Ren managed to climb the beast and look it in the face as it opened its mouth to roar. Without saying a word, the boy stabbed through its jaw through its head. With a quick flick of the wrist, the beast’s head popped right off and fell to the ground beside him. As he fell to the ground, he dropped the dagger and started wiping the tears from his face, a brown sheen coming over his body for a quick moment as he approached Nora. As his team approached and he stood beside her body, seeing the smile on her face, the sun finally glowed over her body, showing her eyes having gone out like lights once more.

“Sorry I didn’t get the chance to say it sooner… Happy Birthday, Nora…”