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

Nora: (suddenly getting up in Pyrrha's surprised face, grinning madly) You heard the lady! No more moping around! (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! (starts doing random exercises - 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! (she 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)Pyrrha: (smiling a little in bewilderment) Um...

Ren: (from another part of the room) Nora's right. (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.

Pyrrha: (nodding) Of course. I-

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.

Pyrrha: Oh, that's-

Ren: (stepping away, smiling) Please, there's no need to thank me.

Nora: (looking at her partner with a disgusted face) Thank you? Ugh, that looks like slime from a lakebed!

Ren': (turns away from her, cradling his creation) Algae contains numerous spectacular properties. See for yourself. (lifts it towards her mouth)

Nora: (sips it down and immediately regrets it, face turning the same sickly green as the healthy sludge) BLEGH! (she 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..

.

Ren: (gesturing) Me? You're the one that wasted perfectly good juice.

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

Ren: There was absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Nora: (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.

Jaune: (coming over and placing a hand on their shoulders) Hey, how about we all get some fresh air?

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

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.

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

Yang: Hey Uncle

Qrow: You ok. Just making sure.

Yang: Other then my gut feeling like it's about to burst in the fight and the instant Black out. Ya. I'm ok.

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.

Jaune: (cutting through her flashback) Hey. (she 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.

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

Jaune: (looks back to Pyrrha and takes a seat next to her) You were the first person to ever believe in me, you know that? (he manages to get her to look at him as he laughs in sadness to himself) 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. How depressing is that?

Pyrrha: I'm sure they didn't mean- (her sorrow becomes surprise, eyes widening and dropping the pink fluffy snack as she realizes Jaune's hand is placed upon hers)

Jaune: 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?

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

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.

Pyrrha: Jaune... (gets up from her nestling)

Jaune: Hmm?

Pyrrha: (she suddenly takes her hand out from his, looking away) I don't know what to do.

Jaune: W-What do you mean?

Pyrrha: (glances up as she wonders what to say) Do you believe in destiny?

(I am gonna change this)

Jaune: (taken aback) Um... I-I don't know. I guess that depends on how you view it.

Pyrrha: (explains her opinion as the wind blows the two leaves away) 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.

Jaune: Okay. Uh, yeah. I can see that, sure.

Pyrrha: (struggling to find the right words as she glances at him) 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?

Jaune: Like what?

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

Jaune: (leaning over and attempting to place his hand on her shoulder) Pyrrha, you're not making any sense.

Pyrrha: (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!

Jaune: (gets up as well, spreading his arms in confusion) I'm sorry! Please, I-I'm just trying to understand what's wrong.

Pyrrha: I've always felt as though I was destined to become a Huntress - to protect the world... (sighs) 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.

Jaune: 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... (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.

Jaune: (realizing his mistake) Pyrrha?

Pyrrha: (turning away, face still in her hands) Stop...

Jaune: (continuing to approach) Did I say something wrong?

Pyrrha: STOP!

She holds 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.

Pyrrha: Jaune! (she lowers her hand and lets him fall to the ground, finally letting the tears come as he looks up) I'm... I'm sorry...

Jaune: Pyrrha, wait! (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?

Askad (mind): She is in some stress.

At the cliffside docking bays down the main alleyway and under the floating Amity Colosseum, Ruby walks up to the end of the line waiting to get in the transport up to the arena. She turns her head 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. Ruby steps out of line and approaches her from behind as she continues taking pictures with her camera until she notices who's behind her.

Velvet: (turning around) Ruby, how you going?

Ruby: (raising a hand in greeting) Hi, Velvet! What're you up to?

Velvet: (rolling her eyes happily) Oh, you know. Just working on my photography. Do you wanna see? (she offers her camera to Ruby, looking extremely delighted. Ruby immediately notices that Velvet didn't even get all of Xero who was Smiling and flipping off the camera. He was wielding Aero blade.

Ruby: That's... better. (steps away as she grins in forced approval)

Velvet: (decides to ask in concern) I'm... sorry to hear about your sister. Is she doing okay?

Ruby: (looking away) Yeah, she's fine, heh. Thanks.

Velvet: (as she puts Anesidora away in the box on her back) I think it's just awful what What happened her. Yang took a head on Punch form your brother and she coughed up blood

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

Velvet: (shaking her head, arms crossed) 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.

Ruby: Yeah... (turns her head away in thought, only to look back at Velvet after a quick flash startles her)

Velvet: (lowering the camera from her face, smiling apologetically) Oh! Sorry.

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. Despite everything that's happened, she's smiling widely, looking around at the assembled crowds... until her stupefied eyes see a familiar, glaring face on the other side of the arena.

Ruby: Emerald's... here?

As if sensing she's being watched, Emerald leans forward to glare at Ruby, who suddenly gets up with a worried expression and runs towards the exit tunnel. Checking to see if no one's around, she enters a door labeled with a yellow maintenance sign and finds herself inside of the Colosseum. She walks forward with determination as the announcers' voices are heard, muffled behind the brick walls.

Oobleck: All right, it's now time to begin the randomization process for our next fight!The sound of the roulette is heard faintly, but what makes Ruby stop in her tracks is the sight of another unexpected "friend" stepping out from a nearby tunnel, completely unharmed and definitely not going home.

Ruby: (squinting as if making sure) Mercury?

Port: It looks like our first contender is... Penny Polendina from Atlas...

Ruby: (her attention goes from the broadcast to the fraud) What are you doing?

Port: And her opponent will be... Pyrrha Nikos from Beacon!

Ruby: (her head dips in thought until she realizes the awful truth) No...

Mercury: (putting a hand to his chin) Ooh, polarity versus metal. That could be bad.

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.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, even getting Ren to let out a reluctant "Yaaay..." The screen fades to black as Pyrrha, face and body still filled with depression, looks to the ground while the stage finishes being set up