"I see fire. Blood in the breeze. And I hope that you'll remember me."

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or the song above.

Her rhythmic footsteps echoed throughout the abandoned park. It was quite a depressing site: burned trees were the main attraction and charred leaves covered the ground, crunching beneath Cinder's boots. The sky had a distinct amber tinge from nearby fires. She could practically still feel the lingering heat of the flames.

It hadn't always been like this, you know. This small town on the edge of Vytal had been a haven. Being born here was one of the few luxuries many people failed to afford. The town had been dotted with beautiful trees, berries dangling from their low-hanging branches. The soft grass from the endless fields which provided entertainment from dusk until dawn.

Many people, after school, would take to the fields. They would run around and, after depleting the last of their dwindling energy, would fall asleep with each other in the velvety grass. Everything was seemingly perfect.

That was, until the town had been raided.

Cinder was no stranger to fire, but even she cowered from the pillars of flame which engulfed and devoured the houses. Trees were left to look as they should in autumn, without leaves. Dead. The bastards who started this finished their tirade by taking prisoners in the children and beating, molesting or just downright murdering their parents.

It was a ghost town now, no one wanted to live here. This unique area of beauty and serenity had become just another dead spot of the map of Remnant. The gentle breeze never blew through anyone's hair. The sun never bathed the skin of young adolescents anymore. The town, and its spirit, had died.

Cinder didn't even know why she stayed. Perhaps she found it ironically comforting that she had spent her whole life being raised in the ashes from her fire aura-user parents. Now, she was walking through the smouldering ashes of the place where she was raised. Her parents had taken off, leaving Cinder alone.

Every time she tried to sleep, she still heard the smouldering houses and fragments of ghastly screams. She hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in days.

Cold air lingered now, like a punishment for those who had stayed in this hell. It nipped at Cinder's skin occasionally, so she spent most days sitting by her own small wood fire, wanting to cry herself to sleep. That was impossible. Cinder never cried.

To no avail, Cinder had tried to salvage the town for what it was: a silent area. It wasn't though. The memories still screamed right in her ear.

What's that? Cinder finally awoke from her depressive trance to see something in the distance, something red. Upon further inspection, it was a hooded girl. The movement of her shoulders, the rocking of her body, suggested that she was crying. Cinder saw it as a sign of weakness. A sign of fragility.

A sign of innocence.

Cinder had fought through a tough life. No one got any sympathy from her. But this hooded girl proved one thing, and that was that some people were already breaking. They just needed people to put them back together. She couldn't walk on by, she knew she couldn't.

She stopped at the side of the girl, who had not noticed her arrival yet. The hood was draped over her face and she clutched something close to her chest.

"Hello?" Cinder began slowly and quietly. She didn't want to end up startling the girl. The last thing this child needed was to run off and become stranded in this hellhole.

The girl, still sniffing, turned to meet Cinder's calm gaze. The sudden turn caused her hood to fall from her face. It was where the raven-haired girl's heart would have broken had it not already have been strengthened. Her eyes were bloodshot red, coupled with a salty river that ran down her cheeks. The large, silver eyes conveyed depression. This girl wasn't going to make it without someone to guide her.

Her black hair, dyed red at the tips, was dishevelled and filthy. The girl's face was dotted with patches of dry blood and mud. Her clothes were all tattered, except her cloak.

"What's your name?" Cinder asked in the softest voice she could manage. Even then, it was still firmer than she would have liked.

"R-Ruby," the girl spluttered, barely able to hold back her cries.

"I'm Cinder. What happened?" Her words were simple, in an attempt to get the girl to talk. Cinder had heard it was better to speak about your problems.

Ruby froze, as memories presumably flooded back to her. She looked back down at the ground, a tear dripping onto a half-burned leaf.

Cinder knew there would only be more to follow as she recalled the only comforting gesture she could and put her hand on Ruby's shoulder, noticing how soft her skin felt beneath her t-shirt. What caught her off-guard was when Ruby threw her arms around Cinder and buried her face into the hollow of her neck.

Cinder was about to protest until she felt the tears trickling onto her shoulder. Her loud wails were the only thing breaking the silence. For all Cinder knew, they were the only two left in this town.

Not knowing what to do, Cinder tentatively put her arms around Ruby to try and calm her down. It seemed to do the trick as her violent shaking subsided and she was reduced to heavy breathing. The warmth exhales lightly tickling Cinder's neck every time it came into contact.

After a while, she gently held Ruby out at arm's length. Her eyes were still reddened, as was her face. The tears had ceased, or were a lot less infrequent at least. Even her mouth was trying to turn up into a gracious smile. While that girl was smiling, Cinder knew she couldn't help but return it.

"Thank you so much, Cinder," Ruby said, giving the most sincere smile she could muster. In truth, Cinder found it adorable. It wasn't like her to open up like this, but there was a first time for everything.

"No need," Cinder said, still holding her smile. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere safe."

The pair glanced up at the red and purple painted sky. Coldness began to settle in as the brunette sneezed. Clearly, she had felt more of the cold than she would have liked. Just like Cinder in many ways. Ruby almost reminded the older girl of herself when she was younger.

"Okay," Ruby said, placing her hand into Cinder's, her cheeks slowly tinting a light pink.

The older girl chuckled at the innocence of a girl who had looked so broken. It was always elating when you feel you've actually done something to help. Slowly, Cinder walked forward. She was already enjoying the younger girl's company and wanted it to last.

"Where are we going, Cinder?" Ruby asked, tugging on the older girl's sleeve.

"One place that I know hasn't been touched."

The walk was pleasantly silent. Normally it would have been unwelcome but now each of them had someone to enjoy the quietness with. For the first time in at least a week, they weren't alone. It was a longed-for change.

Now there was a pair of footsteps echoing through the park.

"So, Ruby," Cinder began. Still hesitant about dwelling on this subject.

"Yeah?" Ruby replied, snuggling closer to Cinder's arm, further deterring her from asking the question.

"What… What happened to make you so upset?"

"It's nothing," Ruby muttered, her demeanour taking a U-turn.

Cinder stopped and turned Ruby to face her. Her fiery eyes locked with Ruby's soft, metallic ones. "Ruby, don't keep it bottled up inside. You know I'm going to listen."

Ruby shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid Cinder's stare.

"Please." Cinder was begging now. She didn't know she even cared that much.

Ruby, finally relenting, leaned closer to Cinder. "Well, it all started when the town was raided."

A week earlier…

Ruby had always been happy. She lived alone with her mother, who was a former renowned huntress. Summer Rose had given up her aspiration to pursue her second one: to raise a child. That child came in the form of her beloved daughter, Ruby Rose.

Ruby was the splitting image of her mother, but younger and with shorter hair. Summer had dreamed for her daughter to follow in her footsteps and become a huntress. Judging from her early skill, even with her mother's own sword, Scarlet Bloom.

One day, for Ruby's tenth birthday, Ruby was given a red cloak. It had been passed down through the generations of the Rose family. All of them had been huntresses, so it was monumental that Summer was trusting Ruby with this cloak.

Ruby could still remember the words her mother had said: "You may still be young, my little rose. But one day, you can still change the world." She didn't understand the words at the time, but now they stood out in Ruby's mind. Her mother was great when it came to eloquence.

The day after her birthday, Ruby had awaked to screams and cries. The strong stench of smoke invaded her nostrils and rushed into her lungs, causing her to viciously splutter. The flashing lights that accompanied it. The searing heat that caused sweat to trickle down the back of Ruby's neck.

It took her a while to realise that there was a fire.

Ruby barrelled out of the house, clutching her cloak tightly. The tears were already in freefall. Her eyes quickly scanned the area to try and find her mother. The hint of white, contrasting to the dull black and flickering amber, signalled where she was.

"Mommy!" Ruby cried, running as fast as her legs would carry her (which was fast, taking her semblance into account).

Summer allowed a glance over a shoulder to see her daughter. Quickly, she used the dust in her sword to slash at the two opposing thugs, instantly killing them.

Ruby wrapped her mother in a hug, hoping she would disappear into the warmth. She wanted to wake up and find out that this was all a dream.

"Ruby, go to the basement!" her mother told her, parting from her as she dispatched a third one, the blood splattering onto her hands. It simply reiterated that this was indeed real.

"But… mommy," Ruby felt as if she was going to cry.

It seemed as if time froze around them when Summer cupped her daughter's cheeks, the blood rubbing off on them. "I'll be back, Ruby. I promise. I love you."

"I love you too." Ruby was distraught, but she knew what she had to do. She sprinted for the house and, once she was inside, locked herself in the basement. It was secure, but lonely and extremely cold. Ruby curled up into a ball and wrapped her cloak around her. It barely conserved her warmth. She could only prey that her mother would be ok. Surely she would though.

She promised.

Eight hours later…

The smell of smoke was still there, but the screams had diminished. After eight hours, and not sleeping a wink, there was peace to an extent. The crackling of flames could still be heard. To Ruby, all of this meant that it was over. She could resume life as normal with her mother. All she had to do now was find her, if she could.

She wearily unlocked the hatch and climbed out of the basement. Peering out, she noticed that there was no sun and the rain was slowly starting to fall. It was infrequent but noticeable. The buildings were, as guessed, still burning. It showed that the thugs must have used Dust crystals to start the fires. They could burn for days if left untreated.

Ruby looked around and noticed that the house was a smoking relic of what it once was. So was just about every house that wasn't still burning. Very few seemed to have been burned normally. Bodies littered the ground, no one she knew too well was there but it was still a ghastly sight to witness at ten years old.

Ruby suddenly stopped. Her heart breaking. Her eyes clouding over as if ready to rain tears. Her mother was among the bodies, and she wasn't moving.

Ruby's breath caught in her throat as she took small steps towards her mother. She didn't want to, but it felt as if she had no other choice.

Summer was a mess of cuts and blood, her white cloak torn and her eyes closed. All the signs of a deceased person.

She crouched beside her mother, her lips trembling. She didn't want to believe it, but it was true: Summer Rose was dead.

Ruby tried to cry but there was nothing. She felt empty. As if all of the innocence and purity had been ripped out of her. Anger, sadness and vengeance would have fueled the mill of mixed emotions, had there been anything to fuel. Eventually, she sank into her mother's chest and closed her eyes. She spoke two last words before she fell into a nightmare-ridden sleep.

"You promised…"

The present day…

Cinder finally arrived back at her house. It was one of the few that had barely been touched. She had been listening politely to Ruby the whole time, allowing her to cry when needed. It hurt Cinder, but not as much as it should have. She was never close to her family. Hell, this girl felt more like family after half an hour than her parents did after seventeen years.

"I just feel so alone, like I have no one who matters anymore," Ruby said as she followed Cinder inside. There was a bed downstairs, although it looked uncomfortable.

"But you do Ruby," Cinder said. "You have me now. I'll take you under my wing for as long as you want."

Ruby's eyes lit up as she looked back up to her new friend. "You really mean that?"

"Of course!"

"Thanks so much!" Ruby threw her arms around Cinder, causing her to stagger back onto the bed. Once she adjusted, she hoisted Ruby onto her lap and held her, stroking her hair gently, strangely enjoying the feeling of Ruby's soft tresses. It was something she had seen mothers do before.

"Do you have any other family members?" Cinder asked. Her voice was the most soothing it had been in a while.

"Yeah, my uncle, Qrow and my sister, Yang."

"Yang Rose? Peculiar," Cinder muttered. "Where are they?"

"No," Ruby chuckled. "Her name's actually Yang Xiao Long."

"How does she have a different second name to you?"

"…I don't know." Ruby laughed. "I guess I never thought about it." Ruby's face suddenly fell into a frown. "But they both live in Vale. That's too far away!"

"I'll get you there. Until then, you can stay with me."

"Thank you." Ruby yawned and leaned against Cinder's shoulder. She loved the older girl's smooth skin. It reminded her of her mother. Her mother…

"Mommy…" Ruby whispered as she smiled and began breathing lightly. Before, like she had with her now deceased mother, she fell asleep in Cinder's arms.

Cinder was shocked but still gave her a warm smile. Ruby was actually starting to think of Cinder as a mother figure in her life. She was jubilant that she had actually helped this girl, opened her eyes and told her that she wasn't alone. Little did Ruby know, but she had opened Cinder's eyes too. Sometimes all you need is a little leverage from someone to pull you back up.

Cinder sighed as she held Ruby tightly. It was one of those times she felt truly content. She just hoped that it lasted. The last thing she felt before falling asleep was Ruby's warmth, and one lingering thought.

I've always wanted a child of my own.

A/N: Quick update! But for a completely different story. The idea literally came to me this morning so I thought about it and wrote it all today. It was mainly just practice so my future fics will be better. Also, for some reason, I like the idea of CinderxRuby and I don't think there are enough stories on this subject.

If people do enjoy this, I'll consider continuing it. Basically, it would end when the main canon starts (when Ruby goes to Beacon) and wouldn't last as long as my current fic, From Black to White. So remember to review, favourite and follow! Thanks for reading.

(Not a new chapter, updated to correct some mistakes. Sorry...)