Chapter Three: I Am Not Innocent


Petals in the Ash

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 2/19/18


Silence crested into gentle waves along the rocky crags of Vale's northern coast. A piece of burning wood tumbled from the sky and plunged into the ashen foam, mirroring the black sky above. Men and women had worked for decades to erect their town, tight stone casing protecting them from the bitter frosts and biting wind. Everything looked to the future, budding in spite of death and Grimm.

Now that flower blossomed, the seed of inferno in the town center exploding into vibrant petals of dust and sparks.

She was God, she was destruction, rising into the air as the town disintegrated beneath her. Some had managed to escape the blast radius – drawing her bow, she slowly picked them off as the forest began to burn. The fire surrounded her, became her, consumed her. She had been trapped and this was her freedom, so why did it all feel so empty?

Cinder woke up in a deep sweat, gasping as she forced her eyes shut. The softness deceived her, cotton caressing her in a cozily suffocating embrace. An illusion, a nightmare, a dream- She would open her eyes to the fire, she had to, everything she had worked for and dreamed about-

Too tired to stay asleep, her eyes slipped open. Dawn seeped through grandiose windows, pushing the shadows to the ceiling. Short hair had drifted into her face as she slept, sending black streaks across her vision as she watched the gentle rise and fall of red and gold hair with a blank stare. Quietly, she got to her feet.

The marble was cold against her feet, and so was the concrete. The brisk September air burned her throat and sent shivers down her spine. She couldn't handle being numb, not as she walked below Beacon's arches towards a low set building to the east of the great hall. Blush crept to her cheeks from the pallid cool; she pulled her arms tight against her chest to hide the emblazoned heart on Ruby's pajamas from the isolation around her.

She was cold.

Slipping into the dorm wing, warmth rushed her. Overwhelmed, Cinder broke into a dead sprint, then broke away into a cloud of rose petals on some alien instinct unknown to her. Stopping short, she burst into a familiar room.

No lights. No possessions. Bare unmade mattresses. Maybe some part of her still hoped to see Emerald or Mercury; at this point, she didn't really know.

Falling onto her old bed, Cinder buried her face on her mattress and screamed.


"Good morning!"

Blake blinked as Jaune sat down across from her, carrying a tray with a big bowl of sugary cereal. "Um… Hi?"

"We-ell, I was going to try and find new friends, but then that hood girl gave me a really mean look and I noticed you, so..." He looked at her hopefully, and Blake bit the inside of her lip as she considered him.

God, he's like a lost puppy. There was nobody else sitting at her table, as she had once again tucked herself away into a corner. Fighting back her ears to stop them from twitching and the lingering hope from the night before, she shrugged. Isn't this what I came here for? To make friends, to leave Adam and Illia behind me? "Sure."

"So…" Jaune's armor was too big, straps sticking out at odd angles- How long has he been a hunter, exactly? "If I hadn't come over, were you just going to sit alone again?"

She raised her book and an eyebrow at him. "I could ask you the same thing."

"I mean, I did try to talk to Snow Angel over there, but she just kinda ignored me." They both turned to look at Weiss, who was carefully cutting into her pop-tart with a fork and knife.

Blake's eyes narrowed as she took in the Schnee heiress. She had watched her argue with that red-cloaked girl – the Schnee was just as stuck up and bitchy as she had expected, and she would have been surprised if she wasn't racist too. I wonder… Is her clique not around or is she just sitting alone because she actually doesn't know anyone? "You have no idea who she is, do you?"

"Nope, not at all," Jaune deadpanned, and she couldn't help but laugh at his bravado blind confidence.

"Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. Best known for its wealth, faunus abuse, and questionable business practices." She kept her voice calm, fighting down the ballooning anxiety within. Relax. He's clueless, there's no way that he'll figure out you're a faunus just because you said the word.

"Oh." Jaune nodded sagely, shoveling a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "Right."

"Right."

They sat in awkward silence, the muffled sounds of chewing filtering in through her bow. It felt so wrong, blocking off half of her hearing; Blake felt half-deaf all the time, but that was the price she had accepted for attending a human institution. If her parents saw her like this, they would be… disappointed? Humiliated? The daughter of one of Menagerie's most respected families, hiding her heritage from the world like a coward. I am a coward. I ran from the White Fang, I'm hiding here...

Finally, Jaune asked, "So, how exactly does this initiation thing work?"

Frowning, she fiddled with her book under the table. "I'm not sure. Probably we'll have to fight some big Grimm-"

"What? We will? I thought that it would be some sort of test, that's what it said on the application..." Blake just stared at him, and realization then horror crossed Jaune's face. "...it's a combat test. Right, because this is a combat school, that makes perfect sense."

Yeah, he definitely hasn't been a hunter for very long. "What exactly were you expecting? This is the most prestigious combat school in the world, after all."

"I-" Jaune blushed and looked away, his spoon trembling slightly in his grasp. "I don't know."

Blake frowned, considering her twinge of guilt at the blond boy's reaction. Did he even know how to fight? Surprisingly, she found she didn't want him to fail; maybe she had a friend, here. "You'll be fine, I'm sure. Even if you aren't as experienced as everyone else here, you'll still have aura and your weapon to protect you."

A baffled look crossed his face. "Aura?"

"You're kidding, right?" His expression, quite clearly, showed that he wasn't. "Aura, like the power that protects us? The stuff that lets you use your semblance?"

"I have... not slightest clue what you're talking about."

Light broke through the clouds, illuminating the cafeteria table. A loudspeaker in the room's upper corner burst to life, and Glynda's voice resounded through the cavernous dining hall. "All students – please begin to make your way to Beacon Cliff for initiation."

Before Jaune could react, Blake had gotten to her feet and walked around the table. What am I doing? I was going to stay back and watch, I said I wasn't going to get involved in another friendship that I would just end up ruining. Against all of her better judgment, she grabbed his hand and pulled him away from his used tray. "Come with me."

"Wha- Where are we going?" he asked, stumbling after her. She pulled him through one of the adjacent hallways and into an empty classroom, letting go of him. The door creaked shut and the automatic lights blinked on, leaving a startled Jaune stranded by the lectern. "Is this like those scenes from those romcoms-"

"Yeah, I'm a lesbian, so that's not happening." Blake walked towards him, running her hand along the desks as she passed. "I figured you probably wouldn't want our entire class to see me awaken your aura."

"Right, so how exactly does this work?"

"Uh..." Blake (not so subtly) scratched her bow, straining her memory. Jaune's shoulders slumped watching her think.

"You don't know, do you?"

Blake shook her head at the desk below her hand, baring her fingers at the warm memory. "I was five when my dad woke my aura up. I remember it well, I just don't want to screw the words up."

"Words? So it's like magic?!" Jaune exclaimed.

She started to say no, then caught herself. "Yeah, I guess it kind of is like magic."

"Woah..." His blue eyes sparkled, and she laughed. Finally conjuring up her full memory, she walked up to him and place her hand on her chest.

"Close your eyes." Fighting down her nerves, Blake closed her eyes as well and concentrated. She had never awoken someone else's aura before, and the idea of screwing it up somehow sent chills down her spine.

"Uh, o-okay?"

And then she could see.

The boy before her was an ocean of white, vast, incomprehensible. In contrast, her aura was a shadow, wispy purple smoking out the sheer light before her. More than that, his aura was calm, unchanging – Adam's aura had always been deeply unstable and Illia's had been ever-changing, so the stability struck her. In her mind's eye, the words of her father came to her unbeckoned:

"In the cycle of eternity, each of us is but one against the sea of time. Let us stand against the sand, infinite in heart and strength.By tooth, by claw, by fist, by blade, I free your soul from its bondage, for now and life everlasting."

Releasing him, Blake slumped down to her knees. "Blake?" Jaune exclaimed, kneeling down next to her and supporting his back.

"I'm fine, that just took some aura," she gasped. Some was an understatement, of course – she hadn't been this drained in ages. I just hope I have enough left for initiation.

An arm slipped through hers, and Jaune pulled her up into a standing position. Giving him a wry smile, she took his hand and stretched it out. A hazy white glow surrounded his body, and he looked down at himself in amazement. "Is that..."

"Yeah, that's aura," she said, coughing into her fist as she leaned further against Jaune. "Now you won't die in initiation, probably."

"Are you okay?"

She shrugged. I've been beaten half to death at protests, blown up slave mines, and lived in the wilderness in three of the four kingdoms for the past five years. "I think I'll be fine."

She waited for Jaune to say something, and glanced up at him when he didn't. He had an odd expression and looked away as he caught her gaze. "You didn't have to do that, you know. I- I'm sure I would have been fine in initiation, and now you're tired-"

Blake pushed herself to her feet and flicked his ear lightly. "You know, you could just thank me."

"Oh, right, I- um, thank you! Really, I-" he stammered, then stopped as she burst out laughing again.

"You're welcome." Who had she been kidding? Sure, she hadn't planned on making friends, but when they found her… He's funny and nice in that adorably dorky way… I would be an idiot to push him away. Giving him a genuine smile, she said, "That's what friends are for, after all."

Relief and happiness spilled across Jaune's face, and she knew that she had made the right choice. "Yeah."

Blake held out her fist and Jaune gave her a fist bump, wiggling his fingers as he pulled away. "Wanna go to initiation?"

"Let's do it."


Cinder had never felt worse in her life.

She had barely managed to keep herself asleep last night, tossing and turning as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Her bewilderment from yesterday had turned into a raging headache, and the general bleariness of her system shock had only just begun to set in. She hadn't worn a skirt since she was sixteen, and putting one on was one of the most humiliating things she had done in a long time. She had no makeup and nothing to help her ignore the soul-sucking emptiness filling her chest.

Looking in the mirror at herself, she wanted to puke again and of course it would be just her luck to find a certain redhead obliviously brushing her teeth at her side.

"So, Ruby, maybe we'll end up on the same team?" Pyrrha asked hopefully, setting her toothbrush aside and picking up her headpiece.

Maybe I'll shoot you in the chest again then disintegrate you, that sound like fun, doncha think? The other girl's blatant attempt to make friends with her; it just oozed with thinly veiled desperation. If Cinder hadn't been trying to play up Ruby Rose, she would have had so much fun turning the Mistrali Champion into her minion.

Realizing she was waiting for her to say something, she smiled – then looked in the mirror and corrected it from a grimace – and said, "Sure, that would be… nice?"

Pyrrha Nikos glowed with happiness, and Cinder fought down a tempting, tempting urge to slap her. How much of a passive-aggressive bitch do I need to be before you get the memo?!

Ruby Rose isn't a passive-aggressive bitch. I am Ruby Rose right now, I am Ruby Rose, and I would rather be Ruby Rose than trapped in one of Ozpin's torture dungeons for the next decade.

Well, maybe if she could show how miserable is, all of this would be a little more bearable!

"Hey, don't mind Ruby, Pyrrha." Cinder's eye twitched and she took a deep breath as Yang slung her arm around her neck. "She's always grumpy in the morning."

Finally, something about Ruby she could get behind! Now, time to use this to fuck with Bimbo some more.

Cracking a wry smile which ended up somewhere between a look of intense pain and a smirk, she said, "Yeah, I kinda slept like shit last night."

...and Yang burst out into raucous laughter, which Cinder was completely certain was not the intended result. Fuck, how did I screw that up?

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ruby," Pyrrha said, reverting back to her diplomatic mode as she warily eyed Yang. God, did Cinder want to rip apart her facade and show everyone the depressed lonely girl she knew was just below the surface.

Or kill both of them, that would be nice too.

"I can't believe you just said that," Yang wheezed, and Cinder pulled away from her indignantly.

"Said what?"

Yang calmed down slightly, her golden mane tumbling into the sink as she leaned against the mirror. "Ruby Rose, cursing. I thought I'd never see the day!"

Cinder gaped at her. Slowly, it dawned on her – the energetic diary, the cheerfulness, how happy Ruby was. She's innocent. Of course she is, she's only fifteen. She's completely and utterly clueless about how the world works. Oh… That's stupidly obvious, how didn't I get that earlier?

Wait, does that mean no cursing? Yeah, fuck that. What would Ruby say here? "That's not true! I curse sometimes!" she protested, not sure whether to be proud or disgusted she could pull the intonation of a whiny fifteen-year-old off perfectly.

Now Pyrrha was laughing too and Cinder felt ever more humiliated than before. Yang gave her a sickeningly adoring look and mussed her hair up. "Aw, Rubes is at Academy now so now she can curse, listen to emo music, and eat ice cream after nine o'clock! At this rate, you'll be even more rebellious than I was."

"Get off of me!" She ducked out of Yang's embrace and grabbed her toiletries, loathing everything about her new sister. I am one of the most powerful people in the world! I will burn you once I get my powers back if she keeps teasing me like this!

"It's okay, Ruby." Pyrrha's voice was kind, and her eyes carried an alien warmth Cinder felt ashamed to meet. "We all went through that faze. If you want to be emo, don't listen to Yang."

I AM NOT EMO! Yang burst into another round of laughter as she dug eyeliner out of her bag and tossed into to her. Cinder shot her best disgusted glare at Yang, then pocketed the pencil: at least now I'll have some makeup. "I'm going to initiation," she spat – could she sound more like a petulant child? - and stormed out of the bathroom.

"Try not to poke your eye out!"

I know how to use eyeliner! she wanted to shout but restrained herself. Taking deep breaths, she pulled the combat skirt down as far as it could go and relaxed her stride into her usual confident gait.

The situation didn't matter. Cinder Fall was a professional, and she would maintain her composure in a combat situation. She pushed all of the awful things that had happened in the past day to the back of her mind and focused on the task at hand. She found her locker with ease and slid Crescent Rose out of her holder. Ruby's singular diary entry had been helpful for that, at least. She knew the names of her scythe, Yang's gauntlets and bike, and where Ruby had lived.

Although she hadn't gotten a chance to try Crescent out yet, she couldn't deny the faint feeling of excitement stirring in her chest. It had been a long time since she had handled a real weapon. The last had been her dual blades, which were still her go-to weapon to form with fire, but she had loved those blades. Even turning the crimson steel over in her hands, there was an undeniable realness to the sniper she had never truly been able to replicate as the Fall Maiden.

No, she didn't mind Ruby's weapon at all. Comparing her outfit to Pyrrha's powerful gladiatorial armor and Yang's drifter garb though…

She didn't care what her "sister" had to say. The skirt had to go.

Fuck this body. I am the most powerful person at this school, and everyone here is going to know it.

Grass gently blew in the wind, bending towards the Emerald forest as Cinder strode towards Beacon Cliff. She held her head high, defiantly meeting the gaze of anyone who dared stare at her. She knew how to intimidate – she had spent years mastering her gait and air of confidence. Sure, the skirt ruined her walk and it was a whole lot easier when you could set someone on fire with a gaze, but from the whispers around her, she knew she was doing her job.

As long as Yang isn't around, I can do whatever the hell I want. Maybe if I figure out a way to dispose of her, without anyone figuring it out…

No, it was time for her to start taking her rightful position in the world back, and she already could see the perfect place to start.

Weiss' outfit and hair were just as prim and perfect as it had been yesterday. Unlike Ruby, her combat skirt didn't make her look like a five-year-old, and she nervously shifted from one leg to the other. Cinder smirked as she stepped onto the gray square beside her, leaning her hand at her hip and tossing her hair out of her face. "Oh look, if it isn't the princess herself."

Weiss spun around, fear and sadness flashing across her face before turning to anger. "I don't remember giving you permission to speak to me."

"Well clearly you didn't give anyone permission, or else you might have had someone to sit with at breakfast," she smoothly shot back, venom dripping off her tongue as she shifted Crescent Rose under her cloak. "Or did your father tell you to scout out your allies before you make friends?"

The heiress' face turned bright red. Clenching her fists, she stepped off her plate and walked to come face to face with Cinder. She had to give Princess props; getting looked down on made her mad. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. In fact, I'd bet you only got in here because Daddy paid old Oz something a little extra." Cinder tilted her head to the side and allowed herself a smug grin. She wasn't about to give the other girl any credit, and she could already see the response coming.

"You know nothing about my family!" Cinder didn't bother responding as Weiss blathered about the Schnee Dust Company for a moment. Everything that came out of her mouth, she could use as ammo against her. Finally, she stopped her tirade and she yawned.

"Are you done yet?"

Weiss glowered at her. "I will have you know that I filled out the application and fought my way into this school. I don't need to listen to a nobody fifteen-year-old with a hero complex and an oversized weapon. You can go find somebody else to be an asshole to now." A certain resolve passed through Weiss' countenance, and she spun on her heel and stomped back to her square.

"Oh, so now you're just going to ignore me? How mature of you," Cinder snapped, then practically snarled as Weiss stared ahead. She waited a moment but got no response.

A deep anger filled her, and she fought to keep herself from launching herself at the other girl. If this was hell, the gods had figured out the perfect way to torture her, alright. All anyone else needed to do was point out her age or maturity and all of her poise and cunning was turned into a laughingstock.

Happy. Energetic. Socially awkward. Nice. Innocent.

How can I be someone so completely different from me? Who would want to be like that?

"You're still mad, Rubes?"

Cinder jumped as Yang stepped onto the square on her other side. I don't want to deal with this right now. Instead of answering, she just looked away and crossed her arms. It was easier to watch Weiss and stew than pretending to be Ruby Rose.

What she didn't expect was when Yang wrapped her in a warm hug. On instinct, she stiffened and pulled away, breaking free of the contact. No, no, no, my eyes are not watering, I absolutely refuse to cry twice in twenty-four hours. Looking back, the blonde stared at her with a hurt and confused expression. "Ruby, what's wrong? You know I was just teasing you, right?"

Cinder bit back a retort and paused. Something about the way Yang stood told her she was teetering on the edge of something, a line that Ruby certainly would never cross and she couldn't. This is Ruby's sister. Of course she isn't going to pull out of hugs or hate physical contact. What am I doing?

Her embrace had been warm… She had never found the unconditional love she had seen from Yang directed at her before. It felt- She didn't know how it felt, but somehow…

She found herself running forwards and throwing her arms around Ruby's sister. Congratulations, you just mastered the art of the clingy sister, she snarked to herself, but it felt hollow as Yang hugged her back and pressed her head against the older girl's shoulder. Was that moisture? Nope. Pollen. I'm not crying.

I'm so fucking weak.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Yang whispered into her hair, and she dug her fingernail into her palm to bring herself back to reality.

"It's all just too much," Cinder muttered, letting the truth slip out. "I don't know what's happening."

She couldn't remember the last time she had touched someone for this long. Unfamiliar and unwelcome emotions spun inside her chest, and she fought them down. No, she would not feel protected by a teenager. Why was she relaxing? Why did she feel guilty? Why couldn't she control herself? Why couldn't she pull away?

"Shh..." Yang's thumb gently wiped a tear from her cheek, and Cinder had to bite down on her tongue to stop herself from screaming. "Ruby, you're so strong. Initiation will be a breeze, so don't worry about it! You'll be fine, even if we aren't partners. You even made a new friend last night! I mean, that's more social than I've seen you in a long time! Just, let's take some deep breaths and kick some Grimm butt, okay?"

She was too devastated to conjure up anything better than, "O-okay."

Yang let go and she was cold again. Blinking away the cloudy haze over her eyes, she looked up to see Weiss staring at her with a look of utter contempt and revulsion. Cinder knew exactly how that must have looked to the heiress – one second I was a heartless bitch, and the next I was a pathetic sniveling mess. I deserve every ounce of that look.

I can't be Cinder Fall and Ruby Rose. I have to choose one, and only one of those choices is going to keep me free and alive.

"Hey Ice Queen, leave my baby sister alone or I'll punch you off the cliff!"

And that just made it a million times worse. I wonder whether I'll wake up from this nightmare if I go and pitch myself off that cliff.

Yeah, suicide seemed like the preferable option at the moment.

If it was even possible, Weiss' expression grew even more contemptuous. She shook her head, rolled her eyes, and turned back to the Emerald Forest. The message was clear: she wasn't worth another second of her time.

Cinder couldn't agree with her more.

She spaced out, doing her best to drown out Ozpin with her thoughts. The headmaster blathered on for a minute, then the launcher pads started to activate one by one as students flew into the air over the Emerald Forest. By the time it occurred to her that she didn't know how Ruby's weapon or semblance worked, she was already falling towards the trees below.

She fumbled with Crescent Rose for a second. Just from looking at it, she was pretty sure the storage mode also worked as a blaster. Pointing it at the quickly approaching ground, she put her finger on the trigger and pulled.

Nothing happened.

Well, fuck. Of course she hadn't loaded the damn gun or remembered to bring any ammo with her. She had been too busy coming up with creative ways to kill Yang… Who had hugged her… Why was she so confused?

Tree!

Curling up, she activated her aura at the last second as she punched through the canopy and into the dim forest. Smashing through three branches, she collided with the ground in a cloud of leaves and rolled through bushes before coming to a dead stop in a thorny bracket.

Ow… Pulling herself to her feet, Cinder winced as her arm throbbed in pain. "So much for a fucking landing strategy," she muttered as she yanked sticks out of her hair and walked to where Crescent Rose had fallen. "You're so strong, Ruby. Initiation will be a breeze, Ruby. Yeah, fuck you too Yang." Ripping the rifle out of the ground, she held it up to the light and glared at it.

Alright, so I just lost half of my attack possibilities because I've never used the damn thing before and how was I supposed to know I needed to get ammo? Kicking angrily at the dirt, she started pressing random buttons to see what they did. The first two next to the trigger seemed to be the safety and the toggle for reloading. The third made a sleek red scope pop out of the rifle – cute, but absolutely useless to her. Finally, she pressed the fourth and nearly dropped the scythe that folded out of the compact rifle.

She stared at the massive weapon, taller than she was. Okay. Okay then. I'm not going to think about it, I'm not- How am I supposed to use a weapon that's a foot taller than me?! How do I swing it! This weighs sixty pounds!

She grabbed the scythe with two hands and tried to lift it up. Immediately, she went off balance and the blade sunk three inches into a nearby tree. Screeching in fury, she yanked it back out. The weapon slid across the wood like butter, flying out far easier than she had expected. Stumbling backward, she couldn't keep her balance again and fell back into the briars.

The sky was a nice blue, maybe she could just- Nope. I am going to master this stupid blade if it kills me. If Yang sees me fighting this bad, I'm dead meat.

Red aura healed a scratch on her cheek. Picking her weapon back up, she took a wide stance and fought to keep her balance as she took experimental swipes with the oversized blade. In a moment of inspired rage, she spun around and swung the blade through a nearby tree trunk. The oak fell with a satisfying crack, and she grinned as she realized that finally, she had a chance to work off steam.

Several trees later, she let Crescent Rose fall to the ground. Her breaths came deep and ragged; how did Ruby have such low endurance? She barely ever fought, and she could have gone longer than this easily!

Something growled behind her, and she froze.

The Ursa Major slunk into the clearing she had made with cunning malevolence. Cold sweat broke out across Cinder's forehead – for a moment, it was as if she had been transported back to the Grimmlands. Salem, Salem's found me! I lost the maiden powers, I've been weak, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm-

No.

She knows nothing. You can take down a fucking Ursa.

Picking Crescent back up, Cinder gritted her teeth and ignored the blossoming pain in her shoulder and the sheer exhaustion she felt both mentally and physically. She stalked forwards as the massive Grimm charged her with a furious bellow. Bringing the scythe up, she took a wild swing at its head. Her muscles screamed at her as she bashed the blunt side of the blade into its head.

The Ursa staggered back and reared up onto its hind legs. Panting, she stood her ground and readied herself for another swipe. This one came from the side – she had no choice but to bring Crescent up into a two-handed block. Spinning out of the way, she slashed her blade down the Ursa's foreleg, not looking up to see its hindleg spin around and knock Crescent Rose away into the woods.

Blind fury filled Cinder, every ounce of her being, rising through her as she staggered away from the Grimm. Shrieking in outrage, she threw her arms to the side and cast her head back. Reaching deep inside, she reached for the fire to execute her most powerful attack, ready to blast the punitive Grimm of the face of Remnant only to come up empty.

Ruby Rose wasn't the Fall Maiden. Cinder Fall was, and she couldn't be Cinder Fall anymore if she wanted to survive.

Claws ripped into Cinder's body, flinging her back against a tree. Her aura shattered as she fell to her knees, blood trickling from her head as she stared up at the Ursa. So this is how it ends. I knew this was just a nightmare. This is probably my punishment for failing to get the relic.

Knowing Salem, this is going to fucking hurt.

Defiantly, she stared up at the Ursa, accepting her fate as it reared back to crush her. Suddenly, a blur of white shot from the trees. The Grimm didn't have a chance to cry out in pain before a round of dust exploded into its skull. The hulking form evaporated into a cloud of black smoke, and Cinder's savior fell to the ground with a dignified twirl.

Hesitantly, Cinder looked up. In a moment that would define the rest of her life, she met Weiss Schnee's icy blue eyes.


[A/N] And now in chapter three of Cinder Freaks Out (tm):

Blake awakens Jaune's aura in this chapter - I'm of the opinion that the awakening ritual is culture-specific, so I reworked the one Blake uses to be more specific to Menagerie.

The support on this story has been crazy! I love all of you amazing reviewers, and remember that I always appreciate any sort of concrit you guys have for me – be it stylistic, grammatical, plot-wise or character-wise, anything helps. Keep it up and thank you!

Signing out, Allie