The ash was piled high like snow, a soft blanket covering the land. The skies above were filled with smoke and ash, the only light came from a massive hole in the cloud cover.
The silence here was palpable. There was no wind here, there were no animals, or Grimm, not even a single weed peaking through the ash. Everything here was dead, except for them.
"The silence here. Overwhelming isn't it? We could stand yards apart and hear each other's hearts beating. Do you know where we are Cinder?" Salem asked softly.
"No...I didn't even know a place like this existed." Cinder mumbled.
"That's because it only came into existence seven years ago. This crater. This was Atlas." Salem smiled as she looked out upon the immense crater.
Cinder's voice caught in her throat.
"Don't try to speak child. Just take it in. Listen closely….you can still hear their screams...you can still feel their souls, trapped by this beautiful wasteland." Salem closed her eyes.
Cinder remained silent, and that's when she realized she could hear what sounded like wind. It wasn't wind though, it was extremely faint screams of panic and fear, people of all ages begging to be saved.
"Soon, we will make the rest of the pitiful creatures of this world ashe-" She paused as she heard a small sniffle behind her. She turned and looked at Cinder. "Cinder?"
Cinder's eyes had filled with tears. "I didn't want this." She mumbled.
"I thought you wanted power?" Salem said as she turned to Cinder.
"Not like this. Not like this." Cinder said as tears ran down her cheeks.
"Cinder." Salem reached out to Cinder.
"Stay away from me!" Cinder screamed as she fired a blast of fire at Salem, who reflected the attack back at her.
Cinder's eyes widened just as the blaze consumed the left side of her face.
Cinder's shrieks of agony filled the air as she fell back.
"Cinder! Are you alright?" Salem asked as she approached her apprentice.
"Get the hell away from me." Cinder hissed as she curled into a ball, her hands covering her face.
"Cind-" Salem began to say before sighing. "Very well. It seems I was mistaken. You don't want power, you're like the rest of mankind. A shame really, that I wasted so much time on you." Salem said, a hint of sorrow in her icy voice. "Goodbye Cinder." Salem said as a portal opened behind her. She turned to leave, just as Cinder fired another blast at her. Salem groaned and sent the blast right back, not even bothering to inspect the damage as Cinder's shriek of agony died out to a sort of choking sound.
Cinder's throat was seared along with her shoulder, ash clinging to the open wounds. Tears streamed from her one good eye as she began crawling into the woods, her trail vanishing as ash blanketed it.
She was alone now.
The next day, across the globe.
Ruby and Blake had officially wed the day before, and already they sadly had to say goodbye.
"Thank's dad." Ruby said as she hugged Qrow.
"Hey, no problem kiddo, I'm happy we could make it." He chuckled.
"And...Winter." Ruby said as she turned to Winter. "Mom. Thank you for not killing him for being himself."
The two giggled. "Of course Ruby, I can't kill him till the kids move out." She chuckled.
"I'm right here you know." Qrow grumbled.
"We know." Winter and Ruby said before giggling again.
"Anyways, sorry we have to go so soon kiddo, and I hope it's no trouble that the kids stay behind." Qrow said.
"Oh no, no trouble dad, you know I love having them around." Ruby giggled before she was picked up by Blake.
"It's a shame you can't stay any longer." Blake said softly.
"Well, duty calls." Qrow shrugged.
"We'll be sure to come back in a couple days alright?" Winter asked.
"Oh, take all the time you need, we've got this handled." Blake assured them.
"Anyways, love you kiddo, we'll talk when we can." Qrow said as he ruffled Ruby's hair before heading inside the shuttle.
"Good luck you two." Winter said before following him.
That day. 11:31 PM, Atlas.
The shuttle door's opened with a dull hiss, as Qrow and Winter walked out, talking about who know's what.
Qrow had been smiling until he saw something familiar.
The glint of a tiny shard of an energy crystal twinkled between several fuel canisters.
He grabbed Winter and in one swift motion he threw her away from the shuttle.
Half a second later, time seemed to slow as he felt intense heat engulf his back, quickly crawling over his skin, before consuming him whole.
Winter felt her heart sink as she watched him, and the shuttle drown in a sea of flames.
She landed hard and rolled to her feet, rushing towards the flames, to see Qrow limp out of the fire and smirk. "I'm alri-" His eye's seemed to bulge, as a single point on his chest seemed to explode or even pop.
Moments later, a familiar face launched itself through the flames. Tyrian.
He grabbed Qrow by the shoulders, spinning him around.
"Tyr-" Before Qrow could finish, a mechanical stinger erupted through his back.
"Don't worry old man, I'll be paying your brat a visit soon enough." Tyrian whispered to Qrow before dropping him, letting him fall to the ground.
Winter shrieked in fury and flew towards Tyrian.
Another explosion engulfed her, followed by a cacophony of weapons.
Several people in Atlesian uniforms with strange weapons had begun to unload on her.
All he could do was watch as her aura flickered, and then shattered.
"Cease fire." A man yelled as he stepped forth.
The man's face was adorned by a bushy mustache, and he wore a strange coat.
"Well done everyone. Salem will be pleased to see we've eradicated her thorns." Watts said with a chuckle.
Winter fell to her knees.
"I know you're still awake Qrow, so I want you to know, I will enjoy every part of this." Watts said softly as he approached Winter. He slid a handgun from his inner pocket and pressed the muzzle to her stomach.
Qrow coughed up a glob of blood as he struggled. "Don't you dare!" He growled.
Watts squeezed the trigger and Winter screamed in pain.
"No!" Qrow roared as he started to drag himself towards her.
"Whoops. Finger slipped. This time it won't be an accident." Watts smirked before squeezing the trigger again.
Winter yelped and doubled over, her dress turning crimson as her blood rolled down her skin.
"Please!" Qrow screamed as tears began rolling down his cheeks.
"Please? Please….shoot her again?" Watts chuckled and fired again.
Winter spat up a glob of blood.
"Please stop! Just kill me! Don't do this. Please." Qrow begged.
"As much as this tugs at the heart strings. No can do. Tyrion, if you'd please?" Watts asked as he stepped away.
Tyrion smirked and raised his tail. He wrapped it around her throat and hung her in the air.
She started to struggle violently as she clawed at his robotic appendage.
Qrow grabbed Tyrion's boot. "Tyrion. Please. Don't." Qrow said softly.
Tyrion threw his head back and started cackling like a mad man as he squeezed tighter.
Winter's eyes bulged as she felt her trachea slowly being crushed.
Qrow screamed and stood, punching Tyrion, who in turn kicked him to the ground. "Say goodbye to your whore." Tyrion cackled before he twisted his tail.
Qrow screamed furiously as he watched Winter's lifeless body fall to the ground.
He again started dragging himself to her, but a blade went through his spine, pinning him in place.
He reached out for her, just barely out of reach.
His vision, already cloudy with tears, slowly faded into black.
After what felt to be an eternity his lifeless body went limp.
"Call Salem. Tell her the jobs done." Watts said to Hazel.
"Oh no need." A woman's voice said from seemingly nowhere.
They spun around to see Salem stepping out of a portal.
"You've done well Watts. All of you. Consider yourselves rich." She smirked.
All but Tyrion began cheering. He seemed to be deep in thought.
After a few minutes he approached Salem, and bowed. "My lady, I'd like to request not to be payed in money….but a chance to serve you."
"Oh? Why is that my dear Tyrion?" She asked softly.
"I want revenge. Against Branwen's daughter."
"Ah yes….the one who took your tail. Very well. Come with me." She said softly as she turned and walked through the portal.
"Tyrion, what the hell are you doing?" Watts asked.
"Getting my revenge." Tyrion said grimly before following Salem.
The portal shut behind him, leaving the others.
"Boss." Hazel said.
"What is it?" Watts turned.
"She lied." Hazel's voice was soft and filled with fear.
Watts's eyes widened as he saw Hazel lift a red and orange crystal from the ground, a timer counting down to "10 seconds" attached to it.
"That fucking bitch." Watts mumbled.
Seconds later, Beacon's south end was engulfed in a massive explosion. Moments after, a massive swarm of Grimm poured into the school, filling the night with the screams of the dead.
Sorry this took so long to get out, had finals recently and I'm busy with work. Hope you enjoyed this, don't worry, this story isn't finished yet, we still have like four or five chapters to go before the last one, so hope you stick around for it. Love you all, adios.
