Finally, you'll find out the truth about the curse, but whether or not it does them any good is yet to be seen.
WARNINGS for physical/mental/psychological abuse.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Chapter 9. The Promise
Weiss had no breath left in her body.
Many times before, events had transpired within this mansion to steal her breath, often enough where it really wasn't that much of a surprise anymore.
But nothing in all those nearly ten years had ever been as bad as this.
Weightless and numb, she was scrambling to grasp the situation before her that seemed so far beyond comprehension now.
Her eyes couldn't tear themselves away from Blake's, the grip on her rapier slackening almost to the point of dropping it. Her hands shook as though from extreme cold, and her knees were no better. But there was nothing to support her here in the middle of the frigid basement.
Blake was crumpled in pain before her, screaming and bleeding where Cinder had burned her ears.
And now the words were sinking in.
Her task was to...
"M...Mother..." she rasped against the woman's grip on her face. "Wh-What do you...?"
Cinder's nails dug into her cheeks lightly before releasing her chin. The woman stepped slowly, a tantalizing pace as opposed to the overdrive Weiss' heart was presently suffering from.
Cinder paused just a few feet in front of the girl, eyes burning and yet simultaneously cold – uncaring. She had never empathized with her daughter's pain, and she certainly wasn't about to start now.
She turned her merciless gaze upon the Faunus, then back to the other.
"Haven't I made myself clear?" she asked. "You're to kill your beloved pet, my child."
Her words only confirmed Weiss' fears, and the girl staggered a step back. She watched Cinder smile, her voice firm but also amused as she went on.
"Oh, come now, darling. I'll have you know this is a fairly common practice. It's quite popular in the military. The commanders will give each new cadet a pup, and for the next decade's worth of training, each solider will grow up alongside their precious mutts. They become best friends, loyal and beloved to one another. Those dogs jump at every chance to serve their masters. They go through everything together..."
She paused, her gaze dragging back down to Blake.
"And then... on the last day of their training, those soldiers are presented with one final task..."
Her heels clicked across the cold stone as she neared Blake.
"To kill their beloved doggies. Put a bullet right through their heads like the animals they are. It proves the soldier's worth, loyalty, and purpose. And that is exactly what I want to see from you, dear."
Cinder whipped around, eyes narrow and unforgiving as she raised her voice at her little white solider.
"You're going to kill her, and I'm going to watch you do it, child."
Reaching down, she grabbed Blake's shoulders with both hands and threw her forward.
Weiss let out a short scream as she was forced to watch the one she loved treated with such violence.
Blake hissed in agony as her palms and knees scraped against the stone, the tattered fur of her ears still matted with blood.
Cinder laughed and continued her discourse.
"I gave you those girls the last time because they were human. If you can kill humans, then you'll have no problem in killing trash like the Faunus. They are beneath us. They are nothing."
Still, Weiss couldn't move. She didn't dare budge so much as an inch, lest her body act on instinct and do Cinder's bidding without the consent of her mind.
She could only look at Blake, the Faunus girl's shaken golden gaze lifting up to meet hers.
In a vain effort to preserve her life, Blake coughed and addressed the witch.
"And what of my task?" she wheezed. "It was my duty to dispose of the corpses once she'd killed them. I can't do anything if I'm dead."
Cinder laughed even louder.
"You pathetic cur!" she snapped, reaching down to pull at her ears again. "You are useless to me and to her! I'll dispose of the bodies myself and I'll take great pleasure in doing so. She'll kill every last dirty animal in town for me once I lure them here. Because she cannot oppose me."
Blake slowly moved her hands away from her abused ears, lifting herself up onto her knees in an effort to stand.
"She won't obey you. Not anymore," she hissed.
"Oh?" Cinder mused. "And why is that?"
"Because-"
"Because she loves you?" the witch guessed.
Blake said nothing, but merely stood once more.
But Cinder sent a swift kick to the backs of her knees, a force so powerful that Blake was quickly colliding with the ground once more. The witch stepped on her hair, dragging her foot until the strands ripped. Blake howled in agony, and Weiss covered her ears.
Cinder's laugh filled the room once more.
"A cat with a sense of humor!" she cackled. "Now there's a sight to behold!"
Kneeling down, she grabbed a handful of Blake's hair and yanked her head back, glaring down into her watering eyes.
"You imbecile. Don't you understand? It doesn't matter if she loves you. She can't disobey me unless she'd rather have her body attack itself. Do you mean to tell me she loves you so much that she'd let herself die for you, pet?"
She didn't wait for an answer, but merely threw Blake back down. The Faunus girl just barely managed to save herself from a concussion as she put her arms out to cushion the fall, leaving her elbows streaked with blood now.
The witch was stalking back toward Weiss again, and Blake leaned heavily against the nearest wall, standing as best she could.
Weiss still hadn't moved. The rapier in her hand had its tip on the stone floor, and that seemed to be supporting her more than her own two legs were.
Cinder's hips swayed, the cloak fluttering out behind her in a crimson carpet of a shadow as she reached the girl.
"Is it true, my dear?" she asked, feigning hurt. "Do you truly love your pet even more than you fear your mother?"
Weiss managed to tear her eyes away from Blake for a moment, directing them to blazing amber instead of gold.
The words she spoke next were as good as an assisted suicide request:
"You're not my mother."
For a few seconds, only the hollow howl of the air filled the basement.
Blake gasped aloud when she heard Weiss' words; she had more or less just spat in the witch's face.
Blake was unspeakably proud of her for that.
But not a second later, that pride turned to a crushing trepidation.
The witch's lips lost the curve of that wicked smile, and within a split second, she lunged at the girl. The rapier clattered to the floor as Cinder pinned her against the wall, both hands pressed forcefully against her throat.
Weiss could feel the nails digging into her skin, drawing blood forth. The little remaining breath was stolen from her body, crushed from her lungs and shoved violently from her windpipe - a cygnet in the jaws of a panther.
Furious and terrified, Blake screamed and rushed toward them.
"No-!"
"Silence!"
Cinder whipped around just as the Faunus girl neared. She released Weiss' throat with one hand only to strike Blake with it, sending the Faunus reeling backward with three long scratches appearing on her cheek.
Blake staggered back, her vision swirling as the world heaved around her, ears ringing. She could only watch helplessly as the witch pressed her full weight against Weiss.
The girl's eyes were squeezed shut in sheer agony, her mouth agape for breath that wouldn't come.
And then, Blake watched as the witch's body slowly started to pull away, though her bitter expression told that she didn't want to.
It was by no will of her own that Cinder released the girl, and Weiss dropped to the floor, gagging and coughing desperately for air.
Blake trembled as she witnessed the ordeal that had left Weiss just barely clinging to life.
Cinder snorted, eyes scorning the girl at her feet.
"You see? I cannot kill. I can only go so far before I'm forced away. I could crush the breath from your lungs repeatedly for years on end and never kill you. Is that what you want, my dear? Because I think it would be much less painful for you to simply do as I ask. All you've got to do is accomplish what I cannot. Kill the Faunus, and keep your breath. That sounds like a fair trade, does it not?"
Blake's ears were still pained and pinned flat against her scalp, more so due to Weiss' clipped, shallow breathing now rather than the burns inflicted upon them by Cinder.
Blake took a step forward to reach for the girl, but the witch shoved her back.
"Don't touch her!" the woman snarled. "You've done quite enough of that over the years, sharing her every conscious and unconscious second! She's mine and she'll do as I say, do you hear me?" She turned her gaze back down to the breathless girl. "Get up," she ordered.
Despite her panic, Weiss heard the command. She feared being choked again, feared what her own body would do to itself is she disobeyed Cinder a second time.
Pushing against the floor, she struggled to find her footing.
Blake watched in horrified silence.
The witch picked up the rapier and placed the hilt back into her daughter's hand.
"Now," she said. "I believe I've ordered you to kill that Faunus. Do it, girl. Or..." The wicked smile returned, her voice eerily suave. "Of course there's always the option of trying to kill me with it instead. Oh, but if you did, that would be a terrible act of disobeying me. I should like to believe your body would react rather nastily to such a deed. You'd wither slowly, vomit until there was blood pouring out. Your heart would give and you'd convulse in agonizing pain until it was all finally over. And then you'd never be able to be with your pet again."
Her eyes flashed to Blake. "And then your pet could be free of us forever. Or maybe she'd kill herself so she could be with you. How sweet. I hope you're both willing to take the risk. Do you truly trust death to be so kind as to reunite the two of you?"
Blake felt another swell of nausea work its way up, and she needed to look away.
Weiss, too, was starting to feel ill. She could either kill Blake and continue to slaughter innocent Faunus from this day forward, or disobey Cinder here and now and let herself fall victim to her curse.
Either option would bring her immense pain, and at least one - if not both - would ultimately end in someone's death.
Still, Cinder continued with her words, toying with the two girls like a cat with wounded mice.
"Unless of course, you'd like to change things up a bit. The animal could take the sword from you and try to kill me. But either way, my poor daughter wouldn't be able to bear the sight of me dead. She'd perish shortly afterward."
Her eyes had gone back to Blake's. "Or you could even turn the blade upon her, defend yourself and kill the one you love. Wouldn't that be something to see? I must say, if you'd like to try it, I certainly wouldn't be opposed. I put a lot of work into raising this child to do my bidding, but if she can't kill, then she is useless to me. Either the cur can kill her or I'll do it myself."
At last, Cinder took a step back, letting the girls lock eyes once again.
"The way I see it," she hummed. "There can be as many as three deaths here today, or as few as one. That is up to you two to decide."
Silence soon weighed down the cold, dark basement once again, swallowing its occupants.
Blake's gaze covered the distance between Weiss and herself, trying to meet her eyes.
But Weiss seemed to be looking through her.
There was still pain shooting through Blake's Faunus ears, but she heard the girl's whimper clearly.
"I don't... want to..." she gasped.
The words gave Blake a small shred of hope somehow.
But when Weiss moved, her hand was still holding that rapier.
"I don't want to..." she said again. "But..."
"H-Hey..." Blake tried to sound reassuring about all of this, but the waver in her voice said far more than words ever could. "You... wouldn't do this. You're not a murderer."
She heard a scoff from Cinder, but the witch didn't interfere. Blake knew she was enjoying herself much more by being a spectator.
So she opted to ignore the woman for now, her eyes only on Weiss.
"You don't have to do this," Blake murmured.
"No..." Weiss' voice was a thin breath of air, still heightened with panic from the near-death experience she'd just suffered. "Blake... I don't know... I-I don't know of any other way..."
Her voice tapered off as she took a step forward, the tip of the rapier scraping the stone floor in the process. "M-Maybe... it's better this way. You can be free... from all of this... from me... You won't have to feel pain anymore."
Blake took a step back for every one Weiss advanced.
"But you will!" she shouted. "You'll still have to feel pain, and I won't be there to help you anymore if you kill me here!"
"Isn't that better?!" Weiss screamed. "I don't care if there's more pain in store for me! I deserve it after all of this! But you don't! And if this is only way I can free you, then so be it!"
She lifted the rapier swiftly, holding it tightly and aiming it with skill she'd never been taught before, but that was somehow present anyway.
Then, with a short, tormented scream, she charged with incredible speed.
Blake moved on instinct and dodged, though even if she hadn't, she wasn't able to assess whether Weiss would've hit her or not.
The white-haired girl stumbled, her shoulder bumping against the wall where Blake had stood just seconds before. Panting with effort, those two crystal blue eyes looked up past frazzled bangs.
Blake froze at the sight of them, piercing and yet awfully dull somehow.
Weiss squared her shoulders and prepared for the next attack, and two words fell from her lips.
"I'm sorry..."
Blake didn't know if the apology stemmed from Weiss' guilt for trying to kill her at all, or regret that she was still going to try again.
Either way, Blake had few options.
She could try to disarm Weiss, or keep dodging until one of them got too exhausted to carry on.
Or she could die here by Weiss' hand.
Playing tag in front of the witch didn't seem like the better option here; surely Cinder would interfere soon enough and hold Blake down so Weiss could finish her off.
And if she tried to disarm and fight Weiss, Blake knew she could end up hurting her.
So that left her with only one option.
Her eyes never left the other girl's.
Weiss looked up at her, her own gaze silently screaming about years of torture, hopelessness, and fear. Her cheeks were already wet, and there were red impressions left on her neck from when Cinder had strangled her earlier.
She'd suffered enough pain.
Weiss let out another sob, then aligned the tip of the blade with Blake's chest and shot forward.
But Blake didn't budge.
Not this time.
If this was Weiss' decision, she would gladly accept it.
Even if it meant she couldn't fulfill her promise...
If this was what was better for Weiss, if this was what was less painful for her...
Blake closed her eyes and opened her arms, welcoming the fatal blow.
She trusted Weiss with this grave decision, and if Blake had to choose one person she'd rather have take her life...
She wouldn't have it any other way.
A lot of things reached Blake's ears in that next spilt second:
Weiss' scream-
The rush of air-
Cinder's laugh...
And then there was a small, sharp pressure on Blake's chest, gathered at the center of her collar, preparing to push through and drive her back against the wall until she was impaled through.
But it never pressed any further than the surface material of her purple bandana.
There was a sob, then a familiar clattering sound as the pressure disappeared.
"Never..." Weiss sobbed. "I could never..."
And then, Blake felt a soft, familiar warmth spreading throughout her body.
Opening her eyes soon confirmed her assumptions as to what had transpired.
Weiss threw herself at Blake, looping her arms around the Faunus girl's shoulders, burying her face in the side of her neck. She wept freely there, clinging desperately to her as she wailed apologies.
"I'm sorry! Blake, I-I didn't mean to..."
Blake didn't need to hear or see any more. Her arms were already around Weiss' back, keeping her close.
"I know you didn't mean to..." she soothed. "It's okay. Shh..."
Weiss shuddered violently in her arms.
"I love you-" she gasped. "B-Blake, I love you a-and I don't know what to-"
Her fragile words were cut off by an enraged screech, a furious, wrathful voice that made both girls' hearts stop.
"Little wretch!"
With speed that bested a swooping bat, Cinder darted across the room.
Blake only just barely managed to take a step back in an effort to pull Weiss away from her, hissing defiantly at the witch in the process.
But Cinder didn't care about her right now.
For the raging witch, it was a simple task to grab the back of Blake's shirt in one hand and the back of Weiss' dress in the other and tear them apart.
There was only a second's worth of focus on Blake as she felt a searing hand on her chest. Cinder gave a mighty shove, sending the Faunus girl spiraling back, her head colliding with the wall.
A withering yelp pierced the air, but Blake couldn't save herself. She slumped back against the wall and fell to her knees, a concussive throbbing repeatedly slamming against her skull and the space behind her eyes. She moaned in agony, clutching her head and ears, that awful heat still lingering on her chest.
But even despite her pain, she couldn't ignore what she heard next.
Weiss screamed as Cinder thrust her against the far wall of the basement, holding her by the throat so that her shoes dangled off the ground. Her hands clutched desperately at the witch's arms, but there was no strength in them at all.
From where she was, Blake had the perfect angle to see Weiss' agonized expression, her mouth agape in a silent scream, legs thrashing for dear life.
Cinder's baleful shout echoed loudly enough to make the mansion shake.
"You've disobeyed me!" she snarled. "I'll make sure this is the last time!"
Her grasp tightened around the girl's throat, and if she could have, she would've liked to snap her neck.
Blake tried to scream, if only to divert the witch's attention for a second, but it never worked.
So she started crawling, dragging herself across the cold floor, its temperature a small relief to the stifling heat in her chest. She scrambled to her hands and knees, pushed herself up to her feet, but only managed a few steps before collapsing once more.
She was only a few feet away from Cinder's cloaked back now, but the closeness only served to let her see the suffering being inflicted on Weiss all the more clearly.
Weiss felt like a rag doll, nothing more than an object for Cinder to continue abusing willingly now after so many years of similar treatment.
There was nothing solid beneath her shoes, her entire body suspended by Cinder's constricting hands. The wall her back was crushed against emitted a faint coolness, but Weiss' chest was on fire.
As Cinder's nails dug into her skin, they burned with Dust, sending more fire into Weiss' bloodstream to attack her heart. She struggled as much as her body could manage, but nothing she did had any effect.
When Cinder finally did step back and pull away, it was of no volition of her own. She truly wanted to kill the girl, but her own curse forbade her from doing so.
However, she knew the girl's body would simply kill itself before long, and she wanted to help speed up that process.
She wanted to watch.
As Cinder's grip loosened, Weiss slumped to the floor, hacking painfully as her head collided with stone. There was a dull throbbing throughout her entire body, sore and burning.
But the heat in her chest was the worst, raging invisible flames that only she could feel. Her blood was red lava, searing her from the inside out, head to toe. Her body convulsed in spasms, jerking as her chest heaved for air that wouldn't come.
Blake watched in horror, screaming incoherently all the while.
But Cinder only smiled.
She loomed over the girl she'd once treated as her own flesh and blood, now spitting vile curses at her.
"You wretched girl," she snapped. "You've disobeyed me. You are of no use to me any longer. Even after all these years I put into you, you're not worth my time anymore. You've made Mother very angry."
Her words set off every red flag in Weiss' mind, her body triggered by the thought of upsetting Cinder. A new wave of pain fired through her body, and her heart started to pound with a rapid, aching beat.
Cinder laughed again.
"Perhaps I can't kill you myself, but at the very least I can help prolong your suffering until your precious little heart gives out of its own accord."
Reaching down, she picked the girl up by the throat once more, and squeezed.
Blake was unspeakably horrified, nauseated by what she was seeing, enough to have to turn her face to one side. She wanted to be ill, but there was nothing left in her system to vomit.
Weiss...
Cinder was killing her.
She was going to keep strangling her and insulting her again and again until Weiss' heart gave out.
Weiss was dying.
Right this very second, she was being murdered just a few feet away.
And Blake was doing nothing about it.
She jolted and returned her gaze to the horrific scene at the sound of another thud.
Cinder had dropped her again, and Weiss had stopped coughing now. Eyes closed, body limp, there wasn't much air passing through her lips anymore - if any.
Every other second, her body would convulse, feeble, broken sounds slipping from her lips. Her dress had been ruffled enough to reveal the mark on her chest, and Blake could see it was pulsing red.
She'd held Weiss through similar pain many times before.
She knew it was burning Weiss from the inside.
She knew Weiss' heart was straining to dangerous levels right now.
She knew Weiss couldn't take any more of this.
Cinder reached down again, crimson nails grabbing at Weiss' throat.
"This will be the last time," she said. "The last time you disobey me. And the last time you draw breath. I'll make sure of it."
She stood the girl up despite her limpness, locked her fingers around her bleeding neck, and squeezed-
"S-Stop!"
Cinder paused, relinquishing her grip for a mere second as she turned her face to the source of the noise.
"Silence, you cur!" she growled. "You'll be next. I may not be able to kill you with my own two hands, but at the very least I can lock you down here and wait until you starve."
"Humph... you wish..." she rasped.
Cinder snorted.
"What was that?"
Blake flashed her glance back to Weiss. The girl's chest was barely moving anymore, but the X-shaped mark on her chest continued to pulse rapidly. Her heart was still beating, but it was at unnaturally high speeds that likely wouldn't persist for very much longer.
Blake swallowed and forced her gaze back to Cinder's.
"You can't keep us here any longer," she said, pushing herself to her knees, ignoring the pain to the best of her abilities.
"Oh, really?" the witch mused. "And why is that, pet?"
Blake paused for a moment. She still wasn't sure if she was right about this, and risking it being wrong meant she'd have to watch Weiss die right here before her eyes.
But it was all she had left.
"Because..." she growled. "Because we know how to break the curse."
For a moment, the only sounds in the cold, unforgiving room were Weiss' pitiful breaths.
But those were soon cut short by a maniacal laugh.
"The curse?" Cinder sneered. "You think you can break the curse? That's exquisite, indeed." She gave another laugh, and without warning started to choke the girl before her once again.
"No!" Blake yelled.
Weiss gave a meek cough as she was denied oxygen once again.
She truly couldn't take this anymore...
It hurt.
It hurt so badly.
She couldn't breathe, couldn't think.
Her blood was on fire, her heart was exploding, the panic was overtaking her completely.
She knew she was going to die.
And at least... this way Blake had the chance of getting out.
Weiss decided this was the best possible outcome after all.
She'd accept this.
So she stopped fighting Cinder, stopped struggling, stopped trying to draw breath.
She let go of it all...
Blake had been glaring Cinder down when it happened. From the corner of her eye, she saw Weiss go limp, her head rolling helplessly to one side.
Cinder felt the change as well, sneering once more as she loosened her grip on the girl's neck.
"It seems she's on her way out," she stated.
With that, the witch released the girl's body.
Blake immediately jumped forward, her legs scraping against the stone floor as her arms reached out. She caught Weiss in her arms softly, cradling her in her lap. She turned her over until she could see Weiss' tear-soaked face.
The wet trails ran all the way down to her abused neck and collar, and Blake could instantly feel a terrible heat wafting from her. There was a stream of golden steam rising from the mark on her chest.
With a whimper, Blake placed her hand over Weiss' heart.
And there was... nothing there.
There was heat, tears, blood, but nothing more.
No movement.
No rhythm.
No pulse.
"No..." she whispered. "No, no, no, d-don't do this to me- NO!" she screamed.
Desperately, she leaned forward, pressing her lips against Weiss' and pushing a breath of air into her lungs. Her ears were folded tightly against her scalp, but she still heard Cinder's cackling loud and clear.
"Go ahead, pet!" she howled. "Break the curse! Be my guest!"
Past the sounds of echoing laughter, Blake was certain Cinder wasn't able to hear her words. She kept her voice in a pleading whisper as she kissed another breath into Weiss' mouth.
"Weiss..." she murmured. "Weiss, please... don't go. Don't leave me. I need you..."
Her tears were spilling over already, seeping into Weiss' dress and running down the other girl's cheeks. Blake continued kissing her, pausing only briefly to press an ear to her chest.
Every time, she heard nothing.
"Weiss..." she whispered. "Weiss, please..."
Her free hand caressed the girl's silken hair, then the cuts around her throat. Blake shared her aura enough to close the smaller wounds, but there was little she could do for the scorching heat on Weiss' skin. She kissed the white-haired girl again, transferring as much air as she could.
"Don't go..." she begged. "I... I love you, Weiss... please..."
But Blake soon found she couldn't go on. Her own breath was cut short by the assaulting sobs, and her eyes couldn't stay open any longer.
She kissed Weiss' lips one final time, then laid her head over the girl's motionless chest and wept.
She didn't care if Cinder took that rapier and stabbed it through her now. There wasn't much left to live for at this point.
Blake had failed.
Failed Weiss, failed her promise.
She didn't deserve to go back home.
She didn't deserve to live.
Not without Weiss.
So she cried, not knowing where Cinder had gone or what she was doing. She only cared about the girl in her arms, the girl she'd fallen in love with-
-the girl she'd failed to protect and keep her promise to.
"I'm so sorry..." she gasped. "I'm so, so sorry..."
And then, her ear twitched. It flicked of its own accord, picking up on a tiny sound.
It was weak – impossibly faint – but it was there.
A slow, feeble beat.
Blake silenced herself as best she could, focusing on the sound, ensuring it was real.
Then, with inhuman speed, she straightened her posture enough to kiss Weiss again, breathing into her lungs.
Come on! she cried in thought. Weiss...!
"Ah-!"
A gasp of pain had Weiss flipping onto her side, her body twisting as she curled in on herself. Blake cried out in sheer relief, arms quickly going around the girl's back and chest to hold her in place.
"It's okay!" she whimpered. "Easy..."
Weiss could still feel a suffocating pressure around her neck, and a heat to match filling her body. But she soon realized that Cinder's hands weren't around her neck anymore.
In place of digging nails and tightened fingers were soft, gentle strokes.
Her eyelids fluttered open, struggling to keep themselves up.
Blake was there, and for a moment, she thought they were somewhere else, someplace kinder...
Weiss' head was cushioned in her lap, and there were tears on her cheeks that weren't her own. She could feel the hand on her neck, channeling a cool flow of aura onto her sore throat, the other hand combing carefully through her bangs.
And those eyes...
Those captivating golden eyes...
This could only mean one thing.
"B-Blake...?"
"Oh, thank god..."
Blake curled herself over Weiss and hugged her loosely, as best she could from this position. She needed a moment to convince herself that this was real and not just some hoax of her mind.
Weiss was trembling where she lay, still painfully short on breath.
Blake rubbed her palm in slow circles over the girl's chest to calm her. She just needed to make sure Weiss could breathe again, make sure her heart was really still beating-
"Oh, spare me."
That wicked voice spoke again, alerting Blake to the fact that Cinder was still down here with them. The Faunus girl straightened up, casting her gaze around until she spotted her, merged with the shadows.
Cinder had gathered the rapier and presently took a step forward with it.
Blake hissed a warning, pulling Weiss closer to her in defiance.
She knew Cinder couldn't kill them, but she could certainly cause them immense pain.
She's just demonstrated as much with Weiss.
Cinder had ignored Blake's warning and continued to advance.
Blake's fury exploded in words.
"Get away! DON'T TOUCH HER!" she roared.
She could already feel Weiss' pulse starting to fluctuate again, fearful in the face of Cinder's wrath. Blake drew her closer still, her lip curled into a snarl as Cinder approached.
But the witch didn't appear to be angry – or at least, not as angry as she had been before. There was impatience in her eyes, as though she were just trying to get rid of a few pesky insects that refused to perish.
She stopped a few feet away from them, dropping the rapier to the floor.
"Shut your mouth, you beast," she grunted. "I'll do whatever I please with her. Who are you to stop me? If I so much as shout-" She intentionally raised her voice, filling it with vehemence.
Instantly, Blake heard Weiss shriek and felt her cringe in her arms.
Blake cursed under her breath, alarm shooting through her anew as she tried to hold Weiss down and slow her heart, rubbing gently. When Weiss had stilled a bit, Blake sent a look of sheer hatred up at the witch.
Cinder merely smiled.
"You see? I've trained her body well. I can have it kill her whenever I want it to. Of course, it would've been more fun to do it myself, but regrettably, that option is no longer available. What do you think, pet? Shall I continue to shout and curse her until her heart bursts from the panic? I'd like to see that."
Blake growled again, keeping her gaze locked on amber.
"Don't..."
"Oh, are you begging, you animal? Moments ago you shouted at me, and now you're begging? Truly pathetic. I should enjoy dragging this out for as long as possible. I've got plenty of time. Ten of your years is one of mine. I can always find a new specimen to do my work for me. I don't need that one any longer, I've decided."
Her eyes flashed to Weiss, and Blake did her best to shield the girl from view. She didn't even want this witch looking at her anymore.
"Listen, cur," Cinder went on. "I know what I'm going to do, but humor me. What do you suggest? If I like the idea, perhaps I'll consider it."
There were a million thoughts in Blake's head, but time wasn't on her side.
She could only think of one thing.
Her voice slipped out, firm with her decision.
"Take me instead."
She both felt it and heard it when Weiss gasped beneath her.
"No!" she wailed.
Blake curled her fingers over the girl's chest, begging her to be silent.
Cinder turned an interested gaze upon her.
"Oh? Now what's this? Elaborate."
Blake cleared her throat and continued.
"Surely... there's a way for you to transfer the curse." Her eyes flashed down to Weiss. "Free her, and take me instead."
"No!" Weiss shrieked again. "Blake, no!"
"Well now..." Cinder purred, her interest clearly piqued. "There's an idea I certainly hadn't considered. How amusing it would be to have a Faunus of my own killing her own kind under my command. Could you do that, pet? Do you really think you wouldn't mind killing all the ones I brought to you?
"You do realize I plan on bringing every Faunus in Vale here to be slaughtered, one by one. Which of course means I'd eventually drag in your own precious parents."
Blake's breath hitched, and her eyes wavered.
Cinder laughed again.
"You see? You can't do it, beast. This is a task for the superior race, a task only a human trained by myself could complete. You are useless to me. And so is she."
Cinder knelt down mere inches away, and Blake recoiled, snorting in disgust.
But the witch flicked a finger at her, and suddenly Blake's entire body went cold. Her hands froze at Weiss' collar, her legs rendered unable to move.
"Wh-What is this?" she demanded.
Cinder inched closer.
"Temporary paralysis. I don't want you interfering with my work anymore."
She reached one hand out towards Weiss.
Although she was restricted by whatever dark magic Cinder had cast upon her, Blake could still feel Weiss jolt in an effort to avoid that abusing hand.
Cinder scraped her nails against the side of Weiss' neck. Right where Blake's aura had just finished healing the wounds, Cinder remade them anew.
Weiss cried out again.
Blake tried to move, but her body was entirely frozen.
"NO!" she cursed. "Get your hands off of her!"
"I told you I'll do as I please," Cinder warned.
Her fingers danced over Weiss' collar, the Dust in her nails resonating with the Dust in the girl's dress, and Blake watched it flare golden again.
At the very least, Cinder wasn't choking her again, but judging by her tone, Blake could tell that what was to come would hardly be pleasant.
"Now then..." the witch hummed. "There was something you'd said before that caught my attention. Something about... breaking a curse? Now how did you plan on going about that? Do tell."
Her eyes were on her daughter's and they seemed to steal her breath even without the pressure of her hands on her throat.
Weiss flashed a scared look to Blake; the Faunus girl had spoken suspicions of how to potentially break the curse before, but she'd never specifically told Weiss what they were.
With imploring, desperate eyes, she asked Blake for help.
Blake ceased in her efforts to break the paralysis, her full attention focused on Weiss now.
"Think," she urged her. "Try to remember. What's the only thing I've given you that she never did? You-"
"Silence!"
With another flick of her unoccupied hand, Cinder cast a stream of purple mist directly at Blake's lips. Instantly, they were sealed together, preventing her from making another sound.
Weiss looked up at her in horror.
Blake was completely paralyzed now, save for her eyes. Weiss could still feel Blake's hands on her shoulders, but they were cold now.
The one at the base of her throat was hot.
Weiss winced as Cinder grabbed her by the dress and yanked her up, away from Blake's lap. Weiss knew Blake would've screamed if she could have.
Cinder forced her to sit up, until there were just inches between their faces. Weiss gasped and scrunched her nose at the stench of her breath, sharp and bitter.
"You can't break this curse," Cinder challenged. "You're worthless."
Weiss felt another harsh pang go through her heart at Cinder's rejection. Again, the panic seized her and she started to heave for breath.
It hurt immensely more now that Blake was unable to hold Weiss and tell her everything was going to be alright.
Weiss closed her eyes for a moment, trying to control herself. When she was able to open them again, she looked into the witch's gaze.
"Blake... she loves me..."
Cinder's nails dug deeper into the flesh of her shoulder, and the witch laughed again.
"Spare me!" she said again. "Love cannot break this curse, you little fool. She may love you, child, but so do I. Who was it that put food on your plate every day? Who was it that made you clothes and gave you water to drink? Who was it that gave you a bed to sleep in? Who was it that got you a pet of your own? Despite everything you may think, that is love, my dear. You can't deny it."
Weiss' eyes flashed back to Blake's stricken golden pools.
Cinder was right. As twisted and abusive and traumatic as it might've been, Weiss couldn't deny that there was a shred of love about it all. Deformed, perhaps, and meant only to trap her, but it was love nonetheless.
Blake's love was pure, warm, and gentle.
Blake's love might have been true, but even Cinder's hurtful display was a form of it to the slightest extent.
Weiss' heart pounded harder, and it hurt terribly, the ache having taken a constant residency within her chest. She was honestly surprised she hadn't grown numb to it by now.
She thought back on Blake's words before Cinder had forced the Faunus girl into silence.
Something Blake has given me... that Mother never has...
She raked her brain as best she could while her body continued to burn slowly beneath Cinder's touch. She couldn't think clearly like this – the pain was overriding all cognizant thought.
As she'd said, Cinder had given her clothes, food, a bed to sleep in, some form of affection, and even Blake herself.
What had Blake given Weiss that Cinder hadn't in all these years...?
Weiss simply started to mumble whatever came to mind.
"A... A chance at freedom..." she panted. "A-A reason to live..."
But with every failed guess, Cinder's nails dug deeper, drawing more blood.
Weiss' heart couldn't take this-
"A-Ah-!"
She threw herself forward, tearing Cinder's nails from her shoulder in the process. Her chest throbbed ferociously, her head spinning, vision black. She could hear Cinder laugh again - triumphant.
And she could feel Blake's gaze upon her, sorrowful and defeated.
Weiss had failed her.
Both hands clutched at her chest in a vain effort to slow her heart and douse the ravenous fire within.
Weiss could only manage to blink one eye open and find Blake's helpless gaze, her body still frozen in place. Weiss wanted to apologize.
"B-Blake... I'm-"
And then it hit her.
The one thing Blake had given her that Cinder never had.
She knew what is was.
Weiss refused to let herself die like this, not when she knew now how to put an end to all of this.
She forced herself to breathe - needy, gasping inhales and fast, heavy exhales.
Cinder was still laughing, kneeling in front of her now.
Weiss would put a stop to that.
To all of this.
She braced one of her palms on the stone floor, then pushed herself up, straightening her back, finding her words past the breathlessness that didn't relent.
"Y-You..." she gasped, giving her best glare at Cinder. "My... It's my..."
Cinder stopped her cackling for but a moment to hear the girl out.
"What now?" she chortled. "Speak up, girl! Tell Mother your last words so I may remember them in years to come."
"That..." Weiss panted. "You just... did it..."
Cinder's lips lost their upward curl.
"What now?" she growled.
Weiss took another deep breath, now letting her voice out steadily:
"My name."
This time, it was Cinder who froze.
Weiss held her gaze, feeling her own strength returning as Cinder's faded.
"You've only ever... called me those things. 'Darling', 'my child', 'my dear girl'. But not once... in all these years have you ever used my real name."
The witch's eyes grew wide, defiant and furious.
"Nonsense!" she snarled. "I needn't use your real name! You are my child, and I shall address you as such."
"Then what is my name?" Weiss challenged her. "You don't know it, do you? Because you took my memories! That man and that girl – they were my family! You replaced my thoughts of them with thoughts of you instead. You put your name into my head, but you never discovered what mine was!" she declared.
Her back straightened even more as she turned to look at the Faunus girl beside her.
"And Blake... Blake was always so careful all these years. She never once used my name in your presence, because she had an inkling. Even before she was fully aware of the curse you'd cast upon me, Blake always refrained from using my name in front of you. Because it's the only thing we had together that you didn't," she growled.
"I told Blake my name on the first day you brought her here... because I knew she had no idea how to address me. But you..." She directed her piercing blue eyes into Cinder's wavering ones.
"I thought you were my mother. I thought you knew, so I never felt the need to tell you. But in truth, you never knew, all this time. To you, I am nameless."
If Cinder's silence was any indication of her vexation, then Weiss knew she was correct in her declaration.
Her eyes scoured Cinder's, watching as the malicious fire of amber began to dwindle.
Until only one thing remained.
It was something Weiss had never seen in her eyes before, never thought possible in this woman, something Weiss herself had felt countless times before.
Fear.
"No..." Cinder hissed. "It can't be..."
Her voice grew despondent, detached and hollow as her gaze flicked to the ground. Her world suddenly froze, and whatever she'd once seemed to be in control of was now slipping away, piece by piece, shattering like shards of a mirror she couldn't hold in place any longer.
Weiss watched, flooded with a strange sense of calmness.
She wasn't scared anymore.
It was Cinder's turn to feel that.
Weiss moved herself a few inches away, closer toward Blake now.
As Cinder muttered curses to herself, her paralysis spell wore off on Blake, freeing the Faunus girl from her frozen state.
Blake's lips finally parted in a small sob, arms reaching out instantly to draw Weiss close to her. The white-haired girl was still trembling, her pulse still rampant.
But her eyes were unfaltering and confident, something Blake had never seen in her before to such an unmistakable degree.
For once, the same couldn't be said for Cinder.
Only a few feet away from them, the witch was mumbling more curses to herself, amber eyes flashing wildly about, wide and unfocused. Her crimson nails were alight with Dust, scraping haphazardly against the stone floor.
"No..." she whispered again.
Weiss glared a challenge at her.
"Then tell me," she demanded. "Tell me my name!"
"No!" Cinder howled. She shook her head like a beast gone mad, fingers reaching up to tear at her own scalp and hair. Again, her eyes went to Weiss, huddled in Blake's arms, and the witch crawled forward. She dragged her hands out and down Weiss' shoulders with a shriek.
"I must... I must know! Tell me what it is!"
The instant Cinder had come into contact with Weiss again, Blake growled and made an effort to swat her away.
But despite her enervation, Weiss offered a smile to the Faunus girl before giving her attention back to the witch.
"Never," she said levelly. "My name is only for Blake and myself to know. You may never have it."
"NO!" Cinder screamed loud enough to have Blake's ears folding back again, a steady stream of smoke coming from the woman's mouth. "Tell me, you wretched child! I command you!"
But Weiss didn't listen – not to her, not anymore. She grabbed the witch's wrists and threw them off her shoulders without a care in the world.
"Never," she said again. "I don't have to listen to you, Mother. I'm not afraid of you anymore."
It must have been a combination of Weiss' words and her actions of physically thrusting Cinder's hands away, but Blake watched in shock as the witch recoiled.
Weiss was absolutely right.
The key now was not to fear Cinder any longer.
So she straightened her posture, lifted her ears, and kept one hand on Weiss' back to demonstrate her support.
"This is it, witch," she uttered. "It's over."
With a massive amount of effort, Blake managed to push herself up to her feet, stumbling a bit as she bumped into the wall. Her head was still throbbing, and streaks of dried blood still matted her face, hair, and clothes from where Cinder had scratched her.
But all things considered, she was steady.
Because they were finally going to leave this awful place.
Cinder was still writhing with her head in her hands on the floor, but Weiss couldn't stand on her own. Blake hastily bent down to wrap her arms around the girl, keeping her steady and alleviating a bit of the weight burden until Weiss found her footing. The girl's heart was still hammering, but the tears had stopped, and despite all that had transpired here, she could finally breathe again.
Blake pulled one of the girl's arms across her own shoulders, holding tightly to Weiss' wrist to help keep her standing, her other hand sliding behind Weiss' back to her hip.
Once ready, the two girls locked gazes for a brief moment.
"Blake..." Weiss whispered. "Does this mean... what I think it does...?"
Blake couldn't help but smile as she nodded.
"Yes. It means... we can finally leave this place."
But the tranquil moment was interrupted by yet another scream.
"No!" Cinder yowled. "Don't you dare! You can't leave this place! You must stay and do my bidding!"
Both girls turned their gazes upon the witch. Shriveled, shrieking, and spastic, she was a shadow of her former self, an entirely different woman than the authoritative, predatory one they'd known for nearly a decade now.
The hunter had become the hunted, or so they say.
Blake felt a tug on her arm as Weiss bent down, and the Faunus cautiously dipped her torso to allow Weiss to do what she needed to. She picked up the fallen rapier with her free hand, her eyes still locked on the witch.
"Forgive me, Cinder," Weiss said.
And that word was what did it. The witch hearing her stolen daughter address her by anything other than 'Mother'.
Cinder screamed again, still crawling as she attempted to throw herself at the pair, nails outstretched and begging to dig into something.
But Blake was faster, and a swift side-step got both Weiss and herself out of harm's way.
As Cinder passed them, Weiss raised the rapier and took aim. She brought the blade down, piercing Cinder's crimson cloak, the tip then embedding itself into the stone floor. The witch was yanked backward, unable to move or free herself.
"Wretch!" she bellowed. "Release me at once!"
Her own hands were unable to pull the weapon free at the time; Cinder was too weakened now with her authority being ignored, and her curse was beginning to lose its power.
But Weiss looked down on her with steady blue eyes, gaining a new perspective over the witch that she'd never once known before.
"I'm sorry," she said.
And with that, she turned her back on Cinder.
Blake sent one last glare over her shoulder, but there was also a smugness to her expression.
She had plenty more she longed to say to this cretin who had kept Weiss and herself as prisoners for the past eight years of their lives. She had a plethora of curses she would've liked to utter upon the witch herself.
But for Weiss' sake, Blake said nothing and merely looked away from the crazed woman, heading toward the staircase.
There had been enough curses uttered here tonight to last a lifetime, enough words of hatred, enough pain. She refrained from using more of these things, because she didn't want them to be necessary anymore.
After so many years of abuse and trauma, she didn't want Weiss to have to hear those things anymore.
Cinder continued to howl and scream behind them, but as they bested the steps one by one, neither Weiss nor Blake ever looked back.
It was time for them to be free.
Together.
They stumbled up the final step, slipped out from behind the bookshelf, crossed the curtain-covered living area...
Then, they made it to the front door.
Blake reached out with one hand to unhinge the lock there, but she paused in reaching for the doorknob.
Weiss was shaking beside her, her chest heaving and eyes unfocused. Past the shredded, bloodied collar of her dress, Blake could still see the red X on her chest, though it was undoubtedly starting to fade in color.
The curse was broken.
She pulled Weiss into an embrace, both girls using the other for support as they let out disbelieving sighs and sobs in their last moments of imprisonment.
After all these years of having their wings clipped, they could finally unfurl them and fly.
"It's over," Blake murmured. "It's really over, Weiss."
"I just can't... I can't believe it..." she whispered. "We really... after all this time..." She pulled back, wiping her arm over her eyes, her white hair frazzled and knotted, face covered in tears and grime. But her eyes were alight and sparkling. "After all this time, we're finally free."
Blake nodded, bending down for a quick, soft kiss.
Then, she turned back to the door and opened it inward.
A cold, snowy breeze blew in past them, swirling around the mansion to make it ever colder.
Outside, night had fallen over the town beyond, snow blanketing all but the cement roads and sidewalks. A dozen or so streetlights illuminated the world in a faint yellow glow far beyond where the girls presently stood.
Blake was drawn to it all – their hard-earned freedom, freedom that had very nearly cost them their lives many times over. She had to admit that there had once been a part of herself that never believed they'd ever make it to this point.
But still, she hesitated, her eyes going back to Weiss.
The mark on the girl's chest was still there, as was the scar over her eye. Blake couldn't bear the thought of Weiss encountering that Dust barrier that surrounded the house again. She'd gone through far too much tonight, and Blake feared that even just a single additional spark of pain would kill her.
"Weiss..." she whispered. "Are you... are you sure you're okay with this...?"
When her eyes went to the scar, Weiss knew what Blake was fearing.
"Yes," she said firmly. "I... I've waited for so long... I want to be free. I want to go home."
Home.
The word ignited a flame in Blake's heart, a flame that had once been doused so powerfully and so repeatedly she'd thought it had been smothered altogether by now.
But Weiss relit that flame, and it sent a pang of desire through them both.
Home.
They could finally go home.
With a nod, Blake directed her attention back to the door and the waiting world beyond - still, quiet, and cool.
But it welcomed them.
Keeping her arm around Weiss' back, she stepped forward slowly. Her boot passed the invisible borderline that crossed from the end of the mansion's foundation to the beginning of the world beyond. Her lungs filled with crisp, fresh, untainted air. A breeze danced through her tangle of hair, cooling her injured ears.
And Weiss felt it, too. The burning that had been assaulting her until now was finally pushed away by that breeze, and her lungs were blessed by that air. She followed Blake's footsteps, her small white shoes stepping out that door, one at a time.
There was a very slight resistance pushing against her chest, trying to force her back inside the mansion. It was nowhere near as repelling as what had hit her at the window so many moons ago. But even so, Weiss' breath caught in her throat, and the mark on her chest started to burn again.
Blake saw the change in her demeanor and immediately made a move to pull Weiss back in through the mansion door.
But Weiss shook her head.
"No!" she gasped. "Blake, please-"
Her unspoken words rang loud and clear:
Just get me out of here!
This was the final stretch.
Resolved, Blake gave a tug on the girl's wrist, just hard enough to send her through the invisible barrier of Dust. Weiss stumbled forward, her feet tripping over themselves.
And then the pressure was suddenly gone, as was the pain.
She was free.
Blake opened her arms toward the unbalanced girl, catching Weiss tightly in her arms. The force of the impact was light, but to their exhausted bodies, it was enough to send them both falling back into a pile of snow.
The cold instantly seeped into Blake's back and clothes, her ears shooting up tall as the sensations all registered. A few handfuls fell on top of Weiss' back as well, and the girl gasped again.
"Blake! It's so cold!"
But the Faunus girl hardly cared about that. The cold felt good after so many years stuffed away in that horrible place.
It was liberating.
With a loud laugh, Blake wrapped her arms around Weiss' back, squeezing her with a gentleness that spoke only a small fraction of her immeasurable love for the girl.
"We did it!" she laughed. "We're free!"
And only then did it seem to register with Weiss as well.
She looked down at Blake, then pushed herself up a bit to glance around them.
They were surrounded by dazzling white snow, there were a few streets not far away, and beyond that was the sleeping town of Vale.
And above them... above them there wasn't just a dull old ceiling anymore.
It was open, a vast expanse of black velvet skies and shimmering stars. The fractured moon hung overhead as well, casting its light down to have it reflect off the snow, making the world glow even at night.
It was so much more beautiful than the images she'd seen in those story books.
The words kept repeating in her mind.
We're free... we're free... we're free!
After so many years, it was their first time outside together.
Weiss joined Blake in her merry laughter, but there were tears as well.
It was almost unbelievable. If not for the cold snow wreathing around them, both might've thought they were dreaming.
Weiss leaned forward to kiss Blake's lips, then her cheeks and her matted ears. When she pulled away, Blake was sobbing uncontrollably.
Weiss did her best to keep her own voice down, but Blake couldn't stop herself as she all but blubbered. Weiss sat herself up, taking Blake's wrists and helping her straighten up as well. She moved closer, her knees brushing Blake's, arms looping around her shoulders to pull her in. With one ginger motion, Weiss cradled Blake's head against her chest.
"We're finally free..." she breathed, her breath dyed white.
Blake nodded vigorously, hands clutching the girl's dress.
"Finally..." she gasped. "I... I kept my promise..."
Weiss nodded and kissed her ears in turn.
"Yes, you did. Thank you, Blake. Thank you so much..."
There was a lot more Weiss wanted to say, but she couldn't do much else right now except cry and hold her close.
It was the same for Blake, her ears flicking contentedly under Weiss' soft lips before one pressed close to the girl's chest. She could hear Weiss' heartbeat again, fast and excited, but no longer scared or in pain.
She listened for a while, savoring that precious sound.
When she finally pulled herself away, her eyes drifted down to the hollow of Weiss' throat. The X-shaped mark had faded into nothing more than a faint white line.
And then, it vanished before her very eyes.
Blake sobbed in relief once again, burying her face into Weiss' collar.
"Weiss!" she wailed happily. "Weiss... your heart..."
The white-haired girl nodded. She felt it for herself, felt the sensation of the very last prickle of the curse as it left her body once and for all. It was as though a weight had been lifted, as though a fog had been cleared. After nearly a decade.
"It's free... My heart is free now, Blake. And it's all thanks to you."
Her curse was gone.
She never had to return to this place.
She didn't know what the rest of the world would be like, but she still had her life, and she still had Blake.
Everything seemed too perfect, but Weiss wasn't about to start asking questions.
After a time, it was Weiss who stood first and helped Blake up beside her. Blake noticed that the scar over the girl's left eye was still present and didn't seem to be fading at all.
But they could worry about that later, if it was even something to worry about. The disappearance of the mark on her chest signified without a doubt that Weiss was free from the witch's curse.
The dark magic didn't restrain her any longer.
She really was free.
Blake really had kept her promise, even after all this time.
Those thoughts caused her tender smile to return.
Once they'd limped back onto the pavement of the pathway and out of the snow, Blake demonstrated a mixture of adrenaline and joy as she lifted Weiss up into her arms and twirled her around.
And Weiss laughed – laughed – and it was lighthearted and angelic and beautiful. She kissed Blake's hair, hugged her shoulders, and laughed.
When at last Blake put her down once again, they didn't need words, only gazes.
They kissed - fully and surely, warmly and freely - with naught but the moon and the stars as their witnesses. They kissed and cried amidst the stillness of the night, bits of snow still decorating their bodies.
Only when they were too breathless to continue did they finally pull apart, settling instead for kissing collars and cheeks.
Then, they began to walk slowly, following the small cement path that cut through the mansion's front yard. It would soon lead them to a street, which would eventually take them to town.
No cars passed by at this hour of the night. All was still and quiet, even the mansion they'd left behind.
Blake murmured to Weiss what they'd do; they'd go to Blake's old home first since it was closer, to see if it was still there, then ask around for information if it wasn't. If it was, they'd stay the rest of the night, and figure out the rest tomorrow.
Weiss simply nodded. She didn't care much for what they did anymore, so long as they were together.
Cinder couldn't touch them anymore.
They had all the time in the world now to find what they'd lost so many years ago.
And they'd do it together.
No matter the results, no matter what they found or didn't find, they'd stay together.
It was a promise.
A/N: And there you have it. The old promise fulfilled and a new one created, as well as the curse and the meaning behind the fic's title. Of all the guesses I'd received, no one had gotten it correct, so I take pride in that I could keep it a secret throughout the story! It was very tricky to write, I'll tell you that much, to never have Cinder say Weiss' name or even think it.
Next is the finale at last. Thanks to all who read this far and will read to the end!
Ch 10 preview: "Blake," she'd told him. "My name is Blake. I...I used to live here, but... a long time ago I went missing. I was kidnapped, and so was she. But we're free now."
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