Note: For a request submitted to rwbyships on Tumblr.
Request: Emerald Sustrai/Cinder Fall (Emberald); "Emerald's deathbed confession". (Request by Anon).
An Ember Gutters Out
Summary: Knowing there's no more time, Emerald struggles to tell Cinder something she has always held back.
Note: Contains character death as a central element, by request.
Cinder Fall swept into the already-chaotic battle like a firestorm. A hail of gunfire converged on her immediately, but a sweep of her hand and some expertly-applied Aura left the rounds tumbling to the floor as harmlessly as the empty castings. her eyes swept the scene, at once burning brightly and icy cold. the Dust woven into her dress glowed yellow, and everywhere she looked, the flames obeyed her thoughts.
Where Mercury was backed against a stack of crates, where Emerald lay on the ground nearby surrounded by unmoving foes, where Neo danced and twirled with umbrella and stiletto in either hand, the fires flickered and died.
Where the White Fang stood in clusters around each of Cinder's allies, the scattered flames converged and roared, and they died.
The White Fang broke under the new assault, scrambling away from Cinder, likely to regroup outside.
"After them," Cinder hissed, and Neo was off like a shot, impaling a straggler through the neck and severing his spine when he paused to shut the door behind him. Mercury was hot on her heels, his greaves firing in tandem with his steps to propel him forward at speed.
Emerald did not move.
Cinder paused on her way out, slightly alarmed to see the less-recalcitrant of the partners not jumping to obey…until a horrible thought struck her. What if the pool of red where the green-haired thief lay didn't come solely from the fallen White Fang…?
She was at Emerald's side in a flash, heedless of the blood as she knelt and pulled Emerald's head into her lap, brushing the crimson-stained hair out of the younger girl's face. Emerald's eyes opened at her touch.
"Cinder…" she whispered.
Her voice was so faint. Cinder didn't speak.
"it was…Adam…" Emerald croaked. "He said…the Fang…didn't need us anymore…"
Cinder remained silent, still gently stroking Emerald's hair as she struggled for breath.
"Adam is…strong…" Emerald mumbled, coughing. Flecks of red stained the white straps of her top.
"Don't you worry your head about that dead man," Cinder said in a low voice.
Emerald bared red-stained teeth in a surprisingly feral smile. "I knew…you'd say that…" she breathed. "Please… Make him pay…"
Cinder gave a solemn nod; a vow that would not be broken even if it cost Cinder her own life. Not that an animal like Adam Taurus could stand up to the Flame Empress.
"I knew…you would…" Emerald repeated. "It's something…I've always…admired." Her eyes fluttered shut, but she forced them back open. "I've always…", and Cinder had to bend closer to catch her final words. "…loved…you…"
Cinder didn't blink or hesitate; she leaned down and captured Emerald's lips for a first and final kiss. When she pulled away, Emerald's eyes were closed and her chest was still. Cinder knew her face was blank as she stood, but her eyes were blazing. With a soft snap of her fingers, every crate and wall still standing burst suddenly ablaze, turning the warehouse into an enormous pyre.
Cinder stalked out of the inferno, untouched by the flurries of dancing flames, to find Neo cleaning her blade on a corpse's shirt, and Roman grumbling about the ash staining his coat. Mercury was nowhere to be found, but Cinder had no doubt he would reappear soon, so that they could hunt their prey.
Queen's decree: The Mad Bull was henceforth marked for slaughter.
A/N: Kinda short. Not a lot to say except for the big thing that I'll get to. There are a few references dotted here and there, and I am 100% sure I pulled "The Mad Bull" from someone else's fic, but it was months ago and I don't remember whose or what fic (sorry).
If I may rant for a moment (and where else besides author's notes can I?), I am actually generally very anti-character death. Not because I think we (or any character, generally) lives in a world where nobody ever dies, but because once a character's thread is cut, you can't tell any more stories with that character. Admittedly this is less an issue in small AUs like this one (hence why I accepted the request), but my point remains: if this AU were to continue, there would be an Emerald-shaped void in it forever.
Yes, sometimes characters have to die for the sake of a plot or a character arc, but if you find you must, please remember to make it worth something. Characters should never die pointlessly.
I don't know that I had the time to really make it feel worthwhile since this is just a tiny snapshot, and I think that's where my higher-than-usual self-criticism on this piece is coming from, but hopefully the requesting anon is content. If not…sorry?