Hey, guys! Sorry I'm posting so late. Got caught up with house cleaning today, so I couldn't get around to posting a new chapter 'til now. Also, I feel like I've been doing rather disappointing chapters these past couple of chapters. Hence, feedback is appreciated. Not required, but appreciated. But I've taken up enough of your time. Here's a new chapter of Thorns!
Grimm damn that assassin.
Grimm damn her to hell.
It took all of Cinder's self-control not to lash out at the Sentinels kneeling on either side of the dark, cold stone corridor. They were disciples, servants of Cinder and her master. They were all completely devoted to her, and though nobody would bat an eye at her ending one of their lives out of frustration, she felt it wasn't necessary to sacrifice them for her own satisfaction.
That damned assassin. That little, puny, insignificant snake of a girl had just broke into the Vale WF HQ, planted explosives, and blown the building sky high, leaving not a single trace of the building other than smoldering ruins and charred forest all around.
And with the building went her plans.
The girl was too resourceful; she had planted an explosive charge on a Dust crate and rigged it to create the most devestating explosion possible. It had incinerated almost all lifeforms within half a mile and left behind a crater. Cinder had not been in the building, but was instead off informing her master of the failure of the assault on Vale. And now, here she was again, arrived at the compound a full twelve hours after she had left it. And furious about it.
The door to her master's throne room lay ahead, protected by two heavily armored guards. In their bulky black, obsidian-like armor, they resembled demons, and in a way, they were. But unlike in the tales told by parents to their children, demons did not exist; only Grimm, and the beasts that roamed the wilds, that were attracted to negative energy such as rage and pain, they were merely beastly forms of Grimm. But true Grimm were not beasts; they were men and women, followers of a god fallen to Remnant in the form of a man. These men and women kneeling along the corridor were merely soldiers of her master, of her God who sought to resume his godhood, to regain the control he lost as he was cast from the heavens.
The door opened itself as Cinder approached it, and she continued to walk through, into the welcoming darkness of the chamber. A cone of light descended from the ceiling and illuminated a large circle with a radial design within that made little to no sense and always puzzled her as to why her master had wanted it. She entered the circle and knelt at the center, head bowed and rage contained.
"I see you have returned. I wonder your reason to do so."
Her master's deep, multifaceted voice echoed all around the chamber until it became a simple rumble in the earth beneath her, but he himself was not visible to her; he preferred the shadows over the light.
"My master, I bring word of the destruction of the White Fang's Valean headquarters." Cinder dared not lift her head as she spoke.
"Oh? And by whom, I ask, was this destruction caused?"
"My...my former protégé, master. She used prototype explosives to destroy the base and the forest for a half-mile around."
The sound of two sets of footsteps registered in her ears, and she could see a pair of white boots and a pair of black boots enter her peripheral vision. The Twins; her master's personal servants. Twin sisters who were forced into his service and transformed using countless enhancements to be as deadly and effective as they were loyal and beautiful. She need not see their faces, for she was the one who captured them as teenagers and gifted them to her master to do with them as he saw fit.
"I see. And what was it you had claimed before about your assassin?"
"I...I claimed she had been killed or captured after assassinating Professor Ozpin, my master."
"And yet she was able to somehow break out of a high-security prison, make her way to the headquarters, and leave it in ruins."
Cinder gulped nervously as the white twin stepped closer. Charybdis, the White Beauty. Her sister, Scylla, stayed where she was.
"Yes, master."
Silence for a few long moments, then speech again.
"The assassin has thwarted you twice, then. She betrayed you." He seemed to think for a moment. "I would punish you."
Cinder flinched as Cherybdis grew closer.
"However, I see another opportunity you can use to advance our plans. You see, I am not completely blind to the situation; I have more than one agent who still remains to serve me. As do you, I'm told."
Cinder nodded, keeping her head down.
"My other agents tell me there will be a grand ball being held in two weeks in Mistral. The king will be inviting his nobles and countless millionaires and billionaires to his palace as a show of power and to celebrate the coronation of his daughter onto the throne as he resigns."
"Why are you telling me this, master?" Cinder asked, trying to keep her voice as level as possible.
"I am sure you seek redemption for your failure. Here is your chance. Send your other assassin to kill the princess and her father, and you will be redeemed and rewarded. Is that fair?"
Cinder wanted to tell him, "No, that isn't fair," but she found herself saying, "Yes, my master. It shall be done."
"Good. Now get to work. I want him dead by midnight on that night, and if you return here in that time, Cinder will be cinders. Now go."
Cinder rose to her feet and turned in her heel, then walked back to the doors, leaving Scylla and Charybdis and their master behind.
But as she walked back down the hall and navigated out of the subterranean stone castle to the Bullhead she arrived in, she just could not stop thinking the same phrase, even as the airship ascended.
Is she ready?
Breakfast in the cafeteria had not been too bad, in Ruby's opinion, nor in Peridot's opinion, but everyone else's opinion seemed much different.
Ruby had wolfed down the food—she hadn't gotten a single meal in three days and it was a wonder she was still standing—and had even gone back for seconds. Peridot, of course, had been fed pretty well, as Nickelle was a good thief and nobody missed the bread gone from the kitchen. Everyone else had hated on the food, of course, saying that it was "typical school food" and "shit on a shingle." Better than WF rations, in her taste.
Peridot had gravitated toward Yang this time, asking her numerous questions like what her name was and who her boyfriend was. Her little elf seemed quite surprised when Yang replied that she liked girls, and then giggled when Weiss sat down and Yang kissed her on the cheek.
Meanwhile, Ruby had found herself sitting beside Blake, who was getting quite close to her, and leaned down and kissed Ruby on the cheek herself. She left a tingle behind as she pulled away.
"We certainly haven't had much time together," the Faunus said, and Ruby agreed with a nod. It was true; despite the fact they had slept together last night, they were both too tired to actually do anything like kiss or even share a moment of passion. Then, this morning, there was Peridot learning to read from Blake, then the incident with Jaune. All in all, they didn't really have much time together.
"I'm sorry I knocked you out yesterday," Ruby said apologetically, "I knew Mistress—I mean, er, Cinder was gonna kill Peridot if I didn't go and get her last night, and she would have reprogrammed Nickelle, and I never would have forgiven myself if—"
Blake did her signature method of silencing Ruby by leaning down and kissing her on the lips, lingering longer than usual, then separated herself from the assassin again. Ruby was, yet again, left speechless by the action.
"It's okay," Blake said, "I would have done the same if I knew someone I loved was in imminent danger."
"I felt so guilty when I did it. I still do."
Blake smiled, and Ruby's heart fluttered.
"I still love you. Even if you needed to go through me to find your friends."
"They aren't just friends, Blake. They're my family. Or my pseudo-family. They feel like family to me."
Blake nodded. "I know what it's like. Adam had been my family when I was growing up. But he's the reason I'm here today. If he had been a little more caring and considerate of human life, I think...I think I would still be a member of the WF. Actually...Speaking of the WF, you just blew up their main headquarters. That's a pretty big blow."
"It won't stop them. I've been with them long enough to know they won't stop. Cinder is still alive somewhere, and she has control of the White Fang. And now that we've insulted her twice...she's going to be angry."
Blake nodded in agreement. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, won't we?" She leaned down and kissed Ruby again.
"Hey, guys."
Suddenly, Weiss appeared and sat down across from them. She looked both excited and serious, if that was possible. Ruby wondered what could possibly have caused that.
"What's up, Ice Queen?"
"I just got a call from Mrs. Verdegreene saying I've been cordially invited to attend the coronation of the new queen in Mistral two weeks from now," Weiss said, beaming, "Winter will be coming, as well, and I'm taking you girls with me, too."
Ruby raised an eyebrow, and Blake laughed. "Haven't seen you so excited about anything, Weiss."
"Why shouldn't I be? We're going to meet royalty! And I am going to shake hands with a king and a queen! Of course, I'm excited!"
"Are you sure you should bring me along?" Ruby asked, "I don't know if Ironwood will actually let me..."
"I'll convince him one way or another," said Weiss, flashing her a knowing wink, "And if need be, we can give you a false identity for the duration of the ball. I doubt we will, though; I'm a Schnee, and a friend of a Schnee is almost always accepted."
Weiss stood up and walked away, rejoining the laughing Yang and the babbling Peridot. Ruby looked back up at Blake.
"Well, I guess we're going to the king's palace in Mistral," she chuckled.
"Never a dull moment when Team RWBY is involved."
"Nope," Ruby said, "There never is." With that, the two fell silent, simply enjoying one another's company as they ate their food.