Bang!
Cinder slammed the door open and strode into the dorm room.
Blake was sitting on her bed with her legs drawn up; Emerald was flat on hers, her pillow clutched down over her head.
Pyrrha was standing in the middle of the room, her hands at her sides. Tall, strong. Her expression was very calm, and set. Her shield was on her back - her spear was collapsed, set on a high shelf in the corner.
"Cinder, I can't even imagine what it is you must be feeling right now, but you need to try and express yourself properly - with words, not just trying to make me hurt because you're-"
Cinder threw herself at Pyrrha and took her to the floor, driving her fist into her stomach with a scream. She aimed another at Pyrrha's face while the girl gasped for breath. It connected, and Pyrrha's Aura flickered. She drew her fist back a third time-
Pyrrha's hand shot out and seized her wrist, holding strong. A leg was brought in, and Cinder was being heaved up off her and thrown aside. Pyrrha rolled, jumping to her feet and bringing up her hands. "Cinder, this is not going to fix things between us; it's going to make it all much worse! Calm. Down."
Cinder flared her Semblance; her uniform glowed bright red, and flames burst to life in her palms.
Pyrrha sighed, looking at her sadly. "I know that you can't mean this - not to this degree. This extreme. So I want you to know that I'm not going to hold this against you, Cinder. But..." Her eyes narrowed. Her hands became fists, brought up before her. "But that being said - all right: if you want to make me have to calm you down, then I will. And after I do, we are going to talk this out like well-adjusted-"
Cinder thrust out her hand, sending a streaking fire blast at Pyrrha.
Pyrrha's shield flew off her back and soared around her body to hover in front of her, blocking the blast. She slung her arm through it properly, eyeing Cinder intently. Cinder snarled at her and hurled another blast of flames, and then a third, and a fourth, and a fifth, taking more and more away from her outfit. Pyrrha blocked every single one of them, holding her ground. Then she dashed forward, and bashed Cinder across the face with her shield; Cinder fell to one side, stumbling and bracing herself on a desk. Pyrrha grabbed her arms and kicked out her legs, twirling with her and then slamming her flat onto her backside on the ground.
Pyrrha straddled her, pressing her shield down on Cinder's chest. Cinder struggled, but it wasn't just the force of Pyrrha - it was her Semblance, tenfold, reinforcing that pressure, that weight! Cinder screamed and thrashed and snarled at her, she swore at her, she punched and kicked - and Pyrrha took it all, just keeping her there, all in silence.
After many lengthy minutes, Cinder's throat hurt too much to continue, her arms and legs felt numb and sore, and she was just...far too tired. She let a breath go, letting herself go limp. She tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling, blinking with stinging eyes.
Pyrrha leaned forward atop her, putting her face in hers. Her hands were on Cinder's shoulders - but she wasn't hurting her. Just...holding her. Pyrrha's red hair hung down, brushing against Cinder's face. Emerald eyes blinked at her steadily. "Do you feel ready to talk now?" she said quietly.
Cinder nodded.
"Okay." Pyrrha sat up on her, removing her shield and replacing it on her back. She stared down at her a moment, then she stood up off her completely. She pulled Cinder up by the hand, and she held it even after Cinder had straightened. Cinder let her keep holding it; it felt nice. "Let's talk, now." She led Cinder to her bed, sitting down with her there.
"I don't want to talk," Cinder muttered. "I want this to stop."
"What?"
"These feelings. I want them all gone."
"Talking can do that for you - it has before, hasn't it? Surely you know by now that-"
"Not these ones; not you!" Cinder snapped. "Because you- you...why did you do that to me? Why did you make me have to tell him? Why did you make me have to show him?!" She put her hand to her throat, bowing her head.
"So that he could help you - because I can't. I am trying, but I'm not equipped to be everything you need. I'm sorry, Cinder. But I'm not a therapist, I'm not a literacy teacher, and I'm not a combat instructor. I can't be all the things you need. I can be your friend, your teammate, but I can't be much else. I can help you with the small things, but I can't do much when it comes to larger issues. Certainly not so many different things. I'm sorry."
"You actually trust him?" Cinder scoffed. "You trust any of them? Trust them not to just look away, or throw you back to it, or- or..."
"I do. And you have got to learn to do the same."
"I've learned to never do that." Except for once. The one time it ever payed off. But there had been so many examples before that of it never paying off...that Cinder knew she wouldn't get lucky a second time. Not like that, not again. Not with an adult. It would just be more pain, more ignoring, more frustration. Again and again.
"Well, you're going to have to unlearn it, then. I promise you, no one is going to hurt you, or take advantage of you, or- or anything like that. Just...help you."
"You just gave me up to him!"
"I was only trying to help you."
"Then maybe you're right: I don't need any of your help any more," Cinder gritted out.
"You're still angry, and you're still hurting - and you're still trying to hurt me."
"You're the one who wanted me to use words," Cinder mocked.
Pyrrha sighed. "I'm sorry, Cinder. Maybe...maybe it was wrong of me to say anything. I'm sorry if you feel- betrayed by me, if you don't trust me, if you don't want to even be my friend anymore."
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry. I never meant to make you feel this way."
"You...really didn't mean to...?"
"I really didn't." Shimmering emerald eyes gazed at Cinder, imploring. "I'm sorry."
"I- I guess I'm...sorry for hurting you, too," Cinder murmured. "Punching you - trying to burn you. Several times over..."
"I accept your apology." Pyrrha hesitated. "Would it be alright if I hugged you?"
"Why?" People only did that when they were happy with you - why would Pyrrha want to do it now, after hurting her? After Cinder had just tried hurting her back, too?
"Please?"
"Okay..." Cinder said, confused.
Pyrrha turned to her and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her to her body.
Cinder was expecting her to squeeze her enough to hurt, or shove her away and say she couldn't stand touching her any longer. Nothing of what she thought ever came to pass. In the end, Pyrrha gave her hair a stroke, drew back, and just smiled at her.
"Do you feel better now?"
Cinder considered it. "Yes."
"And are we still friends?"
"We're still friends," Cinder found herself saying, her mouth moving automatically.
"Good. I'm glad."
"So am I."
"On the subject of your combat training, I would like to propose an ironclad, safe alternative for you. A way for you to continue your training entirely without...fear. You'll even be allowed to push yourself far beyond what you could in Glynda's matches, or your sessions with your team. No worries, no fears, Cinder. Just let it all out."
"How, professor?"
"How would you feel if I were to take you on for some personal, one-on-one training?"
"You...want me to fight you, sir?"
"Precisely. Would you be willing to accept my offer?"
"Yes."
Half an hour after her second meeting with the Headmaster, Cinder was stepping up onto the stage in the empty atrium building. A building of wide open space and silence, and dim lighting. No crowds, no Glynda. Just...two people this time.
"We needn't confine ourselves to the stage," Ozpin spoke, cracking a smile. He beckoned her; she jumped back down again quickly. "In fact, I think you'd benefit from having more space to work with in a battle."
Cinder looked around the empty atrium. It was a lot of space to work with, without the crowds; she was excited to see what she could do with her bow, and her Dust mage capabilities she had been working on in tandem.
Ozpin twirled his cane and put it behind his back, and he put a dozen feet of space between them. He faced her, scrutinizing her with narrowed eyes. "Are you ready, Miss Aryle?"
Cinder pulled out her twin blades, nodding. "I'm ready."
"Good. Remember, there is no need for you to hold yourself back - not with me," Ozpin replied casually. "Because - and I say this with one hundred percent certainty - there is absolutely no chance in this world that you could hurt me. Use any skill, technique, application of Semblance - or that Dust you've integrated into your school uniform."
Cinder's eyes widened. "How did you-?"
"Well, I am the Headmaster of a combat school. That is an age old technique - but it's not so common anymore. It can offer certain advantages, in this day and age, but most see it as too costly and time-consuming to bother with."
"You're sure I can just go all out? Against you?"
"Absolutely. In fact, I'd like to see it from you; it would be very...informative for me."
"Okay..."
"Now, let's begin on the count of three. One - two - three!"
Cinder flew at Ozpin, blades slashing. Ozpin had his cane up to block her before she'd even completed the motions, and he redirected the strikes with almost lazy flicks of his weapon, little twists of his wrist. Cinder lashed out with a powerful kick; Ozpin twisted out of the way before she had even drawn her leg all the way up for the strike - she hit nothing but air!
Cinder rained down ever more furious strikes at her professor, but he blocked and dodged every single one of them! She snarled at him, fires roaring in her chest, and thrust out with a blade to pierce his chest. His expression changed, he gave an almost absent nod to himself, and then he swatted her blade far off to the left with hardly an effort.
She flipped over him and slashed for his backside - he turned part-way around and smacked her in the leg with his cane, causing her knee to bend. And with that alone, her balance was thrown off. She wobbled, and by the time she'd straightened again, Ozpin was standing five feet away. Just waiting, looking at her so calmly. That calmness infuriated her! No, it wasn't just being calm, it was arrogance! Arrogance, hated, and acting like she was nothing to him, that he didn't have to put in a single ounce of effort!
Cinder put her blades away and backflipped high into the air, drawing her bow and crafting three explosive arrows at the same time. A mixture of Fire, Earth (glass, that was), and Lava Dust. She let them loose in mid-air, down for Ozpin. One to his left, one to his right, and one behind him - shot straight past him, grazing a leg. A miniscule pulse of her Semblance, and they exploded all together with a high pitched screech! Fireballs roared, great plumes of lava burst up from the floor! Superheated fragments of stone from the ruined floor flew in all directions, adding another element to Cinder's attack - a nice little bonus.
Cinder saw a strange shimmering of emerald in all the burning colors, and when it all cleared...Ozpin wasn't even there? She glanced around furiously, and found him standing a few feet to her left, his cane at his side.
His Semblance? Speed or teleporting?
She activated her Fire Dust, forming burning flames around her hands, and fired off several streaking fireblasts.
Ozpin leaned and ducked, avoiding them completely, his eyes never leaving her.
Cinder growled with frustration, snatched up her swords again, and hurled herself at her professor once more.
But no matter what she did, in any combination, with any timing or planning, none of it got through - none of it reached the man. His Aura only flashed once, and that was from the stupid success of a single, close-quarters Semblance attack, where she had grabbed his arm briefly and burned it.
But in the end, Cinder got slower and slower, worse and worse, shaking and heaving and screaming obscenities, and then Ozpin rammed his cane's end into her stomach with a force of exerted Aura, and she fell backwards with her Aura broken.
Cinder held onto her swords with weak, numb fingers, sprawled flat on the ground. Hair a mess, sweat dripping down her body. She shut her eyes and turned her head aside, the rage and frustration draining away as surely as her strength - replaced with the cold fear of pain to come. She'd never been so tired, so weak! And the man still looked like he hadn't done a thing except go for a brisk jog in the morning.
But minutes passed and nothing came.
She breathed a little easier, cracking an eye open.
Ozpin was sitting down on the floor nearby, legs crossed, his cane laid across his lap. His hands were folded.
"Your skill level is rather remarkable for someone who has only been at Beacon for a month," Ozpin said casually, a rather pleased look on his face. And thoughtful. "Your technique is already honed far beyond what someone of your - forgive me - background should be. What you've given me, and what I can safely assume. Your ferocity in battle is nothing to scoff at, and your ability to adapt is excellent. As is your creativity, when you put your mind to it."
Cinder felt a warm glow in her chest, a light to cause a smile on her lips.
Ozpin's gaze was fixed to her, unwavering. "Tell me something, Cinder: have you ever undergone huntsmen training before coming to Beacon? I don't doubt your talent, and your relentless drive to improve and succeed, but none of that could have gotten you to where you are in a single month's time here."
Her smile left her. "Yes," Cinder said, breathless. He knew. He knew and here she was helpless. Lying wasn't an option.
"Could you tell me how long you were trained for - and who it was that did?"
"Seven years." Cinder looked up at the high ceiling, her smile returning. "A huntsman mentored me - in...in Atlas. His name was Rhodes."
"I see. Well, whoever he was, he did an excellent job of it. A little rough, in some places, a tad unrefined...but you certainly took it and ran with it. Your growth is exceptional."
"Thank you..."
"Hmm. Were you being trained to defend yourself, or was it solely so that you could enter a huntsmen academy?" Ozpin asked, curiosity in his voice. "Given the facts - your seventeenth birthday, the date of registration, and now this new information - I would guess it's the latter."
"The ladder?"
"Latter, Cinder. The second one."
"Right! Yes, it was...that. I- I didn't want to go back to Mistral, and I wasn't going to join the Atlas academy - obviously," she snorted.
"Obviously," Ozpin agreed. "So you chose to come to Vale - to Beacon."
"Yes. It was as far away as I could get. As...different as I could get."
"I see. How is your relationship with your teammates? With Miss Nikos?"
"It's...still nice. Pyrrha is still- nice. We hurt each other, but we made up." Why was she telling? And why was he asking?
"You are glad to have met her, then? To have a friendship with her?"
"I am," Cinder nodded. She didn't have to think about it. "I really, really- I love her."
"Oh? Well, I'm happy to hear you have such a wonderful bond with her."
"Thank you."
"What do you think of Beacon?"
"I like being at Beacon. It's been...all I could have dreamed of."
"Well, I'm relieved to know that my school meets your expectations. And we're all glad to have you here with us, Cinder. I am, myself, glad to have you here. I'm certain you'll become an excellent huntress."
Cinder pushed herself up, drawing her legs in as she sat. She glanced at her professor. "I want to become the best huntress."
Ozpin gave a nod, indulgent. "Well, that's certainly a wonderful goal. I look forward to seeing you try to achieve it. But, I think Miss Nikos has you beaten there - and everyone else in my school. She's singularly unmatched in combat."
"She is," Cinder said easily, grinning. "For now; she tells me all the time that I'm improving, that I might even start beating her soon," she continued pridefully.
"Miss Nikos is a very kind person," Ozpin said simply. "But, with what I've learned of you here today, I wouldn't say it's not a possibility, myself, either. Perhaps a matter of months, perhaps a year...I'm sure you could."
"I will," Cinder said firmly. "I'm going to!"
"And I hope that you do," Ozpin said. He paused, rising to his feet. He walked to her, offered her his hand; she took it, and let him lift her up. "Thank you for agreeing to spar with me, Miss Aryle; I haven't had a workout in a long while now."
"I was happy to," Cinder said, bowing her head.
"Would you like to do it again?"
"Yes!" Cinder said instantly, shrill to her ears. She cringed and ducked her head again, proper and further. "Yes, professor..."
Ozpin only chuckled. "Excellent. How about we arrange for this once a week - does this same time work for you?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then our session is concluded. I look forward to the next one."
Cinder nodded, and left the atrium with a wide smile.
When she made it back to the dorms, Emerald immediately jumped on her.
"How did it go?" the girl asked.
"It was great," Cinder replied.
"Really?" Blake spoke, eyebrow raised.
"Yes, really," Cinder said.
"I'm glad," said Pyrrha, with a smile. "I was honestly worried you'd make things...challenging."
Cinder threw herself limply onto her bed, and laughed. "It was challenging, alright."
"I can tell," Pyrrha commented, giving Cinder a once-over. "But you do seem better for it. It really did help you?"
"It did," Cinder said honestly.
"Good."
One morning Cinder woke up very early, a headache and a twinging pain in her stomach.
She growled to herself and grabbed her uniform, stumbling into the bathroom. She flipped on the lights, splashed cold water on her face and brushed her hair, wincing at every new twinge of pain. After finishing, she set the brush aside and turned away, moving to get the shower ready. She leisurely undressed - shirt first, then shorts. And then her undergarments-
She blinked down at herself, and stared. And then she screamed.
Had she been attacked in her bed?! Or was it some lingering issue from her double sword wounds?
Panic shooting through her like lightning, Cinder's hand found her lower sword wound on her stomach, long healed over in the past few weeks. She pressed and prodded at it, but it didn't seem different! It didn't hurt! The pain was somewhere else in her stomach, more to the right of that injury!
And her blood was everywhere! Her legs, on the floor! Cinder whipped around and saw she'd left a trail through the dorm room!
"Cinder, is everything alright?!" Pyrrha appeared in the doorway in her pajamas, her hair a frizzled mess, but her eyes sharp with life.
"No!" Cinder exclaimed, gesturing down in general, frantic. "I think those idiot doctors missed something at the hospital - what the heck is all this?!"
Pyrrha's eyes traveled down, narrowing further. Then, they widened and fluttered rapidly. Her cheeks took on a very deep pink coloration, and her lips parted. "O-Oh my- oh, you don't- of course you don't; stay right there, don't panic!" she implored, turning and racing away. She shut the door as she did, confining Cinder to the small, bright space. Rapid footsteps, and the door opened a mere crack. Pyrrha's slender hand emerged, holding a small package. "Here - just take these, follow the instructions on the back. That should- solve the problem."
The door slammed shut again, leaving Cinder in silence and confusion.
She turned the package over, and found a frustratingly large amount of tiny words - but there were pictures. Helpful pictures.
Half an hour later and she'd managed it. She showered and cleaned up the floor, and finally walked back out into the dorm room again.
Blake had her entire face hidden behind a large book.
Emerald was flat on her stomach, kicking her feet with her head resting on an arm. A little smile on her face as she absently inspected one of her weapons.
Pyrrha was sitting all nice and neat on the side of her bed, hands in lap, legs together. "Did you figure it out?"
"I think so," Cinder replied.
"Good! Great. Cinder...?"
"Yes...?"
"This really hasn't happened to you before?"
"No," Cinder snapped. "I've never been stabbed before, though."
Pyrrha looked torn between laughter and heartbreak. "Cinder...this is entirely unrelated to your injuries. It's a very normal, natural thing that is meant to happen to you."
"Now you're trying to mess with me," Cinder growled. "That is not normal!"
"But it is! In fact, you can likely start expecting it to happen again, every few weeks, now."
"No. It never happened before."
Pyrrha sighed. "Cinder - before you came to Beacon, you didn't eat well, did you? Didn't eat...much?"
"T-that's right," Cinder murmured, looking at her feet. "But what does that have to do with blood coming out of my-"
"I actually think it has a lot to do with it," Pyrrha said carefully. "Please, don't get upset, but...you look considerably more healthy now than you did when you first came to Beacon. I thought you might be ill, or perhaps suffering some kind of condition - but now I'm sure I know. It was malnourishment. You weren't eating enough, well enough. That's why you've been gorging yourself every meal, too. It makes sense. Am I right?"
"You're right," Cinder admitted, not looking up.
"How often did you eat before?"
"Once a day - twice if I was lucky," Cinder replied. She shuffled her feet and seized her arm, digging in her nails.
"Alright. And what kinds of things did you usually eat?"
"Bread and water. Sometimes a bowl of soup, if I got even luckier." The rare, lucky times when some hotel patron refused a tray for some stupid little reason, letting her eat away at it before having to throw it away.
"Bread and water. You mean sandwiches, or-"
"I mean bread," Cinder reiterated sharply. "A roll, a- bread. And a glass of water. I know what you're trying to get at, okay? And it's true: I was starved! I got to go hungry when everyone else around me stuffed their faces on the most wonderful- the most-" She cut herself off with a growl, stomping her boot. Complaining never got you anything - just more punishment for wasting people's time.
"Okay," Pyrrha's soft reply came. "And...I am sorry to have to ask about this, but- you weren't very happy, were you? And you weren't...treated nicely?" Pyrrha's gaze flickered to Cinder's neck.
"No, I wasn't," Cinder said flatly.
"And how- how long...were you being treated this way? Please, Cinder?"
"My whole life. And I mean it," she added quickly, irritated. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"All right; I believe you." Pyrrha drew a breath. "And it is important, trust me. Because with that, I believe we have an answer."
"An answer to what?"
"To why your problem started now - or, rather, why it didn't start before. Malnourishment and extreme stresses, especially both, and especially continuously, and especially during puberty, can cause issues, delays - even only to some aspects of growth, while others go on."
"I have no idea what you're saying," Cinder said, exasperated.
"What I'm saying...is that because of the things you've gone through, and the way you didn't get much to eat, your body hasn't grown properly. But, since you have been here at Beacon, eating proper portions and healthy kinds of foods, as well as being in a much less stressful environment, I'm certain, your body is starting to catch up and develop more. And that isn't to discount the physical exercise you've been getting in all our sparring sessions, either! I'm sure that's been a great help to your physical development."
"Okay..." Cinder said slowly. "And, so I'm clear on this...this-" She gestured down to herself, where that discomfort was felt keenly. "-is supposed to be a good thing?"
Pyrrha did laugh now, a hand going to cover her mouth. "It certainly is - as much as we might not think so most of the time."
"I'd rather go back to starving..."
"Was that a joke, Cinder?"
Cinder glared. "No."
"But you didn't really mean it, did you?" Pyrrha clarified swiftly.
"No, I didn't mean it," Cinder answered truthfully. She'd take terrible bleeding and pulsing pains and a bad headache, if it came with great amounts of great food every day, over going back to starving.
"Good! Keep eating, and keep eating plenty."
Cinder smiled. "I'm going to." A thought suddenly struck her; she looked Pyrrha up and down. "You have to deal with the same thing as I do?"
"Well, yes - I did give you the means of solving it..."
"Right." Cinder held the package out to Pyrrha. "Here."
"Oh no, you'd better keep it," Pyrrha said quickly, putting her hands out in front of her. "You'll probably be needing to use them again in a few hours..."
"Sure. Thanks." Cinder settled her eyes on Blake. Or, Blake's book cover. "Blake?"
"W-what?" the girl said, in a high, strange voice, muffled behind her book.
"Do you-"
"I'm reading this book! This very, very immersive, incredibly mesmerizing, absolutely thrilling book!"
"Ugh...fine! Don't answer me. Emerald?" Cinder asked her other friend.
Emerald began laughing, waving a hand about. "Hah, nope - not me. And I'm so glad I don't have to deal with that. Yeah...it's nice being me. Sorry, Cinder!"
"Grrrr...How?" Cinder demanded. "Tell me right now!" She refused to let herself have to put up with this ridiculousness if she didn't have to!
"Eh, I just don't have the organs for it," Emerald grinned. "What can you do, right? Different bodies, different problems. Or no problems; go me!"
Cinder flashed out her hand, her skirt lighting up; a fireball scorched the wall above Emerald's bed.
"Hey! Not cool!"
Cinder put a hand on hip, trying out rolling her eyes. "If you wanted to be friends with someone cool, maybe you shouldn't have made friends with a girl named Cinder!"
"Now that was an attempt at a joke, wasn't it?" Pyrrha said hopefully.
"That one was, yes," Cinder admitted. "Was it good?"
"I thought it was hilarious," Emerald said quickly.
Cinder glowed. "Thank you, Emerald."
The next three months of Beacon's first semester passed Cinder by like the wind.
She could hardly believe she'd been free for so long, in this wonderful place for so long, with these friends of hers...for so long already. Then again, her days were very busy.
Trips to Vale, laughter and fun, throwing herself further into her classes - and special literacy lessons with her professors - and even acquiring a steadily increasing collection of dresses (she had four now, and had taken advantage of Beacon's free Dust stores for students to weave it into them all - in case of emergencies). She had dedicated one dress to being her official sparring dress, not wanting to give away that she had Dust in her school uniform as well; it was a red, backless thing with a choker, that barely covered her rear (to her total delight; she'd found all the looks and words from her classmates to be very pleasing, and basked in them).
Over all this time, it started to feel...normal. A new normal. Days free of pain, days free of being yelled at, days free of being insulted. Days free of fear (at least, not much beyond failing her homework, or hurting her friends).
Well...mostly free of insults and pain.
The better she became at fighting, the more students she beat. Thanks to her daily sparring sessions with her team, and weekly sessions with Professor Ozpin, improving not just her prowess, but also her sense of self confidence, self control and ability to think. To be cool, calm of mind, instead of overcome with rage, frustration, or fear. This continued, until she was confident enough to start asking multiple opponents to fight her. At first, it was just two on one, then three on one...and now, Cinder was ready to challenge an entire team for the first time ever.
That team: Team RWYJ.
It was a sparring session near the end of the first semester. In just a few days, there was going to be a whole two weeks without lessons - two whole weeks of freedom. Cinder didn't have a clue how she was even going to fill up that much time! That was a question for later, though.
Today...Cinder was focusing on just one thing.
Cinder waltzed onto the stage with veritable hip sway, lighting up her short scarlet fighting dress with an absent jolt of Aura - just enough to make it glow, but not enough to activate any of the shards. She liked the way the orange light cast off onto the crowd that parted for her. She fixed a smirk on her face as she faced her four opponents, setting hand on hip.
"Let's try to give them a good show, why don't we?" she taunted. "It's going to be very disappointing if you all go down within the first two minutes of this match."
"Yeah? You think you're the hottest thing in the school now that you've racked up a few wins and changed your wardrobe?" Yang laughed. "Or that a little lightshow can intimidate us?" she went on, nodding at Cinder's outfit. "Fat chance. Let me tell you: the only thing that's gonna happen here is you're going to get a real reality check. You shouldn't have asked to take on all of us at once. Your tournament-winning team leader might be able to pull this off, but not you." She bared a fierce grin, smacking her fists together and deploying her gauntlets. "But hey, I'll be happy to be the one to check your flaming ego for you. You can thank me for it after you're down on the ground with no Aura."
Cinder ignored her very pointedly, looking to Weiss Schnee (Yang looked annoyed at being ignored).
Weiss flourished her rapier, her eyes narrowed at Cinder. "After I've beaten you, you're going to apologize for every awful word you've said about me and my family."
"After I've had my fun with you," Cinder began, very softly. "you're going to apologize for every last cruel act you and the rest of the Atlas 'elite' have carried out against the poor people you keep under your boots."
"My family and I have nothing to apologize for!" Weiss snapped out. "Least of all to some nothing of a girl, who thinks because she changes out of a dirty outfit into an expensive dress, that it actually changes anything about her. Appearances are everything, you realize - and your first at this school wasn't a good one at all. That dress won't make that go away. You're an uneducated piece of riffraff who got into Beacon solely because she's good with a sword: bravo!"
Cinder snarled, creating flames in her hands. Then, she drew a breath, closed her eyes, and let it die. She offered up a smile, relaxing her arms at her sides. "And you'll never be able to change just how ugly you are inside, no matter how much money or luxury trappings you want to shower yourself with. Demeaning the faunus and the poor, at a school famous for being accepting and inclusive of everyone? It's a shame no amount of expensive makeup can keep people from seeing you for the disgusting excuse for a human being that you are."
"This school shouldn't let people like you into it!" Weiss responded fiercely.
"No, it shouldn't let people like you into it," Cinder returned, easy.
"And what kind of person do you think I am?!"
"Racist, classist...discriminatory." If there was one thing Cinder would thank her literary lessons with Oobleck for, it was all the wonderful new words she could use to string together into insults (it was like weaving Dust, almost). Learning how to hit back against people mentally instead of physically was really a lot more rewarding than she'd previously thought it could be - especially once you got good at it. And of course, it was her only alternative to physical attacks, unless she wanted to lose her place at Beacon (which, she didn't). "I would have thought Beacon was better than this. But, I guess not, if you're standing here..."
"So you're a faunus sympathizer! I suppose you think the White Fang are a bunch of poor, innocent, misguided victims!"
"I think anyone should be able to sympathize with the faunus," Cinder said absently. "Being treated like trash in a world that claims to treat everyone equally...it's horrendous. It's sad. I can't think of anyone in my circle of friends who wouldn't be moved to tears by their treatment. You clearly can't say the same - and would never want to. Obviously because you've never gone through any of it yourself. Not even an ounce of it! Not even close to that kind of...unfair treatment."
Although the crowd might have been loving the trash talking going on in front of them, Professor Goodwitch was in no way amused.
"All right, children: enough!" she called out. "You're up here now to fight, not to banter."
"Of course, ma'am," Cinder said quietly.
She surveyed her opponents once more, going over her strategy in her head: Weiss was a greater Dust mage than herself, she admitted it, so she needed to go in fast, hard, and close to keep her from utilizing her full range of abilities - she was markedly less skilled in close combat, when she had to use her sword as just a sword; Ruby Rose's weapon was better for fighting grimm, but she was still capable against people. She was mainly a close to mid range fighter, and very prone to zipping and leaping about, constantly on the move to disorient her opponents. To deal with her, Cinder would need to keep her at a distance, and keep track of her with that speed Semblance of hers; defeating Yang Xiao Long should be simple enough - Cinder would need to either wear her Aura down with miniscule amounts of damage so that her Semblance couldn't be triggered with any great amount of built up energy, or bombard her first off with so much damage that she'd be knocked out of the fight before she could even have a chance at triggering the Semblance; and as for Jaune Arc? The boy was just so unskilled that Cinder could deal with him at any point in the fight.
Cinder could do this. She had this. Her friends had even told her she could win this; Pyrrha had told her she thought she could win this, at this point, now.
But who should she go after first? Ruby would be plain annoying, Yang could be evaded and avoided to render her ineffective, while Weiss Schnee could actually pose a real problem with all her long range Dust attacks and her array of glyphs from her Semblance. Those glyphs and Dust attacks could even interfere with Cinder while she tried taking out someone else on her team.
Weiss, then, was going to be the first one Cinder went after.
That was the real shame; she'd been fantasizing about making the girl look like an idiot, toying with her, exhausting her, and then...making her cry, maybe even cause her to forfeit the match!
But Cinder couldn't afford to lose her first four on one match. Not even for something as enjoyable as that. It just wasn't smart. No, she would win this one, this first, and then challenge the Schnee girl on her own at a later time - sometime early on in the second semester, she decided. That way, she could give the girl her undivided...attention. Plus, it gave her something to really look forward to.
It'll be a treat as good as any ice cream, she told herself.
The lights dimmed.
Ruby Rose twirled her scythe, and she smiled at Cinder. "This is going to be so fun! Seeing all the things you can do has just been really, really cool...but actually getting to go up against it myself?! Your Semblance is awesome!"
Cinder took out her swords, rolling her eyes. "I don't fight for fun: I fight to win."
"Yeah, and that right there just about perfectly sums you up, doesn't it?" Jaune Arc muttered, holding his sword and shield in an awkward stance. "You could stand to loosen up a bit, you know? Have some fun, do a dance, play a game of tag out in the courtyard? Do a few pranks?" He dared to grin at her, all stupid, like they were friends!
"I do have fun," Cinder retorted. "Just not with any of you." She had just played board games with her friends the other night!
"The match begins in three," Glynda called out firmly, with a little huff. "Whether any of you are actually ready or not!"
Cinder shook her head, bringing back her focus. She could win, she had to win...but, she was also prepared for the possibility of losing (small as it was). Something she had actually managed to start trusting in here at Beacon - just by sheer consistency in day to day life - that failing didn't mean pain, or withholding of food, or anything else like that. Beacon was not like before. Even still, Cinder was going to do her damndest not to fail. It saved on feelings of shame and self-hatred (and humiliation).
"Three...two..."
Cinder let her eyes drift to Jaune Arc, and allowed a wide smile to come to her face. She leaned forward, angled her blades toward him...
Yang narrowed her eyes at her - exchanged a look with Ruby. Ruby looked confused, then nodded, determined.
"Begin!"
Cinder burst with Aura, lunging for Weiss Schnee in a split second redirection of her entire body, blades slashing left and right across the girl's front! She swept her ankle behind the girl's leg and threw an elbow into her chest, slamming her to the floor. She stomped her heel down on the girl's stomach, flashed her hand down and blasted her in the face with a stream of intense flames, depleting a not-insignificant amount of her Fire Dust. She used her Semblance and tore off a large shard from her outfit, and let it drop onto the girl's chest. She backflipped to avoid a sniper round from Ruby Rose, and triggered her Semblance in the air; Weiss yelled out as the Dust exploded, point blank, and her Aura shattered.
Cinder came down on her feet, turning and bringing up her blades as an angry voice yelled for her-
And it was Yang, coming at her with a clenched fist cocked.
Cinder ducked under her blow and twirled away, kicking her in the backside as she did. She continued the motion as she caught a blur of red in corner of her eye, and was able to catch Ruby Rose's scythe between both her crossed swords. She thrust upward and kicked the girl in the chest, performing another flip backwards in the same motion - the same momentum.
Cinder burned flames in both hands and sent out six streaking fireballs in a row for Ruby - the girl twirled her scythe and blocked all of them, a look of intense concentration on her face. But she saw the girl was barely able to deal with them; they drove her back several feet, her steps quick and uneven.
Yang blasted her shotgun gauntlets at Cinder from the ground, thrice over, looking furious.
Cinder activated the Fire Dust on the back of her dress, blasting out a brief, single second of flames that propelled her quickly back to the floor. She could have blocked, taken it on her Aura, but she didn't want to take too many hits if she didn't have to - especially not from Yang, who always hit hard, Semblance or not.
Yang was on her in an instant, punching and pushing, up close and personal.
Cinder blocked and deflected, evaded mostly, and always made sure not to strike at her - not too hard, if she had to, anyways. A little slice here, a slash there. A kick thrown into the mix of it all.
"Come on, hit me!" Yang yelled at her, frustration seeping in. "Or are you too scared to actually fight me head on?"
Cinder offered a smirk as she ducked under an arm and punched Yang lightly across the face, sending her spinning in the opposite direction. She leaped high over Yang's head and tagged her on the shoulder with a blade, then kicked her in the back to send her flying into Jaune, who had decided to actually try to attack Cinder now. Jaune was bowled over by the flying Yang, leaving them both a tangled mess on the floor.
"Hiyaaah!" Ruby came at Cinder with her scythe swinging horizontal.
Cinder flipped back twice and leaped high, sending out three streaks of flames for Ruby, the same move as before; Ruby blocked them all with gritted teeth, twirled her scythe and began firing back up at her with powerful sniper bullets. Cinder blocked them on her blades quickly, allowing the bullets to send her even higher. She pulled off some Lava Dust from her dress and sent it all down for Ruby, splashing it at her feet. She flicked her wrist, and it all exploded up from under her.
Ruby was caught in it, crying out as her Aura flared.
Cinder struck her twice with quick fire blasts, taking her Aura down even further. She landed again, and drew out her bow and fired off an explosive arrow in an instant.
Ruby stared at the incoming projectile, looking as scared as she did awed.
Yang came rushing in suddenly from the side, putting herself between her sister and the arrow.
Cinder wasn't about to let her take the hit; smirking broadly, she flexed her fingers and activated her Semblance, preparing to perform a move she'd kept a secret from everyone except for her team thus far. As the arrow soared for Yang, who had planted herself with her gauntlets braced in front of her, it suddenly dematerialized, becoming particles of glowing amber. It all flowed right around Yang, and then reformed behind her, to continue on its way to strike Ruby Rose in the chest. It exploded beautifully.
Ruby's Aura broke, and she was sent flying back, rolling across the floor to lay on her side. There was smoke rising from her scorched clothes.
Cinder lunged at the shocked Yang, getting in a few free strikes further on her Aura before jumping back away as the girl retaliated with utter ferocity.
Jaune tried to swing his sword at her from behind - a surprise attack. Cinder bent forward and thrust a leg out behind her, catching him in the chin and sending him high into the air. He came back down and hit hard, faceplanting it.
Cinder leaped away as Yang began throwing a volley of Dust rockets at her. She circled around her and lunged across her, slashing her arm. She leaped again past Yang, slicing her on a leg with both blades. Yang fell to a knee; Cinder blew past her a third time, slashing her across the throat; Yang's Aura flared bright. She stopped just on the right of the girl's body, pivoting on a heel and kicking her in the face. Yang spun around and hit the floor. Cinder thrust both hands down at her and engulfed her in flames.
And Yang's Aura broke at last.
Cinder let the flames die immediately, stepping away.
"Yaaaaah!" Jaune was charging in from her left, his sword held high in the most obvious telegraph in the world.
Cinder turned absently to meet him, raising a single blade of her own to catch his downward swing. She lashed out with her secondary blade, slashing him across his chest. She stepped in and kneed him in the gut, doubling him over. A stomp of his foot and a slam of a sword hilt to his back had him on the ground at her feet.
Cinder kicked him over onto his back and stomped on his chest, grinning down at him. She put the tip of her sword an inch from his nose, and pulsed her Semblance; Fire Dust activated, and flames rippled across the metal blade, shrouding it. "Do you want to give up, or are you going to make me have to break your Aura too?"
Jaune stared up at her, slack jawed. Then he tried to bring his sword up for her leg in a bout of determination.
Cinder used her second blade to intercept it, and she locked their blades in struggle. Well, a struggle for him. Not so much for her.
"Could you stop messing with me already?" Jaune sighed, letting his sword arm fall in resignation.
"If that's what you want..." Cinder brought her flaming sword up high, exaggerating the motion, enjoying the way Jaune's face screwed up with total dread...and then she swung it hard across his face, shattering his Aura and sending his head whipping aside.
The match was called, the lights were back on.
Cinder let the flames die, stepping back off of Jaune. She held her head high as she walked off the stage, her lips spread in a smirk of absolute triumph.
"Congratulations on your victory, Miss Aryle," spoke Glynda. "A victory won through strategy, planning ahead, and having a good read on your opponents. Knowing how to control the flow of a fight, and making it all more manageable, can ensure a victory even in face of what might seem like overwhelming odds. An excellent lesson for any huntress to keep in mind."
"Thank you, ma'am," Cinder said sincerely, giving a bow. Something she'd never gotten before, but realized she very much enjoyed getting now, here at Beacon: the approval of her teachers, of adults. Their praise, their attentions, for doing a good job. God knew she'd tried, time and again, to please her mother with extra hard work at the hotel...but it had never earned her even an ounce of praise - just more punishment for even thinking she deserved any. But here...
She was getting it!
Beacon was different.
And Cinder loved it.