Chapter 9: The Man Behind Brando
Ozpin's Office Day After Dance…
Ozpin, along with Ironwood and Glynda, stood in his office, looking at the golden arrow that laid on his desk. The arrow was the same that they apprehended from the three intruders the previous night.
"So this is the arrow that gives the Stand Power he talked about?" Glynda asked.
"Yes, I recognize it. It's the same one or one of similar design to the one HE brought here a long time ago." Ozpin answered.
"From what you told us about it, this is dangerous, so we must destroy it immediately." Ironwood suggested.
"No, not yet. I still want to get some answers from those three before we do anything to the arrow." Ozpin replied.
"Why would you want to talk with those criminals?" Ironwood questioned.
"They aren't criminals, James. They're victims of HIS twisted revenge." Ozpin responded.
"I believe that they deserve to know just who it was who put them through so much," Ozpin added.
(Feat JoJo Opening 3 Stand Proud)
Hours Later Beacon Infirmary…
Ozpin stood in front of the Stand Trio as Weiss and Ruby stood behind him. After they entered the room and greeted the Stand Trio, a few minutes have passed in silence. Joshua sat there looking at Ozpin, knowing that he knew something. He could see it in his eyes.
"Are we just going to sit here, or is a conversation going to start?" Max asked, tired of the silence.
"Sorry, the tension was odd even for a man such as I." Ozpin apologized.
"Let's start with this. I would like all three of you to tell me your names, age, and where you come from." Ozpin ordered as the three sighed.
"I am Richard Speedwagon. I am twenty-nine years old, and I come from Mistral." Richard answered.
"I am Maximillian Zeppeli. I am twenty-eight years old, and I too come from Mistral." Max went on.
"I am Joshua Joestar though it's not my real name because the man I once was is no more. I am twenty-six years old, and I come from Atlas." Joshua begrudgingly said as Weiss stared at him wide-eyed.
"I see. You three are a long way from home." Ozpin replied.
"What were you doing on Beacon grounds last night?" Ozpin questioned.
"There was a man looking to infiltrate your school to target your students with a special arrow. I would love to get into the specifics, but I think you know what it is already." Joshua answered.
"Yes, I do know what the arrow is, and for the moment, I am going to overlook that you murdered someone on our campus so that you can explain yourselves," Ozpin explained.
"But first, Ms. Schnee here would like to talk to you," Ozpin said as Weiss walked up.
"What more do you have to ask? Didn't we already tell you everything we know?" Richard asked.
"I just want to know one thing from you, Joshua," Weiss stated as she stared at the Stand User.
"Did you lie to me about my brother?" Weiss questioned.
"I'm sorry?" Joshua replied.
"When I asked you about my brother, you said that he died like what was reported and that you never saw him. But then you said that you were in the institution for twelve years. That is the exact same time my brother got in there." Weiss began.
"I want to know if you told me the truth about my brother." Weiss finished.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about your brother, but if I do find out anything about him, you'll be the first to know," Joshua answered.
Weiss looked at Joshua straight in the face and couldn't tell whether or not he was telling the truth or not. She felt like he was still hiding something from her but couldn't prove it, so she relented and walked away.
"Now that is out of the way, Mr. Speedwagon, did you get a good look at the woman who attacked the boy the previous night?" Ozpin inquired.
"Sorry, but she attacked me and instantly made a smokescreen to run away before I could get a good look at her. But I do know that she has long raven like hair and is about our height." Richard answered.
"I see," Ozpin murmured.
"I doubt there would be many people around here with a description like that," Joshua replied.
"Why would she still be here?" Ruby questioned.
"Last night was a low for security, but that also goes for staff. It would be the best chance to get in there like she did during the dance." Joshua began.
"But getting out of Beacon is another challenge, especially when seen. She was hiding somewhere here until the right time to leave." Joshua continued.
"I wouldn't be surprised that she's pretending to be a student." Joshua finished.
"That is very interesting. I can see your point, Mr. Joestar. I'll keep an eye out." Ozpin replied.
"That kid that the assailant stabbed may have a better description for you once he wakes up." Max pointed out.
"I see," Ozpin murmured.
"If you don't mind Ms. Rose, Ms. Schnee from here on out, this is a private conversation you two may return to your team. I believe you've told me all you can for now." Ozpin requested as he turned to the two girls.
"But…" Ruby began before she was interrupted.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Rose, but the rest of this conversation does not concern you." Ozpin asserted.
Knowing that they couldn't stay, Ruby and Weiss left the infirmary. Ruby wanted to stay and eavesdrop, but Weiss didn't let her curiosity get the better of her as she took Ruby away. Though she, too, wanted to know what was going on, she hoped, no, she knew that she would know soon.
"Now that we are alone, what I am about to tell you is highly confidential, and I hope that you will tell no one." Ozpin began.
"I know that the Brando Institution was really about keeping Stand Users. I only wish I caught on to the rest sooner." Ozpin continued.
"The man who was in charge of the operations is Kage Myojo, and he was an old acquaintance of mine," Ozpin revealed.
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"Kage Myojo?" Joshua questioned, his interest now peaked.
"He was once a close friend, but certain events changed him. Kage was once a great and caring huntsman who helped everyone he could while being with his wife and child until his wife was killed by a Grimm." Ozpin explained.
"As you can imagine losing someone you love is never easy." Ozpin continued as Joshua took a quick look at Lailah's bracelet.
"But he did not cope with her death well, for you see, Grimm aren't as mindless as you know them to be," Ozpin stated, confusing the Stand Trio.
"What do you mean?" Max asked.
"Like I said before, this is highly confidential. The only reason I am telling you this is because I believe that you three can help more than just take down the Brando Institution." Ozpin began.
"There is a woman out there named Salem, and she is the one who is in control of the Grimm. She is looking to destroy us all, and this information is something I only entrust to a certain few." Ozpin continued.
"Let me guess, Kage Myojo is one of those few." Joshua guessed.
"Correct, and he blames her for his wife's death. Kage wanted nothing more than to get revenge." Ozpin began.
"But Salem is a very powerful individual, which is to be expected for someone who is in control of the Grimm." Ozpin continued.
"A single huntsman would be powerless against her, so Kage looked for a way to gain even more power," Ozpin explained.
"That's when he found the Stand Arrow am I correct?" Joshua inquired.
"Yes. I remember the very day several years ago that he appeared before me presenting the arrow." Ozpin responded.
Years Prior…
Ozpin sat behind his desk, looking out at the city of Vale that laid below. Today was the start of another school year, and bullheads and other airships were bringing in the new students. Suddenly he heard footsteps come from behind him, and Ozpin turned around to see the source.
"Hello Ozpin, it's been a while," Kage smirked as Ozpin went wide-eyed.
"Kage! This is certainly a surprise. I haven't heard from you in months." Ozpin gasped, trying to think of how Kage appeared out of nowhere in his office, seeing as the elevator was not used.
Kage Myojo himself was six foot two with pitch-black hair and dark blue eyes. He wore all black clothing, including a biker jacket and pants. However, something unusual about him that Ozpin noted was that he no longer had his weapon strapped to his back.
"For a working Huntsman, that is odd." Ozpin thought.
"Yes, I'm sorry for being so distant, but ever since Diana's death, I've been in deep thought." Kage apologized.
"I understand losing someone is always hard. I hope that young Jovin is doing okay." Ozpin replied.
"He's fine," Kage stated as he approached Ozpin's desk.
"Where have you been, Kage? I understand this time has been hard but going completely dark is…odd for you." Ozpin asked as Kage reached his desk.
"I've been mourning and searching all around Remnant for an answer to our problem," Kage stated.
"Are you referring to Salem?" Ozpin inquired.
"The very same," Kage replied.
"What are you talking about?" Ozpin questioned.
"I've had time to think about this whole situation ever since Diana's death. I roamed from kingdom to kingdom, seeing the people there, and I knew that it could continue no more." Kage began.
"The people are suffering because of the Grimm Oz." Kage continued.
"Salem needs to die," Kage stated calmly.
"I understand that you are mad, Kage, but we can't act rashly like this. Salem hides in the dark, and we don't even know where she is. Even if we did, we aren't equipped enough to defeat her." Ozpin replied.
"Oh, I know, Ozpin, but I found a solution," Kage said as he placed a golden arrow on Ozpin's desk.
"What is this?" Ozpin asked.
"This is a special arrow that isn't used as a weapon but to give people special powers known as a Stand. It makes a semblance look pitiful in comparison, and the power can be beyond what people would deem even possible." Kage explained.
"Where did you find this?" Ozpin questioned.
"My brother discovered this from an old fortuneteller and showed me the power it can give. It has opened my eyes, Ozpin. With this power, we can reshape the world, and with Salem out of the way, true peace can be achieved." Kage responded.
"That is an interesting idea you have, but can you explain further about the power of these Stands?" Ozpin requested.
"No problem, but first, do you remember my semblance?" Kage asked.
"You can hide in any shadow, the perfect semblance for someone such as you," Ozpin answered, knowing that physically he wasn't strong, but he was able to attack his enemy by surprise.
"Precisely, but thanks to this wonderful arrow, I have evolved and become more powerful than ever!" Kage declared as every shadow in Ozpin's office began to expand and encompass most of the Headmaster's office.
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Ozpin jumped out of his chair in surprise as the shadows stopped just before they reached his desk. He couldn't understand what was happening but relaxed when the shadows moved back to normal in the room.
(AN: The Shadows are able to be seen because the Stand is controlling shadows already there, not creating them so ordinary people can see it)
"Every shadow is now mine to control. I hold the power that grants me an infinite possibility of how to use it." Kage smirked.
"Interesting, but how does the arrow work?" Ozpin inquired, wanting to know more.
"It's very straightforward. You just need to pierce yourself with this arrow, simple as that. The only danger is if someone isn't compatible." Kage answered.
"What do you mean compatible?" Ozpin questioned.
"Not everyone can have a Stand or use it. Sometimes it can kill a person." Kage responded.
"How?" Ozpin questioned, now wary of this power.
"Sometimes, people aren't strong enough to gain a Stand, and they'll simply die from the arrow," Kage answered.
"Doesn't that give you a cause for concern? I can't just let you use this recklessly." Ozpin inquired.
"It's nothing to worry about. I've already tested it on several people, including my son, and only five of the eight died my son excluded." Kage responded.
"Even children have the potential! Isn't that fantastic?!" Kage inquired with a deranged smile on his face.
"What?! How could you say something like this, Kage, you killed someone for power? Why?" Ozpin questioned.
"You know damn well why!" Kage shot back.
"You never had someone like I had, and you never had to watch them die!" Kage shouted.
"I am willing to do anything to get my revenge on Salem, and when I do, I shall tip the power scale of this world and set it on the right path. A few lives lost here, and there is a necessary sacrifice." Kage declared.
"Kage, I can't let you do this. You've clearly lost it. You even endangered your own son's life. I can't let you leave." Ozpin stated.
"I had a feeling that you wouldn't understand Oz, but then again, it was worth a shot." Kage sighed as he stood up as he took the arrow in hand.
"I told you, Kage, I can't let you leave. I already called security, and if you try to force your way out. I'll take care of you myself." Ozpin threatened, causing Kage to laugh.
"I told you, Ozpin, a Stand is a power that can be beyond what anyone could imagine. What makes you think you can touch me now?" Kage questioned as the shadows approached him.
"It was nice seeing you, Oz. Though I thought you'd understand the opportunity the arrow can give us against Salem, however, it seems that was just hopeful thinking." Kage said as he slowly sunk into the shadow in the ground.
"I'm sorry to see you become like this, Kage, but I will stop you." Ozpin declared.
He went to attack Kage, but he was stopped by a sudden spike shot at him from the shadows. Upon closer inspection, Ozpin realized that it wasn't just a spike, but it was made from the shadows themselves.
"I'd like to see you try. But here and now, I swear to you I will find a Stand that will be able to kill Salem, then I will bring the world to peace." Kage announced.
"Isn't your's enough?" Ozpin questioned as Kage disappeared into the shadow.
Present Day…
"That was the last I saw of him. I tried to look for him, but he was always good at hiding his own tracks." Ozpin finished.
"A Stand that can control Shadows." Joshua thought as he listened to the end of Ozpin's story.
"Such a Stand is dangerous." Joshua realized.
"So the reason Kage Myojo made the institution was to create a Stand that was able to kill this Salem woman, is that right?" Max asked.
"Yes, that is correct. His grief has turned him deranged and lost. Kage needs to be stopped, and I believe that only other Stand Users can do so, such as you." Ozpin responded.
"This could explain the ranking system they had at Brando," Max murmured.
"What do you mean?" Joshua asked.
"They ranked us based on our Stands, but until now, there hasn't been a clear reason, so maybe it's because the higher the rank, the better it was to kill Salem." Max began.
"I bet the entire reason Star Brands were treated differently and more careful was because they were the best candidates to kill Salem." Max finished.
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"Care to tell me about this ranking system?" Ozpin requested as Joshua and Max explained it to him.
"I see. That would be a definitive conclusion to it. I have no doubt that these Star Brands are highest because they show the best chance of killing Salem." Ozpin said.
"That could be true, but it doesn't make sense to me," Joshua argued.
"Why is that?" Max inquired.
"Think about my Stand and Lailah's. Neither is outstanding in battle or has a power that could kill her if she is all-powerful. I mean, sure, my premonition would give me an edge, but I still don't think it's worth that." Joshua began.
"Lailah's flames were never used in battle against a person before, and all it was known to do was burn away pain and sickness." Joshua continued.
"Neither could be considered able to kill this Salem woman." Joshua finished.
"Maybe they knew something about your Stands that you didn't," Ozpin suggested.
"Who knows they have to know something? After all, they somehow figured out our Stands to rank us." Joshua replied.
"Could their Stand have something to do with Salem's im…no, I can't believe that even with these insane powers." Ozpin thought.
"Getting back on topic, I wish for you to continue your work to find and stop Kage and the Brando institution," Ozpin stated before taking out the arrow that belonged to Angus.
"I get where you're coming from, but I want to know why are you trusting us? After all, you caught us illegally on your campus and that we killed a person here, so why do you trust us?" Joshua inquired.
"I am willing to take risks but make no mistake. I will need you to gain my trust, so I will hold onto this arrow for now until you gain said trust." Ozpin explained.
"I also know you had good intentions when you snuck in here and stopped that man from using the arrow on my students though I do wish you didn't have to kill him," Ozpin added.
"Okay, so how does this work?" Richard inquired.
"You will continue your search and report to me your findings," Ozpin answered.
"Okay," Joshua replied, knowing that they had no chance but to accept.
"Now, I have another question for you three." Ozpin began.
"How many arrows are there?" Ozpin asked.
"No idea, but we know for a fact that currently there are two in Vale that arrow included," Max answered.
"Sadly, that woman from last night stole the other arrow we had, so we have no idea where it is." Richard pointed out.
"I see," Ozpin murmured, clearly concerned about this.
"That woman is she associated with Salem?" Joshua asked.
"Maybe I can't say for certain, but maybe," Ozpin answered.
"If she is, then that would be a problem because she may obtain a Stand." Max pointed out, causing Ozpin to get more serious.
"How long does it take to obtain a Stand?" Ozpin inquired.
"It depends on the person. Sometimes it's instant. Other times it takes days or who knows how long. That is unless they die." Max explained.
"If you can find this arrow and stop them, then I'll be able to trust you more, but this will be a long road," Ozpin replied.
"Alright, then the first move to find out who stole the arrow is to ask the kid what he knows when he wakes up," Joshua said.
"But one question if you knew he was going to create Stand Users, how did you not find out about Brando?" Joshua asked.
"To be honest, I was suspicious of it at first, seeing as it was named after his wife's maiden name, but I could not prove anything since he wasn't the technical owner of it. His brother was," Ozpin answered.
"I did try to investigate, but each time I came up with nothing. He always was good at hiding his secrets and seeing that these Stands aren't publicly known, it is hard to tell the people what they were doing wrong." Ozpin added.
"Not even I knew the exact location of each of their buildings," Ozpin stated.
"I see," Joshua murmured.
"Didn't you say that he gained the arrow from his brother? What is his name?" Joshua inquired.
"His name is…" Ozpin began before his scroll went off.
"It seems I have other business to attend to. General Ironwood is with the child, so when he wakes, he will let you know." Ozpin announced, dropping the previous question.
"That's surprising. It looked like he would have wanted to talk to us." Richard pointed out.
"I made sure that he didn't come here. He may have overreacted in your presence because, as you could imagine, he is not happy." Ozpin answered.
"I could tell when he pressed his gun to the back of my head." Richard sighed.
"True, now I'll return soon and show you some accommodations that will be provided to you all. Until then, please don't cause any trouble." Ozpin requested as he let the trio out of their cuffs.
However, as Ozpin left them, he thought about what Kage had said to him before he completely disappeared into the shadows. He knew that if anyone found out what he knew, especially Ironwood, they would turn on him.
Years Prior…
"Isn't your's enough?" Ozpin questioned.
"I think we both know it's not, especially since you lied to all of us," Kage responded, shocking Ozpin.
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"Shocked, are you? Don't be." Kage said.
"You think I didn't think of trying to kill her myself. With my Stand, I am every shadow on this planet. It took me a couple of months to find her, but I found out the little secret you hid from us." Kage explained as his head disappeared into the shadows.
"I stabbed her straight through the heart with a shadow, and she did not die. Though even with my Stand's full power, I could tell what she was." Kage added as his voice echoed in the room.
"Don't worry, I won't tell Qrow or Ironwood nor the others because I know that a Stand with the power to kill an immortal will appear," Kage stated as the shadows receded to normal.
Present Day Lower Vale…
"You can't be serious! You want me to shoot you with this arrow?" Emerald questioned after hearing Cinder's story.
"Yes, I do. If I want this Stand Power, then I must be shot with this arrow." Cinder responded as she handed Emerald the arrow and a bow.
"But how do we know what they said was true? What if this is just some normal arrow?" Emerald inquired.
"If it's a normal arrow, then my aura will protect me." Cinder answered.
"Just get it over with. If you don't do it, then I'll be forced to." Mercury complained as Emerald slowly raised the bow and nocked the arrow.
They were currently in their home away from home, where they would hide out when not in Beacon. Cinder decided this would be the best place to do this so that no one could find her when she did this.
"Are you sure?" Emerald asked.
"If my cousin could obtain this power, then so will I now stop questioning it and fire!" Cinder demanded.
Emerald finally relented and fired the arrow hitting Cinder in the shoulder and piercing her aura almost as if her aura wasn't there. The second it pierced her, Cinder fell to her knees, feeling an unusual feeling throughout her body.
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"This….this is…." Cinder stuttered, pulling the arrow out of her shoulder with her aura slowly healing the wound.
"This is just going great so far." Mercury sighed as he and Emerald picked up Cinder.
"Are you okay, Cinder?" Emerald asked.
"F-F-Fine." Cinder hissed as they placed her on a nearby bed before she passed out.
"What do we do now?" Mercury asked.
"Look after her. We have no other choice." Emerald answered.
"Let's hope she doesn't make us do this as well." Mercury sighed.
Emerald sat with Cinder with a wet washcloth to put on her forehead. No sooner when she passed out, did she contract a serious fever. Sadly she was alone in helping Cinder as Mercury opted to keep a lookout.
"She knew what she was getting into. Let what happens happen." Mercury had said.
Emerald knew it was a bad idea to do this. That arrow couldn't have done anything good, and for all, they knew Cinder was dying. What good could shooting yourself with an arrow do, and what was that Cinder said about her cousin? It didn't make sense.
Then again, Cinder never talked about her past, so everything about her was a mystery. Pushing the thoughts behind, Emerald continued to tend to Cinder as her Fever worsened. Whatever the arrow did, do to Cinder, Emerald didn't believe it to be good.
Cinder's Mindscape…
"Where am I?" Cinder questioned as she looked into a void of infinite darkness.
The last thing she remembered was ordering Emerald to shoot her with the golden arrow before passing out. Could she have died? No, she refused to believe that she could have died like this. She refused to die, for she must get the same power as her cousin.
"You want the power I possess. Don't be absurd." A voice laughed from behind Cinder.
The ravened haired woman turned to see none other than her cousin Lailah Pendleton as a ten-year-old in the flesh. No, it couldn't be because she was dead, so this is just an illusion. After all, she should look older if she was in the afterlife.
"I could always see the hate in your eyes, you know, but it's understandable. After all, I have this incredible power, and you have nothing. Even now, all you have is half of a power that doesn't belong to you." The Lailah Apparition smirked.
Angry Cinder attacked the apparition only to phase right through, and the apparition to disappear. Shortly after, another one appeared behind her before duplicating itself to surround Cinder completely.
"It's pathetic, really. I remember how useless you were back in the day. You struggle to make yourself the strongest, like a little child who wants everything for themselves." The Lailah apparitions laughed.
In a rage, Cinder lashed out, attacking every last one of Lailah's apparitions. Just seeing her deceased cousin infuriated her. She always hated her ever since they were children. Everyone in the family loved her and her power, and it was unfair.
"Why was she blessed with power, yet I was not?" Cinder questioned as she thought of days long past.
Sixteen Years Ago…
Cinder looked out from her home outside of the City of Mistral. Today her family from Vale was coming over for a visit, and she was not excited. She never liked her extended family or her close family because it always made her feel lesser.
A lot of her family were weak like her, but some actually were capable of fighting Grimm. But then there was her cousin. Cinder loathed her cousin. She had a power that seemed to go beyond what semblance should be able to do.
Everyone swooned over her because of it, and it angered her. Why did she have this power? This flame that could relieve pain, and Cinder was even told it burnt up a Grimm. A power that could help people but hurt monsters. It was like a holy power.
Cinder would be lying if she said that she wasn't jealous because she had been powerless all of her life. But her cousin had this gift for reasons unknown though Cinder felt like Lailah knew how she got it, she could tell.
Soon she could see her family approaching her home, spotting Lailah from the rest of them. Her aunt was also holding their newborn, which was one of the main reasons they were coming so that they could see the newborn.
Honestly, she could care less because what does it matter? To her, all it meant was another speck that would be forgotten on this world. Cinder herself refused to be someone like that. She would become stronger no matter what and find a purpose. Her destiny.
"Cinder, they're here. Come and say hi." Cinder's mother called as her family entered their home.
Begrudgingly Cinder got up and entered her home to greet her family. When she entered, her eyes fixed on Lailah, who gave her a small wave, but Cinder only responded with a scowl. Even if she was supposed to play nice for her, it was a near impossibility with Lailah.
Eventually, she forced a small wave and decided to listen more to her mother and aunt talk about her new little cousin. But inevitably, Cinder had to interact with Lailah, much to the raven-haired girl's discretion.
"So Cinder, how have you been?" Lailah inquired.
"Fine." Cinder replied, not wanting to make conversation of which discouraged Lailah quite a bit.
Unknown to Cinder, her cousin was nothing like she thought she was. Due to Cinder's broken ego, she never realized all the times that Lailah tried to make an actual connection with her. Cinder's sheer jealousy had blinded her to who Lailah really was. For all Cinder could tell, she was just another person who looked down at her.
"Lailah, do you mind holding your sister for a second." Lailah's mother requested as she handed Lailah her sister.
"Want to say hi, Cinder?" Lailah asked.
"What is her name?" Cinder inquired.
"Erina," Lailah answered.
After that, they sat around in silence until Lailah gave her sister back to her mother. Once that happened, Cinder stood up and went outside to get some distance from her family. Both her direct and extended got on her nerves, and at the moment, Cinder was at her limit.
Everyone acted like they were okay with how things were, but how could they? Cinder could never understand how they were okay with being so powerless. To be at the bottom of the barrel of society only above faunus, but even they could fight back.
Unknown to her cousin and their family, Cinder's family constantly had to pay protection money to a local crime unit. If they were just strong, they wouldn't have to take such abuse. It's for that reason that Cinder has to work herself.
Yet the day someone with power is born in the family, it's not her, but her cousin, and everyone was excited. However, while everyone was happy for her, nothing ever came from it. Lailah could have become strong, but instead, she wanted to become a nurse.
"Such power is wasted on her." Cinder thought as she reached a small clearing in the woods.
"I will obtain power one day and will use it to make other's bend to me." Cinder thought on as she sat on the ground. She sat there for a while before a noise came from behind her. Cinder turned around to see Lailah coming out of the bushes.
"Oh good, I found you. Everyone was worried when you disappeared." Lailah smiled as she walked up next to Cinder.
"Why did you come out here for?" Lailah asked.
"Doesn't matter. Leave me alone." Cinder responded.
"But Cinder, it's dangerous to be out here alone." Lailah pointed out.
"I don't care, go away!" Cinder demanded, causing Lailah to frown.
"Is something wrong?" Lailah inquired, concerned at Cinder's little outburst. Cinder ignored her and got up, and began walking away.
"Cinder, where are you going?" Lailah questioned as she followed, causing Cinder to move faster.
"Wait, don't go further in. There may be Grimm there!" Lailah called as Cinder pressed on.
"Just go away." Cinder insisted.
"But we have to go back!" Lailah replied.
"Nothing's stopping you." Cinder shot back.
"I'm not going back without you, Cinder," Lailah said.
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Cinder shouted.
The two girls stopped in silence as Lailah broke a few tears because of Cinder's harshness. She never understood why Cinder was always cold to her, but she wanted to change that. Which why every time they saw each other, she would do her best to interact with her.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to bother you." Lailah apologized.
"Don't apologize. I don't need your pity." Cinder replied.
"But Cinder, I don't pity you," Lailah argued.
"How could you not, after all, destiny chose you to receive such a great power." Cinder stated, surprising Lailah.
"Is she jealous of my power?" Lailah wondered as the burning purple maiden appeared next to her.
"Destiny? Cinder, we choose our own destiny. Just because I have this power doesn't mean you won't have something in the future." Lailah assured as she attempted to put a hand on Cinder's shoulder.
"That's easy for you to say you already have this power." Cinder replied, smacking away Lailah's hand, causing a small burn unknowingly.
"How long has she felt this way?" Lailah wondered as she went to speak again.
However, before Lailah could speak, a loud sound came from next to them, and a large Beowolf came out of the woodwork. The two split up as the Beowolf hit a nearby tree, taking it down before turning its attention on Cinder.
"Cinder!" Lailah gasped as she used her power to create fire around the Beowolf.
The flames did not burn any of the wood or grass around it for instead, it only burnt up the Beowolf that howled in pain. It fell to the ground and burnt away, leaving no trace of its existence at all.
"Cinder, are you okay?" Lailah asked as she ran up to her cousin.
"Saved. I had to be saved. Pathetic!" Cinder thought as she glared at Lailah.
"There's probably going to be more coming. Let's get out of here while we can." Lailah suggested.
Cinder remained quiet as Lailah attempted to get her to follow, but she didn't listen. She had enough and couldn't sit back and do nothing. Because if her destiny was not going to find her, she would find her destiny.
The future half maiden ran full speed away from Lailah, not looking back even when Lailah called out to her. She stopped for nothing, and no one as the sun slowly dipped over the horizon, and the stars came out until she passed out due to exhaustion.
Cinder's Mindscape…
After that day, Cinder wandered for months before she met Salem. Through her, Cinder finally found her destiny as the future holder of all the maiden powers. But even now, Cinder felt like she was in Lailah's shadow.
Something she couldn't explain until now. It was because of this power the Stand. The mysterious power that made her so special that something that the maiden power can't be. The power of the maiden was something stolen, but a Stand was hers, and with it, she'll be above Lailah.
"I won't be mocked. I won't be left behind. I will become strong and powerful!" Cinder declared as the darkness around her turned into raging flames, and another apparition of Lailah appeared.
"And I will obtain the power you have! No. I will have something far greater!" Cinder thought as she burned away the apparition, and it was replaced by the image of a woman in a black suit and blank face with bright orange eyes and hair made of flames.
Lower Vale…
"What happened?!" Mercury questioned as he joined Emerald, who was with Cinder ever since three days ago when the half maiden first had the arrow used on herself.
For those three days, Cinder was unresponsive with a high fever of which Emerald carefully attended to. But now, suddenly, Cinder and the bed she had been laying in had burst into flames which slowly encompassed the area until Emerald and Mercury put it out.
When the fire was put out, Cinder was nowhere to be seen. Looking up, both Emerald and Mercury noticed a burnt hole in the ceiling. After crawling through the hole, they saw Cinder standing on the roof surrounded by flames with a large smile on her face.
"Cinder? Are you okay?" Emerald asked.
"I've never been better in my entire life." Cinder smiled as she looked upon her Stand.
"So this is a Stand. I think I'll call it Fall's Reprise." Cinder stated as Emerald and Mercury joined her.
"Are you sure it worked? I don't see it?" Mercury asked.
"Oh, it most certainly worked." Cinder smirked as loud clapping was heard nearby.
ゴ
ゴ
ゴ
ゴ
"Splendid! Impressive! I have to say your Stand is a sight to behold!" An unknown voice complimented.
The three looked all around for the source of the voice but found nothing until they looked straight above them. Above them was a man with bright gold hair and deep orange eyes. He wore brown cargo pants with a matching short-sleeved jacket and a black shirt.
What was most shocking was that the man was floating in the air with what looked like small gusts of wind holding him afloat. Davion Brando smirked a sinister smile as he slowly descended from the sky and landed above them on a higher part of the roof.
"Who the hell are you?" Cinder questioned.
"My name is Davion Brando, but you can call me…Dio," Davion answered.
"I'll keep it simple for now. I'm here for the arrow, so you can hand it to me now and save yourself the trouble. Or die." Davion explained.
"You can try, pal!" Mercury yelled as he jump kicked at Davion.
However, before he could get even close to the Stand User, a gust of wind sent the silver-haired boy flying away, crashing into the roof of an adjacent building. Before Cinder and Emerald could react, another gust of wind came from above, blowing them both into the building below.
Davion floated down, joining them as they stood back up. Thankfully their aura had taken all the damage, so neither were injured. But Davion wasn't done as every window in the building broke open, and Cinder and Emerald were sent through the wall.
"Okay, now that I've shown you that I mean business, where is the arrow?" Davion questioned.
"You'll never get it!" Cinder hissed as flames shot out of her and fired toward Davion.
Davion was unfazed as a burst of wind blew the flame away, never making contact with him. Soon Cinder's Stand appeared next to her and created a bow made of flame. It fired several arrows of flame at Davion, who managed to dodge each and everyone with ease.
"Interesting, very interesting!" Davion laughed as he created a small burst of wind to snuff out the flames.
"You're Stand, while new, does seem to be useful in combat, and in battle, you can learn how to use it," Davion commented.
"This could be good," Davion smirked.
"Tell me, what is your name?" Davion inquired.
"What does it matter?" Cinder questioned.
"Isn't it common courtesy? I told you my name, so why not give me yours." Davion replied.
"Cinder Fall." Cinder answered as Emerald looked at her, concerned.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Fall. Now show me the power of your Stand." Davion insisted.
"Show me what it can do against my Stand: Dust In The Wind!" Davion shouted.
===To Be Continued===
Next Time…Dust In The Wind
Author's Note:
Whew finally got the chapter done! I won't lie; I had a bunch of writer's block recently with most of my stories, so it took me a while to get this done. Halfway through this chapter, I decided to go into a different direction and saved what I had been writing for later.
Basically, everything after the reveal of Kage was new stuff because originally, I had Joshua and Co go visit Balloon Boy, and a different Stand User came but decided to save that for a future chapter.
So don't worry, you're not going to miss out on anything here. You'll see it soon. For now, I hope you like what you see so far of Davion's Stand Dust In The Wind and Kage's Stand, whose name I shall not yet spoil! Both are some of the favorite Stands I came up with, and I can't wait to show them off.
Though one thing to point out about Kage's Stand, he can't see out of every shadow all at once. If it wasn't clear enough, he has to look at every shadow individually, so I don't want people getting the wrong idea about that. It would take too long to find the main crew and kill them.
But now that I am finally getting to write with Dust In The Wind, I realized I can abbreviate it as DITW, but I don't know if it sounds as good, but maybe it does. We'll see. Hopefully, I can get the next chapter done faster, but you never know what could happen.
As for Cinder and Lailah's relationship, I hope you guys enjoyed it. I think it makes sense for Cinder to react the way she did with her philosophy and world view. It makes sense for her to do those things.
Plus, she can be a jealous and whiny little bitch if she doesn't get what she wants. Let's all admit that XD. But in all seriousness, the reason Cinder hated Lailah was because she felt cheated, and even with the maiden powers, it wasn't something that was entirely hers.
She still felt like Lailah was more "special" than she was, but now that she too has a Stand, she no longer feels lesser. As for why both Joshua and Lailah's Stands are star brands, of course, that will be explained later on.
But next chapter, you'll see your first star brand in full view, unlike Joshua's (not going to spoil anything about him but let's just say you haven't seen all his Stand can do). Either way, I hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll see you all next time.