Chapter 23
A white cloak. A red cape. Blonde hair. White hair. Black hair. A green coat. A white coat.
Why did her mind keep returning to these images? She had no reason to think of them but she was. She knew she didn't remember anything other than Master. Were they parts of her memories? Why did she still have them? What did they mean? Why did they make her feel… longing? Master was all she needed!
The girl scratched her head. She could feel a headache coming on but didn't know why. Blue, Master's other servant, gave her a bored look. He was waiting after all.
Master had returned upstairs, telling them to get to know each other and share their skills. She had shown off her speed and petal transformation. When she had though it felt… familiar. That was when those colours, those fragments, had appeared.
Now came Blue's turn. He'd been found by the Master a couple years ago, Master had said. His Semblance allowed him to produce an electrical current, which he could transfer through touch or metal. It had the strength to incapacitate most people.
It sounded strong. That was good. Master needed useful servants. She hoped she could be useful. Then he would be happy with her. Proud of her.
That felt familiar as well. Hoping someone would be proud? Who? Why? Those colours again. White, yellow and black.
Why!? What was so important about those colours!? Maybe Master used to wear different colours?
The girl gripped her head as it pounded in pain. Blue stepped away from her, looking worried.
Red. Red. Red. So much pain. Why does it hurt!? A White coat? A red dress? Anger… so much anger! Hate! Hate the red dress!
The girl collapsed to the ground. She panted. Tears fell from her eyes. It hurt. Her head hurt so much.
Why did she hate that red dress?
Jaune stood his ground as a clone charged into him, it let loose a mess of slashes and cuts with no care.
Two opponents. One can create clones, the other is an unknown. However, we can guess he was the one to seal the opening to that torture room. If so his Semblance can likely create walls or join two objects together.
He had to think of a way to deal with this, before they were overwhelmed. But what was the answer? Pyrrha can break the captain's concentration and let us defeat the clones, but she can't do that too many times. We have to beat him quickly. But the other guy is gonna be in the way.
Jaune slammed his shield into the clone, knocking it to the side. "Pyrrha! Ren! Focus on the captain! Nora! On the other guy!"
Jaune rushed forward, ignoring the recovering clone and charged into the newcomer. The man smiled as he was thrown to the ground. As his hand touched the floor it began to distort. A pillar of wood rose up and smashed into Jaune's stomach. A series of walls began to spring up around them, cutting JNPR off from their opponents.
He can create walls? From the floor… I understand!
"Nora! Smash it down!"
Nora cackled as she crashed her hammer through the wooden walls. Jaune jumped through the new hole, following Nora as they chased after the smuggler. The walls were weak and thin, likely because he didn't have time to create anything sturdier.
Suddenly, to Jaune's side, a wall parted. There was the smuggler! As Jaune turned to face him, the man smirked and threw a ring at Jaune. The ring opened and locked around Jaune's sword arm and glowed purple. Jaune had a moment of confusion before his arm dropped, hitting the floor and causing him to collapse. It was like his arm had its weight multiplied ten times over.
Gravity Dust!? Jaune aimed his shield and slammed the edge into the ring. After several attempts, it finally cracked enough for Jaune to pull it apart. He rubbed his wrist before he grabbed Crocea Mors and scanned the area.
He was alone in a maze. He could hear fighting all around him. Separated, they were in trouble.
"Pyrrha!" He shouted. "Get rid of the walls!"
He barely heard the response of "duck!" In time to dropdown. A massive blast of wind blew through the room, tearing it apart. Splinters flew throughout the room. Jaune jumped to his feet and glanced around.
Pyrrha was fighting three separate clones while Ren kept the original occupied. Nora and the smuggler were currently locked in battle.
Jaune gulped and charged. With a yell, he barrelled towards the original captain and slammed him through the rooms actual walls and into the outside. For a moment they were falling. Then they crashed onto the city's walls.
Jaune groaned as he pulled himself to his feet. The captain was slightly quicker and stalked over, wrapping his hands around Jaune's neck. He squeezed as he pushed Jaune back onto the stone wall.
Everything was going dark. He was being strangled. Jaune was frightened. If he fell unconscious… He threw as much of his Aura up as he could, trying to push the man's hands away. It gave him small chances to take in breath. The man growled and pushed harder.
As the world grew dark and desperate Jaune reached out and shoved his thumbs into the captain's eyes.
The man cried out and loosened his grip. Jaune instantly took advantage, he tightened his grip, pushing his thumbs deeper and pulled the man towards him and Jaune slammed his forehead into his opponent's nose. The captain, in pain, staggered backwards but quickly recovered. Hurting but without any permanent damage.
They both retrieved their weapons and fell back into their stances. Their battle would continue here.
Blue was a young boy. He could only remember waking to his Master. Whether he had a family before or not didn't matter. The last two years have been great. Just him and the Master and whatever children he tried to bring in. Most didn't survive.
The new girl didn't seem like one that would. She was rejecting Masters powers, whether she knew it or not. Blue was okay with this. He wanted Master for himself. Even as she screamed in pain, clutching her head, he looked bored. It was nothing he hadn't seen and wouldn't see again.
She was just another, broken child to be discarded before long. Though now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember one ever being in so much pain so soon.
The noise was getting annoying, however. Perhaps he should tell the Master. Master never liked it being loud here. Blue sighed and stepped forward.
He'd make it quiet and then go and tell Master. He touched the poor girl on the shoulder and activated his Semblance, sending a powerful jolt through her system. She locked up and collapsed. Not unconscious but seemingly disabled for now.
He shrugged and went to tell Master. He'd dealt with her.
Pyrrha was giving ground to the two clones she currently faced. One had gone after Ren since Jaune had taken the fight outside. Suddenly they paused, looks of pain on their faces. She struck out, cutting them down with ease.
The smuggler was running. He'd placed what seemed to be his last gravity ring on Nora and was trying to leave out of the hole in the wall.
Pyrrha threw her shield, used her Semblance to control its flight and slammed it into the fleeing man's knees. He tripped, crashed to the floor and rolled with the momentum, sending him through the hole.
Pyrrha gave chase while Ren went to assist Nora. She jumped through the hole, three-point landing on the stone. She turned and called her shield to her as she engaged with the smuggler.
Already she could hear the sounds of the militia mobilizing. As well as the sounds of Jaune and the captains battle just down the way. She caught glimpses, showing her that Jaune was holding his own. He wasn't letting the captain get enough time to spawn a single clone, using whatever he could. From his sword and shield to his weight. Anything he could use.
Pyrrha couldn't let Jaune fight by himself though. They were partners, and eventually, he was going to tire. So she unleashed a brutal, unending assault on the smuggler. His scimitar danced as it tried to parry and block every strike. His eyes were wide in terror however once he realised his weapon wasn't answering him right. His Aura was draining, but not fast enough.
Pyrrha flicked her finger and sent his scimitar flying off the wall and into the nearby forest. He stumbled back as she continued her assault. Soon enough a dark brown shimmer shattered around him as she broke his Aura. A quick jab with the pommel of her sword to the face knocked him out.
She rushed to join Jaune, just as Ren and Nora jumped out and joined them. The captain cursed as he too realised what was happening.
They were back to the start.
Golden hair. A bright smile. Blue eyes. Silver armour. Hope. Light. Comfort. Protection. A friend who would never leave her.
The girl coughed onto the floor, saliva splattered onto the cold stone. Her mind was a jumble of pain and half present memories. But that was a step up from before.
She could remember some things. A person who she wanted to see again. She'd had friends and a family. And this master was a monster.
There was one word that echoed in her head, however. It must be her name. Why else would she remember it so well? Yea, her name.
Cinder pulled herself to her feet and stumbled around. Somewhere around here was her weapon. She'd know it when she saw it, that was for sure. She swallowed, trying to keep herself from vomiting.
She could hear a great pounding in her ears. She stumbled from room to room, from cell to cell. Until finally she found it.
Cinder reached out and picked up the red weapon. Instinct and muscle memory guided her as she transformed it from its compact form into the scythe. Then she took it a step further, turning the blade so that it formed a kind of spear.
Just in time as footsteps sounded as someone rushed down the stairs.
Cinder started to laugh as she turned.
Master stepped into the room, looking around distressed. He saw her and his eyes widened. He raised his arm, about to speak.
Cinder didn't give him a chance. She closed her eyes and dashed forward, tapping her Semblance to go faster than she should be able to. Her body felt like it was exploding from the exertion, still recovering from Blue's shock.
Her "master" didn't expect it.
Despite Cinder's rising body temperature, when she stopped moving she felt like water was being splashed on her. As she opened her eyes she saw her monster for a master looking down at her in shock, his hands clutched the weapon currently piercing his stomach. Dark brown shards of Aura floated through the air.
Blood covered him, her, the weapon and was pouring down the wall to pool on the floor.
As the man's eyes slowly lost their light, the headache exploded within her mind.
Ruby Rose screamed.
A/N: I feel like such an asshole, doing all this to Ruby. Poor, poor Rubaby. She doesn't deserve this. Of course, meanwhile, Jaune pulls out some not so nice moves to combat his opponent. The fight this chapter was real fun. I got to show off a new kind of Semblance I don't think has a counterpart in canon. I kinda based it off of the Earth Wall Jutsu in Naruto. Just slap the ground and form a wall. We're heading right into the end of the arc now.
I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you next time!