All Characters belong to RoosterTeeth etc.
Sentences in italics are internal conversations in Cinder and Pyrrha's head.
There was a silence in the room. Ozpin had dropped the largest bomb since… well any of his other conspiracies. I was going to merge with Cinder… What did that even mean? Would I become obsessed with power or would she become a better person who actually apologizes for things?
"Great, so I just have to wait you out and I'll get my body back. Should be easy."
"What does it mean that we'll merge? What should I expect? Should I… not... risk it?" I asked so many questions in rapid fire that you'd think I was possessed by Nora.
"Well it's different for each person. For instance my first reincarnation I accidentally took complete control of his body before I even realized he was there. Poor soul scrambled our mind for a time." Everyone had a mixture of questions and suspicion plastered on their faces but the way it was said so nonchalantly was the most worrying.
"So she can just take complete control of Cinder and we'll never have to hear from her again?" Nora interjected wanting to be right.
"Well… No. That was a long time ago and frankly… I was more powerful back then. What you have now is a piece not the entire thing; it will wane when your bond with Cinder strengthens until well… two become one." There was no way to explain this that made sense.
"So if I force the bond I'll take back over before we merge…"
"So if I force the bond I'll take over completely before we merge?"
"HEY!"
Ozpin sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Once again, no. There is no way to force this bond, but over time your minds will... begin to merge. Thoughts, memories, feelings all becoming one until you are the same person… Whether that person is you or Cinder is… irrelevant. You will be the culmination of two souls, good, bad and ugly." I felt like I wanted to cry. I had just gotten back and now it sounded like I wasn't going to be able to stay. Everyone began to argue with him on how there had to be a way but the internal devil had to poke and prod.
"At least you won't have the urge to frivolously help people anymore!"
"Maybe you'll have it!"
"Oh I doubt it. There is a deep contempt for people in my heart not even bonding with a goody two shoes like you could break."
"Well… I'm still in control so... I'm going to dye your hair!"
"Oh no. Don't do that. I'll do anything for you not to do that."
"Really?"
"What- no. Could you not feel the sarcasm deep in your soul?"
"Shut up!" There had to be some trick to dealing with her. Like could I put her out back and not feed her for a day. Maybe starving her would make her too weak to care, or I could reinforce good behavior with treats. I could even-
*GRWOLLL*
There was once again a silence in the room as everyone turned to me. For being such a small woman Cinder's stomach made quite the noise.
"Oh dear gods."
"What, embarrassed about a little hunger?"
"No. Fear that my next meal will be tomorrow after Salem locks me up after sounding unladylike."
"...Really? She did that to you?"
"She did that for me."
"I'm so sorry you had to suffer like-"
"Yes, because we all had perfect role models to look up to! Now should I look up to your pity or do you want me to prostrate myself for your whim?"
"I-"
"Go ahead tell me how I deserve your pity even though I killed you!" I couldn't respond to that, she was right. I did pity her for a second, but on the other hand she did kill me so all the pity's gone. I was about to dig at her some more when Ren tapped my shoulder. I looked up to him and had the thought, am I short now?
"What do you want for dinner?"
"Huh, uhhh," All eyes were still on me, "Whatever you're making is fine."
"Be a bitch and demand Ruby's eyes on a plate!"
"You'd resort to cannibalism?"
"Yes!"
"NOOO! We can't do that you just came back from the dead! We need to celebrate!" Nora, as bouncy as always, pulled at my heartstrings as she looked to me with the most innocent eyes. What did I want to eat? I hadn't thought about it since I didn't really experience my death, just sort of blinked and I was where I am now.
"Spicy beef and bell pepper stir fry." My new voice rang out. Yet I had not said it. Oh no.
"What!"
"What?"
"What do you mean, 'What?' Stop, taking over my voice!"
"It's not your voice. And they're not your taste buds." She was right… I hate how she was always right.
"Will choosing dinner make you happy?"
"It's a start. You can quickly follow it up by getting out of my head." If we could come to an understanding it wouldn't be so bad so why not try the carrot over the stick.
"How about we call it our head. Then we don't have to act all possessive-"
"Not a chance, as far as I'm concerned you're an unwelcome invader."
"Yeah that's about right." Ozpin bonding was the key so maybe a little more peace talks and she'll be willing to play nice. We were going to merge eventually so I might as well concede one dinner. Then I can follow up with compromise and we'll get to working together.
"Really? I thought you hated spicy food," Ren asked suspiciously. Of course he remembered that… I nearly threw up after having a taste of some of the secret Xiao Long Family Recipe hot sauce.
"I-"
"You have an entirely new set of taste buds so everything will taste different for you. Oscar here has quite the taste for casseroles and yet for now he lacks the taste for coffee."
"Oh that's," Call it stupid, you know it is. "interesting…" And once again everyone was laughing. I was not this funny so why were they laughing so much. I still couldn't help but join in the laughter. It didn't take long for Ren to begin cooking as everyone was celebrating. I felt like I had gotten a hug from everyone already but they all wanted individual hugs… It was the oddest sensation. Nora and Ren I get, they were my teammates and like the siblings I never had, but Yang, Weiss and Blake. We were friends but I hadn't expected them to miss me so much, especially Weiss. She nearly demanded a thirty minute hug. Ruby was the wild card of the bunch because I was not expecting her to remain distant.
But as dinner was served I was greeted by a plate of mostly brown with strands of red peppers. Why was everyone so determined to see me again as they all stared at me so intently as I picked up the first strand of meat.
Silence.
You could hear a pin drop and I was the center of focus. Oh gods. This pressure was worse than any tournament I ever fought in… even the last one. Then I quickly tossed the piece of meat into my mouth and began chewing, "MISTAKE! THIS WAS A MISTAKE! CINDER ISN'T BETTER AT TAKING SPICY FOODS SHE'S JUST AN ASSHOLE!"
"How is this my fault? I never said I liked spicy food. You came to that conclusion all on your own."
"WITCH!"
"You could just move straight into racial slurs, they'll have the same effect."
"And that's why I only made one serving." Ren moved the plate out of reach and handed me a glass of milk.
"I'm sorry I doubted you, but you have to admit Cinder and spice seemed right." Nora commented over her plate of noodles. They looked delicious and luckily Ren slid a plate of them in front of me as well.
"Yeah but you forgot the rhyme, Pyrrha cried when I gave her the mild sauce. She'd die if I gave her the actual hot stuff." Yang threw in as she poured a thin red sauce on her noodles. Then Yang paused as she thought over what she said, "That wasn't a pun."
"Yang Xiao Long!" Weiss the mom friend had to spread discipline before it truly became unruly, "Go sit in the corner!"
"YOU'RE NOT MY MOM!"
"I know," Weiss paused as she narrowed her eyes, "I'm actually here." Nora cheered them on. It really felt like back at Beacon when Yang picked up one of the plates and tossed it at Weiss. Luckily this time the food fight didn't require Goodwitch and her semblance to repair the building. But it abruptly ended when Qrow walked in.
"I don't know why you sent me to get it. The chances of any cake being delivered intact when I'm around is slim to none. You should have seen the wedding cake at Tai's weddings, they practically had to cut me instead of the cake." He set down a box in the middle of the table and I had a sense of dread. What was he that they would have had to cut him?
"His semblance is bad luck."
"Thank you." Up until today I had no idea who he was and now I knew wait-, "Why are you being helpful?"
"I have my reasons."
"Is the reason that you want a piece of cake?"
"Or maybe I want to burn it," This was good, something to bribe Cinder with. Cake could prove to be a life saving investment. When the box opened there was a full cake that said in big bold letters, 'It's A Boy!' Ruby wiped the letters off the cake and frosting in hand replaced them at sonic speed, this time it hastily said, 'Welcome Back from the Dead Pyrrha!'
"I figured, so I ordered the wrong cake on purpose hoping they would mess it up." Ruby responded to Qrow's earlier question.
"Figures." He muttered.
"Well thank you anyway Mr. Branwen." I added, he leaned back as the others looked to him expecting something else. At least they weren't looking at me. He just held a flask while motioning to my face.
"And none of you find the whole face of evil worrying?" Slight pause as everyone gathered themselves. A few murmurs as they all had something to say yet didn't want to offend my face.
"Oh absolutely. I haven't looked in a mirror since I found out and I'm terrified to look again." I added trying to make them feel better. A sigh of relief went through the room. Everyone was sitting on pins and needles afraid Cinder was gonna pop out and stab someone. Yang began cutting the cake and passing it around.
"So what's the plan? I mean with the new face." She said while motioning towards me.
"Oh, I'm going to dye the hair and get a tan. Maybe just crisp the other side as well."
"Bitch."
"Witch." I was celebrating my little victory over Cinder when Yang handed me a slice of cake. Then it was gone. The plate was gone and I had no taste of cake in my mouth. Yet everyone was standing. Did I black out for a second? What had Cinder done?
"It was a piece of cake."
"What did you do?"
"You mean, what did we do?" Whatever she did I needed to recover quickly- where's the hand? I traced my new arm and found the plate. Planted squarely in the face of Ruby.
"Just how petty are you?"
"Just how petty are we?"
"Stop it."
"Stop us."
"Now you're not making any sense."
"Now we-"
"Alright I get it. It's your body! But that doesn't mean cake to the face is appropriate."
"Well at least it wasn't the creampie you immediately got when you first got control of my body!"
"I didn't eat a…" Isn't that the… oh, "That's fair… Can you lower the arm?"
"Sure for another piece."
"They're not gonna give us another-" And Yang slid another piece of cake to us. I looked at it for a second before I looked to Yang who still had a firm grasp of the knife. Of course they were all still on edge, I was in Cinder's body after all. They may trust me, but they don't really trust the body, Cinder lowered the arm allowing the plate to fall from Ruby's face. I could just barely make out the rising amount of light emitting from behind the cream. I wanted to apologize but I found myself out of the driver seat. Oh no. I could see Qrow reach behind the door for what was likely his weapon. Panic set in as Cinder grew her left arm back and lowered her hands to the piece of cake.
"Well at least I know how much they trust you. Enough to overlook my presence entirely," Cinder always talked in such a tone that tension rose wherever she was. She lifted the cake up and gave it a gentle inspection as if she was searching for something. Then when she was done she set it back down and began inspecting the plastic fork I had eaten dinner with, "This is truly and honestly the worst possible situation I could have found myself in."
"Please stop!"
"Why? Are you going to cry? Are you going to demand I spare them? Face it you're a passenger for this as much as I was today."
"No, please don't. I'm... sorry. Don't take it out-"
"Oh gods, you're actually begging."
"Yes I am, so please-" Cinder heaved the second plate into Ruby's face. Then the arm began dissolving and I was back in control,"Why?"
"I couldn't have killed all of them with you nipping away at my motor skills. But just know the moment you let your guard down I will strike."
"With Cake?"
"Alright if you're going to remain in control for now remember this and only this. There are 3 things I can't stand: loud annoying things such as pinkie over there, Ruby Rose and her pretentious can do attitude and finally if you take nothing else away from this- I. HATE. SWEETS. So if you value the lives of anyone then stay away from them." Cinder gave a speech that was layered with anger and spite but for some reason I could feel underneath was an untold amount of fear. Was she afraid of Ruby? Nora? Cake?
"That is an odd request… But since you implored me so… passionately... I will make a note."
"...Good." All eyes were glued to me as several more weapons had found their way out. I pulled the plate way from Ruby's face as the second layer found its way to the floor as it weighed itself down. I could still see the faint glow in Ruby's eyes but my eye began darting around the table until it found a napkin where I immediately went to wipe her face. Yang caught my arm before it got close enough.
"I got it." She took the napkin out of my hand and began wiping her sister's face clean.
"I'm sorry… Cinder... doesn't like... sweets." All eyes were looking around the room as they tried not to meet me head on. I wanted to cry but Ruby, still mostly covered in frosting, placed her hand on mine.
"It's alright. She doesn't like me either."
"Can she read our thoughts?"
"MY thoughts." Cinder was very possessive over her mind.
The first night together was going to be the most difficult. Cinder repeatedly demanded that I kill everything while I tried to sleep. It was like having a raging child you couldn't placate screaming for attention… Which may have been what she wanted. Now though, at 1 in the morning, I was standing outside looking over the streets of Mistral.
"Now just take a swan dive off the ledge so we don't have to do the whole internal battle."
"You'd die too."
"This isn't problem solving time, this is contempt time."
"Is it really so horrible to have me here?"
"Do you think it's nice that my body has been stolen from me by the paragon of self righteousness and arrogance while being forced to watch as she parades my body around my most hated enemies?" I didn't answer, she was probably right I had stolen her body... but she stole my life so I call it even.
"It's not close to being even!" And now we're sharing thoughts. That isn't good.
"Long night?" Little Ozpin came outside.
"I wouldn't say so, it's only…" Checking the clock on the exit above him I saw the time was 3. Had I been standing out here for that long already… Why didn't I feel cold?
"It's hard to get used to. When I first heard Ozpin in my head I thought I was going nuts. But you get used to it after a while…" I came to realize I wasn't talking to Ozpin, I was talking to the body's real owner.
"Salem once explained this process to me and I have to say, explains the hell out of his losing streak."
"I will not dye the hair if you promise to be nice for five minutes…" That may have worked. She remained silent, "I'm sorry we haven't met properly, Oscar right?"
"Yeah, Oscar Pine farm boy from Mistral." He said in sort of chuckled as he muttered that.
"Well I'm Pyrrha Nikos-"
"You don't have to- I mean we've already- I already-"
"Right, Ozpin."
"Yeah, all Ozpin… I didn't watch all of your tournaments live." He looked away while rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh, Right those." Even in a new body I was getting put on a pedestal.
"Sorry. Ozpin told me not to tell you. He said you'd find it mortifying."
"Yeah, three time regional Mistral tournament champion. Ask away."
"Really?"
"...Yes."
"Then… Your fight with Hector. What was that like?"
"Uh he was a hard fight. I guess I was just angry at the way he treated everyone in the tournament."
"I know I saw him crush everyone leading up to you. I thought you were a goner." That was not the typical response. Most people say she was the heroine of that tale having gotten revenge on the larger warrior for his unsportsmanlike conduct.
"He was a big bully, so I had to do what I could."
"I thought you did it because it was finals." I looked at him as he had the eyes of an innocent child. I couldn't lie to him and read the script my agent had prepared for me. I looked over the balcony then checking the halls then back over the balcony before I answered.
"Yeah, that's the only reason I fought him. Honestly taking him down a peg was accidental. I hadn't even watched a single one of his fights until I knew I was going up against him." This was the truth that very few people actually knew. I'm not even sure the rest of team JNPR knew and I'd like it to stay that way.
"Really you missed out. They were pretty amazing…" He really didn't care that I was Cinder; he just wanted to talk to the girl he saw win a tournament. Not a paragon of anything just the competitor who threw her spear at another guy, "I used to watch all the tournaments and wish I was able to do the things you guys did. But now that I am… well…"
"Not all you hoped for?"
"Scarier. I have this weight of an infinitely old wizard on me and I'm only 14. Who does that to a kid?"
"Ozpin." He looked at me as he had a little conversation in his head. Then he remembered who he was talking to.
"Oh right… sorry."
"No. No. It's fine, he really just saddled me with an incredible responsibility in the middle of a high stakes tournament. Clearly he has practice with this sort of thing."
"Yeah… you think I should read the 'Idiots Guide to Breaking Bad News to People?'"
"Couldn't hurt…" He yawned while looking like a little lost puppy.
"Well, goodnight." He walked away waving a little.
"Goodnight Oscar." Why was he up so late? That was the question. Did Ozpin keep him awake as well? Or was he like Ruby trying to hide the fact she read her comics too late or Blake needing silence and alone time to read her 'books'.
"It's been five minutes you can't dye my hair now."
"Alright. Then how about another… If you are nice enough to let me sleep I'll let you… What do you want?"
"To go for a walk without you."
"Really? Alright, we can go for a walk if you let me sleep."
"...Deal." I probably had a slight idea what she was really going to do on the walk but I gave in anyway. Sleep would be nice.
Early mornings were the worst I always managed to wake with the sun just to end up trapped in a palace that never got sunlight. Well now I was trapped in a relationship with an all too aggravating goody two shoes determined to take over my body. I opened my eye to see the wonderful ceiling that screamed nice hotel. Please tell me I'm clothed. I looked down and found I was in a less than form fitting pair of pajamas. It was the stupid blonde boys hoodie. Oh no, "Please don't tell me you slept with him again."
There was no reply and flailing my arm over both sides I can say I was in a bed, alone. Just me, myself and I. I quickly shot up and gave a quick scan of the room. Nobody. This had to be a trap. Pulling myself out from under the covers I searched the room. Nobody was there and there were no hidden camera's or scrolls. There were also more importantly no people. Had they trusted Pyrrha enough to let her sleep alone? Were they really that dumb?
"This has to be a trap." I made my way to the door expecting it to be locked.
*Click
"This has to be a trap." Peaking out into the hall I found nothing. No guard, no bubbly little girl that demands a hug, no silver eyed pain in the ass. I cracked the door just barely and slid out of the room. Keeping my eye focused down the hall expecting someone to appear. Nothing.
"This has got to be a trap." At this point I'm disappointed in them.
"Good morning Cinder." Oh good, they left a guard. If they were smart it would be the pink one. I assume she can yell the loudest while her lungs are being caved in. Nope. Pretend to be Pyrrha and get him to leave.
"Blond one, I didn't expect to see you outside of my room so early, Is there something you need?"
"Close but she would have apologized somewhere at the beginning. And also… She knows my name."
"Welp, fine. Time to-" He held a mug up to me.
"Coffee?"
"What is this? Did you poison it? Are you plotting on killing me? Simple petty revenge because I may not remember your name, but I will respect the hell out of you if you tired something as dumb as poisoned coffee."
"That's the problem." He didn't lower the coffee at all. I pondered it for a second… Should I? I mean, if it is poisoned he kills not only me but his girlfriend as well. I would do it but does he have the balls. If it isn't poison then I get a cup of coffee. Risk versus Reward. I looked at the mug and could almost hear it call to me, which was a bad sign if my progressive mental decline was any indication.
I took the coffee and put it to my lips for a second. Only to lower it when I felt the liquid, "It's cold."
"Of course it is. I've been sitting out here for 2 hours." Was he really that determined to be with Pyrrha? I held it in my hand as the mug began to glow slowly reheating the coffee. Twice cooked coffee was never good. But when it was nice and boiling I put the mug to my lips and didn't lower it until the cup was empty.
"It was terrible, numbnuts." I tossed the mug back to him as I walked passed. He struggled to catch it for a second before he set the still scorching hot mug on the hallway table beside him.
"Hey wait!" I didn't wait as I began searching for an exit. It wasn't until he caught up to me at the elevator that I acknowledged him.
"Look I am leaving you alive because you're not a threat to me. So if you are physically trying to stop me then you should have brought, well which one of you is the strongest?" Before he could answer I waved through any thought he was having, "Doesn't matter. But right now I'm giving you a once in a lifetime chance to survive. Take it." The elevator arrived as I finished that speech making me feel like a mad genius. Is this what Watts felt like all the time?
"I meant wait for me." He got in the elevator with me like it was nothing. I gave him the side eye looking up at him having lost my heels... Don't like that at all. I crafted a pair of glass heels as he watched.
"Where do you get the glass?"
"Magic," I snorted in a little chortle. Then when he didn't ask anything else I had to mutter, "What do you want?"
"I'm coming with you."
"What?"
"Pyrrha told me you would need help today so... I'm help."
"And pray tell when did she ask you to do this?"
"At 4."
"Now I know you're full of it. She went to bed at 3," Confident in my answer I knew he just didn't trust me so he must have camped out last night making sure I didn't run off.
"If that's what you think she did then sure, but that doesn't change the fact I'm still here for her. Not you, her."
"Oh I'm sure that's the reason you're here Blondie. It's not because I believed in you as a leader or the extra late night training. Please you've been infatuated with me since the day I stuck you in that tree." I chuckled to myself when I remembered how he didn't even have a landing- waitaminute. Those aren't my memories and these aren't my feelings.
"That was Pyrrha." I felt the need to kill something. Oh look tall blonde scraggly and maddeningly weak.
"If you hurt him all bets are off and I will throw us in a wood chipper while thinking about Ruby."
"So this is the walk. Completely and totally unsupervised. Great!"
"I could call Ruby-"
"No- fine. I'll take Jaune." I hate that I knew his name now.
"I knew you would agree he was a better choice."
"Yeah, yeah. Keep your memories out of me."
"What memories?" Oh great, she wasn't feeding me sappy memories to keep me from killing her boy toy. Those memories were just flowing forward when I stood near him. Late night training sessions, random homework assignments, a weirdly specific memory of him leaving the bathroom unlocked by accident, and the dance... How madly in love was this girl? Better yet how had the blonde idiot not noticed?
"So... Where are you going?"
"To fly away so I don't have to deal with you." I said as I walked out of the elevator. He panicked as I made a beeline out of the building. What was he going to do? Try and ride on my back? As laughable as that seems I'm sure he would be stupid enough to try something like that. The outside world was basked in fresh morning dew and sunlight nearly making me float away as I felt the air.
"Cinder-"
"Unsupervised Walk!"
"No- wait! Yes I understand-"
"What the Invincible Girl's word isn't as strong as she was?" The good always pride themselves on keeping their word, I on the other hand have no such scruples. So taking an unsupervised walk can last from now till forever. My eye burst into flames as I channeled the magic through my body. Can't do that can you. But as I floated away the blonde idiot tackled me. HE TACKLED ME, THE FALL MAIDEN!
"I guess you don't value my mercy enough to live!"
"CINDER!"
"You gonna beg again-"
"You're not wearing any underwear!" So that's why it felt so breezy this morning. Did that mean Pyrrha was some sort of pervert- not sleeping in any underwear?
"Ah." That explains the boys insistence on not letting me fly, "Get off of me before I atomize you." He slowly stood up with me still in his arms in a sort of bear hug, just barely keeping my legs off the ground.
"Promise you won't fly away."
"Tell me why I'm not wearing underwear and I will consider sparing you." He turned me to face him as the flame in my eye didn't die down.
"Your clothes were dirty-"
"And? I can fight completely covered in mud and you think slightly dirty clothes are a worry to me." My eye was about to bug out of my head as the vein was either going to explode or I was going to have an aneurysm. There was no in between.
"Well your vanity says otherwise," My eye remained on fire, "But I also figured you'd want better clothes. So I sent Yang and Weiss to get them..." The fire died down a little. If he sent the rich girl there was a chance I would get stupidly expensive name brand clothing that screams rich and lacks understanding of finances, and I didn't know who 'Yang' was but I hope it was not the other blonde one. She looks like she can hardly dress herself much less another.
"Her outfit is fine."
"If you have a thing for men-" there was silence in my thoughts as I realized what that meant, "She looks butch."
"...and?"
"Is it not offensive to say 'she looks like she can tear up a carpet' anymore?"
"I mean... no?"
"Not even 'that she probably eats tuna?'"
"Well Blake and her do seem-"
"Which one is Blake?"
"She's the faunas."
"...That doesn't narrow it down."
"The- she wears bla-" I realized that I do in fact not care and there was a more pressing matter.
"Wait I don't care! Why am I not wearing underwear?"
"They were... dirty..." Her definition of dirty was probably gross.
"Did you shit my pants!?"
"Not that kind of dirty..." Now my interest was peaked. What kind of dirty did she mean?
"I'll bite. What happened? Did you sleep with the blonde boy again after I fell asleep?"
"No, I just removed all the bandages... and took a shower... and found evidence of the night before..." Alright I'm killing him now. There is no way around this I have to kill the man that took my chastity, this was a weird mating ritual in Vacuo a long time ago right. No, then I'm a praying mantis. Death is the only alternative. The fire in my eye grew as I was about to kill him.
"Oh gods! The fortune cookie was right!" The fire immediately died. What kind of fortune cookie predicted this kid dying like this?
"Hrph-" I tried to stifle a laugh it didn't work, "HAHAHAHHAAHAHHAHHAHAHA!"
"Yeah, yeah laugh at me." He looked a little embarrassed about having said that.
"NO, no. I have to know before you die, What's the fortune?" Why was this idiot so calming? Probably Pyrrha's emotions infecting me. I would still kill him but I want to know his fortune first. He looked away as he shook his head.
"You'll meet your end when a former lover loses their mind and chops you up."
"We're not lovers-"
"But I was, and technically speaking- you had lost my mind."
"I don't think that counts." I shook my head as I thought out loud. Then I remembered my position, "Set me down Jaune."
"Promise you won't go flying away-"
"Are you really that worried about beautiful young me that much?"
"No. But Pyrrha would find it mortifying." There it was, it's like he didn't even see me, he just saw Pyrrha and the fact I was still in here was a minor annoyance. I would make him see me if nothing else, "I'll let go and get you some if you promise not to fly away."
"Fine, I promise I will not move from this spot." I rolled my eye as I said that. He finally release me allowing me to float in place. I was determined to remain there. He looked at me for a second before shaking his head and rushing back into the house. The question was where was he going to get underwear, I was tempted to follow but I'm nothing if not petty.
"You can think that again..."
"Stop reading my thoughts!"
"Stop having loud thoughts!" I had to find a way to get rid of her before she got into my memories... Thinking of memories I prodded at my hip to feel my feather. It was one of the very few things that actually mattered to me... Where was it?
"Oh gods!" I gasped aloud as I began twisting and turning in the air searching for it. Clawing at my hip I couldn't find it then I moved to the other, still nothing. I was becoming desperate, had Pyrrha gotten rid of it to spite me? Had she left it somewhere I wasn't privy to? Where was it? I could feel a tear forming as it was nowhere on my body.
"Uh, that's not exactly in place." Jaune said as he covered his eyes. He had exited the house while I had fidgeted enough in the hoodie that it was coming up passed my navel revealing plenty of the scars on the left side of my abdomen. Oh and my vagina was just hanging out but that wasn't important.
"WHERE'S MY FEATHER?" I launched myself to him quickly grasping the shoulder of his armor pulling him into the air to my height.
"Your what?"
"Don't toy with me boy! I've killed before and I am capable of killing more if you don't tell me where it is!" The fire was back.
"Do you mean the green feathery thing you always wore?"
"YES! WHAT DID YOU DO WITH IT?!"
"When I woke up it was gone-" SHE LOST IT!
"AAAAHHHHHHH"
"With your clothes. If we track those down then we should be able to find it!" The anger would not subside but the explanation quelled me.
"And where would you say you lost it?"
"Well... when I woke up the second time I was in a strange house..."
"Fine! Take me there!"
"... I don't exactly know where it was."
"Take you where?" Jaune looked me dead in the eye without a shred of fear as I hefted him off the ground when I first started. How did this idiot not fear me?
"To the place you found me."
"Okay, but-"
"No buts. You will take me there now!" Now I have to actually tolerate the boys existence. When I found my feather again I would vaporize him.
"Underwear!" Ah, that's what I was forgetting. I took stock of Jaune when I noticed a slight red mark on the left side of his face. Almost in the shape of a hand... I hadn't slapped him had I? Either way I noticed the underwear in his hands was black, exceptionally lacy, and reminded me of a cat. Where had he gotten them? Did he just have these? Why wasn't Pyrrha telling me exactly where he got them? Were they hers?
"Just put them on!" She absolutely knew she just didn't want to say.
Jaune was probably the worst leader I had ever followed. Twisting and turning through the streets of Mistral was like navigating one of those hard light mazes Watts was so fond of. Gods I hated Mistral architecture, it always screamed we had plenty of room but we wanted to be special. Then again I think I hated most other Kingdoms architecture as well, Vale and it's post modernization, Atlas and it's need to be FUTURISTIC, or Vacuo. I may not hate architecture as much as I hate people. But when after led me through the meandering circus of pathways we came to a bridge. Completely covered with buildings.
One little spark and I could send this place to oblivion.
"Please don't people live here."
"I'm not gonna do it... until I get my feather."
"I think this is it... There were more people back then so I may be wrong."
"You're as useless as ever Blond boy. Now where is the feather?"
"I don't know-"
"You better figure out real quick or Jauney here is about to meet the tragic fate of a pancake when I throw him off the bridge."
"I was pretty out of it when I was here. I remember that I was on the second floor-"
"Fine we'll go door to door to find it."
"Really?"
"No!" I was about to lose it when I asked Jaune, "Did you happen to find out where she came from?"
"Not really... she kind of ran through a crowd until I heard her apologizing to a bunch of people." Great lets go ask a number of people until they know where I came from... Not to mention any one of them could recognize me and call the cops.
"And this is where your use runs out." I was about to raise my arm to incinerate him but Pyrrha pointed out.
"I'm pretty sure I left a dent in the concrete..." She'd stop sending me helpful information if I kill him. Why does he keep getting so lucky?
"Search for a pothole? No problem-we're in Mistral the land of CARS!"
"Oh gods-" a woman with brown tied up hair in a bland brown outfit gasped as she saw me.
"Keep walkin if you know what's good for you!" She fell to the ground as I was about to take out my wraith on her for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"She seems familiar..."
"What are you back here for? I helped you and you left, couldn't we just leave it at that." Who was she... wait helped me? There are very few people who can have claimed to have helped me.
"Thank you for that, but in her confused state she may have forgotten something with you. If she could just get it back I'm sure she'd be willing to... forget your existence." Jaune interjected as he offered a hand to the lady. Her eyes darted from his warm smile to the rage in my eye that shouted, 'you can try to run but it won't work.'
"Is this about you're dress? I'm sorry I only tried it on once!"
"I don't care about the dress I want the feather attached to it!" I snapped back at her. My blood was boiling and I could feel more of that seeping hatred for Ruby crossing over to this woman. She had a terrified expression.
"Yes, she just want's that back and she'll leave you alone. She'll even let you keep the dress." Jaune once again interjected, I didn't particularly care about the dress but I mean, just because I don't want it doesn't mean she can have it. Her worried look bounced between us as she was probably plotting her escape. Until she reached into her sleeve and pulled out my feather.
"It looked valuable-" I snatched it from her hand before she even got a second to breathe. I was about to vaporize her and everyone near here when Jaune took her hand and pulled her up.
"Thank you. She is really attached to- it, and thank you for helping her the other day. We don't meet many kind souls around nowadays." The big dumb smile plastered on his face really detracted from my mood. She stood and looked at me, then Jaune did and I had an overwhelming feeling in my chest.
"Stop doing that!"
"What?"
"The pain in my chest- stop doing that!" She must really think I'm psychologically unstable.
"Perhaps it's... Guilt?"
"I know what guilt is this isn't it! This is you messing with my heart trying to get me to break and say something I don't want to." This wasn't guilt. This was my heart beating faster than it should causing me to blush.
"You could try thanking her."
"Eat shit and die!"
"Already dead and I don't think you want that taste in your mouth. But please, consider it. She knew who you were and she still helped you. That deserves at least, I don't know a thank you." She was trying to get me to be nice. I didn't want to, I should just kill them both and get it over with...
"Cinder," my attention was drawn back to Jaune, "What do you say?" I hate it when people try to put words in my mouth. I've always hated it, especially when Watts used to use me as a scapegoat when his inventions went haywire with the promise of candy afterwards. Then the cavity and Salem had him pull the tooth entirely... Figures I helped him and he followed her orders to not give me any painkillers while he took some rusty pliers to my mouth. That was a lot of pain for a favor...
"You can keep the dress bitch," I was proud of myself for sparing her before walking off. Jaune's eyes however twitched as he apologized right away.
"I'm sorry she's new to the whole... courtesy thing." He chased after me as I stabbed my feather into the hoodie at my thigh. The woman however sighed to herself as she remembered how nice the dress was. OR how I didn't kill her. I don't know what she's thinking.
"I'm proud of you."
"Why are you not taking control of my body? I could have killed both of them?"
"And yet you didn't."
"Just because I didn't doesn't mean I can't. For that, why haven't you taken control of my body all day?" This had been in the back of my mind the entire day. Had she not been able to take me over? Was she too tired to do it?
"No, I can but I figured you wouldn't shut up about how I promised to let you go on a walk-"
"So it's pointless kindness. No wonder I was able to kill you."
"Well at least it wasn't pointless sentimentality." Those words hurt more than she could ever know. The feather wasn't pointless... it was the only piece of my parents left. But I doubt anyone would care after I was gone. I couldn't even open the locket in the center of it for fear of her mocking me telling me her parents are still alive and I had stolen her from them.
"That went about as well as I figured it would." Jaune said as he grabbed my arm preventing me from walking off the bridge. I pulled my hand free, he didn't need to know I didn't see that, "But it's getting late..."
"Fine, you can have your girlfriend again. But I'm still in here, so... if anything gets inserted into me I will melt it." I gave an evil grin as I tried to push Pyrrha into the driver seat.
"You could try thanking him."
"I thank him every second I don't turn him into dust!"
I have been told it's Follow, Favorite, and Review so in the face of that news-
Please Like, Comment, and Subscribe.
Or you know don't you have free will and I don't control you so whatever.
Well I wrote the first chapter because I thought up the idea and was bored at work. Then I woke up the next day with a hundred new emails saying 'Hey people liked this story.' So while I have no ideas or plans for this story's future but I will continue to write it.
I'll do it the same way they write the show, make it up as I go.