"Pyrrha, wait!" Ren said, hands outstretched as he blocked his teammate from leaving the tent. "Just… calm down for a moment.
"Ren, get out of my way," the girl replied, a determined look on her face that, if Ren were being honest, unnerved him at the moment.
"Why? What are you planning to do?" Ren asked, still not budging from the tent's entrance as Nora stood to the side, unsure who to give her support to.
"I'm going to find Jaune and bring him back to us. Obviously." Pyrrha answered before she shoved past the boy as the hot midday sun suddenly assaulted her sight.
"You don't even know where he is!" Ren protested as he and Nora trailed after the redhead.
"No but I know where I can start looking." Pyrrha countered.
"Where?" Ren asked.
"Haven Academy. That woman and her team, I saw them around Beacon a few times." Pyrrha replied, a scowl on her face as she turned to face her teammates "They were wearing Haven uniforms so my best bet to find any information about them will be to start from there"
"What if that was just a disguise? You might be going on a wild goose chase, Pyrrha!" Ren countered, a hand on the girl's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.
"It's better than nothing." Pyrrha replied.
"Even if you wanted to go to Haven, all flights between Mistral and Vale are currently grounded. You'd have no way of crossing the ocean right now." Ren argued before the redhead provided a swift counter.
"Then I'll just hire a ship and a captain to get me there. That way, all that Invincible Girl money can finally be put to use." Pyrrha countered, a look of impatience on her face as she glared at her teammate "Look, if the two of you want to stand around here making excuses to not help your friend, then that's fine by me. Obviously, neither of you cared about him as much as I did."
"Pyrrha… how could you-" whatever Ren had to say was cut off as Nora suddenly delivered a sharp slap to the redheaded girl's cheek.
"How could you even say that, Pyrrha?!" Nora shouted, eyes filled with tears and anger, "How could you even think that?! Of course we care about Jaune, you idiot! He's our team leader but more importantly, he is our friend! You don't think I want to just storm someplace when he needs our help?! Because I do! Consequences be damned!"
"Nora, I'm-"
"Pyrrha, I know you're hurting but please, don't do anything reckless. I don't want to lose you, too." Nora said as tears streamed down her face.
"I… I'm sorry, Nora." Pyrrha said, bringing the girl in close for a hug even as she started shedding her own tears, "I won't do anything reckless."
"Don't leave us. Please don't leave us alone" Nora begged as she tightened the hug.
"I won't."
"You promise?"
"I promise." Pyrrha said, a smile on her face before the two girls ended the embrace, "Ren, I'm sorry. The things I said-"
"There's nothing to forgive, Pyrrha. The fact that you were angry as you were proved that you cared for our Fearless Leader but we shouldn't let our emotions dictate our actions." Ren said, a small smile on his face as he placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, "At times like this, it is important that we, as his closest friends and allies, remain calm so we don't do any stupid mistakes."
"Ren's right." Nora added, a cheerful smile on her face as she quickly slipped back into her regular self "Besides, Pyrrha's idea about getting a boat to Mistral wasn't half-bad. We just need to find a captain who can navigate through the Grimm infested ocean between Vale and Mistral, that's all. How hard can it be?"
"Indeed. However, we should probably have something to eat first." Ren suggested "The mess hall isn't too far from here."
"That's right. Ren, you said you found me and Ruby unconscious on top of Beacon Tower." Pyrrha said, the boy's words coming back to her, "What happened up there?"
"Nobody knows but what we did see was a flash of white light coming from the tower, freezing the Grimm Dragon in place. When we got up there, the two of you were all we found" Ren said, thinking back to the events of that night.
"And Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.
"He was nowhere to be found." Ren replied "All that was left of him was that letter he left for us."
"What about Ruby? Was she alright?"
"We found her next to you, unconscious with tears staining her face." Ren answered, "Last we heard, she had not awoken yet."
"Oh… Does anybody know what's wrong with her?" Pyrrha asked as the trio neared a tent filled with people.
"I've been told that she's just asleep at the moment and that sufficient rest is all she needs" the boy replied as they took a seat around a nearby table, "The more distressing news is one that concerns Yang."
"Yang? Why? What happened to her?" Pyrrha asked, concern on her face.
[/]
"Mom?! Dad?!" the boy shouted, to no avail as screams of fear and despair all around him drowned out his own cries for help. Fire and chaos blazed as the boy ran through what was once his home. The boy turned around at the sound of a shattered window, eyes widening in panic and fear at the sight of a creature dark as the night.
Tears in his eyes – caused by the smoke from the fires around him or fear gripping his heart, he did not bother to find out – the boy continued running as fast as his little legs would let him.
"Mom, dad, where are you?!" the boy shouted and once more, only the sounds of chaos and a raging fire answered him. Instincts of survival kicking in, the boy decided to continue running until eventually, scenes of destruction and screams of despair were replaced by trees covered in darkness.
"Mommy… Daddy… Please, help me…" the boy said through pained sobs. The crack of a twig from somewhere around him made the boy jump. Quickly scanning his surroundings, the boy found a small cave. Almost immediately, the boy went inside, shivering as he laid down on the cold ground.
[/]
Jaune awoke with a start, immediately sitting up on his bed as he gasped for air. Looking around, he realized that he was back in Evernight Castle. Salem's Castle. A scowl appeared on his face as he recalled the dream he just had before it morphed into a warm smile at the sight of the woman slumbering peacefully next to him. Caressing her hair, a pained look formed on his face as he gazed at the injuries she had suffered just days prior.
"I'm sorry." Jaune said, placing a kiss on the woman's forehead before he got off the bed, carefully so as to not wake her up. Getting dressed for whatever events the day had planned for him, Jaune then exited his room, sword sheathed to his side.
"Good morning, Jaune." A voice said as soon as he stepped out of his room. Sighing, Jaune turned around and came face to face – quite literally, in fact – with a scorpion Faunus who currently had a maniacal look in his eyes.
"Hello, Tyrian." Jaune said, taking a step back from the man, "Didn't we discuss personal space the last time I was here?"
"Oh, but I have missed you, child." the Faunus replied, an unnervingly gleeful tone in his voice, "I have missed you so, so, so much. You can't imagine how lonely I was when you and your dearest Cinder were away from the castle."
"I'm sure you were fine." Jaune replied, as he walked away from the man only for the Faunus to match his pace as the two began to walk beside each other.
"Oh, yes. I wasn't any worse for wear since my most benevolent and beautiful Goddess was here to keep me company." Tyrian exclaimed, a single tear sliding down his cheek as he did so. Jaune let out a tired sigh at the mention of… her.
"Well, that's good to hear. Now, if you'll excuse me." Jaune said but was cut off before he could step outside the castle.
"Actually, there is one more thing: the Goddess has demanded your presence on this fine morning" the Faunus said as Jaune let out a sigh at the mention of…her.
"Now?"
"Indeed. And when the Goddess summons, one should never keep her waiting." the threat in his voice was clear even before the blades around his wrist appeared. Not bothering to offer any comment, Jaune then made his way to Salem's throne room.
The blonde was slightly surprised to find Doctor Arthur Watts in the room with her when he arrived. With a nod, the disgraced Atlesian then bid farewell to their common mistress.
"Jaune."
"Arthur." Jaune said as he was left in the room alone with Salem. Almost immediately, the blonde boy bent down to a knee as he lowered his head in front of the immortal, "You summoned me, My Lady?"
"Jaune. Tell me, how goes the sessions with Cinder?" Salem asked.
"Unfortunately, try as I might, I am unable to heal her left eye, My Lady." Jaune answered, pausing for a moment before continuing, "However, I am making significant progress with her voice. It shouldn't be long before she regains the ability to speak."
Salem, in response, merely hummed as she regarded the boy in front of her. A few seconds of unnerving silence passed before she finally spoke.
"Wake her. It is time we resume her training on the Fall Maiden powers."
"My Lady, perhaps it is best if she-"
"Jaune" the immortal said, silencing the boy immediately, "Have we forgotten how much I've done for you all this time?"
"We have not." Jaune said, feeling the slight tingle on the back of his right hand as Salem continued to speak.
"Then mine is not to hear of your suggestions to what I want." Salem said, the tingle on his hand having now turned into a slight burning sensation, "Mine is to want and to say what I want. Yours is to know and to obey. Are we clear on that, child?"
"Yes. We are." Jaune said, tightening his fists in a futile attempt to lessen the pain.
"Good. Keep that up and I foresee us having no problems in the near future." Salem said as the pain on the back of his hand disappeared almost instantly. The woman then dismissed him with a wave of her hand, "Go. Awaken Cinder and inform her that she will only have a half-hour rest before her training resumes."
"As you command, My Lady."
[/]
"Good morning, Mr Xiao-Long!" Nora shouted, causing the blonde man to flinch back in surprise.
"Good morning, kids." The man said as he looked over the three kids in front of him.
"We're here to see Ruby, sir. Is she awake?" Ren asked.
"Yeah, she is. I'll call her down. Why don't you kids come in? I'll make you some tea." The man said, opening the door wider to let the three teens into his house.
"Oh, please. We wouldn't want to trouble you, Mr Xiao-Long." Pyrrha said as the blonde man waved her worries off.
"It's no trouble at all. You're guests at our house." The man said.
"Thank you for your hospitality, sir." Ren said as the three members of JNPR took a seat in front of the television.
"No problem. Ruby! Your friends are here to see you!" the man shouted to the top of the stairs before the girl in question shouted in reply.
"Okay, dad! I'll be there in a second!" the girl shouted.
"Are we sure this is what we want to do?" Ren asked as soon as the man was inside the kitchen and out of earshot.
"Oh, come on, Ren. What's so bad about our plan, anyway?" Nora asked, a cheerful positivity in her voice.
"You mean aside from traversing an ocean infested with Grimm before having to traverse through a kingdom we're unfamiliar with just to chase a lead that might lead us on a wild goose chase?" Ren asked.
"Well, sure. It sounds awful when you put it that way." Nora quipped. Ren was about to respond before Ruby appeared in a flurry of rose petals, cloak and all.
"Hey, guys! Sorry I kept you waiting." The girl said, hair still unkempt, "So, what were you guys talking about?"
"Oh, you know. The usual. Ren's just being a buzzkill, that's all." Nora said.
"Nora, having reasonable concerns about our upcoming journey is most definitely not being a buzzkill." The boy in question argued.
"Ah, we'll crush those bridges when we get there." The ginger countered.
"Ruby, are you sure you want to do this?" Pyrrha asked, looking at the young leader of Team RWBY, "The journey ahead… It's going to be filled with uncertainties and no professional huntsman will be helping us. From here on out, we can only count on each other."
"I'm sure." The young Rose answered, a determined look on her face as she stared at the redhead, "We might not have been on the same team but he was my first friend in Beacon and if Haven is the place we need to go, then Haven Academy is where we're going."
"Okay. Sorry for doubting you, Ruby." Pyrrha said.
"It's alright. I know how much you cared about him, Pyrrha." Ruby replied, "So, we're leaving tomorrow, right?"
"Yes. We know a guy who can take us to Mistral." Ren answered, gesturing to himself and Nora.
"You're not going to tell your dad…?" Pyrrha asked, looking towards the kitchen.
"No. He'll just try to stop me. I love my dad and all but he can be a bit… overprotective sometimes." Ruby answered before adding, "Besides, Nora says it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Right?"
"Ruby, you really shouldn't be learning any life lessons from Nora, of all people." Ren said.
"I object to that slander." The ginger girl exclaimed, the four friends sharing a small laugh just as Mr Xiao-Long came in with a tray full of snacks and tea.
[/]
"Again." Salem commanded as Cinder fell to all fours, breaths heavy and sweat pouring down her face. A moment later, a Beowolf appeared from the shadows behind Cinder, ready to pounce. Jaune made to step forward before Salem stopped him, "Cinder, do you even want this power you have?"
Cinder, meanwhile, could only reply with a silent nod at her mistress, a look of determination in her eye.
"Then stand. Prove to me that you are worthy of being my Fall Maiden." Salem demanded before, with a snap of a finger, ordering the Beowolf to attack its prey. Cinder, meanwhile, responded with a wave of her hand as a burst of flame instantly incinerated the Grimm and turned it into ashes.
"No! No more fire! You have the very elements at the tips of your fingers, child. Use them. Be creative." Salem ordered as the Fall Maiden stood on shaky legs. Sighing, the immortal then turned to the boy standing beside her, "Jaune. Attend to her. Make sure she's ready to resume her training in half an hour."
In response, the blonde teen immediately went to Cinder's side as Salem left the two of them alone.
"Cinder, drink-" the boy wasn't even able to finish his sentence before she snatched the bottle from his hands as she guzzled down its contents. Tossing the empty bottle away, Cinder then shared a look with Jaune as she ran a hand over her scarred left eye.
"I'm sorry. If it wasn't for me, then you wouldn't have-" the boy was cut off once more as Cinder placed a hand over his mouth.
"Do… you…" the Maiden managed to croak out before Jaune understood what it was she was trying to say.
"What are you saying?! Of course I'm still in love with you!" Jaune exclaimed as a small fire appeared on Cinder's face, "Something like this… isn't enough to make me feel any different."
"Thank… you…" Cinder managed to say before Jaune shushed her.
"You really shouldn't speak. It might delay your recovery." Jaune advised as he offered another water bottle to the Maiden, an offer she gladly accepted. Time passed and eventually, Salem entered the room once more, an unreadable expression on her face as she stared at her two subordinates.
"I'm assuming, from your relaxed expressions, that she is ready to continue, Jaune?" Salem asked as the two teens stood up in the face of their Mistress.
"Yes, My Lady. She is." Jaune replied with a bow of his head.
"Good. Cinder, do not disappoint me." Salem said as a Berringel and an Ursa Major appeared from the pool of darkness behind the Fall Maiden. With a nod and a determined look in her eye, Cinder turned to face her new opponents as the power of the elements gathered around her hands.
[Chapter END]
A/N: Surprise. Turns out it wasn't a One-Shot. Gee, who could have guessed? Certainly not I, the author. Anyway, yeah, I'm turning this into a full series and probably going to turn all my focus on this one. Still going to update Carrot & Wandering Samurai, hopefully soon, so no worries there. As for Grimm Destinies, still trying to find idea on how to continue in a way that makes sense. There's most likely going to be a time-skip next chapter. Maybe. Who knows? I do.
Let me know what you guys think of this chapter.
As always, fave, follows, and reviews are always appreciated.
Praise be unto Cinder Fall.