The wind softly blew through the twisting streets, carrying with it the distant sounds of doors being boarded up, and the frightened shouts of people in their homes preparing for the worst. Widow sighed, leaning against a building at the edge of town, her focus less on the trees that held the waiting Grimm and more on the younger woman standing resolute nearby.
Ariel's glistening white cloak billowed in that wind. Her armor was similar to that of the boy Widow had killed, piecemeal and set overtop more normal clothing that lay beneath. Where his had been far more simple in design and outlined with a dull tan, hers was intricately crafted and lined along the edges with gold. It may have helped to keep the townsfolk confident in her capabilities, but Widow could only look at the woman and believe her inexperienced. Clothes and armor didn't remain clean and unblemished if they had seen real use.
On top of that, the woman's aura of fear was doing its best to try and worm its way into Widow's mind. She could feel the hint of doubt, grinding itself against the impenetrable wall of her own resolve. Considering the way she was standing, eyes unflinching from the treeline and hand clutching her sword's hilt in a white knuckle grip…
"First time?"
Ariel jumped slightly, pulling the sword from its sheath a hair and darting her eyes over towards the disguised Widow. She was tense for a moment, but after letting out a long breath and ridding herself of the red tinge in her cheeks, allowed herself to relax, "First time defending the town without my father, yes. He was always there, fighting by my side whenever the Grimm chose to attack. I've killed my fair share, but…"
"He isn't here to hold your hand anymore," Widow finished for her when she began to trail off. "What happened to him? Killed by the Grimm, I presume?"
Ariel scoffed, "My father would never fall to the Grimm. He was the strongest huntsman to ever come out of Beacon," her hand clutched the sword even harder, drawing it out the barest inch. "No. Someone... murdered him, and… my younger brother."
Widow raised a curious eyebrow, surprised to see a sense of resolve within the woman herself, "Going to track down the one that killed them, then? What hope can you have if he fell, despite being so great? Revenge is not always so easy."
Ariel's grip loosened, allowing the sword to whisper back into its sheath quietly. Her eyes fell to the ground, her voice lessening in intensity, "I don't want revenge. I want justice."
Widow smiled, "Where I come from, they're one and the same."
Ariel looked to her, a hint of doubt in her eyes, "I don't want anyone else to suffer as I have. Whoever did it… they would have loved ones of their own, right? All revenge does is create a cycle of hatred. 'An eye for an eye'. That's never the answer."
'It doesn't matter as long as you kill those that seek vengeance,' Widow inwardly smirked, careful to keep her expression neutral.
"What if the one you seek is stronger than you? What will you do then?"
Ariel frowned, eyebrows knitting together as she thought over the question, "I'll try my best. Good always wins in the end."
Widow couldn't stop from letting out a short burst of laughter, drawing a confused look from the younger woman. Widow waved a hand dismissively, working to get herself under control, "Sorry, it's just… I'm from Mistral. It may be different here in Vale, but where I come from, it is the strong that survive. To focus on what is 'right' or 'wrong' is a distraction. Most learn that lesson soon enough. I certainly did."
"If… If you don't believe in doing good, then why are you working to become a huntress?"
Widow shrugged, "I seek what I always have. To gain strength." 'For myself, and for my daughter…' "Those with strength make the rules in this world, and it is the weak that must abide by those rules. Perhaps currently, the strongest of Vale are what you would call 'good', but that may not always be the case. The only one you can ever truly depend on is yourself."
"That's…" Ariel's eyes fell to the ground for a moment, and Widow could feel that familiar melancholy resurfacing to claw at her resolve, "It's unfortunate that someone as young as you would think that way. There's more to life than the pursuit of power…" Ariel's gaze raised to stare compassionately at Widow, "Who… who hurt you?"
Widow tensed, hackles raising as she subconsciously straightened in her own defense, "No one hurts me." She sneered, lashing out in retaliation, "If your father had the same mindset, he and your brother might still be alive."
Ariel backpedaled, raising a hand to her chest with a gasp. Her eyes shimmered with pain from Widow's words, the claws now more fiercely attempting to pull down her walls. Widow hardened her heart, and crossed her arms to lean against the building once more, staring off into the forest.
Ariel managed to recover, slowing in her retreat and allowing her hand to fall by her side once more. She took a tentative step forward, blinking back the moisture that had appeared in the corners of her eyes, "It's alright... I understand." She continued to walk forward, her semblance's influence rising, "You don't have to talk about it. Whatever happened, happened. There's nothing you could do to change the past."
Widow's eyes narrowed, still refusing to look back over at the woman, yet feeling her approach. She drew into herself more tightly, clutching her own forearms while fighting against the effects of her semblance. The woman's heartache and compassion now beat against her resolve, trying its hardest to tear her down, to make her weak.
"You need to let it go. Let the past be the past, and move forward."
Widow could feel the echoes of her own misery being wrenched from the depths, from the deepest reaches of her own heart. The pain and anguish, unlike any other. Memories of all she had gone through, tucked away, never to be seen again. They flickered through her mind like a torrent, whipping her own suffering to the forefront.
'Orson, laying in the cold mud only a few steps away. Just out of reach. Blood mixing with the puddles of rain beneath him. His eyes growing cold, even as he tried to reassure her that everything would be okay. The long nights, spent chained up to a post and used. Not a person, only a toy for the amusement of the humans. Desperately using her sixth sense to feel for something, any movement from the child that resided within her. Feeling… nothing…'
Anger boiled up to wash away and replace the pain she felt, 'This girl doesn't understand true loss! She thinks she can teach me how the world works!?' Widow's eyes snapped to Ariel, seeing the younger woman raising her arms as if to offer a hug. Widow's hand darted out, fingers clenching her tightly around the throat before spinning to slam her against the wall. Ariel's eyes widened in surprise, her own hands reaching up to fight against Widow's grip.
"I have moved past it!" Widow shouted into her face, fingers tightening further as Ariel fought, arm raising so that her feet could no longer find purchase against the soil beneath, "I will make myself stronger, make those I care about stronger, until nothing can ever threaten us again! You think you understand!? That the loss you've suffered is anything close to my own!?"
Ariel choked, clutching Widow's forearm to try and lessen the tight grip around her windpipe, "Cinder, please. I'm only trying to help!"
Widow snarled, "If you want to help, then keep your nose out of my business!" She spun on her heel and threw Ariel back across the street. The woman landed roughly, rolling through the grime, dirt now covering her previously unblemished clothing in large swathes. She stopped to cough roughly, rubbing her throat and allowing herself to recover before swaying to her feet.
Eyes blearily returning to Widow, Ariel steadied herself. Her eyes still held that same look of compassion, now mixed with the sting of her own failure. Slowly, Widow felt the pressure of her semblance dying back down, its claws retracting from her demolished walls. Ariel closed her eyes for a long moment, sighing in defeat.
"I'm sorry."
Widow returned to her previous pose, leaning against the wall with her arms folded and eyes glaring off into the treeline. She could feel the Grimm out there, waiting only for Cinder to command them forward. Death awaited the small town, and suddenly… Widow felt much less inclined to help stop it.
'You think you're sorry now?' Widow sneered, urging the Grimm to march through the trees, appearing in all their glory from the shadows and into the waiting sun. King Taijitu, Beowolves, Boarbatusks, and Ursa… A veritable legion of Grimm had emerged, ready and waiting to lay siege to their side of the town.
All swivelled their crimson eyes to stare at the younger woman that had thought to teach Widow a lesson, to teach her what was important in life.
'When you find out how truly wrong you are… Then you'll be sorry.'
Fox could feel the heat of the sun beating down on his neck, the slight breeze that whispered through town. Thousands of leaves rustled in the distance, a sea of green, or so he'd been told. It had taken quite a while to acclimate to Vale's terrain after living and training for so long in Vacuo. Not only the weather, but the massive influx of trees and vegetation had been difficult to get used to. It was an increase in obstacles that both his semblance and ADA needed to identify regularly.
Over the past two years however, Fox was proud to say he'd made quite a bit of progress. He had reclaimed his confidence in the field, distinguishing friend from foe with ease and spreading the influence of his semblance to many more at a time. He could scan further, and identify much more than he'd ever been able to previously.
At the moment though, with only a few hours of sleep and several more hours worth of training weighing on his mind and body, Fox had to doubt himself. The sensations he was receiving, the roiling mass of mindless Grimm signatures lighting up within the bounds of his semblance… 'They can't be real… right?'
"Do you… see anything out there?" Fox asked over his mental connection, the girl he'd been enjoying his time with standing only a few paces away and similarly staring off into the woods.
"Nope, nothing here so far," Neo thought back with some small hesitation, likely noticing the uncertainty in his own voice, "Why? What's up?"
"Well, don't panic, but… It feels like there are a lot of Grimm."
"What, like ten?" Neo's thoughts were playful and unperturbed.
Fox brought a hand up to rub against the back of his neck, "Bit more than that."
Neo raised an eyebrow, bending forward with her odd weapon clasped behind her back, "Twenty?"
"Higher."
"Thirty...?"
"You're getting there."
Neo's playful demeanor dropped, replaced with narrowed eyes that scanned the treeline, "I knew I should have traded with Mercury…"
"And miss out on all the fun?" Fox waved a hand dismissively, hiding his own nerves behind a facade of lighthearted banter. "I… uh, might send in a request to Emerald for backup, unless you think you could take them...?"
"Unfortunately, my skills reside in… other areas. I can hold my own, but I wouldn't say I'm the most well-versed in fighting Grimm."
"Emerald it is, then," Fox replied, beginning to search out across the myriad consciousnesses that dwelt within the small town. The range was large, spanning the entirety of the town itself. As long as someone he connected to didn't leave that range, he could remain linked to them. From what he could sense, Emerald was near the middle of town where she'd been directed to go.
"Hey, Em? Gonna need some help over here," Fox sent the mental message to each member of both teams, letting them know that Emerald's services would be unavailable for the foreseeable future.
"No need. I'm on my way," Cinder spoke up before Emerald could, forcing Fox to pause and tune out Emerald's response in order to hear the former.
"You aren't holding down the northeast with Ariel?" Fox asked in confusion.
"She's got it handled."
Fox frowned, but gave a shrug regardless. Cinder was the one in charge, after all. Obeying their superior was just as much a part of the mission as killing Grimm. "Scratch that, Em. Cinder is on her way."
"What!?"
Fox had to put a hand against his temple to keep from swaying as three voices hit him all at once, one belonging to each other member of team Carmine. "That's what she said. Don't overload the messenger."
Neo laid a hand against his arm in concern, yet was still rooted in place, staring off into the woods. Fox turned in tandem with what she said next, feeling both the Grimm with his semblance, and hearing ADA sounding the alarm simultaneously.
"You know what? I think we're gonna need her…"
Fox could feel the army of Grimm stepping out from beyond the treeline, an insurmountable number between only the two of them. Through the haze of exhaustion, he could also feel something else, something… human? The aura of it was familiar, belonging to someone he had contacted with his semblance before. They had since left his range however, and were indistinguishable from anyone else aside from that detail.
Fox almost refused to believe it. A human, standing out amongst all those Grimm without being torn apart? He spared a questioning glance in Neo's direction, "So uh, crazy question, but… Is there a person out there? Ya know, mixed in with the Beowolves… and Ursa… and the Taijitu…?"
"Yes…"
"And the Grimm are…?"
"Not attacking her," Neo confirmed worriedly.
Fox raised his hands up into a battle ready stance, feeling the Grimm beginning their approach, "I'm going to take that as a bad sign until proven otherwise."
Neo spun her parasol, opening it up to lay across her shoulder while shifting into a more defensive stance of her own, "At least now we know what's been drawing the Grimm into the town…" she paused, eyeing him sideways, "Just don't die, alright? I'd miss… being able to talk again."
"Wasn't planning on it!"
Fox grit his teeth and rushed out from the edges of the town, meeting the small sea of Grimm headlong in order to minimize damage to the town. Neo followed suit, remaining only a few steps behind as the tide came crashing against them. Fox became a flurry of fists, blasting Grimm into liquid chunks with bursts of his aura as his gauntlets collided with white bone and black fur. He fought on pure instinct, relying on his semblance and ADA to warn him of any threats.
Neo fought by his side, guarding his flank and expertly evading the Grimm that attempted to swarm her in kind. Beowolf and Ursa alike were cut down in large swaths, yet still they continued to come. Both teeth and talon missed him by only the narrowest of margins, threatening to tear him down at any moment.
Time passed by in a haze, the fighting becoming all there was in the world, all that he could focus on if he wished to survive. Fox hadn't kept track of how many he had killed already. Before long, he knew it wasn't going to be enough. His strength was failing, his energy spent, and they had not yet stemmed the tide of Grimm.
An Ursa's clawed paw caught him in the back, launching him forward and forcing him into a desperate roll beneath the strike of a nearby Taijitu. It's head slammed into the soft earth, creating a spray of dirt that would have blinded another man. Even with his increased awareness, Fox barely managed to land his next blow on the Beowolf that charged him before its claws could reach him.
"Don't give up!" Neo's voice rang through his mind, high pitched with fear. Even as he had begun to slow, she fought all the more fiercely in his stead. Fox could feel her flitting about the battlefield, slashing the blade of her parasol through tendon and throat alike, leaving no openings for the Grimm to retaliate. She danced about, as graceful as a gymnast yet far more deadly.
Fox rallied his flagging strength and pressed on, though his muscles screamed and his aura flickered, he continued the onslaught against the Grimm forces. Each aura enhanced blow brought him one step closer to death, but each was necessary in order to survive. Sweat and black Grimm's blood wet his skin, the only remaining proof of the creatures he had already slain.
Even with Neo's encouragement, it wasn't enough. Fox's breath came out ragged. His chest rose and fell with each strangled gasp, arms shaking from exhaustion. The circle of Grimm closed, pressing their advantage and harrowing both Neo and Fox into an ever tighter space. Claws slashed through the air only inches away, while teeth snapped shut, the sound of clicking teeth far too close for comfort.
"Any time now!" Fox shouted with his mind, feeling the approaching form of Cinder through his semblance.
"Sorry to make you wait~" Cinder thought playfully as she arrived, pulling free her oversized daggers and laying into Grimm with a ferocity that surprised even him. Cinder weaved through them without a care in the world, ducking beneath claws that could shatter trees and avoiding teeth that could pierce steel. If Fox hadn't known better, he would have guessed she also had an ADA of her own to avoid their attacks without seeing them.
Cinder severed limbs and throats in equal measure, cutting her way through the mass of Grimm until she fought at their sides. Fox could feel the grin on her face even as she continued her rampage, bolstering their defense with an overwhelming brutality that left him speechless. Any Grimm that dared challenge Cinder was turned to mincemeat in short order, just another pile of dissolving ash that she stepped over to get to the next.
Given time to catch his breath, Fox felt outward once more, trying to take count of all that remained. Only a dozen Grimm were left standing, soon to be eradicated. The woman that had been among them had moved closer, and now appeared to be waiting for the fight to finish before making a move of her own. Through the fatigue, he still couldn't get over the sensation that he'd met her somewhere before. Unfortunately, that included everyone he'd ever spoken to mentally. A long list to be sure.
Neo stopped next to him, catching her breath as well and watching Cinder finish off the remainder of the Grimm. She grimaced, staring at her leader's back with a look akin to scorn before also glancing past to the mysterious figure only a short distance away. Fox could feel her lowering her head towards the ground and shaking it, then lifting her parasol to lay across her shoulders once more.
Cinder had hacked and slashed her way through the Grimm, finishing off the final Beowolf with an almost contemptuous lack of fear for the creature's gnashing teeth. She separated its head from its body, whipped both blades to clear them of the blood they possessed, and sheathed them on her hips once more while the body collapsed at her feet.
Silence prevailed for only a few moments before the female figure moved, waiting for the air to clear of Grimm ash as she slowly strode forward. Fox could feel the assurity in her movements, the way she held herself with a confidence born of strength. It was impressive after the display that Cinder had shown. All the more reason to remain cautious of the person before them.
"Well done. You've managed to quell a small portion of my forces," the young woman spoke with sultry tones, mocking them with words that dripped with unmistakable sarcasm. "However, this town is slated for destruction. It would be wise of you to flee."
Fox could hear the laugh threatening to make its way past the woman's lips, and tightly clenched his fist in anger, "Sorry, lady. The only one that should be fleeing here is you."
The woman's head turned towards him, a smile still plastered across her face. Her hand raised slowly, the once gentle wind now building to an unexpected ferocity. Fox could hear the distant rumble of thunder, even as raindrops began to shower the area. Both Neo and Cinder stared at the sky aghast, and within moments, the voices of his teammates began to pick up over his semblance.
"Um, Fox? What's happening over there!?" Velvet's thoughts rang through first, clear with panic yet clouded by confusion.
"Do you need help!? What's going on, Fox!?" Coco's thoughts pierced through as well.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Cinder exclaimed, warily backing up a few steps from the figure before them.
The woman laughed, raising her hand in their direction. Fox could smell the ozone mounting, hear the crackling in the air as ADA warned him of an attack he could not see. The instant before it struck, Neo rushed from the side and tackled him to the ground, raising her parasol between them and the woman. Cinder dove to the side as well as lightning flashed from the stranger's hand, striking the parasol with the sound of a thousand cracking whips.
The pair were flung backwards as the ground around them was blasted to pieces, showering them in dirt and stone. They tumbled across the grass in a mixture of limbs, coming to a stop nearly a dozen feet away. Fox groaned and stood shakily, helping pull Neo to her feet and feeling her arm tremble after blocking the attack. Cinder was already on the offensive, throwing herself into battle against the woman.
However, it was quickly apparent that lightning wasn't the only element at the woman's disposal. Flames arced from the woman's hands while jagged, icy pillars shot up from the ground, and lesser blasts of lightning fell from the sky. It was all Cinder could do to avoid being hit, let alone trying to land a blow of her own against the dangerous master of elements. Fox couldn't sense the use of Dust, and knew that no semblance would allow for such a wide array of abilities.
"Get everyone here that isn't already busy. Now!" Neo thought fiercely, giving Fox one final look before throwing herself into the frey. She fell in line at Cinder's side, helping to alleviate some of the strain with the use of her parasol. Even with the two of them together, it wasn't enough. Fox could tell that his own aura was barely holding itself together, dull red hues flickering over his body in various places. Neo couldn't have been faring much better.
Opening up his mind to the members of both teams, Fox cast out his desperate call for aid, "We need a hand over here! Right now! Anyone you can spare!"
Fox raised his hands, waiting to hear back from the others even as he approached the battle being waged. With the large swathes of ground upturned, the spires of ice towering above them, and fires raging all around… he could only hope that help arrived in time.
"We need a hand over here! Right now! Anyone you can spare!"
Velvet heard Fox's cries for help, even as her replica sword bisected a charging Beowolf. The hard light Dust in her hands hummed with a life of its own, casting a dull blue glow on all that were foolish enough to approach. A loud shot rang out nearby, Mercury's booted heel slamming against an Ursa's head and splitting its skull open into ashen chunks.
Not many Grimm remained, but those that did still posed a threat to the town around them. They had been pressed back, forced to retreat from the open plain and into the more cramped streets of Arcus. With so many Grimm threatening them from all sides, it had been necessary to avoid being swarmed.
Velvet's eyes returned briefly to the epicenter of the blackened sky, a swirling mass of thick clouds that flashed with lightning above where Fox and the others were. She was only allowed a moment before being pulled back into the frenzy that surrounded them, lashing out in her own defense against the monstrous Grimm that fought with both tooth and nail.
"Can you handle this?" Velvet asked, worried for the safety of her friend and teammate. She cut the arm off another Beowolf attempting to rake her with its claws, then finished it with a deft strike directly through its throat.
Mercury dropped low to kick a Beowolf's legs out from under it, then capitalized on its downed form by slamming his booted heel against its head with a sickening blast. Given a moment of space, he glanced in Velvet's direction to see the fear in her eyes.
"Yeah. I'll take it from here," Mercury spoke gruffly, intercepting a charging Grimm and leaving Velvet with a safe path back through town. "Give 'em hell, whoever it is."
Velvet allowed her Dust weapon to fade and pulled the strap of Anesidora further up her shoulder, turning back towards the gathering storm with determination, "I'll do what I can… Stay safe until I get back!"
Mercury laughed as Velvet set off into the distance, calling out loudly to her retreating form, even as the Grimms' howls rose in anguish at the sight of their escaping prey, "Don't know how likely that is, but I'll do my best!"
'He'll be alright,' Velvet assured herself as she ran, leaving behind the sounds of battle in a dead sprint. Mercury had proven himself to be far from a pushover during their brief time together. She was confident that he could pull through in the end.
"I'm coming, Fox!"
Her eyes returned to the sky, shivering with trepidation at the mere sight of the swirling mass. Whatever Fox and the others were fighting… that was the real danger. Velvet picked up her pace, and prayed to whatever gods that might exist for their continued safety until she arrived.
Mercury waited until Velvet was well out of earshot before slowing to a stop. The Grimm lumbered to a halt as well, glowering at anything and everything nearby while spittle fell from their hungry maws. Mercury let out a sigh of relief, and pulled the scroll from his pocket in order to message Emerald.
"Bunny girl on her way. Be ready to support Cinder."
Mercury's scroll buzzed with Emerald's reply only a handful of seconds later, "Aren't you supposed to be fighting the Grimm? I already know the plan, daddy's boy."
"I AM fighting," Mercury grinned while he typed, mentally commanding the Grimm to line up in front of him. He spun on his heel and blasted the first through the skull, waiting for its body to fall to the ground and dissolve before commanding the next forward. He returned to typing on his scroll while he waited, "And daddy's boy? That's rich, coming from Cinder's loyal pet. How long are you going to pine after her before you realize she's just not that into you?"
"Fuck you."
Mercury laughed, typing a quick, "No, thanks." before hitting send and getting back to work. He began to take count of the remaining Grimm, even as the next in line was slain before him. As gung ho as the bunny girl was, her strength had certainly been flagging by the time Fox's call for help came through. Judging by the amount of Grimm that remained…
"I'll need to finish with you lot before I can make an appearance and help save our 'precious juniors'," Mercury spoke idly to the Grimm, making his way to the next in line. "So why don't we make this quick?"
He just hoped Cinder would practice a little restraint in the meantime.
The barrel's of Coco's weapon slowed to a stop, the ends glowing with a bright orange luminescence from the build up of heat alone. Across both the field and forest lay utter destruction. Black ash rose towards the sky, mixing with the smoking craters left behind in the wake of numerous Dust explosions. Fire, ice, and lightning. She had spared none of her arsenal when confronted with such insurmountable odds.
Her breath came out heavy with fatigue, nearly in unison with the much taller Yatsuhashi at her side. He had managed to protect her flank during the ensuing chaos, laying waste to all those that managed to slip through the cracks. Taijitu, Boarbatusks, Beowolves, Ursa and Nevermore's alike all lay in pieces, scattered across the battlefield, cut down before they could so much as lay a claw on the town under team Coffee's protection.
Yatsuhashi planted the tip of his sword into the ground, leaning on it for support while wiping the sweat from his brow and surveying the landscape. He gave Coco a small, self-satisfied smile. One of the rare instances in which he would actually show emotion.
Coco reached over and backhanded him across his chest plate playfully, "Not too bad for a couple of second years, eh? You think Cinder could have finished as quickly as we did?"
"I doubt her weapons offer the same level of firepower as yours," Yatsuhashi agreed with much less of the smug air that Coco was currently exuding. "You are, however, out of Dust."
Coco scoffed, placing a hand against her hip and transforming her gatling gun, Gianduja, back down into its more purse-like form, "It was worth it~"
"We'll see. You never know when… you..."
Yatsuhashi's sentence slowed to a stop as he caught Coco's eyes staring past him into the distant sky. He turned as well, becoming equally transfixed with confusion by the giant mass of clouds that had suddenly gathered overtop the other edge of the city. They swirled in place, flashing from cloud to cloud while the sound of thunder boomed overhead.
"Do you need help!? What's going on, Fox!?" Coco called out, waiting for a few moments without receiving a response. When Yatsu looked to her with a questioning gaze, she could only shake her head in response.
In a single instant, an enormous flash fell from the sky, followed by an overbearing clap of thunder that deafened them, even from so far away. Coco grabbed Yatsuhashi by the forearm and raised her other hand, blinking back the searing white, jagged beam that had become imprinted across her vision. "What the hell could have done that!?"
Yatsu turned back and shook his head, a barely noticeable panic in his eyes. If she hadn't known him so well, Coco wouldn't have been able to see it.
"We need to get over there. They may be in trouble."
Coco couldn't agree more. She took only a moment to glance over her shoulder, assuring herself that no Grimm remained before setting off at a jog through the city streets. Yatsuhashi was quick to fall on her heels, dragging the tip of his sword out of the dirt with ease and returning it to his back as they ran.
"We need a hand over here! Right now! Anyone you can spare!"
Both heard Fox's cry for help, and doubled their pace despite all they had already been through. 'At least now I'm lighter…?' Coco thought in remorse, despairing over the thousands of rounds that had been wasted in the previous battle. Depending on the enemy, she wouldn't be much help to anyone there, other than as a distraction.
"We're coming, Fox! Hold out as long as you can!" Coco's mind rang out across the connection, promising that help was on the way.
"We'll get there in time, Coco," Yatsuhashi assured her, picking up his own pace to run alongside his shorter leader. Coco could see the way his face was now set in stone, determination clear for even those unfamiliar with the man.
"Damn straight we will!" Coco agreed out loud, but inside, she was anything but confident. If Fox was injured… Her eyes narrowed, refusing to think about it further while a slight snarl curled her lips.
'I won't let that happen.'
I really wanted to finish this mini arc by the end of this chapter, but if I go for it then it'll be delayed another week or two, at best. I figured this was a decent enough point before the climactic confrontation to at least get something out for you all instead of forcing you to wait longer. It's really been a surprisingly tough sequence to write, what with the varying perspectives that I'm not nearly as comfortable with and having to keep all the events in order.
On to one of the changes I made, unlike in canon, Cinder isn't restricting herself to a single element of the maiden's powers and is instead choosing to take full advantage of the magic she's gained. Perhaps in canon her decision makes sense for a backstory we don't know about, but considering the power hungry person she's portrayed to be, I beefed her up a bit with that in mind.
Thanks for reading. I'm trying to get back into everything, but it's been a rough few months, not gonna lie.
- Sybaen