Chapter 4: Darklord Cinder-Menagerie's Lie
An eight-year-old CInder opens her eyes and finds herself in what looks like a church. On the stained glass windows are images of the god of light, Bhunivelze. The next thing she notices is the nun outfit and hat she's now wearing, "When did I put this on?" Cinder asked with a puzzled look on her face. She tries to remember but pain shoots through her whole body.
"You're awake, that's very good," hearing a young man's voice, Cinder gets off the bench she was on then turns to see what looks like a priest walking up to her. He has bandages and medication in his arms. "You were badly injured when I found you," he said with a soft voice. "Try to not move too much, you're still injured. Those awful people did a real number on you. I fear you will be going to Vallhalla too soon," the priest said and sat on the bench Cinder was sitting on. The priest motioned for her to sit, "I need to check how your wounds are healing,"
"Thank you," Cinder said and hesitantly sat down. The priest carefully removes Cinder's nun hat, revealing her black hair and bandages wrapped around her head, "Um, where am I?" Cinder asked.
The priest is hesitant to tell Cinder but she should know the hellhole she finds herself in, "Menagerie," he said in a grim tone and changes Cinder's bandages.
Cinder's blood runs cold, Menagerie is the last place for a Faunus like her. Yes, Menagerie is a piece of land for the Faunus to call their own, but that was a lie. Menagerie lives up to its name, it is a place where humans can see Faunus who lost all sense of humanity and became feral due to the treatment they went through. The humans in Menagerie believed they could keep their pets under control.
Their arrogance over the years proved to be their undoing.
"So long you stay in this church, you will be safe from the chaos outside," the priest said as he changed bandages on Cinder's arms and legs. "Do you remember how you got here?" he asked.
"I remember daddy telling me to run. I did but I was caught by Atlas soldiers who caught me and hit me with something," Cinder then realise something, "Where is it?!" she asked in a panicked tone and looked around frantically.
"Where's what?" the priest asked and tried to keep Cinder seated.
"My daddy's katana! It's called Yamato!" Cinder said with a scared tone.
"So you're Richter's daughter," the priest thought, "Relax child, your father's katana is in the church's armoury,"
That caused Cinder to do a double-take, "This church has an armoury? Why?"
"Well, we are in Menagerie. It's better to be safe than sorry," the priest said. He gets off the bench, "Come, I'll take you to where the armoury is,"
"Okay," Cinder said happily, she's about to jump off the bench but the priest stops her. She's still recovering. "What's your name?" Cinder asked.
"Hope," he smiles.
"Nice to meet you, Hope! My name is Cinder," Cinder said and held out her hand. She didn't tell him her true name because it was not time for her to use that name yet. Also, she doesn't fully trust him yet.
"Nice to meet you Cinder," Hope smiles and shakes Cinder's small hand. He guides her to the basement which is where the armoury is. They have a lot of weapons but Cinder ignores them all because she spots Yamato laying on a table. Cinder runs to it at full speed to grab the Yamato.
She did feel pain but it's more important to her that she gets the Yamato back.
Hope can tell how much Cinder treasures that katana by how tightly she's holding it. He puts a hand on her shoulder, "As much I want to give you time to rest, I need to get you out of this city. It's not safe for you here,"
"Where are you taking me?" Cinder asked.
"To the beach, someone is going to meet us there and she's going to take you somewhere better than here," Hope explains. Both of them hear a large bang from above, "So they started attacking,"
"Who's attacking us?" a scared Cinder asked.
"The so-called city guard," Hope growled, "Come on, let's go! My friends can hold them off for so long!" he picks up Cinder in his arms and leaves the church from the secret back entrance.
What Cinder saw on the way to the beach she wished she could forget. The buildings were dark and sinister. This is supposed to be a place where the Faunus can be their own but every single building has a no Faunus sign. The Faunus themselves can only live in the streets and get food from the thrash.
Those were the lucky ones. The other Faunus lost all traces of their humanity due to being starved, unable to get enough sleep and being treated like they were the scum of the world. Those with lost sanity are locked up in cages, barking and growling like their animal counterparts.
Cinder is grateful for the nun hat Hope gave her but her lion ears still picked up a conversation between two store owners.
"Why is that one not moving?" a man said.
"It's dead. Just throw it in the trash. Get another one, there's more where they come from," a woman said. Not caring that the Faunus is dead in their cage. To her and almost all the humans in Menagerie, the Faunus are just expendable slaves.
Not all Faunus in Menagerie are kept in cages and living in alleyways, but Cinder is not sure if these Faunus had it better or worse. In a pet store, Cinder can see more of her fellow Faunus. All of them had the same eyes as the Faunus in the cages. No humanity. All of them act like domestic animals. Their soulless eyes are peering into her soul.
Hope presses his lips together and holds Cinder close as they pass by a family walking their dog. Their dog Faunus. Though they look clean and well dressed. There's no ignoring the dead eyes they have.
Cinder can't handle seeing anymore and buries her face in Hope's neck and holds onto him and Yamato with dear life. Hope wished he didn't expose Cinder to this hell but going through the alleyways is not an option. The horrors there are worse. Much worse.
All the more the reason why Hope must get Cinder out of here as quickly as possible.
Feeling Cinder shake with fear, Hope quickened his pace. He can't run at that will cause too much of a commotion. Some asked why he is such a rush, some he ignored but some he only said, "This little nun had a nightmare so I'm taking her to the beach to make her feel better," Hope mentally screamed at himself because he can't let anyone know where he's taking Cinder.
What felt like forever, Hope and Cinder made it to the beach. It's the one place other than Hope's church that is not corrupted by Menagerie, "Okay, we just have to wait for the lady who's going to pick you up," Hope said and sets Cinder down.
"Why? Why is Menagerie like this?" Cinder asked with tears running down her face.
Hope takes a deep breath then gets down onto one knee, "Because Menagerie is a lie. A lie to trick the Faunus into coming here to this island. An island owned by a group of humans who hate the Faunus. One of them is now the president of the Schnee Dust Company," Hope explains.
As Hope stands right up, gets suddenly hit in the shoulder and falls to the ground, "HOPE!" Cinder screams and rushes to Hope's side and sees a dart lagged in his shoulder. She was about to take it out when she was hit by something and was sent back and landed hard onto the sand.
Hope looks over his shoulder and sees a dark purple-haired huntsman wielding two maces, one of them as smoke coming out of it "RHODES!" Hope shouts in anger, "SHOOTING A CHILD?! HAVE YOU NO SHAME?!" Hope tries to get up but the dart Rhodes shoots him with has his body paralyzed.
Rhodes sighs, "Sorry about that Father Hope but you know the rules, no Faunus can leave,"
"No, you're not! You're just Jacques' paid thugs!" Hope growled, "This little girl is leaving this godforsaken city and a part of a new family. Family Your boss stole from her because he wanted more Dust!" He nearly shouted emphasizing the word your.
"A man's gotta eat," Rhodes said with a sad look on his face.
"Don't play the victim with me! I remember your confessions. How you wanted the easy way out. To make a name of yourself. That you didn't earn your way to Atlas Academy. You did what most people in Atlas did, you bought your fame and glory. I bet those scars on your face is not even real,"
"I don't have to hear your lectures. I have a job to do," Rhodes said angrily. He walked past the paralyzed Hope.
"Good luck with that," Hope laughs.
Raven's theme: Deadly Sword Pt 2 from Blade and Soul
Rhodes looks back at Hope, wondering why he's laughing. Before he can ask, a black feather floats past his face. He turns to see where Cinder is and sees a woman dressed in red and black, wearing a Grimm mask. She's holding Cinder with one arm and holding a gray Keyblade with a blue eye at the end of the blade. She's using her Keyblade to heal Cinder's injuries. Cinder is amazed that she is not hurting anymore. She feels good as new but her nun outfit is ripped though.
"You're an insult to true Huntsmen everywhere," the masked woman growled. She dismisses her Keyblade and draws her red-bladed katana, "I'll kill you here and now!" while still carrying Cinder in her arm, the masked woman dashes at Rhodes. Showing him that she has enough skill to protect Cinder and fight him at the same time.
In a panic, he tries to shoot at her but the masked woman expertly deflects them all and quickly closes the distance. He had no time to use his metal skin as a red blade pierced through his heart, "You lived as a failure and you will die as a failure," the woman said coldly and pulled her blade out and let Rhodes fall lifelessly onto the sand.
"Thanks for that old friend," Hope said slowly getting back up. The dart's effects have faded so Hope can take it out of his shoulder.
"Damn those Schnees," the woman growled. Sheathing her weapon, Cinder turned from scared to awe seeing her saviour.
"Yes," Hope sighs and pats some sand off of his robe, "But not all Schnees are bad. Their children shouldn't pay for the sins of their parents," he points out.
The mysterious lady sighed, "Winter is being trained to be a military dog, Weiss could be salvageable, and finally what's his face is the Schnee family head two points oh," she countered.
"Um, who are you?' Cinder asked the masked woman.
"Oh, how rude of me," the woman said and removed her mask. Revealing her long black hair and red eyes, "My name is Raven Branwen. I'm the one who's going to take you away from this awful place and adopt you into my family," she said with a warm smile.
Cinder is overwhelmed by emotions and hugs Raven. Cinder thought for sure she would live most of her life alone as soon as her parents died. Raven wraps her arm around her and lets Cinder cry her eyes out.
"Please take good care of her Raven," Hope said with a smile.
Raven nods, "I promise to always look after her," she said and looks down at Cinder. The little girl heard her words and looked up. She smiles at Raven, getting a good feeling Raven will keep her promise.
Stratified with Raven's answer, Hope turns to leave, "You're not coming with us?" Cinder asked.
Hope stops and turns to Cinder, "No, sorry. I have friends here and a duty to make this city a better place,"
"I'll come back when I get stronger and grown-up! I want to help you!" Cinder declared.
Hope smiles, "I'll wait for your return,"
Ten years later, Cinder did come back using a portal of darkness. She is now wearing her black armour and with her trusty weapons, the Oblivion Keyblade and the katana Yamato. She arrives at the very beach where she first met Raven. Cinder can tell because she can see the skeletal remains of Rhodes, "Soon Menagerie, you will feel the power of a Darklord," Cinder said and starts to journey back to Menagerie.
A/N: I've decided to extend the Darklord arc so I can explore the character of Cinder, WInter, Vernal and Ven.