Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and read this story so far. Any feedback or constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: RWBY is property of Roosterteeth, not me.
From Cinders Comes Fire - A New Beginning
Four years later:
The time for stealth had long passed. It was time to press the attack, maintaining the chase and ensuring her prey didn't try to escape. It already had two shafts buried in its flank, causing it to skid slightly in the mud as it scrambled about. She loosed the next arrow, which landed in the animal's shoulder, eliciting a squeal of pain as the arrow dug in deep.
The Boarbutusk tossed its head at her, but Cinder kept her bow level, watching as the grimm changed its course to go wide around her. She already had another arrow fitted to the string as it tore through the foliage to her right, grunting and charging at her head on. With movements so graceful they appeared practiced, she leapt up and over the beast, her free hand briefly landing on the Boarbutusk's back for balance as it rushed by, before landing perfectly on her feet right where she had started.
This Boarbutusk was considerably larger than most she had fought before, leading a pack that had been terrorizing the nearby villages for quite some time. But while its excess bulk made it stronger and tougher to damage for normal villagers and its fellow grimm, it was also considerably slower. Too slow in fact to stop Cinder from dancing around its attacks, almost taunting it with the knowledge she never received so much as a scratch no matter how many times it tried to run her down. Or that it would share the same fate as the rest of the pack she had already dealt with over the last few hours.
Still the grimm refused to die, continuing to charge at her with the intent of her tearing her to pieces, even wounded as it was. Cinder never faltered or retreated from its assault. Again and again, she engaged in her deadly dance with the beast, never taking her eyes off her opponent, never missing a step. Once more she leaped up and over its desperate charge, spinning on the spot a second after landing while drawing the string of her bow to her cheek -
*CRACK!*
- only to stagger back as the wood of her bow—between the upper limb and grip—suddenly broke under the strength of her pull, leaving her fumbling to keep hold of the pieces.
While she was still recovering from the unexpected development, the Boarbutusk tore out of the foliage again, slamming into her before she could react and knocking her into the mud. It attempted to gore her further, tusks slashing back and forth in a frenzy. Once… twice… three times she narrowly avoided the massive curved tusks, her aura taking the brunt of the impact for her before she managed to land a two-footed kick to its snout that managed to drive the beast back long enough to recover. Rolling back to her feet and storing her damaged bow on her back, Cinder went over her options. Without ranged capability, she now found herself much more vulnerable, but she remained focused.
She would have to get creative now that her primary means of fighting was lost to her.
Fortunately, she already had an idea on how to end this.
The fire within her blood burned hotly, ready to be unleashed, but Cinder chose to use a different tactic. Instead she held her ground, golden eyes glowing brightly as they met the crimson orbs of her foe, a battle of patience between them. As the Boarbutusk circled her for an opening, she moved her hand lower until it stopped just above the ground, palm down and fingers wide. In a moment the muddy ground beneath her palm dried and started hardening into sand. With a single command, she could change it once more into something much more lethal. All she needed was for her pray to charge her again…
It proceeded to do just that. With a bellowing squeal, the Boarbutusk reared back on its hind legs before charging her head on, tusks gleaming in the sunlight as it promised a grisly end for anything caught in-between them. Waiting until she was certain there was no chance to change course, Cinder threw her hand up and outward, directing her attack straight for the beast's head. The sand erupted from the ground, crystallizing into the shape of a massive spike as the Boarbutusk plowed straight into it. As she leaped away from the destruction, she noted with satisfaction that the glass had impaled straight through an unprotected eye and into its skull.
The Boarbutusk squealed sharply as its front half collapsed instantly after impact, its momentum causing it to flop over onto its back with a massive thud, skidding heavily through the mud. It convulsed several times, legs kicking in the air feebly, then went still as the light in its remaining three eyes faded away.
Limping slightly, Cinder moved closer to inspect her latest kill. She retrieved the arrows and inspected each one for cracks or bends. Any arrows deemed worthy she would place back with her bow, while the rest were broken down and stowed in her bag to be disposed of later. A hunter did not leave a trail after all, and her arrows did tend to stand out in the wilderness if left just lying about.
And speaking of her bow...
Even before she pulled it off her back to inspect the damage, she knew that it was bad. It wouldn't have snapped otherwise. But upon closer inspection, the sight of her old bow was enough to bring a curse to her lips, which she was just barely able to suppress. The wood was splintered and jagged; no hope of repairing it on her own… and part of her feared even the blacksmiths wouldn't be able to save it either. She placed it again on her back with an irritated growl.
Only with everything else settled did she allow herself to reform part of the glass spike still stuck in the corpse's head into a makeshift knife and cut off one of its tusks. It wouldn't last long—roughly an hour or two at most—but it would serve as proof she had succeeded in her contract.
Her life over the last few years had been one of constant travel from place to place, taking whatever jobs were available for coin and essential goods. Maintaining her training and skill was also a constant, so rare was the contract she took that didn't involve some form of danger. When she wasn't working, she spent her time in the libraries or similar information centres, learning everything she could about the location and the world around her. Only once she was certain she had learned everything she could did she depart without a word, finding another village or town and repeating the process as needed.
When she had first arrived at in the swampy environments located near the borders of western Mistral, she had roamed the wilds for the better part of a week, inspecting pre-existing hunting trails and noting any landmarks that might be useful to her travels. When she'd returned to the village to gather supplies for her hunting, everyone had been shocked to see her alive. They had assumed she'd wandered off and gotten killed by grimm or possibly bandits, and the village chieftain had attempted to impress upon her the danger of wandering the wilds alone. Even fully trained Huntsmen had never returned more than once before. She had ignored them, but had nonetheless agreed to return every couple days.
She didn't really care much what the villagers thought of her roaming the wilds, but she had made a promise to herself that she would live and become a Huntress despite all the odds. And as that required keeping herself alive and learning everything she could on her own, it meant she had to play by their rules. Occasionally.
It had been just over two months now, and she did not honestly see why the villagers feared the forest so much. Certainly, it was a bit swampier than Cinder was used to, and she have the odd bandit encounter (and on one occasion even chanced upon one of their main camps) but any obstacles were easily avoided or overcome by one as at home in the wilderness as she was.
There were the occasional grimm, of course, always eager to pounce upon what they believed to be fresh prey. But while the villagers feared the beasts, she was all too eager to strike against them. When she found a pack, she would follow it, picking off the individuals one by one from a safe distance. Then, when they noticed her, she simply retreated into hiding until they had given up the chase. It was then only a matter of tracking them and once again picking off the members from a distance.
After two months of doing so, she liked to think she was making some mark upon the beasts. In this area at least.
Tracking her way back to the village wasn't particularly difficult. One simply had to find the "scouting parties" or the village watch towers and soon the village's main gate into the wilds appeared from among the foliage.
The gate was closed this time, as it was every other time. Rather than ask the guards on the other side to open it she instead walked to the familiar crooked tree that grew right beside the gate. Its branches reached up over the twenty foot wall that separated the camp from the wilds: tall enough for her purposes.
Climbing deftly from branch to branch was easy for her, the years of practice giving her the balance of a huntress already. This time however she winced, staggering slightly as the ache in her leg pulled uncomfortably. A parting gift from the Boarbutusk when it ran her over it seemed. She ignored the pain, refusing to let any weakness show.
A few more leaps, and she was looking over the top of the wall, perched among the very top branches while she gazed over the village below. Tents littered the grounds, many flying flags with symbols or pictures on them from neighbouring areas. Humans and faunus swarmed among the tents... talking, eating, training. None of them doing anything particularly productive, save a select few. There had been a couple small battles against grimm and bandits since Cinder had arrived, but the people here really seemed to spend most of their time sitting around, wasting resources.
In a way, part of her pitied them. Most were complacent and satisfied with what little they had, not knowing how much more they could achieve if they pushed for it. Another part of her hated them for the same reason, knowing they had a choice to become complacent where she could not. It was a jarring contradiction, and upon releasing a pent up sigh of frustration she buried her thoughts on the subject deep down. There was no point on thinking of the past.
Better to move forward, just like she always did.
Cinder adjusted the remains of her broken bow on her back and leapt over the wall, rolling as she landed on the other side. The guards near the gate startled and spun, even as they saw it was just her and that they were not in any danger.
"By the Gods… stop doing that!"
Cinder did not acknowledge the comment, merely brushed the dust and dirt off of herself and made her way to the Chieftain's hall. It was nestled amongst the other pavilions, near the centre of the village and safely away from the walls. That was where she took her trophy, ignoring the stares that the other villagers always gave her when she was here for any length of time.
Then, when she was within sight of the building itself, a new problem presented itself. One that she could not simply ignore or fight her way free from.
"Hey guys, look! It's the Flaming-Eyed Huntress!"
Of all the times for her self-appointed fanbase to appear... the Gods were surely laughing at her right about now.
Black-Haired, Flaming-Eyed Hunter. A simple enough title, based on the color of her hair and how her eyes glowed bright whenever she used her semblance.
It was a title she hadn't asked for, and a name used by others to identify her that she merely tolerated. The first time someone had called her such, she had mistakenly believed they had been referring to someone else, perhaps even another huntsmen that had recently arrived in the area. To say she was surprised when she realized they were speaking of her was a bit of an understatement. Even more so when she realized the name traveled faster than she did, people from other towns and even cities recognizing her on sight now. She still wasn't sure how to react to such recognition.
And there they were: the obnoxious blond human and his friends who kept claiming to be huge fans of the work she did. The blonde was in front of her then, starry-eyed. Fighting to keep the irritation out of her gaze, she could only glare at them without expression.
"Oh wow! You took down the Boarbutusk? Awesome!" he said upon seeing the tusk wrapped over a shoulder. "And why not, it was only twice the size you are!"
"I am hardly delicate," she said shortly.
"No, but you're still training. And… wait, what… what happened to your bow?"
That struck a nerve.
"I don't need any help," she said, and pulled away from them, their childish enthusiasm be damned. She masked another sigh of frustration as best she could and continued onward.
"Is this typical of her?" one of the boys asked behind her back.
"Hm? Oh, yes, Rehg, it is. This is what she does. She disappears for days at a time, and returns carrying a chunk of a Grimm that towers over everyone. I think she thinks we're incapable of defending ourselves."
She dropped the Boarbutusk tusk off into the Chieftain's hands. He was always startled by her arrival, but then he would took pains to thank her profusely for whatever she brought as proof of her most recent grimm excursion before giving her payment. While she appreciated the sentiment, it nonetheless rankled to be so lauded for something she was supposed to be doing anyway. She had a job to do. It was her duty to eliminate a threat to the village… so why did he and everyone else always seem so shocked when she did so?
She stepped back out of the tent, and made her way over to the blacksmith. With her bow damaged as badly as it was, repairs were needed before she headed out again.
To her dismay, the blacksmith quickly proved her fears on the condition of her bow were well founded.
"So there is absolutely nothing you can do?"
The blacksmith again ran a calculating eye over the bow's remains, as if hoping to find some solution that might have escaped his previous inspections. He then shook his head once more, somber in tone as he found nothing.
"I'm sorry, hunter, I truly am. I can tell that you took very good care of this old bow, but unfortunately it's age has finally caught up to it. The wood's simply too old, too far gone. No amount of work or dust can repair this damage. Even if I did manage to somehow reattach the pieces, one good pull would simply break it again."
For a long moment, she wasn't certain she was hearing him right. An empty pit of disbelief formed in her stomach, and she half expected, half prayed the blacksmith would suddenly burst into laughter (he'd done so more than once before), the entire affair nothing but a cruel joke. But he met her gaze with solemn eyes, and the weight of his words came crashing down.
"…I understand."
The words were a lie. She didn't understand, not one bit, but there was no point in fighting an unwinnable situation. Merely accept that her oldest, and truth be told her only friend was now lost to her. She tried to keep her face neutral, but apparently wasn't doing a great job.
"I know what it is like to lose something important, hunter. Tools are made to be used, and even the best tools eventually wear down and break, but I know some bonds can't be broken so easily." He stopped for a moment, gathering the pieces into his hands. "What do you say to me doing this one job to keep that bond alive? I won't be able to repair the bow completely—you won't be able to hunt with it again—but I can at the very least put it back together."
A small ray of hope formed within her. "You would do that?" she asked, trying not to let her surprise show too much.
"Why not? I wouldn't dream of depriving a huntress of her first weapon, and the memories she built with it. Might take me some time, a couple weeks maybe, but when you get it back you won't even know it was broken!"
And just like that, she faltered again.
"I appreciate the gesture. Truly… But I won't be here in a few weeks."
For a moment the blacksmith appeared confused, brow bunching a bit, but then smoothed. "Ah. That's right. Your initiation test is coming up in a few days, isn't it? And I imagine once at Haven you'll be too busy to simply come back as you please."
She nodded, saying nothing. The blacksmith merely chuckled.
"How about this then: Once you pass your test and get everything settled, send me your address. Soon as I finish with the repairs, I'll have the bow delivered straight to your room. I'm sure Lionheart won't object."
It meant being separated from her friend for an unknown period of time, but to Cinder, it was the best thing she could have hoped for, given the circumstances. She quickly agreed to the offer, and was just as fast to write down his contact information.
"That settles that." he said with a grin. "Now we just have to solve the problem of what weapon you'll be using for your test. Fortunately…" He briefly disappeared into the back. When he returned, he placed a long, thin leather case on top of the counter. "Good thing you had this second bow with you. I've been taking good care of it too, as promised."
His smile changed slightly then, still warm and helpful, but with a faint undercurrent of amusement underneath, as if knowing something she didn't. It was enough to make her pause slightly, before gingerly opening the case to see what lay within. Her eyes visibly widened in wonder as she registered what had been done to the huntsman bow.
He laughed at her reaction. "As you can see, I've taken the liberty of applying some upgrades to it while you left it in my care. The blades have been altered for better cutting ability without hampering its capabilities as a bow, and I also made it compatible with the new exploding arrow designs you mentioned having an interest in. I've also strengthened the draw weight and made it much more durable as a whole to wear and tear. Nothing you hit with this will be getting back up."
She took the bow with gentle fingers, enamoured by its changes. It looked incredible, and an experimental tug on the string followed by a close inspection of the swords confirmed a lot of work had been applied to its new appearance and abilities. Noticeably heavier than her wooden bow, but much stronger and versatile as a result. She could not have asked for a finer weapon befitting a Huntress.
A thought struck her then, and she had to suppress a grimace as she gave it voice.
"How much? These upgrades surely weren't cheap to apply…"
"You're concerned about price?" He placed his hands on his hips, beaming with pride. "I'm giving this bow back to the huntress that saved my son's life. He's never stopped praising you since, and I'm glad he was able to find such a wonderful role model to look up to. No price is worth that. All I would like is to know the name of my son's greatest hero."
A hero? Her? She was just trying to get by, preferring to work on her own and never opening up to others. She didn't need help from anyone, and didn't expect any help in turn.
And yet he had given her a very generous gift simply because he could. As thanks for her helping him out while out on a job. There were no words to express how grateful she was. The smile that came to her face then was small, but genuine. A bit of the little girl from before surfacing, however briefly.
"…Thank you. For everything you've done for me." She offered her free hand to shake. "And my name is Cinder Fall."
He took it without hesitation. "It was an honour to have met you, Cinder. Good luck with your Huntress training."
The next two days of travelling came and went without anything of note. It was only on the third day and after the air ship took off towards the testing grounds that she began to feel… it was difficult for her to describe it. On one hand she was anxious and nervous, the reality of her situation more than a little nerve-wracking. On the other, it was exciting for the same reason, knowing her journey as a Huntress was about to begin, depending on today. Whatever she had to face, Cinder was ready for it.
As the ship flew across the sky, she seemed to be the only silent person on board. Everyone else was in pairs or groups of up to four or more, all excited and eager to discuss anything and everything it seemed, to the point she quickly toned it all out. It wasn't all that different from the last village she had stayed in, all things considered. She shrugged to herself, content to sit away from the crowds and simply enjoy the view outside the nearest window.
By the time the air ship began its descent, the constant chatter from everyone else had died down, each of them going their individual last minute preparations for the final test. The announcement of the landing cause Cinder to pause and refocus. She stood the moment the ship set down, her bag over one shoulder and her metal bow already secured at the centre of her back, separated into its twin blades. The arrows were placed just underneath, close enough so she could pull them out at a moment's notice if necessary.
She certainly stood out despite choosing to keep to herself and away from the others. Long and wavy ebony-black hair that reached past the shoulder blades, tied back in a simple ponytail, contrasting sharply against ivory skin. The long flowing bangs swept up and over the left eye, framing a face with high cheekbones, thin nose and firm yet angular jaw. Both eyes a pair of amber orbs that burned with fire underneath.
She had chosen her best hunting outfit for today, wanting no excuses once she started. With the exception of the long crimson jacket she wore overtop (the one rebellion to her otherwise all practical design) she was dressed entirely in black. The sleeveless shirt hugged tight to her torso, tucked into a pair of matching pants and completing the assemble with her best hunting boots.
She descended from the ramp quickly and without a word, before looking up at the testing grounds for the first time. The building itself was new and seemed to invoke an image of polished steel. It was three storeys high and shaped like an 'L' so that it partly framed the entrance, a pair of massive doors flanked by statues of Huntsmen of old. Sturdy oak trees were dotted around the grounds and on the far side the land sloped down to one of the lakes nearby.
There were people everywhere. Both newcomers like herself preparing for their initiation, as well as what she assumed to be officials and trainers ready to oversee their tests, and even reporters and cameramen recording the events of the day. Various staff sat on benches in the garden, eating packed lunches in the glorious sunshine. There was also a surprisingly high number of families with children playing in the gardens, screaming and laughing as they chased each other around. Families coming to oversee their children during the tests? She didn't care either way. An audience wasn't an issue to her.
A rough jolt to the back of her shoulder however quickly knocked her back to reality, hard enough that she stumbled from the impact and nearly fell. The man responsible, a full head taller than her and dressed in elegant yet simple brown and grey robes with orange highlights, made no effort to slow down, merely turn his head briefly to smirk at her as he passed by.
"Bloody Outlanders," he sneered, "Always getting in the way."
Anger briefly flared within Cinder, but she refused to let it out. Not yet. A nobody like him wasn't worth getting mad about. A brief intake and release of air through her nose, and she was back to her usual calm.
Inside, the facility was even more impressive. A massive arena covered the main floor, with various obstacles all around set up to test the new recruits in a variety of ways. From simple tests of speed and strength, to more complex challenges of endurance and control of one's core strength. Even from a glance, it was clear this was a challenge that would put even the most physically capable huntsmen recruits through hell if they wanted to prove themselves worthy. The entire course was surrounded by seats already filled with guests and overseers, adding to the feeling of importance around her.
The staging area was already crowded, new recruits preparing weapons and armour while waiting for their turn which made making her way through somewhat difficult. Just as she found an open spot to set her bag down, the same man from earlier suddenly slammed his own bag down right in front of her. The next instant, he was right in her face, as smug as could be.
"Ooh, so close. Sorry Outlander, but this spot's reserved for actual Huntsmen! Guess you'll need to go somewhere else."
For a moment, Cinder wondered why this stranger was snapping at her every chance he got. Was he that arrogant? Perhaps trying to provoke or intimidate someone he saw as a threat? She wasn't certain, and didn't particularly care to find out, nor did she care about the man's use of the 'Outlander' title he gave her. It wasn't worth the effort to get into a fight with him. Without a word, she slipped her bag back onto her shoulder, moving to find somewhere else to place her things.
The man refused to let her go so easily.
"Don't know why they're letting a runt like you compete with us. That weapon of yours is decent enough I suppose. Where'd you steal it from?"
Her grip on her bag tightened. Trying to provoke her then. He was certainly coming close. She turned back to glare at him, eyes hard and threatening. He seemed to notice.
"Uh oh. Looks like little miss tough gal is mad. Good." With one last sneer, he turned away from her, finally giving her some much needed peace to recollect herself.
She found another spot further back near the far wall. Focused as she was on getting her bag packed away and bow ready, she initially failed to notice as she was joined by someone else. Whereas the one in brown robes had quickly gotten on her nerves, this man presented a good natured aura of a friend. He had light blonde hair slicked back, with the first signs of a matching beard at his chin, and green eyes that shined bright with humour. He wore a sleeveless combat vest, showing off strong arms, brown military style leggings and matching combat boots. The hilt of a massive claymore stuck out over his right shoulder, ready to be drawn in a single, fluid motion.
"Don't worry about him." He said with an easy smile, "Not every future Huntsmen you meet is gonna be your best friend. You're bound to meet some people who simply don't like you."
Cinder made a noncommittal grunt, still focusing on her things. If anything, this seemed to amuse the man even more.
"So... Does the Black-Haired, Flaming-Eyed Hunter have a name? Or does she prefer just going by her title?"
She turned her head away to hide the smirk forming on one side of her face. Okay, that was actually pretty funny. Even using her undesired title hadn't bothered her the way she thought it would. She turned to face him then, offering her hand to shake. "Cinder. Cinder Fall."
He took the hand with a firm grip. "Hiya Cinder. Cy Reiner, pleased to meet you. Like I said, don't worry about Otho. The guy's always been a bit of an ass with Outlanders. No matter how good they fight."
Again they used that word like it was common knowledge. Might as well find out now what it meant to be called such. "Outlander?"
"Ah… Sorry, thought you knew already." Cy shrugged. "There's usually two ways to get considered for Huntsmen applications: You either go through the combat schools, or you prove yourself capable out in the field without them. I'm gonna assume that at no point you have ever been to a combat school like Sanctum Academy?"
She shook her head.
"That means you've been proving yourself elsewhere. Fighting Grimm in the wild and away from the cities. Out on the land, hence the term Outlander. People like Otho Rost come from a long line of traditionalist families. They feel people like you haven't earned your chance to become a Huntress because you haven't gone down 'the proper path'… or something to that effect."
"I see..." She followed his gaze to where Otho was. "He's not going to let up anytime soon, is he?"
"Not until you shut him up during the test I imagine. Even then, he'll still hate you."
"Lovely."
They chatted more while they waited for their respective turns to take the test, about their first encounters with Grimm, about joining Haven or one of the other Huntsmen academies, and about some of their favourite huntsmen or what inspired their respective weapons of choice. The smile came easy to her as she spoke with him. It felt good to talk about herself to an extent.
"So what about you Cinder? Got any friends or family watching you become a huntress today?"
And just like that, the smile became slightly strained. She struggled to keep her voice steady, not letting her emotion show. "N-no. No family. I'm here alone. And you?"
If he noticed her little slip, he didn't comment on it, merely shrugging in response.
"Parents are away on business, and I got no siblings. Just me and the Big Guy." Noticing her expression, and realizing she had no idea who he was referring to, he pointed towards the testing field. "He's actually just finished one of his trial runs. Look, here he comes now."
She turned to look, and felt her eyes visibly widen. If Cinder hadn't known that the majority of the people present were in their late teens, she would never have believed the giant she saw to be the same age as her.
His gait bore a confidence that was assured, but neither haughty nor aggressive; he moved with purpose, his eyes narrowed and his brow creased into a frown. His hair was a bright silver that bordered on white, reaching down to his jaw and parted in the centre so his bangs were swept behind his ears, and his dark grey eyes were as hard and unreadable as Cinder's own.
But what got her attention was his sheer size. 'Big Guy' was an understatement. He was huge! He had to be at least seven feet tall, probably even taller, dwarfing everyone around him.
His bulky, muscular frame was more akin to solid rock than anything of flesh and bone. Just a glance at him suggested that he was stronger than nearly anyone else here in terms of raw physical might; he certainly didn't have a build focused on agility, but perhaps in his case, agility wasn't needed.
As he stepped up to the pair, he glanced at Cy, dipping his head slightly and giving a low grunt that Cinder assumed was some form of greeting.
"Cinder Fall, may I introduce to you my best friend, Stone. He's not much for conversation until he gets to know you better, but you couldn't ask for a better fighter and future Huntsmen."
Still somewhat intimidated at the giant's size, it took Cinder a moment to respond to the introduction, hesitantly offering her hand out. Stone's expression did not change as he took her hand in his own, the much larger appendage all but consuming hers. She was surprised at how gentle his grip was as they shook. Firm, but not crushing like it could have been. Proof that he knew how to control his great strength.
"Well met." His voice was deep and intimidating, what little he said quick and to the point.
"Stone and I have been partners in crime since we were kids. If all goes well, we'll keep that going once we get to Haven, partners on the same team and all."
They were certainly well suited for one another, from what Cinder could tell. The two of them were so very different, but somehow, they complimented each other perfectly, Cy's humour leavening Stone's seriousness, the giant's caution tempering his friend's brashness. They would make quite the dangerous duo in any battle, a childhood friendship adding chemistry to a bond few could match.
Without even realizing it, her mind began to wander, her focus turning to her own past where no such bonds existed. She had been all alone these last four years, never needed help, nor did she want for it. Even still…
I wonder what it will be like once I find a partner at Haven…
She had hardly finished the thought when her name, with all the finality of gunfire, cut through the air. Her head snapped around, in time for her to see an older man who appeared to be one of the officials, repeat "Ms. Cinder Fall, please head to the starting point."
Cy wished her luck (Stone likewise grunting in what she thought was support) and she gave a quick nod of thanks before hurrying over to the starting point. Nervousness and uncertainty returned, crashing over her like a tidal wave; her stomach churned with apprehension as she triple-checked her weapons again and waited until she felt the the surge of her fire burning within to keep it from overwhelming her. The grim thought, now or never, slipped through her mind before she could help it.
"Next up to go through the initiation course is Cinder Fall!" the announcer spoke into a microphone, his voice echoing through the arena, prompting a murmur of anticipation from the crowd. It didn't matter if they knew who she was: watching future huntsmen participating in their initiation tests was always a source of prime entertainment, and wether or not they got to see a rookie succeed or come up short, it was always a spectacle to behold as new generations entered the public eye.
"Three… two… one… GO!" roared the announcer, and Cinder took off. She was nearly a blur of red and black, moving so fast that she could feel the wind roaring in her ears as she pushed herself to her absolute limit, determined to succeed. The crowd watched in amazement as she raced through the course, her attention was focused solely on what lay directly in front of her.
The initiation test was both simple and challenging. To pass, they just had to complete the course in under twelve minutes. Each individual was given three attempts, and were allowed to try again even if they had already passed. Cinder had no intention of needing a second or third attempt.
The first stage of the course were the Floating Steps. Every year it consistently started every Huntsmen obstacle course. A series of suspended platforms to traverse, each higher up and several feet further away than the last. The steps were set in an up and down, zig zag pattern, and apart from the rising height and distance from each step, was the easiest part in the test. Her time training in the forests of Anima had more than prepared her for this part, and Cinder effortlessly made it through without a single foot landing out of place.
Next came the I Beam. Possessing a similar design to the construction item it was named after, the I Beam was an obstacle one had to scale up with all possible speed, holding on tight with their hands and feet and traversing across a massive pool, hanging upside down, while also taking out a series of targets off to the sides, six on each side and at various heights and awkward angles. Using just the strength of her legs proved incredibly difficult for Cinder, but she maintained her focus, hitting bullseye after bullseye, climbing several more feet to the next set of targets and repeating the process several times more, before finally reaching the top, surprising everyone watching with the seeming ease of her ascent and the accuracy of her archery.
From there, she leapt from the top of the I Beam to the next obstacle, the Salmon Ladder.
It was a series of wedges set up with several gaps to grab for climbing. She had to leap from one wedge to the next, scaling almost as high as the arena roof. On its own, not a difficult obstacle… were it not for the water hoses spraying cold water to simulate a rushing river. Cinder couldn't help but smile to herself as her inner fire kept her warm and well protected from the chilly water, though it wasn't quite enough to keep her grip from slipping on occasion. She took much longer than she would have liked, eventually forced into separating her bow into its twin blades and simply stabbing them into the walls to climb her way up the trek.
Still drenched from the ordeal, Cinder forced herself to keep going as she made her way towards the Cliffhanger: A series of handholds in the form of long boards, she had to traverse the walls quickly and efficiently to make up lost time. The handholds did not offer much by the way of grip, and often she had to leap from one handhold to the next, or even to an opposite wall just to progress further.
About halfway through, leaping from one far wall to the next, her feet slipped as she missed the landing, nearly sending her plummeting and causing the crowd to gasp in concern as she dangled by one hand, literally fingertips away from failing her run. Gritting her teeth, she dug her feet into the fall and half leaped, have pulled herself back up, finishing the obstacle but cursing herself at the lost time. She couldn't afford to make any more mistakes. Not now.
A trio of vertical platforms marked the next challenge, the Razor's Edge. Flanked not only by spinning blades that she had to leap over and dodge as she moved, the real challenge was the fact that even the slightest shift in weight is placed on the platforms caused them to twist and roll, forcing a mix of balance and speed to get across without losing her footing. Cinder ducked and weaved, dodging the spinning blades as best she could, her balance and control reasserting herself as she did her best to navigate the treacherous terrain. Only once did she appear close to actually tipping too far - a blade caught her in the arm and shoulder, knocking her off balance for a split second before recovering - but managed to make it through nearly unimpeded, leaping high over the last trio of blades entirely and rolling as she landed, sprinting to the final stretch without a hint of slowing down.
The most difficult challenge was the last one. The Flying Monkeybars was similar in concept to the Salmon Ladder, as it too forced one to move forward by leaping from support to support - using her bow as the makeshift pole. To be precise, she had to hop and use her bow to land, as well as slot it into the gaps in the twin walls with precision, or fall into the water below. Again freezing cold water was used to make an already difficult ascension even harder, but Cinder refused to slow down. She could see the finish in sight, and was not about to go through all of this ordeal only to come up short now!
Finally reaching the top, she rolled up and over onto the finish platform, rushing over and slamming her hand down on a single buzzer, ending her run then and there, the crowd roaring in celebration at her display. The massive titan-tron displayed her final time:
8 minutes, 24.7 seconds.
To even Cinder's surprise, she had not only beat the time limit, she had finished approximately a quarter of a second faster than the previous top time, the crowd's cheers growing even louder as they too realize this.
She quickly exited the track and walked back to the staging area, where a thrilled Cy and Stone greeted her. "That was incredible!" Cy exploded. "You just set the record that everyone is gonna try and beat!" Even the other young men and women around her, though slightly disappointed at being bested, were impressed, and congratulated a grinning Cinder.
Then, as the crowd roared particularly loudly, Cy glanced up at the postings, and his face slipped slightly. Worry curling in her stomach, Cinder looked back in time to see a new name replace her own in the top slot. And not just any name either…
"Otho…" she murmured. The guy who was determined to make her life hell just because she was an Outlander had beaten her time. Just great…
Cy made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. "You've gotta be kidding me! As if his bad attitude before wasn't enough. Now he's really gonna get an ego." then, glancing to the entrance, he added, "Oh great, here he comes now at suck up the glory…"
Otho was as pleased with himself as could be as he made his way through the people around him, waving a fist in triumph and demanding high-fives from all the others present. Then, noticing Cinder, he stopped, a smirk appearing on his face.
"Hey, Outlander," he said smugly, sizing her up with clear amusement. "Disappointed that your time couldn't stand up? Don't be sad. Hey," he added with a grin, "I guess you're good enough to try being a Huntress after all. Not that it will help you in any way once you get to Haven!"
By this point, Cinder had enough. "So this is how it's going to be with you, is it?"
"This is how it's going to be with everyone, Outlander. You belong out in the wilds, not in a huntsmen academy. And you definitely don't belong in Haven, skill or no."
Her eyes narrowed, yet her voice remained calm. "I almost pity you, Otho. You know that I'm better, and it scares you."
A dark laugh, but it appeared the comment got to him. "Oh? I've trained all my life for this moment! I'm not afraid of you!"
"Really? Confidence is quiet and focused. You are neither."
Otho gritted his teeth at the insult, but shook it off quickly, barking out another laugh. "Very funny. Trying to act all aloof and superior, huh? Why don't you just accept that you'll never succeed as a Huntress. Do not mistake your place in life."
For a moment, Cinder blinked, then her eyes widened and her jaw went slightly slack, if only for a few seconds. Then, to those watching, it looked like her features hardened into something stronger than steel, golden eyes flaring up like wildfire for a brief moment as she spun on her heel and headed to the announcer's desk, her fists clenched and jaw gritted in fury.
Cy had not seen the look on Cinder's face before, but he knew the general expression. He had seen the look on the faces of Grimm right before they started to bare their teeth and lunged at anyone and anything in front of them, refusing to stop until dead or their enemies were torn apart. Whatever Otho had said to strike a nerve… he had managed to really, really piss Cinder off.
"She's going to do something stupid, isn't she?" he whispered worriedly to Stone, whose face was as close to apprehensive as he had ever seen it. That one glance told him exactly what he hadn't wanted to hear.
Slowly, Stone nodded. "I think s—"
"Next up," roared the announcer, cutting him off easily, "performing her second attempt for the day, is Cinder Fall!" The camera zoomed on Cinder's face as she entered the course. It was no longer just determined. She had an extremely worrying 'do or die' expression on her face, and Cy gulped.
"Don't do anything too crazy, Cinder…" he mumbled.
Cinder again prepared herself, both blades already in white knuckle grips and an extremely concerning glow in her eyes. The announcer counted down, and as soon as he shouted, "Go!", she was off.
The crowed was glued to the spectacle within moments as Cinder all but flew through the course. She was racing between the obstacles much harder than she had done before: the small part of her mind not utterly focused on controlling her movements realized that the nervous part of her was gone. She wasn't worrying about failing anymore; all that mattered was hitting the next part of the course. No, scratch that—all that mattered was winning. Proving everyone wrong.
She felt the world blurring around the edges of her vision as she pressed herself to her limits, and subconsciously noticed that any aches and pains from her previous run had faded away, her body dulling all senses save the ones she needed in the crucial moment. Nonetheless, she tried to force herself even more, tuning out the enthralled crowd that was watching her become almost a blur in their vision, almost ridiculously fast.
Concealed by the rest of the crowd, a single individual watched the young woman with something that, below the miles of apathy, might possibly have resembled actual intrigue. She was powerful, he decided, and doubtless the type of person he'd been ordered to look for. But she was reckless, too sure in her abilities and too easily swayed by emotion. And frankly, even if she wasn't insane, she could have fooled him.
She was exactly what he was looking for.
Meanwhile, Cy and Stone watched, the former too stunned to even comment on how reckless she was being.
"She's…she's not crashing," he said, amazement clear in his voice, vaguely resolving to have more faith in Cinder in future should they meet again after today.
"She isn't thinking."
Cy turned to Stone. "What do you mean?"
Stone grunted before clarifying. "She's not focused on anything but victory. Pain, fatigue, the world around her; none of it matters right now."
"You mean, like… she's gone crazy?"
The giant shook his head. "Just past the point of reason. She's not thinking anymore, she's just… going."
Cy nodded slowly. "Well, it's pretty damn impressive."
Just as the words were out of his mouth, Cinder lunged her way through the last stretch of the course, slamming her hand down hard on the buzzer, ending her insane and wild run. After a few moments to catch her breath, rational thought gradually kicked back in, the glow in her eyes fading as she calmed.
The entire arena was noiseless, a probable first since the day had started. There was complete and utter silence as every eye watched the daring young huntress—for she was unquestionably worthy of being a huntress after that display—turned to the monitor, where her time was just beginning to flash.
7 minutes, 56.38 seconds.
Twenty-eight seconds better than her previous time.
Ten and a half seconds better than Otho.
4.27 seconds better than the all time record.
The silence held a moment longer, and then the stadium erupted into wild applause. A slow smile spread over Cinder's face as her time sunk in, and the crowd watched her lips form the word 'yes!' as she punched the air in victory. Down from his viewpoint below, Cy leapt to his feet, shouting ecstatically. Stone, genuinely speechless instead of by choice, allowed a stunned grin to appear on his face, relaxing and barking a couple cheers of his own after it occurred to him.
Cy mirrored the general euphoria of the crowd once Cinder made it back down, racing over to her with a huge grin on his face. "That was amazing!" he gushed. "Did you see that time? No one's going to beat that—nobody!" He shook his head in amazement. "You can't be a rookie. No rookie can move like that."
Cinder shrugged modestly. "I'm worked really hard to get here."
It was an obvious deflection, but Cy didn't seem to care, unable to wipe the grin off his face. "I don't think Otho's gonna be trying to one up you; you just broke a twenty year record!" His expression was casual, but his voice full of respect and still some disbelief.
Cinder grinned in spite of herself. "That should finally wipe that smirk off his face then, I think."
Cy smiled. "Are you joking? He thought he'd got this one in the bag. He must be livid."
He was right on both counts. When he and Cinder reentered the staging area, Otho was the only one angrily sulking amongst the celebrations. Cinder swaggered past him, smugness seeping leisurely into her face as she watched his go from irritated to furious.
"Told you I was better than you, Otho." she declared with a smirk.
He lunged suddenly forward at her, and she dodged back easily. Several head's turned, a couple of the other rookies leaping forward and grabbing Otho, who was snarling obscenities at Cinder. She shook her head, a satisfied grin still on her face.
"Ms. Fall."
The voice was one of authority, cutting through the noise and ceasing celebrations in an instant with its power. Feeling a small chill crawl down her back, Cinder turned to face the powerful voice, and found herself looking at someone she had never met before, but immediately recognized by reputation alone. She stood as straight as she could before addressing him.
"Professor Lionheart."
Silence seemed to dominate the rest of the room as he approached, expression unreadable. Then he spoke, "Quite the impressive display just now, Ms. Fall. One of the finest I've seen in all my years as Headmaster of Haven. I will be watching your progress with great interest."
Absolutely thrilled at the praise, Cinder nonetheless remained professional as she bowed her head. "Thank you sir."
Only then did the man smile warmly, patting her shoulder before departing. A short, sweet and to the point introduction, but one that would stay with Cinder for quite some time.
"Wow… Professor Lionheart himself is praising you." Cy whispered, "Amazing."
"A great honour indeed." Stone added, clearly impressed.
Cinder was no less pleased as the other two. "A lofty title. I hope to continue proving myself worthy of his praise."
There wasn't much for Cinder to do after that. With her position at Haven now all but secured, she was free to leave once going through the last bit of official documentation. Cy and Stone went with her as well, even going with her back to the air ship docks to wait for the next flight. Once a shuttle arrived, the three of them wished one another well, shaking hands.
"Good luck, Cinder." Cy called out as he shook her hand once more, "Hope we can see you again at Haven!"
"I look forward to it. See you then."
As she entered the shuttle, Cinder could feel herself swelling with pride, a rare and genuine smile touching her lips. She had managed to pass the initiation test. Performed better than she could have ever hoped for, earning the Headmaster's approval himself with her record breaking performance. Now she really was on her way to becoming a huntress, and made some new friends on her first day. A great start to her dream.
And she had done it all on her own. There had been several missteps along the way, but she had proven herself capable of fending for herself over the last four years. And thanks to her determination, her resolve in herself and her skill, she could now call herself a future huntress for real.
Her mother would have been so proud of her. She could almost see her face in her mind, her eyes bright and shining as she beamed with pride at her daughter's success.
It felt like a massive weight had lifted from her shoulders today. Nothing could stop her now.
Author's Note: Anyone who has seen American Ninja Warrior might be familiar with some of the course elements I came up with. Tempting as it was to try writing up some fighting scenes, I wanted to try something different.
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