Please read the AN at the end of the chapter.
"Cinder!" A shrill voice bellowed like a tolling bell. Despite the distance and the several walls worth of space between herself and the Madame… she still felt a sensation of dread shoot through her body and grip her beating heart. She felt her heart race and her breath hitch, the sensation was like an iron glove squeezing her windpipe.
She was fifteen now, she didn't think the woman could still affect her so, she thought that the training would change something, that her semblance, her power, her aura… that it would make her feel better, feel like she didn't have to fear the woman who tormented her since she was a child.
She had been proven wrong.
She steadied her shaking hand, fingernails clamping around the flesh of her wrist. Her amber gaze narrowed, teeth biting into her tongue as a sensation of… heat rose at her lungs.
No.
Rhodes had trained her, given her strength, given her… power. She couldn't afford to throw that away, not now. Those with power did not need to feel fear, they didn't need to run, they made others run. Those with power didn't need to starve, didn't need to be tortured by those who were weaker. She refused to feel this way, she refused to be nothing more than a skittish pest.
With a firm gaze, Cinder moved from the kitchens where she was once preparing the cake the Madame had ordered her to decorate; strawberry, with vanilla filling and velvet cream at the corners. She hadn't been allowed to taste it of course. Perhaps she could buy a cake for herself once she was seventeen... She would have the freedom to, wouldn't she? The freedom to eat, to sleep in her own room, to speak to others.
A rare sense of giddy would worm its way through her, a sensation that only ever appeared when she was training with Rhodes. Perhaps it was hope, perhaps something else…
She moved quietly towards the Madame's room, rapped her knuckles against the wooden surface, and not a moment later, she heard a cold response for her to enter.
She pushed herself inside and shut the door behind her; the Madame became angry if she ever forgot to close the door.
"Cinder…" The older woman spoke. Her voice sounded... cold, colder than even her usual words or venom filled insults. This was… different. Her name wasn't spat out like it was poison, that in itself was… odd. Instead it was like a silent anger, a burning flame ready to set a tree entirely aflame.
Her 'sisters' stood several meters away from their mother. Their hands were settled together, blue eyes firm. Their usual sadistic smiles remained, and yet this time… their expressions looked different.
She didn't think she liked it.
"Yes, Madame?" She asked with a quiet, and yet clear voice. It took her years to speak to the woman without stuttering, but she had been doing better, thanks to her training at the very least. She couldn't quite talk back to the woman though.
She had to count her small victories when she could.
"You have served me— us, long. You have followed my orders… occasionally. Enough to warrant your punishment, but to a fair degree."
She felt herself stiffen at the woman's words, hands balling up into tight fists. Was that really what she called fair? Torment? Starvation? Sleep deprivation? Being overworked?
The list went on and on… and she had to stop herself from becoming angry enough to activate her semblance. The one time she did and accidentally caused all that smoke had greatly angered the Madame, that night her punishment was fierce, but it had given her the training of Rhodes. The little display caught his attention, so it was worth it.
"Fair," The woman repeated. "Wouldn't you say so, Cinder?"
"...Yes, Madame." She gritted out.
"Good." She approached, halting directly in front of Cinder with her nose raised. It was a look of superiority, but Cinder had lived with being looked at like that for long enough that she didn't let it visibly bother her. She became accustomed enough with being looked at like trash or scraps.
"Y-yes….good."
She agreed, and judging by the look the woman was giving her, she wanted her to bow her head. So she did, she closed her eyes and lowered her head slightly.
"And tell me Cinder… what are you without me?"
"Nothing." Her response was steady, fast, like wind fluttering across trees.
"And….?"
"Without you I am nothing, with you I…. I am everything."
The words had been implanted into her brain. Spoken again and again like an anthem, it was as though a second voice laid within her, one that automatically answered the Madame with those words whenever she asked that question.
She could practically feel the woman's smile.
"Yes, good."
She hadn't been paying enough attention to react in time to the meaty smack of the woman's palm striking her skull.
She collapsed onto the ground with a gasp, a piercing pain digging into her skull like a blade through her ear.
She looked up from her position on the ground, amber eyes raised towards the woman who had struck her.
The Madame looked at her with hatred.
"M-Madame I-"
"Silence!" She screeched, and it was enough to have her mouth snap shut.
"Then what…" the woman began once more, words spat with such venom and bile that she physically recoiled. "-Had possessed you to spit on every form of good will I had bestowed upon you?!" The Madame screamed, voice shrill and filled with disgust. "You think you can simply spit on my name, within my establishment, next to my daughters, and simply believe that I would allow it?!"
Cinder didn't know what had set her off. She never really did, but she'd think that whatever it was… she'd know, at least if it was seemingly something this important.
"M-Madame…" She tried once more, attempting to push herself up into her knees. "I-I… I don't know what you're talking about! Please believe me….I...I don't understand!" Her eyes were rimmed red with tears, moreso from stress rather than any feeling of sadness due to the woman's anger. It was also the first time she had ever raised her voice at the woman.
Or at least, the first time that wasn't her screams.
"Please… just explain and I-"
The smack that struck her cheek sent her tumbling onto her side.
"Do not LIE TO ME!" She shrieked. "We found what you've been doing. What you've been hiding. Girls, the… objects."
Her adopted sisters stepped forward, lips upturned in cheshire smiles of vindictive joy, it was a sight she had become used to… yet not to this degree.
Her eyes lowered, and the sight of what they were holding told her why.
It was enough to snatch the breath right out of her.
"Tell me Cinder, what is this?"
Right within both of the girl's hands were her twin blades. She had wrapped both in hotel towels and hid them to keep them safe. How had they found them? They shouldn't have been seen…
The girls held them casually within their hands. Too casually. Like they were nothing, they treated her weapons without respect.
They couldn't.
They were her weapons.
Hers.
She wouldn't let her sisters take them, she wouldn't!
Her brief lapse in attention seemed to have further angered the Madame. As a moment later she felt her rough fingers dig into her skull, nails scraping into flesh and knotting around her dark locks. She felt her head be hefted up as the Madame dragged her to level their faces.
"I asked you a question. And when I ask you something, you answer me!" She practically snarled, their faces close enough for Cinder to feel the woman's rapid breathing against her cheek, to feel spit strike her face with every word the woman managed.
Cinder responded quietly. In that moment all of her confidence and steadiness had been absolved. Years of tentatively building up a sense of security, a sense of worth… gone. Her strength vanished, and in its place she was as she always was, weak, fragile. She could feel the anger within her of course, she could feel the frustration burning.
Yet it wouldn't come out.
"What?" The Madame spat, pushing her head back with enough force to throw her back onto the ground.
"I said…" She began once more. It had been difficult to speak with how ragged and rampant her breathing was. "I want to be a huntress."
Silence, utter silence.
Then a laugh.
Not from the Madame, but her daughters. They laughed with genuine, hysteric amusement within them. It was like a dagger repeatedly stabbing into her body, each blow choking her hope like a cold wind to weak flames.
Every laugh, every sound of their amusement… it was mocking her.
The Madame did not hold herself back either.
"You will not be a huntress." She spoke calmly yet with the same cold tone. "You'll still be under my care. You'll still obey me. And your little huntsman friend will be banned from here!"
Dread shot through her, the words of the Madame somehow worse than the mocking laughter of her sisters.
"Get rid of her weapons."
"Wait!" She called out, pushing herself up with quivering legs, only to fall back down as electricity erupted around her, piercing her muscles like burning needles.
"Please! N-no!"
The Madame simply increased the intensity of the voltage, causing the pain to only increase. It tolled within her, causing tremors to break out within her entire frame, she grit her teeth, biting back tears, holding back screams.
They were going to take away her freedom, her future. They would keep her here, they'd stop Rhodes from returning…
Screams finally began to break past her lips.
They'd make her a slave for all her life. She would constantly run, run away from pain, live in fear, live without power to those who ruled her.
Anger began to emerge within her pain.
They were going to take away her weapons, her freedom, her life.
She slammed her hands upon the stiff wooden surface beneath her, and she pushed herself up, just enough to meet the Madame's eyes with her own.
"Cinder….?"
Her eyes were filled with hate.
Years of pain, torment, and anger. It bubbled up to the surface like a steaming kettle, or a flame picking up heat from strong gale feeding its blaze. Amber eyes of pain melted into burning candles of hatred and rage, eyes that only burned hotter, and hotter. A sadistic desire welled up within her, one she didn't think she could hold back.
The Madame stepped back.
Cinder moved.
/-/
"Cinder? Cinder!"
She awoke with a startle, jumping within her seat only to feel the stiff belt of her seat hold her down. She released a sound from her lips, one that was a mixture between a yawn and displeasure. She blinked her eyes, clearing away the hazy image in front of her, only for her gaze to meet two sapphire eyes which stared at her with concern.
"Jaune…"
"You alright?" He asked with a soft smile, one that she wanted to beat out of him. "I decided to let you sleep because I figured you'd need it, but you looked a little… frantic. Thought you were having a nightmare, decided to wake you up."
It was then that she noticed his hand at her shoulder, he removed it once her eyes landed on it. She sighed and nodded, rolling her neck to the side in an attempt to get rid of the stiff feeling from her sleeping position. "I'm fine."
"Didn't look fine…" He muttered, and she decided to withhold any response, lest she snap his head off now of all times.
Truly, it seemed as though the odds really were not in her favor.
The Huntsman missions. They were to accept missions normally given to a Huntsman in a mixed group of six people. Generally the idea was to get two people from each team and place them together with different teams. From what she was told, this was a way of teaching them how to fight with people they weren't all too familiar with due to the fact that Huntsman often take missions with people they don't quite know, while also allowing them to go with a member of their team to prevent the change from being too jarring.
It was also more than likely a method for them to build bonds with others from outside nations, or something like that.
It was an annoyance.
Perhaps to others it would matter, yet not to her. Maybe it was the fact that all of this would be irrelevant in a month, and that there was a chance half of these people would be dead.
The thought caused her to grind her teeth in annoyance. She knew she was at least… partially compromised. She cared for the blond fool at least somewhat.
She refused to think about the extent of how much she cared.
Even still, it had taken her a long time to accept, but there was strength and intelligence in admitting your shortcomings or weaknesses.
If it came down to it, she wasn't sure if she would be able to kill him.
It was why she decided to distance herself, it was why she did distance herself. For the entirety of the time he was within the infirmary she had only gone to see him once to prevent him from becoming clingy. Along with this she had steadily lessensed communication since… since….
She bit her tongue, refusing to think of that night.
Even still, she hoped that by ignoring him she could simply deal with the fool when it came down to it. She could not save him from the attack, and she accepted that fact. When it came down to it, he would either die, or despise her and wish that she was dead.
She refused to acknowledge how that made her feel.
Like she was being torn at from all sides perhaps. Adam, Salem, Jaune, Roman, her cover, the maiden, the silver eyed warrior. Everything was building up like an upcoming wave… ready to crash down and wash away everything that stood within its path, a single mistake and everything would be ruined, everything she's worked her life towards would be for naught, and with so many variables to take into account.
This needed to go perfectly, it had to.
That wasn't even taking into account these so-called missions. Her eyes slid to the girl at Jaune's side, the one who clearly tried to hide her obvious interest in her every interaction with Jaune. Yet despite how much Pyrrha Nikos tried to hide it, Cinder could feel the student's emerald eyes on her whenever Jaune would so much as turn to her.
His partner, and the person most likely to be the Maiden candidate.
All the while the person beside her didn't even try to hide her obvious interest in her little connection to the blond. Mismatched eyes now tinted green watched the two behind a Cheshire smile. Neo's interest in Jaune became obvious the moment Jaune jogged towards her, excited that they'd be on the same team for the Huntsman mission.
Her motives weren't something Cinder was certain of as of yet. Perhaps she'd use Jaune as a means of safety for her and Roman. Threaten him to get her to back off, or get things from her. That is… if they believed that she cared for him. She'd have to make it clear that whatever this was— it wasn't genuine affection.
The fact that she genuinely cared for him, and would have to lie in order to protect him annoyed her. Perhaps with enough distance that sense of affection will wear off.
If it didn't, Neo might pay him a visit to get to her. If Roman knew she had even the slightest weakness… he'd jump on the chance to expose it, to use it against her even if his chances of success were slim. Her fingers would dig into her armrest, tightly.
Neo would need to learn what her position in power is within their little agreement.
Her eyes lowered to the blond as his hand skimmed over his chest, more specifically- the area the Beowolf landed its strike. A week had passed since the injury, by now it should have fully recovered.
"How is your injury?" She inquired casually, expression kept neutral.
"Huh? Oh it's fine." He responded with a look of slight surprise. "Only a little scar now, it's just a little sore still. Not enough to stop me from fighting though."
His expression seemed somewhat surprised, and judging by the amused smile on his lips, he liked it as well.
"What?" She demanded.
"Nothing… it's just… hah, when did you start caring if I was in pain or not?"
She blinked, and looked away.
When indeed?
"If you're not at full strength you'll become a liability. One that we'll need to protect." She deflected, though it seemed enough to deflate the blond somewhat.
A hand met Jaune's shoulder as his partner learned onto his side, a reassuring smile on the redhead's lips. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Your progress has made great leaps and bounds since you began Beacon."
Cinder wanted to roll her eyes. Of course he made great progress; he was no better than a civilian on his first day. He was lucky that he was gifted with surprising strength and immense aura, it must've been what prevented him from certain death until she came along.
Or perhaps until Pyrrha came along.
She grit her teeth as an odd feeling surged within her. It wasn't wrong to say most of his progress came from Pyrrha. The champion taught him his stance, his defensive capabilities, and a majority of his offensive swings. Though Cinder knew that what she had taught was perhaps as important. She taught him how to properly utilize what he knew to the greatest possible extent, to use every weapon at his disposal, to search for whatever he could to gain an advantage. His offensive capabilities had improved as well of course.
Beating on him for several hours a session more than likely also made him better at defense and evasion… probably.
Two slender arms suddenly wrapped around Jaune's shoulders as a fifth person made their presence known, Ruby Rose beamed from behind Jaune with an almost too happy expression.
"Yeah! You've been doing awesome Jaune, just wait until the festival, you'll be kicking so much butt you won't know what to do!"
Before anyone could respond to her beaming compliments, the redhead was yanked back by her hood, causing her to squeak out a sound reminiscent to that of a kicked puppy.
"Ruby! Stop being so loud! We're being sent to a mission,not an amusement park!"
"But Weiss! We're going on a mission with our friends! And we're the only ones here…"
Cinder ignored their insistent bickering. She dealt enough with such petty arguments by being around Emerald and Mercury. Though, she couldn't help but feel a wave of annoyance. Were these really the people that thwarted Roman's plans? The people he complained insistently about? Loudmouthed, overactive children? She and Roman would be having words after the attack on Beacon was complete.
Cinder shut her eyes, and ignored everyone around her.
/-/
The bullhead landed twenty minutes later at a settlement south of Vale. A rather alarming sight caught the students' eyes as they got off the bullhead..
A medium sized settlement sat just up ahead, large wooden walls surrounded its immediate vicinity, yet many of the walls seemed to have collapsed in on themselves, with few of them standing. Dark, muggy grasslands went as far as the eye could see, all the while several men and women in the same clothing hastily made their way in and out of the unsteady gates.
Jaune wasn't the only one confused.
Ruby Rose was the first to speak. "Uh, what is this place?"
Jaune's nose involuntarily flared as the scent of alcohol immediately assaulted his nostrils. A worn looking man stepped off their bullhead with a slouched posture and nonchalant sway. His hair was dark, with several streaks of gray running through the sides. The way he carried himself suggested an uncaring attitude- though the sword at his back told Jaune he wouldn't want to mess with him.
Cinder stiffened beside him for a moment before recomposing herself, though he chose not to comment on it.
"That, kiddo's, is Lungree. A lumber settlement."
It went unsaid what their clear question was, and sensing this, the man sighed.
"It's what your mission is."
"Eh?" Ruby immediately questioned. "What do you mean? Our scrolls say our mission was supposed to be clearing out a bunch of Grimm that got too close to Vale?"
"That was what your mission was, it changed last night."
Weiss was the first to speak up this time, she stepped forward with crossed arms and a piercing expression. "And why were we not informed of this?"
"Because I didn't care enough to tell you."
"Whaaaat?!" Ruby whined, smacking her head flat against the man's chest. "Uncle Qrow! What are we supposed to even do here?"
Uncle Qrow? So this was the supposedly awesome Huntsman Ruby had told him about. Admittedly, Jaune didn't expect this. For one, the man carried himself much differently than what he'd expect from a huntsman, and secondly… well he didn't see any resemblance between Qrow and Ruby.
The man sighed deeply, pressing a hand to Ruby's head before he pushed her away, albeit gently. "Four days ago the village got attacked by a pretty big horde of Grimm" He spoke casually, gesturing towards the haggard city. "Not super uncommon but it caused the walls to weaken. Then, last night a pretty bad storm rolled out, destroyed a lot of the remaining walls and messed up stores, causing some issues with food and water."
"While that does sound horrible, and while I express my condolences to these people, I must ask; how can we aid their efforts in any way? Any form of rebuilding we can offer will be minimal in comparison to the workers here." Weiss inquired.
The man once again sighed, he carried the expression of someone who was far too tired to deal with any of them. "Apple doesn't fall far from the tree… ugh, anyway, we're here to make sure they don't die."
Immediately, any further objections ceased.
"Yeah, their situation looks bad, but it could've been a lot worse. Many villages are torn apart and fall overnight. They were lucky to be close enough to Vale that they managed to contact the city. Construction workers and an organization were sent in to provide rations, water, and to help rebuild. Our job is to stay here and prevent any Grimm that come along from attacking these people."
"Then we're on guard duty?" Pyrrha asked beside him.
"Ehh… kind of. I figured all you kids were looking to get your blood pumping, and I didn't want to disappoint you all on the off chance that no Grimm showed up, so… I took the liberty of informing them that you'd all be going to help the village with its efforts."
That… well he couldn't complain, they'd be helping people and that was what the job of a huntsman was. Though…. Weiss looked positively livid.
"And what will you be doing?" Weiss asked, all with an appropriate level of sass.
"Heh." The huntsman paused to grab onto his flask, raising it to his lips as he took a slow drag of whatever alcoholic drink was within. He made them wait for a response for a full ten seconds as a pleased sigh escaped him once he was finished.
"I'm going to watch from up top to warn you all if any Grimm show up."
/-/
Cinder hissed at the thick, stubborn mud which clung to her feet, as she struggled to carry several boxes of rations which obscured her vision. To think that she would be wasting her time with something like this. At the very least, their prior mission would have allowed her to burn off some steam, to feel the Grimm shred and tear apart with her strikes. This? This was a result of the higher ups that wanted to make use of some stupid teenagers to work a job that they didn't want to pay huntsman for.
She thought that it had been bad enough there. Yet it seemed to only worsen once she realized what huntsman would be watching over them for their mission.
Branwen.
He thwarted her plans to capture the maiden, and had even seen her. She had been lucky that Emerald had covered their appearances to prevent detection from the man. If she hadn't then her cover would have already been blown.
Could he suspect her?
The thought caused agitation to claw at her gut. She was powerful, strong, and far more intelligent than they expected her to be, she was confident enough that she could change her plans enough should this one fail… and yet, getting caught would almost certainly be detrimental at this stage in the game. She was off guard, somewhat tired, annoyed, and without the aid of her team. If he attacked her now she wasn't certain what the outcome would be.
Damn it all.
Negativity would cling to her and bubble like a kettle ready to burst. The previous stresses were only enhanced by new issues emerging…
"Hey, need some help?"
She felt half the rations she carried be lifted from her hands as Jaune smiled down at her with a genuine grin. "I saw your face, it was the classic 'I'm super mad but I don't want to show it' expression you always have when I say something stupid."
She scoffed. "You always say stupid things."
"Hey! Only because you bashed most of my brain cells out!"
She felt herself grinning despite how small the exchange was, and she saw his sudden smile when he noticed it.
He had done it on purpose, idiot.
The two walked with the box of rations towards the central hall where they were being stored. She, and Jaune were being used to carry rations from place to place. The Schnee heiress and Nikos used their semblances to carry large equipment from place to place, while Ruby Rose used her speed to pass off messages and deliver things from place to place.
Neo…
Cinder blinked, where was she?
The girl was tasked with helping them with rations, yet she hadn't seen her in the last ten minutes… likely a result of her semblance.
Cinder would grind their teeth together.
A sudden crash and a cry interrupted her thoughts. Amber eyes would shift as she turned to the origin of the sudden noise. Sat just in front of a storefront was a rather young girl, somewhere between the ages of five and ten. A stack of boxes littered the ground around her, and judging by the scrape on her knee as well as her pained expression, what had happened was rather obvious.
Children… She couldn't quite fault the child for messing up a task that should have been left for adults. Leaving tasks to the incapable hands of children meant that one would be risking failure.
Her hands would clench. Such a sight was a familiar one, a much too familiar one.
Footsteps at her side would grab her attention, as Jaune stepped forward towards the fallen child. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she followed him, how like him to need to comfort every person he saw, she wasn't sure if she considered it annoying or endearing.
No. What was she saying? Definitely annoying.
The blond knight kneeled in front of the child with a soft smile, the crying ceased, though it was replaced by a suspicious, alarmed expression instead.
"Hey there! I'm Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue-"
Cinder pinched her brow.
"A-anyway! What's your name?"
The girl seemed hesitant to respond, likely due to the two strangers who approached her. Though finally, she looked away and spoke up with a timid voice. "A-Amber…"
Cinder stiffened.
It was just a name. Though the name was enough to make her pause and flick her eyes within the girls direction. It was a memory of what she still had to do, of what she still needed to do. It was utterly ridiculous- the weak girl looked little like the maiden she had battled. This amber was pale and frail in body, with deep orange eyes and wavy raven hair. It was a stark contrast to the short haired, bronze skinned and proud huntress she had battled. The only thing the two had in common was their names.
"Amber!" Jaune quickly bellowed with an excited tone, likely to try and lower the child's guard. "That's a beautiful name, isn't it Cinder?" He asked, turning towards her.
"Yes…"
Jaune turned back to the girl with a smile. "Oh wait, sorry about that— I forgot to introduce you two. That's Cinder, a good friend of mine. Don't worry she's not as mean as she looks."
She ignored the slight tease, it was just to raise the spirits of the child after all.
She noticed that the child stared intently at her, almost in an odd way. That, coupled with the child's name… made her shift uncomfortably. Being made uncomfortable due to a little girl, the idea was utterly ridiculous, and she couldn't help but chastise herself for it, but at the moment she couldn't help the odd feeling within her.
"Hello…?" She asked.
"You're pretty." The girl answered with slight awe. "Like a princess."
Jaune chuckled beside the girl. "She is, isn't she?"
Cinder felt her eyes narrow into his back, what was with him, throwing such compliments out like that at random? She was used to it of course, but this was… different.
"Anyway!" Jaune suddenly perked up, standing to his full height as he planted his hands upon his hips. "You were carrying these boxes and fell right? Where were you carrying these boxes to?"
"The bakery… my mom put some things in there and asked me to take it to the baker."
"The bakery huh? Sounds great! Why don't I take some of these boxes and help you carry them to the bakery? After all; my mom always did say strangers are just friends you haven't met."
Did she now? What a positively naïve thing to tell a child.
The girl seemed hesitant but eventually nodded. Cinder watched as Jaune smiled and helped the girl to her feet. He then took all of the boxes except for one, and allowed Amber to take the final box. Together the three of them walked to the bakery and delivered the supplies, and in turn the older man gave them all three bags, two pastries in each. The child looked much… happier now, and bid them both a goodbye.
"You're good with children." Cinder noted as she walked alongside him.
"Mmmmn?" Jaune mumbled through a mouthful of food, he swallowed and turned to her with heated cheeks. "S-Sorry… and yeah, guess I'm alright with them. Probably comes naturally when you're the middle child."
"I wouldn't know, I don't have any siblings."
"A-ah…" Jaune acknowledged awkwardly, though he waved away her words with a grin. "You're not so bad though, it seems like she liked you more than she liked me."
Cinder scoffed and waved him off. "She simply complimented my looks. Odd considering how haggard we are."
Jaune didn't reply for a moment, and she left it at that as the two returned to their position of carrying rations. Though… he spoke up a moment later.
"She wasn't wrong, you know."
Cinder turned to him in question, a dark brow raised.
"She's probably not used to seeing people like us, much less you. You're probably the prettiest person in the village."
She felt the air at her lungs suddenly pause. Again… again he said these things. She would understand it if he wanted something in return, her body, her thanks, or something else that she could give him. Yet he didn't. If he wanted her body he would've made it more than clear, or had proceeded with more advances that weren't simple compliments. It couldn't have been to receive more training, and she didn't know what material good she could give him.
Jaune said it in a genuine way, in a way she had never quite heard before. Others praised her beauty with lustful glances, or hoped to win her favor in some way.
It was the difference between him and others. He was genuine, he didn't want anything in return.
That only made things worse.
When she wanted something, she took it without question. When she wanted something she made it hers without care for others, and she made that abundantly clear, there was no wasted time with her.
Yet she did not know what she wanted.
Her scroll would ring, disrupting her thoughts in an instant. She slipped it from her pocket casually only for her eyes to widen at the name displayed.
Adam.
She hissed and put away the scroll roughly, she had made it explicitly clear that he was not to call her unless she made him aware of a call ahead of time. The bullheaded idiot was becoming more and more open about disobeying her orders. Even worse when he did so during the middle of a mission.
Jaune, ever the perceptive one within the worst of times, noticed her reaction and smiled at her playfully. "Friend of yours?"
"No." She answered. "Not at all."
/-/
Jagged light rippled through the sky as lightning lit up dark clouds and thunder roared. Rain beat down upon them like a thundering drum, while the already muddied grass became even more slippery.
They had been working for nearly three hours when the sky began to darken, he hadn't seen Pyrrha or Weiss once since then, and Ruby was supposedly resting within a hut nearby. He and Cinder had to quickly scramble in order to put away the rations and water they were carrying before taking shelter under the awning of a nearby building. A majority of the civilians took shelter within their homes or the town hall, they were given the choice of joining them within the latter, though they both agreed that it was too crowded.
Now, they were both seated at a storefront, little distance between them and with their feet resting upon the stone stairs that led to the wooden doors behind them. It was a liquor shop from what he could tell, he hoped the owner wouldn't mind them using the front to shelter themselves from the elements.
They both watched the storm roll out in front of them, the dark skies and constant rain would make spotting Grimm harder, but he hoped that were all positive enough to not be a beacon for any nearby.
Minutes would pass in silence, and thankfully not an awkward one. He didn't quite know when something like this had become a normal thing, where the two of them could simply sit down somewhere and not feel the need to speak and carry on a conversation, it was a comfortable silence, an enjoyable one.
Though, he supposed that most of the time he spent with Cinder nowadays was enjoyable.
The ringing of a scroll cut through their silence like a hot knife through butter. It took him a moment to realize that once again it was Cinders scroll and not his own.
She fished out her scroll with an expression made of stone, and once again declined before jamming it back into her pocket. He had been close to her, and due to that proximity he was able to get a brief glance at the name displayed on her contact.
Adam.
He's never heard of the name before, and Cinder had never mentioned it either. Was he the same person calling when they were carrying the rations? Cinder looked upset when he called, maybe a friend who had screwed up? No… Cinder wouldn't say that he wasn't a friend if that was the case.
A boyfriend?
Jaune felt a sudden wave of... something run through him, it was hard to explain, and it was… strong. If he had to compare it to something… it was a similar feeling to when Neptune had asked out Weiss, but worse, almost unbearably worse.
Was it… jealousy?
No, it couldn't be, right? He didn't feel that way. The last time he had thought about his feelings for Cinder was on his way to the emerald forest, just a few short days after their kiss.
Dammit… why did I have to think of that now of all times?
He wasn't sure how he felt, and in all honesty he didn't want to think about it. This was something good he had, something genuine. He didn't want to screw it up with unnecessary feelings.
Even when he knew he probably did feel that way.
Maybe… maybe it was an ex-boyfriend?
It made sense considering she did kiss him, Cinder didn't seem like the type who would cheat at all, much less with him of all people.
The thought made his jealous feelings alleviate somewhat, even if they still clung to him, He knew he shouldn't think that way.
His eyes slipped from the rain that drummed against the grasslands to the now much calmer Cinder. He studied her side profile for a moment, taking in the curve of her nose, the pronunciation of her supple lips, and the softness of her smooth skin. Her dark ashen locks were pulled back into a rare ponytail, and he had to admit… it suited her. It gave him a better look at her gorgeous face and striking features, as well as revealed both of her amber eyes, like piercing jewels.
He didn't have time to look away before she turned to him with an expectant expression, her eyes were curious, albeit confused.
"S-Sorry!" He squawked and turned away, cheeks as red as Pyrrha's hair. "There's… not much to look at here."
"With that I can agree. This isn't quite what I expected to be doing on a huntsman mission; carrying supplies and watching the rain."
"Heh… yeah, I didn't think it would be like this either. Wasn't really what I expected when I joined Beacon, you know?"
There was a pregnant pause within their conversation, for a moment he thought it would be the end of it, before Cinder spoke up once more. "Do you regret it?"
Confusion would register within his features. "Huh?"
"Joining Beacon." She continued. "It isn't what you expected, you joined the academy under certain pretenses, with a certain goal in mind… and yet it's not what you expected it to be. So do you regret it?"
"Not at all." He answered immediately, as if the question was a simple one.
"Why not?" She demanded, shifting so her body was now angled towards his own. "You wanted to play hero, to fight Grimm and help people didn't you?"
"I did."
"Then what-"
"Nothing's changed." He interrupted her with an easy smile. "I mean, sure this is a lot less action packed than the movies I watched, but I always knew those weren't real… and hey, I'm still helping people aren't I? I'm guarding a village, and helping carry rations. It's simple but… it's helping people one way or another, right?"
Her eyes seemed to bore into his own once he was done. Seconds would tick by until he began to shift uncomfortably, until finally, Cinder looked away. "I suppose so."
He blinked, uncertain of what had just happened. "Heh, Uhm… yeah, what about you? Is it what you expected?"
"No." She answered immediately. "Not at all."
He watched her curiously, aware of how ambiguous her response was. "Do you… regret coming here?" He tried again."
"I do not know." She answered, and it was enough to take him back somewhat.
He noticed how… different she looked at that moment. Not in appearance; the mud and grime on her body wasn't enough to change all that much. Instead it was her posture, normally Cinder stood and walked with an almost royal air to her, chin held high, eyes hardened, and body posture absolute. It was almost egotistical in a way, if he had to admit.
This Cinder was nothing like that.
Her eyes were downcast, lips downturned the slightest bit, shoulders somewhat hunched, and hands placed over her lap, with her left hand over the palm of her right.
She's been vulnerable to him in the past, the night after the dance being one example, but this was the first time he had seen her like… this.
He needed to fix it somehow, he'd do anything to.
"Oh come on, it's not all bad. Like me for example."
Confusion spread across her face as she turned to him. "Like you?"
"Yep." He reaffirmed, embracing his inner Ruby. "Not everyone gets the privilege of spending time with Jaune D'Arc. It's an exclusive club, pristine even. Very hard to get into, but hey… maybe I can get you in for free."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Cinder watched him as if he had grown a second and third head, and for a moment he was worried he had broken her.
"Yes," She drawled, "I am positive that men and women are throwing themselves to join this exclusive club. I wonder what the incentive is? Bad jokes? Clumsy footwork? Perhaps the terrible taste in clothing?"
"H-Hey!" He cut her off. "Do not insult Pumpkin Pete!"
"Perhaps I should even consider leaving the club entirely, to leave room for others to join." She taunted, now with a mischief filled smirk dawning her lips.
Jaune simply glared at her, looking away with the maturity of a child.
Cinder simply laughed, something which was rare in of itself. "Do not pout," she tutted with a grin on her lips. "Perhaps I may give you the benefit of spending time with myself, free of charge of course."
"You know it's not original to steal jokes."
They both paused, the atmosphere now much lighter than it was prior. Maybe it ended up in him getting degraded, sure, but in the end it was worth it.
"Hey, Cinder?"
"Yes?"
"So… that person who called you…"
He felt her stiffen next to him, a clear sign that it was something she didn't quite like, but he couldn't help but ask. He took a deep breath, biting the bullet.
"...boyfriend?"
In that moment, the sheer killing intent that radiated off of her was worse than anything he's ever felt. It was worse than any of their spars, worse than that one time they were in the bumper cars, heck it was almost as bad as the time he accidentally took one of Nora's pancakes.
Actually, that reminded him… how was he even still alive?
"Jaune… that useless, incompetent excuse for a creature, is most certainly not in any way connected to me romantically, and if you so much as suggest that possibility again— I'll feed you to an Ursa."
"G-got it…."
"Good."
Okayyy… so not a boyfriend, he breathed a little easier now that her anger had somewhat dissipated. He still couldn't help but wonder just who it was that could cause such an outward reaction out of her though. It wasn't his business… not at all, but maybe he could always offer her some advice? He's done it before, who's to say it couldn't help again?
"Hey, Cinder?"
She turned to him, eyes still somewhat annoyed but thankfully calm, and to his great enjoyment not sad either. Seems like their little talk really did help. "Yes, Jaune?"
Pushing aside his nervousness, he continued. ""The call, it doesn't bo-"
A sudden crash immediately tore through the air, silencing any hope for further conversation in an instant. They both snapped their heads in the direction of the sudden sound, eyes widening at the sight.
"Qrow?"
The man in question was pushing himself off the ground, having seemingly fallen on his way towards them. He was panting, hard. His crimson eyes were wild, knees stained with mud, and hair a wild, wet mess.
"Grimm!" He bellowed, voice hoarse and words spat out in a frenzy. They both hurried down the stone steps quickly, any previous thought about the rolling storm forgotten in an instant.
"W-what?!" He decided to ask the older man first, voice brittle with nerves.
"There's Grimm on the way! A horde, and a damn big one at that. I'm collecting all you damn kids who decided to wander all over the fucking village instead of staying together!"
He wanted to respond, to argue back, but he knew this wasn't the time, especially not right now.
Oh yeah, and he was nervous.
Really nervous.
"Get to the gates!" Qrow snapped, gesturing over his shoulder. "Your partner, and the mini ice queen are already there, I'm getting Ruby. Now go!"
They didn't need to be told twice.
Jaunes' feet beat into the ground wildly as he pushed himself to run as fast as possible towards the front gates. His heart was in his throat, practically ready to burst out of his mouth and into the ground. A million thoughts ran through his head, was he really ready for this? Could he do this? Was he strong enough? What if he failed? What if he caused someone to die?
He bit his tongue to silence his traitorous mind.
He was stronger now, he knew that. He was strong enough to beat Cardin, strong enough to gain the respect of others in his class, but was he really ready for something as big as this? The defense of an entire village?
He's killed Grimm before, sure… the Ursa way back when, a few Grimm here and there, a couple during The Breach, and that time he and Cinder trained out in the woods…
But this was different, so incredibly different.
His eyes picked up on the world around him as they ran; on the crying children being carried by pale-faced parents towards the town hall, on possessions tossed and discarded on the floor around them, and the tolling bell, it's sound muted by the thundering rain around them.
"That must be the alarm! It's directing those in their homes to the town hall!" Cinder yelled, needing to shout in order to be heard over the roaring world around them.
They finally made it over the clearing, and with that he could see the main gates just up ahead. Weiss and Pyrrha's distinctive hair colors like a flag for them to follow, he also noticed Cinder's partner there too, she looked… strangely calm despite the situation they found themselves in.
"Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted, having finally noticed them. She slammed into his chest suddenly, wrapping both arms around him in a tight hug. "I-I was worried!" She said, "Qrow said he was looking for you and told us to stay put and-"
"Shhh. It's okay, I'm okay, we're okay." He reassured, pulling away from her with a small smile.
"Have you seen Ruby?" Weiss demanded abruptly, stepping forward with hard eyes, clearly worried for her partner.
Jaune shook his head, wincing at her frustrated look. "I haven't, sorry, but Qrow's looking for her. Are there any Grimm here yet?"
Weiss looked… nervous. "None at troubling numbers, one or two have but they've been dealt with. That's… not quite the issue though."
"What do you mean?"
In response, Weiss stepped away and gestured past the gate.
Jaune's eyes widened.
A massive mass of darkness approached from what he guessed was a mile away. There were many… so, so many. Definitely not anywhere close to the amount he was told could have entered because of the breach but… still, this was ridiculous. There had to be at least a hundred there.
He gulped. "T-that's…"
"Guys!" A voice called, he snapped around towards the direction of the voice to find both Ruby and Qrow running from up ahead.
"Guys are you all— oh...oh…" Ruby's face paled, clearly as taken aback as he.
"There's no time for this." Qrow interrupted, shaking them free of their stupor. "I know this looks bad, but it's nowhere near as detrimental as the Mountain Glenn invasion."
"Y-yeah but… during The Breach we had backup, we-"
"You'll be fine. You will be fine if you listen to my instructions to the letter, alright?" He didn't wait for them to respond, instead he quickly turned his attention towards the Grimm horde up ahead.
"Looks like there's maybe about a hundred, maybe more. Ice Queen!" He shouted.
"Y-yes?"
"Use your ice dust to push a couple of spikes up ahead, I'll cause them to cut into pathways. As for the main fight…"
He paused, eyes casting over them with an analytic glare. Seeming to have found what he was looking for, he nodded and turned back to them. "Alright. While normally we would do this with everyone in one place, we can't do that here. The walls-" He paused to give the wooden gate a knock. "-are brittle, and some of them aren't even up yet. Normally Grimm just move forward- going through the easiest path which is straight through the gate, but it's obvious they'll be splitting off here. Especially with their main targets all in one place."
"Main targets?" Ruby tentatively asked.
"The civilians." Qrow answered. "They're all at the town hall. Have that many people all practically screaming negativity at the Center of the town like that? Right after a previous Grimm attack, a freak storm, and now this? It's a miracle the number isn't much, much larger. Dammit, we should've been given bigger numbers. I was so stupid."
He was right… this could've been worse, a lot worse.
"We'll be doing this in a three phase formation. Red-" He paused to point towards Pyrrha. "You're with me at the entrance. While you three-" He waved hand towards him, Weiss, and Ruby. "-will be at the center. It'll give you all the best chance to utilize your capabilities."
This was happening, this was really, really happening.
"Finally, you two-" He pointed towards Cinder and her partner. "Will guard the town hall. There's bound to be a lot of Grimm that manage to slip through."
It was a good plan… he thought, he wasn't even sure what he was thinking anymore. His heart was blaring inside his own chest, and his nerves were threatening to eat him alive.
Seeming to sense their mood, Qrow sighed and snapped his fingers. "Hey, look. I know the situation looks bad, but we'll get through this alright? Then when you get back to Beacon you can brag to all your friends that you faced a Grimm horde by yourselves. Now… let's get a move on, we… we don't have much time." The gruff man sighed, and with a final look their way, he walked off.
The mood was… stiff. Pyrrha looked conflicted, and she kept sending nervous glances his way. He tried to smile for her but it came off weak and faint, it was obvious to the both of them.
"I'll see you once this is all done, won't I, partner?"
The old callback gifted him a small smile from Pyrrha, it wasn't much, but it was genuine nonetheless. She stepped forward and pulled him into a warm embrace, it was short and rushed, but it was appreciated nonetheless.
They pulled away after a few seconds, and for a moment he thought he saw something within Pyrrha's jade irises, a burning emerald fire.. but it died out soon after, she sighed and stepped away.
"I… must be on my way now, stay safe, Jaune."
With a final look his way, Pyrrha ran off in the direction of Qrow.
He felt… nervous, but he knew she would be fine. She was strong, incredibly strong, he trusted her to make it back safely.
She had to.
A hand suddenly gripped his forearm, forcing him to turn his body around. He yelped in surprise, only for that sound to die off as two burning irises pierced his gaze.
It was Cinder, and only Cinder. A quick look around told him her partner was already gone. Seriously? What the hell was with that girl? She moved even quieter than Ren.
"Soo…"
"Don't."
"Wha?" He made a sound of confusion, taken aback by how firm her words were. She looked more intense than she normally did.
"Don't play hero. Don't try to be one and throw your life away like some idiot, understand?"
"...No promises.."
Cinder made a sound somewhere in between a hiss and a sigh. "I don't know why I even try with you. Your stupidity is ridiculous."
"Hey! You knew what you were signing up for in being my friend."
There was a pause. Cinder looked… conflicted, just like Pyrrha did, though she looked annoyed as well, maybe even angry.
"Just don't be foolish, survive."
"You too." He responded with a smile. "I've gotta beat you at least once, don't I?"
The silence returned, and they both looked away. It was obvious they were trying to lift their spirits, even if it was so temporary.
He wanted to say more, but he never got the chance.
Warmth would flood his body.
It wasn't much, not at all, but in the harsh winds with shivers running up his body, rain beating down on his head and with his clothes clinging to every inch of him… it was like blazing inferno within the heart of a frozen tundra, so he embraced that warmth with everything that he had.
It took him a moment to realize that it was Cinder's lips on his own.
The searing kiss was short, simple even, but it was more than enough, it was like a summer sun bathing his body in warmth.
She pulled away suddenly, amber eyes on him for a mere moment… before she was off.
He watched her go, disappear behind a row of houses, and with her absence, she took her warmth with her.
He turned around, feeling two eyes burning into him.
Ruby and Weiss stared at him.
Mouths agape.
Unblinking.
It was a funny thing really. They were about to fight a horde of rampaging Grimm, and yet they were stunned into silence because Jaune Arc got kissed by the hot exchange student.
"No." Weiss finally spoke up, pinching the brow of her nose. "I… today has been odd enough. I will not even begin to address… that."
"But Weiss!"
"No!"
Sheesh. He knew his game was bad, but that hurt.
The bell of the village tolled once more, taking away their attention as the situation they were in suddenly resurfaced. Gone was the moment of levity, now… there was only soul crushing nerves.
They walked in silence, getting into position. He didn't even quite remember moving from the gate and to the center, it was as if he was simply… there, having gone through the motions without thinking.
Up ahead, the sounds of battle emerged. The sounds of gnawing teeth and scraping claws, of cheerful beastly snorts and howls of scorching hatred.
His eyes briefly moved towards Ruby, who anxiously gripped her scythe in hand. She caught his eye and smiled at him, it was weak, brittle, and anxious.
He was certain the look on his face mirrored her own.
He turned back to the path ahead, a row of houses cut off their sight from the gate… although Weiss's massive ice spikes were visible from their position, if worse came to worse… then Pyrrha or Qrow could use the ice or houses as cover in case they were overwhelmed.
The sounds of hammering paws quickened.
His hands felt clammy.
The howls of monsters increased.
He raised his forearm and wiped the thick bead of sweat that had collected at his brow.
The rain hammered away at his shoulders.
He raised his shield arm and swallowed.
….and then, nothing.
The sounds of his hammering heartbeat would silence, the thundering raindrops became muted, the sounds of rampaging paws would cease, like a melody suddenly silencing.
And for a moment, one blessed, euphoric moment… he hoped that whatever this was… that it would be it.
His world exploded.
Well, hello everyone.
I want to start off by apologizing for the wait, usually this fic updates weekly or every 2 weeks, but this time around I got caught up and had to postpone, hopefully this longer chapter is enough of an apology lol.
So first I'd like to tackle one thing before I get into the things I wanted to talk about, I took note of the votes from the last chapter and decided that I'll keep the poll running for just one more chapter, this time however, it will only be between three titles, the most voted ones.
-Melody of The Fallen
-Mend
-Not Broken, Just Bent
Please do note that the poll is only through comments for this chapter, I had a few people send me their votes through PMs or in other chapters, thank you for voting thus far! You all truly have good taste lol.
Onto the things I wanted to address though, I've gotten some questions about this fic in the last chapter and previous chapters, and I wanted to address the more pressing ones.
For one, there was some confusion last chapter regarding how Jaune got hurt, so I'll try to explain it as best I can; within my fic, aura needs to be focused or concentrated for it to work, which means ambushed or being unfocused in battle can lead to enemies getting the better of you. I know that in canon RWBY is very… confusing about it, but since there are several instances of aura just not working (Sienna) I've decided to go with the explanation that you at least need to "raise" your aura in a general direction for it to work. If you've ever read one of Coeur's stories, you'll know what I'm talking about. Anyway- the sudden surprise of what happened caused jaune to drop his aura briefly, which gave the Beowulf time to attack.
Onto the next question- Jaune's semblance. Someone actually thought I changed his semblance from canon, which I blame fully on roosterteeth not properly utilizing it. Jaune's semblance in canon is amping the aura of both himself and others. We usually see him amping up others, but two examples of him amping his own aura are when he got punched by Cardin and released that huge light eruption, and the second time is when he and Nora were struck by that massive mech. It's actually pretty overpowered if you think about it. I've simply decided to use the 'self amp' side of the semblance for the moment though, it's not been changed in any way.
Finally, team RWBY. Someone suggested I utilize more of them, and while they are going to be seen more than before (like they are in this chapter and my next one) their role remains as side characters, but yes, they will be seen a little more.
Besides that— this has been quite an eventful chapter. I am ESPECIALLY excited for the next three chapters, while the battle will end soon, what happens after will be quite interesting to see.
More Jaune and cinder interactions, this is their story after all, more depth to Cinder's backstory, and one last kiss. I wonder what you'll all think about that…
Before we wrap this up, I'd like to shout out some people in particular. Luz and Rum, you were both amazing in the editorial side of this chapter, thank you a lot for the writing advice. The next person being 'Obsequium Minaris'. Terrific writer and a fellow Knightfall worshiper. He's given me quite a bit of writing advice and also has a Knightfall fic of his own, titled 'Hereafter'.
And finally; someone who is quite literally the Knightfall spokesperson and someone who has given me a ridiculous amount of advice; 'Onewomancitadel.' She's terrific, go check out her fic 'The Distance which fools the skimming eye.' It's great.
Well with that i'd say we're done here. I'm going to begin to draft the fic I mentioned last chapter and plan for this one. Thank you so much for all your support, every comment, favourite, and follow means the world to me.
You can expect the next chapter within the usual timeframe,
That's all folks.