It's finally here, please read the AN at the end of the chapter.
Pale moonlight bathed her battered form with lunar lustre, while a white glow formed along her flesh, like gentle motherly hands soothing away the scars which formed along raw skin. Her knees were brittle, threatening to buckle under the weight of what had just occurred- and yet an overwhelming sensation of relief seemed to wash over her…
All as she stared at the dead body of her once adopted mother.
Madame was dead- and so too were the sisters who had tormented her day after day. She expected to feel some sense of guilt or disappointment, and yet she didn't. She felt secure, she felt strong. Her fingers tingled- she could still feel the sensation of them slowly constricting around the woman's neck, the feeling of raw relief, the power that she felt, the rush of euphoria. It all remained.
The feeling of shocked, disappointed eyes boring into the back of her head. The gravelly voice which uttered her name with reluctance and grief.
She turned, amber eyes meeting the abyssal onyx of the man who gave her strength, the man who had given her the power to escape the situation she had been enslaved within. A fragile smile encased with raw relief formed across her lips, a smile which shook and felt unnatural on her features. She took a step towards him with wide arms, grip loose around the hilt of the blade he had bestowed her. With a brittle, weak voice filled with raw emotion and a desire for gratification- she spoke.
"I…I don't have to run now…"
The words were uttered shakily, as though she had nothing else to give. She watched with bated breath and a racing heartbeat as a frown formed heavily at the corners of his lips, he slowly closed his eyes, seemingly aging before her very eyes at the weight of what he had just seen, and what he would have to do.
"No, Cinder. You'll never stop running."
The words snatched the breath out from her throat, slamming into her very core with an insurmountable weight. The smile which she wore on her face gradually broke into an expression of shock at the sight of Rhodes deploying both of his clubs. It was like a blade had been lodged into her chest, and gone out from the other side.
Despite her years of torment, his words cut more than any physical harm that the Madame had ever achieved.
Shock, fear, sadness, and realization dawned within her, a chill ran through her body, like an Atlas winter inside her soul.
That chill melted and burned into wrathful flames. All the sadness- the feeling of betrayal she felt for the man who had trained her and promised her a better life, the man who pulled his weapons on her after all that the Madame had done to her.
It turned into unshakable hate.
Cinder leveled her weapons, fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt of both blades, while Rhodes simply gazed at her with a faraway expression, grip light around the handles of his maces.
She couldn't hear herself think, not over the rapid thuds of her heartbeat thundering within her chest.
Her mind was silenced by the sudden tolls of thunderous bells echoing across the abyssal skies, declaring midnight.
That too became overshadowed by the ringing of metal meeting metal, Cinders blades against Rhodes' clubs. Their battle was fast and raw, unrelenting on either side. Cinders' attacks were channeled by raw rage, she could not feel- she could not think, her eyes only saw red.
The same red which now coated her hands, the red which secreted from the holes at Rhodes stomach.
Her eyes shot open in surprise at the feeling of his hand pressing against the top of her head, like he was trying to pass off a message for her, as though he was trying to tell her something that could not be communicated using words.
She never quite figured out what that was.
Rhodes slipped off her blades and collapsed onto the ground, joining the deceased bodies of the Madame and her daughters. He wore a grief stricken expression on his features. Within her she felt a stab at her chest, a feeling of conflict that she couldn't quite describe. Perhaps it was grief at what she had done, or happiness at her freedom- she wasn't quite sure.
Slipping one sword onto the other hand, she raised her hand and firmly grasped the forsaken necklace which had become a symbol of her servitude, the necklace the Madame had slipped around her throat all those years ago.
With a frown, she ripped it off.
It was as though all that weight which had befallen her from years of servitude, the fear, the lack of freedom. It all came off as well.
She raised her eyes to gaze towards the abyssal night. Where stars decorated the skies, and the shattered moon hung within the sky, not unlike her.
She could leave now. She had the choice to leave.
That was what power had granted her.
A single tear would drag across her hollow cheek. A tear for her years of pain, a tear for her years of anguish and hatred, and a tear of happiness for her freedom.
High up on the madames wall, the clock which ticked rhythmically would freeze at midnight.
Forever running.
/-/
Blades clashed in wisps of silver light, moving viciously across the air like flashes of transparent lightning. The sounds of metal meeting metal became a rhythmic harmony within the training area, as did the sounds of angry snarls and desperate grunts. Thick beads of sweat dragged across raw skin and burned his eyes, tawny hair moved wildly with every shift in his body.
Amber eyes narrowed into thin slits would stare through wide sapphire, they were like concentrated candles of wrathful flame, threatening to swallow all that came into its proximity in a frenzy of fire and ash.
Suffice to say, he was close to being burned.
Jaune backpedaled desperately, brows knit together in frenzied concentration. He swung Crocea Mors in quick, short arcs to ward off the feral flashes and wild stabs of Cinders short daggers. Pain shot up his wrist like liquid flame every time he managed to block her ferocious attacks, they were too fast to parry or to dodge, and more often than not they bypassed his defences and clashed bluntly against his aura, producing deep grunts and winces of pain. He needed to stop her assault, warding her off head to head wasn't something he could possibly manage. Recklessly- he halted his momentum and thrust out his shield into a bash, but Cinder managed to hop away before he could hope to hit her.
She was fast, deadly fast.
"It's hopeless, Jaune." Her voice carried over, uttered with aggravated annoyance. It was the first time she spoke after she had begun her assault, everything else had only been angry sounds of irritation or rough panting.
She was relentless.
Before he could respond, the raven haired woman charged in once again, this time with her body held low to the ground and daggers held at her sides. He attempted to deliver a side slash to at least stop her charge, but she merely dodged under it, using her momentum to push off her back foot and deliver a punishing knee to the base of his gut. Pain erupted across his body as spit flew from his mouth. He was thrown backwards, collapsing onto his back before the force toppled him over and onto his chest. A solemn groan escaped his mouth, he wanted to curl in on himself.
Since when could she hit this hard?
"Where are your words of gandour now? Your self righteousness? Do you still want to 'save me' now?"
He ignored her mocking tone, or the implications of what she said. This was going… terribly. Just a few minutes into the fight, while she was agitated and exhausted, he had already lost over ten percent aura. While he'd barely managed to skim her.
He needed something, and fast.
The feeling of her heeled foot sadistically pinning his hand to the ground gave him that slim opportunity.
Jaune clumsily swung with his sword towards her stomach while still in his drowned position, to which Cinder easily intercepted the trajectory of his blade with her own, scoffing at his effort. In retaliation he released the handle of his sword and quickly lowered his hand to clutch her ankle. He briefly caught the widening of her eyes as she understood what he would do next.
"Yeah, I do." With a rough twist of his shoulders and a thrust of his elbow, Jaune threw Cinder onto her back, producing a loud slam which hummed against the rough floor of the training area. He heard her heave but didn't give her a chance to recover, throwing himself over her. With hurried haste, the blond knight pinned her wrists down to the ground with his hands while his hips pinned her own down roughly. Before she could retaliate, he raised his fist and slammed it against her cheek, causing her head to recoil against the ground, and for a sharp gasp of pain to be coerced past her lips.
He held back the agonizing feeling which cut its way into his gut, or the need to coddle her for what he had just done- it would only make her angrier. Raining down yet another punch, he took advantage of the dazed look which quickly crossed her eyes to grab onto his sword and place it against her neck.
"Cinder!" He rasped, voice pleading and yet filled with frustration. "We don't have to keep doing this- just talk to me, please!"
She began to struggle beneath him as soon as she regained her bearings, amber eyes wild and body a slew of shifting elbows and rummaging hips. In retaliation, he raised his sword arm high into the air, he had the brief moment to notice the widening of her eyes before he brought it down, cutting through the air, aimed directly for Cinders head.
It clanked roughly into the ground just left of her cheek.
She seemed shocked for a moment, confused at his sudden action. He took advantage of that to lessen his hold on her, before he calmly lifted his other hand and placed it against her cheek, cupping it as gently as he could, persuading her to look at him.
"We can stop this right now, Cinder. I'm not abandoning you no matter how hard you hit me."
He felt her body loosen, her muscles release, and watched as her golden eyes close in what looked to be a form of acceptance.
For a brief moment, he thought she would actually stop fighting.
That hope was burned away, as vermillion flames erupted all across her frame.
There was no attack, one moment he was on top of her, and the next he was hurling across the air. Ash and smoke hugged his frame like a thick coat of fire. He slammed into the ground with a cry and skipped across it like a pebble thrown across water.
He had never felt anything like that before.
He's been hit and blown up by Cardin, punched by Yang, and taken blows from Nora's hammer…
This wasn't like anything he'd ever dealt with before.
He rolled onto his side with a piercing gasp, his muscles screamed in agony, bones aching vividly. The once clear white of his armour had several portions which were pitch black, while his entire left sleeve was burnt off. Thick wisps of smoke steamed off of him, he batted them aside as he struggled to stand.
Since when could she do something like this?
He knew she could superheat portions of her body, he's seen her use that ability against Grimm. But honest to goodness fire? That had to be… impossible. He'd only ever seen people use elements like that when utilizing dust… some semblances-like Neptune's- could manipulate water, but he couldn't just create it from thin air like that.
Had she used her semblance to superheat dust and release a wave of fire like that? It was possible, and yet… utterly insane.
He choked on ash, releasing a coughing fit as he dimly heard footsteps approaching. Despite his burning eyes he could still make out a blurry outline of Cinder a mere two or so meters away. Should she attack now, he'd have no way of defending himself.
Placing the tip of Crocea Mors into the ground, he pushed with all the strength he had, lifting himself onto his two feet. He felt light headed and unsteady- but the pain was enough to keep him conscious. Forcing as much aura as he could throughout his body- he began to feel it's hindrance dull.
His vision would soon return, and with it he could look at her fully. Her expression was reserved, yet her gaze still burned sharply, stature rigid. She didn't think he could react to her should she attack immediately.
"Was that hard enough, Jaune?" She asked, "Does that satisfy your doubts? You don't appear to be doing too well…"
Her words were uttered with sadistic sarcasm, the kind she used early on within their training, when he didn't listen to her instructions properly. When she claimed to have still held a deep distaste towards him. She was reverting back to that now, almost as though she was savouring it.
It didn't feel natural, it didn't feel right.
It didn't matter even if it was, he wouldn't back down, couldn't.
A breath of forced air left his lips as he swept his sword through the air, clutching it firmly within his grip. The worn leather handle had grown familiar within his hands, no longer did it feel awkward or unnatural- it was an extension of him. He raised his shield high and over his chest, and with his sword now pointed in the direction of Cinder, he saw her face fall.
The knight stood ceaseless.
Anger quickly took hold of her, her lips pulled back into a vicious, frustrated sneer. It could've been a trick of light, or even his imagination, but he could've sworn he saw her eyes light into flames.
"Give up." She demanded, had it been anyone else he would think that she was pleading. Yet this was Cinder- she substituted anger to hide her vulnerability. He didn't realize that at first, but it became more and more obvious the more time he spent with her.
It wasn't possible to feel what he did for Cinder without paying attention to her.
His response was easy. "I'm not going to."
The raven haired woman ground her teeth together and released a noise that sounded like a mixture between a snarl and a hiss. Her frustration was palpable, and he could practically feel her anger from where he stood.
"If you don't stand down… I.. I will kill you."
Her threat gave him pause. Kill him? That… that sounded like something even beyond what their fight warranted. Would she really do something like that? Could she?
Even if she did, it didn't change his answer, nothing would.
"If I die fighting for you, then so be it. But I will fight."
His words seemed to have an immediate effect, Cinder's wide, honey-like eyes widened considerably. Perhaps in shock, maybe in something else. He watched as she took a wide step backwards, her twin blades briefly lowering. He wished that it could have stayed like that, he wished she would have dropped them entirely.
Cinder roughly shook her head and charged right back in.
He sidestepped her slashes and raised his shield, the sound of metal breezing against metal told him that her daggers had skinned his shield. Eager to use her forward momentum to his advantage- Jaune spun and attempted to deliver a powerful slash towards her side, but Cinder was quick, she simply dropped to her knees and allowed his sword to sail high above her, even with her back facing him. She wasted no time in spinning around, her heeled foot connected with his cheek and sent him retreating back with his shield held high.
But he didn't need to look at her to know what was coming next.
She was getting reckless, even more than before. Every attack she had thrown was done with pouncing slashes and precise kicks.
Jaune trusted his instincts.
He planted his feet to the ground and lowered his body, with a grunt, he thrusted forwards with his shield.
Cinder seemed surprised- and it was too late to stop her momentum now, instead she leaped upwards, high and above him, yet she wasted no time in attacking him again, this time with a quick slash towards the back of his neck.
The crossguard of Jaunes sword trapped her blade before it could strike.
He knew she would go for such a move- she had already used it in the past. He was never fast enough to block it before, but he was prepared.
And he would make the most of it.
With her dagger trapped in his sword, he spun his body and threw her towards the ground, huntsman instincts made her release the blade just in time to prevent her back from meeting hard floor, but it still caused her to be launched across the room. Her agility meant that she managed to angle her body and land well enough on her feet, yet it kept her unbalanced, unprepared.
Jaune launched himself towards her.
She seemed to panic for a moment, that much was clear by the look within her eyes. He pulled back his arm and aimed a thrust directly towards her.
He simply cut through air.
He could see her triumphant smirk. She had angled her body and allowed the blade to pass right by her, even from her lowered position. Right now his only real option would be to swing his blade and try to cut into her side.
'While your swings are powerful, and your stance is solid...your moves seem to lack ingenuity and understanding. Even if your attack had connected, you would have simply struck your wrist into me.'
Jaune raised his elbow and slammed it against her temple.
The sound of bone meeting bone echoed throughout the room, as did the cry of pain which tumbled right through Cinders lips. He wanted to stop, he wanted to apologize.
He raised his knee and slammed it against her stomach.
She doubled over and tumbled back, crashing against the ground with a shout. The momentum aided her in straightening her stature, now kneeling in front of him. With the opportunity presented for him- he swung his sword at a wide arc which caused the air to ripple all throughout the arena.
The area directly in front of him erupted.
It wasn't the great flames which had launched him previously, this was small, minor. As though ash and dust had been kicked upwards to mask his vision.
Yet it was enough.
Pain erupted across his face as a powerful fist struck his nose, while a kick rammed against the side of his knee and forced him down to the ground. He had just enough time to trust his instincts in order to raise both his arms and catch the follow up kick, and yet the force was still enough to launch him away from her.
He tumbled to the ground and managed to roll onto his front, quick to get back up before she could attack him once more.
She didn't.
She was in the same position as before, leg extended into the kick she had used on him, still standing right where she had before.
She didn't take him seriously enough to even raise a guard any more.
It hurt, of course it did. He was fighting tooth and nail to help her, and yet her faith in him was… it wasn't even there.
He was fighting like a failure.
He didn't need to be the smartest person in the room to know what path she was headed towards, or what would happen to her at the end of it. What would happen to them. And it would all be his fault, because he couldn't save her despite all that she had done for him.
That didn't mean he would give up.
Yet how was he supposed to win? His only real advantage was his aura and somewhat better strength. His speed couldn't keep up with her, her skills completely dominated his own, and her semblance…
The thought made him pause.
There was only one thing he could use, one thing that he could utilize against her, the one thing she didn't have.
It would be risky, it was a gamble at best.
But risk was never something that had stopped him before.
It was risky to leave home, fake his transcripts, and join Beacon without an ounce of training. It was risky to throw the sap at Cardin, risky to face Cardin in front of everyone. Risky to throw himself into a horde of Grimm to save a girl, risky to accept her training, risky to follow her alone into the Emerald Forest, risky to allow an army of Grimm to chase him down.
It was risky to wear his heart on his sleeve.
Had he never risked anything, he would have never gotten anywhere. Risk had never stopped him before.
It wouldn't stop him now.
With Crocea Mors in hand, and his aura in the red, Jaune roared a song of triumph and charged at Cinder.
/-/
Cinder had fought countless opponents in the past, and killed at least half of those opponents. She was used to opponents being angry, skilled, powerful, stubborn.
Yet she had never faced someone like this.
His skill was lacklustre, semblance unusable, and with no dust capabilities. Yet despite all of that, he kept getting back up, he kept fighting.
For her.
A snarl erupted from her at the thought. He had made her remember why she was doing this, the reason Salem had found her, the reason she was at Beacon. For power, the power to fight for herself, the power to take what she wants, the power to not have to run.
And yet, he accused her of running from him?
The strong get to choose, the strong have a choice. The weak? They were little more than sheep, animals to be controlled by those in power. The weak run, the weak cower.
And yet he; someone so insignificant to herself in strength, believed that he could accuse her of running? Accuse her of being chased away by him? Did he think himself free? Think he had the power to decide? The power to cause her to run?
It had filled her to the brim with an indescribable anger, one that burned rampantly. She had struck him, again, and again. Yet every time the headstrong fool continued to get up.
The memory of him on top of her, holding her down as he pleaded for her to listen to him— the sight of his eyes was burned into her mind. In her haste- she had unconsciously tapped into the Maidens' powers.
For a brief, volatile moment, she believed that she had killed him.
Yet the knight got back up, as though he would fight until there was nothing left of him.
How far would this go?
How far was she willing to go?
If she broke his aura and knocked him out, he'd simply repeat the process; she had no doubt that he would be foolish enough to do so.
Would she need to kill him? Could she kill him?
Admitting that she cared for him had been difficult, and yet it had been made clear. She cared for him, she knew this, but she also knew that she could not have him and proceed with the plan.
The choice between him and the fall maidens power was obvious, he was… a distraction. A forced ally, caring for him did not mean she valued him beyond a simple companionship.
Compared to becoming the fall maiden, he was nothing.
Yet… killing him..
She ignored the thought. If need be- she would do it. To prove to herself that the fall of Beacon would persist, that her will had not been shaken, that the simple boy had not changed her.
That she was not running away.
She grit her teeth and watched as he got up once more, expression cracking for a brief moment, only to strengthen once more. Jaune would continue to rise, and rise again.
Yet she would not fall.
"I will not run, Jaune!" She shouted. "I am not weak, I am not the hunted!"
The knight roared and charged at her in response, Crocea Mors held in front of him, shield at his side. She wouldn't let the challenge go unanswered, mirroring him with her own weapon held high.
Blades clashed in sparks of silver. Their faces were close, nearly nose to nose. She could feel his uneven panting and deep breaths, and in turn she was sure he could feel every breath from her nostrils. Their eyes burned into one another's, indescribable emotions constantly shifting within their gazes.
"Help doesn't make you weak!" Jaune yelled, his voice raw with pure emotion, along with the strain of their weapons impeding on his words. "You're already strong! You were never weak, Cinder! But running from what hurts you isn't a victory over your past! It's a surrender!"
"Araghhhh!" The scream which escaped her was animalistic and raw, wrathful in its intensity. Their blades briefly disengaged as her arms buckled under the pressure of his sword, only for her to let the force of his weapon pass by her. She was quick to aim a stab towards his now exposed face, but it was blocked by the sudden raising of his shield, clinking harmlessly against smooth metal.
"This doesn't have to end with you alone, and I won't let you destroy yourself because you think it makes you stronger!"
"You don't know anything!"
Her dagger slid up his shield, but he took a step away before it could strike his neck. She didn't let up, lunging with another slice aimed towards his face, but it only cut an inch of his bangs as he narrowly dodged. The position left her open, and Jaune was quick to take a step forward and strike her with the flat of his shield, throwing her a few feet away and giving him more breathing room.
He eyed her with soft eyes, eyes that she had gazed into for far longer than she would ever like to admit.
She wanted to cut them out.
"Yeah, you're right." He began. "Maybe I don't know much, maybe I am just a goofy idiot." He raised his hand and swung it in front of him, as though he was tearing through her thoughts. "-But I do know this, whatever's happening to you… it's not going to end well. You're running from it, trying to pretend that everything is fine. I know it's not Cinder, you can lie to yourself… but you can't lie to me." She wanted to cut him off, to interrupt him before he could continue, but the knight stepped forward and raised both arms with unwavering conviction.
"If I leave you right here, if I abandon you… then I'll never forgive myself for what comes after. So hit me, stab me, make me fall, and fall again. I'll just crawl to you with my sword between my teeth."
The more the fight continued, the longer her desperation grew. He was ceaseless in his wish, in his goal. Yet her convictions couldn't fail her.
She had relied on others in the past. Children within the orphanage to fulfill their promises, the occasional 'kind' patron at the Glass Unicorn, and Rhodes.
They had all failed her.
Yet, why did she feel the need to put her faith within him? To trust him with all that he proposed. It was an instinctive feeling within her chest, one which screamed within her, yet fell upon deaf ears.
She couldn't question her goals, not when she had gotten so far, and filled graveyards for its completion.
It was too late for her.
Jaune didn't know the truth. He was much more realistic than others— yes, but he lived in ignorance. He did not know of the shadow war between Ozpin and Salem which stretched along the edges of eternity. Of fairy tales which lived within reality. He didn't know about every sin she had committed.
Would he truly still fight for her if he knew the truth?
She wanted to say no, she wished to say that he would rant and scream- condemn her for all of her wrongdoings, judge her for every drop of blood spilled.
Yet she couldn't.
She didn't know what it was, but she didn't think he would believe any of this, and the realization that someone would go this far— when even Rhodes' faith had been shattered..
Tick-Tock. Tick-Tock.
The clicking of the clock which hung at the training area caught her eye. All this time they had been fighting for under ten minutes. It would soon reach midnight.
It always did.
Killing him may well be the only option.
Amber eyes levelled with sapphire. A silent conversation was had, an acceptance that this would soon end. Jaune looked saddened, and she couldn't explain why she didn't like that expression on his features.
"If that's how it's going to be… then so be it."
They both charged in once more.
Weapons clashed, aura was struck, punches, kicks, and knees were all thrown. Perhaps in another time she would have admired his growth, yet now she could only taste the ash on her tongue that this would be as far as Jaune went.
The blond blocked her dagger with his shield and pushed her away, before leaping forward with a thrust of his sword. It was an attack he liked doing, he always began with a thrust before pulling back into an overhand swing. She'd seen him do it countless times, and it was that knowledge that allowed her to side-step the swing and grasp his hand with her own, her dagger slashed upwards and against his fingers. Aura would protect him from having them severed, but it wouldn't protect him from the pain.
She felt her chest tighten at the sound of agony which erupted past his lips, followed by the metallic clink of Crocea Mors leaving his hand and striking the ground. He managed to push her away, yet she propolled herself forwards once more.
He was without his sword in one hand and with his shield in an awkward position in the other. The attack would land flush against him, and with that he would be unable to stop the flurry which would follow. They both knew that, she watched as Jaune's eyes squeezed shut; presumably in acceptance, as her blade struck his body.
Pain exploded amongst her senses, agony rippling across her hand and up her arm with great haste. It felt as though she had struck an adamantine wall. She didn't have the time to wince— as an eruption of resplendent yellow light exploded all around her, bathing the entire training area in its flaxen glow, not unlike an exploding sun.
It didn't take long to realize what it was.
Jaune's semblance, the same one which had stopped an alpha in its tracks. An explosion of light which shined like the soul of who it belonged to. She had never seen him purposely use it like this before— it was incredible in its use, and she had fallen right for it.
Cinder tumbled back from the eruption, the opposing force having met the power of her blow, and as such left her body and stance unsteady, unbalanced.
Vulnerable.
As the golden light dwindled as quickly as it had arrived, her eyes—still somewhat dazed over— caught sight of Jaune, rising from the ground with sword now in hand. He leaped towards her, face pinched in an expression of concentration.
Her panic rose as the knight swung towards her chest with a devastating blow, one that would cleave through much of her aura should it land.
To block the strike with her dagger would not be possible, and she couldn't parry or dodge and counter attack either. The only real option was to disengage. She threw herself back with desperation, utilizing the momentum his semblance had provided. The hurried effort had allowed her to narrowly dodge the sword swing. Even still, she could feel the air ripple around her from the force of the blade shredding past the air.
The frustration at his missed opportunity was palpable on the blonde's features, yet Cinder could only feel herself smirk. Her golden gaze landed on an exposed area at his shoulder. She leaped forward to take advantage of the sudden opportunity.
All thoughts of retaliation ceased at the collision of Jaune's shield against her core. A cry of pain forced itself past her gritted teeth. He roared, heaving her into the air. She had little time to react before the blond ran forward, slamming her against the arena wall. Her back exploded with pain, forcing out a cry as he pinned her chest to the wall with the flat of his shield.
Amber eyes blinked open in a dazed state, the pain produced from the impact still throbbed at her spine- yet she was cognitive enough to see him, and have her eyes burn into his own sapphire blue. The position placed them close despite the division of metal between their battered frames. She could make-out individual droplets of sweat drag down his cheekbones, feel the rapid breaths of exertion leave his mouth and grace her neck, and smell the burnt clothing which hung on his body. His brows were knit together, furrowed in clear frustration. He had lost what remained of his composure.
Good, she had lost hers long ago.
"T-this only ends one way." She grit out past the pressure at her chest. Their ragged breaths mingled together. "You can't beat me, Jaune."
He knew he couldn't, she could see it within the depths of his eyes. Victory over her physically was not possible, and he knew this.
Yet he continued fighting.
The flat of his shield pressed harder against her, causing a grunt to escape her. "I'm not the one pinned to a wall."
She ignored the flash of anger that bubbled at her core. "You did well," She ignored the look which crossed his face, it was a momentary lapse of pride at her praise, before it returned into steely determination. "-but how far will it carry you before you're defeated?"
"I don't care." He hissed. "I never cared about winning! I'm only doing this because I care about you, Cinder!"
It was odd, every word he uttered made her believe that he knew what she was, but he didn't. He was in the dark, and instead simply doing this because he knew she was troubled.
Such a difficult fool.
"You fight to defeat someone far more powerful than you— and yet-"
The words were caught at her throat by the shield against her chest pressing her further against the wall. "Power doesn't make me who I am, and power doesn't make you who you are. I don't care about you because you're powerful, I care about you because of who you are."
So many words, so many meanings. He made her head spin with every word that left his mouth, she wanted him to stop talking— she needed him to stop talking.
She couldn't handle it any longer.
"Give up, Jaune…"
"I'm only losing in death."
Amber eyes would shut, blocking away the desperate face of the obstinate knight. Her pinched expression would soften, becoming one of troubled acceptance.
"I know."
Her head shot forwards, ramming her temple to his nose. A stiff crack would be heard, followed by a startled cry of pain from Jaune. It gave her the opportunity to loosen her arms from his shield, to snake them over and place both hands against his cheeks.
For the briefest of moments, a snapshot in time, Cinders fingers stroked his battered face. Before they would erupt into bright, orange light.
An explosion drowned out Jaune's scream. Smoke followed him as he collapsed away from her. Golden flecks of light trailed him, like shattered glass of sunlight. His aura had been broken, he had been defeated. She refused to explain the pain which stung at her chest.
The knight collapsed onto his back. His chest heaved with unsteady breaths, mouth wide in an attempt to take in as much air as he could. He was battered and broken, unable to so much as stand.
Cinder stalked towards him, her movement without any of its usual feminine sway. Instead she simply looked… tired.
"Your skill with your semblance has improved, Jaune, Yet your lack of experience with its use is clear."
The collapsed boy didn't respond to her, she hadn't expected him to.
"Your semblance causes a slight repelling motion, an outward force. You weren't able to properly take advantage of your opportunity due to this lack of leverage."
It was a shame he would never learn to.
She slid over him and sat upon his hips. In any other situation, he would have become scarlet red at the implications. Now, he could only look up at her.
She could not be the fall maiden, and keep the person who she cared for. Either Jaune would fall… or her convictions would be forgotten. To kill him- it was evidence of not only the fact that she was still willing to follow in her convictions, but evidence that she had never been shaken in the first place.
There were no cameras within this area. Excuses could be made. She found him within the forest— she could do nothing by that time.
She placed the worn metal of her dagger against the warm flesh of his neck, she could feel his heartbeat against her knuckles. It was faint… fragile. The slightest pressure at his neck would produce blood, a little more, and he would die.
The pain within her chest grew in its intensity. It was… a potent pain, an indescribable pain. Like a blade lodged at her chest, an ice running through her soul. Her heart screamed within her chest, reverberating.
She couldn't hear his words, but she could still see the movements of his lips.
A breath of air left her, heavy like the weight which encased her. "What?"
"I… said.." He paused, still out of breath, still winded. She watched as he regained the smallest hint of composure, it was the least she could do.
"This doesn't have to end like this. I… I don't know why you're like this, or… what happened to you. But… but you can stay with me, I'll listen. I… I'll-"
"I can't." The words were breathed out quietly despite the weight they held. "If I allow myself to succumb to this, to fail in what I sacrificed everything for. Then I'll never stop… running, I'll forever be weak."
The thought of what came after still coursed through her mind. What would become of her after Beacon had fallen. Alone, within Evernight castle.
Jaune's hand gripped her wrist, pulling her from her thoughts.
"You only run if there's nothing left for you to fight for, nothing left that you care for, and you're only weak if you choose to be, Cinder. And I know you aren't weak, you're strong… so incredibly strong. But your strength doesn't matter- it never did. Not to me, never to me. What matters is why you fight, why I fight… and you don't need to fight for power. You don't need to be powerful to have worth."
His words came out in a flurry, striking her deeper than she could have anticipated. Yet… he didn't let up, she had never expected him to.
"Cinder, You don't have to run away anymore."
Her vision would blur.
Similar words had been uttered to her in the past, spoken with the same dread-filled pain, and yet different. So incredibly different. She had never forgotten those words, they chased her dreams and her mind in her most private moments. Jaune's own words mirrored them, and yet their meanings were so radically different…
He was radically different, unlike anyone she'd ever met.
Ah…
This pain.. crushing her heart, burning her throat.
It was a long forgotten pain. She had forgotten that it could even exist…
Her hand shook against his taut neck. His words tolled within her mind, within her soul like a golden bell. She eyed his neck, alabaster skin bare of any wounds, taunting her, beaconing for her to just push. His eyes pierced into her very own, like light through glass.
She felt his grip tighten around her wrist, as his eyes hardened.
"But if this is what you think you're destined for, then… what are you willing to sacrifice?"
His hand moved across her wrist and up the worn base of her dagger. With a calmness she would have never expected from him— he pulled her dagger down to his neck.
A wave of terror and dread washed across her frame, like molten lead pounding through her veins. Her amber eyes took on a frenzied state. She pulled back against him desperately, as another emotion she hadn't experienced in years echoed through her.
Fear, and yet not for herself.
A desperate grunt left her, primal and wild as she fought against his grip. Her eyes met his own- desperate amber on tired cerulean, and with that… Jaune released his grip on her.
The sudden lack of weight on the other side nearly caused her to fall back and off of his body. Her chest heaved, and her heart raced.
A realization was made.
With the opportunity fully presented to her, the chance to go through and abandon her final traces of humanity, to cut the only bond which held her back from her goal…
She couldn't do it.
She could not kill Jaune Arc.
She could not go through with the Fall of Beacon.
The emotional rush which went through her was indescribable.
She wanted to scream- to turn the dagger on herself in frustration. For her unwillingness to do what needed to be done, to do what she had dedicated her full existence towards. All this time.. what she had done to get this far. What was she willing to sacrifice for this fool?
This fool?
No…
Her fool.
She didn't realize that her eyes had watered until a large hand had settled upon her cheek, wiping away the tears which had threatened to drag down her cheeks. His hand was warm, strong and yet comforting. As it gradually pulled her away from the rush which was her mind, to gaze at the smiling, yet bruised face of Jaune Arc.
"I'm sorry." He spoke simply. "I never wanted to do any of this… and I.. I didn't mean to scare you just now. I wanted to see how much this all really meant to you."
It had been a bluff then. He wished to see if she would allow him to die, allow him to bleed out for her, before her eyes. He had nearly died, had she hesitated for a mere moment…
His hands gently pulled the dagger away from her trembling hands. Her knuckles ached, as did every inch of her mind and body. Jaune sat up, grunting as he did. She didn't think twice about wrapping her arms around his torso, and burying her face within the crook of his shoulder.
He was quick to hug her back, just as tightly, with the same desperation she felt. For when she pushed him away, for when she refused to even look at him, and for every strike and insult she had thrown at him through their battle.
"I never wanted to leave you, after the village." She didn't know why she was admitting it now, but all she knew was that she had to.
His grip on her body tightened. "I missed you."
She wanted to sit back and wipe away every bruise and every spot of grime or dust on his face. To clean every speck of ash she could find, but right now she couldn't, not now. "I'm sorry."
There were many things she wanted to say to him. Words she wished to whisper against his skin, apologies for her wrongdoings, and confessions that he was denied. Yet all of that would have to wait, she didn't wish to leave just yet.
She wasn't sure when she ever would.
"You beat me." He said simply, words hoarse against her ear, tickling her skin. He spoke in regards to the battle, and yet they both knew the verdict.
"No, I didn't"
She had lost, yet she felt as though she'd won.
As the shattered moon hung within the abyssal sky, the clock finally passed midnight.
Woof, quite a while huh?
Well, there you have it. This was a really tough chapter to write due to its obvious importance and with it being the finale to act 2 of the story. I've planned it for a while now, so to finally get to it is utterly surreal. I can't tell you how many times I reread this chapter looking for every single possible error, or how many times I cut out and redid certain areas. In fact I cut out about one third of the chapter near the end and redid all of it. I'd also like to thank Obsequium Minaris and Rum for all your aid with giving opinions on what you think works and what doesn't, as well as all the others who gave their opinions, I don't think this chapter would've ended up the same way without the extra helping hand.
I'd like to start off by apologizing for the wait. Besides the general 'life being busy' excuses, I really took my time with this chapter. I've also been sick for the past week or so, so I hope that didn't impact the quality too much.
Besides all this, I'm really excited to finally give you guys the chapter you've been waiting for. I really do hope it was worth the wait, I wanted to give you guys a truly satisfying chapter that took into account everything that's been built up across the full story. Hopefully the wait was worth it. The battle itself was quite tough for me, having over 7000 words of only fighting is something I really struggled with, but thankfully this was less so a physical battle and moreso a mental one. While challenging her physically, Jaune was truly attacking her mentally, all the while she did the same to herself. Really, this entire fic has been a fic against Cinder mentally since the very first chapter, lol. And after nearly 100k words, and 16 chapters— she's been defeated.
In regards to Jaune's semblance; hopefully it was done decently. I thought it was unrealistic for him to suddenly be skilled with its use, but that's what growth is for. He'll learn, and you'll see that growth directly.
With this chapter, we've officially finished act two, and will now be starting act 3. I'm probably going to take a short break to draft exactly how I want the final act to go, and I'm probably going to drop a one shot as well.
Finally, yes— I DO still plan on releasing my "never left the glass unicorn" AU titled "Mend." That will be released later on when I'm nearly finished IHK.
With that, thank you all for your support. Please comment, follow, and tell me what you liked or disliked about this chapter. I truly am thankful for all the support I've gotten, you're all truly wonderful and have pushed me forward with releasing this story.
That's all folks.