Snippet 16

Part 2 to Snippet 9(Cinder's Fall From Grace)

Genre: Angst/Hurt and Comfort/Friendship/Tragedy

Pairs: Jaded (Emerald/Mercury), Arkos (Jaune/Pyrrha), Pink Lotus (Ren/Nora), Bitch and Bastard(Ozpin/Salem), former Iceberg (Weiss/Neptune), former Black Sun (Sun/Blake)

Parody: RWBY/Ninja Dependence Vol 2.5 (Naruto Doujin)

AU-Type: Canon-eqsue AU (Divergence)

Tags: AccidentialHero!Ruby/Cinder, BadEnding!Cinder, MagnificentBastard!Ozpin, Underlying Bad End, Deconstruction, Woobie!Cinder

Things Fell Apart and Nothing's the Same Anymore

Three years had passed since Cinder's fall from top villain to bottom bitch. Three years of being a sex toy for men and women alike. Cinder had hopes that Salem would turn things around and she'd be back to be the feared evil one. Keyword being that she had hopes. Two years in, she had learned a fact that broke her. Salem had married Ozpin. However, this was not completely a marriage out of love as more of a low-key surrender. Salem did not want to be a mind-broken toy for Ozpin, and, with the rise of a Grimm controller, she decided to side with him. Cinder secretly saw the signs that Salem was enjoying whatever Ozpin and the hopes died completely. But the day finally came that Cinder had not thought of.

Cinder was in the underground yet lavish shared cell with Emerald and Mercury all idly having breakfast. They all had not really changed physically over the years other than looking a bit ragged and tired.

"It's nice that we all got a bit more freedom." Emerald said trying to break the silence.

"At least the clients have decreased." Mercury said wistfully.

Cinder groaned. The clients had grown on her a bit…at the least the ones that decent and borderline loving. Apparently, she had fans and it was a bit of a guilty pleasure to indulge them. The cell door opened getting their attention, and in walked, who Cinder called Bitch and Bastard under her breath, Salem and Ozpin.

"Good morning, you three. I got an announcement to make." Ozpin said.

"What? Is Salem pregnant with your spawn?" Cinder snarked. "Do you need to use me as your midwife?"

"Firstly, we already have a kid. He's already one." Salem said with a sigh. "No, today is the day for your release."

Spoons clattered on the table as Mercury and Emerald looked up hopeful. Cinder's face was more of confusion and shock as she never thought the day would come.

"You'll have your aura re-enabled, your weapons returned, and in Mercury's case, cybernetics unlocked." Ozpin said with a grin. "Along with a tenth of the profits you three made. Be ready by the afternoon."

The two turned and left with the door closing behind them. Cinder was stunned silently.

"Finally." Emerald cheered as she hugged Mercury.

"So, you two seem close." Cinder said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, me and Emerald became a thing over the time we've been in here. We planned if we ever got out of this hell, we'd marry." Mercury admitted. "We were planning on telling you eventually, but better now than then, I guess."

Cinder did not even know what to feel at this point only having an empty numb feeling inside. Even in this hell, they endured Emerald and Cinder moved on. Time only seemed to drag and before long, Cinder found herself standing outside Beacon Academy with her duffel bag and her aura back. It was bittersweet. Emerald and Mercury had their things as well and the trio headed to the airship docks when a familiar face awaited them.

"Roman." Cinder said coldly.

The former thief stood to face them wearing an expensive black suit under his usual white trench coat and bowler hat.

"Well, well, if it isn't Cinder Fail, I mean Cinder Fall." Roman said with a smirk.

"What do you want Roman?" Cinder spat venomously at him.

"Why? I've come to give you a ride into Vale." Roman said feigning innocence. "As my way of thanking you."

"That's nice of you." Emerald said nervously.

Reluctantly, they board Roman's custom airship which was painted orange with jewels all over it. Neo sat at the pilot seat still the silent woman she was years ago for the most part. As the airship, Cinder learned what she missed. Essentially, the world was not as peaceful as she thought it would be with her and Salem out of the picture. Menagerie and Atlas were close to war, Human/Faunus relations were barely better, and Grimm were increasing. Her defeat only gave them a short while's peace. Unceremoniously, they were dumped into Vale before Roman took off with Neo to roll in their money back home.

[Cues: Jinsang - Summer's Day [Version 2]]

"Well, first stop, the courthouse." Mercury said walking hand in hand with a beaming Emerald.

Cinder trailed behind with her hands in her pockets of her jacket with her amber eyes scanning around the city. She noticed posters for Amber, the Fall Maiden she nearly killed. Apparently, she was a famous rock star with a band, the Seasonal Sisters. Cinder had a hope that things would not change too much, but she knew in her mind she was wrong to even think that. Her eyes widened to see Ruby Rose, all grown up, being surrounded by admirers, reporters, and the like nearby.

"Miss Rose, how does it feel to beat Miss Nikos?" A reporter asked.

"Miss Nikos learned that her days were over the moment I walked in. Don't mess with the silver-eyed champ!" Ruby said fist pumping the air.

The crowd ate it up, and Cinder could not believe that Ruby, of all people, grew up to have an ego that matched hers back in the day. Cinder felt repulsed by this now seeing that her own ego leads her to being bent over a table. Cinder, in her glaring, caught Ruby's eyes as she took off her shades.

"Oh Oum, Cinder. So, you're out of jail now." Ruby said smugly. "You look like shit."

"No, duh. I was in prison." Cinder snarked.

"Well, obviously. Good luck living in the streets, Cinder." Ruby said purposefully bumping into Cinder as she walked off with her entourage. "And don't worry, if you're lucky, maybe you'll find a nice gutter to sleep in."

"Man, what a bitch!" Emerald thought.

"Well, Ruby's certainly no longer innocent." Mercury said to himself.

The trio made it to the courthouse where before long Mercury and Emerald were walking down the steps a married couple with a bit of joy on their faces. Cinder still have her scowl on her face and her mood did not improve when the clouds rumbled with rain in a torrented downpour.

[Cues: Apollo Brown- Warm Rain]

"Fuck me." Cinder thought as steam formed off her body from her semblance.

Mercury and Emerald had put most of their cash towards getting themselves wedding rings, and Cinder could not help but feel left out and disconnected. Her friends were merely happy to be together and out of that hell, but Cinder felt so empty. The three were back on the streets deciding on what next only to notice a crowd of Faunus was gathering around them.

"Well, if isn't the Fake Maiden! Thanks to you, Adam, and that cowardly Belladonna, the White Fang is history! All what we worked for is ruined!" A mouse faunus said with a snarl.

"First off, it's been three years. Secondly, Adam was a total hypocrite to the cause and you all knew that. Thirdly, doesn't the White Fang have a high leader." Cinder asked in a deadpan tone.

"Had." That same faunus said brandishing a knife. "You ruined us, and we're going to ruin you."

So, that's how Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury were running for their lives with an angry crowd of Faunus wanting them dead. They'd fight, but they only just got their aura back and were not at 100%. Through streets and alleyway, the three tried their damnedest to put distance away from the mob. Cinder spotted an out of the way diner and shoved her friends and herself inside. They were wet and exhausted, and hoping to Oum that the mob would lose them. Of course, they had lost them only to walk into a small dinner owned by people who had every reason to want them dead.

Ut Autem Perseverabat

(A/N: Yes, that bit of Latin was my way of saying this will be continued another day. This was getting a bit too long. If anything, Cinder's Fall from Grace could easily be its own tale. But, I prefer to make a mini-managing of things. If something wants to make their own take on this, just PM me about it. But what happened to the rest of Team RWBY and JPNR?! Next time!)