A/N: I've changed the story title and summary because the story is more about Cinder than about the Keyblade war.
Chapter 9: The New Fall Maiden
The journey to the treasure room was a bloody one. Guards tried and failed to stop Cinder, Raven and Cloud. The trio had to watch their footing because Ironwood's forces are shelling the castle. But it was a good thing that was happening because pieces of the castle will fall on top of the guards.
Raven, Cinder and Cloud don't need to worry about getting crushed because they can just cut the debris in half.
It was on the way to the treasure room that Cinder discovered what were the changes to her Shadow Aura. One is that all her attacks are darkness infused. The second is her bloodlust has increased tenfold. It took all her willpower to not let it take over her and the last change she discovered is she can no longer use the power of light to lessen the corruption from the power of darkness.
They stopped in their tracks when they saw a ghastly scene in front of the door of the treasure room. Dead guards littered everywhere. Somewhere cut down while others were burnt to a crisp. One body caught Cinder's eye. Amber with the Yamato stabbed into her chest. The katana is burning with magical fire.
"What happened?" Cloud asked with a horrified look on his face.
"That katana happened. It is picky about who gets to use it. To a point where it drives the unworthy and those around them to madness and the only way to escape it is death," Cinder explains. "The only ones who can use the Yamato are Vergil and his descendants and those with strong hearts," Cinder walks up to Amber's body and sighs, "It's unfortunate that this happened to you. I wanted to have one more fight with you. To see what is stronger, the power of the Darklords or the power of the Maidens. But my Darklord powers were stolen and you lost your life to the madness that Yamato gave you."
Cinder reaches out to the Yamato but Raven stops her, "You'll take a part of Amber in you once you take her powers. Not only that the target on your back will grow even larger. More people will come after you,"
"Bring it on!" Cinder smiles, "And besides, I must take the Fall maiden power because it's been a part of the Farron family for years. Amber only got it because the power was forced on my father. It rejected him because he was a male. It's time for me to take it back," she then looks at her burning katana and grabs the handle.
She feels the Fall Maiden powers surge into her and finds herself in a white void. She wasn't alone because Amber was standing in front of her. She looked very guilty. "I'm so sorry! For everything! I tried to take down Jacques and put an end to his cruelty. But I got careless and fell into one of his traps. He…infected me with Shadow Aura and made me his slave. I…did so many terrible things!" Amber said with tears in her eyes.
"Don't blame yourself. If anyone is to blame, it's that bastard who only cares about money," Cinder said.
Amber nods and wipes some tears from her eyes, "I have to thank Yamato. With it, I was able to break free from that man's control."
"But it drove you mad!" Cinder said sadly.
"Better to be crazy than continue as that man's slave," Amber growls then smiles, "His greed is finally going to be his undoing. As soon as he held the Yamato, he went mad and killed everyone around him. I got the Yamato away from him but I too went mad and went on a murder spree. I was taken down by Jacques' secret weapon. She disarmed me and killed me with the Yamato," Amber explained.
"Secret weapon? What's that?" Cinder asked. Amber explained and Cinder was horrified, "He'll sink that low?!" she gasped.
"I was shocked too when I found out," Amber said. "Can you save her?"
Cinder nods, "I will! Count on it!"
Amber smiles and nods, "If you need any help, you can always find me, right in your heart,"
"Romantic," Cinder smiles but before Amber can say anything back she is taken out of the white void. She is now where she was before but this time her black hair is now pink, her amber eyes are now blue and blue flames are shooting from her eyes. She looks at her hand and sees it covered in flames. "Finally, back where it belongs," Cinder said and closed her hand and eyes. The flames fade and her hair turns back to its normal colour.
"You are now the new Fall Maiden," Raven said. Cinder can hear a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Yeah, just another burden I have to bear," Cinder said.
"Let's get into that treasure room and get your stuff back," Raven said.
Cinder nods and sees how confused Cloud is right now. Explains the power of the maidens to him. The reason why her eyes and hair colour change when using her maiden powers is because the Farron bloodline has a strong connection to magic. A sign of that strong connection is if the hair colour changes.
"That's a lot to take in," Cloud said.
"Well, you'll have time to wrap your head around it once this battle is over," Raven said and uses her Keyblade to open the door but they were opening too slowly for her liking so she quickens it with a fire blast.
Cloud rushed in to find his uniform and Buster Sword. Cinder meanwhile picks up the scent of Keyblade and armour. She found it in a static field. "So it's true, one of the unions was helping him," Raven said with a mix of anger and disappointment as she spotted a familiar symbol on the machine. She uses her Keyblade to not undo the locks but to break the machine.
Now that her Keyblade was freed, Cinder called it back but was horrified by how damaged it was. She gripped her Keyblade with anger when she picked up the scent of who broke her keyblade in this unusable state. Her anger triggered her Maiden powers. Raven put a hand on Cinder's shoulder and said, "That accursed Foreteller will get what's coming to them,"
Cinder calms down and her Maiden powers deactivate, "Yeah, I just need to get stronger," she then spots something on the wall that shocks Cinder to her core, "Is that?! No! It can't be?!" hanging on the wall a tapestry of King Arthur. "My father had this made for me on my fifth birthday!" Cinder gasped. It's just as she remembers, King Arthur is standing tall and proud and holding Excalibur in their hands. Their head is turned to the right.
"That bastard sure loves his trophies," Raven growls. She then spots something right under the tapestry. It was Cinder's breastplate and helmet on a mannequin. Next to it resting on a stand is a sword resembling the one in the tapestry. A perfect replica of Excalibur. The words, "I am that is" are inscribed on the blade.
Picking it up, Raven takes it to Cinder, "You know, I was confused when your father told me he commissioned this sword to be made. Why would you give your daughter a sword as a birthday gift? He told me he wanted you to live a normal life but that's not the world we live in sadly. So he had this sword made in hopes it can protect you and help fulfill your dreams. A weapon can be a symbol more than a tool of death," Raven said.
"My very own Excalibur," Cinder said with a soft smile and moved her hand over the sword. She is feeling both angry and sad. Angry that Jacques not only raided her home but stole from it too. The reason why she's sad is that it took so long to get this sword and tapestry back. But she has them back now and that's what matters.
"You should know that this Excalibur has no magical powers like in the stories. It's just a well-made sword. Nothing more," Raven said.
Cinder nods, "I know, it's the person who makes the weapon. You told me that," she said and took Excalibur. The replacement of her Keyblade and her new main weapon because the Yamato is currently working double time in absorbing all the excess darkness her Shadow Aura is giving her. She takes a moment to admire it. The handle and hilt are blue and gold and the blade is steel gray.
"Now, let's get that armour on you," Raven smiles.
"Yeah," Cinder smiles and takes off her cape. It took no time to get the breastplate and helmet on Cinder. Raven left Cinder's cape on the mannequin.
Just then Cinder and Raven hear an explosion nearby. They ran outside the treasure room but stopped when large dark purple chunks of ice were sent flying their way. They dodged it. They looked at who launched those chunks of ice. It was the secret weapon Amber was talking about. Aqua, the Schnee everyone thought died a long time ago. Though she looked like she hasn't aged a day her appearance looks ghastly.
Her white hair is shabby and unkempt, her skin white as snow with purple veins on her neck and face, and her eyes are red and white. The clothes she once wore are now dark indigo and white.
It was then Cinder and Raven noticed Aqua dragging an unconscious Cloud. He looked badly beaten. But how? With her sharp hearing, she could have heard Cloud fighting Aqua.
Aqua groans like a zombie and throws Cloud at Cinder and Raven. Cinder held her head because her Shadow Aura is reacting to Aqua.
Jacques' voice can be heard through the earpiece Aqua is wearing, "I want to introduce to you the new and improved Aqua! I like to call her SA001 as she is the first to receive Shadow Aura! Though I had to put her on ice to properly monitor her progress. Only now that her Shadow Aura is complete. I can show the world the power it can give to the people!"
"You did this to your daughter, are there no levels you won't sink to?!" Raven shouts.
"It's her fault. She constantly questions everything I do and ruins all the grand plans I had in store. She went from the greatest thorn in my side to my loyal servant," Jacques laughs, "Now SA001! Kill the intruders attacking my castle! But not the Faunus King, she had the same Shadow Aura as you. Break her spirit and make her into my next servant,"
Cinder points Excalibur at Aqua, "I'll never serve you! I'll break Aqua free from your control and take back this land to where it belongs! To the hands of the Faunus!" Cinder roared.
Jacques laughs, "You can try. Now SA001! Attack,"
With another zombie-like moan, Aqua summons fake Grimm at Raven. They pushed Raven back and Aqua quickly creates a barrier around her and Cinder. Cinder looks back at Raven. She can see Raven shouting something as she fights Aqua's Grimm copies but can't hear anything. Cinder then realizes this is why she didn't hear Cloud fighting Aqua.
What she can hear is Aqua rushing at her and about to attack. Cinder quickly turns around and blocks Aqua's attack with Excalibur. "Such a magnificent sword. It's wasted on animals like you," Jacques said with a bored tone.
"Shut up!" Cinder growls. She pushes Aqua back and quickly slashes and destroys the earpiece Aqua was wearing, "Now it's only me and you!" Cinder shouts and points her sword at Aqua again. Cinder needs to end this fight fast because she can feel the corruption of her Shadow Aura growing the longer she stays in this barrier.
If Cinder takes too long, she will end up becoming like Aqua.
A/N: Aqua's appearance in this chapter is based on Shadow Lugia from Pokémon XD Gale of Darkness. The code name Jacques gives Aqua is a reference to Shadow Lugia's code name which was XD001. The best way to describe Cinder's Excalibur is it's a mix between the Excalibur from the Fate series and Link's Master Sword. The encryption on Cinder's Excalibur is a reference to an old show I watched as a kid called Redwall. It has a sword that has that encryption.