A/N: All of the thanks to actualbampot for proofreading this!
Cinder never thought she'd be back here. Or rather she hoped not. The murky red sky and barren wastelands sprouting black stalactites and even darker pools of churning liquid, not unlike the dread in her stomach, had her mind buzzing with anxiety. Not to mention the tingling sensation in her left arm that had steadily become all the more prominent as the airship flew further over the Grimmlands.
Her left arm. Cinder subconsciously clutched at it, a way of comfort, for as much as she'd like to deny it the Grimm prosthetic made it blatantly clear that she was afraid. There was no way to escape her feelings. Not while the appendage remained, attached to the source of her Maiden prowess that left it regrowing, even in the sight of silver eyes.
The people and parts of herself that she'd given away for power, without realizing that all she gained were shackles, were memories not easily forgotten. Especially not in this, or any other moment: Because no one would let her. She gave her past away to the Grimm Queen who had long ago decided to forsake the humanity of others and for herself. And hope for the future had been claimed by those Cinder wronged. She was forced from one cage to another, canon fodder meant to wipe away the blood covering Remnant.
Or as they prefered to be called, Huntsmen… Huntresses.
The moment the Grimm Queen had been defeated, the next target naturally fell on her head. But that sense of morality they love holding over their opponents' heads left them no choice but to treat her with begrudging courtesy. Back then she might have been smug about it if victory didn't feel so hollow, leaving her knowing that she didn't have anything else in this world. The simple realisation left her… tired, enough so that the glorified cell they kept her in hardly required the dozens of additional mechs and security. Not that they would have mattered if the woman put her mind to escaping. But where would she go? Back then, for the time being, she had been content.
Of course it wasn't meant to last.
While Cinder was still at odds with the concept of humanity's protectors, the woman would be lying if she said her existence was stifling. Whether Cinder wanted to be or not, she couldn't call herself lonely.
How ironic, if not aggravating, that she and Ruby always managed to find one another when their paths would inescapably cross. Whether it be the Battle of Beacon, Remnant or in the oddly unfulfilling aftermath, there they were, staring at each other through thick Dust-laced windows.
Ruby's company had been unwanted, Cinder made that very clear. Be it out of pure spite, or determination for some unknown cause, Ruby kept visiting.
Small talk, friendly conversation, a rare heart-to-heart...
Cinder would be lying if she said Ruby hadn't become her sole confidant and a trusted… well, she wasn't quite sure where she'd place their relationship. Regardless, Cinder knew that she had Ruby to thank for all the good in her life, whether she realized it or not. So how could Cinder say no when those silver eyes, the eyes she used to hate and fear, looked pleadingly at her when Ruby cautiously asked if she'd be willing to go with her on this mission.
The mission; to travel to the very depths of the Grimmlands, and have Ruby destroy each and every pool of Grimm she came across before meeting up at the rendezvous point five days later. When she first heard of it Cinder was furious. Her cell's temperature had spiked ten degrees, eye blazing with a golden aura. Going off in an angered rant that even had the guts hesitant to approach, Cinder could feel the blackened skin of her left arm singing for bloodshed. Not for Ruby's blood, never, but those cowards sitting on the Council who thought they could just throw Ruby in front of any problem, and hope she fixes it.
And worst yet is that she-
"Hey." Cinder blinked, pulled from her thoughts, finding herself staring at a concerned pair of silver eyes. "What's wrong?"
It was only then that Cinder noticed that the turmoil of her thoughts left her painfully clutching at her left arm. The woman loosened her grip with a sigh, still mulling over her words.
"Is it your arm? Do you need me to-"
"No."
Ruby flinched at the bite in the other's tone, Cinder instantly regretting it. Turning to Ruby, Cinder allowed herself to get a proper look at the woman who hadn't left her side since they boarded the airship. Ruby's ruffled hair and dark rings under her eyes made it clear that her attempts at getting much needed rest had been all for naught. The gravity of this mission was weighing heavily on her slumped shoulders and Cinder cursed herself for believing Ruby would think otherwise. But regardless of how they felt Cinder knew that dragging up these emotions would do them no good, especially with how volatile those feelings could be in this atmosphere.
With a resigned sigh Cinder put her anger to rest. Her voice dropped to a murmur, giving Ruby a pointed look.
"It's you I should be concerned about."
"You know I'm a Huntress, right? Killing Grimm is part of the job," Ruby said with a slight jest. Cinder couldn't help but to play along, both trying to lift the darkening atmosphere.
"I thought you finally shed those childish delusions of heroism."
Ruby shot her a sly smile, teasingly bumping against Cinder's shoulder. "I mean, I did kinda save the world once."
Cinder exhaled in amusement. "Cocky as well."
"I have you to blame for that." The small smile stretching across Cinder's face didn't quite meet her eyes. The ensuing silence made their attention drift, to the sudden darkness of clouds overhead, shifting Ruby's tone to something softer. "And to thank, for coming with me."
Closing her eyes Ruby allowed herself momentary comfort as she rested her head against Cinder's shoulder. Even though the leather glove stretching up her left arm would only separate Ruby's cheek from the human part of her arm, that didn't stop the odd sense of warmth spreading through the blackened flesh. A sensation that was attributed to Ruby alone. Once again too occupied by her whirring thoughts to realise that she hadn't replied, Ruby was left to half guiltily lay her feelings bare.
"I know you don't think the council should have asked me to go on this mission..." Ruby, unflinching in her conviction. "But if there is a chance that it can help us kill the Grimm once and for all… that's a chance I'm willing to take."
The softness in Cinder's eye lasted but a moment, instantly hardened by ingrained fatalism. A world without Grimm? Without sin? Nothing but a foolish dream. The world had been warped in darkness long before the Grimm Queen's rise in power, and it will stay that way long after her fall. Cinder was sure of that, even if a part of her didn't want to be. For if Ruby was willing to entertain such a lofty idea, it means that she was willing to cast her dream of being a Huntress, to the side.
Ruby was no longer a naïve child. A tad too optimistic for Cinder's liking, but even she knew that this was not how Ruby had pictured everything turning out. It hardly ever is, but hadn't the silver-eyed warrior? been robbed enough? A glorified war-hero who's only constant in her life was her scythe, the occasional mission, and the company of a False Maiden.
Cinder's expression soured at the thought, lying through her teeth: "I understand." Still, she placed her gloved hand on Ruby's thigh, what little comfort she was able to provide. She didn't miss how Ruby smiled in turn, laying her hand atop the other's. A gesture, that once, would have had Cinder pull away immediately. How long had it been? Cinder didn't allow herself to dwell on the thought, preoccupied in watching the other woman absentmindedly lace their fingers together. It made everything else so easy to forget, wrapped up in a momentary comfort that was not meant to last.
"You'll be deploying in ten minutes." One of the crew members said without so much as a glimmer of emotion.
And just like that Cinder's dread was born anew.
Not that Ruby was left without the sentiment. As she grabbed her backpack, securing a number of dust vials around her belt and straps around her thighs, Cinder did not miss how Ruby's grip trembled slightly around Crescent Rose. The woman contemplated saying something.
"Deployment in five." The crew member cut in again, only to be scared off by Cinder's glare as Ruby's shoulders went rigid. With the aggravation still evident on Cinder's face, the woman swatted Ruby's hand away to take over securing and adjusting the straps of the backpack herself. Nothing Ruby couldn't do herself, but why watch her fuss over these little things when the mundane task gave Cinder a much needed distraction.
And yet, no matter how hard they tried to look the other way, sooner or later they would have to face the barren landscape, with the wind whipping through their hair. Standing at the opened door, with the countdown in the back of their minds, their eyes settled on each other.
An affirmation? A search for comfort?
Who could say for sure.
"Shall we?" Cinder asked out of habit. And just like the countless missions before, despite the odds and impending dread, Ruby found the will to smile, soft in a way Cinder couldn't place. Ruby wrapped her arm around her waist, as if it had been the most natural thing in the world.
"After you."
The gesture never failed to surprise Cinder, even if one wouldn't be able to tell by her expression. Rather than letting herself dwell on the reality of the situation, Cinder held onto Ruby and stepped off the platform with audacious grace. Calling forth her Maiden powers Cinder halted their descent, gently placing them on the ground before hastily pulling away to survey the area.
All clear.
Ruby wasted no time in taking out her scroll, frowning as the screen flickered. Satellite or not, the orbital CCT connection proved to be unreliable in this part of Remnant. They would have to make due with offline coordinates. Ruby's attention switched between the screen and road ahead. A gorge, followed by two peaks peering over the horizon.
"The first two pools should be within 5 kilometers of each other. We can do those today and hit up the rest as we go."
Looking up at Cinder's silence, Ruby followed the latter's gaze to the distant shapes of Grimm, circling the gathering storm clouds. As if on cue thunder rumbled in warning. Ruby, unsure, asked:
"You sure it won't rain?"
Throughout her time spent here under the Grimm Queen's watch, clouds overhead yielded nothing but thunderstorms.
"Regardless, I'd rather not be here for it."
Ruby nodded. "Then we should get moving."
With the gorge's walls stretching along either side it wasn't long until small puddles of black liquid started cropping up here and there. Watching her step, Cinder could feel her back burn as small red eyes peered at them from the holes in the rock formations. Curious, but smart enough to know not to come any closer.
Good.
When they finally arrived at their target, the sulphur stench of the black liquid made both women recoil, faces drained of colour. Tucking half her face behind the red fabric of her cape, and slipping her tactical glasses over her eyes, Ruby stepped closer. Cinder fought the urge to pull her back: If one of them were safe getting that close, it would be the Silver Eyed Warrior.
At the foot of the pool Ruby glanced over her shoulder, giving Cinder a knowing look. The latter acknowledged with a nod. Neither of them wishing to risk having that putrid aroma invading her mouth. Taking position atop the gorge behind Ruby, Cinder had the perfect vantage point whilst still being out of harm's way.
The woman knew without a doubt that Ruby wouldn't intentionally hurt her, and while Cinder was finally able to look Ruby in the eye without flinching, the flashing white light still struck memories of fear and agony into her mind. The simple sight of it made the prosthetic limb crawl up her shoulder, as if desperately trying to cling to its existence.
While most Grimm knew better than to stray close to the light, the curiosity of newly birthed Grimm led them closer and closer to the Grimm pool. Their lack of world experience however, meant that they were easily picked off with a fireball or blazing falchion. Whether they were going to be vaporized or not, Cinder would risk them getting close. The simple routine of Ruby chipping away at the black liquid while Cinder picked off stray Grimm and kept an eye on Ruby's aura levels, continued until Cinder was willing to snuff out her swords for the time being.
Her attention settled on Ruby once more. From what the woman knew of the frothing black liquid, Cinder was certain that one drop would just replace another faster than it could be destroyed. So when Cinder found herself gazing at the charred bottom of the pool, the woman felt a strange warmth blooming in her chest.
Relief? Pride?
Whichever it was, Cinder was grateful for the release of tension in her neck and shoulders. Ruby stepped onto the dried bed, a sure sign that the threat had been taken care of. Cinder swiftly made her descent, following Ruby's gaze to the small network of crimson roots diving in and out of the ground.
Cinder narrowed her eyes at the sight.
"I couldn't destroy them with my eyes," Ruby explained as she turned back to face the other. "I don't think they're Grimm."
Making no indication that she heard Ruby, Cinder brandished a flaming falchion. Drawing closer and closer to the roots Cinder felt an excited tingling in her arm.
"Perhaps not all Grimm can be destroyed by those eyes for yours."
"Cinder, wai-"
The blade sliced clean through, roots spilling more of the black liquid that instantly had Ruby and Cinder recoiling in cautious shock.
"Or it was simply encased in something Grimm wouldn't take interest in." Cinder finished, keeping a close eye as Ruby tip-toed closer, brandishing a concealed dagger that slid out of Crescent Rose's inactive form.
"Maybe not, but I think Doctor Oobleck would appreciate it…" The woman trailed off in thought, occupied in slicing off bits of the plant. "Huh." Surprised to see the pieces intact instead of disintegrating into thin air. Once the samples had been secured into a small see-through container in her backpack, Ruby turned her attention to her surroundings.
"How's the storm?"
Cinder didn't even need to look up. "Stagnant, but who knows for how long."
"We'll hit one more for the day before making camp?"
Cinder wanted to object. It has long since passed noon and Ruby's aura level, nearly half depleted, flashed at the back of her mind.
Ruby perked up, as if sensing the other's indecision. "Did you say something?"
Cinder remained silent.
By the time they got to the next pool the rumbling thunder had resumed and Cinder felt an ache in her legs. The landscape had flattened out to only a few slanted outcroppings of rocks that they'd eyed for possible shelter. Not only that, but the two of them had their weapons drawn the entire time as the Grimm grew all the more familiar with their presence.
"Be careful." Cinder warned as Ruby lowered Crescent Rose to approach the next Grimmpool. This one, a tad larger than the last. "The Grimm seem on edge."
Ruby squeezed Cinder's hand in comfort. "I will." A nervous smile played on her lips. "Watch my back?" More wanting to hear Cinder say it than anything else. Cinder brushed her thumb over the back of Ruby's hand.
"Of course."
The moment they pulled away, Cinder instinctively wanted to reach out as that odd sense of warmth faded from memory. But the thought was a fleeting one. A new wave of Grimm made it apparent that they were much more interested in those silver flashes of light. Or rather, the person bringing them to existence.
Cinder's job just became a lot harder. Flying through the sky there was hardly any time to catch her breath between killing Grimm and keeping an eye on Ruby while staying out of harm's way. Just as she was starting to settle into the rhythm of it all, ignoring the impending fatigue, a Manticore dove from the clouds above.
Her Grimm prosthetic felt the danger well before the beast uttered an incoherent screech. Cinder veered to the side, dodging the attack, tracking back to keep a safe distance meant that she was straying into Ruby's range of fire.
The next flash of light went off, grazing against Cinder's arm, shooting a searing pain through the limb, flesh bubbling into liquid as it crawled across her shoulder. Out of instinct she clutched at her arm, gritting her teeth, too lost in the pain to notice the Manticore swooping towards her.
When Cinder did, it was far too late to react, but a resounding shot from Crescent Rose had the Manticore dissolving in a matter of seconds.
Cinder's scroll beeped with an incoming call.
"Are you alright?"
It took Cinder a moment to reply, unable to hide her annoyance. "The Grimm are taking notice of our little extermination." As if on cue, a distant swarm of Griffins and Manticores roared with the accompanying thunder, and Cinder growled in frustration. "You have two minutes before we're surrounded." And by the looks of Ruby's aura level, that is not a place Cinder wanted to be.
"Got it."
Cinder didn't waste any more time as she dashed towards the incoming Grimm. Her eye darted about, focused on her surroundings: The Grimm diving at her from above, the pack of Beowolves and the clouds flashing with lightning. But despite the anxiety of knowing that she was all that stood between the Grimm and Ruby, it had always been easy to slip into the familiar rhythm of battle. The physical exertion and release of all that pent up frustration and anger had always been a way to clear her head, or a welcoming distraction. But the moment was not meant to last: As Cinder finished clearing away the rest of the Grimm, Ruby's aura dropped another sizable chunk. Luckily Ruby's voice, calm if not tired, sounded through the notification.
"All done. These roots do not like me, but I wanna swing by tomorrow and see how long clearing away the pools actually lasts."
"I'll come get you."
The moment she dropped down in front of the other, Cinder immediately noticed the gash running down Ruby's cheek. Cinder fixed Ruby with a pointed look but said nothing. It was only after they found a small cave half hidden by the raised ground around it, with a fire going at the entrance, that the woman started poking and prodding.
"Careless again, were we?" The woman muttered as she gently titled Ruby's head to the side. The cut was not deep enough to leave a scar and stretched down to her neck. Aura would naturally take care of the injury but Cinder wouldn't leave any kind of infection up to chance.
The gash criss-crossed over a matching pair of four other scars across her cheek that would forever be a source of guilt for Cinder. But instead of letting herself get dragged down by the past, the woman decided to be grateful for those tactical glasses this time around. The goggles of which lay discarded in a corner along with Crescent Rose, Ruby's backpack and ammunition.
"Caught off guard." Ruby mumbled half guiltily, explaining only when Cinder cocked a brow in turn. "The roots... vines... they came at me just as my powers went off. My eyes don't do anything to them." Cinder uttered a low hum in turn. Concerned, but unsure what to say, if she should say something.
With a bottle of disinfectant and cotton cloth in one hand Cinder tipped it over until she felt the cool liquid seeping through. The woman gave Ruby an apologetic look before unapologetically pressing it to the wound and dabbing along the gash. Ruby's face scrunched up with a wince, and while Cinder felt pity for her pain, the woman couldn't help but to find the expression amusing. Of all the injuries Ruby has brushed off, a little sting always did the trick. With the cloth discarded in her lap Cinder rummaged through the emergency kit for a few plasters.
"Did I hurt you?" Cinder stiffened ever so slightly. Of course Ruby noticed she wasn't using her left hand. Cinder's gave Ruby a dismissing wave but her expression remained oddly stoic, tone scolding. "One would think you'd learn after today. To keep Grimm away from injuries, regardless of those eyes of yours."
But rather than firing back with a jest, Ruby looked distraught. Her voice quivered with emotion. "Don't say that."
Cinder felt another unwelcomed pang of guilt, ready to ignore it with a newfound interest in the emergency kit. But Ruby was having none of that. She lifted her hand to Cinder's cheek, prompting the woman to look her in the eye, unflinching in a way that had Cinder caught off guard.
"Don't talk about yourself like that. I don't… you're not…"
Ruby had always been vocal about these things, about how Cinder saw and treated herself as if it affected Ruby personally, which was now blatantly clear in those shimmering silver eyes of hers. Even if Cinder still wasn't able to understand this kind of empathy, her unwillingness to shove down another wave of guilt, left her to concede with a heavy sigh.
"Old habits die hard." Cinder's eye automatically shifted to the faded scars on Ruby's cheek. Upon noticing the direction of Cinder's attention, Ruby's tone went from hurt to comforting as she cupped the woman's face.
"You know that was an accident. One that was my fault."
An accident, but Cinder was reluctant to put the blame on Ruby. At the time they were still trying to find the best way on how to deal with the ever growing arm. For as long as Cinder had her Maiden powers, the limb would remain, attached to the magic she stole. A fitting punishment really. But Ruby wasn't the person to sit idly by and watch people suffer. On that particular occasion, Ruby came by to test her arm's reaction on different types of Dust after a regular scalpel proved to be incapable.
At that stage of their relationship, if one could call it that, Cinder had begrudgingly accepted Ruby's familiar presence. The woman had been nervous, but comfortable enough around Ruby to let the woman cut away at the black strands crawling up her arm. Occasionally offering her a disgruntled hum or wince if need be.
Electric and Fire Dust, while effective, was not as precise and would damage healthy skin more than anything else. A blade made out of Hard Light Dust could pick apart molecules, but that came with excruciating pain and Ruby didn't have the heart to continue. Ice Dust had been the last option, but instantly worked as the best. The blade was precise with each cut while the coolness could soothe and numb the pain. It offered Cinder a welcomed relief that had Ruby settle into a calming rhythm as she worked. Perhaps the lighter atmosphere meant that Ruby hadn't been paying close enough attention, or that she had been so engrossed that she didn't notice how the fingers of her off hand slipped between the gap in Cinder's forearm, instantly triggering phantom pains and dysphoria that had Cinder ripping away with a vicious, reactive gash across Ruby's face.
Cinder recalled how they'd been frozen in place, too shocked to even process what happened, and Cinder didn't know what was worse: The fact that Ruby had let her guard down, trusting her enough to feel safe, or that Cinder had betrayed that trust.
Cinder shut her eyes for a moment, erasing those thoughts.
"My arm is fine." A white lie, Cinder convinced herself, was justified in keeping negative feelings at bay. Her voice, suddenly tinged with dry amusement. "The only thing you should concern yourself with is how you are planning on turning those cans of sludge into dinner."
Ruby took to it instantly, mood brightened with a cheeky smile. "Then prepared to be amazed."
Ruby had always been a wonderful cook, but even this might have been out of her capabilities. They were each given only two cans of food a day, and that had been a random mixture of meat and vegetables that didn't taste like much at all. Even so, the woman managed to cook it all evenly in a can under blazing coals. Despite the questionable taste, Cinder savoured the meal for how it warmed her up from the inside, providing a momentary sense of comfort.
And if they wanted it to stay warm the women had to finish their meal in a matter of seconds, lest the wind cool it down. While the days were manageable, once night fell so did the temperature. Winds were blisteringly cold and Cinder was grateful for the remaining clouds that kept most of the warmth trapped inside, for Ruby did not have the luxury that was Cinder's semblance.
Of course clouds presented another problem: Lightning flashed in the distance.
"It's getting late." Cinder stated as she got up. "I'll take the first watch."
Ruby shook her head, following after Cinder as she finished her last spoonful. "Let me. You've... you've been dealing with Grimm all day." The woman said it as if she hadn't been vaporizing Grimm since the moment they landed, but Ruby pressed on with a teasing smile. "Besides, you're on breakfast duty."
Cinder breathed out a long exhale. The woman could come up with a dozen excuses but the last thing she wanted was another avoidable argument. It had been a while since she was required to use her Maiden Powers at such a constant rate. Cinder really was… tired.
"Very well."
Not missing a beat, Ruby wrapped Cinder in a comforting embrace. "Goodnight." Her words muffled against Cinder's chest, soft in a way that made the woman's eyes flutter to a close and return the gesture in kind.
"Goodnight."