Here's the next one for you guys. Here, we meet Cinder and finally start to get other POV's besides Dorian. Welp, let's get into it.
Reviews:
Scurra: Gald to know I got a fan in you bud. Feels nice.
XorDart: Well that's unfortunate there bud, to each their own. Quick question though. What was it that made you lose interest?
I dont own rwby or media referenced.
So right now I'm on a bullhead with Qrow and we're flying on our way to meet a Amber, who's a little ways away from Vale proper.
Honestly I dont know how in the hell Ozpin has stayed in power for so long if he doesnt keep important 'chess pieces' strategically placed. There was no reason why Amber should have been alone and so easily ambushed. She should have at least lived in the city or hell even on Beacon Schoolgrounds itself.
Tactical genius my ass. I say as much as well to Qrow.
"I know what you mean Dorian. I've been questioning it as well. I mean if shes so damn important, why wouldn't she live in a secure location? Did you know the reason why she lives outside the city is because she lives alone in the woods? Apparently after her power manifested, Salem sent Tyrian to her families farm and he tortured them to death. At least that's what she told me herself. *sigh* I look at how she is and cant help but feel like hit her too hard. Shes only 19." Qrow says a bit unbidden.
Not that I mind though, I'm sure its cuz hes nervous right now. I guess he picked up the nervous rambling from being around Summer so long.
"Qrow... calm down dude. She'll be fine. We're going a half hour in advance and we know what is gonna happen. Cinder won't survive. Even if she does make it out, it'll probably be at the expense of one or both of her lackies." I say punching him in the shoulder just as the pilot tells us we reached the DZ(drop zone).
"Showtime kid. Let's do this." Qrow says as he jumps from the bullhead and I hear a slam on the ground
"Hell yeah ScareQrow." I say as I jump out as well and use air pressure to slow my fall until I lightly step to the ground.
I look around and all I see is a dirt road next to a wooden face that leads to a farm in the distance. Just behind me is the tree line that leads to where Amber is.
It's the same place as in the show where Cinder stole part of the Maiden Powers.
"Showoff."
"Hey when you got it, flaunt it." I say and move towards the tree line and take Luna and Sol off my belt and start walking towards the trees and Qrow follows while taking his mechashift scythe off his back.
"So what's the plan now that we're here? Amber isn't due to meet us for another half hour and we havnt seen Cinder." Qrow asks impatiently.
"Calm down ScareQrow. We wait. We'll hide in the tree line and try to meet with Amber before she gets out in the open and we give her the extra visor so she can be defended against Emerald. We defend her from Cinder. You said her Maiden powers were over wind and fire right? Then that means she is perfect counter to Mercury and Cinder herself. However we will be taking this as three seperate fights. I'll take Cinder, get her mad and to readily to make mistakes just to shut me up. You take Emerald, I suggest shifting straight to Scythe form so you have the necessary range to deal with her Kusarigamas. Well have Amber be ranged support and be a distraction for Mercury while she makes his semblance useless. Of course no plan survives contact with the enemy, but we'll improvise as the situation goes and burn that bridge after we cross it." I say twirling Luna around my finger while using my semblance to try and vibrate the air so I can make music with it. Then I remember to give Qrow his mask for Emerald and give him a Plague Doctor mask.
Cuz I gotta have my little jokes and references.
Also if I learn to make music with my semblance, I can listen to music from my old world and even have some fight music.
One of these days I'm gonna have a dramatic entrance and on that day I want music playing for the occasion.
"What's that you're doing there kid?" Qrow asks as he grabs the mask from my hand and puts it on having it hang on the side of his head until its needed.
"Oh just trying to learn how to vibrate the air so I can make music with my semblance. I wanna make a dramatic entrance one day with music in the background and I know a few songs that'll be amazing for it." I explained.
"Sometimes I wonder how you can be so smart but so stupid at the same time." Qrow says while facepalming.
"Hey dont knock on my sense of showmanship. The appropriate music can make or break a situation." I say with a pout and crossed arms.
"Yeah sure~." Qrow deadpans. Then turns to look down the road so he can look for Amber while I continue trying to make music.
With very little success.
About 15 minutes later, we both see a tall woman wearing a tan cloak walking towards us and out of the forest.
Qrow, obviously recognizing her, gets out of cover and walks towards her and I follow suit.
As we get closer I get a good look at Amber and take in what she looks like.
Amber has a light brown mocha complexion, with shoulder-length, straight brown hair. She has a beauty mark below her left eye. She is wearing a long, green hooded cloak on top of an off-white blouse with frill detailing on the shoulders, pleated lower half with a central split, alongside a brown vest that has three straps and golden lining around the collar. She has a dark brown corset with matching pants, as well as a pair of brown thigh-high boots with large cuffs and golden armour plating covering the boots up to her knees.
She also has an amber pendant on her vest, a gold bracer on her left arm, and two gold bracelets on her right wrist. Finally, she has a golden spaulder on her right shoulder as well as a brown shoulder strap with some pouches slung diagonally across her body.
"Qrow, who's that with you and why are you both wearing masks?" Amber says with suspicion and I can feel the air slightly shift towards her as if slowly turning into a storm.
"Dont worry Amber, this is Dorian and hes a friend. He's the one I told you about who knows who is after you. His contacts have it on good authority that those after you are making their move starting today. As for the masks, one of the assassins has an illusion ability based on them being able to see your eyes. Here we got one for you too." He explains and gestures for me to give her her mask.
Doing so I give her an mocha colored domino mask that blends with her face and makes it look like she has no eyes.
"Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Dorian. I'm here to be the thorn in the side of the assassins. Now put on this mask when you feel ready and we can get going." I say as I hand her the mask and shake her hand.
"Hi I'm Amber. So how did you find out about this entire Maiden business?" She says as she takes and puts on the mask. "Whoa, it feels like I'm not even wearing this thing. I can see perfectly. What's this made out of?"
"Oh it's made of a special silk and crystal that I can make using my semblance. Rather convenient I say." I reply with a smirk and we walk towards the field.
"So Amber before we continue, we should explain the abilities of the assassins. There will be a sultry black haired one by the name of Cinder who can turn sand, gravel, dirt, Dust, and stone to superheated glass that she can manipulate. Then we have the mocha skinned green haired one whos named Emerald, that when she can see your eyes, is able to make you see illusions. Then after that one will be the grey haired smartass, named Mercury, who will shoot air bullets and shotgun blasts. His legs are prosthetic and have shotguns in the heels. Which is lame by the way. Everyone knows that Shotgun Knees, are where its at." I say expediently.
SHOTGUN KNEES!
"So you have a good idea of who we're fighting. Who takes who?" Amber says with a raised eyebrow.
"I'll take Cinder since I can directly counter her. ScareQrow here will take Emerald. You will take Mer-" I'm interrupted as out of the corner of my eye I see a fast moving flash of light.
Without even thinking, I stick out my hand in front if Amber's chest and grab a superheated glass arrow out of mid air. Approximately 3 inches away from Amber's chest and right lung.
"Well then, looks like we have company." I say as the glass arrow turns to dust in my hand and I look towards the middle of the road where I see the aforementioned assassins with a gaping Emerald and Mercury. Then I look past them to see Cinder with gritted teeth knocking another arrow and pointing it at us.
-POV change Cinder-
As I knock another arrow, I cant help but think that today just isn't going to be as easy as I thought it would be.
How dare these worms get in the way of my power.
"Who are you? What business do you have interloping?" I say to the tall one with horns, scales, and dressed in black and white.
He looks like a humanoid Grimm. Is this the Child that Mistress Salem has talked about?
The one who will destroy so many of our carefully laden plans. Of "My" plans. This cannot be allowed.
"Oh Cinderelly, Cinderelly. We have to get you to the ball to meet your Prince. We must take care though, your wicked stepsisters and Lady Tremaine will do everything in their power to stop you." The Creature says with a smirk and faux innocence.
HOW DOES HE KNOW!? I killed everyone involved. I left their corpses scattered as broken glass.
"AAAAAUGH!" I intoned with every fiber of my being wanting to destroy this beast in front of me as I launch arrow after arrow towards him. Ignoring everyone else as I focus intently on the horned one. The ground around me glassing and cracking.
"Oooh, looks like that's a new record for me. Hey ScareQrow, told you I could get her rageing with one sentence. You owe me two hundred Lien." He says with a smirk as every arrow an arrow hits him it turns to dust.
"I should have known better than to take that bet. I swear you have a gift for it." The one with a crow mask runs towards Emerald as his weapon switches from a great sword to a Scythe.
"Wait you made bets? Why didnt you tell me? I would have taken up that bet." The Maiden says while flying towards Mercury and throwing him back with a blade of air.
Everything is already going wrong. Must calm down.
"How do you know about that beast? Tell me." I say preparing to spear him through as he grows ever closer to me.
"Oh please, surely Mami Salami would have told you I know things. Though I really must say, I never expected your semblance to be so weak against mine. I mean I know mine is fucking broken, but I though that someone of your caliber would at least give me a challenge. Guess I should have only expected as much from a week and broken woman as yourself. Tell me? What did Lady Tremaine say as you killed her daughters in front of her for their years of abuse and torture? Did she call you a beast? Did she say how she should have killed you like she did your father? Then again... I'm really just guessing here. All I have is rumors and an old fairytale to go off of dear Cinderella." He says as he nonchalantly walks within my domain of superheated glass.
"Shut up! You know nothing about me! You know nothing about what I've suffered from. 16 years of abuse and torture until I took matters into my own hands." I seethe with rage as, even though I cant see his eyes, he looks at me with boredom and apathy. He doesnt get go judge.
"So in response, instead of just offing them and being done with it and growing past the pain l, you decided that in the pursuit of power, you'd do the same to other, what Lady Tremaine did to you? Wow, your dad must be rolling in his grave to see his little girl grow into such a monster to work with the-" I interrupt the Beast as he talks more about things he has no right to know.
16 years of physical, mental, and sexual abuse. 16 years of torture at the hands of the woman who killed my father and destroyed all I loved.
What the hell did he mean by a Fairytale.
Pushing that thought out of my mind, I launch a spear of glass into his chest and grin as it strikes home. This idiot thought himself invincible.
"Is that the best you got? It felt like my little sister trying to punch me... nah, she hits harder." He says as my glass spear crumbles into ash and I see how his chest is covered in scales that have cracked but glow like the night sky.
Wait, scales, horns, cocky invincible attitude. Emerald has told me about him.
"You, you're the Dragon of Mistral. Dorian Nikos." I say upon my realization and look to see Mercury missing his prosthetics, trying to crawl away, and Emerald bleeding from a slash on her arm, he revolver kamas hanging limp in her arms.
"Yes, that name. I'm not even the one who came up with it, I got a fan club calling me that as someone with a flame semblance scorched me and I ate the fire. Couldn't properly taste anything for weeks." He says stepping through the glass.
I have to run. Mercury is lost and Emerald can escape by herself easy.
"And there she realizes the futility of her endeavor. See now before you run away, which I'll allow. I want you to take off that parasite glove and give it to me. Then, I want you to think long and hard about why you ACTUALLY believed that at the end of the day, Salem wouldn't just take the Maiden powers from you and leave you for dead once you were no longer needed. He entire objective is to destroy humanity and the kingdoms. Why would she let a human such as yourself even live with some modicum of power? What went through your head exactly to come to that conclusion?" He says with contempt.
Then he does something I would have never expected.
He gently takes my hand and takes the glove off.
"Cinder... I truly pity you. All you knew was rage and horror. In the end of the day you could only do what you thought was best to get out of your hell. Along the way though, you lost sight of who you were and became what you despised. You knew that and so your rage only grew until you became a beast that not even your father would love. Cinder I'm giving you this chance and this chance only. Walk away. Forsake Salem. Say fuck it and just live your life and find happiness. Take Emerald and Mercury and disappear. Or hey, join with us. Just cuz Salem cant be killed, doesnt mean she cant be stopped. Either way, this is your only chance." He tells me as he caresses my face.
Why? Why do his words sound so tempting? Why do I actually want to walk away? Why do I want to be weak again?
He must be a demon in disguise, trying to tempt me to give in.
I won't be weak though, I'll say ill give up. Tactically retreat and get my followers to regroup. I'll only give up my chance for power for the moment. There will be other times.
"Ok..." I say and we steps back.
Walking over to Emerald I say,
"Emerald, we're going, help Mercury find his feet." I order and turn to walk away into the forest.
"But Cind-"
"DONT QUESTION ME ON THIS! This isn't a fight we can currently win. We leave. Mercury, stop crying, let's go."
""Yes Cinder."" Both acknowledged as Emerald gets Mercury's legs and helps reattach them.
"Man, this is gonna be a pain to repair. Dont they know how hard it is to find good prosthetics suitable for combat?" Mercury says following along as his legs creak and crack.
"Cinder. Are we really giving up after all this planning? All this work?" Emerald asks rightly concerned.
"We are only pulling back for now. It seems that I've gained the pity of the Dragon. I'll use that weakness to slay it while it sleeps. We have contingency plans as well. We still have the support of the White Fang. All we need is to prepare to take over the criminal underworld of Vale. We can still make Beacon fall even without the Maiden powers. If anything it will be easier to take the powers during the fall." I explain as we walk off into the night.
- POV CHANGE Dorian-
"So kid, do ya really think that they'll give up?" Qrow says with a doubtful tone. Also looking at the parasite glove in my hand.
Burning it to ash, I turn to him and Amber while also rubbing the cracked scales over my heart.
If i hadn't strengthened them, I'd actually be dead again. Was so damn hard keeping my composure there.
"Honestly? Not right now. She has too much hatred and self righteousness and rage that she isn't thinking with her head anymore. It'll only be after everything crumbles around her when she finally realizes that she wasn't in the right. For now though, I'm just sowing the seeds of doubt and temptation. Believe it or not, she is rather smart. Or at least smarter than most people. She'll realize that Salem is playing her for a fool before it's too late for her. Remember, we need things to go as close to original timeline as possible while also rectifying wrongs so we can make sure everything goes according to our plans. Oz and Salem must fall for the world to truly be at peace and for us to not stagnate in darkness." I say picking up some of Cinder's glass and flipping it through my fingers.
"Dorian, I just met you and already I'm scared. Please dont pull that type of stuff with me." Amber says with a shiver.
"How do ya think I feel. I swear his psychoanalysis shit is terrifying whenever he does it." Qrow says taking off his plague mask.
"You dont have to worry about that Amber, I could find literally no info on you in the original timeline besides you being the Fall Maiden." I say with a smile and a shrug.
"Yeah well, when I do tell you about me, dont do the scary thing." She says taking off her domino mask and shivering some more.
"Scary thing? Really?" Qrow says smirking.
"Oh shut up ScareQrow." Amber says indignantly.
"Well if you two are dont with your little lover's quarrel. I wanna get going back to Patch. Summer is making cake." I say and turn to walk towards Vale in the distance.
""We are not sleeping together!" The both shout.
"He's a thirty something year old drunk." Amber.
"She's a bratty kid." Qrow.
"Ahhh my mistake, I forgot you got something going on with that Winter chick. Who knew you liked the military type." I say with a smirk.
"For the last time me and Winter hate each others guts. There is no way we'd be together." Qrow says vehemently.
Like I havnt noticed that matching bird wing ring they both wear.
"Ok ScareQrow, whatever you say."
That's this one people. Expect another tonight or even in a few hours.
Please let me know what you think. If something feels lacking, explain it and I can see if I can fix it and if I can't, I'll explain why.