A/N: Greetings to all! Hope you all had a fantastic Holiday and what not! Firstly, I want to thank you all for enjoying this little fic of mine. Thank you for the comments and favs, they do aid in pushing me to get these chapters out. Secondly, I wish to apologize for the time it took for this chapter to come out. I have literally been running all over the place for the past month! From University finals, traveling to see my parents for the Holidays, starting a full time job while searching for a new place to live, hanging with friends, co-writer being on an extended vacation. I've been doing my damndest to complete this chapter! But at last it is here and I do hope it meets your expectations.
Also I figure I'd say this now, but this is only VOL 1 of this series. I do intend to split this story into VOLUMES like the show. And for the most part they will follow the storyline...up until what would VOL 5 of the show, VOL 4 here. That is where the paths will majorly diverge! What will happen? Hehehe Only I and my co writer know for now...
So without further ado, here is RWBY: Fall for a Rose Chapter 3
~KingReaper13
A familiar scene unfolded before her mind's eye. A young and malnourished looking girl lay on her hands and knees upon the floor of an overly large dining hall. She wore the tattered remains of what might have once been a beautiful red dress along with a stained and torn apron. Her obsidian hair was singed and frayed as it masked her eyes and upper face from view. What could be seen of her face was covered in soot and grime. By all accounts the girl looked to be an overworked slave and standing above her looking down on the miserable creature was her master. A woman who if she had been smiling would be extremely beautiful with her short but silky brunette hair, eyes of azul and skin as if licked by the sun. In contrast to the girl that lay before her, she wore a shining and sparkling blue dress and not a speck of earth was upon her person. Aside from these beautiful traits, her face was contorted in utter disgust and eyes that screamed of hatred for the child she looked down upon.
'Little bitch! What do you mean you have yet to begin prepping for dinner?' came her horrid voice.
'I-I was about to...b-bu,' the voice of the young girl squeaked back.
'"B-bu?" Tch! And you didn't even finish scrubbing the floors! How do you expect me to entertain guests with floors this filthy and a meal not yet ready?' the voice yelled out before a loud smack and a cry of utter anguish followed. 'If it wasn't for my generous nature and the fact that you are my late husband's daughter I'd throw you out onto the streets Now show some damn appreciation! Finish scrubbing this floor and then begin making dinner!'
'Y-Yes Lady Tremaine...'
'And to make sure you remember not to be lax you little cur,' the woman growled before giving a hard kick to the girl's stomach. The kick sent the girl flying across the room and into the gorgeous white walls. The impact was so great a loud crack was heard as the girl cried out once more before falling to the ground.
'And now you've left a crack in the wall! You just ruin everything you touch don't you?' the woman screeched before she marched over and proceeded to stomp violently on the defenseless girl.
"N-no...s-stop it...," Cinder groaned as she writhed in her bed. Her body tossed and turned as the images within her subconscious assaulted her until at last, "STOP!" Cinder shot upright from her lying position.
The attractive villainess was drenched in sweat, her breathing deep and slightly erratic. Her eyes uncontrollably darted around her space in search of danger, her eyes instantly aflame from the minuscule maiden power she possessed. The innards of her mind were a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions, so chaotic Cinder had no inkling of where she was. In short, Cinder Fall was in the middle of a massive panic attack.
"C-Cinder?" sounded a voice through the darkness.
Acting on pure instinct alone, Cinder quickly spun her upper body to her left and instantly materialized one her fiery dust blades. She slashed the bladed weapon through the shadows at where she perceived the voice had originated. An audible gasp escaped from the mouth of Emerald as she lurched herself back and out of the range of the sword's reach. The suddenness of the attack though caused the skilled agent to trip over her own feet and fall to the floor. From the hard wooden surface Emerald looked up in confusion and horror, her pupils shrinking in size as Cinder launched herself from the confines of her blanketed bed and towards her, sword raised for another strike. At the last second Emerald rolled herself out of the way as Cinder's glass sword stabbed the floorboards of where Emerald had just lain. The wood creaked, cracked and splintered under the pressure the amber-eyed woman put behind her weapon. As Emerald rolled away from Cinder's vicinity, she bumped into the metallic legs of her partner in crime, Mercury. The Silver-haired man stared in absolute perplexity at Cinder while also hoisting Emerald up from the floor by the scruff of her collar.
"What the hell is going on with her?" he asked Emerald as she cemented her footing and he released his grip on her shirt, not understanding the traumatic episode his master was reacting to, a reaction that had roused them all from slumber.
"I-I don't know," Emerald responded.
Both began to slowly back away, not noticing that Neo had also awoken to the commotion, and had grabbed her parasol in defense. All eyed their employer with caution as the black haired young woman continued to inhale air as if she had been drowning moments prior. Her body, clothed in nothing but a black sleeveless tank top and black shorts, appeared haggard and pale. It shook as pure adrenaline coursed through it, the muscles in her arms twitched sporadically in response to the natural stimulant overflow. The beautiful and luscious locks of darkness that caressed her face, were in an unkempt mess. Knotted and tangled it seemed as if the apprentice of the Witch had gripped and yanked at her own beautiful mane as she endured the subconscious horrors that had plagued her. Never before had any of them seen the powerful woman in such a distressed state and it unsettled them greatly.
However, unlike Mercury who was preparing for the worst from their apparently crazed master, Emerald studied the state of her leader. She examined the way Cinder's eyes moved around in a manic pattern, searching. The illusionist saw how her lip quivered and twitched and of course how labored her breathing was. Using her intellect she pieced such elements in with how Cinder had been acting in her sleep prior to her attack on herself. With a quiet gasp, Emerald figured out what exactly was happening to Cinder and moved to try and alleviate it.
"C-Cinder? It's me. It's Emerald. It's alright," soothingly spoke the former street rat.
"Emerald what are you doing?" hissed Mercury.
"Shut up Merc, I think I've figured out what's happening."
"Well that was quick."
"Shut it," Emerald shushed him before taking a step towards the adrenaline-fueled figure. "Cinder? I-It's ok. It's just Mercury, Neo and I. No one else. Y-You're safe here."
Cinder's response to Emerald's empathetic tone was not the instinctually defensive attack her warped mind had commanded. This time she recognized the voice of her most loyal lieutenant and used it as an anchor to restore some semblance of order within her anxious mind. Her labored breathing gradually steadied itself out; her amber colored eyes became still as the pupils of said eyes returned to natural size. The future Fall maiden loosened her grip on her sword before dissipating it away. Cinder, once more in control of her actions and thoughts, though still very troubled over what she had witnessed in her dreams, stood up from her kneeling position. She turned to look at her underlings, who were still eyeing her with caution.
"E-Emerald?" Cinder croaked out.
"Oh thank the Gods," sighed the red-eyed woman, before moving forward to embrace her Mistress in a deep hug.
To the amazement of Mercury and Neo, Cinder did not object to. Both of them then began to finally lower their guard. Cinder proceeded to allow Emerald to embrace her as she took in her surroundings and the people within them. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted the splintery puncture hole in the wooden floor beside where Emerald and she stood. Her gaze then drifted to Neo who was placing her parasol beside her bed, a clear indication to Cinder that some form of altercation had occurred. Mercury though still kept his distance and despite lowering his guard, retained an air of wariness directed towards her. Finally, Cinder looked down at Emerald who still hugged her, with a more relieved than happy look. Similar to what Emerald had done moments prior, Cinder compiled her visual accrued data.
Her upper teeth plunged into her lower lip upon the realization. The infiltrator quickly was able to free herself from her henchwomen's warm hold; said servant quickly bowed her head and quietly rejoined her fellow followers on the other side of the dorm. They did not wait in silence for before Cinder spoke.
"What happened?" she asked, fearing her deduction had been correct.
Blinking in shock before shaking the astonishment away, Mercury in boisterous tone replied, " What happened?" "What happened!?" Well, first you were thrashing around in your bed like…"
"Like you were being attacked by someone," interrupted Emerald in a far more comforting tone.
The man with no semblance gave her a look with pursed lips, "That's what I was gonna say...ow!" he cried out as he was smacked in the back of the head by Neo's rather durable umbrella. He turned to the shortest member of their Team CMSN more annoyed than before, "What?"
'Shush you,' the diminutive girl signed to him, 'let Emerald explain things. She's clearly better at explaining sensitive subjects than you shit for brains.'
"…Oh…well fine then…" he conceded with a small hint of hurt in his voice.
Neo rolled her heterochromia eyes before she nodded to Emerald, who nodded back in appreciation. She then turned to towards her master only find Cinder with her back turned to them and staring out the window, gazing at the shattered moon. While Emerald found the sight of the fiery women silhouetted in moonlight mesmerizing, she continued on explaining to Cinder of what had occurred in the last few minutes. How her thrashing about, as well as the pained groans she muttered, had awoken the three of them. The right hand of the partial maiden further detailed that the groans eventually transformed into cries and pleas. That she cried out for some woman to stop before she, at last, had sprung up screaming. Emerald concluded with how she had gone up to her and was unceremoniously attacked.
"I can only assume that what you did was out of instinct. You were probably so confused and upset from that nightmare you didn't know where you were or who we are." Emerald surmised.
Cinder was thankful none of them could see her face. It flushed with anger and humiliation. Not at them, no, at herself. She squeezed her hands into tight fists as she gritted her teeth. She had unwittingly allowed her subordinates to see her in such a vulnerable and undisciplined condition. All the fear and respect she had instilled upon them was more than likely thrown into to question, and if it was it could potentially lead to issues further down the line. Yet, despite such possibilities, what troubled Cinder the most, was the succession of mental images that had caused her of all people to slip into a panic attack and revert to her most primal instincts. Cinder mouth snarled as her still recovering mind worked to understand how such horrid thoughts and feelings, long dormant, had suddenly returned. All of it greatly unsettled her.
"Speaking of nightmares…I didn't think someone like you even got them," Mercury commented.
Still staring out at the moon, she addressed the metal-legged one's observation, "…I don't."
The three looked at looked at each other in a mixture of skepticism and worry.
"Then what…,"
"It was nothing. Just drop it and go back to sleep," Cinder commanded with a hiss.
Regardless of the many questions he and the others possessed, Mercury knew better than to question Cinder, particularly when she was upset. Thus the servant of darkness complied with his master's orders, but not before making what he perceived to be a light jest.
"Alright…hehe just hope I don't hear any more about that Lady Tremaine you wer…"
He never got the chance to finish. Mercury was thrown back and into the wall right beside the bedroom door. He gasped in pain as he made contact with the white wall that seemed to cave slightly under the force behind which the assassin had been tossed. The silver-haired man began to fall towards the wooden floorboards in front of him when a vice-like hand grabbed the scruff of his nightshirt and slammed him back against the damaged indoor room divider. He coughed in anguish, his back forcibly pressed against the hard surface. As he lifted his head, his eyes caught sight of what was keeping him aloft and in that moment Mercury Black swore his heart stopped.
Before him, Cinder Fall shook with such unbridled rage, the likes of which none of the individuals in the room had ever come across in their short lives. Her mouth snarled in such a bestial way that the upper left corner of her mouth seemed to twitch. Her teeth were clenched so tightly as they were bared at the terrified young man. Cinder's hair gave the appearance that it stood on its ends, much like a feral cat backed into a corner. However, what made Mercury grow cold with absolute dread, were the false maiden's piercing amber eyes. They were not illuminated by the powers of the last season but instead glowed with an internal fire that the man with modified prosthetics feared would engulf him. Furthermore, they displayed such malice, such destructive will, even their manic ally Tyrian would have cringed beneath their gaze. Surprisingly, as Mercury started into the rage-filled ocular organs, they, in contrast, did not stare back. Cinder looked completely past him, forcing herself not to view him, lest she do something most detrimental to her skilled but foolish servant.
He flinched as she leaned forward. Moving past Mercury's quivering face, only stopping when her lips were beside his right ear.
"…Never…," she growled into his auditory receiver, her voice so cold the ice of Judecca could not compare, "Never speak that name ever again."
Cinder then drew her body back while keeping Mercury suspended in the air, her eyes still never meeting his. All the blood evidently had left his face, his complexion gone completely bone white. After several seconds she finally released him to gravity and moved to the door and swung it open unto the hallway. As she stepped into the archway she took a half turn back towards the room and glared at its occupants. Emerald beheld Cinder with wide eyes that conveyed how scared and confused she was. Neo too looked greatly unsettled at all that happened. Despite the maternal fondness she had for the former and respect for the latter, Cinder felt no form of regret as she absorbed their expressions; her mind was too clouded with furry to feel any other emotion. She bothered not to even pass a second glance at the fallen Mercury who coughed on the floor. The obsidian haired woman then gripped the doorknob with such intensity Emerald could swear she heard the metal crunch. The door swiftly slammed behind Cinder as she left, the resounding bang made Neo, the crumpled Mercury, and Emerald all flinch, leaving them in the mute darkness of the room.
Ozpin stood in his tower office and looked up towards the moon that had been broken so long ago. His eyes were weary and heavy from hours of running his both his institution, adhering to the needs of the exchange students, preparing the final details for the festival and going over darker information. He took a swig of his delicious coffee as he contemplated the series of events that had taken place not just in the past few years but months. The rise in criminal activities, Grimm attacks at the borders becoming more frequent if not more ferocious, the attack on the Fall Maiden two years prior and of course the infiltration of the academy by individuals who were without doubt agents of his lost love. It was translucent to the man of magic that Salem had begun to move things towards the endgame.
He was about to take another sip of his favorite beverage when the chime to his office elevator rang. Oz turned to see who would come to visit him so late or in this case, early into the morning. Before the elevator doors could fully open, out stormed a notably peeved Glynda Goodwitch, still in her nightwear and a bathrobe no less. Ozpin raised an amused eyebrow at the slightly comical sight of the stern and proper woman marching towards him in such attire.
"Before you say a Godsdamned thing, take a look at this," she huffed while motioning to his desk.
She immediately went to his keyboard and began typing several commands before a holograph of the continent, Saunus appeared from the office furniture. Following several more keystrokes she narrowed the floating digital image to an area near the northwestern coastline, whereby what the headmaster could see, nothing lay. Yet, Ozpin waited to make a humorous inquiry, knowing not only would he gain a venomous stare by his staff but that she wouldn't have barged into his quarters so early without proper reason.
"Wait for it…" she commented to herself.
Suddenly a mass of tiny blips appeared as they crossed over the border and into Vale airspace.
"Gylnda..."
"It's an Atlesian air fleet, sir. One of our huntsmen near the northern coast reported it approaching nearly five minutes ago. As soon as he relayed the information to me, I rushed over."
"Hmmm…I see…Glynda?" Ozpin questioned with an unemotional face.
"Sir?" she replied.
"You know you have a scroll and could have just called to inform me of this," the ancient man chuckled.
"Ozpin!" she shouted.
"I am merely stating it would have been less of a hassle for you, not to mention it you wouldn't have had to sprint all the way here in your night attire."
"This is serious! Judging by its trajectory, the fleet is on its way here and will arrive by midday!"
"So it would seem," Ozpin concurred before leisurely drinking some more caffeinated liquid.
Gylnda looked at him flabbergasted, "How are you this calm?"
"Because… I received word from the Council about an hour ago that they had approved for the Atlesian military to come and act as the security detail for the festival."
A rare sight followed as Glynda's mouth dropped to the floor in astonishment. She was at a loss of words and could not fathom what had been told to her. Ozpin sighed and returned to his desk to sit down as he waited for one of his most trusted allies to recompose herself. Fortunately, she did not take a long and was immediately asking the plethora of inquiries he knew would come.
"What? But we already told them that we could handle security with the Huntsmen and Huntresses we had," she pointed out.
"Yes, we did. And if you remember they did agree, albeit reluctantly," he reminded her.
"Then why have they suddenly decided to let Atlas handle it?"
He did not respond to her question. Instead, all he did was bestow her with a look that implied that she already knew the answer.
"…James," she uttered, her eyes squeezed closed in both annoyance and disappointment.
Silence hung in the air as neither spoke for near of a solid minute before the snowy-haired man began to speak again.
"Yes. Apparently after our meeting two days ago, and despite our best efforts he still had quite a few reservations and made some calls."
"Such calls including one with the Vale Ruling Council I'm hazarding a guess."
"Correct. He was able to convince them that our current guard was not large nor equipped enough to protect the school and students," Ozpin told Glynda as he moved to sit down behind his desk.
The gears that moved below the office floor and above the ceiling, continued to mesh away, making an unsettling grinding noise as both Beacon instructors went on to further discuss the incoming Atlesian "occupation." Glynda pleaded that they try to make a case to the council to alter their decision. Ozpin countered by explaining that much of his conversation with the council had in fact been that argument, but was unceremoniously silenced at every turn.
"It's greatly unfortunate, though I will have words with James tomorrow. I know his heart's in the right place but he must understand the consequences that could arise from this."
Glynda nodded her head in agreement. While she did greatly care for Ironwood, he was very rash and rushed in his decisions and needed to be called out for it.
"Still, though, we have other things to concern ourselves with," the coffee-obsessed Headmaster said.
"Such as the agents who've infiltrated the school?" Glynda assumed.
"Hmmm? Oh well yes them. But I was referring to the opening ceremonies in two days. We still haven't finalized what colors for the fireworks."
"…."
"…I'm joking Glynda."
The stare Goodwitch gave Ozpin did not dissipate whatsoever. It, in fact, grew more cold and hardened. In one of the few times since he began the cursed life, Ozpin looked away somewhat intimidated by the piercing eyes of his loyal subordinate.
"Ehmmmm right…Now, I don't suppose you've gotten any leads on who they might be, do you?" Ozpin asked.
Glynda's eyes softened only slightly as she moved to her scroll, "Not much. Whoever they are, they actually haven't done much anything since arriving."
"That's the idea of infiltration. To never let your enemy know what you're up to until it's too late."
"…right," Glynda once more felt embarrassed, "Anyway, judging by Qrow's report, we have been able to narrow the possibilities to a select group of individuals," the blonde haired explained as she again typed into the keyboard.
The image changed from the digital view of the Vale Coastline to a roster of student images, all from either Beacon or the other three academies. Selecting several more filters, the number of faces decreased from nearly over ten thousand to a marginal two hundred.
"Am I correct to assume that these are the students who best fit the descriptions Qrow provided?"
"Yes, all these student's have very similar builds, hair color and facial features as the ones who attacked Amber," Glynda scrolled through the smaller list, recognizing three familiar faces from the food fight also only two days prior.
'Interesting…' she thought.
"…While I would love to believe that this would narrow our search. It regretfully does not," the headmaster commented leaning forward, his elbows placed on his desk and hands bridged together in front of his face.
"How do you mean?"
"By what Qrow has told us, these agents of Salem are no fools. They know that we are aware of certain characteristics of theirs. From that conclusion, it would make sense that they have likely disguised themselves," Ozpin analyzed.
"Which in essence renders this list moot," Glynda finished while gritting her teeth.
"Sadly. However, there may still be a way to discover who our enemies are," Ozpin smiled with a glint in his eyes, "Glynda, I have quite the tedious task for you."
"…When don't you?" she slouched slightly with a sigh.
"Ack!"
"Eppp!"
Two voices echoed through the vacant and moonlit hallways of Beacon as two individuals crashed into one another. Both figures fell onto the carpeted corridor floor, wincing as one landed atop the other. The individual, who lay beneath the thankfully smaller of them, was the still thoroughly enraged Cinder Fall.
Cinder had been storming through the empty dormitory since she had nearly eviscerated Mercury for his utterance of a certain name. She had been so enthralled in thinking about how furious she was not necessarily at him, but at herself, for showing such a display before her underlings. Even more so she desperately wracked her mind to find out why, after so much time had detestable memories returned. So wrapped up in these thoughts that she failed to notice someone turning a corner the exact moment as her.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me…," Cinder cursed under her breath, more anger boiling at such annoyance and somewhat at the minute pain from tumbling to the floor.
Her eyes shot open and angled her head down towards the fool, who beyond all probability was able to crash into the only other person in the silent and near deserted hallway. Her golden eyes narrowed focusing on the figure that still lay prone upon her chassis while attempting to radiate the pure rage that swelled within her. Her ocular organs followed as the figure began to stir and pick itself up from her body. Cinder's eyes immediately grew wide and her rage, somehow, quickly evaporated as she saw who exactly it was that had run into her as they lifted their head from her chest.
"Ruby," she said to herself in a small whisper.
A calmness fell over the villainess, all thoughts of her deplorable past memories, the events within the bedchamber, the silver haired's speaking of "that" name, all of it receded. Once more, Ruby became her focus, and with it a breath of calmness for the distressed acolyte of destruction. Truly, Ruby vexed her in a way that she could not yet understand.
The young red and black haired huntress rubbed the back of her slightly sore head as she slowly rose from a rather "soft" and "cushiony" floor She like, Cinder, had not paid attention as she too wandered Beacon in the wee hours of the morning. Upon opening her silver eyes to find who or what she had slammed into, she was met with the view of what appeared to be a chest? Garbed in nothing but a pitch-black tank top, with a slight amount of cleavage popping from the top? Ruby swung her face up to see a pair of golden amber colored eyes looking back into her silver ones. Her jaw slightly fell when it became apparent to her whom she was staring at and that she laid on top of them.
"Seems that every time we run into one another...something interesting happens, doesn't it?" Cinder questioned with a playful tone and a small sultry smile.
"W-Wha...?" Ruby muttered nervously before quickly snapping out of the trance of staring into Cinder's mesmerizing eyes.
The youthful warrior jumped up from her position atop the "visiting student" with a most nervous and embarrassed expression.
"A-Ah sorry Cinder, I-I didn't think that anyone else would be up so early in the morning! I...erm l-let me help you up" she said before she extended a hand to assist Cinder from the floor.
The nefarious pale-skinned woman couldn't help herself as gave a small giggle at the adorable reaction Ruby had presented her with. She grasped the offered hand and with it pulled her self up till once more she stood tall.
"Relax little Rose, there isn't anything to apologize for. I'm also to blame since I wasn't paying attention to anything really…" she said as she still grasped Ruby's hand, "...Either way, don't worry this can be our little secret. That way Weiss would not be able to scold you this time," she winked as she ruffled the short girl's red and black hair with her free hand.
" H-Hey, cut it out…Yang does that to that to me enough already," Ruby pouted cutely, her cheeks donning a rosy shade of red.
"Sorry, didn't mean to upset you," Cinder commented, removing her hand from the top of the Rose's head.
"It's alright," the Beacon student replied.
"So...what are you doing awake so early in the morning Ruby?"
"Well about two hours ago, Yang, Weiss and I were woken up by some stuff getting knocked over. We saw Blake trying to leave and when we asked her where she was going, she said she was just going to take some fresh air since she couldn't sleep...An hour later, Yang decided to go searching for her. Weiss and I then decided to join her and to cover more we all split up and well…here I am hehe," explained Ruby with a forced smile.
"That seems pretty strange…"
"Yeah…the truth is we're worried about her."
"Why is that?' Cinder asked.
"Well… ever since a fight we had with the White Fang at the docks a month ago, Blake's…well she's kinda changed," Ruby answered dropping the false grin, "She's still had fun with us from time to time…but she's become so much more obsessed with finding out anything in regards to the Fang's operations here in Vale."
"Hmmm, interesting…any idea of the reason she's become so possessed over them?" Cinder pondered to the daughter of Summer.
In truth, she cared not for the cat faunus but was more attempting to gather intel on her enemy and to find out why Ruby's teammate, in particular, held such fixation on discovering and disrupting her plans.
"I think she feels responsible."
"…Responsible?"
"…I really shouldn't tell you this but…" hesitated Ruby, "…but I think I can trust you to keep this a secret, right?"
Cinder normally would internally ridicule someone for being so foolishly transparent and trusting. However, Ruby again made her feel completely different. She felt somewhat touched, happy even that the girl had enough faith to hold a person such as her in confidence. A tiny smile tugged at her lips as she nodded for the scythe-wielder to continue.
"Blake, she used to be a part of the White Fang…before it got as radical as it has become."
'Ah. So she's trying to find some sort of redemption is she,' thought Cinder to herself.
"She told us that she did do some…well some kind of illegal activity, when she was with them. B-But after that she broke off from them and hasn't done anything bad since I promise!" she cartoonishly added so that Cinder wouldn't misunderstand where she was going. "Anyway, because of what she did in the past…I think she feels it's her responsibility to stop them by herself. She's putting so much pressure on herself … but she doesn't have to! We all agreed we'd stop whatever the White Fang was up to together. We're a team, we are meant to help and rely one another no matter what," she finished, a heavy and downcast look solidified on her face.
Cinder took notice of this and cursed the Gods as well as Ruby, as she felt a tang of sympathy ache through her.
'Damn it! Who are you, Ruby? No, what are you? What are you that can make me feel this way towards your pain? That makes me want to simply comfort you…Damn it! Why?'
The servant of Salem bit her lip before she spoke, "…Ah, little Rose, so thoughtful are you. Yet, I would not worry about Blake."
"Huh? Why?" asked Ruby, confusion replacing her downtrodden expression.
The pyromancer smirked as she gave a slight 'boop' on Ruby's button nose, "Well firstly, I believe she is simply on an extended walk to clear her mind. Secondly, because she has you and your team. When she comes back, you need to confront her and make her understand that she can't fight such an enemy by herself…" Cinder paused reflecting on her words, they were eerily similar to what Salem had once spoken to her years ago, "…that she has people who care for her and wish to help her."
Ruby gazed at Cinder in gratitude, her lips forming a smile, "Thank you Cinder. You're right! As soon as we find Blake we're gonna set it to her straight! We'll take down the White Fang together!"
Cinder winced, reprimanding herself for encouraging them to work together against her underlings, granted it did succeed in cheering Ruby up. Though she did have to make some attempt to dissuade her from continuing their investigation.
"About that Ruby, I personally think that's a fight, academy students like us should not get involved in. Why not just report it to your headmaster who can alert the proper authorities?" she suggested.
"Huh? Oh, don't worry about that! Hehe! Professor Ozpin I think already knows what we're up to! In fact, I think he wants us to continue to move against the White Fang," Ruby gave a cheeky smile.
'Damn you Ozpin,' Cinder mentally growled.
"Oh. Well if your headmaster has such confidence in your group, then I rescind my suggestion," relented the obsidian haired woman through clenched teeth.
"Hehe. Ummm now that I think about it, why are you awake so early Cinder?" Ruby asked the woman that still held her hand.
The thoughts of her "nightmare", her instinctual attack on Emerald and of course Mercury, slammed into Cinder like a Paladin mech's fist into a stonewall. The nefarious woman shuttered as she was quickly reminded of why she had been storming the vacant halls in the first place.
"C-Cinder?"
"I…I had a nightmare...couldn't sleep," she said in a monotone voice, doing her best to quell the anger that rose once more within her.
Unfortunately, she was fighting a losing battle as her left eye began to twitch in agitation and her gaze became a dreadful leer. Even with Ruby in her presence, she could not stop the storm brewing as she focused on the pompous and wicked face of "that" woman. Remembering Mercury's "jest" did not assist in her trying to maintain control. Her eyesight began to become red, her left morphed into a claw and her urge to destroy something skyrocketed.
"Milk and cookies."
The tempest of rising negative emotions came to a screeching halt at the three sudden words. Cinder blinked once, then twice before she shook her head and turned to the shorter girl.
With a bemused look, she said, "What?"
"Milk and cookies...my dad always gave them to me when I had just had a nightmare and I couldn't fall asleep again. It's like magic. I always sleep so soundly afterward," Ruby answered, smiling sweetly and sincerely at the woman who was gifted with fire dust.
The undercover terrorist continued to look at her with a puzzled expression
"Milk...and cookies?" she muttered contemplating Ruby's solution to the nightmare.
It was ridiculous, foolish and most of all childish by all accounts. And yet, the woman aligned to the darkness decided it would perhaps be best to humor the innocent girl. That and the idea of a small treat with her seemed…nice.
"Sure. We could give that a try," Cinder agreed, which resulted in Ruby excitedly jumping into the air.
"Great then! Follow me! I know a hidden way into the cafeteria! No one will even know where there hehe," she giggled with an incredible amount of enthusiasm.
Ruby had started to lead the way when a sudden pull on her arm made her stop. Taking a glance back to see what was holding on to her limb, she found that Cinder's and her hand were still intertwined with one another; Ruby's jaw fell slightly open. Neither had let go since Ruby had assisted her up from the floor minutes prior. Cinder followed Ruby's line of sight and as soon as she too saw, her eyes grew wide. Twin blushes immediately spread across the cheeks of both women as they released their hold from the other.
"S-Sorry about that...," Ruby stuttered, looking away absolutely flustered.
" I-It's fine...let's get those cookies and milk shall we?"