"Cinder?"
Ruby poked her head inside the pyromancer's room, but she was nowhere to be found. That was worrisome, to say the least. Cinder's behavior had been… erratic, for the last week. One day, she was affectionate, the other, distant. But she had never disappeared without giving anyone a clue as to her whereabouts.
The redhead huffed in frustration, trying to piece together where Cinder could be. She had checked the gym and the library already, then returned to her room, but the search wielded no results. She toyed with the idea of recruiting her teammates' help, but she quickly realized that would be received with… lackluster reactions from all three of them.
So, with no other option presenting itself in her mind, Ruby resorted to the next logical step: wandering around the school aimlessly until a miracle happened. As she did, she couldn't help but feel very silly. How come she was always looking for Cinder these days? Didn't she use to spend her time in other ways before they had met each other?
Still, she continued to look. Ruby couldn't quite put it to words, but she had been experiencing a weird feeling lately when she wasn't near Cinder. Like every second apart was a waste of time… Time that was running out faster and faster…
After almost an hour of searching, she finally found Cinder on the school's rooftop, of all places. The pyromancer was sitting on the ceramic tiles, hugging her legs and staring at the nightly horizon. Ruby smiled deviously and started to sneak towards her, trying her hardest to not make any sounds.
"I know you're there, Ruby," Cinder said without turning her head to look. "Did you forget I'm a master of stealth?"
"Aw," Ruby pouted and sat beside her. "You're no fun."
Cinder had no other reaction than a roll of her eyes. Ruby looked around awkwardly, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable by the silence they were sharing.
"So, uh…" She said tentatively. "Whatcha doing up here?"
"Keeping watch," Cinder replied flatly. "Mira could show up at any moment."
"Yeah… But we kinda discussed that already…" Ruby frowned. "Ozpin's made preparations already. He's got like hundreds of airships ready for evacuation at a moment's notice."
"More like a half dozen," the pyromancer shook her head. "It's a smart plan, but not safe enough. I'll stay here in case that maniac starts throwing fireballs at the school."
Ruby nodded, though she wished Cinder would let herself relax a little. The plan was already settled – they would wait for Mira to show up at the school, as she inevitably would, and confront her as a group. They couldn't very well evacuate the students before that. It was too obvious, so Mira would probably target somewhere else, and that place might be out of their immediate reach.
"I wish you would stop being stubborn for once." Cinder said suddenly.
"Huh?" Ruby looked at her confusedly.
"Don't play coy. You know what I'm talking about," the raven-haired girl shot her a knowing look. "You're in no condition to fight anyone, much less Mira. I want you to get on one of those ships when the time comes."
"Hmm…" Ruby tapped her chin, pretending to consider her plea. "Nope. Gonna keep being stubborn," she raised a finger, interrupting Cinder before she could protest further. "No. I'm not gonna sit this one out. Mira killed uncle Qrow, and… Well, you might need my help."
It was likely Ruby would prove to be more distracting than helpful, but Cinder kept that opinion to herself. She had learned better than to argue with Ruby – it rarely wielded positive results.
"Okay. But you're not fighting her yourself," Cinder said. "Keep close to Ozpin and Weiss. If I see you even trying to attack Mira, I'll…" She tried to find something appropriate to finish her threat, but everything seemed either too silly or too extreme. "You'll regret it."
"Hah. You can't forbid me from doing anything!" Ruby smiled lightly.
"Yes, I can!" The pyromancer refuted. "…If I tried hard enough."
Ruby laughed and laid her head down on her companion's shoulder. Cinder stilled, hoping Ruby wouldn't notice how fast her heart began to beat.
"Cinder, after this whole thing with Mira is over…" Ruby muttered. "What's gonna happen?"
"What… What do you mean?" Cinder asked, her mouth suddenly dry.
"I mean, what's gonna happen… with us," The redhead blushed and looked away. "We c-could… Try…"
Cinder's first urge was to get up and run as far away as possible, but she knew Ruby would catch up to her with her Semblance, injured or not. She absolutely knew this was the time to make matters clears between them. Cinder wouldn't be around anymore. They would never see each other again. It was sad, but necessary.
However, Ruby's voice was so filled with hope that Cinder couldn't muster the will to do that either. She was already kicking herself for taking the easier road – she seemed to always do that when it came to Ruby, and where had that lead them?
But… Well, they were spending their last days together. One final lie, as heartbreaking as it would be in the future, would extend their happiness, for now…
"Yeah. We'll try again," Cinder said, forcing herself to sound confident. "Not only that. We'll make us work. It's not like I don't love you enough."
"I… Uh, love you too," Ruby replied embarrassedly. She never knew how to behave in these situations. "We could… Watch a movie together or something."
"We never did that," Cinder realized. "It would be nice."
"As long as it isn't a sappy romance," Ruby added. "Oh! It has to have explosions!"
Cinder chuckled. That was such a Ruby-like demand.
Time passed by unnoticed as the pyromancer watched the horizon, the faint sound of Ruby's breathing on her shoulder keeping her happily awake. She had been lying, but now that the words had left her mouth… Maybe they could truly have a chance together. She didn't have to run away.
Eventually, Cinder turned her head to look at her beloved and tell her she should go to sleep, but to her surprise, Ruby had already done so, using Cinder as a pillow of sorts. The pyromancer thought about taking the girl to her room, but she looked comfortable enough already.
After a few minutes, Cinder forgot about why she had gone to the roof in the first place and fell asleep too.
Raven's grunting echoed through the gym. Her eyes were a deep shade of red as she unleashed her every technique against the dummies in front of her. Every punch, every kick, like miniatures explosions in a soundless void.
And beside her was Qrow, watching with a faint smirk while he leaned on his scythe. When she slowed down, his eyes sparked with a mixture of kindness and humor.
"Come on," he chuckled. "You're not gonna stop already, are you?"
"No…" She closed her eyes for a brief moment. "I can keep going."
She swung her fist against a dummy, and its head flew right off and smashed against a wall, its filling spilling onto the floor. Qrow shook his head slightly, as if he was only mildly impressed by the display of raw power.
"Meh. You can do much better," he noted knowingly. "You have done much better."
"Look," Raven turned to glare at him. "You don't know a damn thing about… That time. I'm tired of it being brought up, okay? Let me be."
"Of course. You wanna forget all about those terrible, terrible things," Qrow said. "I suppose you can't, though. I mean, I'm gone, the only person to really know what happened during those seventeen years… So it should be much easier to forget. But you're still keeping me around…"
Raven frowned and shook her head fervently, her usually controlled expression substituted by another filled with confusion and pain. Qrow patted her on the shoulder – or appeared to, anyway. She didn't feel anything.
"Look, you wanna leave that behind?" He shrugged. "Gotta let me go too."
"I can't let go of you, you're my brother." Raven pointed out meekly.
"Not really. I'm just a part of your subconscious," Qrow rolled his eyes. "Really, you're just talking to yourself. I think you're going crazy… Or is it I'm going crazy? We're going crazy?"
Raven pinched her forehead, trying to focus her tired mind. After a few seconds, she was alone again – no imaginary brothers in sight. Slowly, she lied on the floor, thoughts scattering aimlessly.
Her life was so, so close to being perfect again. Family. Friends. Home. Yet she felt lost, torn between past and present. She wanted nothing more than to find out Mira had killed herself or something like that, but she knew that was unrealistic.
People tried to hide it from her, but she always noticed the stares they gave her. They expected her to be at the frontlines, right at Cinder's side. She was the only other person – besides Yang – that could hope to match Mira. Usually, she would accept that, even be honored by that trust they put on her. But now… Now she was scared.
Because now she had something to lose. She wasn't in some backseat White Fang base, slowly worming her way to the top. She wasn't sneakily trying to alleviate an unfair prisoner's pain. Back then, if she had gotten caught, all it would have meant was the failure of her mission. But today, failure meant her family being at mortal danger.
"Damn," she muttered, trying to imitate her brother's way of speech. "You really like mulling over the bad, huh? Get a grip."
She struggled to get back up, her fists trembling as she focused her stare on the dummies again.
"You're afraid for your family?" She whispered. "Good. That's what's gonna drive you, sister. You gotta protect them… Even Dumbass Xiao Long."
Raven smiled. Maybe she wasn't very good at mimicking Qrow, but if there was one thing she was a hundred percent sure he would say, it was that last line.
"Okay, brother," Raven cracked her fists. Her eyes shifted from violet to red in an instant. "Let's rock."
Blake's eyes fluttered open suddenly. She was instantly aware that it was way past midnight, that her team's room was pitch black, and that someone was crying.
Her sensitive cat ears turned slightly in the direction of Weiss's bed, but the sound didn't seem to come from that, and not from above it either – thought she couldn't even hear Ruby's breathing, oddly enough.
The faunus didn't hesitate to rise from her mattress and glance at her partner, lying on the bed above her. Yang was sleeping, her hands gripping her pillow with a fearsome amount of strength, while tears shone in her closed eyelids.
Blake silently climbed and sat beside Yang, then shook her slightly. After a while, the blonde's eyes snapped open. Her breathing was erratic as she looked at Blake confusedly.
"Ssh," the faunus whispered. "Weiss's sleeping… I heard you crying."
"No you didn't," Yang replied defensively. "I don't cry."
Blake stared at her fixedly, forcing her partner to look away.
"Okay. I was crying," she admitted. "What's the big deal? Everybody has nightmares."
"I know. I was thinking maybe you needed to talk about it," Blake said. "Was it about your uncle?"
"No," Yang muttered. "I don't wanna talk about it, Blake."
The brusque reply didn't shake the brunette's conviction, though. Blake didn't press her for the truth, but she didn't return to her bed either.
"Blake…?" Yang called softly after a while. "You… have killed some people, right?"
"Yeah." The faunus replied hesitantly.
"How… How do you feel about it?"
Suddenly, the situation was making a whole lot more sense to Blake. She recognized where the conversation was going, because she had asked herself that question before.
"It was necessary," Blake said seriously. "Mostly. I'm sure some of the people I killed could have been dealt with in other ways, but… Well, I didn't have the time to worry about it. That sounds terrible, because it is," she sighed. "So, yeah. I don't like it one bit, but sometimes it's what has to happen."
"Okay… Well, you're a very good person, so I guess it's not really that bad." Yang noted quietly.
"Yeah. I think so too."
Blake gave her a meaningful look, then slipped back to her bed.
When had Yang first taken a life? How recently? Blake rattled her brain, trying to come up with a logical answer.
During their search for Ruby. They had been faced with so many White Fang, Yang was probably forced to kill a portion of them. She had barely made it out alive, after all… And Yang did seem to have become more somber since then, even after Ruby's rescue.
Blake shook her head silently, wishing there was some way she could better help her best friend. But it was hard enough to deal with her own guilt, and she assumed her methods were unlikely to work for Yang too.
With those troubling thoughts filling her head, Blake tried to go back to sleep. Just as she was beginning to slip away, however, her ears shifted once again, and another conundrum presented itself to her.
Where exactly was Ruby?
"You… dolts!"
Ruby gasped as she jumped to her feet, suddenly awake. She almost slipped on the rooftop's tiles, but a hand gripped her by the arm. She looked up and met with a stare of disbelief from no one but Weiss.
"Seriously," the heiress chided. "We have beds for a reason! Why would you sleep on a rooftop?!"
"…It was comfy." Ruby muttered sheepishly.
Weiss casted a glance at Cinder, who was still sitting down. The pyromancer was rubbing her eyes like one would after being woken up brusquely, but Weiss was pretty sure she was only doing it to hide her embarrassed expression.
"We've been searching for you for hours," Weiss said to Ruby. "Yang was freaking out. Can you imagine her reaction when she finds out you two were… Whatever you were doing."
"We were just sleeping together!" Ruby exclaimed in frustration.
"…Ruby, I don't think you know what that means," Cinder spoke up kindly. "You implied we… Well… Never mind."
Ruby looked at Weiss for an explanation, but the heiress seemed even more mortified than Cinder.
Before the redhead could insist that she be properly informed about her bad choice of words, a sharp noise ringed through the air. The three girls steeled themselves instinctively, and suddenly Weiss tumbled forward, a bullet ricocheting off her Aura-protected back.
"Weiss!" Ruby exclaimed. "Are you okay?!"
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Weiss said through gritted teeth. "What the heck was that? Does Mira have sniper rifles?"
"No, but the White Fang has." Cinder noted seriously, now standing on her feet to scan the horizon.
Suddenly, a multitude of bullets filled the air, heading straight at the school. Cinder focused her powers, summoning a thin wall of fire in front of herself and her companions. She didn't have the time to protect the whole school, but at least she could avoid them getting any early injuries.
"I guess she still has them on her side," Weiss said. "Where's Mira? Can you see her?"
"No," Cinder replied bitterly. "Things have changed. We have to find Ozpin and help with the evacuation."
The headmaster had been sitting in his office, drinking his coffee calmly when the first shot occurred. Immediately, he jumped to his feet and pulled out his Scroll, tapping furiously to find Glynda's number.
"Glynda!" He called. "Begin evacuation."
"Already underway," she replied distractedly over the sound of screaming students. "I'm escorting the kids to the hangar. Meet me there."
Ozpin nodded, forgetting that she couldn't actually see that, and ended the call.
He ran out of his office, almost knocking its doors off its hinges, and sprinted down the hall. The various professors of Beacon hurried along with him, already knowing their roles in the confusion – to gather every student they found and bring them to the airships.
Ozpin decided to leave that job to them and instead meet with his strike team. It wasn't long before he saw Raven exit her guest room, followed shortly by Taiyang. The headmaster shot them an apprehensive look, which Taiyang must have mistaken for something else, because he began to shake his head repeatedly.
"We weren't sleeping together."
"Taiyang," Raven groaned. He wasn't lying, but that matter was hardly appropriate for the situation at hand. "Mira's got sniper rifles, which means the White Fang is still loyal to her… As loyal as anyone can be to her, at least."
"We'll have to divide ourselves to deal with them," Ozpin said. "Taiyang, I need you to find Weiss and Blake. Go with them and take care of the White Fang. Tell Cinder to join us!"
Taiyang nodded and sprinted away, rushing down the stairs like a madman. When he reached the first floor, he exited the building and dashed towards the dormitories. Bullets homed in his direction, the few that landed on him being deflected by his active Aura.
To his content surprise, the girls were waiting on the dormitory's lobby, Cinder pacing around anxiously. Taiyang felt his heart ache at the sight of Ruby and Yang being safe, but he focused his attention on his current task.
"Schnee! Cat-Girl!" He called. "You're with me. We're stopping the White Fang!" He then pointed to Cinder. "You go to the hangar and team up with Raven and Ozpin."
"Have you seen Mira?" Cinder asked quickly, her eyes narrowing with expectation.
"No, and I'm very happy about it," Taiyang answered. "Go! Ruby, Yang, stay close to her!"
Cinder and his daughters rushed out the dormitory, the pyromaniac forming a barrier around them to deflect any stray bullets. Instead of entering the main building, they decided to run around it. That way, they had cover from the snipers, even if the way to the hangar would be longer.
After a few minutes, they were forced to stop as a squadron of White Fang blocked their way. They were roughly fifty in number, all sporting high-power rifles. But they weren't the biggest obstacle. Behind them stood a huge robot-like gray construct, equipped with cannons and uncountable guns.
"A Paladin?" Ruby groaned. "Where the heck did they get a Paladin?"
"That's not just a Paladin, Ruby," Cinder muttered warily. "I think it's more advanced."
As if to confirm her theory, the robot raised its left arm, revealing a cannon at the palm of its hand. The explosion that it released was so powerful, Cinder was sent reeling back as she struggled to keep her protective barrier up.
Yang cracked her knuckles and leered at the White Fang, a slight smile curving her lips.
"You lovebirds go on ahead," she said. "I'm gonna teach these guys a lesson."
Cinder nodded and started to slowly skirt around the criminals, leading a hesitant Ruby along by her arm. When the first White Fang dared to try and shoot at them, Yang lunged at him, with red eyes and gauntlets whirling.
It didn't take too much time for Cinder and Ruby to reach the hangar after that. Usually, one could see the whole of the Emerald Forest from that vantage point, but now the place was filled with so many students it was nearly impossible to see anything.
Whether through the headmaster's design or dumb luck, they found Ozpin and Raven in the middle of the crowd, hurrying the retreating kids along. He shot a brief look to the girls, then focused on saving his students again.
"Where's my daughter?" Raven asked, trying to hide the fear in her voice but failing to.
"She stayed a little distance behind to take out some White Fang," Cinder explained briefly. "They had some sort of advanced Paladin. I can't believe Mira still has their help…"
"Threats will make a person do virtually anything," the experienced Huntress stated somberly. "Hopefully Taiyang and the others can find Taurus soon and put an end to this."
Cinder opened her mouth to ask where Mira was, when suddenly a huge barrage of fire streaked across the sky, heading directly towards one of the airships. The pyromancer raised an arm to try and divert the flames' destructive path, but a purple glyph appeared before it, dispersing the attack in all directions.
"Glynda is a good assistant," Ozpin noted matter-of-factly, his eyes scanning the school cautiously. "Where did that come from? Where are you…?"
Another fireball appeared, this time aimed at the crowd. Cinder's eyes widened as she realized they would have no hope of moving out of the way in time – dozens would be killed or severely injured. Instinctively, she ran out of the crowd and thrusted her hands before her.
The fire met her and spun around her arms, and she faltered and strengthened at the same time. The flames were so great, filling her with power and warmth… It was too much. She felt like if she took any more of it, she would burst from the inside.
She looked up and saw Mira slowly making her way to the hangar, a perpetual shield of fire spinning around her. Something about the way she walked, so slowly and carelessly, sent shivers down Cinder's spine. She had been taunted by her maker before, but not like this. There had always been words, cruel jokes and tempting invitations… Never silence.
Ruby, Raven and Ozpin joined her, all waiting for Mira to make another move. Behind them, the professors were still rushing the students to their transports. One of the airships took off, everyone inside scared of being shot down by the madwoman.
"Mira Fall," Ozpin said loudly. "We have never met before, strangely enough. You have been a thorn in my side for years, and now you target my school…" He smiled humorlessly. "I am not a vindictive man. If you'll stand down now, I swear you won't be hurt."
A moment of silence passed as they waited for a response and another airship took off. Slowly, a smile crept on Mira's lips, and her shield of fire faded away.
"Headmaster," she chuckled. "I couldn't care any less about you."
Suddenly, she unleashed another attack, aimed at Ozpin. Cinder dove to stand in front of him and absorbed the flames, her body shuddering with new power.
"It feels good, doesn't it?" Mira's words carried over to them. "Join me, my dear. You can have so much more…"
Cinder made to dash towards her, but Ozpin gripped her by the shoulders and nodded towards the remaining four airships. They had to make sure everyone was safe before engaging Mira in full combat.
Unfortunately, he didn't have his attention on Raven, and the Huntress didn't hesitate to begin her assault. Mira seemed both amused and annoyed by her opponent as she dodged a flurry of punches and kicks.
"You killed my brother!" Raven yelled. "You killed him!"
She swung a fist towards Mira's face, and surprisingly, the pyromancer wasn't quick enough to dodge. Mira spun, dazed, and was then hit by numerous other attacks. Every punch and kick sent waves of pain rippling through her body.
As painful as the assault was, however, Mira quickly retook control of the fight. Suddenly, she was holding Raven's left wrist midway through a punch. With a gleeful smile, Mira started to pull, taking joy in Raven's futile efforts to break away…
And then something else hit Mira in the stomach and sent her reeling back. Ruby recovered from her tackle and unfolded her scythe, pointing it menacingly at her enemy.
"Ah. I was wondering if you were going on one of the airships," Mira said happily. "I guess I don't need to take them down anymore if you're staying here."
Raven's eyes widened as she realized exactly what Mira was planning to do. Without hesitation, the Huntress tackled Ruby on her side, sending the redhead stumbling away. A massive explosion landed right where Ruby had been standing before, powerful enough to tear through the whole her Aura at once.
Cinder grunted angrily and tore away from Ozpin's grasp. With a yell, she lunged at Mira, hands flying towards the older pyromancer's throat.
"Finally," Mira said as she slapped her in midair, sending her spinning to the right. "Come on. Give me all you have."
A switch seemed to turn inside Cinder's head, taking all her focus and reason away. She lunged again, and this time Mira's counter wasn't strong enough to drive her back. Cinder punched her mother in the stomach, and Mira laughed breathlessly before tackling her to the ground.
Mira straddled her and started to strangle her, hands as hot as fire. Cinder looked up at her ferociously and unleashed two bursts of flames from her hands, sending herself upwards. She fell on top of her enemy, now in switched positions.
"You. I hate you," Cinder said through gritted teeth. "I hate you… I hate you…"
Mira laughed and kneed her on her side. Cinder tumbled off of her and tried to distance herself, but Mira took a step towards her and prepared to punch her in the face.
A faint wave of pain echoed through Mira's body. Slowly, she turned her head to glare at Raven, who had rejoined the fight and stricken her on the shoulder.
"Go. Away," Mira's voice was filled with rage. "GO AWAY!"
In the blink of an eye, Raven was being lifted by her throat. The Huntress's eyes widened as she realized she was about to be killed just like her brother… And then Mira spun around and threw her with unbelievable force towards the school. She was launched so forcefully, Raven's body tore through the school's main building's exterior walls and fell inside.
The distraction was all Cinder needed to take the advantage with a relentless series of attacks. Mira was defenseless – strangely so. After a minute of being knocked around, the villain fell to her knees, breathing raggedly.
Cinder looked down at her, eyes burning with hatred. Mira stared right back, appearing weaker than ever before.
"Do it," Mira whispered. "Kill me."
Cinder raised her fist to grant that wish, but suddenly stopped. Something was off in Mira's voice. She wasn't asking for death because she was defeated… Even stranger, it also didn't seem like she was trying to finish some mysterious plan… No.
She sounded like someone in true pain, wanting nothing more than to be released from it. Cinder's eyes wavered, and slowly, she lowered her arm.
A moment of silence passed. Then, Mira's eyes shone brighter than ever before and she got on her feet again, a vicious snarl on her lips.
"You ungrateful little bitch!" She roared. "WHY WON'T YOU KILL ME?!"
Mira slapped her across the cheek so strongly, Cinder's vision was filled with black dots and she started to fall. Before she met the ground, though, Mira struck once again with a powerful punch to the stomach.
Cinder stumbled back, the vastness of the Emerald Forest behind her. Mira raised her right hand, palm facing her daughter, and launched a barrage of fire at her. Cinder barely registered the pain before blacking out and falling off the hangar.
The airships were now gone, the only witnesses remaining being Ruby and Ozpin. The headmaster's gaze hardened and he gripped his cane, trembling with fury. Ruby covered her mouth with her hands and looked down at the forest, tears pooling on her eyes.
"No," Mira took a step back, regret filling her voice. "No. No. It's not over. Not over…"
She marched towards the edge of the hangar, meaning to jump off and find her daughter, but something hit her in the back of the head, sending her sprawling to the floor. She spun and looked up at Ozpin.
"You're right," he said gravely. "It's not over."
The White Fang didn't take long to realize the school had been evacuated and that they had nothing to shoot at from the outside anymore. Slowly, hundreds of masked criminals appeared on the perimeters of the school, converging towards the front entrance of the main building.
Weiss, Blake and Taiyang had taken cover behind the dormitory, where they had vision of their enemies' movements, but were unlikely to be seen in return.
"What are they doing?" Weiss whispered. "What's the purpose of invading our school?"
"Your school is not just a school, and you know it, Schnee," Taiyang noted. "Beacon has immense political influence, and on a worldwide scale no less. My bet is, the White Fang would be very happy to take it down."
"I think you're right, but it's… irrational," Blake shook her head in disappointment. "Beacon is one of the most faunus tolerant institutions in Remnant. Destroying it would only hurt our image."
Taiyang smiled and stood up, reaching for something in his back pocket – a little black metal cube.
"Well, I guess we only have one choice," he said. The cube started to unfold mechanically, until he was holding a hammer equivalent to his size in both hands. "Let's give them hell."
He yelled and dashed into the open, attracting the attention of pretty much all the White Fang. Weiss stared, slack-jawed.
"That's some astonishing family resemblance." She muttered.
"Come on, Ice Queen," Blake said, drawing her sword. "I've got my honor to uphold."
"Oh, great," Weiss grumbled under her breath. "Now you're calling me Ice Queen too. Just great. It's not like I mind, right?"
Raven came to when a large piece of the ceiling fell to the floor to her right. She jumped to her feet, startled, and immediately fell back down.
"Shit." She grunted.
She had taken more damage than anticipated. Mira had broken through her Semblance in one fell swoop – that woman's powers got more unbelievable each time they fought.
Apparently, Mira's throwing her had led her deep into Beacon's main building, and for some reason, the whole place was shaking. She quickly found out why when a large Paladin came tearing down through the ceiling and into the basement below. Raven faintly heard her daughter yelling somewhere above her. To her relief, it didn't sound like she was in pain, just really into the fighting.
Raven got up and leaned against a wall, catching her breath. If she took a few minutes to rest and regain her strengths, she could probably rejoin the fight. It was very improbable she could even touch Mira now, but a few White Fang goons? Easy.
She didn't have the time for it, as suddenly she was sent crashing down to the floor by a kick to her left leg. Raven gasped painfully and looked up, meeting eyes with Argie. The silver-haired boy had an emotionless expression on his face, but the hand that held his sword was shaking beyond control.
"Fucking hell," Raven sighed. "You really love to make bad situations worse, don't you?"
"Shut up!" He exclaimed angrily, kicking her again, this time right in the forehead. Raven fell on her back, the world spinning around her. "I'm going to make you pay for what you did to me."
"I didn't do anything to you!" She replied heatedly. "You tried to stab my daughter! You stabbed me!"
"You killed my brother! You killed him!"
Raven's mouth hung open as she stared at him. He didn't look like a cold-blooded killer, but someone who had suffered too much at the hand of someone else and now could finally take his vengeance. She couldn't really blame him for wanting to kill her… She had just tried to do the same with Mira, not even an hour before.
But if she had killed Mira, no one would have suffered because of it. Mira had no family, no friends, no one to mourn her. Her death would be welcomed by most, in fact.
Raven, however…
"I get it," she said softly, looking up at him. "I made a horrible, horrible decision, and you're suffering because of it. I know how it feels like to lose a brother – to have him murdered right in front of your eyes."
"Then you should let me kill you," Argie interrupted. "Give me peace, and I'll make your death painless."
"No. I can't let you do that," she closed her eyes. "Please. I have a daughter. I can't lose her, but most importantly, she can't lose me. It would break her, and then what would happen? She'd go through hell to kill you. And that's when I lose her."
He stared at her, eyes wavering. Raven's heartbeat was deafening to her ears as she waited for his judgment.
"You expect me to forgive you?" He asked.
"No," she shook her head. "You don't have to forgive me. You shouldn't. But you can let go, and make your brother proud. Do you really think he would want you to murder me, defenseless and… begging?"
That's where everything could go wrong. Raven had no clue as to the boys' background. They could have been serial killers, for all she knew, and that claim might have just offended and pushed Argie away. But she had to believe he was better than that. Why would he listen to her for so long if he wasn't?
The silver-haired boy stood still for a long time, just staring at her. And then, suddenly, his gaze shifted to his sword, which was almost escaping from his grip, shaky as it was.
"Alright," he mumbled. "I'll let you go. But if I ever see-"
"MOM!"
Raven looked behind her and saw Yang running towards them, her eyes the deepest shade of red the Huntress had ever seen in her life. She opened her mouth to warn her daughter to stop, but she was too late.
Yang's left gauntlet whirled madly as she shot at Argie, bullets and mini-explosions tearing at his Aura. The blonde yelled and lunged at him, kneeing him right in the chin. They fell to the ground, Yang on top, and she lost herself in an all-out assault on his body.
Raven stared horrified as blood flew and covered her daughter's face and hands, and she kept going, until Argie's head was virtually unrecognizable. Yang breathed heavily, then inched away from the body and towards her mother.
"It's okay, mom," she whispered. "I saved you. He's not gonna hunt us anymore."
"Y-Yang, he-" Raven's voice faltered. She couldn't tell the truth. Not now, not ever. "He was going to kill me. Thank… you…"
Yang hugged her, buried her head on her shoulder and started to cry. Raven caressed her head gently, but her eyes never left the dead boy before them.
"Cinder!"
Ruby pressed her back against a tree and held her breath. Mira had arrived already? But Ozpin… When Ruby had sneakily jumped off the hangar to find Cinder, he had still been fighting Mira… And not losing. Whatever had happened to him after she left?
"Cinder!" Mira called again. Her usually enchanting voice was now filled with fear and exhaustion. Maybe the headmaster had done some damage, after all. "Where are you? I know you're not dead. You're tougher than that. We are tougher than that. Please, I just want to talk to you."
Ruby dashed from the tree and resumed her search, now with the fear of being incinerated on sight. But she had to find Cinder before it was too late, or they would all be doomed.
Mira continued to call for her daughter. Ruby almost felt pity for her. For once, Mira sounded like a normal human being. But then Ruby remembered what she had done to her uncle and refused to feel like that again.
"There!" Mira exclaimed happily. "Are you okay, dear? I didn't hurt you, did I?"
Ruby cursed under her breath and followed the villain's voice, cautiously staying behind the cover of the forest's trees.
Cinder was lying on the ground, her back resting against a tree. Her dress was torn in several places, and her skin had been bruised and scratched. Mira kneeled beside her.
"Stay. Away," Cinder said through gritted teeth. "I don't wanna have anything to do with you. I thought I was insane – but you… You proved I was far, far away from that."
"I'm sorry," Mira muttered softly. "I only hurt you because I want the best for you. I don't want you to die. You know that, right?"
"No. I don't know anything!" Cinder exclaimed. "You haven't explained a thing, you just entered my life and ruined it! You assaulted me; you kidnapped Ruby; you killed her uncle! And I have no fucking clue why!"
Mira bit her lower lip.
"I'm not supposed to tell you," she said hesitantly. "This power we have, dear, it grows. Every generation, a Fall gifts it to another. When the time comes, the youngest one… takes the mother's power. She becomes even more powerful… And then that Fall chooses another girl, and the cycle goes on…"
"That's why you wanted me to kill you?" Cinder frowned. "So I would become more powerful and continue this cursed lineage?"
"It's not cursed, dear! This power is a gift, something no one else in the world can match!" Mira protested. "Think about it. With my power added to yours, you could hold Remnant in the palm of your hands!"
"So you couldn't just tell me?!" The younger pyromancer asked angrily.
"You wouldn't have taken my power," Mira's eyes flashed with frustration. "Not with her around."
Ruby stilled behind her cover, gripping her scythe more tightly.
"That little girl changed you. She made you think you were someone else, and that someone wasn't fit for the lineage," Mira continued. "So I had to make you hate me. How? By destroying who she was. But she refused to change! She SHOT YOU IN THE FUCKING BACK!"
"She did the right thing," Cinder said. "I will never follow your wishes."
"Won't you?" The villain smiled. "I don't think so. Because if you don't kill me right now, I'm going to kill every. Last. One of them. Every friend you made. Your little girlfriend. And if you still refuse, I'll unleash my fire on Vale. It's your choice."
She stood up and extended her arms to the sides, making herself completely vulnerable. Cinder's eyes wavered. Slowly, she rose to her feet.
Ruby's expression hardened. Suddenly, she parted from her cover and stood in the open, pointing her scythe at Mira.
"Stay away from her." Ruby said.
"Ruby, don't do it," Cinder spoke slowly. "I need to do this. She won't stop until I kill her."
"No! She won't stop ever!" The redhead exclaimed. "If you kill her, what's really going to happen you? You'll go crazy! You've told me how your power affects you, imagine how much worse that would be if they grew even more!"
"She's lying." Mira said, forcing herself to sound patient.
"No!" Ruby insisted. "Cinder, do you think you're the first person in this lineage to grow a conscience? Of course you're not! But every one of them turned into her! No wonder the mother always dies!"
Cinder's eyes straightened as she saw the wisdom in Ruby's words. Without saying anything, she took a step away from her mother.
"Good job," Mira said venomously to Ruby. "You just love messing with another's family matters, don't you? Maybe it's because you don't have a mother, so you feel the need to ruin every-"
"Step away from Cinder," Ruby interrupted seriously. "This is your last warning."
"Or what?" Mira smiled. "You'll shoot me?"
Ruby pulled the trigger, sending a bullet flying straight towards Mira's forehead. The older pyromancer's face flashed with anger, and with sudden swiftness, she slapped the bullet away.
The projectile shot back through the air at an even greater velocity, piercing through Ruby's Aura. Cinder saw, as if in slow motion, as the bullet entered Ruby's chest and exited through her back. The redhead fell to the ground with a quiet whimper, blood pouring from her wound.
"That's surprising," Mira said humorously. "I didn't think she would actually-"
Suddenly, the temperature rose around them. Fire enveloped Mira, and then she was on the ground, left cheek stinging like hell. Cinder yelled incomprehensibly and unleashed her full wrath on her mother.
With every attack, Cinder felt herself become more powerful, and that feeling drove her to strike even faster. Heat radiated from her like a miniature sun, shining light on their surroundings. She lost track of time and herself, just punching and punching, until she punched one last time, but no power flowed into her.
Cinder stood up and looked at her hands, a wide smile appearing on her face. It felt exhilarating! She could do anything, conquer anyone! She was sure that with this power, whatever she could think, she could do… And she had so many possibilities in mind…
She spun around, eager to test out her power, and saw Ruby lying on the ground, tainting the forest soil with blood. Cinder stared with her mouth hanging open, as if she didn't know what to make of the sight.
And then something happened within her, her mind racing like a lightning bolt. Memories came back to her all at once – jasmine tea, warm hugs, soft words… Innocent silver eyes.
Cinder fell to her knees and embraced Ruby, tears flowing down her cheeks. She pressed her ear to the redhead's chest and heard a heartbeat, becoming fainter and fainter each time.
"Ruby?" She called. "Can you hear me? J-just say something!"
"Hmm…" Ruby mumbled. "Cookies…"
"Yes! Keep thinking about cookies!" Cinder exclaimed. "I'm gonna get you to a doctor!"
She snaked her arms beneath the wounded girl and started to lift her, but stopped as soon as blood came out pouring in even greater quantities. Cinder gasped in frighten and fell to her knees again.
She couldn't take Ruby anywhere. Her Scroll was nowhere to be found. Everyone above them were either dead, unconscious or didn't know their location.
"No," Cinder whispered. "Ruby? Just… Just hold on, okay? Everything's gonna be okay. That wound's nothing to you. Y-you're the greatest Huntress Remnant has ever seen, and you'll only become g-greater…"
She broke again, able to do nothing but cry and hug Ruby as tightly as she could.
This wasn't happening. It wasn't possible. Not after everything that they had gone through together.
Cinder's heart jumped in her chest when she felt her hands becoming warmer. With terror, she realized the heat was exiting her and flowing away… into Ruby. The pyromancer screamed and jumped back, certain that she had hurt Ruby even further.
To her confusion and fear, a small trail of golden fire snaked through Ruby's body, quickly making its way to the wound on her chest. Before Cinder could do anything, it entered and shone brightly for a full minute. Then, it faded.
A moment of silence passed as Cinder wondered what exactly had happened. Then, Ruby sat up with wide eyes, her chest healed without even a scar.
"Huh…" She frowned. "What happened?"
"I… I healed you!" Cinder exclaimed. "Ruby, I healed you!"
"Wait, what?" Ruby felt very lost. "Did you kill Mira?"
Cinder blinked and looked at her mother, sprawled on the forest ground with a bloody face. She was… breathing, very lightly so. Cinder smiled and stood up, feeling very inclined to just incinerate her and claim she had been already dead.
But then she felt the weight of Ruby's look on her, and took a deep breath. Cinder kneeled beside Mira and focused, trying to remember how healing Ruby had felt. After a few minutes of trying, her hands ignited with golden flames, and she pressed them to her mother's forehead.
It didn't take long for Mira's eyes to open. She looked from Cinder to Ruby, confused, then narrowed her eyes furiously.
"You didn't do it!" She exclaimed. "You didn't kill me!"
She thrust her palm in Ruby's direction, but no fire was released. She tried again, to no avail. Slowly, her expression became one of utter dismay, as if her whole world was falling apart.
"I feel… empty," she muttered. "Kill me. Please."
"No," Cinder said resolutely. "That's too easy an end for you."
Mira shook helplessly. Her eyes regained some of her old vileness when she looked at Cinder again.
"But you have the power," she realized. "You'll keep the lineage going. I can't wait to see what you'll make of the world with it."
"Nothing at all. I don't want to change the world, or conquer it. Whatever your end goal is," Cinder answered. "This power isn't a gift or a curse, Mira. It just is. And we can be greater than it. I'm greater than it."
Ruby shuffled to her feet. Hesitantly, she folded her scythe and put it away.
"Yep," she said, adopting her usual cheerful attitude. "You are going to prison, Miss Fall! Uh, sorry, Cinder. I meant Miss… Miss Meanie…?"
"Don't worry, Ruby," Cinder smirked. "I wasn't offended."
Mira closed her eyes and, for the first time of many to come, cursed at her defeat.
Yang walked out of the school slowly, helping her mother along with an arm around her shoulders. The entire front area was filled with unconscious White Fang, much to their surprise.
Weiss and Blake were interrogating one of the few criminals awake, while Taiyang hanged around aimlessly. When he saw his family exit the building, he ran to them and enveloped them in a hug.
"You two… damn women!" He cursed lightly. "Always getting yourselves in bad situations. I was worried sick you had died or something."
"You worried for nothing," Yang said, then forced a smile for him. "Good job taking care of these guys."
"Well, Schnee and Cat-Girl helped a little. But I did most of the work." He boasted.
Yang made her way to her teammates, leaving her parents to talk by themselves. Blake was crouched before her prisoner, staring into his eyes fiercely. She wasn't the victim of that stare, but Yang still shuddered because of it.
"I'm going to ask one last time," Blake said in a low, dangerous tone of voice. "Where is Adam Taurus?"
"I don't know." The criminal replied tiredly.
Blake sighed, then let go of him and got up. Weiss patted her on the shoulder comfortingly.
"I can't do it," the faunus said. "Threatening is as far as I'll go."
"Maybe it would work if you tried a more… sensual approach." Yang piped in.
Weiss's glare could have cut through metal.
"Hey, Yang," Blake said, making a point of ignoring her suggestion. "What's up? Anything going on inside the school?"
"Nope. I took care of the ones who got inside," Yang looked away shiftily. It didn't go unnoticed by Blake. "Anyway. Where's everyone else? Is Mira down already?"
"We… thought you knew what had happened," Weiss said worriedly. "Ruby, Cinder, Ozpin and Mira disappeared. We have no idea where they are."
Yang's eyes widened. This could only mean bad things. Without asking for anyone to come along, she started to walk towards the hangars.
She didn't get far, however, before someone screamed behind her.
"They're here!"
Yang spun around and saw Ruby and Cinder passing through the school gates and nearing them. The blonde smiled and rushed to her sister, lifting her in a hug and spinning her in circles.
"Y-Yang!" Ruby exclaimed embarrassedly. "Please, stop it! I'm fine!"
Yang put her down, still ecstatic about her return. Then she noticed someone else standing behind Cinder, and her blood froze.
"What is she doing here?!" The blonde screamed. "Didn't you kill her?"
Mira glared at her, but didn't have the will to do anything else.
"Nobody is killing her," Cinder said firmly. "I took her power away. She can't hurt a fly."
"That doesn't mean she should live." Yang noted harshly.
"Yes, it does," the pyromancer refuted. "Killing her isn't the only option anymore. Now she can be held in a prison, like any other criminal, for the rest of her life."
Yang clearly didn't agree, but she decided to let the matter be for now and walked away. Weiss and Blake examined the once-powerful Mira with a mixture of fear and relief.
Ruby looked around the place with a frown on her head.
"Where's Mister Ozpin?" She asked worriedly.
"We don't know." Blake replied.
All eyes turned to Mira. The woman smiled and chuckled.
"Wouldn't you like to know…"
Cinder resisted the urge to punch her.
"Tell me," she ordered. "And… I'll make sure you have decent breakfasts in prison."
"Oh, my. What a considerate daughter I have," Mira rolled her eyes. "Have fun scouring the Emerald Forest for his body. When you find the first arm, don't worry, the rest of him should be easier-"
"I'm right here."
Ozpin appeared beside them, wearing a little smirk on his face. Mira's face paled, as if she were seeing a ghost.
"How…" She started to say.
"Don't bother yourself trying to find out. It's a secret to everybody," he said. "Anyway. Which prison would you prefer?"
The following days seemed to pass by like a blur.
The battle with the White Fang had damaged a large portion of the school, which meant they would have to rebuild. Luckily, they were very near the end of the didactic semester, so the students were allowed to leave the rest of it for when everything was fixed.
Dealing with the White Fang proved to be a bureaucratic mess. Ozpin wanted to just hand them over to the Vale police, but a vast recount of the events of and leading up to the attack was demanded of him and everyone involved. The media would have weeks of desirable material, much to the headmaster's chagrin.
Blake was very troubled by Adam's absence. All of the henchmen she had asked didn't have answer for her, and Mira refused to open her mouth too. But the faunus could tell the villain knew something, just from the satisfied way she looked at her when she had asked.
To Weiss's horror, her family decided to help directly with Beacon's rebuilding, even going so far as to send Winter Schnee as a representative. It wasn't long before the older sister discovered Weiss had a girlfriend, and that led to many tense, but sometimes heartwarming, dinners.
Yang didn't laugh or smile as much anymore. Ruby and Weiss attributed it to the aftermath of the battle, but Blake knew wiser. Some nights, she would be woken up by her crying, and there was nothing that could be done about it.
Taiyang decided to hang around the school a bit longer to help with the rebuilding and spend time with his family. Raven didn't tell him about what had happened during the attack – she could hardly think of it herself. To her surprise, Ozpin was quick to offer a teaching position in Beacon, but she only said she would consider it.
Ruby went through the last bit of her recovery astoundingly fast, as if some unnatural force were aiding her. She was a hundred percent back to her usual self, smiling, joking and laughing.
Why shouldn't she be happy? She had a movie to look forward to, after all.
"Ruby," Weiss called tiredly for the fourth time. "Cinder's already here."
"I know!" The redhead whined. "If you'd help me get prepared…"
The heiress groaned and looked at her partner, who had been standing in front of a mirror for an hour now. Weiss didn't judge anyone for wanting to dress up for a date, but Ruby had somehow managed to not look any different at all, despite all her efforts to the contrary.
"Ruby, I really don't think Cinder likes you for yours looks." Blake said.
"Hey!" Yang protested from her bed. "That's my little sister you're talking about!"
"I didn't mean it like that!" Blake shook her head apologetically. "You're pretty, Ruby, but Cinder likes you for who you are. You don't need to dress up for her."
Ruby considered her friend's words for a few seconds, then smiled.
"You're right! Blake, you give the best dating advice ever!" She glared at Weiss. "Unlike someone…"
"Tell her all about your big sniper-scythe," Weiss deadpanned. "No girl can resist that."
"Wait…" Yang frowned. "Did Weiss just make an innuendo?"
"No!" The heiress blushed. "You made it an innuendo!"
Ruby ignored her teammates' squabble and exited the room. Luckily, Blake's advice seemed to really work, because Cinder was also dressed in only a simple t-shirt and jeans.
"Sorry!" Ruby exclaimed. "I didn't mean to keep you waiting for so long."
"Don't worry about it," Cinder chuckled. "Shall we go?"
"We shall!"
The two exited the dormitory and headed for the road that would take them down to Vale. The construction workers were beginning to leave as dusk came. They had estimated the rebuilding to complete in at least one month – which, in Ruby's eyes, was too soon. She would have appreciated more time to goof off and not going to class.
"So," Ruby said, trying to start a conversation. "Have you packed your things yet?"
"What things? You know I have almost no personal belongings," Cinder noted humorously. "But, yes, I have. The only problem is finding an apartment in Vale now."
"How hard can that be?" Ruby shrugged.
"Well, maybe if I had money…" Cinder sighed. "I don't want to ask someone for it. Hey, Taiyang! Remember that time my crazy mother kidnapped your youngest daughter? The same daughter I'm dating? Haha! Fun times! Can I borrow your money?"
"Well, you gotta start from somewhere," the redhead frowned. "Don't ask my dad, though. He won't give it to you."
"Why? Is he stingy?"
"No, because you're dating his youngest daughter."
Cinder nodded. That seemed like a logical enough reason.
As they neared the city, Cinder couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. This was where she was going to live from now on. How would she fare, living in an apartment alone, like a normal person? Where would she work? How would she cook? Those were all questions that made her want to undo her most recent decision and run away.
Thinking about it brought the guilt back. She looked at Ruby slyly, kicking herself for even considering running away from her. Unfortunately, Ruby had become very adept in catching her in her subtler motions.
"What's going on, Cinder?" The redhead smiled smugly. "You're giving me that look."
"It's…" Cinder sighed. No more secrets. "I haven't told you this before, because… Well, it would upset you."
"Don't worry. I won't be upset." Ruby assured.
"Okay," the pyromancer took a deep breath. "Before Mira, and a little bit after, I was thinking of running away."
Ruby looked very upset.
"It's not that I didn't want to be with you," Cinder explained. "It's just… I felt – and still feel – like I don't deserve you. I mean, I've killed, lied… Generally made your life a lot messier than it needs to be. So I wanted to leave to your own devices. Maybe you'd find someone better."
"That's… kinda awesome, actually," Ruby smiled. "I think your thinking you don't deserve me is cowpoop. And don't even try to argue. You worry so much about my happiness… Isn't that how a relationship should be?"
"I think so," Cinder nodded. "But I'm still dangerous. I have Mira's power, after all."
"So?"
The first week had been rough. Cinder had struggled to contain her power, and sometimes she hadn't been able to. The walls of her room at Beacon were proof of that, with scorch marks and punched holes.
It became easier with time, and with Ruby's visits. Being in the redhead's presence was soothing. One day, Cinder had been surprised by a request for her to try and summon her healing powers again. She was scared to death that she might accidentally hurt Ruby instead, but after much insistence, she conceded.
Healing was… different. She hadn't been able to pinpoint exactly how it felt at first, but now… Every time she'd lay a hand on somebody – which was restricted to Ruby, for now – and heal their wounds, she felt one with the fire within her. Alive.
"Forget it," Cinder shook her head. "That was just me worrying over nothing. I've got everything under control. We've got everything under control."
"Yep!" Ruby agreed excitedly, seeing the lights of the cinema a few streets ahead. "We got it!"
"Seriously, Ruby, I don't know what I would have done without you. You showed me what this fire really is," the pyromancer smiled. "Maybe if the previous Falls had had a corresponding Rose, things would have worked out better for them."
"Yeah, if they all had your looks, it would be pretty easy to Fall for them!"
Cinder groaned and looked away. Sometimes she forgot who Ruby had grown up with.
The two crossed a street and entered the cinema. Ruby immediately raced to the posters on the wall, searching for the one with the most explosions. Cinder waited patiently, though there was one more thing she needed to say.
"Ruby, I love you," she spoke suddenly. "And I need to say something."
"Uh, okay," Ruby stopped her movie hunting to listen to her. "It must be pretty serious."
"Yes," Cinder hesitated. "I… I would prefer if we watched a romance. Actions movies aren't really my thing."
Ruby stared at her, mouth hanging open. She would need a few minutes to adjust to that brusque change in Cinder's character.
"That's…" Ruby took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. "That's okay. We can watch whatever you want. You know why? Because I love you, and I respect your opinions and tastes."
Cinder stepped forward to give her a kiss. When she retreated, Ruby was swinging her credit card in front of her with a wide smile on her face.
"I'm buying everything!" She sang. "'Cause you're broke."
"Ruby," Cinder smiled. "I really don't deserve you."
Wooh! Le Grande Finale! Don't worry, we still have an epilogue next week!
I apologize for the slight delay. This chapter was double the usual length, so I think you might understand why it took longer to finish. Also, I spellchecked this time! (Except the penultimate scene and the one before that, because I got lazy.) And I also rewrote the whole last scene. Trust me, this one is MILES better. (As in, WTF was I thinking with the original one)
I'll be saving my thoughts of the whole story for the next chapter. Still, I'm gonna give you guys a premature thanks for being awesome!
KILL-ME-sized thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited Falling Roses Burn Brighter!
-Zeroan