AN: Chapter 3, up and ready...well, obviously. Sorry this took so long, wording ya know? But I got it up, and I took my time to avoid last time disaster...this one is much better, and the longest to date, I think...well anyway, Read&Review, hopefully, its enjoyable.
Cinder sat up on the bleachers of the arena, watching Mercury and Emerald in the pit as they trained, sparring against each other. As far as most people would be concerned, she was a senior student sent to keep an eye on two lower classmen, it made a good excuse to stay out of classes and avoid a fight and getting discovered.
As she watched her two subordinates spar, if you can call Mercury kicking at Emerald and her swiftly dodging each kick sparring, something red catches her eye. Casting her gaze downward towards the first few rows, where team RWBY was sitting. Ruby's red cloaks sways as she squirms and Cinder can almost see the annoyed glare Weiss is giving her teammate while Yang and Blake just watched the two. Cinder grinned as she watched little Ruby, a small smile tugging at her lips as she planned everything, her ideas just made more concrete by the look of Weiss Schnee.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the school bell, as was Mercury and Emerald's spar. Cinder looked down at her scroll for a moment, taking note of their aura levels. They were even...that's not good. Cinder needed Emerald to be better, just incase. Cinder stood as Mercury and Emerald went to change back into their school uniforms. She takes her bag and goes to the door, waiting for her 'team mates' or her newest gem to come out.
Ruby and Weiss were the first to catch her interest as they walked out. Cinder smiled and stepped up. "Ah Ruby, hello."
The girl in the red hood looked up and smiled. "Hello Cinder."
"Ruby? Who's this?" Weiss said, looking over Cinder, who put on a smile for the young heiress.
"My name is Cinder Fall, I'm visiting from Haven for the Vytal Festival."
Weiss was silent for a moment before speaking. "Are you taking part in the tournament?"
"No, but some friends of mine are, maybe you'll face them." With that remark, Cinder and Weiss both kindly dismissed each other, as only those whose been to Atlas and dealt with their business leaders could. Cinder focused back on her proclaimed little gem and she pulled the tank top from a few days ago out of her bag.
"Here you are, I'm sorry I kept forgetting to grab this from my room."
Ruby nodded and took the shirt. "Ah, thank you Cinder."
Cinder smiled a little at Ruby's enjoyment. Then she glanced at Weiss, and Pyrrah Nikos, who was just walking out. "Ruby, have you thought at all about what I said before? There's proof right there." She gestured at the two older girls, then noticed Emerald and Mercury. "Well...there's my team, I have to go now."
With those words, Cinder turned and left, gesturing for her underlings to follow. Emerald tailed her like a puppy, Mercury a little more hesitant.
"Cinder, that was Schnee...I thought you said avoid her," Emerald pointed out. If it were anyone else, and any other situation, Cinder wouldn't have bothered to answer, but Emerald's half pleading red eyes drew the answer out of the woman.
"I wasn't speaking to Weiss Schnee...I was stalking a potential, a new little gem, remember? I told you a-"
"Ah yes...Ruby Rose, the little girl who's caught your eye," Mercury interrupted.
Cinder glared back at the grey clad guy who just smiled. Emerald copied her leader's glare and Mercury put a step of distance between the two women. "Sorry sorry. Continue, lady Cin-"
His sarcastic remark is cut off by a sharp jab to the ribs from Emerald. Her actions gained her a pat on the head, which made her smile before following Cinder, Mercury stumbling after them.
Ruby watched Cinder and the others walk away and disappear at a turn. She quickly stuffs the now clean shirt in her bag before Weiss calls her attention.
"Who was that?"
"That was Cinder, we ended up having a study period together, and she's been helping me with my homework."
"I thought your grades were rising…" Weiss grumbled softly. Ruby chuckled at her teammate's jealousy.
"You're still the smart one, Weiss, I'm just trying to pass." Ruby paused for a moment, thinking about what Cinder said, then her word's meaning hit her. "Weiss...Pyrrha...why did you decide to become huntresses?"
Both girls paused, thinking for a moment. Ruby knew neither had to...or that's what she assumed, she was corrected when they both answered. "We had no choice."
"Huh?" Ruby blinked and tilted her head in confusion.
Weiss and Pyrrha looked back at Ruby. The two of them had already had this conversation, they just neglected to tell their teammates. "Well Ruby...once our semblances appeared...our parents felt it was necessary," Pyrrha filled in.
"Once it was known we could fight, we didn't have much of a choice, we had a duty to humanity," Weiss added.
Ruby nodded like she understood and let the topic die, but it was still a little buzz in the back of her mind.
"Were we born to fight and die?" she remembered Cinder saying yesterday in the library. She was helping Ruby study aura and semblances. At a certain section, about how not everyone is born with a semblance, Ruby heard Cinder mumble that phrase. It seemed like she didn't mean for the crimsonette to hear, since she said nothing more.
Now she understood the words, what they meant. Maybe Cinder was right. Having these semblances...were they a mark to die?
AN: See? Better. And for those who are catching on to the references I'm making, clever you, if you don't, I'll tell all y'all later. Well, hope ya enjoyed it...dang my southern's really comin' out in this AN...