"Mama?" Little hands slipped under the blankets, gently pushing on the woman's back. "Mama, are you awake?"

The woman stirred, slowly turning her body to look at the little girl barely tall enough to peek over the height of the bed.

"Mm… what's wrong, Ruby?"

"I- I can't sleep."

The woman's sleep addled brain paused to process the words. Then her face broke into a gentle smile and she slided her hands under the girl's arms, pulling her into the warm bed. Her husband lay snoring obliviously beside her, only pausing to grunt and scratch his nose.

Small arms wrapped tightly around the woman's lithe frame and that's when she noticed the trembling.

"Ruby, did you have a bad dream?"

The little girl shook her head, clinging more fiercely to the woman's embrace.

"Then what happened?"

"I can't go to sleep. I'm scared, mama."

Wide, pale eyes looked up to her in the darkness, tears beginning to overflow.

The woman ran her fingers through the girl's hair, and slowly but surely, the trembling began to subside as the girl closed her eyes and pressed her face into her mother's breast.

"And what are you scared of?"

The girl didn't answer for a few moments and the woman almost thought she fell asleep.

"The dark," the girl finally answered, her voice muffled.

The woman chuckled lightly, causing the girl to pinch the soft flesh of her stomach.

"Ow, ow! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" the woman laughed.

The girl pouted as she tried to push the woman away but the woman just strengthened her embrace and the girl found herself trapped.

"I really am sorry Ruby, I didn't mean to laugh."

"Mama is a meanie."

"Ouch." The woman winced. "Well Ruby, to make up for being so mean to you, why don't I teach you how to fight the dark?"

"You can fight the dark?"

Hearing the utter awe in the little girl's voice made the woman want to burst out laughing again but she knew that would just anger the girl and so she held down the urge and just smiled instead.

"Of course. C'mon, follow me."

The woman left the bed and the girl reluctantly followed, immediately missing the warmth of the bed as soon as her feet touched the ground.

The woman walked down to the foot of the bed, the girl trailing behind and she knelt down, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder and pointing at the empty air.

"Ok Ruby, here's what you gotta do. Look straight into the darkness."

The girl looked at the room, whimpering as she saw the shadows swallowing the man still slumbering in the bed. Quickly, she turned to the woman and hugged her leg, refusing to look at it any more.

"C'mon Ruby, it'll be ok."

The woman gently pried the girl off her leg and gave her a hug.

"I'll do it with you."

The girl slowly nodded and stiffy stared back out into the darkness. Her eyes glanced up at the woman who stood up strong and steady, her back straight and her chin tilted upwards. The woman's hands rested at the hips and she looked like she was ready to take on all the evil the darkness had to offer. The little girl mimicked her, keeping a stiff upper lip and trying to keep her trembling under control.

"Good, good!" The woman nodded approvingly and the girl smiled as she felt fierce pride blossom in her chest.

"Now repeat after me: I'm not scared of the dark."

"I-I'm not scared of the dark."

"Louder Ruby, the dark can't hear you!"

"I'm not scared of the dark!"

"Louder!"

"I'M NOT SCARED OF THE DARK!" The little girl screamed and the man woke up,

jumping from the bed.

"W-what's going on? Are we being attacked?"

"Shut up and go back to bed dear, we're just battling with darkness."

There was a pause and the man scratched his head. He stared at the two figures,

standing proud and tall in the dark for a few more seconds before quietly climbing back into bed and closing his eyes.

"Ok, can you try to be more quiet while you're fighting then?"

"Nope!"

The woman turned back to the little girl.

"Alright, one more time for good measure."

"I AM NOT SCARED OF THE DARK!"

"Good! Now yell: "THE DARK IS SCARED OF ME!"

"The dark is scared of me?"

"Don't ask it Ruby, yell it."

"THE DARK IS SCARED OF ME!"

"Great! One more time!"

"THE DARK IS SCARED OF ME!"

The girl was breathing heavily now, her posture beginning to sag.

"Don't let up just yet Ruby, straighten up! The battle isn't over!"

The girl immediately puffed out her chest again, her brows furrowed in determination.

"Now yell: IF YOU'RE NOT A COWARD, COME AND FIGHT ME! AHAHAHAHA!"

"Bu-"

"No butts, just yell it."

"I-IF YOU'RE NOT… A COWARD, COME AND FIGHT ME! A-HAH- AHAHAHA!"

Silence.

Ruby flinched as the woman clapped her back.

"And that's it! You won!"

"Mama…"

"Yes, Ruby?"

"That was dumb."

"Pfft!"

The woman turned a glare at the man who was lying down, his eyes closed as though slept, but the big, silly grin on his face gave him away.

She sighed and turned back to the girl watching her with big, unsatisfied eyes.

"How was that dumb?"

"Where are the swords? And the booms?"

"You've been watching your father and sister way too much."

"I want to learn how to fight too!"

"You're too young Ruby."

"Yang is only two years older than me! And dad teaches her so many cool things. I want you to teach me too!"

The woman sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Maybe when you're your sister's age then."

"But I wanna learn now!"

"Ruby, I want you to listen to me very carefully."

The woman cupped the girl's face into her palms and gently forced her to look into her eyes. The girl's eyes widened. It was rare to see the woman look so serious.

"Not all fights are with weapons and explosions. Sometimes, fighting involves more than hacking at some monster with a sword. I know we're not the best example as a family but it's something you need to learn. Do you understand, Ruby?"

"No, not really..."

The woman smiled and pulled the girl into a tight hug. "That's fine. We have time. Just… think about it, ok?'

The girl nodded.

"Now, your father and I both have a mission tomorrow so we should get some rest. Do you want to sleep with us? If you're still afraid of the dark, we can protect you from it tonight."

The girl thought for a moment as her eyes scanned her room.

"Actually… I think I'm ok now."

"Oh. Really?" The woman looked surprised. "Did my method actually work?"

"No," the girl shook her head. "I just realized I wasn't afraid of the dark."

"Oh, what were you afraid of then?"

"I was afraid of you leaving."

"…"

"But it's ok now. I have Yang and I can be patient. I'll grow up super fast and then when you get back, you can teach me how to fight!"

The woman looked away and in the darkness the girl couldn't see her expression but something seemed off. Her posture lost its strength, and she bent over as if something weighed heavily on her shoulders. It passed quickly though, and when she turned back she wore a great big smile.

"We're not going to be gone for that long! You still have a few years to go till you'll be ready for my training!"

She lifted the girl onto her shoulders and demonstrating a surprising amount of strength for such a small body, spinned the girl around till she started to break into a fit of giggles and snorts.

The woman dropped the girl onto the man who gasped as the sudden weight onto his stomach knocked the breath out of him. The girl kept giggling and snuggled up to him as he laughed and wrapped his large arms around her. The woman left the room and a few seconds later, carried in a struggling older girl with wild blond hair.

"Family bonding time!" the woman announced and threw the blond girl into the fray before quickly following behind her, causing more giggles and snorts to ensue.

And it was so very warm.

It was just as the sun began to touch the waters that Cinder arrived at the industrial district harbour. She allowed herself a brief moment to enjoy the dazzling sunset, a soft smile playing on her lips before she strolled over to the cluster of warehouses fenced off with electric wiring and large warning signs posted around the perimeter. A faunus man with untamed, black hair and boar tusks jutting out the sides of his face came out to meet her, not even attempting to conceal his scowl.

She only smiled back as she passed, enjoying how he actually bared his teeth at her, snorting in what he must have meant as a threatening gesture. She chuckled inwardly. If the faunus was really under the impression that sort of behavior was intimidating, she would have to have a proper talk with their leader about external impressions classes. Luckily, he knew better than to stop her from entering and she made her way to the furthermost warehouse; the only warehouse with a visible guard standing at its entrance. He was a dog faunus and if Cinder remembered correctly, he was in his early thirties.

He too, did not look too happy upon seeing her arrival though he did a much better hiding it than the other guard. If Cinder was not such a meticulous observer, she would not have noticed the barest tensing of his jaw and small bob of his adam's apple as he gulped. She smiled.

"So, how does our prisoner fare?"

"She was lively during the morning but she's been pretty quiet the past few hours."

"And you followed my instructions for her not to be freed under any circumstances?"

"Yes," the guard nodded. "But…"

"What?"

"She needed to urinate so…"

He glanced at an empty tin bucket next to him.

She smirked. "And you helped her?"

"No!" The guard was blushing, how cute. "A female guard did."

"I see, and anything else?"

"No, that is all."

That was a lie but Cinder let it pass. She could guess what these soft-hearted guards may have done to ease their guest's stay but it was insignificant at the moment.

"Open the door," Cinder commanded. He nodded and brought out the keys, unlocking an old fashioned padlock and pulling open the rusted doors. They screeched in protest and he winced at the horrible sound that broke the holy silence.

She stepped in, signalling him to follow. The door closed behind them and they fell into momentary darkness before a brilliant red flame burst into life in the woman's palm. The darkness immediately retreated and scattered and the woman walked over to the center of the spacious prison where a girl with dark hair had curled up, her wrists tied behind her. Her ankles were bound together by a thick band of metal that cut into her skin, and was connected to a three foot chain that was bolted down.

As she approached however, something was obviously wrong. A small leather jacket acted as her makeshift blanket, but the girl's attire, which consisted of a pajama bottoms and a kitty cat tank top, did almost nothing to keep the chilled ocean air that had leaked in from the outer world. As a result, her body was wracked with violent shivers. The girl wasn't even conscious; instead, she looked as though she was having some sort of nightmare as her body spasmed in its pathetic attempts to stay warm.

The guard looked visibly pained as he watched, not even attempting to hide his horror.

"Has she had any food or drink today?"

"We gave her some water and bread in the morning."

"And the jacket?"

"...it's mine."

"You're smaller than you look."

The guard said nothing at that.

"If we leave her like this, she'll probably die of hypothermia by morning."

The guard gritted his teeth but once again said nothing.

"Hm, what do you think we should do?" Cinder asked, her expression neutral.

"Excuse me?" The surprise in his voice was clear, and Cinder reveled in it.

"I'm asking if you think she's worth saving? If she were to escape and get to any authority figures of Vale, our current plans would end right there and we would have to quite a detour to get back on track."

"I- I can't answer that question." The faunus lowered his eyes, refusing to look at anything but the ground. Cinder's flame crackled and an ember fell near the girl's head, burning brightly before fading away into nothing.

Cinder tilted her head in an almost curious fashion. "Even though the delaying of our plans could only mean more faunus deaths?"

The guard did not speak. His body did the speaking for him, and his hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly as if to draw it. Then, the strength suddenly left him and he shook his head.

"I can't," he said, his voice much firmer than his expression. "She's just a little girl."

It was a bit disappointing but nothing unexpected. Cinder gave a short internal sigh.

"I see. Go and find some food and blankets for her then."

"Yes, ma'am." The guard saluted and ran off.

When the doors closed behind him, Cinder knelt down and placed her free hand on the girl's cold chest. There was an odd sort of humming in the air as her hand started to glow a warm light, weak at first but growing stronger as the seconds passed. The girl's violent shivers began to weaken and her pained expression soon melted off her face. A few moments later, she was peacefully sleeping, her breathing soft and even a small contented smile on her lips.

Cinder waited until she felt the last remnants of the cold banished from the girl's body to lift her hand. The smile disappeared from the girl's face as soon as the warm touch left her, replaced by a creased brow and trembling lips mouthing words Cinder could not hear.

Before she could lean in to catch them, the doors slammed open and the guard came in jogging. His arms held three sets of blankets, a bag of greasy takeout food and a large bottle of water.

He placed the items down by the girl's feet. With a large sweep, he lay down one of the blankets then gently lifted the girl onto it and wrapped her tightly in its warmth. He did the same for the other blankets and soon, she was comfortably cocooned.

He stood back, looking proudly at his work.

"You seem awfully fond of this girl," she stated, nonchalantly.

He flinched, quickly wiping the smile from his face.

"I- I have a daughter her age," he said.

"I see," Cinder said, slowly approaching him. "So you're married then?"

The guard blanched.

"Yes," he said, stiffly. "I am."

"Hm, that's too bad," she purred.

Somehow, she had covered the remaining space between them at speeds. She was just a hair's breath away now, almost leaning onto his chest. Something stopped the guard from stepping back. None of limbs seemed to be listen to him and everything seemed disappear from his sight. Everything except the woman before him, watching him with half lidded eyes.

"Would like to play a game with me?"

Her breath smelled of deadly promises and sweet lies.

The guard gulped.

Ruby awoke, her eyes moist. She had been dreaming but the details had drained away so rapidly, she couldn't remember any details. All that remained were the feelings of loss and a hole that could never be filled. And a flicker of something else. Something darker.

But now was not the time to think about that. A delicious scent was wafting through the air and her stomach was demanding food with all its gurgling might. Her eyes darted around the blackness, and realizing that was pointless, she turned to her nose instead. She sniffed around the air, and squirmed in a caterpillar-like fashion towards the source of that heavenly smell. When her face smacked into something that smelt greasy and battered, Ruby almost slobbered in delight. It was going to be difficult to eat without the assistance from her hands but she was up to the challenge.

Figuring out how to escape could afterwards.

As she floundered around, trying to use her teeth to grip what she thought aas a paper bag, her head knocked into something… warm and definitely not food.

"Woah," Ruby yelped as she tried to get away from it. After a few harsh seconds filled only by the beats of her heart and her rough breathing, she tried approaching it.

"Er, hello?" She grunted, drawing herself closer. "Helloooo? Anyone there?"

Hating how she had to explore everything with her face, she tried poking it with the top of her head. It didn't move very much and it seemed pretty solid. And there was a strange smell like cooking gone wrong. When she dropped her head down to rest, her neck aching from the unusual strain, her cheek landed into a lukewarm puddle of something. Some of it splashed into her mouth and she screamed.

"Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!" Ruby spluttered, once again forcing herself from the mysterious object. The smell was stronger and once Ruby managed to get over the grossness of the situation, she spat out the remnants viciously, her heart dropping as she recognized the taste.

"Blood," she whispered, her stomach lurching.

"Mister Guard! Mister Guard!" she yelled. "I think someone is dying in here!"

A few tense seconds passed before she heard the sounds of the padlock unlocking, and the doors screeched open. It was dark out and it wasn't till there was a click and a brilliant line of light flickered on that Ruby saw who had came in.

Ruby blushed as she recognized the female guard from earlier who had given her her jacket and helped her with… other things. The guard completely ignored Ruby though and instead ran up to the bleeding person beside her. Ruby turned her neck to get a proper look with the aid of some light now and she froze.

"Jack…" The woman held a hand to her mouth but it could not hide her horror.

It was him. He was the guard from earlier. The one who had given her some bread and water when she said she wanted food and the one who called the female guard when she needed to go to the bathroom.

And he was…

Ruby looked away but the image was burned too clearly in her eyes.

It was too late. No one could survive that kind of wound.

Another guard arrived with a flashlight; a larger man with tusks coming out of the side of his face.

"What happened?" he shouted. Then he saw the body and swore loudly.

"It was her," he spat, approaching the body. Ruby flinched.

"It wasn't me!" Ruby protested. Her voice had trembled and she hated it but the image would just not leave her mind.

"Of course it wasn't you!" the man snapped. "I'm not an idiot, there's only one bitch who could've done this."

"What do we do?" the woman guard asked, having regained her composure somewhat but still looking deathly pale.

"We go to Adam. We'll show him the body and he'll have to do something this time."

"What if he doesn't?"

"Then he's not our leader anymore."

He picked up the body and headed out, the woman following right behind him.

"Wait!" Ruby shouted but they paid her no heed and the slamming of the door echoed behind them.

"Don't leave me here…" she whispered.

Still burned into her retinas was the sight of Jack, his eyes wide and confused as if he didn't know he was dead.

And as though someone had just melted right through him, his flesh warped and bubbled away from the giant black hole where his heart should have been.

Author's Note: I don't know how limited I am under the teens rating but this much should be ok right? I may have to bump it up in the future because of mature themes and bloodier scenes but for now, I'll see if I can keep to T.

Reviews would be great, since this was a rough chapter for me to write and I'd like to know how to improve it or just general thoughts.