Chapter Ten – Pawn of Prophecy
Warning: This fanfic will spoil the events of RWBY up to Volume 5. The story picks up immediately after the events of Downfall
Incandescent flames surrounded the Fall Maiden. Her eyes flared with burning amber Aura, her flowing bright red dress billowed in the wind, dancing as though it were made of fire itself. She held her black Grimm arm out and her silver sword dislodged itself and flew towards its owner as like metal to a magnet. Cinder Fall caught Silver's Cry by its handle and stared down at her silver eyed opponent, Jansen Arygyros. Lord of Mantle-3. The prophesied Chosen One. The last of the Silver Eyed Warriors. Protector of the Realm. Their clash was no longer simply about who was the Chosen One or who was the better swordsman. Their fight was something more, it challenged their very existence. Choice and free will against prophecy and destiny.
Cinder gripped her sword tight as she lunged towards Jansen, who did the exact same thing. The two slammed their swords against each other, sparks flew as Silver's Cry and Austenaster bit into each other. Jansen's silver eyes widened in disbelief. There were no luminescent gold sparks as they locked their blades, somehow his Semblance, Aura Break had no effect against the Fall Maiden.
"How... are you doing this?" growled Jansen as he struggled to hold his own against Cinder. "This can't be. No one has ever done it."
Cinder's burning amber eyes narrowed.
"You're a slow one aren't you? Don't stress out that tiny brain of your's darling," chuckled Cinder in delight. "I've been trading blows now with the sword in my left instead of my sword arm. And Armiel... has no Aura for you to destroy. You see, under the right circumstances even my greatest weakness against a Silver Eyed Warrior can become my most powerful weapon- "
"You monster!" shouted Jansen Argyros in his frustration. "You would give up your humanity for power- "
"You're right," said Cinder as she continued to attack Jansen with Silver's Cry, forcing him to defend himself. "I am a monster. But not all monsters need be destructive beasts like the one out there and sometimes it takes a monster to destroy another monster. It's over Jansen."
Jansen disengaged and repositioned himself ten feet away from Cinder through a portal drawn by Austenaster.
"This is your last chance at redemption, monster," smirked Jansen as he pointed the tip of his sword at Cinder. "Give. Me. The black arrow."
"You've already had your chance and you failed," frowned Cinder. "Your silver eyes won't work on me anymore. Your Semblance, Aura Break doesn't work against me either. And between the two of us, we both know who's better at the sword. You're a smart man, you know how this ends. This fight is over, Jansen- "
"You overestimate your chances!" growled Jansen in denial.
"Don't try it," warned Cinder as she too pointed her sword at Jansen.
Jansen Argyros slashed through space and time with his sword and leapt through the portal, reappearing behind the Fall Maiden as he brought his sword down upon her in a single heavy strike with his eyes brimming with silver light. The same attack he used to defeat Cinder Fall the first time in this very same cavern. But she was ready for him this time. A flash of vermilion blinded him momentarily as the Fall Maiden dodged his strike completely with a sudden burst of flame. She spun her silver sword and with a single decisive slash of her sword, she tore the Silver Eyed Warrior through from hip to shoulder on his back. Jansen crashed to the ground, sprawled on his belly, soaked in his own blood, his body felt numb from his shoulder down but he could feel the cold metal of Silver's Cry at his neck. The Fall Maiden's blow deliberately missed his vital organs but shattered his spine and severed his nerves so that he would be left alive.
"Kill me, you monster. Finish it," spat the Lord of Mantle-3 as he groaned in pain. "Prove me right... You are a monster."
Cinder grit her teeth and raised her sword to execute him but paused. Armiel's protests immediately started to ring in her head.
Kill him. What are you waiting for? KILL HIM!
"DO IT!" yelled Jansen, panting and fighting against the pain from his wounds. "You need some motivation? I'll give you some. I enjoyed killing her. Filthy scum like her, what was her name again? Annabelle?"
"ANASTASIA!"
"Anastasia. There," taunted Jansen as he laughed even in the face of death. "Nothing has ever been more satisfying in my life. Not even when I drove my sword through my father's heart. She was the scum of this city you know that?"
"SHUT UP!" demanded Cinder as tears started down her eyes.
"You want to know why I didn't do it myself?" chuckled Jansen as he spat a mouthful of blood. "Because she wasn't worth my time. She was too filthy to be killed by the Chosen One himself."
"SHUT UP, SHUT UP!"
Cinder screamed in exasperation and raised her sword high over her head again. Jansen smiled and closed his eyes, ready to embrace death.
The clang of metal resounded throughout the cavern and Jansen opened his silver eyes. Cinder Fall had broken Silver's Cry in half with the herculean strength of her Grimm arm and flung the pieces aside, safely out of Jansen's reach. She turned around and headed for the exit of the cavern.
"Please, Cinder Fall... Just kill me already," groaned Jansen as he tried to crawl closer. "Is this how you are going to avenge her? A fate worse than death- "
"This has nothing to do with vengeance," replied Cinder as she whipped out a scroll from her brilliant red dress and tossed it into the dirt beside Jansen. "Vengeance will only breed more vengeance. So I'm going to end it by giving up on it. That scroll has only one contact on it - Winter Schnee. She's the only person left in this city, no - this world who will come help you."
"Hahaha... If you walk away from me," growled Jansen. "I'll be coming for you. You will regret this day, Cinder Fall. You will regret that- "
"Jansen Arc," interrupted Cinder, for the first time in her life she had genuine pity in her voice. "The path of vengeance doesn't end well. You only need to look at me to know the cost I paid..."
"DON'T YOU DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!"
As Jansen's screams faded behind her, Cinder Fall removed the black arrow strung on her shoulders and held it in her hands as she left the Dust mines. Her gaze was resolute, her path was clear, she had her eye on the black Grimm dragon that threatened to raze her home, Mantle-3 to the ground.
Why didn't you kill him Scarface? Don't you remember what he did to us, what he did to Ana?
Not important anymore Armiel. Killing him won't bring Ana back to life-
What? You heard him, he enjoyed it.
Doesn't matter. That wasn't the objective, Armiel. It's weird for me to tell you this, you should know better.
Hahaha, that's real wise coming from you-
Killing him means that I am forced to become the Chosen One. Sparing him denies the prophecy and as long as there are two people that fulfill its conditions...
Choice and free will triumphed over prophecy and destiny in that fight...
That's right. It was a test, Armiel. The power of the Fall Maiden didn't come back to me for nothing. They were testing me... Choice is the true power of Fall.
Cinder grasped the Relic of Choice firmly in her left hand and it glowed from the inside with a brilliant flash of amber.
A terrifying screech reverberated through the air. The Grimm dragon turned its ominous crimson red eyes towards the Dust mines as it flapped it massive wings and sailed effortlessly through the sky, straight towards the Fall Maiden.
Cinder Fall smiled as she conjured a shimmering longbow from molten glass, she strung the black arrow and pulled the bowstrings back as far as she could. It was all too easy, she just needed to let go and the dragon would come tumbling out of the sky. But before she could release the arrow that would surely slay the dragon, a thunderous chime echoed from the clock tower of Mantle-3, Cinder turned her gaze at the face of the clock and read the time in horror. It was twelve midnight.
The strength of the Fall Maiden dissipated from her body. Her eyes lost their burning amber flare and she fell to her knees panting, the feeling was all too familiar - Cinder lost the power of Fall once again, but the Grimm dragon stayed its course towards her. The Relic rattled and a single amber wisp emerged from within the compass, a girl dressed in a white sailor uniform with flame-colored hair and a wide, friendly smile on her face. Cinder immediately recognized her as Fall, the first Fall Maiden.
This is the final test, Cinder. Slaying a dragon has always been the hallmark of a hero. And none of them have done it with the immense power of a Maiden-
So you took it away from me again?
We need confirmation that you are worthy-
This is madness. Its a death sentence you passed on me. This accomplishes nothing. The Relic goes to Salem if I fail tonight-
This is purely Ana's decision, Cinder. She passed the power back to you when she died, now she needs to know that you're worthy to wield it again.
Ana...
Cinder grasped her molten glass longbow tight in her hands. Without the power of the Fall Maiden, the searing heat of the flames stung her hands, but it only served as a bitter reminder of her weakness and she held it tighter. She drew the bow back once again with the black arrow loaded and took her aim at the Grimm dragon.
Scarface, just a quick reminder. The previous Fall Maiden, Akiha failed because dragon fire is strong enough to melt Dust-
See that hole in its armor there?
Darling, that thing isn't stupid. It knows that's its weakness-
Cinder adjusted her aim higher, pointing at the maw of the dragon instead.
The mouth then. When that thing opens its mouth, we put an arrow through its skull.
Could work. But the arrow has to land before fire comes out. We have like a millisecond's window. I'm not digging our chances-
A hundred and one shots out of a hundred and one, Armiel. We'll make it happen.
The Grimm dragon parted its jaws and Cinder let loose the black arrow. The arrow streaked across the night sky, an iridescent black comet that flew straight towards the gaping maw of the beast, but it was too late. Burning flames ignited in the Grimm dragon's jaws as it unleashed a massive torrent of dragon fire. The black arrow collided with dragon fire, shattering into a million shimmering rainbow shards and a smiled spread across Cinder's face as she saw it happen.
Cinder Fall rolled out of the path of the destruction wrought by dragon fire that would have incinerated her alive and clenched her hand into a fist. The rainbow shards under her direction regathered themselves and with a brilliant flash of amber flames, the shards fused themselves back together, restoring the black arrow once again. The arrow continued its flight forward, but this time it headed straight for the dragon's left breast, the kink in its impenetrable armor where Jansen's second arrow had destroyed a single black scale. The arrow pierced the dragon's flesh with ease and lanced its beating heart that burst into bright amber flames as the arrow detonated itself, destroying the Grimm dragon's heart from the inside out.
The Grimm dragon let out a deafening shriek as it made one final attempt to climb into the night sky and went limp. The light faded from its crimson red eyes, dragon fire flickered and died in its belly as the dragon slowly started to dissipate, soot and ash blew in the wind like fallen leaves during autumn, when the remains of its body hit the ground it did so with an impact as though it were a bag of feathers.
Cinder heaved a huge sigh of relief. The longbow disappeared and she fell to her knees. She held up the Relic of Choice wrapped around her neck, and as she did so she felt the enormous surge of power through her body restoring the power of Fall.
"Y-You did it!"
Cinder wheeled around and was blinded by a mass of tea-colored hair colliding into her. Drizella embraced her so tightly that Cinder struggled for breath.
"D-Drizella, hey let me go, I-I can't breathe!" choked Cinder.
Drizella released her grip and held Cinder at arm's length, beaming at her proudly.
"Well, your worship..." Drizella blushed as she spoke. "I'm sorry for everything I've done- "
Cinder cupped her hands on Drizella's mouth to silence her.
"Don't be dear," smiled Cinder as she started to laugh. "Worship... Hmmm really you couldn't have chosen a better word?"
"After what you did here today... I'm sure you'll be worshiped through the ages!" started Drizella excitedly and Cinder could see a hint of Anastasia's personality shining through. "They will sing songs, tell stories about you. Cinder Fall the dragon slayer- "
"Hold it," interrupted Cinder as she held her hand out, beckoning Drizella to get behind her.
Twenty feet away from them, Cinder could make out the silhouette of an old woman hobbling towards the pair. The Relic of Choice rattled fervently and Cinder propped open the compass only to see its red copper needle pointing away from the old crone. Cinder shut the compass and looked up, the Fall Maiden fully understood what was happening.
"MUM!" yelled Drizella as she pushed past Cinder, sprinting towards Tremaine. "You made it! You're alive!"
"Drizella get back here," said Cinder curtly, she flexed her Grimm fingers, ready to forcefully pull the girl back. "That's not your mother."
Drizella skidded to a halt and cried out in disbelief. "W-What? She's right here, what do you mean!"
"Drizella... Cinder..." croaked Tremaine weakly. "Come help me here."
A flash of vermilion and Cinder armed herself with a molten glass scimitar.
"Your mother's dead Drizella," frowned Cinder as she took on her battle stance. "If you still refuse to believe me... Ask her to tell us what home means."
Drizella started to back away slowly. "M-Mum... Prove it to her! C'mon, you beat this into our ears every day, this should be easy! Home is..."
"Home is..." started Tremaine, but she struggled past the first two words. A red gleam shone in Tremaine's irises as she started to shed her facade and smiled as she spoke with a terrifyingly familiar voice. "Cinder dear, why did you have to go and do this?"
Cinder's Grimm arm shot out, pulling Drizella back to safety just as a second Grimm arm extending to anatomically impossible distances from Tremaine and tore a gaping hole in the ground where Drizella would have stood.
"RUN!"
Drizella bolted towards the smoking city of Mantle-3 immediately and Cinder turned her head back only to be met with a horrifying sight.
Black miasma surrounded Tremaine as the old widow twisted and warped at weird angles that would have cracked her bones, its movements made even Cinder's stomach turn with discomfort. The old crone straightened her back, her graying hair further lost its color, her skin became bleached as white as chalk but her sclerae turned black as coal with irises red as blood.
When the darkness faded, Salem the Grimm Queen glared at Cinder with her arms folded.
Chapter 11[A] - Happily Never [A]fter
Author's notes: Just like in chapter 8.5 the story will branch into multiple non-linear alternate endings.
Salem towered high above Cinder, on her chalk white fingers crawling with horrifying purple veins sat two rings, one with a purple gemstone and the other with a yellow gemstone.
"Kneel," commanded Salem.
Cinder dipped her head and bent the knee obediently. Her day of reckoning had come. Today Salem would make her pay for her failure at Haven Academy, her failure to obtain the Relic of Knowledge and from past experience, Cinder knew that her master did not take failure well.
"You have failed me, Cinder."
"I... I have no excuse," said Cinder, her eye fixed on the ground. "I was blinded by revenge, I wanted power- "
"Power... Have I not already promised you power?" interrupted Salem as she caressed the gemstones in her rings gently.
"Yes you have."
"And revenge... Fool's gold, dear. I expected more from you." smiled Salem. "Even though you failed to retrieve the Relic of Knowledge, you did managed to acquire the Relic of Choice."
Cinder's eye fell on the Relic around her neck. She removed it and held it tight in her Grimm arm.
"Hand it over," ordered Salem.
A thousand voices, the souls of all the Fall Maidens rang in her head as Cinder held out the Relic of Choice and offered it to Salem. It was wrong, but it was the only way Cinder knew that she could undo her mistakes and regain Salem's confidence in her once again. She had no choice but to give the Relic to her master.
Salem grasped the compass by the chain and held it high triumphantly.
"After all these years, Oz..." Salem's blood red eyes glowed with fanatical obsession as she spoke to it. "The Relic of Choice... Buried in myth, lost to fairy tales. The most important Relic you entrusted to the eldest and wisest of the four sisters. You thought it would be safe with her... You thought wrong."
The Relic glowed a brilliant amber light and vibrated violently as Salem concentrated her dark magic on the golden compass, eventually cracking and giving way under the immense power of the Grimm Queen. As the compass shattered, it revealed the single amber gemstone concealed within its depths.
"The Soul Stone..." murmured Salem, then she turned her head towards Cinder. "You know, dear. Its a real pity that Emerald couldn't be here to witness this moment. Her faith in you has been severely shaken by your failure at Haven."
"E-Emerald..." mumbled Cinder as she got to her feet. "Is she alright? What have you done with her? It wasn't her fault, y-you haven't been torturing her have you?"
Cinder, NO!
A horrid pain lanced Cinder through her chest. When she looked down, there was a gaping hole in her left breast, blood erupted profusely where Salem's Grimm arm had shattered her ribs and torn her heart out. Cinder fell to knees in shock and her vision started to fade from the loss of blood.
"Your heart... it's gone soft, Cinder. Did poor Tremaine teach you how to become weak?" chuckled Salem in her terrible high laughter as she held Cinder's heart in her hand. "Don't worry dear, Emerald is doing fine, you can die knowing that. And since she was your last words, Emerald would become the next Fall Maiden."
Salem reached out and grasped the Soul Stone in her chalk white fingers.
"Three down... Three to go."
"T-Two down, four to go..." interrupted Cinder, forcing a smile on her face as she uttered her last words. "And no. There's no way I would burden Emerald with the power of the Fall Maiden."
Salem stared at the gemstone in Cinder's hand and her blood-red eyes burned with fury. It was a ruby. A ruby rose. There was only one person that Salem knew that meant. With a final peaceful smile, Cinder Fall collapsed into a lifeless heap and the amber Aura of Fall shot into the sky. In her hands, the Soul Stone vibrated and dissipated through her fingers, melding together with the Fall Maiden's Aura as it flew towards its new host, Ruby Rose.
Salem cursed and whipped out one of her two rings, engaging the infinite power on the purple gemstone it bathed the field with radiant purple light. The amber Aura of the Fall Maiden retraced its path back into Cinder, expelling the Soul Stone from the Fall Maiden's Aura. Cinder's heart leapt out from her hand and flew back into her chest and the Fall Maiden opened her eyes and was alive again. Time was starting to wind back on itself.
- BAD END -