Cinder swung her sabers, sending slashes of fire flying trough the air towards Tails and Ruby, so that the duo quickly had to dodge.
"This is bad, not even Pyrrha could win against Cinder," the latter murmured worriedly.
"Who is this and why does she seem to have such a grudge against you?" Tails asked.
"This is Cinder Falls. She is responsible for all the bad stuff that happened on my homeworld."
Ruby´s heart was pounding. There were so many questions going trough her head:
How was Cinder here as well?
Why did she destroy Beacon and killed Pyrrha?
How can I make sure that I and Tails wont end the same way as her?
Despite her inner turmoil, Ruby noticed that the ground beneath them had started to glow and she and Tails jumped aside just in time as the spot exploded. The force of the explosion threw human and Mobian away from each other. Ruby's impact was cushioned by a bush, but before she could get back on her feet, Cinder appeared above her. She lashed out with both of her sabers, but Ruby managed to block the blows with the pole of Crescent Rose. Cinder directed heat through her blades into the places where her sabers hooked on the scythe. Ruby felt the rising heat on her hands, but knew she couldn't let go of her weapon or she would risk receiving heavy damage that could possible lead to her dying.
Cinder grinned.
"Let's see which gives away first, your weapon or your hands."
She was about to turn up the heat further when Tails appeared and knocked her aside with his namesakes. The little fox helped Ruby up.
"Are you alright?"
"Well, I'm still alive." Which is much more than Pyrrha could say…
"I'd recommend you stay out of this or I will burn you alive," Cinder remarked, her literally burning gaze boring into Tails'.
"Do you really think I'll let you just kill someone?"
"From what I've been told, you failed your best friend. So why do you care about the life of some stranger?"
"That's why I'm going to help Ruby. I've failed a friend before, I won't do it again."
The Mobian managed to hide the shake in his voice. Not only were Cinders words reminding him of the masked entity and its attack, but the burning glow of her amber eye was also reminisced of the brutal attackers yellow one.
Cinder stared at the fox with and unimpressed gaze.
"How cute, the little guy wants to play hero", she finally said, adding additional venom to the word hero, before throwing one of her sabers at Tails. Ruby knocked the rotating weapon out of the air with Crescent Rose. She then burrowed the scythes blade into the ground for additional stability, and then fired multiple times at her opponent. Cinder sliced through some of the bullets, but many hit their target and damaged her aura. She growled in anger and produced fire energy under her shoes, which carried her high in the air.
She raised her remaining saber. It lit up and several shards of glass formed around her. She lowered the saber and the shards flew downwards in a rapid pace. Ruby grabbed Tails and, in rose cloud form, the two flew back and forth between the sharp-edged projectiles. But once they solidified, the shards stuck in the ground around them glowed and exploded. The duo was thrown through the air again and crashed into the ground.
Tails lay dazed on the ground and Ruby felt her aura flickering strongly. She had barely recovered from the Egg Dragoon fight and getting involved in another battle with a strong opponent didn't do her any favors. Coughing, Ruby stood up and gave Cinder an angry and defiant look.
"Why is your Semblance so unnaturally powerful and diverse?"
The flying woman laughed.
"Semblance? All of this isn't just my Semblance alone, it's empowered by the magic of the Fall Maiden!"
"Magic... of the Fall Maiden?"
Cinder shook her head in false pity. "Professor Ozpin and all the others have kept so much from you. Ironic, considering how much the old man talked about trust. But don't worry, soon everything will no longer be of any importance to you. I´ll make sure of that."
Ruby's opponent flew at the silver-eyed girl, the saber pointing towards her. Ruby dodged sideways as Cinder flew past her. The black haired woman turned in mid-air and lunged at her again. Ruby once again dodged and retaliated with a strike from Crescent Rose. Cinder blocked the scythe, pushing it and its owner away from her, before forming a second saber and started slashing at Ruby.
The two opponents parried each other's attacks with their respective weapons, but it became soon clear that Ruby was at a disadvantage. Cinder fought with an expertise beyond that of a huntress-in-training, especially a first year one. She parried and dodged Ruby´s strikes with ease, using the openings to further weaken her opponents Aura. The only reason why Ruby was still standing was thanks to her advantage with speed, dodging here and there attacks that would prove fatal.
But even that wasn't much, as Cinder just pulled with another trick she with her extensive ability.
She crossed her blades in front of her and pulled them apart in an X-shape motion. An X of fire formed, hitting an unprepared Ruby. She was hit and the magical fire completely destroyed her Aura. She staggered unsteadily on her legs. Cinder was about to take her chance and sink her blades into her enemy's vulnerable body when she was struck by Tails again. The little fox was covered in burns and bruises from the explosions, his body was shaking, but he held on bravely. With all his might, ignoring his pain and the memories it brought back, he spoke, "I already told you, I won't let another friend down."
Cinder snorted and rolled her eyes. "It´s almost funny how you try to be brave when it's obvious that the fear is eating you away."
"Y-you´re right. I… am afraid." Tails clenched his fist. "But you…"
"Let me guess: Will never get away with my `evil schemes´? You have no idea how the world works little one. I am just merely taking what is mine. My revenge on the one that hurt and humiliated me. You really think a coward like you can stop me from achiving that goal, when I already achieved so much more?"
To Cinders confusion Tails actually smirked.
"I don´t need to stop you, because what I wanted to say, before your interruption, was: But you… are distracted."
Ruby once again had slammed Crescent Rose into the ground and took aim with with her sniper rifle. But thanks to Cinders little rant/monologue, she got additional time in loading her weapon with her remaining dust.
PENG!
With a combination of Cinders Aura and the kinetic energy of the shot, the Dust was activated. Ice and rock chunks immobilized Pyrrha´s killer, while fire burned away at her. But that wasn't all. Ruby pulled her weapon out of the earth and aimed it behind her.
PENG!
With another shot the silver-eyed girl flew towards her enemy, the recoil giving her even without Aura and Semblance enough speed. Ruby hit Cinder from behind with her scythe, which broke her out of her icy/rocky prison and threw her forward at Tails. The fox had crouched down, reading a Spindash, and collided as a rotating sphere against the pyromaniac. Cinder slid across the floor, remaining chunks of ice and rock breaking of from her and her sabers slipping from her hands, as she lay there with her aura flickering.
"That was for Pyrrha", Ruby said with a serious and unusual grim expression. Cinder gritted her teeth and stood up, fists clenched.
"I will not be toyed around by two children!"
She hurled fireballs at the duo, who tried to dodge the projectiles. Unfortunately, Ruby wasn't fast enough without Petal Burst, so a fireball, exploding just inches behind her, knocked her to the ground. She tried to get up when she heard Tails yell "NO!"
Cinder had formed a throwing knife out of glass and hit it right on target.
Ruby's back exploded in pain.
The fifteen year old girl collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Tails wanted to run toward her, but a wall of fire ignited between him and Ruby, separating them. Cinder walked slowly towards the fox cub. She chuckled.
"Since you've been so eager to help the little Ruby, I'll be eager to skin and pelt you. Because now that I think about it, you would make a nice rug."
"I...I…" The memories became stronger. Of the masked entity beating him down. Of the pain and shame. Of the guilt of leaving his best friend behind.
Cinder noticed the look in the fox´s blue eyes. The far away gaze of someone whose mind was back to somewhere and some when, even if they didn't want to be.
"Unable to escape the clutches of your past?" Cinders voice became unusual gentle. "I know how much of a terrible burden that can be." The gentle tone dissolved upon a cruel and sadistic smirk appearing on Cinders face. "So let me free you from your struggle."
She formed another knife and aimed. And then a burning log fell on her.
Tails jumped in surprise and by being abruptly pulled back into the present. Omega stepped into the clearing.
"STATUS OF THE ENEMY: TAKEN BY SURPRISE."
The log exploded. A pissed-off Cinder emerged from the flames and burning splinters, her aura flickering. She yelled at Omega, "You dare to throw a tree at me?!"
"CORRECTION: I MERELY FELLED THE TREE IN THE NECESSARY CALCULATED ANGLE THAT IT WOULD FALL RIGHT ON TOP OF YOU."
"I'm the new Fall Maiden! I won't let a tin can get the better of me!"
Omega's eyes lit up in anger.
"I AM NOT A TIN CAN! I AM E-123 OMEGA, THE ULTIMATE E-SERIES UNIT!"
The combat robot opened parts of his body and fired missiles at the enraged Cinder. She tried to destroy them with bursts of fire, but the metal projectiles dodged the flames and hit their target. Cinder was thrown far beyond the clearing, disappearing from Omega and Tails' sight. The former of the two tried to rush after the black-haired woman, but Tails yelled, "Wait, Ruby's hurt!"
"DO NOT WORRY TAILS, I WAS SUCCESSFUL IN ACHIEVING OUR GOAL. I HAVE FOUND THE RESISTANCE."
As if on cue, a large group appeared in the clearing. The leader of the group shouted, "Omega, please don't be so quick. We can hardly keep up with you. Wait... is that Tails? Where have you been all this time?"
"It doesn't matter now, a friend of mine is badly injured!"
The fox pointed towards the lifeless Ruby.
The leader's eyes widened. "Oh damn that looks bad! Quick, someone get the paramedic here!"
So yeah I left you all hanging with a cliffhanger, pun entirely intended. But in all seriousness I hope this chapter and the boss battle against Cinder was satisfying. Currently I have a lot going on with my studies and private life, so finding free time (were I don´t feel burned out) is getting a bit difficult for me. Nonetheless I will try my best in delivering this story for you.
Let´s see if I managed to do that with the last chapter:
To Guest: You are actually right. Ruby figured that trick out in between Volume 3 and 4. The first time we see her using her Petal Burst in such a way is with Nora during the fight with the Geist at the beginning of Volume 4. One of the overall changes I made is that Ruby figured this possible ability of her Semblance out much earlier. Tough I can see that I described the particular scene where she describes it in Chapter 7 pretty poorly. So thanks for pointing that out for me, I changed it up and hopefully it now makes more sense.
To ArguableReader: No, you´re review appeared the first time around. I have no idea why FFN didn´t show you to you.
That must have been an interesting experience in the theaters.
Yeah, Cinder got cybernetics as a replacement for the Grimm arm she got in canon. As for your theory and comparison with the echidna warriors: You´re on to something. Thats all I will say for now.
To Guest: Like I said previously I wont delve further into this topic, because it gets a little to spoilery for me. But you will have your answers in due time.
To another guest: Cinders mannerism and abilities give her a lot of potential, but the show did indeed drop the ball with her. And I know what happened in this chapter isn´t much better, but I promise that, as the story progresses, she will be more fleshed out.
And it wasn't Sonic but the third member of Team ROT that played the Deus-Ex-Machina. But the meeting with Sonic should happen next chapter.
To Monster King: I will.