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astoria00 · 3 years

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Retribution tastes so Sweet

Neo was more than relieved when they finally reached the outskirts of Wind Path.

Jumping swiftly from the sleigh that carried Cinder and her, she smiled a fake smile to the driver.

It had been pure luck that they had found a lumberjack deep in the forest they had traveled into to get away from the Brunswick farms.

‘…Brunswick…’

She knew that name…

Where had she heard it before?

Since escaping those nightmarish Grimm Neo had been a little bit more on edge than usual.

‘Apathy.’

That’s what Cinder called them.

The shorter girl wasn’t as knowledgeable about the different kinds of grimm as her companion was, but for all the monsters, faunus and humans she had fought, nothing had felt as horrible as these Apathy.

The moment all of her fight and willpower had left her, this awful feeling of being abandoned…all alone in the world.

Just like the time she had realized Roman was dead…

And not only that…

Side-eying Cinder from her spot, as she paid the lumberjack some lien to help him forget he ever encountered them, she had to suppress a shudder.

Neo couldn’t help but remember how terrifying the maiden had appeared, how dangerous the golden like aura around her had sparked menacingly all over her body…even her left arm.

And shouldn’t that have been impossible?

Was Cinder now more grimm than human?

Had these horrible powers slumbered inside her all along or were they a recent addition?

She should probably leave.

Who knew what else would happen if she stuck around with the maiden…

This Salem was no one to be trifled with. Of course she had already known that, but this exceeded everything she could have imagined.

Being able to sway and control another being was beyond frightening and furthermore she probably wouldn’t stop. Traveling with Cinder was bound to be even more dangerous now.

By all means, she should get the hell out of here…

And yet…

Thank you!

She had never seen her companion this…broken before.

And hadn’t that been the reason she even hugged her in the first place?

To get her back?

‘I…don’t want to be alone…’

Was that truly the only reason?

Neo wasn’t so sure anymore, to be honest, she wasn’t sure about anything right now, but seeing Cinder like that made her afraid…afraid of losing her altogether.

Even now, watching her worried, almost vulnerable expression filled the short girl with determination.

A yearning to eradicate the maiden’s fears.

As Cinder’s gaze met her stare, Neo had to push down the urge to look away. The maiden looked...tired.

“Can we go now?”

Her voice sounded anything but energetic and she turned away before Neo had the chance to respond. She seemed to be just as unsure after this whole ordeal as Neo.

Neo was still cold, the weather in Wind Path only a fraction more bearable than the farms or Argus.

…well, at least it wasn’t as freezing here.

Suppressing a shudder, she nodded to Cinder’s back, startled as she realized her companion was already on the move. Not for the first time in her life she cursed her inability to talk.

With a scowl the shorter girl followed after her.

They decided to stay at an inn this time around. Dealing with thugs, bandits…or the authorities was far more bearable than another run in with some spooky life draining Grimm.

It didn’t do anything to lift Cinder’s mood though. The whole time she didn’t look anything but miserable, her eye always flitting around from one source to another, judging and gauging possible threats.

It pained Neo to admit it, but she would give anything to get her over the top drama queen back.

But...what could she do?

They decided to get something to eat in one of the shadier looking restaurants. The underground was known to both of them...it felt more secure...in a weird way. In her paranoia, Cinder had them wear some rags over their usual clothes. She couldn’t fault the maiden for being careful, but it did nothing to ease Neo’s own uneasiness. They needed to do something.

Something that would feel normal and fun to both of them…

Lie, steal, cheat and survive.

Roman‘s slogan if you wanted to call it that. Maybe...she could use some of his old advice.

What would he do in her place right now?

‘Do what you do best.‘

Neo hoped Cinder wouldn‘t recognize how nervous she actually felt when she brought up her idea, trying for a nonchalant grin, as she relayed it.

“A robbery?”

Her companion appeared positively flabbergasted, causing Neo‘s grin to widen.

With shining eyes she immediately signed her answer:

/Yes/

Cinder’s eye narrowed in disbelief.

“You do realize that we are wanted criminals, right?”

/Why Cinder, are you afraid of getting caught?/

It felt so easy to sign along now. The maiden for all her huffing and moaning about having to appease her, was quite a fast learner. Neo could practically feel how her nerves calmed with each new sign that greeted her sight.

Cinder was simple enough to rattle if you knew which buttons to push, as she crossed her arms defensively, raising to the bait.

“Not at all, I was just making sure you know what you are getting into.

And where do you propose we strike?”

The short girl tipped her head mysteriously. Reaching over the table she corrected her comapnion‘s signs, her smile softening.

She was definitely a fast learner.

After a dramatic pause that had Cinder glaring daggers at her, Neo leaned closer, forming her next sentence with the maiden‘s very own hands:

[“Have you ever robbed a candy store?”]

She had followed the bowler wearing redhead for quite some time now, still not sure if she should trust him to return her home safely…but the direction they moved into seemed to be accurate for now.

His sudden question threw her for a loop.

Was he trying to see if she was a criminal like him?

Did he want to send her stealing?

Was she supposed to be a decoy of sorts?

Shaking her head she awaited his response with baited breath.

“A pity, it can be rather fun, you know?”

Rummaging inside his pocket, he pulled some orange, sugary sweet out of it and handed it to her.

The girl looked at the candy suspiciously.

Her father never told her anything of the sort, but apparently, it was a dangerous idea for kids to take sweets from strangers.

She had heard the neighbors’ gossip about this from time to time. Always warning their children about the consequences of not obeying them and listening to their rules.

And yet she frankly couldn’t care less.

This…strange boy, this Roman as she recalled, had been the nicest person to her since her mother had ‘left’.

Still…it was better to stay on guard…just to be on the safe side.

Shaking her head once more, she pointed to the rundown houses a few meters away from them.

This was it.

Her home…

Of course her neighborhood wasn‘t the best. People said the higher up you lived the better off you were, so they truly had to be the lowest of the low.

Roman however didn‘t seem deterred in the slightest, striding towards her building as if he owned the place…

Come to think of it…

‘How does he know where I live?‘

She may have pointed him in the right direction, but not to which exact house he would need to go. And still...he found it no problem.

“Are you coming, or what?“

His voice startled her. She hadn‘t realized she had stopped in front of her door with no intention of going in.

She didn‘t want to see her father.

She didn‘t want to cower in a corner tonight, begging for forgiveness.

But stalling the inevitable wouldn‘t protect her for long.

“I hope you fixed what you broke, ya little fre-“

Her father‘s voice, brash and loud greeted them as soon as they opened the door. Roman didn't seem taken aback though, to the contrary, he did something she had never seen anyone dare before. He interrupted him.

“Ah ah ah, you really shouldn‘t send a little girl out to clean up your messes now, should you?“

Hesitantly she followed after the redhead into the living room. She was even more surprised when her father just laughed his rude words off, gesturing to a chair across from him for the boy to sit on.

“If it isn‘t Roman Brunswick. To what do I owe the pleasure?

Has Koel come around?“

She had no idea what he was talking about.

Who was Koel?

The only thing she understood was that he apparently knew that Roman.

“It‘s Torchwick now“, the boy replied pleasantly, sitting on the offered chair with a smug expression on his face,“I am here to tell you your debt has been taken care of and no...she sadly wasn‘t swayed by my words whatsoever.“

At his last words he waved his arms theatrically, causing her father to chuckle once more. It send shivers down her spine.

So...she hadn‘t actually done something wrong?

She should have known.

“A bloody shame…

I thought sending that kid would help. Koel always has a use for fresh meat, no matter how defected...but I guess I‘ll have to send her to a brothel one of these days.

She may be mute, but somewhat pleasing to look at. No backtalk.

Think I should charge double for that?“

‘...huh?‘

He...he couldn‘t mean the houses the men always visited...right?

The ones you never openly talked about?

The forbidden houses for adults?

If he really did that...then her life was as good as over. Girls never left there alive.

And yet...she couldn‘t even feel shock at this revelation.

Just...numbness...endlessly spreading through her body.

“I think you shouldn‘t advertise her too much or else someone might just decide to steal her away. Gods know I could need a partner like her.“

“That was a good one, Brunswick. Anyways, thanks for the help. Tell me if that stuck up bitch changes her mind, will ya?“

“Of course. It has been a pleasure doing business with you.

Now, if you‘ll excuse me.“

The remaining conversation had been like a blur to her. She cast her eyes down quickly, as the redhead stood from his chair, passing her without a second glance or a goodbye. It was stupid, but it left her disappointed. Against all odds she had hoped that maybe...maybe someone would save her.

In the background she could hear her father barking at her to clean the house and take out the trash, while he made some phone calls regarding her future.

Dejected she returned to her little niche where she normally slept. So this would be the last time she could snuggle up to her hidden stuffed teddy bear.

Tears burned in her eyes, threatening to spill, but she couldn’t risk it.

Her father hated it when she cried.

Quickly her hands rummaged through her pockets to find a handkerchief, but...instead her fingers connected with something that seemed like paper. Curiously she pulled it out.

It was a card, a weird pumpkin like logo pranked on its front and underneath it, there seemed to be a scratchy written message.

/Wanna run away together?/

‘Run...away?‘

As soon as the words registered with her brain she tugged her bear close and ran to the door.

‘Please...still be there.‘

Breathing heavily she looked left, then right, trying to spot the redhead somewhere.

“Took you long enough sunshine.“

Whirling around she saw him, Roman, leaning right next to their door with a grin.

“Well…?“, he asked with a drawl in his voice,“What do you think of my proposition?“

She didn‘t know why she thought it would be a good idea. For all intents and purposes he could be just as bad as her father.

And yet...there was something about him, something familiar.

Looking up at the boy she managed a quick nod, before looking down again.

Everything would be better than what her father had in store for her.

She almost flinched when a hand was placed on her shoulder. Peering up once more Roman smiled at her, offering his hand for her to take.

“Alright then, little Neopolitan, first we‘ve got to steal you some clothes and after that...let‘s rob a candy store. I am in the need of something sweet to get this foul smell out of my mouth.“

‘Neo...politan…‘

She couldn‘t help but crack a smile. She had never met such a silly person before.

‘What a dum dum.‘

She wasn‘t afraid anymore when she finally took his hand.

Of course it had been way too easy to break into the shop at night. She had to hand it to Cinder, for all her dramatic flare, she knew how to plan and strategize. Neo swept through the store, all the cameras having long been dealt with and, nipping at some pink cotton candy on the way. Her companion seemed a little...at a loss on what to do after the hard part of their operation.

That just wouldn’t do.

This was to take their minds off of...everything.

Picking up a chocolate covered apple, the short girl held it out to the maiden.

/There./

With how baffled Cinder looked Neo truly wondered if she had never gotten sweets before.

‘...oh…‘

Maybe...she hadn’t?

Sometimes it was easy to forget where they both came from. Neo would never ask of course, but she had the distinct feeling Cinder‘s childhood hadn‘t been any better than hers.

Still...why pity Cinder if she could use that to her advantage?

Although her eyes had softened, her grin was still there.

She pointedly looked at the maiden and then at the apple, tapping her right index finger innocently against her chin.

/I see...you probably don‘t know how to eat an apple./

Cinder‘s gaze switched from bewildered to embarrassed in a matter of seconds, her face flushing slightly, as she ripped the chocolate covered apple from Neo‘s hand.

“Of course I know how to eat an apple!

You are ridiculous!“

Hesitantly she bit into the fruit, the fingers of her right hand digging a little harsher into it than they needed, but Neo decided the sight was worth it,

She had never seen anyone biting into an apple with such fierceness and determination.

She also had never witnessed someone‘s eye lighting up in childish wonder and happiness before.

The short girl‘s grin faded to a genuine smile, as she watched Cinder devour her apple treat. She had never thought they both would one day end up standing in a candy store together, but here they were. And for the first time in ages...she didn‘t feel as sad about Roman‘s absence anymore.

Not with Cinder present…

All her fears seemed so far away right now. She just knew she wanted the maiden to stay with her.

A warm feeling settled in her stomach.

“And what are you so happy about?“

Cinder‘s expression had soured after having finished eating her treat...though it would probably be more fitting to describe it as something akin to a pout.

Neo‘s eyes fell towards the maiden‘s chocolate covered right hand. Without giving her companion an answer, her grin returned to her face once more. Stepping closer into the dark haired girl‘s personal space she grasped her right hand pulling it towards her mouth.

Feeling no resistance whatsoever Neo decided to push her luck and gave one finger an experimental lick…

“What the hell are you doing?“, the maiden almost yelped, drawing her hand back at the speed of light, wiping it clean against a rug on the counter.

The short girl couldn‘t help but chuckle silently at Cinder‘s flabbergasted face.

/Are you feeling better, grumpy cat?/

“I...what?“

To her surprise Cinder hadn‘t really jumped away from her when she had retracted her hand.

A good sign?

‘I sure hope so.‘

There was a storm of emotions visible on the maiden‘s face, her voice softening in a way that had always been so rare to hear.

“All of this...this...hairbrained idea of yours to rob this stupid store...all of this...was to make me feel better?“

Rolling her eyes, Neo huffed in annoyance. Leave it to Cinder to ruin her goodhearted intentions.

‘Goddamm drama queen!‘

Crossing her arms defiantly, the short girl stared up at her companion in a way that almost screamed: /Yeah, what are you gonna do about it?/

She didn‘t see it coming.

From one moment to another Neo felt soft lips pressed against hers, rendering her completely motionless. It was as if an electric strike had just jolted down her spine. So very much like her companion, just sweeping her off her feet.

Before she was able to reciprocate the kiss, Cinder pulled away in a hurry, stumbling a few steps backwards in panic, her eye wide with...

Fear!

Fear that practically radiated from her in spades.

“I…“

The maiden never finished her sentence.

Neo had seen it in her eye. The need to flee, to hide.

She was done hiding. They both were.

She wouldn‘t let Cinder run away from this...from her...from...them?

Her lips connected with the dark haired girl‘s almost a little too forceful, her arms pulling her companion closer. She could taste a hint of apple and chocolate that Cinder had eaten before, making it all the more sweeter. Closing her eyes she deepened the kiss and the tension inside the maiden‘s body seemed to melt away.

Arms began to circle around Neo hesitantly, causing her heart to skip a beat. Her face felt warm, growing hotter with each pounding her heart emitted, echoing all the way to her throat.

Her nose bumped softly against the maiden‘s, as she sank a little bit deeper into her arms, her hands almost hesitantly reaching out to caress her companion‘s cheek.

She wanted Cinder...she liked Cinder. No matter how dangerous she wound up to be. Somehow somewhere, the dark haired girl had become important to her.

And by the gods, she wouldn‘t give her up, even if it cost her her own safety. She wouldn‘t let her become like Roman.

Neo hadn‘t felt this warm...this secure in a long time.

She couldn‘t say when they finally parted again, but it left them both breathless.

Mismatched eyes met gold.

Confusion, fear, need, want.

A silent storm that swirled in both their gazes.

This would change things between them...but Neo found it hard to care any longer.

/Alright...let‘s talk./

“...yes.“

AN: Yep, still doing this and one day I will finish it...hopefully ^^‘

Credit for the awesome cover goes to @ hoepunkausta =)

#cinder fall #neo rwby #spicecreamweek #rwby #rwby fanfiction #spicecream #teasing

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astoria00 · 5 years

Text

We’ll find our Way

Snow was a nuisance.

Even if it didn’t really pose a threat to her temperature wise, it had become a hazard to travel through…especially because she had to hold Neo’s hand oh so often while outside.

It was embarrassing, it was mortifying and…it messed with her head.

She avoided physical contact where she could, but this…this didn’t feel so bad.

Similar to how she had caught the short girl fast asleep, curled up against her side that one day.

Which she probably would never admit.

…not that there even was a reason to do that.

She was just stressed.

Unsurprisingly, keeping in mind just who was definitely going to come after her sooner or later, but fortunately they hadn’t run into any grimm under her control yet.

…which would change as soon as Salem gave them the order to capture her.

Sighing softly she inspected her surroundings.

Trees, snow and even more trees as far as one could see.

Neo trailed behind her, visibly strained from the overuse of her aura lately.

It tended to make Cinder nervous.

There was only so much backstabbing she was willing to endure.

Traveling by foot was far more demanding and slow than she had anticipated.

They had passed Argus only a few days ago, the whole city in utter uproar at the news of Atlas destruction, rumors of war whirring around.

Cinder knew their options where to…run to were quite limited, with Beacon overrun by grimm and Vacuo being the next big target on Salem’s list, so it seemed Mistral was the safest place for them right now.

‘Ugh.’

She wished they wouldn’t need to return to that blasted kingdom.

Not for the first time Cinder cursed herself for failing the attack on Haven.

To see it burned to the ground, just like…

What have you done?!

You will regret this, Cinderella!

Clenching her hands into fists, she ripped herself from these disturbing thoughts.

It wouldn’t do her any good.

Not when they needed to focus on finding another shelter for the night.

It was then that Neo caught up to her, pointing excitedly to a point farther ahead.

Following her line of sight Cinder managed to make out the blurry schemes of a building.

“Good job, Neo”, she praised the shorter girl, while internally calculating how long it would take to get there.

Since losing her eye her depth perception was pretty much gone and she had to draw everything from experience and muscle memory…or in this case, Neo’s vision.

Neo grinned at her, as she went for her right hand.

‘Ah…’

That could only mean her companion was almost out of aura.

Oh well…she guessed she had to get used to this from now on.

Entwining her hand with Neo’s they both tracked through the snow.

It took them maybe half an hour to reach the gate leading to the land’s property…half an hour too long of holding hands, while running through the wilderness in Cinder’s opinion.

Not that she complained…

…and that was exactly what was bothering her.

Her almost nonchalant reaction to being touched by Neo.

Coming to a halt in front of a wooden post that read: Brunswick Farms, the dark haired girl squinted at the half destroyed main building with suspicion.

This looked like a small village of sorts…or at least a small community, so…where was everybody?

Aside from the central house, everything else looked to be in pristine condition…just…abandoned.

Neo however didn’t seem to care too much about this strange occurrence, instead she simply stared in disbelief at the wooden plate.

‘…interesting.’

Cinder would file that away for later.

Right now they needed to find out if this…ghost town was a good enough shelter for the night.

Tugging lightly on Neo’s hand she got them moving again, her eye always trailing back to the burnt out main building at the center.

What could have happened here?

…and more importantly, when?

The dark haired girl had the distinct feeling that the fire wasn’t what drove all these farmers out of their homes.

There was this…soft tingling along her spine…something that felt awfully familiar for some reason.

But maybe she was just getting paranoid.

In the end she let Neo pick the house they would be staying in.

Her complaints about Cinder’s inability to choose comfy shelters, as she put it, just got too annoying after a while.

An incredible feat for someone who couldn’t articulate herself at all.

‘Let’s see if you can do it better.’

Neo could be certain, if anything bizarre happened tonight she wouldn’t let her live it down.

Following the short girl into one of the spacious houses she had the distinct feeling she was being watched, but it disappeared as soon as she turned around, peering through the falling snow.

Nothing…

She really needed to rest her head a bit, or else she would go crazy and hallucinate apparently.

Inside the house it was just as eerily silent as outside.

Not that Cinder was afraid of ghosts or anything like that, but something wasn’t right here, she just knew it and Neo seemed to share her opinion in that regard, as they both searched the building for any sign or clue to the whereabouts of the owners.

It was better to be safe than sorry.

And yet…it didn’t feel any more reassuring once they found them…dead in their bedrooms.

Cinder had seen her fair share of corpses in her life, but the couple laying under the blankets creeped her out. There was this…familiar icy fire inside her, running through her veins the longer she looked at them.

As if…they just fell asleep and died…

The expression on their faces quite like…

‘Drowning!’

Enough!

Turning around hastily, she made her way back downstairs sitting in front of the chimney.

It didn’t take Neo long to follow her.

The dark haired girl bit her lip in frustration when she spotted concern flash through her companion’s eyes.

Muttering a silent curse under her breath she raised her right hand and jumpstarted a fire inside the dusty old fireplace.

Hopefully that would keep the shorter girl distracted from asking too many questions right now.

She didn’t feel too comfortable talking about…that day.

To be honest, she wanted to forget it ever happened.

The warmth of the flames chased the cold away, causing it to recede back into the depths of her soul, as the tension left her body.

Neo plopped down next to her on the carpet, visibly enjoying the heat radiating from the chimney, peering at her cautiously before giving her a beaming smile.

She held out both her hands, letting them assume some…curious looking shape, while regaining her grin.

Cinder sighed defeated.

How many times did she have to remind her partner that she couldn’t understand her weird hand talk?

“Listen, Neo, I don’t…”

She trailed off, after the short girl motioned for her to turn around and face the wall across from the fireplace.

Perplexed, she followed her instructions…although begrudgingly, and found herself staring at a big shadowy wolf.

“What the-?”

Her eye shifted back to Neo, who grinned at her even wider, wiggling her fingers.

Cinder shook her head in disbelief, her tone full of annoyance.

“Very funny.”

The short girl looked at her almost innocently, searching for her scroll in her bag.

/You never played with shadows before?/

Now Cinder, let’s play a game.

It’s called hide and seek.

The maiden couldn’t help the cold shudder that ran down her spine.

This definitely wasn’t the time to recall her carefree childhood days.

“No, playing hasn’t been on my mind for a long time now.”

Seemingly on instinct, Neo raised her hands again, before realizing it wouldn’t yield any satisfying results.

Staring at her palms in frustration her face fell.

After some deliberation she grabbed her scroll and typed:

/Would you want to learn it?/, looking at her expectantly.

‘…huh?’

Cinder felt heat rushing to her face.

Did she look like a child who wanted to fool around?

“…what of my last sentence implied that I want to learn your shadow game?”

The short girl rolled her eyes.

/Not that, sign language./

‘Oh!’

To be honest…Cinder had already contemplated taking up that strange language. Not only would it make communicating with Neo easier, but also give them an advantage for sneaking around…their enemies she supposed…or maybe the townsfolk they would come across soon.

“Yes…I suppose that could become useful.”

The short girl’s expression lit up. Apparently the prospect of teaching her this concept of communication delighted her to no end.

Sighing softly, the maiden crossed her legs on the carpet and tried to replicate one of the strange motions she had seen Neo do before with her right hand, eliciting a few silent giggles from her companion.

/It’s easier if you use both hands./

Reaching forward, she corrected Cinder’s sign, one of her hands grasping the maiden’s left one…before she pulled it back immediately with an uncomfortable look on her face. The dark haired girl cocked her head to the side questioningly before her eye settled on her left arm.

‘…oh…’

Right, her grimm arm.

Of course Neo wouldn’t be comfortable to touch it.

You turned yourself into a monster just for power.

Cinder gritted her teeth.

Why did this lowlife bandit’s words still bother her so much?

She was accepting of who she was.

That’s why she had even chosen this outfit.

To make a statement!

Her arm was a part of her and she was not ashamed to show it off.

She stood up, gazing at the warm fireplace with something akin to longing, before addressing her companion, her voice calm despite the turmoil she could feel building up inside her.

“Let’s reschedule our little learning session and call it a day.

One of us needs to recharge her batteries after all if we want to reach the next village tomorrow.”

She didn’t bother checking on Neo before she left the room and wandered upstairs into one of the more empty ones, making herself a little make shift shelter next to the bed, using all the blankets she had packed in her luggage. There was no way she would lie down on that mattress.

Who knows what had been going on in that community to drive them all out?

Lying down onto her blankets she stared at the dark ceiling and tried to give her head some needed rest, only the pale moonlight falling through the window illuminating the room.

The shadows dancing in front of her eye reminded her of her first night in Evernight Castle…back when she had been a scared, little girl so in need of a place to call home.

Can I stay with you for tonight?

Come here.

There is no need to be scared of the dark, Firefly.

That’s right…the darkness wasn’t as dangerous as people loved to paint it as.

She felt a pang of sadness wash over her when she recalled the time Salem personally had tucked her in…just like the mother she never had and yet…her affection had always felt…

‘Conditional!’

Cinder knew, as soon as she started to perform under expectations, Salem would withdraw her love, if one wanted to call it that.

Sighing in resignation she couldn’t stop the yawn that escaped her, alerting her once again to how tired she actually was.

The maiden closed her eye.

Thinking about these things wouldn’t result into anything useful.

With that she began to drift away into an uneasy sleep.

xxxxxxxxxx

She couldn’t say what woke her up, only that it was cold… no, it was literally freezing!

And yet she couldn’t seem to move.

Cinder’s head felt so heavy, her eyelid too hard to open.

‘Wh…what’s…going…on?’

Even her thoughts were so hard to focus on, so incredibly slow that it took all her efforts to stay in the here and now and not slip away to sleep again.

And why would she when it was so cold?

That’s when she heard it!

An almost inaudible heavy moan right next to her head that send a cold shudder down her spine.

Fear and shock ripped Cinder from her stupor, forcing her to open her eye and blink through the darkness…

Only to be met with a black skeleton like hand, its sharp nails mere millimeters away from her skin!

‘APATHY!’

With a strangled yelp the maiden blew the grimm away, throwing a blast of unsteady fire in its face, as she scrambled to her feet in a hurry.

Running outside the room she cursed herself.

Of course this was the work of Apathy grimm.

Why hadn’t she bothered to check the other houses?

She should have known immediately that something wasn’t quite right about this farm’s state.

‘Neo!’

Gods, Neo was still inside this building and if she knew anything about the Apathy it was that they were never acting by themselves.

And that meant the rest of the pack was probably here as well.

At the very least she hadn’t heard the short girl scream-

‘Shit!’

Almost flying down the stairs, she bumped into yet a dozen more Apathy, their eyes glowing ominously in the dark when they seemed to spot her, blocking her way into the next room.

They were simply everywhere.

Standing in her way, hanging on the ceiling, weirdly entwined on the railing, staring her down, while approaching her slowly.

The deep breathy moans made Cinder’s hair stand on end.

She could feel the cold creep up on her once more.

She couldn’t risk losing her will to fight right now, or else…

Breathing in deeply, she closed her eye in concentration, before fire burst from it.

The maiden’s powers filled her with enough warmth to keep the cold at bay.

Summoning her weapons she tore through the grimm blocking her way downstairs and made a break for it, stumbling into the next room…and froze.

It was as if she just entered a hellish nightmare.

The whole room was crawling with Apathy grimm!

A grotesque blackish void with demonic crimson eyes that tried to bore into her very soul and right in the center of the nest…laid Neo!

‘No!’

The short girl seemed physically unharmed, nevertheless, the blank stare she gave the ceiling told Cinder exactly in how much danger her companion was in.

She needed to get her out of there, but…she couldn’t seem to move forward.

To the contrary, she felt herself backing away, only to find the exit behind her now blocked as well.

Her body felt so incredibly heavy, there was no way she was able to raise her weapons.

‘STOP!’

All of a sudden the pressure in her body receded slightly, allowing the maiden to think more clearly, just as one of the Apathy moved towards her almost tauntingly.

(Stay down, girl!

The Master wants you unharmed.)

Cinder’s eye widened.

Had she been able to get through to them?

Connecting with grimm was always so…demanding.

A language of weird pictures and emotions that somehow translated into words for her once she succeeded finding the small right link to them.

That wasn’t to say that she had a lot of experience at how to control grimm.

You must make it dread you!

Cold sweat trickled down her brow, as she concentrated as hard as she could to make the Apathy cover to her will.

‘Let me through!’

(No.

You are favored by the Master, however SHE is not.

That one is ours!)

It was almost ridiculous how easily the voices made their rebuttal, causing Cinder’s head to spin.

Frantically she tried to think, to come up with an idea how to salvage this.

She couldn’t just leave Neo!

[…why not?]

Because…

No, that was right.

She was able to escape.

The Apathy told her as much. They only wanted the short girl, she was free to go.

…but go where?

[Home!]

Yes, home…back to Salem…to get the power she was promised…maybe even to learn to control her new one…

It would be so easy…

She even missed her…

…

‘To hell with it!’

With an unexpected surge of strength, the maiden spun her weapons around, using her maiden powers to create a whirlwind to keep the Apathy in the room at a distance from her as she sprinted to the middle of the room, trying to rouse the apathetic girl on the ground.

“NEO! GET UP!

WE HAVE TO GO!”

The yell seemed to startle the short girl out of her stupor, blinking around almost disoriented, before horror washed over her face once the memories of what must have happened before came back.

Cinder didn’t have time for Neo to regain her marbles again and dragged her onto her feet.

Gripping her companion with her right hand, she threw multiple flaming daggers at the surprised Apathy still blocking the exit, before she balled her grimm arm into a fist, blasting through them along with the entrance door.

In hindsight maybe staying in the house would have been preferable.

The maiden had heavily underestimated the Apathy grimm…namely their numbers.

There were so many of them, cowering and weirdly perching and prancing around the rest of the farms. It was hard to even make out the white snow underneath their black, long, inhumanly feet when they slowly circled around them.

Panicked Cinder looked around.

There had to be a way out of this!

But more and more Apathy wavered out of the main building, joining the others around them.

Pulling Neo behind her instinctively, she summoned her weapon again, her grip tightening around the handle when she pointed it at the grimm with her left hand.

[Yield, Cinder!]

The maiden automatically straightened her back.

That voice…

Her eye widened in disbelief.

No, that couldn’t be…and yet her left arm began to twitch subtly, as if trying to head the command she had been given.

Neo pressed herself against Cinder’s back, her hands covering her ears.

This time the dark haired girl didn’t have the urge to shove her companion away.

Her wound only a faint burning of the past.

The short girl wouldn’t try to kill her again and…somehow…Cinder didn’t want to save herself if it meant losing her.

‘I…’

Can’t?

Shouldn’t?

Mustn’t?

‘I won’t!’

For a split second there was silence.

Then the Apathy screamed and Cinder lost the ground under her feet, her face meeting the cold, but soft snow.

She was dimly aware that Neo had fallen behind her as well, but…she didn’t care anymore.

What even was the use in fighting?

What did it matter if she was brought home again?

She was just so tired…

Her head felt so heavy…

As her eye finally closed she was calm.

This was totally alright.

Just like it should be.

…

What’s the matter, Cinderella?

‘…leave me alone…’

Your daddy can’t save you anymore.

‘…stop it.’

Neither can he.

‘That’s not true!’

Just give it up already. You will never escape me.

‘Forget it!’

An icy fire erupted inside her, sweeping away the numbness in its wake.

People always wanted to control her!

Wanted to hurt her!

Wanted to force her!

Opening her eye she felt her view shift, her field of vision tinting in a bright gold tone, as the Apathy screamed again.

Nothing…

A cruel smirk spread over Cinder’s face, raw power bubbling right underneath her skin, begging to be freed…

And she was so done with listening.

Obeying.

Bowing down.

The maiden rose slowly to her feet, making her way to the Apathy.

(Why do you struggle so much, child?

When the outcome is always going to be the same.)

She didn’t bother to answer it. Instead she raised her hand…and the Apathy evaporated, leaving only black ashes behind.

‘So easy.’

Why had she ever been afraid to use this marvelous power?

The ashes swirling through the air began to glow in a golden hue, flowing to Cinder’s still outstretched hand, getting absorbed as soon as they touched her skin.

A wave of euphoria washed over the maiden, making her head spin from the increase of her energy, as it spiked to yet a higher level.

This was…

‘Astonishing.’

[There is more where that came from.]

Oh right.

Lifting her head she mustered the hundreds of Apathy with something akin to hunger, before feeling herself rise from the ground.

Fire mingling with the cold gold, as she raised both of her arms to the side, a storm raging inside her, spreading outwards.

Just like that the Apathy scattered one after another, black ashes circling around her, growing more potent with each grimm’s demise until they swelled on and practically swallowed her whole.

Cinder couldn’t see anymore.

Some…unidentifiable noises reached her ear, but she paid it no mind.

It didn’t matter.

Only the steady flowing source of power did.

It felt so…

Exciting!

Exhilarating!

‘…overwhelming?’

Her head spun even more.

This…was too much, wasn’t it?

It felt as if something would rip her apart from the inside!

What…how was she supposed to handle so much power?

[I will teach you.]

‘…you…will…?’

[Yes…but for that you need to come home, Cinder.]

‘…I...’

Cinder couldn’t concentrate anymore.

She felt like she was going to explode.

[Now, unleash your power!

Show the world your true potential!]

Of course.

The dark haired girl was the eye of the storm.

It was time to let it run rampage.

Everything finally fell into place…until something…warm enveloped her.

‘Wha…?’

Puzzled she lowered her gaze and saw a pair of hands hugging her midsection tightly.

Her head cleared a bit.

That’s right, she had been traveling with…someone and…

[Cinder, focus!]

But…

‘I don’t want to.’

The maiden felt some of that unbearable power ebb away, as the person behind her slowly reached for her hands, tugging them down softly and the storm abruptly stopped as if it never happened in the first place.

Cinder blinked through the now peaceful night, only the pale moon shining down on them, revealing the horrors the storm had left on the farms.

Sinking to her knees in disbelief, she stared at her hands with a sick feeling inside her gut.

She had caused this…but…

‘Not of my own volition.’

Salem had been able to…entrance her two times!

That realization was more than she could currently bear.

With a strangled shriek she couldn’t help but break down in tears.

There was no control.

It had all been a lie…an illusion.

Salem was inside her head.

No one could run from her…and now she knew why.

The short girl dropped next to her, dried tear streaks under her eyes and cheeks, obviously just as shaken by the events as Cinder and entwined their hands…both of them.

She gently squeezed her left one, her thumb running over the black knuckles soothingly, giving her a sad smile, as she wrote into the snow:

/I’m sorry this happened to you./

No, that wasn’t right…

‘I’m the one who should…’

“Neo…”, Cinder’s voice sounded strangled and hoarse even to her own ears,

“I’m…”

‘I’m sorry!’

This whole mess was her fault and yet she couldn’t seem to apologize.

Nevertheless, Neo’s words filled her with something warm…something she couldn’t quite describe.

The short girl’s eyes softened, a teasing grin stretching over her face, as she tried to help both of them recover from the ordeal they just had.

/I promise, I’ll never complain about your camping spots again./

‘Ridiculous.’

Not that it hindered the maiden’s lips to twitch upwards.

This girl was just so unbelievable.

Leaning forward she let her head rest against Neo’s shoulder.

“Thank you.”

AN: Hello again ^^

I know it’s a bit late, but I had quite a rough few weeks.

That being said, I will continue this to the very end.

Also for the ones reading Shattered Destiny, I will update very soon.

Enjoy ^^

#rwby #cinder fall #neo rwby #spicecreamweek #comfort/hugs #fanfiction #chapter 3 #hopefully it's finally in the tags again #angst ^^

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