Work Text:
What Salem told Cinder was simple. Find the Summer maiden in a hidden camp located in a red canyon north of Vacuo. She could make the trip, she had the staff, they could go anywhere.
So Salem brought her there. There was no stopping her now. Team RWBY was gone, Watts and Neo could no longer interfere with her plans. She was Salem’s last underling along Mercury and Tyrian, but they were barely worth anything. She was irreplaceable now.
She was giddy. She was smiling, truly smiling.
Salem dropped her. In a second, her world turned from the damp, cold darkness of the Solitas to a hot, dry and bright desert in Vacuo. Around her, she could see a lot of dunes, sprawling out like a wave of beige and orange. The sun hit hard, and her black clothes did not make it any less hot. But up north rose a canyon, shaped like a jagged pyramid with an opening reminiscent of a Volcano. It was pink in color, eroded by wind and time. That was her goal.
Using her maiden powers, she conjured jets of flames and winds to lift up and fly. She liked flying. It was the ultimate expression of freedom. Freedom that she had earned, that she fought and suffered for. Salem still held her leash, but it wouldn’t be long now until her mistress released her. Once she had all maiden powers, and all relics, she would release her. Or better yet, Cinder could overthrow her, take all the power for herself. And then…
And then… What?
She shook her head. No time for the future. She needed to focus on the now. The canyon grew closer.
She entered through the hole at the top. Many cracks in the other shell allowed light to pour in. It was chillier, for sure. She saw it then, a camp of rags and sticks, along with some sandstone buildings. Huntsmen crawled out like ants out of the buildings. She would erase them all.
An hour later, there was nothing but smoke and dead bodies around her. There was a large, more ornamental building in the middle of the camp. It looked almost as if the rest of it was built around it. She guessed that was were the Maiden was.
She steeled herself. Maidens could be troublesome. She would not underestimate whoever was there.
The camp was eerily silent now, the only sound coming from burning fire and the moving sand.
The building had a square door in front of it, made of wood. Turning the knob Cinder peered inside, sword summoned and at the ready.
“Come out now. There is no way out,” she said in a calm and soothing, the Maiden must have heard the screams from outside. If she hadn’t come out, she was probably scared out of her mind. And if she was scared, she would be paralyzed. Fear was her greatest tool, and she would use it.
She entered the place. It was dark and cramped, yet also had the features of a house. The curtains were all shut. Not a sound was made, but as soon as she took a step in, Cinder could hear running upstairs. It was fast and light, not like a grown person.
There were stairs leading up, and she opted to take them, but as she began ascending, she saw something glint in the dark. A pair of teal eyes stared at her from up. A small figure was poking her head out.
She readied her sword. “Come down! Now!” At her shouting, the small person ducked behind. Cinder wanted to stomp up and get the maiden. However, she came down on her own.
The head poked out again, staring at her with a mix of fear and surprise. Then, an arm popped out, grabbing the corner wall. Then a leg stepped into sight, followed by her body.
She girl began descending at a slow pace, as if every stair were to break the moment she stepped on them. Her entire body was covered in baggy sheets, a staple of Vacuan clothing, to protect from the intense sun. Her head was uncovered, short auburn hair adorned by a hairpin that resembled a lilac flower.
Cinder simply stared at her as she made her way towards her. Her head barely reached her stomach.
The girl looked up, teal eyes adorned by freckles staring at her.
“You are not Mr. Theodore,” she stated.
“I am not,” she responded. The girls chest stopped rising, and she took a step back. Cinder had said the dumbest possible thing. But she was just too shocked.
Her arm twitched, anxious to feast upon her aura. Here it was, her power, her freedom, trapped in a flesh vessel. But… this was also a girl. A young girl barely ten years old, who held not a single hint of hostility. Only childish fear and curiosity. This could not be it.
“Are you… the summer maiden?” She asked her. The girl said nothing, holding her hands together while looking away. “I made you a question, girl.” Her voice sounded harsh. She was frustrated.
The girl looked everywhere but up, but in the end, she nodded silently.
“Come with me,” she said. The girl did nothing. For a moment, Cinder expected her to run away, or fight, or something. But she didn’t do anything. She just stood there, waiting for something.
Why was she not running? Was she not aware of the danger she posed? Could she not feel it? Could she not see the monster in front of her?
Cinder turned away. She did not know how to deal with this. She had killed many people in her quest for power. Men, women, teens, old people. Never children. Not because she was unwilling to, but because she never had the chance.
It would be very easy to kill her, to suck her power dry and leave her dead. But… she could not do it. That girl… what had she done? She reminded her of herself, or her weak self that was bullied for no reason at the orphanage. Standing there, wondering why anything was happening.
Cinder could not hurt such a thing.
It had to be wrong. The Summer Maiden had to be someone else.
She exited the house, looking at the light coming through one of the cracks in the cavern’s red ceiling.
She would tell Salem the maiden wasn’t there. She felt a phantom pain in her arm. There would be consequences for that failure.
She wanted to depart, but the sound of closing door came behind her. Cinder turned, and saw the girl locking her house with a key, barely reaching the doorknob.
She then went to her side, as if this was an everyday occurrence. Enough of this.
Cinder summoned her power and grabbed the girl by her collar, lifting her with ease thanks to her Aura. Then she had taken off into the air, exciting the way she came.
The girl screamed, a lot. She trashed and kicked against her arm. Cinder didn’t care, she was stronger than her, she could keep her still even if it was annoying.
Flying in the direction of Salem’s location, Cinder knew she’d have at least half an hour to their meeting point.
She looked back at the girl. She was crying, looking down below. A pitiful sight, but such was the way of the world. The strong handled the weak, and took whatever they wanted from them. However, the girl turned back at her, cheeks flushed and wet.
A single look into her eye triggered something. The girl searched for security from her, and when she found none, her eyes lit aflame with an aqua color.
The girl shrieked, and a strong gust of wind tore Cinder out of the air. Air currents hit her from all directions, preventing any stabilization.
Cinder used her flames as propellers to resist the wind, and in a few spins was back in control.
She turned upwards. The girl flew, palms pointing downwards like a statue. That was the origin of her levitation, air currents.
The girl looked at her again, and silently pushed her arms towards her.
The air distorted, and Cinder felt a brick wall fall upon her. Once again she spun out of control in the air for a second. This girl was powerful. A challenge to her spot as the bigger fish. A menace. Or so was her mind’s first impression.
But… she needed to have a cool head for this. The Maiden power had been confirmed. She needed to avoid a fight, otherwise, she might accidentally kill the child, and the power would be lost. And that would mean… punishment.
She held her hands in front of her.
“Calm down,” she said, swallowing her annoyance. The girl pouted, and shook her head violently. “I don’t want to hurt you. I just need you to come down with me, to the ground,” Another shake.
Cinder sighed in annoyance. Her left arm twitched, whispering silent words to her. Pierce her flesh, take her power. She shook away those thoughts. She needed another approach. Perhaps…
“Look here,” Cinder brought up her hands slowly, lest she incur the wrath of the infant. She concentrated, and summoned the power of wind, allowing a small ball of air form in her hand, spinning and distorting the area around it. Cinder let out a breath, and the ball faded. She wasn’t good at the other elements. She mostly used her flames, since it was so familiar to her.
She looked at the child. Gone was the pout and glare, replaced by a look of wonder. Cinder smiled.
“I’m just like you. I am…” she extended her human hand, giving her her warmest look. “… a friend.”
The girl remained flabbergasted, looking from her towards the world below and back at her again. After some moments of this, the girl began to descend. Cinder smirked, and also began to let herself lower to the ground.
After that, the child didn’t say much else. She limited herself to nod and follow, which suited Cinder just fine. She always knew what to say to people to make them bend to her will, just like Salem did. When she wasn’t doing that, talking was harder. Not like Cinder would get much conversation out of an eight-year old.
She knew that she had to keep the girl close. She was volatile, and seemed to have some control over her powers. If so, she couldn’t risk having her fly. They needed to travel on the ground.
So Cinder walked the dunes, and the girl followed.
Nothing was said between them. The girl did not complain, or whine, or even talk for that matter. She simply looked at the ground, as if resigned to her fate.
When Cinder looked at her, a mirror image of her younger self would replace her for a moment, and the fall maiden would be forced to look away.
Soon, night fell upon them. Cinder found an amalgam of rocks that would serve as ‘dry’ land, and had one tall enough to cover them from sandstorms.
Cinder gathered dry sticks and stone and made a fire pit while the child… sat there, observing her every move.
When the campfire was done, all that remained was igniting it. Piece of cake. Cinder lifted her arm, outstretched her palm, and the fire came to life. The flame glowed bright and large before receding a little and settling comfortably between the gathered rocks.
“Woah!” the girl shouted, a little too loud for Cinder’s ears. “How did you do that?”
Cinder raised an eyebrow. “With my maiden powers, of course.” Was her reply as she sat down.
T he girls stared at her hands before her eyes bolted back to the campfire, and then back to Cinder who simply raised an eyebrow.
“Can I try?” She asked her. She sounded so chipper.
“What?”
“Can I try? Using fire?” She asked.
“You don’t know how to use fire…” Cinder stated. Had this girl not been trained? What had been Ozpin doing with her?
“I mean… Mr. Ozpin told me it’s dangerous…” Of course he did. Cinder felt good about ending his life.
“He was an… he was not very smart. You have to learn to control every aspect of your power,” Cinder said.
“So… can I try then?” The girl ask with a toothy grin that made Cinder roll her eyes.
“Okay. Try to stoke the fire,” The girl got up, and made a weird pose with her legs bent a little, almost as if she were doing gymnastics or yoga. Then, she clapped her hands and began rapidly rub her palms together. At first nothing happened, but quickly those hands began glowing bright orange with heat.
Once smoke began pouring out of her hands, the girl launched forward a stream of flame into the fire pit. The result was a fiery eruption at tried to escape it’s confines. Cinder was surprised, and forced to retreat lest she be consumed.
The girl yelped, and soon the fire subsided, returning to it’s previous state.
Cinder had gotten scared over nothing. This girl had scared her.
“Damnit! You need to learn to control your power!” She yelled, getting up with eyes flaming. The girl retreated onto herself, arms stuck to her body and face scrunched up as if about to cry.
Cinder regained some of her cool, enough to not let her powers manifest visually. She looked away from the frightened child. She couldn’t have her run away now. She needed the maiden powers.
“I’m-”
“–I’m sorry,” the girl replied, looking at the ground.
“W-What?” Cinder asked.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry I was bad,” her expression, her body language, it was a reflection of… herself. Something inside her, something she swore she had buried deep within her came to light.
“I… You did nothing wrong,” that is what she would tell herself, if she could go back.
“But you reacted, like daddy did,” Cinder’s chest tightened, but she didn’t let it show. She simply sat down, looking at the fire as if she didn’t care about anything.
“Your father didn’t like your powers?” She asked, leaning into her Grimm arm.
“No. After mommy died, he began to be mean to me. Really mean. I’m sure he didn’t like me.” Cinder looked at the girl. Her eyes were teary eyed, and had bags under them. She was like her. She needed to…
“What’s your name?” She blurted out.
“...Aurora,” was her reply. Cinder nodded with her head.
“Go to sleep. We need to walk a lot tomorrow,” was her order. The girl nodded, and crawled on the floor before hugging herself in front of the fire.
Just like Cinder did on the winters at the Glass Unicorn.
With a frustrated sigh, Cinder went to sleep as well. She was used to hard floors. With her cape, she would sleep like a rock.
Her arm throbbed. No matter how much she squeezed or pulled, it hurt. It was a part of her, but also foreign. It dug into her shoulder, spreading it’s grasp over her chest, over her heart. It was a price she had paid. And it was not high enough to reject.
She twisted and turned. When she opened her eyes, it was still night, and the fire had gone out. She could see in the dark the figure of Aurora, shaking terribly.
She had forgotten. In the desert, the days were horribly hot, and the nights terribly cold.
Cinder did not pity Aurora. Why would she? She had not suffered as she did.
She did not pity her.
She did not pity her.
She did NOT pity her.
She did NOT pity herself.
Cinder grit her teeth. Seeing the girl like that, it… did something to her heart. If she were in her position, at that age, she would have cried for help, for warmth.
She got up and walked towards the shivering girl that desperately braced herself for warmth. Her cloak was unclipped. She snuggled the girl in it, careful not to wake her. It covered her like a blanket, Cinder was sure it was dirty with blood, dust and ash; but it was better than nothing.
Once she was wrapped like a newborn child, Cinder turned around.
“Miss?” She stopped dead in her tracks. She could pretend she didn’t hear her, but something compelled her to talk.
“What is it?” Her tone came off as annoyed. That was her default emotion lately.
“What is your name?” Cinder turned, and found a pair of teal eyes in the dark. Aurora had her mouth hidden behind the cape, as if poking out of a protective cocoon.
“Cinder,” was her reply.
“Miss Cinder, could you show me again? The wind thingy?” It was never going to end at that rate. Cinder decided to humor the girl.
“I’ll do you one better,” she kneeled in front of her, and grabbed a bunch of sand from the rock floor. Then, she focused her aura and activated her semblance. The sand sizzled until it became a liquid. Cinder opened her palm, and put the other over it, then began moving her fingers.
The heated material twisted and flowed into shape. The Fall Maiden had to operate it like a puppet, or a sewing machine. She was out of practice. In the end, she made what she hoped would be a swan. The color wasn’t right either, a bad mix of black and browns.
“Here,” she handed it to the girl. It was cooled now.
A small arm poked out from the cocoon, turning the disappointing figurine on each side.
“Wow. It’s beautiful,” She said.
“Of course it is,” she had to appear strong, in front of everyone.
“Thanks, miss Cinder,”
She said nothing in response, opting to go to her previous spot and lay there. Her maiden powers would keep her heated through the night.
Before going to sleep, Cinder realized something. How was she supposed to kill her? That girl did… nothing wrong. She was no huntsman, no part of Ozpin’s ploy. She was… a link in the chains of the world. Just like Cinder herself was.
But… this girl, Aurora, also held the key to her freedom, her dream, her destiny. All within a worthless flesh and bone vessel. At least, that’s what Salem would say.
Salem… her mistress was the only one that cared. Even if she punished her, even if she told her she was worthless… she still gave her everything.
Cinder had struggled a lot to get where she was. She wanted it all. She wanted the power of the summer maiden, Salem’s love and… Aurora’s safety.
Would Salem know how to get the powers without killing her?
Cinder hoped so.