Glimpses Into Another Time: Oh... THAT Day.
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AndrewJTalon
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Glimpses into Another Time: Oh... That Day
- - -
Beacon, Vale
- - -
Cinder Fall thought she would be feeling more joy at this moment. The plan had gone off flawlessly, after all.
The Vytal Tournament had been ruined. Panic and doubt had been spread across Remnant before the CCTnet went out. Atlas' pet gynoid had been neutralized and Pyrrha Nikos had gotten all the blame. Causing her pain was deeply satisfying to Cinder, even beyond what she had felt previously.
Yet even that didn't excite her. This terror, this mayhem... She was feeling so empty as she approached the elevator to Ozpin's office, Emerald and Mercury flanking her.
If she was in time, she would catch Ozpin before he transferred what was left of the Maiden Powers into Nikos, seize them for herself, and then... Maybe she could find something to excite her and keep her mind off of-
"Cinder?!"
She froze, as did Mercury and Emerald.
No...
She slowly turned to her right. She saw him standing there in utter shock, his weapons out.
No no no...
"Arc?" Mercury hissed in shock, yet she caught a brief flash of pain in his eyes.
"Why are you here?!" Emerald demanded. She shot an anxious look at Cinder, then back at the blond knight.
"I'm here protecting the elevator-What are you doing here?!" Jaune demanded. "You should be evacuating!"
There was the temptation to lie. She'd lied so much after all. Left so many bodies in her wake.
He was... He should have just been one more. One more patsy, one more stooge.
She clenched her fists.
"I'm here for the Maiden Powers," she stated, almost meekly.
Jaune's eyes widened in shock. As much of a dolt as he could be, he put the pieces together remarkably quickly. She could practically see his synapses firing behind his eyes, so fast...
"No," he whispered.
Cinder held her chin high, even though the horror in his gaze made her want to shrink away.
No. No! She wasn't going to be stopped by this pathetic boy's eyes!
Mercury stepped up.
"Look Arc. You have two choices," he stated, "Run, or die. That's how it is."
"She's been playing you from the start! We all have!" Emerald insisted. "You-You don't mean anything to her! She just used you!"
Silence ensured, save for the distant sounds of gunfire and explosions. Then:
"I want to hear it from her."
His voice was quiet, but firm. Cinder looked up. He was staring intently right at her, his focus like a laser beam.
"She doesn't need to-" Emerald tried but Jaune shook his head.
"I want to hear it from her!" Jaune growled. "I want to hear it from her lips! Cinder... Tell me the truth!"
Cinder trembled.
"Go on, I'll deal with this," she muttered.
"But Cinder-" Emerald tried.
"GO," she snarled, eyes lighting up. Emerald and Mercury practically raced to the elevator. The doors slid shut behind them. Cinder summoned up her anger, her arrogance, her pride-Who was this boy to impede her?
"It was...!"
She gritted her teeth, her eyes still low.
"It was... It was all the lie!" She spat. "You-You were just a tool! Power... Power is what I was after!"
"Why?" Jaune asked. Cinder scoffed.
"Because it's power, Jaune! In the end, we all just want it! We need it! And only those strong enough to cut out the weakness can-can achieve it!"
Jaune stared at her for a long moment. She wanted to see some hurt in his eyes. Hatred would have been better: Disgust would make this so much easier.
Hate me, she willed, please hate me... Please...!
He slowly shook his head.
"I don't believe you," he stated.
Cinder's eyes widened.
"Wha-?"
"I mean, I believe you wanting power and all, yeah," Jaune said with a nod, "This is proof but... I don't believe you felt nothing for me. For everyone else."
Cinder grit her teeth.
"I'm the big villain you've been fighting all this time! I-I've been using the White Fang! I've unleashed hell upon Vale! I'm going to leave this city a ruin!" She snarled. "What makes you think I-I could ever care about you?! ABOUT ANYONE?!"
She ignited her Semblance, fires burning in her hands.
"So unless you want that to happen, you'd better fight me, and pray that I'm merciful enough to kill you in one-!"
A sword and shield clattered to the floor. Cinder blinked. Jaune stood there unarmed.
"Wha-What are you doing?!" She demanded. "Pick up your weapons! Fight me!"
"No!" Jaune growled.
"Wha-You're unreasonable!" Cinder shot back with a growl, "I'm an evil witch here to destroy Vale and your enemy! It's kill or be killed!"
"I don't believe you!" Jaune shouted back.
"Do you HAVE to be so stubborn?!" Cinder demanded, a familiar anger burning in her.
"Me stubborn?! You threw a fit over us going to the park even though we had a great time!" Jaune retorted. Cinder gaped.
"What-I didn't want to go out and get sweaty outside! And it was too hot! But then you had to go and-and use your stupid puppy dog eyes and we went anyway!"
"And we still had a great time!" Jaune insisted. "You couldn't have faked all of that!"
"I-!" She shook her head. She had fallen into the trap-Arguing with him like they weren't secretly mortal enemies. Teasing and toying with each other.
"I DID!" She growled. "It was all a LIE! You mean NOTHING TO ME!"
Jaune stared at her for a long moment.
"You mean everything to me," he said, and her heart nearly stopped.
No, please...!
"You don't mean that!" She growled. "You're just a stupid boy! You got a hot girlfriend! You just-You didn't-FIGHT ME!"
"No," Jaune replied. He began to walk towards her. Cinder's jaw dropped.
"Wha-What are you doing?!"
"I'm going to give my girlfriend a hug," Jaune stated, "Because she's having a bad day."
"I'M NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND!" Cinder raged as her heart beat so hard it was nearly deafening in her ears. "And if you take another step closer I'll kill you!"
Jaune stared into her eyes.
"Then do it," he said softly. "Kill me. But I don't believe you will."
He took another step. Cinder's shook as the flames burned in her palms. Despite the heat she felt cold and twisted inside.
"Fool," she snarled.
She threw a fireball right at him. His Aura flared to life, taking the hit even as he stumbled. He looked back up... And took another step.
"Idiot!" She bellowed, unleashing a stronger blast. This one nearly bowled him over, but he kept coming.
"BASTARD!" She roared, and unleashed a massive blast of fire at him. His Aura burned and shielded him, as he kept walking towards her. She seethed as he went right through the fire. He was panting, tired, but he didn't stop.
STOP! RUN! She begged mentally. STOP MAKING ME FEEL THIS WAY!
He close enough to touch. She threw her hands out, but faster than she had ever given him credit for, he caught her wrists. Enraged, she poured on the flames, gripping his wrists and channeling her rage. He grimaced but didn't let go as she burned his wrists.
"Don't you get it?!" Cinder roared. "IF YOU DON'T GO I'LL HAVE TO KILL YOU! YOU'RE A WEAKNESS AND I HAVE TO CUT YOU OUT!"
"NO!" Jaune shouted back.
She began to sob,
"JUST GO! JUST GO!"
"NO!"
Cinder's flames burned white hot yet still Jaune didn't pull away.
"ALL I'VE EVER WANTED IS POWER! THIS IS ALL I WANT! PLEASE!" Cinder begged, her knees shaking.
"Then... Kill me!" Jaune gritted out. "If it was all a lie... Kill me! If that's what you want, then do it! I just want you to know... I love you, Cinder!"
"NO!"
She let go of Jaune, and fell to the floor. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as she wept. She felt him kneel down with her and wrap his arms around her shaking shoulders.
"You can't love me!" She got out between desperate sobs, "You CAN'T!"
"I do!"
"You're an idiot!"
"I know!"
She buried her face in his chest, tearing raining down her cheeks as he gripped her tightly. His Aura poured into her. She felt the Grimm within her writhe, scream, and die.
She turned her head and vomited black goo all over the floor. He held her hair away from her face with one hand, his other arm still wrapped around her. She was left panting, and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. Even now, she kept crying.
She leaned back into his warm. She felt his heartbeat. She closed her eyes tightly. She let his warmth fill her.
"... I'm sorry," she whispered.
He stroked her long hair comfortingly.
"I know..."
- - -
- - -
Beacon, Vale
- - -
Cinder Fall thought she would be feeling more joy at this moment. The plan had gone off flawlessly, after all.
The Vytal Tournament had been ruined. Panic and doubt had been spread across Remnant before the CCTnet went out. Atlas' pet gynoid had been neutralized and Pyrrha Nikos had gotten all the blame. Causing her pain was deeply satisfying to Cinder, even beyond what she had felt previously.
Yet even that didn't excite her. This terror, this mayhem... She was feeling so empty as she approached the elevator to Ozpin's office, Emerald and Mercury flanking her.
If she was in time, she would catch Ozpin before he transferred what was left of the Maiden Powers into Nikos, seize them for herself, and then... Maybe she could find something to excite her and keep her mind off of-
"Cinder?!"
She froze, as did Mercury and Emerald.
No...
She slowly turned to her right. She saw him standing there in utter shock, his weapons out.
No no no...
"Arc?" Mercury hissed in shock, yet she caught a brief flash of pain in his eyes.
"Why are you here?!" Emerald demanded. She shot an anxious look at Cinder, then back at the blond knight.
"I'm here protecting the elevator-What are you doing here?!" Jaune demanded. "You should be evacuating!"
There was the temptation to lie. She'd lied so much after all. Left so many bodies in her wake.
He was... He should have just been one more. One more patsy, one more stooge.
She clenched her fists.
"I'm here for the Maiden Powers," she stated, almost meekly.
Jaune's eyes widened in shock. As much of a dolt as he could be, he put the pieces together remarkably quickly. She could practically see his synapses firing behind his eyes, so fast...
"No," he whispered.
Cinder held her chin high, even though the horror in his gaze made her want to shrink away.
No. No! She wasn't going to be stopped by this pathetic boy's eyes!
Mercury stepped up.
"Look Arc. You have two choices," he stated, "Run, or die. That's how it is."
"She's been playing you from the start! We all have!" Emerald insisted. "You-You don't mean anything to her! She just used you!"
Silence ensured, save for the distant sounds of gunfire and explosions. Then:
"I want to hear it from her."
His voice was quiet, but firm. Cinder looked up. He was staring intently right at her, his focus like a laser beam.
"She doesn't need to-" Emerald tried but Jaune shook his head.
"I want to hear it from her!" Jaune growled. "I want to hear it from her lips! Cinder... Tell me the truth!"
Cinder trembled.
"Go on, I'll deal with this," she muttered.
"But Cinder-" Emerald tried.
"GO," she snarled, eyes lighting up. Emerald and Mercury practically raced to the elevator. The doors slid shut behind them. Cinder summoned up her anger, her arrogance, her pride-Who was this boy to impede her?
"It was...!"
She gritted her teeth, her eyes still low.
"It was... It was all the lie!" She spat. "You-You were just a tool! Power... Power is what I was after!"
"Why?" Jaune asked. Cinder scoffed.
"Because it's power, Jaune! In the end, we all just want it! We need it! And only those strong enough to cut out the weakness can-can achieve it!"
Jaune stared at her for a long moment. She wanted to see some hurt in his eyes. Hatred would have been better: Disgust would make this so much easier.
Hate me, she willed, please hate me... Please...!
He slowly shook his head.
"I don't believe you," he stated.
Cinder's eyes widened.
"Wha-?"
"I mean, I believe you wanting power and all, yeah," Jaune said with a nod, "This is proof but... I don't believe you felt nothing for me. For everyone else."
Cinder grit her teeth.
"I'm the big villain you've been fighting all this time! I-I've been using the White Fang! I've unleashed hell upon Vale! I'm going to leave this city a ruin!" She snarled. "What makes you think I-I could ever care about you?! ABOUT ANYONE?!"
She ignited her Semblance, fires burning in her hands.
"So unless you want that to happen, you'd better fight me, and pray that I'm merciful enough to kill you in one-!"
A sword and shield clattered to the floor. Cinder blinked. Jaune stood there unarmed.
"Wha-What are you doing?!" She demanded. "Pick up your weapons! Fight me!"
"No!" Jaune growled.
"Wha-You're unreasonable!" Cinder shot back with a growl, "I'm an evil witch here to destroy Vale and your enemy! It's kill or be killed!"
"I don't believe you!" Jaune shouted back.
"Do you HAVE to be so stubborn?!" Cinder demanded, a familiar anger burning in her.
"Me stubborn?! You threw a fit over us going to the park even though we had a great time!" Jaune retorted. Cinder gaped.
"What-I didn't want to go out and get sweaty outside! And it was too hot! But then you had to go and-and use your stupid puppy dog eyes and we went anyway!"
"And we still had a great time!" Jaune insisted. "You couldn't have faked all of that!"
"I-!" She shook her head. She had fallen into the trap-Arguing with him like they weren't secretly mortal enemies. Teasing and toying with each other.
"I DID!" She growled. "It was all a LIE! You mean NOTHING TO ME!"
Jaune stared at her for a long moment.
"You mean everything to me," he said, and her heart nearly stopped.
No, please...!
"You don't mean that!" She growled. "You're just a stupid boy! You got a hot girlfriend! You just-You didn't-FIGHT ME!"
"No," Jaune replied. He began to walk towards her. Cinder's jaw dropped.
"Wha-What are you doing?!"
"I'm going to give my girlfriend a hug," Jaune stated, "Because she's having a bad day."
"I'M NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND!" Cinder raged as her heart beat so hard it was nearly deafening in her ears. "And if you take another step closer I'll kill you!"
Jaune stared into her eyes.
"Then do it," he said softly. "Kill me. But I don't believe you will."
He took another step. Cinder's shook as the flames burned in her palms. Despite the heat she felt cold and twisted inside.
"Fool," she snarled.
She threw a fireball right at him. His Aura flared to life, taking the hit even as he stumbled. He looked back up... And took another step.
"Idiot!" She bellowed, unleashing a stronger blast. This one nearly bowled him over, but he kept coming.
"BASTARD!" She roared, and unleashed a massive blast of fire at him. His Aura burned and shielded him, as he kept walking towards her. She seethed as he went right through the fire. He was panting, tired, but he didn't stop.
STOP! RUN! She begged mentally. STOP MAKING ME FEEL THIS WAY!
He close enough to touch. She threw her hands out, but faster than she had ever given him credit for, he caught her wrists. Enraged, she poured on the flames, gripping his wrists and channeling her rage. He grimaced but didn't let go as she burned his wrists.
"Don't you get it?!" Cinder roared. "IF YOU DON'T GO I'LL HAVE TO KILL YOU! YOU'RE A WEAKNESS AND I HAVE TO CUT YOU OUT!"
"NO!" Jaune shouted back.
She began to sob,
"JUST GO! JUST GO!"
"NO!"
Cinder's flames burned white hot yet still Jaune didn't pull away.
"ALL I'VE EVER WANTED IS POWER! THIS IS ALL I WANT! PLEASE!" Cinder begged, her knees shaking.
"Then... Kill me!" Jaune gritted out. "If it was all a lie... Kill me! If that's what you want, then do it! I just want you to know... I love you, Cinder!"
"NO!"
She let go of Jaune, and fell to the floor. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as she wept. She felt him kneel down with her and wrap his arms around her shaking shoulders.
"You can't love me!" She got out between desperate sobs, "You CAN'T!"
"I do!"
"You're an idiot!"
"I know!"
She buried her face in his chest, tearing raining down her cheeks as he gripped her tightly. His Aura poured into her. She felt the Grimm within her writhe, scream, and die.
She turned her head and vomited black goo all over the floor. He held her hair away from her face with one hand, his other arm still wrapped around her. She was left panting, and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. Even now, she kept crying.
She leaned back into his warm. She felt his heartbeat. She closed her eyes tightly. She let his warmth fill her.
"... I'm sorry," she whispered.
He stroked her long hair comfortingly.
"I know..."
- - -
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