Glimpses into Another Time: Faith
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AndrewJTalon
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It had been foolish of Arslan. She had lost control. Seeing Jaune hurt so badly... She had seen nothing but red. Nothing but raw rage had filled her.
In that moment she had forgotten that her Semblance didn't work if she lost emotional control. Her incredible Aura control and power? Useless if she didn't keep herself calm.
Cinder had struck her down and everything had gone black. She wondered for a moment if she was dead. If she was about to reach the Table Breaker's Country at last.
Instead, she awoke in a cell in Aura suppressing cuffs. A cage in some run down warehouse in Mantle, below the flying city of Atlas.
It was filthy, dark, and deserted. She was still in pain.
Still... She would manage.
She got up onto her knees, and bowed her head. Her hands were bound in front of her, so that made things easier.
Oh Emperor above, please, hear my prayer...
"You're awake."
Arslan opened her eyes and turned her head calmly. Cinder stood there, a sneer upon her ruined face. Arslan studied her for a moment, before turning her head back and closing her eyes again.
She could feel Cinder's derision from here.
"You know, I could have killed you then and there," the terrorist went on, "But I chose not to. You know why?"
"Because you wish to use me as bait for my friends," Arslan said quietly. Cinder was quiet, then snorted.
"You can do nothing about it."
"I can. And I am," Arslan replied.
She heard Cinder stalk in front of the cage and crouch down. No doubt to glare at her right in her face.
"What are you doing, hm?"
"Praying," Arslan said simply. Cinder laughed mockingly.
"To your made up god? What good will that do? You hoping he'll save you?"
"My hope is that He will save both of us," Arslan said quietly. She could feel Cinder gape at her in disbelief.
"Save both of us?!" She demanded. She slammed the bars of the cage, making them rattle. "What kind of shit is that?! I'm your enemy! I'm your nemesis-!"
Arslan opened her eyes and stared into Cinder's.
"And why do you not seem happy about that?" Arslan asked. Cinder sneered at her.
"Your god's a fake. A fraud. What power has he given you? What reward? What reason to believe?"
"I do not always recognize His will, for no one can discern it fully," Arslan said, "But He has given me many things. A loving family. Friends. A man I wish to spend the rest of my life with. And opportunities to help and save people. The power He has given me is to do good. The reward is that good is done. The belief is that my actions matter and will make a difference."
"Your life has made no difference!" Cinder sneered.
"Your defeats and the lives you have failed to take speak otherwise," Arslan countered. Cinder seethed.
"You're up against the power of an immortal witch! She is the true god here-!"
"And you seek to usurp her power," Arslan surmised. Cinder glared, then smirked.
"So what if I do?"
"It will not change what happened to you," Arslan said softly, her eyes filled with compassion. Cinder's eyes narrowed.
"You don't know anything about me-!"
"The orphanage," Arslan said coldly, "The Glass Unicorn. Rhodes. Your stepmother and stepsisters."
Cinder reared back as though Arslan had struck her. She shook her head rapidly.
"Y-You can't know-How could you-?!"
"I know. It is enough," Arslan murmured. She shook her head.
"You have been through Hell, Cinder Fall. I do not dispute that. I do not deny you have suffered much. Was killing your abusive stepmother and siblings justice? I cannot say. Only He can judge you. I do know that the actions you have taken in Salem's service will not bring you peace."
"I don't want peace!" Cinder spat, "I want power! I want revenge!"
Arslan slowly shook her head.
"You want to feel safe," she stated, "You wanted love. So badly. But you decided it was not worth the risk. How could you? After how badly you were hurt when you trusted? It is the hardest thing in the world to trust, to open yourself up-"
"SHUT UP!"
Cinder flared her flames in her hands. Arslan remained stoic, staring back at Cinder. Cinder meanwhile was panting angrily.
"You can't pity me... You don't get to pity me! We're enemies and I'm going to kill you, your fucking boyfriend, and the rest so I can rule! Your prayers won't change that!"
Arslan closed her eyes and bowed her head.
"Perhaps not," she said, "But I will still try."
Cinder was silent for a moment.
"Even if there was a God, He wouldn't..." Cinder hesitated, "He wouldn't forgive me for what I have done."
"He would," Arslan said softly, "Even if I cannot... He would. If you sought redemption."
"So you can't forgive me," Cinder smirked. "You're not perfect, huh?"
"I am not, nor did I claim to be," Arslan said, sounding tired, "But I still try to do the right thing. No matter how hard it is. That includes praying for my enemies in the hope that they will turn away from evil. It is a faint hope... But it is what must be done."
Cinder glared at Arslan in silence for a bit. Arslan continued to pray.
"You're a fool," Cinder spat. She stood up. "I'm going to kill you in front of your boyfriend. The one I crippled! How does that make you feel?"
"Sad," Arslan said quietly, "For you."
Cinder seethed. She turned and stalked away.
- - -
A bit random but while this story is very Jaune-centric, no reason we can't show glimpses that showcase the other characters in more detail.
In that moment she had forgotten that her Semblance didn't work if she lost emotional control. Her incredible Aura control and power? Useless if she didn't keep herself calm.
Cinder had struck her down and everything had gone black. She wondered for a moment if she was dead. If she was about to reach the Table Breaker's Country at last.
Instead, she awoke in a cell in Aura suppressing cuffs. A cage in some run down warehouse in Mantle, below the flying city of Atlas.
It was filthy, dark, and deserted. She was still in pain.
Still... She would manage.
She got up onto her knees, and bowed her head. Her hands were bound in front of her, so that made things easier.
Oh Emperor above, please, hear my prayer...
"You're awake."
Arslan opened her eyes and turned her head calmly. Cinder stood there, a sneer upon her ruined face. Arslan studied her for a moment, before turning her head back and closing her eyes again.
She could feel Cinder's derision from here.
"You know, I could have killed you then and there," the terrorist went on, "But I chose not to. You know why?"
"Because you wish to use me as bait for my friends," Arslan said quietly. Cinder was quiet, then snorted.
"You can do nothing about it."
"I can. And I am," Arslan replied.
She heard Cinder stalk in front of the cage and crouch down. No doubt to glare at her right in her face.
"What are you doing, hm?"
"Praying," Arslan said simply. Cinder laughed mockingly.
"To your made up god? What good will that do? You hoping he'll save you?"
"My hope is that He will save both of us," Arslan said quietly. She could feel Cinder gape at her in disbelief.
"Save both of us?!" She demanded. She slammed the bars of the cage, making them rattle. "What kind of shit is that?! I'm your enemy! I'm your nemesis-!"
Arslan opened her eyes and stared into Cinder's.
"And why do you not seem happy about that?" Arslan asked. Cinder sneered at her.
"Your god's a fake. A fraud. What power has he given you? What reward? What reason to believe?"
"I do not always recognize His will, for no one can discern it fully," Arslan said, "But He has given me many things. A loving family. Friends. A man I wish to spend the rest of my life with. And opportunities to help and save people. The power He has given me is to do good. The reward is that good is done. The belief is that my actions matter and will make a difference."
"Your life has made no difference!" Cinder sneered.
"Your defeats and the lives you have failed to take speak otherwise," Arslan countered. Cinder seethed.
"You're up against the power of an immortal witch! She is the true god here-!"
"And you seek to usurp her power," Arslan surmised. Cinder glared, then smirked.
"So what if I do?"
"It will not change what happened to you," Arslan said softly, her eyes filled with compassion. Cinder's eyes narrowed.
"You don't know anything about me-!"
"The orphanage," Arslan said coldly, "The Glass Unicorn. Rhodes. Your stepmother and stepsisters."
Cinder reared back as though Arslan had struck her. She shook her head rapidly.
"Y-You can't know-How could you-?!"
"I know. It is enough," Arslan murmured. She shook her head.
"You have been through Hell, Cinder Fall. I do not dispute that. I do not deny you have suffered much. Was killing your abusive stepmother and siblings justice? I cannot say. Only He can judge you. I do know that the actions you have taken in Salem's service will not bring you peace."
"I don't want peace!" Cinder spat, "I want power! I want revenge!"
Arslan slowly shook her head.
"You want to feel safe," she stated, "You wanted love. So badly. But you decided it was not worth the risk. How could you? After how badly you were hurt when you trusted? It is the hardest thing in the world to trust, to open yourself up-"
"SHUT UP!"
Cinder flared her flames in her hands. Arslan remained stoic, staring back at Cinder. Cinder meanwhile was panting angrily.
"You can't pity me... You don't get to pity me! We're enemies and I'm going to kill you, your fucking boyfriend, and the rest so I can rule! Your prayers won't change that!"
Arslan closed her eyes and bowed her head.
"Perhaps not," she said, "But I will still try."
Cinder was silent for a moment.
"Even if there was a God, He wouldn't..." Cinder hesitated, "He wouldn't forgive me for what I have done."
"He would," Arslan said softly, "Even if I cannot... He would. If you sought redemption."
"So you can't forgive me," Cinder smirked. "You're not perfect, huh?"
"I am not, nor did I claim to be," Arslan said, sounding tired, "But I still try to do the right thing. No matter how hard it is. That includes praying for my enemies in the hope that they will turn away from evil. It is a faint hope... But it is what must be done."
Cinder glared at Arslan in silence for a bit. Arslan continued to pray.
"You're a fool," Cinder spat. She stood up. "I'm going to kill you in front of your boyfriend. The one I crippled! How does that make you feel?"
"Sad," Arslan said quietly, "For you."
Cinder seethed. She turned and stalked away.
- - -
A bit random but while this story is very Jaune-centric, no reason we can't show glimpses that showcase the other characters in more detail.
