Chapitre 8: Chapter 8
A dancing breeze blew through the vast fur trees, the whistling of the wind repeated itself like an endless loop of sounds that mingled with the singing of birds, the orange tint announced the approaching sunset on the horizon, while small particles of dust floated between the free pines, letting themselves be illuminated by the two-tone light of the sunset.
Cinder walked calmly along the cobblestone path, a look of misery tattooed on her face. At her side, Qrow walked with the same calm. The brunette glanced over her back. Behind her was the small meadow of wildflowers where Qrow promised to kill her. That promise had been forgotten along with the red petals that the spirited wind from the mountains had stolen.
She gave Qrow a deep look, he walked carefree admiring his outline, from time to time he entertained himself with some detail of nature, the amber-eyed girl felt bewildered, Qrow accompanied her as if they were comrades who had met after years and now decided to take a walk through the forest. Unusual, she did not understand it, to tell the truth, Cinder did not understand much about life, she knew about death, about hatred, about destruction, and manipulation. But life? Incomprehensible! That described her in a single word, love, forgiveness, friendship, redemption, all those things that got into her head and went around in circles, she did not understand them, they made her stupid, she did not know how to act, so she said the first thing that came to her head.
" Do you know that I could attack you right now? "
" I know " Qrow replied with a simple raise of his eyebrows, letting out a soft laugh at her expense " You could have done it since we were left alone " he paused again to watch a pair of swallows fluttering over them " But you preferred to let me decapitate you, in order to make sure that we left your... friend free, so if you try hard to convince someone of your Machiavellian plan it's not working, little flame"
She stayed silent watching as Qrow ignored her again, she wrinkled her nose and inhaled the fresh evening air, it filled her lungs and refreshed her, her Grimm arm was still a little numb, small cramps ran up to her shoulder like a tiny electric shock stuck between her tendons, she flexed her fingers, those sensations were proof that she was still alive, that was the closest experience to death she had had, more than her previous experiences. She was afraid.
She had thought about suicide and death many times, she had even wished for it, on several occasions, she wished that her death would reach her once and for all, however, now she was different. In what way? She knew it, and she knew it very well. Tessa, the difference in her life now was her, it was Tessa, for her she wanted to live and for her, she would die without thinking about it. That sweet girl marked a before and after in her life, she left a crater in her heart as if an asteroid crashed into the earth, it was the moment in which Cinder was aware that she was afraid to die because she wanted a life with Tessa, but if necessary she would give her hers, she would give it to her without a single question, her infatuation was deeper than she thought... Was it love? Cinder didn't know what love was, but it had to be something like this.
They walked forward for a little longer until the sounds of inconsolable crying became more evident. Collapsed on the ground as she cried bitterly, her hands clasped over her chest as if trying to hold her own heart, Tessa's tears fell down her face without any respite, the brunette cried and cried and denied it over and over again, the young Blake was crouching beside her in a silent attempt at comfort, the rest of the girls were close to her, silent, with sorrow and without anything to say to help her, they simply watched her with affliction.
Tessa's crying was so inconsolable that Cinder had to restrain herself from running to meet her. She saw her cry with so much pain that her heart contracted. The brunette made a face. She had never seen her like that before. The brunette was always so jovial, positive, and cheerful that she thought it was impossible to see her as devastated as she was now.
Qrow cleared his throat, catching the attention of the entire group, when the brunette raised her tear-stained face, her eyes became perplexed. "Cinder?" She asked with a voice cracked by crying, the aforementioned looked at her in distress, knowing that she was crying because of her, however, with a single start, Tessa stood up, running towards her at full speed, without thinking she launched herself, wrapping the astonished brunette in a strong hug.
She didn't think about it much, she just returned the gesture and when her arms pressed Tessa's thin body, she sobbed again on her shoulder, snuggling into her neck, hiding her face in it. Surprisingly, the brunette separated with another start and began to hit her clumsily. "Fool! Fool!" With her fists clenched, she hit her chest. "You were going to let them kill you!" The amber-eyed girl remained silent, simply letting her vent. "Fool! Fool! Fool!" She hit and hit until she collapsed again in her arms, Cinder murmured apologies against her hair and Tessa melted back into her embrace.
Qrow walked away from them, giving them some privacy. The group of teenagers was surprisingly relieved by this outcome. The platinum-haired girl crossed her arms, relaxing her pose and letting out a subtle sigh, while Yang and Blake had discreetly intertwined their hands in a small gesture of shared relief.
" Gosh, Uncle Qrow " a brittle sigh left Ruby's lips " For a moment I thought you really did it " Qrow noticed how his youngest niece wiped away some small but treacherous tears that were beginning to sting her eyes, the young red girl was a formidable fighter and a powerful hunter, but she had a compassionate and kind heart, even for those who did not deserve it.
" I told you to trust my judgment," He said, ruffling the younger girl's hair, drawing a small smile from his niece.
" So should we trust her now? " the slender blonde asked.
Qrow returned his gaze to where the pair of women had not yet separated, Tessa had pressed their foreheads together murmuring words that only Cinder heard and to which she simply nodded. Cinder Fall, a power-hungry woman with a desire for revenge written on her face, from her mouth only maniacal words, curses, and manipulations came out, she spat hatred wherever she went, she would kill anyone who obstructed her path and would fight to the death to gain power, but now what was left of that? A woman who did not fight to defend herself except until they brought the other girl for whom she chose to die without a fight, even Cinder's cold amber gaze had changed, now it had a warmer color, even her features were no longer angry or evil, now she looked confused more than anything else, she seemed to be more of a poorly made mockery of what she once was.
" Trust, that's a very strong word " he took his eyes off the woman to address the teenagers " However, she is no longer the woman we faced in the past "
The platinum-haired girl crossed her arms and said, "What now? Are we just going to forget all the evil she's done?"
Ruby placed a hand on her friend's shoulder making her look at her " No, but there is not much point in fighting with someone who does not want to fight with you, it would be wrong to waste our strength and right now we need it "
Weiss sighed, loosening her arms. "I guess you're right."
" Besides, I wasn't going to stand to see her cry anymore " the faunus pointed at Tessa with her head " I was going to end up crying with her "
The burly black-haired man's gaze rose to the treetops, he observed, thinking about the beautiful place and the terrible danger that lay ahead, even the time they spent there was a small gift compared to the destruction they were trying to stop.
Cinder looked at the wood of the table, letting her human armrest on it while her gaze was lost in the fibers of the furniture, and she played with a napkin, she preferred to observe anything than the eyes of the rest of her companions, Tessa finished serving some cheese and herb snacks, juices and pure cocoa chocolates for the teenagers, some wine for the alcoholic and some green tea for both of them.
Yang took a snack from the plate and began to eat without preamble. "This is excellent," she mentioned between bites, taking some of the tension out of the atmosphere and causing the rest of the girls to start eating as well.
" Thank you " Tessa's voice was as kind as ever, the brunette looked at her, she would never stop being kind, as quickly she had recovered from the state of shock the sweetness of her being was present in her again, offering hospitality to those who had threatened to imprison her. Cinder was beginning to believe that Tessa was the very incarnation of an angel, you couldn't be so good and be a human at the same time, the brunette had been lucky to come across her, someone so pure.
" Here I would have to apologize to you " Qrow's deep voice sounded guilty and he took a soft sip from his cup " I didn't want to scare you, but if you know Cinder you will understand that I needed to reassure myself of what we were doing "
The brunette continued to smile as she watched him and shook her head. "It's over." Her gaze met Cinder's, her smile widening. Briefly, Tessa said. "I know you won't hurt her."
The brunette felt uncomfortable with the exchange but she was in no position to complain about anything, RWBY was a group that she herself had hunted down, with every intention of harming them. What would she come to tell them now? It was better for her to keep a little dignity and keep quiet, she continued twisting a napkin in her hands and looking at nothing specifically.
" I toast to that " Qrow raised his glass and the rest of the girls joined him, including the platinum-haired heiress who raised her glass of juice with a small bow.
Tessa burst out laughing and happily replied, "Cheers!"
"And thanks for the tuna sandwiches " the black-haired faunus thanked her, filling her mouth with them in the same way her blonde companion did.
Ruby let out a childish laugh as she poured herself more chocolate, delicately sipping the liquid, the steam sliding from the small glass between her fingers.
The brunette was the only one who got more nervous than before, wringing the napkin in her fingers, being honest with herself she didn't really understand what was happening to her, she had a strange feeling in her chest, for longer than she would like to admit she chased those girls, she hated them, they were the ones who caused her plans to go wrong, Ruby had destroyed her body and they had stopped every effort she made to become more powerful... now, as soon as the situation was reversed and they were the ones who had her in their hands, this was the result... a snack at sunset, an exchange of clumsy smiles and dull jokes, everyone sitting at the table, next to the woman who meant everything to her... The feeling in her chest was warm.
Her eyes became moist, fighting back tears as she hid her face behind the unruly hairs of her bangs. The soft touch of a hand against her skin caught her attention. Tessa gently squeezed her wrist. "Is everything okay?" she whispered just for her.
The amber-eyed girl nodded, calming her crazy mixed feelings. "Yes," she squeezed her back. "It's just that this is something strange for me."
" I know "The brunette looked at her with understanding, Cinder's amber gaze got lost in that kind face, if anyone made her feel safe it was her, she didn't know when it was that irritation had turned into admiration and when her admiration evolved into something more, that deep thing she felt towards Tessa, she knew it was what kept her afloat. Their connection slowly broke, they returned to the certainty of reality when they realized that the group was looking at them, some slightly open-mouthed and others with a curious air.
The burly man cleared his throat with a mocking sound " It's getting a bit late, we'd better get going "
" Where are they going to stay? " Tessa asked.
" Our transport is close to the village, but now it is a bit late, we will stay at some inn until early tomorrow "
" I still have a couple of rooms free, you can use them to rest tonight "
" We wouldn't want to bother " Weiss replied.
The brunette raised her hand to refuse and smiled kindly. "It's no bother at all." She turned to Cinder, spreading her smile until she showed her white teeth. "Right, Cinder?"
The aforementioned held her breath for a brief second " I suppose not " she shrugged, completely crumpling the napkin in her hand " if it doesn't bother you " Cinder drawled, Weiss's gaze was analytical but after a while, she made a slight click with her tongue in approval.
" I agree too," said the burly man " And you? " he turned to the rest of the girls, who nodded sympathetically.
They shared dinner after that, it was surprisingly pleasant, with a lot of conversation and jokes from Qrow and his nieces, sarcastic comments from Weiss, some irony from Blake, smiles and talks from Tessa, and silence from Cinder.
The brunette felt more and more confused. Never in her life did she imagine that she would end up like this and that she would have killed anyone who even hinted at it, but the reality was that it was there and in a way, although uncomfortable, she enjoyed the moment. Cinder reached her hand across the table, feeling the fine wood beneath her.
" How did you find me? " her voice sounded calm, she was too controlled to be truly indifferent.
" It was a coincidence, we weren't really looking for you, " Qrow said quickly.
" We've been looking for hunters to join us, as well as making sure none of Salem's minions interfere with us " the little red girl explained seriously " but we didn't know you were still alive "
" We really thought my mother had killed you " Yang added while chewing the last remains of his dinner.
" I know " With a sigh, the brunette looked to the side. She took her hand off the table " I was very ... but you still found me "
Qrow nodded. "It's because we still had the photos of your former teammates, which also included yours. When we asked if they recognized anyone in the photo, most of the peasants introduced you as Tessa's companion." He paused for a moment. "And no one had anything bad to say about you, except that you didn't talk much." Qrow almost whispered. "We decided to make sure it was you anyway, and well… here we are."
Knowing that the peasants hadn't said anything bad about her wasn't something Cinder was particularly comfortable with, rather she was amazed, though she was too tired to think about it.
" Why are you gathering hunters? " She asked after a while.
This time it was Ruby who moved, catching the brunette's gaze " Salem took Atlas " Cinder's thin eyebrows shot up and her face distorted in a daze.
" What? "
" She's taken other cities too, but she's in Atlas," said the little red girl before Cinder could say anything else " She has an army of Grimm preparing there "The brunette's lungs began to feel short of breath, she could imagine the pale-haired woman getting furious.
Frowning in confusion, Cinder said slowly, "I think she's lost her patience and is now rushing her entire plan."
"What is her plan exactly? " Blake asked.
" Destroy, destroy humanity and this world as we know it, it will create something new according to her vision, a Grimm world with no one to ruin it, it will erase any existence of humanity " the black-haired girl murmured in a high-pitched voice, her heart shrank in her chest.
"Does she really want to hurt everyone that much? " Tessa asked. There was another pause between the group, Tessa did not take her eyes off the other's face, before the brunette said something, the amber-eyed one sighed, straightening her back, answering her question.
" Yeah "
" We won't let her," Ruby said with determination " We have many companions, we are going to fight "The brunette began to collect the plates from the table with the help of the blonde and the faunus girl without stopping paying attention to the conversation.
" You must be crazy, there is no chance of beating her "
" It doesn't matter, we'll fight anyway " the little red girl's voice interrupted her.
Stunned, Cinder continued forward. "She's immortal," she insisted. "You can't kill her, there's no way to stop what she'll do."
" We will still fight, until the end " Ruby did not lose her energy, nor did her gaze lose the sparkle of bravery.
Cinder had openly participated in that plan, with the promise of power, she was so involved in the cause regardless of the outcome that would be unleashed, she had taken so many lives for that reason, she hurt so many that she could not list them in a single day, she bit her lip to hide the feeling of guilt stalking her. This was happening, Salem was going to end the world and it was largely her fault, in her place a group of children would fight a battle that did not seem to have a good ending, they would fight to defend that world, to defend innocent people. Her gaze fell on the young brunette who had taken care of her all this time, the woman who offered her her home, offered her her love, Tessa did not have to have helped her and yet she did, just like that group of girls who pledged to fight to defend the world ... without really having to do it ... humanity was worth it, Tessa was worth it ...
" I'll go with you " Cinder murmured, her voice full of feeling.
" What? " Qrow and his youngest niece asked in unison, the one with platinum hair was equally surprised.
" I will fight alongside you " She repeated louder.
The sound of a plate breaking against the floor caught everyone's attention, Tessa looked at her, her eyes burned with tears and her hands trembled, the brunette looked at her sadly and broken, the broken plate at her feet was a sign that she had heard Cinder's words, the amber-eyed girl stood up as quickly as she could.
" Tessa " the brunette began to say, but had to stop before she could continue, she looked into the brunette's saddened eyes and her heart broke " Please... " but before she could continue the young woman had retreated to her room with a quick apology.
Cinder's mouth snapped shut, letting out a painful hiss. The blonde and Blake had already begun picking up the remains without saying anything, a brief pause echoing between them before Ruby interrupted with a soft tone of voice. "You don't have to, Cinder."
" Yes, I do "Her lips twisted into an almost guilty smile.
She watched her for a short while and then smiled back. "Thank you," she murmured quietly. The platinum-haired heiress slid a hand down her friend's back, drawing her attention.
" We need to rest, we have to leave early tomorrow " Ruby nodded and said goodbye, disappearing with the rest of the girls.
Qrow and Cinder stood in silence for a few moments, simply listening to the sound of the night and the mountain take over the universe, the crickets outside the cabin orchestrated a well-prepared symphony in different tones, her amber orbs watched the broken moon through the window, her whole body felt exhausted, she was tired and she felt guilty.
" When Salem realizes that you have turned against her, you will be one of her main targets," Qrow said breaking the silence.
" I know "
" What are your chances of surviving this fight? "
" Not much "
Another small moment of silence settled in until Qrow decided to stand up, he walked calmly until he reached Cinder's side. "Go with her... spend the night by her side." He patted her on the back as a sign of support and then continued walking until he left her alone.
Cinder closed her eyes, sighed raggedly, then took a deep breath and set off, heading to Tessa's room, the room of the person who mattered most to her in this life.
[T/N: ! If you like this chapter then leave a comment, write a review, and drop some stones. If you want to read a few advanced chapters then check out the Patreon or the Ko-fi.]
[Also check out my other books, either go to my profile or search up 'Invisible-a Harry Potter FanFic', 'Searching in the Abyss', or 'Omnitrix of Justice'.]
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone