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Cinder felt hurt and betrayed. She had gone with Ruby all this way, abandoned everything she'd once sought for. In hopes of something greater.
And Emerald...Emerald...apparently thought she knew better.
"I don't want this," Cinder growled, staring up at Emerald. Emerald had multiple spines coming out of her shoulders, and the left half of her face was Grimm, as well as her left hand.
"Yes you do," she said. The traitor Leo stood with Mercury on one side, and the stranger Raven on her other side. Hazel had slammed the doors to the academy behind them.
Cinder snarled, creating two swords out of glass. "How can you say what I want?"
"Aren't you the one who told me to set emotions aside?" Emerald cried, pointing a finger at Cinder. "To reach for what I want, no matter who tells me not to?"
"That was before I knew better."
"Before you were distracted!" Emerald said. "Ruby has turned you away from what you really wanted! I'm doing this for you!"
"You clearly have no idea what I ever wanted," Cinder stated. Fury rose in her as she stared Emerald down.
Ruby put a hand on her shoulder. Cinder stopped, turning to face her love. The one whom she'd abandoned her dreams of power and conquest for the love of. "Calm down," Ruby told her. "Anger isn't going to solve anything. She made her choice...and you made yours." She smiled, kissing Cinder on the cheek. Cinder looked behind her, seeing all the people she had come to know as people.
Once I saw them as nothing more than in my way.
Nora and Ren, the two who had been through everything together, through death and tragedy. They had been there for each other. They would always have each other. Ren never able to say what he was feeling, but Nora able to tell anyway.
Yang Xiao Long, the fiery dragon, fierce and protective, vengeful and passionate. She would never back down in the face of danger if her friends were in the thick of it. She would always stand by those she believed in, and those that stood by her.
Weiss Schnee, the ice queen with the melted heart. Standoffish and cold to the undiscerning, but kind to those who knew what to look for. Knew how to help those who knew how to ask.
Qrow Branwen, the unbreakable who had been through such hell and only came out with mild scarring. He had seen and heard horrible things. He shrugged off all but the worst blows to sanity and body, the only man Cinder had seen to go down to no Aura and keep taking blows without crying out.
Oscar Pine, Ozpin's newest host. A young farm boy, who had not seen the worst of the world, yet was willing to brave the unknown for the sake of people he'd never met and would never receive thanks or adoration from.
And Ruby Rose. The woman not for whom Cinder fell, but to whom she rose for. The rise back into grace for a girl of infinite kindness and undying courage and bravery.
Cinder steeled her resolve, turning back to face Emerald. "You are going to leave now, or you're going to regret it," Cinder said. "This is your only chance, Emerald."
Emerald sighed. "You did make your choice, didn't you? Tsk. Too stubborn for your own good."
Cinder charged, swords clashing with Emerald's. She knew she would win this fight--some way or another. But, after all, stories could be fun even if you already knew the end.
I can't wait to see the end of this one.