Before A Greater Power
Before a Greater Power
Sami and Jack reined in their horses, slowing the creatures to a stop.
“That’ll do for now,” Sami declared, patting her grey stallion upon the neck. “We don’t want to wear out the creatures. They’ve got many miles left to carry us, don’t you, boy?”
The stallion snuffled in agreement, prompting a little chuckle from Sami as she gave him another pat on the neck.
Jack twisted around in the saddle, looking back the way that they had sped from Freeport. “You don’t think they’ll come after us?”
“Over two stolen horses and a couple of dead men?” Sami responded. “Nah, they won’t go haring off into the dark for that. Maybe they’ll send a Ranger patrol out after us in the morning.”
“Then shouldn’t we best make good time before the morning comes?” Jack asked.
“We’ve put good distance between us already,” Sami reminded him. It had been pretty easy, getting out of Freeport. Honestly, it had been a little easier than she had been expecting; slitting the throats of the guards on the gate, taking a couple of horses form the picket line, opening up said gate, and galloping away. There had been no challenge from the soldiers manning the defences on the hills beyond the town; Sami guessed that the troops had assumed that Sami and Jack were Rangers out on some night patrol. They hadn’t been stopped, no one had so much as asked them whither they were bound.
They had just rode through the lines and out into the night.
The two of them had turned off the road already; if there was a hue and cry put up come daylight then, the road is where the search would focus its attention, so it was better for them to stay off said road and find other ways of getting around. That was just fine by Sami. She had grown up here, after all, and the Fall Forest Clan had never been a clan that stuck to the old roads. They had moved over hill and dale, followed river courses, or even simply navigated by the stars.
The same stars that she could see above her as she raised her head. Though the world was shrouded in night, though the moor on which they had halted their gallop was flat and featureless, so long as she could see the sky, Sami knew exactly where she was.
She slipped out of the saddle of her horse and began to lead it by the reins. “Come on. We’ll walk the horses for a bit.”
Jack dismounted, a little more reluctantly than Sami. “Where are we going?” he asked as he followed her.
“There’s a stream not too far from here,” Sami told him. “Somewhere we can water the horses, fill up our canteens, and then follow the stream until it reaches a river that we called the Chickahominy; we follow that northwest, and I know for a fact that there are settlements and farmsteads up that way. We can rob some people, maybe kill a couple, find somewhere to lie low while we consider our next move.”
Jack huffed. “I don’t mind robbing a man with more than me, but killing ‘em… I never tried to kill nobody if I could avoid it, and killing when we don’t even intend to settle down in the place we’re killing for… it don’t entirely sit right with me.”
Sami looked at him over her shoulder. “You growing a conscience on me, Jack?”
“I’ve always had a conscience,” Jack muttered, shifting defensively. “It ain’t always much of one, but it’s there.”
“You had no problem with killing those two guys on the gate.”
“They would have tried to stop us.”
“Exactly,” Sami said. “We kill when we need to, and might we’ll need to kill in future.”
“No call to kill someone if we’re just going to hole up in their place for a few nights,” Jack replied. “If we got guns and they don’t, then-”
“What?” Sami replied. “We hold them hostage? Wait for our throats to get slit while we’re sleeping? Easiest to put them out of their misery.”
“Easy don’t make it right,” Jack said.
Sami stopped and turned around to face her travelling companion. “Don’t go soft on me now, Jack,” she said sharply. “I didn’t need you to get out of town. I don’t need you now. We can help each other out along the way to where we’re going, but not if you don’t have the balls to do what has to be done.”
Jack didn’t meet her eyes. He didn’t have the courage even to do that. He looked away from her instead. “I’ll do what I have to do to survive.”
“And so will I,” Sami declared. She contemplated killing him now; if there was a chance that he might turn on her, then it was better to be rid of him quickly and save herself the need to sleep with one eye open… but she didn’t think that he had the courage for that either, and if she were on her own, she’d still need to sleep with one eye open against the grimm.
He wouldn’t move against her. He wasn’t that kind. So long as he didn’t give her any grief when she decided to off somebody, they’d get along just fine.
Any further thoughts that Sami might have had upon this subject were interrupted by the sudden panicked whinnying of her stolen horse. The stallion neighed in panic, pulling against the bit in Sami’s hands as it tried to rear up in panic. Its eyes were wild, and spittle flew from its mouth as it tried to free itself from Sami’s grip.
“Easy, boy, easy,” Sami whispered, but the beast would not be calmed; it continued to pull with its head, kept trying to rear up and step away, and no amount of pulling and nothing that she could say would stop it.
“What is it?” Jack growled as he too struggled against the mare that he had stolen. “Is it the grimm?”
“These are Ranger horses; you’d think they’d be trained to stand the grimm,” Sami said. But something had spooked the horses and spooked them badly, and whatever it was was probably something they ought to be nervous about.
Sami let go of the reins, and instantly, her stallion reared up in a panic – Sami just got out of the way to avoid being kicked in the head – and ran away to the south, hooves pounding upon the ground.
“Now what do we do?” Jack cried, as his own mount took off after the other. “All of our supplies were in those saddlebags.”
“They’ll come back,” Sami said, as much in hope as expectation. “Once they calm down, we can find them again.” Right now, she was more worried about what had spooked the horses than she was about the horses themselves. She drew her knife, holding it in a reverse grip up near her head, her other hand up to block any blows aimed at her face.
Jack pumped his shotgun axe. “You see anything?”
“No,” Sami grunted, and wasn’t that strange? Why couldn’t she see anything? She was a reindeer faunus; she had great night vision.
Except it wasn’t just night’s darkness all around them now, it was… it was smoke: thick, black smoke like a fire. Except that she couldn’t smell a fire, she hadn’t seen a fire, and she certainly wasn’t feeling any heat.
All she felt was cold, such cold her breath was misting up in front of her.
Sami and Jack stood back to back, peering out into the darkness.
Sami bared her teeth. Come on, show yourself.
She sensed something behind her; she turned, only to see Jack disappear as he was borne backwards in a blur of motion, snatched away into the smoke and the darkness, borne out of sight.
“Jack!” Sami shouted.
Jack cried out in a mixture of pain and anger. Sami couldn’t see him, but she heard his shotgun roar once, twice; she heard Jack yell again.
“Jack!” Sami cried out. “Get back here!”
She heard the sound of Jack’s shotgun firing for a third time, heard a scream of pain, and then there was nothing but the silence and the cold.
“Jack?” Sami yelled. “Jack, can you hear me?”
Sami dived to one side as something hurtled out of the smoke to land upon the ground. It would have hit her if she’d been a second slower.
It was Jack’s body, twisted and broken; someone or something had stabbed him in the chest more than once and snapped his neck for good measure.
His shotgun axe was still clutched tightly in one hand.
Much good it had done him. Sami considered prying it out of his cold dead hands but decided against it. Not out of any sentimentality, but because it wasn’t her weapon, and this wasn’t a great time to try and learn how to use it.
Sami’s breathing was heavy and seemed heavier for the way that it was misting up in front of her; she gave up trying to see into the smoke and focussed on trying to sense things with her aura. Where was it? Where were they? What was after her, and where was it going to come from?
Behind!
Sami whipped around just in time as a figure sprang at her from out of the smoke: a scorpion faunus with a long tail emerging from the seat of his pants and one of the ugliest faces that Sami had ever set eyes upon, he looked as though somebody had tried to beat him to death, and if they hadn’t succeeded, they’d left enough marks on his face to show that they’d given it a good go.
Who could have broken this guy’s aura? Sami couldn’t lay a hand on him. Her semblance was activated, telling her exactly where she needed to hit him, but the problem was that she just couldn’t hit this guy. He was so fast; he moved like he was a fly instead of scorpion, flitting back and forwards, from side to side, not bothering to block her strokes when he could just leap away from her. Sometimes, he’d disappear into the smoke, letting his maniacal laughter ring out from the darkness before he sprang at Sami again.
But she wasn’t dead yet, Sami thought as she took a blow from the claw-like blades mounted to his wrists with her other arm. She slashed at his eyes, and though he leapt away, at least it got him away from her for a second. At least it gave her some breathing room.
“Not bad,” the scorpion faunus allowed as his tail rose behind him. “I knew that I chose the right one.”
Sami grunted. “The right one for what?”
“Why, the right one not to kill straight away, of course,” he said, cackling.
Sami’s eyes widened. “Have you… have you been toying with me?” she growled.
The scorpion cocked his head to one side. “Did you…?” He laughed again. “You actually thought that you were keeping up? Oh, child. Oh, child.”
He sprang at her again, and this time, he was so much faster than he had been before. This time, his tail lashed out at Sami, going for her eyes. She fell back, slashing wildly with her knife, and then the scorpion tail wrapped itself around one of her legs, and she just fell with a startled cry to the ground.
The next thing she knew, the scorpion faunus was on top of her, leering down at her as he wrested the knife out of her hand.
Sami scowled; she growled, she struggled, she tried to bite him or headbutt him or anything, but she couldn’t. He was too strong, and his face was just too far away.
I won’t die like this! Sami raged. I refuse to die like this!
This can’t be how it ends.
“Hmm,” the scorpion faunus mused as he looked down on her. “You remind me of someone. You’ve killed before, haven’t you… and you enjoyed it?”
“Everyone enjoys the killing,” Sami spat. “It’s just that people pretend they don’t because they know you’re not supposed to. Well, the people who say you’re not supposed to are the ones who need killing the most.”
The scorpion chuckled. “Yes, I thought the same as you once. I enjoyed the pleading of my victims, I enjoyed the futility of their attempts to beg for mercy; I enjoyed making them suffer.” His scorpion tail descended, until it was hovering less than an inch from Sami’s eye. Sami stopped struggling. She didn’t want to give him an excuse.
“But in the end, it didn’t satisfy me,” the scorpion faunus went on. “I had to keep on finding new victims because none of the old ones brought me any… fulfilment. I was looking for something, a greater purpose to which to put my lethal skills. A purpose that I found in the service of the Goddess.”
Sami’s eyes widened. “You work for Sa-”
“Don’t say her name!” the scorpion roared. “We are not fit to form her name with our mere mortal lips.”
“Fine, fine,” Sami said quickly. “The Goddess it is. All hail The Goddess.”
“Exactly,” he replied. “You catch on quickly, girl. Now, since you and your unfortunate friend seem to have parted ways with them, tell me where I can find Ruby Rose and Sunset Shimmer.”
Sami frowned. “Who’s Sunset Shimmer?”
The scorpion faunus rolled his eyes. “I’m giving you a chance to survive. Don’t waste it by lying to me. If this is some misguided attempt at loyalty-“
“'Loyalty'?” Sami couldn’t resist a snort of derision. “Believe me, if I knew who in Remnant Sunset Shimmer was, I’d tell you. But I’ve never heard the name before. I know exactly where Ruby Rose is, though.”
“Really?” he asked eagerly. “Do tell.”
“Freeport,” Sami said. “She’s in the town of Freeport and having a grand old time with her newfound cousin there.”
“Hmm,” the scorpion faunus mused. “But Sunset Shimmer means nothing to you?”
“Not a thing,” Sami said.
“Hmm,” he murmured again. He released her and leapt backwards, landing perfectly upon his feet. “What is your name, girl?”
Sami climbed to her own feet more slowly. “Sami,” she said, “of the Fall Forest Clan.”
“And what is that you want, Sami of the Fall Forest Clan?” he asked. “What is that your heart desires?”
“Magic,” the word passed Sami’s lips instantly.
The scorpion’s eyebrows rose. “'Magic'?” he repeated.
Sami nodded. “The birthright of my clan. My birthright. I want the power that my ancestors lost, the power we’ve dreamed of. I know about the Maidens; I know the power is out there somewhere. And I want it.”
The scorpion faunus laughed. “Excellent!” he cried. “Excellent! The Goddess did say that we needed more candidates, and you may… suffice.”
“What are you talking about?”
“My name is Tyrian Callows,” Tyrian announced. “A humble emissary of the Goddess. I will never be anything more than her devoted servant, but if you serve the Goddess well, you may be rewarded with all that you crave… and more.”
“And all I have to do is give you Ruby Rose?” Sami asked.
“To begin with,” Tyrian said. “Is that a problem?”
Sami grinned. “I don’t even have to think about it.”
“Wonderful!” Tyrian cried. He laughed giddily as he turned away from her, and Sami noticed that the smoke all around them began to recede, revealing the stars above and the world around to her night-piercing eyes.
“Now,” Tyrian said, “take me to this Freeport.”
They had covered the bodies up with sheets but left them where they lay on the ground for now. Apparently, they weren’t quite sure what to do with them yet.
And so they lay there, covered in white shrouds stained with blood leaking through from their slit throats, waiting for kinsfolk or commander to take them away.
The bodies had been left, but the gate had been closed again. If there was anyone mustering to pursue Sami and Jack, Cinder could see no sign of it.
She and Cardin stood on one side of the gate, closer to the fallen sentries of Freeport; Sunsprite Rose stood on the other side of the gate, accompanied by Ruby and Taiyang. The Sun Queen stood between the two of them, accompanied by her chamberlain, Laurel.
Laurel’s pasty face seemed even paler and more wan than usual, and her thin lips were pursed together. “They slit the throats of Joshua and David, took two horses from the picket line, and then rode away. Vermin,” she added, spitting the word.
“Are you going to go after them?” Cardin asked.
Sunsprite shook her head. “Horses become too skittish in the dark; they stumble too easily. We cannot risk broken necks or running into grimm blundering about in the night.” Her single visible eye narrowed. “Will you pursue them?”
“Unlike them, now, we don’t have horses,” Cardin explained apologetically. “And we don’t have time to chase down deserters.”
“Of course not,” Sunsprite spat. “You have a mission to attend to, of great import.”
Cinder smiled. “Is that a note of scepticism that I detect in your voice?”
“Sunsprite didn’t mean anything by it,” Ruby said quickly.
The hard smile on Cinder’s face did not waver as she strode forwards towards the Rose family. “I’m sure that your cousin, valiant Captain of Rangers as she is, can speak for herself, Ruby.”
Sunsprite stared at her, her single silver eye as hard as Cinder’s expression. “You did this,” she growled. “You brought these treacherous rats within our walls.”
“And we’re sorry about that,” Cardin said. “We had no idea that they would act this way.”
“Really?” Sunsprite demanded. “You knew exactly what they were.”
“Yes, but they’ve always toed the line before, even if they weren’t happy about it,” Cardin replied. “I don’t know what would make them suddenly decide to take a risk like this.”
“I do,” Sunsprite snapped. “The scorpion cannot hide its nature.” She glared at Cinder.
Cinder’s smile widened. “Why do I imagine there’s some judgement going on?”
“You may smile more than your companions, but you are no different,” Sunsprite hissed into Cinder’s face. “You are as vile a creature as these two who have fled.”
Cinder’s face twitched with irritation. “The list of people I will allow to address me thus is small,” she snarled, “and does not include you.”
Sunsprite scoffed. “And who are you, that I should fear you or take note of what you think of my words?”
“I’m Cinder Fall,” Cinder declared.
“And what is Cinder Fall?” demanded Sunsprite. “Nothing.”
Cinder bared her teeth as she grabbed Sunsprite by the scruff neck and picked her up off the ground, slamming her back-first into the wall. “Perhaps when I have ripped out your other eye, you will see me better!”
“Cinder!” Ruby cried.
“Cinder, that’s enough,” Cardin said.
Cinder ignored them both. She did not ignore, however, the pulse of aura that blasted from the palm of Sunsprite’s hand as she slammed it into Cinder’s chest, hurling her backwards and forcing the Sun Queen’s guards to scatter lest she slam into them like bowling pins. Cinder landed nimble on her feet, the fingertips of her left hand lightly brushing the ground as she looked up at Sunsprite.
The Ranger stepped forward, her yellow cloak billowing out behind her as she reached for her sword. “I will give you the lesson I should have taught you when I first found you in Ruby’s presence.”
Cinder threw out her right hand. A glass blade formed in her grip. Cinder grinned. “Bring it on, you arrogant one-eyed-”
“Enough!” the Sun Queen bellowed as she strode between the two of them. “Enough! Sunsprite, sheath your sword.”
Sunsprite’s eye widened. “But-”
“I gave you a command, Captain,” the Sun Queen hissed. “If you love me, you will not make me repeat myself.”
Sunsprite’s face paled as she thrust her blade back into its scabbard. “Of course, my Queen. I am at your command.”
The Sun Queen turned to face Cinder. The light of the torches glimmered off her golden mask. “Please, we in Freeport have no quarrel with you. You are not held responsible for the actions of your companions.”
“Cinder,” Cardin said. “Let it go.”
Cinder hesitated for a moment, before she let the glass blade melt away as she rose to her full height. “Forgive me,” she murmured. “My… temper got away with me a little bit.” And how long was it since I let that happen? How long since a petty insult like that got under my skin that way?
Since I started trying to be good for reasons that I can no longer recall.
She still wanted to rip Sunsprite’s eye out. She could feel the anger blazing hot within her; it was an old part of herself, a part which she thought she had rid herself of, a part which frightened her. But why it frightened her… she could not recall. She had tried to cage the worst parts of herself, but… to what end? What had driven her to do it?
The Sun Queen raised her hands, her robes swirling like ocean waves around her as she turned. “You know that I care for each and every son and daughter of Freeport,” she declared. “You know that I mourn for the losses of our brave defenders as if they were my own sons. I assure you, behind this mask, I weep so many tears for Joshua and David as will make a new lagoon to lay beside our walls, and if I could hurl myself into the ground in place of these brave warriors, I would do so without hesitation.”
She paused, her voice cracking with emotion. “But I cannot. You all know that I cannot. Our comrades are dead, and though they were taken from us before their time, there is nought that we can do but keep moving forward and dedicate ourselves to the defence of that for which they gave their lives: the dream of Freeport.” She turned to face Sunsprite. “Because I share in your sorrow, I understand your anger, but let us not forget that while this Valish company has brought some trouble within our walls, it has also brought the return of Ruby Rose, Freeport’s lost daughter, back home into the bosom of her family.” She reached out and put one arm around Ruby’s shoulders, drawing her in and into a one-armed embrace. “And for that, they shall always have our gratitude, shall they not?”
“Of course they will,” Sunsprite said at once. “My Queen.”
“I am glad you agree,” the Sun Queen said. She laughed. “I am glad that you have not so quickly lost interest in your new family, Sunsprite.”
Sunsprite managed to smile. “Never, my Queen.”
“All three of you, go to the Sun Tower and await me there; we have matters to discuss,” the Sun Queen said. She looked around to Cardin and then to Cinder. “It is a bad business, but not your fault.”
“Thank you for your understanding,” Cardin murmured.
“And as for your reaction, think nothing of it,” the Sun Queen added. “Sunsprite spoke a little too rashly in her wrath. Although I fear she may not be alone in apportioning blame, so it might be best if you returned to the Tower of the Moon now and did not leave unless I summon you.” She fell silent for a moment. “But be of good heart, for I have considered the matter and decided to grant you a ship to carry you across the sea to Anima upon your quest.”
Cardin let out a ragged sigh of relief. “You’re very generous, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed,” the Sun Queen said immodestly. “It only remains for me to decide which ship and which captain to bear you. You will know soon enough. If you will excuse me.”
Cardin bowed. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
Cinder said nothing as the Sun Queen departed. Cardin was right; it was very generous of her to grant them such a boon, especially in light of the actions of Sami and Jack, but at the same time, for all its generosity, she felt nothing. She felt no gratitude, although she knew that she ought to feel at least some. This was why they had come to Freeport in the first place, this was what they wanted, this was exactly what they had hoped for… and Cinder didn’t care.
This was the means by which they would continue their quest, and she was struggling to raise any enthusiasm for it at all. Why did she want to go to Anima, to meet with Jaune and Pyrrha, two people who probably didn’t look on her with much more favour than Ruby did? What was she doing here?
Why couldn’t she remember anything about her motives for coming all this way?
The world needed someone to fight for it, but… so what, bluntly? The world had never shown her any kindness; why should she start returning the favour? Why should she fight for people who held her in contempt? There must have been a reason to bring her across Vale and Estmorland and to the far shore of Sanus, but what was it? Why couldn’t she remember?
“Cinder,” Cardin said sharply, intruding upon her thoughts.
Cinder shook her head. “Yes, I’m sorry, were you saying something?”
“I was saying we should probably go,” Cardin said. “There’s no point in standing around here too long.”
“Of course,” Cinder grunted. “Lead the way.”
She fell in beside and just a little behind Cardin as they made their way through the ramshackle streets of Freeport towards the Moon Tower; the white spire gleamed in the darkness and grew larger overhead with every step they took towards it.
Cardin glanced at her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Cinder grunted.
"Yeah, right," Cardin muttered. "Normally, I'd…" He trailed off.
Cinder raised one eyebrow. "Are you sure that you're alright?" she asked pointedly.
"I'm fine," Cardin repeated her words back at her. "I just forgot what I was going to say."
"Seems like I'm not the only one having memory issues," Cinder muttered.
"What?"
"It doesn't matter," Cinder said dismissively; this wasn't something that she wished to talk to Cardin about. "She's leaving."
"Who?"
"Ruby, who do you think?" Cinder demanded. "She's leaving… or should that be staying? You take my meaning, in any case."
Cardin nodded. "She's not coming with us to Anima."
"And why would she?" Cinder asked. "She has a cousin and a grandfather here in Freeport. Here, she can find herself again, after the losses that she endured in Vale. Here, she can… find a place where she belongs."
"She won't have that in Mistral with Jaune and Pyrrha?" Cardin asked.
"They can't replace her sister," Cinder replied. "They aren't family… at least, not in the same way."
"I guess not," Cardin admitted. He scowled. "Can… can we do this without her?"
Cinder chuckled. "That's a rather pointless question, considering that we don't have much choice in the matter."
"'Much choice'?" Cardin repeated. "Do we have any choice in the matter? It's not like we can kidnap her and force her to come with us." He paused. "Please tell me that's not what you were suggesting."
Cinder glanced at him. "Do you think that I would suggest such a thing?"
"You did just flip out and threaten to rip out someone's eye."
"She deserved it," Cinder growled.
"Because she insulted you?"
"Is that not a perfectly good reason to want to rip someone's eye from their socket?" Cinder asked courteously. I've wished people dead for less.
I've killed them for less, although that was before my presently inexplicable decision to turn over a new leaf.
"Not really, no," Cardin murmured, sounding slightly concerned. "Are you sure you're okay? Because with Ruby gone, you're the only person here who I can actually rely on."
Cinder snorted. "I suppose from that perspective, what happened with Jack and Sami might almost be a blessing in disguise. Two fewer untrustworthy elements for us to be worried about."
"Let's not say that where the Sun Queen can hear us," Cardin said. "But… you might have a point. It was probably inevitable that something like this would happen. Too few decent people to keep all the scum in check; I should have seen it coming, but we'd been managing up until now, so-"
"How?" Cinder asked.
"’How,’ what?" asked Cardin in turn.
"How have we been managing up until now?" Cinder demanded. "How have we managed to keep Sami and Jack in line up until this point, how have we made it this far without having our throats slit? If I'm the only one you can rely on, how have we been holding this group together all the way from Vale?" And what's changed that now they decided to make a break for it?
Cardin stopped, confusion coming upon his features. "I… what are you asking, we made it this far because…"
"There were four of us at first, weren't there?" Cinder asked. "Me, Emerald, Sami, Jack. And I was the only one who could be trusted."
"Emerald always followed you," Cardin pointed out.
"True," Cinder admitted. "But that's still two against two; how come neither Sami nor Jack tried anything when you weren't in the field?"
"They were scared of you."
"Of me?" Cinder repeated. "I haven't felt that frightening for some time, and I don't think I've intimidated anyone that much for some time either. The last time I could command that much fear, I still had half the powers of the Fall Maiden."
"Don't sell yourself short; you're still a badass," Cardin said.
"Flattery won't change the subject; how have we managed?"
"We had Ruby," Cardin said. "And we got lucky. How do I know how we managed to get this far before anything happened, but we did, so what's your point?"
My point is that I don't remember. I don't remember, and I can't explain the things I don't remember. The point is that my memory is full of holes, and I can't fill them up from the context. The point is that I'm not sure what I'm doing here.
"The other choice that I was referring to was not to kidnap Ruby," she said, "but to follow in her example."
Cardin stopped, turning to face her. His eyes were wide with disbelief. "You mean… quit? Just walk away?"
"Is this our fight?"
"Isn't it everyone's fight?"
"Everyone isn't fighting it," Cinder replied. "We're being asked to do what no one else is, and why? Ozpin didn't choose us for this, he chose Ruby, but that hasn't stopped her from choosing a different, safer, happier path. Why should we feel under greater obligations than she does?"
"You're under obligations to Vale," Cardin reminded her.
"We're not currently in Vale, in case you haven't noticed."
Cardin licked his lips. "Is this you telling me to expect you to run in the near future?"
Cinder chuckled. "If I ran, it would only be as far as the Frost Mountain Clan, so no," she said. "This is me asking you if you wouldn't rather go home."
"Yes, I would," Cardin replied. "Of course I would, but… if someone doesn't fight back against Salem, then Vale is as likely as anywhere else to fall to darkness, and if Ruby won't do anything, then… what if I can protect Vale best by fighting far away from Vale? By making sure that Salem's plans never get anywhere near the place?"
"You can't win," Cinder murmured. "Against her power, there is no victory."
Cardin was silent for a moment. "Someone very smart once said to me, 'It's not about saving the world; it's about doing your best every day.' My best… might be along this road we’re on, so I'm going to walk it for at least a little longer. Are you going to walk it with me?"
"Yes," Cinder said, and even she was a little surprised that she had said it. "Yes, I will stand with you, Cardin Winchester. Though it may be hopeless, I…" I have nothing better to do. "You're right, even if the Frost Mountain Clan were to make me one of them, the doom would come upon them sooner or later; if I can prevent that… what choice have I but to try? And besides…"
"Besides what?"
"I think… " I think that someone would be disappointed in me if I didn't, even if I have no idea why in Remnant I should feel this way.
Queen Sunset stood over Ruby Rose, regarding her from out of the eye-slits in the mask of gold that hid her face from the sight of the world.
“I am… delighted,” she said, “that you have decided to become a part of our great enterprise here in Freeport. Both of you,” she added to Taiyang.
Taiyang modestly declaimed a share in her words. “I know that it’s really Ruby you’re glad to have.”
That was true, but all the same, Sunset chuckled as though he had something absurd. “You make it sound as though your daughter is a mere commodity, an object I am glad to own.”
“That wasn’t what I meant,” Taiyang said. “I just meant… Ruby is the one with roots here, Ruby is the one who belongs here, Ruby is-”
“The Silver-Eyed Warrior?” Sunset asked. She let out another little burst of laughter. “I’m going to annoy Sunsprite very much at this point,” she added mischievously, glancing towards Sunsprite where she hovered a little behind her cousin, “and say that having silver eyes doesn’t automatically make you a great warrior.”
Sunsprite spluttered. “My queen! My line are destined-”
“Destined to fight, yes; that doesn’t mean you’re destined to be good at it,” Sunset declared.
Sunsprite’s face started to redden, but any further outraged sounds were drowned out by the ringing of Sunset’s laughter.
“Oh, relax, Sunsprite!” Sunset cried. “I tease you because you’re so easily upset!” She reached out, over Ruby’s shoulder, and took the Ranger captain by the hands. “You are one of my most trusted and valued servants, but not for that one eye you cannot use.” Sunsprite flinched at that; she disliked being reminded that she had not unlocked the power that was her birthright and the crowning glory of her line. Sunset affected to ignore it as she continued to speak. “But for your courage, your steadfastness on the battlefield, and most importantly, for your loyalty.”
She looked down at Ruby once again. “It is the same with you, Ruby Rose; though you have the fabled silver eyes, and if you learned to wield them, I would not be displeased.” That was an understatement at least; Sunset would jump for joy to have that power at her disposal, and she meant to have it under her command. But that was something to discuss later, once all of her friends had been packed off to Anima, once Ruby had become accustomed to Sunset’s service, once she had become so eager to help that she would do anything, take any risk, to activate the power of her eyes. Sunset might send her into a situation where she would surely die if she couldn’t activate her eyes; it would be a loss, but not a great one. “But it is not for your eyes that I am glad to have you here, but for the heart of a hero that you have demonstrated since I met you.” She reached out and ruffled Ruby’s hair affectionately. “Welcome to Freeport, Ruby Rose.”
“Thanks,” Ruby said. “I mean, thank you, Your Majesty.”
“‘My Queen’, will do fine,” Sunset corrected.
“Of course, um, my Queen,” Ruby said. “Thank you, for letting us both stay here and get to know my family better.”
“Sunsprite is, besides being very easy to upset, one of my most faithful servants,” Sunset said. “How could I refuse her this, especially when I gain not one but two capable warriors to fight for Freeport?” She looked at Taiyang. “I hope that you, like your daughter, have no objection to assisting in the defence of this town.”
“I’m willing to earn my keep,” Taiyang said. “Although I’ve been a teacher for the last few years.”
“Perhaps a place can be found for you training our warriors,” Sunset suggested. “You would be wasted on the front lines.” She knelt down in front of Ruby. “As for you, Ruby, how would you feel about serving in your cousin’s Ranger company?”
“That sounds great,” Ruby declared. “I’m willing to do whatever I can to help Freeport and repay you for your generosity.”
“I delight to hear it,” Sunset said. She knelt down in front of Ruby, so that they were closer to eye level with one another, for all that Ruby would not be able to see Sunset’s eyes through her mask. “This town, this community that we are building here in Freeport, is a family. Every single person who dwells within these walls is kin to me. I hold them precious in my heart, and for their sake, I will do… anything.” She placed a hand on Ruby’s shoulder. “You are too old to be my daughter, but I am not too young to be your older sister and stand in place of she whom you so tragically lost.”
Ruby hesitated for a moment, and Sunset worried that she had pushed it too far, too fast. But then Ruby smiled, albeit a wan and melancholy smile. “Thank you, my Queen.”
Sunset rose to her feet. “I suppose you will want to move in with your cousin and grandfather? It is not appropriate for you to stay in the Moon Tower now that you are no longer guests.”
“That would be…” Ruby trailed off, looking at Sunsprite. “I mean, is that okay?”
“We’ll find room somehow, and Grandfather will be delighted,” Sunsprite said.
“Excellent,” Sunset said. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have much pressing business to take care of.”
“Of course, my Queen,” Sunsprite said, bowing her head. “If you two will follow me?”
Sunsprite ushered them both out. Sunset was left alone in her chamber with Laurel, who had stood silent and still throughout.
“You were very quiet then,” Sunset observed, taking off her mask for a moment, since there was no one around to see her face.
Laurel smiled. “It’s sometimes nice to stand back and watch you work; you didn’t need any help from me.”
“You’re too kind,” Sunset said, a touch of amusement in her voice.
“You must have meant at least some of it,” Laurel observed. “You’ve gone to a lot of trouble to keep her.”
“Have I?” Sunset asked. She crossed the room to a little table that sat beneath a high window. Two metal pitchers sat there, one of wine and one of water, and a few gleaming silver goblets besides. Sunset picked up one of the goblet and held it up towards Laurel, as though in a toast.
“No, thank you,” Laurel said, as she stifled a yawn with one hand. “I should be getting to bed soon.”
“Suit yourself,” Sunset said as she filled half the goblet with rich red wine out of one pitcher and then filled the other half of the cup up with water from the other. “Anyway, I don’t think that I went to much trouble. Not half as much trouble as I went to to get the other me. How is Dawny doing, by the way?”
“Tired,” Laurel said. “She needs to take care of her squatter, and sooner rather than later. I… told her go to bed and handle it. I hope that I have not done ill.”
“Laurel, how long have you known me?” Sunset asked. “I don’t need you to tiptoe around my judgement upon your deeds. It is not what I would have done, but I can see why you did it. And in the morning, Dawn will wake up and the other Sunset will be gone for good.”
“We can hope,” Laurel said softly.
“We can have faith in Dawn,” Sunset declared. “She won’t let us down. Sunset Shimmer will be dead by morning.”
“Well, that’s wonderful to hear,” interrupted a voice from the doorway. “Although it doesn’t quite explain why nobody seems to remember her.”
Laurel gasped as she reached for the dagger at her hip. Sunset whirled around to face the door, pulling her pistol out of her robes even as she hastily replaced the mask upon her face, concealing her from view, even as she beheld the interloper upon the conversation.
He did not hide his presence. He pushed open the door and strode in, stepping over the body of the guard upon the door who fell onto the floor with his throat slit. He was a tall man, a scorpion faunus whose tail waved in the air behind him, with brown hair worn in a braided ponytail and a face that had seen better days by far. His body was lithe and wiry, and on his wrists, he wore a pair of clawed blades, with guns mounted in the centre of them unless she was much mistaken.
She was about to demand to know who he was when he was followed into the room by one of the other Sunset’s companions, the caribou faunus girl.
“You,” Laurel growled.
The scorpion faunus chuckled. “I understand that you may be surprised to see young Sami here, but if you have any thought of harming her, I suggest you forget it. She is under the protection of the Goddess now.” He grinned. “I don’t want to hear her name pass your unworthy lips, but I believe you know of whom I speak.”
Salem. Sunset’s lips felt very dry. Too soon, too soon; much, much too soon. She wasn’t ready, Freeport wasn’t ready, Dawn hadn’t even begun to master her magic yet, Ruby’s silver eyes were inert, her hopes of Equestrian artefacts had yet to bear any fruit. What was she supposed to do, it was too soon! “You are her servant.”
“My name is Tyrian,” he announced himself, “and I have the honour to be a humble servant of the Goddess.”
Sunset kept her pistol trained on him. “I see. There was another guard at the foot of the stairs; I assume they’re dead, too.”
“Yes,” Tyrian said bluntly.
Laurel growled. “When an ambassador comes before a queen, it is customary for them to use less stealth and more courtesy.”
“I am no mere ambassador,” Tyrian hissed. “I am the voice of the Goddess herself.”
“So you say,” Sunset snarled, and the flames of her semblance began to spread across her body as she advanced upon him. “But all I see is one man, one deserter, and two dead bodies, so give me one good reason why I should let you walk out of here alive.”
Tyrian laughed. “You doubt my word? You doubt my mistress? Look into my eyes and tell me if I lie?”
He bore down upon her, his brown eyes changing to a glowing purple colour as he pressed closer and closer, and the heat of the flames from Sunset’s semblance seemed not to faze him not at all. The flames were Sunset’s shield; they kept her safe from harm because no one could touch her and not be burned by them. But Tyrian seemed indifferent to that, indifferent to the fire and what it might do to him; he pressed close as though his aura was limitless, and Sunset found herself falling back before him. He was relentless, fearless; he was filled with absolute security, and his eyes… Sunset had no choice but to look into his eyes, in which she found no fear, no doubt, and no sign at all that he was lying.
“An army of grimm, such as will make the horde you withstood upon the hilltop seem like a mere nuisance by comparison, will fall upon this city and lay it waste,” he declared, “unless I prevent it.”
A whimper slipped out from between Sunset’s lips. He spoke true: he was an envoy of a greater power. A power against which Freeport was not yet ready to stand. A power against which Freeport would never be ready to stand. A power against which her dreams of strength enhanced with magic seemed futile, childish, unbearably naïve.
A greater power before which she could only cringe and ask, “What would you have of me, to spare my city and my people?”
“My command is for four deaths,” Tyrian informed her. “Sunset Shimmer, Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, and Ruby Rose.”
“Sunset is dead,” Sunset told him. “And Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos are not here.”
“Sunset is dead?” Tyrian repeated. “That isn’t quite what you said a moment ago.”
“She will be dead,” Laurel insisted, her watery blue eyes flickering between Tyrian and Sami. “Her body has been overthrown and plays host to the spirit of one of our companions. Soon, the last vestiges of her will be extinguished.”
“Hmm, an interesting semblance your companion has,” Tyrian observed. “And if she should successfully fight back?”
“Then her life will be yours to take.”
“Indeed, and so will Ruby Rose.”
“Wait!” Sunset pleaded. “Ruby means no more threat to… to the Goddess; she intends to stay here with us in Freeport; no more will she strive against you.”
Tyrian’s expression was unmoved. “Even if I believed you, it is not my place to contradict the will of the Goddess upon my own initiative. She has commanded, and I will obey.”
“She is my servant,” Sunset begged. “She has pledged herself to me. If I forsake her, I forsake my honour also.”
“What is worth more to you: your honour or your life? Or, if you are not afraid to die, then what of the lives of all your people? Are they not dear to you? Are they not worth forsaking your bond to one girl but recently arrived within your walls?”
Sunset was silent for a moment. He spoke cruelly… but he spoke wisely, too. Ruby had joined her, but only tonight; she had not even ventured forth upon a single ranging for Freeport. Freeport which now stood imperilled because Ruby and Sunset and all the rest had brought the wrath of Salem down upon them.
All the rest. All the rest would have to die too, lest they attempt to avenge Ruby or interfere in the steps that necessity forced upon her.
It is for Freeport, for Freeport and my people. What is one life when weighed against the many lives that are at stake? The survival of many hangs in the balance, outweighing Ruby’s own life – and the lives of all her companions – by so much, there is no contest.
My other self once stood in such a place as this, and she chose monstrously, to put so many lives at stake for so few. I am no monster, and so, I make the lesser sacrifice, and I do so with a light heart.
It is all for Freeport, and my dreams.
“I will do it,” Sunset said. “I will see her dead. Let me arrange it; I can deal with her and all of her companions. You… you need only observe it.”
Tyrian’s eyes narrowed. “This is not a trick?”
“No,” Sunset said quickly, for she had not the strength to attempt trickery, not before a so much greater power. “I swear to you, for the sake of all of Freeport and Estmorland, Ruby Rose will die.”
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You know, one positive that may yet come out of all of this is that Ruby realizes just how grimm (
) not making the choice Horse!Sunset did and risk the city to save their lives can be. In a way that even the loss of Yang couldn't, since she managed to shift that self-hatred onto Sunset.
10629086
R!Sunset choice is nothing like Sunset choice.
Sunset never acquiesce to Salem like Leo did. She did allow the Breach to happen but she did not just roll over and hoped that Salem would not screw her over anyway.
What Ruby would do in this case would be to fight anyway and send the civilians away by boat. Sacrifice all the defenders in an attempt to protect the people that make the city. Just doing what the bad guys want you to do and hoping noone else dies is not an option that Ruby would ever consider.
Don’t count sunset out yet, all she needs is modivation and there is a lot to go around!
10629134
The specifics are very different, but the idea of "sacrifice the few to save the city" vs "risk the city to protect the few" are similar enough to draw comparisons.
And the fact that what Vesper is doing is something Ruby would never do is another reason why I hope it'll make an impression on Ruby. I'm sure the decision Ruby would make would be to fight and make their stand as well. Which in effect would be very similar to the decision Sunset made in that train tunnel when she decided to protect her team and make their stand at the Breach.
Also evacuating the city by boat is...not likely without a lot more time to gather ships. A harbor full of boats can hold a lot of people if you pack them to the gunwales sure, but a city holds a lot more.
10629175
Oh yeah, it would be a massacre anyway, but Ruby has never been good at long-term planning. She will do the morally correct thing at the moment, even if ends up in tears.
I think that Ruby needs to learn 2 things.
First is resource management, she can't just burn everything she has to save the person she has in front of her because she is left with nothing to save the next person.
Second, that she can't demand everyone to be willing to sacrifice everything for the cause. It is a toll, and demanding everyone to be perfect or they are worthless is a destructive viewpoint that will consume everyone willing to help, even her.
Ah, my dear 'Sun Queen'. When you witnessed the magic of your better self, you completely forgot that Sunset Shimmer was the one who single-handedly repelled the Grimm invasion that your own forces could not handle. You may think yourself better than her by sacrificing few for all of Freeport, but your greed and thirst for power is what has now left Freeport defenseless. Hubris strikes with impunity.
And Tyrian is more than likely to demand the death of Cinder after she betrayed his goddess, not to mention Sunsprite after noticing her silver eye and connection to the Rose family.
i.imgur.com/cCVqHor.png
We're out of time. We need Sunset back as soon as possible. The good news is that Dawn is going to sleep. Come on, Luna, come on!
Sunset is proof that lawful evil is best evil. The utilitarian real politick playing in her head, oh it's so great to read.
Ain't karma a bitch
Where is a friendship laser if you need one?
Wow Remnant!Sunset really doesn't have any principles she will stand for. I can't see her surviving this situation... Something has to give, and Freeport will likely be a casualty.
Tyrian comes across as properly terrifying in your writing. Getting Dark Knight Joker vibes, laughing and insane, but still extremely deadly.
Gotta love how they are calling Sunset a "squatter" inside her own body. How Human!Sunset is calling Sunset's magic Dawn's.
They cannot admit the evil they are doing, even just to themselves.
In light of what is coming, Robyn Hood might have to lead our band if ragtag hero's into equestria to survive.
I doubt Human Sunset will die this early. As much as she deserves it, once it all starts to fall apart, she will head for the portal. Who knows, she might even try to steal a certain crown once she does.
10629227
"Oh-ho-ho! You have more silver eyes to pluck! Oh my mistake... Just ONE more..."
I... didn't even think about her being involved. Dawn's in for quite the surprise huh?
I'm starting to hope Remnant!Sunset dies horribly.
10631988
You miss my point. The fact that Velvet's father works in and for Atlas, enough that she does visit him there, means she's been exposed to either A) how bad anti-faunus discrimination in Atlas is, or B) how inflated a reputation can be compared to the reality.
And yet, despite one of those two possibilities being the case (depending on how bad what she saw while visiting in Atlas was), she still assumes Yatsuhashi would hate her for being a faunus just because he's from Mistral. That suggests that Mistral's reputation on the subject is likely particularly terrible, even over and above what we see of Atlas's reputation.
10632002
On the other hand, Velset is a girl that used to get bullied lot. It's due to tormentors in Pharos she has a deep-seated hatred towards the kingdom of Mistral. I don't think she's ever been there, so she might simply generelize.
But hey, with how things are going in the story, you might be right. Why not!? Whatever to make Atlas even nicer!
10631988
There is a big difference in the amount of abuse a corrupt business and actual mafias have against the population.
A corrupt business will abuse its workers, but that's it, there is no profit to be gained from directly screwing over the average person. There is still an effect, redirecting the resources of the government into overpriced, low quality projects is one of the most emblematic effects of shady business deals, but that is more related to population development and harder to notice or gauge.
There is also the fact that a business needs people to actually BUY their products, so the most convenient thing for a corrupt business is to incredibly screw over the ones directly under their control while being all smiles with everyone else, limiting by design the amount of people hurt by them.
An actual mafia, on the other hand, NEEDS the entire population screwed over. The more desperate and destitute the population is, the easier is for them to operate, and unlike business, they can keep the entire population screwed over without hurting their profits because it comes from a really small amount of sources. They do have an incentive to spread misery as far as it can go.
10635413
Twilight's OCD does often make her get carried away with studying, research, and organization. Just as often as not, it caused her to act without consideration to others.
10635417
Indeed. On the upside(?), that mentality is the one that can end with Midnight Sparkle being born, and I find her interesting so net benefit for me.
Also, as shortsighted as Twilight can get, she is still a good person at heart, so she only needs a single good bonk on the head to change course.