With Every Step Forward (Neglected/Abused Boosted Gear Reader x RWBY)

Chapter 66: Lost

Cinder's POV

It's cold. Her entire surroundings. It's sapping away her strength. She is powerless. No longer in control of her destiny. It's just like back then. There is nothing that can be done.

Cinder (thoughts): 'Like... hell!'

Using her Maiden Powers to heat up her body, Cinder regains power in her limbs as the ice surrounding her melts. She instinctively swims, her newly recharged muscles cutting through the water with ease, but they're burning. Not from the magic power going through them, but because of the lack of oxygen. She is still human.

Cinder: "HAAUUGH!"

She caught her breath in a startled gasp of pain right as she breaks through the water's surface. Her Grimm arm extends without her commanding it to, gripping a rock and pulling her completely out of the water. Cinder coughs violently, attempting to control her breathing and get the water out of her lungs. When she finally gets it all out, Cinder looks at her hand, attempting to call upon her magic willingly. The flame flickers in her hand a few times before going out, the act of which causes her to punch the ground in anger. The force of her punch makes the path in front of her open as rocks crumble, the moonlight and wind creeping into the cave through a crack.

Cinder looks up and sees Haven's giant underground tree, indicating she's below the Vault. But without Raven Branwen, the true Spring Maiden, to open it, going back up there would be pointless. Besides, she-

Cinder (thoughts): 'What the?'

There are flashes of golden and green light in the sky, these flashes coming through into the cave. Loke and Y/N Rose are still battling. The best course of action is if they both just kill each other. If Cinder could get her hands on the Regulus Nemea, she'd be unstoppable. For now though, it's best to get out of here and recover. She can take Regulus at a later time.

Climbing to her feet and punching the crack in the wall, Cinder opens a path large enough to squeeze past. Rain begins pouring down as she's walking out. The flashes of green and gold have stopped for now, the clouds taking their natural places. Y/N Rose and Loke must have stopped battling up there, but their battle probably hasn't ceased. The ground shaking indicates their battle is now on the surface, perhaps under-

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!

Cinder is pushed forward as a massive wave of energy flies out of the cave behind her. That... That must have been them. Whatever they did, Haven is likely destroyed. All of Mistral must have felt that. As she lands and subsequently pulls herself up, the shaking subsided, Cinder knows that she must get that power. The Maidens' power isn't enough, not to defeat Y/N Rose.

Ruby's POV
Flashback
Mistral House

After retrieving the Relic of Knowledge from the Vault, everyone had gone back to the house to prepare, especially since Y/N had decided he was going to Vale first, with the Relic. After he had explained his reasoning about taking the Relic to Atlas, everyone agreed with him. Still, there were some people who were... less than enthused, both about taking the Relic out of the Vault and going to Atlas at all.

Weiss: "Honestly..."

Nora: "I mean bright side, we FINALLY get out of this house!" she chimes in from the floor, suitcase under her head.

Qrow: "Trust me, I'm not crazy about it either. But with Salem's forces knowing who the Spring Maiden is, the safest place for the Relic while we're away from Mistral is with us."

Raven: "And it keeps me safe. With the Relic out of the Vault, Salem wouldn't waste resources tracking me."

Ren: "Atlas may be the safest Kingdom at the moment, but the borders are still closed. General Ironwood called everyone back."