RWBY Through Worlds (End)

BC54: Dolor (Raven's team)--6

Cinder was sitting on a bench by the tram...and to add insult to injury, it was snowing now, as it usually did in autumn in this city.

Not many people were out at this hour, and those who were avoided eye contact with each other. She stared at the street.

What had she really expected? She couldn't believe she'd almost forgotten that she was the outsider here. And why did she even care? She didn't want this life.

But what life did she really want? Would she really be content to go back to the dress shop forever? Even if she could...which she maybe couldn't.

Dogged by the past, by old enemies...was that her life now? Always? It wasn't that different from her old life.

She looked heavenward rebelliously.

"Is this all there is for me?" she said in a low, tight voice. "Running? Maybe he was right.... Is it all I'll ever do?"

She was met with the muffled silence of snow-filled air.

What else did she expect?

"I thought you might be here," Royal startled her. She should have heard him coming, but she hadn't paid attention to quiet footfalls.

For someone so tall, Royal could move pretty quietly.

Cinder shot him a dirty look and then turned away. "I don't want to talk to you."

Royal just stood there.

Growing tired of it, Cinder broke her own word and looked back in annoyance. "What are you doing here?"

"All of us went looking for you after you ran off," Royal said, quietly enough. "They spread out, but I had a hunch you'd be trying to go home...but the late night trams aren't very often. Could be a while."

"I prefer to wait in solitude."

"Are you sure that's so smart after what just went down?"

That was a good point.

Royal leaned on the lightpost casually. "It wouldn't kill you to accept help, once in a long while."

"What do you want?" Cinder said darkly. "I'm not in the mood for your stupid games."

"This isn't a game. Clearly you're upset after what happened, and I don't blame you. But you shouldn't do anything rash."

"That's what you think, huh?" Cinder jumped on him without real justification, but she was in the mood to be harsh. "All of you are just waiting for me to do something crazy. Well, maybe I will, but it's not anything you all need to worry about. No one is going to blame you for what I do."

"You should have heard what they said." Royal ignored her tone. "Believe it or not, not everyone is blaming you either. Those jerks started it. All of us were minding our own business. What's the big deal?"

"That I'll suffer for it more than them," Cinder said.

Royal sighed. "Maybe...maybe not. I wouldn't rule out Schnee and Branwen just yet. They're good at pulling strings."

"Maybe I'm tired of people having to do that just to keep me barely at the status quo level of society."

Cinder wasn't cheering herself up with these thoughts. In fact, she felt worse.

"If you don't want to talk to me, fine, but can you at least let your other friends help you?" Royal said.

"Friends? Please, we're not friends," Cinder said.

Royal started to say something, then paused. "I finally get why you always say that."

"Huh?" Cinder said, puzzled.