19 Chapter 19: Black tooth, Autumn leaf

The next morning, Cinder was swept up by the crowd of people getting ready for the exam. They had all been seated in a massive cafeteria where the students would normally eat, but as this was an entrance exam the regular students weren't required to arrive until later tonight.

All around her people were talking about forming teams. Many were trying to get together with friends or classmates so as not to be left alone. Cinder noticed Adam was with the sheep Faunus from last night. She noticed he also had a White Fang insignia on his vest. They must know each other before coming here.

Across the way, the dark skinned girl was yakking away to the two poor fools next to her. Cinder couldn't tell if it was nerves or if she was just so dense she hadn't noticed they were getting sick of listening to her.

As she continued to scan the room, she noticed the white hair boy wasn't around. Strange, she knew the cafeteria was open all day until the exams started. Had he come in really early to eat then left?

A loud clap caught her attention. All eyes turned to see professor Goodwitch at the door. "The entry exam begins in one hour!" She said loudly so everyone could hear her. "I suggest you go prepare yourselves and get to the Emerald Cliffs within that time. Anyone late to the cliff will lose their chance to enter Beacon and be promptly sent home!"

Her stem tone was followed by the scraping of chairs as several students began getting to their feet and making their way to the door. However, she wasn't done.

"What's more. I have received a report that last night a fight almost broke out in the ballroom!" Immediately, everyone went deathly quite. Cinder saw the two responsible tense up as Goodwitch continued.

"I shall remind everyone here that fighting outside of any class activities will not be tolerated! There will be severe punishments involved if ANY of you break this rule! This includes, but is not limited to suspension or even expulsion depending on the severity!" Goodwitch paused as she scanned the room, her gaze cold. "Remember, you are here to train to be the next protectors of humanity. We expected you to act like it!"

With that, Goodwitch turned on her heel and left.

The students glanced over at the two responsible, but Faunus said nothing. He walked past them and out of the dinner hall accompanied by the boy he was talking to before. Not long after, the rest of the student body followed them out.

As Cinder got to the door, she was jostled roughly by a passing student.

"Hey! You blind or something!" She snapped, causing the person to turn around. Immediately she recognized Callum and her glare became more intense. She was already getting sick of this loser.

"That's the second time you've bumped me. If you do it a third, I'll make sure you can't walk into me ever again!" She snarled, causing Callum to clench his hand into a fist.

"Don't get cocky! You got the jump on me before, but next time we fight you won't get so lucky!" He snarled, then before she could respond, pushed his way to the front of the crowd leaving Cinder struggling to go after him to get the last word.

In the locker room, Cinder put her arrows into the quiver on her hip. Then put a cap on to ensure they didn't fall out. She glanced around the room and saw most of the other students were finishing their preparation as well.

Her fingers traced the pendant around her neck. She couldn't fail, not after all the support she had gotten from her family. She would be the first to finish the entrance exam, no question. Anything less would be an insult to them.

Reaching into her locker, she took out the cloak Summer had given her. She had planned on wearing it the day she got her first mission, but after the death of Mr. Beige, she realized sometimes she shouldn't wait for the perfect opportunity. She regretted not showing it to him when she had the chance.

With a flourish, Cinder swung the cloak over her shoulders and let it fall onto her back. The beautiful embroidery and tailcoat design fitted her perfectly. It even had glass woven into the cloth, so as not to hinder her if she ever needed light. Summer really had thought of everything, hadn't she.

Suddenly, Cinder heard murmuring behind her and turned to see several students were staring at her. Or more accurately, the Rose on her back.

They had heard about the Bringer Of The Garden World and knew of the crest, but this must have been their first time seeing it. Many had realized she was her daughter and suddenly made her the center of attention.

Well, they wouldn't be disappointed after they saw her in action.

With a flick of her hair, Cinder strode past the gawking students and out the door. She followed the signs towards the emerald forest without a glance behind her. She was well aware they were still staring at her, but she had more important matters to attend t-!

"Ouch!"

Cinder staggered back, having run into someone as they stepped back right into her path. She hadn't even made it out of the room! In the collision, she had knocked them forward, but they stayed on their feet. Cinder wasn't so lucky, falling backwards, but mangled to break her fall by rolling from her waist onto her back, then sitting right back up. She shut back up, glaring at the person in her way.

"Hey! Why the hell are you standing around in a hallway?! People have to get through if you didn't notice!" She snapped as the person turned around, she was getting sick of people walking into her. To her surprise it was the white hair boy from before. Only this time he was wearing a gray vest with several straps outfitted with different types of ammunition. From sniper rounds to slugs for shotguns, he had something for every type of gun. He even had a pack on his waist that she saw had a dust cartridge sticking out of it.

A red scarf was pulled around his neck, covering his lower face and even part of his chest. As well as the burn on his neck. He had a used metal pad covering his right shoulder and a worn traveling cloak slung over one shoulder like a cape that went down to his waist on the back.

A large sword was strapped to his back with an unusual guard. Instead of pointing to the sides, it was extended down the blade not unlike one of those exhaust pipes older model bikes. She noticed several screws still visible on his weapon, as if it was meant to be taken apart, but Cinder had no idea why. If anything, it looked like it was put together from other weapons that had been found in the wild.

Now that she got a closer look, his entire outfit and weapon looked well used. So he really was part of some group that was traveling mercenaries or something.

"Oh, it's you." Cinder said dryly as she got to her feet. "How are your ideals carrying you? They must keep you busy because I didn't even notice you at breakfast." She smirked at him, arms folded over her chest, a smug grin across her face. "You helping old ladies or something? Because so far it looks like I not only have gotten more done today, but had more time to myself as well."

The white haired boy rolled his eyes at Cinder. "Professor Ozpin wanted to talk to me about my entry documents. There were some that got delivered in the mail, so he wanted me to fill them out again. But I guess you wouldn't understand that, with people who handle all the mailing and stamps for you."

Cinder bristled at his comment. Her fingers twitched in the direction of her blades. "I don't have them take of me!" She snapped. "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself! I did that years before they ever adopted me!"

The boy remained unfazed. He closed his locker and turned towards the door. "Maybe, but how long ago was that? I think you might find your skills dulled after the years of reliance." He said as he began walking away. "Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with that, but if you go around overestimating yourself based on what you have done, you'll find yourself unable to improve."

Cinder's mouth hung open as she stared after him. He had a lot of nerve. She had gone through hell to get where she is today. Back in the tundra, there was no Summer or Tai to take care of her. Yet she had survived on her own just fine!

And what about the Werewolf incident?! She didn't need an adult to swoop in and save her! She had managed just fine! If her blades weren't broken she'd have won during their first round!

And then Rouge! If memory served, which it did, she was the one to save Summer and drove him into a corner! Not Summer or Tai! Sure, she wouldn't have won on her own, but she put up a better fight than most fourteen year olds could!

Cinder was about to go after him and give her a piece of her mind when she stopped as she took in his back side. His armor was torn and tattered. His weapon was well used and in desperate need of maintenance. His scarf was dirty and ragged at the end. His boots were caked in dry mud and had a hole in the heel, clearly he used them almost everyday.

And then Cinder took in her appearance. Clean clothes, a fancy weapon, a beautiful pendant, and an expensive cloak. Of course someone could mistake her for being a rich bitch. Hell, she kind of was compared to him. Summer and Tai weren't loaded, but they made enough that money wasn't a big concern. They always made sure their children were never in need of anything important, such as food or medicine.

In fact, Cinder didn't bear any resemblance to what her old life had been. Or the hardships she had endured. And looking at him, she wondered if she'd had the same options if she hadn't been found by Summer all those years ago. When she had nothing but ideology, she would cling to it as a life line too.

"Hey! Wait up!" Cinder called as she ran after the white haired boy. She caught up to him just outside the locker room where she ran in front of him.

"What now?" He asked, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Look, I'm sorry if I offended you. I spoke without thinking. You don't hav-."

"Actually, I wanted to thank you." Cinder said with a cocky smile. "You're wrong about me, but that's fine. I know I don't look like it, but I used to have nothing. And while I'm no longer hurting for money, I don't let that define me. I let my strength do that."

Cinder grinned at the subtle twitch of his face. He was surprised, Cinder was sure of that, but she wasn't going to let him talk before she was done.

"But that doesn't mean I agree with you." She continued. "After all, without power, you can't do anything with ideals. So one's power dictates how far they go with their ideology. That's what I believe. But as we could talk in circles all day, how about we agree on a different method instead?"

Cinder held her hand out towards the white haired boy, who looked at it confused. "I want us to fight at the end of the school year. So I can prove I'm right. We're probably around the same level right now, so let's bet our pride on that final match. And when I win, you'll have to admit you were wrong and power is far more important than ideology. In if I lose, then I'll admit to being wrong. That should be fun, wouldn't you agree?"

The boy stared at her wide eyed. Then he grinned as he grabbed her forearm in a half handshake. "Well, I guess this makes us rivals." He said as he gave her arm a good squeeze. "Name's Fang, Fang Obsidian. Remember it, because when I win, I'm going to rub it in your face for the rest of our school years! Assuming you get in, of course."

Cinder smirked as she returned the firm shake. "Cinder Rose. The girl who's going to be the strongest student this year. So don't be too disappointed when you lose to me! Unless you're too weak to pass. In which case, I automatically win."

The two rivals held each other's gaze. Both determined to win this new challenge and as well see how this new bond was going to change their lives in the future.

The cliffs over the Emerald Forest were cold. A few students were shivering in the wind. Cinder smirked at them as she got on the white spring board that was set up for their use.

If they were cold now, she was looking forward to seeing them in the air.

A few were still whispering to each other about partners when headmaster Ozpin appeared, accompanied by Professor Goodwitch.

"Glad to see everyone here." Ozpin said. "Now allow me to explain the rules of the exam. Listen closely as I may not have time to repeat myself." The headmaster took his place at the edge of the cliff facing his potential students.

"There are relics hidden somewhere on the north side of the forest. Your mission is to recover them. But be careful. There are powerful Grimm who call this forest home. Unlike your other training, there are no safeties on this test. Your lives are in real danger, no teachers to help you for miles. I suggest you remember that when planning your routes."

There were several murmurs when the professor told them about the risk. Cinder wanted to roll her eyes. What were these idiots expecting? Beacon was the best school on Remnant for a reason.

"Next." Ozpin said over the whispers. "There has been a lot of talk about partners. I'm sure there are some among you who have already made plans, but unfortunately, that doesn't matter." The student body looked at him in confusion. What was the method for partner selection?

Ozpin smirked to himself as he scanned the students' faces. Once he was quite sure they had formed a guess, he gave them an answer nobody, not even Cinder was expecting.

"Your partner for the next four years will be the first person you make eye contact with after landing."

Immediately, the students began protesting. To say they were unhappy was an understatement. They had made plans to go with someone they already knew. And while Cinder hadn't had anyone from her class in mind, she definitely didn't like this. If she wasn't careful, she'd end up with some dead weight loser she'd have to haul around like a ball and chain!

"This is how we've always chosen partners here. It's a tradition that has been maintained since the founding of Beacon. If you don't like it, you can apply somewhere else." Ozpin said calmly, silencing even the most vocal of the students immediately. Nobody here had worked their asses off just to get disqualified on their first day.

"Good." Ozpin said as he walked over to the side, out of the way of the springboards. "Oh! And one more thing." He said as he took a sip of his coffee. "Of the forty-seven students who applied, only the first twenty students, so five full teams, will be accepted into Beacon."

Immediately the entire student body went deathly silent. Twenty students?! That was less than half! Cinder felt her breath hitch. That wasn't good! She was so much stronger than her classmates she had always struggled to get along with them! And almost all of them were here from Signal! Hell, her class made up three fourths of the applicants! If that was the case, she'd have to make sure she finished without making eye contact with anyone to avoid getting stuck with a green loser who'd cost her a spot!

"As I'm sure you know, after the war, more students applied for Beacon than could graduate." Goodwitch said. "As such, we have reached maximum capacity. The twenty is all the space we have. But even if you aren't one of the first twenty to pass, we have already made arrangements to have you attend Atlas academy as a good will act. So as long as you can get a relic, you have nothing to worry about."

Cinder felt her heart jump into her throat. There was no way in hell she was ever going back to Atlas! Not after the Glass Unicorn! Not after Rhodes. Her fists clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palms. Determination filling every fiber of her body. Now she had to be fast. She'd blast through the others if she had to! She would not go back to that frozen hell!

"Okay, now that everything's out of the way, let the exam begin." Ozpin said, than tapped his cane on the ground. Immediately Cinder and the rest of the students were launched high into the air. All around her Cinder could feel the tension and stress. Everyone was now determined to win and claim a spot at Beacon Academy. The companion was going to get very ferocious!

Cinder drew Midnight as she approached the ground, turning it into a bow, as she got within range of the tree line, she shot an arrow into one and detonated it. The blast carried her up and slowed her down a bit.

Firing another arrow behind, Cinder created a second blast sending her flying straight for a tall tree. Separating her blades she spun midair position herself to hit the tree on an angle.

Thunk!

Cinder's blades dug into a thick tree trunk, and she used her momentum to spin around its trunk and down to ground level. And the second her foot touched the ground, she was racing northwest, avoiding the direct path in favor of dodging other students. She wasn't going to be slowed down by dead weight.

"Come on! Come on!" She said to herself as she ran. Why couldn't they pick partners themselves!? Then she could run with someone like Adam or Fang, someone competent, not the mass of other useless dead weight who had applied.

A sudden growl from her side warned her of an enemy. She had just enough time to dodge out of the way before a Beowolf came crashing out of the forest, claw not even scratching her cloak.

She skidded around to face the beast blades drawn, the Beowolf wasn't as graceful, it went crashing into a nearby tree.

"I don't have time for this!" Cinder snarled as she shot forward blades outstretched. "Get out of my way!"

The Beowolf rolled out of the way, dodging the attack causing Cinder's blade to sick into the tree.

Thinking she was trapped, the Beowolf lunged at Cinder, aiming to claw her head off, but Cinder twirled away, landing herself behind it, then kicked it's head against the tree, stunning it. Then, before it could recover, she grabbed its head, leapt over it and using her own weight, brought it's head down on her blades, decapitating it.

"What a waste of time." Cinder muttered as she pulled her blades out. "I hope nobody else got a lead on me from that distraction. Going the long way has dis-."

Boom!

Cinder jumped as an explosion rocked the area. In the distance a massive tree toppled to the ground. Someone was getting carried away in their fight.

As she listened, she heard more gunshots and shouts in the distance. Multiple fights had begun all at once. It must be the pressure the students were feeling. It was attracting the Grimm. This was her chance.

Taking a few deep breaths. Cinder focused on a meditative mind set Summer had taught her. A way to clear your mind and become more focused on a task. At first, Cinder had seen the use, but then Summer told her that doing this made it hard for Grimm to sense you. After that, she had taken the time to practice daily.

Soon her mind was clear and focused. Immediately, she continued running north, towards the edge of the forest so she could then circle back in to find the relics.

Cinder stepped into a large clearing with some ruins in the center. At the base of the ruins sat six pedestals with chess pieces on them. A pawn, a king and a queen. As she approached, she saw one, the white king, was missing from its place. Someone had already been here.

"So these are the relics." Cinder said to herself. She may not be the first, but she was the second. She could live with that.

Stepping forward, Cinder grabbed a piece from its pedestal, the black queen. This fitted her nicely.

"Perfect." She said as she slipped the piece into her pocket. "Now I just have to get back before-."

"Wow! And here I thought I might be the first one. Looks like you beat me by a mile."

Cinder turned around to see the dark skinned girl approaching from the tree line. She was wearing a top of an off-white blouse with frill detailing on the shoulders, pleated lower half with a central split, alongside a brown vest that had three straps and brown lining around the collar. She had a dark brown corset with matching pants, as well as a pair of brown thigh-high boots with large cuffs and brown armor plating covering the boots up to her knees.

Her amber pendant had been clipped to her vest and was her only accessory. Two bracers covered both arms, she also had a spaulder covering her right shoulder. A strap with pouches on it ran across her body. Cinder noticed there were four, each one labeled with a different dust element. A staff with dust crystals at each end was in the girl's hands. The crystal had been sharpened to a fine point so they could be used to pierce like a spear.

"Oh, it's you." Cinder said dryly. "Where's your partner? Did you get separated?" Cinder really hoped that they'd come out of the woods sooner than later.

"Oh! I actually miss everyone on my way here. I'm guessing you're in the same boat. So, I guess that means you and I are partners!" Cinder wanted to scream. Of course she got stuck with little miss goody-two-shoes. At least she already got her piece before she started dragging her baggage.

"Oh joy." Cinder said dryly. "Great. I can't wait. Honestly, I'm impressed you got here so fast. So do you have a speed semblance? I can't imagine how else you got so lucky."

The girl raised an eyebrow as Cinder walked past her, then a smug smile formed on her face. "Actually, I got delayed by a deathstalker. If it wasn't for that, I would have been here sooner." She stepped to the side, trying to play it cool by pretending by looking at her fingernails. "Honestly, I'm a little disappointed it took me so long to take it down. Even if I was alone I should have beaten it faster than ten minutes."

Immediately Cinder froze. She slowly turned around to stare at the girl. She had killed a deathstalker by herself and got here that quickly!? That was impossible! Even Cinder herself couldn't do that! Did this girl have a scout type semblance to find this place so fast? No. If so, she couldn't have beaten the deathstalker so fast!

Cinder saw the girl look over her shoulder, then turn to her and smile. Clearly she had gotten the reaction she was waiting for.

"Amber Alsprings. It's a pleasure to met you, Cinder Rose." She said, offering her hand.

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For anyone who didn't recognize her, Amber isn't an OC. She is the fall maiden Cinder stole her powers from.

I'm sure someone going to say she's a to obscure character to be used, but I'd like to point out that Summer Rose, a character who hasn't said a single word, is a prominent figure in the story.

And just like Summer, I'm going to be taking what I know about and building her personality around it.

As for her last name, I don't know why, but for the longest time, I thought her last name was Alsprings. I don't know where I got that, but it wasn't until I was doing researched for this story that I found out she doesn't have one.

There must be a character who I've heard of with that last name, but I honestly can't remember. But as I've thought that was her last name for years, I just decided to roll with it.