I saw a girl leave the Dance. Ruby followed her. I decided to as well. Maybe this will be interesting, or will I end up hurting Yang’s feelings. I threw my hoodie on. Damn, I didn't have Fated Hour on me.
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We ended up at a Cross Continental Communication Tower Terminal. I made sure that Ruby didn't see me. 

I saw a girl in a catsuit, and I know who it was, Cinder Falls. Great another person from my past. I gasped, and Ruby saw me, as she fought Cinder Falls.

“Corey?” Ruby saw me as she spun Crescent Rose to dodge the dust infused clothes.

Cinder uses Dust to form glass crystals and blasts them at Ruby with Aura. Ruby twirls Crescent Rose to block the shards and retaliates by firing rounds at Cinder. Cinder blocks these rounds just as easily as she did during their first encounter. Cinder then summons her weapons, Midnight.

Ruby whips Crescent Rose around and fires off a round-going upward and somersaulting down for an attack.  I step forward and She fires three arrows that explode on impact with the floor, Ruby gets pushed back. I caught her.

“How does Weiss fight in these?” She asked.

“Are you alright?” I asked her, I had concern inmy voice.

“I'm fine.” She answered.

Cinder fired an arrow at us. I rolled to my back and the arrow hit me. “Grah!” I cried.

“You idiot.” Ruby called me. I didn't have my Aura or semblance. “Don't get yourself hurt because of me.”

A second arrow hits Ruby and she slides across the room. She looks seriously hurt. Her aura was gone.

I got up and I'm pointing at a down Ruby. “This girl is fighting so that no one else needs to fight. Even when plunged alone in his darkness, she wants to make others smile. That is what she believes! If she smiles, then I will protect her smile! Did you know? Her smile is not bad!”

A golden glow comes over me. I felt my Aura once more. I picked up Crescent Rose.  I swung it at Cinder.

“Who do you think you are?” She asked me.

“Just a passing through Faunus and you better remember that!” I told her.

The golden glow around me intensified as I held Crescent Rose tightly in my hands. My heart pounded in my chest, but it wasn’t fear—no, it was something else. It was the same feeling I had when I fought to protect Fuwa, when I realized I was no longer running from my past. I wasn’t about to back down now.

Cinder’s eyes narrowed, and she raised her Midnight weapon, ready to strike. But I wasn’t giving her the chance. With a swift motion, I lunged forward, Crescent Rose slicing through the air. The weapon’s weight felt right in my hands as I moved, the golden aura around me pushing back the weight of doubt that had always lingered.

“You’ve gotten stronger,” Cinder remarked, a smirk playing on her lips, but her eyes flickered with a hint of uncertainty. She summoned a cloud of Dust, forming a shield around her, but I was already closing in.

I swung Crescent Rose again, this time sending a wave of pressure with my attack. Cinder barely dodged, but the force still pushed her back. She gritted her teeth, clearly realizing I wasn’t the same as I once was.

Ruby, still struggling to regain her composure, grunted from the ground. “Corey, what the hell are you doing?! You don’t have your Aura!” Her voice was weak, but there was still that determination in it. She was worried. And that only fueled my resolve.

“I’ve got something stronger than Aura right now,” I muttered, barely catching my breath. "I’m fighting for her smile."

Cinder laughed, the sound dark and mocking. “You think you can stop me? You, who lost everything already? You’re nothing more than a ghost, a passing shadow.”

I tightened my grip on Crescent Rose, and for a moment, I saw flashes of my past—of Fuwa, of the people I’d let down, of my struggle to find my place in the world. But none of that mattered right now. Not when I had the chance to protect someone else’s future, someone else’s light.

“Who am I?” I raised Crescent Rose, pointing it directly at Cinder. “I’m just a passing-through Faunus, and I always leave an impression. You’ll remember me, Cinder.”

With that, I charged.

Cinder summoned more of her Dust arrows, but I wasn’t going to let them hit me again. I leapt into the air, using Crescent Rose’s momentum to spin around. The impact was swift, and as the blade collided with her shield, I pushed with all the strength I could muster, forcing her back even further.

Ruby slowly pushed herself up, wiping the blood from her lip. She was hurt, but I could see her eyes glinting with something I hadn’t seen before—a quiet hope.

“Corey… thank you,” Ruby whispered, her voice filled with an emotion I wasn’t used to hearing from her.

But there was no time for words. Cinder was recovering, and she was angrier than ever.

“Enough of this.” Cinder’s voice was low, filled with venom. “You really think you can stop me? You, who has nothing left?”

I took a deep breath, standing firm as the golden glow around me intensified. “You don’t know anything about me. But you will.”

Without warning, I charged again, Crescent Rose held high. This time, the energy in the air felt different—more focused. I wasn’t going to let her hurt Ruby, or anyone else, anymore.

Ruby weakly shouted behind me. “Corey—don’t overdo it!”

I didn’t listen. This was my fight now. This was my chance to finally stand up.

Cinders was gone. Then, I saw General Ironwood coming this way. I grabbed Ruby and ran, great just great, Cinder got away, however, I got my Aura back. 

_________________________________________________________

We got back to the Dance. It was like we…. Why is Jaune in a dress? Then a  fair-skinned young woman with ashen-black hair that covers her left eye. She has bright amber eyes and is described to be very young in a formal black evening gown that has black glass. “Care to dance?” She asked me.

My heart skipped a beat. “Cinder Falls?” I asked her.

“Yes.” She took me to the dance floor. “How did you know my name?”

“Let's say we met before.” I didn't get into the details. Yang was dancing with Blake. My back was still burning from her arrow.

Cinder's grip on my arm tightened slightly as we reached the dance floor. The lights around us flickered as the music swirled through the air, creating a contrast between the calmness of the setting and the tension I felt. I could still feel the burn on my back from where the arrow hit me earlier, but I kept my focus on Cinder. She looked every bit the part of a graceful dancer, her movements smooth and calculated, though something in her eyes told me she wasn’t just here to dance.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” I said, keeping my voice calm despite the nervousness settling in my stomach. I was surrounded by people who didn’t know the truth of what had just happened. Only Ruby knew, and I could tell she was still worried about me.

Cinder’s lips curled into a soft, knowing smile. “I suppose I was curious. After all, it’s not every day someone gets in my way. Tell me, what happened to your aura? I thought it was your shield.”

“I have other ways of protecting myself,” I replied, glancing over to Ruby. She was talking to Yang and Blake, but she kept sneaking glances in my direction, concern still etched on her face.

Cinder’s gaze followed mine. “Your little group of friends. You all seem so… fragile. So full of hope.” She scoffed. “It’s laughable, really. Do you really think they can protect you? That they can save you?”

I swallowed hard, trying not to let her words get to me. She had a way of making me question everything. “I don’t need saving,” I said firmly. “I’m not some lost cause.”

She raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Really? I wonder about that. You, who constantly runs from the past, from your Semblance, from your own demons. How long until you break again?”

I clenched my jaw. I wasn’t going to let her get under my skin. Not now, not after everything I had fought for. “I’m not broken. Not anymore.”

Cinder tilted her head slightly, still dancing in rhythm with me. “You’re a curious one, Corey. Most people would have given up by now. You’re certainly not like the others. I wonder if that’s what makes you so… fascinating.”

Her words lingered in the air between us, but before I could respond, the music shifted into a more upbeat tempo. The shift in atmosphere seemed to cause Cinder to pull me closer, her hand resting lightly on my back as we twirled around the dance floor. The swirling lights and music created a dizzying effect, and for a moment, I almost forgot who I was dancing with.

But the reality of the situation quickly came back to me. I had to remain focused. No matter what, I couldn’t let my guard down around Cinder.

“Tell me, Corey,” she said, her voice low, almost too soft for the music. “What will you do when the people you care about start dying because of your actions? Because of the mistakes you made?”

The words stung more than I wanted to admit. I could feel the weight of everything I had done—the things I had tried to outrun, the people I had hurt. But I wasn’t going to let her win.

“I’ll keep fighting,” I said, looking her directly in the eye. “I’ll keep fighting, no matter what.”

Cinder’s lips quivered into a small, calculating smile, as if she was pleased with my answer, or perhaps amused by my resolve. “That’s the spirit,” she mused. “But remember, Corey, sometimes the fight is more than you can handle.”

I didn’t say anything more. Instead, I focused on the dance, using it as a way to push back against her influence. But as the night continued, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Cinder was more than just a shadow from my past. She was a reminder—a reminder of the darkness that still lingered, waiting for its chance to consume me again.

I glanced over at Ruby again, her face a mix of confusion and concern. She was waiting for me, I could tell. But before I could make a move to return to her side, Cinder’s hand gently guided me back, her amber eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t quite place.

“We’ll see who wins in the end, Corey. But remember, the dance doesn’t stop just because the music changes.”

And with that, she spun me once more, leading me further into her web.

I let go of Cinder's hand and I walked over to Yang.  “Little Kitty.” She called me.

“Yes?” I looked at her.

“Who was that you were dancing with?” She looked at me like I betrayed her.

“Cinder Falls, someone from my past.” I told her.

Yang’s brows furrowed, her usual playful demeanor replaced by a flicker of concern. "Cinder Falls? Corey, you can’t just drop a name like that and expect me not to ask questions. Who is she, really? And why was she dancing with you?"

I glanced back toward the crowd, but Cinder had already disappeared, like a shadow melting into the night. Her words still echoed in my head, but I forced myself to focus on Yang. She deserved an answer, but how much could I really tell her?

“She’s… dangerous,” I said finally. “Someone I crossed paths with before. She’s not here to dance or make friends, Yang. She’s here for something else.”

Yang crossed her arms, her lilac eyes narrowing. “If she’s dangerous, why didn’t you tell me sooner? Why did you dance with her in the first place?”

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “I didn’t exactly have a choice. She showed up, recognized me, and… well, let’s just say it’s better to keep her close than to make her an immediate enemy.”

Yang frowned but didn’t press further. “You’re keeping secrets, Corey. And I get that everyone has their own stuff, but if it’s going to put any of us in danger, you’d better start talking.”

Ruby approached us then, her expression a mix of worry and curiosity. “Corey, that was Cinder, wasn’t it? What happened? Why was she here?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but Yang cut me off. “Apparently, Cinder and Corey go way back. He’s just not too keen on sharing the details.”

“Yang,” I said firmly, “it’s complicated. She’s tied to my past in ways I’m still trying to figure out. But I promise, if she becomes a threat, I’ll handle it.”

Ruby stepped closer, her silver eyes searching mine. “We’re a team, Corey. If she’s dangerous, we’ll face her together. You don’t have to do this alone.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected. I wasn’t used to having people in my corner, people who actually cared. For a moment, I just stood there, unsure how to respond. Finally, I nodded. “Thanks, Ruby. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Yang didn’t look entirely convinced, but she didn’t push further. Instead, she looped her arm around Ruby’s shoulder. “Come on, little sis. Let’s get back to the dance. Corey can brood later.”

I managed a small smile as they walked away, but my mind was still racing. Cinder wasn’t just a shadow from my past—she was a storm waiting to strike. And whether I liked it or not, that storm was getting closer.