Reader x Cinder Fall x Summer Rose / The One You Feed: A RWBY Fanfiction

Chapter VII: Shadows

Author's Note: In this chapter your character will experience some... self-exploration. Italics represent someone's words echoing, both before and after they are said. Quotation marks "" represent when the words are actually spoken.

This Chapter is dedicated to Mastered_Ace, perhaps the biggest fan of this story.

5 Years Ago:

Reader's POV:

Following your discussion with Summer, you immediately left Beacon, taking only the clothes on your back. You return to your apartment, mind made up. You have no intention of returning to Beacon once school resumes, your path has strayed far from that place, into a forest of perpetual darkness. So it was, that in the middle of the night you returned to the precipice. You only had to wait a few minutes before the woman appeared again.

"I've come to a decision." You inform her.

"You needn't tell me." She says. "I can see it in your eyes."

She extends a hand which you take. A cloud of black smoke forms around your bodies obscuring your vision. As it dissipates, you see yourself no longer standing on the cliff. Instead you now stood in a grand hallway outside a larges pair of ornate doors. The flagstone floors and aged architecture of the building gives you the impression that you're currently standing in some sort of castle.

"Come with me." Salem instructs, walking towards the large doors which open by themselves.

She leads you into a large room with a long table stretching from wall to wall. Along the table are four chairs, and at the head, a simple but nonetheless imposing throne. Salem seemingly glides across the floor to stand at one of many large windows lining the walls. Moving to stand beside her, the two of you stare out at the scarred earth below. The sight that greets you both horrifies and intrigues you. Hundreds of feet below lie countless puddles of black ooze. The real show however, is what's crawling out of them. Grimm, creatures of Grimm of every kind and creed.

"What is this?" You ask, somewhat horrified, taking a step back from the window.

"As I told you, the darkness knows who really commands it." Salem says. "And in time, you'll learn to command it as well."

"I will?"

"Yes." She nods. "I have plans for you (F/N), big plans. But first you must learn to control your power. You must be reborn in darkness."

"I'm not sure." You say, starting to have second thoughts. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"Relax (F/N)." Salem says. Turning from the window, she places a hand on your shoulder. When she does, you feel a surge of power course through your veins. It felt invigorating and empowering. You inhale deeply, gorging on the feeling, until all too soon, it disappears. It leaves you feeling empty and hungry for more. "You felt that, didn't you?" She asks. "That feeling of power. It felt good, didn't it." You nod, longing for more. "And that is only a fraction of the potential I sense in you. Let me help you, teach you how to unlock your abilities to their fullest extent."

Cracking your neck, you breathe deeply. "When do we get started?"

"Right now."

Time Skip:

"Before you can unlock the true power of the darkness within you, we must first eliminate the light."

It's been several months since you first accepted Salem's offer. Since then she has had you fight hordes of Grimm, each trial becoming more and more difficult as she gauged your power. After establishing a base point, she continued to train you to hone your powers more effectively, teaching you to use as little effort as possible to command the darkness. She pushed you to the limits, teaching you new ways to use the darkness, things you'd never even imagined or though possible. This training continued until she decided she could no longer teach you without you first becoming stronger. Now, you sat in her throne room, her at the head of the table, you in the first chair beside her.