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

Chapter XIV: Not Quite Love

You remain as smoke for several days, mulling things over in your head, but at the same time thinking of nothing at all. The winds scatter your consciousness across Remnant. Part of you is in Vacuo, drifting lazily over the arid ground and desert sands. At the same time, you linger over the island of Menagerie, watching the Faunus population as you hang overhead. You look down upon the people below you with curiosity, watching them simply go about their daily business. All of them wear bright smiles and greet each other with such joy. How? How can they be so happy? They've been treated like animals and herded onto a small, overpopulated island that is two thirds desert. Compared to you, they're little more than insects. They have nothing, but somehow, they still manage to smile. They took the shitty hand life had dealt them and had managed to turn it into a slice of paradise. They're happy. Happier than you've been in a long time. Longer than you can remember. And they've lived. They live more in one day than you have in your entire life, their pathetic, irrelevant routines giving them a sense of purpose, something you lack.

Across the world, carried by the winds, you see more people like those in Menagerie. Happy, joyous, content with their insignificant lives. You're perplexed. You hold so much more importance, so much more power than any of them. Your influence over the world, the things you will help achieve are beyond what they could even begin to imagine. And yet you still find yourself jealous of them. Envious of their lives and the illusion of purpose they possess. What do they have that makes them so happy? What do they have that you lack? In Mistral, you watch as a family of three exit an ice cream store. A mother and father both carry a cone in their hands. The mother's other arm holds onto a small girl who holds the largest treat of the three. The father looks over and kisses his wife while the little girl sticks out her tongue in disgust. Laughing, the man stoops down and picks up his daughter in one arm, kissing her cheek. The daughter squeals while her mother laughs.

Without giving it much thought, you will your consciousness to follow the family as they walk throughout the Kingdom. They stop in a small store and leave minutes later, the father carrying a newly purchased hoe over his shoulder, the little girl's head donned with a flowery sun hat. As the sun begins to descend, the three make their way to the outskirts of the Kingdom. The little girl has fallen asleep in her mother's arms, head resting on her shoulder as her parents continue walking towards the setting sun. You don't know why you continue to follow them. Perhaps to see what allows them such enjoyment in life. You hover in front of the parents, examining their smiling features with curiosity. Such light they have in their eyes. Drifting around to the back, you look at the sleeping girl, her tiny features resting peacefully, head bouncing ever so slightly with every step her mother takes. She suddenly sneezes, surprising her self and waking her from her sleep. Her eyes shoot open and you're greeted with brilliant blue orbs staring at you. You take pause at her eyes' unique appearance. She reaches a hand out and snatches her hand at you, probably trying to catch some insect. You continue to follow the family, the little girl's eyes continuing to stare through you. The sun has almost set by the time they reach a small village. Bored, you turn and begin to float away.

"Bye bye!" The little girl waves.

You stop and turn around. The little girl is looking up at you, waving. It's almost like she can see you. Squinting, you focus you gaze upon her. As she sneezes again her eyes glow blue and a strong gust of wind blows you further away. Allowing yourself to be carried away, you find yourself stunned. If you weren't mistaken, that was the Spring Maiden.

"(F/N)!"

Salem's voice rings through every part of your being.

"Mistress." You respond.

"Where are you?"

"Many places." You answer.

"Return to me at once." She commands. "You've been absent for far too long. I'm beginning to wonder if you aren't conspiring against me."