Maiden - Plot

A\N: Umm, Enjoy?

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"What are we doing here, mistress?" I asked the person standing right next to me. That was an expected question in my opinion since I was forced to follow her to lower floors of the castle.

Cinder Fall – 15 years old. She is gifted with ashen black hair and bright amber eyes. She wears a dark-red, off-the-shoulders, v-neck mini dress with yellow designs. There is a blue feather-like accessory on her right hip, at the top of an open portion of her dress. The dress ends in an upside-down triangular tail in the back, ending just above the knees.

The person who called me here wasn't actually a human, she was the one who ripped me away from my maniac mother and forced the certain crap on me. She said only a human can use the stones which were created by that damned wizard.

That's why I'm wearing this anklet.

Oh, she is giving me that look again...

Salem, the goddess of Grimm. Her skin is a deathly pallor, covered with deep red and purple veins that run up her arms and face. The sclerae of her eyes are jet black and her irises glow red, even brighter when she is agitated. She has a black diamond-shaped marking in the center of her forehead. She wears a very long black robe with red designs resembling eyes.

Cinder lowered her head a bit to make her believe she still had respect for her. "If you don't mind me asking."

Salem slowly turned her face back to the door but she wasn't actually looking at it like she was looking through it.

"Behind this door, you'll meet your new companion. Since you're still inexperienced using the Sun Stone you'll get yourself killed without one." The queen explained with a stern yet calm tone. The current Summer Maiden snarled without showing it. She never could stand someone calling her weak even if it was the strongest being in the earth.

"Yes." She managed to reply. Salem looked at her for a second then pushed the door open, revealing the scene that surprised the teenager.

The dimly-illuminated room was empty except the bed placed in the middle. The bed wasn't empty, there was a person who seemed to be sleeping in it for a very long time.

Sasuke – Age unknown (18 looking), inheritor of the ancient Grimm Indra. He has onyx eyes and spiky black hair with a blue tint. His hair hung over his face as bangs. He is the son of the original Grimm Queen who was killed by him and his brother Naruto, yet he is not a Grimm.

Cinder's wide eyes traveled to the person who stood beside the bed, staring his brother's face god knows for how long. His half-lidded blue eyes focused on a single point and obviously, that wasn't them. His standing posture, his emotionless face, and his half-closed eyes were so full of power that Cinder felt a shiver went down her spine.

Naruto – Age unknown (18 looking), inheritor of the ancient Grimm Asura. He has bright, blue eyes and spiky, blond hair which has ear-length bangs framing either side of his face. He was wearing a dark-blue skinny long-sleeved shirt which reaches to his nose as a half face-mask. That shirt could be barely seen because of the orange hoodie he was wearing over it that he always had its hood on. For his lower body, there were cream-colored baggy pants which were going past his knees and brown sandals.

"Naruto." The older woman called out, her eyes focused on his face. The blonde took notice of them and turned his face to where they stood, his firm look on gazed Cinder then Salem. He took several steps and gave a slight bow to his aunt.

"Cinder." Salem raised a hand and drew the maiden's attention. "The one lies in the bed is Sasuke, he was the one who captured the Sun Stone for you to take but unfortunately he was overwhelmed by Ozpin and one of his teams which the former Summer Maiden was a member of."

Cinder gladly turned her gaze to the teenager lying in a bed, that was a good reason to escape from the male's gaze. She studied the black haired hybrid tip to toe and it didn't take a long while for her to notice the ring he was wearing. That stone...

"Are they...?" Cinder wondered aloud. Salem made a sound of satisfaction.

"Yes, they are the holders of the stones beside the maidens."

Cinder took a quick at the finger of Naruto then turned her face to the white-skinned woman.

"You said only women can wield a stone?"

"Hmm sounds like a good conversation starter to me. Don't you think my nephew?" Salem turned her face to Naruto who stood there without a change on his face. "Good, you're going to be her- hmm- bodyguard from now on. Am I clear?"

She nodded at the teenager and prepared to leave the room until she heard a voice.

"Wait am I missing something? How did you just communicate when all he does is standing there?" Cinder asked as she noticed Naruto rolling his eyes, that was the first reaction she received from him.

Salem let a small smile spread across her lips. "Call his name." After that she stepped out of the room, leaving a silent Naruto and frustrated Cinder.

The more time passed the more nervous Cinder felt under the gaze of the taller teen. Deciding that she had enough of this, she cleared her throat and mirrored his firm gaze.

"Naruto."

Ah finally.

The black haired girl's eyes widened when his voice echoed in her mind, it was like he was talking in her head. She collected her thoughts and the recent conversation started to make sense.

Thought you were going to faint there, Ojou.

Cinder was taken aback by these words.

"Why would I- What does Ojo mean?" She snapped as she looked at his face-mask which wasn't even moving. Now that was weird. She was talking to a person who was answering with telepathy. Plus, he looked amused by her outburst.

She waited for an answer but he wasn't going to answer her, was he mocking her now?

"Why don't you speak normally anyway?" She asked with a slightly loud voice and that apparently disturbed him. He made his way to the position she was standing and grabbed her arm.

"Hey!"

Naruto ignored her struggles as he dragged her to outside of the room, he closed the door behind them.

You're too loud.

She was ready to yell at him until she noticed his two fingers pulling down the face-mask. She immediately silenced herself as she watched him revealing his lower face.

And there it was.

She would've focused on the line scar on his cheek which was going down his neck if there wasn't a cross on his lips. Different thing was, the cross wasn't formed with lines but some kind of ancient language letters, dozens of them. That was a seal.

Mother's last gift for me before she died. She never liked me talking too much.

Cinder swallowed his sarcastic words as she watched him wearing his mask again. She palmed her face, it was going to take a while to get used to the way he talked.

"A curse?" She heard from Salem that her kind was able to that which was pretty scary. If they were able to do cast it on a powerful being like him then how a human could protect themselves from them?

Naruto gave her a slight shrug, allowing her to call it like that. That was history, after all, he got used to it since it wasn't going to go away despite all his tries.

Cinder pursed her lips at his reaction, he seemed to be given up on that matter. Wasn't there a way to break it though?

Let's go.

She raised her face to see his walking frame.

"Where to?" She asked without a second thought as she unconsciously started walking. She waited for an answer but... he wasn't going to answer again, was he? Damn, he was supposed to be his bodyguard, not an annoying piece of... wait, did his lips curved upwards just now?

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Then again, Cinder Fall was forced to follow someone for over ten minutes. She was taken here about a month ago so she didn't know most of the place. She'd met several people works under Salem just like herself, everyone had a different job.

She was the current powerhouse if one would be optimistic enough to focus on her potential. She was a 15-year-old girl who only stands 169 cm tall, also her mother had never sent her to one of the training school. She meant to be her replacement in underground business.

On the other hand, one can't say that her mother didn't teach her anything. She was a master at talking and manipulation, learned from the best. It was hard to remember the last time she had a healthy conversation with her mother, don't question just obey.

Beside her, there were countless men working for the Goddess that she'd never seen. Assassin, doctor, muscular giant man...

She was thrown out of her thoughts when she noticed the blonde stopped walking and turned around to face her. Cinder looked at the black liquid pools in the open area that seemed to be boiling non-stop.

"What do you want me to do?" The Maiden asked with her brows furrowed. Naruto turned his face to one of the pools and pointed at it with a hand.

That'd better if Sasuke was here but I think I can handle it.

He ignored Cinder's raised brow as he raised his arm and clenched his fist.

I want you to survive.

Without a warning, a full pack of Baewolfs started to emerge from the liquid. Scattering saliva and growling at Cinder with hate as their eyes glowed red.

"What!?" The ashen black-haired girl took a step back as her arms shot upwards to defense. Was he trying to kill her now!? How was he able to control the Grimm like that!?

Her question was answered when she saw him stamping a Baewolf's head which decided that it was a good idea to attack him first. So, that was what he meant, he had no full control over Grimm unlike his brother.

She cursed under her breath as one of the creatures towered over her and slashed its claw. She – having no confidence on her quickness – summoned a basketball sized fireball into her palm and fired it to the 3 meter of darkness.

She didn't even have time to see its head exploding as another one launched itself towards her. She made an uppercut-like move and welcomed the 'wolf' with a flame spray. The creature's insides were burned to ash when they met the powerful flames of the Sun Stone.

Unfortunately for her, the giant body fell on her and glued her to the ground. The inheritor of Asura watched calmly as the girl struggled to save herself from the weight as the other monsters ran to her with rage.

Cinder clenched her teeth in anger when she found it impossible to just push away. Her eyes shot open as the power rushed through her veins, the creatures' claws inches away from her.

Suddenly an expected explosion occurred and washed the darkness away, ceased their existence. From the center of the explosion, Cinder rose, her eyes surrounded by a fiery glow. She pointed a finger at the hooded teenager.

"You meant to protect me!" She yelled with fury, it wasn't misplaced, she'd almost died.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders in an uncaring manner.

Best way to protect you is showing you how to protect yourself.

Agh, his pedantic tone.

The Maiden snarled and fired a fireball at him who backhanded it with an effort. What effect it made? She got angrier.

She performed a flurry of attacks with both of her hands but every single one of them was parried. She didn't wait for a second that she rocketed herself to him, a basketball-sized fireball readied in her palm.

The hybrid choked his head aside that showed his confusion of her actions. Cinder smirked and slammed her flames into his abdomen, it was satisfying to watch the smoke and flames washed over his body. She was a damn Maiden, after all, she was strong now, she was powerful now. Not like before.

On the other hand, why she had a bad feeling about this?

She immediately raised her face to see the face of the taller male. Her cheeks twitched when she saw his half-lidded eyes, again, he was acting like nothing happened.

She tilted her head slowly to see his unharmed palm that he used in order to protect himself from her attack. She clicked her tongue in disappointment and summoned her flames again when Naruto grabbed her ankle and raised her to air like a rag doll.

Her flames suddenly died when another job was assigned to her hands, keeping her dress from falling down and showing everything.

Don't you think it's enough Ojou? By the way, I don't think the flames of the Sun is that weak...

He raised her higher to look at her face. Well, reversely.

"Put me down this instant!" Cinder screamed but she was helpless since she was unable to use her hands. She glared at him with hate, at his uncaring, sheepish face.

Agh, how annoying it was.

She summoned her flames and let them dance around her body, like electrons around an atom. Naruto was forced to take a step back when another mighty explosion shook the ground and set the Maiden free.

She somehow managed to land on her feet and gazed her opponent who had no intention to fight. Her eyes traveled to his right hand which he hadn't pulled out of her pocket during the whole fight. She looked at her other hand to see a sign of ring but nope, he was wearing it in his other hand.

This fact could've enraged her even further but it was partially her fault for not being able to force him to use both of his hands. She took a deep breath and calmed herself, letting the glow around her eyes vanish.

She was powerful, she was strong. But the monster in front of him was on a whole different level, so was his brother. Considering that Ozpin and that team were able to beat Sasuke, they were on the brothers' level too. Well, at least Ozpin was.

He was the creator of the stones, six of them. Maybe he was able to disable a stone, maybe that was the way they overwhelmed the hybrid. The certain question climbed up her throat but she swallowed it down, he was still an ass and she didn't want to talk with him.

Defeating Ozpin was going to be her future mission for sure, Salem was going to force it on her like she always did. When that time came, she had to be ready... for everything and in order to do it...

She raised her face with full confidence.

"I-"

Huh?

Naruto was standing there cross-armed, his head constantly dropping and rising again with the effect of being asleep.

A silent growl escaped from her lips as her face heat-up in anger.

"TAKE ME SERIOUSLY!"

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Real A\N: Hey guys, hope you all enjoyed. I know what you think but nope, I wasn't having a vacation away from Fic. I was always writing stuff but I somehow couldn't get myself to publish. I hope I can be stubborn enough to continue writing. Have a good day and be here when I post the first chapter :D