AN: So this is my first RWBY fic. Mistakes were made and now I'm writing a fanfiction, go figure. Feedback is greatly appreciated, and I just want you to know that I love your eyes today.


She stood at the mirror, and watched the clock.

She looked… OK. Her black hair was a bit longer than she used to wear it, the cut a bit more lopsided. Her scars didn't hurt much, but she still covered them with bandages or clothes when possible. Her eye was still the same amber, but these days it lacked the glint of power and the spark of a maiden. A sleeve hung empty at her left; she didn't have the resources to obtain a prosthetic, not anymore. Her remaining features had softened over the years, but her body remained strong and healthy thanks to her aura.

Moving her gaze from the mirror to a calendar nearby, Cinder Fall saw that it was, in fact, the dreaded day. The day she had been warned about by a letter, an actual physical letter.

Curse this tiny town for being so far removed from real civilization that they had to actually receive news and information via… Mailman . If that wasn't bad enough, the local gossip was inane at best. No secret trysts or underhanded business deals, ' oh Cinder dear, did you hear that the Ulys's might be pregnant again?' there was no power play to those words. No attempt at malice, just actual joy at the news.

Cinder hated them all.

Most of all. She hated the one who had put her here. Ruby Rose. Savior of the world, not that she'd ever admit it. That overly humble schtick wasn't even an act, she truly believed anyone could, and would, have done what she had. Telling the gods responsible for your very existence to 'go lick a nevermore ' was not what anyone would call a normal reaction.

But that was not what made today so unfortunate. No, today she was being visited by none other than Mr Jaune Arc. He had once been the sorriest excuse for a Huntsman Cinder had ever met, and she'd met Watts.

Now, here he was, acting in the name of a newly reopened Beacon Academy, official letterhead and all. Why was he bothering with Cinder? He'd only tried to kill her a handful of times, in her old life that was like a handshake; barely worth the effort to remember. Was it just to come rub salt in the would that was her current life? Maybe let her reclaim some lost dignity by killing her in a fit of rage? The possibilities were truly endless.

Dear Ms. Fall

I have a proposition for you, but seeing as your current living situation leaves you beyond easy communication, I will be coming to visit in person to discuss it with you. I will be in and about the region near the end of the month.

-Jaune Arc, Beacon Academy.

Such a short message, so empty of any true meaning. The date wasn't even concrete! The only reason she knew today was the day, was the damnable inane gossip had turned from puppies and baby photos, to Huntsmen. Specifically a supposedly handsome Huntsman of some repute, that occasionally made rounds in the area.

So, Cinder waited. Stewing in the helpless feeling of not knowing just what he could want with her after years of trying to stop her. More years again of simply ignoring her, leaving her to rot in this dreadful village.

Until she heard a polite knock on her door. "Cinder Fall, I'd like to make you a deal."


Cinder questioned many things about her life.

If she had been successful in attaining all the power she craved, what would actually have happened? In hindsight Cinder honestly wasn't sure her body could contain two maiden's worth of power, let alone four.

If Cinder had never accepted Salem's offer of power in the first place, would she have been happy? There was a very real chance she would be dead, but this was a hypothetical anyway. It was… unlikely that she would have been happy. Back then she had only really felt happy when holding what meager power she held claim to over another's head.

Her past self was an idiot.

Her present self? the jury was still out. For the moment, she was alive. She was striding confidently towards the academy she had once utterly destroyed, now restored to working order. The heat was bearable, but Cinder had burns covering a large portion of her body; physical heat was nothing compared to what a grimm felt under the affects of silver eyes.

It had taken the blonde idiot giving her a tour close to a year before she finally actually listened to the deal he was offering. A deal of amnesty from her past crimes, of all things. Not forgiveness, inherently, but at least a chance to not be executed on sight by the world governments. He had done so by showing up maybe once a month, sometimes with a gaggle of academy-aged children and sometimes carrying odd tools and weapons, and helping her around the house. having one arm and half the range of vision as most people really did a number on one's ability to live independantly... or at least sweep effectively.

But now, as Cinder walked the pathways of beacon Academy, Jaune made sure she was getting the full mission statement.

"It's taken a while, but even after everything we did the world needs people willing to help. To do that most will need training, and for that they need people willing to teach who know what they're talking about." Jaune explained as they entered the grounds he once more called home.

"So, what? You expect me to teach a horde of hormone monsters the terrors of accepting deals from secret organizations? 'How to subvert a terrorist organization and influence people'? Oh, why not a class on infusing yourself with ancient, dangerous magic for a chance at greater power?" each question seemed more and more self-depreciating than Cinder had intended. Jaune seemed to take it all in stride.

He laughed. Actually, full on, earnestly laughed at that. "Unfortunately 'Subversion and Infiltration' is already fully staffed, and while we're still looking for a head of the Archeology department, I somehow think that isn't quite up your alley. You also lack teaching credentials, for the moment." oh look, the jury. Definitely an idiot.

"To get past that there's a few hurdles, one being we have to prove you're not going to lead a coup with your students, or kill them." oh, they'd only with they were dea- I see the wisdom.

"Then you'd have to prove to your coworkers you know what you're doing. That should be relatively easy, assuming you aren't too rusty with your Semblance these days." please.

"Finally, and here's the part I know you won't like, the council wants you to have a stake in something local. A bit of insurance you're not going to rampage through the city indiscriminately. Again." Jaune seemed the most nervous about at that. Odd.

"what kind of 'stake'? Do they want me to start a small business? How about a nice cafe? I can serve all sorts of unique blends and go up against corporate giants with the help of my ragtag group of friends and the local mafia." Cinder couldn't help but internally laugh at such a ridiculous idea.

"Well, that is one possibility. I'm not sure you have the lien for it, if you decide to go that route. Plus with teaching duties, you would need a full staff able to run it most days without you." Jaune answered, possibly faster than anyone who hadn't considered something similar beforehand.

"Realistically, you have a handful of options that don't involve lots of money or some kind of monitoring device. Two of which are directly available to you at this school." He held up a finger

"Your first option is the students. Teach alongside a supervisor for a few years. Make friends with the students. Worry about if they're doing well after graduation. Be generally empathetic." Cinder could feel the bile rising already. Nothing could be possibly be worse than the idea of being nice to such goody-goody little cretins.

"Before I tell you the second option, I should tell you. Your old crew were both offered the same deal; Mercury accepted the first." -What could possibly be so bad that Mercury of all people decided to work with children?-

"Given your history of clandestine operations, Atlas may be able to give you a third route. Experience tells me that the regimented, disciplinarian lifestyle would not agree with you." she could only nod in agreement.

"So that leaves just one option..."


"Ruby!" Jaune called into the classroom. "I have someone you should meet"

-Sweet Maidens. I should have gone with the military.-

Cinder's most hated person, Ruby Rose. Came practically bouncing out of the room. Before crashing into Jaune in a tight hug.

"Jaune! Welcome back. How was the hunt? Did you try the new dust rounds? How was the balance? Does the aim still drift to the left? Hi Cinder. Was the recoil to much? Should I realign the firing pin?" The questions came like rounds from a chaingun, she barely even stopped for air as she inspected the weapon Jaune had offered to her.

Her short red hair a completely unprofessional mop trying its best to live its dream of being an anemone. She was startlingly well dressed, otherwise.

A pair of boots, sturdy yet uniquely stylish, ran up her shins. Tights ran up into her skirt, multilayered combat variety, of course. An extremely well polished snowflake sat on her belt buckle with a variety of pouches and slots accompanying along its dark brown length, with what appeared to be a strip of ribbon wound securely between them. A black corset and red cloak rounding out the strange trip down memory lane.

Ruby Rose looked practically identical as the last day Cinder had seen her. It infuriated her that time seemed to outright ignore the silver-eyed woman. While her own body had fallen from its previous perfection.

She was still beautiful, of course. But burns, scars, and missing limbs did not a flawless figure make.

"Ruby, it worked great, I'll get you the report later. Right now you should say hello to your new Assistant." Jaune gestured her way.

Glancing up from the weapon "Huh? I already did. Still not sure if the drift is a counterbalance or a seating issue." turning towards Cinder, Ruby offered a handshake. "Hey Cinder, welcome back to Beacon."

Accepting the hand, Cinder didn't know if she had ever been more confused. This was the same person who had, the last time Cinder had seen her; forcibly burned a parasite made of pure negativity out of her body. Brushed off the gods. Saved humanity, and left Cinder to rot in that stupid little town with its babies and mailmen.

Ruby didn't show a single shred of malice.

She didn't even attempt to shake hands with her dominant hand first. She offered the one Cinder could correctly shake. It had taken her a literal year to adapt to that, and here was her worst enemy adapting so quickly there wasn't any hesitation in which hand to use.

Cinder might hate her more now than she did atop Beacon's tower all those years ago.

"I'm glad you're doing well, I know you'll do your best by my students." Not even a flash of something in her eyes to betray the mask she had to be wearing.

"I can do a lot with solid weapons, but once it's semblance-based I can really only direct my students towards old videos or pictures. A lot of the recent ones feature you, at least in the school's records." -she admitted to weakness that easily. What kind of unholy abomination is Ruby really?-

"I hate you." Cinder let slip

"Do you want a new arm? I know it's rude, but if you had your balance back, it might be better for combat-oriented lessons. We can whip you up a temporary one with the facilities on campus, but it might take a bit for a fully functional one to get made." Ruby took the comment in stride, instead focusing on helping her regain combat effectiveness.

Cinder questioned many things about her life.