CW: Fire


Of course Ironwood thought ahead. He may have been unrealistic, may have been reckless with his military at times, may be a bad person, but he was not dumb. His soldiers patrolled the edges of the Beacon Academy campus carefully and cautiously. Somehow, Ironwood expected Glynda would try to escape. For the first time since losing it, Glynda was actually glad she didn't have her scroll, so easily trackable, so comfortable in her pocket. She didn't want to give his army any advantages.

The hunger within her gnawed and seemed to plant ideas in her mind. They don't know you have Amber's power yet, it said sweetly, a terrible song within her blood, mind, and aura. They aren't prepared for a Maiden, or half of one. Use your new magic. Destroy these beings who would harm you.

There was something almost sinister about the idea, and that was the only thing that stopped her from obedience. Instead of abiding, she pulled her riding crop from its sheath when she was just out of sight of the first of the soldiers. She extended it, pointed it at a far-off tree and snapped it upwards, then downwards. Once, twice, three times, until the limb broke and fell to the ground with a loud crash.

Ironwood's soldiers looked in that direction. "Over there!" yelled one. "She's farther than we thought!"

"Careful!" another warned.

Glynda watched five or six run off before she deemed it safe to continue, heading in the opposite direction that she had lured them towards. She thanked her lucky stars that they weren't smart enough to leave anyone behind to watch out for her. Silently as possible, she moved through the woods, picking her way over roots and fallen branches. All the while, she cursed silently. This was not her element. She never had wanted to be the typical Huntress, a glorified exterminator. From the moment she set foot in Beacon as a student eight years ago, she had wanted to be a teacher. From the moment she set foot in Beacon, she'd had no desire to every leave.

She reached for her scroll automatically as she continued to move, just to confirm that yes, her Beacon degree qualified her for instruction and not this shitty wild life. For one second, she was shocked when it was gone, then she remembered and was merely irritated. Fear tried to creep in. She didn't let it.

Another patrol group up ahead alerted her to their presence. Atlesian soldiers, cold city warriors, did not know how to be quiet in the outdoors. Even Glynda was more apt at it then them. She smirked as she looked around for a way to distract them. Not the same thing twice, no, no better way for them to realize what was going on. Not even something in the same caliber, not anything too crude. Hmmm.

They were talking loudly, arguing about something or another, probably which way she'd gone. Ironwood and Ozpin would have realized by this time that she wasn't going to meet with them. If they were worth their salt… and Glynda knew they were… they'd have discovered that Amber's powers had been stolen by now. All Hunters and soldiers would be on top alert for the newest international criminal.

Glynda climbed up a tree, just far enough that she could see the soldiers without being in their immediate eyesight. Hopefully, they wouldn't look up.

Her crop flicked ever so slightly as her semblance grasped one soldier's shirt and just barely, barely tugged. "Wha-?" he began before Glynda threw him backwards, into the foliage until he was out of sight. "She's got me! She's using the Maiden power!"

They ran after him, guns out, and Glynda gave him a last good push so that he'd continue to stumble for a while after her power let go. So they knew. That was confirmed. They didn't seem to know what the power did, though, nor that she was simply very gifted with her semblance.

She hoped that luck would last.


She had dealt peacefully with nine patrols total by the time she stepped out of the woods. There would inevitably be more groups of soldiers to dodge, but for now, Glynda felt safe enough to allow herself a chance to think. She remembered what Doctor Oobleck had taught her, the kind of thing that she only learned for a test. Huntress thinking, he'd called it. Four questions to guide your actions. What do I know? What do I want to know? Who am I? How can I improve my chances for survival?

She knew she was being hunted. The words of the soldiers had proven it. Ironwood was not above treating her like a criminal, then. That did beg a few questions, though. Was he framing her for the murder of Yang Xiao Long? Did Ozpin believe him? Was Ozpin in on this to begin with? The idea made her shudder, but she kept going. Were they the true bad guys in all of this, everything the few intercepted communications from the enemy made them out to be- tyrannical, power hungry dictators?

No.

Only, perhaps the answer was yes.

Glynda moved on to the next question. Who was she? A thief, and a thief of one of the most valuable things she had ever heard of, probably the most valuable things that Ozpin or Ironwood had heard of either. Apart from that, she was a professor, the youngest on staff. She was a recent Beacon graduate… her five year reunion wasn't until next year. Still, despite four intensive years of training, she had no field experience. She didn't need it. Paperwork and students suited her, and she had more people skills in a pinky than most Hunters had in their entire body.

She smiled, grimly sarcastic. "I'm sure I can talk anyone who wants to arrest me out of it," she muttered to herself.

The truth was, none of what she was, none of what she knew, would better her survival chances. If anything, it made them worse.

So what would?

Disguising herself. Making new allies. Finding a place to sleep.

Oh yes, yes, finding a place to sleep would be lovely.

With her dwindling resources of aura, Glynda swept her crop around the woods behind her; for a moment, she thought it was crazy to go back in, but it was safer for her than a town. Large sticks and logs began to swirl in the air, and she set them neatly between some branches in a nearby tree. Then, leaves covered that. A bed. Perhaps not the safest one, but falling off would hardly kill her.

She climbed up the tree and into the makeshift bed. Before five minutes were up, she was out.


The hunger in Cinder Fall's soul was so insistent, more than ever. It wrapped around her neck like a collar and tugged her. It was a threatening feeling that demanded obedience. A lesser woman may have found it daunting, evil, unbearable. The imagined restraints were only comforting to Cinder, however. She didn't mind the tightness or the emptiness. In fact, she even liked them.

Her long fingers dragged down her scroll's news app as she searched for more news about the Xiao Long incident. The girl was due to be released that night; Remnant certainly wasn't happy about that. When she was out of her prison and walking among the citizens, the negative emotion build up would be…

Update: Xiao Long, 17, has been discovered dead in her cell at the Old Vale Reformation Facility. Foul play is suspected.

Cinder's eyes narrowed. "Mercury, Emerald. Have either of you had any contact with Yang Xiao Long since...?"

"None, Cinder," Emerald assured before the woman even finished her sentence. "I've been staying out of sight as much as possible. Why?"

Cinder began to read out loud. "Xiao Long's body was discovered dismembered in her cell on Saturday night. Based on evidence found at the scene, the primary suspect is Glynda Goodwitch, 25, a professor at Beacon Academy. Miss Goodwitch is suspected for the murder, as well as for aura siphoning of an unnamed…"

"Cinder?" Emerald prompted.

The tugging at her throat was more insistent now. "Emerald," she purred. "Be a dear and pull up the Atlas computers and the most immediate file changes, won't you?" Within seconds, the order was realized. Amber's file had the most recent change, only minutes ago. "Click on our dear friend's files, won't you?"

They flooded the screen. Pictures, statistics, numbers that were meaningless even to Cinder. Only one thing mattered.

Status: Ex-Maiden. Deceased.

It was a link, one that would no doubt take them to her successor. Emerald clicked it without being asked, anticipating where this was going.

Glynda Goodwitch's file, another one full to the brim with photos and numbers and birthdays and blood types. Then, that all important field.

Status: Wanted alive for crimes against Remnant. Current location unknown. Possible Maiden.

Cinder sat back, a satisfied smirk playing on her face. "Well, well. It looks like our plans are changing once again. Emerald, cancel all my appointments for the next few days. The tournament is unimportant for now."


As the sun filtered down through the leaves on Glynda's tree, the young woman began to stir. Still, her dreams seemed to linger. Words, lovely and tempting, spoke especially to her. You have so many enemies now. Yet, you are formidable. You will survive to reunite what is broken, or else you will fall quickly and stubbornly.

Glynda wasn't sure if those were her real thoughts or not. She opened one eye and looked around her. The forest seemed, on appraisal, to be empty. Good in the immediate, but she'd passed her Military Tactics class with flying colors six years ago. For a criminal escape, procedure was to try to stop them with brute force first. If that didn't work, then in twelve hours the police and soldiers were withdrawn to make room for specialized trackers. Capture rate was a phenomenal eighty-five percent.

Trackers, however, relied on a stagnant opponent with a hideout, not a messed-up girl with no place to go. Glynda was speedy and planless. That was an edge, strange as it sounded.

What else did they rely on? Civilian assistance. By now, a description and picture would be circulating on news stations and scrolls kingdom-wide. Best to change as much of her appearance as she could. For a moment, the thought of a nice shopping trip and a haircut crossed her mind, but then she frowned. A hairdresser would be just as likely as anyone else to know who she was.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pocket knife from her huntress first aid kit. With a grimace and a heavy reluctance, she began to saw at her hair, cutting between her head and the intricate bun she was known for. As it fell to her feet, she worked on the front of her head, going quickly and hoping it was still decent. Off went the spiral curls that fell loose in front of her fair face. Instead, she opted for bangs, hoping that those and her haphazard pixie cut would work as far as hair changes went.

Ironwood probably predicted she was in her combat outfit, too. With a sense of urgency, Glynda stripped and began to strategically saw at her dress. Off came her dress sleeves, and the stockings turned into transparent fingerless mittens in their stead. She turned her cape inside out and cut two holes in it for her arms, shortened the length and made it even instead of wavy… there, a vest. Her first aid kit supplied two safety pins, and suddenly she had shorts rather than a skirt, shorts that were disconnected from her new crop top.

It wouldn't last two weeks. Maybe, though, it would last long enough for her to get an actual new outfit. She slipped it back on, letting the fabric fall as it wanted. Then, she looked into her shiny pocket knife for a reflection. Glynda was shocked to find that she looked almost her age. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had guessed her at twenty-five. Business-like attire and a stern expression had a way of making one look in their mid-thirties at least.

She slowly took off her glasses, which were only truly needed for reading, anyway, and placed them in the first aid kit in her dress… pardon, shorts… pocket. There. Anyone who knew her personally would likely recognize her. Anyone who read a description? Not so likely.

Only one more thing to do. She gathered the branches she slept on, the scraps of clothing, and the long locks she'd spent so long growing into a large pile.

Do it, whispered something inside her.

She felt her face get warm and her blood boil. She felt the trees around her perk up, as though they were listening. Glynda tried not to be terrified by what she was about to unleash, though a tiny part of her screamed pull back! Don't do it!

"Whatever I unleash now will be far better than being caught," she promised herself through gritted teeth.

As the last word left her lips, the earth below the pile of trash began to flash orange, red, and yellow. Then, everything went up in flames.

Despite herself, Glynda Goodwitch grinned at the sight.


Cinder's face grew warm as she settled into her seat. She looked around at the airship she and her associates had managed to 'borrow.' It was posh, beautiful, unlike the medical ship they'd taken a few days ago. This one was made for one of the prestigious visitors to Vale who had come only to watch the tournament in person. They likely had front row seats, too. They would be upset when they realized the repairperson who assured them the ship needed a checkup was only an illusion and wouldn't be giving the vehicle back. However, they wouldn't be too upset. Likely they could afford five more just like this without even a cringe.

She stroked the soft arms of her velvet seat and looked around her. Emerald, Neo, and Mercury were playing cards at a small oaken table not too far from her, Neo taking occasional glances to the autopilot mechanism just to make sure it was operating smoothly. "Lighten up, Neo," Cinder said. "This airship is too well maintained to malfunction. The only thing we have to worry about is that there's a remote control feature on the owner's scroll."

Neo's face said that was exactly what she was worried about. "I can hack my way out of that, if it occurs," Cinder purred self-confidently. "Relax for once. Enjoy yourself. We have no solid plans and no solid time frame. The game has changed, and I can't say that I mind."

"Cinder," said Emerald, "why did we leave? We still have things to do in Vale, even if Amber isn't worth anything anymore. Salem is going to…"

"She is going to understand," snapped Cinder. Then, softer, she began to explain herself. "I've talked to her. She trusts my judgment. She knows that I'm completely loyal, even if it isn't a loyalty to her."

Emerald had looked taken aback, but she quickly smoothed her expression into a smile. "Cinder… I never met Holle… but I know she'd be proud of what you're doing."

Cinder closed her eyes. Talk of Holle was exactly what she had not wanted to hear, or at least not until she was complete. Still, Emerald couldn't know that. Mercury and Neo, smiling and nodding beside her, couldn't know that.

"Thank you," Cinder said, and her speech was slightly stilted and formal. "I'm sure she would be as well."


Following the edge of the forest, the first city Glynda came to was swarming with soldiers. None of them gave the short haired twenty-something with tattered clothes any attention, but neither did they look at her face. Glynda kept her head down as she moved with the crowd, hiding in plain sight. She stopped only once, at the window of an electronics shop. Televisions and open scrolls in the window showed the news. A montage of events in the last twenty four hours played, and Glynda watched as huntsmen and huntresses examined the prison where Yang's body was found. A soldier tugged on his collar nervously as he recounted getting dragged into the woods by the perpetrator's mysterious semblance (So, they corrected him, Glynda thought to herself). Then, a forest up in flames, trackers unable to get through the burning Forever Fall (Oops). Finally, they showed a picture of Glynda, or what she looked like only hours ago anyway. Hopefully, she looked different enough now to get through the town quickly and with no issue.

She managed to find her way into the next village by nightfall. There were less soldiers here, though some still milled around. They crowded into the tiny inn, drinking and gossiping like proverbial old women. Glynda decided to spend another night camped in a nearby tree rather than risk recognition. When she was certain there was no one to see her, she scampered into the forest, just far enough that she was out of sight of any villagers or guards. Though it was nightfall, there was enough light to see by, a soft red glow on the horizon that she thought almost nothing of.

She made another makeshift bed with fallen branches and the many leaves that floated softly to the ground. Her stomach growled, and she thanked the heavens that she'd had the foresight to pick Forever Fall to run with. Her riding crop came out, and a bit of creative telekinesis screwed a hole into a nearby tree. As the sweet, thick sap dripped out, she used her magic to pop small amounts of it into her mouth. It was saccharine, much sweeter than anything she was used to eating, but the inn with its delicious stews and meats was off limits. It'd have to do.

She lured herself to sleep after her makeshift meal with promises. Perhaps tomorrow she would find a safe city or village. Perhaps tomorrow she would have a hearty, savory meal. Perhaps tomorrow, she'd get an even haircut and new clothes, perhaps contact lenses? At the very least, new glasses.

Perhaps tomorrow would come pleasantly.


The large holographic television on Cinder's ship (she'd secretly named it the Promise) was broadcasting breaking news.

Cinder's three cohorts, each younger, more innocent, and in a way, not nearly as bright as her, didn't pay the broadcast any attention… they'd moved from a childish game of Go Fish onto high stakes poker. Cinder's attention, however, was caught. She watched the Forever Fall go up in flames with a myriad of different emotions.

Long fingers fiddled with the hem of her short dress as she remembered playing in the Forever Fall as a child. It was a forest that was especially dear to her. Her mother had taken her there and let the small Cinder frolic and play for hours as stories and promises were woven just for her. Cinder had favorite clearings, trees, and vantage points in those woods. For them to be destroyed… for her to even consider that… she shuddered.

Still, a usual fire would not consume an ecosystem that large or magical. Something of equal power had to be doing it.

The hunger inside of Cinder tugged insistently. It knew what was going on, and so did she.

The broadcast switched to a small village with a bustling inn, a village on the edge of the Forever Fall. Journalism queen Lisa Lavender's voice narrated. "The village of Lexus is in the process of being evacuated as flames threaten to engulf the homes and businesses there. Though the stone walls protecting Vale keep the large city relatively safe, all societies on the outskirts are being asked to prepare for mandatory evacuation immediately. Please obey the dispatched soldiers quietly and courteously. Vale News Network will continue coverage, so stay tuned on your holograms, televisions, scrolls, and…"

Cinder clicked off the device and turned to Neo. "Neo, be a dear and set course for Lexus, won't you?"

"Were you paying any attention, Cinder?" Emerald demanded. "The whole Forever Fall is burning, and everyone in it is leaving. Even if the new Maiden is there, she'll be gone by the time we arrive."

"She's an enemy of the state, Emerald. Would she turn herself in so easily?"

Emerald twitched. Her survival instinct had always been greater than her sense of justice or dignity.

Cinder continued. "This is all we have to go by. And I will have this Glynda Goodwitch before the kingdom of Vale does. Mark my words." Neo sprang up, and Mercury followed, after sliding Emerald a large pile of lien. "Mark my words," Cinder repeated. "I will have what was rightfully promised to me."


Summary: As Glynda flees Beacon Academy, she is forced to find a way around the soldiers who would stop her. An attempt to throw off those who track her ends up starting a major forest fire. Though it causes Ironwood's soldiers to be thrown off her trail, it lures in another major player... Cinder Fall.


AN: Okay, so first off, this canon divergence fic turned into a complete AU after I watched the finale. Some major plot points for Dead Girl Walking would not work in canon. So if you don't like AUs, now's the time to stop reading. Things could get wild.

Second of all, I hope you enjoy this! Please feel free to tell me predictions, things you want more of, favorite parts, etc. I love to hear them and reviews and comments help me get things out quicker! Hope you enjoyed!