"This isn't possible."

"You're not normally so small-minded Cinder. We're here, standing together. Clearly it's possible."

"But Salem took-" Cinder looked down, clenching her fists. "I'm not a Maiden anymore. I lost the powers."

"Yes, you lost the powers. But Maidens are far more than fireballs and lightning bolts. We are a chain of souls that link together through the ages, starting from me all the way forward to you. You hadn't even scratched the surface of what you could have done."

"That's not an answer. If I'm not a Maiden, then how can we be talking?"

Fall sighed before taking a seat on the dirt and gesturing for Cinder to join her. She remained standing. Cinder didn't trust this woman yet. Even if she was telling the truth, Fall had no reason to help her. She had fallen for too many traps recently. She would not be tricked again.

Cinder has usurped her power to use as her own. She had attacked Amber and drove an arrow through her heart. That was not an act forgiven without comment. Even Ruby, the idealistic child didn't live without anger. Cinder had seen it in her eyes at Haven.

But Fall sat next to her now without hostility or contempt. Her hands dug into the dirt and the frown on her face looked more like a teacher trying to think of how to explain a complicated subject to their pupil. There was no anger there. Nothing to fear

Yet Cinder remained standing.

"When you first took the powers," Fall began. "You were not the Fall Maiden. Amber was and remained so until she died."

"Until I killed her."

Fall nodded.

"Had Qrow not intervened that first day, you would have taken the power you wanted from Amber, but you would not have been the Fall Maiden. Not fully." Fall leaned back, staring into the sky. "Grimm cannot have aura, not even for a moment. That creature-" She spat the word with disgust. "-was able to give you power but the soul of the Fall Maiden remained Ambers. Only once she died was the transfer finished and you became the Fall Maiden in more than just name."

"So, when Salem took them from me, she only took the power," Cinder finished. "That doesn't explain why you never tried to contact me before now."

"We did but with that Grimm inside you, our connection was blocked. We were there, buried in your subconscious, breaking through where we could but mostly we were lost. It was a painful experience." Cinder smiled at that until Fall then said. "I'm sorry for what you went through. No child deserves that."

The blood drained from her face turning Cinders smirk into a pale fury as she scowled. Her fists clenched even as Fall continued to just stare ahead, picking at the dirt and either oblivious or simply ignoring her anger. Cinder wanted to hurt her, make her regret ever pitying her. But in this field, Cinder could do nothing.

"You looked through my memories."

"Technically they're our memories now," Fall said as her mouth twitched upwards. "Besides you saw my death, didn't you? Right here in this field. Consider us even."

They weren't even, not even close but as Cinders fury overflowed and she opened her mouth once more, the wind picked up once more and angrily whipped at her dress. It was cold and sharp, far more so than wind should be.

"Enough," Fall said softly and the wind dropped once more.

"Stop doing that!"

"Doing what?"

"You know what! You're trying to scare me with your tricks. I don't like being threatened."

"It was never my intention to scare you."

"I am not-" The words caught in her throat, lodged and unable to be articulated fully. Cinder frowned, confused as to why speech had failed her. "I'm not-"

"That won't work here," Fall said. "This isn't a field. It's a manifestation of the Fall Maiden Spirit. We are standing at the pivotal moment of my life. It's different for everyone but for me, it's where I first discovered the truth power I had been granted. It's a place of emotions or logic. You can't lie here. No one can, not even me."

"What do you mean by no one?" Cinder said slowly. "And if it's not you, then what isn't that wind?"

"It's them, all the others. Every woman who has ever had to bear the burden of Fall. Salem told you how the wizards reincarnation worked, yes?"

It wasn't really a question. Fall already knew the answer if she could look through her memories but Cinder indulged her anyway.

"When Ozpins dies, he reincarnates into a new host. Over time they merge and eventually they become one." Cinder shivered. "I won't let you consume me."

"Fortunately, the process for us is different. I don't know why it worked out that way, perhaps the gods thought it unfair for four more to suffer the wizards curse. Maybe he himself changed it or perhaps there's no reason at all. In any case, we do not merge, we join." She paused. "Think of the wizard like a bucket of water. Each new soul is added but it's still one body, completely indistinguishable. The Maidens are more like a chain. New souls are added but you can always pin point a link."

"Salem didn't tell me any of this.

"Salem told you what she wanted you to know. The wizards spirit reincarnates through the ages. Our power comes from him, did you not think there could be more?"

No, she hadn't. In her foolishness, Cinder had accepted Salem was telling her everything. The power was the most important part after all and the legends never spoke of anything else. Why would Salem trust her with that but not the fact the Maidens would be here? Had Salem thought she would be tempted away from her goals by the spirit of Fall.

"So," she said coolly. "If that wind is the other maidens, I take it that they aren't happy with me."

She liked that idea. Their hatred gave her power of a sort. Anger and contempt directed at her without any way to do a thing about it. All they could do was watch. Perhaps they might take enjoyment out of her current predicament, but that joy would turn to ash once Cinder took back her rightful power.

"No Cinder," Fall said, standing up to face her once more. "Many consider you evil and undeserving of a second chance. They think I should kill you for what you did. Some want to do it themselves and others think we should have nothing to do with you."

"But you can't."

"It wouldn't help anything if I did. At best, we reincarnate once more into another young girl but weakened as we are, there would be little we could do. At worst, we are drawn to the powers and are trapped again with Salem. So, while it may be justice to end you, it seems destiny has other plans."

Before Cinder could respond, Fall turned and stepped forward, the landscape change with her stride. The small field was blown away on the wind rebuilding itself as Cinder followed.

Within moments, they were in a forest sitting around a fire. Three other girls sat with her. Her sisters. They laughed together, enjoying a meal while Summer sang badly and strummed her banjo. They were on a journey, the same one they made every year, but this was the first time he had asked for them to come. He would explain more they arrived no doubt, but Cinder somehow knew that this would be the last fond memory she shared with all her sisters.

These are not your sisters.

The next moment, Cinder was on a ship. A small fisherman's boat that belonged to her father. She laughed as they skipped across the ocean, cutting through waves and tasted salt in the air. Suddenly, the boat turned, and they crashed into the waves. Cinder shrieked as she was drenched, and she whirled round pouting as her father laughed at her.

Your father is dead, and you never laughed together, even when you were six.

Another moment and another life. Her training partners surrounded her, waiting for her attack, apprehension obvious in their stance. Her spear clenched in her palm and she heard she instructor yell for her to loosen up. No semblance this time, not for her. If she couldn't win without it, she could never be a huntress.

I'm not a huntress

Cinder gasped as she fell to her knees, feeling the grass underneath her once more. They were back in the field, the snapshots of other people's lives now just memories once more. She saw Fall offer a hand, but she slapped it aside, growling as she pushed herself to her feet and glared at her.

"What was that?"

"Hopefully, perspective," Fall said. "But if nothing else, consider it an offer of what we could share with you. I want to help you Cinder."

"What? You want to save my soul?" she asked with a cold laugh. "Impressively, you might be the most naive person I've ever met."

"Technically, it's our soul so you could say I am slightly invested in it, but no, that is not what I mean. We have a mutual interest, in Salem."

Cinder paused, the wind whistling quietly in the air. Suspicion grew in her. Nobody offered something for nothing.

"What do you know about Salem?"

Fall smiled, and the landscape faded away to a dark quarry filled with black rocks and glowing red crystals. Rivers of black oil that Cinder recognised as Salem's Grimm ooze cut through the stone. It spat out creatures of darkness, some that Cinder didn't even recognise. And through the air was the smell of blood and death.

The two women stood in the middle of a war zone, men and woman clashing against Grimm in the heart of Salem's territory. And they were losing. For every Grimm they cut down, more would take its place. The hordes were endless, a cloud of ash that was constantly remaking itself and above it all, Salem stood above it all, a look of cold indifference on her face.

"This was the first life that I saw Salem and it was far from the last," Fall said quietly. "I was born into a warrior who had a gift for command. She drew people to her, inspired them to fight for what they believed in. She even inspired me, and I guided her as best I could. With the power of Fall, she united eight villages under her cousin's rule. With peace among them, the villages flourished and thrived. It was wonderful."

"But, I was arrogant. I commanded an army now and I knew of Salem. The wizard had told me about her many times. He warned me not to face her directly. But with 8 villages worth of warriors following Icca, how could we be beaten? I tried to end Salem alone and Icca paid the price."

Salem eyes scanned the battlefield until suddenly they stopped, and she smiled. Tendrils of darkness launched out of the rivers of Grimm, smashing men and woman out of the way as they lunged for their target. Cinder watched as they reached a blonde woman, hair tied in loose braid, wielding a shield and battle axe, wrapping around her arms.

It happened in an instant. The tendrils went taunt and pulled the Maiden off her feet and her axe went flying from her hand. The joy of battle vanished from the girl's eyes replaced by a snarl and a familiar glow. But then it faltered. She couldn't create a tornado while her friends were here. Lighting would surely kill them too and fire.

The seconds hesitation was all it took. The girl was yanked backwards, struggling in the death grip of the black tendrils. It bounced her off her comrades and the rocky ground, her aura straining with every impact. Her shield cracked, breaking away from her and then the Maiden was pulled into the ooze itself.

Her friends and fellow warriors rushed to the edge but with a wave of Salem's hand the ooze at the bank turned rigid and spikes protruded up to impale and block their path. Cinder could hear yelling and cries for them to help Icca.

In the end they could nothing but watch as Icca, the Fall Maiden who had united them all, broke the oils surface. Her hair had come loose from the braid, now coated in the sickly black ooze that matted to her skin. She coughed and spluttered as the ooze burned her throat and there was no sign of the Fall Maidens glow.

And then suddenly her eyes widened in a look of absolute terror and she screamed as she was pulled down beneath the surface. It bubbled for few more moment before going still. The memory melted away and then there was only silence.

Cinder opened her eyes and found herself in the bed from before. It was dark, the room lit only by the shattered moon shining through a hole in the curtains. How long had she been out this time? Weeks, another month? That was too long. Every second she wasted was more time her enemies grew more powerful.

Don't worry, it's the same day

Cinder blinked, her head whirling around as she searched for the source of the voice.

It's just me. Stay calm, I know the experience can be disconcerting at first, but you will grow used to it, in time.

"I don't-"

Cinder coughed, her throat dry and restricting her voice. Panic grew, her mind drawing her back to when she was at her weakest, when Ruby had taken even speech from her. Croaking pathetically, she looked around and found a jug with a glass next to it. Her hand shaking, she poured the water spilling it across her sheets as she brought it to her lips and drank greedily.

Slow down

"Shut up."

Fall chuckled in head and Cinders irritation grew. She poured herself another drink, forcing herself to keep it steady with limited success. Only after another glass was her thirst sated and hunger took its place.

Next to the foot of the bed. There's a tray. Kiron must have left in case you woke up.

"Are you psychic as well now?"

I see through your eyes, you just didn't notice it. Now eat. You need to recover your strength and we aren't done talking.

Out of spite, Cinder considered not eating but her will power soon dissolved as her body craved sustenance. Pain lashed through her side as she moved but it wasn't as sharp as it had been. Gritting her teeth, she worked her way to the tray, half pulling herself with her arm and was able to reach the tray.

The fact this was an achievement just made her feel more pathetic.

Healing takes time

Well that was extraordinarily helpful. Hundreds of life times worth of experience boiled down to the wisdom of a Mistralian fortune cookie.

Kiron had made her soup but by now it was stone cold. The bread left with it was hard as well, but Cinder tore into and ate the soup. In her ravenous state, it was the best meal of her life. Oh gods, now she was as pathetic as Emerald had been.

She finished the food quickly, wiping the crumbs onto the floor and dumping the tray and bowl next to it. Her side was still throbbing with dull pain, but it was bearable. Briefly, she considering trying her aura once more but thought better of it. The last attempted hadn't gone well. Until she found out what was wrong with it, it would be safer to not risk damaging her further.

"If you're going to be around, you might as well be useful," she said. "What's wrong with my aura?"

There was a pause and for a moment Cinder thought Fall wouldn't answer but eventually she replied, her words slow and deliberate.

My guess would be that Salem ripping the Grimm our from you left you unstable. Mixing aura and Grimm would have been difficult for even her but somehow, she found a way to balance it. With the Grimm gone, that balance is shattered. Your soul has been wounded to put it bluntly and its leaking aura.

"How do I fix it?"

I don't know

"You don't know."

This isn't a normal injury Cinder. All we can hope is that it will heal itself in time. Don't exert it and avoid your semblance unless you have to. I don't know what effect it will have.

"That's not good enough."

Be grateful for what you have Cinder. You're alive and you've been granted an opportunity few are given.

"And what's that?"

A second chance. A chance to undo some of the evil you have wrought. I've said I will help you Cinder, and I mean that. If you want to kill Salem, you'll have my support. And if you want to kill Salem, you're going to need it.

But I'm not going to help you murder people Cinder. I will not let allow you to harm innocents to fulfil your desire for revenge.

"Don't you dare lecture me," Cinder hissed. "Those who hurt me will suffer for it. I am not like you or any of the others. You say that Icca failed because she didn't have enough support? I say she failed, because she chose them over herself. She was weak, and she froze. I won't. I'll kill anyone I have to, to get what I want."

"I will kill Salem with or without you. Not because it's the right thing to do but because I deserve to. Anyone who hurt me will burn. I have sacrificed too much for anything else."

As she finished, Cinder realised she was shaking. Her breathing was heavy, and she was sweating from the exertion, but she held herself strong, glaring into the darkness of the room to which she was confined. And then she heard Fall sigh.

You should try and get some sleep Cinder. We can discuss this another time. Tonight, I'll try to prevent any more memories reaching you. But please, think about what I've said.

You once were strong, beautiful, talented, skilled and gifted. Now, you're scarred and deformed. You've lost an arm, an eye and can barely move. Your power is gone, your semblance might be lost too. Your loyal followers don't even know you're alive. All because of your anger and fear.

"I'm not-"

How much more are you willing to sacrifice? How much more do you even have left to lose Cinder? Your fury consumes you, destroying you as sure as any Grimm could. Let it go or you could burn down the whole world, and never really get what you want.

And then it was a like a weight was lifted from her and then Fall was gone leaving her with nothing but an emptiness inside her. Bitter and resentful, Cinder lay back down and tried to think.

Salems next step had been Atlas. With the failure at Haven that could change, the relic was likely back the Branwen camp and who knows where Ozpin would go next. Without this first step of where to go, a full plan was impossible but no plan would last once they all found out she was alive. Cinder couldn't make a plan, only scenarios and how to react.

Her mind began to drift and Cinder started to wonder what her mind would look like inside the Fall Maiden Spirit. Would it be Beacon, standing atop the tower and overlooking her wlrk? Perhaps it would be the road where she took the Ambers power?

Cinder blinked and the world went black. A void of shadows with nothing but her. No sound, no smell, no touch. Just Cinder floating in nothing. It wasn't frightening, it wasn't anything. Cinder just existed and nothing else mattered.

Creak

Her eyes widened as she heard the sound of rotting oak wood and rusted metal hinges. Shaking, she turned slowly and foundation door that hadn't been there before. Shaking, she stared at it unable to move or think about what was happening. This door couldn't be here.

Creak

It began to open, slowly, eliciting a loud creak that made Cinder flinch with every inch it moved. Just when it was about to be halfway open, Cinder heard the sound of sobbing. For a moment, her heart stopped, then she lunged forward and slammed the door shut.

Then Cinder opened her eyes and she was back in the bed.