AN: In no way am I associated with RWBY or Rooster Teeth

It took Qrow very little time to confirm the girls' suspicions: Mercury was nowhere to be found. His scroll had been found lying in a bush next to the sidewalk of one of the houses, still working. Mercury himself hadn't left a message on it or any indication he was trying to contact someone. It didn't make sense he would throw it in a bush though. Another look found a small, torn cloth that was gold; not a colour Mercury wore. With light from his scroll, he picked up tyre tracks nearby, large enough to be a truck or a van.

A kidnapping.

If it was Ruby or Yang, he would probably get the police involved. Mercury and Emerald were another matter. If they had been targeted because of Cinder Fall, getting them involved wouldn't help. If that was true, then how had she known where he would be to take him? If the kidnapping was random, why was Mercury taken and not a local? Finding out where Mercury lived wasn't going to be easy to a stranger, if it was even possible. Mercury was reluctant to answer questions for them, never mind a stranger.

Qrow first called Yang and told her he wasn't going to be at home that night, but he didn't tell her why. He wanted to tell her in person, preferably with Mercury. Yang hadn't been bothered as Qrow often spent odd times out of the house. If he didn't find him by the time Yang got back from school the next day, he would tell her then.

His next call was to Emerald.

"Did you find him?"

"No. Where are you?"

"Umm, very close to a river. Ruby's still awake, but she's set up camp."

"Go join her. I'll find you there." It wasn't unheard of that the three day trip was interrupted and done later for several reasons. The main reason was family emergency and all of them considered Mercury family.

The girls weren't difficult to find. There were two rivers in Ruby's area and only one that was around a half an hour walk of Glade Town. He got there at a sprint within ten minutes. Ruby was resting her head on her knees near the fire, but Emerald was on her feet next to her.

"Anything?"

"Not much. He probably went for a look around and for some reason got taken."

"No one could have known we were here though."

That was the main problem with a pre-planned motive. "No, they couldn't. Where is he?"

Both girls pointed to their left. There was no chance Mercury was in Glade Town. The problem was that he could be in Mistral for all they knew, depending on how fast the car was going. They might not have much time.

"He's alive?"

"Definitely," Ruby stated. Her sterling eyes were harder than he'd ever seen. "He's definitely still alive."

Good.

"Then come on." He had a friend nearby he could borrow a car from. Using their compass wasn't very accurate, but it was reliable and they didn't have many options to find him. Mercury had been missing for over four hours. He could be anywhere.

Mercury was still alive. Depending on who took him and why, that might change very soon.

Qrow wasn't going to deny it: he would miss the kid if that happened.

There had been far too many hiccups in the past few months for Cinder's liking.

Since the failed attack on the Maiden, Cinder had played the game carefully. There were plenty of candidates that she could manipulate into pawns, but there were very few useful ones. She had made some progress, much too slowly.

However, the death of two throwaway grunts on a simple scouting mission had her doubting their abilities. As they had been fortunate enough to hit the culprit with a special tranquilizer before the fight, he had gone down before the final scout was compromised. They had cleaned up the scene and requested new instructions.

Cinder had ordered the culprit to be brought to a current safe location they were using. She needed to know how much that individual knew about her current operation. She was also curious: those scouts were fairly capable in a fight. For them to be bested, especially so quickly, was intriguing.

Once she saw the culprit, Cinder was pleasantly surprised.

Mercury Black had certainly proved himself to be magnificent even before this incident. There was no chance her final scout would have survived had Mercury got around to him. It also explained how he lived. As Mercury had less blood in his body than the average person, the tranquilizer took effect quicker.

Interestingly, he woke up about the same time as an average person.

Mercury tugged a bit at the ropes binding him to the chair, but he didn't seem to put much effort into the act. He appeared to be testing their strength, rather than trying to escape. With an aura-suppressing collar around his neck, there was no chance of him breaking free.

"Never thought I'd see you again."

"Indeed." Cinder turned to the man standing a little behind him. "Leave us."

The final scout swallowed. "Err, ma'am-"

"Leave."

"Yes ma'am."

Mercury was smirking as the man left. "Small time pick-pocket, huh?"

"Indeed, but he has some use. He certainly does not have Emerald's skill. Would you happen to know what happened to her?"

He shrugged. "Last I knew, she was stabbed by the Maiden. I haven't seen her since." He didn't seem to care one way or the other. Cinder did remember the two disliked one another.

"A pity." It was. With time, it was possible to find a replacement for Mercury, but not for Emerald. She had been a very fortunate find.

"I'd say. That guy was an amateur. That wallet is worth ten times as much as his ring. What's his use?"

Cinder smiled at him. "There is no need for you to know that. Do you know why you are here?"

"Because your new friends don't know that an unmarked van hanging around a house for two days in a little village is very suspicious?"

Mercury did have a point and she would be telling them the importance of subtlety later. "You killed my men, Mercury."

"And you were curious. They attacked me first; what did you expect?"

The problem with using people who were from the area was that they were not necessarily used to handling stressful situations well. "I would expect you to win. You are certainly talented Mercury. That's the main reason why I liked you."

"But not the only one?"

Cinder chuckled. She gently ran a finger along his jaw. He immediately jerked his head away, but that playfulness was still there in his smirk. "Not the only one." She sighed. "This does leave me with a problem."

"Oh?"

"Why were you there?"

"I had heard that town had an almost unbelievable crime rate. Perfect place to hide out for a little while. Wondered about the van and went to take a look."

So he didn't know why her scouts were there. "Understandable. I'm curious Mercury. What have you been up to these past two months?"

He shrugged again. "Not much. Wandering mostly. Found out that stealing is not as easy as Emerald made it look, but I got by. Never stayed in one place for too long."

"No new clients?" This was promising.

"I didn't go looking."

"Really? Are you regretting what you did, Mercury?"

"Depends on my mood. When my broken bones were acting up, yes."

"Yet not for the rest of the time?" Mercury just smiled at her. "So I don't need to worry about you having told anyone else?"

"And get myself killed? No thanks. Besides, it's bad for business to give away any client's secrets."

"Good." It was a very small possibility, but it was a possibility. Cinder didn't like loose ends, but this was one she could tie up again rather than eliminate it. However, there was also the possibility he was lying. An attack on a Maiden would not go ignored.

"Can I get untied now? I don't like my new collar." Mercury seemed very relaxed. The fact that he was still alive and still in very good condition though, concerned her a little. Even Emerald had seemed malnourished when she met her and she was a master. While Mercury probably wasn't an amateur, it almost seemed too good.

Mercury didn't appear to be afraid of her. Then again, he hadn't been afraid of anything. That was another reason she had liked him.

"Not just yet. You are a very good liar Mercury. How am I to know you're telling me the truth?"

If Mercury had told anyone, then the game had changed drastically. She had to be certain he wasn't compromised.

"I don't know. Know someone with a truth Semblance?" She gave him another amused smile. "Hey, you found an illusionist. So how long am I going to be stuck here then?"

"A few days at least." Again her fingers touched his cheek, but this time her hand followed him when he tried to move away. "Then we'll talk again."

"…Can't wait."

The problem with a car was that it wasn't very compatible with a compass. The trip probably took three times as long. The city was Coldhedge.

Emerald was worried. More than that though, she was angry. She was a bit angry at Mercury for not coming back straight away, but she barely noticed that. She was furious at those who took him. Mercury was her friend, her family, and no one was going to hurt him again.

No one.

There was no way for anyone to know they were around Glade Town. Taiyang and Yang wouldn't tattle and Ruby was unimaginable. Qrow wouldn't risk something happening to his niece, if he still wanted them behind bars or dead. She was fairly certain he cared, at least a little. He had checked up on them when Ruby called him.

If no one knew they were in Glade Town, then why was Mercury gone? Maybe he saw something he shouldn't have, but then why take him alive? Why not just…kill him?

There was no doubt in her mind. Mercury was still alive. She wasn't going to find his corpse.

"I don't get it," Ruby said aloud, mostly to herself. Qrow was driving, but both girls were in the back. Her voice became a mumble. "I don't get it."

Emerald took her hand and Ruby ran her thumb over the top of hers.

When Emerald had asked Yang why Ruby had a different surname, Yang had told both her and Mercury about Summer Rose. A fantastic mother who went out on a mission and never came home. The way she spoke about her, Yang adored her. She had also asked them to be careful when talking to Ruby about her.

Was Ruby afraid she was about to lose someone else?

Emerald wasn't going to let that happen. She wasn't going to let Mercury die.

She had woken up that morning with his arms around her, protecting her. He had been asleep, looking so peaceful. She hadn't moved; hadn't wanted to disturb him. She had waited for him to wake on his own. When he did fairly late in the morning, he had studied her face for a few moments looking confused before he smiled. Not smirked, but smiled.

The car stopped.

Qrow had done a circle of block and Mercury was somewhere inside. She was not going to let her life be destroyed again. She and Mercury didn't deserve that. They had a family and she wasn't willing to let anyone take it away.

Emerald hopped out, Ruby climbing out behind her with their hands still joined.

Saying nothing, the girls moved together with Qrow behind.

The last time Emerald was in Coldhedge was when Mercury had brought her here to save her life. She had met Ruby here. They even passed the house they had 'borrowed'. This had been the start of her new life.

Safety, stability.

Love.

Mercury's birthday was in a week. She and Ruby had intended to go out when Ruby had returned after her trip to buy him a present while Yang kept him busy. Emerald had wanted to spend time with him to make sure he didn't feel like an outsider, so she hadn't been shopping before. She had gotten less worried about leaving him alone as time passed.

Then this had to happen.

Soon everyone, including Mercury, would be safe in Patch.

Emerald's eyes flickered around. She wasn't sure what to get him. She had thought about it for a few weeks, but she still didn't know. Ruby knew presents better, Emerald knew Mercury better. He wasn't particularly interested in trinkets, books or games. He wasn't bothered by his birthday, but they were still going to get him something. They were leaning towards jewellery, but something that wouldn't restrict or bother him in a fight, if he was willing to wear it. He wouldn't wear something he didn't like.

'Window shopping' was what Ruby called it. Last time Emerald had been in a jewellery shop, Cinder had caught her stealing. She didn't regret that; she wouldn't have this life if she didn't. She had pawned the ring in a different city as she normally did when she stole jewellery, but she didn't have that money on her when they attacked the Maiden. She had no idea what happened to it.

Taiyang had given them pocket money each fortnight. Mercury had questioned it after the third time so he said it was for Grimm slaying, despite they had been given some of it before they started that. When questioned about that, Taiyang had shrugged and said that was a minor detail.

The girls stopped and looked at one another. They were standing in the middle of a park.

Mercury was right beneath them.

Yang had been surprised and confused to find Ruby at home when she came back from Signal the next day. She wasn't expecting her until late in the evening.

She had been horrified to find out why.

Mercury wasn't her favourite person in the house, but she didn't hate him. They had had more downs than ups, but they had come to an understanding. Bickering was fine (normal) but physical fights could not break through their aura. Ruby was in charge and she came first. Their fights had actually become fun, even if she had yet to win a match.

Now someone had kidnapped him.

She didn't like Mercury as much as Emerald, but he was still family and no one hurt her family.

The problem wasn't that they didn't know where he was. It was that they had no idea how to get to him. He was underneath Frost Park in Coldhedge, but they didn't know how to get there. The earth was undisturbed, so he very thankfully hadn't been buried.

Uncle Qrow thought there must be a room there. However, they had no idea how deep and trying to dig could end up killing him. He had been going over blueprints of nearby buildings and attempting to find a basement that could lead to her missing family member. He had been at it the whole day, with Yang joining him after dinner.

So far, they had gotten nowhere.

Ruby and Emerald had retreated to the newbies bedroom after dinner. Both had taken it badly and it was obvious neither had got any rest the night before. When Yang had checked in on them two hours before, the pair were sharing a bed in a fitful sleep. She had left them to it, letting Zwei into the room to watch over them.

Yang rubbed her eyes. "How do we still have such bad documents these days?"

"Some companies like cutting corners if it cuts the bill." Uncle Qrow placed another rejection on the pile and pulled out another. He had given Yang the 'easy' ones: blueprints and documents that were written in easy to decipher legalese. He was going through ones that Yang was certain was some sort of code.

When Yang had asked why the police weren't involved, Uncle Qrow had said if it was Mercury's old employer, that act would get him killed. Yang had not asked about Mercury's previous employer before, but she was told the woman was one in a million in a good and bad way. A bad way in that she was one of the most dangerous people to currently walk Remnant. Good in that there were very few people like that.

This building didn't appear to have a basement either. To the rejection pile.

The idea was to find buildings that had a basement and then return to Coldhedge to check them all out. It might lead nowhere, but Yang refused to think on that. If this didn't work, they would find something else.

Zwei was barking.

Yang frowned and Uncle Qrow looked to the bedroom. Zwei appeared in the hallway, looked at them and barked. His head turned from them to the bedroom to them again.

Oh no.

Both arrived at the door within two seconds.

Ruby was awake. Emerald wasn't. She was thrashing in Ruby's arms. She calmed in seconds, but was still trembling. Her breathing was too fast.

"That's one hell of a nightmare," Yang muttered as she slowly walked to the bed.

Emerald's eyes snapped open. There was a green glow around her red eyes.

"That's not a nightmare," Uncle Qrow muttered as he also moved forward. "Emerald, you need to relax. It's not trying to hurt you."

What?

"It…burns…"

Ruby held her closer as Yang also wrapped her arm around her shoulder.

"Give it a minute."

"Uncle Qrow?"

The glow began to fade until there was no sign. At the same time, Emerald's breathing slowed and deepened. She still trembled, curling into Ruby's embrace. Zwei jumped on the bed and gave her a lick on the cheek. Emerald didn't seem to notice.

Uncle Qrow sat on the opposite bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Hurts…It…Something's wrong. It…It's not complete. There's a big part missing."

He sighed. "Yeah, I bet there is."

"What happened?" Ruby asked, not relaxing her grip.

"Did you know, Emerald?"

"No. She only told us about the one. I swear."

At the point, Ruby's eyes widened a bit. She seemed to know what was going on. Yang had the horrible feeling that she had been left out of the loop once again. While she should be angry, given what she had learned last time this happened, they had been silent for a good reason.

"What's going on?" Yang wanted answers. Whatever happened to Emerald, she needed to know how to help.

"Yang…" Ruby bit her lip. "Do you remember when Dad read us the story of the Four Maidens?"

That sounded random. "Yes…?"

"The Four Maidens exist," Uncle Qrow claimed. Yang stared at him blankly. "No idea if the story is true, but the Maidens exist, one for each season. Green eye glow is the Spring Maiden. The power is inherited by another girl when the Maiden dies."

"Emerald's a Maiden now," Ruby muttered.

"Back up, back up." Yang shook her head. "Maidens. The women that could control nature?"

Uncle Qrow tipped his head a bit. "Sort of. The power varies between the four Maidens, depending on the season they represent. Yang, the reason why I followed these two that day was because they attacked a Maiden. That was who the three of them targeted. That's why it was such a big deal. To most people, it's just a story. Very few know it's not."

Okay. Some stories did have some truth in it, but that one was ridiculous. It did explain why the police hadn't been brought in to deal with them two months ago. "Okay. Maidens exist and they have a lot of power most people don't?" Uncle Qrow nodded. "So how did Emerald get it? How is it inherited?"

"Through stupid, complex and convoluted rules. The person who the Maiden thinks of last gets it…provided they're female and tend to be young, normally a teenager. If unsuitable, it's random which you can imagine makes finding the next one a hassle."

"So Emerald was either the last person the Maiden thought of before dying or it was completely random? Why is there some missing then?"

"Because she took it." Emerald didn't lift her head.

"What?"

"The reason the Maidens are secret is because they kept getting attacked. If they succeed, normally the last person they think of is their attacker. Not someone that should be a Maiden." Uncle Qrow knew a lot about this. "Their old employer has a way of stealing that power. They failed to defeat the last Maiden, but it would seem she managed to hit a different one."

Yang took a deep breath. She could see why they hadn't told her this part. She wouldn't even know they attacked anyone if she hadn't lost her temper with Mercury a few weeks ago. "So why doesn't this employer have all of it?"

No one answered. No one had an answer.

This was going to become another secret in the family. Like the others though, Yang thought it was for the best; for their protection. She studied the girl wrapped in Ruby's arms and she didn't feel anger. She felt pity. Only three months ago, Emerald had lived a simple life as a street kid. No one to look after her. Recent times, after she had been taken in, had been quite rough on her.

Yang nodded. "I'll be right back."

There had been no movement when Yang re-entered a few minutes later. She offered the steaming mug of hot chocolate to Emerald. Emerald tried to smile at her, but it was weak. She took the mug and Ruby gave her room to straighten up enough to sip at it.

Mercury and Dad should be here. Dad was coming home the next day, but they didn't know when Mercury was coming home.

Cinder's plan did not hit the same hiccup it had two months ago. The Spring Maiden did not have the same range or variability the Fall Maiden did. If she had known that, she would not have targeted the Fall Maiden back then. It was easy to take power if the victim was not fighting back.

There was still a problem. She estimated she had about 70% of the Maiden power. The question was where the rest went. One of her accomplices had attempted to speed up the process by killing the girl, despite the draining going well. However, the remaining power had not gone to Cinder. It had gone elsewhere.

This was the difficulty in working with others.

All her accomplices to the murder were now dead. There was no way to trust those who were loyal to their pocket money alone.

Cinder sighed when she entered the windowless room where she was holding her 'guest'. It would appear someone else had disobeyed her orders.

Mercury had been drugged again earlier in the day. He wasn't wearing a wire and there was no sign of a tracker. With those results, Cinder was now quite sure he hadn't made a deal with someone, but she was going to wait for a few more days. So far, there was no sign that anyone was looking for him. She had left with instructions to alert her when he woke up. She had gotten a message that he woke up at the same time as an average person, something he shouldn't have done with his blood level.

It would appear that someone else had visited him. He had been stripped to the waist and there were quite a few recent deep bruises and marks on his chest. She did not approve of that. She had ordered that, save for her explicit instructions, he was to be left alone.

The disobedience would be punished. For now, Mercury could go without food for a quite a while. However, humans grew weak without water and she had no interest in nursing him back to health due to neglect.

Mercury merely raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth when Cinder brought him the glass of water. He wasn't stupid enough to think she was going to untie him.

"So, what are you back for?"

Cinder placed the empty glass on a table nearby. "It would appear that after a day, no one is looking for you."

Mercury rolled his eyes. "Obviously. So, what was the drug for?"

"It was easier on everyone. You had to be checked for technology you shouldn't have."

"Not that drug. The sense enhancer."

Cinder closed her eyes in annoyance. She had better get a good reason for them taking and using one of those samples. "It is a useful torture tool."

"Agreed. But it usually helps when you ask the questions you want the answers to."

For someone who had been a victim to that particular drug, he didn't seem very bothered after it wore off. Perhaps it did not work on him very well. "That was not my order. Who did it and what did they ask?"

"That pathetic pick-pocket and two of his friends. They didn't ask anything and their taste in music sucks."

If his motive was revenge for Mercury killing his friends, Cinder was going to kill him herself. They weren't ideal for this business; they were too emotional. That was not a trait of the killers she required.

"That will be handled."

Mercury chuckled. "Don't let me keep you."

He was given a sultry smile. "What's wrong Mercury? Do you want me to leave already? I would have thought you were bored."

"Yeah, but now I have to entertain a conversation. I kind of want to get back to daydreaming."

"Is that so?" The other chair in the room had been left in front of him. She chose to rest opposite him and crossed one leg over the other. "Should we have that talk now, then?"

"What is there to talk about?" Mercury was acting annoyingly dense. It was clear he knew what she meant.

"I have no intention of allowing your talent to go to waste Mercury."

"I'm certainly an improvement from the people I've seen working for you." A fair assessment, but he had not seen everyone before making that statement.

"Which fortunately are all expendable grunts. You were never that. You were more important. You still are."

Mercury raised an eyebrow at that. "I haven't agreed to anything. Maybe I fancy a lot of different clients rather than dedicating all of my time to one."

"You agreed when your house was burning and your father lay dead on ground," Cinder reminded him. She wasn't angry; it wasn't surprising that he was considering other options after a failed attack.

"It could be argued that that contract ended when the Maiden won."

"Perhaps," she conceded. He did make a good point. "However, after the plan is complete, you would have many more clients that are worthy of your time."

Mercury was quiet for a few minutes. When he spoke, his tone was flatter than she had ever heard.

"The problem I'm having is that you promised Emerald quite a bit and look what happened to her. I can't imagine anyone more loyal than she was to you. You didn't deliver."

Cinder didn't appreciate her failures getting thrown around like that. Her hands ran down his legs. He tensed up immediately, but that wasn't a fearful reaction. Her hands felt a joint in the metal and she heated her hands up. The fabric skipped the fire and burnt immediately. He hissed loudly as the metal underneath steamed and she effortlessly twisted and snapped them. Useless.

She leant back in her chair. She lifted her hand and allowed the flame to shrink then grow. "That mistake has been rectified."

Again, Mercury was completely silent. The fire reflected beautifully in his smoky grey eyes.

The thing about these three day trips is that, when a teenager suddenly has 'unchecked' freedom, they can do very stupid things. This one in particular had completely ignored the idea of camping and decided to stay in a hotel. Not too bad on its own, but then his girlfriend showed up. Within hours, it was clear he had no interest in this three day survival in the wilds.

The rules stated Tai had to wait until the three days were up before he could actually fail the kid. So, annoyingly, he did just that. He wasn't sure why the kid was so surprised; it was common sense to think they wouldn't leave them completely unsupervised in case something went wrong.

In any event, he was glad to see his house again. It had been a long four days.

Taiyang knew something was wrong the minute he stepped through the door.

Ruby was home. That wasn't the problem; she would have come in a day before him. The problem was that she was curled up with Yang and Emerald on the couch. Their eyes were down and a little red.

They had been crying.

Yang spotted him first. She detached herself from the other two, snapping them out of their silent trance, approached him quickly and hugged him. This wasn't the compulsory hug he got when she had been ordered to bed. This was an 'I need a hug' hug.

"Hey Yang. What's wrong?"

Yang didn't say anything. She just didn't let go. He easily picked her up, gently lay her back on the couch and pulled the other two in as well. They cuddled closer, shaking slightly.

Tai subtly glanced around. Qrow was in the kitchen, messing with his scroll with a lot of papers in front of him that did not look like school papers. The tension in his body didn't bode well. There was no sign of Mercury.

It took ten minutes for the girls to drop off. Tai wouldn't call it sleep. They were just drained. He decided to leave them be on the couch, merely throwing a blanket over them. He wanted to stomp over to Qrow, to show he was annoyed and worried. Something had happened and he hadn't been told. Instead, he stayed quiet so as not to wake them.

Qrow sent a message on his scroll before dropping it on the table. "Hey Tai."

Qrow sounded absolutely exhausted. In fact, now Tai had a better look at him… "When was the last time you slept Qrow?"

"Three, four days ago?"

Tai took the seat next to him, keeping the girls in his sight. He put a hand on his shoulder. [What's going on Qrow?]

[…It's Mercury. He went to Glade Town and never came back. He's under Frost Park in Coldhedge and we can't find a way to get to him. I've tried everyone. No one knows.]

Tai let out a breath. For a moment, he thought Mercury had been-

Okay, it's obviously bad. There's still hope to get him back.

[And you need to make a choice Tai.] Qrow's alert eyes met his. [I can't put Emerald in prison anymore if this doesn't work out.]

[I told you Qrow. They're staying as long as they want to.]

Qrow flinched. [Remember I said that they attacked someone who was important?] Taiyang did not like where this was going. [There are four women on Remnant that have real magic, Tai. Fire, wind, a lot of other stuff. They attacked one and that was why I was following them. Now Emerald has inherited part of that power.]

Taiyang didn't really care about how. [So they're going to attack her now?]

[She's a target because she knows too much, but she's not high priority. If they find out she's part Maiden, then yeah, they're going to be gunning for her.]

Emerald was being held by both Yang and Ruby. None of their sleep looked peaceful. Emerald knew better than anyone who would be trying to kill her. Someone she had seen as a mother. [Why only part? Is that how it's supposed to work?]

[No, but it started when Cinder tried to steal it and, for some reason, didn't get all of it. She's going to be looking for who has the rest.]

[Emerald. How do they find out?]

[No idea, but I don't think they will if she's careful.]

Tai nodded. It should be simple enough to keep hidden. [And why don't I already know that Mercury's missing?]

Qrow didn't respond. He knew Tai wasn't going to like any answer he gave. Taiyang was furious with him. But now wasn't the time. With a sad growl, he made him a cup of coffee, which he gratefully chugged down.

[Who took him?]

[I don't know. I was going to head to Glade Town to look into her death. The last Maiden's that Emerald's inherited. See if it was connected in some way.] Qrow's glance at the girls told Tai the reason he hadn't left already. [I just hope he wasn't part of it.]

He wasn't. I know he wasn't.

[Then go Qrow. I'll keep looking. How often have they been…?] What word could he possibly use?

[Ruby called me thinking he was in trouble almost immediately and she couldn't have known he left the house. They've been taking it pretty badly.]

Tai would get mad at Qrow when they found Mercury. For now, he gave him a pat on the back as he left. They also swapped scrolls; Qrow was waiting for news. He took off at a run down the path.

No one sent any messages that night.

A teenage girl had been killed in Glade Town.

Qrow headed there, hoping it was unconnected to Mercury's disappearance. He had needed to deal with well over twenty Grimm on his way. Once they were eliminated, he spoke to the police.

The expected time of death was between eight and eleven the night before. She had been killed metres away from the tyre tracks. Most likely, she was heading to her cousin's house and had been ambushed. She had been killed with a bullet to the side of her head, but the scars on her face couldn't be explained.

It looked like this had been the previous Spring Maiden.

It was an interesting coincidence that she had been found near the tracks. As it happened, a few neighbours did remember seeing a white van out on the street late the night before, but not that morning. A van that was probably there for a few days, meaning they could have been waiting for an ambush.

Most likely, Mercury was taken because he saw something he shouldn't have.

Or he decided to re-join them.

Qrow shook that thought out furiously. Mercury wasn't involved. Qrow was sure of that.

The original Maiden lived in Vacuo. She had been visiting her cousin in Glade Town and had been killed before she could get there. Still, there was no sign of a struggle. That didn't make any sense at all. The girl had been attending Shade; she should have automatically defended herself.

Two attacks on different Maidens within a few months of each other. Qrow was very certain Cinder was responsible for this. She had found an illusionist in Emerald; she could have found someone else with a very powerful Semblance. Some were very easy to abuse, especially if the person was immoral themselves.

A teenage girl out in the middle of the night. She hadn't been to any clubs that night, but maybe she had just been running late if she left Vacuo in the afternoon rather than in the morning. Maybe she had thought she was immune to attack.

A common mistake in the young.

Qrow had not known who the Spring Maiden was and as such, there was no one around to protect her. He also had not known she was visiting her cousin.

So how did they find out?

It was possible Cinder would attack Amber again. She now had much more power than she did before. Unlike this girl though, Amber was always on the lookout for an attack. She had much more experience. She also knew Cinder's face.

Emerald was also a target and would be a more appealing one. Her Maiden power was weak. While Emerald could fight, she was more used to distract and run away. Her Semblance could be used in battle (and Qrow suspected Mercury was working with her on that), but it was originally designed for escape. It also had limits: she could only manage one mind, two at a push. Cinder knew that and would attack with numbers. She did have the benefit that Cinder probably didn't know she was part Maiden, but she could be targeted for being a loose end.

On one hand, these kids have brought an insane amount of problems with them. On the other, these problems were a danger to Remnant and Emerald would do anything to protect her family. From what he could tell of Mercury, he was the same.

Qrow was proud of how far they had come in two months.

Five days after Mercury's capture, there was yet another problem caused by disobedience. It had gone beyond annoying and was now becoming threatening to the entire game plan.

Cinder's fingers left his neck. Five seconds and no pulse.

"Ma'am, I can explain-"

"What is there to explain? You disobeyed my orders twice. I had plans for him."

"But he said he wouldn't-"

"I am aware of his opinion." Her plans for him did not require his consent.

"It was an accident-"

"An…accident?" Cinder's amber eyes appeared molten lava as her eyes glowed green. "This was no accident. It is not possible this was an accident."

"But she-"

"Silence." He finally shut up. "There was no way she could have known he was here unless you told her. You know enough about her to know this would happen. You even contributed." He wisely remained silent. Cinder waved to the body. "Clean him up, dress him and dump him outside the Kingdom. Return here immediately afterwards."

"Yes ma'am."

Five days. Five days and no news.

In that time period, there had been three buildings that looked promising. However, when Qrow went to investigate, they were dead ends. He had also searched a few others, but he had gotten nowhere.

No one had given up.

Both Ruby and Emerald were adamant Mercury was still alive. However, around three in the afternoon they had been even more restless. They had said he was dying.

It was now around nine.

Qrow thought hard. The van they thought had taken Mercury was back by the same evening. That would suggest that the entrance to wherever he was, it must be somewhere around Coldhedge at worst. It couldn't be any farther away. It could be closer to Glade Town though or in the middle of nowhere. There weren't any antique buildings around the city so there are no obvious places to look. Even Ozpin didn't know there was anything beneath Frost Park.

Tai hadn't been happy to hear the truth about the Maidens and that Qrow had kept that part from him. He had been even unhappier when he found out about Mercury. Qrow could finally assure him that he didn't know any other secrets about those two.

Emerald slipped into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. She had doing very badly since her best friend went missing. For someone who knew starvation so well, skipping meals was something of great concern.

The glass was half full when she pulled it away from the sink. She didn't look at him.

"Taiyang said yesterday that Ruby probably won't die if Mercury does. Was it a lie back then, to get him to stay?"

Qrow was a bit surprised they hadn't asked about it before. "It was true at the time. The bond has stabilised a bit since then. It may be true now, it may not. I don't know. We still have time."

"Not much." Emerald then stiffened. "But maybe enough."

"What?"

Ruby suddenly appeared in the kitchen, breathless. "Emerald, does it feel to you-"

"That's he's more north than he was before?"

"He's moving?" Qrow stood up.

"He must be."

They had rented a car for Qrow to get to Coldhedge from the harbour on mainland Vale. All five were quiet as they drove. First Tai took them to Frost Park and Ruby pointed the direction they needed to go. They left Coldhedge and followed the main road.

It was a dual carriageway when both girls looked back and ordered to stop.

Qrow barely noticed Tai's illegal manoeuver. There were no cars around anyway. Once the car stopped, the kids shot out. He caught up with them quickly.

They headed down the indent in the grass. They slipped around the bushes and traced their route back for less than a few minutes and stopped. They collapsed to their knees.

Mercury. He lay there eyes closed, half covered by a thorn bush.

Yang pushed the bramble back so they could carefully move him more into the open. He was even paler than normal, his left cheek looked burnt, his right had an odd cut and there was a horrible black line around his neck. There was probably more damage under his clothes. He didn't look like he was breathing.

"Is he…?" Yang couldn't finish.

"He's still alive," Ruby stated. Emerald's hand rested on the burnt skin.

Qrow wasn't so sure. He knelt down and pressed two fingers against Mercury's neck. "There's nothing Ruby."

"Look harder!"

He put on a little more pressure. Ruby sounded certain, almost angry he would dare suggest otherwise. The first glance made him think Mercury was gone. He couldn't feel a pulse no matter how much they might want him-

What?

Qrow blinked and waited. A full minute later, he felt it again.

"Tai, call an ambulance!"

Mercury's heart was still beating. Very barely, maybe once a minute, but it still was. It wouldn't be for long.

He relaxed a bit, but maintained contact. There may be a way to help him before the ambulance arrived, but it was risky. If he did nothing, there was a chance it would arrive too late. He pushed his aura to Mercury, but he was met with resistance. He stopped and fell back onto his heels.

"Emerald, what do you know about aura transfer?"

"Nothing." She didn't look at him. "Why? What is it?"

"It's what it sounds like. It's possible to transfer aura from person to person. The tricky part is that it's personal. It only works with people they trust completely. The aura will be rejected otherwise and it could cause harm if it's forced."

He didn't need to add that Mercury would automatically use it to try to save himself. While aura didn't immediately heal someone except when first unlocked, it could be used to counter the damage. For example, if an artery was hit and someone was given aura, they could instinctively redirect the blood flow so there was less internal bleeding. A human's survival instinct was very strong when pushed.

"So he'll take aura from us?"

"He should."

Ruby nodded, her hand resting on Mercury's arm. "So how do we do it?"

"Close your eyes. You need to feel your own aura first."

The girls did as he instructed. After a few moments, their aura was visible around them. Red and green. This did lower their aura level, but it also meant they were manually controlling it rather than subconsciously using it as a shield or Semblance.

"Keep that focus. Move that energy into your hands. Gently push that aura towards him. If you feel resistance, stop." Qrow had no doubt Mercury would accept it. He adored those girls.

Aura transfer could be dangerous, especially in people who weren't completely in tune with it. That could take years and so it wasn't even mentioned in their education until Beacon's final year. It was very easy for something to go wrong and have disastrous results. Some people could transfer their aura with few problems, others couldn't.

Aura reading was different. Anyone could do it if they knew how and it was allowed by the person they were trying to read. All it took was knowledge, focus and permission. It was a method of communication through physical touch, though it took practice to decipher the pictures and emotions into words. In this method of communication, it was impossible to lie.

Mercury rejected Qrow's aura. He didn't trust him completely. Mercury did trust him enough to instinctively allow him to read him. Mercury wasn't conscious so they couldn't talk to one another, but Qrow could monitor whether or not there was a problem with the transfer. The moment that the aura left the girls, it converted to Mercury's aura and so could be read.

Fortunately, there wasn't a problem. While both girls had had nearly full aura, much of that is lost over transfer. At first, it was an inefficient process. Of the around 190 they gave, Mercury probably only got about 60. It made a small difference. Mercury's heart rate did speed up a little from a beat every minute to a beat every half a minute.

That's it kid. Fight.

Ruby shook her head as she let out a deep breath, using an arm to steady herself. To go from almost full aura to empty was very disorientating. Emerald was the same, but when her eyes began to glow, Qrow remembered what Ozpin had told him was unique to the Spring Maiden.

Healing.

"Emerald." Maiden power wasn't connected to aura but they had to be cautious with it. Emerald could kill herself if she wasn't careful.

Startled, she looked at him. She bit her lip as her gaze returned to Mercury. "I already tried when my aura was full. It didn't work."

Maybe about 30% wasn't enough to use it. Or if it had, it hadn't done much and only focused on the worst or internal injuries. Emerald's inexperience didn't help.

As Qrow half expected, Mercury didn't accept aura from Yang or Tai. They seemed disappointed, but not very surprised. Complete trust could take years to earn and Mercury was a very mistrustful person. Two months just wasn't enough time.

Come on Silvertongue. Use that fighting spirit.

Mercury was still breathing when the ambulance turned up.

AN: I would like to say thanks to everyone for reading and especially to EndlessChains for telling me what they enjoy. It's always reassuring to know I'm doing something right. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter as well.