bookwrym321: True they could probably take the bandits, but Yang is fully aware that Raven is on par with her uncle in terms of combat skill plus as far as they can see something in the camp can call down full lightning bolts. Yang standing down was more Roland's analytical side telling them it was a fight they could not win. I thought the same with Leonardo, the team was at the house a month and he never thought to snoop? Oh, I already explained that with Yuma's dad in the flashback last volume. He found out about Ezzy's presence and formed a mob to find her but her grandmother got her off the island in time, Ghira had him arrested for inciting the populace and he died in prison.

deathwing17: If you are interested in the house...keep reading ;)

william bragg 165: I am glad you think so, more to come :D

ServantofElShaddai13: I most certainly will, thank you!

spencermalley935: In truth I didn't plan that LOL, I try to update at the start of each month XD I am glad you liked all the adjustments ;) I saw that Vernal would still be Raven's protege even if their plan of a fake Maiden changed. Thank you for the kind words :D

Batomys2731: That means a lot you think so :) There was such potential for her to flesh out Adam's rise a bit more beyond a character short. As to Raven and Adam, my mind blew when I realized how similar they were, like that was SUCH a chance to push Yang to the breaking point to help her overcome. I hope you enjoy this one as much ;)

z11: Oh she remembers XD I couldn't find anywhere specifying if that was her own power or the explosive heads on the arrows...but in either case an ability that can break a Maiden's aura won't be quickly forgotten

Jay: Thank you for the kind words! Hearing that really helps motivate as expanding canon was my intent of this story while telling a (hopefully) interesting OC story.

C0rrupted1: Exactly, both have Grimm masks, a red sword, black/red color scheme...so much meshed together in that regard. As to why she turned them away, I pictured Yang's group having more firepower seeming as a threat to invite so many in coupled with her trepidation at her choice in men which wasn't there in canon. Adding Sienna to the Menagerie events was something new for me but I am glad you enjoyed it and as for Cinder's information...read on :D

CatPeople WithGuns: Really? Oh wow I don't know what to say. Getting feelings through my writing is such an honor that I can make you feel that way. I hope to not disappoint as I continue. I will most certainly continue ;)

And with that...ONTO THE SHOW!

"They weren't kidding when they said it burnt to the ground," Jaune remarked as he touched a standing hunk of wood, the frail remains crumbling on the slightest contact. "What was a place like this doing so far from anywhere?"

Before the team stood the framework of what once had been a grand manor. The roof was gone and many of the walls were collapsed all showing clear signs of fire damage. The designs that remained were clearly indicative of Mistralian culture but clearly outdated. If they had been experts, the team would have known the motif dated back to the days of the Great War. Ruby, Jaune and Olivia stood outside the shattered remnants of an old stone wall and gate long since collapsed.

"It's no wonder no one comes here," Ruby sighed as she ripped Crescent Rose from a Sabor Grimm disintegrating beneath her. "I haven't seen so many Grimm in one place since the Emerald Forest." The team had left a swath of slain Grimm in their wake, nearly having chosen to turn back from the sheer density of them. Oddly enough, however, they seemed hesitant to approach the building itself, leaving them unmolested as they grew closer.

"No one has approached the old mansion in many years," an older man living in the closest village miles away had warned. "The Grimm surround yet do not despoil the land, as if it is sacred to them. It's a cursed place to be sure. "The blaze which claimed the old Trelaine place spread to the outskirts of this town's former ground, so many lost their lives that night."

Definitely sounds like Cinder, Ruby thought as the man wiped tears from his eyes bidding them to not venture near. He could not watch them depart in the very direction he warned against.

"They seem to be holding back for now," Olivia sighed in relief finally getting a chance to holster her weapon. "What could have possibly survived here?"

Her statement was more than justified, stepping foot inside the confines of the old house they were surrounded by nothing but blackened wood and scorched metal. A few vestiges of what items had once been could be made out; a strip of carpet, banister head, sofa legs, but not much else. Their presence must have disturbed the delicate balance the ghostly abode had found as creaks and other sounds of the straining supports soon became background noise in their search. Considering the dangers of the surrounding area, they were not willing to split up to cover additional ground and stuck together.

"This place is huge," Jaune pointed out. "They must have been loaded."

"Once upon a time," Olivia pointed out, her semblance working overtime to locate the slightest details missed by most.

It was within a burned-out study that she spotted an indentation in the ash. Leaning down, she carefully cleaned the edges to reveal a picture frame. Lifting it free, the others gathered around at what could be made out. Most of the portrait was no longer recognizable but from what remained it was obvious that a wife sat beside her husband. Scattered fragments across implied there were two or three children at their feet, all of them with matching yellow hair.

"The ones who lived here?" Think Cinder's a natural blonde? Olivia looked over to find no one else laughing, internally smacking Hildie for making such a stupid joke.

The trio rummaged through the house for the better part of two hours with equally uneventful findings. Destroyed walls, unrecognizable furniture and charred wood were all they could locate. Frustration began to settle in among the huntresses and huntsman, the initial enthusiasm gone by the time they entered what had once been a storage room on the first floor.

"Wait, what is that?" Olivia motioned to an innocuous corner of the room, Ruby and Jaune shrugging uncertain what she meant. "That slant…"

Her semblance picking up a slight incline in the floor nigh invisible to the naked eye, Olivia knelt down to brush away the beams. It soon became apparent what she had found, the outline of a previously missed hatch leading into the ground. Nodding to the others, the three drew their weapons, pulling the heavy door open in a quick snap.

A dark chamber opened before them, Jaune and Olivia flipping on the flashlight feature and clipping their scrolls to their belts. Weapons at the ready, they took cautious steps inside while nodding to each other in silent understanding.

"Looks like…a bunker?" Ruby guessed as they shone illumination into each corner they could see.

There was no fire damage, the walls were pristine making it impossible to guess at the devastation above. Despite the sturdy metal walls, the room looked more like a study or living room than a survival shelter giving away the majesty the house above may once have contained. There was a harp in the corner with snapped strings, a pair of extravagant couches of velvet and gold facing a sturdy oaken desk.

"Oh god," Jaune looked away as they rounded on the sofas. A pair of skeletons were lying prostrate across it, their hands intertwined despite the slow decay of time causing them to collapse into scattered bones. Ruby couldn't look either. "But this place is pristine, what happened to them?"

The same thing that happens to the inside of an oven, Hildie muttered ominously taking note of the completely metal walls, floor and ceiling. Olivia did not voice her understanding of their fate.

"Rube…Jaune…is that…?"

"Cam?" Olivia dropped to a knee at the croaking voice, only then seeing their friend laying obscured behind the stairs that had led down. "What happened to you? How are you here?"

The Atlesian pilot was laid out covered in a makeshift blanket that had once been a rug in the bunker. The right half of his face was bandaged clearly burned badly with blood bleeding through the gauze in parts. Such wrappings were required across his body and hands, but he seemed stable. He was half-conscious clearly confused if it was actually them or just another pain-addled delusion.

"D-did Penny find you?" He gasped with a weak smile. "That wonderful woman, she can do anything."

"Penny?" Ruby perked up at the name. "Is she here too?"

"She…saved me, found this place and…saved me." Cameron was still confused but tried to stay focused. "But Weiss…she had to…Weiss..."

To their frustration, the young pilot passed out, his injuries too much and he had pushed himself too far even getting their attention. They hardly knew what to say, the jubilation that so many of their friends were near raising their hopes high.

"I think he'll be fine," Olivia looked him over with Jaune's assistance. "I can try patching him up a bit more, but we'll need to get him back to Mistral soon.

"We should wait," the blonde huntsman stressed. "I mean, if Penny and Weiss are coming back…"

As he and Olivia discussed their options, Ruby had wandered back towards the wooden desk being careful to steer far from the two bodies staring back with empty eyes. Once safely past, she started shuffling through the documents. Most of them were receipts and bills for various goods or services. Her eyes went wide at the costs, many of them beyond anything her father could have afforded on an instructor's salary. What stood out most was they were listed as unpaid.

"Hey, this looks like the one above," she muttered aloud, pulling a small photograph out from the assorted papers scattered across the surface.

A man and woman stood proudly beside one another, three younger girls, no doubt children, knelt as proper ladies in front of them. The women were arrayed in beautiful gowns and more jewelry than Ruby thought a single person could wear. The man wore what looked like a military uniform but was older than any currently in use, a family hand-me down perhaps? It was clearly the photo that the destroyed portrait above had been based upon.

None are her, Ruby muttered with growing frustration as none of them had amber eyes. At least we found Cam, maybe we can…

The red huntress' gasp was loud enough to draw the other's attention, stepping away from the sleeping pilot to see what had happened. While flipping through the various photos strapped together in a bundle, one had caught her gaze. As expected, a house of such size must have had servants to care for it. The one she found had a dozen men and women lined up ranging from rugged outdoor wear to pristine butler or maid uniforms. None of them were of any great note, however almost hidden in the back was a small girl, no older than six. She stared at the camera, dark bangs almost obscuring amber eyes imposing a familiar, unmistakable gaze upon them even through the photo.

"Cinder!" Ruby blurted out unable to restrain herself. "She lived here…look!"

"So, she was just as terrifying as a kid," Olivia remarked to a scowling Jaune, his hand gripping the hilt of his blade tightly. "A servant here? Weird she looks like the only child,"

"So, she started early," Jaune snapped. "This doesn't change anything; we knew she was a power-mad monster already."

"Yea, but I mean…if she did this," Ruby motioned towards the skeletons and door to the rubble above. "As a kid? I, I don't want to believe anyone is capable of that so young."

Believe it.

"We can take some of this with us," Olivia slipped a few photos and important looking documents into their packs. Cross-reference some back in Mist…"

"Ssshhh!" Jaune pressed a finger to his lips as a loud creak of the boards built over the metal bunker alerted them to a presence above. "Do you hear that?"

The creaking persisted followed by what sounded like heavy footfalls shaking dust from the ceiling above. The ominous rumbling sounded like two people directly overhead, pacing the room a moment before moving on to the halls beyond. Muffled speech could be heard but nothing distinct.

"It could be Penny," Ruby theorized, remembering the surprisingly heavy form of her friend they now knew was in the area.

"That isn't Penny," Olivia warned while taking their hands, extending her perception filter to cover her friends while praying it blocked notice of the trapdoor. "Listen."

The others trained their ears upward, thanking their blessings that they had decided to close the door behind them. The boards above were wood once past the metal, however the kitchen area beyond had a marble floor that had mostly escaped the blaze unscathed. It was only once the strange footfalls passed by and entered that room that they realized what Olivia meant. Once the rhythmic steps passed over that surface, they could hear the hauntingly family sound of glass clacking off the charred stone above…

Mistral House…

"Focus inward," Ren calmly explained while in a sitting position. "Breath in…and out, bend your thoughts towards understanding yourself, then…"

"IS THIS REALLY THE TIME?" Oscar cried out in terror, ducking as an enormous hammer passed overhead missing him by so little that his hair was ruffled by the gust of momentum.

"You can't run forever!" Nora called out with far too much joy in her voice. Grinning evilly, she launched into the air, missing him again with a downward stroke akin to whack-a-Grimm. "Keep distracting him sweetie!"

"I am not…" Ren tried to feebly defend himself, stumbling at the name she had used. His cheeks turned a light shade of red, only fueling the pink Valkyrie's assault. "I am trying to help him gain a level head under fire."

Under fire? This is an inferno!

Oscar scrambled out of the way, barely realizing he implemented tactics he had seen the others use and Ozpin show on occasion. Extending the cane, he pointed it forward, catching the head while using his leverage against the ground to somehow stop the hammer's fall. The cost was heavy as a wave of pain shot through his arm causing his aura to flicker. Nora immediately pulled back at the sight.

"You got guts I'll give you that," she grinned, helping him to his feet. "Word of advice though…don't try to stop a blow from an opponent ten times your strength."

"Wow, you're ten times stronger than me?" Oscar looked with stars in his eyes.

"Well…let's go with that number," Nora answered with an awkward pause trying not to damage his pride any further than she already had. "Are you hungry? I am STARVING!"

"I…maybe able to help with that," the meek voice of Leonardo Lionheart was accompanied by the waft of a smell that brought Nora's mouth to water.

"Pizza!" She blasted over to the headmaster carrying a stack four boxes high of food clearly with some difficulty. In a flash she not only had claimed the boxes with one hand but somehow slipped a piece out and was chewing it as she spoke. "What do you need, Qrow is still out looking for his old contacts."

"Oh, I-I must have just missed him," he stuttered, shocked by her strength and appetite. "Well I suppose I'll just need to w-wait here until he gets back."

"Come on you guys!" Nora gripped Ren's hand, the two interlocking with a meaningful squeeze. "We'll…go on ahead," she waved back to Oscar making the young farmhand consider letting them have their alone time. The feelings between the two were painfully obvious.

"Well, perhaps you can have this then," Lionheart chuckled, passing a steaming mug to him.

"Oh, I don't drink coffee," he apologized.

"Not coffee, cocoa."

"Oh," Oscar stared down, taking a satisfying sip he could not help but sigh in contentment at. He'd never had hot chocolate at the farm, but for some reason he felt as if there was nothing better. "Thank you."

"Of course, young man," Lionheart took a seat beside him with his own drink. "It looked like you could have used some help. I can only imagine how new and strange all of this is for you."

"Well I'm getting hit a little less," he joked at how much longer he could last in fights against the others. "Not quite sure how well my skills growing up will really help."

"And you just decided to become a huntsman one day?" The lion-faunus' tail twitched subtly at the probing question, acting nonchalant while taking a sip from his own cup.

"I…guess you could say that," Oscar refrained from saying any details at the behest of the voice in his head. "I just realized it was something I had to help with. There was nothing forcing me to go, but let's just say I was pulled. Even so, sometimes it feels like I don't belong here."

"I know that all too well son," the older huntsman sat down, groaning as his old injury flared. "Not everyone is cut out for a huntsman's life."

"Were you?" He asked, almost knowing the answer before Lionheart shook his head.

"Oh, heavens no," he half chuckled at the memories. "I was born in the lower levels of Mistral City, huntsman training was…beyond my family's means."

Oscar turned, utterly focused on his tale as the look of solemn reflection swirled in his eyes.

"I did what odd jobs came my way, manual labor the most common not unlike what you did on your farm I would imagine. I drifted from one to the next without a real plan," he chuckled nervously again. "You could say I learned how to play it safe, never ran afoul of any gangs or those I shouldn't cross. My problem was I never planned for the Grimm."

"You too huh?" Oscar's encounter back home and en route to Mistral coming to mind.

"Nothing like what we've seen recently, but a small group of refugees from the neighboring towns unknowingly led a pack of Beowolves to the borders of the city. There were so many I…I didn't know what to do, so I did the only thing I thought of; grabbed the first chunk of metal I could and held my ground. The adrenaline-fueled decisions of youth I suppose."

"I can see why you got where you did," Oscar complimented him. "To stand against Grimm the first time you see one that big."

Would I have done the same thing today? The headmaster contemplated. Would I have done it then if my legs would have moved a little faster?

"Ozpin certainly thought so," he finally mentioned his mentor's name with a pause. "He called me the Stalwart against the Darkness, even named my weapon after that, I was so proud."

Was.

"My point young man," he set his drink down, focusing his eyes squarely on Oscar with an almost desperate look. "You do not need to do what feels right now, but what will be best in the long run. If you wish to go home, we'll understand. No one would judge you."

For a moment, just a moment, he thought the young man may listen. That hesitation in his gaze to turn away, that look he wished to grab every day yet eluded him.

"I know, but I can't. This is big, bigger than ANYTHING I have any right being a part of. But still, that is why I want to be here, my Aunt always told me about how the Grimm killed my parents. If this Salem is really all about them, maybe I can do something.

Is this really you speaking my boy, or has he started sooner?

"I see, that is quite admirable," Lionheart reached out, collecting the empty mug before stacking atop his own. "I hope the future is kinder to you than it was to me. If only there was a beacon of hope we could cling to."

Oscar drew back slightly only then noticing that Lionheart had been leaning closer and was nearly in his face eyes wide. He gripped the cups in his hands so tightly his knuckles turned white with a few popping loudly. Oscar was locked on his eyes wide in apparent desperation as the awkward seconds ticked on. Finally, after a time, he couldn't take anymore.

"I think, we all need to find that beacon for us," he offered words of comfort. "Something that pushes us forward, we can do this professor."

Lionheart's hands softened somewhat, his expression flattening back to normal.

"Yes, of course my boy. Thank you, sorry you had to see such a side of me."

"OSCAR!" Nora's bubbly voiced echoed down the stairs. "IF YOU DON'T COME UP HERE, I CAN'T GUARANTEE ANY WILL BE LEFT!"

"Nora! Put down the cutter!" Ren's exasperated voice was soon to follow, causing Oscar to jump to his feet.

"Thank you for the drink professor," he waved off Lionheart as he rushed upstairs fearful of the chaos that would await him.

So, you won't reveal yourself to me at all then? The faunus headmaster sighed internally, the feeling of isolation and abandonment wholly taking root. You have truly forsaken me, was this owed? Of course, it was. When Qrow finds out about the others…no, it's far too late to think of that now. My only recourse now is to hold to my path and pray the information I gather for their arrival is well-rewarded.

Mistral Countrside Manor…

"What happened here?" Ember asked Cinder as they walked through the destroyed house. At his love's request, the airship had landed miles away for refueling. As the others busied themselves with the final jump to the Branwen Camp, the Fall Maiden had led her knight afar, coming across the burnt-out shell that had once been a grand manor.

"I was born," she answered bluntly, beckoning him up the stairs. "This is the last secret I have withheld from you, come."

Ember took her hand, following tentatively, torn internally between wanting to learn who she was while not wanting her to face what had driven her to such darkness. He allowed her to lead in silence, glad for her sudden sense of calm which was rare to see in her.

"What do you know of the old royalty of Mistral?" She asked suddenly as they entered a smaller room on the second story. The area was as badly burned as everywhere else, little surviving save for the outline of where a bed had once been. He could not help but notice there was not much else.

"Emperors and Empresses," he started, his comfort zone returning as he had not utilized his history knowledge in some time. "They expanded across the continent with varying degrees of success, it was believed the many villages scattered around are leftovers as the Empire fell apart or had secessions. This was up until the Great War when they were removed from power and…"

"You always go into such details," she smirked coyly. "They were removed eighty years ago to be replaced by these councils. The rulers were raised above before then, believed to be the gods representatives…all the more so for the rare golden hair compared to the majority of their citizens." She scoffed a little at the notion. "More likely they hailed from Vacuo or some such nonsense."

"I never thought to look that close," he admitted, not quite understanding what she meant.

"You are a rarity in that I think," she scrapped her hands along the walls as if remembering the contours through the ash and dust. "Humans are frivolous beings, how tall are you, are you human, faunus? What…what color your hair and eyes are."

"Cinder?"

"That's not my real name," she admitted, fist clenching as a touch of anger flared inside her. "The one they gave me was so…common, reflecting a desire to purge my existence from their presence." Her eye had flared with fire, almost making her knight fear she sought to finish the utter destruction of the house. With a calming inhalation, she turned to him. "Tell me Ember, what is your favorite fairy tale?" She asked without needing the answer, she had heard his back in Beacon. "Mine is the Tale of the Glass Slippers, of course you'd know it."

He nodded understandingly, Cinder leading him from place to place in the room known to her by heart.

"There once was a girl born to a family, a shiny, noble, highborn family of ancient lineage that the commoners would dream of having been a part of." Her sarcasm was thick with each word. "She was born as anyone else is, but with one flaw unforgivable to her parents…she had a different hair color than them."

Cinder twirled her black locks nonchalantly, the length having regrown past even what it had been at Beacon. She had Emerald help her braid it, accepting the blank gaze of surprise from Ember that it fit her well.

"Born to this noble family only to be stricken from their tree," she continued her slow trek through the rubble. "Relegated to a servant treated worse than a dog. They looked down on everyone, living in the past of their family's glory, but she especially they made sure was never content or happy."

"I'm not a fan of such fairy tales," he mumbled. "Unless it has a happy ending…"

"That is still to be seen," she squeezed his hand a bit tighter. "The girl spent every day toiling, not allowed to depart the grounds or do anything to seek her own path. She was utterly powerless, even the other servants avoided her lest they fall under the gaze of their vain masters."

They circled back downstairs, entering a large study complete with a long since burned out fireplace. With a look of mild surprise, Cinder picked up a scorched painting barely allowing for a few shapes to be made out.

"Their precious golden hair, latching to that past they refused to abandon this house so far from civilization even after the money was gone. The Grimm were never in large numbers and when they showed up a huntsman or huntress was sure to show up. Oh, how the girl wished for a means out of that place, prayed which always fell on deaf ears…at least, until that night."

Ember gulped, not liking the tone Cinder had taken, the ambiance of the house weighing down like a looming shadow.

"The house was cold but their poor excuse for daughters couldn't be bothered to go out themselves or find a new blanket. No, instead they flung the girl outside into the snow only allowing entrance once again if she fetched a new dust crystal from the shed. The cold was so biting the girl barely made it, fingers burning so badly even flexing for warmth was agony. That side of humanity is seldom showcased when teaching huntsmen to protect them."

Ember's chest felt as though a knife was stabbing through it. He'd known full well that cruelty existed across the world, only a child would think otherwise. But it was wholly different hearing about it firsthand, he didn't like knowing details.

"She made it to the shed, huddling in the corner until feeling returned to her hands to find that there was only a single fire dust crystal left. It was a small, useless thing of the most impure quality. They could afford no better. She cried, like a child she broke down terrified of what the three daughters would say with such a crystal that wouldn't last the night. That is when she appeared, her Fairy Godmother."

Fairy Godmother?

Years Past…

"Why do you weep little one?" The voice from the corner of the shed sent the toddler scrambling not having heard a thing or sensed her presence beforehand. The tall shadow with piercing red eyes picked up the discarded crystal, looking it over curiously. "Such a frail thing, just like you."

"I-I am not frail," she asserted weakly from behind a crate, her illusory safety. "Who are you?"

"That is a question you should ask yourself," the shadow glided about the room bathing all it went near in darkness. Where most would be afraid, Cinder seemed almost drawn to it. Verses the freezing cold outside, it was warm. "Of course, you are dear girl, you are human. It is in your nature. But you seem a bit…hardier than most. Why do you let them rule you?"

"They don't…" The toddler's voice died as the red eyes ignited, ending any thought of deceit. "If I don't, I starve," her stomach warped with hunger at her words. "No one in the village has any backbone to go against my parents."

"Survival then," the pale face visible half a moment through the shadows mused. "A basic if not understandable reason."

With a wave of her hand, a handful of red circles fell to the ground and rolled towards the rag-clothed child. Her amber eyes shot wide in desperation as she realized they were fully red ripe apples. Without even thinking of asking, she reached out seizing the first and greedily biting into it. Juices dribbled down her face, all sense of etiquette forgotten out of desperation. It was more than she had eaten all day.

"Such hunger, you've never had control of your own destiny have you?" She did not await an answer. "Do you wish to leave this place?" Cinder nodded; mouth still full of apple. "Then shed your old life and follow me from this place."

The stranger knelt to emerge from the dark. Cinder almost stepped back but decided against it. Against the evil she experienced every day from her parents and siblings the ghostly white skin and dark spider-like veins were nothing to her. The mysterious woman laid a red cloak overtop sending a renewed wave of warmth through her. At the same time, she leaned forward, touching her head to Cinder's.

"It is through power that we achieve immortality," she started to chant. "Through this we show our superiority to rise above all. Infinite in glory and unbound by death, I release your soul and by my will you shall have all you desire."

Cinder's tiny body started to glow red, a hue that made her stare at herself in a new light. The shed seemed a little brighter as the dark corners were illuminated by the strength that resided within her small frame…her aura.

"How do I do that?" She asked, realizing the stranger would not do it for her. None of the others would help her, the village was full of weak sheep, she had to rely upon only herself.

"Little girl, your lineage is the reason they hate you…but is precisely what drew me here. You have everything you need to do so in the palm of your hand."

Cinder looked down at the fragile impure dust crystal, the fringes of its shape blazing brighter than before, resonating with her aura many times the power it could have channeled before. For a moment, just a moment, the flames of what were possible blazed within the forsaken Trelane girl's eyes as a smile spread across her lips for the first time she could recall.

Present Day…

"And so, everyone who knew the girl's face or had spoken her name died that night," Cinder concluded her tale as the memory of the inferno she started stuck in her mind. "And she left with her Fairy Godmother to parts unknown, surely to live happily ever after."

The pair had left the house during her tale, standing within the shed untouched by the fire. The conflagration which had destroyed the house, spreading to engulf the village did not so much as lick the walls. A large pack of Beowolves patrolled around, bowing respectfully to the pair as they passed within. Ember could not help but notice Cinder pet the pack leader with her monstrous arm, caressing its snout like a mother praising a child.

"You've been with Salem ever since?" He asked the only question he could think of, his mind still processing what she was capable of at such a young age.

"She raised me well, better than I ever was among humans," her callousness at sounding like she wasn't one bit at Ember's chest. "This was my last secret; you know me better now than anyone still alive."

Ember reached out, engulfing Cinder in his arms, cold armor holding her close, but the Maiden's very presence caused it to grow warm to the touch. She could feel the desperation in the embrace. The scarred woman let him squeeze, knowing him well enough to realize where this was coming from. He was such a sap, no doubt wanting to make her feel better but not knowing how to do it or what to say and defaulting to instinct. She sighed at his actions, raising her human arm to wrap around him tenderly. She'd never say it, not even to him, but what he was doing felt good even in such a place of dark memories.

"You didn't have to bring me here," he whispered in her ear. "To come back here after so long."

"It wasn't just that," she hesitantly revealed. "This shed is the sole thing for miles that escaped the flames…and is the reason why the Grimm congregate here in such numbers."

She swiped her Grimm arm sideways, shattering a haphazardly stacked pile of boxes full of long-since spoiled food. Beneath, much to Ember's repulsion, was a black puddle lying still within the ground. It was an unnatural, evil thing, the same that littered Salem's domain he had seen many times with Grimm pouring fourth. A pool of Destruction from which the Grimm could emerge.

"This shed, the last place I recall," she raised a finger, the smallest of flames igniting atop it. "Once it's gone…nothing will be left. Not even the pool."

"Even this last place that was a vestige for you?" Ember asked, the details of her tail translating in his mind. "This was your old life, but it's also where your new one began."

With that last word, once the two were out of the thatched structure, she cast the flickering fire off her finger. It drifted over, settling on the roof and starting to burn almost instantly. To Ember's surprise, the flame was quite small, not the raging inferno he knew she was capable of. Maiden powers were tied to emotions, he had witnessed that firsthand at the tower. If this was so small, was she hesitating? The look in her eyes craved the final structures destruction, yet her hands somewhat twitched uncontrollably when trying to complete the deed.

Without a word, he flipped Caliburn from his back, splitting the blade down its center as he took aim. With a pull of the trigger, his father's weapon fired its catastrophic blast of blue energy up the cold steel. It detonated upon contact, engulfing the building in renewed flames as what Cinder started was amplified into an uncontrollable event. All burned down to the frame, even the pool within crumbling to nothing. It would not be long before the Grimm wandered off, their connection to the area broken.

"That was unnecessary," Cinder assured him as he returned the railblade to his back, the pair making back for the airship miles away with their business concluded. "I could have done it alone."

"You could have," he shrugged. "But I wouldn't be much of a knight if I couldn't do at least this much."

No, you are far more than that. I know all there is to know about you, and now you know the same of me. You are a fool for staying and I even more so for keeping you. The future will not be kind, your embraces will come up short against the tragedies we walk towards…

Inside the Bunker…

"Jaune!" Ruby whispered as loudly as she would dare. "Don't…we can't fight them yet!"

Ruby had wrapped her arms around her friend's sturdy frame holding them closed, a hand pressed so hard against his it was turning white all in an attempt to prevent him from drawing his sword. The moment he heard the clack of glass and heavy thumps of metal it was painfully obvious who was above them even without hearing muffled sounds of their voices. His resistance was growing as the line Pyrrha had told him Cinder uttered flooded his thoughts.

Do you believe in destiny?

"She's here Ruby! She is here! We can stop her here!" He hissed back, Olivia's brow furrowing trying to keep them unnoticed by focusing her semblance.

"And what about Cam?" Those words seemed to calm his fury to a small degree as the steps slowly receded. "He can't move! If he gets caught in the crossfire what then? Remember what Uncle Qrow and the Professor told us! She is a Maiden now; she has real magic!"

"He…he can stay down here, be safe while we fight up there!"

"That didn't keep them safe, did it?" Ruby glanced momentarily at the two skeletons still sprawled out across the couches. Only then did Jaune finally relax enough to risk letting him go, his entire body still trembling with rage.

"They must be heading for Haven!" Olivia finally remarked as several minutes of silence passed. "We need to get back there as soon as possible to warn the others! We have what we came for."

So, she served here and was the sole survivor, the huntress of Team HERO pondered what they found based on the clues in the bunker. Power at never having any and serving others?

You sound disappointed. Hildie poked, sensing her discontent.

Not disappointed. More like, confused. It just feels…too simple for her.

The group hurriedly packed what they could that survived the fire; documents, the photographs and a few family emblem pins, into their satchels while making sure Cameron was comfortable. With the young pilot's final words before losing consciousness on Penny and Weiss being nearby, the group was hesitant to leave the bunker lest they be missed. They nearly thought they had been discovered at the deafening blast of an explosion above but afterwards heard nothing. Time passed slowly, so much they nearly considered leaving to get Cameron medical aid.

The creaking hatch roused the group from their lethargy, Ruby and Olivia aiming their rifles at the entryway in case Cinder and her knight had come back. With a resounding clang the door flew open, the group immediately holstering their weapons.

"RUBY?" Yang's familiar voice rang down into the bunker, sending the sisters into each other's arms. They held that pose, holding back welled up tears at finally finding each other again after so long. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the sam…WEISS!" The crimson-clad huntress noticed the former heiress hiding around the corner, abruptly pulling her into the embrace. "Did you see anyone on the way in?" She asked terrified that Cinder may have still been in the area, sighing in relief at her headshake. "I wonder if…"

"SALUTATIONS!" A new girl joined their hug, striking them so hard that all three women were blown to the ground by her still-unexpected weight. Penny smiled ever cheerily atop them unaware of the groans intermixed with joy.

"Yang?" Jaune's eyes lit up at her presence. "If you're here then who is with…?"

His voice cut off as he spotted Pyrrha at the top of the steps leading up. She saw him at the same moment he saw her, without a word needed between them he bounded up to hug her. He could not help but notice her limp still present as she came forward to meet him.

"What are you doing here?" He whispered into her ear unwilling to let go. "Your leg."

"It is better," she lied poorly but he didn't call her out on it. "I couldn't just stay back in Patch, not anymore."

"You…" Olivia's eyes watered as Roland filed down the ladder next, the two gripping one another's arms as they had back in Patch. Despite their attempts they could not keep it so formal, coming together in an emotional embrace. "Is Cameron…?"

"He's fine, but we need to get him back to Haven. Cinder is in the area!"

"I did not detect any thermal signature within an acceptable radius beyond the fire above."

"What fire?"

"The one above, do not worry it appears to have been contained to a small shack outside the mansion's boundaries. Grimm activity was in acceptable safety parameters to warrant our return. If we need to reach the city in due course, we now have access to vehicles."

"Um, I don't think our two bikes can fit everyone especially with Cameron's injuries," Yang pointed out.

"Not to worry!" Penny assured them with the group being unable to keep from smiling at her enthusiasm. "I am quite capable of carrying several hundred pounds mid-flight! I am transport ready!"

With many friends reunited, the huntsmen and huntresses return to a place of safety to consider all that has been learned. Unknown to them, the Maiden's course takes them not to the city, but another location they leave behind. Meanwhile, a knight has learned the last secrets of his love, given information held by few others living. Will this impact his course or only strengthen it? Until next time I hope everyone Reads and Reviews...but most of all Enjoys!