Important Author's Note at the end.

Beta-ed by xenosaiyan and MasterPrince713

Wendy had told her that she still needed to rest after the first healing session, concussions not being simple injuries and all. Yet, after she'd brought Tai and Qrow home to rest and caught a few hours of shuteye herself, she'd needed to leave the house where she'd once been so happy.

Fitting that her flight had taken her to the resting place of the one who'd given everything to try and raise her up from despair.

"Thus kindly I scatter," Raven read off the tombstone. "She always did love that poem."

She'd visited Summer's gravesite a few times over the years. Always in bird form, she'd never had the courage to risk Tai or Yang seeing her.

Perhaps she should have stayed that way now. Maybe her redheaded tail wouldn't have followed her then.

Erza Scarlet Nikos stepped out from the treeline, coming up even with the Spring Maiden and staring down at the alabaster tombstone.

"She was your partner, correct?" the Queen of the Fairies inquired.

A nostalgic smile drifted over Raven's face. "She was so much more. Qrow and I went to Beacon to learn how to kill huntsmen, to become stronger and she… I never had anyone who believed that I could be more than a killer. To live as a huntress instead of just survive as a bandit. I thought it was impossible."

Erza smirked. "But she made you think you could do it."

"She could have told me she could hold up the sky and I would have laid my mantle at her feet to let her rest." Raven basked in the past a moment more before melancholy warped her face back to the present. "But she couldn't. And I didn't. Now she's gone, everything I was so afraid of is more insane than I could have imagined, and everyone I've ever loved hates my guts."

"For good reason."

"For very good reason," Raven concurred. "They won't forgive me. Ever."

"Quite possibly."

"There's no redemption for me."

"In the eyes of some, quite probably," Erza confirmed. "And yet, you've chosen to stay, to help save Yang."

The Titania said the second half of that statement with such certainty. The woman who'd wanted to beat her black and blue in Mistral if not for Wendy's interference, now spoke with the utmost faith in her.

"How do you know that?" Raven asked, her hands trembling at her sides. "Salem's her friend. She's not in any danger. So if she never forgives me, if they'll never forgive me, what reason do have to stay? I'm a coward, remember? I could just run."

"You won't," Erza declared. "If you were going to, you wouldn't be talking about it. You would have done it already."

"Then why haven't I?!" Raven demanded, both from Erza and the tombstone, tears clouding the sight of the rose carved in the rock. "It was so much easier to run. To just accept that the world couldn't be changed. But Summer, and then you in the Vault… Why do you keep making me want to be more?! I am a monster! I know it! You know it! They know it! Why do I keep dreaming that I can come back from this?"

The Spring Maiden collapsed to her knees, unable to even look at her best friend's grave anymore. "Why do you two make me want to be a huntress again?"

"I do?" Erza murmured. The Titania glanced at Summer's tombstone. "She does? Not Yang? Or Tai, or Qrow? Are you not willing to try to be better for them?"

"They don't care if I'm better. They'll never forgive me, and they're under no obligation to do so. I can fight for them. I will fight for them, so that they can live," Raven assured the redhead. "But you don't need to be a huntress to fight."

"True. But you also don't need me or Summer to be some idol in order to be a huntress," Erza chastised. She knelt down and ran her hand over the emblem of a rose engraved in the tombstone. "People… are fallible. No matter their intentions, that doesn't change. Having absolute faith in them is like giving them absolute power over you, and that is not something that should ever exist. You must make your own choices. Not for me, not for a ghost, but for you. Who do you want to be?"

Raven chuckled darkly. "Who I want to be is the person I was before I used that damn lamp. But there's far too much blood on my hands for that. The past is gone."

"The past is always gone. That's why it's the past," Erza spoke softly. "Move forward. If you can't be the person you want to be, at least take the actions that they would. If Yang, Tai, and Qrow will never forgive the person you are, be the person they might."

"Might," Raven murmured morosely. "Such a tantalizing little word."

"It's a chance. More than resigning yourself to being a monster," Erza pointed out.

"And what about Salem?" Raven inquired. "She's become a monster because it gives her a chance, gives the world a chance. What are you going to do about that?"

Erza sighed. "I don't know. I don't know if I can forgive her, even if I must. But even if I do, even if Weiss will despise me, even if I will be damned by every soul she's killed for forestalling their justice… no more innocents. No more innocents will die. No more Beacons, or Havens, or coups like Atlas."

"And to risk everything against the gods?"

"Ruby thinks she has something in mind for that. An alternate plan we may be able to propose," Erza said. "But we'll need to move quickly. It may already be too late to knock some sense into Salem."

Raven winced. "Which means you still want me to portal you there."

Erza scowled, anger flicking over her face for the first time in their conversation. "Is that a problem?"

"Yes, but not for the reasons you think. I will help you," Raven said. "Yang was counting on my semblance to get you all straight to the castle. Unfortunately, Salem has more experience with my portals than she realized. I was Ozpin's spy for years. The Queen wasn't going to make it easy for me to slip in and out of her headquarters."

"You can't get us in?"

"I can get us in, just not with much accuracy," Raven explained. "She has a mystical barrier around the entire place specifically to deal with my spatial distortions. It's not perfect, she was never able to keep me from slipping through completely, but it's a fifty-fifty shot if I'll end up next to my anchor like normal. Add in more than just me going through? We could end up scattered across the entire castle."

Erza frowned. "If she knows about your semblance, maybe Yang will have informed her of the plan, and she'll have taken the barrier down."

Raven shrugged. "She might very well be in the process of it, but it doesn't shut down quickly. Dozens of matrixes scattered all around the castle and that was just the ones I could find. She didn't want me to just bomb a lacrima and have free reign. Ozpin had me take some recon photos and he estimated it'd take days even for her to shut it down."

"More overcomplicated shit… ergh," Erza growled. "So, we either wait a few days, leaving Yang and Jaune at her mercy all that time, in the hopes that she's been told about the plan, and has decided to let us in. Or, we rush in now and possibly be separated in her territory."

"Essentially," Raven confirmed. "Though, both of those options are only dangerous if we assume Salem is going to hurt them."

"Salem isn't the only one in that castle," Erza pointed out. "And if Cinder has regenerated from Neo-Hell's Core… I'm not letting that wench near them longer than I have to."

"She is quite the loose cannon," Raven concurred.

If she'd observed anything about The Gate of the Archer during the Vault battle, it was that she was… more than a bit sadistic. Normally, she wouldn't have put that beyond Salem or The Ophiuchus's ability to control, but given The Fall of Beacon had occurred…

Yeah, probably best not to leave Yang alone with someone like that, given her general Yangness. Unstable maniacs generally didn't respond well to taunts. Or puns.

"Unto the breach we go," Raven said. "Though, I admit, I'm a bit surprised. You hated my guts back in Mistral. I can't imagine our little teamwork down in the vault changed your mind that much."

Erza allowed a soft smile to form over her lips. The redheaded wizard rose up to her feet, turning away from Raven and the tombstone.

"When we first met, I thought you were a mediocre person at best. And I expected nothing more from you. But, you surprised me," she admitted. "Enough that I am willing to give you the chance to surprise me again."

Raven cocked an eyebrow. "Really? That's all it took to earn a chance?"

Erza shrugged. "Perhaps it's for me as well. I'm not sure if I can expect anything but the worst from the people we'll be negotiating with, people I want to believe in. If you can surprise me again, rise up from your despair… maybe they will as well. Hopefully."

Raven stared up at the Titania, this majestic woman who'd faced down an Eclipse Etherious Maiden in single combat, now so… human. Strong, valiant, noble, but oh so human. She wanted to believe in the potential the Spring Maiden had displayed, that tiny sliver of goodness amidst the sea of sin she had committed. Because maybe, if she of all people could do something right or just, all the other monsters her old friends had become might be able to as well.

Could she though?

Raven looked back to Summer's grave, her gaze dancing over the emblem and poem one last time. She'd relied on her partner and then Erza for guidance, to be good, to do the right thing. On her own, so outmatched and helpless against the greater forces arrayed against them… could she stand her ground? Could she keep herself from running, with no hope of redemption or forgiveness? Could she act as if she lived when all she had to hope for was survival?

… One way or another, they'd find out soon.

Here's hoping Summer would make the trip down to hell to kick her ass once she'd been sent down to burn.

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Ella's eyes flickered open as the door to her room (cell) slid open. The young girl staggered her way up the wall, her silver eyes glaring at the entrance. She didn't know what Eleanor or her dogs wanted after the day's training, but there was no way in hell she'd let them look down on her.

Except, it wasn't them. Any of them.

Intelligence uniform. Silver medal. Mask covered with the emblem of Atlas. Ella had seen this woman before. She'd appeared at training once or twice, Eleanor always snapping to attention when she oversaw things. And cowering when she returned from being pulled away and shouted at.

Of course, Ella wasn't under any illusions that this person was her friend. This 'COMMAND ESR' was the head of Atlas Intelligence, the one who approved all their big operations. Even if Eleanor had made some blunder in the field and chosen to kill her father and friends herself, the masked woman still bore the responsibility.

She was her enemy. Just like everyone else on Remnant.

COMMAND ESR gently closed the door behind her, a covered basket and some sort of game board under her arms. The masked woman paused as she looked on Ella, frozen at the sight of the girl's bruised form.

"What in the…" she murmured, whatever expression she might have borne hidden behind her mask. Though, a furious sigh did escape the emotionless Atlas emblem. "Evidentially, Eleanor does not understand what 'take it easy' means. I'm sorry for everything you've had to go through. You won't have to worry about training for the next few days."

Ella said nothing, her glare unyielding in its wrath.

COMMAND seemed to take a moment to acknowledge that, then sat down before the girl. She set the basket down, pulling off its covering to reveal… cookies?

It was. Fresh, warm chocolate chip cookies. After having been stuck with Intelligence's nutritious, but bland as hell rations for so long, Ella couldn't keep her furious expression in place, her mouth watering as the succulent scent of baked sweetness wafted through her nostrils—

No! No! The silver-eyed girl shook off the stupor and refocused her guard on her enemy. This was a trick, like Ana and Drizzella pretending to be her sisters. The cookies were probably poisoned or something.

COMMAND seemed unperturbed by Ella's increased guard, merely unfurling the checkered game board she'd brought and setting it on the floor. She pulled out several black and white pieces from within its storage, setting each color on opposite ends of the board.

"Do you know how to play chess?" the spymaster asked.

Ella didn't answer. Her dad had taught her, but that wasn't something she was just going to give up to this masked bitch. It was hers. Hers and his.

Even if she wasn't that good at it.

After a few moments, COMMAND cocked her head to the side. "Do you want to play?"

Ella scoffed. "Do I have a choice?"

"Yes."

Ha! Yeah right. Even if it was phrased as an innocent offer, Ella had learned that Atlas Intelligence didn't make requests that could be turned down. You either got in line or you got dead.

"Go to hell," Ella spat. She was in no mood for cow-tailing to these jackasses. She'd gladly take the inevitable beating if it meant.

But the beating didn't come. Instead, COMMAND merely rose to her feet and bowed to the young, vengeful girl.

"As you wish," she said. "Please enjoy the cookies."

Something in Ella snapped at those gentle words, words that had no right coming from this rancid bitch. She stomped across the cell and kicked the basket into the wall, cookie scattering across the cell.

"Get out!" she roared.

Once again, COMMAND did not lash out. No barked reprimands, no swift reprisals. Just a sigh of resignation before the masked woman shuffled out.

Ella collapsed back down to her knees, somehow even more exhausted than she'd been before.

What did that bitch think she was going to accomplish? Did she think the silver-eyed girl would drop her guard after a token attempt to be nice? It may have stood out more amongst the unending nightmare of the Tremaine's training, but Ella wasn't stupid! She'd learned her lesson from home!

No one was going to help her. No one cared about her. Everyone who had only failed her in the end. Any act of kindness was a trap to make her weaker. She knew that.

And yet, in her exhaustion, her gaze couldn't help but fall on the cookie crumbles scattered throughout the cell. Her mouth soon grew wet once more.

… Maybe… maybe just one. She couldn't trust anyone, but where could one take her?

Or rather, where could one take her that was worse than where she already was?

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"What. Happened?"

Cinder couldn't meet Teacher's eyes. During her training, it had been rare that her mentor had had cause to be so furious with her. She had never struck her, never demeaned or brutalized her as Eleanor had, but she'd made clear when she'd been disappointed with the golden-eyed girl's efforts. In some ways, it had been worse than the Tremaine's ruthlessness or Salem's punishments, because she knew Summer believed in her, wanted what was best for her. It was why the older woman had been able to forgive her when her first solo mission had spiraled into the Fall of Beacon.

But now, she'd come into her conversation with Mercury at the worst possible time. And then Yang fanning the flames… the blonde was going shove her out into nothingness while she and Ruby hogged Teacher all to themselves.

"Cinder!" Summer repeated, clearly out of patience. "What happened?"

"It's not my fault," Cinder protested. "I did as you asked and tried to make nice with Mercury and he spat in my face!"

"So you nearly melt his face off?" Summer demanded. "Someone insults you, and you attack them? Why would anyone want to be around someone like that?"

"I wasn't insulting him!" Cinder sputtered. "I came to him in peace! He's the one who started it!"

"And you escalated it," Teacher reprimanded. "You faced resistance and you validated his reservations. You cannot make anyone forget your past actions. You can only show them that the person you were is not who you are now, that you are better—"

"Better?! Is that what you call letting him walk all over me? Is that what I need to do for you?!"

Summer blinked. "For me? What are you talking about?"

"Don't tell me you don't know! He knew you were thinking about it and so do I!" Cinder barked. "You don't need me anymore! You're not stuck behind a mask anymore! So you can cast me aside already! Hell knows it'll make bringing Fairy Tail into fold easier if you hang me out to dry and you'll still have Ruby and Yang to—"

"Cinder."

It was one word. Just one word, just her name, the name she chose. Spoken without volume, magic, or malice, but still enough to make the Gate of the Archer freeze in her tracks. Her golden eyes rose, finding Teacher's hidden behind her dark bangs. The Winter Maiden slipped a hand into her pocket and slowly marched towards her student.

Cinder trembled as the other Gate approached, all her rage evaporated as she shivered in place. She shouldn't have spoken, should have kept her head down. If she'd kept her head down, Teacher might not have noticed her failure, might not have noticed how worthless she was, might not have noticed how she was better off without her like her father, and Jack, and Mary, and Gus would have been—

"Look."

The Gate of the Archer was roused from her panic as her mentor plopped the item she'd drawn from her pocket, a lit-up scroll, into her palm.

"Read it." Summer commanded.

Cinder gulped and lowered her gaze.

"By the authority of the Kingdom of Atlas, Cinder Fall is hereby adopted as the… daughter of Esper Rosenflos…"

The Gate of the Archer's eyes widened, quickly flickering over the rest of the digital document. "These are… these are…"

"Adoption papers. I had Watts push them through first thing once Atlas was ours," Teacher spoke. "As of months ago, Cinder Fall is officially the adopted daughter of Esper Rosenflos. My daughter."

"Teacher…" Cinder murmured, tears prickling from her eyes. Her gaze rose, only to find Summer's face stony and stern.

The Gate of the Maiden placed a firm hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "I am not going to cast you aside, princess. I will never abandon you. But I will also never abandon Ruby and Yang again. And I most certainly will not allow you to make yourself mediocre."

"Mediocre," Cinder mumbled. "What do you mean?"

"When I first brought you before The Queen, when you took the name Cinder for yourself, you said you wanted to be strong. To be powerful. Part of strength is adaptation. Learning. You cannot settle for the same work that left you for dead at Beacon and Haven. You were sloppy, arrogant. We are going to war, such weaknesses will get you killed. Do you want to be weak?"

"… No. I want to be strong."

"Then be strong," Summer encouraged. "And don't whine and falter when you meet resistance. Adapt. Learn. Be kind where you can and efficient and painless where you can't."

"Be better," Cinder answered.

Summer finally graced her with a small smile. "That's my girl."

Cinder managed to respond in kind, her mentor's finger rising to wipe away her tears. Yes, she'd been worried over nothing. Teacher would never abandon her, never cast her aside, never leave her. That was just her fear talking. Just fear.

Nothing of consequence.

"You have hurt many people, princess. You cannot force or threaten them into forgetting what they've had to suffer," Summer said, melancholy morphing her expression. "All you can do is show them a person they might be able to forgive one day, or at least want to forgive. They might not, that is their right and their privilege, but there is no chance at all if you continue the same mistakes that hurt them."

"The Fall," Cinder muttered, glancing away at her teacher's disapproval. "It made Ironwood paranoid, uncontrollable. Forced you to move more decisively instead of slowly getting your patsies on the council."

Summer sighed. "What's done is done. We make choices in the field based on changing circumstances. And we have to live with the consequences of those choices."

"Yes, teacher."

"The Queen has decided that you will supervise Jaune Arc's ascension," Summer revealed. "It is a menial task, but a crucial one. Perform it to the best of your ability and you will begin to prove that you have moved beyond your errors."

"Of course," Cinder replied. "I will not fail you."

"Do not fail Jaune," Summer sternly warned. "It is his fate that will be in your hand."

Cinder nodded. "His ascension will be so smooth, he'll barely scream—that sounded much better in my head."

Summer managed an understanding smirk. She knew that no ascension was without pain. She knew that the Gate of the Archer was genuine in her intentions.

"I am so sorry," she said. "My actions, my choices, they tore so much from you."

Cinder frowned. "Eleanor screwed up and let my father find out. She would have killed me too if you hadn't ordered her otherwise."

She hated when Teacher talked like this, like she was some charity case. Perhaps she was, if Summer really was the only thing keeping her safe from Salem's wrath. But she wouldn't be. The Fall of Beacon had gained her nothing. The Battle of Haven had gotten her nothing. Now, she needed to play catch up and fast. She needed to learn, to adapt, to be worthy.

Or if she couldn't be that, at least act like she was.

She'd accept Ruby. She'd accept Yang. She'd accept their righteous hatred, and she'd hold her head high, be the good little soldier. If Mercury and Emerald couldn't trust her words, she'd show them with her actions, over and over again. For however long it took.

"I will make you proud, Teacher," Cinder declared, pressing Summer's scroll back into her hand. "I promise."

The Golden Spirit Slayers wrapped their arms around each other and embraced, a spark of love in a dark realm.

Unbeknownst to either, it would be the last time they ever would.

Ah, the Erza and Summer 'Be a Better Person Because Doing Worse Clearly Isn't Helping You' pep talk. I enjoy creating these paralleling scenes for these two.

Also, I'm glad to finally be able to drop the Adoption Papers Chekov's Gun from Chapter 32. A lot of Chekov's Guns will be firing come the Grimmlands Arc.

Which unfortunately brings me to the Author's Note. *Sigh* Get ready everyone, you may not be happy about this.

So, as you may have noticed, the last few chapters have very much been shorter than this story's average had been previously. Part of this is me consciously trying to streamline my writing style, but a greater factor has been chaos in my real life affecting my writing time (Trying to find a job is a job unto itself and I need to succeed in it). This has resulted in sections of chapters being pushed back into chapters of their own and has greatly increased the length of the Post-Jinn Arc to more than I'd hoped. It is not overly harmful to this portion of the story, but the Grimmlands Arc is set to be a BIG ARC, this story's halfway point and, if all goes well, my equivalent to Tenrou Island in stakes and drama. 4K-5K chapters won't be enough for it to tell its story at an effective pace.

This Post-Jinn Arc has one more chapter that will come out as usual in two weeks. But after that chapter, I am going to put this story on hiatus for a month, hoping to either handle things in real life so that my writing time increases or spend some time on other stuff so that my creative juices for this story can recharge and boost my pace in the same allotted time.

Sorry about this guys. But keep heart that when the story returns, we will be in the Grimmlands Arc. And the story will never be the same again.

Thank you for Reading! I hope you enjoy what comes next!

Go Forth and Conquer!