It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all.
Nobody believed her. It was just like in the orphanage.
So she cried in her room. Alone.
She didn't like crying. She wasn't supposed to, anymore. It was wrong. It was weak. She had gotten over her trauma. She was strong.
In the midst of her tears, her door opened. A set of footsteps entered the room.
Cinder looked towards the sound. A tall, broad figure approached her and set at the foot of her bed. She flinched, scurrying away.
"Woah. Hey, it's me Cindy," he said to the thirteen year old. Cinder frowned.
"Don't call me that. I'm not a kid," she said, wiping her tears and looking away.
Taiyang was… her adoptive father in a way. He was Summer's husband. Although she didn't like thinking of them as mother and father. She didn't have, and would never have, parents that cared for her.
"Right. You are though. Sorry, I'm too used to taking care of small, cute kids. Playing the big, strong papa wolf, you know?" He asked with a somewhat awkward smile. Cinder said nothing back, opting to hide hef face behind her knees.
"Is everything alright? Do you want to talk about what happened?" He asked, scuttling closer. Cinder turned one eye to see him.
"What is there to talk about. She demeaned me, So I hit her. That seemed to shut her up well enough," she replied. It had been so satisfying, to see that bitch crying on the floor. Almost as satisfying as… killing her step family. "Just reprimand me already."
Taiyang sighed. "Well, I could go on the whole 'just because you are stronger doesn't mean you should beat them up' or 'you should be the better person' but… I'm just going to ask for YOUR version of the story instead," he said with a smile.
Cinder turned to him fully, eyes wide.
"My version?" She asked him.
"Yeah. What happened from your point of view?" Taiyang asked. "Knowing both sides is very important, always. You can't just judge from one point of view.
Cinder opened and closed her mouth a few times, before settling on what to say.
"I… she laughed at me… because I can't write as well as she can. But she knew I was better at her at fighting, so I knew what she wanted. She wanted to keep me down!" Cinder said, eyes closed.
"So that's what happened…" Taiyang mused.
"And when I had enough…" Cinder continued. "… I broke her nose. And everyone assumed I hit her first. They didn't understand! They took her side, despite knowing how horrible she was to me!" Cinder complained.
Taiyang closed his eyes for a moment, lips pursed. Now Cinder expected a reprimand, and regretted ever telling him.
"I see. Well… you were wrong to hit her first. You should NEVER hit first," he told her, one finger rasied to emphasize his point. Cinder glared at him, but nodded. "On the other hand… I'm glad you stood up for yourself. Still, there are other ways to get back at people other than physical violence."
"Such as?" Cinder asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ask your Uncle Qrow. He's an expert," he said with a smile. Still, there was something that bothered Cinder.
"So… you believe me?" At this question, Taiyang's eyebrows rose up.
"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?" He asked her.
"Nobody else does. Everyone thinks I'm… like a rotten fruit or something," Cinder said.
"You are not rotten Cinder, far from it," Taiyang said, looking directly into her eyes. "Besides, even if you were, I'd still take care of you. That's kind of what family does after all. They take care of each other.
In the Vytal Festival Colosseum, Cinder watched Yang hit her opponent without prompting, out of a match, and sent her to the other side of the arena where the girl landed and laid without moving a muscle.
Her mind raced with questions, the more important being why. Yang was hotheaded, but never attacked without proper provocation.
The public, and the teacher, and the guards, and apparently Yang herself were equally shocked once the images of her attack began playing again and again on the screen.
"People of the stadium, it seems that… Yang Xiao Long has attacked her opponent for no apparent reason! But please remain calm as she is…" Oobleck's speech seemed to fade into the background as Port argued with him about something.
However, it did not take long for the Atlesian Knights parked for security began closing in on the girl. People were taking pictures, and some huntsmen were drawing weapons. In response, Yang looked around like a cornered animal.
Cinder knew that long all too well. And she knew from the confused way she seemed to move… that something was wrong. That something else had happened.
And she knew… nobody would believe her.
Her memories of that night flashed in her mind.
She would not be Rhodes. She would be better. So much better.
She broke the glass of the teacher's balcony, and jumped down floors and stairs without care. All that mattered was getting to Yang. Her aura could fix any strain or injury.
When she got to the bleachers, she pulled her weapons and jumped over two Altesian guards that were trying to keep people at bay from becoming agitated, and went down to the arena.
The Atlesian Knights surrounded the two girls, weapons aimed. Once she arrived, they turned to her, as did Yang and Weiss, who stood at the centre of everything.
Cinder did not care.
She rushed to them. The girls retreated with fear in their eyes.
Then, Cinder turned her back to them and faced the Knights and huntsmen that threatened to surround them.
"Not one step closer!" She shouted, pointing her weapons at everyone around
"Sis? What are–?" Yang asked, confused but with her fists already balled.
"Yang, listen to me," she said, keeping her eye on the robots that still seemed intent on getting to them. "Don't do anything rash. Okay?"
Yang's eyes widened, but her confusion made her lower her weapons. Weiss did the same thing as well.
"Professor Cinder," surrounded by another squad of Knights, Ironwood approached. His face was impassive, but every muscle was strained. She supposed he was barely containing some anger. "Stand. Down."
She locked eyes with him, and glared.
"No," she replied. Ironwood narrowed his eyes. His left hand, which hung to his side, twitched.
"You saw what she did–"
"There has to be an explanation! She would never do this," Cinder replied, looking around as some huntsmen looked at each other as if she were crazy.
"Professor. This cannot stand. You'll make a fool out of all of us," he said, teeth clenched.
"I'm not going to let you throw her into some dungeon," Cinder replied. She was being irrational, she knew it. But… the other option was to be as bad as the man that left her to rot in Atlas.
Ironwood took a deep breath before speaking again. "I'm just going to put her under watch, in her dorm. Nothing else. If you keep resisting, I'll have to use force."
Cinder looked around again. She could take them all out, no problem. Or so she hoped. But… it was not worth it. She would not turn into a criminal again. Summer would not bail her out next time.
She breathed, shakily, and sheathed her weapons.
The knights closed in on them. Yang was not touched, only surrounded and escorted. The same thing happened to Weiss and Cinder herself.
As she left the arena under Ironwood's watch, she saw Rhodes and his partner looking at her with shocked expressions.
Once she locked eyes with him, he narrowed them, and shook his head.
Yang and Weiss were taken to the RWBY dorm, Blake and Ruby as well despite having little to do with the incident. They were all put on lockdown, with armed guards at their door. Cinder herself was not under arrest, but she could tell Ironwood wanted to do so.
They were forced to wait in silence for Ironwood's return. Anyone decent would have expected Ozpin to do something, but Cinder knew that in situations like this, there was no one to rely on but herself.
While they stood by in the dorm room, Ruby took to comforting Yang, while Blake read a book while staring at Yang every now and then, with what Cinder guessed was a look between worry and suspicion.
Yang simply sat on her bed, staring at her hands and at the floor in shock.
Weiss was the most productive of them, hopping on the news with her scroll.
"This is not good," she said, staring at the device with worry. Cinder could hear a few muffled words.
"They're blaming her, right?" Cinder asked, arms crossed and looking out the window. She spotted Winter, talking to Ironwood and Qrow about something.
"They are slandering her," Weiss said with indignation. "They are altering the facts to get more attention! It's outrageous!"
"People don't care about the truth, only about what fuels their prejudice," Blake said from her bunk.
"I know. It's just like this in Atlas," Weiss said with a sigh, lowering her scroll. Cinder could see the face of Lisa Lavender on the screen.
"Can we turn that off please?" Ruby asked, patting Yang's back. She looked more sullen than she had ever seen her.
"Sorry. Just thought it was important to keep ourselves updated," Weiss said, tucking the device away.
"It's alright," Ruby said with a smile. "We're all just trying to help Yang, right?" She asked Blake, who didn't even stare at her.
"I don't– I'm alright! I don't need coddling, I know what I saw!" Yang said, suddenly getting up from the bed and moving about the room.
"Are you sure? It could have been something you ate, or the stress," Weiss said, looking at her teammate with worry. Yang turned to her, eyes flashing red.
"So you don't believe me!" She stated, which caused Weiss to step back a bit.
"N-No! I do believe you! But, saying you are being set up will just make things worse," Weiss stated, more sheepish than usual.
"And what if it's true?" Ruby asked.
It was then that Cinder decided to step up. "We shouldn't think like that. We should figure out how to clear her name."
All of the girls looked at their professor with different amounts of shock.
Before something else could be said, Ironwood and Qrow entered the dorm room. Cinder could see Winter for a split second. The specialist remained outside.
"Team RWBY…" he said, sounding much calmer now. "...It's not looking good."
"Is Emerald going to be alright?" Ruby asked, going to stand in front of her uncle.
Qrow sighed. "Yes. She'll be injured for a while, but she'll live. No charges either."
"Okay, phew!" Ruby said, backing off a little.
"You're not out of the woods yet. Xiao Long could very well be charged with assault and battery. Some are even questioning her mental state," Ironwood said, dashing the hopes of the group. At this, Yang frowned and sat back in her bed, hanging her head in defeat.
"So everyone thinks I'm crazy," she said. Ironwood closed his eyes for a moment.
"Yes. A full psych evaluation will be needed, of course. But you could be suspended, even expelled," Ironwood said. Yang's eyes opened wide.
"They can't do that!" Yang shouted. Ironwood did not budge.
"I'm afraid I can, and the evidence does not point in your favour, Miss Xiao Long," he said. Cinder narrowed her eyes. She felt her face grow hot as she watched Qrow just stand there with a look of regret.
"But I told you why I did it! It's what I saw!" She shot back. She didn't sound angry, but rather on the verge of tears.
"Soldiers and Huntsmen often crack under pressure. Given the things you've been involved in, I wouldn't be surprised if the stress is affecting you," Ironwood stated. Yang said nothing, simply leaning against the bunk bed formed by books.
Cinder could not stand it any longer.
"What if it's something else? Have you thought about that?" She asked, raising her voice.
"Listen, trouble maker-"
"-That is very unlikely. This is the simplest explanation," Ironwood said.
"That's not true," Weiss interjected. "It's only been two hours at most. You haven't investigated anything. You are just throwing Yang under the bus so that people calm down!"
Team RWBY turned to Weiss with shocked expressions, while the heiress glared daggers at Ironwood.
"That may be true," Qrow said, holding his flask. Cinder hoped, for a second, her uncle would stand by them. "But we cannot stop the tournament, or incite a panic, because of one huntress that broke under pressure."
Those hopes were dashed in an instant.
"But… Uncle Qrow-!" Ruby said, as if her heart had been broken.
"Listen, me and Ironwood have seen this before. It's not wrong to admit you need help."
"This is different," Cinder said, strolling to stand face to face with her uncle. "Yang has never done anything like this, and none of them have shown ANY signs that they could harm others."
Qrow squinted his eyes, before closing them for a moment. "We still can't stop the tournament and spare forces to make sure."
"Then let me do it! I'll look into it!" Cinder said, placing a hand over her chest. Ironwood raised an eyebrow.
"You? Sorry, professor, but I don't think you are impartial enough to-!"
"-then give me someone else. Give me Winter! You trust her, she'll be impartial, right?" Cinder asked. Winter and Qrow did not get along. If that dislike trickled down to Yang, then she hoped that could even out the interests.
It was flimsy logic, but the only one she saw right now.
Ironwood rubbed his chin, deep in though.
After a few tense moments, he looked RWBY over.
"Very well. I'll assign Winter and another huntsman to you, Cinder. You'll have to look into this, and find what happened. But know that if Yang is found guilty, then she will face the consequences," his look was as cold as ever. Cinder nodded, accepting his proposal.
"You have until the singles round," he stated, leaving the room and leaving the women and Qrow on their own.
Cinder stared daggers at him, but he didn't seem to care.
"Well that went better than expected," he commented.
"Yeah. Good going Qrow. You really helped, calling your own niece crazy!" She said, voice full of spite.
"Sis, please don't-!" Cinder grabbed her arm, but Cinder just brushed her off.
"-look, I'm just being realistic here. No one is flawless, and you can't always excuse their actions. Even if they are family," Qrow said, pulling out of his flask.
Angered, Cinder smacked it out of his hand, and it hit the lower part of a wall, spilling some of it's contents.
Qrow was just like Rhodes. She knew he got burned by Raven, but Yang was another thing entirely.
"Well, I'm going to stand by her anyway. Because that's what family does. Now get out," she said in a low voice that betrayed her hurt. Qrow said nothing else and left the room.
Silence reigned for a moment as Cinder breathed in and out.
"Sis…" Ruby said. "Aren't you being too harsh on uncle Qrow? He knows what he's talking about," Ruby said, frowning.
Cinder turned to her. "Of course I'm going to be harsh on him, Ruby. He's wrong," Cinder said, going to sit on Ruby's bed.
Yang looked at her, and broke her silence. "Are you really going to do that sis? I… can deal with this on my own."
Hearing this, Cinder went to kneel in front of Yang, and grabbed her shoulders.
"You are my sister. I'm not going to abandon you, not again. I promise," she said, amber eyes staring at lilacs.
A smile creeped up on Yang's face, and her eyes got watery. She leaned forwards and embraced Cinder. "Okay. Alright," Yang whispered.
Cinder returned the hug. She held tight, before letting go.
"So what about us? What can we do?" Ruby asked with balled fists.
Cinder stood up. "You're going to focus on winning the festival. Ironwood is going to be keeping an eye on all of you."
"But Yang is my sister too. I want to help!" Ruby said, standing at her full height.
"You'll help by not doing anything, okay?" Cinder said. Ruby's frown did not let up. She was not going to let this go.
Why was she even trying to stop Ruby? Even if she maintained her stance, Ruby would go out anyways. She might as well employ her.
"Alright. Let's see…" Cinder rubbed her chin as Ruby smiled. "... Those two kids that were with Pyrrha. Yang and Weiss fought them. You could go see how they are. Who talked to them."
Ruby nodded, and set out to grab Crescent Rose.
"You are coming too, right Blake?" Ruby asked the cat faunus. However, Blake only peeked out over her book
"What if Ironwood's right? What if Yang did have a breakdown? Or simply punched her because she made her angry?" Blake asked. The look of betrayal and hurt in Yang's face made Cinder want to explode.
"Blake? What are you saying?" Yang asked. Blake sighed, and put her book away.
"Listen, remember that Adam guy?" Blake asked. Yang nodded. "He started like you. He suffered… terrible things at the hands of people. Some he cared about, some not so much. His anger consumed him. But for the longest time… I invented excuses. I justified it a mistakes. It didn't take long before he pulled me into his world of violence and hate. I… i just don't want it to happen again," Blake said, eyes obscured by her fringe.
Yang looked away, sullen. "I'm not crazy Blake," she whispered. Blake took a deep breath, and touched Yang's shoulder to make her turn to her.
"I need you to tell me you didn't do it. Say it," Blake ordered, staring at Yang directly and without letting her escape.
Yang steeled her eyes, and looked at Blake with an unwavering gaze. "I did not do it."
Blake took a moment, but in the end she nodded.
"Alright," Blake turned to Ruby. "Where to?"
Ruby smiled. "Let's ask Pyrrha. Maybe she knows."
Blake nodded.
"And what about me?" Weiss asked.
"You still need to win the singles round, bestie," Ruby replied with a cheeky smile.
"Look, as good as I am, I don't think…"
"Oh come on Weiss Scream! I believe in you! If you need to get stronger, we got a few days to train here. Not like I'm going anywhere."
"Fine. We'll train."
Smiling, Cinder stood up.
"Alright. Then Ruby and Blake will look into Emerald and Mercury. I'll see if I can find what and who wanted Yang framed. Is that okay?"
Team RWBY nodded.
"Alright. Let's do this then."
Cinder left the RWBY dorm behind. After closing the door, she turned around and found herself facing Winter Schnee.
She retreated, startled out of her mind but hiding it behind an impassive face.
"Hey Winter. Could have announced yourself," she said. Winter simply stared at her with that straight laced face she usually wore.
"We're going to be working together, even if I believe it to be a waste of time," Winter said. Cinder glared at her.
"So you don't care if your sister's friend was framed?" Cinder asked. Now Winter returned the glare.
"I care. But keeping the peace is even more important," Winter said.
"What if it was your own sister?" Cinder asked. Winter's gaze softened, and the specialist looked away.
"I…"
"Cinder," both women turned to see a broad shouldered huntsman come to them. It was Rhodes, just what Cinder didn't need.
"Not now Rhodes," she said. He raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you were the one investigating that girl's attack," although she didn't show it, a pit formed in Cinder's stomach.
"Huntsman Fatin has been assigned to us since he is loyal to Atlas, and will be an impartial judge."
Cinder cursed under her breath.
Ozpin sat in his office, watching over the campus.
What happened with Yang was unfortunate. But if he knew her well, then something else was up. Or so a part of himself wanted to believe.
Another one dismissed it. Disappointment was just a part of his life at this point.
The elevator doors opened, and general Ironwood stepped out.
"General," Ozpin said, not turning to look at him.
"Xiao Long has really stirred things up," he said.
"Seems like it. What did you do with her?" Ozpin asked. He didn't have high hopes. Being expelled was likely.
"I wanted to suspend her, but professor Cinder offered herself to investigate. She would not budge. Her loyalty to her sister is… impressive," Ironwood commented. Intrigued, Ozpin turned to face him.
"So I was right. She has grown to be a loyal, protective woman. She will do anything for her cause," he commented.
"But we don't know what that cause is," Ironwood countered. Ozpin took a sip from his coffee.
"Why, her family of course. Once she knows the danger, and what's at stake, she'll become unbreakable. But what do you think, general?" Ozpin asked.
Ironwood, so stalwart and sure of himself, now looked at the ground with doubt in his eyes.
"We're out of time. I guess we'll have to see," he said after some time.
Ozpin smiled. "Then I think we've found our next Fall Maiden.
A/N: Well this took a while. It's not perfect, nor as long as my other chapters, but I found no better cut off point. Still, I hope you enjoyed it. Next one will deal with Cinder's investigation on Emerald and Mercury, maybe some Ladybug as well as drama with Rhodes. Maybe Tai will appear too.
That is all for now. Chiao!