"Okay Weiss, what day is it?"
"Today… is the… day…" Weiss said, frowning.
"Come on! Say it like you believe it," Yang balled her fists, as to encourage Weiss to lift weights.
"Today is the day," Weiss said, as if resigned. Still not enough energy.
"Yes! Today is the day you win! Say it!" Yang replied, grabbing her teammate by the shoulders and shaking her.
"Today is the day I win," Weiss said without enthusiasm.
"Today is the day!"
"Today is the day," now that was better, in Yang's opinion.
"Today is the day!" Yang chanted again. She saw Weiss' mouth curl upwards. Success.
"Today is the day!" Weiss said, voice louder.
"Today is the day!"
"Today is the day!" Now Weiss was shouting like her. And they both continued to chant the phrase in order to hype themselves up.
The singles rounds were about to start. The doubles went by faster than Yang expected, lasting just a few hours long. It was barely enough, but she was able to teach Weiss a few close combat tricks for when her sword was not usable.
"Today is the day!"
"Today is the day!"
A knock on the door made them both stop dead cold.
"Who is it?" Yang shouted. Weiss immediately went stiff, cheeks tinted red.
"It's me! Here to visit my Sunny Little Dragon!" It was a male voice, soft and easygoing. Yang recognized it, she had heard it for years.
"Coming, dad!" She shouted. She almost groaned. Was her dad here to chastise her?
Still, he was still her dad and she loved him. So she opened the door. He was standing in the hallway, smirking. Two guard were positioned on both sides of the door, looking outwards to remind her that in the end, she was a prisoner.
"Welcome to my cell dad. They gave you permission to visit me?" She asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"Pretty much," he said with a sigh. "Can I come in?"
"Make yourself at home," she said, stepping back into the room. It was a little messy. Weiss and her had moved stuff around to have more space to practice.
Speaking of Weiss, she just stood with her weapon away, prim and proper like she usually was.
"Oh, hey. You must be Weiss Schnee," her father said, closing the door and stepping up to her with his hand raised to greet her with a fist bump.
"Yes indeed. It is a pleasure to meet you. I assume you are Mister Xiao Long?" Weiss asked, looking at his extended fist skeptically before mirroring the motion, her knuckles touching his for a second. Yang facepalmed.
"In the flesh. It's good to finally meet my daughters' teammates, even if it is under these circumstances," said Tai, slightly apologetic.
"Very. But Cinder, Ruby, Blake and my sister are doing the best they can. We are all convinced Yang is innocent," Weiss stated. Yang looked at her father's expression, which turned downcast.
She didn't expect him to believe her. He was just like Uncle Qrow, still seeing her mother Raven in her face, or so she assumed.
"I'm glad to see she has so many people she can trust," he said, eyes turning to her for a moment.
"Is that all?" She asked.
"Not really," he said, going to her side and sitting on the bed on the left side of the room, patting it. "I want to talk about what happened."
"Nothing happened!" Yang answered, looking down at him from her standing position. It was exactly as she feared. "The guy attacked me and I defended myself!"
"Calm down," he stated, voice neutral. Yang said nothing at this, closing her eyes for a moment. It hurt, but she was used to being hurt by parents. "Tell me what happened."
Summer, Raven, Qrow… They all hurt her in some way.
"It… may have been something else. The competitors were suspicious, after all," Weiss stated. Yang looked back at her, slightly annoyed.
"Could you… leave us alone for a moment?" Yang asked, trying her best to not let the ball of emotions on her stomach out.
"Y-yes! Sorry!" Weiss said, quickly leaving the two of them alone in the room.
An awkward silence set in, and Yang didn't really feel like breaking it. She wanted to… run away. But she didn't run away. That was not what Yang Xiao Long did. She faced the world head on.
"I'm not crazy dad," she said, glaring at his father. He raised his hands in defence.
"I'm not saying you are but… okay, listen," he said, massaging the ridge of his nose. "Y-your mom–"
"Oh, so we can talk about her now?!" Yang asked, throwing her arms into the air.
"Yes. It's important," he said. She turned around upon hearing how strained and… about to break his tone was. "Nobody is perfect, Yang. And… who we are… how we act… how we think… it's influenced by the people around us. Before and after meeting my team, meeting your mom, meeting Summer… I was a different person. The same goes for your Uncle, and Summer and even Cinder–"
"–She told us," Yang blurted out. Her dad stopped in his tracks. "About what happened. Where she came from and how mom found her."
"Oh," Taiyang said, falling silent.
"Yeah. 'Oh'. If I had known…" Yang said, remembering the first time she met Cinder. The jealousy of the attention Summer and Tai gave her at first. The feeling of no longer being the big sister. Those feelings faded quickly, but she still remembered them clearly.
"… It was not an easy topic to break out. Summer and I, we wanted to distance Cinder from that."
"Why? And why hide it from us?" Yang asked, fists balling. Her father looked her in the eye.
"We wanted her to have a normal childhood, for whatever time she had left of it. And we wanted you to treat her no differently than any other person. But you know," he said, looking away and massaging the back of his head. "Neither Summer nor I were perfect parents."
He was wrong, Summer was perfect. Or so she desperately wanted to believe.
"Still…"
"Like I was saying, the people around us change us, but some things remain forever. And Raven… she was unable to let go of some things. She was unable to let go of her anger, her need to be strong."
Yang said nothing, looking at the ground. She knew where things were going.
"Are you afraid some of her is in me?" She asked, voice cracking.
"Well… she may have rubbed off on you," something broke. Yang felt horrible. "But that doesn't mean you are like her! You are so much more than that!" he said, getting up from the bed in a hurry and placing his hands on her shoulders.
Yang looked away, tears staining her eyes. "Why now?" She asked.
Tai Yang said nothing, and hugged her tightly. She couldn't see his face, he was so much taller than her. But she felt him shake.
"D-dad?"
"It's going to be okay Yang. Just… promise me…" he said, separating from her and looking her at eye level. His eyes were slightly red. "...promise me you'll stay safe. That you'll remain here with your friends."
Yang was confused. A torrent of emotions and fear ran through her. But in the end, she nodded.
"Okay," she replied. Taiyang closed his eyes and nodded.
"Good. Now, I need to find Cinder and Ruby," he said, getting up slowly.
"Why?" She asked, standing there.
"I'll tell you all soon enough."
Ironwood and Ozpin's eyes were like steel as she recounted the events at the Industrial District. Rhodes, Ruby and Blake chimed in as needed.
They were once again in Ozpin's office, clockwork mechanism cranking above them. It irritated her.
"We are sure that Emerald and Mercury are at fault. They must have done something to Yang with their undisclosed semblances," Cinder finished, looking at Ozpin and Ironwood in intervals.
Both men did not react.
"I see. And the other assailant?" Ironwood asked.
"She was completely covered, except for a ponytail," Ruby said.
Ironwood said nothing, simply rubbing his chin. That was not good.
"Colour?"
"I...can't remember."
"Koyanskaya can help us prove things are wrong, we just need more time," Cinder said, no, pleaded.
"We are out of time, Miss Cinder. I'm sorry," Cinder's arms fell. She had failed.
"General, please–" Rhodes said, stepping up.
"It's over, mister Fatin. Thank you for your service. You'll be properly remunerated," Ironwood said, and Rhodes stopped cold in his tracks. Cinder turned to him with a glare. Of course he was after money, he even looked back at her as if caught in headlights.
"We need to speak to Cinder here. Please take your leave, all of you," Ozpin said, addressing Ruby, Blake and Rhodes.
"B-but–" Ruby whimpered.
"–Now. It's very important," Ruby nodded meekly. Cinder had never heard Ozpin so cutting, so serious.
With some hesitation Ruby, Blake and Rhodes left, heading towards the elevators in Ozpin's office. They looked back at her with worry before the doors closed.
Cinder was left alone, anger bubbling inside of her. She looked back at Ozpin and Ironwood.
"What is it then?" She asked, tone cutting. Ozpin was unfazed, leaning on his hands, moth covered and looking her all over. Ironwood simply stared at her, as if analysing every inch of her being.
No one said anything, there was no sound save for the clockwork mechanisms above them.
For a second, Cinder was worried. The gravity of the situation was catching up to her. Her mind ran various possibilities, each one worse than the other.
"Cinder," Ozpin said, snapping her out of his thoughts. "In the few months you've been here, you have left quite the impression on us."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh… Well that's… good. I certainly tried to leave my mark."
Ozpin smiled, and chuckled, which made her even more nervous. "Is that so."
"Y-yes."
"I can see it now. And I must say," Ironwood stepped in, hand going to Ozpin's desk and looking over some papers. Glancing to them, she could see it was, somehow, related to her. "Your Loyalty to your sister is impressive. Are you really willing to risk things such as your life and reputation for her?"
"Of course," was her instant response. Was Ironwood trying to dissuade her?
"And what about others? About the millions on Remnant?" He asked her. Cinder narrowed her eyes even more.
"That depends," she said. "They sure haven't done anything for me."
Ironwood stepped up to her, but was quickly stopped by Ozpin's raised hand. And so, the atmosphere turned tense again.
"Tell me, Cinder, what if I told you your sisters, your father and this very school were in grave danger?" Cinder's heart nearly stopped, however, she was talking to Ozpin and Ironwood here. While she barely trusted Ozpin, Ironwood was another story. His gaze and posture told her everything, he had some sort of beef with her, he wanted to take her down.
She wouldn't believe what they told her so easily.
"Then I'd ask who is behind it," was her answer. Ozpin hummed.
"Yes. I guessed you would ask that, sadly–"
"If you're going to pull some 'you need to join us' bullshit, then forget it," she said, waving her hand. She looked at the back of the office, there was one elevator open. She could leave.
"Professor Cinder, the things at play here are greater than you could ever imagine. We need you, and you have certainly earned our trust, but we still need your loyalty," Ironwood said, stepping up fully. Even Ozpi turned to look at him with some surprise.
Cinder stepped back a bit. "Need me?" Being needed, being depended on, having that power over someone… was enticing. It called upon an urge, upon her memories of her early life.
"Yes. Not only us, but all of Remnant. Are you with us or not?" Ironwood asked, his voice sounded somewhat forced. Now Cinder was curious, extremely so.
"I…" she liked it. She liked how Ironwood was almost desperate in asking for her help, even if he tried to hide it. She couldn't resist it, an Atlesian asking for her help. "… alright. I'll help you."
Ironwood seemed to recover his composure, and Ozpin smiled.
"That's good to hear," said the headmaster. Cinder crossed her arms.
"So what is it?" Cinder asked. While she had accepted, she was ready to bolt out at any second.
The clockwork mechanism seemed to intensify it's rhythm.
"Well, that's a bit hard to explain. So let me ask you first, what is your favourite fairytale?" That question was out the left field, so much so that Cinder was caught without an answer.
"I… I don't know. They all suck," she answered. She had listened to Tai read a few of them to Ruby and Yang, and honestly… she didn't like any of them, except for one.
"Really now? Even the one about the maidens?" Her heart skipped a beat.
"It's better than the other ones," she answered. Her eyes darted to Ironwood, but he was almost like a statue now.
"So you've heard it," Ozpin asked. Cinder rolled her eyes.
"Yes. Four girls meet a sad old man, they make him happy and get powers. What does this have to do with anything?" She asked, annoyance slipping into her voice.
"Everything, since it's real," all sound stopped in Cinder's mind.
"What?" She asked, almost laughing. Yet, Ozpin was completely serious.
"It's real. Not exactly as told, but there are four maidens, four girls that long ago were granted unfathomable power over the elements, stronger than any semblance and closer to true magic," Ozpin explained, his gaze unwavering.
Cinder retreated, the joke having worn off it's welcome. "Bullshit."
"Bullshit? Hm. As skeptical as ever, then I guess we'll have to show you," Ozpin said. Yet, he did not look at Ironwood.
"We?" doors opened behind them. Out from the elevator, Glynda appeared. "Professor?" Cinder asked, raising an eyebrow. She knew Glynda was close to Ozpin, for years rumours of 'love' and 'affair' ran about Beacon, but Cinder never expected her to be in complete cahoots with him.
Goodwitch smiled at her, as if she were a friend. "Hello Cinder," Glynda said.
"H-hello… wait!" She said, holding her hands up. "You said we."
"Your uncle Qrow," Ozpin said. Cinder turned to him, and in his hand there was a black bird. A crow. Where had it come from?
"Where is he?" Cinder asked, heart thumping in her chest.
"Right here," Ozpin let the bird go, it took flight, rounding the room before it's form expanded into a shadow, and then became a human, her uncle Qrow with everything including his canteen.
Cinder was speechless. Her head thumped.
"Sorry I'm late. I had to talk with my friend," he looked at Cinder, and his eyes took on a sadder tone than usual. "Hey kid. Sorry you had to find out this way."
She couldn't process it. It was too much. "U-Uncle Qrow, what is…?"
"Magic, kid. That's all I can say," what she had just seen was no semblance, tt couldn't be, her uncle's semblance was bad luck. He gave her no time to formulate more questions. "Is it time?" he asked Ozpin.
"Sadly. We better get a move on," he said, grabbing his cane and heading for the elevators. Ironwood and Goodwitch followed him without a single peep.
Cinder was left standing in the middle of the room. Her head couldn't keep up with what was happening, and only a hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her stupor. Her uncle's touch felt foreign, alien.
"Did he ask about the fairytale?" Qrow smirked at her, but she simply stepped back.
"Yes," Cinder answered.
"Oh good. Then you're up to speed. Come on," he said, walking lazily to where the others waited.
"Wait! What's going on?" She asked him, recovering her composure. Qrow sighed.
"It's hard to explain, kid. You'll understand soon enough."
Cinder pursed her lips, and decided to play along. Still, fear crept up her chest like a stalking beast.
The elevator they took descended far past the bottom floor, and into the bowels of an underground facility.
"W-where are we going?" She asked. She wanted to slap herself, she was acting like a defenceless kid again.
"Miss Cinder, for generations, a secret war has been going on. The Grimm have a leader, and we are the ones to oppose her. We protect the world from the shadows," Ozpin said.
"The shadows?" Cinder asked, before her mind reached one conclusion. "To avoid panic."
"Exactly," Ozpin said.
"Told you she was sharp," Qrow muttered, flashing her a smirk.
"But what does this have to do with the maidens?" Cinder asked.
"The maidens are real, and they are a keystone to protecting our world," Glynda explained. "They used to be common knowledge, but nefarious individuals hunted them down for their power."
"To enslave them?" Cinder asked, a pang of anger rising in her stomach.
"No. The maiden powers are not permanent, they pass on once their host dies," Glynda said.
"It's a very stupid, very specific process. It has to be a young girl that is present in the current maiden's thoughts," Qrow said. Cinder turned to him.
"And if that condition isn't fulfilled?" She asked. He turned to her.
"Then it goes to some random person, and everything gets a hundred percent more complicated," Qrow said.
"Catastrophic even," Ironwood added.
"So we hid them from the world, turned them into legend," Ozpin said. "Even so, our enemies still hunt them, and there is the possibility that the killer will be in the maiden's last thoughts. Thus, we must keep an eye on them."
Cinder felt a sense of dread drop into the elevator. Everything was beginning to make sense, if it was real that is.
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened to some sort of large underground chamber illuminated with green lights. A stale smell set in, like one would find in an underground parking lot.
They stepped out of the elevator, and Ozpin's group began walking towards the centre, where some sort of machine was in place.
Cinder followed them from behind.
"That is…" she asked, getting closer to the device.
"The current Fall Maiden. There's one for each season. This one is under Vale's protection, or at least should have been," Qrow said, as if berating himself.
"Her assailant did something unprecedented. They stole her powers, no killing necessary. We were barely able to stop them. But sadly, they already got half of her, or so we think," Cinder approached more. It was a tube, one was empty, and the other held a girl of dark complexion. Her eyes were closed, her face was beset by horrible scars.
"Amber. She was exceptional, like you, and thus we selected her to inherit the Fall Maiden powers. Unfortunately, she was too inexperienced. She stood no chance against her attackers and is barely being kept alive here," Ozpin said. Cinder kept looking at the tube, at the girl, unable to pry her eyes away.
"And why not pull the plug," Cinder asked. That girl was a prisoner, stuck in a limbo of life and death.
"Since half her powers were absorbed, we are afraid that if she dies, it will go to her assailant," Glynda said. Cinder felt terrible, enough so that she felt the need to comfort the girl. So she caressed the glass separating them.
"And what do you need me for?" Cinder asked, not looking at any of them.
"We need you to be the next Fall Maiden," Cinder's eyes widened, and she turned to them.
"But you said–!"
"–In Atlas, we have made a lot of advancements in Aura research, and we've figured out how to transfer it… so to speak," Ironwood said, motioning with his hand towards the other tube. The empty one.
"The process is not perfect, it will merge your soul with hers, but there is no guarantee you'll be the same person," Ozpin said, eyes darkened behind his glasses. A weight fell upon Cinder's shoulders.
She looked at the ground, unsure of what to do. There were so many questions…
"So I'll die," she said.
"You'll be someone else, but part of you will remain," Ozpin answered.
Cinder said nothing, looking at the poor girl in the tube.
A pair of footsteps approached her.
"Cinder, think about it, this is power beyond your wildest dreams," Ironwood said, stepping near her. She looked at him, his fists were clenched, his eyes hardened. "I know your past, I know you were an orphan that was beaten and tortured for years. If you become the Fall Maiden, you'd be able to stop that from happening. You'd be able to stop the Grimm at the root, and prevent orphans from ever being created and put in a situation like yours. Don't you think that's worth the risk?"
Cinder looked back at Ozpin, and she saw his eyes were narrowed. Was there something else he was hiding?
Her stomach felt awful, like she was going to throw up. She looked at Amber once more.
She could be strong, she could be powerful, no one would be able to hurt her again. She'd be able to destroy anyone in her path who wanted to hurt her or her loved ones.
"But I'll be at your beck and call…" she muttered.
"You'll be mostly free. You'll only need to come when called, or when you are in danger. As long as you exercise your power with care, you'll be able to operate as you please," Glynda said.
That did sound tempting. So tempting, it was almost unreal.
"I…" Cinder was about to say 'yes'. Everything in her body told her to answer 'yes'. Yet something still stopped her.
"I don't care if you did something wrong. You were always there for us. You're our family, our sister. We love you, no matter what."
Yang.
"You are the strongest person I know. We love you."
Ruby.
What would her sisters think? Would she be able to talk to them? Would the person that spoke to them even recognize them?
"What about Ruby and Yang? What about Tai? Would they know?" Cinder asked, turning towards her uncle Qrow.
"You'll have to disappear from the public eye. Tai… well… he's stepped away from everything, but I do keep him in the loop sometimes. But to Yang and Ruby and everyone else, you'll be gone," Qrow said, his hand reaching towards a pocket where he kept his flask.
Cinder turned back again towards the tube where Amber was. She felt tired, so tired she had to lean against it.
"So they'll never know," she stated.
"Never is a strong word. When the time comes, they may know. Or they may not. But for now yes, you will have disappeared," Cinder balled her fist, sliding it across the glass.
It was too much. Too much to think about. Her head felt like it was going to explode.
"I… I need some time," she said, voice wavering.
"Of course Miss Cinder. However, time is running out, and we fear the school is in imminent danger. We need your answer by the end of the Vytal Festival," Ozpin said.
"Alright," was Cinder's answer. She felt someone pull at her arm slightly. It was Qrow.
"Come on kid," he said, unusually soft. "I'll take you back up."
"Cinder," Ironwood called to her as she began to leave with Qrow, and so Cinder turned. Ironwood looked a little softer now. "Yang won't be expelled, as long as you keep quiet about this."
Cinder nodded, and both she and her uncle took an elevator up.
When they finally made it to Beacon Tower's lobby, night had already fallen, and the Vytal Collesseum stood out like a light in the darkness, it's bright spotlights signalling the joy of those inside it.
Cinder shared none of it. Her chest felt tight, and her stomach was in shambles.
"You looking a little green there, kid. I know it's a lot to take in–"
"That's putting it mildly…" Cinder replied, venom dripping from her voice as she leaned against a gateway that lead to the outside.
"It's okay–"
"No it's not!" she said, glaring daggers at him. She had trusted him, although ever since Mt. Glenn that trust had began to wane some. And now, he was with some sort of secret magic cult. So many lies, so may false promises. "Do you have any idea how insane this is?!"
"Believe me, I do more than you can think," he still kept her cool, and that irritated her. So much so that she chuckled.
"Really now… How long? How long have you been in on this?" She asked him, looking him straight in the eye. He adverted his gaze, his liquor canteen seemingly more interesting.
"Probably since before you were even born," he said, regret in his voice.
"So you lied to me, all this years. All three of us," she muttered.
"It was to keep you safe. Look how you are acting now. Do you really think me or your dad could afford it?" Cinder's eyes widened.
"So he knows too…" she said, biting her lip.
"Yes but he's not in on it, he always believed that you three were far more important," he said. She turned around, massaging the ridge of her nose.
"Right," something dark invaded her mind, hurtful thoughts that soon spilled out. "Why didn't you tell me that I was being selected? That Ozpin wanted to use me? Was that why you reached out to me at the beginning of the year?!"
Qrow's eyes widened, he finally looked vulnerable. "I– No! Of course not!"
"Do you even care about me? Or am I just another tool!? Another kid to sacrifice to this Fall Maiden shtick?!" She raised her voice, her eyes stung. Yet, she kept it all inside, only letting hints of anger through.
"Of course I care! But Ozpin–!"
"I don't give a shit about Ozpin! Or Beacon! Or this fucked up world for that matter!" She shouted, pointing a finger at him. "The only people that are sincere and honest with me are Ruby and Yang, that's it! Everyone else is up to something, and I was an idiot to believe anything else! Nothing's changed!" She shouted, words spilling out without control. She knew how to keep herself in check, when to release anger, when to save it.
She was losing control. She needed to get a grip. She turned around, unable to face Qrow any longer.
"Cinder… Kid…" Qrow sighed, deeply. "Listen, hate me if you want but everything I've done… is because this is the only place where I've belonged. And you are the only family I have and I had to protect it. Nobody else wanted me."
He sounded sincere, but Cinder didn't want to believe me.
"This fall Maiden stuff… I know it's a lot. But I promise you that, should you say 'yes', I'll always be at your side. Always. I won't stop being your family."
Cinder turned to look at him. Her eyes were wet. "I won't be able to see Ruby or Yang again."
"Yeah. I can barely see them as it is. But it's for them too. If they are happy, does it really matter?"
He flashed her a smile. She didn't return it.
"At the very least… I'll be strong," she said, looking at her hand.
"Pretty much."
Cinder hummed. Being strong, being strong enough to protect Ruby and Yang, and herself. Stronger than Ozpin or Ironwood.
Now that was an idea.
Stealing it for herself. Use it to break away from everything, screw Ozpin and his war.
She could see it, clear in her mind. A way to be free.
A dark, delightful thought.
"I need to think about this. Goodbye Qrow."
She walked away, not looking back.
Still, she needed to do one last thing. She needed to see how Yang was.
Cinder headed for the dormitories of Beacon Academy.
A/N: Alright, this one was fun to write, although there was a constant fear of it being too cheesy. With all this pressure, Cinder's dark tendencies start coming out to the surface. But things can only go up, right?
Also, I made a little reference to a certain abridged series. Guess where it is.
That is all for now, Chiao!