The truth is subjective. It's a phrase that many hear at least once in their lifetime, yet few actually decipher the meaning of it. When one seeks the whole truth, one must consider every account. Every detail from every point of view must be heard to earn complete insight on any given event. Even then, some details may be warped from poorly worded lips or half-opened ears. As most stories often fade with the passage of time, those select few that survive across generations become fairy tales. Though each fairy tale in Remnant's history has its own degree of dubiousness on whether or not they're actually true, one thing they all have in common is that they teach moral lessons. The moral lesson of this tale: "be careful what you wish for."

The Huntress's Shadow, the tale of a witch's vile experiment gone horribly wrong, has its own flaws. For starters, the idea that anyone would create such any monster that could threaten its creator is completely absurd, even for a witch's standards. Also, those that understand the witch's motives would find contradictions between them and the tale. Though few could hope to understand the consequences of bringing such a creature into this world, what is clear, however, is that the Huntress that was cruelly tormented that day wasn't the only one that was plagued with nightmares. There was another; one who was perhaps more deserving of them, that was similarly plagued.

Cinder's nightmares were memories of a life of powerlessness once thought conquered, only to return every night. They always started the same way: with her cleaning linens and sweeping floors in a hotel with floors that went higher and higher into the stars themselves. As she performed her tasks, she would endure one indignity after another, spawned from the cruel barbs of stepsisters and the electrical shocks administered from her collar for speaking out of line. The indignities would get worse as the nightmare went on, with a stepsister's heel on her back and the assurance that she was nothing, until the moment she snapped.

This time, it happened when she just finished sweeping the 82nd Floor. These memories always had a way of renewing her with hatred toward the elite and the privileged. This assumes, of course, that Cinder's memories were entirely accurate, as hotels typically don't have 82 floors. Regardless of the truth, the final sound she'd hear is the sickening echo of a snapped neck. The nightmare would end with her tormentors made her victims and her terror turned to pride just before she woke for the new day. That pride kept her going, day after day, with the promise that all she detested would one day burn to ashes beneath her.

Recently however, a young girl garbed in red with silver eyes would show up, meddling in her moment of triumph. The backdrop of the moment would change from the fancy halls of a hotel to a desolate remains of a broken tower, with their only company being the ashes of the fallen. Sometimes, she could burn that girl alive and pluck out her eyes. Other times, the light in that girl's eyes would engulf the entire room, and eventually leaving her entire body with a burning sensation. The two endings tend to fluctuate between one night and the next; a sign of a future that is yet to be told.

But the vivid nightmares on this night ended with something other than pride, hatred, and uncertainty. There was the usual meddling girl, but something was…off about her. The girl's stance was more menacing than usual, with curled fists and an angry glare. The silver light that accompanied her was completely absent as well, replaced by this festering red. Her actions against the girl were just as typical; burn her alive and take satisfaction in her agonized screams. This time, however, there were no screams. Not even a grimace formed in her lips as she bathed her in flames.

The girl's expression was completely unmoved by the flames, remaining cold and full of hate. She walked across the flames without so much as an ounce of inconvenience, her eyes entirely focused upon Cinder. As she came closer, the backdrop of their fight turned into one similar to the broken tower, but much more withered than usual. The ashes were completely absent, and the floor felt like a murky sludge. There were impaled corpses surrounding the two, most of which were the victims of Cinder's quest for power; her victims. Even the sky burned red with fire, yet the air was beyond freezing.

As the girl, immolated by fire, came within a couple steps of being in contact with Cinder, the latter backed away, worried that her magic was failing her. And all the while, the girl remained silent, focused, and completely unfazed by the carnage around her. That's when it became clear what was off about the girl. There was no desperation in her movements, no forced bravery in her eyes. She wasn't looking into the eyes of a Huntress that dared meddle in her affairs. This girl was inhuman. Her sole expression conveyed to Cinder one silent dare: "Try adding me to your growing pile of victims. See what happens."

Feeling renewed anger from this taunt, she lashed out with spiteful arrows and fiery malice, intending to hurt this girl in every way possible. Without so much as a twitch, the girl let Cinder unleash every ounce of anger and hatred she could muster. She savored the sounds of arrows that punctured the girl's body, until the flames completely obscured her. The ruthless attack went on for what felt like ten whole minutes, and it left Cinder exhausted. When she was finished her cruel handiwork, she dropped her glass bow and a wide-eyed broken smile crept across her face.

"I won't have to run now," Cinder said with an unusually childlike voice, feeling some semblance of peace for the first time in years.

"That's all you'll ever do," a young man's voice echoed in the cold air. Her peace was shattered and her smile faded. Though she couldn't see who the voice came from, she recognized who it belonged to almost immediately. It was someone in her past she hoped to leave behind long ago. Instead of facing him, however, she saw that same girl she tried to murder emerging from the flames. She was completely unscathed by Cinder's attempts to kill her, but her skin was a sickly gray and her eyes were as red as the light that came from them.

Even now, the girl remained unbroken by the hatred cast upon her. No, not just hate. She carried the pain and sorrow of everyone Cinder had ever hurt in her quest for power. And when the girl finally opened her mouth, her voice carried what seemed like a thousand words at once. All that begged for mercy, all that screamed their last, all that cried for their lost; the girl was speaking for them, never for herself. She wasn't a Huntress. She was the martyr that had to save everyone, no matter the cost. Relentless and insatiable, light and shadow, the girl was coming for her.

And when the girl grabbed Cinder's leg, intending to drag her into whatever hell she spawned from, the latter tried even now to fight back, clawing at her red eyes. This, like the acts of cruelty that came before, did nothing, and the girl silently responded by snapping her leg off with her bare hands. Now, only Cinder's screams could be heard over the voices of the suffering, for they were all that really mattered. She dared not open her eyes, dared not see what was in store for her, until the moment two claws sank into both her lips. The shock forced Cinder to see the girl that haunted her, still as expressionless as ever, even as Cinder's mouth was opening against her will. She tried to struggle, but her mouth went wider and wider, far beyond any words could say, until her felt the sides of her lips tear open.

After that final sickening snap, Cinder finally woke up. Her face was covered in sweat and tears, and she clutched her mouth, silently begging it not to come apart. When her fingers felt the jagged teeth that weren't there before, every horrific detail came back to her. This was the result of Salem's ambition gone horribly wrong. Or perhaps, it had gone horribly right, as one of her master's goals was to create a monster powerful enough to bring hope itself to its knees. In the end, that's exactly what she did.

As Cinder pried herself up, she glanced at her new leg and contemplated what Salem's ambition had cost her. That monstrous double of Ruby Rose left her crippled, forced into "treatment." It was just like the Fall of Beacon all over again, when she lost her arm and eye. Her new leg was also composed of Grimm, but formed into a hoof at the end, like a goat. Getting out of bed was difficult, not because of the hoof's shape, but because these injuries had a burning phantom pain to them.

Even now, Cinder could swear she felt those dark flames scalding her skin still burning. She recalled how helpless it left her; how that monster reduced her to tears and screams before it laid waste to Salem's castle shortly afterward. Only the slimmest of chances even allowed Cinder to survive. From Salem's account, the flames that left what remained of her leg burned also cauterized the open gash where it was torn, leaving it into a stump. Had that not happened, she would surely have bled to death, even with Emerald's timely rescue.

But Cinder didn't want to believe that, especially after everything she'd endured. In her mind, she survived because she refused to die. It was that simple. She'd been through worse, after all. She survived her cruel family and murdered them all, she survived an icy plunge into a river and recruited Neo to her side, and she survived…that girl. The girl that dared to interfere with her ambitions time and time again; she'd survived her…twice.

As she forced herself to move off her bed, she glanced down at her black glass slippers. They were among the few real possessions she kept for herself; forged from her own Semblance, forged from her will alone. She'd gotten the left slipper on with no issues. As for her right foot, or her right hoof as it's now called, there was no denying it. Even that old fairy tale about the lucky maiden who'd escaped her cruel upbringing by a pair of glass slippers that fit just right was now taken from her. Her slipper didn't fit anymore.

Seething with rage, she tossed her glass slipper into a nearby mirror, shattering them both. Upon doing so, she gazed at her broken reflection and saw her new jaw in full detail. Like the replaced limbs, this was also Grimm, protruding a few inches further than her human jaw with fangs that extended further than her lips. It's like they weren't even designed to accommodate her, but just to placate her. Small bursts of flame coursed through her mouth as she exhaled. It was enough that one might gaze upon her now and see her as more monster than human. Then again, she was already deemed "a monster on the inside."

"Cinder?" a young woman called from behind the door. "Cinder?"

She knew right away who this woman was before she even opened the door. That everlasting desire to please the dominant people in her life gave it away. It reminded Cinder of her own life when she had to endure her accursed foster family. When the green-haired woman barged in, she was met with the demented gaze of an amalgamation between a Maiden and a monster; one that wasn't in the mood for company.

"I…I heard…you…" Emerald couldn't even finish her response when she saw Cinder's gaze. The two were silent for a few seconds, as the former tried to think of something to break the tension. "Is…is your new leg acting up again?"

She saw a twitch in Cinder's Grimm claw; either a good sign or a very bad one.

"Right. You haven't been able to speak since you were…" Emerald tried to find the right words, only to be met with a sickly growl from Cinder. "Sorry. Too soon."

Aside from that growl, Cinder remained silent. Even after all these years, she wondered if this woman could figure out she wasn't really helping…or needed.

"Salem's been on the lookout for that thing ever since it escaped," Emerald said in a sad attempt to get to some point. "No sign of it yet. It hasn't been following us."

Just like that, the last words Rhodes said to Cinder echoed in her mind again. That was all Emerald could even think to say now. It was all anyone could think of for the time being. It was humbling to admit, but even with the Fall Maiden powers and the promise of even more power to come, she was running. They were all running, sitting in another Monstra after the demise of the first one, all the way to Vacuo. Salem had to change her plans ever since her infamous experiment, but the witch wasn't through with her ambitions. She still had two Relics.

"She says she found the mistake that caused that monster to—"

That finally set Cinder off. She couldn't stand this weakness, this pity any longer.

"Mistake?" Cinder grabbed Emerald's throat with her Grimm arm, yelling with a roughness that demonstrates just how much it hurts to talk. "Is that…what you think?"

Emerald gasped, which Cinder quietly noted. This proves it. Even she saw her as weak now, and that only made her hunger for power even more. She forced her voice through the burning pain in her throat that acted up when she spoke. She refused to be that mocked girl in Salem's court again, when Emerald had to speak for her.

"You think…what that girl did to me…was a mistake?" Cinder seethed, inches from Emerald's face as her Grimm hand dug into the latter's cheeks.

"C-Cinder…"

Before Cinder could do anything else, she looked into Emerald's fearful eyes and loosened her grip. She couldn't stand to see such weakness in her assets.

"It wasn't a mistake!" Cinder exclaimed. Her face twitched with every syllable. "That was her goal…from the beginning!"

"W-wha…but Salem didn't—"

Emerald stopped when she saw Cinder stand up, in spite of her injuries.

"No," Cinder said with the same bitterness, but no longer looked at Emerald. "What happened that day…wasn't the result of some glitch…some mistake in the design. This wasn't some machine…with personal feelings!"

Emerald remained silent, waiting for Cinder to get to whatever point she had, only to see the latter turn her bitter gaze at her.

"Think about it," Cinder said, much quieter than usual. "Salem wanted the girl…alive. She wanted…to use her…for that disgusting ritual…as a template. That monster ended up…being made…in her image."

"What about it?" Emerald asked, trying to feign emotional disinterest in that girl's torture, hoping to avoid any more of Cinder's manhandling.

"You're a cunning girl," Cinder inquired. "What else…did that thing inherit?"

"Uh," Emerald muttered, only adding to her answer with a blink.

"Well?" Cinder snapped, watching Emerald's frightened eyes. "I asked you…a question! What else…does that experiment…have in common…with that…girl?"

Cinder had to stop ranting for a moment. The pain in her throat was too great.

"I-it protected her," Emerald stuttered. "I-it…it protected the girl!"

"That's right," Cinder answered with a quiet bitterness, then noticed Emerald giving her a forced smile after answering the question correctly. "And do you know…why a Creature of Grimm…would even do such a thing?"

Emerald couldn't give an answer. It might have been her constant desire to avoid the blackened creatures that made her ignorant of their true nature, or simply the fear of Cinder's continued anger, but she remained silent.

"You don't, do you?" Cinder asked with a knowing glare. "Am I really…the only one?"

Emerald still remained silent. She knew the price of butting in one of Cinder's rants from prior experience.

"I only have one eye," Cinder mused bitterly, "and I can still see…more than you. That experiment…inherited everything…from that girl. Not just her eyes…not just her image…everything else…like that pretentious desire…to save everyone!"

"You think," Emerald asked in disbelief, "that thing is her?"

"I KNOW IT IS!" Cinder screamed with a fury surpassing every other bitter retort put together, only to cough up a few drops of blood as a result. As they struck the ground, they sizzled; a lingering consequence of her fiery anger, or possibly the burning sensation that Salem's creation inflicted upon her. Emerald saw Cinder gasping, seemingly about to vomit, and instinctively rubbed the latter's back, only to be pushed aside. Cinder didn't want any pity from anyone.

"Salem…Tyrian…and me…we all…wronged that girl…in some way," Cinder said, then glanced up at Emerald with a jealous eye. "We all…lost something for it. A leg…a finger…a life…all except you."

"C-Cinder?" Emerald stuttered, backing away in fear as Cinder shambled forward.

"You didn't…go after…that girl…so that monster…left you alone. The Grimm…never showed mercy…until now."

A look of realization crept over Emerald's face.

"You're the only one…that didn't…lose a thing," Cinder spitefully ranted. "That monster…put that girl's life…over power…and revenge. Salem doesn't know…that girl…like I do. She wouldn't just…abandon her…misguided attempt…to save the world. And now…neither will that monster. You'd have to be blind…not so see something…so simple."

The wounded Fall Maiden knew there would be those doubters. Few would believe a story about a Grimm that took on a Huntress' identity. Even more absurd was the idea that the Huntress and Grimm would actually work together against a common enemy, but it was entirely plausible under these unique circumstances. Perhaps in some humorous irony, they might even take a liking to one another. They do have a lot in common. Ever since that horrific day, Ruby Rose had never left her mind. She roamed her thoughts and haunted her nightmares.

It's two Rubies that maimed her, two Rubies that ruined her "moment of triumph," and to make the matter truly insulting to her, one of these Rubies is now officially "strong, feared, and powerful." And that monster's still out there, possessing everything Cinder was willing to cross every moral line to gain, with no real effort on its part. It was all because Salem handed it to that monster on a Silver-Eyed platter. It was the very embodiment of everything Cinder wanted in the visage of her most hated enemy. That, more than any electrical shock in her childhood combined, was exquisitely unfair.

"And if I know Salem," Cinder concluded, "she'll blame everyone…but herself. She'll blame the world…she'll blame the gods…but she'll never understand…how badly she fucked up! Creating a monster…she couldn't destroy…even I was never…so arrogant!"

"Cinder," Emerald rose her hand over her bared teeth, making a "shh" motion. "What if Salem's listening to us?"

"So what," Cinder declared, fighting through the sickly burning feeling in her throat. "Let her listen. I'm only saying…what everyone should already know! This is not a tragedy. This was not an accident. This is what happens…when you mix the incarnation of destruction…with a foolishly idealistic girl! All that time…Salem told me…not to kill her! All that time…she wanted to use that girl…for this!"

Cinder struggled to keep standing; to keep making her statement against the gods that lorded over her destiny…and the witch that so clearly deluded herself as a goddess.

"All of this…could have been avoided," Cinder quietly seethed with a tranquil fury, "if she'd just…killed that girl. Mark. My. Words. That monster…and that girl…they are the same."

Emerald turned away. Even she couldn't bear to see what Cinder's turning into for this long.

"So…so that how it is," Cinder muttered. "Even you…think I've lost it."

After a pause, she laughed with a tone more sadistic and scornful than any laugh she'd ever given in her life. Emerald watched with growing uncertainty toward Cinder's deteriorating mood, until the latter gave her one sudden command.

"Get out."

"I…" Emerald tried to speak.

"Now!" Cinder snapped. "I will tell you…when you are needed."

"I haven't lost it," Cinder rambled on to nobody. "My mind is clear. I see…everything. Yes. Everything…revolves around that girl…and her damned eyes. Salem thinks…anyone can be used…but she's wrong. There are always those…with those bleeding hearts…and constant obsession…to deliver their own justice. They can't be turned…or coerced…or bribed…only destroyed. That's what should have been done…from the beginning. It's the only way."

Cinder recalled that moment when someone asked her if she believed in destiny, On the horrific day that she was at the mercy of that monster…no, at the mercy of Ruby Rose, she learned something about destiny. It can be fickle. It left her with her own questions; ones that befuddle her every passing second.

"Why am I…the only one that sees that thing…for what it is? What does Salem cling so much…to that girl?"

The answers to these questions are ever-changing, never consistent, and known only to Cinder alone. Her own truths, formed from her own experiences, would surely be understood by few, as is her unquenchable thirst for power. It made little difference now. If those few that dared to call themselves her peers, or even her master, refused to see her truth, they may as well be delusional in her eye. One thing was certain, however. If Cinder was to ever move on from this, she would have to claim her cruel vengeance on Ruby Rose; both of her. When and how this would be accomplished is still a mystery; one that may be answered either alongside or against Salem's wishes.

And what future generations think of today's Fall Maiden is yet to be seen. By some accounts, she's a ruthless and power-hungry monster that the world would be better off without. By others, she's a victim of the cruelty and callousness that could only be what she is through the indifference of higher societal norms. When history makes its final judgments of those that lived before, Cinder Fall will either be seen as a villain, a victim, or perhaps even both. The truth is subjective.