Salem took every step through Mantle's run down streets with caution. Her every magical sense attuned, her eyes inspecting the world without moving her head.

They were here, still - following her. Observing her.

A glimpse of shadow down an alley, high on a wall behind fluttering banner...

Just waiting for their opportunity to snatch away the girl currently in Salem's arms.

They seemed quite set on that, for reasons unknown.

Well, perhaps Cinder knew; Salem might be able to get it out of her, after some teeth-pulling. Salem had just known that becoming a Maiden and striking off on her own would do no good for that girl's more difficult personality aspects. And she hadn't been wrong: Cinder had become the height of obstinate, among other things. And, as humanity itself was prone to, Cinder would doubtless also be much more bold due to being surrounded by her powerful allies and friends now - which included dear Ozpin (perhaps another reason why Salem was taking her every step toward Emerald's residence with a certain slowness).

Salem sighed, shifting the child in her arms and crossing another intersection - it wasn't far now. Only a few more blocks.

As much as being ordinarily human again had uncovered many forgotten treasures of soul and memory, it had also brought with it all the old trappings. The sharpness of things like joy and love in her again were welcomed, but the stabbing pain of bitterness and sorrow were not. And nor were the mind's cutting contents welcome either; Salem sorely missed how everything inside herself had been so blunted and numbed when immersed in grimm essence. All emotion distant, all memory nothing but fog, and all feeling or desire or even thought...snuffed out by the roaring flames of destruction and chaos.

Everything was so...present again. As if Salem had been, all this time, drowning still in that grimm pool - under the waters, taking it into her lungs, filling her head with smog. As if she had never even gotten out of it, millions upon millions of years ago now.

Color, light, sound, and smell, too, were all now so crystal clear; it wasn't only what was in Salem's mind and soul that had returned with powerful vengeance - for better or for worse.

Salem had felt more alert and aware of herself and the world around her these past two years than she had in millions of years past.

In some moments, gratitude would rise toward Oz- Ozma and Cinder, for that plan, for this happening. Inexplicable emotion.

While in others, Salem had felt like breaking down as she hadn't done in a long time now, cursing them for making her feel all of this again! A cruelty worse than anything Ozpin had done to her before in history.

Immortality was easier to deal with when one did not feel every moment of it, in such incredible clarity that was the clarity of living itself.

And Salem still did very much physically feel things now, human again, even immortality aside: an itch, a stub of a toe, the chill of cold wind, rough concrete under her feet - all of that, she felt now again.

But she also felt every inch of the child's body clinging to hers. She felt those arms around her neck, that face buried in her chest, that warmth, her nose inhaled the fragrance, her eyes noted the way her hair caught the sunlight...

And so many other, long forgotten, intrusive memories would come rushing to the surface again.

Humanity itself was its own blessing and curse, Salem thought. Long ago she had yearned for the blessings - the freedom to experience it all! And with the man she'd loved! But a bit less longer ago, she'd given up on all of that, and given in entirely to the urges to tear it all apart and burn it to the ground.

Was she now, again, yearning?

Oh, yes. Damn you, Ozpin...and you too, Cinder - why did you have to go and get such high ideas about yourself?

Salem's fault, perhaps, she conceded; she had indulged that girl one too many times, hadn't she? Bolstered her ego with such kind, lofty words. An ego just waiting to sprout at the slightest tending - but now it had become quite overgrown. And now Salem had to deal with the results of her own actions.

Ugh. Dealing with Cinder was going to take considerable patience.

Salem had no illusions about being able to just disappear after returning Cinder's lovely daughter to her - the second Salem opened that door at destination, no one was going to let her walk away.

But neither could Salem just force a way out again; that would alert all of Mantle, alert the General, that she was here and active again. Currently she was getting by on the utter anonymity of her human appearance, but once that was gone...life would get very annoying. Salem wouldn't be able to go anywhere on Remnant without being recognized - and attacked. Or even captured. Salem, unlike Cinder, had no such ego problems; she knew she could be caught, and even locked away somewhere. And if that were to happen...

It could never happen again. Salem had spent her formative years locked away - and it was those years she would never return to, above all else. No matter what she had to do in this world!

So then...Salem would have to continue to make nice. Not only for the sake of a chance at keeping freedom, but also because she was quite willing to take a leaf from humanity's book (and her old one, once), and band together with whom she could in face of a powerful threat returned to the world. Especially since she had absolutely zero number of followers right now to fight it herself, and certainly no more hordes of powerful and creatively designed grimm!

Yes, when common interests aligned, you could always count on people to set aside grudges or other concerns. At least temporarily.

And that would be to Salem's advantage in the current...crisis.

For it was a crisis that had once before, and could again, affect her. She was immortal, not invincible, and the twisted magic and power of these so-called Ascendants was very much something strong enough to affect her without killing her.

In fact...it was their utterly unique ability to infect and turn humans into more of their kind, to warp their very minds to their cause, to servitude...that had Salem downright scared. For that was the ultimate removal of freedom - freedom of mind and soul! Slaved to another, even if it was the complete opposite of anything she'd ever wanted or thought! Her mind was human, her will was not godly, and it could be forcibly altered just as anyone else on Remnant's could by those deluded monsters. They had, centuries ago, even taken several of her most loyal followers from her - and learned all about her in the process. They had even taken some of her grimm!

Back then, Salem had been happy to fortify herself, hide away, and sit back and watch Ozpin find a way to deal with them all - after all, he had access to the godly Relics. And he had devised a means of doing away with them, as she had trusted in him to do so (whatever else Salem thought of the man, she knew her ex-husband was a resourceful and clever one).

But that was not an option now, today; they were aware of her, they were here, they were watching her. And they could take her! Acquiring an immortal magical being such as her was not something she could allow! Though she was now too far involved to just flee and hide again - what walls would she hide behind? What grimm could she call on to surround her? What followers could she even name to defend her with human intelligence and strategy?

No matter what angle Salem looked at it, her only real chance of making it through this crisis was to ally herself with all those who opposed her.

And she was not Cinder! She had no issue with doing so, it was not some great trouble to humble herself, to ingratiate herself with those who were against her; hence why she had come all this way into Mantle, risking following the monsters she detected with her magic, and risking sticking out her immortal neck for the little girl presently clinging to it. If favor could be curried with their lot...she would curry it to hell and back. And she had seized her prime opportunity to do so.

Salem stroked Maggy's hair, threading her fingers through it. That favor could only be attained if this child was delivered safe and sound - not a hair out of place.

She really is quite cute. Not too much trouble, not like- she's more like how- stop it!

Salem bit her immortal tongue, hard enough she would have bled into her own mouth were she still capable of doing so.

Her chest heaved, her throat was threatening to block itself off.

Damnit! Damn you for this, Ozpin!

Though she felt the presence of the Order's watchers, Salem fortunately did not encounter them - they didn't show themselves.

Perhaps, wisely, they felt caution in face of an immortal foe was best.

Salem was just glad for her advantage in that regard; she was well aware that reputation and the unknown could get you far more than any direct act or word. So long as you carried yourself with utter confidence, your enemies would be hesitant to make the first move. They would doubt.

Although the Order had assimilated the knowledge of her from her followers centuries ago, they could not know what her followers had not known: Salem's direct power and capabilities, and of course her ancient history as well.

They seemed not to be too willing to challenge that - how right they were.

Salem moved up the steps with grace, entered the building. She found the right door - shifted the child in her arms - and knocked softly.

Salem was met with two powered up Maidens, a fledgling assassin, a drunken huntsman, a lovely but ordinary young woman, and...her ex-husband (only that last one would be any sort of problem for Salem).

Cinder stepped forward immediately, holding out her arms.

Salem handed the girl over - watched as Cinder and her partner retreated with the child to the far side of the room and began checking her over with concerned eyes. "She's completely unharmed," she spoke, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

Surprisingly, it was Cinder's partner who glared at her and imparted a hateful shot. "Sorry if we don't want to just take the she-devil's word for it."

Salem offered a soft smile in return, and turned her attentions to Ozpin - who was masterfully sliding himself directly in front of her. "Ozpin, dear - tell me - over the course of our millions of years old relationship, have you ever known me to be needlessly cruel towards children? Particularly small, helpless ones hardly out of infancy?"

Ozpin gazed at her, level. He shook his head slowly. "No. And I trust that in this situation, you would be wise enough not to be," he added, with a certain...tone.

Salem snorted her irritation. He knew her as well as ever, indeed - as well as she knew him still. She gazed at Emerald, catching the girl's quivering eye. "Emerald - child - would it be too much trouble to ask for a seat?" She gestured to the sofa. "It was quite a long walk."

"Y-yes," the girl stammered. "G-go ahead!"

"Thank you, dear." Salem moved in a glide, amusement rising in her as she watched the way everyone shifted their positions in the room around her again - quite a defensive formation, wherein every piece was placed between herself and Maggy. As if she hadn't just spent the past half an hour escorting the child safely to this very apartment!

Salem settled, placing her hands in her lap.

She watched as Mercury Black and Flora Castella inched their way across her field of view and exited the apartment together.

"Where are they going?" Salem asked innocently.

"To retrieve Cinder and Flora's other child," Ozpin stated.

"Had I known the other was still out there, I would have done that for you as well," Salem informed Cinder, smiling.

Cinder bowed her head, turning away. A hand came across her body, across the child in her arms, to grasp the other arm - the grimm arm that housed her Maiden powers. It was rather unfortunate that Salem had lost her ability to track the girl through said arm, when she had lost her grimm essence to the Silver Eyes. But normal means of deduction and intellect would simply have to suffice going forward.

Salem's smile solidified as satisfaction bloomed in her chest; perhaps she could still check the girl's ego after all.

"Now, then," Ozpin began, grasping his cane before him as he swept his gaze around the room. "as we were just discussing together - in lieu of acts of god, or godly artifacts, we need to devise a means of quickly locating the active members of the Order on Remnant. However, we do not know how many transformed Order members there are - how many were left behind centuries ago, or how many they may have turned in the time since. Though, it cannot be more than a dozen or two, I would surmise; they wouldn't have been able to stay under my radar for so long were it otherwise." He gave Salem a look. "Nor yours, either, I presume."

"That's right," Salem said serenely.

"But we know the ones we know," Cinder spoke. "And the ones we know...we can kill them. We'll use me - draw them out for me first - and then we destroy them. We can go from there, figure out a next move afterwards."

"And Neo?" Emerald asked quietly. "The ones they took? I don't see how we can get them back without...without the Relics. It has to be worth the risk!" Pleading eyes were turned on Ozpin.

Ozpin's gaze flickered to Salem. "A risk now increased tenfold; I am sorry, but I simply will not risk any of the Relics - not when I only just finished hiding them, in a very new, very time-consuming manner."

"Oh, Ozpin, dear," Salem sighed. "if those Relics will enable the total or near-total destruction of the Order at long last, and all their active members, I would be happy to give you my word that I won't try to steal one of them away during the conflict."

Ozpin stared at her with utter scrutiny. "And your word is worth something again?"

Salem drew a long breath - let it go. She smiled beautifully. "Was it ever not? As I told young Cinder there - have I ever lied, about a single thing in life? To anyone?"

"No," Ozpin admitted. "But you have omitted certain details before to suit your own ends - to paint a rather different picture of the truth."

"And you haven't done the same?" Salem retorted, an edge to her voice now. She scoffed. "You lie to your own flock, whereas I tell mine nothing but the truth from the beginning. Perhaps that is why mine are always so faithful - and yours, so eager to turn to me."

"That people are more easily drawn to individual promises and lofty words than general goals and broad sentiments is not a surprise," Ozpin replied evenly. "It is simply nature."

"Yes, it is," Salem agreed, laughing genuinely. "And I've always been the better of the two of us when it comes to appealing to that nature, haven't I?"

"Quite a bit better, yes, my dear." A tiny smile quirked at Ozma's lips - Ozpin's. "Something that has irritated me to no end these past millennia."

"I'm so pleased to hear that - I've been doing my best, dear."

"Hey, grandpa and grandma, can we get back to the planning, or do you want to bicker like an old married couple until the literal end of time?" Qrow said loudly.

Salem seethed. "You-"

Ozpin chuckled. "Well, as you are aware, we were. Or, we might even still be - we never did go through the proper legal channels to end that union, did we?" He cast a sidelong look at Salem; she responded with a burning look. Ozpin cleared his throat, glanced away. "Yes, well...ahem...Cinder, I suppose your plan is as good as any - draw them out, hope to destroy them quickly. Figure out where to go from there. Perhaps hope that they send our stolen friends after us next, so that we might capture and contain them until we can change them back to normal."

"With the Relic?" Cinder asked.

Ozpin gave yet another look to Salem. "Perhaps. We still lack so much information, and I do not believe the situation is that desperate yet." He paused. "Though, there might be a way to gain more information. If we were capable of tracking their movements, their locations around Remnant, we could potentially locate any bases of operations. Of course, another method would be similar to the one suggested by Cinder already, but in reverse: to use her as the prime bait, allow them to take her - take her where they will - and follow her right to them."

"It's fortunate that I still possess all of my magical capabilities," Salem spoke with relish. "I'm entirely capable of discerning their movements - and potentially even their standing locations."

"I was hoping you would still be capable of such a thing." Ozpin inclined his head. "You are willing to aid us with that ability?"

"Would I be sitting here with you if I wasn't?" Salem responded, amused.

"Indeed. That's settled, then. Cinder - are you up for putting your plan into action sooner rather than later? We cannot allow them to continue holding the upper hand on us, the element of surprise, as it were. They are rather adept at that. We need to be the ones to catch them off-guard for once, unknown to them."

"Yes," Cinder said simply, a brief nod given.

"Excellent. Then we'll wait for the return of Mr. Black and Ms. Castella, and put that plan into immediate action. The frozen tundras beyond Mantle should do quite nicely as an isolated battlefield; the chances of any unwanted casualties or collateral will be next to zero." Ozpin hesitated. "I say next to zero, because I still recommend keeping your children at your side at all times. Would you be willing to bring them out there with us, or would you rather risk leaving them here with someone else as bodyguard?"

"I- I'll bring them with us," Cinder said slowly. "But you all...you need to die for them if you have to! If it looks like the Order is going to take them - you die! Are we clear?" Scorching amber eye burned into them all, wildly switching targets.

"Well, sadly, that's something I'm physically incapable of doing," Salem sighed melodramatically. "But I'll certainly do all I can to protect the lives of those girls."

Cinder looked at her in particular with a wary, fearful eye before looking away again. Not a word said.

What delightful lack of attitude!

After Mercury and Flora's return with Bae, they were informed of the impromptu, best-they-had-plan to gain some breathing room against the Order.

Cinder made sure Bae and Maggy were dressed up in several layers of winter clothing, and then their group took Emerald's truck out of Mantle.

Straight toward the mountains, into open snow.

Two miles out from Mantle, they stopped, and they all disembarked.

And waited.

Mercury leaned against the truck with his arms crossed; Qrow had shoved his hands in his pockets and hunkered over; Emerald was sitting in the truck's cabin, entertaining Maggy in her lap; Salem and Ozpin were standing rather close together, and trying their best not to look as if they were; Cinder and Flora were leaning against one another, arms protectively wrapped around Bae.

It didn't take long for the familiar magical shadows to begin to appear on the ground. A dozen feet out in front of the group, two familiar figures rose up and materialized: Lisume and Darbron.

The pair were in their normal human forms. Not the monsters they all knew they could become in an instant.

"Are you all ready to join us now?" Lisume began, calling softly across the distance.

Cinder stepped forward as Flora and Bae moved back behind the vehicle. Emerald had relieved herself of Maggy (had given her to a surprisingly well-coordinated Qrow); she stepped out of her truck and slowly came striding around it to stand at Cinder's side.

"I might be," Cinder lied, setting hand on hip. "This is all just getting...exhausting by this point," she went on - not a lie. Not that part. Not at all.

"It has been a merry game of back and forth, and chases aplenty, hasn't it," spoke Darbron, his voice nothing but humorous and hearty - like it was all just...well, he said it: a game. "But it really should end."

Cinder allowed herself a smirk, broad and true. "I'm wondering..."

"Yes?" Darbron said patiently.

"Would you have time for one more game?"

"All right, were you practicing that one in your head the whole drive out here?" Flora exclaimed.

"Wha- Flora- n-no! It just came to me!" Cinder retorted, face hot. "I'm just that good at it by now!" Usually...

"Oh, I believe you!" Flora said earnestly.

"So then - you're willing to come along with us now?" Darbron spoke clearly - though he had amused eyebrows raised.

Goddamnit, Flora, you ruined it. "I-" No, not a good jumping off point. How about- Aha! "What I'm willing to do is...this!" Ugh, not my best, but screw it!

Cinder and Emerald surged their powers together to their full heights: in seconds they were forming a swirling tornado that sparkled with electricity within, and was wrapped up in a layer of pure liquid magma. Rock pillars burst from under Lisume and Darbron's feet, launching them into the tornado. The winds took them higher and higher, shocking and immobilizing them as they went, melting them when they tried desperately to emerge from the sides of it; monstrous arms burst forth before being dragged back in again with roaring and screaming that flanged.

Cinder gave Emerald a nod, and the two Maidens flew straight up into the air.

Together they soared higher, and higher still - keeping pace with Darbron and Lisume as the monsters made their way up the tornado's deadly interior.

They sporadically blasted flames and ice into the tornado, adding to the mix along the way to the heavens.

They intensified the spin of the tornado to hundreds of miles per hour, and then the pair flung their arms high - sending the monsters flying right up out the top of it, to disappear into the clouds.

Cinder seized Emerald's hand, the two combining their fire power to soar above the clouds themselves.

Darbron and Lisume had reached the height of their arc just as Cinder and Emerald burst out of fluffy whiteness into a beautiful new world (one Cinder couldn't take time to appreciate).

Cinder formed a flaming sword, twelve feet long. Emerald extended her hands toward Darbron and Lisume, enveloping them in a cocoon of wind, holding them in the air and wildly spinning them about, slamming them into each other haphazardly.

Cinder launched herself forward, slashing through both monsters in one swing with a burst of speed. She twisted around in the air and flew back the other way, slicing through again. She did it a third and final time. The monsters were now in four pieces each. Eight big pieces of matter.

Emerald clenched her fists and separated the wind sphere into four separate ones, splitting off the pieces from each other.

Tendrils emerged from the pieces, soaring out for the others, trying to rejoin, reconnect...repair.

Emerald narrowed her eyes; the tendrils flash-froze, and shattered.

Cinder soared higher than ever, cold biting at her, lungs straining to take in air. But she flew on, on and on.

She hovered and focused her mind - her flaming sword became a flaming chainsaw with magma coating, flowing in circuit like the fiercest of rivers.

Cinder flipped herself upside down and flew for the nearest piece - almost directly below herself.

She readied her weapon, bracing herself against the winds...and she brought it down in a mighty cleaving motion as she passed!

It ripped right through, leaving magma residue behind. The magma spread across the monster's flesh, coating it, and filling it up inside as well.

Cinder watched with critical eye as the two pieces dissolved completely.

Emerald gave her wrist a twirl, and the magma expanded to fill the entire sphere of wind, swirling around rapidly for several long moments. A flick of a finger and it at last dissipated. Emerald looked at Cinder with uncertainty.

Cinder gave a nod; Emerald let the wind sphere go, turning her attention to maintaining the other three.

They repeated the process three more times, and then finally descended to the frozen ground again, passing once more through the clouds.

The pair landed heavily before their group, supporting each other.

"Are you okay?" Flora was rushing forward immediately, reaching for Cinder.

"You did it, didn't you?" Bae asked, wide eyed and grinning.

Cinder smirked despite her labored breathing. "We did it. Now all that's left is my mother."

"As far as we know," Flora agreed. "I hope to gods it is; we need to end this already."

"We will," Cinder assured. "We made a good first step today."

"So, what now?" Emerald asked, eyes rapt to Cinder as ever.

"I would say we waste no time in initiating the next phase of the plan," Ozpin spoke up, earning Cinder's glare. "You do want this to all end as soon as possible, don't you?" he added delicately.

"I- y-yes..." Cinder murmured. Thing was, she wasn't exactly eager to just totally give herself up to the people desperate to kidnap her. To use her as some tool, some item, some way, to open up a dimensional seal. Whatever that involved, it couldn't be painless, could it? And they weren't going to just trust her to keep her weapons, power, or even her sense of self - would they? They'd take her, turn her, probably the first chance they got. And that terrified Cinder.

"Well then," said Ozpin. "I suggest we all return to Mantle proper - a brief respite seems in order after our victory here. Particularly for the little ones among us with no Aura to protect from this dreadful chill."

"Right, let's go!" Cinder snagged Bae's hand and climbed into the truck with her, pulling her tight into her arms.

"H-hey-"

"You're not feeling too cold, are you? You're okay?" Cinder pressed - pressing herself to the girl.

"It's not too bad. I've been out here longer watching you and Flora do your fights before!"

"Not too bad?" Cinder repeated, alarmed. "Then it's still bad!" She focused her powers, creating a swirl of warm air to circulate around them with a little dash of Maiden magic.

"It really wasn't that bad...I'm not gonna die or anything! My butt's not freezing off."

"It's supposed to be my job to make sure it doesn't!" Cinder said firmly. "Emerald - make more heat!"

"Of course!" Emerald's eyes flashed briefly of dark green fires; another gust of wind filled the cabin. "How's that?"

"How is it now?" Cinder demanded of Bae.

"It's fine, mom, alright!"

Cinder's lips quirked. "So it's fine now? Good. You tell me if it's not fine again."

"I will! Promise!"

"You're nearly as bad as I was when I first became a father," spoke Ozpin, seating himself with cane across his lap. He gave a look to Salem, who was looking uncomfortable being squished against Ozpin so soundly. "Wasn't I, dear? When we had our first - Endora? You remember? I was like a chicken without his head." He chuckled to himself. "Wasn't I? Salem?"

Salem gave him a quizzical look. A strange mix of emotions crossed her features. She looked away. "Yes...I- recall those years, fleeting as they were for us."

"Oh, splendid. I was worried you'd truly forgotten those times. Forgotten them. Her - Endora. Do you remember why you chose that name?"

"I haven't forgotten! I merely prefer not to think about them!" Salem snapped. "Stop making me think about them."

"But are they not just as immortal as we are, so long as we cherish those memories? Hold them in our hearts?"

"Stop."

"So you don't remember why you picked out that name for our daughter?"

"I said I remember it; I just have no wish to revisit the most painful memories of my life!" Salem burst out.

"Yes, well, you've always been very skilled at pushing away anything that would remind you of your mistakes and failures. Has there never been even one time in your life so far that you just admitted, even to yourself, that you might have made one along the way somewhere?"

"Stop talking." Salem twisted away bodily, putting her head on the window.

"Would you consider what you did to our children a mistake worthy of admitting to? Don't you miss them at all, regret what happened at all...?" Ozpin's voice was strained, and quiet. Almost desperate.

Silence filled the vehicle.

Out in the back, Qrow and Mercury looked ready to just jump out of the truck bed at the first explosion.

Then the answer came, in a single, whispered word.

"Yes..."

The entire group let out a collective breath; the ride back into Mantle was one that wasn't going to involve ancient immortals blowing up the entire vehicle in a rage.

In past the wall, onto the busy streets again. Familiar locales, familiar noises and smells.

Cinder felt a lot more at ease.

Especially since the plan had gone off so well.

They even made it back to Emerald's apartment without incident.

It was when they were all unloading themselves out front of the building that the retaliation came for them.

It started as nothing but more background noise - the sounds of motorbikes roaring down the street.

It was nothing to pay attention to - why would it be?

Until they blew past the group, and suddenly Bae wasn't even standing next to Cinder anymore!

Cinder whirled, and slammed right into something solid and invisible - a pane of glass, which immediately shattered.

In slow motion of heightened perception, Cinder's eye narrowed in on the bikes, tracking them. She processed who the riders were - Neo, Blake, and Miltia - and processed just who it was that one of them had clutched in an arm (very dangerously!).

A voice called to her, high and desperate in whipping wind: "Mom, help!"

Cinder bent her knees and rocketed after them, full force, eyes burning to life.

Under magic brainwashing or not, Cinder was not letting them get away with Bae! Magical brainwashing or not, if any one of those three hurt her...Cinder was going to kill them! Hell, she might still kill them anyways for this!

Cinder roared down the streets of Mantle, swerving right, left, left again - right down an alleyway. The trio of bikes blew across the next street, into another alley without stopping or caring. Cinder flew after them, also without caring much about anyone else in the world.

Where the hell did they expect to go? What were they even doing? Why like this? Could they not utilize those shadow bridges? Those portals? No, they could - Emerald had said Neo could, Qrow and Flora had said they saw Blake use one too. And Mercury had said Miltia had done it too!

So what the hell were they doing on fucking motorbikes, racing all over Mantle?!

Distraction, the thought came to her, churning her stomach. It's a diversion - likely to get at someone I left behind back there. But whoever it was, Cinder assured herself, they'd have a hell of a time getting at them when there was a Maiden and two immortals on the scene. If it was to try for Maggy again, or even Flora...

Cinder had to- she had to trust the allies she had.

And focus on what she had to do right now: get Bae back safely.

It was, as her therapist was constantly reminding her, out of her control. And she had to accept that, and implement coping mechanisms if necessary.

Cinder had an unorthodox coping mechanism for this one, she thought: beating the shit out of her brainwashed friends. She always did enjoy a good fight - her skill and power were reassuring ways of telling her mind she was still the one in control. Of something, of anything.

So she would be the one in control of this situation now! She would take control! Get control!

Cinder chased the trio down into an underground tunnel that ran the length of Mantle, one end to the other.

Miltia suddenly slowed, closing in on Cinder and slashing for her with her claws.

Cinder twisted away and kicked out at her, sending her into the wall.

She flew on for Neo and Blake, catching up to them in seconds.

Cinder engaged Blake with twin blades formed, slashing and twirling over her head to the other side, blasting out with flames that made her pop the front wheel and fall back to avoid it, fear and panic in her eyes. Cinder would have felt guilty if the girl were her normal self - but she wasn't, so Cinder refused to!

All the while, Miltia had been slowly gaining ground on her.

Miltia hopped up to stand on the bike and began slashing for her.

Cinder blocked her strikes and redirected a few, and then she gave the side of the bike a nice hard kick; Miltia leapt off of it and onto Cinder's back, arms around her neck - claws to her throat.

Cinder went into a violent series of spins, which, when they didn't shake the girl off her, had her opt for another tactic instead.

She exploded Maiden winds out of her body, blasting the girl off her to slam face-first into the tunnel wall.

Cinder flew on for Neo and Blake again with renewed speed, and focus.

Blake slowed to meet her, as Neo went on with Bae for the end of the tunnel and the ramp up to street level.

Cinder reached out a hand and pulsed her palm with ice, freezing the wheels of Blake's bike.

Blake leapt straight off it, flying for Cinder head on. She Shadow Cloned and twisted, slashing her blade; an Aura beam came lancing out. And then another, and a third, and a fourth, and a fifth! A final sixth, smaller than the rest.

Cinder swerved and dipped to avoid them all, but there were a few narrow misses that had her cursing.

Blake landed on her feet in the tunnel, her keen eyes zeroed in on the rapidly approaching Cinder.

Cinder thrust out a hand and sent a wave of wind down the tunnel.

Blake backflipped and planted her feet on the ceiling, and then she came rocketing down for Cinder as she passed.

Cinder moved aside, but something tugged hard on her leg - Blake's ribbon was wrapped tight around her ankle. Blake herself was dragged along through the air after her, her face determined.

Blake hurled another Aura beam at Cinder, much closer in range this time.

Harder to dodge.

Cinder swerved wildly to the left, then right again, yanking Blake this way and that.

She twisted around and slashed a flaming sword for the ribbon, cutting it loose.

She sent another gust of wind at Blake for good measure, and then flew on for Neo.

Neo, who had disappeared from sight!

Cinder soared up to the street again, and then on higher - above the buildings.

She frantically scanned the area, and then she saw her! Neo was going left, for the edge of the city.

For open tundra.

Well, not quite - on this side of mantle, there were plenty of hills and dips, overall rather rough terrain leading into the close by mountain range.

Did Neo hope to extend this chase into the mountains?

Cinder wouldn't let her get that far! Not with Bae; Bae, who could freeze in minutes out here without any Aura!

Time to end this!

Cinder rocketed after Neo, gaining on her swiftly, swooping down on her as they reached city's edge.

Neo glanced over a shoulder at her, and flashed a smirk. Her eyes were alight with excitement.

Like this was a game - like Bae's life was a game!

Cinder bore down on her with her arms extended, flaring her powers as precisely as she could in rapid succession: the bike froze over; a gust of wind swept up Neo and Bae, lifting them off of it; and a small coating of magma shrouded Neo's shoulder.

Neo screamed, her arm immediately and instinctually unwrapping itself from around Bae, letting her go free in the wild winds.

Cinder burst forward and tackled Bae with a regrettable amount of force, blasting on past Neo into the open snow plains.

She hit, did her best to skid to a stop and spin around, bringing a blade up.

It was a very good thing she did: Neo was flying for her, having freed herself of the winds with an Aura burst, a cruel grin on her face.

The blade from her umbrella was out and at the ready.

Cinder blocked a strike, shoved Bae behind herself - brought her knee up into Neo's gut, blasted wind out a palm to send her flying back again!

Neo flipped through the air and hit the snow a dozen feet away...and shattered.

The real Neo was racing around Cinder, heading for Bae.

Cinder turned and stomped a foot; the ice on the ground erupted to ensnare Neo up to her neck.

Neo burst with Aura, sending icy fragments flying, and lunged for Bae again.

Cinder flew to intercept her, tackling her bodily.

They rolled, tumbling and slashing and hitting.

Cinder shoved her fist into Neo's gut and erupted flames out of it.

Neo's Aura burned through, and then so did her stomach.

Flames blew out of her back, scorching and smelling something awful.

Neo clutched her wound, falling back and gasping.

Cinder punched her in the face, then she grabbed her face in hand and flash-froze her again. From head to toe this time.

She didn't waste a second in turning to Bae, grabbing her up in her arms and soaring high into the sky with her.

"You s-saved m-me, I k-k-knew you'd s-save me!" Bae was chattering at her - trembling in her arms like mad. "I knew you'd k-keep your p-promise!"

"You're cold again!"

"It's n-not-"

"Don't talk; I'll fix that!"

"Ok."

"Did I hurt you back there? When I- are you bruised, or bleeding, did you hit your head?"

"N-no! I'm t-totally fine!"

"Are you sure?"

"Y-yes!"

"I'm still checking you when we land."

"Y-you d-don't have t-to-"

"Yes I do," Cinder snorted. "I'm not your mom for nothing, am I? Or do you think I just like the sound of the word?"

"Ok, ok - you can check it! B-but it's not that-"

"Everything with you isn't that bad - god knows why! I'll decide if it is or not!"

"Ok...t-thanks mom."

"You're welcome - sweetie. I- love you. I just love you, a lot. So, so much, really."

"I know."