WOOOOO!

RWBY Vol. 4 is coming Oct. 22nd! Hype train people!

Ahem... Anyways, here's a bigger chapter for you all today. Next one will be coming on Tuesday or Wednesday.

My name is Zwei Rose-Xiao Long, and I must apologize to you for a less than formal introductory statement but this is quite the urgent mission I am on. It seems the Crimson Bitch has gone missing, and Master Ruby alongside her new companion Metal Girl (who I must say is quite a delight; she has already scratched behind my ears!) have called upon my powers of heightened scent to sniff out this problem!

Do you understand the joke? I said 'sniff out' the problem instead of 'snuff out' the problem. Ah, a jolly good jest if I do say so. A Corgi's undeniable sense of humor is another favorite trait of my being.

However, the time for witticisms has come and passed. The trail of lavender scented perfume is faint, and I must follow it swiftly before it disperses completely. It seems to travel downstairs, past the lounge where Monkey Boy usually sits watching the picture box. One day I will discover the magic that projects images onto that glass screen…

Ah, I am becoming distracted once more! Focus, Zwei! Keep at attention! Master Ruby depends on you!

Now this is quite interesting. The trail leads down the stairs into the theatre at the very depths of our residence, yet continues past the curtain as red as Edgelord's hair. It seems Master Ruby knows of a room lying behind this barrier, and is running to grab a flashlight. A wise decision; my night vision is nowhere near as polished as my other skills such as exhuming an air of cute wherever I may wander.

I fear this is the end of my mental insight for now, my friends. This mission has 'gone up to eleven', as the humans say now that I must venture into pitch darkness. I must bring full concentration into finding the hiding spot of our missing comrade, but I promise we shall have a session together once again.

Until then, chaps. May my tubby legs guide me through the unknown to victory.

Dear Diary,

It's so cold down here.

It's all Ozpin's fault. My powers would be very useful right now if he hadn't implemented that stupid barrier. This candle only provides so much comfort in this musty basement. All I hear is water dripping from old, rusty pipes that I can't even see. I don't even hear any rats scurrying around. I don't like it here very much, but I can't find anywhere else to be alone. I don't even know if anyone else knows there's a room behind the movie curtain, let alone a door to a secret basement below it. I hope nobody finds out. There's no cameras here, no life.

Nobody to turn their back on me.

They're all fools for leaving me. They don't understand what they are leaving behind! They could have everything they ever dreamed of if they would just stick to my plans! I don't get it! Why don't they want revenge?! Why? Why…

Why don't they understand?

Society treated them like garbage, just like I had been. Why would they give the scum that shamed them, walked on them, and threw them out on the streets a second chance? Why do they think money will make their lives better?

IT WON'T!

They'll think they're happy, think things will be alright, then someone will take it away! They'll be stabbed in the back like I was! They'll fall back down to filth and ruin, and I will laugh in their face when they ask for help! I'll show them what it means to be strong! They'll see! They'll… I'll…

I'll do nothing.

I need them.

I can't do anything without them.

Once this whole thing ends, I'll have nothing but my powers. I can only fight by myself for so long. And Salem? If I don't have power over anyone, she'll think I'm weak and toss me aside for another. I can't take on the world alone. I don't want to take it on alone. I'm…

I'm afraid.

The world doesn't care about the weak. If I don't have power, then what am I but another poor girl with no one, not even a family, who loves her or cares she even exists? What good am I to anyone? Why…

Why did she have to be right…?

The pen fell from Cinder's hand as a droplet of water extinguished her flickering light. She looked upwards into the blackness, holding up her hand to see where it had come from.

It only took her a moment that it had fallen from her eyes.

"No…" Cinder murmured, shaking her head in denial. This was wrong. She couldn't be crying. She had told herself years ago when she was just a little girl she would never cry again. She was going to be a woman, a powerful one who would make those who tormented her pay.

But the truth was, she was still just a girl playing make believe.

"Nooo…" she moaned, hugging her shoulders tightly as visions from her youth came back into her mind. The days when she would be picked on by her three step-sisters for being nothing more than an adopted orphan, taunted mercilessly by other children for not being of royal blood, her own step-mother forcing her to sleep in a stuffy attic while her favorite children slept in rooms of luxury, and most of all…

That day.

Her eighteenth birthday. The day she became a woman. The day her so-called family promised to throw her a grand party, to make amends for everything and release her of her servitude.

The day they burned all her clothes and gifts they had bought for her, just to rub in the fact that she meant nothing to them.

The day her mother told her she'd always be alone.

The day she discovered her Semblance, and took her family's lives for her step-sisters reading her diary to their mother.

The day Salem came to her and offered her a second chance.

A second chance that would never come now.

"NO!"

In tearful anger, Cinder threw her diary into the darkness, the book bouncing twice before landing in a puddle she couldn't see. Realizing what she had done, Cinder fell on her hands and knees, feeling around the cold, damp floor for her only cherished possession. By the time she found it, there was nothing to salvage. She could feel the soaked cover, the pages inside crumbling in her hands from being wet. All her words, thoughts, deepest confessions…

Gone.

She began to shake from her wet clothes chilling her skin, as well as knowing that she had once again fallen to her lowest point. She crawled up against a wall, pulling her knees to her chest and just sobbed.

Cinder had forgotten just how much being alone hurt.

But it wouldn't last long.

"Hello?"

Gasping, Cinder looked up at the creaking sound of the basement hatch opening, followed by a light shining down through the hole. She could hear the panting of a dog and two people rustling about, and shielded her makeup smeared face when their flashlight shined on her.

"…Cinder?" Ruby Rose breathed in disbelief. Penny was looking from over her shoulder, looking just as distressed as Ruby. "Is… Is that really you?"

Barking once, Zwei walked over to Cinder and sniffed her, whining as he nudged at her leg to try and comfort her. Cinder shooed him away with her hand, burying her face so that the girls couldn't see her tears.

"Go away…"

"I don't think so," Ruby stated, kneeling down to her level, "I'm not going to leave you down here. We've been searching for you all night! You're lucky Zwei's nose is as good as it is, or we'd never have found this place!"

"Why do you think I'm down here then?!" Cinder screamed, her voice echoing off the walls. Only once the haunting sound of her mirrored voice ceased did she continue hiding her face again. "…They left me, Ruby. Mercury and Emerald. We were a team with a mission. We were going to do things after this. Terrible things to you and your friends, because my superior promised me the only thing I ever wanted in life. And now that they're gone, I have nothing to live for. I have no future to look forward to. I'm weak again… I'm alone again… I'm-

"No you're not."

Cinder looked Ruby in her shining silver eyes. The younger girl had crawled up beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If you really want some friends so bad, then I'll be your friend. You just have to talk to us, Cinder. It might take some of us a bit to feel comfortable around you, but if you just say what you're really feeling then we'll-

"No... I won't let you…"

"Cinder, please… I hate seeing you like this! Nobody should have to feel the way you do! You don't need to hide yourself away from any of us!"

"I said no!"

"But why?"

"You'll turn on me!" Cinder interrupted, her sudden loudness making Ruby flinch, "You'll be no different than Mercury or Emerald, or my step-sisters! You'll lie to me and make me believe something, then knock me down again and again… I'm weak... Worthless…"

"That's not true!" Ruby assured, tightening her grip, "I would never do something like that to you, and neither would Emerald! With how much she hangs around you, I know she cares about you! She probably doesn't want to do anything bad to the rest of us once this is over because she wants things to change! And Mercury… Well, Mercury isn't exactly the best person alive, but don't let him bring you down! I don't know about what your family did to you, but don't let those memories haunt you like this. Not everyone is like them."

Cinder stared at the girl, trying to piece her together. Why would she be so willing to help her, especially after she told her that she planned on hurting her and her loved ones? "I don't understand… Why are you doing this? I'm your enemy!"

Giggling, Ruby stood up and offered her hand to Cinder. "I'm a Huntress in training, remember? It's kind of in my job description to help people who need it. That, and…" Ruby looked back thoughtfully at Penny, remembering their first meeting, "I don't think anyone should be without a friend, no matter what kind of person they might be."

"And I have been waiting to meet you for hours!" Penny exclaimed, "I want to be friends with as many people as possible! It will be a sensational time living here with so many friends!"

"BARK!" Zwei added, not wanting to feel left out.

She was crying again. This time though, Cinder didn't hide them: these were tears of joy, of acceptance. The coldness of the basement melted away as Cinder felt her heart warm as she smiled up at Ruby.

So this was what Cinder had been striving for all these years.

This was happiness.

Still, she couldn't help but be a bit haughty with the girl. "You know, I still don't believe you about everyone not being like how I think they are. I don't think there's anything that'll ever make me trust Mercury again."

"Okay, you might have a point there," Ruby agreed, rubbing the back of her head, "Let's get out of the dark and get you cleaned up. Pretty sure everyone's done with the showers now. Sound good?"

Wiping her eyes, Cinder nodded and picked up in her arms. "Yes, Ruby. That sounds wonderful."

Never before had a shower felt so good to Cinder than it did tonight. Stepping out into the cool hall, she felt lighter as if the water had washed away a part of her she had been burdened with carrying for years. Yes, it would be awkward trying to talk with Ruby, Penny, and the others in the house in such a friendly manner, but Cinder knew she could do it.

She might never gain the kind of power Salem promised her, but she would gain another form of strength instead.

She stopped in front of her room and reached for the doorknob, but her gaze trailed down the hall towards someone else's room. There was someone in there she knew she had to apologize to.

Opening the door ever so quietly, she was greeted by the sound of Nora snoring. Roman and Neo were also asleep, curled up under the covers with Neo's phone lying between their faces. While those three were sound asleep, another was wide awake.

"Ma'am!?" Emerald whispered in surprise before Cinder hushed her, "I-I was wondering where you've been! Where-

"Come here," Cinder beckoned, "Let's go downstairs and watch some television."

Feeling butterflies inside, Emerald tiptoed over to Fall, sliding out through the crack in the door. "W-Was there anything you wanted to watch in particular, ma'am?"

"No. I just… I just want to talk and to spend some time with you, that's all. Because…" Cinder said, hands fidgeting behind her back, "We are friends, right?"

Sustrai wasn't sure to be elated or taken aback by Cinder right now. This was so unlike her… What had she been up to for the past few hours? As bad as she wanted to ask her, Emerald felt it would be better to bring up at a different time. Now was not the time to let a good moment pass, especially with how the moon shined through the window and illuminated Cinder's wavy black hair, creating a glint in her clear amber eyes…

The last way Cinder expected Emerald to respond was with a kiss to the cheek. She felt her cheeks fill with heat as Emerald blushed in a panic, seemingly fearful of being struck for stepping out of line.

But that was something Cinder never wished to do again. That part of her was gone.

"I-I'm sorry, ma'am! It w-w-was just out of impulse! I didn't mean-

"It's alright, Emerald," Cinder answered, placing her hand on Sustrai's arm, "And please… just call me Cinder from now on, okay?"

"Uh… Y-yeah," Emerald blushed, looking at her feet, "Sure thing… Cinder."

The two of them watched television until the early hours of the morning before falling asleep on the couch, Emerald lying comfortably on Cinder's shoulder and a smile on both their faces.

Only Neo saw them like this the next morning, and took a snapshot on her phone to preserve a moment she never thought she'd see in her lifetime. Perhaps she and Roman could get some money out of Emerald to pay for a framed version of it...

Miles away, in a hellish domain most people wouldn't imagine existed, Salem sat on her throne watching her camera feed on repeat. Unlike Ozpin, she had been doing her duty by observing the events of the day, and was very intrigued by the unexpected arrival.

Cinder had reported to her of a robotic girl under the care of an Atlas scientist and General Ironwood, and they had made plans to utilize her as a catalyst for the downfall of Beacon once the Vytal Tournament began. But with that plan in jeopardy in the scenario that this bet fell in Ozpin's favor, Salem needed to re-calculate her imminent victory. With Penny's sudden arrival, however, the witch quickly discovered a way to sabotage the serenity of the housemates from the inside out.

It was all too ironic that this innocent little Penny Polendina would still play a role in her victory of Ozpin.

All Salem needed… was time.

"I hope you're ready, Ozpin. The fun has only just begun…"