Learning to master your thoughts and fend off mental attacks proved to be a harder process than Weiss had imagined. She had thought it wouldn't be much different than what she had been taught as a child – how to conceal your emotions behind a polite smile, how to judge a person's speech even as you agreed with them vocally… It was a matter of self-control.
Her current training was more like hanging onto a rope at the edge of a cliff while a terrible storm occurred all around her. Her babbling teacher also did not help much.
"Keep your thoughts clear!" Qrow repeated for the fifth time since their session had started. The tone of his voice suggested he was feeling ecstatic about his current position of superior experience and wisdom. "Don't let them wander!"
"I know," Weiss opened her eyes to glare at him furiously. "They wouldn't wander anywhere if you stopped with your meaningless ranting!"
"Sorry, princess," he smiled charmingly. "I can't help it. My voice is just so smooth."
"Why, that's…" The heiress bit her tongue, saving herself from the terrible fate of saying true. "Irrelevant. I need a quiet environment to focus."
Qrow raised an eyebrow slowly, then gestured with his hands to his sides. The two were sitting cross-legged on the school campus, surrounded by dozens of loud students.
"You suggested this location!" Weiss pointed out. "You're as annoying as your nieces."
"Thank you, I take pride in that statement," he said. "Keep your thoughts clear!"
The heiress fumed on the inside, but closed her eyes nonetheless. His choice of location wasn't unjustifiable, since her mind was likely to be attacked in the middle of combat, which was not the quietest of situations. It was wise to learn to focus on an equally loud – or louder – environment.
Just as she began to empty her mind, however, she felt a sudden agony on the back of her head, as if someone was trying to drill directly into her skull. She fell on her back, dazed, eyes still closed, and then she saw something.
The dark interior of a factory. Five people waiting in silence, leaning against the wall or polishing their weapons. A tall dark-haired woman with amber eyes standing in front of three kneeling children bound with ropes by their wrists. A living flame danced around her right hand.
"Southeast sector, six-one-six. You have three hours," she smiled deviously. "Make sure to bring my daughter along."
And then Weiss opened her eyes, gasping loudly, and she was back at Beacon. Qrow kneeled beside her, shaking her by her shoulders, while a number of students gathered in a circle around them.
"Weiss," he called worriedly. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yes," she took a deep breath to calm herself down. It only worked slightly. "That was him. He attacked me again."
"It's okay. He got to me too, thought I recovered quicker." Even when comforting someone, Qrow couldn't help but boast a little.
"Where is he?!" Weiss jumped to her feet and drew her rapier.
"Long gone, I imagine," the experienced Huntsman said. "We have more important things to worry about."
Weiss looked back at him, realizing he had had the same vision as her.
"We need to see Ozpin," he said. "Gather everyone while I talk to him."
The heiress nodded, then walked away, forcing the crowd to part before her. She never sheathed her rapier, and the hand that held it was shaking with ire.
Cinder woke up abruptly to the sound of someone knocking on her door. Immediately, she rose and ran to open it, smiling without meaning too.
"Ruby-" She paused, realizing she was facing Weiss and Blake. Her smile crumbled, just as she took a step back. "Hello."
"Hello," Weiss surely had something to say about the awkward situation, but she held her words. "We need to go to Ozpin's office. It's urgent."
Without waiting for a response, the heiress trotted off, clearly bothered by something internal. Cinder looked to Blake for an explanation.
"It involves your mother." The faunus said shortly, then followed her girlfriend.
Cinder paused for a moment, then went after them. Though Weiss didn't pay any attention to her, Blake did look back at her, as if trying to discover some invisible secret.
"Ruby hasn't visited you once this week," she said casually. "What's up with that?"
"Nothing. She has more important things to worry about than me," Cinder replied. Even she had to admit the lie sounded obvious. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Neither does she, apparently." Blake noted sharply, then looked ahead of her again.
The statement caught Cinder off-guard. She knew Blake was far from the sweetest person, yet she had showed nothing but support for her the past months. But Cinder should have known better where Blake's loyalties rested – if a terrible split put Cinder and Ruby on differing sides, she knew whose side the faunus would be on.
The pyromancer shook her head slightly, wishing to forget about the possibility. This was not the first time it had occurred to her, and every day that passed, she couldn't help but feel that it became more realistic.
Meanwhile, Weiss seemed to be dealing with thoughts that were much more real than Cinder's tragic fabrications. The heiress was gripping her rapier tightly, as if expecting to be attacked at any time. Her eyes held nothing of their usual confidence and coolness – they were almost wild in their nature. Cinder sympathized deeply, realizing she herself had been wearing that look for weeks now.
"Weiss?" She called softly. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"It's none of your business!" The heiress shouted at her. "How about you worry about yourself first?!"
"I'm just trying to help."
"I don't care!"
Blake went to lay a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder, but Weiss shook it off and spun to face Cinder. The pyromancer gasped, having to back away from the tip of Myrtenaster, which hovered just beneath her chin.
"You know, everything was much easier before you stepped into our lives!" Weiss exclaimed. "All you've done is hurt Ruby, put Blake in harm's way, and cause your mother to attack us!"
"Weiss." Blake said, trying to wake the heiress from her enraged state.
"No! I'm tired of holding back!"
Weiss sheathed her rapier, much to their confusion. She then walked closer to Cinder and stared up at her face, her blue eyes transmitting all the rage she was feeling.
"I'm tired of us having to suffer just because Ozpin feels like you deserve a second chance." She said. "I entered a burning building to rescue you, and all I got in return was your gratitude and having my mind violated. You can turn to ash, for all I care."
Before Cinder could come up with a response, Weiss turned and walked away. The pyromancer looked at Blake, but only found a face void of emotion. She might not be repeating her girlfriend's words, but Blake surely felt the same way she did.
The faunus didn't linger too long before walking away too. Cinder followed quietly, eyes fixed on her feet and fire dancing sorrowfully around her fingers.
A half hour after Weiss and Qrow's vision, everyone was gathered in Ozpin's office. Raven was informed by Ruby and Yang, and she didn't seem happy about the sudden reunion. She was experienced enough to know nothing good was going to come of it.
Ruby had taken to wearing her alternate outfit's scarf, which her team had found weird in the beginning. Once she claimed to have been wanting to change her appearance for a while, Yang had rolled her eyes and chalked it up to her growing up. For once, Ruby wasn't frustrated by her sister's joking about her age.
Cinder was too shaken from Weiss's earlier speech to try to communicate with Ruby. In turn, the redhead only gave her one brief glance when she entered the room, then returned to staring at anything else in the room but her. Cinder's mood got even worse when she realized Ruby wasn't doing so out of childish nervousness – she truly didn't want to have anything to do with her.
"Now that everyone's here," Ozpin said suddenly, drawing everyone's attention at once. "I'll make this brief. Half an hour ago, Mira's psychic underling attacked Qrow and Miss Schnee. Both of them had the same vision: a warning."
"Southeast sector, six-one-six. You have three hours," Qrow said. "That's where she's holding three children hostage. Six-one-six follows the pattern for the identification of industrial buildings and such in Vale."
"She wants a confrontation," Ozpin explained. "And that's what we are going to give her."
There was a brief moment of murmuring in the room as everyone came to their own conclusions about the headmaster's response. Cinder stayed quiet, her eyes returning to their usual fiery liveliness. A chance to face her mother once again, this time prepared and more powerful? That's exactly what she wanted.
"So, what part of your plan guarantees that she won't ambush us with all of the White Fang and kill us?" Yang asked in a deceptively cheerful tone of voice.
"Because this is personal to her." Qrow said simply.
"How?" The blonde crossed her arms stubbornly.
"She also said, make sure to bring my daughter along," Weiss spoke up bitterly. "Obviously she doesn't want to kill her outright."
"Good." Cinder said calmly. "That will make it much easier for me to kill her."
The room was taken by silence as everyone stared at her. A range of emotions came from the young team RWBY – horror and disdain, mostly. Raven, however, seemed much more understanding of her statement.
But to Cinder's surprise, the strongest reaction came from Ozpin, who forcibly put his mug of coffee down on his desk and glared at her.
"No," he said. "You're to stay right here with me."
"What?!" She exclaimed furiously. "Are you out of your mind? I'm the only one who can defeat her! She can't hurt me!"
"Yes, she can," Qrow noted. "She just doesn't want to."
"And we should take advantage of that!" Cinder said. "You can't forbid me from going. I'm not one your students. You have no right-"
"I have every right!" Ozpin shouted. "Or do you want to go back to a cage? This time, one you can't melt a hole through?"
The pyromancer stood still, fists clenched with fires ignited around them. She could have blasted the headmaster off a window at that moment, and he wouldn't be able to do anything. And to hell with anyone who tried to take her down afterwards.
But she felt the weight of everyone's stares – one especially – and faltered. Her flames extinguished, and she just looked at the floor in defeat.
"Why?" She asked quietly.
"I will tell you my reasons afterwards," Ozpin said, then looked at everyone else. "Go! There are lives on the line!"
And so everybody ran to the door, passing beside Cinder as she leant against a wall. Ruby paused briefly to pull on her arm. Cinder looked at her silently.
"Do you really want to kill your mother?" The redhead asked.
"Yes," Cinder replied. "Yes, I do."
Ruby's face betrayed no emotion as she walked away, but her steps rang rather heavily for someone her weight.
Cinder looked at Ozpin, who went to close the door to the office without saying a word.
"So," she said bitterly. "Tell me why."
He looked at her with dread, then gestured to his desk.
"You might want to take a seat."
It took the group another hour to reach their destination, an abandoned factory at the southeast corner of Vale. There was no one on watch, and neither was there anything particularly ominous about the place, but they were all dreading stepping inside.
"So, let's think," Qrow said. "There were five people in our vision, not taking Mira into account. I suspect they are her closest henchmen."
"Adam Taurus," Blake noted. "I'll take care of him."
"Another must be the psychic." Weiss assumed, already unsheathing her rapier.
Yang poked Ruby on her shoulder.
"Mercury and Emerald. We got dibs on them, sis?" She suggested.
"Yeah!" The redhead agreed.
"No. Ruby will take the children out of harm's way," Qrow said. "That's four bad guys. Who's the fifth? Neopolitan or Torchwick?"
"No. They weren't tall or little enough to be either of them." Weiss shook her head.
"Then it's the silver-haired boy," Raven said. "The one whose brother I killed last time… I'll take him."
A shiver ran down Yang's spine as she wondered if her mother meant to reunite the brothers or just defeat her opponent.
"I guess I'll have my payback for seventeen years ago, then," Qrow said. "Mira is gonna fall."
"…You did not just say that." Raven sighed, just as her daughter squealed joyfully.
"Someone had to, eventually."
Ozpin took his time as he prepared his coffee and gathered some files, all the while ignoring the smoldering glares Cinder kept throwing at him. After ten minutes, he resolved that it was best to finally talk, or else his office would become a gigantic bonfire.
"Have you wondered, in these past weeks, why Mira would have abandoned you as a baby?" Ozpin asked as he sat down. "You have so much power. To a woman like her, you would be an incredible asset."
"No. I'm just glad she did," Cinder replied. "What I wonder is why she is back now."
"I know the answer," he took a sip of his coffee. "She is not your mother."
A wave of emotions struck Cinder at that moment – relief, confusion, happiness. But then she looked at Ozpin and, realizing he hadn't finished yet, her positive feelings all turned to dread.
"Not biologically, at least," he said. "Mira is the result of a lineage that runs back uncountable generations, something so ancient, it is treated like a legend to the few common folk who know of it."
"A lineage?" Cinder repeated.
"The Fall lineage. They are not connected by blood, but by power," Ozpin explained. "The power of fire, such as yours. As far as we know, only women wield this power. However, they are infertile."
He paused for a moment, as if expecting a reaction from her. Cinder said nothing. The thought of having children rarely occurred to her, especially in recent times. She wasn't saddened by the revelation, at least not yet.
"Because of this, they devised a… ritual, of sorts," Ozpin slowed down, as if he were reaching a particularly harrowing part of his explanation. "Once in their lifetime, the Fall woman – as there can be only one at a time – chooses a young girl. A baby, most of the time. She…" he sighed. "She steals the baby and, once it is sufficiently grown, burns a mark on their upper back."
Cinder resisted the urge to reach for her mark.
"The mark gives the girl the power of fire. As she grows, so does the power," Ozpin said. "It also heavily affects the girl's mind, shaping her emotions and thoughts. It turns them towards very… violent ways."
"I… see," Cinder could barely think of something to say. "And… Is she always abandoned?"
"Always," he nodded. "I don't know why."
"And… You said there can only be one Fall at a time?" She frowned. "But there's two right now, Mira and I."
"The mother always vanishes, it seems," Ozpin said. "I suspect there is some logical explanation to that, but, as I said, what I tell you was passed on as legend. Some facts must have been lost by time."
The two stayed in silence for a long while, Cinder slumped on her chair, dead eyes looking at nothing in particular, while Ozpin stared at her emotionlessly.
"I've been trying so hard." She whispered.
"I know." He said sorrowfully.
"I really tried," she repeated, then looked up at him. "I don't want to be a monster, Ozpin."
He got up and walked around his desk, then sat at a chair beside her.
"You don't have to be one," he said. "We're taking down Mira right now. Once she's defeated, you won't have to ever see her again. You don't have to pass the lineage onward. You can be happy however you want to be. All you have to do… is keep trying."
When they entered the factory, everything was dark, except for a single light at the center of the building. Mira was sitting on a wooden chair, one leg over the other, while she passed a multicolored flame from one hand to another.
"Ah. You have arrived," she declared with sly satisfaction. "I was afraid I'd have to burn these children. Then again, they might taste rather well when cooked at the appropriate temperature."
"What the fuck!" Yang exclaimed in disgust.
"I only jest, dear," Mira chuckled. "Even I have standards. I don't eat burnt children."
She clapped, and the lights in the ceiling turned on. Just behind Mira were the three children, their wrists tied in ropes and mouths muffled with duct tape.
At her side was Adam Taurus, who smiled widely and drew his katana, then began to walk in Blake's direction, as if knowing her intentions already. She glared at him, but responded to the challenge by drawing her own sword. The two blades clashed, giving a beginning to the battle.
Qrow's scythe unfolded as he ran to Mira, who smiled wickedly and materialized a sword to block his overhead attack.
"I remember you," she said. "Didn't you learn you lesson seventeen years ago? You ran away like a child who burned his finger on a candle."
"Miss, I am not a child," he spun his scythe, nearly striking her on the side of her head. She blocked with her sword, then glared at him furiously. "And to me, you are less than a candle."
Ruby passed by them undetected, reaching the bound children and cutting the rope on their wrists. Putting a finger over her lips so they would understand to be silent, she removed the tape from their mouths, then gestured for them to follow as she headed for the exit.
Meanwhile, Yang was busy fending off Mercury and Emerald's combined attacks. Their movements weren't perfectly synced, but they still good enough to keep her from making an offensive of her own. At least she had her Semblance to protect her from serious injury.
She was surprised when, suddenly, Raven appeared by her side and swung her katana, forcing the thieving pair to back away.
"Where's Silver?!" Yang exclaimed.
"Who?" Raven asked confusedly.
"The silver-haired brother."
"Ah. He's… somewhere, not lying on a puddle of blood."
Yang decided to not press the matter, seeing as they had two foes to take down at the moment. She did pause briefly to look at Weiss, who was just standing in the middle of the factory, eyes closed in concentration.
"Oi! Ice Queen!" The blonde yelled. "Wake up!"
The heiress's concentration was broken momentarily as she mumbled under her breath.
"I hate your family."
"How can you say such a thing to your own sister?!"
Weiss lowered her head shamefully as Winter gripped her by the elbow, staring at her furiously.
"We have done nothing but bless you with everything you ever wanted!" The older sister continued. "For once in your life, be grateful!"
"I'm…" Weiss felt a tear run down her face. "I'm sorry."
"You'd better be! You can throw all the tantrums you want, father will not allow you to be a Huntress!" Winter spat. "You won't leave me to deal with this alone, understood? You won't."
Weiss looked up with a smile on her face. Winter stilled, as if she didn't know how to react. Then, the younger girl drew her rapier and stabbed the older through the stomach.
Winter stumbled back as blood stained her white clothing. Weiss put a hand on her hip and looked to the side, where a little bald man glared at her bitterly.
"I surely don't remember this ever happening," She said. "Do you have any childhood traumas I can torment you with, or should we go back to the real world where I can do to you what I did to her?"
Weiss opened her eyes and dashed to the northwest corner of the factory, where she found the psychic with his arms crossed, almost childishly so.
"Hello," she said. "Meet Myrtenaster."
She bashed him in the forehead with the hilt of her rapier, knocking him unconscious. He fell to the ground harmlessly, much to her content.
She turned around to look at Blake, who was still locked in her duel with Adam. The heiress took a step forward, intending to help, but then paused. That was something Blake needed to do alone.
As the two faunus traded blows, Blake couldn't help but grow frustrated by Adam's perpetual smile. He had never been too serious in his nature, but this was too much – almost unnaturally so.
"What are you grinning about?!" She asked finally as she deflected a slash and took a step back.
"It's good to see you, Blake," he said simply. "And it's a big day for both of us."
"How so?" She held her sword and scabbard in front of her, expecting his speech to be a front for some kind of trick.
"Today I take you back to the White Fang, and you'll be glad for it."
He swung his katana to hit her head, expecting her to block, but she vanished in shadows and reappeared behind him. She kicked him, knocking him to the ground, then held him there with a foot. He had vastly underestimated how stronger and more skilled she had become during their time apart.
"Why would I be glad?" She asked.
"Because… you're lost. Do you truly believe Beacon is the place for you?" He shook his head. "How many faunus study there? A dozen? Compared to hundreds of humans. When they learn to fight, do they picture their foes as Grimm, or as White Fang?" He chuckled. "Damn, Blake, you are even teammates with a Schnee."
"Wait… Are you serious? You don't know?"
Adam frowned confusedly. Then, something definitely unnatural happened – Blake began to laugh in the middle of combat.
"Weiss Schnee is my girlfriend." She said, wiping a tear off her eye.
"What?!" He struggled a bit against her hold, then just grunted in defeat. "After that, I give up."
Ruby ran three blocks before deciding that it was far enough to let the children go. She desperately wanted to take them directly to a safe haven, but her friends needed help immediately, so she pointed them towards a good direction and turned back.
When she arrived at the factory, she was surprised to find Torchwick and Neo standing at the entrance. The crime lord swung his cane in a circle and smiled at her.
"Hey, Red!" He greeted. "No time no see!"
"Hi?" She responded hesitantly. "Can I pass, please?"
"Well, since you asked nicely…" He pointed the end of the cane at her. "No."
She slammed her scythe at the ground vertically, then stepped on it and fired, propelling herself up in the air and avoiding the blast from the cane. Torchwick watched her soar through the air with a sour expression on his face.
"They all fly around nowadays," he mumbled. "Neo, can you fly around too?"
The mute shrugged, then shook her hand as if saying kinda.
Ruby pointed her scythe upward and shot again, falling quickly towards the pair of villains. Neo danced away, but Torchwick was not so fortunate and was knocked against the wall of the factory.
"Hiya!" Ruby yelled, then pointed her weapon at Neo. "Want a piece of me?!"
Neo examined the weapon curiously, then gestured to Torchwick apologetically. I don't want any of that.
Ruby nodded satisfactorily and raced inside the factory. Yang and Raven were in a winning battle against Mercury and Emerald, while Blake was holding down Adam with a foot. At the very back, Qrow was fighting Mira, with Weiss providing support where she could.
The redhead decided that last battle was where she was needed the most, and so she appeared in a blur beside her uncle and shot a round towards Mira. The pyromancer spun in place, conjuring a wall of flames around her that nullified the projectile, then stood still, a smile on her face.
"Ah, finally," she said. "The queen returns."
Qrow frowned confusedly, then went to strike her. Mira's smile grew, and she evaded by side-stepping, displaying an amount of time disproportionally big compared to her previous showings.
"Step aside." She said, then struck him with an open palm on the side of his left arm.
Qrow screamed painfully and fell to his knees. The sound of his scythe hitting the ground rang loudly through the factory. His sleeve burned, revealing a charred piece of skin where he had been struck.
"You…!" Ruby searched for a word to scream at her, but she was too shocked by the monstrous display.
"Me, indeed," Mira chuckled. "Do you like flowers, Ruby Rose?"
The redhead blinked confusedly. Suddenly she stumbled forward, Mira appearing by her side gripping her arm. The pyromancer spun her around to face the other fighters, then held a hand below her throat, where a small blade of fire formed.
"Everyone!" She shouted victoriously. "Let go of my people, and this little rose will not be harmed."
Weiss, being the closest, took a step forward while raising her rapier.
"No, no," Mira clucked her tongue. "I wouldn't take another step if I were you. Flowers are beautiful, but they burn oh so easily, don't they?"
The heiress gritted her teeth and stopped. No words could describe the despair she felt when she locked eyes with Ruby.
Blake lifted her foot quickly, letting go of her hold on Adam. The masked man stood and ruffled her hair, then went to stand beside Mira.
"Good. Everyone, follow Belladonna's example," Mira commanded. "And, Adam, would you care to pick Brain up from where he's fallen?"
Adam nodded, then retrieved the psychic from the corner of the factory.
Raven had to hold Yang back as Mercury and Emerald walked away.
"She's got Ruby," the blonde whispered desperately, tears forming on her eyes. "Mom, please, let go, she's got Ruby, she's got Ruby…"
"Calm down, Yang. Ruby's going to be okay," Raven gripped her daughter by the shoulders and dragged her farther away from Mira. "Do everything she says, dear."
Yang only struggled harder, so much that Raven had to spin her around and begin to force her even further away. As she did, she gained sight of what had previously been behind her – a lurking silver-haired boy raising a sword parallel to the ground.
"Yang-" She exclaimed, then tackled her daughter to the side.
The boy's stab connected with her instead, piercing her beside the stomach and poking out her lower back. Silver smiled and brought his sword back, allowing her to fall to the ground, bleeding.
"YOU!" Yang's rage exploded around her, hair shining and eyes turning red.
She raised her fist, intending to punch Silver's head right off his neck, but suddenly there was a hand around her left shin. Yang looked down and saw Raven shaking her head slowly.
"Argie," Mira called. "Good work, but that was not part of the plan. Get back here."
The boy glared at Yang, as if to prove a point, then marched to Mira's side.
"Is that all...?" Mira examined the crowd playfully. "I believe so. It was a pleasure to meet you."
Qrow's eyes widened as she took a step back, still dragging Ruby along with the flames at her throat. The redhead looked at her uncle desperately, then flicked her eyes sharply to where her scythe had fallen on the floor.
Qrow didn't take the hint, but Weiss did. She dashed to the weapon and kicked it with all her force, sending it flying towards her partner. Ruby raised a hand to catch it, but it was intercepted by Adam.
"You took a step." Mira noted.
Weiss's blood ran cold as she shook her head slowly.
"Please, don't," she begged. "It was my mistake. Kill me instead."
"Kill?" Mira repeated. "Tempting as it is, that's not what I have in mind for little Ruby."
Mira kept walking backwards, until she reached a hidden door at the back of the factory. Adam opened it for her, but she took a moment before stepping outside.
"Ah, I almost forgot," she said loudly. "Tell my daughter we have a room prepared for her, for when she's ready."
And then she exited, followed by her henchmen, and the door closed behind them.
Yang was torn between the need to run after her sister and stay with her mother, and so she collapsed to her knees, weeping. Blake threw her sword and scabbard on the ground and started to curse out loud, completely losing her cool.
Weiss walked back to Qrow, and with a dead tone of voice, asked him:
"What do we do?"
"There's nothing we can do," he muttered somberly, staring fixedly at the floor. "Ruby's gone."
It took an hour for Cinder to even begin to come to terms with Ozpin's revelation about her. Suddenly, everything in her life made a lot more sense – where her powers came from; why she had taken such a dark path in life; why it was so difficult to fight her own feelings...
For years, she had lied to herself, thinking she knew everything about herself. She would steal, trick, murder, because that's who she was. And when she finally realized that lie, she had felt lost.
But now… Now, it wasn't a lie. She knew who she was. Cinder Fall, orphan, mistress of fire, destined to become a monster.
Most importantly, she knew who she wanted to be.
Cinder resolved to wait in front of the school entrance for Ruby and the others to return, while still reflecting on her discovery. She was now glad Ozpin had forbid her from going. If she had faced Mira again, she feared she would have truly been lost, even if Ozpin spoke to her afterwards.
She was still furious at her mother – if she could be called that – but she would rather stay away from her, at least until she fully adjusted to her new reality. Maybe she could someday visit her in whatever prison Ozpin locked her in.
The sound of approaching footsteps tore her from her thoughts, but she was disappointed to see it was only one man. He was tall, with blonde hair and violet eyes, and wore simple clothes that seemed worn from travel.
"Hello." He greeted casually.
"Hello," she replied, looking at him suspiciously. Something about him seemed oddly familiar. "Can I help you?"
For a split second, she was astounded by what she had just said. Then she smiled, realizing how she had learned the act without even meaning to.
"Maybe," he said. "Are you a student here?"
"Not exactly…" Cinder spoke cautiously.
"That's unfortunate," he sighed. "I suppose you wouldn't know a Ruby and a Yang, then? The first one's a small redhead. Very loud. Likes to walk around with a cloak - picked it up from her mother. Loves cookies. Yang has very large-"
"I know her!" Cinder paused. "I mean, them. Are you Taiyang Xiao Long, by any chance?"
He raised his arms triumphantly, as if she had won a big prize.
"The one and only!" He exclaimed. "How do you know them?"
"I… Uh…" Cinder cleared her throat. "It's a long story. They're out right now, on an important mission, but they should be back any minute."
Just as her terror at meeting her ex-kind-of-father-in-law began to grow, a number of hurried footsteps reached their ears. Cinder smiled and turned to gesture at the road, but stopped midway through the act, astonished by the sight.
Blake passed by her, dragging along Qrow, who had a large burn on his exposed left arm. He gave a brief glance to Taiyang, who was confused beyond hope.
"What sort of mission-"
His speech fell short as he saw his oldest daughter run beside him, carrying a bleeding Raven in her arms. His eyes met briefly with his lost love's, and she smiled weakly.
"I don't understand." He said in a dead tone. "What happened?"
Cinder turned to the last arrival, and her breath stilled. Weiss walked alone, staring down in defeat. Without thinking, Cinder grabbed her by a shoulder, forcing her to stop.
"Weiss?" Her voice transmitted all the panic she felt, just as flames started to dance around the hand that gripped the heiress. "Where's Ruby?"
Weiss shook her hand off, still silent.
"Answer her!" Taiyang yelled furiously. "Where is my daughter?!"
"…Gone," Weiss looked up at Cinder. "They took her away… She's gone."
At some point, Ruby had fallen unconscious – whether by violence or other means, she couldn't tell. When she came to, she was on her knees on a luxurious office, left hand chained to a leg of a table.
She backed away in terror. In front of her were Mira's personal underlings, but none of them were staring at her. Terrified, she followed their line of vision, and saw Mira sitting on the desk, swinging her legs with glee.
"All in all, this was a good day," the pyromancer declared, as if had been in the middle of a speech. "You did very well, though some less than others… I'm looking at you, Brain."
The bald psychic seemed to shrink under her stare. The bizarreness of the situation only added to Ruby's terror.
"And, Adam, I understood you wanted to bring Belladonna along. Why didn't you?" Mira asked curiously.
"I've no more interest in her," Adam cleared his throat. "She's dating a Schnee."
"Ah, yes. That Schnee and faunus rivalry," she chuckled. "I think you're too harsh, Adam. Love comes in all forms, and it should be allowed free of judgement and restrictions. Wouldn't you agree, Ruby?"
The redhead squealed in response, which only drew a smile from Mira.
"You're dismissed," she said, "except for you, Mercury."
"Me?" Mercury asked unsurely.
"Yes, dear," Mira confirmed. "That was a lot of agitation today. I need release."
While he seemed ecstatic, Emerald was clearly in panic.
"B-but, Miss Mira-"
"Just Mira." The pyromancer's voice was like a whip.
"Mira. Sorry," Emerald gulped. "W-why don't you use her?" She pointed towards Ruby. "I mean, she's cute…?"
"Hmm…"
Mira looked at Ruby, as if wondering about the proposal. The redhead's heart beat fast – she hoped desperately she was misunderstanding the situation, or that it was all a joke.
"No," Mira said. "She would be terrified, and that's only pleasant for a day or so. Besides, Cinder will come back eventually."
Emerald nodded. She shot Mercury one last mournful look, then exited the room. Mira pointed to a door, and he opened it and entered a bedroom, a wide smile on his face.
Mira got off the desk and crouched in front of Ruby, who stared at her in frighten.
"Don't worry, dear, I'll take care of you. We have so much to talk about… My daughter, for example," She said, her face uncomfortably close to Ruby's. "Or we could talk about it now? Mercury can wait a little while…"
Ruby just continued to stare at her. Mira sighed and patted her on her right cheek, then followed Mercury to the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
"Good night, Ruby Rose."
Alternate chapter title: "Shit gets real".
So, Volume 3 is coming out next Saturday. I can't WAIT to be Jossed all over the place. (I am so hyped seriously this can't be good for a human body)
[Sea Diary; Day 3.
That magnificent ship's name was Monochrome. It could have crushed us without any effort. Luckily, it allowed us to pass unharmed.
By the way, someone has gotta tell me they've figured out the chapter titles, because I'm feeling like a fool.
Another ship approaches. And Monty help us, it's bigger than S. S. Monochrome.
Zeroan, proud captain of the S. S. Falling Petals.]
Flying-around-thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited Falling Roses Burn Brighter!
-Zeroan