As some of you might've been able to guess from the title of the chapter, Cinder's backstory has been moved up. There will be depictions of mental and physical child abuse in this chapter, so be warned.
The ebon trees of the forest gave it a certain foreboding quality. To Cinder, trees were bright, green, and verdant, yet the pitch black bristles of the pine trees had become a second normal to her, after how many years she had lived among them. The dragon-shaped continent in Remnant's northwest corner had gone widely untouched by human- and faunuskind due to the abundance of Grimm that roamed its forests. Cinder and the others who resided there had taken to calling it Mors.
"So, what's up, big man?" Rapunzel said.
Cinder turned from the window she was staring out of. The others were seated at the table in the conference room of the ancient castle they stayed in. It looked like something one of the royals of Remnant would be right at home in. The design was because it reminded Salem of home, she had once said.
"We've all been gathered together for a reason," Silver said. "Salem's been biding her time, and she thinks now is an opportune time to strike. Rather, next year, during Vytal."
"So an entire year of preparatory work? What a bother…" Watts said.
"Not a bother, dear Watts. You share a dream with us. How else do you plan to make it a reality except by working?" Tyrian asked.
"What needs to be done, then?" Midna asked.
"The objective is to spread chaos and confusion in Vale, and flood the city with Grimm."
"Cripple one of the bastions of humanity, is it? How nefarious." Watts said.
"What would the point of that be?" Midna asked. "I wouldn't mind seeing the Rosarios dealt with, but Salem must have an objective beyond that."
"The Vault," Impera said, "right?"
"Exactly," Silver said. "We need intelligence, a plan of action, and most importantly, personnel. For Vale and the rest of Remnant both."
"What, you don't think us and an army of Grimm can take down Vale?" Rapunzel asked.
"Considering the fact that most of you are still too young to rent a car, yes," Watts said.
"Cinder, would you be able to handle recruiting?" Silver asked.
"Me? How come?"
"Blatant favoritism?" Impera mused.
"I'd say that's a rather safe guess," Midna said.
"Very wrong. Cinder is the most personable of us all. Unless, Midna, you think you could suffer yourself to ask people for help?"
She gagged.
"So, are we free to go?" Watts asked. "If we have to do so much work, I think I'd prefer to start sooner rather than later."
"Yes." Standing up, Silver added, "Be sure to keep your Scrolls on hand. I imagine it'll be some time before we're all together again."
"One question, Silver," Tyrian said. "If our objective is the Vault, what of the Maiden? There are four Maidens and we have four maidens, but who will be the first?"
"A matter that can be discussed later, Tyrian. Ladies, I'll have to ask you to think long and hard about that, then. Though you'll all be expected to take up the mantle some day."
While others filed out of the room, Cinder remained seated. Her, entrusted with recruiting people for something as outrageous as toppling the Kingdom of Vale? It was a daunting task, but it wasn't like she didn't know this was coming. There was no way living with Salem was going to result in her leading a normal life.
Why couldn't life be like a fairytale? No matter the twists and turns, they always had happy endings. All Cinder wanted was her happy ending. The cries and screams of the other children in the orphanage made it almost impossible to read like she wanted to, having finally finished her chores. The stories she read always featured princesses meeting their prince charmings and living happily ever after. She didn't care much for the marriage part, but the idea of living in their big castles, surrounded by hosts of servants seemed like paradise after all of her years in this dinky little orphanage.
It was the only home she had ever known. She had no idea why she was left there, or what happened to her parents. After a while, she stopped caring. It didn't matter to her anymore. They had abandoned her, so why dwell on who they were?
So many of her peers had come and gone over the years. Some of them were adopted, and others just got old enough to leave on their own. At ten years old, Cinder was far too young to just leave. Though, if she had gone ten years without anyone wanting her, why would that change? She closed the book she was reading and stared out the window. It was a mild day in Mistral's Lower City, the sun's rays struggling to break through some clouds overhead as the children played out in the yard.
She noticed a woman crossing the yard with the orphanage's matron. She didn't quite look Mistrali to Cinder. Especially with that clothing of hers. It was far too western. Even native born Mistrali of western descent still primarily wore the fashion of the east. Unless they were Argusian, of course. That place was basically Atlas.
What to do? She couldn't read with the noise, and her chores were done. Maybe she'd just go to her room. She tucked the book under her arm and turned from the window, only to be met with the matron and the woman.
"Cinder, dear!" said the matron. "I'm so glad to have found you!"
"W-why?" Cinder asked, trying to steal a glance at the elegantly dressed stranger.
"This is Ms. Trinity Maine. She's come all the way from Atlas to bring someone home with her."
"It's nice to meet you," said the woman. "Cinder, was it? I'm honored."
She extended a hand. Cinder just stared at it, clutching her book, looking at the matron for approval. After a little nod, Cinder took her hand. It was nice and soft, just like she'd expect from an Atlesian elite.
"I told Ms. Maine that you're a really hard worker, and she said she always appreciated a hard worker. I was hoping you'd be willing to talk a bit more with her."
Dumbfounded, Cinder just stared at the two. It took a few moments for her to register what was happening. Was this stranger really going to bring her home? She was finally going to be able to leave? Cinder agreed to talk to her, trying not to make it too obvious just how excited she was.
A few days later, it was all made official. Before making the trip all the way to Mistral, Maine had done most of the work to get herself cleared to actually adopt a child. Cinder packed all of her things - not like they were many - and then bid everyone at the orphanage one final farewell. Some seemed bitter, but most of them were happy for her being able to start anew. She still wasn't quite sure she could believe what was happening. When she and Ms. Maine left for the train station, it really began to sink in. From the station, a train to Argus, and then a flight to Atlas. A whole new life was beginning for her.
"It's okay to be excited," Ms. Maine said. "This is a big change. You don't have to be so stoic all the time!"
"Okay… ma'am."
"Oh, no need for that!" she said. "Just call me 'mother'. After all, you're one of my girls now!"
"...Mother…"
The word was alien to Cinder, but it wasn't bad. It was quite nice, actually. She had never called anyone mother before. She didn't have anyone to call mother. The trip to Atlas was long, but Cinder still enjoyed it. They weren't in Argus that long, but in the time that they were there, Ms. Maine - Cinder's new mother - brought her shopping. She had gone shopping before, but never at a store like the one she went to in Argus. It was so much bigger, cleaner, and with so many more things to pick out and try on. By the time they boarded their flight, she practically had an entirely new wardrobe.
Atlas City itself looked like pictures that Cinder had seen in books. Bustling, modern, spotless. Skyscrapers were everywhere, drawing Cinder's eyes towards the sky no matter where she went. They went to one of these buildings. Cinder's new home.
It was a large, fancy apartment. The living room was expansive, a massive TV hanging off of the wall, expensive looking paintings scattered about to give the otherwise stark white walls a splash of color. Two girls were sitting on the large black couch watching something when they came in. Only one of them bothered to react.
"Mom, you're back!" she said.
"I hope I didn't keep the two of you waiting for too long." She lightly pushed Cinder forward. "This is Cinder, your new sister. Be sure to be nice to her, alright?"
"Whatever you say, mom," said the girl who was still seated.
"I'm Zoella," the one who had greeted them offered Cinder a hand. "The grouch over there is Anais." Cinder took the girl's hand, but instead of shaking it, she was yanked. "I'll show you around!"
Her mother took her luggage as Zoella began her tour. She had a home now, and older sisters. People to play with. People to confide in. People to look up to and ask advice when she needed help. She could only ever dream of these things, and now she had them. Cinder tried to stay calm and collected, but seeing Zoella's excitement as she showed off the apartment, Cinder couldn't contain herself. The unbridled joy she had been keeping under lock and key the entire time burst forth. It was one of the happiest days of her life.
I don't want to be alone
Wind Path was quite the sad city. Some parts of it were rather opulent and safe, but the city was notorious for its slums and criminal underbelly. Even the middle class areas of the city could be rather dangerous if you weren't near a building with security cameras.
Though, that same danger was what drew Cinder to the city. The poor, unfortunate souls of Wind Path, forced to resort to crime and debauchery to make a living would probably be easily swayed to Salem's side, once they had things explained to them. These types were often concerned with self preservation above all else. If she absolutely had to, threatening them with Salem's wrath would probably be enough.
Perfectly average people wouldn't be enough for an operation like this. If someone didn't have a Semblance, they'd be useless. She couldn't tell whether or not someone had a Semblance just by looking at them, and in a city like Wind Path, using your Semblance carelessly would give rivals an edge over you since they could plan around it. Cinder kept an eye on the people around her as she walked. She probably looked rather well off, with her stylish red dress and jewelry, but having Midnight on her back was an effective deterrent.
When she heard someone scream about a Grimm, Cinder's head whipped around, and her hands went to her blades' grips. People were tripping over each other and shouting, some of them getting into fistfights. What had happened? All of those people were perfectly fine just a minute ago. More importantly, there was no Grimm anywhere.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a young woman walk by an elderly man who was stumbling away from the crowd. With a subtle movement of her hand, the woman lifted the man's wallet, casually placing it in her pocket. Cinder glanced at the growing riot, and hurried after her.
She sped up, and Cinder matched her pace. Cinder walked by an alley, following after the young woman, then stopped. She stepped back and looked into the alley. It was empty. At least, it looked empty. She picked up some small, broken bits of the road. She heated them using her Semblance and then scattered the red hot debris into the empty alley. Something started moving in an attempt to get out of the way, and Cinder drew her blades.
"I think it's about time you showed yourself, don't you agree? I just want to talk." The young woman appeared in the alley, hands clutching her own weapons. Satisfied with her appearance, Cinder sheathed Midnight. "That's quite the Semblance you have."
"...Who are you?" Asked the young woman, glaring daggers.
"Cinder," she said. "Quite curious, don't you think? Someone screaming about Grimm in the middle of the day, with not a Grimm in sight."
"What does that have to do with me? You fucking stalker…"
"For someone who should have been just as worried as everyone else, you were awfully calm. Your sleight of hand was very impressive too. Robbed that poor old man blind." The young woman tensed. "Either you're some sort of huntress… or you knew that was going to happen. A Semblance, maybe?" Cinder started walking towards the young woman, stopping a few feet ahead of her.
"What do you want? The money I lifted? Like hell I'm just going to-"
"I'm not interested in the money. I'm interested in you." The young woman's stance relaxed, just a bit. "If I'm right, you have some sort of Semblance that lets you make people see things. That can be really useful. I wouldn't be surprised if actual Grimm showed up with the panic you caused. Just imagine the possibilities…
"I need some help with something, and you could be just the person I'm looking for. So, mind hearing me out a bit?"
"What would I get out of this?"
"If you're stealing from poor old men, I can only imagine life has been less than kind. I can guarantee a roof over your head and hot meals. No need to rob people, if you come with me."
"For real?" She lowered her weapons. "You'd just… give me that?"
"If you're willing to help. Now, you asked for my name, but never bothered to give me yours. Mind rectifying that?"
"I'm Emerald. So, what is this about food and a roof?"
Cinder couldn't help but smile. There was no guarantee that this Emerald would agree, when Cinder told her more, though if absolutely necessary, she could always force her to comply. She wasn't lying about food and shelter. Salem had provided all of them with that very thing. Another person wouldn't strain her resources. Cinder wasn't quite sure what an illusionary Semblance would be useful for, but such befuddlement of the mind could be powerful and versatile. No matter where Emerald would go, she was sure to prove useful.
Those first few weeks in Atlas were heaven. It wasn't long before Cinder first went to her mother's place of work, a restaurant called The Glass Unicorn. It was a modest little establishment. She had a few employees to help her. Cinder had a little table to herself in the corner. When Anais and Zoella were back from school, they tutored Cinder. At the end of the day, when everything was said and done, the four of them would go home. One day, though, Cinder noticed that all of the employees went home a bit earlier than usual.
"Cinder, dear, mind coming here for a moment?" Cinder hurried to the kitchen. She found her mother with a bucket. "It would make me so happy if you could help clean the dining area."
"What? But-" She turned towards the groups of tables. She had just seen people cleaning them.
"I just took a look, and it looks like a few of them got missed. Please, Cinder?"
She looked at the bucket, but took it in the end. It wouldn't be good business if someone came in the next morning and found a dirty table. She didn't want that to happen. It was only a handful of tables, so it didn't take very long. When Cinder reported that she was done, the two of them went home.
The first time that Cinder cleaned the tables, she had no way of knowing it would become a habit. For a little while, it was just a handful of tables that people happened to forget. Then it was the floors, too. Then came the dishes. Bit by bit, more work was placed on Cinder, and the time she stayed behind grew longer and longer. When they returned, Anais and Zoella were always home. They must've been home from school for hours, though. Why not have them help out?
"Cinder, it's getting late," her mother said one night. "Are the dishes done?"
She dried off one of the last dishes and put it on a rack with the rest of the dishes. She turned to her mother, frowning.
"Just about… why do I have to do this, though? I don't like it…"
"Oh, Cinder…" Her mother walked over to her, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders. "It just helps me out so, so much! And not just me! It helps the others out so much that they get to go home a bit earlier! You don't know how much it means to all of us!" She crossed her arms and tilted her head. "I think I get what you mean, though… I'll finish up those dishes. Get yourself ready to go home."
A few days later, Cinder and her mother left the restaurant in the early afternoon. They went to a doctor's office. At least, that's the only place Cinder knew to be so stark and drab, with all of the white walls and scrubs the employees wore. Cinder wasn't told what was going on. She asked the doctor, but all she got was a little smirk, assuring her that she was in good hands and that the doctor didn't want to ruin the surprise.
She was put under anesthetic. When she awoke, she was alone in the room with the doctor and her mother. The former was excitedly holding a mirror.
"I think it went over quite nicely!" The doctor held the mirror in front of Cinder. At the base of her neck, right on her suprasternal notch, was a small, diamond shaped yellow Dust crystal, embedded in an ornate white crest. It was like a beautiful piece of jewelry. "Well, do you like it?"
Cinder lightly touched it, too stunned to speak.
"Things like this are actually pretty popular," said the doctor. "Not like I know why…"
"Well, Cinder? I know your birthday is coming up, so I thought it was only fair to do a little something special for you."
"That's why you didn't tell me where we were going?" she asked. "To surprise me?"
"Anais and Zoella might be a little jealous, but I'll be sure to talk some sense into them if they give you trouble."
"They don't have these?" Cinder asked. Her mother shook her head. "So this is all mine…"
"A special gift for my special girl!" said her mother, lightly caressing Cinder's face. "Thank you again, doctor. It means a lot."
"Of course!" The doctor gave a small thumbs up. "Be sure to clean it real good whenever you bathe, okay? I mean, you do just sort of have a piece of Dust in your body now, after all…"
Zoella seemed excited to see Cinder's new accessory, and started to pester their mother about it. Anais seemed as apathetic to the preferential treatment as she did to just about anything related to Cinder. Cinder was absolutely elated in the following days. The thought of the fact that she got something her sisters didn't have when she was so new to the family filled her with pride.
The gifts and the praise made her forget about the fact that she was irritated with her mother constantly asking her to help with chores at the restaurant after hours. At least for a time, anyway. As happy as she was, she wasn't satisfied with just being a maid in all but name. One day, she asked her mother again about why she had to do chores like this.
"Cinder, I thought I already told you," she said. "It helps us all out so much to have you do this!"
"But Anais doesn't have to! Zoella doesn't either! If I have to help, why don't they help?"
"Nonsense," she said, shaking her head. "This is beneath them."
"That isn't fair! If it's beneath them, why isn't it beneath me?!"
A screaming pain shot through Cinder's body, forcing her to her knees. It was brief, but even when it faded, her body was tingling terribly. She blinked through tear-filled eyes, seeing a faint yellow glow just below her chin, where the yellow Dust was. She struggled to look up at her mother, a sorrowful look on her face. She was clutching something in front of her. It looked like a remote.
"Now look what you made me do…" She sighed and knelt, pulling Cinder into a hug. "Don't ask questions, Cinder. Just do what you're told. Then I won't have to do this again."
Cinder didn't know what to do. Even when she started to regain feeling in her arms, she didn't know what to do. She was hurting, and her mother was hugging her. Did she hug her back? Even though her mother was the one that hurt her? Before she could decide, she was let go and dragged to her feet.
"Now, when you've collected yourself, get back to work. We'll leave when you're done, and I don't want to be too late."
Her mother left Cinder in the kitchen, tears streaming down her cheeks, without so much as an apology.
I don't want to be hurt
Emerald took quite quickly to the idea of helping on the Vale operation. She cared much more about having a place to call home than the implications of working with Cinder and the others. During her time wandering Wind Path, especially with Emerald's guidance, Cinder came across a name: Marcus Black.
He was a notorious assassin active in eastern Mistral. Cinder might not have known much about him, but to have earned a reputation such as his, his combat and stealth capabilities must have been incredible. Salem would be able to afford any price he asked for with ease. After a bit of searching, Cinder found out where he lived, and set out with Emerald.
"Do you think an assassin will actually be someone we can trust?" Emerald asked as they scaled the mountain he allegedly lived on.
"It isn't exactly a matter of whether or not he can be trusted. The only thing that matters is whether or not he'll be effective on the battlefield. Give him lien and he'll be on our side. Simple as that."
"Hey!"
Emerald pointed to a billow of smoke rising into the night sky, a small red glow at its base. Cinder broke out into a run, Emerald right on her heels. They sprinted along a dirt path they found, which led them to their destination. It wasn't long before they found a building engulfed in flames.
"That's his house, right?" Emerald asked.
"It's supposed to be… that isn't good…" Cinder started to walk towards it. "Who could have done this?"
"Well, he's an assassin, right? If I had beef with him, I'd probably want him dead. But if he's extra crispy in there, what do we do?"
"We'll just have to think of something else. There will be others like him, even if he was supposed to be the best." Cinder turned to leave. "Let's go, Emerald."
"After all that walking, too… What a pain!"
"H…help…"
Cinder stopped in her tracks at the faintest of sounds.
"Did you hear that?" she asked Emerald.
"...Help…"
The two turned, and then they noticed someone crawling away from the house, blood trailing behind them. Cinder ran towards them, Emerald right behind her. It was a young man, probably around their age.
"Damn, his legs are in real bad shape…" Emerald observed. "We should get him out of here."
"You're right." Cinder swung one of his arms over her shoulders, and Emerald followed suit. "Stay with us!"
The two took the young man to the nearest town. As soon as someone saw them, they directed them to the nearest doctor. Cinder paid for the young man's medical expenses out of pocket. They remained in the town for a few days. If he was crawling away from Marcus Black's house, he probably knew something of what happened. Cinder wanted the information before they left. If she couldn't get Marcus Black, the person who killed him would probably be the next best thing. When he seemed to have composed himself, Cinder and Emerald arranged for some private time with him.
"Before you go in," said the doctor, "that young man's legs are beyond saving. He didn't talk much about what happened, but either he's bound to a wheelchair for the rest of his life or he gets some sort of prosthetics. Now, since you brought him in, it's either up to you to figure that out or tell someone responsible for him, but I've done all I can."
"So, it looks like you're alive," Cinder said, once the doctor was gone.
"Barely," he replied.
"So… what's your name?" Emerald asked.
"Mercury. Mercury Black."
"Black? Are you Marcus Black's son?" Cinder asked.
"Damn straight."
"We were looking for your dad," Cinder told him. "What happened to him? Did he make it out of the fire?"
"Nah… I put that fucker in the ground."
Emerald and Cinder shared a look, then Cinder stepped forward.
"Well… we were looking for him like I mentioned. If he's dead, and you killed him, I guess you're the next best thing we have."
"Cinder, what about what the doc just said? We can't take him!" Emerald protested.
"It'll be fine. I paid for the clinic. I can afford legs. So, Mercury, what do you say? Unless you have family somewhere, I'm sorry to say that we'll probably just leave you outside of some building. Or, you can come with us."
"I'm in."
"Just like that?" Emerald asked. "You aren't even going to hear us out?"
"What's the point?" Mercury shrugged. "Not like I have anywhere else to go. If you're going to foot the bill, I should return the favor, right?"
"Well then." Cinder offered Mercury a hand. As they shook hands she said, "It's nice to have you on board."
During the day, Cinder would sit in a corner, doing random schoolwork her mother put together. After closing, the employees went home, and Cinder was put to work finishing up the work, making sure the restaurant was spotless, all on her own. It took hours, each and every day the establishment was open.
Her mother praised her when she did good, and made sure to shower her with gifts, just like she did her other daughters. She was constantly told that she was being such a great help to the rest of the employees and her mother by helping them out. Knowing that she was being useful helped Cinder to find meaning in the monotony of the work, but it was only a matter of time until she started questioning it all.
She didn't outright ask why she was doing it, but she would complain about the work. When she did, she was shocked. The shocks were just few and far enough between each other that she could never really get used to it. Then came the apologies, and the hugs, and more praise.
On Anais's first birthday after Cinder had gone to live with them, she was in an especially foul mood. She'd been shocked before they went home, and was still upset. That evening, when they were all together, their mother had brought out a cake for Anais, and lit the candles. The three of them gathered around the birthday girl and started to sing to her. Rather, Zoella and their mother did. Cinder just stood, her arms crossed.
"Hey, come on!" Zoella shoved Cinder, when the song was done. "You didn't sing with us!"
"I didn't want to…" Cinder grumbled.
"It's sis's birthday! The least you can do is sing! Don't be a little turd!"
"Shut up, Z," Anais groaned.
"Zoella has a point." Their mother walked to Cinder, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We are a family now, Cinder. Anais is your sister, and today is her special day. The song is done, but the next time it's someone's birthday, join us, won't you?"
"O-okay…"
She kept that conversation in the back of her head during the following months, mainly out of fear of getting shocked if she didn't. The next birthday in the family was their mother's, and Zoella rounded up the other two to put something together for her. It wasn't a particularly grand affair. A small dinner, some balloons, and a cake. That time, when it came time to sing, Cinder joined in. Upon seeing the look of joy on their mother's face, she felt glad that she did.
"Oh, you three!" Their mother embraced them all. "I'm so glad to have you! I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to any of you. Especially you, Cinder." Looking her youngest right in the eye she said, "it would be such a shame if anything ever took you from us."
The first time she heard it, Cinder's heart was aflutter. She really felt like an irreplaceable part of the family. The more she heard it, though, the more it became something she dreaded. Sometimes, when she was being slow, or talking back, she expected to be shocked. Instead, her mother would repeat those words. She'd tell Cinder what a shame it would be if anything took her away from them.
Cinder was still young. She had no one other than her mother and her sisters. She was adopted, almost purchased like a commodity. Who's to say she couldn't be returned like one?
Almost three years, Cinder worked at The Glass Unicorn. She was either lost in the bliss of being loved and valued as one of her mother's daughters, or too scared to talk back out of fear of being hurt, or maybe even being discarded like trash. The pendulum swung back and forth, with no end in sight. Zoella was kind enough, but appeared annoyed by the fact that Cinder wasn't always happy like she was, and Anais appeared to be annoyed at the both of them for just existing, though she wasn't nearly as vocal with her disapproval.
Neither of them seemed to ask questions about why Cinder was at the restaurant so much, or why she was the one with Dust in her body. The rest of the employees at the restaurant were the same. Cinder was just their boss's daughter who was being homeschooled. They didn't ask questions about why she was there all day, and weren't around to see her work like a dog at night.
The only people who knew how she was being hurt were her and the person hurting her, and Cinder was too lost in both joy and fear to do anything about it.
Cinder was treated like a princess on that first birthday, and then the same on her second. Her third birthday in Atlas was treated like any other day. No happy birthday from her mother or her sisters. No special treats or snacks. No presents. It was just another day. When the restaurant closed, Cinder hoped to maybe get some attention, but her mother just told her to clean as she always did and locked herself in her office.
Cinder was scrubbing the floors when it happened. All the things she did for that woman, and on today of all days, the one day that Cinder was supposed to be special, she was treated like nothing. Countless hours spent toiling in the restaurant, and she hadn't seen a single lien for any of it, like anyone else working would've. The only compensation she got was pain when she didn't do good enough. The only time she ever saw so much as a simple compliment was when she had finally had enough and started to complain about how unfair it was, all to pacify her and to get her to keep working for a little while longer.
It was all insane, and what could she do about it? She couldn't run away. She couldn't talk back. She'd always end up back with that woman, or on a ship back to Mistral. Cinder was furiously scrubbing a single spot on the ground, lost in her thoughts. She didn't notice it at first, when her hand started burning. It wasn't until her face was warm and wet with steam that she noticed what was going on.
She let go of the sponge she was using and looked at her hand. It was steaming at the spots where it was still wet from the soapy water the sponge was covered in. The sponge itself was still lightly steaming. Cinder touched her arm, and it burned. Recoiling, she looked at her palms, still trying to piece together what was going on.
Then it occurred to her that it must've been her Semblance. She only ever associated Semblances with huntsmen and combat. Here of all places, scrubbing the floor, and her Semblance awakens? She just stared at her hands, conflicted. This changed nothing. Her lot in life wasn't going to completely change because of this. The best she had was enrolling in Atlas Academy, but she wouldn't be able to do that for years. Even then, she could just leave and start her own life when she was old enough. This changed nothing. Cinder sighed, trying to calm herself down so her hands would cool. If she was going to make water steam whenever she touched it, that just might make her mother angrier, and she didn't want that.
I don't want to be abandoned
Cinder sat with Mercury and Emerald in the trees of a Valean forest. A few months had passed since they first came across him. Salem had since had his legs amputated and replaced by high tech prosthetics made by Watts. He acclimated to them quickly, and was sent on the road with Emerald and Cinder when they next went out.
In order to open the Vale Vault, they needed the Fall Maiden. In her digging, Rapunzel had heard about the movements of the current Maiden, a young woman named Amber. The question of who would succeed her had to be answered quickly. Cinder was selected, for much the same reason she was selected for recruitment. The others would have to grow into the role of Maiden, Salem told her.
"Dammit, where is she? If she wanted to get to the capital, she'd have to come by here…"
"Chill, Em. She'll show up sooner or later."
Cinder stared at a stark white glove she held, Salem's intricately designed emblem on the back of its hand, the eye in the center of it staring right back at her. It had never been tested. She could only hope that it would work.
"Emerald, you should probably get into position," Cinder said, putting the glove away.
Emerald left the cover of the trees and headed a bit further down the road. As a white horse appeared down the road, Emerald activated her Semblance. To the Maiden approaching, she was invisible. Instead, she'd only see a little lost child crying in the road next to her broken bike.
She stopped for a moment, then urged the horse to go faster.
"Oh, you poor thing!" she said. Hopping off of her horse, she lowered the hood she was wearing. "There's no need to cry… I'll be able to get you home safely." She knelt, taking an apple out of one of the pouches she wore.
Emerald took hold of her weapons, shifting her feet, ready to launch herself at the unassuming Maiden. Amber's eyes shot up, and her eyes met Emerald's briefly. She jumped back, discarding her cloak and brandishing a staff embedded with jagged Dust crystals on either end. Emerald discarded the illusions, running at her, firing her guns. Her rounds burnt up in the air before Amber, small crackles of electricity lingering in the air when they did. Amber twirled her staff and thrust it towards Emerald, a blast of wind knocking her off of her feet.
Mercury came out of the forest, throwing himself at Amber. She blocked him with her staff. He rebounded off of a fence post and went flying at her. She aimed the red crystal on her staff at Mercury, a torrent of fire shooting out at him. Mercury stayed on course, the fire burning the legs of his pants. He crashed into her, slamming her into the ground and making her drop her staff.
Emerald and Mercury watched her closely, waiting to see if she'd get up. She did, and Emerald raised her weapons again. Amber glared at her, her eyes glowing a vibrant orange. Wisps of energy appeared to surround her eyes, like flames. Emerald faltered for a second, and then the wind started. It was almost like the three of them were caught in a tornado, with how strong the wind was. Emerald and Mercury struggled just to stay on their feet.
A vortex of wind gathered around Amber, lifting her up into the air. With a wave of her hand, strikes of lightning shot forth, blasting Mercury and Emerald away. Once they were on their feet, they skirted around her as more lightning fell from the sky. They fired on her, but their bullets just burned up as Emerald's did earlier. With a snap of her fingers, a thunderous boom came from the gathering thunderclouds, just about blowing out Emerald and Mercury's eardrums, staggering them just long enough for Amber to get the both of them with her lightning.
Seeing the two of them laying prone, Cinder emerged from her hiding place in the woods, running down the path. Amber fired on her, but Cinder dodged her attack and skidded to a stop. She heard the ground behind her breaking up. She superheated the bits of dirt and stone that had scattered about, forming them into shards, and sending them flying at Amber. The onslaught of small, sharp, hot objects overwhelmed her, knocking her out of the air and crashing into the ground.
The three of them went in, Emerald using her Semblance to befuddle and disorient Amber. She knocked Cinder away, and even in close quarters, Amber held her own against Emerald and Mercury. Cinder picked herself up off of the ground. Amber was too focused on the other two to pay her much mind. Cinder conjured three glass arrows and aimed for Amber's feet. The arrows landed around her in a triangular formation. Just as Amber noticed what was going on, Cinder heated the arrows and the ground beneath them until they exploded. Cinder could see Amber's Aura break as she was blown back by the force of the explosion.
The three of them approached Amber slowly, hands at their weapons, just in case. Amber picked herself up. Cinder and Emerald's weapons went up, but not before the Maiden could blast them away with a blast of wind. Cinder slammed into one of the fence posts, the blow to her back knocking the wind out of her. Emerald and Mercury stood, only to be electrocuted.
With her three assailants incapacitated, Amber started limping down the road using her staff for support. Her horse had long since run off during the commotion. She took a Scroll out of one of the pouches she wore, surprised to see that it still worked.
"Qrow…" Cinder heard her say. "Please, hurry. I got ambushed…"
Cinder picked up her bow and conjured another arrow. Cinder had heard that Amber was new to her role as a Maiden, but turning her back on the enemy like this before confirming they were dead? Certainly was a rookie mistake.
"I don't know if they're just bandits, or if they work for Sa-"
Cinder loosed the arrow, catching Amber right in the back. Her Scroll fell to the ground and she followed it. Emerald and Mercury struggled to their feet, then approached Amber. They took her arms to keep her steady, as Cinder slipped on the glove she was given.
She held it before Amber's face, a small portal opening in the palm. A beetle Grimm emerged, and Amber looked up at it in horror.
"Please… don't…"
The beetle spat some sort of sticky substance on Amber's face. She screamed in agony as the beetle began to drain her, the energy flaring around her exposed eye. Cinder winced as the energy flowed into her. It was as if her body was burning. It might've hurt, but it was exhilarating all the same. Just a bit longer, and she'd be Fall Maiden. A bit longer and Amber would… she wasn't quite sure what this all would do to her.
Cinder heard something off to the side, and noticed a man running at them. He lunged at her, a massive sword in his hand. She closed her palm, severing the beetle's connection with Amber, and jumped back. The man took a second to study the scene, then swung his blade at Emerald and Mercury, who dropped Amber to the ground to keep from being cleaved in two.
Cinder looked at the two, then motioned for Emerald and Mercury to stay still. She knew that Emerald had already used her Semblance to cloak them. The man's complete and utter lack of a reaction to them meant he couldn't see them anymore. He stood, the unconscious Amber in his arms, and then started to sprint down the road.
"How're you feeling, Cinder?" Emerald asked
She looked at her hand as the glove faded away, dissolving into her skin. She felt a storm of primordial energy raging inside of her, power she had never imagined before. She could hardly believe that it was possible for a mortal to wield something like this.
"I'll manage," she said. "Our work here is done."
They started down the path, though Cinder had no real destination in mind. They'd find somewhere to make camp soon enough, then they'd make their way back to Mors.
In the days after her Semblance awakening, Cinder had been practicing with it a bit while she was alone cleaning. She had very basic control of it. She could heat up and cool her hands at will now, but that had to only be scratching the surface of its capabilities. She was in the kitchen one night, hands submerged in the sink's full basin, the water beginning to boil. When she heard footsteps, she panicked, taking her hands out as quickly as she could.
"You freaking dork," she heard Anais say. "The slightest sound and you jump? Lame. Where are the gloves?"
"What?" Cinder turned, following her sister with her eyes as the older girl started looking around.
"The gloves? You know, those rubber things you put on your hands when you deal with messy stuff? How the hell else am I supposed to help you?"
"Help me…?" Cinder blankly pointed to where the gloves were stored, still in disbelief as she saw her sister don a pair.
"Alright, let's get this done." Anais rolled up her sleeves, joining Cinder by the sink.
"What're you doing here?"
"Are you deaf? I'm here to help you. Now, tell me how it's done. I don't really do this sort of thing."
"But why? Why would you…?" Anais had been stoic and aloof in all the time Cinder had known her. The sad look in her eyes stunned Cinder silent.
"I don't know… something just seemed wrong. Z and I are always just screwing around at home, but you're here, for some reason. Guess mom hasn't been the best to you, so why shouldn't I be here?"
She was uncomfortable, but Cinder went along with it. Work went by a lot faster, having someone to help her out. Anais didn't stay the entire time. She would help out for a little while, then leave. Cinder finished her chores a lot earlier, and her mother never questioned how she did it. She just seemed glad to go home sooner.
Anais stopped by everyday for about a week. On the seventh day, they were scrubbing the floors together. It was nice, having someone to work with. Cinder wasn't quite sure just how lonely she had been until she had someone there to help keep her company. Also, she wasn't quite sure how good of a person Anais was, before they got this chance to spend more time together, actually talking with one another.
"Anais, check this out," Cinder said. She held up her hand, still damp from the sponge, and started to heat it, the water evaporating.
"The hell is that? Does that not… hurt?"
"It's a Semblance, so I'm pretty sure it isn't supposed to."
"Really?" Anais walked over to Cinder and leaned in, observing her palm. She could feel the heat radiating from Cinder's hand. "So? What're you going to do with that thing, become a huntress or something?"
"Yeah, I think I might," Cinder said, drawing her hand in. "Do you think I could make it?"
"What sort of question is that? I wouldn't be able to tell you if a kid could make it as a huntress." Anais rubbed the back of her neck. "If you try, though, you probably could. 'If there's a will, there's a way', and all that."
Cinder looked towards the sponge on the ground, smiling. It was nice to know someone believed in her, at least.
A door opened, and Cinder's head whipped around in the direction of their mother's office. When she came into view, she regarded the two for a second, a clear look of confusion on her face.
"Anais? What are you doing here?"
"Helping Cinder," she said, arms crossed. "What're you doing having her clean up the restaurant anyway?"
"That doesn't concern you. You shouldn't be here. This is beneath you." She shook her head. "You ought to be at home studying…"
"Yeah, like she should!" Anais gestured to Cinder, still kneeling on the ground.
"Don't raise your voice at me!" Their mother snapped. Pointing towards her office, she said, "Now, go and wait. I'll deal with you in a minute." The two glowered at each other. "Now."
Anais tsked and started to walk. When she was gone, their mother smoothed out her dress and then turned to Cinder. "Now I understand why you've been able to finish cleaning so early these last few days. Do hurry, will you? When I'm done with your sister, we're leaving."
Cinder didn't want to, but she didn't have much of a choice. Disobey, and be shocked. She could faintly hear her mother and sister's raised voices from the back of the restaurant, but she did her best to just ignore it. It was obvious to her what it meant, though. No more Anais coming by to help. Cinder would be alone again. Left to do all of that work all by herself.
Everytime something good happened to her, it was only a matter of time until that woman took it away. Cinder had already tolerated it for three long years. How much longer would she tolerate it? How much longer could she?
I want to be strong
It took quite some time for Cinder to acclimate to the new power she had gained. Having only half of the power wasn't enough to make full use of it. It was almost as if it was still dormant, for better or for worse. By the time she was fully recovered, it had only been three months. So much had happened so quickly. She didn't have much time to rest, though.
As soon as she was well enough, she set out with Emerald and Mercury again. Their next destination was Vale City. They weren't there on any sort of reconnaissance. Like how Cinder and Emerald had heard word of Marcus Black, the three of them caught wind of a certain Valean crime lord named Roman Torchwick.
Torchwick was said to work alone, so Cinder didn't worry about any sort of gang members or bodyguards giving them trouble. He wasn't the easiest to find, but enough asking around - and enough threats - eventually found them at his hideout. It was in a seedier part of the city. It was a rather impressive apartment complex. For a criminal's hideaway, it seemed too lavish.
Only one of the call buttons by the entrance was labeled. Neapolitan, like the ice cream. With no other leads, Cinder pressed it.
"Sorry, dollface, but I didn't have any meetings today. Beat it."
A man's voice.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I was hoping to talk to you, actually. I think I have a job you might like."
There was no response for half a minute. Before Cinder concluded he had simply decided to ignore them, he spoke again.
"Leave your friends."
"What?" Mercury asked.
"That's not happening!" Emerald added.
"It's fine, you two. I'll be able to handle myself."
"You're really just going to trust this guy?" Emerald asked.
"I don't have much choice, do I? Wait outside for me, will you?"
The two dragged their feet, but when they finally left, the door opened. Cinder made note of the apartment number this 'Neapolitan' was in, and made her way there. She gripped the door knob and turned. Knocking would just draw attention to them.
She entered a room almost entirely devoid of light. The light was on, but the bulb was either dying, or it was turned on as low as it could go. The apartment's living room was deceptively simple. A pair of armchairs, a flat screen television, and a coffee table. Roman Torchwick seemed like he'd be more extravagant than this. She'd have to shake this man down for his actual apartment number.
"So, who the hell are you?" One of the seats was occupied by a well dressed man, resting a cane across his lap. A young woman in a white pantsuit was seated in the other, reading a comic book.
"Cinder Fall, you can call me. Would you happen to be Roman Torchwick?"
"Who's asking? Who's your boss?"
"My boss… is a powerful woman. One interested in employing Roman Torchwick."
"Keep talking…"
Cinder told them about Salem and her plans. She knew people like him were keen to look out for themselves and only themselves, and the look of disgust on his face as she finished her story told her she'd need to be more drastic.
"Forget it!" he said. "I'm not getting mixed up in something that crazy!"
"Oh, but I think you will," Cinder said, smiling at him. "There's a reason we want you, Roman Torchwick. You have a way with words, and appear to be awfully slippery. We don't quite lack manpower, but connections? We could use yours."
"I already said no! Now get out of here!"
The young woman threw the comic book on the table and stood from her seat. She pointed at the door, then tapped her wrist. She wasn't wearing a watch.
"I'll do no such thing," Cinder said. "You see, you don't exactly have a choice. I know your voice. I know your face. I know where you live. If I wanted to, I could probably kill you right here and now, but even if I didn't, I don't think Salem would be very appreciative of your spurning her.
"You say no since you're afraid of the danger. I can assure you, Roman Torchwick, that making an enemy of Salem is much more dangerous."
He regarded Cinder coldly, clutching the arm of his chair. Salem was probably the least of his worries. Cinder could kill him and the girl, if she wanted. If something happened to her, Emerald and Mercury were right outside and already didn't trust him. If he somehow escaped them, Salem wouldn't rest until he paid for hurting her. The utter futility of his situation set in, and he sunk back into his seat.
"Fine, fine… I guess we're in. Neo, that alright with you?"
The young woman, Neo, scowled at Cinder. She'd maintained her composure this entire time. Not even Torchwick's resignation shook her. Torchwick repeated the question, and she just shrugged. At least it wasn't an outright refusal.
Cinder left Torchwick's apparently, feeling conflicted. More people for their operation meant it a success, but the threat of violence left a sour taste in her mouth. She had largely meant for it all to be empty threats, but even if she didn't do everything, everyone else definitely would've. She made her way down to the ground floor. Emerald and Mercury were worried, but with how long she'd been gone, who knew what they'd be doing.
Just as she had feared, Anais stopped going to the restaurant after their mother found her. At home, Cinder noticed that Anais became more standoffish. She didn't talk as much, and she didn't appear to go outside unless it was to or from school, or with her mother going along with her. Whatever it was that happened in that office, it must've pacified her.
A few weeks later, Cinder was washing the dishes again. She missed having Anais at her side to talk to when she was doing this. She thought that she would get used to it again, but she was wrong. It was agonizing, standing in silence like that again. The only sound in the room was that of a ticking clock.
Cinder was washing an obsidian plate. Dinnerware made of high grade obsidian was reserved for the more wealthy patrons of the restaurant in vain attempts to impress them. She stopped washing the plate and looked at the clock. It would still be a few hours until they left, if all of the other days she had done this were any indication. She was tired. She wanted to go home already. After a few minutes of watching the time tick by, Cinder went back to washing the dishes. She was going much more slowly, though.
She stopped again later, as she was washing another plate. She barely registered the clacking of her mother's heels as she entered the kitchen.
"What's this?" she asked. "You've only done that many dishes after all this time? Shameful… You thought you could corrupt poor Anais by getting her to help with your chores, and when you get caught, you throw a tantrum and get all sluggish?"
"Corrupt?" Cinder squeezed the sponge, beginning to heat it. "She wanted to help me. I didn't do anything."
Cinder began convulsing as electricity coursed through her body.
"You ought to know better than to talk back to me, Cinder. Pick up the pace. I don't want to be late because of you."
She turned and started to walk away. Cinder leaned on the sink, catching her breath. She clenched her teeth. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve this harpy ruining every good thing that happened to her. All the gifts and praise were tainted by her abuse, and even when it seemed like Cinder might've made a friend in Anais, she had taken that away. She wouldn't take it anymore.
Cinder picked herself up. She dropped the sponge in the sink and lifted the plate out of it. She raised it above her head and let go.
When it shattered on the ground below, her mother stopped. She turned, her face going to the broken plate and then to Cinder, twisted with rage.
"You stupid girl. What have you done?"
She held up her remote and pressed its button, electrocuting Cinder once again. She recoiled from the pain, but she fought through it, focussing as much as she could to maintain her composure.
"Do you have any idea how much those plates cost? What were you thinking? I have half a mind to break your head just like that damned plate. When I'm done with you, you'd wish you were still in that godsforsaken shithole in Mistral."
She approached Cinder. Even with her rage, she wasn't shouting. Her words were quiet, cold, piercing. Cinder didn't care for anything she was saying, though. She looked at the shards of glass on the ground. One of them stuck out to her. It was large, and jagged. When her mother's feet entered her field of view, she struck. Cinder grabbed the shard off of the ground and drove it into her mother's chest.
"W-what… are you…" Cinder twisted the glass, and her mother croaked in pain.
"Mom!" Zoella's voice came from outside. "Sis left the apartment even though you told her not to!"
"No more," Cinder said, retracting the shard. Her mother collapsed to the ground, the remote clattering next to her. Cinder's hand was warm and slick with blood.
"Zoella…" Trinity Maine's voice was little more than a labored rasp from where she laid in a growing pool of her own blood. "Leave… please…"
"Mom! Where are…" Zoella walked into the entryway of the kitchen. When her eyes fell on Cinder and her mom, they went wide with fear, and began welling with tears. "Mom…"
Zoella turned and ran. Cinder gripped the shard of glass. It dug into her hand, but she ignored the pain, running after Zoella. She was faster. She rammed the glass shard into Zoella's back, making her shriek in pain. She fell to the ground, just like her mom.
Cinder stood over Zoella's body, breathing heavily. She didn't want to do that to her, but she couldn't leave any witnesses. She wondered what she would tell Anais. How could she explain this to the only person in that family she felt any attachment to?
Fortunately - or unfortunately - Cinder didn't have to worry about that. She heard footsteps for only a moment. She saw Anais looking at her in utter shock, clutching something in her hand. She didn't want to have to kill her too, but she knew she had no choice. Anais took her Scroll out of her pocket, hand shaking, and started lifting it to her head.
Cinder lunged at her, knocking her to the ground and sending the Scroll flying, where it clattered on the ground.
"Cinder, stop!" Cinder straddled Anais, tightly gripping the shard. "You don't have to do this! I know she was terrible to you! I'll help you however I can! You can trust me!"
Cinder brought the shard down, but Anais caught her hand. She was a few years older, but she wasn't as strong as Cinder was. The shard inched closer and closer to her throat.
"Cinder! Cinder, please, listen to me!"
Cinder began to cry, her tears falling onto Anais's face. She pushed harder, and the shard made contact with Anais's skin.
"I'm sorry…" Cinder whispered.
Cinder slit her sister's throat.
Anais clutched her throat, blood running down her neck onto the floor. Cinder stood up, dropping the shard to the floor. She noticed the thing Anais was holding. It was a pamphlet about Atlesian child labor laws. Cinder didn't stay to think about what it meant. She ran to the restaurant's back entrance. She needed to get as far away as possible as quickly as she could.
She was on her own now. She'd have to start all over, and take care of herself. She didn't know what she would do, or where she would go, but she knew that anything would've been better than staying with that woman.
I want to be safe
Their preparations were almost done. At least, Cinder thought so. They had gained an illusionist in Emerald, a combat specialist in Mercury, on top of someone to help with transportation, and a vast network of criminal connections through Torchwick. The only thing that Cinder thought they could still use was manpower. They still lacked a proper army. Rather, an army that could be more easily controlled than the Grimm, anyway.
Impera and Midna had suggested the White Fang, to that end. At least, one branch of it. It might be a bit much to try and get the entire organization on board, but some rogue sect might be willing to help them spread chaos if it meant striking a blow against humanity. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, they didn't have many options. The White Fang had no presence in Vacuo or Atlas. The high leader was based in Mistral, and according to the faunus of their group, less likely to make as risky a play as declaring war on humanity by attacking Vale. Mistral already didn't like the idea of a faunus extremist group being in its borders, and if they did anything that might be interpreted as an act of war by Vale, the government would just try to crack down on them even harder, making things harder for Mistrali faunus than they already were.
The Vale White Fang, though, seemed ideal. It was close to their target. Being based in Vale itself, it wasn't as if the regional commander could use international politics as an excuse not to cooperate. Most importantly of all, it was said to have been led by a man who hated humankind with a burning passion. Finding them didn't prove to be too difficult. When one of the faunus in Salem's circle went sniffing around for information, they were handed it readily, and they passed it right off to Cinder.
Midna went with Cinder and the other two that day, to the Forest of Forever Fall. Sending three humans into a White Fang stronghold seemed like a very poor way to make a good first impression. Even with Midna, they had to be escorted with half a dozen armed guards watching them to make sure they didn't do anything funny. The camp was bustling, and Cinder was a bit surprised to see how an operation this sophisticated had simply gone unnoticed as long as it did.
They were led into a large, intricate tent. It was obvious that whoever stayed in it was important. The guards shoved the humans inside. Emerald and Mercury groaned behind her. The only man in the room dressed in black must've been their leader.
"So, do you have all your guests escorted at gunpoint?" Midna asked.
"Considering the fact that we don't get guests? Yes, I'd say it's safe to say we do." The man in black turned to them. He gave Cinder a passing glance before focusing on Midna. "Who are you, and why are they with you?"
"You have the pleasure," Midna began, gingerly placing a hand on her breast, "of speaking with Midna Saurum, rightful heir to the throne of Vacuo." She gestured to Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury. "These three are my vassals. We've come here to ask for your aid, Adam Taurus of the White Fang."
"I don't know why you're asking Vale for help with your Vacuan monarchism," Adam said. "Our brothers and sisters have it good in that desert. I won't jeopardize their safety on account of your vanity."
"We aren't here to ask you to help restore the monarchy," Cinder said, taking a step forward. The guards trained their guns on her. "We're here to make a deal."
"I've no interest in furthering the goals of you humans."
"Even if they further your goals as well? If I'm not mistaken, the White Fang wants to strike fear into the hearts of men. Make them realize that they can't bury their heads in the sand and pretend like the faunus aren't being mistreated in their jurisdictions. If you work with us, I can assure you, you'll strike plenty of fear into the hearts of Vale."
"Nonsense!" A giant of a man was at Adam's side. His sudden outburst caught Cinder off guard. "Whatever you have in mind, it can only mean trouble!"
"He's right. I have no interest in risking my men's lives for your cause; a human cause."
"That's understandable," Cinder said. "Then let me put it this way… I can't exactly imagine that the White Fang is a very profitable organization. Yet you definitely need capital to operate." She looked at two of their escorts, who were carrying large metal suitcases they had brought with them. "If your men could open those suitcases, I imagine you'll find something quite pleasing."
The large man motioned for the two to do as Cinder said. They set the briefcases down and opened them. The cases were packed to the brim with lien. Some of them let out little gasps at the sheer quantity of it all.
"All of this can be yours, if you'd only lend us your aid," Cinder said.
"What's stopping us from simply killing you here and keeping the money?" Adam asked.
"Hmm… let's just say… trust. Is that fair?"
Adam chuckled. "Trust, huh?" Walking over to one of the suitcases he said, "I don't trust you. That much is certain." He handed a lien card to one of his subordinates. "Run some tests on these. Make sure they aren't counterfeit."
"But you'll trust our money?" Emerald asked.
"Unlike you humans, money can't stab us in the back," Adam said. "If the money's legit, then I'll talk. Half now, half after we make a deal."
"Hold on a minute!" Mercury exclaimed. "Why the hell should you get half before you've even said yes?! All or nothing, pal!"
"Half now, or I'll have you escorted out," Adam said. "And I imagine you'd prefer to leave alive, so best not to try and challenge me."
"Must feel nice to have such authority," Midna said, rolling her eyes. "Your demand is understandable, however. Cinder, we can agree to his terms, yes?"
"I think we can. As I said, I trust him. After hearing us out, I'm sure Mr. Taurus here won't let us down."
"Get them out of here," Adam ordered. "Keep an eye on them for a while. When I'm ready to hear them out, I'll call them in."
They sat in the White Fang camp for a few hours under close watch. Everyone but Cinder was extremely annoyed by the situation. When they were finally called back to Adam's tent, Cinder and Midna were the ones to explain their plans to Adam and his lieutenant. The two sat and listened thoughtfully. It was clearly a lot to take in, and even more so for people like them who had their subordinates to look after. Once the ladies finished their pitch they trained their eyes on Adam, waiting for his answer with bated breath.
"Complete insanity…" he breathed. "It would certainly bring the humans to heel, but…"
"I don't know if we should. Imagine what this will do to us. The military will search day and night to snuff us out!" said his lieutenant.
"Assuming there's still a military after they're done," Adam said. "Even then, they'd probably care more about making sure the civilians are safe… We could use their precarious situation to bargain, too… Fine, we'll join you. Leave some sort of contact info, and I'll be on standby. When we're needed, we'll move out."
"How surprising! He actually agreed!" Midna said.
"It's a pleasure to have you on board, Adam." Cinder extended a hand, which he took. "Here's to our mutual success."
Cinder hid in a bush in the fields of Atlas, sitting in the fetal position. It was cold, the shattered moon shining high in the sky above. It had been a few days since Cinder killed Trinity Maine, Zoella Maine, and Anais Maine. She left the city immediately after it happened. The police were probably looking for her. Her entire family was dead and she was missing. She was either the culprit, or kidnapped and probably dead in a ditch somewhere. Either way, people would be looking for her.
She didn't know what to do. She couldn't exactly get to Mantle. Someone in the city might recognize her. She couldn't just fling herself off the edge. Even her Aura wouldn't be able to save her from that. Assuming it wasn't already depleted because it was helping to keep her from freezing to death. She used her Semblance for warmth, but sparingly to keep that from happening.
What she had done was rash. It was in the moment. She didn't have any plan, and now she was going to freeze out in the wilderness if she couldn't think of something somehow.
"So, what do you think happened?"
Cinder tensed. They were closing in on her. She held her breath, hoping that whoever was there, they'd just leave.
"Simple," said a second voice. "Kid went crazy and killed them all. What else could've happened?"
"Well, yeah, but why? She's only thirteen, right? Why'd she do it? It isn't normal for a kid to do something like that…"
"Remember that doctor we talked to?" asked the second voice. "That Dust implant? They thought it was just a fashion statement, but I think it was more. Sucks that the woman's dead, but for all we know, she deserved it. Lightning because yellow's a nice color, or so you have a built in shock collar?"
"Yeah, maybe… hey!"
Cinder's heart began pounding.
"What're you doing out here, kid?" asked the first voice.
"I'm lost!"
It was a boy's voice. Was there someone else out there? What was someone else doing all the way out here? Especially someone young enough to be called a kid?
"Lost? How did you get lost all the way out here?" Asked the second voice. "Eh, whatever. It's dangerous for a kid like you to be out here."
"You're from Atlas, right? Come with us, and we'll try to find your parents," said the first voice.
"Thank you, officers, it means a ton!"
Cinder stayed in her bush, not daring to move a muscle. Eventually, though, any sounds of life faded away. Were they all gone? Cinder wanted to relax a bit, but she wasn't sure if it would be safe. She'd have to move sometime, though. She couldn't just sit there forever.
"What a precocious boy, pretending to be lost."
Cinder tensed again. It was a woman's voice this time. It was calm, smooth, motherly.
"How about you, child? Are you lost? A bush seems like a less than ideal place for you to be."
The bush Cinder was hiding in disintegrated and scattered to the wind. She was exposed now. The woman was standing in front of her. Cinder looked up, and couldn't believe her eyes. The woman's skin was a deathly white, and Cinder could see dark purple veins lining her face. There was a small diamond shaped marking on her forehead. People were supposed to have whites in their eyes, but hers were black, surrounding her red irises. Her long stark white hair hung loose. The woman was wearing a long black shawl that obscured most of her body.
Cinder didn't know what to do. Clearly, the woman was talking to her, but what did she say? Was it even right to call her a woman? Was a creature like this even human?
"You poor thing," she said. "You must have suffered greatly, if you prefer the cold wilderness of Atlas to the city."
She knelt and reached out an arm from under her shawl. Her arms were covered in the same purple veins as her face. She lightly caressed Cinder's face, who flinched at the touch. She regarded the cold, terrified girl before her, and then reached out, embracing Cinder.
Cinder was used to this. Trinity Maine often embraced her, to make Cinder feel like she was a valued member of the family and to lull her into a false sense of security. She wanted to push back, and break free at first, but she didn't. She was cold, hungry, and alone. The idea of anyone showing her any sort of compassion and warmth overrode all of the sirens in her head telling her to run.
"I lost them, Salem." It was the same voice Cinder had heard earlier. "So, what're you going to do with the girl?"
"Tell me." The woman - Salem - looked Cinder in the eye, hands on her shoulders. "What is your name?"
"It's… Cinder…" she said.
"Cinder," Salem said, "has someone hurt you?" Cinder just nodded. "If you'd like, I can give you power. Power so great that no one can ever hurt you again. How does that sound?"
"Power?" Cinder looked at her, and at the boy behind her. He must've been about her age. He was just kicking at the ground, his hands shoved in the pockets of a long coat. It was too big for him. His eyes were silver. Cinder had never seen someone with silver eyes before. Just like how she had never seen a woman that looked like this Salem before. "Power… sounds nice."
"If you come with me, I can give you that power, one day." Salem stood, extending a hand to Cinder.
It wasn't as if she had anything to lose. She had already lost everything. Cinder took her hand, and Salem helped her up.
"As you've heard, my name is Salem. The boy is Silver, my ward. I hope that the two of you will get along."
"Welcome to the family, I guess."
He extended a hand to Cinder. She hesitated for a moment, but shook it. Her entire world had been turned outside, when she snapped. Now it had turned again. She had no idea what it meant, to agree to go with these people. She had already hit rock bottom. Whoever they were, whatever it was they'd do, she could only go up from there.
I want to be loved
Cinder was lying on her bed in her guest room in Beacon Academy, staring at the ceiling. The ticking of the clock was one of the only sounds in the room, the other being the scratching of a pencil on paper.
"Neo, what the hell are you doing?" Emerald asked. Emerald crossed the room and grabbed something from the desk. "What the…? Cinder, Merc! Neo's making a little comic!"
"Torchwick, eh?" Cinder heard Silver say. "Is that… Team RWBY you two are kicking?"
Cinder sat up and turned towards them all. They were clustered around the small desk, looking at Neo's notebook. Mercury glanced over at her and approached, a worried look on his face.
"You doing alright?"
"I'm fine, Mercury," Cinder said.
"Are you sure? I mean, tomorrow-" He moved to place a hand on her shoulder.
"I know." Mercury's hand stopped short. "I've thought about this. I'm going to finish what I started. Not like I can back out anyway. I crossed the point of no return a long time ago…"
"If it's true that Atlas is working on some sort of Aura transferal machine, Watts could probably modify it," Silver said. "Make it so that it can isolate the Maiden Powers and put it into someone else. It doesn't have to be you."
"No, it does. I was already chosen to be the Fall Maiden once. Why back out now? If it was going to be Midna, or Impera, or Rapunzel, we would've decided that months ago." Cinder rose from her bed. "I need to go. I'll be back in a few hours."
"Things were different a few months ago," Silver said. "A few months ago, you didn't go and make friends with Pyrrha Nikos and her team. Hell, you're leaving to go play a game with them. Are you sure you really want to do this?"
"I just… want a chance to enjoy one last night together with them. That's all. This isn't going to change anything, Silver. I promise."
"I won't stop you," he said. "Just be sure to think long and hard on your walk. Turn back, if you have to. Make up some excuse why you couldn't come."
"He's right!" Emerald added. "They won't ask any questions! People having to cancel at the last minute happens all the time, right?"
"I doubt that's going to change anything. She'll probably go anyway," Mercury said.
"I know it's selfish of me," Cinder said.
The door opened. Neo was holding it open for her, an annoyed look on her face. Cinder sighed and headed for the door. Neo slapped her on the back, flashing Cinder a little smile before she closed it. She just wanted one final night of fun, before plunging the city into chaos. Just a brief calm before the storm.
Author's Note
I'll be taking a short break next week, to try and get ahead on some other personal projects and Gears of Fate. Volume 2 Chapter 8 will be posted on Thursday, March 2nd.
This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
- Short comments
- Long comments
- Questions
- Constructive criticism
- Reader-reader interaction
If anyone has been baffled or displeased by how Cinder's been portrayed, I hope this cleared up a few things. How did you feel about it being placed here, before the Fall? How was her altered backstory itself? Was it engaging? How about the decision to jump back and forth between her recruitment and her time in Atlas?