The town of Patch was small. There was no real system for helping orphans, but Summer Rose had friends all across the globe that she had reached out to about finding Cinder a home. And after the reply letters came in, Summer threw herself wholeheartedly into the work.

Unfortunately, after the past few weeks, Summer's enthusiasm was starting to fade.

"Okay, thank you for your time! Next time let's get some takeout and sodas!" She said as yet another potential family left the meeting room.

As the door swung shut, she let out a sad sigh. That was the last one for today. Just like the past two weeks.

She gathered up the papers angrily. She was getting sick of hearing the same excuses over and over again. No medical history. An accident caused a death. To wild, or unpredictable. Bla bla bla! Why couldn't they just say they didn't want a fourteen year old daughter with huntress training!? It made her mad that they wouldn't even give her a chance.

Cinder had been taking it pretty hard too. She hadn't even sat in to hear what this family would say. She knew they would reject her too. As if Cinder needed anymore unfairness in her life.

Summer put the papers into a folder and opened the door to the hallway.

Across from the room they were renting was Cinder. She was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed.

She was wearing a dark red sleeveless dress with fingerless gloves. A single earring hung from her right ear and she had put on some makeup. She had a pair of nice high heels to go with her outfit. A gift from Summer to her.

Despite all this, nobody seemed to think Cinder was worth their time. One look told them all they needed to know. She was going to be a handful, and nobody would be willing to take that chance.

"Hey." Summer said softly. "Don't worry about it. You're too good for them anyway. Let's go home. I bet Ruby's getting anxious." Cinder said nothing but followed Summer out into the cloudy parking lot and into her car. It wasn't a long drive back home, but Summer still wanted to get home quickly and put some good food into the girl's stomach.

Ever since the fight on Cinder's first day, the two siblings had been unable to resolve things. Yang had started to do the most childish things to get back at Ruby. Putting her things too high for her to reach, hiding her fairytale books, super gluing the lid to the cookie jar shut (okay, The rest of the family found that incredibly funny.) and putting gum into her hair. It had been a bad few weeks.

Unfortunately, Ruby had been getting her revenge in an equally childish way by trying to spend all her time with Cinder, (much to the older girl's annoyance.) as a 'new' sister. As a result, Cinder had been drawn into the line of fire for Yang. And now Cinder was reaching her wits end. Her toothbrush being used to scrub the toilet, her clothes being buried in the garden and Yang had even tried to steal Cinder's swords. Fortunately, Summer had caught and stopped her before Cinder found out. Summer didn't even want to think about how badly that would have ended.

During her stay, Summer found herself learning more about Cinder as well. Like the girl had a knack for reading. Summer had caught her reading one of Ruby's fairytales. She had offered to buy the girl some books, but Cinder had declined as she didn't want much stuff to pack when she moved out.

Summer had also learned that Cinder had a temper. And a very bad one at that. She normally had a more reserved personality, but that had been a result of being a slave. Her true personality was of a sassy, prideful girl who preferred using her fists over her words. And was quick to anger.

More than once Summer had to physically step between Cinder and the object of her rage. And even worse, said object was normally Yang. The two seemed incapable of getting along. And while Summer had a good guess it was normally Yang who started the fight, Cinder was older and stronger and wouldn't hold back against the eight year old.

As she drove to the edge of town, Summer snuck a glance at Cinder, who was staring dead eyed out the window. She was too proud to admit it, but the constant rejection was starting to get to her. Cinder was becoming increasingly more frustrated and violent at home, (Even snapping at Ruby yesterday, something the older girl had never done before.) and it was easy to guess why.

Summer know Cinder wanted to become a huntress, or wanted the power and freedom the job gave. But that meant she'd have to get into Beacon. And right now, they we're only expecting people from other academies.

The fall semester was fast approaching, so Cinder not only had to learn basic skills to get in, but also had a deadline for getting her parents signed consent to pay for it. If she didn't find a foster home soon she'd miss the deadline and have to try her luck next year. Unfortunately, it was unbelievably difficult to transfer in from another school if it wasn't another notable huntress academy.

Cinder could have a bright future ahead of her, but only if she found a loving family to support her. And Summer had been thinking of a plan to get her just that.

"Hey, Cinder. I was thinking about the whole foster home situation and I had an idea." Cinder didn't respond and just continued staring. "What if we-"

"Look out!"

Summer slammed on the brakes just in time as a large group of people walked past waving handmade signs as they went. A few of the closer ones stumbled back, while others stood their ground. Fortunately, the car stopped before anyone was injured.

Summer let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. If Cinder had called out, that would have been bad.

"Thanks for the warning. That was too close." Summer said as Cinder shifted in her seat trying to get a good look at the people obscuring the road.

"What's going on?" Cinder asked. And Summer craned her neck to see herself. There were people of all different walks of life. From the middle class to the poor. Several were waving signs and they were all yelling "down with Atlas! Their charity is our suffering!" And other things in the same vein. That gave Summer a good guess on who they we're.

Sure enough, she spotted a woman with a Grimm mask holding a chain with a small blade at the end. She was standing next to a man with a crew cut who also had a mask and a sword that looked more like a chainsaw.

"The White Fang." Summer said. "This must be some kind of protest march."

Cinder looked up at the huntress confused. "The terrorist group? Why are they here?" She asked, causing Summer to look back at the girl in alarm.

"Terrorist group? What are you talking about?" Summer asked. "There were a peaceful protest movement that started back in the Great War. Back then, they might have made money as mercenaries, but after that they started trying to win equal rights for the Faunus'. I'll admit, there is talk that a faction that's beginning to radicalize, but there have been no-"

"Seven bombs in Atlas mails that abused Faunus labor. Three airships hijacked in the last year. Four high-ranking officials from the SDC kidnapped and killed. And two assaults on highly secured Faunus prisoners. Oh and planting a bomb in the staff room of the Glass unicorn, that would have killed ME if a huntsman hadn't found it first! Pretty sure that counts as terrorism."

Summer blink In surprise. She knew Atlas was bad for Faunus, but she never imagined that Cinder might have been drawn into a hostile campaign against the kingdom. If even half of what Cinder had said was true, then it was only a matter of time before Ironwood would destroy the Atlas division and leave the Faunus with no one to speak for them.

Why on Remnant would the White Fang think of launching attacks against the kingdom? They should know that wouldn't help their situation. She knew Faunus had long been denied rights in that kingdom, but violence wasn't the answer.

"I guess they're getting sick of waiting. It must have been horrible. I'm sorry you got dragged into the failures of my generation." Summer apologized, but the young teen just waved it away.

"It's whatever." Cinder said. "Been through worse. But on another note, what are they protesting? This looks pretty big."

Summer was a bit worried about Cinder's lack of concern, but didn't want to overstep her boundaries, choosing to focus on her question instead. "A few years back, Atlas began work on a global communications tower in each of the four kingdoms. Once completed, then people can connect across the whole world. Making unity much easier."

Cinder frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? I'm not seeing the connection here?" Summer smiled at her. "Most of the parts needed for the towers are made by companies that profit off Faunus labor. And so many are opposed to the construction, but General Ironwood believes that doing the right things by ignoring the moral thing is sometimes necessary for the greater good." Summer paused for a second before continuing.

"And as a former team leader, I know sometimes the-"

"That's not what I meant." Cinder interrupted. Causing Summer to pause.

"Why would having better communications help unit the world? The only thing people care about is power. Without it, nobody cares what you think. Regardless of if you're a human or a faunas." Cinder's bluntness had a way of always catching Summer off guard. She stammered trying to think of a way to explain to the child about how power was everything, but the more she thought about it, the more she could see what Cinder was getting at.

Nine out of ten politicians didn't listen to the people they were supposed to serve, choosing instead to listen to their rich, prepaid best college league members. It was that very reason that SHE was able to drag the great war on for so many years despite the numerous people bagging for peace.

But at the same time, Oz had worked tirelessly to remove those types of people from office for his entire new life. Vale was the best right now, but Oz's ultimate goal was to ensure his lieutenant could control each kingdom with little opposition.

Summer had reservations about the plan, but Oz insisted that it would prevent the kingdoms from falling to her influence.

But of course she couldn't tell Cinder all that.

"Times are changing fast these days." Summer said instead. "After the war, lots of new laws are being implemented to protect people's rights. With enough time and effort, we can make a better future for everyone."

Cinder rolled her eyes, clearly not believing that people would change the law for the better, but she didn't say anything and went back to staring out the window.

As they waited for the peace walk to pass, Summer noticed the figure of Ghira Belladonna make his way to the masked huntress and start talking about something with a serious expression. She wasn't surprised to see him here. From what she heard, he was normally at every event with his family. Didn't they have a daughter recently? She remembered reading about that a little while before Raven left. She was probably around Yang's age. Hopefully, he gets the White Fang back on the right path before something really bad happens. She didn't want to think about a child getting dragged into something dangerous, especially if the Atlas branch was up to something shady. Ironwood would probably not stop with just then and call for a complete disbandment of the organization. If that happened a lot of faunas would have no one left to speak for them. Maybe-

"Hey! What's that?" Cinder asked, breaking Summer from her thoughts. Following Cinder finger, she saw a poster for a movie called on a wall next to an alleyway, The Dawn in Patch, Zero!

"Oh! That's a movie about a local urban legend. The Werewolf of Patch." Cinder raised an eyebrow. And Summer mentality slapped herself for forgetting Cinder wasn't local.

"The legend goes like this. About fifty years ago, a huntsman was in Patch hunting an old Beowolf with his lover. They made it to the cave it called home. Believing it was out hunting, they began setting up traps. Unfortunately, they were wrong, and the beast returned sooner than expected. It attacked the unprepared huntsman and managed to kill him. Then struck the woman across the stomach, tearing her open." For the first time since getting in the car, Cinder looked interested. Summer smiled at her, this was perfect to get her mind off the past few weeks.

Deciding to keep her attention, Summer began adding some extra flair by moving her arms to illustrate the scenes. "After a fight, the woman managed to escape and returned to Patch, where she got immediate medical treatment. Unfortunately, it was too late. She passed a few days later." Summer paused for a second for dramatic effect.

"But the woman had a secret. She was pregnant! And her child not only survived the attack, but also the rushed delivery. And when he fully awoke, they say he had completely unique powers. The attack had gifted him the powers of a Beowolf!" Cinder raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"The attack gave him magic powers? Are you serious?" She asked pointedly.

"According to legend, every night of the full moon, he would transform into a Grimm-human hybrid and rampage until dawn the following morning!" Cinder expression didn't change.

"Hey! It's a legend. Of course a lot of it doesn't make sense." Summer defended. "I actually really like the legend. Now, relax and listen to the rest of it. I'm sure it'll pique your interest once I'm done." Cinder shook her head with a smile. "Whatever. It's something while we're stuck here." Despite her tone, Summer saw interest in Cinder's eyes. She was actually curious about this legend even if she wouldn't admit it.

"So, where was I?" Summer asked for the sake of storytelling. "Oh yes. Now I remember. So, as the years went by, this boy cursed the Beowolf for the curse and vowed vengeance for both his parents and himself. Years later, he returned to the cave, now a full grown huntsman, to find and kill the Beowolf!"

Cinder unconsciously leaned forward. Summer suppressed a giggle as she continued. "It was a grizzly fight in which the huntsman got hit by the Beowolf's claw, leaving four distinct scares running over his left eye. But even so, the man fought on, eventually stabbing it through the heart! It collapsed next to him dead, but instead of turning to dust like it should have. It melted into a black liquid and wrapped itself around the man before absorbing into him."

"Now he was trapped in his wolf form! And even worse, he could feel his mind wavering. Knowing he had lost himself to vengeance and now became the beast he had hunted. He ran deep into the woods, far away from people so as not to hurt them. According to legend, he still lives somewhere in the woods to this day. Waiting for someone to free him from his curse and end the waking nightmare he was trapped in."

"Wow!" Cinder breathed. She was engrossed by the tale and had even let her guard down while listening. "So that's what the movie's about? It must be quiet sometimes to see it live."

Summer scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Actually… the director took some…. liberties with the plot….and changed it to a…high school romance between a bad boy with an… allegedly heart of gold. The only thing from the legend is the setting and his backstory."

Cinder visibly deflated. She sighed and turned her attention back to the march that was beginning to thin. Summer gave her shoulder a squeeze causing the girl to look back at her. "Hey, don't worry. I can take you to the place where the legend started sometime. It's a pretty view if nothing else!"

Cinder smiled. She looked back at the poster.

Then her smile faded and her eyes narrowed.

"He's still there? What a creep." Cinder muttered, causing Summer to look at her in confusion. Who was still there?

"Cinder, who are you talking about?" Summer said as she followed Cinder's gaze. "There's nobody there." But as she squinted at the area around the poster, she saw Cinder was right. A man was standing in the shadows of the alley. And while she couldn't make out many of their features, she could tell he was looking straight at them.

Immediately, Summer's instincts sent her a warning. According to Cinder, he had been there a while and if that was the case, she doubts he had any good intentions.

"Cinder, buckle up. We're going home through a different route." Summer didn't wait before she did a u-turn and headed back into Patch. As she drove past the poster, she chanced a glance into the alley.

It was empty.

Rain pounded on the window as Summer and Tai did the dishes. Thunder boomed in the distance, slowly coming closer.

Dinner was a tense affair. Yang still refused to talk to the family and Ruby was still clinging to Cinder, who despite her best efforts, had been extremely short with the young girl.

After dinner, Cinder had gone outside to train and get away from Ruby. Unfortunately, the little girl had grabbed her raincoat and followed her out. A few minutes ago Yang had gone out after them as Ruby hadn't picked up her toys from the living room floor. Normally she did herself, but after the argument, she now refused to even help Ruby with her chores.

"So, how many more families do you have on your list?" Tai asked as he dried the dishes. "Cinder's a good kid, but it's so hard for teens to find a loving family."

Summer let out a sad sigh. "That was the last local one. I'll look into other kingdoms, but until the towers go up, I don't see any way to do it practically." She gave Tai another dish before continuing. "I think we should think about some other options."

Tai looked down slightly and his breath quickened. "Actually," He said uncomfortably. "I've been thinking about that. And I have an idea. Just…please don't bite my head off."

Summer wanted to remind him she wasn't Raven, but his tone told her now wasn't the time. She turned to him, and he suddenly found the dish in his hand incredibly interesting.

"There's this guy I know in Minstrel. He's a great guy! All around, one of the best with children. Specifically, children without parents who are at the age where they'll likely age out of the system." Summer's mouth fell open in shock.

"No." She said, not willing to even entertain the idea. "We are not sending her to an orphanage. She just got out of slavery! I'm not sending her anywhere that she wouldn't feel loved. It's out of-!"

"Summer, this guy isn't like that." Tai cut in. "He specializes in this kind of thing. Teach crafts they can use to get jobs, letting them learn how to interact with their peers, and finding good scholarships. Summer, for a girl like Cinder, this is probably the best chance she has for a fresh start." Summer locked eyes with her husband. She didn't like how hard he was trying to sell this idea.

"Is there a huntress course?" Tai looked away, not answering her question.

"Cinder wants to be a huntress. If she misses her chance to attend a school for that, she'll struggle to get into Beacon. She already lost so much. We can't take that away from her too." Tai still couldn't bring himself to look at her. He fidgeted with the towel in his hand.

"With all do respect." He started hesitantly. "I'm not sure if Cinder should be a huntress."

Summer stared. She couldn't believe what she heard. Had he really just said the poor girl shouldn't pursue her goal?

"Tai Xiao Long." Summer snapped. "I hope I didn't just hear you correctly, because it sounds to me like you think Cinder shouldn't be a huntress just because she had the bad luck to-!"

"Summer, wait." Tai cut in once again. "Just hear me out. Please. You can bite my head off later, but you need to hear this. So please." Summer froze for a second. She rarely heard Tai get so serious. And she had known him long enough to know this tone was reserved for important moments.

With a huff, Summer crossed her arms and gave her husband a stern look. "Fine." She said shortly. "But if you don't have a good reason for that idea, you're sleeping on the couch tonight mister."

Tai sighed slightly, but didn't comment. He put the rag down and turned to face Summer. "You know as well as I do she doesn't care about helping others. She's only after the power that the job can give. How many huntsmen and huntresses have gone rogue because of their greed? How many of them are cut from the same cloth as Cinder?" Summer opened her mouth to protect, but then closed it a moment later. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Tai had a point.

"Right now, there are an increasing number of ant-peace organizations forming. They're looking for young people to brainwash into their cults. Cinder would be a prime target due to her more self-centered nature. And if I'm being honest, she seems somewhat easy to influence." Summer looked away hotly. Once again she couldn't find much to defend Cinder with.

"Even if she didn't, that doesn't change the fact that if she becomes a huntress then she'll have a good deal of power at her fingertips and nothing to stop her from doing whatever she wants. You know she'll probably end up hurting some innocent people." Summer bit her lip as she recalled the conversation in Ironwood's office and the lie Cinder had told there. The more Tai spoke the harder it was to give Cinder the benefit of the doubt.

"There are plenty of other jobs that her skill could be applied too. If she joined the police or got a security guard position, then she'd be set for life. They'll pay top dollar for a girl of her skill. Besides, after everything Cinder has gone through, I'm not sure she has the right mental state to be a huntress. She tends to be a-."

"Do you honestly think we can stop her?"

Tai stopped at Summer's words. Despite his argument against her, he knew, deep down, that Cinder would probably go after a huntress license with or without going to Beacon. Even if that meant almost certain death.

"The way I see it, if we help Cinder into Beacon, then maybe, just maybe, she'll learn what a proper huntress is supposed to act like. Because if we don't, then I think we both know she only has two outcomes." A long silence followed as Tai and Summer stared at each other. Both knew what options Cinder had without Beacon, and neither was a good one.

After several minutes, Tai let out a sigh and smoothed his hair back. "So," He said. "What did you have in mind?"

Summer gave him a mischievous smile. "Well, I was thinking." She said slowly. "Cinder needs a loving home, right? What about-"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Both adults jump at the scream. It had come from right outside and from a voice they were quite familiar with.

"Yang!"

Both of them rushed outside into the rain.

Once outside, they saw the nightmare taking place in their front yard. Ruby was on the ground next to Cinder's swords, sobbing as she clutched her knee, which was bleeding. At the edge of the tree line were Yang and Cinder. All three were covered in mud, but it was far from a friendly game gone awry.

Yang was on her knees, squirming to get away from the older girl who had her firmly by her hair. Summer saw steam pouring from Yang's hair as the two of them fought. Cinder had a furious snarl stretched across her face as she tried to get hold of the younger girl flailing arms.

Yang meanwhile, had activated her semblance and was trying to escape, but in its current state she was still outmatched by Cinder.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Yang shouted as she struggled for freedom. "Stop it you bitch! This is why we all hate you!" Her insults seemed to anger Cinder further and her fist turned red.

"Shut up!" Cinder bellowed. "You're the little bitch! Always running your mouth, but when the gloves come off, you're just a snot nosed brat who's only talk! Nobody would ever want someone like you in their family!" Yang began struggling harder as she fought back tears.

Immediately, Summer raced across the yard towards the fight girls. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tai run over to Ruby. Good. Tai had always been better at first ad.

"Cinder! Yang! Stop this right now!" Summer yelled, but neither girl was listening.

"You know what? I don't even feel bad about this." Cinder said as her tone changed into a calm and sadistic one. "Maybe this will teach a worthless little brat like you some manners. Tell me, how long have you grown this ugly mess out?"

Yang's eyes grow wide. Immediately she began struggling hysterically. "No! No! Don't you dare! Get off me! GET OFF ME!"

As Summer got closer, she could smell burning hair and could see it breaking as Yang tried to pull herself away. "No! Yang! Don't move! Cinder! Let her go right now! You're going to-!"

Snap!

Yang tumbled to the ground, strands of yellow hair falling as she went. She landed face first onto the ground, before spinning around to see Cinder standing over her, grinning as she held most of the golden locks that had made up her hair, then.

"Wwwwwaaaahhhhh! My hair! My hair! Wwwwaaaaahhhh!"

Yang sobbed as she curled up into a ball on the ground as Summer reached her. She ripped her cloak from her back and put it on Yang while trying to hug her. Yang continued to shake with each sod as Summer rubbed her back trying to soothe her.

"Hah! What a baby!" Summer glared up at Cinder. "Ahhh baby upset because her hair got cut?" Cinder mocked.

"Enough, Cinder." Summer warned, but the older girl didn't listen.

"Maybe next time you'll remember to stay in line. I might even forgive you if you beg." Cinder's expression was one of pure glee as she gloated to the younger girl. Below her, Summer felt Yang peek out to look at her tormentor.

"Cinder, last warning. Stop." Despite the clear tone, Cinder didn't seem to care.

"Ahh. Baby wants her lice ridden hair back? Here! Catch!" Cinder throw Yang's hair at her. Immediately, Yang launched out from under Summer, desperately grabbing at the strands as the fell. Above her, Cinder didn't bother concealing her laughter.

Enough was enough. She had tried to be nice to the orphan, but she had just crossed the line.

"CINDER!" Summer bellowed. Causing the girl to step back in surprise. Confusion clear on her face.

"What's your problem?" Cinder defended. "You should be thanking me for teaching this brat a lesson! Why are you shouting at me!?" The hurt and surprise was clear in her voice and on her face.

But Summer was in no mood. She had given enough warning to stop, and they had been ignored. Now was time for discipline.

"I don't care what you think! It's not your job to hurt my daughters!" Summer saw Cinder take a step back, but Summer didn't stop there. "I don't know what Yang did to upset you, but you have no right to attack and injure them! I thought that was very clear, but apparently I need to be stricter with you!"

"I didn't-!" Cinder began, but was cut off by Summer.

"Enough! We can discuss this later! For right now, I need to tend to my daughters! You will go to your room and not come out for the rest of the day!" Cinder opened her mouth to protest, but Summer cut her off before she could begin.

"Tomorrow, we will talk not only about tonight, but also your future! Until we decide what to do, you are not to approach either Ruby or Yang, is that clear?" Summer glared at Cinder, who recoiled under her gaze. She seemed somewhat stunned, so Summer repeated herself. "Are we clear?"

Cinder blinked as she snapped out of her trance. "But I didn't do anything wrong!" She protested. "Yang was-!"

"Cinder! Enough! GO TO YOUR ROOM! NOW!" Summer's voice echoed through the clearing. Cinder stood still in utter surprise. The shock and hurt clear on her face. Her lower lip began to tremble and her breathing became uneven. She opened her mouth to try to protest, but she seemed incapable of forming words.

Then her eyes drifted to Ruby. Her face betrayed her pain. "Ruby." She said as she took a step towards the girl. "Tell them what happened. You saw it too. Yang got what she deserved." Cinder tried to take another step towards the young girl, but Summer stepped between them, Yang hiding behind her mother's cloak, still clutching her burned off hair.

Cinder gave Ruby a pleading look, but the girl just shook her head before burying it in her father's chest, sobbing.

Slowly, Cinder's expression changed. The hurt and confusion were replaced with fury and betrayal. Her fist clenched and she bared her teeth. She made an aggressive step towards Ruby, but then Summer stepped forward, stopping Cinder in her tracks.

"Don't make this any worse than you already have." She warned the girl.

Cinder opened her mouth, then stopped and closed it again. She lowered her head and walked past Summer towards the house.

"Whatever you want, Mistress." She snarled as stopped at the door. She gave the family one last venomous look before heading inside and towards her room.